Don't Cross Your Eyes...They'll Get Stuck That Way!: And 75 Other Health Myths Debunked by Aaron E. Carroll Read Free Book Online

the single-mindedness of his calling.
    The idea that hot air or jet air dryers are superior (in cleanliness or drying ability) is simply a myth.

Bubbles
    The bubbles in soda will make your bones brittle
    There are plenty of arguments to be made about the negative nutritional effects of soda, especially nondiet soda, which is full of empty sugar calories. One thing about soda that is not harmful, though, is its carbonation. In spite of this, many people believe that the bubbles in soda will negatively affect your bone structure.
    This belief can be blamed, in part, on misunderstanding some studies from the turn of this century. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that excess urinary excretion of calcium occurred when people drank carbonated drinks with caffeine. That means that people drinking carbonated, caffeinated drinks were peeing out more calcium. However, this study also noted that, later in the day, the kidneys compensated by lowering the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. This meant the overall loss of calcium was negligible. They concluded that the seemingly negative bone health effects of drinking carbonated beverages were likely due to the fact that people drinking soda were less likely to drink milk. Since this research was funded in part by Dairy Management, Inc., a significant conflict of interest exists.
    There is some evidence that carbonated cola drinks might have some connection with weaker bones. Another study was conducted by scientists at Tufts University. They looked at data from 2,500 women and men (ages forty-nine to sixty-nine) who took part in the Framingham Osteoporosis Study. They found that noncola carbonated drinks were not associated with low bone mineral density; cola intake, on the other hand, was associated with lower bone mineral density at the hip in women, but not in men, and in neither group’s spines. There was a dose response, in that women who drank more cola had more of an effect. Contradicting the theorizing at the end of the study, women who drank more cola did not drink less milk, although their overall intake of calcium was lower. This study offers some suggestion that there might be a tie between weaker bones and cola, but not with carbonation.
    Backing this up is an additional study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2005. Researchers gathered a group of otherwise healthy women who had gone through menopause and compared those who drank noncarbonated mineral water to those who drank carbonated mineral water. Specifically, they looked at whether tests of blood and urine could detect changes in bone turnover, a sign of bone weakening. They could detect no differences after eight weeks. The carbonation alone clearly does not make a difference.
    Even the studies that came out against soda in some way focus on colas. None specifically implicates carbonation. There seem to be no problems with sparkling mineral water or seltzer. The carbonation is not to blame for any bone mineral problems or for low levels of calcium. And even if you think caffeine or other things in colas might take away your body’s calcium, go ahead and make sure to get enough calcium from other sources. But don’t worry about the bubbles. They won’t do you any harm.

Caffeine
    Caffeine stunts your growth
    Aaron loves coffee. Loves it. In fact, he’s somewhat of a coffee nut and has been known to roast his own beans. But when he was young, his parents—like many of yours—told him that he couldn’t drink coffee because it would stunt his growth. That was the line in Rachel’s family too, but since they were all tall Dutch people who had consumed massive amounts of coffee from young ages, the threat didn’t hold much credence.
    It’s not totally clear where this myth comes from. Ironically, some believe it stems from the same literature that allegedly linked carbonation to brittle bones. If you remember, those studies found that it wasn’t the