The truth about the trend of curing diseases by 'sunbathing, walking barefoot, drinking lemon and salt'

The idea of ​​'quitting western medicine, instead sunbathing, walking barefoot, breathing deeply and drinking lemon and salt every day to cure many diseases' has been causing a lot of controversy recently.

The above “advice” was spread by a content creator on social media, receiving many mixed opinions from both the people and medical professionals in the country. Accordingly, people continuously expressed different views and attitudes: support, refute, condemn and even… neutral.

The trend of "sunbathing, walking barefoot, drinking lemon and salt" has no scientific basis, little benefit but many dangers.

PHOTO: AI, SCREENSHOT

What are the benefits and risks of sunbathing and walking barefoot?

Specialist Doctor 2 Truong Thien Niem, Head of the Examination Department, Gia An 115 Hospital, said that about 80% of the vitamin D needed by the body is synthesized through direct exposure to sunlight. However, sun exposure at the wrong time and in the wrong way can cause skin damage.

“UVA rays in sunlight, even on cloudy days, are the cause of dark skin, skin aging, freckles and increased risk of skin cancer. It is worth noting that this type of ray is completely incapable of synthesizing vitamin D. UVB rays are the only rays that can stimulate vitamin D precursors, supporting the body's absorption of calcium. Therefore, the appropriate time to sunbathe to absorb UVB rays is in the morning from 6-9 am, when UVA rays are not too harsh,” said Dr. Thien Niem.

Regarding the issue of walking barefoot, Dr. Niem also shared that according to preliminary research, walking barefoot on grass or soft ground can help reduce anxiety and stabilize heart rate thanks to its effects on the nervous system and blood circulation.

However, this also increases the risk of your feet being exposed to microorganisms, leading to foot ulcers. Hard surfaces are not good for your feet, and can eventually cause heel and knee pain, aggravate existing foot deformities, and can even affect the upper body.

Many different opinions have been given by people surrounding the trend of drinking salted lemon to cure diseases.

PHOTO: SCREENSHOT

Be careful when using salted lemon

“Using salted lemon and experiencing symptoms such as itching, tingling, itching in patches, restlessness, burning, epigastric pain, lower abdominal cramps,... is normal.” This is the affirmation that Mr. V. gave when advising people to drink salted lemon juice (2-3 glasses/day) to treat diseases and purify the body.

Regarding this, Dr. Thien Niem said: "The feeling of itching, stinging, stomach ache, cramps, bloody stools... when drinking salted lemon is not a detoxification phenomenon but a manifestation of damage to the stomach lining accompanied by bleeding."

Lemon juice with salt contains citric acid with strong acidity and high salt content (sodium chloride). When consumed regularly in large doses, it will directly stimulate the gastrointestinal mucosa, increase gastric acid secretion, thereby causing gastritis, duodenal ulcers, and even gastrointestinal bleeding.

Physiologically, excessive salt intake can lead to hypernatremia, which disrupts electrolyte balance. The consequences include high blood pressure, edema, worsening heart failure in people with cardiovascular disease and arrhythmias. At the same time, the burden of salt and acid excretion damages the kidneys, especially in people with underlying kidney or liver disease.

“Considering symptoms such as abdominal pain, digestive bleeding, and itchy rashes as normal is not only unscientific but also dangerous, as these are warning signs of serious illness. Long-term use of high doses of salted lemon has many potential risks for the digestive system, cardiovascular system, kidneys, and the whole body. Therefore, you should not follow this unscientific practice,” Dr. Niem warned.

In addition, chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension or lipid disorders have complex mechanisms and need to be controlled with medication according to a regimen that has been proven through many years of research. Arbitrarily stopping medication can lead to serious complications such as stroke, myocardial infarction or kidney failure.

Therefore, according to Dr. Niem, trends such as “sunbathing, walking barefoot, drinking lemon and salt” have no scientific basis, little benefit but much harm. Patients need to maintain a healthy lifestyle combined with proper treatment as prescribed by the doctor and be alert to unverified “cure-all” methods spreading on social networks.

The higher the body temperature, the stronger the immune system?

“The higher the body temperature, the higher the immune system, the healthier” is the opinion that content creator V. gave, as the basis for the advice “need to expose to the sun a lot to cure diseases”. It sounds quite reasonable, but in fact it is not.

Body temperature is one of the important vital signs, reflecting metabolic activity. Normal temperature is about 37°C, actual body temperature can fluctuate between 36.1°C and 37.2°C,

According to specialist 2 Truong Thien Niem: “A body temperature greater than or equal to 37.5°C is the threshold for fever, usually in response to inflammation, infection or other reactive causes. The dangerous threshold is from 39.4°C, requiring immediate medical examination, especially when unusual symptoms occur. Therefore, the view that “the higher the body temperature, the higher the immune system, the stronger” is completely wrong in terms of medicine.”

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thuc-hu-trao-luu-chua-benh-bang-phoi-nang-di-chan-dat-uong-chanh-muoi-hat-18525100215065371.htm