Drinking coffee will stunt your growth.
False. I totally bought into this as a kid, but research shows that I can only blame genetics for my short stature. Caffeine had been considered an osteoporosis risk factor for years, but a New York Times article reports that the Creighton University study linking consumption to reduced bone mass was inaccurate; the study had been conducted on elderly people with low calcium diets in general. Yet another study conducted on eighty-one adolescents over a six-year period also failed to prove the theory. But before you give your child that mocha over an herbal tea, remember: caffeine is still a strong stimulant.

Don’t pee in the pool or it’ll turn red and expose your mess.
False, but urine in water can cause irritations like red, puffy eyes or an itchy throat or cough. When swimmers sweat or urinate in pool water, the bodily fluids combine with the chlorine and create chemical compounds known as chloramines, according to the CDC. So you might be able to relieve yourself without getting busted, but please … don’t.

It takes seven years for gum to leave your digestive system after you swallow it.
False. This urban legend’s roots are hard to pinpoint, but Snopes found that the “warning” likely stems from gum being labeled “indigestible.” It may not break down in the digestion process, but gum will definitely pass out of your system as quickly as everything else.

Don’t go outside with wet hair or you’ll get sick.
False. This is the kind of forewarning that will prevent you from being uncomfortable more than becoming ill. According to Dr. Rob Danoff of MSN’s Health and Fitness Web page, the only thing that can make us sick is exposure to a virus, plain and simple. The most common way to catch a cold is by inhaling airborne viral particles released by the cough or sneeze of an infected person. Danoff also suggests not touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed fingers that may have come into contact with a virus.

Eating sugar/candy/food before bed will give you nightmares.
True. It may have sounded like an excuse to rob us of dessert as children, but there is some truth to it. Studies have shown that going to bed on a full stomach can stimulate brain waves, which trigger nightmares. Epicurious.com cited another study which implied that unhealthy foods produce even scarier nightmares. And an article in the Journal of the Mind and Body focused on a ten-person study conducted in 2000, where people were fed ice cream, sandwiches, and candy bars thirty minutes before going to bed; seven of the participants had nightmares while sleeping. After the study, the nightmares dramatically subsided for four of the participants. Just goes to show you that mom wasn’t always feeding you baloney!

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