Do you trust what “they” say? You know, the experts who tell you what will make you healthier, what’s safe to eat, drink and use to make life easier.

Pardon my cynicism but in the good ol’ days, there have been products “they” have touted, praised, and advertised that horrify us today.

Medical experts of the past jumped way ahead on their assumptions of quite a few products’ safety. In the 1930s, white petroleum jelly was advertised as “ so pure you could eat it.” Some physicians recommended it for people suffering from digestive problems.

My grandmother ate her teaspoon of Vaseline every day because “they” said it would help her.

As a child, I determined that I would not eat the product my mom smeared on my baby sister’s bum to prevent diaper rash.

Smoking advertisements touted cigarettes as cool and trendy. They said it posed no health threats and was safe even for pregnant mothers. We now know “their expert knowledge” was wrong. Mothers concerned about those nasty dirty flies landing on their babies need not worry. Their babies won’t get sick from flies, thanks to the new babyfriendly fly deterrent DDT would keep them safe. Advertisements said, “No flies on me thanks to DDT!”

We know today that eating large amounts of saturated fats increase your risk of heart disease. In the past, medical experts wanted you to eat lots of butter to keep your cardiovascular system healthy Advertisement said, “Butter is slippery. That’s why we eat as much as possible to lubricate our arteries and veins.”

Helping babies be healthy in the old days included putting Coca-Cola in bottles as soon as possible. They even had “proven results” that touted, “Laboratory tests over the last few years have proven that babies who start drinking soda during that early formative years have a much higher chance of gaining acceptance and fitting in during those awkward pre-teen and teen years.

Start them on a strict regimen of sodas and other sugary carbonated beverages right now, for a lifetime of guaranteed health and happiness.

Don’t forget the touted miracle cure for baby teething issues, supported by the medical world, cocaine toothache drops.

Beauty experts in 1898 were excited about the new miracle ingredient touted to keep you young and beautiful – arsenic. When enough women died from these “beauty treatments,” it was only then they took the products off the market.

Asbestos was “the magic mineral” that fireproofed and rot proofed your home. “They” encouraged you to learn how to put this magic mineral to work on your farm. The lungs of many diagnosed with lung cancer would have disagreed with their statements.

Were they so enamored with the new products they jumped prematurely on the promised benefits and didn’t consider the possibility of harmful side effects. Hindsight has 20/20 vision.

There are many misleading statements out there.

I will use my brain, ask questions and research for myself. I won’t believe everything “they” say.