Did mother really know best? The old health sayings worth heeding and the ones to ignore
The experts reveal which traditional health wisdoms still stand up and which belong firmly in the past.
The experts reveal which traditional health wisdoms still stand up and which belong firmly in the past.
We all grew up with them. Put a hat on or you’ll lose all your heat. Don’t read in the dark. Eat your carrots if you want to see properly.
Some of those old-fashioned health tips have survived because there’s a genuine nugget of truth in them. Others have clearly endured because they sound convincing, are easy to remember or were an excellent way of making children do as they were told.
The reality, unsurprisingly, is a bit mixed. Some of your mother’s wisdom stands up rather well. Other favourites are far less convincing once you look at the science. Here, with help from some experts, is what’s worth hanging on to and what really needs retiring.
Not exactly true, but not complete nonsense either.
“As part of a balanced diet, carrots can certainly help to keep your eye healthy,” says Giles Edmonds, clinical services director at Specsavers.
“Carrots are rich in beta-carotene and when we eat them our body turns it into a vitamin called retinal which helps to keep eyes healthy.”
But, Edmonds says, eating carrots won’t help you see any better in the dark or dramatically improve your eyesight. Vitamin A is important for healthy vision, and night blindness can be an early sign of deficiency, so this is one of those bits of advice that started with a sensible idea and got a little carried away.
It sounds like the sort of thing people say because it feels cosy and nurturing, but there is actually some science behind it.
Zoe Hill, a women’s health nutritional therapist, says: “Chicken soup isn’t just comforting, it may genuinely help when you have a cold. Chicken contains carnosine, a compound that may help reduce oxidative stress and support the body during upper respiratory infections.”
Hill says that studies suggest it may also help reduce inflammation, while the warm liquid soothes the throat and helps keep you hydrated. One study found chicken soup showed a mild anti-inflammatory effect in the lab, which makes it one of the more respectable remedies on the list.
Another old remedy for colds, this one has held up better than you might expect. The evidence is mainly for honey rather than lemon, but it is still one of the sturdier home remedies around.
“Honey may genuinely help soothe a sore throat, with research showing it may help with the improvement of symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections,” explains public health nutritionist Dr Emma Derbyshire, from the Health & Food Supplements Information Service.
“Lemon contains vitamin C and bioflavonoids, which help with overall immune health. When honey and lemon are mixed together in hot water, they can help soothe a sore throat and ease irritation.”
Even cod liver oil – a substance that can strike fear into anyone who remembers being marched towards a spoonful of it – has some real nutritional logic behind it. Hill says it has long been recommended for good reason.
“It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties and may support joint, heart, brain and eye health,” she says.
Dr Derbyshire adds that the EPA and DHA in cod liver oil are found in every cell membrane in the body, with benefits ranging from heart health and reducing triglycerides to supporting brain function and maintaining eye health.
There is a catch, though. Cod liver oil is high in vitamin A, and too much of that can be a problem.
“That’s why it’s important not to overdo it, especially if you’re also getting vitamin A from other supplements or foods,” Hill advises.
Hill says there is still one supplement that can benefit most people.
“A high-quality omega-3 supplement, such as fish oil or flaxseed oil, is a safer choice without the risk of excess vitamin A,” she says.
As always, check with a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement.
A lot of the advice we heard growing up sounds faintly ridiculous at first, but some of it turns out not to be complete nonsense.
In a few cases, the old saying is not quite right, but there is just enough truth underneath it to explain why it has stuck around.
Take reading in the dark ruining your eyes. It doesn’t, but it can leave them tired and uncomfortable.
“The good news is that reading in the dark or in dim light won’t damage your eyesight but it can cause eye strain which can leave them feeling tired and uncomfortable,” says Edmonds.
He adds that dim light can bring on “tired eyes, headaches and blurry vision”. So the modern version is less “you’ll wreck your eyes for life” and more “you’re giving yourself a headache for no reason”.
Another wintery favourite that’s only partly right. We do lose some heat from the head, but it isn’t the dramatic escape route that our parents made it sound.
Dr Derbyshire explains: “It’s not the main route of heat loss. This also ties into the saying you won’t ‘catch a cold’ from being cold. Colds are caused by viruses, not temperature.”
A hat is still a sensible idea on a freezing day, but it’s not because it’s the only thing standing between you and hypothermia.
More motivational slogan than medical truth. A 2015 study found that apple eaters were not significantly less likely to avoid doctor visits once other factors were considered, though they did use fewer prescription medicines.
The tip about using Vaseline on your feet to prevent blisters sits firmly in the grey area. The thinking behind it is understandable, as reducing friction can help stop blisters forming, and some wider evidence suggests lubricants can play a role in prevention.
Maddie Tait, a specialist podiatrist at Opus Biological, is not convinced. “It’s made of petroleum jelly that increases the moisture inside your shoes,” she says. “Moisture will heighten your risk of blisters from a sweaty environment in your shoe.”
Her advice is to tackle the problem earlier and more practically. Spot hotspots as soon as they appear, dry the area, change damp socks and protect the skin with tape or a hydrocolloid blister plaster.
This sounds like pure folklore, but there is a small grain of truth behind it. Vapour rub itself can help ease cough and congestion when used in the usual way on the chest, throat or back. What there isn’t good evidence for is rubbing it on the soles of your feet instead.
Dr Derbyshire is blunt about it: “There’s no firm scientific evidence that putting mustard or something like Vicks on your feet stops a cough. Menthol vapours from products may feel soothing if inhaled, but they don’t address the cause of a cough.”
Mustard footbaths have, though, shown a few tentative signs of helping people feel warmer or slightly better during respiratory infections, but this still sits much closer to folklore than medicine.
The old idea that eating cheese before bed gives you nightmares also sounds faintly absurd, but there may be something in it for some people.
“There’s a long-standing belief that cheese can trigger vivid dreams or nightmares,” says Hill. “While the evidence isn’t definitive, there are a couple of reasons why it might affect sleep.”
She explains that cheese is high in fat, which means it takes longer to digest and can disrupt sleep if eaten late at night. It also contains tyramine, an amino acid that may stimulate brain activity and make you feel more alert.
“Interrupted or lighter sleep can increase the likelihood of vivid dreams, which might explain the association,” she says.
More recent research has also found a strong association between nightmares and lactose intolerance, suggesting that for some people it may be the digestive discomfort overnight, rather than the cheese itself, that disrupts sleep and influences dreams.
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A few old favourites are, scientifically speaking, on very shaky ground.
Wet hair gives you a cold is a myth. Wet hair might make you feel chilly and sorry for yourself, but viruses cause colds, not damp heads.
Dr Derbyshire confirms it: “Wet hair doesn’t cause colds. Colds are caused by viruses, though being cold or tired may slightly affect immune defences, making infection more likely if exposed.”
Feed a cold, starve a fever is another one that sounds brisk and authoritative but doesn’t stand up. Modern advice is much simpler: fluids matter, rest matters, and if you feel like eating, eat.
“There’s no evidence for this rule,” says Dr Derbyshire. “In both cases, the body benefits from adequate hydration and nutrition. Aiding recovery is more important than restricting food.”
She adds that if your appetite has gone askew, topping up with a multivitamin and multimineral supplement that includes vitamin C and zinc may help support normal immune function, alongside a balanced diet, good sleep, hydration and hand hygiene.
Perhaps the clearest myths of all are the old first-aid ones. Putting butter on a burn is not just ineffective, it is the wrong thing to do.
Mark Butler, national clinical lead for St John Ambulance, says: “Your priority should be to cool the burn as quickly as possible.”
He is also very clear about what not to do: “Do not use ice, creams or gels. They may cause damage and increase the risk of infection.”
If you burn yourself, the first priority is to cool it as quickly as possible. Butler advises holding the burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes, or until the pain eases.
“If there is no water available, you could use cold milk or canned drinks” he says. “Remove any jewellery or clothing, unless stuck to the burn, before the area begins to swell.”
Once the burn has cooled, cover it loosely with cling film placed lengthways. If the burn is on a hand or foot, a clean plastic bag can be used instead.
The nosebleed myth is similarly persistent. If someone has a nosebleed, the old advice was often to tilt the head back. Butler says don’t.
“If someone is having a nosebleed, ask them to sit down and lean with their head tilted forward,” he says. “Do not tell them to lean their head back as this could cause the blood to trickle down the back of their throat and block the airway.”
Some of the most enduring sayings are the ones that make you pause and wonder how they got started in the first place. Never mix grape and grain has been around for years, usually in rhyme form, but research has not found that the order of drinks meaningfully affects hangover severity.
Hill says: “The science doesn’t back this up. Research shows that neither the type nor the order of alcoholic drinks has a meaningful impact on hangover severity. What really matters is the total amount of alcohol consumed.”
A 2019 randomised trial came to much the same conclusion.
Rather than worrying about mixing drinks, the best advice to avoid hangovers is to pace yourself. Or ensure you alternate alcoholic drinks with water.
Dehydration is one of the main drivers of a hangover, so if you keep yourself hydrated you’ve got less chance of suffering from headaches or fatigue the next day.
“If you’re prone to hangovers, you may find clearer spirits like gin or vodka are a better choice, but moderation is still key,” advises Hill.
The trouble is that old advice tends to flatten everything into a rule and health, rarely works like that. The most accurate answer to many of these sayings is not “true” or “false”, but “sort of, in certain circumstances, up to a point”.
The real lesson, perhaps, is that old advice is often at its best when it nudges us towards basic common sense – eat reasonably well, keep warm, rest when you’re ill and don’t ignore simple symptoms. Just maybe leave the Vicks off your feet.
(Hero image credit: GettyImages)
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