Top Seven Health Myths

 
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6. Shaved hair grows back faster and coarser. Wax, shave or cut—no matter how you choose to remove your hair, you won't change the texture or speed at which it grows back. Leg hair will, however, appear coarser right as it starts to grow back. "The hair that initially grows back is blunt, hasn't had time to taper off, so it might look darker," says Carroll. But as it gets a bit longer and is exposed to the sun, it will look exactly like the hair you started with. (For more information on this myth check out this recent NEWSWEEK story.)

7. Tainted candy from strangers is a Halloween threat. While not included in the British Medical Journal study, this is one of Carroll's personal pet peeves. Each Halloween brings a slew of stories about poisoned candy—some hospitals will even set up X-ray stations for the particularly cautious trick-or-treater—but there has never been a documented case of a stranger poisoning Halloween candy, he says. There have, however, been a few instances of relatives doing so.

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  • Posted By: tamarlin @ 06/01/2009 4:31:15 AM

    Maybe there is no direct evidence that reading in the dark ruins your eyesight. There is however evidence that how you use your eyes during development affects their growth. For example: "Spectacle lenses alter eye growth and the refractive status of young monkeys" http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v1/n8/abs/nm0895-761.html . So it is definitely possible that repeated strain on the eyes caused by poor light could affect their development.
    In addition, we need to find an explanation for the high number of people that need corrective lenses these days. I, for example, would not have survived a few thousand years ago - I can't tell a cow from a lion. In my opinion, this has to do with how we use our eyes during their development.

  • Posted By: harrysmatic @ 05/31/2009 6:57:16 PM

    Of all these myths,only one seemed real to me...

    The one about consuming lots of water...

    Now I understand that 8 glasses a day might be too much,however drinking plenty of water is advised by many doctors...

  • Posted By: tricare @ 05/28/2009 4:48:35 PM

    In the 1940's 50's and 60's there was the dark age of medicine. Although a lot of things were discovered, ancient tags like these abounded. Asprin was t he cure-all for everything and going to the doctor only occurred when the heart stopped or some other drastic event. When I was young back then, I remember telling my Mother that somethint (like a sore or bite) hurts when I touch it. Her answer was always...well don't touch it. That was the order of the day.

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