A health fact check-up

Authors take aim at medical myths and provide tips worth following By Jane E. Brody New York Times News Service Thursday, July 24, 2008 In 45 years of writing about medicine and health, I've heard more than my share of myths and misinformation, from the merely nonsensical to the downright dangerous. And until I explored the evidence, I too occasionally fell for a "fact" that turned out to be less than met the eye. Lately a number of medical writers have taken on these commonplaces and old wives' tales. experts find no harm in a gentle plunge or casual play in the water soon after eating. What can be hazardous is swimming after drinking alcohol, because it can impair judgment and encourage undue risk-taking. Last year, Anahad O'Connor, who does so every week in his "Really?" column for The New York Times, published "Never... [read full story]