When I was a kid, my grandma always told me that I should drink hot beverages on a hot day to cool myself down. I thought she was insane. Downing a steamy cup of tea sounds like the opposite of what one should do on a scorching summer day, doesn’t it? Well apparently, grandma was right. One researcher at University of Ottawa’s School of Human Kinetics told Smithsonian Magazine, «If you drink a hot drink, it does result in a lower amount of heat stored inside your body, provided the additional sweat that’s produced when you drink the hot drink can evaporate.» So if you’re dying of heat (and you’re not in the rainforest), go ahead and turn the kettle on. 

There are plenty of other surprising examples of old wives’ tales and remedies that sound like snake oil turning out to be totally legit, and this interesting Reddit thread is full of ‘em. Keep scrolling.