Myths Vs Facts | 15 common myths most people think are actually facts.

We’ve had a lot of misconceptions about certain myths which we think are actually true. Because most stories were told to us when we were quite young, passed from generations to generations or even by close friends as adults, or maybe by our teachers, and since almost everyone believes same, we tend to also establish them as facts.

This post intends to debunk certain myths which through the years, have sat in our minds as facts. I also thought a lot of them were true since they were widely believed.

Here are 15 common myths debunked.

1 The whole 10–percent brain ‘thing‘:

It is believed that only about 10% of the human brain is used because the brain is too large an organ to be used daily. Oh well, this may sound true but neurologists disagree. The fact is, even though the proportion of the brain used at any one time is task-dependent, ultimately, every region is used daily even while we’re asleep.

According to Wikipedia

2 Adam and Eve ate apple in the garden of eden:

No where in the book of Genesis was it stated that it was an Apple. It clearly stated that they ate the ‘forbidden fruit‘ from the tree of knowledge.

3 Microwave radiation can cause cancer:

I honestly thought this to be true and even had to reduce the number of times I use the microwave to heat up foods. But most experts say microwave ovens don’t give off enough energy to damage DNA in cells so they can’t cause cancer. Only a few types of radiation causes cancer and this depends on the dose. The sun for example, can cause cancer but just enough is needed for vitamin D too.

Source: Cancer council

4 The capital of Australia is Sydney:

Honestly, a lot of people think so. Sydney is one of the largest and most popular cities in Australia so it can be excused. If I’m asked the capital of Australia in a quiz competition, I’d probably say Sydney too but no! The capital of Australia is actually Canberra.

5 Tomatoes are a vegetable:

Just because we can heat it doesn’t make it so. It’s actually a fruit!

6 Chameleons change colour to match their surroundings:

No! They actually change colours as a response to mood, temperature, communication and light and not the object they are touching.

This article about their nature buttresses some facts.

7 Sitting too close to the TV is bad for your eyes:

I rarely sit too close to any TV because ‘it will make me have a bad sight‘. Neither do I encourage anyone around me. However, experts say the most this would do is give you a headache from eye fatigue. The rumuor started with old TVs because they produced some X-rays but modern/newer TVs don’t. However, sitting too close to TV could be a symptom of nearsightedness.

Read: From WebMD

8 Sugar causes Diabetes:

Eating sugar won’t give you diabetes even though Diabetes associations recommend people avoid eating excess sugar because they could increase the risk of having diabetes. Diabetes is a complex condition and there is no evidence to prove sugar is the direct cause of it. Excess weight and inactivity are contributing factors. However, the failure of pancreas to secrete enough insulin needed to convert excess sugar to glucose often leads to diabetes. The body can become resistant to insulin too. And diabetes can also be hereditary.

Read: Diabetes

9 It takes seven years for gum to digest if you mistakenly swallow it:

Absolutely No! Gum is mostly indigestible. But the little pieces you occasionally do swallow will take the exit door through the anus as it is with other substances the body doesn’t need and can’t digest. The only time this can pose a problem if it’s swallowed along with anything that shouldn’t be in your stomach. E.g. Coin.

This article from Kids health organization stresses further.

10 Bananas grow on trees:

Although we usually call it ‘banana tree‘ and it sure looks like a tree, the stem doesn’t contain woods or wood tissues. And so it is a herbaceous plant meaning it grows on herbs.

11 Eating late at night will make you fat:

The truth is, calories are calories no matter when you take it. There’s no particular hour that determines the calories must be stored as fat. If you’re hungry late at night, it’s advisable to feed your body. What you eat and How much you eat is by far more important than when you eat it.

Read: about eating late and weight gain.

12 A healthy teeth should be perfectly white:

And so a lot of people have gone ahead to ‘bleach’ their teeth because it should be white. Cavities grow even in white teeth you know? Dentists say a healthy tooth’s natural colour is slightly yellow.

Read: healthy teeth.

13 Split–ends in hair can be cured with shampoos or conditioners:

Actually, this is an advertising campaign hair shampoo/conditioner manufacturers use to sell their products. The fact remains and there’s no two ways about it, that split-ends are cured by simply cutting them off!

14 Anti–perspirants/ deodorants cause breast cancer:

Some scientists think chemicals found in these could be absorbed through the under-arm and then end up in the breast tissue and lead to cancer. But Cancer institutes say there’s no proven evidence connecting such products with breast cancer.

Read from: National Cancer Institute.

15 Men are from Mars, women are from Venus:

Arrrhh. Someone help me understand! We’re from different planets? Really? This myth came from men/women psychological analysis in the book titled same by John Gray. It isn’t an established fact.

And so… there you go! I find them all quite fascinating. Sometimes the things we think are common knowledge are mere myths and urban legends. I also shared seven other traditional myths in this post.

If you have other popular myths and urban legends,  please leave a comment. This list is by no way exhaustive!

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Update: I have added some Links to help you research further if you wish.

See you soon.

Jessica Ijay Hugo