The truth behind old wives’ tales
We’ve all been told by parents or teachers to ‘wrap up warm’, ‘eat your greens’, ‘eat chicken soup when you’re ill’, ‘eat fish to improve your memory’, and even ‘don’t pull your face like that because if the wind changes it will stay that way’. Unsolicited advice from well-meaning elders that is generally ignored. But is there any truth in these words of wisdom? PanEssay went in search of the science behind these old wives’ tales.
Chicken soup ‘flu’ away
Chicken soup is a well-known remedy for the flu, often forced on children by mothers or grandmothers. But, does consuming a hot bowl of soup have any effect? Studies have shown that chicken soup can actually help reduce the inflammation associated with flu, and indeed any kind of soup can help relieve symptoms. Hot liquid reduces congestion by both increasing the movement of nasal mucous and dilating blood vessels to increase blood flow, helping the mucous to expel everything. Another benefit of soup is that it is hydrating, with water and salt both improving hydration; essential in fending off an infection. So, it’s not just chicken soup that helps you when you’re ill. Try vegetable soup as an alternative, as vegetables also have anti-inflammatory capabilities. Maybe mum was right making you eat that soup after all?
Brainpower booster or a fishy tale?
It has long been believed that omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish are an important brain food. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to be important for brain function and research has shown that these may slow the biological effects of ageing. However, more recent research suggests that this is not exactly the case, or rather that it’s not only the omega-3 fatty acids in fish that improve memory and cognition. Eating baked or grilled fish once a week was found to be linked to larger amounts of grey matter in specific areas of the brain; areas responsible for memory and cognition. The measured levels of omega-3 fatty acids varied considerably and seemed not to influence the increase in grey matter. This suggests that another causal factor is responsible for the larger volumes of grey matter associated with consuming fish.
Other research found that the speed of processing information among middle-aged men increased with higher levels of vitamin D, which is also found in oily fish. This association was of greater significance in men over 60 years. Although more research still needs to be conducted to figure out exactly what substances in oily fish are responsible for its status as a brain power booster, deciding to consume more fish seems like a no-brainer!
Carrots: a sight for sore eyes
Parents often used to tell their children to eat their carrots as it will help them see in the dark. Is there any truth to this? Carrots do contain vitamin A, specifically beta carotene, which is useful in protecting the cornea. So, carrots are generally good for your eyes and indeed, in some people with a vitamin A deficiency, poor sight can be reversed using supplements. However, the idea that carrots can enhance your night-time vision is false. Interestingly, this myth’s popularity is mainly attributed to WWII propaganda in Britain. The Royal Air Force in Britain started using radar technology called Airborne Interception Radar (AI) in 1939. This meant they were able to determine the location of enemy bombers before they arrived over Britain, even at night, and could shoot them down. To keep this secret, the government released propaganda suggesting that carrots were the reason for British pilots’ night-time success.
Bee kind to yourself – spread a little honey
Honey in your tea is an age-old remedy to alleviate coughs and sore throats. Studies have demonstrated that this remedy does actually work. Children with upper respiratory tract infections were given honey, which appeared to reduce their coughing and helped them sleep during their infection.
Honey has also been used in the past to help fight off infection. Bees produce a protein called defensin-1 that they add to honey. Defensin peptides are essentially natural antibiotics that act against a range of microorganisms: bacteria, fungi and some viruses. Defensin-1 in honey has also been shown to contribute to cutaneous wound closure. So next time you’re feeling under the weather with a sore throat, ‘bee’ kind to yourself and try a dose of honey.
Can your hair turn ‘white with fright’?
An often-heard old wives’ tale is that stress or fear will turn your hair white. And there are many stories of people’s hair suddenly turning white as a result of a stressful incident, such as an extremely difficult birth, loss of a loved one or, as with Marie Antoinette, impending decapitation. Does science back up this possibility?
There is evidence that stress hormones produce inflammation that increases the production of free radicals that could affect melanin production. If the signal to deliver melanin is disrupted, no melanin (pigment) is delivered to the keratinocytes that construct hair. Other studies have shown that hair greys when melanin-making cells produce hydrogen peroxide, which is usually broken down by an enzyme called catalase. As this enzyme production drops with age, hydrogen peroxide builds up and blocks melanin production.
That explains a more gradual greying process in response to stress, but what about that sudden ‘white with fright’ phenomenon? A condition known as alopecia ariata, thought to be caused by a stress-induced autoimmune response, may result in the sudden shedding of pigmented hair, leaving the already white hair unaffected.
So, a severe shock could trigger hair loss, with only the pigmented hairs falling out, leaving someone who already has some grey with a head of grey/white hair. But all your hair turning white with fright? We can dismiss that to the realms of fiction.
Don’t crack your knuckles or you’ll suffer from arthritis when you’re my age
Teachers and parents are fond of this one, but is there any evidence to support the claim?
Various knuckle-cracking studies have so far been unable to find a link with arthritis. Researchers in all the studies conducted to date have concluded that the likelihood of suffering from arthritis is the same whether you crack your knuckles or not.
However, if knuckle-cracking floats your boat you should be wary as there is evidence to suggest that the habit may not be completely harmless and may result in higher rates of inflammation and a weaker grip. Not to mention the fact that’s it’s annoying for your flatmates. If you’re a knuckle-cracker and want to break the habit, various therapies are available. Although the well-known rubber band method (snapping a rubber band around your wrist whenever the knuckle-crack urge emerges) may be just as irritating for those around you as your original habit!
Wrap up warm or you’ll catch a cold
Over 200 viruses can cause the unpleasant symptoms associated with the common cold; coughing, sore throat, a bunged-up or runny nose, headaches and sneezing. So, if colds are caused by viruses why have mums throughout the ages told us to wrap up warm?
Well there is evidence to suggest that becoming chilled might give you a cold. Rhinoviruses, the most common causes of colds, have been shown to reproduce more easily at just below body temperature. When a virus invades warmer cells, the host cells produce many more interferons that inhibit the spread of a virus by instigating an immune response. However, this warning system is less efficient in the cooler nasal cavity, allowing the virus to spread more easily. Moreover, more recent studies show that latent infection can be activated when parts of the body are chilled.
Many people are mildly infected with viruses and show no symptoms. However, if they become chilled the blood vessels in the nose constrict, shutting off the warm blood supply to leukocytes, allowing the dormant infection to take hold.
So, mothers seem to be right on this one. Not only should you wrap up warm, you should wear a scarf to keep your nose warm. You can even buy nose-warmers these days, but they look so weird that a cold may be preferable.
A difficult pregnancy or labour? It must be a boy!
It’s long been believed that that if you have a difficult pregnancy, labour and birth you’re likely to be having a boy. There’s now evidence that this old wives’ tale may be true.
A 2015 study examined the emotion of aversion and how it differs according to the sex of the baby. Researchers suggested that aversion was a protective mechanism that helps the mother avoid risk during pregnancy. The study showed that, in boy pregnancies, aversion remained high in the second trimester. The researchers suggest that male foetuses are more vulnerable to their environment, with mothers presenting protective behaviours for longer to compensate for this.
Another study analysing over 8,000 births showed that, on average, labour for boy births lasts longer and that delivery complications were more likely. Overall, 29 percent of boy deliveries required additional intervention opposed to 24 percent for girls.
A possible reason is that boys tend to weigh more at birth than girls and have larger heads. Boys also appear to suffer more distress in the womb and are more vulnerable shortly after birth, with the more difficult delivery possibly playing a role in this.
So, boys make life difficult for themselves and those around them; who’d a thunk it?