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E S L L E S S O N P L A N JANUARY 2008

MEDICAL MYTHS
Language Function: discussing issues; reading comprehension

Vocabulary/Topic: medical myths

S T U D E N T W O R K S H E E T INTERMEDIATE

focus on talking Medical Myths - commonly-held

beliefs, rarely based in fact, that people
activity 1. Match the beginnings with the endings to form popular have grown up with

medical myths. Which ones do you believe in? Why / why not?

1. People should drink a. it to grow back faster, darker, or coarser.

2. Reading in dim light ruins b. 10% of our brains.

3. Eating turkey makes c. they might stick.

4. Too many carrots will turn d. hiccups.

5. Eating sugar causes e. skin orange.

6. Cold, wet weather causes f. your hair gray.

7. Donʼt cross your eyes, g. at least eight glasses of water a day.

8. Chocolate causes h. people drowsy.

9. Standing on your head cures i. your eyesight.

10. Worry and stress can turn

11. We use only

12. Hair and fingernails

j. to grow after death.

k. colds and flu.

l. diabetes.
X8
daily
continue

13. Shaving hair causes m. acne.

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Medical Myths INTERMEDIATE

focus on reading: comprehension

activity 2. Read the article. Which myths listed in activity 1 are mentioned in the article?

'Medical myths' The belief that we only use 10% of

our brains appears to be completely
does not make people especially
drowsy.
exposed as untrue untrue. Indeed, turkey, chicken and minced
Studies of patients with brain damage beef contain similar amounts of
Some claim drinking suggest that damage to almost any tryptophan.
area of the brain has specific and
eight glasses of water a The researchers explained: "Any
lasting effects on mental, vegetative
day leads to good large meal can induce sleepiness
and behavioural capabilities. because blood flow and oxygenation
health, while reading in
Brain imaging studies also show that to the brain decrease, and meals rich
dim light damages
no area of the brain is completely in protein or carbohydrate may cause
eyesight.
silent or inactive. drowsiness. Wine may also play a
And the belief that hair and fingernails role."
Others believe we only use 10% of
continue to grow after death may be Dr David Tovey, editor of Clinical
our brains or that shaving legs causes
an optical illusion caused by retraction Evidence journal, said: "The difficulty
hair to grow back thicker.
of the skin after death. is it is often hard to disprove a theory.
But a review of evidence by US
The actual growth of hair and nails "On the flip-side, absence of
researchers surrounding seven
requires a complex interplay of evidence does not necessarily mean
commonly-held beliefs suggests they
hormonal regulation not present after absence of effect.
are actually "medical myths".
death. "Where reliable evidence becomes
Some are utterly untrue, while others
Again, illusion may be to blame for the really important is in helping people
have no evidential proof, the British
belief that shaving hair causes it to make serious decisions about harms
Medical Journal reports.
grow back faster, darker, and coarser, and risks.
Researchers from the Indiana report author Rachel Vreeman told the "Many of these 'myths' are
University School of Medicine in BMJ. innocuous. However, we are still
Indianapolis hunted medical literature
The stubble resulting from shaving finding evidence that runs contrary to
for evidence on each claim.
grows out without the finer taper seen current practice and what we expect."
They found no evidence supporting at the ends of unshaven hair, giving He gave the example of the relatively
the need to drink eight glasses of the impression of thickness and recent U-turn in advice over sleeping
water a day. coarseness. positions for babies to cut cot deaths.
Medical myths Again, expert opinion is that reading Experts now recommend babies are
In fact, studies suggest that adequatein dim light does not damage your positioned on their backs when
fluid intake is often met by drinking eyes. And there is little evidence to sleeping to reduce the risk of sudden
support the banning mobile phones
juice, milk, and even caffeine-rich tea infant death.
and coffee. from hospitals on the basis of
source: bbc.co.uk
Data also suggests drinking excessive electromagnetic interference.
amounts of water can be dangerous. Finally, eating turkey - and the
tryptophan amino acid it contains -

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Medical Myths INTERMEDIATE

focus on reading: comprehension

1.activity 3. Read the article again and decide whether the statements below are TRUE or FALSE.

1. According to the researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine, all the reviewed beliefs are
untrue.

2. Drinking too much water can be dangerous.

3. Brain imaging proves that we use full capacity of our brains.

4. Mobile phones should be banned in hospitals because they cause interference.

5. Eating turkey can cause drowsiness only if it is accompanied by wine drinking.

6. Many medical myths do not cause any harm.

focus on vocabulary
activity 4. Write words for these definitions. All the words appear in the article on page 2.

1. to look for something that is difficult to find ...................................

2. greater than what seems reasonable or appropriate, extreme ...................................
3. continuing to exist or to have an effect for a long time ...................................
4. the act of pulling something back ...................................
5. the short stiff hairs on a manʼs face when he has not shaved recently ...................................
6. to show that something is wrong or false ...................................
7. on the other hand; at the same time ...................................
8. not harmful or dangerous ...................................

focus on talking
activity 5. In pairs, ask and answer the questions below.
• Do you know any other medical myths? What are they?
• How do medical myths originate?

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