Most Popular Health Questions Asked & Answered

Am I risking my health by eating the same foods every day?

Well, not necessarily. But, it’s the combination of foods that matters. Director of Tufts University’s Energy Metabolism Laboratory, Dr. Susan Roberts says that you would certainly be deficient of a variety of necessary nutrients required for your body if you go for salad with potatoes for dinner, sandwich for lunch, and a bagel for breakfast. Having said that, she advises not to go hard on your meal plan and try pushing in millions of superfoods in one meal. Considering micronutrient dense and healthful veggies with different colors (at least 6) while keeping away the starchy ones should do the job for you.

Of course, you don’t need to stick to one meal plan when there are many ways to structure your meals. However, here’s a sample menu that Dr. Roberts recommended to have pretty much what your body demands:

  • Dinner: Brown rice stir fry and a vegetable
  • Lunch: Vegetables and chicken with kale or spinach salad
  • Breakfast: Fresh fruits and Greek yogurt
  • Snack time: Fruit-and-nut smoothie

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Could you advise me the best technique to whiten my teeth?

There are different options you could opt for to have stainless and whitened teeth depending upon the potency and cost of the products used. An ultra-bright smile does not score extensively high above a natural one – finds a study of PLOS One. An added research of the same peer-reviewed scientific journal explains that job candidates with white teeth were preferred over those with yellow teeth. Taking care of your teeth also keeps it whiten.

American Dental Association’s spokesperson Dr. Matt Messina informs that teeth whitening is a cosmetic procedure and comes with no insurance. He revealed another important update: “The only differences are the concentrations of hydrogen peroxide employed and how they’re held against your teeth.”

According to your preference and pocket size, you can go for any of these treatments:

  • Dentist’s series of treatment:

    Most expensive but incorporates 35% hydrogen peroxide concentrations which could promise you several brighter shades further for your teeth

  • Tray-and-gel systems:

    With 10-15% hydrogen peroxide concentrations, this is another step-up option in terms of both cost and potency, but slightly lower than the previous treatment

  • Over-the-counter gels and strips:

    They don’t work on the dental work done on your teeth such as fillings, crowns, or caps. Containing 6-10% hydrogen peroxide concentrations, strips are recommended over gels because of the uniformity they provide while applying

  • Whiteners or toothpastes:

    Not effective against the hard blemishes hidden in tooth enamel as they contain only 1-1.5% hydrogen peroxide concentrations. But, they’re able to clean surface stains

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Do my feces reveal the face of my health?

From not-to-worry-about to life-threatening ones, most diseases do reveal their first signs in the person’s feces. So, watch before you flush! Author of What’s Your Poo Telling You and gastroenterologist, Dr. Anish Sheth unmasked some mysteries of the unpleasant sight after you poop.

  • Particular bad odor:

    Although you would smell a beautiful girl passing by instead of your poop any given day, excretion smelling is surprisingly one of the diagnostic ways used by doctors, of course not all. A distinct smell of your poop could be a warning sign for health issues

  • Firm or broken apart:

    If that is what your poop looks like for a straight week then you’re probably heading towards many kinds of gastrointestinal tract (GI) problems says Dr. Sheth. This is because of low water consumption and low fiber content in your diet

  • Floating:

    Your pancreas could be in trouble if you see your poop floating. It could also mean that your body is having a hard time absorbing fat

  • Different color:

    Bright red stains of blood in your poop point out problems near the anus and hemorrhoids while dark red streaks could indicate intestinal cancer, colitis, or inflammation. Evidence of blood through tarry or black poop should mean stomach or GI problems including ulcers

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Is getting scared healthy?

Although different people have different tolerance levels and may not respond healthily as other people, a little boo could bring in some health benefits for you. A sociologist studying fear and haunting, Dr. Margee Kerr, also from Pittsburgh’s ScareHouse, says that exposing to insignificant fear sources could make a PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) victim capable of handling deeper anxieties and fear responses in positive ways.

She continues to explain that facing fear can strengthen your potential to deal with high-stress circumstances. “You become more comfortable with the physical experience of fear, and so you’re better able to work through it during tense situations.”

Besides, with the release of oxytocin – a bonding chemical by your body when you’re frightened or nervous, you share a strong social connection and solidified bonding. In fact, oxytocin is the same hormone that a mother produces when giving birth to her child. Friends who are booed together are found to stay friends longer. And, that also goes the same for lovers. Picking up a scary movie for your first date is not a bad idea (winks)!

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Getting scared also floods your brain with “feel good” hormones viz. dopamine and endorphins, which build a natural high in you just like when you fall in love.

What about bone cracking? Is it not good?

Cracking joints or bones of your hands and feet is such a common scenario that you would expect to hear a number of casual reports whether it is harmful or not. A rumor suggests that bone poppers or crackers are said to develop arthritis over a period of time. But as mentioned earlier, it is a rumor. Multiple researches have shown that bone cracking or lopsided joint popping and finger pulling does not lead to osteoarthritis or arthritis.

When you pop a joint, you actually loose and cause a stretch to its neighboring ligaments and capsule. Your joint will get cracked more easily when these components get loosened more. Joint cracking causes the sudden inflow of synovial fluid into the extra volume of space created after cracking says Dr. Pedro Beredjiklian of Philadelphia’s Rothman Institute.

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So, certainly joint cracking does no harm to you assures Dr. Beredjiklian. However, you may knenot want to pop your e or shoulder again if you hear a strange sound after popping to avoid annoying the area further. Lastly, popping sounds could also be heard if tendons are caught on joint formations or irregular bones. The harmfulness of this case depends on the person’s anatomy concludes Dr. Beredjiklian.

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