How to Determine False Medical Beliefs

We all have been told that an apple a day will keep the doctor away. The general public does not truly believe a word of this statement but still eat an apple a day. Sometimes, even doctors are duped by medical misinformation. Take a look at seven beliefs that are generally and erroneously believed to be true.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Drink at least eight glasses of water each day. There is no scientific evidence to support this recommendation. In fact, excessive water drinking can be fatal.
2. We use only 10 percent of our brain. Modern medical imaging shows that there is no region of the brain that is inactive.
3. Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death. They do not, dehydration of the body and retracting of the skin make it appear so.
4. Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight. It can strain the eyes and cause uncomfortable dryness, but the effects are temporary. There is no permanent effect on eye function or structure.
5. Shaving causes hair to grow back faster and coarser. Numerous studies have shown this to be false. Shaving does remove the finer, tapered ends of the hair, which makes the stubble seem coarser.
6. Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals. There is little evidence to support the idea that cell phones interfere with medical equipment.
7. Eating turkey makes people drowsy. Tryptophan, an amino acid, is a form of a sleep aid. Turkey contains tryptophan, but so too does chicken and beef. Sleepiness after a turkey meal is likely due to a diversion of blood and oxygen flow from the brain to the stomach during the digestion process.