We all heard them from our parents and other well-meaning adults when we were growing up: “old wives’ tales” about things that would make us sick or make us feel better. Generally speaking, none of them were true. But that doesn’t stop some people from continuing to believe in home remedies that have little-to-no basis in medical science.
OnePoll conducted a survey on behalf of probiotics supplement maker Probiogen to see just how many people still swear by the health-related folk wisdom passed down through the generations. Here’s what they found:
- 49% think an apple a day keeps the doctor away (Maybe if you throw the apple at your doctor.)
- 45% believe sleeping with wet hair will give you a cold
- 47% think orange juice can prevent a cold
- 44% believe you should feed a fever and starve a cold
- 47% think chicken noodle soup clears colds
- 45% believe spicy foods clear sinuses
- 55% think milk builds strong bones (Effective marketing.)
- 39% believe it takes seven years to digest swallowed gum
- 41% believe chocolate is an aphrodisiac
- 41% believe eating chocolate causes acne
- 42% believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis
- 53% believe carrots improves eyesight
- 48% believe eggs raise cholesterol
- 39% think coffee and/or caffeine stunts growth
- 40% think eating turkey makes you tired
That last one comes up every Thanksgiving. The real reason we feel so tired after the turkey has more to do with the total amount of food on our plates. We eat far more than we should. Add a glass or two of wine and you have the perfect recipe for a nap.
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