Health's Biggest Buzz Kills

examiner.com

Confused about health? Health information is the most researched topic in the world and trying to keep up can make your head spin.  There are many reasons for this bombardment of information when it comes to how you should live your life, but the simple fact is that the human body is one of the most complex organisms on this planet and is constantly going through changes. Hearing things like your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades, and cheese makes your butt bigger, can leave you feeling like you don't know the difference between cookies and celery. The doctor tells you to drink more water, but the news says that you will drown yourself if you drink too much.  These extreme contradictions are extremely common in the world of health communication and can make understanding personal health more complicated than calorie counting. Luckily science has made some degree of concrete discoveries, and laid out the facts about improving your personal health.  While these facts may not reinforce the article you read about how ice cream can cure the common cold they are interesting guidelines to keep in mind. Listed below are a few of the biggest buzz kills in the world of health facts...

dogdays.com

1. Sharing a bed and/or making out with your pet is entirely unsanitary. 
 The plague, MRSA, meningitis, bacterial infections...by having an up close and personal relationship with your pet you are putting yourself at risk for these ailments.  Many doctors report the transfer of disease through open mouth or wound when licked by their pet. The most common mouth transfer was meningitis.  Also sleeping with your flea infested canine is one of the easiest ways to contract the biblical form of the plague.  Keeping your animal up to date of veterinary obligations can help reduce your risk.

2. You may have an iron stomach but snacking on cookie dough is a bad idea.
How many times have you bought the break n' bake dough with no intention of actually baking it? People hear that the eggs are pasteurized which is what kills salmonella and think they are in the clear. Researchers are finding that the hidden threat is actually the flour in these products.  It is the only raw ingredient in the dough and can transmit bacteria which ultimately weakens the immune system if consumed raw.  

3. No working off those unhealthy meals at the gym

realsimple.com

Usually you can rationalize that burger and fries by telling yourself you'll do an extra 20 minutes on the treadmill later.  We have all believed that hitting the gym is how you lose weight. Unfortunately weight loss comes down to eating less (American Medical Association).  Your basal metabolic rate determines how many calories are burned daily and will drop as you lose weight, regardless of physical exercise.  Eating less leads to greater weight loss results.  Many researchers support that your overall physical appearance is 20% gym time and 80% diet. 

4. iWhatevers serve no beneficial purpose to your overall health.
Whether you have the latest app that is supposed to send you into a deep sleep or counts your calories electronics only hinder your overall health. Excessive exposure to light during the night has been linked to numerous adverse side effects such as breast cancer, obesity, and depression.  This means your body would appreciate you turning these things off every once in a while which is easier said than done for the 95% of Americans who use some sort of technology at night. The harsh light can inhibit your body's natural rhythms and aids in the depletion of melatonin a crucial sleep chemical (American Medical Association 2011). 

5. The double dipper is why you caught a cold watching the game last weekend.
Draining the skyline dip bowl with all sides of your chip is spreading germs.  One study at Clemson University found that the amount of bacteria transferred to salsa by a double dipped chip resulted in about 10,000 bacteria traveling from the eater's mouth to the dip.  The next dipper would in consequence consume around 50-100 bacteria from the original party fouler, making bathroom doors seem a lot less repulsive.

fitness.com

6. Your big gulp is the reason why your pants don't fit 
No matter what you hear, sugary drinks will make you gain weight.  This has been studied for decades but the latest finding is that if your biological genes make you more susceptible to obesity then you are also predisposed to gain more weight from sugary drinks. 


7. Vitamins do not make you invincible 
After a study of 200,000 people in California, there was no correlation that taking a daily vitamin prolonged your life.  Many medical specialists advise against the supplemental craze urging that it can create an imbalance and throw your natural production off track. 

8. There is such thing as too much coffee 
Research has gone back an forth about the advantages and disadvantages about coffee. Seven cups a day causes dramatic shifts in mood leading to experiences of anxiety, and irritability.  Ten or more cups daily is tempting heart failure.  The most crucial aspect of how your body handles coffee is dependent on how quickly you are able to metabolize the substance.  Some genes may hinder the breakdown of the caffeine in certain individuals.   

These are just a few of the facts when it comes to overall health.  The daily overflow of health information can't argue with these basics!

Read more from NBC.com about the information in this post!

-RV