Nobody likes to be the victim of false information flying about from the Web, over the back fence, during breaks at work, or even from broadcasting and publishing professionals. Watch for the following myths and don’t believe any of them.
Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis. No, but it can stretch ligaments and reduce grip strength.
Swallow a melon seed and it will grow in your stomach. Not true.
Looking at the sun won’t hurt you. Wrong. The sun’s bright rays can cause permanent blindness.
Kids become hyperactive from eating sugar. Not true on a chronic or long-term basis.
You’ll wreck your eyes if you sit too close to the TV. Not true.
Carrots can help you see in the dark. You need carrots for healthy eyesight, but seeing in the dark isn’t a benefit of eating carrots.
There are more harmful germs in the bathroom than in any other room of the house. Wrong. The kitchen wins that contest.
Diabetic persons who take insulin for years will have a limb amputated eventually. Not true. If amputation is needed, the problem comes from the disease itself, not from insulin.
Overweight people suffer from depression more than thin ones. Not true. Research shows that people who weigh too much are the least depressed.
Home pregnancy tests are 95 percent accurate. Wrong. One in four home-tested women will have a false positive result, and one in four will have a false negative.
Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Not true. Drink plenty of water and other fluids, but four to six glasses of liquid a day are enough for most persons.
The liver becomes polluted and needs to be cleaned out. Not true. Nothing accumulates in the liver except Vitamin A.
We use only 10 percent of our brain. Wrong. All parts of the brain are vital and perform for us around the clock.
Colds and flu are more infectious before symptoms appear. Not true. They spread the easiest when the symptoms are at their worst.
Colds cause ear infections. Not possible. Colds come from viruses., and almost all ear infections come from bacteria.
Exercise prevents Alzheimer’s Disease. No evidence supports this claim.
Men benefit far more than women from marriage. Not true. Men and women have the same level of benefits from marriage.
Underarm deodorants can cause breast cancer. This myth was widely spread by email but is totally untrue.
Antibacterial soap is the best way to prevent infections. Not true. Antibacterial soap kills good and bad bacteria. Regular soap gets rid of bad bacteria.
Eat more protein and gain more muscle power. Wrong. Muscle tissue needs protein, but eating protein doesn’t build muscle.
Beer drinkers aren’t as likely to become alcoholic because there’s less alcohol in beer. Not true. It’s the fact that you’re addicted to alcohol, not the amount you’ve taken in that leads to alcoholism.
Don’t swim for an hour after eating. You might feel a sharp pain in your side after vigorous swimming, but no harm is done.
Eating chocolate makes acne worse. There is no evidence that any food, including chocolate, can cause or worsen acne.
Starve a fever, feed a cold. Half true. When you’re sick you need nutrition and lots of fluids.
