12 Health Myths To Stop Believing Right Now

Common knowledge can be an unreliable mistress. We grow up hearing so many little tidbits from our parents or other kids on the schoolyard and not knowing any different, we simply accepted them as fact.

Granted, sometimes these anecdotes you pick up can actually end up helping you. You may have heard that aspirin can help you weather a heart attack until help arrives and that is often a recommended treatment. In this case, the advice could be life-saving.

Yet, for every useful fact like this, there are several "facts" that persist no matter how hard actual research tries to put them down. When you get a piece of knowledge stuck in your head, sometimes it can be hard to get it out. However, it's just as important to know that lightning does strike in the same place as it is to treat heart attack symptoms, so you'll definitely want to make sure you have your facts straight.

This is definitely true when it comes to health facts.

So let's go through these 12 myths you can now stop believing and replace them with facts you can now enjoy.

COMMENT and let us know what you found out wasn't true all along.

1. Alcohol doesn't actually kill brain cells.

That's not to say that abusing alcohol won't have negative effects on the brain, but these occur because neurons inside it have more difficulty communicating when you get drunk.

With more moderate drinking, this confusion between them won't have much of an effect on a fully developed brain. However, lasting damage can occur with when that drinking becomes excessive and frequent.

In any case, the cells don't technically die.

2. Carrots don't make you see better in the dark.

The confusion comes from the fact that carrots are rich in Vitamin A, which is good for eye health later in life. However, some aspects of the myth are a little more deliberate.

When Britain's Royal Air Force developed a new radar during World War II, they kept it under wraps by spreading the story that an ace pilot was so successful due to his love of carrots. While it's unknown whether this fooled the Germans, it seemed to fool the rest of us pretty well.

3. Eating before swimming doesn't cause drowning.

While it's possible that eating a large meal before swimming could cause some discomfort and maybe even some cramps, the effects are greatly exaggerated. The fact remains that no documented drowning exists where a full stomach was found to be the cause.

4. "Feed a cold, starve a fever" is only half right.

In reality, you're supposed to feed both of them. Good nutrition and hydration are even more important when you're sick, particularly if what you're eating is high in protein or zinc.

5. Scaring someone doesn't cure their hiccups.

As far as any research can determine, there really isn't a cure for the hiccups, per se. At best, scaring someone is a placebo that diverts the brain away from putting resources towards the nerves responsible for hiccups.

Still, you can achieve the same effect by asking them a question that requires memory, which probably won't bother them as much.

6. You're just as likely to get skin cancer from tanning beds as from the sun.

Despite what proponents may tell you, indoor tanning beds are designed to give you a high level of UV radiation in a short time, which puts you at serious risk of melanoma. They also make you more vulnerable to sunburns. Keep in mind, there are much safer ways of getting Vitamin D, such as through food sources like fatty fish and mushrooms.

7. Sitting close to the TV doesn't ruin your eyes.

Sitting "too close" to the TV only caused harm if you owned a color TV made by General Electric during the 1960s because those emitted unsafe levels of radiation. Your set was more than likely made after 1968, so you shouldn't experience any issues with radiation.

As for eyesight, the worst condition you can develop by sitting close to a television, or a screen in general, is eyestrain — which can be cured with a nap. TVs weren't found to cause the eyes any physical damage.

8. Cracking your knuckles doesn't cause arthritis.

Research has consistently shown that the frequent cracking of knuckles does not lead to the development of arthritis. Some research even suggested that it reduced the likelihood, but the evidence isn't quite concrete.

For now, the safe bet is that it doesn't do much of anything.

9. Warm milk doesn't necessarily make you sleep.

Milk does contain an amino acid called tryptophan that can cause sleepiness, but there's so little of it in milk that you'd need to drink an absurd amount for the tryptophan to take effect. Instead, some research suggests that carbs may actually help you fall asleep faster.

10. Coffee doesn't stunt your growth.

Growth is determined by bone growth and density, neither of which are noticeably affected by caffeine. At worst, the body may absorb slightly less calcium with regular coffee drinking, but eight ounces of coffee can be totally canceled out by a tablespoon of milk.

Apparently, our belief in coffee's growth-stunting effects can be blamed on an advertising campaign for an alternative drink called Postum that came out in the early 1900s.

11. Night lights don't cause near-sightedness.

Scientists at the University of Houston studied the effects of night lights on the eyes of baby monkeys for six months and found absolutely no signs of near-sightedness in any of them. 

For the most part, nearsightedness is inherited through genetics.

12. Chocolate is not an aphrodisiac.

There's no scientific evidence that any food has an effect on sexual interest beyond the simple act of eating. While chocolate does contain a chemical thought to "arouse emotions," there's far too little of it to have any serious effect.

Don't forget to COMMENT and tell us what myth had you tricked for years.