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8 Medical Myths: Which Should You Believe?

By Reader's Digest Editors

Updated on Feb. 13, 2017

Grandma’s wisdom: Ginger is good for upset stomachs. Science says: Yes. Good evidence shows ginger reduces nausea.

1 / 8

Grandma's wisdom: Ginger is good for upset stomachs.

Science says: Yes. Good evidence shows ginger reduces nausea.

2 / 8

Grandma's wisdom: Swimming after eating can lead to cramps and drowning.

Science says: Not exactly, but not completely wrong either. After you eat, blood gets shunted to your digestive tract and away from exercising muscles. That can lead to a buildup of lactic acid in your muscles, so swimming a few laps too soon after lunch could cause a sudden (though not fatal) cramp.

3 / 8

Grandma's wisdom: Honey speeds healing.

Science says: Yes. Mild to moderate burns (but not other types of wounds) heal faster if you spread honey on them — maybe because it creates a moist, antibacterial environment that promotes tissue growth.

4 / 8

Grandma's wisdom: Put butter on a burn.

Science says: No. There's no evidence of a benefit from butter.

5 / 8

Grandma's wisdom: Sleeping in air-conditioning can give you a chill.

Science says: She may be onto something. Air conditioners dry out the protective layer of mucus along nasal passages, which likely allows viruses to infect you more easily. Viruses reproduce faster inside a cold nose too.

6 / 8

Grandma's wisdom: If you go out with wet hair, you'll catch a cold.

Science says: Maybe. Some research indicates (but doesn't prove) that a wet head helps cold viruses take hold, by tightening blood vessels in the nose and making it harder for white blood cells to reach the viruses and fight them off.

7 / 8

Grandma's wisdom: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Science says: Granny's overstating this fruit's potency. Still, the peel is a good source of quercetin, an important antioxidant that, studies suggest, helps lower blood pressure, fight asthma and allergies, and prevent heart attacks.

8 / 8

Grandma's wisdom: Chocolate gives you pimples.

Science says: Not quite. Chocolate bars might trigger an acne flare-up, but if so, the culprit is probably the sugar, milk, and gooey fillings, not the cocoa.

See also:
8 Weight Loss Secrets from Around the World
Expert Advice: How to Talk to a Doctor
Gum: Can It Make You Smarter and Slimmer?

Reader's Digest
Originally Published in Reader's Digest