Brace yourself: an apple a day won’t keep the doctor away. Sitting too close to the TV won’t make you go blind. So why is it that we pretend otherwise?
As it turns out, there are a lot of false facts that our society at large has mistaken for truth. This is precisely why now is the time to stop sharing these myths about the human body.
RELATED STORIES
Oranges are a good source of Vitamin C
Companies who make orange juice love toting this myth, but in reality — there are several fruits and vegetables that are better suited to getting the job done. These include strawberries, kiwi, and even bell peppers .
Eating carrots will improve your vision.
Some people will even try to tell you that carrots will help you to see better at night. Sadly, this isn’t the case. While it’s true carrots will help to maintain healthy vision, they won’t gradually make it better the more you eat.
Coffee will stunt your growth.
There’s a large misconception floating around that coffee causes osteoporosis and that osteoporosis in turn makes you shorter. It turns out that there is zero scientific evidence whatsoever to back up either of these claims,
Standing in front of the microwave can cause cancer.
According to reports from Cancer.net, “Radiation stays inside the microwave as long as the doors are closed. In fact, microwaves are built to only work when the doors are closed. Plus, to ensure the safety of microwaves, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates microwaves.”
It’s ok to eat food off the floor, so long as it hasn’t exceeded the 5-Second Rule.
I can’t believe that this actually needs to be said but you should never eat food that has fallen onto the floor — no matter how quickly you might be able to pick it up.
A single piece of gum will stay in your body, undigested, for up to seven years.
I feel like this is something that mothers tell their children to keep them from swallowing ample amounts of Bubblicious. Not only is gum all but undigestable, but it also usually passes through your digestive tract and out the other end — like all undigestable foods.
Milk is good for your bones.
Kids who grew up in the 90s will be more than familiar with the “Got Milk?” campaign. But as it turns out — there is no concrete evidence whatsoever that outright proves milk improves bone density.
Hair and nails keep growing — even after death.
According to an article written by the BBC’s Claudia Hammond , “Different cells die at different rates. After the heart stops beating, oxygen supply to the brain is cut off. With no glucose store to rely on, nerve cells die within three to seven minutes.”
Eating chocolate causes acne.
Studies have proven that there is no causation between eating chocolate and acne of any kind. What’s more than likely causing your breakouts is related to carb intake or quite possibly the amount of dairy in your diet.
Taking vitamins will make you healthier.
It turns out that the total opposite is actually the case: taking large amounts of vitamins or supplements can be downright harmful to your body. Human beings aren’t naturally vitamin deficient; we get more than enough from eating fruits and vegetables.
The tryptophan in turkey makes you sleepy.
While it’s true that tryptophan supplements may help improve sleep, the trace amounts found in turkey aren’t enough to make you feel the effects. The reason why you get so tired is that you more than likely overate.
You can grow new brain cells.
For years the popular myth was that the human brain was incapable of creating new cells. Now, scientists have proven that there are several centers of the brain that continue to develop new cells — even into adulthood.
The human body has only 5 senses.
Sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch are just the tip of the iceberg. Human beings also possess a sense of balance, temperature , time, as well as a highly evolved sense of pain. When you factor everything in, humans have close to 20 senses.
Drugs will put holes in your brain.
A plethora of 80s/90s propaganda warned kids that doing drugs would turn their brains to mush . While it’s true, drugs aren’t necessarily “good” for the brain, they won’t turn it into a block of Swiss cheese, either.
“Hair of the dog that bit you” is the best cure for a hangover.
Drinking more alcohol in order to help alleviate the symptoms one experiences from drinking too much alcohol, is kind of like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic: it isn’t doing anyone any good and simply delays the inevitable.
What popular myths about the human body had you always believed to be true? Leave a comment and let us know!
