5 misconceptions in maintaining health

If you ever thought that food dropped on the floor would be germ-free within 5 seconds, or that vitamin C can prevent colds... then you should reconsider. Because these things are not necessarily true.

Below is the correct information that you should refer to to know how to best maintain your health.

1. Cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis

In fact, many people often have the habit of cracking their knuckles to help loosen the joints in their hands to relieve fatigue. This does not cause arthritis. "However, if you have this habit, you should stop immediately because it can put pressure on the joints of your fingers, making the joints less strong," said David Katz, MD, director of the Yale University Research Center (USA).

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2. If you drop food on the floor, you can eat it if you pick it up within 5 seconds.
"There's no set timeframe for when food can be eaten if it falls on the floor, because whether the food is safe or not depends on how clean or dirty the floor is," Katz said. "In general, our digestive system can kill some bacteria in the environment. But if the floor is contaminated with Salmonella and the bacteria contaminates the food, the digestive system cannot do anything," he added.

Researchers at Clemson University (USA) conducted a series of experiments in which they contaminated wood, tile and carpet floors with Salmonella bacteria. They found that the bacteria can survive there for up to four weeks and can easily get into food when dropped on the floor. So even if the food has been on the floor for only a few seconds, it can still make you sick.

3. Vitamin C does not help prevent colds

The team at the University of Helsinki, Finland also studied data from 55 studies conducted between 1940 and 2004. These studies evaluated the effects of at least 200 mg of cold medicine daily. The results showed that normal doses of vitamin C did not reduce the risk of colds.

However, a study from Basel, Switzerland, suggests that combining 1,000mg of vitamin C and 10mg of zinc supplements daily while you have a cold can shorten the duration of your illness and help you recover faster.

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4. Brushing your teeth after drinking coffee or red wine prevents stains on your teeth

These acidic drinks can weaken tooth enamel after drinking them, so brushing your teeth right away can scratch it. "Brushing your teeth right away can thin out the protective enamel layer, making you more susceptible to cavities," says Gigi Meinecke, a dentist in Potomac, Maryland, and a spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry. "It can also make your teeth more sensitive to temperature and candy." It's best to just rinse your mouth with water after drinking one of these drinks and wait at least 30 minutes before brushing.

5. You should use salt water to clean the wound.

Although salt water has antiseptic properties, it is not recommended to use it to clean wounds because the salt water you mix is ​​not only unclean but also may be incorrectly dosed. This will make your wound more infected.

Instead of using salt water to clean the wound, wash it with hydrogen peroxide. "The hydrogen peroxide in hydrogen peroxide helps remove dead cells from the wound, so the body's immune system can heal the remaining damaged areas," says Michael Carius, MD, chief of the emergency department at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut. However, it does not speed up the healing process.

To treat a wound, you should wash the wound with soap and water, dab it with a cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide, then apply an antibacterial ointment, bandage it (if necessary), and keep it clean. Clean the wound daily.

According to Young Intellectuals - PC