We investigated the recommendations that the zealous ladies give to their children saying that it is for the good of the people and – aha! – we discovered that most of them are really bad!!! We know that the intention is good, but check out how a lot of things we’ve heard our whole lives are pure nonsense!
1) “Wear a sweater, otherwise you will catch the flu!”
Why is it bullshit? – Colds and flu are caused by viruses, not cold air. Those who don’t wear proper clothes may even have hypothermia, but they won’t necessarily get an infection. So what explains the higher incidence of respiratory problems in winter? Doctors believe that they attack more during this period because of the crowding of people in closed places, which facilitates contamination.
Don’t be a jerk! – That doesn’t mean, of course, that you’re going to be macho and go out in the middle of winter in slippers, shorts and a T-shirt. In addition to being freezing cold, you will still win the «dumb trophy of the month»
2) “Take your finger out of your nose, otherwise it will grow too long!”
Why is it bullshit? – Picking your nose all day, let’s face it, is beyond disgusting. But nobody turns Pinocchio because of that, because what determines nasal growth is, above all, the genetics of each one – those who have proboscis parents hardly escape. Only fractures or drastic changes in the breathing pattern can cause the organ to grow abnormally.
Don’t be a jerk! – For those teenagers who are worried about the size of their nose, know that, from 10 to 15 years old, it is normal for it to give a generous stretch. But the pace slows down a lot after that age
3) “Turn off the TV, otherwise you will ruin your view!”
Why is it bullshit? – The reason may be noble – after all, being glued to the TV all day is nothing –, but the argument is flawed. Staring at the TV or computer for many hours can give you a headache or make your eyes dry, as we tend to blink less often. But the effects are always reversible, and the risk of impairing eyesight is zero.
Don’t be a jerk! – Anyway, it’s worth a tip: if you need to be glued to the screen for a long time, get up from your chair every hour to rest your eyes for a few minutes
4) “Stop biting your nails, otherwise you will pierce your stomach!”
Why is it bullshit? – The habit of biting your nails is quite disgusting, but it doesn’t cause holes inside your belly. Nail chips can, at most, scratch the digestive system, causing some discomfort. But they are not sharp enough to pierce the walls of the guts.
Don’t be a jerk! – But this addiction can, yes, bring damage to health. Teeth wear down and are sometimes displaced from their original position. Dirty fingers, on the other hand, launch bacteria into the mouth. Those who chew their nails still expose their fingers to infections
5) “Stop snapping those fingers or they’ll thicken!”
Why is it bullshit? – There is no scientific evidence to prove this legend, told in families for several generations. “Natural” cracks, which occur due to body movements, are absolutely healthy and do not usually cause any damage to the joints.
Don’t be a jerk! – However, those who keep snapping their fingers because of some nervous tic are at risk of detonating the cartilage that covers the joint area. And this, in the long term, can favor the emergence of a problem, such as arthritis.
6) “Give the video game a break, otherwise the TV will burn!”
Why is it bullshit? – Anyone who spends hours on end pressing buttons to clear a game can: a) fail at school; b) being without a girlfriend, and c) increasing energy consumption. But screwing up the TV is bullshit for the child to let go of the remote. What kills the TV is the number of hours of use – whether to watch soap operas, cheer for your favorite team or kick ass at games
Don’t be a jerk! – The only thing that can speed up the process of TV wear and tear is displaying still images for too long. But most programs and games have features to prevent this from happening.
7) “Get out of front of the mirror, otherwise lightning will catch you!”
Why is it bullshit? – Another whale! Standing in front of a mirror indoors does not in any way increase the risk of someone being struck by lightning. This legend, according to the researchers, must have emerged during colonial Brazil, when mirrors had large metallic frames that reached the floor – with this type of furniture, as with any metallic object in contact with the ground, the risk of attracting damn it’s real
Don’t be a jerk! – On the other hand, landlines are dangerous, yes, on these occasions, as lightning usually falls on telephone poles and wires, which conduct electrical discharges into the house and, from there, to your ear! It’s also good to avoid cell phones and cordless phones outside when the sky is overcast, as they can attract lightning.
8) “Have a glass of milk to settle that stomach!”
Why is it bullshit? – Truth be told: milk, being alkaline, ends up neutralizing stomach acids and relieves stomach pain. But this effect only lasts for a few minutes after drinking the liquid, because the calcium in the milk, after being absorbed by the intestines, ends up triggering the production of more acid – which attacks the stomach again! So, unless you want to explode from drinking milk, no drinking it as a gastritis remedy!
Don’t be a jerk! – Another nonsense involving milk is the myth that, if drunk with mango, it is harmful. The two foods do not cause any negative effects when they are ingested at the same time. On the contrary: they form a cocktail full of nutrients, such as vitamins and mineral salts.
9) “If you don’t eat all the food, the children of Africa will starve!”
Why is it bullshit? – This psychological terrorism that some mothers love to do is baseless. It’s okay that it’s not nice to throw food away, but some leftovers on the plate are nothing compared to what is discarded, for example, by supermarkets and distribution centers – at Ceagesp alone, a supply center in São Paulo, almost 100 tons of food go to waste every day!
Don’t be a jerk! – One out of every six people in the world (ie more than 1 billion people!) is hungry. What scares the most is that the planet produces enough food to feed the entire world population. The problem is social inequality, waste and inadequate distribution of food.
10) “More than one Yakult a day is bad!”
Why is it bullshit? – This fib helps mothers save on their grocery bill. If the child wants to drink one, two or even three glasses of Yakult – or similar ones – a day, the risk of having a problem is zero. That’s if we leave aside the cavities, of course, because the drink has sugar and can destroy your teeth if brushing is done poorly.
Don’t be a jerk! – There are no studies that guarantee the safety of ingesting more than three servings per day. That’s because the probiotics (micro-organisms present in this type of drink) are actually alive when they reach the intestine and, if there is an infestation of these good bacteria, they can mess up our metabolism!
11) “Eating carrots is good for your eyes”
Why is it bullshit? – A balanced diet is vital for health. But this talk that eating carrots is good for the eyes doesn’t stick. Despite being rich in vitamin A, which is essential for the functioning of vision, the root does not guarantee that you will escape becoming a “four-eyes”.
Don’t be a jerk! – The carrot would even be useful in cases of night blindness, a condition that affects people with severe vitamin A deficiency. But, when someone reaches that point, it is a sign that what is really missing is food on the plate – and then the carrot helps , yes, but it is to satisfy the hunger…
12) “Wait for the cake to cool down before eating it, otherwise you’ll feel sick!”
Why is it bullshit? – Devouring a slice of cake fresh out of the oven does not carry any serious risk, let alone a fatal stomach ache. Another fib is that the yeast in the dough would continue to swell inside the body, until our guts burst. Why then do mothers insist on these stories? Simple: to prevent the cake from running out before they can serve it!
Don’t be a jerk! – Your belly will not swell, but be careful, because those in a hurry, instead of eating it raw, can burn their tongue and even their throat if the delicacy is too hot!
13) “Children who drink coffee do not grow!”
Why is it bullshit? – There is no scientific study to prove this legend. What is known is that coffee increases blood pressure and boosts our disposition, keeping sleep away. But it doesn’t lose weight or hinder growth. Research has shown that the caffeine ingested in a few cups of coffee barely interferes with the body’s absorption of calcium.
Don’t be a jerk! – But there is a catch in relation to coffee: because it is a strong stimulant, the drink should not be offered to very young children. Unless, of course, the parents want to stay up all night…
14) “Stop scratching your eyes, otherwise you might detach your retina!”
Why is it bullshit? – That’s a half-truth. It’s just that moving your eyes too much can even cause this problem. It turns out that this only happens with people who have already had detachment before or who have very high myopia, with a degree greater than 6, because in these cases the retina is very fragile. But the rule does not apply to most people, who, by scratching their eyes too much, run another risk: that of throwing some dirt into them and causing an eye infection.
Don’t be a jerk! – A problem that can indeed be triggered by the act of scratching the eyes too much is a disease called keratoconus, which causes a change in the shape of the cornea, the membrane that covers the eyes
15) “Girl, never wash your hair when you have your period!”
Why is it bullshit? – This myth is one of the most absurd of all. When a woman is menstruating, there is no problem in taking a shower, washing her hair or getting into the pool – as long as she uses protection, such as a pad, of course. The only explanation for this legend would be the slight reduction in immunity that some girls suffer when they are “in those” days. Combining this fact with the legend that cold water causes the flu, some ladies recommend this to their daughters. pure nonsense
Don’t be a jerk! – But it is worth keeping an eye on a recommendation from mothers regarding bathing: not to sleep with soaked hair. As they will take longer to dry, it is almost certain that, in winter, you will end up getting cold at night.