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Wise Answers to Old Wives' Tales

Experts reveal the truth behind the most popular (and persistent) health rumors stressing you out.
By Ben Cramer

Cola type soft drinks can damage your kidneys.
Verdict: FACT. Despite their global popularity, there's nothing remotely healthy about cola beverages: Drinking 16 ounces or more daily (whether diet or regular) doubles your risk of chronic kidney disease, according to a recent NIH study of more than 900 people. can on side

The researchers already knew that consuming any type of soft drink--the average American adult guzzles 59 gallons' worth per year--is associated with several risk factors for kidney disease (hypertension, diabetes, and kidney stones), but the spike in the cola category was remarkable. Experts suspect that the ingredient phosphoric acid may be the culprit; it's been repeatedly linked to "urinary changes that promote kidney stones," say the study authors. Cola has an additional knock against it: Consumption is associated with significantly lower bone density in women, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures, says a separate study.
Bottom Line: If you're going to indulge in an occasional soda, go for Sprite, 7-Up, ginger ale, and the like--the NIH study found that noncola drinks didn't have the same impact on the kidneys. But you'll be better off if you skip soda altogether, even the sugar-free varieties: Recent research showed an association between drinking diet soda and weight gain.

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Eating locally produced honey can ease seasonal allergies.
Verdict: JURY'SOUT. beeeeeee

The theory seems sound: Bees in your neighborhood feed on the same pollen that gives you itchy eyes and a runny nose. That pollen gets added to the hive's honey, and ingesting it helps you build a tolerance to those allergens--or so the thinking goes. But does this really work? "We don't know--there are no studies to support it, only testimonials," says Leonard Bielory, MD, director of the Asthma and Allergy Research Center at New Jersey Medical School. Of course, the same process could produce negative effects--bees may visit problem plants, such as poison ivy, and cause a rash in people ingesting the ivy-tainted honey. Yet anecdotal reports claim just the opposite: Some honey lovers insist that the sweetener has helped build an immunity to such reactions.
Bottom Line: Keep standard allergy remedies on hand, but feel free to enjoy local honey, too--it's a worthy replacement for other sweeteners and even has natural antibiotic properties.