‘Carrots improve eyesight’: 8 common MYTHS debunked

It’s hard to know where some of these misconceptions even started. You may have even believed a few of these misconceptions religiously, too. But now you can impress your mates at the pub with these eight common myths debunked. Thanks to Best Life for the inspiration behind some of these.

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COMMON MYTHS DEBUNKED

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1. WE ONLY USE 10% OF OUR BRAINS

This is a classic. Us using only 10% of our brains is nothing but a myth. Famed neurologist Barry Gordon told Scientific American that we in fact use every part of the brain. Not only that, but, our brains are active almost all the time, even when we’re asleep. The narrative is one perpetuated by institutions to keep us believing we’re unintelligent.

2. BULLS CAN SEE RED

“Like a red rag to a bull,” as the saying goes. Sure, matadors do often wave red capes at bulls in the arena, but the colour red does not in fact anger the bull at all. According to the American Science Guide, bulls are red-green colorblind. It’s not the colour but the actions of the bull fighter that get the animal fired up.

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3. GOLDFISH THREE-SECOND MEMORY

Goldfish having a three second memory is yet another of those common myths debunked. You can argue all you like if keeping a goldfish in a tank is humane, but they do not have as short a memory as many believe. Several researchers have proven a goldfish’s memory span can be as long as five months.

4. DON’T SWIM AFTER EATING

No one knows where this commonly held belief came from but it ran rife when you were a kid, am I right? The thinking is your stomach muscles will cramp if you swim after eating and you could drown. Yet another one of our common myths debunked. Don’t stress, you can swim right after that lekker braai.

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5. CRACKING KNUCKLES CAUSES ARTHRITIS

According to Harvard Medical School, cracking your knuckles will not cause arthritis. As unseemly as it may be, the cracking noise comes from collapsing gas bubbles around the bones and cartilage. However, over time, the habit may weaken the strength of your grip, so try not over do it.

6. CARROTS IMPROVE EYESIGHT

Experts have long since proven that if you have poor vision, eating carrots will not make a blind bit of difference to your visual acuity. However, suffering from insufficient vitamin A – which is present in carrots and many other vegetables – can result in blindness later in life. So maybe you should keep up regular vegetable intake.

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7. LIGHTING NEVER STRIKES TWICE

In our list of common myths debunked, this is alarmingly false. People often use the old adage, “lightning never strikes the same place twice.” Scientically proven by NASA, it most certainly does. That’s why golfers and cricketers leave the field during vicious Highveld thunderstorms. Lighting strikes the same place twice about a third of the time.

8. DRINK EIGHT GLASSES OF WATER A DAY

Eight glasses is a good number to aim for, but there is no hard and fast rule for healthy living. Experts from the Mayo Clinic say your daily water needs depend on several different factors. Your overall health, how much activity you did that day, the temperature where you live, etc. There is no finite number of glasses of water that applies across the board. Do by all means keep hydrating though, because it is good for you.

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Be sure to share your thoughts with our audience in the comments section below about these common myths debunked. Are there any you believed without question? And don’t forget to follow us @TheSANews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest updates.