Napamon Roongwitoo
We live in the age where sharing is not caring. We see something we like on Facebook and we share it without really trying to verify the facts.
While some health myths do not result in major problems, some are worrying. For example, there is a frequently shared post about how a lime and soda mix is the best cure for cancer. Here’s an excerpt of what the popular myth says: “Lime is miraculous — it kills cancer cells 10,000 times more effectively than chemotherapy. Laboratories keep it a secret because they want to make profits from selling medicine.”
Lime and soda are not health hazards, but for hopeful cancer patients, this unverified information could convince them to turn down effective medical treatments.
Pussadee, a cancer survivor, saw the lime and soda post on Facebook. Thankfully, she did not believe it.
“I know how horrible it is to undergo chemotherapy. It was literally a living hell. But I also realised that it had the highest chance of saving my life,” said the 29-year-old who eventually parted ways with lymphoma — a cancer that starts in the lymphocytes — less than a year ago. “I know a lot of cancer patients would jump at any other choice just so they did not have to go through chemotherapy. That lime and soda concoction is quite well-known, and there really are people who think it works, and miss out on other more reliable treatments. For cancer patients, if you give them hope, they will buy it.
“Please do not share it [the post] because it could kill someone. For you, it could be a meaningless click, but for someone reading it, it could change their lives for the worse.”
Many doctors have clarified this matter on their Facebook pages. Dr Pirat Lokapattana, an internal medicine specialist at Vajira Hospital, an avid health blogger and winner of the best health blog at the Thailand Blog Awards 2010, said that there was no research to back up this claim. While lime contains antioxidants such as flavonoid and limonoid, the concentration is not enough to kill cancer cells.
To use the lime and soda concoction as a cancer cure is not the only health myth circulating the cyberworld. Here are two more health myths that we see often on Facebook, and here is what doctors and experts have to say about them:
Myth 2
Drinking bottled water left in the car will give you cancer
Most cars in Thailand have a few bottles of water lying around because petrol stations give them away. According to circulated information, those plastic bottles, when left in the hot and sun-drenched car, can turn toxic.
“Drinking water left in the car can cause cancer, as the heat will result in bisphenol A (BPA) from the plastic to be leaked into the water.” [or so the shared Facebook says]
Dr Paisit Trakoonkongsamut, a specialist in holistic health, explained that though bisphenol A does cause cancer, is only found in certain kinds of plastic. Luckily, the plastic used to make water bottles is not one of those.
“Water bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, and it is BPA-free, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Even when exposed to heat, it is not likely that anything will be leaked into the water. What’s more worrying is that when we drink directly from the bottle, germs from our mouth can get into the water. They can multiply in a warm environment, and in that case, bottled water can be bad for your health.”
Myth 3
Yoghurt that contains starch is unhealthy and fattening
Recently, a woman did a betadine test on various yoghurt brands for starch comparisons. Some turned dark purple, while some turned slightly yellow. “It’s your choice,” read the caption under the picture.
Netizens went crazy and flagged the brands whose yoghurt turned purple as the bad guys. Many weight watchers said they would steer clear from brands with high starch content, as the carbohydrate would make them fat.
Cherdsak Methathanaiswan, Asia Pacific technical manager at National Starch and Chemical, said that it is unclear why the woman did that test without any background knowledge about the food industry.
“The starch put in yoghurt is special and not similar to cooking starch. It is widely used in the food industry to improve texture. It also makes the content blend together without separating,” he said.
Industrial yoghurt needs stabilisers, otherwise it will separate and look unappealing. This type of modified starch is safe to eat and nutrition-wise, it does not make much of a difference.
“Our body needs carbohydrates, so why are you worried about it? Is it really that bad? Do you refrain from eating rice and noodles? Those things have a much higher carbohydrate content than a cup of yoghurt,” Cherdsak explained...
(For more health myths, read the original article here)