A large number of seafood and aquatic products are on the market in autumn. It is said that seafood contains a lot of microplastics, which are destroying the health of Chinese people. Is this true? "Quantum plastic" can prevent cancer and treat diabetes, hypertension and skin diseases? Can the "segmented sleep method" with only 4 hours a day really achieve "high efficiency"? Can a few drops of eye drops effectively treat cataracts? The so-called "health knowledge" circulated on the Internet above is all unfounded. The September scientific rumor list is out, breaking these misleading health rumors one by one.

The "Monthly "Science" Rumor List" is guided by the Beijing Association for Science and Technology, the Beijing Cyberspace Administration, and the Capital Internet Association, and jointly released by the Beijing Science and Technology Journalists and Editors Association and the Beijing Regional Website Joint Rumor Refuting Platform.

Rumor:

"Quantum Yuansu" can prevent cancer, diabetes and hypertension

Truth: Rumor is true. Quantum Yuansu (mineral drink) is magnetized water magnetized by quantum technology. It is rich in more than 100 kinds of natural minerals and trace elements. Drinking this water can prevent and treat cancer, diabetes, hypertension, skin diseases and many other diseases. This statement cannot be verified. Quantum technology is still in the experimental stage and is still a long way from practical application. These so-called "quantum products" such as quantum drinks have nothing to do with quantum.

"Quantum" is a physical concept proposed by German physicist Planck in 1900. It is the smallest indivisible unit that describes a physical quantity in the microscopic world. At present, the research on quantum theories such as quantum mechanics is progressing rapidly, and quantum precision measurement, quantum communication, quantum computing, etc. have made great progress. In particular, quantum precision measurement and quantum secure communication have begun to be applied in practice.

Although there may be quantum effects in life phenomena, such as biological navigation and photosynthesis, experiments are very difficult because these phenomena are too macroscopic. Many so-called "quantum products" are exaggerated by merchants. To judge whether a product is quantum, it depends on whether it uses quantum coherence and superposition. If it does not, it is not a quantum product.

Rumor:

"Segmented sleep method" sleeps less and better

Truth: It is said that "only 4 hours of sleep a day, and strictly implement the segmented sleep method, that is, sleep for 2 hours first, wake up by the alarm clock, stay awake for 1 hour, and then sleep for 2 hours. This method sleeps less and sleeps better." This sleeping pattern is just an individual case, and there is no comprehensive physical examination before and after the comparison. It is just a personal subjective feeling, which is less convincing. Usually, in medicine, to prove whether a method is effective, it is necessary to use evidence-based medicine methods, that is, random, double-blind, large sample, and long-term research. The research data is statistically processed and the difference is significant. Only then can it be proved to be scientific and effective and can it be promoted.

Current studies show that adults who sleep between 6.5 and 7.4 hours have the lowest mortality rate, while those who sleep less than 4.5 hours or more than 9.4 hours have a significantly higher mortality rate. If you don't sleep for 19 hours in a row, your mental and physical state will be the same as being drunk. Lack of sleep can easily lead to decreased immunity, obesity, affect sexual function, and accelerate the growth of cancer cells, and increase the risk of colorectal cancer, prostate cancer or breast cancer. Recently, the World Health Organization has regarded lack of sleep as a carcinogenic factor. People over 45 years old who sleep less than 6 hours a night are 200% more likely to suffer from myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction than those who sleep seven or eight hours.

For most adults, it is recommended to sleep 6 to 8 hours a day. Sleeping too little or too much is not good. It is most scientific to sleep between 9 and 10 pm, and sleeping after 11 pm is considered staying up late. The standard for a good sleep is to fall asleep in bed for about 15 minutes, and you can fall asleep quickly after getting up at night.

Rumor:

Microplastics in seafood are harming countless Chinese

The truth: The saying that "microplastics may be contained in seafood" is not a recent phenomenon. As early as 2018, it has attracted the attention of scientists. Microplastics are widely present in nature. Austrian scientists once conducted an experiment in which they selected one volunteer from eight Asian and European countries, including Finland, Japan, and Russia, to conduct a diet control experiment. The fecal samples finally provided showed that as many as nine types of microplastics were found in the eight samples. However, it is still unknown whether these microplastics have caused substantial harm to the human body. So far, no study has shown that microplastics in seafood have visible harm to human health. Moreover, when talking about the impact of food safety on the human body, we cannot ignore the dosage. This is similar to the principle of food additives. It is difficult for a small or trace amount of microplastics to have a substantial impact on the human body.

In terms of policies and regulations, China's seafood products currently have a national standard GB2733-2015 "National Standard for Food Safety Fresh and Frozen Animal Aquatic Products", which has detailed regulations on the content of volatile basic nitrogen and histamine, the limit of pollutants, the limit of shellfish toxins, the content of food additives, and even seafood that needs to be kept alive before processing, and has drawn the red line for the safety and hygiene of seafood products.

At present, the safety of Chinese seafood is relatively high, which is also due to the rapid development of the aquaculture industry. Nearly 80% of the seafood consumed in China each year comes from aquaculture farms, not "fishing at sea" in the traditional sense, so the public does not need to worry too much about the so-called "microplastic invasion" problem.

Rumor:

Eye drops can effectively treat cataracts

Truth: Eye drops do not have such a magical effect. Antibacterial eye drops are mainly suitable for infectious inflammation of the eyelids, tear ducts, conjunctiva, cornea and other parts. Eye drops can be used to lubricate the eyeball, relieve visual fatigue, relieve trachoma, reduce red bloodshot, etc.

Cataracts are organic lesions, and the patient's lens becomes cloudy. If the eye is compared to a camera, cataracts are equivalent to "sticking" a piece of tape on the lens. There is no other way except to tear off the tape. Whether it is authoritative ophthalmic treatment research institutions in China or abroad, they all believe that surgery is the only effective treatment for cataracts. Therefore, any eye drops that claim to be able to treat cataracts are false propaganda.

Rumor:

A thermos cup that can be sucked by a magnet is a good thermos cup

Truth: Can you really distinguish the quality of the thermos cup by whether the stainless steel is magnetic? Not really. According to the national standard GB9684-2011 "Food Safety National Standard Stainless Steel Products", stainless steel materials for tableware include austenitic stainless steel, austenitic-ferritic duplex stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, etc., among which austenitic stainless steel is non-magnetic.

The more common 304 and 316 stainless steels are non-magnetic austenitic stainless steels. Their main alloying elements are iron, chromium, and nickel, and their prices are relatively high. Low-nickel (nickel-saving) manganese-containing austenitic stainless steel is also non-magnetic. It uses manganese and nitrogen to replace part of the nickel. The price is relatively cheap, but the performance and safety are not bad. In addition, referring to China's current multiple relevant standards for insulation containers, a qualified insulation cup should meet the requirements in terms of insulation performance, odor, impact resistance, sealing, handle and ring connection strength, and material hygiene and safety. Therefore, whether it is magnetic is not a criterion for judging the quality of insulation cups.

In addition, it should be noted that people who are allergic to metal elements must go online to check the corresponding specific composition of stainless steel according to the marked stainless steel grade. For example, people who are allergic to nickel should not choose 304 stainless steel products, and people who are allergic to manganese should not choose stainless steel products containing manganese.

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