Clearing up an old wives tale.....

So, as I was told 10 times today, by my mother, to dry my hair before I go outside because I "would catch my death" and it made me think of all the old wives tales that have been going around over the years that people truly live by, that really have no medical standing.

Going out with wet hair will make you sick:
There is no science behind this fact.  I mean, it makes you cold and it stinks because in the cold weather your hair tends to freeze and look crappy BUT it won't make you sick, and it won't kill you!!

Pulling out a gray/white hair will cause ten more to grow in its place:
This is so NOT true.  If it was true, then wouldn't every guy who was about to bald pull out any graying hair and then have a full head of hair in a week?  It's not a great idea to pull out your hair, but I wax so who am I to judge....just stick to getting a "color rinse" as my mom likes to say and live it up with new colors instead of pulling them out!

Lettuce can counteract drunkenness and bring on labor in young women:
Lettuce is a vegetable (specifically iceberg) that has a high amount of water property, so it can help with dehydration of being drunk, which is not necessarily better than drinking water....because I would imagine that you would have to eat a whole head of iceberg to equal an 8oz glass of water, which would make me throw up.  And, I guess if you are focused on eating lettuce you aren't drinking...BUT there is no magic there, and I can find no scientific reason that it will sober you up!  Also, there is nothing in lettuce that would spur on labor....sex will do it, walking, bouncing, jumping, any sort of physical activity really, but no link to lettuce!

Mandrake makes people fertile, fall in love, and helps clairvoyants "see":
So Mandrake is a root plant that is part of the nightshade family (toxic) that is filled with things that mess with humans bodies and brains.  It has properties of scopolamine (like what you take if you get sea sick), atropine (a natural hormone in the body), and various hallucinogenic derivatives.  So, I don't know how many of you messed with hallucinogens in your younger years, but on shrooms or acid, you can fall in love with a rock or a feather as you would a human, so that part is bunk. Helping clairvoyants see?  I don't know, I guess I cannot speak to that, but again any sort of hallucinogen can make people "see" stuff, and I think that a true clairvoyant should be able to "see" without the aid of drugs, right?  I'm coming off as snarky, but I really am not sure on this one.  And, as far as the fertility is concerned (or men) it really hasn't been studied but I imagine that anything that is as toxic to humans as mandrake wouldn't aid in fertility, but if it is some sort of mental block or stress as the reason why pregnancy isn't occurring, maybe a different herbal stress reliever might do the trick?  Something a little less toxic and at least legal decriminalized in a few states should do it ;)

Mistletoe is an antidote to poison:
Mistletoe IS a poison to both canines and humans!!  It is sold as Iscador or Helixor in extract forms and is used in the EU as an aid for respiratory and circulatory ailments, and a few physicians in Switzerland and Germany use this treatment regularly.  In lab studies it showed that it killed certain (not specified which ones) tumor cells and supported a healthy immune system BUT in animal studies there were very poor outcomes.  Things can be very different in a controlled test tube versus what actually happens in a working body system!   It can cause GI upset, diarrhea, and slowed pulse when ingested, and it is usually considered a poisoning when people ingest it.  A few years ago Suzanne Somers decided to use it in lieu of chemotherapy for her cancer, but she also had surgery to remove the tumor, then took the herbal supplements.  So, no it isn't an antidote to poison, but it may have some healing properties in the future....I would discuss this further with your HCP if you are looking for a different option for cancer treatment.

If you eat a watermelon seed, a watermelon will grow in your stomach:
Ok, so this is obviously not true  your stomach acids eat away at the seed just like anything else and you break it down and poop it out!!  But I did want to tell you about swallowing gum, it doesn't stay in your stomach forever, or for 7 years as some people say, it does however slow your digestion because it is hard for your body to break down.  So, you do pass it, but it is not good to swallow your gum because your gut has to work so hard at breaking it down, it can cause an increase in stomach acids....over time that can lead to an ulcer or difficulty with digestion.

Any other old wives tales I may have missed that you guys are interested in???  Let me know and I will sort it out!!

Yours in Good Health
B