Medical Myths
There are many “old wives tales” and medical myths that are continually circulated by both individuals and physicians and many of these have little to no basis in medical fact.
Some of these unproven or untrue tales are as follows:
• Eating turkey makes you drowsy:
This is based on the fact that tryptophan is a chemical produced by the body that helps induce sleep. Turkey contains no more of this chemical than other protein sources. It could be that people eat far more of everything on thanksgiving and stuff themselves before they pass out.
• Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death:
This is untrue. When you’re dead, you’re dead. What really happens is that during the decaying process, the skin retracts and hair and nails may jut out more making it appear like they are longer.
• Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight:
You will have to strain more to focus on the object, but there is no evidence to support the thought it is damaging. This probably originated in the days when people read by candlelight.
• Shaving causes hair to grow back faster or thicker:
This is false. Shaving has no effect on the part of the hair shaft below the skin surface where growth and pigmentation occur. Although the hair may seem to grow faster after shaving, this is just an illusion. A small amount of growth on a clean-shaven face is much more noticeable than a small amount of growth on a bearded face and the blunt, stubbly ends of new growth can give the illusion of darker, coarser hair.
• People only use ten percent of their brain:
This has been repeated by numerous sources including some scientific magazines, but it is unsupported. Just as we only use certain muscles for certain activities, there are areas of the brain that may or may not be active at any one time. But try removing 90 percent of the brain and see how well you function. I’d even let you choose the areas to remove.
• Swimming right after eating will cause cramping and drowning:
This is another unfounded report based on the evidence. Swimming routinely uses muscles some people may not be accustomed to using which increases cramping but there is no evidence that it has or does lead to drowning risk. The thought about eating and cramping comes from the fact that when you eat and for a while after, blood is preferentially shunted to the digestive tract to assist in digestion which theoretically may cause less blood from reaching muscles and increasing risk of cramping. But this is only theoretical. The body compensates very well.
• Cell phones are dangerous in hospitals and airplanes:
There have been rigorous studies in both of these areas concerning the Radio Frequency emitted by the devices and there may in fact be a small risk in hospitals with interference of some medical equipment, but only at very short distances. And in a recent study conducted in 2003 by Carnegie Mellon University the results did appear to back the concerns expressed to the FCC. Researchers that RF activity from cell phones and other devices may be higher than previously thought on airplanes and these devices can disrupt normal operation of key cockpit instruments, especially Global Positioning System receivers., which are increasingly vital for safe landings,” said Bill Strauss, one of the study’s researchers
• People should drink 64 oz of water a day:
Some of these unproven or untrue tales are as follows:
• Eating turkey makes you drowsy:
This is based on the fact that tryptophan is a chemical produced by the body that helps induce sleep. Turkey contains no more of this chemical than other protein sources. It could be that people eat far more of everything on thanksgiving and stuff themselves before they pass out.
• Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death:
This is untrue. When you’re dead, you’re dead. What really happens is that during the decaying process, the skin retracts and hair and nails may jut out more making it appear like they are longer.
• Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight:
You will have to strain more to focus on the object, but there is no evidence to support the thought it is damaging. This probably originated in the days when people read by candlelight.
• Shaving causes hair to grow back faster or thicker:
This is false. Shaving has no effect on the part of the hair shaft below the skin surface where growth and pigmentation occur. Although the hair may seem to grow faster after shaving, this is just an illusion. A small amount of growth on a clean-shaven face is much more noticeable than a small amount of growth on a bearded face and the blunt, stubbly ends of new growth can give the illusion of darker, coarser hair.
• People only use ten percent of their brain:
This has been repeated by numerous sources including some scientific magazines, but it is unsupported. Just as we only use certain muscles for certain activities, there are areas of the brain that may or may not be active at any one time. But try removing 90 percent of the brain and see how well you function. I’d even let you choose the areas to remove.
• Swimming right after eating will cause cramping and drowning:
This is another unfounded report based on the evidence. Swimming routinely uses muscles some people may not be accustomed to using which increases cramping but there is no evidence that it has or does lead to drowning risk. The thought about eating and cramping comes from the fact that when you eat and for a while after, blood is preferentially shunted to the digestive tract to assist in digestion which theoretically may cause less blood from reaching muscles and increasing risk of cramping. But this is only theoretical. The body compensates very well.
• Cell phones are dangerous in hospitals and airplanes:
There have been rigorous studies in both of these areas concerning the Radio Frequency emitted by the devices and there may in fact be a small risk in hospitals with interference of some medical equipment, but only at very short distances. And in a recent study conducted in 2003 by Carnegie Mellon University the results did appear to back the concerns expressed to the FCC. Researchers that RF activity from cell phones and other devices may be higher than previously thought on airplanes and these devices can disrupt normal operation of key cockpit instruments, especially Global Positioning System receivers., which are increasingly vital for safe landings,” said Bill Strauss, one of the study’s researchers
• People should drink 64 oz of water a day:
The number originally came from the National Academy of Sciences of the United States Food and Nutrition Board, which publishes recommended daily allowances of nutrients. The 1945 edition of the Food and Nutrition Board said "A suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 liters (about 8 cups) daily in most instances." This amount is based on the calculation of one milliliter of water for each calorie of food. There is water equivalent in the food you eat which counts toward this amount. There are still many studies and research that does support drinking more water. Opflow Question of the Month - Opflow - Publications - AWWA
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