Research reveals the most common wives' tales Americans still believe

The average American feels "perfectly healthy" less than half of the year, according to new research.

A study of 2,000 people examined the little ailments people face and the home remedies they trust for combatting them.

Results found the average person experiences just 12 days a month with no aches, pain, or discomfort ? that's just 144 days a year.

It's not a surprise then that people turn to time-honored methods to relieve their ailments ? 51 percent admitted to currently believing in at least one old wives' tale.

The survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Probiogen found that 42 percent currently think cracking knuckles will result in arthritis.

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Anthony Kouri, MD, revealed some old wives' tale truths. "In reality, cracking your knuckles is not doing any damage," he said.

"The sound from the cracking is your synovial fluid bubbles in your joints just popping, which can cause some swelling in the hands or in joints, but likely does not lead to arthritis or long-term damage."

Meanwhile, forty-two percent of respondents don't think eating carrots will improve eyesight, however that's not true.

Dr. Kouri explained, "The main vitamin in carrots is Vitamin A and that is critical in the eye's ability to translate light into something that it can understand."

Respondents know there is something in the classic saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," seeing as 49 percent of people still believe it.

"That is most likely true. Not specifically an apple necessarily, but studies have statistically shown that people who eat fruits and vegetables everyday are especially healthy. Fruits and vegetables contain several antioxidants and several vitamins and nutrients that fight free radicals in the body," Dr. Kouri explained.

It's not surprising that many people still believe in old wives' tales since 64 percent have tried a home remedy for an ailment.

A spokesperson for Probiogen said, "What this survey shows is that people are interested in natural remedies to support them during times of discomfort. It is encouraging to see people turning to products with naturally occurring nutrients to support their overall wellness. When we take a closer look at what the body naturally generates to support itself, vitamins and minerals take center stage, but we can find additional remedies - such as probiotics which naturally occur in the gut - that can also ease common discomforts." 

When it comes to settling an unhappy stomach, the most common solutions were: water (48 percent), yogurt (41 percent), lemon (39 percent), ginger (39 percent), and apples (37 percent).

Even still, 51 percent have never tried a probiotic, and of those a quarter of them would consider trying one.

There is still a lot about probiotics that people don't know. Only 28 percent know what "survivability" is when it comes to probiotics, while 16 percent admitted to having no idea.

The spokesperson for Probiogen added, "Plenty of leading brands' probiotics boast high CFUs, but can only guarantee potency at the time of manufacture, meaning these strains may not survive on the shelf, let alone when traveling through the harsh gastric system. In order for probiotics to be truly effective, they must arrive to the site of action alive  The probiotics found in Probiogen formulas are proven to survive 100x better than leading probiotics and yogurt, meaning more probiotics arrive alive in the gut to support internal balance, healthy immunity and vitality from the inside out."