Cooperative Living May 2019 - 22

Common Health Myths
HealthyTake | by Allison Goldberg, Contributing Writer
H
ealth and nutrition are young sciences, and better
information is constantly emerging from new studies.
It's easy to miss new information, and our brains
naturally cling to the first versions of what we hear. Let's take
a look at a few common, stubborn health myths.
Antiperspirant causes breast cancer
According to the American Cancer Society, researchers
found no link between antiperspirant or deodorant use and
breast cancer risk based on a study comparing 813 women
with breast cancer and 793 women without breast cancer.
Being cold will give you a cold
A cold is a virus, and catching a cold means you've become
infected by a virus (or many viruses - there are thousands). Cold
air is not a virus. However, there are a few reasons we're more
likely to catch a cold during winter months. We're more likely
to be in closer quarters indoors (and thus sharing more air and
germs), drier indoor air leads to drier nasal cavities (mucus
membranes are better at protecting us when moist) and rhinovirus
germs replicate faster at lower temperatures, among other reasons.
Cracking joints will cause arthritis
The cracks and pops you hear when you crack your joints is air
being released from the liquid that lubricates your joints. It doesn't
cause arthritis, but that doesn't mean it's good for you. Harvard
University Medical School says people who crack their knuckles
tend to have lower grip strength and increased inflammation
in their hands.
Organic food is more nutritious and pesticide-free
A 2010 study by British
researchers compared 162
scholarly, peer-reviewed,
published articles that
looked at organic and traditionally
grown produce. All told, their review
found no difference in 15 noted nutrients,
including vitamin C, beta-carotene and calcium.
They also analyzed results for organic and traditionally
raised meat, dairy and eggs, and found that organic livestock
products actually had higher levels of fats. In regard to
chemicals, both traditionally grown and organic farms use
pesticides, herbicides and fungicides; according to Scientific
American, over 20 chemicals are approved for use by the U.S.
Organic Standards and the amount of chemicals used on
organic crops is not limited. Even though organic pesticides,
herbicides and fungicides are created from natural sources,
that doesn't necessarily mean they're safer.
Vaccines cause autism
In 1998, a British gastroenterologist named Andrew
Our brains
naturally cling
to the first
versions of
what we hear.
Wakefield published a falsified paper in which he linked the
measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism. His
findings were not replicable, the conclusions he drew were
not supported by data, and he had financial conflicts of
interest. He and his autism study have been discredited; he is
no longer allowed to practice medicine in the U.K. According
to the organization Autism Speaks, the risk factors for autism
include parental age, pregnancy and birth complications,
closely spaced pregnancies and environmental risk factors.
You need to cleanse your body of toxins (also known
as " detoxing " )
Your body is a self-cleaning machine. You expel toxins (i.e.,
carbon dioxide) on your breath thanks to your lungs. Your
kidneys and liver clean your blood. Your colon removes
waste. Your sweat releases excess salts from your skin. The
best way to " detox " is to treat your body right by drinking
enough water and moderating unhealthy foods, alcohol and
drug use - and that includes quitting tobacco. There's no
need to fast or deprive yourself. In fact, eating an abundance
of fresh or frozen vegetables and fruit, drinking more water,
and getting more sleep are the best ways to help your body
perform optimally. 
Allison Goldberg writes on consumer and cooperative
affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association, the national trade association representing
more than 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing
suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve
as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans
across 56 percent of the nation's landscape.
20 | Cooperative Living | May 2019
20 | Cooperative Living | October 2018
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Cooperative Living May 2019

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