Don't swallow that!

Here's what carrots really do for your eyes! 10 little-known food facts

Image: Thought Catalog

There are some common beliefs about food that, despite their popularity, are actually fake. While science has already done its job and debunked them, many of these myths have an explanation! If you want to know the story behind these myths and the truth revealed by nutritionists, don't miss this article!

Image: Jonas Jacobsson

There's a common misconception about coffee and tea that many people still believe. It has long been said that these delicious infusions cause dehydration. Luckily for all coffee lovers, this is a myth!

It turns out that the caffeine present in coffee and tea is indeed a diuretic, which causes you to go to the bathroom more often. However, you'd need to consume large amounts —far more than most people typically drink— to become dehydrated.

Image: Franco Antonio Giovanella

We know that white potatoes are delicious, but why do many people leave them out of their diet? Well, because there has always been a misconception about this vegetable.

We should give the poor potato another chance and let it defend itself! This vegetable is actually a good source of nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and fiber, especially if you eat the skin. What caused them to be accused of being "bad" is their higher glycemic index compared to other vegetables, which can lead to a fast rise in blood sugar levels. But if you don't have any health conditions related to sugar in your blood, potatoes can be part of a balanced diet. Just remember to leave the oil out of the recipe!

Image: Jessica Loaiza

Who can say no to a little piece of delicious chocolate? But this tasty treat hasn't escaped the fake news either.

For a long time, it has been accused of causing acne on the skin of those who eat it. However, there's no scientific evidence directly linking chocolate with the skin condition. The skin's reaction to certain ingredients varies from person to person, and acne is more often associated with products high in added sugar or dairy rather than chocolate itself.

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Although you may feel that your body is in urgent need of a detox after a heavy dinner, you don't really need special juices for that. In recent years, "detox" recipes and diets have gained a lot of traction, especially in social networks. However, the human body naturally "detoxifies" itself through your liver, kidneys, lungs, and digestive system as long as you mantain a healthy and balanced diet.

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Nothing bad will happen if you eat something after 7 p.m. While it's true that heavy meals close to bedtime can make you feel a little sick or give you a stomach ache, the "nothing after 7" rule is actually a myth.

Fortunately, our stomachs can't tell time; what matters is eating healthy and trying to finish meals at least 2-3 hours before going to bed, regardless of your bedtime.

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During WWII, it was said that British pilots had great eyesight and aim thanks to the large amount of carrots they included in their diet. However, over time, it was revealed that their advantage came more from the use of radar technology rather than from carrots.

Although this vegetable is indeed a good source of vitamin A —which is very beneficial for your eyes— eating carrots alone is not enough to keep your eyes healthy, let alone cure any eye condition.

Image: Brooke Lark

Every meal of the day is important, but what you eat matters more than when you eat it.

The idea that breakfast is the most important meal of the day gained fame following cereal advertising campaigns in the early 20th century. However, science shows that it depends on each person's needs, with the quality of your food being more important than the time of day you eat it.

Image: Haley Phelps

If you're like us and love summer, here's some good news for you: It has been shown that there is no evidence to point out that swimming after eating is harmful.

The wait to swim after lunch is over! While eating too much might make you feel a bit heavy, the truth is that a break in the pool won't harm your digestion.

Image: Anna Pelzer

Many people still believe that eating healthy is expensive, and that's why they don't give it a chance. But that's actually a myth associated with the high prices of some products labeled as "Low fat" or "Light in calories."

While it's true that the least healthy foods are often the quickest and cheapest, there are many healthy options that are also affordable. Whole grains (rice, oats), legumes (beans, lentils), and frozen, canned, or fresh vegetables are great options to start!

Image: Jessica Lewis

Although delicious, sugar often gets a bad reputation, which is why fruits are sometimes viewed with suspicion by those trying to lose weight. However, the truth is that not all sugars are the same.

As products given to us by nature, fruits are rich in sugar, but the natural kind, which your body digests differently than artificial and refined added sugars. Plus, fruits are rich in nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants!

10 weird historical events that no one has been able to explain (yet)

Image: Walters Art Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Who doesn't like a good mystery? And if the mystery isn’t a work of fiction but the result of a true story, even better! The great unsolved enigmas of history are absolutely fascinating. Some have been solved over time, but there are still many old secrets for which neither scientists nor historians have found an explanation—yet. Time-travel with us as we uncover 10 of the biggest historical mysteries that will probably never be cracked!

Image: Tanner, Henry S., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Bermeja Island is mentioned in navigation texts written by European travelers and appears in cartography from the 16th to 19th centuries. Old maps place it off the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula; however, multiple searches over the years have yielded no concrete evidence of its existence.

So, what happened to Isla Bermeja? Was it a cartographic error? Did it sink due to a tidal wave? Because of its geopolitical significance, some have even suggested that it was blown up by the CIA! A 2009 study by the Autonomous University of Mexico concluded that Isla Bermeja does not exist today, nor were any traces found at its supposed coordinates. Yet, it will forever remain a mystery that will surely keep many entertained.

Image: Credit: Big Ear Radio Observatory and North American AstroPhysical Observatory (NAAPO)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1977, Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope, used in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, detected a signal now known as the Wow! signal. While reviewing the data, astronomer Jerry R. Ehman noticed a sequence represented as "6EQUJ5." Baffled by the anomaly, he circled it and wrote "Wow!" in the margins.

The signal lasted 72 seconds and, unfortunately, has never been repeated. To this day, no one can fully explain the phenomenon, although some suggest it may have come from a man-made source. Still, the Wow! signal remains one of the strongest candidates for potential extraterrestrial contact ever detected.

Image: Edward S. Curtis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

How is it possible for an entire village to vanish without a trace? Believe it or not, this is said to have happened nearly a century ago. According to lore, a small Inuit village in Canada was well known among fur trappers who visited regularly to trade. But in 1930, something very strange supposedly occurred.

A hunter named Joe Labelle claimed he visited the village one day and couldn’t find a single person. Reports said there were guns and food left behind, and even claims that the graves in the cemetery were empty. A thorough investigation, however, found no conclusive evidence of what happened to the villagers. Some witnesses from nearby towns even reported seeing a huge green light. Theories ranged from mass migration to extraterrestrial abductions. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police has since dismissed the case as an urban legend. Some still believe the story to be true.

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We know thousands of shipwreck stories, but this one is quite unique. The MV Joyita, designed to be nearly unsinkable, was found adrift in the South Pacific, practically unharmed, but the crew had disappeared completely.

In October 1955, the American merchant vessel left the port of Apia in Samoa with 16 crew members and 9 passengers bound for the Tokelau Islands. After days without news, a rescue mission was launched. Five weeks later, the Joyita was spotted more than 600 miles west of its intended route. The vessel was partially submerged, and there was no sign of the passengers or crew. Four tons of cargo and all three life rafts were missing. They were never seen again.

Image: Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Do you know where one of the best-preserved mummies was found? Hint: not in Egypt. Xin Zhui, the Marquise of Dai during the Western Han Dynasty in China, was discovered in her tomb at Mawangdui 2,000 years after her death, along with hundreds of valuable documents and artifacts.

What makes this mummy so extraordinary is how well-preserved her body is. Her organs and veins remain intact, and she still has hair and even eyelashes. Scientists analyzed the fluid present in the coffin and discovered it was acidic and contained salt and magnesium. They believe this mysterious liquid may have been responsible for preserving Xin Zhui so well. What they don’t know is whether it was intentionally poured into the coffin or came from the body itself.

Image: Yoichi Okamoto, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The United States has its fair share of presidents who died while in office, but none of our 45 presidents have ever disappeared without a trace. Did you know that this actually happened in The Land Down Under?

Harold Edward Holt was the Prime Minister of Australia from 1966 until his presumed death in 1967. He loved the ocean and spearfishing. During a weekend trip with friends, Holt visited the remote Cheviot Beach to take a swim. Rough sea conditions that day caused him to be swept away by the waves, and he never reappeared. Despite an intensive search, his body was never found, which has given rise to numerous conspiracy theories. Ironically, Australians built the Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre in Melbourne in his honor.

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Many famous criminals have managed to remain unidentified for decades, but the D.B. Cooper case is something else entirely. In 1971, Cooper boarded a flight from Portland to Seattle. Shortly after takeoff, he showed a flight attendant a device he claimed was a bomb and demanded four parachutes and $200,000 in cash.

The crew landed to meet Cooper’s demands in exchange for the passengers and then took off again. As the plane flew over southwestern Washington, Cooper jumped into the cold, rainy night carrying his haul. His whereabouts and true identity were never discovered, although it is likely he didn’t survive the jump. In 1980, some of the ransom money was found near the Columbia River. Although the FBI officially closed the case in 2016, amateur sleuths continue to try to crack it.

Image: Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Can you imagine an epidemic where the main symptom is uncontrollable dancing? Sounds like science fiction, doesn’t it? Yet this really happened during the Middle Ages. In 1518, a dancing plague struck Strasbourg, Alsace, in what is now France. This strange condition affected up to 400 people, making them dance frantically for weeks. It is said that some even died of heart attacks, exhaustion, or strokes.

Doctors and authorities tried all kinds of measures to stop the spread. They even banned music for a while! To this day, scientists are not certain what caused this bizarre condition: it may have been food poisoning from toxins in the ergot fungus, or perhaps a case of stress-induced mass hysteria.

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The Voynich manuscript is a codex written roughly 500 years ago in an unknown language and writing system by an anonymous author. Known as Voynichese, the manuscript was named after Wilfrid Voynich, a Polish bibliophile and antiquarian who purchased it in 1912.

Radiocarbon testing has shown that it dates to the early 15th century. Many cryptographers and codebreakers have attempted to decipher its roughly 240 pages without success. The manuscript contains diagrams and illustrations of unknown plants and astrological symbols. Some believe it may be a made-up language, a secret code, a work of fiction, or even a hoax. If you think you can solve this mystery, the Voynich manuscript is available for viewing at Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Image: Bernhard

Similar to the Voynich manuscript, the Phaistos Disc is a fired clay disc believed to have been created during the Bronze Age. It was discovered by an Italian archaeologist in the basement of a palace in Crete, Greece, in 1908.

What makes this disc fascinating is that it contains a mysterious message. Stamped into the clay is a set of signs, forming a text that many scientists have tried to decipher—without success. It is considered an early attempt at printing, a technological innovation that would not become widespread for several centuries. While enthusiasts still hope the enigma can be solved, this is unlikely unless other documents are discovered to provide context.