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Health: true or false?i

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

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  • Research team says its data overturns the common perception that underweight people burn off extra calories with physical activity
  • The scientists monitored 323 Beijing residents for two weeks to learn more about why some people do not gain weight

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.

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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?

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It takes a lot more than camomile tea and gluten-free breakfasts to fend off mental illness; as writer’s mother found, you’ve got to have a desire to be happy before you can embrace a diet that brings wellness

When she was six, a girl hurt herself so badly she had red marks on her arms and when she was nine, she told her tutors she wanted to kill herself by jumping off a building – it was only then she was diagnosed with ADHD.  Why are children and teenagers with emotional or mental health problems having to wait up to 17 months for treatment in Hong Kong?

Many parents delay exposing children to allergenic foods, such as peanuts and eggs, to avoid them having food allergies – but eating those foods as part of a wide and varied while pregnant and breastfeeding is a better way to do this

Depression, attention deficit disorder, chronic disease – immersing yourself in the smells and sounds of nature with a slow walk in the countryside can relieve them all and do wonders to ease the pressure of city living, say eco-therapists

The type of coffee you choose and how you prepare it determines how much of its proven health benefits you gain; filter coffee lightly roasted, drunk black and unsweetened, may be your best bet

Low energy, bad moods, low blood sugar, overeating – these consequences of skipping breakfast are well known. Now comes a new study suggesting the habit also contributes to blocked arteries

A recent study suggests being in a good mood before your flu jab can boost the vaccine’s effectiveness, with reducing stress – which produces hormones that can suppress the immune system – among methods to maintain a positive state

Helminthic therapy – ingesting live roundworms – is growing in popularity as a means of fighting various autoimmune disorders, but more evidence is needed of its efficacy, and the treatment is not approved in Hong Kong

A Hong Kong personal trainer says sweat levels are linked to your physiology and the climate you are working out in, not the number of calories you are burning

Despite a number of products on the market promising to fix split ends, there is only one way to deal with the problem: get the scissors out and trim your hair