‘DON’T GO TO BED with your hair wet, you’ll get a cold.’

‘Don’t crack your knuckles, it’ll give you arthritis.’

‘Flat 7-up will settle your stomach.’

Old wives’ tales from our mammies or legitimate health truths? When it comes to your health, it’s hard to know what is, or isn’t true.

For example, just this week a UK study found that cranberry juice ‘doesn’t help clear urinary tract infections’. Another suggested mid-life anxiety may be linked to dementia later in life and a third study suggested that Ireland’s weekly drinking limit should be lowered to five pints.

That’s why we’d like to put you to the test, to see if you can spot the truth around your health.

1. Let's start with an easy one, how many standard drinks does a pint really contain?

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1

2

0.5

2. Is beer really that fattening? Which contains more calories, three and a half pints or three slices of pepperoni pizza?

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The pizza

The beer

They're the same

3. How much time does one cigarette really reduce your life by?

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Two hours

Fifteen minutes

Five and a half minutes

4. Can your body really tell within 20 minutes that you've quit smoking?

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Yes, your circulation will improve and your heart rate and blood pressure will decrease

Yes, the carbon monoxide will leave your body

No, it takes at least a day

5. Let's talk about mental health. Which group are happier overall, going by average scores on the Mental Health Index in 2016?

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Those living in Dublin

Those living outside Dublin

They report the same levels

6. Are we all getting poor sleep? How many of us in Ireland do you reckon get less than six hours a night?

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12%

28%

36%

7. We're all being safe, right? How many people in Ireland used some form of contraception the last time that they had sex?

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75%

45%

82%

8. How often do we tend to visit the doctor every year (for those over 15)?

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3.1 times

6.2 times

4.5 times

9. It's rare to have a long-standing health condition right? How many of us in Ireland do?

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28%

12%

18%

Answer all the questions to see your result!

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You scored out of !

We're not sure you know your stuff

We get it, managing your health can be confusing and it's sometimes hard to tell which claims we should pay attention to. Why not try Lloyd's eight-week transformation programme to get a hand with your health?

Share your result:

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You scored out of !

You're pretty nifty when it comes to your health.

You might not know all the facts and figures, but you can work out your health claims from your old wives' tales. Why not try Lloyd's eight-week transformation programme to get a hand with your health?

Share your result:

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You scored out of !

Can we call you 'doctor'? You know your stuff.

You're not going to be fooled by fake health facts. You know how to take care of yourself and who to listen to about your health. Why not try Lloyd's eight-week transformation programme to get a hand with your health?

Share your result:

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Want to get advice around your health? LloydsPharmacy are the Official Pharmacy Partners of WellFest 2018, where they’ll have a stand this weekend. You can call in to any of their 88 stores around the country to sign up to their FREE eight-week ‘Change Your Health Direction’ Programme‘, which includes weekly 1-2-1 meetings with trained health coaches and weigh-ins, help to quit smoking, nutritional advice and much more.

All information was taken from askaboutalcohol.ie, quit.ie and the 2016 Healthy Ireland Survey.