Napping on your stomach will cause your stomach to sag? Can plastic wrap wrapped food cause cancer when heated? In July, the "Science" Myth List was released

Original title: Le Health|Lying on the stomach and taking a lunch break will cause stomach to prolapse? Can plastic wrap wrapped food cause cancer when heated? In July, the "Science" Myth List was released

Workers' Daily-China Workers' Network reporter Ji Wei

In July 2024, the "Science" rumor list was released, refuting and scientifically interpreting 11 rumors that have recently been of social concern.

1. Long-term tea drinking can lead to calcium deficiency

Gossip:

"Long-term tea drinking or strong tea can lead to calcium deficiency" is a popular saying on the Internet, on the grounds that oxalic acid in tea inhibits calcium absorption, and caffeine increases calcium loss.

The truth:

This statement is not accurate. Oxalic acid is widely found in plants, and the fresh leaves of the tea tree do contain oxalic acid. However, in the process of making the fresh leaves of the tea into tea leaves, most of the oxalic acid is destroyed. In the finished tea leaves, each gram of black tea dry tea can dissolve only a few milligrams of oxalic acid into the tea soup, while green tea and oolong tea are even less, only about 1 milligram. Even if all of this oxalic acid is combined with calcium, the loss of calcium is only a few tens of milligrams at most. Compared to people's daily calcium requirements of 1,000 mg, it is negligible.

In fact, people consume far more oxalic acid from vegetables than tea. For example, if you consume 100 mg of oxalic acid, you only need a dozen grams of spinach, and only a few dozen grams of lettuce, celery, broccoli, radish, etc. Compared with the actual amount of vegetables consumed every day, the oxalic acid intake from tea is not a cause for concern.

Caffeine gives some stimulant effects to the body's central nervous system, but there is no evidence that it affects the body's absorption of calcium. In general, the health benefits of a few hundred milligrams of caffeine per day outweigh the possible risks, and the amount of caffeine in a 200-milliliter cup of tea can range from a dozen milligrams to a maximum of fifty or sixty milligrams.

Therefore, people with a normal diet can get enough calcium through food variety, and they don't have to worry too much about drinking tea will affect calcium absorption.

2. Hearing aids will make the elderly "more and more deaf they wear"

Gossip:

Some patients with presbycusis have obvious hearing loss, but refuse to wear hearing aids, believing that hearing aids will make people more and more deaf the more they wear them, and they will not be able to take them off once they put on hearing aids.

The truth:

In fact, if it is in a formal hearing aid fitting place, the hearing aid that has been rigorously tested and adjusted by a professional hearing care professional will not make people more and more deaf the more they wear it. Only if the quality of hearing aids is not up to standard and the fitting process is not scientific, it is possible to cause hearing loss.

In addition, some elderly people have underlying diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, as well as factors such as aging, which may also cause further hearing loss. Therefore, the cause of hearing loss cannot be attributed to the wearing of hearing aids.

The elderly are a group with a high incidence of hearing problems, and due to physical decline or disease, the elderly generally have a certain degree of hearing impairment, and if they do not intervene in time, it will affect their daily communication and increase the risk of mental or cognitive dysfunction.

How to prevent hearing loss scientifically? Experts recommend that the first thing to do is to control and eliminate the source of noise as much as possible, and if the noise environment cannot be avoided, individuals should take protective measures and undergo regular hearing checks; Secondly, reduce the frequency of using headphones and control the volume of headphones; Thirdly, after bathing or swimming, pay attention to keeping the ear canal clean and dry to prevent ear diseases such as otitis media.

3. Exposure to the sun can prevent osteoporosis

Gossip:

Exposure to the sun is the best health care product in the eyes of many doctors, and not liking to bask in the sun is one of the important causes of osteoporosis.

The truth:

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for the human body, which cannot be synthesized by the body on its own, and is obtained through sun exposure or food intake. Exposure to the sun can help the body synthesize vitamin D and make up for the deficiency of vitamin D in the diet, but it does not guarantee that it can prevent osteoporosis. Because osteoporosis is a symptom caused by a variety of factors, calcium supplementation and vitamin D supplementation are possible influencing factors. Recent research data have shown that there is no single contributing factor that can prevent the appearance of osteoporosis. In addition, sun exposure can also have its disadvantages – UV rays increase the risk of skin cancer, and long-term UV exposure can lead to dry and aging skin. So, is there a "right amount" for "sun exposure" to synthesize enough vitamin D without damaging the skin?

To date, there is no such scientific data. Because the synthesis of vitamin D and the damage to the skin are caused by the ultraviolet rays in the sun - the ultraviolet rays are strong and the sun is exposed for a long time, the more vitamin D is synthesized, and the damage to the skin is also greater; If the ultraviolet rays are weak and the sun is short, there is less synthetic vitamin D and less damage to the skin. Relevant professional research institutions recommend: "The sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. should be sunburned twice a week (without sunscreen) for 5 to 30 minutes each time".

4. Wrap food in plastic wrap and heat it, it can cause cancer

Gossip:

Plastic wrap is a type of plastic that releases carcinogens into food when heated and causes various cancers.

The truth:

This statement is inaccurate. When it comes to plastic wrap, you may think of carcinogenic "plasticizers". Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is widely used in the plastics industry as a plasticizer for plastic products such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which can increase the elasticity and toughness of plastics. PVC cling film containing DEHP plasticizer does have some risks, but other kinds of cling film don't have to worry too much.

So, how risky is PVC cling film? Current studies have shown limited potential effects of DEHP on animal reproduction and development, and most of these studies have been conducted at levels much higher than the amount of exposure in daily life. The concentrations of DEHP that we are exposed to in real life are often much lower than the doses that cause health problems. Therefore, as long as the use of DEHP meets the relevant requirements, there is no need to be overly concerned about fair use.

However, it is important to note that try not to use the same plastic wrap to cover food multiple times. In addition, be sure to buy plastic wrap products through formal channels, and don't buy substandard products because of greed. Of course, from an environmental point of view, it is recommended that you minimize the use of single-use plastic products.

5. Parasols and umbrellas can be mixed

Gossip:

There is essentially no difference between a parasol and an umbrella, and a parasol can also be used to protect against rain.

The truth:

There is a difference between a parasol and an umbrella, and there are differences in technology, structure and testing indicators. First of all, parasols and regular umbrellas have different coating treatments. The main function of the umbrella is to prevent wind and rain, while the main function of the sun umbrella is to protect against the sun and ultraviolet rays.

Secondly, the density of the fabric and the fabric are different. The fabric of a sunscreen umbrella is generally tighter than that of an umbrella, which can play a role in blocking ultraviolet rays.

Again, the detection criteria are different. The indicators to evaluate the quality of the umbrella include the rainproof performance of the umbrella surface, the color fastness to water of the umbrella surface, the wind resistance strength of the umbrella stem and umbrella bone, etc., which can reflect the windproof ability of the umbrella and the rust prevention ability after contact with rainwater. The parasol also needs to look at the anti-ultraviolet performance, which is comprehensively evaluated through the detection of ultraviolet protection coefficient and average transmittance.

A small amount of rain has little effect on the sunscreen performance of the umbrella coating, but with the increase of the number of rains, the number of uses and the length of time, the sunscreen performance will decrease. The sun protection function of parasols on the market is mainly achieved by the UV protection effect of the umbrella cloth itself, or by applying an additional anti-UV coating to the umbrella cloth. The coating is affected by external factors such as friction and rain. Parasols are used to protect against rain, and after a long period of use, the surface of the umbrella is eroded by the acidic substances in the rain, which is likely to accelerate the aging, failure, and peeling off of the coating, thereby reducing the sunscreen effect. At the same time, there are also studies that show that when the umbrella surface is wet, the transmittance of ultraviolet rays may increase due to the optical conduction of water, resulting in a decrease in the sunscreen effect.

6. Taking a nap on your stomach can cause your stomach to drop

Gossip:

It is a habit for many people to take a nap on the table in the afternoon, but after waking up, they will often feel numb in their hands and feet, and their stomach will be uncomfortable. Sleeping on your stomach for a long time can cause your stomach to sag.

The truth:

Sleeping on your stomach does not cause your stomach to drop. The causes of gastric prolapse are complex and are common in people with a slender body type. In addition, poor eating habits (e.g., exercising immediately after meals), the effects of surgery, special diseases, and other physical factors are also common causes of gastric prolapse. However, sleeping on your stomach does affect gastrointestinal function, especially sleeping on your stomach immediately after eating, the decline of gastrointestinal peristalsis and the squeezing of the stomach, making it difficult for food to be fully digested, and it is easy to produce symptoms such as stomach flatulence.

Experts suggest that if you don't have a bed during the lunch break, you can lean back on the chair, put a pillow to the lower part of the lumbar spine to form support, and then use a U-shaped pillow to cushion the back of the neck, which can relieve the muscles and stress of the waist and neck after falling asleep, and prevent strain and injury.

It is important to note that it is best to take a 15-minute to 30-minute walk after a meal before taking a lunch break. When people fall asleep, their ability to regulate body temperature decreases, so they can cover them with a thin blanket or clothes during their lunch break to avoid getting cold.

7. Dog days double the weight loss effect

Gossip:

Dog days are the golden period for weight loss, during which people's metabolic activity is vigorous, appetite decreases, and weight loss is twice as effective with half the effort.

The truth:

In terms of medical statistics, there is no strong correlation between seasons and weight loss. In real life, people do lose more weight than usual after exercising on dog days, which is often caused by sweating more and losing water from the body. After rehydration, the weight will regain. If you blindly believe in the effect of Futian to lose weight, excessive exercise and dieting in hot weather will more likely cause symptoms such as heat stroke, electrolyte imbalance and dehydration, which can threaten your health and even your life.

Experts remind that to lose weight in summer, it is necessary to replenish enough water and electrolytes in time to ensure that the body is not dehydrated. In addition, the intensity of exercise should be appropriately reduced, and the duration of a single exercise should be shortened accordingly. For some people with underlying medical conditions, dog day exercise is more cautious.

8. Children with short stature can be given "height boosters"

Gossip:

If the child does not grow tall, you can inject growth hormone or use "heightening" drugs and health products to help the child grow and develop.

The truth:

In recent years, some parents have become anxious about their children's height and hope to promote their children's growth by means of "height enhancement injections". In fact, not all children with short stature need growth hormone supplements. The incidence of short stature in children in mainland China is 3%, and short stature caused by growth hormone deficiency, Turner syndrome, idiopathic short stature, etc., requires growth hormone injection therapy.

Most of the children with slow growth who come to the clinic are not caused by insufficient secretion of growth hormone, but are more likely to be "late growth", that is, medical constitutional delayed puberty. Parents should not use all kinds of "height-increasing" drugs or health care products on the market for their children, otherwise it is likely to promote early gonad development, early closure of bone age, and affect height.

9. Fetuses with XYY chromosomal abnormalities are "born bad"

Gossip:

Fetuses with abnormal XYY chromosomes are "born bad" and are more likely to become criminals when they grow up.

The truth:

There is no scientific basis for the claim that "inherently bad" is, and the claim that the so-called "criminal chromosome" is untenable.

"Superandrogenic syndrome" refers to the addition of a Y chromosome to the normal 22 pairs of autosomes and a pair of sex chromosomes in males, and the incidence of the disease is about 1 in 1,000 male infants. It is true that hyperandrogenic syndrome can lead to problems such as attention deficit, hyperactivity and impulsivity. However, heredity is not the decisive factor in crime, and its crime may be the result of a combination of factors such as the acquired social environment. Therefore, when genetic counseling is provided to families diagnosed with XYY syndrome, the possible clinical outcomes of such children should be objectively informed, and families should decide whether to continue the pregnancy according to their own circumstances.

In addition, doctors also remind that timely hormone replacement before puberty, as well as auxiliary psychological guidance and other measures, can significantly alleviate symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients. Early genetic counseling and diagnosis and timely intervention are crucial.

10. Electric fan + mineral water bottle, refrigeration is comparable to air conditioning

Gossip:

By tying several empty mineral water bottles to an electric fan, the cooling effect is comparable to that of an air conditioner, and this "mineral water and electricity fan" is a modification based on Bernoulli's principle in physics.

The truth:

In fact, "mineral water + electric fan" does not change the temperature of the surrounding environment. This device is equivalent to an electric fan with the wind speed set up, and the human body will feel cooler, but the ambient temperature will not be effectively reduced, and the feeling of coolness and temperature reduction are two criteria.

Switzerland physicist Daniel · Bernoulli proposed the famous "Bernoulli principle" in 1726: in water or air flow, the speed is small, the pressure is high; The higher the speed, the less pressure. The air generated by the electric fan blows from the bottom of the mineral water bottle into the bottle, and due to the small mouth of the bottle, the wind accelerates at the mouth of the bottle. According to Bernoulli's principle, the higher the flow velocity, the lower the pressure, and the gas expands to do work externally, causing the temperature to drop.

However, this cooling effect is very weak and only near the mouth of the bottle, and the cooling of the human body is actually the rapid flow of air that accelerates the evaporation of moisture on the surface of the skin, and the evaporation process can absorb the heat of the surrounding environment, making the skin feel cool. "Mineral water + electric fan" does not change the temperature of the surrounding environment, and it is a bit of an exaggeration to say that it is "comparable to air conditioning".

11. "Three-pronged sticker" is a "universal sticker" for curing diseases

Gossip:

The indications of "three-dog patch" can include about 20 diseases such as respiratory tract, spleen and stomach regulation, gynecological diseases, qi and blood deficiency, and rheumatism.

The truth:

At present, there is no standard and unified formula and ratio of "Sanfu Patch", and some products on the market are marked with the "Jian" brand, and some products are marked with the "machine number" and "drug administration for the record".

"Three-pronged patch" is a special treatment method for winter and summer treatment in traditional Chinese medicine, which is not suitable for everyone, and cannot be applied at will. Different acupuncture points have different effects, and different diseases need to be applied to different acupuncture points, and the number of "three-dog patches" and the application time are different.

Whether the patient is suitable for the "three-dog sticker" and how to apply it effectively can be comprehensively judged by a series of diagnostic processes such as "looking, hearing, asking, and cutting" by a doctor in a regular medical unit. For example, if there is a wound or ulcer on the skin of the applied area, or if you are allergic to the application material itself, you should use it with caution, and pregnant and lactating women should use the three-pronged patch with caution. In addition, patients with certain acute infectious diseases, or diabetes, blood diseases, severe cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, etc., need to be administered by doctors with comprehensive judgment.

Experts suggest that the public should go to a formal medical institution to choose and apply the three-pronged patch, and must not buy or apply the patch on the Internet arbitrarily according to their own judgment.

The monthly "science" rumor list is guided by the Beijing Municipal Association for Science and Technology, the Cyberspace Administration of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee, and the Capital Internet Society, and jointly released by the Beijing Science and Technology Journalists and Editors Association and the Beijing regional website joint rumor-refuting platform.

Focus on the basic establishment of the framework of the standard system of traditional Chinese medicine in mainland China

The reporter learned from the press conference held by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine on July 31 that there are more than 3,000 standards for traditional Chinese medicine in the mainland, and the framework of the standard system of traditional Chinese medicine has been basically established. At present, the mainland has formulated 77 recommended national standards for traditional Chinese medicine, 12 guiding technical documents, 10 traditional Chinese medicine industry standards, more than 1,000 local standards for traditional Chinese medicine, and more than 2,500 standards for traditional Chinese medicine groups. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee on Traditional Chinese Medicine has issued 112 international standards for Chinese medicine.

Workers' Daily client "Le Health" No. 510

Source: Workers' Daily client