Fact or Fiction?
Old wives certainly have a lot of wisdom if all the superstitions we hear from them are anything to go by. Unfortunately, many old wives tales aren't actually true, which means you may have been living in fear this whole time. However, sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction!
1. Loud Noise Causes Hearing Loss
Your mom wasn't just complaining about your taste when you told you to keep the volume down—she was concerned about your health! 15 minutes of loud noise can lead to tinnitus or temporary hearing loss; prolonged exposure to permanent loss. This is why earplugs are recommended for loud concerts.
2. Bananas Make Other Fruits Go Bad
Bananas have a designated hook for a good reason. When stored next to other fruits, bananas release ethylene gas, which causes them to ripen rapidly. This is just one of several food-related old wives' tales that's actually true.
3. Red Sky At Night, Sailors' Delight
Red sky at night, sailors' delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning. A red sunset means high pressure and stable air coming westward, a good omen for the following day. On the other hand, a red sunrise may indicate an oncoming storm system.
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4. Chicken Soup Helps Colds
There's a reason why chicken soup makes you feel better, and it's not just because it's delicious. Chicken soup is rich in vitamins and antioxidants which reduce lung inflammation. The steam also thins mucus, helping it drain faster.
5. The Most Important Meal Of The Day
It's trite but true; breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Not only will a balanced breakfast give you energy to power through your day, it will also tide you over until lunch. Don't skip it!
6. Cranberry Juice Prevents UTIs
UTIs are among the most common infections you can get, and cranberry juice can help. Cranberries prevent bacteria from sticking to your bladder, which causes a UTI. While they can't completely cure an infection, they can help prevent one.
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7. Leaves Can Predict Rain
Mother nature, the ultimate old wife, is smarter than you think. If you see leaves rolling or flipping inwards, that's a likely sign that a storm is on the way. This is caused by the pressure change before rain.
8. Heartburn Means Hairy Babies
As ridiculous as this may sound, it's true! According to a study by Johns Hopkins, 82% of expectant mothers who experience heartburn will deliver a baby with a full head of hair. High hormone levels influence hair growth and relax your esophagus.
9. Thumb Sucking Causes Buck Teeth
It's true, sucking your thumb will cause buck teeth, but there's a catch. Thumb sucking from infancy to age 4 is generally fine, though a pacifier is still recommended. Thumb sucking after this age can lead to misaligned teeth as permanent ones come in.
10. Honey Soothes Coughs
All out of cough syrup? A spoonful of honey will do the trick. Honey has wonderful anti-inflammatory properties that will help soothe coughs and sore throats.
Now that we've gone over some old wives' tales that are true, let's look at a few that aren't.
1. Hair Of The Dog
The hair of the dog that bit you won't get rid of a hangover, it will only prolong it. A drink the morning after may temporarily numb the pain, but it will make it twice as fierce later on. This advice doesn't apply to rabies either, which is where the phrase comes from.
2. Don't Swim After Eating
It's a common misconception that your body redirects blood flow from your limbs to your digestive tract after eating, which could potentially lead to drowning. While digestion requires a little more blood, it doesn't completely drain from your limbs. You may get a mild cramp while swimming, but you certainly won't drown.
3. Gum Stays In Your Intestines
No garbage in sight? You don't need to worry about gum spending 7 years in your digestive system after swallowing. Gum only takes a week to pass through your system.
4. TV Will Cause Blindness
Sitting too close to the TV may cause temporary eyestrain, but it won't make you lose your sight. Actually, watching too much TV at any distance can cause eyestrain. This myth was started around the time color TV became popular.
5. Shaved Hair Grows Back Coarser
You would think that if shaved hair were to grow back coarser, darker, and thicker that people would notice. Unfortunately, that hasn't stopped this myth from pervading. Stubble may look or feel thicker, but it will taper out as it grows.
6. Never Wake A Sleepwalker
There's a kernel of truth to this old wives' tale. The reason that you shouldn't wake a sleepwalker isn't for their safety, but your own. Sleep inertia, or sleep drunkenness can occur after sudden waking, leading to confusion or even violence.
7. Crossed Eyes Will Stay That Way
There's no medical evidence to back up the claim that your eyes will get stuck if you cross them for too long. The same goes for pulling funny faces. If your parents told you that your face would stay that way, it was probably because they were annoyed.
8. Wet Hair Causes Colds
Neither wet hair nor a drafty room will cause a cold. While going out with wet hair will damage your hair follicles, it won't make you sick. You need to be exposed to an infection for that.
9. Coffee Stunts Growth
Not only will coffee not stunt your growth, it may also improve your health thanks to numerous antioxidants. This misconception comes from the idea that coffee causes osteoporosis (it doesn't). Honestly, we think this has survived so long as a way for parents to keep sticky hands away from their java.
10. Bulls Hate The Color Red
Bulls are actually colorblind, so the color of a matador's cape has nothing to do with it. Rather, the repeated motion of the flag is what agitates them.You'd be angry too if someone was waving a flag in your face!
