You’ve been lied to your whole life! Okay, everyone has been lied to and always will be, but it’s time to put these old wives’ tales to bed forever. All these myths have forever been decided, so no more worrying about whether these urban legends are true or not. We’ve got the answers you’ve been searching for, so scroll through and learn a thing or two.
Let us know in the comments what you think. Are there any we forgot? Disagree? Let us hear it!
Cold Weather Will Make You Catch a Cold
So, the story goes that stepping outside in the cold with a wet head of hair will lead to a cold in no time at all, but this old wives’ tale is patently false. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine put this to the test. The results showed that being in a colder environment did nothing to increase the likelihood of you catching a cold.
Feed a Fever & Starve a Cold
Whether you’ve got a fever or a cold, you’re going to be at least slightly dehydrated, and you should increase your fluid intake regardless. But is it true that you should starve your cold when you’re sick? Not at all! In fact, providing your body with food and calories is what it needs to fight illness, regardless of what type it is. Don’t overeat, though, because upset stomachs don’t care what type of other illness you have.
Don’t Eat Before You Swim
We’ll adhere to this one always, even if it’s because we don’t want to feel and look bloated in our swimsuits! But there is relatively little risk of cramping and drowning if you go swimming right after you eat. Sure, if you eat a huge meal you might experience some cramping, but not on the scale that you have to worry about drowning. When all else fails, just float on your back. No muscles required.
Spicy Foods Cause Ulcers
This is one wives’ tale that just won’t go away! Scientists and doctors have concluded that spicy foods themselves don’t cause ulcers. This is awesome news for people who like a little kick in their diet, but be warned, spicy foods can cause existing ulcers to become more irritated.
Chocolate Causes Breakouts
Say it ain’t so! We love chocolate, and we refuse to give it up, even if it’s causing acne all over the place. Good news, though! There is no connection between your favorite comfort food and breakouts. In fact, even greasy, oily fried foods don’t cause pimples. Acne happens when pores are clogged with oil, dead skin cells and other irritants, but these things aren’t really impacted by your diet. Head over to Daily Beauty Hack to find out how to fight breakouts before they begin.
If you want to treat acne, try this cheap trick instead of cutting chocolate from your diet.
Foods With Mayo Go Bad Quicker
Believe it or not, this is totally not true. Commercial mayonnaise is slightly acidic, which is not good for bacteria growth that would otherwise cause spoiling. That chicken or tuna salad you made a couple days ago is still perfectly fine. Go ahead and eat away. Just remember, though, that mayo does need to stay cold to keep from spoiling, so refrigerate your mayo-laden foods as quickly as you can.
Drink Away Your Hangover
Famed 16h century English dramatist John Heywood is credited with saying people ought to have a little ‘hair of the dog that bit you,’ meaning to drink more when you’re hungover. But does this work? Uh, no, this does not work. Your hangover is actually caused by dehydration, and the only way to make that go away is to drink a lot of water, or other beverages that hydrate. Avoid caffein and avoid more alcohol. Those are the only ways to make hangovers disappear. Sorry, no more excuses for that bloody Mary — other than the fact that they are divine.
Carrots Make You See Better
Not that we need any excuses to eat carrots, but they are very healthy, including giving folks a good helping of vitamin A. Vitamin A is also key to good eye health, but that doesn’t mean carrots will improve your vision. This is a myth started back in World War II when the British spread it to explain the Royal Air Force’s success against German bombers during night raids. The fact is that the Brits just didn’t want the Germans to find out about a new technology that was helping them in the war effort — radar.
Shaving Causes Hair To Grow In Thicker
Even though we could have sworn this one was true, it’s completely false that shaving will cause hair to grow in thicker and courser. The Anatomical Record published a study that disproved this myth, much to the delight of women everywhere fighting unwanted upper lip hair, and much to the dismay of boys wanting to look more manly.
Chewing Gum Isn’t Digested For 7 Years
We’ve all been there, chewing gum when we need to get rid of it ASAP. Who else has been too afraid to swallow it, worrying that it’ll be in your stomach for 7 year? Well, don’t worry anymore, because your body will get rid of it in just a matter of days.
Masturbation Causes Blindness
Nope. Just nope. Do it or not, that’s up to you, and your reasons are your own. But just know that it won’t cause you to go blind.
Does anyone still believe this one?
Toads Cause Warts
Toads have warts, so surely they give them to humans… Or, no, they don’t. Warts are almost always caused by viruses, and it’s incredibly rare that a virus will affect both amphibians and mammals (or any organisms of different genuses). We’re so biologically different from frogs and toads that their ailments are so incredibly unlikely to affect us that we don’t even have to worry.
Never Open The Oven When Making Soufflé
This is a tough one. No, opening the oven door will not ruin your soufflé, but that doesn’t mean you should do it. The characteristic rising of a soufflé is based very much on maintaining the proper temperature, and opening the over door will cause a significant drop in internal temp. Doing this once, however, will not ruin your soufflé unless your kitchen is freezing cold.
Cracking Knuckles Causes Arthritis
All your knuckle-crackers out there can rest easy, you’re not going to develop arthritis from this bad habit. It’s not perfectly harmless, though, because knuckle-cracking can cause inflammation and loss of muscle strength in your fingers.
Reading In Low Light Hurts Your Vision
It may hurt your head, but your eyes are not permanently hurt from reading in low-light situations. Yes, you’ll strain your eyes by reading with limited light, but whatever effects it has on your eyesight will be temporary, and not cause lasting problems.
Sitting Close To The TV Hurts Your Eyes
Last, but definitely not least, sitting too close to the TV won’t ruin your eyesight either. Back in the 1960s GE released a TV with insanely high radiation emissions, and that would have caused major problems, but today’s sets won’t be an issue.
