“Mom is right about everything.” We all grew up thinking that, especially when it comes to our health because mothers are our superheroines. But as we got older, we noticed that this is not entirely true. Sometimes mom could get it wrong; they are not doctors after all.
Below are 11 medical myths Egyptian mothers should stop telling us:
1. Mafish nezoul el piscine ela ba3d el akl bsa3a!
Eating diverted the blood towards your stomach’s digestive tract, so the myth is you’re at risk of drowning then. Not true, we have enough blood to keep all our body parts functioning. Mommy just wanted a break.
2. If you cross your eyes, they’ll stay that way forever!!
Also not true, mothers just don’t like it when we make faces.
3. Mato2afsh odam el microwave!!
It’s absolutely an old wives’ tale that microwaves transmit cancer-causing radiation. They just heat food!
4. If you swallow gum, it will take seven years to pass through your tummy
Leh ya3ni! Did I swallow a truck? Of course it is better not to swallow it in the first place because it is indigestible, but come on, seven years! Wes3t menik di ya mama.
5. El gazar bey2awi el nazar
It’s just healthy ya mamy; it won’t improve our eyesight. We’re not Spiderman!
6. Eating too much sugar will make you bounce off the walls
Again, we’re not Spiderman, and sugar will only destroy our teeth and make us fat, but it doesn’t cause hyper activity.
7. El naddara el soda dih 7atda5al 3enak gowa!
Sunken eyes have nothing to do with wearing glasses. Mom is just not into the fashion of el youmin dol!
8. Eating junk food will give you acne
There is actually no proven link between junk food and acne. We were just teenagers, and teenagers get acne. There is no escaping it.
9. Reading in the dark will ruin your eyes
The truth is, our eyes have amazing resilience and reading in dim light will not hurt them; it would just tire them out. Mom just wanted you to go to sleep.
10. Cracking your knuckles will lead to arthritis
This one is so popular that Dr. Oz had to interfere and do a whole episode about how wrong it is.
11. Mafish nezoul mn3’ir jacket!
Common colds are due to a dirty little germ called the rhinovirus. You don’t catch this virus by being in cold temperatures, so it has nothing to do with wearing a jacket or not.
We are only pocking at you, mothers. We know you were only trying to do what you thought was right because you love us. Big love to all the mothers out there.
