4 Common Health Myths

Does anyone ever watch MythBusters? We love that show and the first myth was proven right on it last season-or should I say disproven it is the 5-second rule. As it turns out it is fiction. It's probably not a good idea to eat anything that's been on the floor for even 1 second. In a recent experiment, Jamie and Adam dropped dropped pieces of bologna and slices of bread on the floor for as little as 5 seconds (and as long as 60). In 5 seconds, both the bread and the bologna picked up an alarming 1,800 types of bacteria. So unless you sterilize your floors on an hourly basis, don't eat anything your shoes have touched, too.

Next myth: Double-dipping spreads germs from one chip to another-verdict: Fact. I was at a picnic a few years ago when a girlfriend and I spotted someone standing near the salsa and serendipitously dipping a chip into some salsa taking a delicate bite and returning the bitten chip into the salsa bowl again. Needless to say, I did not get any of that salsa, although I heard it was very good. This is, in fact, a very effective way to spread germs. Having settled the 5-second rule debate, some intrepid food scientists, using Wheat Thins and various dips, found that a double-dip deposited thousands of saliva bacteria into the dip. Of those, 50 to 100 were later transferred through the dip to a clean cracker, presumably destined for another guest's mouth. In short: Eating from a dip after someone has dipped twice is basically the same as kissing that person. My nieces were never taught not to double-dip, but that stopped at my mom's!

Cell phones can interfere with medical equipment-verdict: Unknown. There's a possibly that a cell phone call made in the wrong spot in a hospital can cause ventilators, syringe pumps, or even pacemakers to pulse incorrectly, according to a 2007 Dutch study. The researchers tested cell phones, including PDAs that use wireless Internet signals, just a few centimeters from devices; 43% caused electromagnetic interference with critical care equipment -- and a third of those instances could be potentially life-threatening to patients. Though a similar study didn't yield these same results, if you want a clear conscious, use a designated cell phone area. When I was in visiting my son, they had signs in the lounge area that no calls were allowed but the nurses didn't seem to mind!

Cracking your knuckles can cause arthritis-I've heard that this one really doesn't hold any water. This habit may be annoying, but it's not likely to cause arthritis. One study at the former Mount Carmel Mercy Hospital in Detroit compared 74 people (age 45 and older) who had been chronic knuckle crackers for decades with 226 who always left their hands alone. Researchers found no difference in the incidence of osteoarthritis between the two groups. But there are reasons to stop this cringe-inducing habit: The same study found that knuckle crackers are much more likely to have weaker grip strength and greater hand swelling, both of which can limit dexterity. I have a question for all you knuckle crackers. Doesn't that hinder your capabilities after all, even though you don't get Arthritis? I know I'm jealous because I think I'm getting it in my ankles, ow.

Cheers!