Old Wives Tales: Six Foods Grandma was Right About

Old wives tales have been around since the beginning of man. Well, maybe not that long, but some can be traced back for centuries. Most of the time, these tales have no scientific facts to support them, but sometimes they do. Grandma was right about six foods, but don't believe her when she says "You're gonna get warts from playing with that toad". That one's not true.

Carrots: Growing up, my folks told my siblings and me how good carrots were for our eyes and they would prevent blindness. Of course that made us eat more, especially since we liked them anyway. Unfortunately, we all ended up wearing glasses before we got out of grade school even with eating a ton of carrots. So much for the good for the eyes thing. This old wives tale does have some truth to it, however. Carrots are high in beta carotene which, according to science, may help prevent an eye disease called macular degeneration that can lead to blindness. Thankfully for those who don't like carrots, beta carotene is found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. Eating just one fruit or vegetable high in beta carotene a day can reduce your chances of developing macular degeneration by up to 40%.

Cranberry juice: To help with urinary tract infection, an old wives tale remedy is drinking lots of cranberry juice. A study from the Harvard Medical School found not only does cranberry juice help, but blueberry juice is also effective. Both juices help prevent a bacterium responsible for causing the infection from sticking to the walls of the bladder. More recent studies have shown cranberries can help keep you fit by decreasing your chances of heart disease and may help inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells. All in all, the health benefits of cranberries continue to grow as researchers discover new reason for eating or drinking this healthy little red berry.

Chicken soup: When it comes to a cold, listen to your mom and eat your soup because it helps break up congestion from a cold. An amino acid called cysteine is present in the chicken and has a similar chemical makeup of an antibiotic, acetylcysteine, which is often used to treat people with respiratory infections. A hot bowl of chicken soup helps break up mucous in the lungs. I've used homemade chicken soup for years to help easy the discomfort of a cold and I can attest to its effectiveness.

Apples: We've all heard this old wives tale many times. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but does it really? The peeling of the apple is a good source of quercetin which is an antioxidant that's believed to help lower blood pressure, prevent heart attacks and may help asthma and allergy sufferers.

Apples are a good source of fiber and high in antioxidants, folic acid, vitamin C and potassium. It's not a cure all like the old wives tale would like you to believe, but apples are definitely good for you. Studies have shown eating 1 to 3 apples a day may help reduce the risk of colon and breast cancer.

Bread crust: If you eat the crust of your bread, it'll put hair on your chest, make your hair curly and make you big and strong. I don't know about the curly hair or increased hair on someone's chest from eating bread crust, but the old wives tale does have some truth to it. According to researchers in Germany, bread crust has 8 times more antioxidants than the rest of the bread. What's interesting about bread crust is through the baking process, an antioxidant is created called pronyl-lysine which is believed to be a cancer fighting compound. Plus, bread is high in dietary fiber which may help reduce the risk of colon cancer. Pumpernickel, wheat bread and other dark breads have the highest concentration of antioxidants and white bread has the least.

Fish: Studies have shown fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids can help you retain better brain function as you age. Fish like tuna, salmon, herring, mackerel and sardines can help keep your memory sharp as a tack or at least help you remember where you left the TV remote. Studies indicate that eating fish once a week is all it takes to keep the brain cells working properly and it can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's by 60%.

While many old wives tales are nothing more than stories passed down from generation to generation, sometimes past generations did get it right and science is on their side.

Jordan Schwartz, Old Wives Tales, the AFU and Urban Legend Archive

The Old Wives' Tales That Are True, The Independent

8 Old Wives Tales: Which Should You Believe, Readers Digest Magazine