It has long been thought that a person with a concussion should not sleep because they might slip into a coma or lose consciousness. Through research and the expertise of UAMS doctors such as Dr. Alice Alexander, a primary care doctor in our Internal Medicine Clinic, we now know that there is no need to […]

Vinegar and garlic, while healthy foods, do not help control your blood pressure. During ancient times, both vinegar and garlic acquired reputations as curatives, able to allow people to live longer, healthier lives. These reputations have continued to modern times. Garlic and vinegar have been used by people throughout history, for both culinary and medicinal […]

Drinking cranberry juice is good for your body. Cranberry juice is a great beverage, with important antioxidants that help reduce your risk of heart disease. Antioxidants also strengthen your immune system, allowing your body to fight off infections. However, according to the Urology Clinic at UAMS, cranberry juice cannot cure a urinary tract infection (UTI) […]

It’s appealing to think we could be smarter if only we applied more of our brain power. Unfortunately, the idea that people only use 10% of our brains and could use more is not true. This persistent myth may have originated as early as 1908 when William James wrote, “We are making use of only […]

Aloe vera is touted as the “burn plant,” the perfect natural remedy for a bad sunburn, and according to some studies aloe vera can help. Initial research has shown aloe vera aids the skin in healing from sunburns and mild burns. In addition, aloe vera oil can moisturize the skin, helping you avoid the peeling […]

Drinking warm milk before bed may help you relax, but there is no evidence that milk makes you sleepy. The drowsiness some people experience may be more from the warmth of the milk or a full stomach than the physical effect of any compound in milk. The ‘milk myth’ may have persisted because milk has […]

According to the Dermatology Clinic at UAMS, some botanical elements included in cucumbers or tea bags may help temporarily reduce wrinkles. Doctor Daniel Davis, Associate Professor of Dermatology, stated, “Do we understand which of the thousand compounds in them are working? No.” The botanicals reduce wrinkles by encouraging the surrounding skin and underlying tissue to […]

According to Dr. Charles Smith, of the Family and Preventative Medicine Department at UAMS, there is no medical evidence to support the myth. Your mom probably told you that you would get severe cramps and drown if you decided to go for a swim right after eating. The theory behind the myth was that there is […]

Despite what your mom may have told you when you were younger, you will not catch a cold from going to bed with your hair wet. Dr. Charles Smith, of the Family and Preventative Medicine Department at UAMS, said that there is no medical evidence to prove that this is true. Wet hair does not cause a […]

According to Dr. Joseph Chacko, director of neuro-ophthalmology at UAMS, your mom was right when she told you to eat carrots for your eyes. “I don’t think it is a myth,” he said. “Carrots and other colorful vegetables have lots of vitamin A which helps the retina to function. We want our patients to eat […]