RE: Top 5 Health Myths You’ve Been Fooled By (But Won’t Admit)

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I used to be that guy—the one who swore up and down that the only way to purge alcohol from your system was to sweat it out.

Big night out? Just hit the gym or sauna, and you’d be good as new. I preached this for two solid years, fully convinced I was onto something. 

Then one day, someone had the audacity to ask, “Are you sure about that?” Cue me frantically Googling, only to find zero evidence supporting my grand theory. Turns out, the only real cure is time—and processing the regret of last night’s dance moves. This got me thinking: what other health myths have I been blindly believing? 

Have you been duped too? 

5. Tilt Your Head Back During a Nosebleed

Sudden nosebleed, panic ensues, and someone yells, “Quick, tilt your head back!” So you do it, and now you’re hawk-tuaing blood on the grass and wondering where it all went wrong.

Tilting your head back during a nosebleed can cause blood to run down your throat, leading to nausea, choking, and regret.  You would’ve been better off shoving a tampon up there. 

Instead, sit upright, lean forward slightly, and pinch the soft part of your nose for 10-15 minutes. Breathe through your mouth. Let gravity be your friend.

4. MSG Is Bad for You

Remember when MSG was avoided like that friend who went out to bars every night during the lockdown? I do. “Oh good they’re MSG free, we’re safe.”

The fear around MSG started back in 1968 when a doctor coined the term “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” in a letter to a medical journal. He speculated that his symptoms were due to MSG. The world panicked.

MSG is just the sodium salt of glutamic acid, an amino acid you find in tomatoes, cheese, and, yes, your beloved Jalapeño Cheetos. Numerous studies have shown it’s safe. 

Key Takeaway: get more Ma Po Tofu. 

3. You Should Wash Your Chicken Before Cooking It

Ah yes, let’s decorate your kitchen with a salmonella splatter painting. 

Washing raw chicken doesn’t remove bacteria; it spreads it. The only thing that kills those nasty germs is proper cooking.

If you’re into horror films, try shining a blacklight on your kitchen. Want more? Try shining the blacklight on your Airbnb.

2. GMOs Are Bad for You

Never take advice from the Karens on Facebook. 

“GMOs will turn you into a mutant!” said no credible scientist ever.

Genetically Modified Organisms have been blamed for everything from health issues to environmental damage. But the consensus in the scientific community is that GMOs are safe to eat and can help us produce more food with fewer resources.

Major health organisations, including the World Health Organisation and the American Medical Association, have declared GMOs safe. They’ve been part of our food supply for decades without any zombie apocalypses (well we did come close).

1. You Swallow 8 Spiders a Year in Your Sleep

Supposedly while you’re in bed, helplessly unconscious with your gob wide open, each year eight spiders find their way into your mouth and you reflexively swallow them.

This is plainly ridiculous: spiders love warm, moist places so 8 is far too low an estimate.

…

hehe.

Spiders aren’t kamikaze pilots. They prefer dark, undisturbed places—not the gaping maw of a snoring human. The vibrations from your breathing alone are enough to keep them at bay.

This stemmed from an article by the University of Gent (Belgium) to see how easy it is to create false facts and have them go viral. It worked.

But even the article by the University of Gent doesn’t exist. And the name of the person who created the article/myth, Lisa Birgit Holst, is actually an anagram for "This is a big troll".

So either this is one of the best examples of circular reporting or whoever started the spider myth eats a billion spiders every night to make up for everyone else on earth.

Hey bro, if you learned something, reply to this email and tell me what you want to learn about next.

Jacob & The Renewal team

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