Myth Buster Monday - Chicken Soup Cures Colds

MYTH: Chicken Soup Can Cure the Common Cold

As summer comes to an end and the cool winds of change blow as the fall weather begins to make its presence know; you can smell the newly sharpened pencils, hear the shuffling of papers and watch the children on the playground. Each day at school there is the regular routine of passing periods, passing notes and passing GERMS. It is amazing to me that you can go through the whole summer without a sneeze or a sniffle but two days after school starts you spend the next week recovering from your first cold of the season.

I like how livescience.com  covers this myth:

Cure is a strong word, but science suggests Moms around the world are still right in forcing spoonfuls of chicken soup down their kids' throats. Studies have found that the broth actually contains anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce congestion.[source]

The Lawerance Journal-World goes into more detail how this is tested:

Basically, it worked this way: Rennard and his colleagues collected neutrophil samples from healthy volunteers. Neutrophils are white blood cells that defend against infections. Chicken soups tested by the researchers had anti-inflammatory agents that reduced the movement of neutrophils. Although it’s not completely understood, scientists think reducing movement in neutrophils can help ease the symptoms associated with a cold. “The chemistry is very complicated,” Rennard says. “The chemistry of the soup is probably different than all the different components.”[source]

I always remember having soup when I was sick, but for me it was only thing that sounded good. I am sure that there are good elements to having a warm health meal while you're sick; I would say that chicken soup is a helpful tool to getting over a cold but not a 'cure'.

Conclusion: False

What are your thoughts about this myth, let us know in the comments

If you like this post consider Subscribing to my full feed

Related Posts

YES on Prop 8 Video

For everyone interested (which should be everyone because this affects all of us) Here is a movie about all issues regarding Prop. 8. How this isn't just a battle over same sex marriage, it is also a battle over abuse of powers. Supreme Court judges do not have the right to speak for the people, that is not their job. Please take a look at this video regarding why you should vote YES on prop. 8. It is about 30 minutes so please allow for that when you start it. Thanks!! Happy voting!

Technorati tags: Gay Marriage, Proposition 8, God, Family

If you like this post consider Subscribing to my full feed

Related Posts

Loud Minority, Silent Majority

You may be mistaken to think that because you are bombarded with advertisements and commercials for anti proposition 8 propaganda that that is what the state wants. You would be mistaken. In life, the minority of the group usually ends up being the loudest for some reason. Well with this matter of marriage and family, let's have the majority, the group that believes in the traditional marriage and all that goes with it, be loud and strong and stand up for what they believe.
The family is the central unit of society and so it is our job to protect it and conserve it. Did you know that 27 other states have already added an amendment to there state constitution making marriage one acceptable between a man and a woman. 27 other states have passed this without the media reporting this and making a big deal about it. That statistic means that more than half of the country believes that marriage should be between man and wife. That is the majority. California now needs to follow suit and pass Proposition 8.
I am sickened that Governor Schwarzenegger supports this and is willing to spend tons of money rewriting all the text books in California to support this change. That is sick. It is also very wrong that he will approve "Gay day" when he begins to sign bills again. Why don't we have a "straight day."
Proposition 8 does not take any rights away from same sex partners. They have every single right as a married couple. The only things that Prop 8 is doing is protect marriage's definition and keeps it between one man and one woman. I hope that even if you know people who are gay, or have loved ones that are gay you can get passed seeing this as hate. This is not hate. This is simply protecting the sacredness of marriage. Please vote YES on Prop. 8! Remember if you want to donate, support Prop 8 or need a yard sign to show your support visit Protectmarriage.com.

Technorati tags: Proposition 8, California, gay marriage, marriage

If you like this post consider Subscribing to my full feed

Related Posts

Real Estate

Amid the rocky state of the economy life still goes on. People are switching jobs, going on vacation and even moving. Now is probably a good time to get a great deal on real estate if you have the money. Bruce Germinsky has commercial real estate as well as high end propertyin Monmouth County on the Jersey Shore.
The best way to successfully find a new property is to have a real estate professional help you. They will help you define what you want and search it out for you. If you live on the east coast Bruce Germinsky is your man for commercial, retail, and residential high end properties. To find out more about Bruce and his theories of helping you can check out his Realtor page. There are some beautiful luxury water front homes for sale. That kind of real estate is always expensive but at this point you may be able to find a great price for a luxury home.

If you like this post consider Subscribing to my full feed

Related Posts

Duh!

I don't understand why people need to be told not to talk on cell phones while driving, or not to put on make up, read the newspaper, or even texting. No matter what vehicle you are driving or are in control of, you don't do anything but pay attention while operating it. People have such a lack of common sense, or else over confidence in their ability to multi task. Get over yourself and pay attention to the road. If not for the sake of your own life, for the sake of other lives. It's called common courtesy to try and not kill other people by your lack of regard for safety. I'm sure there is a lawsuit in the works for the conductor of the train that ran the red light and killed 25 people in California because of alledgedly texting while operating the train. I think that people sue people too often over stupid things, but in this case, sue away. Sue the pants off of whoever is responsible. Money won't bring your loved ones back, but perhaps someone will learn a lesson. There are plenty of useless accidents and deaths due to multitasking while driving. Driving is already a multitasking job; driving with your hands at ten and two, checking your mirrors and altogether being aware of the drivers around you. Please don't add some other activity into the mix. And while we're on the subject Don't drink and Drive!

If you like this post consider Subscribing to my full feed

Related Posts

Myth Busting Monday - Penny Drop

MYTH: A Penny dropped from the top of a tall building could kill a pedestrian

I have visited the Empire State Building a few times; the first time was in 7th grade on a school trip and even in 7th grade I had the thought cross my mind 'what would happen if I dropped something off the top of the building?' While on the observation deck, my best friend and I found an observatory ticket that some one must have dropped, it was the size of a normal raffle ticket. Being a 12 year old, away from home for the first time, on the complete opposite side of the country and being with my group of friends, we threw it off. To our surprise, it just seemed to float through the air; it would fall a little then a gust of wind would blow it higher and it basically just floated away. When it was time to leave the Empire State Building we casually mentioned the 'ticket launching' to our teacher, he grew very concerned and proceeded to give us a lecture on how dangerous that was. If only I knew then what I know now.

The famous myth busting duo, Jamie and Adam from the TV show Mythbusters have tested this myth on their show. Here is their procedure for testing this myth:

the Mythbusters tried to find the terminal velocity (maximum free-fall speed) of a penny compared to a human's by skydiving. They found out that the pennies had a slower terminal velocity than a human's, so they set up an experiment in the workshop. The Mythbusters set up a windpipe testing for terminal velocity (basically a tube facing upright with a leafblower with controllable throttle on the bottom). They found out the terminal velocity, and then fired the pennies at that velocity (with a modified staple gun) into a person's head and a sidewalk. There was no damage to either of them. After, the pennies were shot at their hand, and no real damage was done, a little sore/stinging.
Conclusion: ---- Pennies dropped from a skyscraper cannot fall in a way that they can implant themselves in the ground/ kill someone. They don't have enough mass.[source]

I have actually seen this episode and watched them fire pennies onto their hands. I looks like it hurts but it really doesn't do much damage.

I like how livescience.com covers this myth:

A penny isn't the most aerodynamic of weapons. A combination of its shape and wind friction means that, tossed even from the 1,250-foot Empire State Building, it would travel fast enough merely to sting an unlucky pedestrian. [source]

This is one myth where I have had some actual experience with what the myth is talking about, and although I haven't conducted the exact experiment to test this myth, from what I have experienced I can conclude that this myth is false.

Conclusion: False

What are your thoughts about this myth, let us know in the comments

Technorati tags: dropping, penny, Empire, State, Building

If you like this post consider Subscribing to my full feed

Related Posts

Myth Busting Monday - Vanishing Hitchhiker

MYTH: The Vanishing Hitchhiker

This is one of those myths that was probably 'made up' to scare kids from hitchhiking or picking up hitchhikers. I can remember growing up, going to Halloween parties and listening to a variation of this myth. The best description of this myth is as follows:

One of the oldest known urban legends around, this ghostly tale goes back to a time when the mystery hitchhiker was picked up in a horse and buggy. The passenger is often a young girl who, upon reaching the address she has provided, is found to have disappeared from the back seat altogether. The driver discovers his charge to have died several years earlier. Completely unverifiable, but a chilling tale nonetheless.[source]

Looking into this myth it seems that its origins go back centuries; the myth started with horses and buggies and it has evolved to cars.

There is a great version of the story at prairieghosts.com

After reading one of the versions of this myth it can give you the chills, but it is one of those myths that you would have to experience to believe.

Conclusion: False

What are your thoughts about this myth, let us know in the comments

Technorati tags: vanishing, hitchhiker

If you like this post consider Subscribing to my full feed

Related Posts

Vote YES on Prop. 8

If you live in California or have family or friends in California than you may be away of the battle for same sex marriage that is going on. Proposition 8 is going to be on the ballot this November in California and I encourage everyone to vote YES. By checking the YES circle you will agree that there should be an amendment added to the California constitution defining marriage as a union between one woman and one man. It is vital that this measure passes and that gay marriage is banned from the state. For the rest of us not in California we are very much effected by this also. California is an influential state. If this measure doesn't pass in California that the rest of us may be forced to have this forced on us as well in the future. We need to protect the traditional definition of marriage. It is true and correct. Marriage is ordained by God and intended for ONE MAN and ONE WOMAN. I encourage everyone to support this bill by going to Protectmarriage.com and donating money to the cause. They need all the money they can get to help campaign, and put commercials on tv. For humanity's sake we need everyone to vote YES on prop. 8. Even if you have friends or family who is gay you can still vote YES. The rights and privileges of marriage should be only intended for heterosexual couples. It is ok to keep the perks of marriage between man and woman. This in no way hurts homosexual couples. They can still live together in their unions. Please realize the importance of this drastic measure and support Prop. 8. VOTE YES ON PROP. 8!!!

Technorati tags: Proposition 8, gay marriage, California, Marriage

If you like this post consider Subscribing to my full feed

Related Posts

Shopwiki for a Wii

I feel that in this day and age with the great modern technology we have, it is more than possible to buy things for a great deal. Especially with the current state of the economy, people are looking to get a deal because the prices of everyday goods are skyrocketing before our very eyes.

There are some tools that the average consumer can use in order to get a deal on the products you shop for. Shopwiki is a fantastic website that lists stores and websites that sell pretty much whatever item you are looking for. It has a huge directory of items. Just search and find the best deal. Shopwiki crawls the internet looking for all these deals so you get an unbiased selection of offers. Since there aren't coupons for everything we need, I'm glad there are sites like Shopwiki to help you comparison shop right from your computer.

We have friends with a Wii that we really love to play, so I will be using Shopwiki for a Wii in the near future. There are many products I want, but haven't found a great price for, but now that I'm better informed I'll probably be able to find the best bang for my buck pretty easily. The next time I start doing research on a product I will start at Shopwiki.

If you like this post consider Subscribing to my full feed

Related Posts

Big Brother 10

There are a few things regarding Big Brother 10 that I need to get off my chest. I HATE Memphis and Dan. Memphis is a player. I hate him. He is so full of himself. He deserves to get kicked off. I do not want him to win the money. More than my not wanting Memphis to win is my not wanting Dan to win. He is ridiculous. I can't even stand to hear him talk. He is also way too confident in himself. Plus, he is such a pansy. He doesn't have the guts to get what he wants done without trying to make it look like it was someone else's fault. I hate him! I know that he will probably win though because doesn't the person you hate the most always end up winning Big Brother??? YES!

Technorati tags: Big Brother 10, reality

If you like this post consider Subscribing to my full feed

Related Posts

Working Out

Like a lot of Americans I have felt that I could stand to lose a few pounds lately. I've had this complaint for a couple years, but my upcoming cruise has finally been motivation enough for me to start doing something about it.

A while ago I bought a workout DVD that I really like. It is indoor walking that also adds little bursts of intensity to help burn more fat, and one segment includes weights. I love this video because it is do-able. I don't enjoy setting myself up to fail. I feel that a diet wouldn't work because I don't have the self control to stop eating yummy foods that aren't so good for you. So since I don't want to set myself up to fail, my plan is to work out everyday with a video I feel I can succeed with. I have now been doing this workout plan for 7 weeks and it is going good.

A few weeks ago I read about the Biggest Loser workout video and I purchased one of those. This DVD will totally kick your trash. It is a lot more intense than my previous movie and I find myself battling with myself about whether or not I am going to work out. I don't want to fight, I just want to do it. So I think I need to try a different movie. Any suggestions?

I have enjoyed bettering myself. I think I have probably lost 2-3 pounds. I am shooting for 10 pounds. I don't own a scale because I don't think I would be able to control how many times a day or week I would get on it, so I'm going by how my clothes fit me. I'm trying to get down one pant size and my reward will be getting a new dress for my upcoming cruise!! Go me!

If you like this post consider Subscribing to my full feed

Related Posts