Can fatty liver be cured by starving for two days a week? Can sun-proof clothing moisturize, cool down and repel mosquitoes? Here comes the June rumor list →

1. An outbreak of "man-eating bacteria" in Japan has a very high mortality rate. Will it cause an epidemic?

Rumor content : An outbreak of man-eating bacteria has occurred in Japan, with a mortality rate of 30%. It can be fatal 48 hours after infection. It is now very dangerous and you cannot go to Japan.

Truth interpretation : The so-called "man-eating bacteria" belongs to group A streptococcus (GAS), a type of bacteria that can cause a variety of infections and is not uncommon. The reason why it is called man-eating bacteria is mainly because it can cause necrosis of tissue around muscles in certain cases. Most people carry this type of bacteria, but they are usually asymptomatic after infection. In some cases, it may cause acute pharyngitis and scarlet fever. In extreme cases, a small number of infected people will develop streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS), which is the most serious complication caused by group A streptococcal infection and the culprit of the 30% mortality rate in the news. The National Institute of Infectious Diseases of Japan announced on June 11 that according to preliminary statistics, the mortality rate of STSS is as high as 30% to 70%. As of June 9, the number of patients in 2024 has increased to 1,019. Although the mortality rate of severe illness caused by STSS is high, it is indeed rare, and the proportion of severe illness is very low . People with poor resistance need to pay more attention to hygiene habits.

Source: Tencent

2. Does drinking before bed help you sleep?

Rumor content : Many people who can't sleep think that drinking some alcohol before going to bed can help them relax, and being slightly tipsy can help them calm down and sleep.

Truth interpretation : This statement is not correct. Drinking to help you sleep is harmful to your health. Many people believe that "drinking to help you sleep" is mainly because they think that after drinking, the nervous system is paralyzed by alcohol, and they will enter a state of slow response, sleepiness and fatigue. On the surface, it seems that they are "helped to sleep". However, on the one hand, drinking makes it easier for us to fall asleep, but it is easier to wake up early, and it is more difficult to fall asleep after waking up. On the other hand, the "sleep-aiding" effect of alcohol will gradually decrease, and it is easy to drink more and more to help you sleep. In other words, the more you are used to drinking to help you sleep, the worse the sleep-aiding effect will be. In order to continue to obtain the sleep-aiding effect brought by alcohol, people tend to drink more and more. Once you drink too much, it will in turn cause various discomforts and affect the quality of sleep, such as increasing the number of times you get up at night, headaches, stomach discomfort, etc.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

3. "Black technology" sun protection clothing, not only sun protection but also moisturizing, cooling and mosquito repellent

Rumor content : Recently, there have been a variety of "black technology" sun-protection clothing promotions on the market, such as "moisturizing facial mask sun-protection clothing"; "xylitol sun-protection clothing that can quickly cool down"; "mosquito repellent sun-protection clothing", etc., which are available for purchase.

Truth Interpretation : These so-called "black technology" products that have appeared on the market recently have good ideas, but in fact, the gimmicks are far greater than the reality. The effects of moisturizing, cooling and mosquito repellent are not as ideal as advertised. When we buy, we should remember that the essence of sun protection clothing is sun protection . The national standard stipulates that only when the UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) of the product is greater than 40 and the UVA (long-wave ultraviolet) transmittance is less than 5%, it can be called a "ultraviolet protection product". Generally speaking, the higher the UPF value, the better the protection against ultraviolet rays. Therefore, before buying, consumers can verify the protective effect of sun protection clothing. In addition to sun protection, consumers should also pay attention to the material of sun protection clothing. From the perspective of materials, the sun protection effect of products made of polyester and nylon is better than that of cotton and silk; from the perspective of color, bright or dark colors have better sun protection than light colors; from the perspective of performance, those with good washing resistance are easier to wear for a long time, and those with high breathability and moisture permeability are more comfortable.

Source: Tencent

4. Is it best to wear white clothes to protect against the sun in hot and sunny weather?

Rumor : Light-colored clothes do not absorb heat, so wearing light-colored clothes in the summer is better for sun protection.

Truth interpretation : Heat absorption and sun protection are not the same thing and cannot be confused. For example, when the outdoor temperature is 37 degrees, three different colored T-shirts, white, black and red, are exposed to the sun, and the temperature changes of the clothes under different exposure times are recorded with an infrared thermometer. When exposed to the sun for five minutes and half an hour, the surface of the three clothes does not show a significant temperature difference, but on the inside of the clothes, the temperature of the white T-shirt is significantly lower than that of the black and red T-shirts. Therefore, wearing white clothes outdoors in summer is indeed cooler. However, using an ultraviolet protection factor tester to test five points at the collar, cuffs, chest, back and inside of the clothes, it will be found that the UPF, UVA and UVB indicators of the red T-shirt are significantly better than those of the black and white T-shirts. The above phenomenon is mainly caused by the different ranges of sunlight spectrum absorbed by different color dyes. So from the perspective of sun protection alone, wearing dark clothes, especially red clothes, has a better sun protection effect.

Source: Tencent

5. If you go hungry for two days a week, will fatty liver be cured?

Rumor : Studies have found that the development of fatty liver disease can be prevented through the "5:2 fasting method" (that is, eating normally for 5 days a week and eating less or fasting for the other 2 days).

Truth : This statement is debatable. The research mentioned in the rumor comes from an animal experiment conducted by researchers from the German Cancer Research Center and the University of Tübingen. But this study is only an animal study and is far from human.

In 2023, a meta-analysis was conducted on the effects of intermittent fasting and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, including a systematic review of 14 studies and a meta-analysis of 10 studies (a total of 840 participants, 44.64% were male). The fasting duration lasted for 4 to 52 weeks. The types of fasting included 5:2 diet, modern alternate-day fasting, time-restricted eating or religious fasting. The results showed that there was not enough quantity and quality of evidence to prove that intermittent fasting can significantly improve fatty liver.

Therefore, from the current research, it cannot be said that intermittent fasting can effectively treat or prevent fatty liver, so don’t try it blindly. Especially for patients with fatty liver, they should cooperate with doctors to actively treat and develop healthy living and eating habits. Don’t believe in "folk prescriptions" and delay the disease.

Source: Science Refutes Rumors

6. If there is an “↑” arrow on the blood lipid test report, does it mean that you have high blood lipids?

Rumor content : The blood lipid indicators on the test report are not difficult to understand. If there is no "↑" arrow, it is within the standard and there is no need to worry.

Truth interpretation : This judgment method is not rigorous enough and may bring hidden dangers. Although the normal value range is indicated on the blood lipid test report, please note that these standards refer to those suitable for healthy people. For people with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, the blood lipid reference standards are different from those of healthy people, especially for patients with "three highs". Even if there is no arrow on the test report, you should not take it lightly. For example, for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), for extremely high-risk people with a history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol needs to be reduced to below 1.8mmol/L, and the indicator should be reduced to less than half of the original, which is obviously far from that of healthy people. Therefore, you must judge based on your own condition, or consult a doctor, and you can't take it for granted.

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

Supported platforms: Weibo rumor refutation, Toutiao rumor refutation, Tencent Jiuzhen, NetEase Health, Toutiao Health, Baidu Knows, Douyin

Scientific rumor debunking: Sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology, the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Emergency Management, the State Administration for Market Regulation and other ministries and commissions, guided by the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, and jointly created by national societies, authoritative media, social organizations and scientific and technological workers, it aims to effectively improve the dissemination, guidance and influence of rumor debunking information, so that rumors can stop at the wise and let science outrun rumors.

List of review experts

(In order of the number of strokes of surname)

Song Lidan, Consulting Engineer, Industrial Research Department, China Textile Construction Planning Institute

Zhang Zhongbin Member of the Science Popularization Committee of the Chinese Society of Refrigeration Professor of Nanjing Normal University

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

Tang Qin, Director of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association, National Health Science Popularization Expert

Han Hongwei, Researcher, National Food Safety Risk Assessment Center

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