Adults
can’t generate
new brain cells
Several areas of the adult
brain contain the neural stem
cells required for the growth of
neurons. These areas include the
dentate gyrus, thought to be
involved in memory formation, and
the olfactory bulb, which is
involved in our sense of
smell.The origin of this myth is uncer tain, but it didn’t originate
from the scientific study of the brain. The myth is often
found in self-help books that claim to tell you how to
harness the power of the brain’s other 90 per cent. In
reality, all the parts of the brain are highly specialised and
there don’t appear to be any unused sections that you
could learn to activate in an attempt at self-improvement.WE ONLY USE 10 PER
CENT OF OUR BRAINS
You may find yourself visiting the bathroom more frequently after
consuming tea or coffee. This is probably due to the diuretic
effect of caffeine, which is suspected to irritate muscles in the
bladder. But even if you do pee more often, it doesn’t mean
you’re passing a greater volume overall. The effect of caffeine on
urine output has been investigated in numerous studies, which
have been reviewed by dietician Dr Carrie Ruxton. She found
that a moderate intake of caffeinated drinks is unlikely to
have any significant effect on your overall level of hydration.CAFFEINE DEHYDRATES YOU
ALCOHOL KEEPS
YOU WARM
Many drinkers have found that
alcohol made them feel more
resistant to cold weather on the
walk home from the pub. This ‘beer
jacket’ is the result of the blood
vessels dilating, resulting in more
blood travelling to the surface of the
skin. Far from keeping you warm,
alcohol is more likely to put you at risk
of hypothermia as it can impair the
body’s ability to regulate its
temperature.
SUGAR MAKES
KIDS HYPERACTIVE
THE TONGUE IS
DIVIDED UP INTO
It’s easy to understand why so many DIFFERENT SECTIONS
believe that sugar (a source of quick
energy) causes hyperactivity, but
numerous controlled experiments
have failed to establish any causal
relationship. The belief might be
perpetuated by
‘confirmation bias’: a
study at the University
of Kentucky showed
that when a parent was
told that their child had
just eaten a lot of
sugar (even when
they hadn’t), the
parent was far
more likely to
describe their kid
as hyperactive. Of
course, this doesn’t
mean feeding your
children vast
quantities of sugar is
to be recommended.
The absence of an umami
section is not the biggest
problem with the tongue
map. The idea that our
tongues are split into
sections has been
perpetuated by
textbooks and
teachers for
decades, yet it has
no basis in
physiology. The
receptor cells that
identify the
molecules
underlying the basic
tastes (sweet,
sour, salt, bitter
and umami) are
distributed on
taste buds all
over the
tongue.