The Truth Shall Set You Free! More Old Wive's Tales Debunked

Mom and Grandma don't always lay on the old wives tales during pregnancy and early childhood. I remember hearing old wives tales all when I was growing up. Some of those I didn't realize weren't true until I was much older. What are these tales? Where did they come from?

"If you go outside with wet hair, you will catch a cold."

I can't count the number of times Grandma told me this one. Even in the middle of the summer, she would worry that one of us would get sick if we didn't completely dry our hair before going outside. This is definitely untrue. Colds are caught from viruses, not wet hair. This may have come about because of the number of people catching colds during the winter, but the REAL reason people catch colds during the winter is due to the amount of time people spend indoors during the winter. There is less exposure to the outdoors, so more germs are spread from being cooped up indoors.

"Eating carrots is good for your eyesight."

Unfortunately, Bugs Bunny isn't going to be blessed with extraordinary eyesight in the near future. This, also, is false. It is believed that this old wives tale originated during World War II. British intelligence spread rumors that their pilots' night vision was remarkably good because they fed them a lot of carrots. They said this to keep the Germans from figuring out their real reason their night vision was so good: radar.

"Chocolate causes acne."

Ah, chocolate. What teenager doesn't like nibbling on a chocolate bar? But mom always said that the reason you had bad acne was from that chocolate. Fear not, chocolate lovers. Studies have shown no link between eating chocolate (or any other greasy food, for that matter) and acne breakouts. Sure, it can vary from person to person. For one person, if they eat a certain food, their face might be prone to more breakouts than the next person. But don't expect a face full of those little buggers simply for indulging in a Hershey's bar. Acne in teens is actually caused from changes in hormones that cause oil glands on the face to produce excess oil, mixing with the skin cells and plug up follicles in the skin.

"Feed a cold, starve a fever."

Bad idea, Grandma. When you are ill, your body still needs liquids to prevent dehydration. And why would you want to starve yourself because you have a high temperature? Your body still needs nutrients to keep your strength up (unless your body is telling you not to eat). Starving yourself just because of a fever can help you keep your strength up to fight off whatever illness you are harboring.

"If you pull out one gray hair, two will grow in its place."

Well, first of all, it takes about three months for a hair to grow out, and about another three months for it to grow out to a noticeable length. Also, if this were true, the hair that was pulled out at the root would have to split at the root and spout out two new hairs.

"Reading in dim light will damage your eyesight."

Reading in dim light will cause strain on your eyes, but there is no proof that reading in dim light causes you to lose your eyesight. Same goes with the old wives tale that says if you sit too close to the television, your eyesight will go bad. Certain factors, such as genetics, cause your eyesight to go bad. Again, it is a lot of strain on your eyes, but ophthalmologists agree that eye strain does not cause you to lose your eye sight.

"You have to wait for an hour after you eat before you swim."

This isn't completely untrue, but an hour is a bit much. It is recommended that you wait a while after you eat before getting into the water to allow your food to begin digestion. The old wives' tale is believed to be taken from the incorrect idea that the stomach will take away some of the oxygen your muscles will need while you are swimming.

"If you swallow your gum, it will stay in your stomach for seven years."

Wow, imagine if this were true! Alas, it isn't true. Gum is digested just as any other food (or object swallowed) is digested. It doesn't stick to your intestinal tract for seven years.