The five-second rule and other health myths
UCI Health physician Dr. Shalini Shah separates fact from fiction
September 16, 2014
IN THE NEWS: Coffee can stunt a child's growth. Touching a toad gives you warts. It's OK to eat food that was on the ground for five seconds or less. Are any of these maxims true?
Coffee definitely doesn't stunt a child's growth, but caffeine can cause anxiety, heart palpitations and irritability in children and should be avoided, UCI Health Dr. Shalini Shah tells the OC Register. And while it's probably safe to eat a piece of food that fell on the ground for a short time, if you can wash it first, you should, she says.
View Shah's take on these and other health adages in the full OC Register article ›
