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1500 questions
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2 answers

Why is natural sugar healthier than refined sugar?

The WHO recently published this recommendation regarding sugar consumption: Keeping intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake reduces the risk of overweight, obesity and tooth decay. They define free sugars as … ……
Patrick Hoefler
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Why does whooping cough last so long and can the duration of cough be reduced?

Whooping cough is a chronic cough resulting from an infection with the bacteria Bordetella Pertussis. The cough resulting from the infection may last several weeks, and as such whooping cough is sometimes called the 100 day cough. Why is it that…
Kenshin
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Can wearing eyeglasses cause your eyesight to degrade further?

I've been told that wearing eyeglasses to correct poor vision can cause your vision to degrade even further. In other words, "Hold off wearing glasses for as long as possible, because once you start, it gets much worse." The claim is that with…
Nate Barbettini
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Can the immune system break down anything?

Every time one takes a pill, drinks a glass of wine, or uses an illicit drug, it is understood that the effects are temporary. Caffeine only keeps one awake for a few hours, alcohol only intoxicates for a few hours, aspirin only staves off a…
TheEnvironmentalist
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1 answer

How much food is necessary to buffer the stomach when taking medicine?

Very often, doctors or pharmacists will advise patients to take certain pills with food to "act as a buffer" so the patient is less likely to get a stomach ache from taking the pill. How much food is necessary to act as a buffer to protect the…
End Anti-Semitic Hate
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1 answer

Does being underweight have an influence on cancer risk?

This occurred to me reading Lifetime cancer risks for for people with healthy lifestyles? When talking about cancer in regards to body weight, it's usually about obesity. But does being underweight (BMI below 20) have an effect on cancer risk for…
YviDe
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1 answer

What is the healthiest way to drink alcohol excessively and chronically?

If someone who is otherwise healthy decided to drink fairly heavily and consistently over a long period of time, what is the healthiest way to do so? Example: Stay extra hydrated by drinking more water, take a multivitamin, get more sleep,…
Othya
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1 answer

Risks of blood donation with autoimmune diseases

People with autoimmune diseases are generally either forbidden or discouraged from donating blood. Example: People who have autoimmune diseases (such as autoimmune thyroid disease, ankylosing spondylitis) are advised not to donate blood. This is…
YviDe
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15
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3 answers

Why is BMI related to the square of height?

I'm aware that the U.S. CDC defines BMI (Body Mass Index) as mass (in kg) divided by height squared (in meters squared.) The CDC then defines what ranges are considered underweight, healthy, or overweight broadly based on BMI (with different ranges…
reirab
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Would butter on burns help or harm?

I have read (a long time ago, in an old book) that butter is good for burns. Is this true, and if so what is it that helps? Is salted or unsalted butter better? And how should it be applied, and kept there?
Tim
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2 answers

Is breathing into a paper bag an effective treatment for panic attacks?

Some sources claim that breathing into a paper bag is a good way to control hyperventilation caused by a panic attack. The theory (I surmise) is that re-breathing CO2 helps to mitigate the respiratory alkalosis caused by hyperventilation. If the…
Susan
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3 answers

When to stretch as a sportsman

I've been hearing lots of contradictory message about stretching in relation to sports. Some says that it's no use to stretch muscle before practicing physical activities while others always do it. I do understand the benefits for after-effort…
M'vy
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1 answer

Do adult braces have a medical need beyond cosmetics?

While middle/upper-class American parents often have their children get braces as teenagers, an adult getting braces out of his/her own volition could be viewed as a sign of vanity, much like plastic surgery. While in most communities, braces are…
Vivek Subramanian
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1 answer

Can we erase problematic memories to aid recovery from depression?

How does someone with depression move forward when memories are so painful for them? It seems that memories might hold someone back from recovery from depression, especially when those memories seem to take so prominent a position in the depressed…
anonymous
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Do carrots actually improve eyesight?

I've heard that carrots help improve eyesight, but the sources are pretty unreliable (TV shows, mostly). Are there any studies that prove (or show good evidence) that carrots improve eyesight? Or is this just a myth?
michaelpri
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