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Health: true or false?

Health: true or false?
Does eating carrots help you see in the dark? Does being wet and cold give you a cold? From urban myths to local remedies to old wives' tales, we check the truth of health claims
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Recent social media claims link drinking Aperol Spritz to cancer. Photo: Getty Images
Food and Drinks

Social media says drinking Aperol Spritz causes cancer. Is it true?

Aperol Spritz is a popular summer cocktail but recent social media claims suggest that artificial colourings contained in Aperol Spritz are toxic and can cause cancer.

Beauty

Beauty ‘nasties’: 7 ingredients to avoid for healthy skin

Wellness

Explainer | What a juice cleanse really does your to body, according to experts

Skincare

Move over, K-beauty – Ayurvedic skincare is 2024’s beauty trend to know

The latest trend to hit the high street sees traditional ingredients like saffron, turmeric, neem and ashwagandha married to modern approaches and formulations

Ayurvedic skincare is the latest trend to hit the high street with traditional ingredients like saffron, turmeric, neem and ashwagandha married to modern formulations. Photo: Handout
Beauty

Explainer | What the state of your nails says about you – and how to make a better impression

From nail strengtheners by Dior, Hermès, Paume and Dr’s Remedy, to Glosslab’s waterless mani-pedis that are better for nails and the environment, there are many ways to boost the health of your nails

Beauty

Explainer | How do dry shampoos work, and are they bad for your hair?

Dry shampoos have transformed haircare for busy bees on the go, with easy powders and aerosols you can apply anywhere – but the US FDA has concerns about some products

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Skincare

Explainer | How to check if your skincare has expired – and the health risks of using it

It’s always better to exercise caution when it comes to skincare, so here’s what to do when you’re unsure whether a product has expired or not

Keeping an eye on your skincare products’ expiration dates is crucial. Photo: Shutterstock
Wellness

Do IV drips really boost your health, and what are the risks?

IV drips are the latest beauty hack touted by celebs like Kim Kardashian, Adele and Hailey Bieber – but does the therapy really offer a health boast, or is it down to the placebo effect?

Beauty

Explainer | Going to sleep with wet hair won’t make you sick – but it’s still a bad idea

Your mother may have chided you for supposedly putting your health at risk by not drying your hair before bed – but was she right, or only susceptible to old wives’ tales?

Americas and the Caribbean

Woman who knocked on coffin during her funeral dies a week later

Five hours into her wake Bella Montoya’s son heard her ‘hitting the box’ with her left hand.

A woman reportedly woke up and started knocking on her coffin at her wake in Ecuador. Photo: Handout
Science

Study in China finds healthy thin people eat and exercise less

Research team says its data overturns the common perception that underweight people burn off extra calories with physical activity.

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Scientists in China monitored a group of underweight people in Beijing for new research into the connection between diet and exercise. Photo: Shutterstock
Coronavirus vaccine

Blood clots from vaccines? What about the pill? Doctors explain

Many AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccination programmes were put on hold after a link was found to blood clots. Women have taken to Twitter to ask why, since they risk blood clots every day with hormonal contraception.

Wellness

Dry January: why you should give your body a break from booze this month

Better skin, deeper sleep and more energy: cleansing your body by steering clear of booze is a no-brainer – but have you got what it takes?

Wellness

Does drinking lemon water really help you lose weight?

Drinking lemon water, avoiding fats, carbs and sugars – will these fads help you lose weight and get fit?

Will drinking lemon water really help you lose weight? We bust five dietary myths to help you find a healthier life. Photo: @detoxwater/Instagram
Coronavirus pandemic

No, the coronavirus can’t be kept away by saltwater gargling or cow dung

From Singapore to Indonesia, dubious claims to prevent infection are spreading on social media and chat groups.

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Fake remedies to protect against or cure the coronavirus are prevalent on social media and in chat groups. Photo: AFP
Food and Drinks

Too mucha matcha? 6 of the weirdest green tea-flavoured foods

A healthy eating craze for powdered green tea-infused foods has seen bright green matcha-flavoured burgers, curry, hotpot, pasta and even beer – would you try any of it?

City Weekend

More than half of Hong Kong people suffered from sleep deprivation in August

More than half of Hong Kong people suffered from sleep deprivation in August, finds survey conducted on 173 working people aged between 20 and 45.

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Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Disease watchdog reports 146 HIV infections in first quarter of 2019

Of reported cases, 128 were men and 18 were women. There have been 9,861 HIV infections in Hong Kong since 1984.

A blood sample for an HIV test. There have been 9,861 HIV infections in Hong Kong since 1984.
Wellness

From low-carb to bad food: phrases that make dietitians cringe

Many of the popular phrases used around food and diets are misleading and set us up for unhealthy eating habits. Food experts and dietitians reveal their most hated phrases and why they need to be changed.

Wellness

Inside Out | If we are what we eat, then we are on the path to an early death

A study last week by The Lancet found that poor diets - both by the overindulged and the malnourished - cause one in five deaths worldwide every year, more than smoking

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Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

SCMP cadet eats a fried cockroach, and wins two journalism awards

A facility in Xichang in Sichuan province breeds 6 billion cockroaches for medicinal use, turning them into 600,000 bottles every day for treating ulcers

South China Morning Post reporter Liu Yujing wins the Citi Journalistic Excellence Award at Island Shangri-la Hotel on 10 April 2019. Photo: SCMP / K. Y. Cheng
Wellness

Free flu shots at school hailed a success as pilot scheme upgraded

Department of Health scheme to provide free shots has pushed up vaccination rate to about 55 per cent among primary pupils, health chief says.

The number of primary schools that arranged for vaccinations on their premises jumped to 402 in 2018-19, from 65 the previous year, the health chief said. Photo: Felix Wong
Wellness

Got a cold? Check out these weird and wonderful remedies

Cold season is here again and chances are you’ve already caught one. Here are some less mainstream ‘cures’ to try from around the world, plus a few historical treatments.

Wellness

Organic-food diet linked to reduction in cancer risk, study finds

Research on nearly 70,000 French adults found that those who ate the most organic food were less likely to develop certain kinds of cancer than those who ate the least. Scientists suggest absence of pesticide residues on organic food is reason, but more study needed.

Wellness

Lots of people exercise to relieve stress. That could be a bad idea

Exercise is a stress on the body just like nervousness or anxiety, so people who work long hours and then hit the gym might need to rethink their routine.

Exercise is a stress on the body just like nervousness or anxiety, so people who work long hours and then hit the gym might need to rethink their routine
Wellness

An aspirin a day will not keep the doctor away, new study says

Team of researchers who spent seven years studying 19,000 elderly people in Australia and the United States have published findings in New England Journal of Medicine.

Team of researchers who spent seven years studying 19,000 elderly people in Australia and the United States have published findings in New England Journal of Medicine
Fifa World Cup 2018

Why World Cup fever could lead to a heart attack in couch potatoes

It is especially risky for men with an existing or hidden heart problem when watching their favourite teams, studies suggest – but winning ways could have an unexpected bonus for society.

‘When I grew up, girls didn’t wear sports clothes’: 50-year-old takes to trails

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