It’s necessary to determine whether a new health trend is just a temporary fashion. Is it really possible to detoxify your body with a juice cleanse, or could it potentially harm your health? According to a 2021 review article, misinformation about health on the internet has become a “public health concern.” Researchers at the University of Cadiz in Spain discovered that the most common topics prone to misinformation are “vaccines, drugs or smoking, noncommunicable diseases, pandemics, eating disorders, and medical treatments.” However, some online platforms are dedicated to debunking health myths. One of the individuals interested in this topic is the Reddit user u/imadepyramids, who inquired about the most widely accepted health myths on r/AskReddit. People shared misconceptions they no longer believe, and you can find them listed below! Bored Panda also had the opportunity to interview the OP. u/imadepyramids shared why they decided to ask other Redditors this question and revealed some health-related myths they used to believe in themselves.
SensationalSasquatch, Reza Mehrad / Unsplash.
The Redditor imadepyramids frequently posts questions on r/AskReddit, expressing a liking for it due to the engagement it receives. “I always post questions on r/AskReddit because I love [the] engagement it gets me,” the Redditor says. “It’s just great to [wake up] in [the] morning to a 500+ notifications symbol.” However, it’s not only selfish reasons that drive this user’s curiosity. “I try to always ask thought-provoking questions which will benefit both me and the people who are reading the post,” imadepyramids tells Bored Panda. And this post is one of such – there is plenty to learn from what the other netizens have shared.
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This thread on r/AskReddit became quite popular, garnering almost 6.5k comments and 5.3k upvotes! The author admits they didn’t expect the post to gain such popularity and did not read all the comments. However, some comments stood out to them. “People here and there claim that small quantities of alcohol can be helpful but all the comments were against it!” the OP says. “I also [got] to know about superfoods and how they are also a myth.” They believe that such popularity with a post like this indicates that this generation is quite health-conscious.
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When asked about health myths they used to believe in but no longer do, the Redditor mentions two. “Detox programs are not what they claim and yoga and homeopathy can’t cure big diseases,” the Redditor shares. And as for yoga, while they still attend their weekly class, they don’t believe it will magically cure all their problems.
kaesekrebs, Andres Ayrton / Pexels. By the way, the belief that you can lose fat in specific body areas with certain exercises is considered one of the many myths, especially within the eating-disorder community.
This is also a messed up myth for Black people and minorities in general, as they don’t receive pain relief the way others do, even among the medical community. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” and “eating small ~6 times a day helps with blood sugar” are also myths. The belief that eating healthy is expensive can be debunked by buying in bulk, avoiding “organic” food, and cooking your meals. These are just a few examples of the health myths that are still believed.
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There is a need for a greater understanding of the health myths that are still widely believed, such as the misconception that MSG is bad for you, or the confusion between IBD and IBS, which often get lumped together, despite the significant differences in their impact on individuals. These myths can have harmful effects on people’s health.
_artbabe95, engin akyurt / Unsplash.
There are also myths related to food, such as the belief that washing chicken before cooking it is necessary, which can lead to contaminating your kitchen. Another myth is that GMOs are bad, which is refuted by the fact that they allow for more resilient and efficient crop production.
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Health myths also extend to beliefs about illnesses and treatments, such as the mistaken idea that being young and leading an active lifestyle will prevent chronic illnesses, or that training your waist will make it tighter and slimmer. Another myth is that x amount of alcoholic units per week does no harm, whereas alcohol is actually very harmful and contributes to numerous health issues.
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It’s important to address these health myths and promote accurate information for the wellbeing of individuals and communities. Encouraging critical thinking and research when it comes to health-related beliefs can help dispel these misconceptions and improve overall health outcomes.
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