40. Health Myths | Things We Got Spectacularly Wrong

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Mohivate, Dr Mohi Sarawgee explores some of the most confidently repeated health and science myths of the last century. Ideas that were taught in schools, printed on food labels, and handed down through generations as absolute truth, only for the evidence to tell a far more interesting story.Why did an entire generation grow up being told to eat carrots for better eyesight? Why did low-fat yoghurt end up with more sugar than a dessert? And why did one doctor drink a petri dish to prove a point , and later win a Nobel Prize for it?From wartime propaganda and the low-fat era that made an entire population less healthy, to the brain myth beloved by every self-help book ever written, and the man who spent sixty years cracking only one hand’s knuckles : this is a lighter episode about curiosity, evidence, and the remarkable ability of science to change its mind when better answers emerge.Because being wrong is where learning begins.REFERENCES1.Ancel Keys, saturated fat, and the dietary guidelines controversy — Newport & Dayrit, Nutrients 2024:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11123895/2.Barry Marshall, H. pylori, and the Nobel Prize — Nobel Prize official:https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2005/press-release/3.Carrots, night vision, and RAF wartime propaganda — World Carrot Museum:http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/ww2seeinthedark.html4.We only use 10% of our brain — Scientific American debunk:https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-people-only-use-10-percent-of-their-brains/5.Dr Donald Unger, knuckle cracking, Ig Nobel Prize 2009:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19922237/Just a gentle reminder: this episode is for information, education, and inspiration only. It’s not a substitute for your doctor’s advice. For any personal health concerns, always seek guidance from your doctor.