Can you sweat off a hangover? This and other health claims tested
Can you sweat away a hangover? Or catch a cold from air conditioning? We review some popular summer health claims and set the record straight.
If you hear something often enough, it’s easy to start believing it.
In summer, especially, there seems to be plenty of claims around wellness doing the rounds – whether we’re being told our blood type is to blame for our mozzie bites, or that we shouldn’t swim immediately after eating.
We thought it was high time to ask our experts to sort fact from fiction.
Claim: You can sweat away a hangover
Contrary to popular belief, we can’t just sweat out a hangover, Active & Ageless exercise scientist and registered nurse Heath Jones says.
“It’s a case of do the crime, do the time,” Heath adds.
Sweating through vigorous exercise might make you feel better temporarily because of the endorphin release, but you will be left further dehydrated, which will make you feel even worse, he explains.
- Hangover help: Best science-backed remedies for post-drinking symptoms
Claim: You can’t get sunburnt on a cloudy day
Yes, you absolutely can, dermatologist Dr Cara McDonald says.
“Clouds don’t prevent all UV light from the sun … UVB light, which causes the classic red sunburn, is blocked somewhat by clouds but not fully, so it’s common to get unexpectedly burnt, even on cloudy days,” Dr McDonald, of Complete Skin Specialists Dermatology, says.
Always remember the sunscreen – even on cloudy days.
- Spot check: How to tell if a mole could be skin cancer
Claim: Tomatoes can soothe sunburn
While Dr McDonald admits applying tomatoes would not be her first line of treatment for sunburn, they do contain ingredients – lycopene and other antioxidants – that help the body repair after oxidative stress such as sunburn.
“They’re also high in water content and may provide a soothing sensation when applied to the skin, so long as they are not too acidic,” she says.
Dr McDonald recommends aloe vera gel and regular moisturiser, as well as anti-inflammatories, to relieve sunburn pain.
Claim: You should wait half an hour after eating before swimming
People believe that eating before swimming may cause nausea or stomach cramps, which can distract or affect you in the water and lead to drowning.
However, according to clinician-researcher Dr Chavy Arora, the limited studies into the topic do not support the belief that you need to wait any period to swim after eating.
Dr Arora, of Melbourne University’s Department of General Practice, says a series of small studies from the 1960s looked at the effects of eating half an hour to three hours before swimming.
“There were no reports of any discomfort such as nausea or stomach cramps in those who had eaten recently,” Dr Arora says.
“There was also no difference in the performance of the swimmers who had eaten prior to swimming, compared to the control groups.”
Claim: You can catch a cold from air conditioning
“A cold is caused by a respiratory virus,” Manse Medical respiratory and sleep medicine specialist Dr Andrew Bradbeer says.
“As we all know nowadays, a respiratory virus is spread in droplets or smaller particles from someone else with the virus; this spread is usually airborne, from close personal contact.
“So, while a cold can’t be caught from air conditioning, if you’re inside on a hot day enjoying cool air with others who may have the virus, then you could end up catching a cold from them.”
- Cold schmold: How to supercharge recovery from a virus
Claim: Mosquitoes prefer certain blood types
Dr Arora says there are conflicting reports of what blood types mosquitoes prefer, but two studies have shown that particular mosquito species prefer human blood group O.
Another study has shown that a particular female mosquito type prefers blood group B.
“However, there are multiple environmental and ecological factors that influence the likelihood of getting bitten, such as temperature, skin exposure, as well as whether people are secretors or non-secretors – people who secrete the substances of blood types on the skin, versus those who don’t,” Dr Arora says.
Avoiding mozzie bites is still key to protecting yourself against mosquitoes (and the diseases they can carry).
Written by Tania Gomez.
