The experts explain what the science actually says about pieces of wisdom such as the place of ice cream and beer, or the need to avoid swimming after eating...

Myth #1: Ice cream and ice-cold water are the best ways to cool down on a hot summer day

Ice cream and ice-cold water can indeed provide a pleasant cooling sensation, for a while, but they have only a limited and short-lived effect on the body's overall temperature. The body heat exerts a warming effect on the melted ice, and not vice versa. To ensure you stay cool for longer, the best approach is to keep in the shade and refresh yourself externally with cool water. Naturally, you should drink sufficient fluids too.

Myth #2: Black clothes and dark clothing in general are a bad choice for summer.

While darker fabric does absorb more UV radiation than light colors, which tend to reflect the light, the material of the clothing is also highly significant. If a garment is thin, loose-fitting and highly breathable, it can effectively help dissipate heat from the body regardless of its color. So those dark-colored tennis clothes can stay, but maybe leave the white jumper in the wardrobe.

Myth #3: You don't need to apply sunscreen on cloudy days, or if you are in the water most of the time.

Cloud does not block UV radiation and can even disperse it further; the same can be said of the water. As people from lower latitudes can confirm, a significant amount of UV radiation can still reach the skin even when the sun is apparently obscured by cloud cover. A thin cloud covering in particular offers little protection. Similarly, UV radiation can still reach you while you're in the Baltic Sea, the lake or river, or a swimming pool. For this reason, an SPF-level sunscreen appropriate to your skin type should be used in summer, even on cloudy days, and before entering the water. Sunscreen should always be reapplied after swimming, as it can wash off. Incidentally, people of all skin colors are susceptible to sunburn.

Myth #4: You shouldn't swallow watermelon seeds or cherry stones, as they can cultivate seedlings in your stomach

Perhaps one for the kiddies alone, but rest assured, with its low pH, your stomach is not a suitable environment for anything to grow. At the same time, cherry stones should be avoided for other reasons. Since watermelon seeds and cherry stones are indigestible, if you do accidentally swallow them, fear not – they will naturally pass through the digestive system.

As for toxicity, watermelon seeds are not poisonous, but cherry pits contain amygdalin, which can be converted into cyanide in the body, which in large enough concentrations is harmful. A whole cherry pit swallowed intact is generally quite harmless as its hard shell does not break down in the digestive tract. The risk would arise if large quantities of cherry kernels get crushed or chewed, then ingested.

Best to steer clear of cherry stones and similar items – their small size can also bring with it the danger of choking, particularly in small children.

Myth #5: Never swim on a full stomach, as this can lead to drowning

While the supposed risk of going swimming after eating has been in the public arena practically as long as people have been swimming for recreation, there is not that much more chance of being taken by a Great White Shark in the Baltic than there is of getting into difficulty directly due to a meal.

There is no scientific evidence to support the claim, and while after eating, some blood is directed to the digestive system, the muscles still receive sufficient blood supply, so normal swimming after a meal does not increase the risk of drowning or getting into other difficulty.

Naturally, as with other sport, eating shortly before fast or long-distance swimming should be avoided; if you experience a feeling of heaviness or discomfort after eating, it is not sensible to rush straight into the water either. Wait until you feel back to normal in that case.

Of much greater risk, as statistics show, is swimming after consuming alcohol. This is highly dangerous and must be avoided.

Myth #6: Flip-flops can help keep your feet healthy and fungal infection-free

While flip-flops and similar light footwear can reduce the risk of picking up athlete's foot in public showers, swimming pools and spas, this is precisely because they have a high through-flow of people – and nothing to do with the season.

Even then, fungal infections can still be picked up: With athlete's foot, for instance, the infection is often contracted on warm, damp shared surfaces, so always dry off your feet thoroughly, including between the toes.

On the other hand, the sand you get at the beach is not a conducive environment for fungal infections to thrive. In addition to their vast surface area, UV radiation, the dry conditions and high temperatures don't make beaches, riversides, etc. a common place to pick up athlete's foot and similar – though the risk is not entirely absent.

A damp, shaded area in a location with many passersby, such as near beach showers or changing booths, can bring increased risk, so it is worth donning the flip-flops in these places anyway.

Prolonged damp and sweaty feet, as well as tight, poorly ventilated footwear, also contribute to the development of fungal infections, so look after your feet in short.

Myth #7: You only need to drink when you are thirsty, and on a hot summer's day, a beer or cider is as good a thirst quencher as anything else.

Two myths rolled into one here, so let's start off with the first of these: For most healthy adults, thirst is indeed a reliable signal that it's time to take on some fluids. However, in hot weather, during physical activity, and particularly in older adults and young children, the arrival of the sensation of thirst may be delayed, so water should be consumed regularly and well ahead of developing a thirst. Look after the oldest and youngest members of society in this regard.

As for the second part, alcohol is a very poor substitute for water or soft drinks, and actually leads to greater dehydration, as anyone who has ever suffered from a hangover can attest to, partly due to increased urination.

Alcohol can also diminish the body's capacity to regulate its own heat, and can lead to a whole host of other issues including impaired judgment, falling asleep in the sun or the hazard of swimming when drunk as noted above. In short, keep the alcohol consumption to the evenings and on dry land.

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