I've always had a few problems with the phrase "old wives' tales" — not least because some of the best advice I've ever gotten came from "old wives" and their wisdom. So I was glad to read an r/AskReddit thread started by u/spiteful-hater666 which asked, "Which old wives' tale is actually true?" Here are some of the most-upvoted responses:
1. "17th century European folklore said 'Woe to the child who tastes salty from a kiss on the brow, for he is cursed and soon will die.' It’s cystic fibrosis. Nowadays, we know that cystic fibrosis is due to a non-functional protein that regulates salt transport; when that protein doesn’t work, you get thick, sticky mucus clogging up every membrane… and a whole bunch of salt being pumped onto the skin."
"Many diseases existed for a looooooong time before we had the framework to understand them, but our ancestors were paying attention and trying to understand these tragedies through the lenses that they had. And sometimes, that’s how you get an old wives’ tale that is right on the money!"
2. "Ammonia on a mosquito bite helps. Dab a bit of ammonia on it, and don't touch it, count to 120 seconds, and the bite is 'gone' (the inflammation will have gone down etc.)."
"When I first heard of it, I didn't believe it. Now, just a touch of kitchen ammonia and don't scratch and it's beyond gone. Completely."
3. "A cut onion rubbed on insect bites takes away the sting. I’ve tried it on wasp and ant bites and works instantly."
"It giveth tears and it taketh away..."
4. "A while back, scientists set out to disprove the old wives' tale that if a pregnant woman has lots of heartburn, her baby will be born with a thick head of hair. Except… they ended up doing the opposite. Turns out heartburn really is associated with a baby having lots of hair."
5. "Red sky at night, sailors’ delight."
"'A red sky appears when dust and small particles are trapped in the atmosphere by high pressure. This scatters blue light leaving only red light to give the sky its notable appearance. A red sky at sunset means high pressure is moving in from the west, so therefore the next day will usually be dry and pleasant.'
— Met Office."
6. "Nurses used to put jaundiced babies on window sills until their colour returned. No idea how they figured it out but we've since proven that sunlight can really help (though you should obviously check with your doctor if you spot it instead of attempting to help them yourself)!"
The science is right, but your child might risk getting too cold or becoming sunburned if you try this on your own — speak to a medical professional if your child is jaundiced.
7. "More of an old nurse's tale, but redheads need more anaesthetic. Turns out that there is a gene linked to red hair that increases resistance or metabolism or something to the drug."
"At any rate, waking up in the middle of a full colonoscopy sucks. Hearing the doctor say, 'Ah, shit, she's awake, give her another one...'
And the nurse, all melodramatic as she pushes another syringe worth into your IV, saying to him, 'Are you SURE, doctor???' as your eyes slowly close again is especially awesome."
8. "Chicken soup helps when you're sick."
9. "They found a potential antibiotic in a frog after reading folklore that recommended throwing the frog in milk so it doesn’t spoil as fast."
10. "Letting a baby eat from a utensil you just used might cause them to get cavities. When my sister told us not to let my nephew eat something we've taken a bite out of, I thought she was full of shit. It turns out adults really can transfer cavity-causing bacteria to babies."
11. "Garlic likely has medicinal powers for a wide variety of ailments."
12. "When placed on your chest, cold cabbage leaves relieve engorgement and mastitis pain while nursing. It sounds SO old wives' tale but it’s been proven to be true."
13. "Pregnant women should not be near cat litter. I'm blind in one eye from toxoplasmosis acquired in utero."
14. "Looking at something like a TV of laptop screen too close for too long will strain your eyes."
"You need to exercise your long-distance focusing muscles to prevent myopia. If you always look at things close up, you can develop it."
15. "Honey as topical medicine. It’s actually used in hospitals now for certain kinds of wound dressings. It’s anti-microbial and keeps other stuff from getting in the wound."
Pssst — they use medical-grade sterilised honey, which is different to the stuff you probably have in your cupboard.
16. "Mint tea may well actually help with stomach pain."
17. "Don’t shower during a lightning storm — you might get electrocuted."
18. "Gargling with salt water helps a sore throat as well as tooth and gum issues."
19. "Pregnant people carrying female embryos/foetuses are more likely to experience severe nausea."
Shout out to r/AskReddit and u/spiteful-hater666 for having this discussion.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Additional thumbnail credits: Getty Images