6 Lies You’ve Been Told About Your Body

There is a lot of false information floating around. In fact, according to Rachel Vreeman, M.D., coauthor of “Don’t Put That in There! And 69 Other Sex Myths Debunked”, 90 to 95 percent of the tales we tell about our bodies just aren’t true.

Here are six health myths that—chances are—you’ve probably heard about and just don’t stand up to scientific scrutiny.

1. Your urine is sterile

Researchers at Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, found women’s urine harbors at least 85 species of bacteria. Though they haven’t yet done the definitive test, there’s no reason men’s would be different, says study coauthor Alan Wolfe, Ph.D.

2. You won’t get sick if you follow the 5-second rule

The so-called 5-second rule has been rigorously tested. The verdict: The amount of bacteria that end up on your snack depends not on how long it stayed on the ground, but on the type of food and the type of floor.

Moist, sticky baloney, for instance, will trap more bugs than dry, crusty bread. And slick tile, with bacteria sitting right on the surface, transfers more germs than wood or thick carpet, where bugs can burrow down a bit.

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3. Shaving causes hair to grow back thicker and darker

Looks can deceive: Running a razor over your hair near the root means you can see a larger portion of the shaft’s diameter when it grows back in, so it may appear temporarily dark and lush. But shaving more often than necessary might hurt rather than help your next playoff beard; you may yank out some hairs at the shaft, causing micro-damage to cells that actually results in thinner regrowth.

4. Bigger feet means a bigger penis

Although a gene called the Hox does play a role in the development of several appendages, including penises, toes, and fingers; it doesn’t appear to make all your limbs grow bigger at the same rate. And a new U.K. review of 17 studies that examined the average penis size of more than 15,000 men found that foot size wasn’t consistently linked to penis size—and neither were other common “indicators” like weight or length of index finger.

5. You lose most of your body heat through your head

The rate at which heat dissipates depends on the surface area of a body part and little else—the more exposed skin, the quicker you cool down. Studies of volunteers who entered cold chambers in everything from arctic survival suits to bathing suits confirm heat escapes approximately equally from every area.

This legend may live on due to circumstance—you’re a whole lot more likely to wear a coat, jeans, and no hat than you are to leave home in a stocking cap and boxers on a frigid day.

6. You only use 10 percent of your brain

Sorry, you probably don’t have a hidden genius lurking underneath some lazy brain cells. Brain scans fail to reveal a huge, dark expanse of neurons lying dormant—nearly all of your brain is working almost all the time. And brain damage almost anywhere in your white or grey matter causes noticeable effects.

Curated Article from Men’s Health