5 Common Body Myths You've Always Believed
There are many body myths which we have read and believed, and which have turned out not to be true. Often they are myths that have sunk deeply into our culture. In today’s article we’ll be dispelling 5 of those myths, so read on and enjoy!
Popular beliefs are so deeply rooted that we don’t question their validity. Despite this, you’ve probably discovered some that are blatantly wrong.
Today, let’s take a look at 5 harmful body myths that it’s time to forget.
5 body myths that you should forget
1. A good shampoo gets rid of split ends
Many shampoo ads and conditioners start with something like “Do you have split ends?” They try to convince you that using their product will fix the problem.
“You can finally have hair as long as you want, and you won’t have to visit your hair stylist to get healthy-looking hair!”
You can keep using this product over and over, never missing a day, and you might even believe you have hit on the right product.
However, it’s totally untrue. These products can stop hair from splitting so quickly, but once it’s split there’s only one option: Cut it.
2. We only use 10% of our brain
This is something we’re often told when we see a mentalist trick. These magicians try to tell us that they’ve learnt to use other parts of their brain for telepathy. They may even claim to have the power to change reality with their mind.
The whole idea about only using 10% of our brain is no more than another body myth. It has been shown that when we sleep, your cerebral cortex doesn’t stop working. In reality, we all use a large percentage of our brains.
See also: 7 Brain Foods to Help You Strengthen Your Cerebral Activity
3. When we’re adults, our cells stop reproducing
We tend to think that growing old is due to our cells not reproducing. This would be the cause for wrinkles on your skin and your bones hurting, after all.
However, this isn’t true at all. Your cellular systems are always working. They’re always causing changes. As time passes, your cell’s performance changes. But no matter what, they keep reproducing.
4. Teeth are white
We turn on the TV and there they are: all the celebrities with their immaculate, perfectly white teeth.
Then we look at ourselves in the mirror. This is when we realize that our teeth are yellow. And this is despite the fact that we brush our teeth every day. Why? It’s easy. This is their natural color!
Perfectly white teeth are the result of whiteners that can be toxic in the long run.
5. Our body is more vulnerable to colds when we’re cold
Perhaps this is the one that grabs your attention the most. Aren’t colds and flus more common in the winter? Yes, but this isn’t because our bodies are weakened by the cold.
Low temperatures keep the viruses alive and strong much longer. This means they can spread more quickly and beat our immune system.
It’s the strength of the virus that increases, not our vulnerability. Because of this, it’s wise to take vitamin C to avoid catching them. After all, if they’re strong, your immune system needs extra energy to fight them.
These myths about your body get in the way of taking care of ourselves. Because of this, it’s necessary for us to talk about them in order for us to discover what is actually true.
When we dispel these myths, we get a little closer to the truth about a healthy lifestyle. You can count on us if you’re worried about believing similar myths. We’ll be happy to give you answers.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Oral health conditions. (2016).
cdc.gov/oralhealth/conditions/index.html - Robynne Boyd, “Do People Only Use 10 Percent Of Their Brains?,” Scientific American, February 7, 2008
- Boldrini M, Fulmore CA, Tartt AN, Simeon LR, Pavlova I, Poposka V, et al. Human Hippocampal Neurogenesis Persists throughout Aging. Cell Stem Cell [Internet]. 2018 Apr 5 [cited 2019 Jan 24];22(4):589–599.e5. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29625071
- Tamerius J, Nelson MI, Zhou SZ, Viboud C, Miller MA, Alonso WJ. Global influenza seasonality: Reconciling patterns across temperate and tropical regions. Environmental Health Perspectives. 2011.
