Remedicated

As much as we would like to think of medicine as a concrete set of scientific laws, the truth is that medical science is always evolving. There’s a lot that we don’t know about the human body and mind. It’s this uncertainty and the quest for knowledge that spur us to create new theories for things we don’t yet understand. The theories here seem so strange that they must be false - but remember that when renegade chemist Louis Pasteur first described his germ theory in 1860, he was widely thought to be a crackpot…and look at how that turned out.

1. People with glasses are smarter. Well, specifically, near-sighted people. In the late 1980s, several studies were conducted that made a tentative correlation between myopia (near-sightedness) and intelligence. The relationship may be due either to a single genetic factor that influences the size of both the brain and they eye, or to the amount of “near-work” (namely, reading) done early in life.

2. High-heeled shoes cause schizophrenia. You have to wonder where some medical theories originate. Why did Swedish scientist Jarl Flensmark decide to study a connection between heeled shoes and the incidence of schizophrenia? The world may never know. But his initial research seems sound, and he has connected certain brain activity with stimulation of certain points on the feet. The spread of schizophrenia around the globe has closely followed the spread of availability of heeled shoes. Is it an eerie coincidence or a real cause for concern? Look out, men - this theory applies not only to stilettos, but to any shoe with a heel.

3. Fat people really are jolly. In 2005, a research team in England conducted a study that seemed to suggest the larger you are, the happier your outlook will be. People with a low BMI (body mass index) are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. Thin people are even more likely to commit suicide. This is likely due to larger people having higher levels of serotonin, which promotes a calmer and happier outlook.

4. Mirrors might cure phantom limb pain. For amputees, the presence of phantom pain - intense pain in the missing limb - can be devastating. Painkillers don’t help because the limb in pain is no longer attached to the body. Navy neurologist Dr. Jack Tsao developed a therapy that involves holding a mirror up to the remaining limb to trick the mind into thinking that the amputated limb is still present. Mirror therapy has so far been extremely effective. Dr. Tsao has treated hundreds of amputees in the U.S. and Cambodia.

5. A vaccine can cure cocaine addiction. Drug addiction has ruined countless lives, but researchers at Baylor College of Medicine are working on a vaccine that can render the drug ineffective when ingested. Vaccinated individuals will stop feeling the effects of cocaine because their immune system will attack the substance in the body. The researchers believe this will cause the addict to stop attempting to get high. Not addressed by the researchers: how to keep addicts from turning to other drugs for their high.

6. Kissing may cut down on seasonal allergy attacks. Kissing may be more than fun - it may actually be great for your health. A 2006 study at the Natou Hospital in Japan found that couples who kissed for 30 minutes had lower levels of Immunoglobin E in their blood. IgE is responsible for triggering an allergic response to environmental factors. Oddly, just cuddling with your loved one doesn’t have the same effect. Apparently, kissing relaxes the body enough that histamine levels come down, resulting in relief from allergy symptoms.

7. Jet lag can make you dumb. Frequent travelers know that jet lag can be a huge pain. But could it be causing permanent damage to your brain? A 2001 study suggests that people whose circadian rhythms are disrupted by frequent time zone changes have lower levels of cognitive function. It’s not clear whether your brain ever recovers from these circadian rhythm disturbances - meaning that frequent travelers may lose brain power permanently.