Childhood Health “Facts” You Should Forget
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Bella Breakdown
We’ve all heard the drink eight glasses of water a day speech, but some experts are saying to forget what you know because none of it is true. Here are just some of the “health” myths we should all let go of.
You have to wait an hour to swim after you eat:
As kids, we all grew up being told that swimming right after a meal will cause you to get cramps or will lead to drowning. However, studies have shown that full bellies aren’t fatal when swimming in a body of water. Though you just got the okay to swim after eating, a really big meal isn’t likely to help your activity levels, as a stretched stomach can be uncomfortable.
Going out with wet hair will make you sick:
No, walking in the cold weather with wet hair will not make you sick. The virus that you caught is what’s making you sick. According to recent research, it is because rhinovirus, the virus that causes the common cold, thrives in low temperatures. Another reason for your cold is that people tend to be inside more often, which means more contact with people, more time spent in recycled air, and more exposure to the cold virus.
Drinking 8 glasses of water a day is vital to your health:
If you’ve been keeping track of your water intake to make sure you were hitting that 8 glass a day limit, stop. According to Megan Schimpf, an MD, there is no scientific proof that drinking 8 glasses of water is beneficial to your health.
“Drink only if you’re thirsty, and never feel as if you have to force yourself to drink more,” Schimpf advises. Schimpf reminded that foods also contain water, so very few people are in danger of becoming dehydrated. While some may need to replenish their fluids more often than others there is no medical need for anyone to drink a lot of water in a day.
“As I tell my patients, ‘What comes in, must come out.’ If you drink more, you will have to go to the bathroom more. Save yourself the time and worry, and just drink when your body tells you,” she says.
