Myth risks

"Roll up! Come and buy the most efficaciousAnother word for effective. remedy known to mankind!"  Townspeople gathered round the salesman. "My snake-oil linimentA medical liquid that is rubbed on the skin. It is not to be confused with lineament, which means a distinctive shape or feature. will cure any pain," he went on. "Headache, toothache, lumbagoA pain in the lower back. - whatever ails you. Buy a bottle now before it all goes!"

Clark Stanley travelled 19^th-Century America selling medicine that was useless. Stanley's "snake-oil" was a mixture of mineral oil, red pepper and turpentineA fluid made from liquid taken from pine trees..

People have alwaus been gullible Easily fooled. when it comes to health. These are seven myths, old and new.

1. Fever glitch "Starve a fever, feed a cold" is one of the best-known sayings about health. In fact, you should keep eating as well as you can if you are feverish.

2. Wet-hair scare Many believe going out in chilly weather with wet hair leads to a cold. The truth is a cold is a virus caught from another person. However, it is a good idea to wear a hat if your hair is wet, as medical expert Chad Masters explains: "Water carries heat away from the body much faster than air does, so you lose heat more quickly when you or the clothing you're wearing is wet." That makes you more vulnerable to hypothermiaA dangerous drop in body temperature caused by exposure to cold..

3. Spot rot To test the belief that chocolate gives you acne, researchers studied 65 teenagers. Some were given bars containing 10 times the normal amount of cocoa The most important ingredient in chocolate., and others bars with no cocoa. There was no noticeable increase in acne in either group.

4. Bathroom doom Toilet seats are often seen as a source of disease. In fact, you are more likely to pick up germs from the door handle.

5. H2O no-no Huge amounts of bottled water are bought by people who think it is healthier. In many nations tap water is fine. It contains useful minerals and is better for the planet.

6. Joint point Cracking your knuckles does not lead to arthritis. According to nutrition expert Kristine Scheney: "The 'crack' is simply the popping of bubbles in the fluid that lubricates the hands, known as synovial fluid. While this practice does not cause arthritis, it can lead to reduced grip strength and swelling in the hands."

7. Cracking snack Egg yolks are sometimes said to be bad for you because they contain cholesterolA type of blood fat produced by the liver.. But there are different types of cholesterol. The cholesterol in egg yolks, HDLShort for high-density lipoprotein., is a good type and can actually protect you from bad cholesterol.

Is health just a matter of science?

Yes: Medicine has made enormous strides in the past century, and continues to do so. We can rely on doctors to cure most diseases, or at least dramatically reduce the suffering they cause.   

No: Health is largely a matter of common sense: we can avoid many problems simply through rational behaviour. But health is also about how you feel, and sometimes following old advice can be a source of comfort.

Or... Science is a relative term. Doctors in past centuries believed that they were treating diseases in a highly scientific manner, but we now know that many of their methods were completely wrong.