3 ‘myths’ that are really true

You can die of a broken heart

It may sound like something out of a romantic novel but dying of a broken heart is possible. In the first six months after the loss of a partner, the risk of death for the survivor increases by 40%.

“Broken heart syndrome can be triggered when an extreme emotional or traumatic event causes a surge of stress hormones,” says Dr Lee. “These can put you in potentially fatal short-term heart failure. There’s also a condition called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, when a sudden surge of emotion causes the heart’s left ventricle to stop pumping, resulting in acute heart failure.”

Cheese at bedtime leads to nightmares

Cheese is full of fat, which means your digestive system works extra-hard to digest it. “It makes you stay in the REM (rapid eye movement) state of sleep for longer. This is where you have lots more vivid dreams,” says Dr Lee.

“Why nightmares? Cheese contains several compounds believed to influence the brain’s chemical systems. It also contains large amounts of vitamin B, which may increase levels of the happy hormone, serotonin. This may be why eating cheese leads to, if not nightmares, definitely vivid dreams.”

You can die of boredom

Boredom alone won’t kill you but it does make it more likely something else will. A group of 33 to 55-year-olds were asked how bored they were at work and how physically active they were.

Those who were most bored were less active and rated their health as worse. In the follow-up study, 20 years later, the people who had felt bored at work were more likely to have died and more than twice as likely to have had a fatal heart disease.

“Researchers believe people who are bored might be less motivated to take care of their health,” Dr Lee explains.