Our scientific knowledge is constantly evolving. Remember, 80 years ago, doctors recommended smoking. Here are the latest information on controversial health issues.
Coffee
Something like that must be bad for you, or at least everyone thought it. Experts have blamed stunting, hypertension, heart attacks and more. But over the past decade, the reputation of coffee has taken a complete turn: an analysis of studies published in the BMJ last year concludes that people who drink three to four cups a day have lower mortality rates, all causes, to those who do not drink. coffee; Regular consumption of java seems to reduce the risk of certain cancers, as well as liver and heart diseases. However, light is not completely green in coffee: it can be harmful for fetal development (pregnant women should be cautious) and may contribute to osteoporosis.
Salt
In the 1970s, a scientist gave rats an amount of sodium equivalent to about 500 grams in humans (most Americans consume an average of 3.4 grams per day), Scientific American reports. The blood pressure of the rats has increased and the medical community has sounded the alarm about the salt. The Americans have never accepted the message: the federal guidelines recommend consuming only 2.3 grams of sodium, or about a teaspoon of salt, per day, but processed and processed foods contain such a high amount of sodium that few people comply. this limit.
Perhaps the concern is misplaced: A 2016 study in The Lancet suggests that the limits are too strict. Among those who consume large amounts of sodium, only those with high blood pressure had higher rates of cardiovascular problems. Surprisingly, people who consumed the lowest amounts of sodium, whether their blood pressure was high or not, also experienced more cardiovascular events and deaths. The government's recommendations have not changed, but many researchers do not view them as resolved, according to NPR's medical care blog, Shots.
Fat
Butter, lard, coconut oil: The fear of saturated fats has diminished since heart specialists have realized that trans fat from margarine is actually deadly. This does not mean, however, that saturated fats are at stake: The New York Times reports that despite modern dietary advice (and delusions), saturated fats can still contribute to heart attacks. People who replace saturated fats with olive oil or canola significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Meat
When the World Health Organization announced a few years ago that hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats seemed to increase the risk of colon cancer, carnivores were frightened. However, according to the New York Times, the risk of eating meat in reasonable quantities is very low, much less than we smoke. Nevertheless, the link may be related to the level of consumption: other studies have shown that people who consume a lot of red meat are at a higher risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, respiratory diseases, diabetes, infections and other ailments.
Carbs
In the early 1990s, Nabisco was earning hundreds of millions of dollars selling the low-fat, sugar-sweet Snackwell cookie and biscuit chain to Americans who had been taught to believe that fat was bad. Since then, the nutritional pendulum has changed direction: popular low carb diets have followers who choose meat (Paleo and Atkins diets) and fat (keto diet) over sugar. In general, extremes are a bad idea: while it makes sense to eliminate added sugar (like processed foods) from your diet, most researchers agree that healthy carbohydrates (such as those contained in products and whole grains) can play an important role in any healthy diet.
Gluten
Gluten can be very harmful to people with celiac disease because the protein causes an autoimmune reaction in the gut, which can damage the lining of the gut. Other people who do not suffer from celiac disease, but who feel sick after eating foods containing gluten (mainly wheat, rye and barley) have what is known as intolerance or gluten sensitivity. But for most of us, protein does not seem to be a problem in itself, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Eating late at night
Nutritionists used to say that a calorie is a calorie, no matter when you consume it. New research suggests that your body is better equipped to digest meals early in the day. The New York Times reports that the pancreas produces more insulin during the day; Other enzymes and digestive processes also seem to be more active during the day. Recent studies have shown that overweight adults who ate a substantial breakfast, a moderate lunch, and a small dinner had better results on blood glucose, insulin, and cardiovascular risk factors than those who kept their most big meal at the end of the day.
Vitamin Supplements
Children in developing countries who have a mild diet may become deficient in nutrients, which can lead to dangerous and preventable conditions. A low vitamin A content, for example, can cause blindness. But Americans who eat a varied diet including many fortified foods do not really need supplements, the researchers said. Americans spend about $ 30 billion a year on vitamin tablets, according to Ars Technica, a science and technology news site. But in most cases, increasing nutrient levels do not do anything for general health and can hurt. He must face any deficiency. For example, an insufficient amount of vitamin D may increase the risk of developing certain chronic diseases and may be a risk for people living in areas where winters are severe.
Mammograms
Starting in the 1980s, the American Cancer Society recommended that most women undergo a breast x-ray each year to detect the first signs of cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, all these screening tests resulted in the discovery of potentially cancerous lesions at an extremely early stage, which many women and doctors have recognized to save lives. Subsequent investigations revealed that many of these injuries would never have reached a dangerous stage. Studies of hundreds of thousands of women in the United States and Europe have shown that women who did not start the first mammograms lived as long as women. Since breast cancer treatment, including chemotherapy and surgery, carries risks (including increased likelihood of cancer), experts now recommend that women discuss with their doctor the best time to start the test. Screening: In women at normal risk (non-family risk factors or genetic risk factors), the UU US Preventive Services Task Force recommends waiting until age 50 and stopping at age 74.
Prostate cancer tests
Similarly, in the 1990s, health experts recommended that men receive an annual blood test to detect prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which may be indicative of prostate cancer. But when the researchers realized that other, less dangerous conditions, such as inflammation and prostatic hypertrophy, could also increase PSA levels, they rejected the recommendation, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Vaccinations
Chinese scientists began exposing healthy people to smallpox crusts around the 10th century. in one of the first known examples of inoculation: a form of vaccination. And for about the same time, there have been critics who do not like the idea of exposing people to the disease voluntarily. The conclusion is that regular vaccines have saved civilization from a lineage of terrifying viruses from real killers: smallpox, polio, measles and flu, to name a few. There would be no controversy over these life-saving vaccines, except for the efforts of a deceptive doctor who, in 1998, published a fraudulent study in The Lancet that falsely claimed that there was link between autism and MMR (measles, mumps). and rubella). The magazine withdrew the study and the doctor, Andrew Wakefield, was discredited and his medical license was revoked, but the harm was already done and continues to this day. Just the last flu season, 80% of flu-related child deaths have occurred in unvaccinated children. Next, review the latest discoveries about heart health that could save your life.
