If you swallow a piece of gum, it will stay in your stomach for seven years. Dropping food on the floor is okay to eat if it’s been less than five seconds. Cracking your knuckles is bad and can lead to arthritis and other joint problems. Do these sayings ring a bell? Maybe you’ve heard them growing up, or continue to hear them from kids, or adults, today. So, are these old-time sayings true? Here’s what experts and recent studies reveal.
1. Is the Five-Second Rule True?
You drop a piece of candy on the floor and pick it up. “It was less than five seconds,” you say, as you pop it in your mouth. While the five second rule is a common saying and rule people tend to abide by, Ganga Moorthy, an assistant professor of pediatric infectious disease at Duke University, says it’s a complicated thing to advise people on.
