Buzz
Researchers frequently conduct studies to solve problems or improve aspects of our lives. Yet, numerous widely accepted beliefs have been contradicted and debunked through these very studies.
Some of these studies have sparked debate and criticism. At times, major corporations are also discovered to be funding these studies for their own benefit.
10. Drugs Aren't as Addictive as We Thought
In 1979, Bruce Alexander from Simon Fraser University carried out a study challenging the idea that drugs are inherently addictive. Instead, he proposed that addiction is influenced by the environment. The experiment, called Rat Park, involved rats kept in one of two enclosures: one where they could socialize and another where they were isolated. Both groups were given morphine-laced water.
Alexander observed that the rats in the isolated cage consumed seven times more morphine than those that were allowed to interact. He concluded that loneliness and environmental factors played a crucial role in drug addiction. The study caused such a stir that its sponsors withdrew their funding, and two leading journals refused to publish it. It was heavily criticized for contradicting the widely accepted view that drugs are inherently addictive.
One researcher pointed out that the equipment used to measure the rats' morphine consumption in one cage was faulty, leading to inaccurate results. Additionally, male and female rats were allowed to mate and raise offspring in the social cage, while this was not allowed in the isolated one.
Other studies that attempted to replicate the Rat Park experiment yielded mixed results. In some cases, the rats in isolated cages consumed more morphine, while in others, the socially housed rats drank more.
9. Diet Soda Is Healthier Than Water
According to a study published in the *International Journal of Obesity*, research conducted by the University of Bristol concluded that diet soda is healthier than water. The study found that the low-calorie sweeteners in diet soda lead to lower body weight and energy intake compared to water. Essentially, the researchers argued that diet soda is beneficial to health and does not contribute to obesity.
The study faced significant criticism for two main reasons. First, it was indirectly funded by the soda industry, including major companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola. The research was backed by the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), whose board members include doctors affiliated with corporations such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola.
Dr. Peter Rogers, who led the study, also serves as cochairman of the ILSI’s Eating Behavior and Energy Balance Task Force. This task force includes other doctors from various corporations. Additionally, several of the study's authors and journal contributors received €750 each for their work.
The second issue was that, although the authors reviewed 5,500 papers, they based their analysis of soda consumption and weight loss on just three studies. Two of these found no link between diet soda consumption and weight loss, while the third, which did claim a connection, was sponsored by the American Beverage Association (ABA), an organization that includes Pepsi and Coca-Cola among its members.
8. Laughter Can Be Harmful
Laughter is often hailed as the best medicine, but according to research by Professor R.E. Ferner and former colleague J.K. Aronson from the University of Birmingham, laughing could be hazardous, even life-threatening. They reviewed previous studies on laughter and its effects.
The researchers sifted through nearly 5,000 studies, with 785 being directly relevant to their inquiry. Of those, 85 studies suggested laughter was beneficial, while 114 identified it as harmful. These studies revealed that laughter could lead to abdominal hernias, jaw dislocations, stress incontinence, headaches, asthma, and fainting.
Laughter was also implicated in Boerhaave’s syndrome, a medical condition caused by a tear in the esophagus, typically due to vomiting. In some cases, laughter may even facilitate the entry of infectious diseases into the body because of the wide mouth opening and sharp breathing. Excessive laughter may also indicate an underlying psychological issue.
Despite its potential risks, laughter does offer health benefits. It has been linked to improvements in metabolism, lung function, and female fertility. Ferner concluded that while we cannot pinpoint an ideal amount of laughter, moderation is key, and excessive laughter should be avoided.
7. Alcohol Is More Beneficial Than Exercise
Researchers at the University of California found that senior citizens over the age of 90 lived longer if they regularly drank beer and wine. In their study, known as 90+, the researchers visited over 1,600 seniors aged 90 and above at six-month intervals, conducting tests and gathering information on their diets, medications, and more.
The study revealed that seniors who drank one glass of wine or two glasses of beer a day were 18 percent less likely to die than those who did not. In comparison, seniors who exercised for 15 to 45 minutes daily had an 11 percent lower risk of death. Those with the best survival rates combined regular exercise, wine and coffee consumption, and being slightly overweight. They were 21 percent less likely to die compared to their peers.
The researchers also noted that seniors over 70 who were slightly overweight had a longer lifespan than those who were underweight or of average weight. Claudia Kawas, who led the study, acknowledged that the reasons behind these findings remain unclear but stood by the conclusion that moderate drinking could contribute to a longer life for seniors.
6. Exercise Is Harmful To Your Health
According to *Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics*, an Australian sports journal, excessive exercise can negatively impact your health. The journal reported that exercising for more than two hours a day can lead to various disorders and diseases in the body.
One of the disorders linked to excessive exercise is leaky gut syndrome. This occurs when the gut lining weakens, allowing toxins and germs to leak into the bloodstream, potentially leading to diseases like multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue. Over-exercising can also result in the weakening of the heart muscle, which can cause abnormal heart rhythms and increase the risk of heart attacks.
Excessive exercise also causes the body to release cortisol, a hormone typically triggered by stress or fear. While cortisol levels usually return to normal after stressful situations, heavy exercise results in sustained elevated levels, which weaken both the immune system and the bones.
This prolonged secretion of cortisol decreases bone density, increasing the risk of fractures and conditions such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Moreover, excessive exercise can lead to 'overtraining syndrome,' which has similar effects on the body as clinical depression, leaving individuals irritable, demotivated, and unable to sleep.
5. Lying Can Be Beneficial
According to a study from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, lying can sometimes be a positive thing. Coauthored by doctoral student Emma Levine and Professor Maurice Schweitzer, the research suggests that lying to spare someone's feelings, such as telling a friend their artwork is amazing when it isn’t, can be a kind and helpful act.
Both researchers recreated scenarios where one person lied to another. Hundreds of participants were then asked to judge whether they believed the lie was good or bad. All participants agreed that lies told to spare someone's feelings were considered good, while lies that harmed someone or had no emotional impact were viewed as bad.
4. Taking Notes Makes Us Forgetful
A study by Michelle Eskritt and Sierra Ma from Mount St. Vincent University discovered that taking notes actually makes us forgetful. This occurs because the brain declines to store information that it knows is being recorded elsewhere.
The researchers split participants into two groups and had them play a memory game called Concentration. One group was allowed to take notes, but their notes were removed before the game ended.
At the conclusion of the game, the group that had taken notes remembered less of what they saw compared to the group that didn’t take notes. The study concluded that learning and remembering are distinct processes, with the brain sometimes refusing to retain information because it’s stored in another place.
3. Talking To Yourself Is Actually Good
Talking to yourself is often seen as a sign of madness, but researchers from Bangor University have a different perspective. Particularly when spoken aloud, self-talk may indicate higher intelligence. Dr. Paloma Mari-Beffa, a psychologist and coauthor of the study, suggested that this behavior enhances thinking, planning, and focus. It can also boost motivation, especially in stressful situations.
To test their theory, the researchers instructed 28 participants to either read written instructions aloud or silently. Afterward, the participants were given various tasks. The results showed that those who read aloud performed better than those who did not. While the study sample was small, previous research supports this finding.
In an earlier study, psychologists Gary Lupyan from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Daniel Swingley from the University of Pennsylvania found that people complete tasks more efficiently and find things faster when they talk to themselves out loud. For example, a child is more successful at tying their shoes when they verbally guide themselves through the steps.
Additionally, people locate objects more quickly when they say the name of the item they are searching for. Interestingly, the speed of finding an item was also affected by the name of the product. Participants searching for Coke found it faster when they repeated 'Coke,' compared to those looking for 'Speed Stick' deodorant who repeated 'Speed Stick.'
2. Showering Is Bad
The Genetic Science Center at the University of Utah discovered that showering, when done excessively, may have negative effects. While it's beneficial to shower regularly, overdoing it can eliminate beneficial bacteria and viruses that reside on or within us, leading to weakened disease resistance. Additionally, too much showering can elevate the risk of heart complications and disrupt digestive processes.
A study of the Yanomami people, an indigenous group in the Amazon, showed that they have the most diverse range of bacteria on their skin compared to other human populations. Interestingly, these individuals had bacteria that were resistant to antibiotics, despite never having been exposed to them.
While the researchers indicated that excessive showering in Western societies could reduce the diversity of the human microbiome, they did not specify the ideal frequency for showering.
1. Soda And Junk Food Do Not Cause Obesity
Junk food and soda have long been blamed for causing obesity. However, a study conducted by professors David Just and Brian Wansink at Cornell University challenges this view. The research examined the soda and junk food consumption of 5,000 Americans on two different days each week during 2007 and 2008.
The findings revealed that 95 percent of people with a normal weight did not gain weight from eating junk food or drinking soda. Additionally, normal-weight and obese individuals consumed nearly identical amounts of junk food. The study's conclusion was that obesity is linked to the overall calorie intake, not the type of food consumed. The researchers expressed concern that certain foods and drinks were being unfairly vilified, while the true causes of obesity were overlooked.
The study has faced some criticism. Stacey Lockyer of the British Nutrition Foundation pointed out that the researchers did not account for the exact types and quantities of junk food and soda consumed by the participants. This is a crucial factor since obesity results from the balance between calorie intake and expenditure. Furthermore, it is well-documented that obese individuals sometimes underreport their calorie consumption.
