Parents tend to tell their children the same myths their parents told them, and recently Fox News reported on which of these "mommy myths" are fact and which are fiction.
Dr. Marc Siegel of the Fox Medical Team recently weighed in on some some infamous mommy myths, admitting that some of them are in fact true. One myth moms have commonly told their children is not to swim right after eating, as you might get cramps or a stomachache.
"Mom was wrong," Dr. Siegel said, explaining that many mothers assumed that your blood would go to your stomach during digestion as opposed to other parts of your body. "You can get a little stomach cramp, but you can definitely swim. Studies have shown you get enough blood flow everywhere [after eating], so that's a myth."
Has your mom or dad ever told you not to go outside with wet hair for fear that you'll get sick?
Dr. Siegel joked that 3 quarters of the medical team cannot test this theory themselves, but confirmed that in his opinion, it can increase your risk of getting ill.
"It doesn't transmit cold viruses," he said.
But a 2007 study done in Wales which had people put their feet in cold buckets of water found that those with wet toes were twice as likely to get a cold because their immune systems took a hit from getting a chill.
Another common myth among parents is that sugar makes kids hyperactive. While Dr. Siegel admitted the topic is controversial in the medical field, he deemed the myth true.
Studies have shown high sugar levels can change your behavior and make it harder for you to focus. However, other doctors disagree. Dr. Tom Robinson, director of the Center for Healthy Weight Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, told the San Francisco Chronicle that when parents and kids expect sugar to get them amped up, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
"The way we think we should feel has a lot to do with how we do feel," he said.
Robinson said in reality, people with conditions such as diabetes feel more tired when their blood sugar levels are high, and most healthy people can't feel the effects of their increased glucose levels.
The results of 23 studies on the subject published in a review by the Journal of the American Medical Association confirmed Robinson's rationale, according to the Chronicle. One study showed that the mothers of children who had recently consumed a drink with high sugar content (all of the boys in the study had sugar-free drinks in truth) reported hyperactive behavior. Another study showed that parents who gave their kids sugary snacks believed to be sugar-free did not report behavioral changes.
Another common myth is that reading in dim light hurts your eyes, but Dr. Siegel pointed out that Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin and others read by candlelight before electricity and were supposedly not affected. He said that this is one of the top 7 myths that doctors tell their patients and parents tell their kids, as reading in dim lighting can give you a headache from eye strain, but there is no long-term damage done to your eyes.
Click here to watch the video where Dr. Siegel debunks some common myths.
What myths were you told as a child? Share below!
