Popular culture is loaded with myths and half-truths. Most are harmless. But when doctors start believing medical myths, perhaps it's time to worry.
In the British Medical Journal this week, researchers looked into several common misconceptions, from the belief that a person should drink eight glasses of water per day to the notion that reading in low light ruins your eyesight.
"We got fired up about this because we knew that physicians accepted these beliefs and were passing this information along to their patients," said Dr. Aaron Carroll, assistant professor of pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. "And these beliefs are frequently cited in the popular media."
Myth: We use only 10 percent of our brains.
Myth: You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day.
Myth: Fingernails and hair grow after death.
Myth: Shaved hair grows back faster, coarser and darker.
Myth: Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.
Myth: Eating turkey makes you drowsy.
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