Posted 3:16 p.m. Wednesday, April 1, 2015
UW-La Crosse professor takes another look at myths, urban legends and old wives’ tales.
- Gelatin is made by boiling bones, skins and hides of cows and pigs … TRUE! Gelatin simply is processed protein. Commercial gelatin is made by boiling the bones, skins and hides of cows and pigs.
- Drinking water before a meal helps you lose weight … TRUE! There’s not much research on this, but one study did find that having adults aged 55 to 75 drink 16 ounces of water before eating breakfast, lunch and dinner resulted in them consuming fewer calories.
- Eating healthy is more expensive … FALSE! When you look at food in terms of cost per unit of weight or the cost per average portion, health foods cost less than unhealthy foods.
- You should avoid cat litter boxes when you are pregnant … TRUE! Toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by a parasite, can result in mild flu-like symptoms — but it can also cause miscarriage or still birth, or brain damage or severe visual impairments for the baby. The parasite that causes this can be found in cat feces, as well as raw or undercooked meat, unpasteurized milk or contaminated soil or water.
- The beam of a laser pointer can damage vision … TRUE! Normal laser pointers range in power from 1-5 milliwatts which is safe, unless you stare directly at the beam for 10 seconds or longer. Be careful. Many pointers are not manufactured to federal specifications.
- Taping a copper penny to a bee sting will relieve the pain … FALSE! There is no research or medical evidence that proves this. The myth became popular in 2006 when an email about it went viral.
- Watches in advertisements are almost always set on 10:10 … TRUE! An article in the New York Times by Andrew Sam Newman confirmed that of the 100 top-selling men’s dress watches on Amazon.com, all but three were set to 10:10. One reason: Many manufacturers imprint their logos directly below the 12, so a watch set at 10:10 frames and draws attention to the logo.
- Expensive vitamins are better than store brands … FALSE! Medical experts say it’s best to get nutrients directly from food and beverages. A 2010 Consumer Reports Magazine test found that store brands did just as well as national brands, at a lower price.
- The average office has hundreds of times more bacteria than a toilet seat … TRUE! A 2005 study at the University of Arizona found that office items such as phones, copy machines and keyboards harbor more bacteria than toilet seats.
- It is dangerous to wake a sleepwalker … FALSE! Sleep Expert Mark Pressman writes in a “Sleep Medicine Clinics” article that waking sleepwalkers will cause no harm. But, he adds, sleepwalkers may react defensively when someone attempts to wake them.