AW Stories of the Month

October, 2014 – Eight Myths

October 18, 2014

1040

Eight Myths You Probably Believe

By Jon Lipshaw of SharpShooter Marketing

1. Eating before you go to bed will make you gain weight

It doesn’t matter what time of the day you eat; what really matters is your calorie intake. Many researchers believe this myth came to be because many people snack on junk food at nighttime before they go to bed. Weight gain really has more to do with the quality of food you ingest not the quantity.

2. Reading in the dark is bad for your eyes

The fact is, reading in the dark has nothing to do with vision problems. Many people’s vision problems are linked to genetics. According to BBC.com, “If both your parents are short-sighted there is a 40% chance that you are too. If your parents both have good vision, that risk drops to just a 10% chance.”

3. Sugar makes people hyperactive

Suger hyperactivity is another commonly believed myth. Scientists have conducted many experiments on this issue. According to Webmd.com one experiment involved, “The children, parents and researchers involved in the studies never knew which children were given which diets (this is known as a “double-blind” study and helps to prevent unconscious biases from affecting the results).” Webmd.com also mentioned, “An analysis of the results of all these studies was published in the November 22, 1995 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers’ conclusions? Sugar in the diet did not affect the children’s behavior.” Anyway you look at it sugar should be consumed in moderation.

4. A full moon affects human behavior

According to iflscience.com, “The topic has been studied many times over, and there is very limited correlation between the full moon and increased erratic behavior and certainly no causation discovered.”

5. Chameleons change color depending on their environment

This is widely believed and not accurate. Many researchers believe chameleons change color to regulate their temperature, communicate with other chameleons and for mating purposes. According to Wired.com, “since chameleons can’t generate their own body heat, changing the color of their skin is a way to maintain a favorable body temperature. A cold chameleon may become dark to absorb more heat, whereas a hotter chameleon may turn pale to reflect the sun’s heat.”

6. Bats are blind

Many Scientists believe smaller bats are indeed color blind but at night time bats can see better than us. According to todayifoundout.com, “The truth is that all 1,100 bat species can see and often their vision is pretty good, although not as excellent as many other night-hunting animals.” Don’t get me wrong most bats don’t have eagle vision but their vision isn’t that bad.

7. Hair grows back thicker when you shave it

If this myth was true bald people could just shave their heads to help their hair grow back. Strong scientific evidence disproves these claims. There was a study to test the shaving myth. According to Scientificamerican.com, “each volunteer shaved one leg weekly for several months while leaving the other leg as a control (likely opting to wear long pants during the study period). The study, published in 1970, found no significant differences in the hair width, coarseness or rate of growth.”

8. Eating turkey makes you drowsy

We’ve all heard the myth; you eat turkey for thanksgiving than you get drowsy after because of tryptophan supposedly. According to Bmj.com, ” turkey does not contain an exceptional amount of tryptophan. Turkey, chicken, and minced beef contain nearly equivalent amounts of tryptophan (about 350 mg per 115 g), while other common sources of protein, such as pork or cheese, contain more tryptophan per gram than turkey.”