7 myths you believed growing up that are not true
You might be shocked to know that these things are only myths.
We all grow up with family members or parents who tel us old wives' tales or the occasional white lie that we end up believing for years.
Most of the time, as we get older, many of these things turn out to be myths and were probably just their way of teaching us a lesson or having some fun.
But some things in life are so widely accepted that we never question them, and many of us do not realise they were never true to begin with. The truth is that there are a lot of beliefs we simply accept without checking the facts.
Here are seven universally accepted myths you may have grown up believing:
1. Shaving makes your hair grow back thicker
Shaving does not change the thickness, colour, or growth rate of your hair.
The blunt edge left after shaving can make it feel rough or look darker as it grows out, but the hair itself is not thicker.
Hair growth is determined by genetics and hormones, not shaving.
2. Swallowed gum takes seven years to digest
Your body cannot digest gum, but it does not stay in your stomach.
It moves through your digestive system like any other non-digestible substance and is passed in a few days.
3. Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis
The popping sound comes from gas bubbles in the joint fluid, not from damaging the bones.
Studies have found no link between knuckle cracking and arthritis.
4. You swallow eight spiders a year while sleeping
This claim was actually invented as an example of how easily false information spreads.
Spiders avoid humans because of our movement, breathing, and body heat.
There is no evidence that this happens regularly, or at all.
5. Cold weather causes colds
Colds are caused by viruses, not by cold temperatures.
People get sick more often in winter because they spend more time indoors, making it easier for viruses to spread.
Dr. Matthew Binnicker, director of the Clinical Microbiology Molecular Lab and co-director of the Clinical Virology Lab at Mayo Clinic, says: "In the warmer months, there is more humidity."
"And when we speak, cough, or sneeze, the larger amounts of moisture in the air cause the droplets we release to be bigger. Those droplets are larger in size, and they fall to the ground or floor faster."
In winter, however, the air is drier, and droplets that may contain viruses can hang in the air for longer periods.
People's immune function is also not as strong during the winter months.
6. You only use 10 percent of your brain
Brain imaging studies show that we use almost every part of our brain throughout the day.
The idea that 90 percent of the brain sits unused is a misunderstanding that has been repeated for decades.
7. Eating before swimming will cause cramping
There is no scientific evidence that eating before swimming causes dangerous cramps or increases drowning risk.
While digestion uses some blood flow, it is not enough to affect your ability to swim safely.
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