The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.116)

2019 • 11 58 ellness Navigating Mine elds of Misinformation I would first brew a cup of coffee to perk myself up with its rich aroma before dealing with the household chores. My friend, concerned about my caffeine fix, shared with me an article that cautioned the link between coffee consumption and cancer. Translated by Lee Shee Yik I returned to my home in Ipoh with my daughter for an extended stay in late May, when my mother was admitted to the hospital for an operation. I had to stay awake throughout the night to take care of my mother, hence I was constantly in a daze and felt groggy and fatigued during the day. Once, I was so sleep- deprived and disoriented that I almost misplaced the dishwashing detergent in the refrigerator. The household chores were left unattended, awaiting my return from the hospital at the end of the day. But before I rolled up my sleeves to deal with the seemingly endless list of domestic duties, I would first brew a cup of coffee to perk myself up with its rich aroma. At the hospital, I ordered a cup of coffee before sitting down for a catch-up session with an old friend who paid my mother a visit. As my coffee arrived, my friend was reminded of an article shared by her relative on social media, which claimed that coffee consumption is linked to cancer. “Since my 20s, I have been starting my mornings with a cup of unsweetened coffee, but I stopped drinking coffee after reading the article. I was worried that my daily cup of coffee could possibly cause cancer,” my friend revealed. Upon closer scrutiny, I noticed that the article in question was not written by a specialist in the subject. The author inserted quotes from legitimate sources into the article, but the citations seemed to have been manipulated in dubious fashion, far removed from their original context, besides exaggerating the negative effects of coffee on our health. Instead of conveying reliable information on coffee consumption, the misleading article had caused my friend undue anxiety. Articles produced by content farms collectively demonstrate a common feature: sensational, attention-grabbing titles designed to generate advertising revenue by attracting page views. I recall stumbling upon an online article on a cancer-related topic, in which the author claimed research by a nutrition publication found that some antioxidants are potentially effective in preventing cancer. The author proceeded to list several types of foods that contain antioxidants, before confidently concluding that consuming these foods on a daily basis keeps cancer at bay. Online articles: fact or fiction? The author based the premise of the aforementioned article on a single isolated factor without taking into account other influences that affect one’s health, such as stress levels, sleep quality, environmental factors, aswell as smoking and drinking habits. The article purported brinjal as one of the foods that contribute to cancer prevention, hence I could not help but wonder if those who are obese, smokers and night owls