Things Your Mom Told You: Fact vs. Fiction

It's the cold and flu season, which reminds you of dear old Mom and her advice for staying well in the winter. You remember, stuff like, "Starve a cold, feed a fever", and "Wear an extra layer so you don't catch a cold".

Well, some of those sayings were pretty good advice, and some not so much. Here's the truth, according to science!!

“Bundle up or else you’ll catch a cold” - There’s still some debate about this one.  Some doctors think kids are sick more during winter because they’re stuck inside breathing recycled air.  The truth?  A new study from Yale found that our immune systems aren’t as good at fighting off viruses when it’s colder, so being outside in winter might not be good.  Basically, mom was right.  Put your coat on, young lady.

“Chicken soup is the best cure for a cold” - Of course, there’s no “cure” for a cold but the soup will make you feel better.  Pulmonary specialist, Stephen Rennard gave study subjects some of his wife’s chicken soup and he found that it “affected the behavior of virus-fighting neutrophils and reduced inflammation.”  So mom was right.

“Feed a cold, starve a fever” - Mom got this half right: you shouldn’t starve anything.  The body needs energy to fight viruses and fevers burn calories, you need to replace them.  Take the opportunity to have mom feed you! (that is, if she can cook)

“Don’t sit so close to the TV” - Was mom right that we’d ruin our eyes?  Not so much.  Dr. Lisa Lowery, from Grand Rapids' Spectrum Health, says this one is an old wives’ tale.  She does warn that kids may have more eye strain from all the devices they use.  She suggests they “rest their eyes and not stare at screens for long periods of time.”  Try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, have them look 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.

“Wait a half hour after eating to go swimming” - So you don’t get cramps and drown, right?  Sorry mom, but there’s no actual evidence to back this up.

“Don’t shower during a thunderstorm” - It seems crazy to think of lightning striking your pipes and zapping you while showering but the American Red Cross agrees with mom here and advises avoiding running water and showering during a thunderstorm.

“Stop cracking your knuckles” - Mom was wrong, it won’t actually cause arthritis. The sound happens as the gasses escape the synovial fluid.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” - Researchers looked at 36 studies on how breakfast affects a kid’s performance at school.  They found that kids who ate breakfast made higher grades.  Another point for mom.

“Stop crossing your legs” - Mom may have threatened that this would cause varicose veins, but she was wrong and 12 studies out there prove it.

“Don’t stay up late” - Mom was right here, kids do need sleep.  A study from UCLA showed kids who stayed up late did worse on tests.  Dr. Lowery says kids need 8-9 hours a night and teenagers need 9-10.