Does skipping breakfast help you lose weight? The more vitamin C you take, the better? Here are the scientific rumors for February

1. The number of fever cases has soared recently, and a new round of epidemic has arrived

Rumor content:

Recently, many people on social media said that they or their friends had fever, which means that many people have tested positive again.

Truth interpretation:

There is no such trend at present. Data on the website of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that (as of February 15), the total number of patients visiting fever clinics nationwide (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) reached a peak of 2.867 million on December 23, 2022, and then continued to decline; after January 23, 2023, the number of patients fluctuated at a low level, reaching 128,000 on February 13, a decrease of 95.5% from the peak. In addition, fever is a common symptom of many infectious diseases, such as the currently prevalent influenza A and norovirus infections, so we still need to get the flu vaccine in time and develop good hygiene habits, but there is no need to panic and worry about it.

Source: Science Popularization China

2. Skipping breakfast helps you lose weight

Rumor content:

Eating less or skipping breakfast can reduce calorie intake and is very helpful for weight loss.

Truth interpretation:

Quite the opposite. Skipping breakfast will make people hungry and more eager for high-carb, high-fat, high-energy foods, leading to a higher intake of lunch, dinner, and snacks. Therefore, people who skip breakfast tend to consume more calories than those who eat breakfast, and their weight will increase. Studies have found that eating breakfast every day is more conducive to weight control. Moreover, compared with people who skip breakfast, eating breakfast regularly is a protective factor for maintaining a healthy weight. People who skip breakfast have a 23% higher risk of gaining 5kg in weight within 10 years than those who eat breakfast. Therefore, it is a healthy practice to insist on eating an appropriate and nutritionally balanced breakfast every day.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

3. White strawberries are genetically modified fruits

Rumor content:

White strawberries are bred in a laboratory by changing genetic material. Eating them often can make you sick.

Truth interpretation:

White strawberries are actually bred through traditional hybrid breeding. Strawberries are a berry plant that is very easy to mutate, and the genes of white strawberries have mutated, resulting in a decrease in anthocyanin synthesis, so the color becomes lighter. Select the strawberries that have turned white, and then cultivate them through various breeding methods such as hybridization to obtain white strawberry varieties. In addition, China has always adopted a strict management system for genetically modified foods. At present (as of February 2023), China has only approved two industrial genetically modified crops: cotton and papaya. Other genetically modified plants have not yet been approved for production. Therefore, a lot of information about strawberries and genetically modified organisms on the Internet are rumors, please do not believe them.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

4. Vinyl chloride leaks in the United States can cause acid rain that harms the world

Rumor content:

The carcinogenic vinyl chloride and other substances leaked from the Ohio vinyl chloride project in the United States will enter the clouds and form acid rain that pollutes the world.

Truth interpretation:

There is no need to worry about this. In the Ohio leak, the main toxic substance was vinyl chloride, which cannot form acid rain. After "controlled combustion", one of the decomposition products is toxic phosgene, but it will not form acid rain. The hydrogen chloride produced by the combustion of vinyl chloride may indeed form acid rain, but the total hydrogen chloride produced by this accident is only a few hundred tons, and it is too sensational to say that it "affects the world." In contrast, global volcanic activity releases up to 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide (also a gas that can cause acid rain) a year. And the acid rain problem is slowly being resolved, so there is no need to worry too much. In general, this incident will cause pollution to the local environment, and it is not ruled out that pollutants will drift to some countries with atmospheric circulation, but due to the long journey, the pollutants will be diluted and will not cause global impact.

Source: Tencent

5. The more vitamin C you take, the better

Rumor content:

Vitamin C can enhance immunity, the more you eat, the better.

Truth interpretation:

Too much vitamin C can also be harmful. There is no reliable medical evidence that vitamin C can improve immunity. Long-term excessive intake of vitamin C may also cause oxalate stones in the kidneys and lead to kidney problems. The Chinese Dietary Guidelines state that healthy adults only need to take more than 100 mg of vitamin C per day, so the more vitamins you take, the better. As long as you pay attention to taking enough fruits and vegetables, you don't need to buy vitamin C supplements.

Source: Douyin (recommended by Toutiao to refute rumors)

6. Don’t eat tangerines with milk

Rumor content:

Oranges and milk cannot be eaten together because the two foods are incompatible and eating them together will cause precipitation and cause diarrhea.

Truth interpretation:

Oranges and milk can be eaten together. When the two meet, there may be a slight flocculation phenomenon. This is because the protein in the milk denatures and coagulates after encountering the organic acid in the orange. This is a normal phenomenon and is easily digested in the stomach. If diarrhea occurs after eating the two together, it is necessary to consider factors such as lactose intolerance or food spoilage, rather than food incompatibility.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

About the Science Rumors List

Released by the China Association for Science and Technology, the list is reviewed by experts every month. Based on criteria such as timeliness and harmfulness, hot rumors are selected for special interpretation and pushed across the entire network.

Jointly published: Scientific rumor-busting platform, China Internet Joint Rumor-busting Platform, "Study to Strengthen the Country" learning platform

Platform support: Tencent Jiuzhen, Weibo Rumor Refutation, Toutiao Rumor Refutation, Douyin, Dad Review, NetEase Health

List of review experts

(In order of the number of strokes of surname)

Wang Kang, Director of the Science Museum of the North Garden of the National Botanical Garden, Professor-level Senior Engineer

Song Shuang, Associate Researcher, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Chen Rui , Associate Professor, Institute of Communication Psychology, School of Journalism, Communication University of China

Yuan Zhiqin, Associate Professor, Beijing University of Chemical Technology

Tang Qin, Chief Researcher, Department of Science Popularization, Chinese Medical Association

The article is produced by "Science Refutes Facts" (ID: Science_Facts). Please indicate the source when reprinting.