Tonight's 20/20 covered Germs, the Dirty Dozen - Myths, Lies and Straight Talk. Here are the myths according to 20/20:
- Flu shots keep the flu away: Helps keep the flu away, but only 70-90% effective
- It's safe to eat at your desk: Nope, a typical desk has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet seat
- The kitchen is the cleanest room: Nope, the kitchen can have the deadliest germs in the house
- It's okay to dip your chip: Nope, gotta watch out for "double-dippers" so you should smooth onto your plate first
- Keep your makeup to yourself: Yes, you might get bacteria conjunctivitis or E. coli
- Mouthwash cures bad breath: No, it works temporarily but the dry mouth is causes can create a breading ground for bacteria and make breath worse (keeping the mouth wet would be key since babies rarely get bad breath)
- You can reuse your water bottle: You can reuse most for a few weeks, but avoid popup sports tops because bacteria from your hands can end up on your mouth
- Airplane air makes you sick: Nope, germs are being coughed up by those around you (so it's true that being on an airplane can make you sick)
- The toilet seat is the dirtiest thing in the bathroom: Nope, - the big danger is the floor and getting germs on your hands - and womens' rooms typically have twice the germs of a mens' room (since women stay longer in there and kids often go in there, too). 20/20 also recommends that women should never put their bags on the floor. They also say don't use air dryers since they blow uncleaned bathroom air onto your hands.
- Soap is soap: The biggest helper is not anti-bacterial soap, but washing your hands with strong friction for 30 seconds. The best scenario is also when you keep the water running and dry your hands before you turn off the sink with a dry towel. Also, a clinical study says anti-bacterial soap doesn't help. Also, a study shows that 25% of men and 10% of women don't wash their hands in public restrooms.
- A dog's mouth is cleaner than yours: Don't forget where dogs put their mouths so dog's mouths are actually quite yucky
- Hospitals keep you safe from germs: No, deadly germs and viruses exist everywhere, so be very careful! In fact, germs in hospitals kill more than aids, breast cancer and automobile accidents combined.
For other health "myths" stories from 20/20, see 20/20 Ten Food Myths and 20/20 Story on Bottled Water vs. Tap Water.
Ah-ha! Here is a great site! World's Healthiest Foods. We'll keep tabs on this site because it promises to offer a tremendous amount of organic, natural tips. The attached picture (click to enlarge) are pumpkin seeds, which are very high in manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and tryptophan (like milk!). 
