11 Health Myths That May Surprise You
By Tara Parker-Pope writing in The New York Times

Myths, half-truths and wives’ tales persist in medicine. Sometimes doctors and nurses even believe things that aren’t true or at least are unproven. That’s the focus of a new book, “Don’t Swallow Your Gum! Myths, Half-Truths and Outright Lies About Your Body and Health,”by Dr. Aaron E. Carroll and Dr. Rachel C. Vreeman.

Dr. Carroll and Dr. Vreeman, both from the Indiana University School of Medicine, have written a lot about medical myths and misunderstandings. In December 2007, the pair published an article in the British Medical Journal about seven medical myths even doctors believe.

A year later, they identified six medical myths for the holiday season.

Now, “Don’t Swallow Your Gum” offers a fun collection of numerous medical myths that are likely familiar to most of us. The book is organized to focus on various types of myths, including myths about your body (you should poop at least once a day), myths about disease and illness (cold weather makes you sick), myths about sex and pregnancy (twins skip a generation) and myths about what we eat and drink (gum stays in your stomach for seven years.)
It’s a fun read, and chances are you will stumble across several medical myths you’ve always believed. Link here for a few that may surprise you.

Footnote:
The Bookman wrote about this title on June 25.