HEALTH separates the fact from fiction and comes up with some surprising results…

MYTH: A heart attack feels like tremendous pressure on your chest.
FACT: While it’s true that the classic heart attack symptom is intense pressure on your chest, it’s not the only symptom, especially for women, tell experts. In fact,
some women may feel pain in their jaw, abdomen, or neck or it may even feel like an upset stomach.

MYTH: Added sugar is always bad for you.
FACT: The fact is that sugar is essential in the kitchen and is paramount in baking fluffy cakes, chewy cookies and soft meringues. Sugar also balances the flavors in  healthy foods that might not taste so great on their own. But there is a limit; most health experts suggest that added sugar supply no more than 10 percent of your total calories—about 200 in a 2,000-calorie diet.

MYTH: You need to drink eight glasses of water a day.
FACT: New research suggests that the average woman needs about 91 ounces of water a day, and the average man, 125 ounces, to prevent dehydration, regulate body temperature, lubricate joints, and take care of all the other things water does to keep your body running smoothly. However, tea and coffee as well as fruits and vegetables with a high water content, such as oranges, watermelon, and lettuce, can count toward those goals.

MYTH: We should be ingesting large quantities of vitamins and supplements.
FACT: So long as you are eating a healthy balanced diet, over supplementation may just be a waste of money. There are individuals that may require supplements, such as pregnant women and the elderly. Yes, there are a very few, such as vitamin D, that may have benefits. But don’t go overboard.

MYTH: Fresh food is always better than frozen.
FACT: The reality is that fresh produce often travels far distances and sits on grocery shelves – also, heat, air, and water can cause it to lose nutrients along the way.