At the end of each year the editors of the British Medical Journal gather together, presumably at a pub, and review some of the whacky things they discovered during the year. A few years ago they focused on debunking a number of hitherto sacred myths.
Poinsettias, long thought to be toxic to people and pets, apparently pose little if any danger to either. The editors took a look at a study done by Doctors Rachel Vreeman and Aaron Carroll of the Indiana University School of Medicine and concluded the red and white Christmas foliage was safe to be around and no danger even if eaten.
The doctors collected 900 poison center reports of Poinsettia exposure and found nothing but mild allergic reactions from exposure to the plants. In most cases, they said, there were no symptoms at all. Moreover, pets who for some reason or another consumed the foliage showed no ill effects.
The doctors also took a hard look at the belief that suicides peak during the winter months. Apparently, the data on suicides in the United States during the past 35 years showed just the opposite. Suicides were highest during the summer and lowest during the winter.
Other myths that fell apart on closer inspection included the idea that kids get a buzz when they eat sugar, that not wearing a hat causes the loss of body heat and eating at night packs on the pounds. The Brits found a number of studies that showed children who consumed large quantities of sugar were no more hyperactive than those who did not. Tell yourself that the next time the kids are bouncing off the walls after eating an entire bag of M&Ms.
I can’t comment on the no-hat-loss-of-body heat idea. I freeze anytime the temperature drops below 70 whether I’m wearing a hat or not.
Sadly, the researchers are just plain wrong about eating at night not causing weight gain. I eat very little at night and I still gain. After all, how many calories can there be in a simple bag of popcorn, a bowl of ice cream, a bag of chips, a few cashews and a handful of chocolates?
The Brits also concluded there is no surefire cure for a hangover. A finding no doubt gleaned from their long hours of research at the local pub debunking myths.
As for me, I will still keep the dog away from the poinsettias. They just don’t look right after they’ve been chewed.
