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Busting Some Medical Myths

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 14, 2009

What if someone told you turkey doesn't make you tired or that your nails really don't keep growing after you die?

Chew on these seven health-related myths that even many doctors believe, as reported by BMJ, a British medical journal.

Drink eight glasses of water each day: Authors found references from 1945 suggesting that healthy people should stay hydrated this way. But they say there's a complete lack of evidence supporting that recommendation. Other studies show that most people get enough fluids through daily consumption of juice, milk and even caffeinated drinks.

People only use 10 percent of their brains: This myth is more than a century old. Repeated studies, however, show that people use much more than 10 percent of their brains. For example, when almost any area of the brain is damaged, it has "specific and lasting effects on mental, vegetative and behavioral capabilities." Also, imaging studies have found no area of the brain is completely inactive.

Hair and fingernails keep growing after death: It's impossible for the body to continue the complex hormone regulation needed to cause hair and nails to grow after death, but there is a biological phenomenon that sometimes occurs after death. Dehydration of a deceased body can cause skin around hair or nails to retract, creating the appearance of increased length.

Shaving causes your hair to grow back faster, darker or thicker: Several studies show that shaving has no effect on thickness or rate of new hair growth. But because shaved hair is blunt, and doesn't have the finer taper at the ends, it can appear to be coarser. Sometimes new hair appears darker.

Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight: Dim light can cause eye strain and uncomfortable side effects such as dryness and difficulty focusing, but it does not cause permanent damage, authors say.

Eating turkey makes you especially tired: If turkey contains tryptophan, which science has found can cause drowsiness, how is this a myth? Well, the authors say turkey, chicken and minced beef contain nearly the same amounts of the amino acid. Other proteins, such as pork or cheese, contain more tryptophan per gram than turkey.

Cell phones cause significant electromagnetic interference in hospitals: Hospitals widely banned cell phone use after The Wall Street Journal reported a slew of suspected electromagnetic interference with medical devices. But study authors found no evidence of death caused by use of a mobile phone in a hospital. Less-serious events, such as false alarms or incorrect medical readings, were reported. Also, subsequent studies show little or no interference.

The Orange County Register

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