9 health myths busted

While for years people have believed that an aspirin a day keeps the doctor away, but now studies show that taking a daily blood thinner might actually do more harm than good. It has been found to increase the risk of serious internal bleeding.

Much like aspirins, here are a few of the wellness myths busted recently:

Carbs make you fat: Low-carb diets are often chronically low in vital nutrients that we naturally get from fibrous fruit and vegetables.  A recent study by US scientists has actually claimed that cutting carbs can increase the risk of early death.

Eating late at night makes you put on weight: One can get calories from high-calorie food whenever they eat them, irrespective of rime, You put on weight if you eat more energy than you consume, but it's the total number of calories you take in and burn, rather than when.

Eggs are bad:

Eggs are packed with nutrients but they also have a high cholesterol content - which is why for years, people have been wary about eating large quantities of them. However, new research suggests that there's no link between eating loads of eggs and cholesterol imbalances.

You can snack on endless nuts: Nuts like almonds are high in protein, vitamin E and good fats and help with weight loss. However, almonds are energy-dense - meaning that they're pretty calorific. In an experiment, people who lost the weight during the study only ate a quarter cup of almonds as part of a calorie-restricted diet.

Low-fat is healthy: Dieters have avoided fat for years. But not all fats are created equal and some products which are low-fat are actually quite high in sugar. In fact a recent study claimed that eating cheese, butter and red meat could actually cut your risk of having a fatal heart attack.

Gluten-free diet is healthier: There's no real proof that a diet free from gluten is any healthier than one that includes the naturally-occurring additive. Only coeliacs really need to avoid gluten. Gluten-free diet is healthier for people with gluten-related disorders (coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity), but there is no evidence that it is beneficial for people who do not have these conditions."

Hot water and lemon is better than coffee: While lemons contain lots of vitamin C and antioxidants, there's no conclusive proof that a cup of lemon water will kick-start your metabolism, and there have been no human studies on the subject. However, it could ruin your tooth enamel because of the high acidity content.

Meanwhile, having three cups of coffee has been proven to be good for your heart.

Protein bars are a guilt-free snack: Protein bars on offer are basically glorified chocolate bars and contain high concentration of sugar and far. While there are low-sugar alternatives, they are not that popular.

Natural sugars like honey don't make you fat: Nowadays one finds snacks and treats which boast being sweetened by honey, maple syrup or agave. Scientists have shown that the biological effect that highly processed sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup is essentially the same as those of honey. In fact, honey has slightly more calories than sugar (64kcals per tablespoon) - so just because it's a natural sugar, it doesn't mean that you can go crazy with.