Mythology... Not Just For The Greeks And Romans

5 Health & Wellness Misconceptions

Myth #1: Soy Is Our Savior

Soy has been touted as a wonder-food that will promote longevity, hormone balancing and general wellness.  The truth might be just the opposite, as evidenced by links to allergies, digestive distress and even breast cancer.

Soy -- The Dark Side of America's Favorite "Health" Food (WAPF)

Myth #2: Sunlight Should Be Avoided At All Costs

The all-damaging effects of the sun have rarely been questioned in recent times.  But scientists are now starting to poke holes in the idea that pale is beautiful, in part due to increasing rates of vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D Research May Have Doctors Prescribing Sunshine (USA Today)

Myth #3: Saturated Fat Is A Heart Clogger

This one seems hard to believe, simply because doctors and laypeople alike have accepted this as a fact akin to the law of gravity.  The only problem is, evidence in favor of the concept is weak at best.  For some reason, the ever-increasing voice of dissent has yet to reach the mainstream.

What if bad fat isn’t so bad? (MSNBC)

Despite years of evidence to the contrary, people still think that staying off one's feet is the quickest cure for back pain and sciatica.  Large, well-designed studies debunked this idea, showing that bed rest does nothing for sciatica, pain down the back of the leg due to nerve irritation.  As for back pain itself, lack of activity has been shown to actually make matters worse.

Bed Rest Is Bad For Back Pain, Ineffective For Sciatica (AAFP)

Myth #5: No Germs = Good Health

Nowadays, we think that the best environment is a sterile one, that germs can only do us harm.  After all, microsopic bugs lead to colds, flus, fevers and countless other unpleasant ailments.  But what if we have taken things too far in our quest to avoid germs?

The Cult Of Clean (Psychology Today)