Not everything that sounds healthy is healthy. Between half-remembered doctor’s advice and wellness influencers selling miracle fixes, it’s easy to fall for health myths that can be harmful. Here are 10 of them you can stop believing right now.
10. Remembering Your Dreams Is a Sign of a Good Night’s Sleep
Remembering dreams is closely linked to waking up during or immediately after them. Dream recall can be influenced by factors like sleep cycle, stress levels, and even what you ate before bed. So, while a memorable dream can be fascinating, it’s not a reliable indicator of sleep quality. Instead, pay attention to how you feel when you wake up. Feeling rested and energized is a better sign of a good night’s sleep.
9. You Should Drink Eight Glasses of Water a Day
The original advice on water intake included the fluid we get from foods, which can account for a significant portion of our daily intake. Your water needs may vary based on age, activity level, climate, and overall health. A better way to gauge hydration is to pay attention to your body’s signals. Are you thirsty? Is your urine dark yellow? These are more reliable indicators that you need to drink up.
8. Eating Late at Night Causes Weight Gain
The idea that eating after a certain time, like 7 p.m., can lead to weight gain is a myth. Weight gain is about calorie balance or consuming more calories than you burn. The reason late-night eating gets a bad rap is that people often reach for high-calorie, processed snacks out of boredom or habit. If you’re genuinely hungry in the evening, a healthy snack won’t derail your progress.
7. You Need to Take a Multivitamin Every Day
For the average person with a balanced diet, most supplements are unnecessary. A large 2018 review found no significant benefit from multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium, or vitamin C for preventing heart disease or extending life. In fact, taking high doses of certain vitamins can be harmful. For example, too much vitamin C can interfere with copper absorption, and excess vitamin D can lead to a toxic buildup of calcium in the body.
6. Cracking Your Knuckles Causes Arthritis
The good news for chronic knuckle-crackers is that there’s no scientific evidence to support the claim that it can cause arthritis. The satisfying “pop” you hear is likely caused by the collapse of tiny gas bubbles in the synovial fluid that lubricates your joints. While it might annoy people around you, it’s not harming your joints.
5. You Need to Do Crunches for a Flat Stomach
If you’re chasing a six-pack with endless crunches, you might be wasting your time. Crunches and other ab exercises can strengthen your abdominal muscles, but they won’t burn the layer of fat covering them. To reveal those toned abs, you need to focus on overall fat loss. Activities like cardio and strength training will help you create a calorie deficit and reduce your overall body fat percentage.
4. Being Able to Fall Asleep ‘Anytime, Anywhere’ Is a Sign of a Healthy Sleeper
The ability to fall asleep instantly, especially in stimulating environments, is a symptom of excessive daytime sleepiness. This can be a sign that you’re not getting enough quality sleep at night, or it could indicate an underlying sleep disorder like sleep apnea. A truly well-rested person takes about 10-20 minutes to fall asleep at night.
3. Detoxes and Cleanses Are Necessary to Remove Toxins
Here’s the truth: your body already has a highly efficient detoxification system: your liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. These organs work around the clock to filter your blood and remove waste products. There’s little scientific evidence to support the claims made by most commercial detox products. Instead of spending money on cleanses, focus on supporting your body’s natural detoxification processes by staying hydrated and having a balanced diet.
2. You Only Use 10% of Your Brain
This myth, often repeated in pop culture and movies, is completely false. Brain scans have shown that we use virtually all of our brain all the time, even when we’re sleeping. Different tasks may activate different areas of the brain, but there are no unused parts waiting to be unlocked. The real key to maximizing your cognitive potential is to keep your brain healthy through a good diet, regular exercise, and continuous learning.
1. Adults Need Only 5 or Fewer Hours of Sleep for General Health
In our productivity-obsessed culture, it’s tempting to believe that we can get by on just a few hours of sleep. But this idea can be dangerous. Scientific evidence from 2020 shows that habitual short sleep is associated with elevated chronic disease risk. While a small percentage of the population may function well on less sleep (due to a genetic mutation), for the vast majority, the sweet spot is 7-9 hours per night.