Which health myths you can safely forget

Some health myths persist: If you sit on the cold floor, you will get a bladder infection. And when she had diarrhea, mother always gave me coke and pretzel sticks, that helps! But what is the truth of this wisdom? We challenge common health myths…

Coffee draws water out of the body. Or why else do you always get a glass of tap water in a café? And if you drink a lot of coffee, you have to go to the toilet more often, right? Not quite. While coffee is diuretic, it doesn’t explicitly remove water from the body.

Health myth white spots on fingernails

Some people have white spots on their fingernails. A common explanation: poor nutrition and thus calcium deficiency. Is that correct? That’s not true! The white spots are just small air pockets – and medically not a concern. They just grow out over time.

Do you have a cold? So the mucus has to get out of the body as quickly as possible. Not quite true. Although pulling it up is considered unhygienic, the nose is actually cleaned in this way. The mucus ends up in the stomach and is eliminated there by the stomach acid. Excessive blowing and sniffling, on the other hand, is not recommended – this can build up dangerous pressure in the head.

Sitting on cold stones causes cystitis? That’s not true either. Bacteria are always the cause of urinary tract infections. They usually get into the bladder through the urethra. However, keeping your abdomen warm can inhibit the spread of bacteria. The heat promotes blood circulation and thus the body’s own protective function. Cold, on the other hand, encourages the growth of bacteria.

Whether 10 percent or 25 percent – no matter which myth you want to believe, it is said that humans only use a small part of the brain. In fact, there are no inactive areas, people use their potential to the full. So telepathy and telekinesis, which are said to be possible with full brain power, are also pipe dreams.

Ate cherries, drank water: Myth comes from drinking water

“Eaten cherries – drank water – got sick – went to the hospital”: You might know certain children’s verses like this or something like that. But these days, the combination of cherries and water is safe. The myth probably stems from the fact that drinking water used to contain bacteria, which then began to ferment in the stomach in combination with the fruit.

As a child, there was something good about catching an upset stomach: you got as much coke and pretzel sticks as you wanted. In fact, when you have diarrhea, you need to replace lost fluids and minerals. But cola and pretzel sticks are only suitable to a limited extent. The sugar in cola can make diarrhea worse by removing more water from the body. Instead of pretzel sticks, rusks help to regain strength.

“You have to sit up straight, otherwise you’ll end up with a hunched back!”. Who has not heard these admonitions before? But actually, sitting oddly is better than its reputation. Sitting upright at a 90-degree angle puts even more strain on your spine than when you “loll around” with the backrest tilted. That’s what a Scottish study found. Constant movement is best, though.

“After eating – don’t forget to brush your teeth!” But should you really do that? Not necessarily. If you have just eaten acidic foods or fruit juices that attack tooth enamel, their effect will be increased by brushing. It is better to wait about half an hour, then your saliva will have neutralized the acid.

Many people don’t like the noise, they find it annoying. Nevertheless, there are people who regularly crack their fingers to relieve stress. Even if you might think that this would be unhealthy and harmful to the joints: apart from minor swelling, it cannot lead to any major damage.

From Teleschau

The original of this post “What health myths you can safely forget” comes from Teleschau.