Category: Medical misconceptions

It is a common misconception, but an EEG has no nutritional value because it is not a food. The acronym EEG stands for electroencephalography, a non-invasive medical test that measures the electrical activity of the brain.

Over 20 million EEGs are performed annually in the US for medical diagnostics, yet the surprising question, "is EEG veg?" appears frequently online due to a simple phonetic mix-up with the word 'egg'. This article clarifies the vast difference between the medical procedure of electroencephalography and the food product.

According to the American Society of Hematology, iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency and the most widespread nutritional disorder in the world. A craving to eat non-food items, including dirt, can be a symptom of this condition, yet eating dirt does not help with iron deficiency and is incredibly dangerous.

It’s a common misconception, but a skin boil has absolutely zero nutritional value and therefore contains no calories. The idea that a medical boil, or abscess, holds any caloric energy is a misunderstanding of both nutritional science and basic biology, as it is a localized bacterial infection, not a food source.

While your body does burn some calories to replenish plasma after donation, this process does not cause significant or sustained weight loss. This article will explore the different contexts of plasma and definitively answer the question: does plasma cause weight loss?

Around 35% of regular blood donors eventually become iron-deficient due to the repeated removal of blood. This fact directly challenges the myth that 'taking blood' increases hemoglobin. In reality, the effect depends entirely on whether blood is being removed or received.

Medically, a healthy person has only trace amounts of protein in their urine. Therefore, the concept of harvesting pee protein as a complete dietary source is a complete and dangerous misconception. Instead of being a nutritional supplement, finding protein in pee is a medical red flag known as proteinuria.

Historically, quinine from cinchona bark was used to treat malaria, leading many to believe that tonic water, which contains trace amounts of this compound, offers significant health benefits. However, modern medical consensus is clear: a doctor would NOT recommend tonic water for any therapeutic purpose.

According to research, tight clothing around the waist can increase abdominal pressure, and contrary to popular belief, body armor cannot help with throwing up. In reality, wearing restrictive protective gear, especially when ill-fitting or paired with intense physical exertion, can actually worsen the conditions that cause nausea and vomiting.

Healthy kidneys effectively filter waste products from the blood while keeping essential proteins within the body. The notion of regularly peeing out significant amounts of protein is a common misconception, as this is typically a sign of an underlying health problem, not a normal bodily function. This condition, known as proteinuria, can indicate kidney damage or other issues that require medical attention.