False. The size and shape of our hair follicles determine the thickness and texture of our hair — whether it is thick and coarse or thin and fine. The hair may appear coarser, but shaving doesn’t change the follicle, so frequent shaving won’t make your beard thicker.
Men can get breast cancer.
True. Men can get breast cancer, but it’s rare. The lifetime risk is estimated to be about one in 1,000 men. In addition to older age, other risk factors include family members (male or female) with breast cancer, a genetic condition associated with high estrogen levels, chronic liver disorders, alcoholism, and obesity.
The larger a man’s shoe size, the larger his penis is.
False. Two urologists at St. Mary’s Hospital in London conducted a study involving 104 men and found no statistically significant correlation between shoe size and stretched penile length.
Grilled meat contains substances that may increase the risk for cancer.
True. Two types of potential carcinogens may be found in grilled meats. One type (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs) is found in the flames and smoke that’s created when fat and juices drip from meat onto a heat source. The PAHs then stick to the surface of the meat. The other type (heterocyclic amines, HCAs) is formed when high temperatures cause a chemical reaction between naturally occurring amino acids and sugars in the meat and the creatine found in muscle tissue.
Ways to reduce or avoid these carcinogens during grilling include putting a layer of aluminum foil under the meat to avoid direct contact of the meat to the grill, pre-cooking meat in the microwave then discarding the juices, marinating meat, reducing cooking time, and removing charred areas, which contains the most HCAs.
No pain, no gain: If a workout doesn’t hurt, then it’s not effective enough.
False. You don’t gain anything from pain. In fact, if you work out until you feel pain (or go past that point), you could injure yourself.
Drinking beer won’t actually give you a “beer belly.”
False. Excess calories of any kind can increase belly fat, and extra calories from beer can contribute to an increased waistline. It’s easy to overdo the calories from beer — or other alcoholic drinks — and the foods you like to eat while drinking.
Baseball Caps, Briefs & Beards: 10 Surprising Man-Myths was originally published on blackdoctor.org
