That’s not true!

15 myths about the human body you should stop believing

Image: The New York Public Library

Think you know your body? Think again. Many "facts" we hear about the human body are actually just popular myths that have been long debunked by science. From the color of your blood to the capacity of your brain, join us as we separate truth from fiction.

Image: David Matos

Myth: We only use 10% of our brains.

Truth: Brain scans show that most areas of the brain are active even during simple tasks. Modern advanced imaging reveals that nearly all parts of the brain have specific roles. This is why damage to any area can lead to severe impairments. Come on, this one was fairly obvious, evolution wouldn’t keep an organ with 90% redundancy.

Image: Tekara

Myth: Swallowed gum stays in your stomach for seven years.

Truth: Gum passes through your digestive system just like any other non-digestible materials. This means that, while it’s true that it cannot be broken down, it will simply exit your body within a few days, along with waste. There’s really no evidence of gum lingering in your stomach for years after swallowing.

Image: Eddie Jones

Myth: Cracking knuckles causes arthritis.

Truth: Studies show no link between knuckle cracking and arthritis. The sound it makes might make you cringe a bit, but it actually comes from minuscule gas bubbles collapsing in joint fluid, not bone damage. In fact, knuckle cracking indicates normal joint function. Arthritis is caused by other factors like age, genetics, and injuries.

Image: Supply

Myth: Shaving makes hair grow back thicker.

Truth: Who hasn’t heard this one? A very popular myth, it has long been debunked. The truth is that shaving can make hair appear thicker because unshaven hair ends in fine points, while shaving cuts it at the surface, leaving a blunt edge that feels coarser. However, hair regrowth is determined solely by genetics and hormones, not by how it’s trimmed.

Image: Hush Naidoo Jade Photography

Myth: Blood is blue in your veins and red when exposed to air.

Truth: Blood is always red, though it can appear blue under the skin due to an optical effect caused by light diffraction. However, the oxygen level in blood can actually affect its hue, that goes from a bright red (oxygen-rich) to a darker red (oxygen-poor).

Image: Myriam Zilles

Myth: Sugar makes kids hyperactive.

Truth: Research consistently shows no direct link between sugar consumption and hyperactivity. If you are a parent, you might be convinced otherwise, but data suggests that this is often a case of self-fulfilling prophecy. Parents' expectations (as well as children’s awareness of the myth) can influence perceived—or very real—behavior changes, but sugar itself is not the culprit here.

Image: Cole Patrick

Myth: You lose most body heat through your head.

Truth: Mothers may cringe at this, but no, the head is not the heat sink many believe it to be. Heat loss simply depends on the exposed area. If your head is uncovered while the rest of your body is insulated, it might feel like most heat escapes from your head—but it’s not necessarily the primary heat-loss site.

Image: Eeshan Garg

Myth: Drinking alcohol kills brain cells.

Truth: Alcohol is far from being good for you, but it doesn’t literally kill brain cells as many believe. Instead, it can impair the communication between them. Among other things, long-term excessive drinking can damage dendrites, leading to cognitive and behavioral changes, but the cells themselves remain intact. Moreover, with a healthy lifestyle and given enough time, the brain can actually repair itself to some extent.

Image: Sean Benesh

Myth: Different parts of your tongue taste specific flavors.

Truth: Ever seen a taste map showing specific areas of the tongue associated with certain flavors? Well, forget it. It turns out that taste receptors for sweet, salty, sour, and bitter are actually distributed evenly across the tongue. The "tongue map" was a misinterpretation of early research.

Image: Klim Sergeev

Myth: Reading in dim light damages your eyes.

Truth: Another parental favorite. While dim lighting can temporarily strain your eyes, it doesn’t cause any permanent damage. Your eyes adapt to low light but may need time to adjust back.

Image: Clay Banks

Myth: Sweating removes toxins.

Truth: Sweat is mostly water and salts, not toxins. The liver and kidneys handle detoxification, while sweat’s primary role is regulating body temperature.

Image: rashid khreiss

Myth: Hair and nails keep growing after death.

Truth: After death, the skin dehydrates and retracts, giving the appearance of growth. Hair and nail cells require living tissue to grow, which ceases after death.

Image: Harry Quan

Myth: Humans only have five senses.

Truth: In addition to sight, smell, touch, taste, and hearing, we have other important senses like balance (vestibular), temperature (thermoception), and body position (proprioception). Some scientists count up to 33 senses in total! Bet this one caught you off guard.

Image: Trust Tru Katsande

Myth: Sweating leads to fat loss.

Truth: Just like the "sweat = toxins" myth, this is simply not true. Sweat loss reflects water weight, not fat loss. While you might weigh slightly less after intense exercise, you’ll regain that weight after rehydrating. Fat is burned through metabolic processes, not perspiration.

Image: Tamara Bellis

Myth: The phases of the moon influence hair growth.

Truth: There is no scientific evidence linking moon phases to hair growth. This myth likely originated from agricultural practices that encourage planting seeds according to the moon's phases (also not scientifically proven). Studies show that hair growth is primarily determined by genetics, nutrition, and overall health, not lunar cycles. As long as you are healthy, hair grows at a consistent rate, regardless of the moon's phase.

Add a dash of Deutsch!

Can English borrow these 10 wonderful German words already?

Image: Wilhelm Gunkel

It’s no secret that German has some fantastic words that don’t exist in English—words that capture experiences we often struggle to put into words. With its knack for combining vivid imagery and down-to-earth practicality, the German language has created expressions for everything from the peace of a quiet forest to the weight gain after a bad breakup.

For all of us who love language, here are 10 wonderful German words that might deserve a place in English, if only for how perfectly they capture familiar situations. So, grab a cup of coffee (or perhaps a bit of Kummerspeck), and let’s explore these German expressions.

Image: Luis Del Río Camacho

Imagine yourself surrounded by trees, breathing in the fresh air, with nothing but the rustling leaves for company—that’s Waldeinsamkeit. It’s not just about being alone in the woods; it’s the peace and clarity that nature brings when we step away from the world.

This word made its way to America through writers like Emerson, who found inspiration in such moments of solitude. For nature lovers, you’ll know exactly what we mean—when the noise of the world fades and you’re left with just your thoughts, you’ve entered the realm of Waldeinsamkeit. And who doesn’t need a bit of that?

Image: Haley Phelps

Have you ever felt tempted to skip your responsibilities and just take a day off? We all have—that’s the spirit of blaumachen, which means taking a day off for no particular reason. The literal translation is "make blue," originating from the German tradition of relaxing on "Blue Monday" after the weekend.

While we might call it "playing hooky," which refers to skipping school or work, blaumachen is more about the freedom of enjoying a day without a set agenda. Germans sometimes associate it with relaxation—a chance to recharge rather than be productive. We all need a blaumachen once in a while, especially after a busy week. And if you combine blaumachen with Waldeinsamkeit, you’ll truly get a fresh start!

Image: Clay Banks

Daydreamers, this one’s for you. Luftschlösser bauen literally translates to "building castles in the air," and it’s what we do when we dream about grand plans or ideas with no real way to pull them off.

Germans consider these "air castles" impractical but harmless. After all, they provide a pleasant mental escape. In English, we might say "pipe dream," but that doesn’t quite capture the whimsy of a Luftschloss. Even if the castle remains in the clouds, sometimes the act of dreaming is rewarding enough.

Image: Elevate

You know when you’re having a drink and suddenly come up with the perfect solution—only to realize the next day that it wasn’t so brilliant after all? Well, that’s a Schnapsidee, which literally means an "alcohol idea."

This word perfectly describes those ideas that seem genius in the moment but don’t hold up in the light of day. Germans associate it with the creativity (or lack thereof, let’s be honest) that comes after a few drinks. The idea itself might not be your best, but you can’t deny it makes for a great excuse to laugh off those silly mistakes we all make from time to time.

Image: freestocks

If the concepts above weren’t quite up your alley, here’s a word that might come in handy: Drachenfutter, or "dragon food." How can this be useful?

Well, this word refers to an apology gift for a loved one—something you offer to smooth things over, often after a mistake (or a Schnapsidee!). Think of bringing home flowers or chocolates to keep the peace—that’s Drachenfutter.

The term is playful, likening the person you’re apologizing to a "dragon" whose anger needs to be soothed. Just don’t call them a dragon to their face! When words fail, a little Drachenfutter can go a long way.

Image: Fernando Venzano

Ever tried to fix something and ended up making it worse? Then you know Verschlimmbesserung, a word that combines "worse" and "improvement."

This term perfectly describes those well-intentioned efforts that accidentally backfire. Maybe you tried solving a friend’s problem only to make an even bigger mess—classic Verschlimmbesserung. The English word "disimprovement" comes close, but it doesn’t quite capture the same idea.

Germans use Verschlimmbesserung as a reminder that not every change is for the better. Sometimes, the best improvement is knowing when to leave things alone.

Image: Kenny Eliason

We’re all familiar with the concept of "small talk," but this isn’t quite the same. If you’ve ever been told to "stop babbling," you’ve experienced quatschen, a German word for mindless chatter.

Often used by teachers to quiet classrooms, quatschen refers to talk that isn’t about substance—it’s more about filling the air. Some say the word comes from the sound of mud squishing, and in the form Quatsch!, it works as an interjection, similar to saying "nonsense!" in English.

We all enjoy some idle gossip or pointless chatter now and then, and quatschen gets the point across. A little quatschen can be fun, but too much of it, and you might be better off enjoying some Waldeinsamkeit.

Image: Tamas Pap

Who hasn’t found comfort in the fridge when feeling down? A forgotten slice of pizza or an unexpected chocolate bar can instantly brighten up our days. That’s Kummerspeck, which translates to "grief bacon." Funny, right? It refers to the weight gained from eating through tough times.

In English, we don’t have an exact term for it, though we can all relate to the experience. The Germans combine Kummer (grief) and Speck (bacon or fat) to create a word that’s both humorous and relatable.

While it might not be the healthiest coping mechanism, a little Kummerspeck never hurt anyone. Just balance it out with a walk in the woods for some Waldeinsamkeit, and you’ll be fine.

Image: Yuris Alhumaydy

There are days when the weight of the world feels overwhelming, and the word Weltschmerz sums it up perfectly. It means "world pain," which feels like an accurate description, doesn’t it?

This word gained popularity among Romantic writers who felt that the limits of life clashed with their dreams. It’s not just about personal sadness—it’s a more universal feeling. Weltschmerz captures the deep weariness of realizing that things aren’t quite as they should be.

Though it’s not exactly a cheerful concept, there’s comfort in having a word for this feeling—and in knowing that, even if it’s in German, everyone understands it.

Image: Julia Taubitz

Speaking of universal feelings, let’s close this article with a word that perfectly captures an experience we’ve all had. Can you think of a time when someone did something so cringeworthy or embarrassing that you felt uncomfortable on their behalf? That’s _Fremdschämen_—a German word that refers to secondhand embarrassment.

It combines fremd (someone else’s) and schämen (to be ashamed), describing that unbearable feeling of wanting to hide from an embarrassing situation that isn’t even yours.It’s painfully accurate, and just writing (or reading, in your case) about it can make one uncomfortable.

Now, don’t overthink it—we’ve all been there. And if you can’t recall a time when you’ve felt Fremdschämen, well… you might be the one causing it! But hey, who hasn’t?