35 HEALTH FACTS Your Doctor Wants You to Know

Knowing which of these statements have been verified by SCIENCE—and which are MYTHS—could boost your health

- Marissa Laliberte

1 Cold weather makes you sick.

Myth! Germs are the only thing that can make you sick. You can go out in the freezing cold with wet hair, and if there aren’t any germs around, you’ll stay sniffle-free. But there is a correlation: The viruses that cause the common cold thrive in low temperatures.

2 Eating too much sugar will give you diabetes.

Myth! Sweet foods don’t directly lead to chronically high blood sugar. But they can contribute to obesity, which is a risk factor for diabetes, so keeping a well-balanced diet and limiting treats is still the right idea.

3 You shouldn’t ice a burn. Truth!

Most skin damage from a burn comes from the inflammatory response, and ice can damage cells and make it worse. Instead, immerse the burn in cool water for about five minutes. Then wash with mild soap and apply an antibiotic ointment.

4 Antiperspirants cause cancer.

Myth! Antiperspirants temporarily keep sweat from escaping, and some scientists have suggested that letting it build up in the ducts could cause tumours.

But research hasn’t confirmed that theory, and the largest study to date on the subject found no link between cancer and antiperspirants or deodorants.

5 CPR doesn’t require mouth-to-mouth breathing.

Truth! A 2017 study found that when bystanders gave CPR to people in cardiac arrest, survival rates were higher when they employed uninterrupted chest compressions rather than pausing for rescue breaths.

6 Being overweight shortens your life expectancy.