06/04/2025

theSunday Special VI ON SUNDAY APRIL 6, 2025 Myth busted: Common falsehoods people still believe

I N today’s age of social media and instant information, myths and PLVLQIRUPDWLRQ VSUHDG OLNH ZLOG¿UH VKDSLQJ EHOLHIV DQG LQÀXHQF LQJ GHFLVLRQV %XW ZKDW LI HYHU\WKLQJ \RX WKRXJKW \RX NQHZ ZDV ZURQJ" /HW¶V VHW WKH UHFRUG VWUDLJKW RQ ¿YH ZLGHO\ EHOLHYHG P\WKV MYTH 1: Humans only use 10% of their brain THE TRUTH: We use virtually all parts of our brain T KLV P\WK KDV EHHQ ZLGHO\ FLUFXODWHG LQ SRS FXOWXUH RIWHQ VXJJHVWLQJ WKDW LI ZH FRXOG XQORFN WKH UHPDLQLQJ ZH¶G JDLQ VXSHUKXPDQ LQWHOOLJHQFH RU SV\FKLF DELOLWLHV +RZHYHU EUDLQ LPDJLQJ VWXGLHV KDYH UHSHDWHGO\ SURYHQ WKDW QHDUO\ DOO UHJLRQV RI WKH EUDLQ DUH DFWLYH WKURXJKRXW WKH GD\ HYHQ ZKHQ UHVWLQJ A FFRUGLQJ WR 'U %DUU\ *RUGRQ D QHXURORJLVW DW -RKQV +RSNLQV 6FKRRO RI 0HGLFLQH ³:H XVH YLUWXDOO\ HYHU\ SDUW RI WKH EUDLQ DQG PRVW RI LW LV DFWLYH DOPRVW DOO WKH WLPH ´ 7KH LGHD WKDW RI WKH EUDLQ OLHV GRUPDQW LV VLPSO\ D PLVLQWHUSUHWDWLRQ RI HDUO\ QHXURORJLFDO UHVHDUFK Evidence: )XQFWLRQDO 05, I05, VFDQV KDYH VKRZQ WKDW GL̆ HUHQW EUDLQ DUHDV OLJKW XS GXULQJ YDULRXV DFWLYLWLHV IURP SUREOHP VROYLQJ WR GD\GUHDPLQJ 7KH EUDLQ LV OLNH D FRPSOH[ QHWZRUN ± HYHU\ SDUW KDV D UROH DQG QRQH LV ³XQXVHG ´

MYTH 5: MSG causes headaches and is bad for your health THE TRUTH: MSG is safe to consume and has no proven link to headaches RU ORQJ WHUP KHDOWK LVVXHV M DQ\ $VLDQV JUHZ XS KHDULQJ WKDW PRQRVR GLXP JOXWDPDWH 06* ± D IDPLOLDU ÀDYRXU HQKDQFHU XVHG LQ &KLQHVH -DSDQHVH DQG 0DOD\VLDQ FXLVLQH ± FDXVHV KHDGDFKHV GL] - ]LQHVV DQG RWKHU KHDOWK LVVXHV 7KLV EHOLHI RULJLQDWHG IURP D OHWWHU LQ D PHGLFDO MRXUQDO LQ ZKLFK D GRFWRU GHVFULEHG IHHOLQJ VLFN DIWHU HDWLQJ &KLQHVH IRRG FRLQLQJ WKH WHUP ³&KLQHVH 5HVWDXUDQW 6\QGURPH ´ 6LQFH WKHQ 06* KDV EHHQ XQIDLUO\ EODPHG IRU YDULRXV KHDOWK SUREOHPV +RZHYHU VFLHQWL¿F VWXGLHV KDYH UHSHDWHGO\ VKRZQ WKDW 06* LV VDIH IRU FRQVXPSWLRQ 7KH 8 6 )RRG DQG 'UXJ $GPLQLVWUDWLRQ )'$ WKH :RUOG +HDOWK 2UJDQLVDWLRQ :+2 DQG WKH (XURSHDQ )RRG 6DIHW\ $XWKRULW\ ()6$ KDYH DOO FODVVL¿HG LW DV VDIH 6RPH SHRSOH UHSRUW KHDGDFKHV DQG RWKHU V\PSWRPV OLNHO\ GXH WR WKH SODFHER H̆ HFW RU H[FHVVLYH VRGLXP LQWDNH rather than MSG itself. Evidence: $ VWXG\ SXEOLVKHG LQ WKH MRXUQDO Food Science & Nutrition UHYLHZHG PXOWLSOH UHVHDUFK SDSHUV DQG IRXQG QR FRQ FOXVLYH OLQN EHWZHHQ 06* DQG DGYHUVH KHDOWK HIIHFWV LQ QRUPDO GLHWDU\ DPRXQWV 06* FRQWDLQV RQH WKLUG OHVV VRGLXP WKDQ WDEOH VDOW PDNLQJ LW D KHDOWKLHU DOWHUQDWLYH IRU UHGXFLQJ VRGLXP LQWDNH

MYTH 3: *ROG¿VK KDYH D WKUHH VHFRQG memory THE TRUTH: *ROG¿VK FDQ UHPHPEHU things for months M DQ\ SHRSOH DVVXPH WKDW JROG¿VK DUH IRUJHWIXO FUHDWXUHV WKDW FDQ¶W UHWDLQ LQIRUPDWLRQ EH\RQG D IHZ VHFRQGV +RZHYHU UHVHDUFK KDV SURYHQ WKDW JROG¿VK KDYH ORQJ WHUP PHPRU\ DQG FDQ UHFDOO HYHQWV IRU ZHHNV HYHQ PRQWKV S WXGLHV IURP 3O\PRXWK 8QLYHUVLW\ LQ WKH 8. KDYH VKRZQ WKDW JROG¿VK FDQ EH WUDLQHG WR UHFRJQLVH VSHFLILF VRXQGV OHDUQ IHHGLQJ VFKHGXOHV DQG HYHQ QDYLJDWH PD]HV ,Q RQH H[SHULPHQW JROG¿VK ZHUH WUDLQHG WR SUHVV D OHYHU WR UHFHLYH IRRG DW D VSHFL¿F WLPH RI GD\ ± DQG WKH\ UHPHPEHUHG WKH WDVN ZHHNV ODWHU Evidence: %HKDYLRXUDO VWXGLHV VKRZ WKDW JROG¿VK FDQ DVVRFLDWH FHUWDLQ FXHV ZLWK UHZDUGV SURYLQJ WKH\ KDYH IDU PRUH PHPRU\ FDSDFLW\ WKDQ SUHYLRXVO\ EHOLHYHG

MYTH 4: Cracking your knuckles causes arthritis THE TRUTH: Cracking your knuckles does not lead to arthritis .QXFNOH FUDFNLQJ LV RIWHQ GLVFRXUDJHG EHFDXVH LW FDQ OHDG WR DUWKULWLV +RZHYHU QR VFLHQWL¿F VWXG\ KDV HYHU IRXQG D GLUHFW FRQQHFWLRQ EH WZHHQ WKH KDELW DQG MRLQW GLVHDVH T KH SRSSLQJ VRXQG WKDW RFFXUV ZKHQ FUDFN LQJ NQXFNOHV LV FDXVHG E\ WKH UHOHDVH RI JDV EXEEOHV LQ WKH V\QRYLDO ÀXLG ZKLFK OXEULFDWHV WKH MRLQWV 'U 'RQDOG 8QJHU IDPRXVO\ WHVWHG WKLV KLPVHOI ± KH FUDFNHG WKH NQXFNOHV RI RQH KDQG IRU \HDUV ZKLOH OHDYLQJ WKH RWKHU XQWRXFKHG 7KH UHVXOW" 1R DUWKULWLV LQ HLWKHU hand. Evidence: $ VWXG\ SXEOLVKHG LQ The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine IRXQG QR LQFUHDVHG ULVN RI DUWKULWLV DPRQJ KDELWXDO NQXFNOH FUDFNHUV FRPSDUHG to non-crackers.

MYTH 2: Sugar makes kids hyperactive THE TRUTH: Sugar has no proven link to hyperactivity in children M DQ\ SDUHQWV EHOLHYH WKDW WRR PXFK VXJDU OHDGV WR K\SHUDFWLYLW\ WDQWUXPV RU RXW RI FRQWURO EHKDYLRXU LQ FKLOGUHQ +RZHYHU VFLHQWL¿F VWXGLHV KDYH IRXQG QR GLUHFW OLQN EHWZHHQ VXJDU FRQVXPSWLRQ DQG K\SHUDFWLYLW\ A PDMRU UHYLHZ SXEOLVKHG LQ WKH Journal of the American Medical Association analysed PXOWLSOH VWXGLHV DQG FRQFOXGHG WKDW VXJDU GRHV QRW VLJQL¿FDQWO\ D̆ HFW FKLOGUHQ¶V EHKDYLRXU RU FRJQLWLYH SHUIRUPDQFH ,QVWHDG WKH SHUFHSWLRQ RI K\SHUDFWLYLW\ RIWHQ FRPHV IURP SDUHQWDO H[SHFWDWLRQV :KHQ SDUHQWV EHOLHYH WKHLU FKLOG KDV FRQVXPHG VXJDU WKH\¶UH PRUH OLNHO\ WR QRWLFH DQG ODEHO QRUPDO HQHUJHWLF EHKDYLRXU DV H[FHVVLYH Evidence: $ GRXEOH EOLQG VWXG\ ZKHUH VRPH FKLOGUHQ ZHUH JLYHQ VXJDU DQG RWKHUV D SODFHER IRXQG QR GL̆ HUHQFH LQ EHKDYLRXU ± H[FHSW LQ KRZ SDUHQWV SHUFHLYHG WKHLU FKLOG¶V HQHUJ\ OHYHOV