As we get older, many people will notice that their physical condition is getting worse and worse, and they often have backache and leg pain, and minor problems. However, this is not all due to aging, but is related to the daily habits of many people. 5 unconscious "bad habits" that hurt the body, many people do it every day, and they don't know it yet!
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[a]
Sleeping on your stomach actually hurts your spine
"Sleep on your side, with one leg straight and the other bent over...... This is the daily sleeping position of many people. However, few people know that this sleeping position can lead to spinal problems for a long time.
The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University once shared a patient case on its WeChat account: "Xiao Zou (pseudonym), an 18-year-old girl, often has symptoms such as low back pain and neck soreness, and the situation is gradually serious. So she went to the hospital for treatment, and the doctor found that the spine was severely scoliosis, and after X-ray examination, it was found that her lumbar spine was bent and rotated to the right side, and the lumbar 2 vertebrae were bent to the right side, and the spine had obvious scoliosis to the right. ”
Xiao Zou's spine is obviously scoliosis, and the Third Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University is pictured
The doctor finally found that it was caused by her sleeping position, Xiao Zou used to lie on her side for a long time, and the posture of her legs was incorrect. "The original normal spinal posture gradually becomes unbalanced in the wrong sleeping position over time, and the position of the pelvis and spine changes, and the spine has a scoliosis." Xu Haibin, chief physician of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, introduced.
Screenshot of Southern Satellite TV
According to Dr. Xu Haibin, this sleeping position can not only cause scoliosis, but also lead to lumbar disc herniation in the long run. This sleeping position often causes the spine to be in a state of "rotation" for a long period of time, which increases the pressure generated between adjacent intervertebral discs, which may cause the nucleus pulposus of the spine to bulge in a certain direction until it protrudes, compressing the nerve roots, thus inducing lumbar disc herniation. ①
[two]
Getting used to sitting with your head up and your chest up is not the most correct sitting posture
We have been taught by our parents and teachers since we were young that "to sit with a sitting posture, to sit with your chest held high and your head up." Yuan Wangshu, deputy director of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said in an article in the Health Times in 2019 that in fact, it is not the most correct posture to hold your chest up and raise your head.
According to Dr. Yuan Wangshu, from the side, there are four physiological curvatures of the spine, and the thoracic spine is originally kyphosis, and excessive chest stiffness will reduce the normal physiological curvature. Some people are not hunchbacked, but flat-backed, so they should not hold their breasts up. ②
What is the right way to sit? What do you think is the correct sitting position in the diagram below?
Image source: References (3)
This image is from a 2019 study published in the international journal Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, an international journal of musculoskeletal physiotherapy, which surveyed 544 physiotherapists and asked them to choose the most correct sitting position.
97.5% of physiotherapists chosen: No. 2, No. 4, No. 5 sitting. However, nearly half of the physiotherapists (41.4%) chose position 2 - the lumbar spine is in a lordosis state, the thoracic spine is in a slight kyphotic state, the pelvis, head and shoulders are in a straight line, and the chin is moderately retracted, which is consistent with the physiological curvature of the human spine. ③
Therefore, the most correct sitting posture is in line with the normal physiological curvature of the human body, rather than raising the head and chest too much.
[three]
Sleeping with the night light on is more likely to develop diabetes
Many people in life are accustomed to sleeping with a night light on, or some people are used to sleeping without drawing the curtains, which may cause the outside street lights to penetrate into the bedroom.
However, such a habit may lead to a higher likelihood of developing diabetes! In July 2024, the Lancet published a finding involving more than 84,000 people: the brighter the light at night, the higher the risk of developing type 2 diabetes! ④
A 2022 study published in the Proceedings of the United States Academy of Sciences also found that sleeping with lights on not only increases the risk of diabetes, but may also impair our cardiovascular function.
Studies have found that people who sleep with the lights on also have increased insulin resistance the next morning, leading to uncontrolled blood sugar; In the long term, this can lead to diabetes. In addition, people who sleep with lights on also have an increased heart rate at night, which may have some impact on cardiovascular health. ⑤
Photo by Ren Xuan of Health Times
[four]
Accustomed to lying on your side and looking at your mobile phone, there is a large difference in vision between your eyes
Charge your phone when you go to bed at night, lie down on your side and start watching your phone and watching videos...... This is a daily habit for many people.
In 2023, the Myopia Clinic of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University will receive a 15-year-old patient, Xiao Zhang (pseudonym), who has a large gap in vision between the two eyes, the right eye is not myopia, and the left eye is 250 degrees myopia. After communicating with the doctor, it was found that Xiao Zhang had to lie on his side to read books and play with his mobile phone for 2 hours almost every day. In the long run, this can lead to a widening gap between the two eyes, and in severe cases, amblyopia and strabismus. ⑥
Zhu Wenhui, deputy chief physician of the Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, suggested in an article published on the hospital's WeChat public account in 2023: When playing with a mobile phone, it is best to sit on a chair with a backrest, and the mobile phone is placed on the table in front of you, and you can also use a mobile phone holder. And with comfortable lighting, keep your eyes at a distance of 30-50 cm from your mobile phone, and pose like a student sitting upright reading a textbook. ⑦
[five]
It is customary to wait for the oil pan to smoke before stir-frying
In life, many people who cook at home are accustomed to waiting for the oil pot to smoke, put onions and garlic to stir-fry before stir-frying, in fact, this habit of stir-frying is very hurtful!
Xu Haiquan, a researcher at the Institute of Food and Nutrition Development of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, pointed out in an article published on the WeChat official account of Life Circle in March 2024 that many people like to wait until the oil is hot and smoky before putting the vegetables, thinking that the fried vegetables taste good, but in fact, this practice will cause a lot of harm to the human body.
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First, carcinogens are produced. Starchy foods are prone to acrylamide when exposed to high temperatures, which belongs to category 2A carcinogens. Protein-rich foods are prone to produce heterocyclic amine compounds when exposed to high temperatures, which are strong carcinogens that can accumulate in the body, gradually reduce immune function, and may induce tumors in various parts of the body; Fatty foods are prone to carcinogens such as benzopyrene when exposed to high temperatures.
Secondly, trans fatty acids are produced. Many people know that trans fatty acids are harmful to the human body, but they often only focus on refined foods and ignore that trans fatty acids are also produced during the cooking process. When cooking, the higher the temperature and the longer the cooking oil is heated, the more likely it is to produce trans fatty acids. In general, when the oil is smoking, the oil temperature is usually above 200°C, and at such high temperatures, trans fatty acids may be produced even if they are heated for a short time. ⑧
This article is synthesized from:
(1)2021-08-09The Third Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University "The Harm of Sleeping on the Side| Trust me, don't sleep like this tonight"
(2)2019-02-26Health Times "Holding your head up and your chest is not the most correct sitting posture" (Yuan Wangshu)
③Vasileios Korakakisa, Kieran O'Sullivanb, Peter B. O'Sullivane, et al. Physiotherapist perceptions of optimal sitting and standing posture. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2019: 39:24-31.
④Daniel P. Windred, Angus C. Burns, Martin K. Rutter, et al. Personal light exposure patterns and incidence of type 2 diabetes: analysis of 13 million hours of light sensor data and 670,000 person-years of prospective observation. The Lancet Regional Health - Europe, Volume 42, 2024, 100943, ISSN 2666-7762.
⑤Mason, Ivy C., et al. "Light exposure during sleep impairs cardiometabolic function." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119.12 (2022): e2113290119.
(6)2023-12-13The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University "Don't lie on your side and play with your mobile phone!" 》
(7)2023-11-01Sun Yat-sen First Hospital"Is it really squint when lying on your side and playing with your mobile phone?" How exactly do you play with your phone "right"? 》
(8)2024-03-28 CCTV Life Circle "Decreased Immunity, Carcinogenic! This action when you stir-fry is threatening the health of the whole family"