5 summer health myths debunked
There are all sorts of cautions mothers everywhere tell children. In the summer especially, these are popular with all the time we spend outdoors. But are all old wives’ tales true?
- Wait 30 minutes after eating before swimming.
Partially true. More blood is drawn to your stomach and intestine after eating, which could give you cramps. But that only holds water (haha, get it?) if you’re eating a really heavy meal and planning on doing some serious laps across the pool.
- You don’t need to shower after swimming
False. This shouldn’t even be a myth, it’s just unhygienic. Soap and scrubbing with water rubs off dead skin cells and bacteria which cleans your skin. Dipping in the pool won’t clean you. Also, think about everyone who's ever jumped into the pool without showering first. It's literally a pool of sweat, urine, personal care product chemicals, make-up. Chlorine can kill bacteria, it can't kill a pool of chemicals.
- Mosquitoes prefer sweeter blood
True. It’s been found that female mosquitoes prefer people who secreted saccharides (little pieces of sugar). They have a preference in blood type, too. Not only are you Type O folks hounded by blood donation clinics (Type O is the only blood compatible for all types—A, B, and AB), but mosquitoes were shown to prefer the taste of O as well in this 2004 Japanese study. As if your blood wasn’t already in high demand.
- Ocean saltwater helps acne and wounds
Not recommended. While it’s true salt water (saline) can help clean wounds, the ocean’s saltwater is much less sterile. The sea is full of bacteria, and if it enters your cut can give you an infection. Similarly, some people will swear going to the beach helped their acne, whether it’s from the salt water or tanning, it probably has something to do with the drying effects of both. But we’ll be hard-pressed to find that kind of saltwater in our sweet freshwater-filled Ontario, anyway.
- The air-conditioning can give you a cold
False. Viruses and bacteria cause colds, not the cold air. A drop in temperature from the hot outdoors to cold indoors does nothing except cool you down.
Did we miss one? Let us know any tips or cautions you’ve heard in the summer and whether they proved true or false for you!