THE REAL TRUTH BEHIND 14 COMMON OLD WIVES’ TALES

Some stories you hear around health are sometimes just myths. Let’s follow the science and bust some of them…

If lots of people say something often enough, it often ends up sounding like the truth. Even with the internet, where you can look up anything, there are things many of us still believe because we’ve always heard it.

There are many old wives’ tales that have been passed down by generations. Somehow, none of them they were ever updated by the latest science or medical research.

So, is it really bad to swim on a full stomach? Does chewing gum actually stay in your tummy for seven years? Have a look at what the experts say.

1. COLD WEATHER MAKES YOU SICK
Cold viruses enter through your nose and get caught by the mucus, which you end up swallowing. The virus is neutralised by stomach acids.

When you breathe cold air, your nasal passages cool down and mucus moves slowly, giving the virus a gap to slip through the defence.

Studies have also found that cold viruses thrive in colder weather, because it’s harder for them to survive at body temperature.

So, staying warm when it’s cold will help to protect you, but don’t blame the cold weather for your cold.

2. STARVE A COLD AND FEED A FEVER
You need to replace the water you lose when you sweat from a fever and not eating will make you weaker when you should be preserving your strength. Even if you don’t feel like eating, try something bland such as soup or toast.

3. GARGLING SALTWATER CURES A SORE THROAT
With a blocked nose, you’re probably breathing through your mouth. Your throat can dry out and get sore. Gargling with salty or plain water can soothe a sore throat.

4. VITAMIN C GETS RID OF COLDS
Vitamin C boosts immunity. If you're already sick, it doesn’t help. Taking a megadose doesn’t help either, because you don’t retain it. But taking some vitamin C regularly might help prevent colds.

5. CHICKEN SOUP MAKES YOU BETTER
There’s protein in the chicken, vitamins in the vegetables and the liquid will keep you hydrated. A steaming bowl of soup under your nose probably helps to break up mucus as well. It doesn’t heal but it’s easy to get down and helps you feel better.

Related article: 5 Common food myths

6. YOU CAN’T SWIM ON A FULL STOMACH
The story goes that your body sends blood from your limbs to your stomach to digest the food. Then your arms and legs don’t have enough blood to swim. Digestion does take extra blood, but the worst that could happen is a small, harmless cramp.

7. CARRY HIGH AND IT’S A GIRL, CARRY LOW AND IT’S A BOY
High or low carry depends only on the baby’s size and position and the shape of the mum’s pelvis.

8. FOLLOW THE “FIVE-SECOND RULE”
If you drop food and pick it up in five seconds, it’s still okay, they say. But research shows food pick up bacteria immediately. A 2016 study found no kind of food is uncontaminated after five seconds on the floor.

Related article: 8 Myths about dairy

9. WE USE 10% OF OUR BRAINS
This idea may have come from but a misunderstanding about something a famous US psychologist, William James, wrote long ago. Studies have shown that almost half of teachers in some parts of the world and 65 percent of people believe this myth. Fact: our entire brain is active all the time, even when we’re sleeping.

10. HAIR IS CLEAN ONCE IT SQUEAKS
If you shampoo until your hair squeaks, you’ve stripped away all the natural oils that your hair actually needs. Apply shampoo to the roots and work it gently into the rest of the hair. Lather only once.

11. GUM STAYS IN YOUR STOMACH FOR SEVEN YEARS
More like seven days. Your body can’t digest the chewy base of gum, but your stomach periodically empties into the small intestine, so gum will then move to the colon and come out. In rare circumstances, if you swallow lots of gum at once or many pieces in a short time, you could get a digestive blockage.

12. COFFEE CAN STOP A KID’S GROWTH
It’s mostly genes that determine how tall you get. A healthy diet also plays a part. Coffee doesn’t, but it contains caffeine which will make kids even more hyper. In adults, too much caffeine can cause restlessness, anxiety, dizziness, headaches and trouble sleeping.

13. THE MORE WATER YOU DRINK, THE BETTER
Your body is great at knowing how much water it needs. Don’t do it by numbers, such as eight glasses per day or so much per kilo of body weight. Drink when you’re thirsty and stop when you’re not thirsty any more. If you drink too much water, the sodium in your blood can drop too far and cause health problems. It usually happens when people drink too much during endurance sports and also lose sodium through their sweat.

14. SITTING TOO CLOSE TO THE TV WILL MAKE YOU GO BLIND
Parents often worry that the bright colours and lights could harm a child's eyes. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, sitting too close to the TV could cause temporary eyestrain. Some symptoms are struggling to keep your eyes open, burning or itching and a headache. It can also be caused by driving for long distances, stress, computer time – and watching a lot of TV from any distance. Eyestrain doesn't cause permanent damage but see a doctor if it doesn’t go away.

Related article: 11 Myths about stretch marks

So, some of the tales are totally untrue, others are kind of right but for different reasons. Obvious solution: if you have a medical worry, don’t ask just anyone. Ask a doctor.