Today Yahoo had this article from LiveScience.com and I thought it was interesting, especially about turkey!!
Enjoy!
(bolding by me)
Quote:
LiveScience Managing Editor
LiveScience.com
Thu Dec 20, 7:20 PM ET
Popular culture is loaded with myths and half-truths. Most are harmless. But when doctors start believing medical myths, perhaps it's time to worry.
In the British Medical Journal this week, researchers looked into several common misconceptions, from the belief that a person should drink eight glasses of water per day to the notion that reading in low light ruins your eyesight.
"We got fired up about this because we knew that physicians accepted these beliefs and were passing this information along to their patients," said Dr. Aaron Carroll, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. "And these beliefs are frequently cited in the popular media."
And so here they are, so that you can inform your doctor:
Myth: We use only 10 percent of our brains.
Fact: Physicians and comedians alike, including Jerry Seinfeld, love to cite this one. It's sometimes erroneously credited to Albert Einstein. But MRI scans, PET scans and other imaging studies show no dormant areas of the brain, and even viewing individual neurons or cells reveals no inactive areas, the new paper points out. Metabolic studies of how brain cells process chemicals show no nonfunctioning areas. The myth probably originated with self-improvement hucksters in the early 1900s who wanted to convince people that they had yet not reached their full potential, Carroll figures. It also doesn't jibe with the fact that our other organs run at full tilt.
Myth: You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
Fact: "There is no medical evidence to suggest that you need that much water," said Dr. Rachel Vreeman, a pediatrics research fellow at the university and co-author of the journal article. Vreeman thinks this myth can be traced back to a 1945 recommendation from the Nutrition Council that a person consume the equivalent of 8 glasses (64 ounces) of fluid a day. Over the years, "fluid" turned to water. But fruits and vegetables, plus coffee and other liquids, count.
Myth: Fingernails and hair grow after death.
Fact: Most physicians queried on this one initially thought it was true. Upon further reflection, they realized it's impossible. Here's what happens: "As the body’s skin is drying out, soft tissue, especially skin, is retracting," Vreeman said. "The nails appear much more prominent as the skin dries out. The same is true, but less obvious, with hair. As the skin is shrinking back, the hair looks more prominent or sticks up a bit."
Myth: Shaved hair grows back faster, coarser and darker.
Fact: A 1928 clinical trial compared hair growth in shaved patches to growth in non-shaved patches. The hair which replaced the shaved hair was no darker or thicker, and did not grow in faster. More recent studies have confirmed that one. Here's the deal: When hair first comes in after being shaved, it grows with a blunt edge on top, Carroll and Vreeman explain. Over time, the blunt edge gets worn so it may seem thicker than it actually is. Hair that's just emerging can be darker too, because it hasn't been bleached by the sun.
Myth: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.
Fact: The researchers found no evidence that reading in dim light causes permanent eye damage. It can cause eye strain and temporarily decreased acuity, which subsides after rest.
Myth: Eating turkey makes you drowsy.
Fact: Even Carroll and Vreeman believed this one until they researched it. The thing is, a chemical in turkey called tryptophan is known to cause drowsiness. But turkey doesn't contain any more of it than does chicken or beef. This myth is fueled by the fact that turkey is often eaten with a colossal holiday meal, often accompanied by alcohol — both things that will make you sleepy.
Myth: Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals.
Fact: There are no known cases of death related to this one. Cases of less-serious interference with hospital devices seem to be largely anecdotal, the researchers found. In one real study, mobile phones were found to interfere with 4 percent of devices, but only when the phone was within 3 feet of the device. A more recent study, this year, found no interference in 300 tests in 75 treatment rooms. To the contrary, when doctors use mobile phones, the improved communication means they make fewer mistakes.
"Whenever we talk about this work, doctors at first express disbelief that these things are not true," said Vreeman said. "But after we carefully lay out medical evidence, they are very willing to accept that these beliefs are actually false."
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Linda, I saw the list today in our local paper. The ones about the water, the reading and the cell phones were what I see the most often. Actually, what I used to get about the reading was that doing it too much would ruin my eyes. Since I think I was born reading, that could have been a scary thought if I had paid attention, which I didn't. Obviously, one's eyes are always seeing something when awake, what difference does it make if it is print? And here I am, a senior citizen, with excellent eyesight - glasses for close up, nothing for distance.
One good thing about prohibiting cell phones in certain places, you don't have to listen to inane conversations which spoil your concentration.
lol Frances, good points .... about eyesight, and cell phones.
What I think is funny (and pathetic) are the cell phone contraptions where it's hands-free as the person walks, they're just talking into a tiny microphone you can't see. It's like they're talking to themself.
I wear glasses, but it's not from any eye strain or anything, I was born with farsightedness, I just wish my brain could have been more farsighted.
I saw a doctor on a talk show (not a fake infomercial one) who claimed he had found the origin of the 8 glasses. He said it was a USDA (or some other govnt branch) recommendation based on the amount of protein recommended for an average size person. But, yes it included all sources of water, the one most people don't think of is that the food itself contains water.
I drink a lot of coffee, and it has always been held that coffee is a diuretic, so it actually robs you of water. A recent study has suggested that the diuretic effect disappears for people who are daily coffee drinkers. I especially take note of good news stories about coffee. Speaking of which, time to make some more.
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Study Reveals Mobile Phones Disrupt Sleep Patterns
Mobile phones severely disrupt sleep patterns, according to scientific research into their impact on human rest.
The research undertaken by the Electromagnetic Academy, based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, exposed 71 men and women, aged between 18 and 45, to mobile phone radiation as they prepared to sleep.
According to the study, monitoring under laboratory conditions showed the initial “light” phases of sleep in the subjects were affected. In addition, “during laboratory exposure to 884 MHz wireless signals, components of sleep, believed to be important for recovery from daily wear and tear, are adversely affected.” The research also found that those exposed to mobile phones during their sleep appear to have more headaches, than those not exposed.
The findings coincide with calls from UK company Exradia, manufacturers of the first device proven to neutralize potentially dangerous mobile phone radiation, for more government research into the health issues being raised.
David Schick, Exradia chief executive, said, “This study is yet another example of how using mobile phones can have a detrimental effect on humans. It is critical that the UK Government now undertakes a formal public inquiry into this issue.”
Hubby and I were waiting for an elevator last night at a parking garage. Their was a loud conservation going on inside, and when the door opened a lady with a phone in her ear, I think, walked out, by herself, still talking loudly to her friend, could have been imaginary for all I knew. As for the reading thing hurting your eyes, this is hocky puck. My son's vision is so bad that he holds a book an inch from his eye to read when he's too lazy to go upstairs to his close circuit reader. He's 22 and his vision hasn't changed a rip since he had his first low vision exam when he was 2. Like Francis says, you have to be looking at something, it may as well be a book. Virginia
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