Health Myths Center Archive
Baby and Kid Myths
- A Baby Who Wears Shoes or Uses an Infant Walker Will Learn to Walk Sooner
- Flying During Pregnancy Is Unsafe for the Fetus
- A Nursing Mother Cannot Get Pregnant
- Older Children Are More Intelligent Than Their Younger Siblings
- Pregnant Women Should Avoid Cats
- You Can Predict Your Baby’s Gender by How You Carry the Pregnancy
Behavior Myths
- Cracking Your Knuckles Can Lead to Arthritis
- Depression and Suicide Rates Rise During the Holiday Season
- Full Moons Sway Tides—and Minds
- Licking a Wound Can Promote Healing
- More Weight Is Lost By Running On An Empty Stomach
- Never Wake a Sleepwalker
- Using a Cell Phone Increases the Risk of a Brain Tumor
- Wait a Half-hour After Lunch Before Going Back in the Water—Or You Just Might Drown
- Yawning Is Contagious
Food and Drink Myths
- An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away
- Bottled Water Is Better for You Than Tap Water
- Drinking a Glass of Red Wine a Day Can Increase Longevity
- Eating Carrots Improves Vision
- Eating Chocolate (or Other Fatty Foods) Causes Acne
- Eating Dark Chocolate Can Lower Your Risk of Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease
- Eating at Night Will Make You Gain Weight
- Eating Poppy Seed Pastries Can Lead To a Positive Drug Test for Heroin
- Eating Turkey Makes You Drowsy
- Eating Sugar Tends to Make Children Hyperactive
- Eating Yogurt Can Help Reduce Your Risk of Vaginal Yeast Infections
- Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever
- Fresh Food Is Better Than Frozen or Canned Food
- Girls Who Favor Soft Drinks Are More Likely to Have Osteoporosis Later in Life
- If You Swallow Your Gum, It Will Take Seven Years to Digest
- It’s Safe to Drink Your Urine
- Microwaves Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
- Mixing Different Types of Alcohol Increases Your Risk of Getting Sick
- Women Get Drunker Than Men
- You Can Cure a Hangover
More Myths
- Applying Butter to a Burn Aids Healing and Relieves Pain
- Being Exposed to Wet, Cold Weather Increases the Risk of Infection
- Changes in the Weather Can Make Your Joints Stiff or Achy
- Different Parts of the Tongue Sense Different Tastes
- Hair Dye Causes Cancer
- It Is Possible for a Person to Get a Sexually Transmitted Infection from a Public Toilet Seat
- Mosquitoes Are Attracted to Some People More Than Others
- A Person With a Serious Head Injury or Concussion Should Be Kept Awake
- Some Hiccup Remedies Actually Work
- The Style of a Man’s Underwear Affects His Fertility
- True or False: Dark-skinned People Don’t Need Sunscreen
- Surgical Hardware in the Body Sets Off Airport Metal Detectors
- We Only Use 10% of Our Brains
- Women Who Live Together Tend to Have Synchronized Menstrual Periods
- Your Heart Stops Beating When You Sneeze (and Other Common Beliefs About Sneezing)
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