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Growing up in West Virginia, I spent a lot of time with older people and I've heard a lot of old wives tales. Some of them are funny, some of them are just plain wrong, but surprisingly some of them actually have some truth to them. Here are just a few of the things I've heard.
1. Put a bar of soap in your bed sheets to prevent leg cramps. If that isn't the weirdest and silliest thing I've ever heard, I don't know what is. Despite the fact that there have been no scientific studies to explain how this could work, tons of people swear by it. Some theories include the idea that somehow the soap is releasing something beneficial into the air around the person's legs. If it works at all I would say it's probably just due to the placebo effect. I have to say I've never actually tried it. But then again, I don't really get leg cramps very often. I think I'll give it a try next time I have leg cramps just to see what happens.

2. I've always heard that rubbing liquid soap on a tick that's embedded in your skin can help remove it. I remember being a kid and getting ticks on me because I liked to play outside so much, so this isn't just something I heard about. I had neighbors and family members try it on me. The idea behind this one is that the substance will irritate the tick and make it pull out of the skin to get away. But according to experts, this can actually make the tick release more saliva or even regurgitate its gut contents. Obviously, this can increase your odds of contracting an illness from a tick so it isn't recommended. And for the record, I don't remember it being very effective either.

3. It takes 7 years to digest chewing gum. This one just isn't true. Your body processes it just like anything else. It can't be digested because it isn't food, but it will pass through your system right on schedule. But it's understandable that parents would tell their children this to keep them from swallowing a non-food substance.

4. If you swim after eating you'll develop stomach cramps. I'm sure a lot of us remember this one very well. I know I was forced to sit on the sidelines of the pool every summer for at least an hour if I had eaten. But there is absolutely no evidence to show there is any truth to this one. No one seems to know exactly how long this old wives tale has been around, but we know it was mentioned in Scouting For Boys, which was published in 1908. But it's possible that it's been around much longer.

5. Chicken soup will cure a cold. Mothers love to give you chicken soup when you're sick but believe it or not, there might be some truth to this one after all. It certainly won't cure the common cold but studies show it does have some substances in it that can help relieve cold symptoms. This is great news because it means chicken soup is healthy AND it is good for you.

6. Chocolate can help relieve symptoms of PMS. Who cares if this is actually true, right? It's chocolate! But seriously, according to experts, chocolate has chemicals in it that can alter mood. This might be why some women crave lots of chocolate during their periods.

7. Eating fish is good for your brain. There is really some truth to this one. Fish contains high levels of omega-3 oils which are essential fatty acids. These fatty acids support the growth and development of our brains. Fish oil is also protective against heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and even Alzheimer's disease. So our mothers were right about this one.

8. If you break a mirror you'll have 7 years of bad luck. This just might be my favorite old wives tale. Of course, there is nothing to this one but I would say breaking a mirror is enough bad luck on its own. I accidentally broke several mirrors when I was a teenager and my luck hasn't been too terrible.

References:

Reader's Digest. Popular Old Wives' Tales. Accessed at https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/popular-old-wives-tales-fiction-or-fact on March 3, 2018.

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