Common medical beliefs: untrue & unproven

What you see or believe in some of the common medical myths is not proven or not true, according to a study in the Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal.

For example, they found no evidence supporting the need to drink eight glasses of water a day. In fact, studies suggest that adequate fluid intake is often met by the consumption of juice, milk, and even caffeinated beverages. Clinical evidence also points to the dangers of drinking excessive amounts of water.The belief that we only use ten percent of our brains is refuted by studies of patients with brain damage, which suggest that damage to almost any area of the brain has specific and lasting effects on mental, vegetative, and behavioural capabilities, say the authors. Brain imaging studies also show that no area of the brain is completely silent or inactive.

The belief that hair and fingernails continue to grow after death may be an optical illusion caused by retraction of the skin after death, they add. The actual growth of hair and nails requires a complex interplay of hormonal regulation not present after death.

Illusion may be to blame for the belief that shaving hair causes it to grow back faster, darker, and coarser, they say. The stubble resulting from shaving grows out without the finer taper seen at the ends of unshaven hair, giving the impression of thickness and coarseness.

Reading in dim light does not damage your eyes, and there is little evidence to support beliefs such as banning mobile phones from hospitals on the basis of electromagnetic interference.

My two cents: all of these medical beliefs range from unproven to untrue at least for this second. Of course we should constantly evaluate the validity of the study as we know everything is about relativity. There is not absolutely right or wrong especially in the field of science. That is why we continue to learn new stuff/finding/discovery everyday.

P.S: I will be going back to hometown later for this weekend. So will not be able to blog till Sunday. But will update you guys through twitter, k!! cheers

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