False! Research shows we use virtually every part of our brain. If you got it wrong, don’t feel bad—a study out of Indiana University School of Medicine reveals that even doctors believe long-held medical urban myths, including…
* People should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. False! Research shows that we get enough fluids from our usually daily food and beverages—no extra water is needed.
* Hair and fingernails continue to grow after death. False! Our skin shrinks, which makes it appear as though our hair and fingernails continue to grow.
* Shaving hair causes it to grow back faster, darker, or coarser. False! Actually, shaving cuts off the hair tips, which tend to be finer and bleached by the sun. So it just looks like hair grows in differently.
* Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight. False! It can cause eye strain, but that’s only temporary.
* Eating turkey makes people especially drowsy. False! There’s not enough tryptophan in turkey to make you drowsy. The sleepy effect is from eating lots of food at once, which decreases oxygen flow to the brain.
* Mobile phones create considerable electromagnetic interference in hospitals. False! Studies show the risk of interference is slim to none.
[photo: dierk schaefer]
