Know your health: The most frustrating discoveries in 2014

Maureen Diament 14 Jan 2015 updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:34

1/12
Coffee + Butter = Bulletproof
Coffee is good and so is butter, but combining the two? We are not too sure. Called the Bulletproof diet, the unusual pair involves putting unsalted, grassfed butter into the blender and mixing it with your coffee. The Bulletproof founders claim they can help you shed 100 pounds without exercise and upgrade your IQ by 12 points - we don't buy that.
2/12
USD1000 pill for Hepatitis C
This is the price you must pay if you're looking for a speedy recovery from Hepatitis C. For the complete course of SOVALDI/ sofosbuvi pills, patients must have at least USD84 000 (approx. SGD112 000). Insurance companies are outraged to see the skyhigh price of the revolutionary drug. SOVALDI boasts a 90 per cent success rate but still, that's a lot of money for a tiny pill.
3/12
Shortage of cocoa
While it's convenient for the lot of us to pick our favourite chocolate and head to the cashier, it isn't the same for cocoa farmers. Cocoa harvests are stagnating if not declining, but demand for the yummy treat is only going one direction: up. Meanwhile, the chocolate empires in Switzerland also warn of a serious shortage by 2020. We are going to appreciate this year's Valentine Day's chocolates at a whole different level now.
4/12
Refusal to wash hands
Most of us are guilty of skipping the handwash routine before munching on our sandwiches. In fact, only 12 per cent make a trip to the sink first. Did you know that your hands are exposed to over 10 million germs at the office desk alone? It's comparable to a public bench or an escalator handrail - they might even be cleaner. So make that trip to the sink and wash your hands for at least 30 seconds, not five!
5/12
An anti-sports pill
Researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute may have found a way to convert cells that produce white fat (which is stored) into brown fat cells (which can be converted into energy and thus used by the body). If this research leads to the manufacture of a pill then it might yield in significant weight loss for those who need it. But the media focused on a medical breakthrough that could replace sports. Unfortunately, that's not possible. Keep your runners on because no pill can compete against the benefits of working out.
6/12
Incentive for dementia diagnosis
Now this one is potentially dangerous. British health authorities are planning to give a bonus of GBP55 (about SGD111) to general practitioners for each patient they diagnose with dementia. The UK hopes to increase detection but the incentive might lead to misdiagnosis or unnecessary treatments.
7/12
Drugs more efficient in men
We didn't think drugs could be sexist. According to an article from the French magaizine, Science et Vie, aspirin reduces heart attack in men by 31 per cent but only lowers the risk of stroke by 17 per cent in women. Other examples are the vaccines against influenza, yellow fever and hepatitis B. They are too strong and women are recommended half the dosage. This is partly because during clinical trials, women were excluded due to risk of pregnancy and the likelihood of hormones leading to inaccurate results.
8/12
Women more prone to depression
A US study shows that women with job authority are more vulnerable to depressive symptoms than women without. But it's quite the opposite for men - those with authority are generally less depressed than those without. In a different light, with bigger power comes bigger responsibilities, right? That explains our mechanism. But this doesn't mean that we belong at home and not the office.
*Journal of Health and Social Behavior, December 2014
9/12
(Not exactly) hygienic products for babies
From wipes to diaper creams, journalists have scrutinised many baby products and we wish we hadn't read about their discoveries. Some products contain toxins that put our dear babies in danger. This definitely begs companies to conduct a review of their products.
10/12
Remote-controlled contraceptives
You read that right. There is an on-going study on the potential manufacture of remote-controlled contraceptives where a chip is embedded in your body and releases the contraceptive hormone, levonorgestrel. Women will be able to literally control their fertility with the push of a button. Even the sound of it raises a lot of questions - what if your significant other accidentally presses the button?
11/12
#2 Drinking alcohol in excess
While water nourishes the skin, its liquid counterpart, alcohol, dehydrates it. Alcohol also destroy vitamin A, which is responsible for the production of collagen and antioxidants for the skin. Say goodbye to supple, wrinkle-free skin if you drink too much alcohol!
12/12
Racing the train
The game is simple: hop off a subway train and rush off to get onto the same train. The prize: record a video and win two-minute fame on YouTube. The risk: shoving a poor old lady down the stairs or getting hit by a car. Conclusion: not worth it.

Some things are just better left in the past, such as these annoying health discoveries that made headlines last year.

Have you paid much attention to the health section of the media recently? Nowadays scientists are keen on discovering the next breakthrough with fad diets promising instant weight loss or controversial pills that come with a multitude of supposed benefits. We thought we have seen it all, but here are 2014’s most frustrating health discoveries yet.

DON’T BE GULLIBLE!

Unfortunately, researchers, governments, pharmaceutical companies, food manufacturers, or citizens alike seem to take pleasure in sugarcoating misleading ideas and leaving out side effects. From replacing your breakfast with butter-infused coffee for heightened IQ and weight loss, to the imminent shortage of chocolate, we think it’s safer to do our own research before believing anything and everything you see.

Maureen Diament and Natasha Gan

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Know your health: The most frustrating discoveries in 2014

DON’T BE GULLIBLE!

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