Not everything that you read online, or see on social media is automatically true, especially since these days, there are a lot of misleading news sites or Facebook pages that share ‘fake news.’
That’s why we’re here to set the record straight and make sure that moms and dads like you get the right facts, especially when it comes to health!
1. MSG isn’t bad for you
Yup. A lot of people say that MSG gives them headaches after consuming food that has been seasoned with it, but in reality, there’s not study that proves MSG can actually cause headaches.
MSG got it’s bad reputation after a doctor mistakenly blamed feelings of weakness, and headaches to MSG, calling it “Chinese restaurant syndrome.” However, scientists agree that in some, select groups of people, MSG might cause a negative reaction, but for the rest of the population, MSG is totally safe to eat. Just make sure not to consume too much of it!
2. Coffee makes you short
This one’s pretty common among Filipinos. People say that if kids drink coffee, they won’t grow tall.
The reality is that caffeine doesn’t have any effects on a child’s bone growth at all. However, you still shouldn’t let very young kids drink coffee as even if caffeine doesn’t have any effect on their height, it does however have other negative effects on the development of their growing bodies.
3. Taking multivitamins keeps you healthy
This one’s particularly controversial, as a lot of doctors recommend vitamin supplements to kids to help their development.
But studies have shown that there’s really no benefit to taking in multivitamins. In fact, in some rare cases, it can even increase the risk for various cancers.
For malnourished people however, it’s a different story, as their bodies need the extra vitamins in order to keep them healthy. But for regular people with normal health, there’s no need to take multivitamins as you can regularly get your nutrients from a well-balanced diet.
4. Make sure to wait 1 hour after eating, or else you’ll drown
Chances are, you’ve heard this from your parents, or your elders. One of your teachers might have even shared this information to you.
According to the claim, swimming immediately after eating can cause cramps, as most of the blood in your body will be in your stomach for digestion, so there’s less blood in your arms and legs, which can cause you to have cramps, and then drown.
There’s actually no scientific basis for this, and while you can get cramps while swimming, it’s most definitely NOT caused by what you ate.
5. Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years
When you were kids, elders always told you to never swallow gum, as it will stay in your stomach for a long time because it can’t be digested.
While it’s true that it can’t be digested, there’s no truth that it stays in your stomach for 7 years. If you swallow gum, it will go through the exact same process as the other food you eat, meaning it will come out of the other end. So don’t worry if your kids accidentally swallow gum. It’s totally fine.
6. You should always drink 8 glasses of water a day
Keeping yourself hydrated is very important, especially if you’re exercising, or if it’s a particularly hot day. But the 8 glasses myth isn’t really required to drink 8 glasses of water a day.
As a rule, drink water if you feel thirsty, since that’s your body’s way of telling you that you need to be hydrated. And if you see that your urine is more on the dark or bright yellow side, drink a couple of glasses of water, since it means that you might be low on liquids in your body.
Source: iflscience.com
READ: 4 Infertility misconceptions you should be aware of
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