Six Holiday Myths Exposed

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The holiday season is upon us.  But as we rush to finish up our holiday errands, make sure you wear a hat while outside, find that perfect hangover cure, be careful to curb the late night snacks, and keep the kiddies away from all those sugary products, as well as the  poinsettias.

Or are those myths?  Such myths have "hit the dust" in the Christmas issue of the British Medical Journal.  They've asked two physicians to take a look at some of those old adages that everyone repeats each holiday season.  The doctors found that some might have reasons behind them, but found no solid backing after a large number of studies.

Sugar Makes Kids Hyperactive - at least 12 studies have shown that there is no evidence to support this belief – sugar is not to blame for out of control kids.  "While sugar can give a quick burst of energy, " says Keith Ayoob, a registered dietitian, "it doesn't cause hyperactivity and there are tons of studies to show this."

Suicides increase over the holidays - Researchers find that suicides actually tend to come in the warmer months of the year, and among youth, rates are at the highest at the end of a school year.  But while suicides are not an annual epidemic around the holidays, Mark Kaplan, a professor of community health at Portland State University and a member of the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA's National Scientific Advisory Council notes that this year may be a bit different, because of the economic downtrend. 

Poinsettia Toxicity - Despite hundreds of thousands of calls to poison control centers over poinsettia poisonings, no one has ever died from ingesting them, most did not even need medical treatment.

Excess Heat Loss in the Hatless - There's a strongly held belief that we lose 40-50% of our body heat through our head.  Not so.  If it's cold outside, it makes sense to wrap up warm, but covering your head doesn't make a big difference.

Eating a Lot at Night Will Make You Fat - They noted that people gain weight because they take in more calories overall than they burn up.  Most heavy night eaters are heavy eaters at all times of the day.  They say that skipping breakfast, however, may lead to weight gain, since it leads people to overeat at other meals.

You Can Cure a Hangover - The good news, said Carroll and Vreeman, is that hangovers are completely preventable.  "The most effective way to avoid a hangover is to consume alcohol only in moderation or not at all," she writes.  They say the only way to end a hangover is to wait it out, with time and fluids.  There is no scientific evidence to support any cure or effective prevention for alcohol hangovers

So What? - The message of these myths, say the authors of the article, is that people should be more inquisitive when they hear these kinds of statements, whether from a parent, teacher or doctor.  "If a doctor doesn't have a good answer, they should go find out why," said Aaron Carroll, director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research at the Indiana University School of Medicine.  "We're trying to illustrate that you should ask why. It's always a good idea to ask why. I guess we're trying to promote a healthy scepticism, especially when it comes to health and medical issues."

This was the second straight year that Carroll and his colleague, Dr. Rachel C. Vreeman, took a look at some holiday myths for the journal.