The Asian folk beliefs that try to combat pollution

The high levels of pollution in major Asian cities are not news to anyone. However, this winter seems to have air quality worsened and the waves of smog have increased, preventing people in the streets or making the day-to-day activities.

In the absence of a definitive solution to the problem of pollution, many citizens try to minimize its effects on health, trying to protect their lungs from harmful agents. However, the methods they use to protect themselves are ineffective, at best, or harmful at worst. Get to know which are:

Cigarette filters in the nose

"A magical solution to deal with the pollution. Take two cigarette filters and insert them into your nostrils, "says a popular message on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like social network, referring to the Quartz.

Health authorities quickly belied the fact, stressing that the filters can impair breathing and even send small filaments to the lungs. In addition, cigarette filters fail to neutralize the harmful effects of tobacco, so also unable to neutralize the harmful effects of pollution.

Grilled Bacon

In South Korea, where pollution from China came through the wind and covered Seoul and other cities, sales of grilled bacon, known locally as Sam Gyeop Sal, more than tripled. The Koreans believe that the dish can absorb the environmental toxins.

Anti-pollution martial arts

An elementary school of Hebei, an industrial town in the southwest of Beijing, has implemented a program of anti-pollution martial arts. The institution believes that the martial arts will help strengthen the lungs of children and help them withstand better the polluted air from China.

The truth is that physical activity, even indoors, leads to an increase of breathing, which causes people inhale more toxins.

Foto:  tpayne99 / Creative Commons

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