While many of you have grown to laugh at things you believed to be true which actually weren’t, there are many others who hold the belief intact. We thought it was time the world of science and reason is welcomed and your mindless fears are shown the door. Here are four funny health myths you can now choose to stop worrying about.
1. Shaving more often will cause thicker and/or darker hair to grow back.
This one is a big no-no. Shaving actually removes the dead portion of hair, and not what lies beneath the skin, which is the living section of the hair strand. So there is no reason why chopping off the external hair will cause the inner hair to grow thicker. The major reason why the stubbly hairs that soon grow back on your skin may appear to be slightly darker than the other ones is that they hadn’t been exposed to sunlight or other lightening agents.
2. You utilize only 10 percent of your brain.
It’s misguiding but the truth is that even some doctors believe it to be true; however, there is actually no evidence to back this up. “While there definitely are some differences in the way each one of us processes information, almost all of your brain is indeed being accessed all of the time,” says Rachel Vreeman, M.D., at Indiana University. Even after so many years of study employing the use of CT scans and MRIs, Vreeman confirms there’s actually no proof that a big lump of your brain is just lying out of use.
3. You release most of your body heat through your head.
Heat from a body is actually transferred or lost through any part of it that goes uncovered, says Vreeman. During the winters, it is often just your head that remains uncovered most of the times. Therefore, this could technically be interpreted as partly correct. Yet, in terms of your head having special heat-releasing properties, it’s absolutely false.
4. If you swallow gum, it stays in your stomach for years.
The digestive system of humans is strong enough to manage gum the way it would do anything else. However, gum does not seem to break down the way many other foods do, therefore, it is bound to pass through your body only after a few days. The fact has also been confirmed by a study from the journal Pediatrics. It is recommended, however, that the gum be thrown after chewing as it is likely to stick and clog your esophagus or intestines if swallowed.
In summary, there’s actually nothing rational behind you believing those things. So you can safely stop following any related practices too!