Busted: Even the five-second rule
Fact or fiction? Chewing gum stays in your stomach for seven years. Cold weather makes you sick. You should never wake a sleepwalker. A dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's.
Photo by Mike Baird, bairdphotos.com
Is a dog's mouth really cleaner than a human's?
Riley Hospital for Children physicians Aaron Carroll, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics, and Rachel Vreeman, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics, both at the Indiana University School of Medicine, tackle these and other commonly held medical beliefs in a new book, laying out the science which proves or disproves them.
In their introduction to Don't Swallow Your Gum! Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health, Carroll and Vreeman encourage their readers to keep an open mind as they examine the science behind the beliefs that they, and quite possibly other physicians, have accepted without question.
"Our book should make your life, and the lives of your family and friends, easier because you will know which of these hypotheses science affirms and which it doesn't," said Carroll, director of the IU Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research and a Regenstrief Institute affiliate-scientist.
Reality check: Just a few of the myths that took a fall
- Human hair and nails continue to grow after death: Wrong -- an optical illusion caused by shrunken skin can make hair and nails appear longer
- Vitamin C, Echinacea and Zinc help prevent colds: Wrong -- but the cold might be shorter
- Single people have better sex lives than married people: Wrong -- married men and women reported having more sex than their single counterparts, with a higher percentage of married women reportedly reaching orgasm
- Sugar makes kids hyper: Wrong -- no studies find a sugar-hyperactivity connection; it's all in the parents' heads (according to one study)
- It is necessary to wait one hour after eating to safely swim: Wrong -- the authors could find no proof, or recommendations from leading health and safety organizations such as the American Red Cross
- Food picked up off the floor within five seconds is safe to eat: Wrong -- harmful bacteria can survive on flooring for weeks and can transfer to food in five second or less
Carroll and Vreeman previously authored two studies on medical myths, publishing them in the peer-reviewed British Medical Journal.
"We were shocked at how many people had strong reactions to the beliefs we debunked in the BMJ studies. These myths may be things people have heard since childhood, like 'you lose most of your body heat through your head.' Some people have a hard time letting these beliefs go," said Vreeman, a Regenstrief Institute-affiliated scientist.
"The really fun part of writing this book was that we had believed so many of these myths -- but upon reflection, we weren't sure whether they were true or not. As health services researchers, we couldn't resist the temptation to be myth busters," Carroll said.
The new book is divided into six sections:
- "Look at the size of his feet!" Myths about your body
- "But I was on the pill!" Myths about sex and pregnancy
- "He won't get into Harvard without Baby Einstein." Myths about babies and children
- "Don't swallow your gum!" Myths about what we eat and drink
- "Shots made my baby autistic." Myths that spark controversy and debate
Don't Swallow Your Gum!: Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health is published by St. Martin's Press and is available online at www.dontswallowyourgum.com and at book stores across the country.
So, about the chewing gum, colds and cold weather, sleepwalkers and dogs' mouths v. humans' mouths? Busted (pooped out), busted, busted (caution and care suggested) and busted (only remotely plausible).
Upcoming book signing by the authors:
- Wed., June 17 at 7 p.m, Barnes & Noble, US 31 at Greyhound Plaza, Carmel, Ind.
To read more articles from the School of Medicine, visit http://newsinfo.iu.edu/cat/page/normal/358.html.
