Let’s talk fall health myths.

October is full of tricks and treats, but some of the spookiest stories are the ones we've been told about our health. We're talking myths that have been passed around for years, despite what the science actually says. Let's bust three of the biggest offenders.

Myth #1: All Halloween candy is created equal.

Let's settle a fight. A fun-size Snickers has peanuts, nougat, and fat. Candy corn is sugar, corn syrup, and a little wax. Same handful of calories, very different ride.

Fat and protein slow how fast sugar leaves your stomach, so the Snickers sends a gentle wave. Candy corn is a straight shot to your bloodstream. Spike, insulin surge, crash, and you're back in the bowl in twenty minutes wondering why.

Translation? If you're going to eat candy (and it's Halloween, so you are), pick the one with peanuts in it.

HOP Tips

Eat candy after a meal, not on an empty stomach. Food in the tank flattens the spike. Then, take a five-minute walk after eating. Your muscles will soak up the sugar before it becomes a crash.

Myth #2: You catch a cold from being cold.

Cold weather itself can't make you sick. You need to be exposed to a virus to catch a cold. But there is a little bit more to the story.

Researchers at Harvard and Northeastern found that breathing in cold air can actually weaken your nose's first line of defense against viruses. When temperatures inside your nose drop, your nasal cells release fewer of the tiny particles that help fight off invading germs. So while cold weather doesn't cause colds, it can make you more vulnerable to catching one.

Factor in more time spent indoors, closer contact with others, and dry air, and you've got the perfect storm for cold and flu viruses to spread.

HOP Tips

Give your immune system a little extra support as temperatures drop. Cover your nose and mouth with a scarf when you're outside, use a humidifier to combat dry indoor air, and prioritize quality sleep. 

And don't forget about vitamin D! With less sunlight and shorter days, maintaining healthy levels becomes especially important during the colder months (thank you, Daily D!).

Myth #3: Your metabolism tanks at 40.

This common myth officially deserves a headstone. In 2021, researchers analyzed metabolic data from more than 6,400 people across 29 countries, from newborns to age 95. Adjusted for body composition, metabolism was flat from 20 to 60. Flat. It doesn't decline until after 60.

So, what's the middle-aged spread? Muscle loss, less movement, worse sleep, and in women, the estrogen drop that shifts fat toward the belly. None of that is a slower engine. It's a smaller one with less fuel going to the right places.

HOP Tips

Lift something heavy twice a week. Muscle is your metabolism. Get protein at every meal. And if belly fat showed up with perimenopause, hormone therapy is worth a conversation with your doctor, since estrogen is part of the story.

The HOP Box play

Dihydroberberine

Keeps blood sugar steadier after a carb hit, which means fewer crashes and fewer trips back to the candy bowl.

Vitamin D3 with K2

Immune and bone support, exactly when your skin clocks out for the winter.

Methylated B vitamins

The ones your cells use to turn food into energy.

The takeaway? Just because you've heard something a hundred times doesn't make it true. A little curiosity (and a little science) can go a long way toward helping you make smarter choices for your health.

HOP to it!

Dr. Amy Killen & the HOP Team

P.S. Halloween candy is meant to be enjoyed. Yes, even the candy corn.

References

1. Huang D, Taha MS, Nocera AL, Workman AD, Amiji MM, Bleier BS. Cold exposure impairs extracellular vesicle swarm-mediated nasal antiviral immunity. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2023;151(2):509-525.e8. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2022.09.037
2. Pontzer H, Yamada Y, Sagayama H, et al. Daily energy expenditure through the human life course. Science. 2021;373(6556):808-812. doi:10.1126/science.abe5017
3. Webb AR, Kline L, Holick MF. Influence of season and latitude on the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1988;67(2):373-378. doi:10.1210/jcem-67-2-373