By Austin Price, Editor in Chief
I’m sure we all have childhood memories of being told a myth that terrified us. Myths like if you swallow a watermelon seed, a watermelon will grow inside of you. While we now know that this myth is indeed a myth, meaning that it’s not true, there is still a plethora of myths that we believe in. By supporting the falsely given validity of these myths, we continue to needlessly worry both ourselves, and the younger generations. And so, I think it’d be best to go through some commonly believed myths that in all actuality are false. Here we go.
Myth 1 – You Need to Pee on a Jellyfish Sting
I’m sure we’ve all seen that Friends scene when Chandler pees on Monica’s leg to supposedly help her jellyfish sting. This entire situation could have been avoided because urine does not actually help alleviate the pain of a jellyfish sting. Actually, it could make it worse.
Health.com reports that “Urine may actually cause the jellyfish's stingers to release more venom, which might worsen symptoms,”. Instead of peeing on a jellyfish sting, medical professionals recommend you try removing the stingers as carefully as possible and then douse your skin in cool vinegar or apply hot water to the affected area.
So, next time you have a jellyfish sting, don’t stress and don’t pee! Instead use some home remedies with water and vinegar. This will be a much more pleasant and effective remedy to a painful sting.
Myth 2 – You only use 10% of your brain
I grew up being told that I was only using 10% of my brain which made me feel embarrassed and stupid. I know I’m not alone in this feeling as Medical News Today reports that 65% of Americans believe they only use 10% of our brain. We do not use 10% of our brain, we use 100% of our brain, all the time.
This myth originated from a misunderstanding of scientific findings. Scientists believe that neurons make up around 10% of the brain’s cells. This may have contributed to the 10% myth. Despite this myth, it is true that we use 100% of our brain, even while sleeping. Scientists believe that we use our entire brain every day. Mila Halgren of the McGovern Institute says that “All of our brain is constantly in use and consumes a tremendous amount of energy. Despite making up only two percent of our body weight, it devours 20 percent of our calories. Even while we sleep, our entire brain remains intensely active,”. So, don’t stress, your brain is always hard at work.
Myth 3 – Swallowing Gum will Keep it in Your Stomach for 5-7 years
As a child, whenever I was given a stick of gum, I was threatened that if I swallowed it, it would stay in my stomach for years. This is not true. Chewing gum can be safely swallowed but it is not digested.
The Mayo Clinic reports that “If you swallow gum, it's true that your body can't digest it. But the gum doesn't stay in your stomach. It moves relatively intact through your digestive system and is excreted in your stool,”. So, next time you accidentally swallow gum, don’t fear, you’ll see it again soon enough. Usually, it will pass through your system in 2-4 days.
Myth 4 – Sugar Makes Kids Hyper
Alright listen up parents, coffee may give you energy, but sugar does not give kids energy. It’s crazy to me that this myth is so widely believed because it was based off one case study. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that “The sugar-hyperactivity myth is based on a single study from the mid 1970's in which a doctor removed the sugar from one child's diet and that child's behavior improved. Since then, over a dozen larger studies have been conducted without proving sugar causes hyperactivity,”.
The only thing sugar does to the brain for certain people is as soon as it hits our tongue, it lights up the reward center, causing a surge of dopamine production. We feel pleasure, and this causes our brain to produce some serotonin. However, serotonin is not necessarily energy. It is a pleasure. Medical News Today reports that “This meta-analysis of the reported studies to date found that sugar (mainly sucrose) does not affect the behavior or cognitive performance of children,”. So, sugar may make you happy, but it won’t make you energized.
Myth 5 – Cracking Your Knuckles Will Cause Arthritis
I have and will always be the one person who gets freaked out and uncomfortable when someone cracks their knuckles. My go-to response when people cracked their knuckles in front of me was that they would get arthritis. However, this is not true.
Gleneagles Hospital explains the noise made when someone cracks their knuckles. "When the joint moves or when it is being pulled, areas of low pressure or a vacuum are formed within the joint. The cracking sound is caused by nitrogen gas being pulled into the joint when pressure is put on it. Sometimes, a crack sound can also be heard when a tendon moves over a part of the joint,”.
Essentially, if cracking knuckles doesn’t cause any pain, it’s not an issue and won’t have long term effects. If cracking your knuckles hurts, that’s a different issue and you may want to consult your doctor.
That wraps up our myth debunking and run-down. Hopefully you now know and understand some more about your body, your brain, and our world. While myths are fun to spread, please proceed with caution, you never know what someone might believe.