Research news: Aiming truth at yule myths

The News:
Aiming truth at yule myths
Poisonous poinsettias and a high rate of suicide are disputed by researchers.
By Thomas H. Maugh IILos Angeles Times
Posted: 12/21/2008 12:30:00 AM MST
Updated: 12/21/2008 01:21:53 AM MST
Contrary to popular belief, poinsettias are not toxic to people or animals, suicides do not increase over the Christmas holidays and sugar does not make children hyperactive. Also, Wales winning the rugby grand slam does not influence the death of popes.
Those are some of the conclusions of reports in the British Medical Journal's annual Christmas issue, a compilation of the weird and lighthearted papers that its editors accumulate over the year.
The supposed toxicity of poinsettias has been a subject of warnings as long as the red-and-white flowers have been associated with the Christmas holiday, but reports from poison control centers do not support the warnings, said Drs. Rachel Vreeman and Aaron Carroll of the Indiana University School of Medicine.
They reviewed nearly 900 calls to such centers reporting poinsettia consumption and found that none of the incidents resulted in serious illness. Moreover, feeding experiments in animals show no effects even at very high consumption, they found. Read on...

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the British Medical Journal (BMJ)