Health.

“A prospective Fudan University study of 724 patients with recent myocardial infarction found that soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) was an independent predictor of long-term major adverse cardiac events, reporting an unadjusted hazard ratio of 9.123 (95% CI 5.883–14.147) and an adjusted hazard ratio of 3.761 (95% CI 2.269–6.233) with p < 0.001.”

The cited study details are supported by the published record. Multiple authoritative versions of the same Fudan/Zhongshan cohort paper report 724 patients, a prospective design, and the exact unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios with p<0.001. The main caveat is a likely misindexed older database entry, plus the study’s single-center design and cutoff-based analysis.

“A cohort study of 382 adults younger than 60 years old, assessed 3 months after a first myocardial infarction and followed for 20 years, found that participants in the highest tertile of interleukin-6 had a 2.70-fold higher risk of heart-failure hospitalization than those in the lowest tertile (hazard ratio 2.70; 95% CI 1.32–5.50).”

The described study appears real, and the available evidence supports that higher IL-6 levels measured three months after a first myocardial infarction were linked to higher later risk of heart-failure hospitalization in 382 adults under 60. However, the exact figure cited—hazard ratio 2.70 with 95% CI 1.32–5.50—and the stated 20-year follow-up are not directly verified in the provided evidence. The core association is supported; the precise numerical claim is not fully substantiated here.

“Creatine supplementation reduces S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) demand by decreasing endogenous creatine synthesis.”

Available evidence supports this mechanism. Creatine supplementation suppresses endogenous creatine synthesis, and that synthesis normally uses SAMe to methylate guanidinoacetate into creatine, so the pathway’s SAMe demand falls. Unchanged blood SAM, SAH, or homocysteine in some trials does not negate this, because those markers do not directly measure pathway flux.

“Creatine supplementation improves brain fog in humans.”

Creatine may help some cognitive functions linked to what people call brain fog, but the evidence does not directly show that it generally improves “brain fog” in humans. Most studies measured objective cognitive tasks, not the symptom itself, and positive effects are most apparent in specific settings such as sleep deprivation, older adults, or other higher-demand conditions. The broad, unqualified wording goes beyond the evidence.

“The cervical region of a tooth (near the cementoenamel junction) contains both enamel and cementum at the same location.”

The core anatomical idea is correct: the cervical/CEJ region is where enamel and cementum meet, and cementum commonly overlaps enamel. But the wording is too absolute. Teeth show several CEJ patterns, including edge-to-edge contact and small gaps exposing dentin, so both tissues are not literally present at the exact same spot in every case.

“Bipolar disorder is characterized by episodes of mania or hypomania and episodes of depression.”

This is a generally accurate description of bipolar disorder, but it is not a universal diagnostic rule. Major medical sources describe bipolar disorder as involving periods of mania or hypomania and depression, yet Bipolar I can be diagnosed without any prior depressive episode. The claim is best read as a broad characterization rather than a strict criterion.

“A 2025 Robert Koch Institute report found that in Germany the share of adults with statutory health insurance outpatient claims who had at least one documented mental disorder diagnosis (ICD-10 F00–F99) increased from 35.0% in 2012 to 40.9% in 2022.”

The RKI did report an upward trend, but not the one stated here. For 2012–2022, official RKI sources report 33.4% rising to 37.9%, while the 40.9% figure belongs to 2024 in a different RKI indicator series. The claim therefore combines real RKI numbers from different years and datasets, which materially changes the factual takeaway.

“The increase in outpatient diagnoses of mental disorders in Germany from 2012 to 2022 was largely caused by previously untreated or unrecorded mental health problems becoming visible due to increased help-seeking.”

Available evidence does not support increased help-seeking as the main driver of Germany’s 2012–2022 rise in outpatient mental-disorder diagnoses. Authoritative RKI and peer-reviewed analyses describe several plausible contributors, including diagnostic and documentation changes, coding and system effects, longer treatment duration, demographic factors, and COVID-related influences. The increase in diagnoses is well documented, but the claimed dominant cause is not.

“A 2025 Robert Koch Institute (RKI) report stated that a key explanation for the increase in outpatient diagnoses of mental disorders is that people may be increasingly seeking help due to destigmatization.”

The report did say that increasing outpatient mental-disorder diagnoses may partly reflect more people seeking help, including because mental disorders are becoming less stigmatized. However, it presented this as one possible explanation among several and also pointed to longer diagnosis or treatment duration as an important driver. The claim is substantively accurate but slightly overstates the report’s emphasis.

“Using prescription acne medication at any point during pregnancy is problematic for pregnant women.”

The evidence does not support a blanket claim that prescription acne medication is problematic at any point in pregnancy. Major medical guidance says risk is drug-specific: retinoids are contraindicated, while several prescription options, such as topical clindamycin and azelaic acid, are commonly considered acceptable in pregnancy. The statement wrongly treats the entire category as unsafe.

“Alternative medicine works as well as or better than conventional medicine.”

The evidence does not support the idea that alternative medicine broadly works as well as or better than conventional medicine. A few approaches, such as acupuncture for some pain conditions, may offer modest benefit, but they generally do not outperform standard care. Many others, especially homeopathy, fail rigorous testing, and replacing proven treatment with alternatives can increase harm and mortality.

“Sugar-free soft drinks sweetened with non-sugar sweeteners (for example, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar) are as harmful to teeth as sugar-sweetened soft drinks.”

The evidence does not support a blanket claim of equal dental harm. Sugar-free soft drinks can damage teeth through acid-related enamel erosion at levels that may be similar to sugary soft drinks, but sugar-sweetened drinks also raise cavity risk through fermentable sugars. That extra cariogenic pathway makes sugary drinks generally more harmful overall to teeth.

“Salivary amylase cannot break down starch into glucose because the enzyme molecule is too large.”

The evidence shows salivary amylase does break down starch, just not primarily into free glucose. It begins starch digestion in the mouth by producing smaller sugars such as maltose and dextrins. The stated reason is also wrong: no credible source supports the idea that amylase fails to make glucose because the enzyme molecule is “too large.”

“A height of 6 feet 2 inches is approximately the 95th percentile for adult male height in the United States.”

The claim is well supported by U.S. anthropometric data. CDC/NCHS NHANES references place the 95th percentile for adult U.S. men at about 187.3-187.5 cm, while some related analyses put it near 188 cm. Since 6'2" equals 188.0 cm, describing it as approximately the 95th percentile is accurate.

“Fever can sometimes cure cancer.”

Rare cancer regressions have been reported after high fevers, acute infections, or fever-inducing treatments, so the idea has some factual basis. But the evidence mostly consists of case reports, historical series, and correlations, not proof that fever itself directly cures cancer. In modern medicine, hyperthermia is used as an adjunct to other treatments, not as a reliable stand-alone cure.

“In humans, when not eating, the entire esophagus is completely closed along its full length, so water cannot drip down into the stomach on its own.”

The claim overstates normal esophageal physiology. At rest, the esophagus is usually collapsed and its sphincters are generally closed, which is why swallowing is normally needed. But it is not a completely sealed tube along its entire length, and spontaneous lower sphincter relaxations and small amounts of intraluminal air mean the absolute wording is medically inaccurate.

“Taking 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily does not cause side effects for most people.”

Most adults are unlikely to develop side effects from 5,000 IU of vitamin D daily, and several studies found it was generally well tolerated. But the claim overstates the evidence: 5,000 IU is above the usual adult upper limit of 4,000 IU, and review-level evidence shows a small but real increase in some adverse events at nearby doses. A safer wording would be that side effects are uncommon, not absent.

“A meta-analysis published in 2023 found that taking 3,200 to 4,000 International Units (IU) of vitamin D daily is associated with a higher risk of hypercalcemia.”

The cited 2023 meta-analysis did report that long-term vitamin D supplementation at 3,200-4,000 IU/day was associated with a higher risk of hypercalcemia. The pooled estimate showed a statistically significant increase versus control. Important context is that the absolute excess risk was small and reported cases were often asymptomatic or reversible.

“Organic fruits are healthier than non-organic fruits.”

Organic fruit does appear to reduce pesticide exposure and may have small differences in some nutrients, but the evidence does not show that it is broadly healthier in a clinically meaningful sense. Major reviews generally find little or no consistent nutritional superiority and no strong proof of better health outcomes. The claim overstates a narrower, better-supported benefit.

“Genetically modified (GMO) foods are dangerous to human health because DNA modification in the food can harm human health.”

The evidence does not support the idea that GMO foods are dangerous because their modified DNA harms human health. Reviews from major public-health and scientific bodies consistently find that approved GMO foods are no riskier to eat than comparable conventional foods. The claim also misstates the mechanism: eating DNA, whether modified or not, is not itself shown to damage human health.