NEW YORK, NY -- All this week we are talking with the great Doctor Oz, who kicked off his new daytime talk show Monday. Last week I was in New York at his show and had a chance to talk with him one on one. I asked him to debunk some popular medical myths starting with my favorite: is a drink a day really good for you?
Doctor Oz says, “A shot of whatever you drink, one glass of wine, one beer, that is actually very beneficial because it relaxes you. It actually opens up the arteries.”
But Doctor Oz cautions, when you do get beyond that one glass a day, the toxic effects of alcohol begin to immediately show themselves. “By the way, if you don't drink Monday through Saturday, you can’t have seven drinks on Sunday.”
I asked if will chocolate actually gave you a little rush of happiness? His response, “If it’s real chocolate.”
That means 70 percent cocoa or more. “That actually has some benefits because it has flavonoids in it. And perhaps because of the flavonoids and the caffeine, you get that little rush.”
Is a cup of coffee good for your brain? “It’s actually been associated with the reduction of dementia and a reduction in liver cancer. Part of the reason for that is coffee is the number one source of antioxidants in this country.”
Chewing gum takes 7 years to pass through the digestive track. True or false? Doctor Oz says, “The fact of the matter is a healthy intestinal system will empty itself out almost completely every two to three days.”
The next one my mother-in-law and I disagree on. Going out in the rain and the cold will give you a cold?
Doctor Oz says, “It’s been looked at and does not appear to be true but that's one of those areas where mom might be right. I'll tell you why. When we do study, folks kept in a cold environment and they are exposed to viruses, the contagiousness seems to be the same but viruses do survive better in colder temperatures.
