Is your doctor telling you old wives’ tales?
The British Medical Journal recently reported that many people, including physicians, often believe common health myths.
Dr. Aaron Carroll, co-author of the study said “We got fired up about this because we knew that physicians accepted these beliefs and were passing this information along to their patients.” The professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine is concerned that these ‘rumors have become facts’ in mainstream culture.
The misconceptions in question?
1. Eight glasses of water a day
According to the American Nutrition Council, their 1945 recommendation was that people need to ingest eight glasses of fluid for a total of 64 ounces of fluid each day. Ignored in the statement was that much of that necessary fluid is found in food, especially fruits and vegetables.
Freeman Stare, founder of the Harvard’s School of Public Health, added that other liquids (including so-called diuretics) also count, such as coffee and beer.
2. Turkey induces drowsiness
Yes, the chemical in turkey called tryptophan can cause drowsiness. However, turkey contains no more tryptophan than chicken or beef or pork.
The truth is that most people only eat turkey during a ‘feast’ which usually also features wine and overindulgence.
3. Humans use 10% of their brain power
This “goes against everything that you learn in medical school,” said Dr. Rachel Vreeman, a pediatrics research fellow at Indiana University and co-author of the report.
MRI and Pet scans show no dormant areas of the brain. Metabolic studies of how brain cells process chemicals reveal no non-functioning sections.
Vreeman and Carroll believe that the myth was propagated by early motivational speakers in the 1900's to convince people that they had not reached their full potential.
4. Shaved hair grows back bigger
The hair grows back with a blunt edge which seems thicker initially. However, it gets worn over time and reverses back to its natural thickness and texture.
5. Dark light ruins eye sight
Reading in the dark may cause eyestrain. It will subside with rest. But there is no evidence of permanent problems said Vreeman.
6. Hair and fingernails grow after death
No. “As the body’s skin is drying out, soft tissue, especially skin, is retracting. The nails appear much more prominent as the skin dries out. The same is true, but less obvious, with hair. As the skin is shrinking back, the hair looks more prominent or sticks up a bit,” Vreeman said.
She added “Whenever we talk about this work, (many doctors) express disbelief. But after we carefully lay out medical evidence, they are willing to accept that these beliefs are actually false.”
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