April's "Science" Rumors: Will storing CO2 at sea affect the ecology? Is fat the cause of bloating?

The list of "scientific" rumors for April 2023 is revealed! Will offshore carbon dioxide storage affect the ecology? "Wealth bags" are caused by obesity? Ancient Chinese buildings did not use a single nail? The truth >>

The monthly "science" rumor list is guided by the Beijing Association for Science and Technology, the Beijing Municipal 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, and is supported by the Science and Technology Journalists and Editors Professional Committee of the China Science Writers Association, the China Evening News Science Editors and Journalists Association, the Shanghai Science Communication Association, and the Institute of Science and Technology Information of the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology.

1. Offshore CO2 storage will affect the ecological environment

gossip:

In recent years, offshore carbon dioxide storage technology has gradually emerged, but storing carbon dioxide on the seabed will pollute the marine ecological environment.

the truth:

Marine geological carbon sequestration refers to transporting CO2 to a site in the ocean by ship or pipeline and injecting it into the geological body below the seabed for storage. In fact, compared with underground storage of carbon dioxide, ocean storage is safer - this is because the seawater cover can not only prevent carbon dioxide from being directly discharged into the atmosphere when it leaks, but also the additional seawater pressure reduces the requirements for the sealing of the cover layer, making the carbon dioxide stored on the seabed more stable. Due to the long-term exchange of seawater, the chemical composition of the pore fluid in the seabed strata is closer to that of normal seawater, which can avoid the fissure activity induced by pressure imbalance during carbon dioxide injection to prevent the risk of leakage.

There is no direct evidence that marine storage will cause pollution to the ecological environment. For example, the Sleipler project in the Norwegian Sea has been storing carbon dioxide on the seabed since 1996. The first five years of engineering demonstration proved that it was safe. Since then, commercial operations have been carried out and it has been injected for 27 years. It is still being injected and no abnormalities have been found. Japan injected 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide in the waters near Hokkaido from 2016 to 2019. So far, it has been monitored and no safety risks have been found.

2. Eating more spicy food can prevent and treat diabetes

gossip:

The ingredients in chili peppers can prevent and treat diabetes. If you eat more spicy food on a regular basis, you will be less likely to get diabetes.

the truth:

Studies have found that capsaicin in chili peppers is related to lowering fasting blood sugar levels and insulin levels. Eating spicy food promotes fat oxidation and energy consumption, which may reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes and obesity to a certain extent. Chili peppers may also increase the number of insulin receptors, increase the clearance rate of insulin, and improve postprandial hyperinsulinemia. People who often eat spicy food are less likely to experience postprandial insulinemia.

However, the claim that chili peppers alone can prevent and treat diabetes is not rigorous. This is because diabetes is a chronic disease, and its causes involve multiple factors, such as genetics, lifestyle, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood lipids, and the "spicy food" commonly seen in our lives, such as hot pot and malatang, is not only spicy, but also often has problems such as high oil and high salt. Excessive consumption may aggravate other diseases.

In addition, the majority of people with diabetes in my country are middle-aged and elderly people, and whether their gastrointestinal conditions can tolerate the stimulation of spicy food varies from person to person. If you usually feel stomach discomfort or other discomfort after eating spicy food, it is not recommended to eat spicy food; people with chronic coughs and bronchitis dilatation should not eat spicy food, as there is a risk of inducing asthma. In terms of specific food choices, you should pay attention to the principle of light diet, and when eating spicy food moderately, you should pay attention to avoiding cooking methods with heavy oil and salt.

Prevention of diabetes should start with a comprehensive healthy lifestyle and strict treatment and management according to the doctor's advice. You should develop good living habits, eat a healthy diet, exercise moderately, quit smoking and limit alcohol, and avoid excessive stress to stay healthy and prevent the occurrence of diabetes.

3. Wearing glasses for a long time will cause "goldfish eyes"

gossip:

If you wear glasses for a long time, your eyeballs will gradually bulge out and become "goldfish eyes".

the truth:

The convexity of the eyes is usually caused by the growth of the eye axis due to myopia, and this phenomenon often occurs in patients with high myopia. A pair of qualified glasses can help correct vision. If you are myopic and do not wear glasses, it is easy to cause visual fatigue due to unclear vision, which will cause changes in visual functions such as accommodation and convergence over time, which will not only easily deepen the degree of myopia and aggravate the protrusion of the eyeball, but may even cause strabismus.

Therefore, if you are nearsighted, you must go to a regular medical institution for standardized examinations and scientific fitting of glasses.

4. People with stomach problems should eat small and frequent meals

gossip:

If you suffer from stomach problems such as gastric ulcers, you should change your eating habits and eat small and frequent meals.

the truth:

After food enters the stomach, it stimulates the gastric mucosa to secrete gastric acid, and the secretion of gastric acid will continue for 2 to 3 hours after each meal. For people with gastric ulcers, "multiple meals" will constantly stimulate the gastric mucosa to secrete gastric acid, causing the gastric ulcer to be frequently corroded by gastric acid, which is not conducive to the healing of the ulcer surface.

Patients with stomach problems should pay attention to "regular times and fixed amounts, three meals a day, and a combination of coarse and fine foods" in their diet, so that their gastrointestinal tract will be healthier.

5. The slower your heartbeat, the better your health

gossip:

The number of heartbeats in a person's life is fixed. If the heartbeat is slow, the consumption is slow and the life is long; if the heartbeat is fast, the consumption is fast and the life is short.

the truth:

Normal people have a heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute when they are at rest. Athletes are a little bit special, with a heart rate of about 50 beats per minute. Therefore, some people have the perception that "the slower the heartbeat, the better the body." In fact, the reason why athletes have a slow heart rate is mainly due to long-term exercise, which makes the heart function strong and efficient. Fewer heart beats are needed to meet the need to pump blood, so their heart rate is slow.

However, there is currently no relevant evidence to prove that the slower the heartbeat, the better. On the contrary, if the average person's heart rate is lower than 50 beats/minute for a long time, the heart may not pump enough blood, leading to ischemia and hypoxia, resulting in symptoms such as paroxysmal dizziness, palpitations, fatigue, weakness, and decreased exercise endurance. In severe cases, angina pectoris, heart failure, syncope, and even sudden death may occur.

Therefore, it does not mean that the slower the heart rate, the better. Within the normal heart rate range, maintaining a proper heart rate is more important for health and longevity.

6. The faster you lower your high blood pressure, the better

gossip:

High blood pressure must be lowered quickly, the faster the better.

the truth:

This statement is a misunderstanding. Blood pressure rises gradually, and blood pressure should also be lowered gradually. Don't be impatient to lower blood pressure, and don't take medicine to lower blood pressure immediately when you see that your blood pressure is high.

If it is a hypertensive emergency, the blood pressure can be slowly lowered to 160/100 mmHg within 24-48 hours. Unless there are special circumstances, rapid and drastic blood pressure reduction is not recommended, otherwise it may cause unexpected situations such as cerebral ischemia.

It is more reasonable to lower blood pressure steadily and reach the target level within 4 to 12 weeks. If hypertension is combined with life-threatening diseases, such as acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina, acute left heart failure, aortic dissection, etc., the doctor will guide the patient to lower blood pressure to the ideal level as soon as possible.

7. Ancient Chinese buildings don’t use a single nail

gossip:

Chinese wooden structures do not use a single nail; they rely entirely on mortise and tenon joints.

the truth:

In the mortise and tenon structure, the wooden nail itself is an indispensable part. When we visit many museums, we will see a semi-circular tubular tile, which often has a mortise near the tile surface. A set will have a ceramic nail or a decoration, which is where the tile nail is. Many mortise and tenon joints themselves also use nails, a kind of wooden wedge nail, which is used for the overlap of two sections of wooden components connected by mortise and tenon. The wedge nail is inserted into the mortise to ensure that the mortise and tenon components will not loosen due to sliding. This connection method will not cause the structure to loosen due to aging of the wood. Unlike nails that force the wood itself to be fixed by squeezing, it is stronger and more durable.

In the maintenance and reinforcement of wooden structures, nails are also used in large quantities, especially iron nails. Due to the organic properties of wood, when it is cracked, corroded, decayed, or falls off over time, the traditional repair method is to use iron parts for reinforcement.

It can be seen that nails are very common in Chinese wooden structures, and most of them are located in the building parts above the beams, or in the mortise and tenon structure itself. The mortise and tenon joints or the repaired and maintained parts are often relatively hidden, and they emphasize "repairing the old as it is", making it a seamless whole and leaving as few traces as possible. Therefore, when visiting ancient buildings, if you don't pay special attention, the chance of seeing nails is actually small.

Therefore, nails and wooden ancient buildings are actually complementary to each other. Although wooden structures can be built through mortise and tenon structures, the use of nails is a guarantee of the firmness and durability of the mortise and tenon structure itself.

8. Bamboo charcoal foods can detoxify and nourish the skin

gossip:

Bamboo charcoal can absorb harmful substances in the human body, purify toxins in the blood, and also help the body digest and excrete, clean the intestines, and has the effect of detoxification and beauty.

the truth:

Bamboo charcoal food refers to food that has a certain amount of edible bamboo charcoal powder added to it, giving it "added nutritional value". Bamboo charcoal itself has a strong adsorption effect and can be placed in the room or refrigerator as a moisture absorber, deodorant, etc. However, experts say that the adsorption performance of bamboo charcoal is not the same as the principle of adsorbing toxins in the human body. The so-called "absorb toxins in the body" function is not credible and has no scientific basis.

For normal people, bamboo charcoal, activated carbon, etc. cannot be digested after being swallowed as foreign objects, and will eventually be excreted as is. Not only will they not have a good effect, they will also affect the absorption of nutrients, causing indigestion, constipation and other problems.

In addition, bamboo charcoal is not allowed to be used as a food additive in my country's food additive standards. According to the "Food Additives Hygiene Standards", plant carbon black can be used as a colorant in the production and processing of some foods, and plant activated carbon can be used as a processing aid in the food industry, but it should be removed before the final product is made. Therefore, bamboo charcoal food is actually food processed using materials that are not permitted by the country. Its functional effects such as detoxification in the human body and its safety have not been scientifically and effectively verified, and consumers should be cautious.

9. “Wealth bumps” are caused by obesity

gossip:

The "wealth bag" behind the neck is caused by obesity and does not affect your health.

the truth:

"Wealth hump" refers to a large hump on the back of the neck. Some people have excessive lordosis in the lower cervical spine and excessive kyphosis in the upper thoracic spine, which will lead to vertebral kyphosis and fat accumulation, forming "wealth hump". "Wealth hump" is mostly caused by long-term bowing posture, such as bowing for long periods of time to work or study, playing mobile phones or computer games for long periods of time, and pillows that are too high, etc., and has no clear correlation with body fatness or thinness.

The "wealth bag" is not only not a sign of wealth, but also a health hazard. The larger the size, the more severe the symptoms. It not only affects the appearance of the body, but also makes the muscles of the shoulder, neck and back often tense, stiff, sore and painful, and even radiates to the head, neck, back or shoulders, causing symptoms such as pain in the upper back and numbness in the area around the lump. Generally speaking, the larger the size of the "wealth bag", the more severe the symptoms.

In addition, the "wealth hump" may also affect blood supply to the brain and is related to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as dyslipidemia and hypertension. Some patients will experience symptoms of sympathetic nerve irritation such as tachycardia, arrhythmia, high blood pressure, chest tightness, and insomnia.

In daily life, we should pay attention to prevention, correct bad living habits, and avoid chronic neck injuries. Pay attention to sitting posture, and the computer screen should not be lower than the line of sight. We should insist on neck and shoulder muscle exercises to maintain the stability and beautiful shape of the cervical spine. Avoid bowing your head for a long time to work, study or play, and do more exercises to hold your head high and stretch your neck.

10. Drinking sparkling water can lower uric acid

gossip:

Carbonated carbonated water is a type of "alkaline water". Drinking it regularly can help you lose weight, slim down your body, and lower uric acid.

the truth:

After drinking sparkling water, the carbon dioxide it contains enters the human body and produces bicarbonate ions - bicarbonate is a weak alkaline ion that has a certain effect of neutralizing uric acid, which is also the main "basis" for the popular saying that "sparkling water lowers uric acid". However, in the face of the powerful human system, the acid-base neutralization ability of sparkling water is really "a drop in the bucket" and cannot cause acid-base changes in the human body, let alone achieve the therapeutic effect of lowering uric acid.

As for the statement that "sparkling water can produce a feeling of fullness, thereby reducing calorie intake, achieving the effect of weight loss and lowering uric acid", its effect in reality is also very limited.

In fact, sparkling water has a fresher taste and a richer drinking experience. You don’t have to focus on its health benefits, you can just drink it for the pure purpose of happiness.

(Image source: Visual China, this issue’s content sources: Beijing Science and Technology News, Science Refutation, “Rumor Refutation Platform” WeChat public account, Science and Technology Daily, Science Popularization China, Tencent Jiuzhen)

Produced by: Science Central Kitchen

Produced by: Beijing Science and Technology News | Beijing Science and Technology Media

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