MEDICAL MYTHS: Don’t always believe the hype
July 03, 2019 • 1 min read
-- “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth,” is a law of propaganda often attributed to the Nazi, Joseph Goebbels.
While health regulators have put paid to propagandists, flimsy research persists, misinforming health-minded consumers and making lots of money for owners of questionable products.
Thankfully researchers are on the job, busting medical myths and putting consumers on the straight and narrow. Researchers have discovered nearly 400 routine practices that are flatly contradicted by studies published in leading journals. A selection follows:
Guess what?
- Fish oil does not reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Step counters and calorie trackers do not help you lose weight.
- Compression stockings do not reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis after stroke.
- Hip protectors do not have a significant effect on risk of hip fractures in institutional settings.
- Ginkgo biloba does not protect against memory loss and dementia (Yet it still rakes in $249 million in sales).
- Keeping your house free of dust mites, mice, and cockroaches is no protection against asthma attacks.
Read the full report.