Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Manan Vora, in his recently launched book ‘But What Does Science Say’, busts 101 health myths, from whether cracking knuckles can cause arthritis to whether papaya seeds are the ultimate contraceptive. In a conversation with THE WEEK, he debunks four common myths.
Myth 1: Plucking that one grey hair will turn all your hair grey
Dr Vora: Absolutely false. The colour of your hair can be different for a variety of reasons. And that hair shaft is an independent one. So just because you pluck that one grey hair does not mean you have kind of passed on something to the rest of your scalp—where different hair shafts are growing from—and all of them will become grey. It just doesn't make scientific sense at all.
Myth 2: BMI is the gold standard for measuring health
Dr Vora: It is absolutely outdated because body mass index only takes into account your weight and height. We are moving towards body composition, which takes into account your muscle and fat percentage in the body, which is a far better indicator of health. So I would trash BMI in 2025.
BMI is of absolutely no use. Yes, it can give you a rough range of, say, is your weight normal or are you overweight or obese? I could have excellent muscle mass in my body, which would make my BMI go in the abnormal range, but higher muscle could mean I am actually much stronger, fitter and more capable of functional tasks. That is why I would trust a body composition far more than the BMI.
Myth 3: Women should not exercise while on periods
Dr Vora: That is absolutely false. It is okay for women to exercise on their periods. In fact, exercise also releases endorphins, which would help in natural pain relief, which can help you with the other side effects that happen while you are on your period. Having said that, the idea is not to force your body and do something when you are uncomfortable. The idea is to listen to your body and try and promote some movement, even on the first couple of days when generally things are painful.
So when I say exercise, some people say, ‘Oh, you haven't experienced periods, you should not give an opinion.’ These are the kind of comments I have got on social media. And I do respect that. But the idea is to move your body a little. Maybe you could do a little bit of yoga. You could do a little bit of mobility exercises and basic movements to just get the blood flowing all through the body and release some happy hormones as well.
Myth 4: Brown bread is better than white bread
Dr Vora: It is a myth, whether it is brown bread, white bread; whether it is brown rice, white rice; or brown sugar, white sugar. Yes, there are different micronutrients that may make it slightly better, but I would not make a significant change in the way I consume my bread, rice or sugar, based on its colour.
I would much rather not consume it or not have it as part of my plan or have it in moderation that suits my plan. But I very happily consume white bread and white rice, and I don't complain about it and try to change the colour just because psychologically I feel this is okay. That does not make it okay. So see what your diet plan is and have rice, have bread. There is nothing wrong with them, but the colour won't really make a difference to your health.
