most scientific myths are just that widely held science beliefs that have little to no basis
in actual science some of them however have simply been brushed off as myths because of
how ridiculous they sound even if later research proves that they're pretty much entirely accurate
number 10. garlic cut up with a toothache garlic holds a special place in old-time beliefs about
quick medical care though it's considered to be especially effective against a toothache while
a dentist would likely prescribe a painkiller instead of asking you to chew on garlic some
traditional alternative systems and medicines swear by its toothache alleviating properties
it may sound like an inaccurate old wives tale though medically garlic does contain substances
that should help against the symptoms of a toothache one of them is allicin with its strong
antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties it is only produced when the garlic is cut or chopped
in some way and it stays only for a short period of time obviously applying garlic to your tooth
every time it aches is no substitute for actually going to a dentist and getting the pain checked
out though if it's a one-time thing and the pain isn't that bad it may well help you get through
the day 9. women do feel colder than men the idea that women feel colder than men seems like
one of those stereotypical gender myths that are inaccurate and inappropriate scientifically both
men and women have the same core body temperature 98.4 degrees fahrenheit or about 37 degrees
celsius which should translate to about the same level of temperature tolerance anyone who insists
it's lower for women is either suggesting that men are inherently more resilient or simply is in the
business of selling warmers to women research however does point toward a marked difference
between how men and women persueve cold and heat for that matter one study conducted by dutch
scientists concluded that on average women feel comfortable at a temperature range of 24 to 25
degrees celsius which is about 2.5 degrees warmer than men one factor is the female hormone estrogen
as higher estrogen levels in the blood thicken it and restrict flow toward the extremities of
the body like the fingertips resulting in higher sensitivity to colder temperatures than men that's
not it however as other factors like body type difference in pain between men and women as well
as metabolism play a role as well number eight eating too many carrots can turn you orange the
idea that eating a lot of carrots can turn your skin orange seems right out of a cartoon apart
from the fact that the color of our foods has little to do with the color of our skin it doesn't
sound like something that should be true ask a doctor though and they'd have a much different
take on the subject as it happens carrots are full of something called beta-carotene the pigment
which gives them their orange or red hue it's an important source of vitamin a in moderation
though if consumed in excess beta-carotene could enter the bloodstream and start collecting in the
thicker parts of your skin like the hands and turn them orange this condition is called keratinemia
and primarily affects babies or people with conditions that prohibit the body's ability to
process carotene such as hyperthyroidism number seven late night snacks do make you gain weight
we all love a good munch late at night though medically speaking is it the best idea
if you ask popular health blogs or fitness trainers you'd likely get a definite
yes medicine however maintains that there's no difference between eating at night and
during the day or really any other time in between as a calorie as a calorie no matter when you
consume it while that's true eating at irregular times does contribute towards weight gain in other
ways that's especially true for later hours when fresher healthier food might not be as readily
available those times we're more likely to consume food that's high in calories and generally bad for
us some experts even recommend eating a bit of something healthy just before going to sleep as
long as it doesn't add too many calories to your overall intake so while eating late at night might
not directly factor into your weight it stands to reason that the later you snack the more likely
you are to snack on something unhealthy resulting in a less than desirable result on the scale
6. exercise can make you smarter we know that exercise is a great way to maintain and improve
your physical abilities what though does it do for our brain if anything for the scientifically
minded it should do nothing as muscles work a bit different from the neurological circuits of
the brain it sounds like a myth perpetuated by health blogs and gym bros without much
scientific evidence backing it up of course that was until a few researchers at the
university of british columbia decided to put the matter to rest and conducted a study on it
they found that exercising doesn't just give you what many on the streets call a six-pack but
it also increases the size of your hippocampus the area of the brain responsible for crucial brain
functions like memory and learning number five the moon does make us do more crime throughout human
history the moon has held an ominous position in numerous cultures and time periods it's where the
word lunacy comes from after all for some reason the moon has been held responsible for epileptic
seizures and bouts of madness going back as far as ancient greek times as our science and tools
got better we realized that there's absolutely no reason to believe that the moon has anything to do
with individual personality traits or mental disorders but then they got even better and
now a growing body of research is finding eerie similarities between our behavior and the moon
one study found that non-epileptic seizures may actually be affected by the moon's cycle another
found that cases of crime are significantly higher on full moons than other days which
was surprising as the sun had no discernible effect on crime rates during the same time
period despite its relatively low profile nature the moon or at least the lunar cycle seems to be
related to human evolution in many ways that we don't quite understand 4. fruit juice is actually
bad for children fruits are generally considered healthy for all age groups and the idea that fruit
juice can be harmful to children below a certain age sounds ridiculous at first scientifically
though it makes perfect sense fruit juice contains no nutritional benefits for children below the age
of one and all you're giving your baby is a bunch of concentrated sugar without any of the fiber
fiber is essential during the early years as it strengthens the immune system and stimulates the
formation of better types of gut bacteria it's backed by experts too the american academy of
pediatrics aap maintains that fruit juice should not be given to kids below one as it
can cause problems like tooth decay and a taste for sugary things with no nutrition later in life
even for older children its intake should be strictly regulated until they reach adulthood
number three chicken soup might really help against cold for centuries possibly millennia
chicken soup has been touted as one of the best remedies to alleviate symptoms of the common cold
like a blocked nose scientifically speaking though how effective is it really research on this matter
has been limited though a few studies do support the idea that chicken soup helps against the cold
one study published in the journal chest found that chicken soup in its most common form
has anti-inflammatory properties that can treat problems related to the upper respiratory tract
high in zinc which can help shorten the duration of a cold number two the brain really can rust
it's not repeated claim that if you don't use your brain enough it can sort of stop working
or at least won't work to its full capacity it's assumed that the brain works the same way as
muscles that need constant exercise to remain in prime form and not a complex collection of neurons
working in tandem that's unlike any other part of the body it's a particularly interesting topic for
neuroscientists as it gets to the fundamentals of how our brain functions as we're gradually finding
out the brain never actually stops developing studies are constantly proving that the brain is
an ever-evolving organ with the ability to change the course of its growth in response to events
like traumatic accidents they've also found that using the brain in some way regularly is crucial
for neurons to develop new connections and refresh old ones a process that remains ongoing throughout
our lives 1. arthritis is actually worse during the monsoon patients of osteoarthritis the most
common form of arthritis out there often complain about their joint pain getting worse during a
monsoon or even just rainy weather in some cases due to the lack of scientific evidence
doctors have usually treated this as just another medical urban legend as weather and arthritis have
no reason to be related to one another that was until 2007 when a study published in the
american journal of medicine conclusively proved that the weather can in fact make your arthritis
worse the researchers collected pain reports from 200 participants spread out across the
u.s over a course of three months and matched them with the weather data at their nearest
weather station they found that rapid changes in atmospheric pressure and temperature do make
knee pain worse regardless of the type of weather where you live or even the time of year
you