Debunking the 5-Second Rule and Other Health Myths

Common “facts” that most people are aware of are just not true. Here's what you should know about the five-second rule and other popular but false myths.

You’re enjoying that freshly baked cookie. You take a bite and the rest falls onto the floor. You yell, “five-second rule,” scoop it up, and put it in your mouth. 

Yet it’s not true.

“The popular notion of the ‘five-second rule’ is that food dropped on the floor, but picked up quickly, is safe to eat because bacteria need time to transfer,” said Donald Schaffner, PhD, professor and extension specialist in food science at Rutgers University. “This pop culture ‘rule’ has been featured by at least two TV programs. Research on this is limited.”

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Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences looked into the claim because the practice is so widespread. They tested four different types of food on four different surfaces — stainless steel, ceramic tile, wood, and carpet. Researchers tested watermelon, bread, buttered bread, and gummy candy.

They dropped the foods on each of the surfaces for less than a second, five, 30, and 300 seconds. Each drop occurred 20 times. Watermelon had the most contamination and gummy candy had the least. 

The researchers discovered that the higher the moisture content of the food, the higher the risk of bacteria transference from the surfaces. They also found that longer contact times resulted in more bacteria on the foods. Food that fell on carpet did have the lowest amount of bacteria. 

The next time food falls on your floor, you should throw it away.

If you don’t wear a hat in the winter, you’ll lose 80 percent of your body heat

This myth stems from military experiments conducted 50 years ago. In those studies, subjects were dressed in Arctic survival suits and exposed to the extreme cold. The suits covered them only from their necks down.

In the frigid conditions, body heat did escape from their heads. Under normal circumstances, however, you lose only 7 to 10 percent of your body heat if you don’t wear a hat. 

Gray winter skies make you depressed

“Major depression is no more rampant during the winter months than at any other time of the year,” said John Sharp, MD, professor at Harvard University, and author of “The Emotional Calendar.” “Busy schedules and worries about holiday spending are more likely to trigger the blues than true seasonal affective disorder, which affects five percent of people in the U.S.”

Vaccines cause autism

This one has been known to cause heated arguments. The myth started in 1998 after an article was published in the journal The Lancet. The study showed that parents of eight autistic children stated their children contracted autism after receiving the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.

That article has since been retracted, and numerous following studies in scientific journals showed there is no link between vaccines and autism.

You use only 10 percent of your brain

In the movie “Defending Your Life,” actor Rip Torn says, “When you use more than five percent of your brain, you don't want to be on Earth, believe me.”

It’s funny, but not true. Motivational speakers and self-help gurus started the myth during the early 1900s. “They did this as a way to get people to tap into some latent capacity,” said Rachel Vreeman, MD, co-author of “Don’t Swallow Your Gum! Myths, Half-Truths, and Outright Lies about Your Body and Health.” 

Vreeman said that “by looking at any brain scan, we can see how big a myth this is because we think we haven’t reached our full potential.”

Swallowing gum is unhealthy

This one and the myth that, if you do swallow gum, it will stay in your stomach for seven years stems from gum being made with resin and wax, which are indigestible. That doesn’t mean the wad of gum you or your child swallowed several years ago is still in your stomach.

Your digestive system is marvelous; anything it can’t absorb, it moves along and out of your system. “It passes right through your digestive tract and into the toilet,” Vreeman said.

Wait at least one hour after eating before you swim

It’s actually better to cool off in the water than bake in the hot sun after you eat. But you shouldn’t overdo it. Vigorous exercise on a full stomach can cause cramps and nausea. So, take it slow after eating a meal.

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