One of my favorite medical myths is that Vitamin C will prevent colds. It doesn’t. It just helps some people think it prevents colds. What I didn’t know until I looked at Dr. Nancy Snyderman’s new book Medical Myths That Can Kill You is that Vitamin C can reduce the risk of colds in people who are under high physical stress — marathon runners or soldiers on subarctic exercises. It reduced their risk by half, she says.

She also debunks the idea that you should drink eight glasses of water per day. If you’re thirsty, drink something. But if you’re not, you don’t need to drink water unless you’re likely to become dehydrated by intensive exercise or heat.

Snyderman is the chief medical editor for NBC news who has written a number of consumer health books. You’ve seen her on TV a lot — the Today show and the Nightly News. Her latest book is pretty broad. Along with myth busting it includes charts for screening tests, and advice on how to deal with your doctor.

But if you’ve ever wondered about what science is saying about the connection between cell phones and cancer(none) or antiperspirants and cancer (none), or what coffee does to your bad cholesterol (unfiltered coffee can raise it) then you might enjoy this book.

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