5 Strange but True Health Tips

Woody Short

7 years ago

Five strange health tips that really work!

Let’s face it: many of the health tips you hear come down to common sense advice. Get more sleep to feel rested, eat smaller portions to lose weight, and so on. When science comes into the equation, though, all bets are off. Some of the health information that scientific research has yielded is the exact opposite of what you might expect. The result is health tips that seem completely counterintuitive yet work surprisingly well. Here are five of these strange but true health tips for you to try:

#5: Drinking water can help bloating

The next time you’re feeling bloated, try drinking water. Water retention, which can leave you feeling uncomfortably bloated and swollen, occurs when your body holds onto fluids. This can occur for a number of reasons, including hormones, exposure to hot or humid weather, or standing for long periods. According to webMD, increasing your water intake is the best way to rehydrate your body. As your body realizes it is no longer in danger of dehydration, it can release the water it retained, relieving your bloated feeling.

#4: Skip the antibacterial soap to stay healthy

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Association, there is no evidence that antibacterial soaps clean better than regular soap and water. Extensive testing by the FDA and CDC could find no proof that so-called antibiotic soaps reduced infectious illness symptoms or lessened bacterial counts on the hands of users. In fact, many of these soaps and cleansers contain triclosan, a chemical that may pose significant health risks when used on a daily basis. The ingredient may contribute to bacterial resistance to antibiotics, giving rise to antibiotic-resistant “super bugs” that pose a serious health risk.

#3: Drinking a hot beverage can cool you down

Instead of reaching for an icy drink to cool you down on a hot day, try a hot beverage instead. In many countries around the world, this advice falls under general health tips that everyone knows, but no one understands why it works. Now science provides the answer. A study from University of Ottawa’s School of Human Kinetics found that when you drink a hot beverage, thermosensors in your esophagus/stomach get the heat signal. They notify your brain to increase sweating in response. As the sweat evaporates, it cools your body.

#2: Don’t brush after eating for healthy teeth

We’ve all been told that brushing after meals is a good idea, but science shows that brushing your teeth after eating certain foods can actually damage the enamel. Acidic fruits, foods, and drinks that contain citric acid (such as soda and diet soda) can weaken tooth enamel. According to the Mayo Clinic, brushing your teeth immediately after eating these foods can damage and actually remove the enamel. Brush your teeth before eating these foods, or wait at least 30 minutes after eating before brushing. Drinking water or chewing a stick of sugar-free gum will also help. That will increase the saliva in your mouth, washing away bacteria as it helps your mouth get back to a normal ph level.

#1: Try a coffee nap for a better rest

If you’re tired, try a coffee nap to restore alertness. This is one of those funny health tips that is surprisingly effective. Several scientific studies have shown that consuming coffee just before taking a short nap does a better job of increasing alertness than simply drinking coffee and staying awake or taking a nap without caffeine. Here’s why this works: caffeine takes about 20 minutes to reach your brain after you take it. Once it gets there caffeine flushes away adenosine, a chemical that makes you feel drowsy, out of your brain to leave you feeling more alert. Taking a short 30 minute nap ensures you wake up just as the caffeine has gotten rid of the adenosine, so you feel alert and well-rested.