Let's say you're reading a magazine review of a cool new car. And the writer talked about how great the car handled. He said that it rode like it was on rails. A smooth ride. A fast ride. Handled great in the turns. And even on slick pavement.

Then the writer said this: But when we tested the cool new car on a river, we found it was much less responsive and it actually sank.

Of course you'd say, that doesn't matter, no one would ever drive the cool new car on a river.

Well tell that to some purported "researchers" at New York University. WebMD decided to do a disservice to its readers by giving undeserved ink to some NYU "theories" on sports drinks and teeth. We'll call it theories because serious research focuses on the plausible facts, not the ideals of some activists desperate for answers to support their cause.

The article says that while sports drinks are very good at helping people rehydrate, enhance athletic performance and boost muscle growth, they also can have a negative effect on a cow's tooth that had been cut in half. Really? A cow's tooth. And that relates to humans how?

Unfortunately, these studies don't mimic real life. So they aren't really informative or helpful. Sure they may come up with some uninteresting factoid - like the cool new car that wouldn't float - but what does that matter?

Same goes with this cow's tooth study. First off, people don't have any cow's teeth in their mouths. Second, the teeth in our mouths are living - not pulled, sawed in half, then immersed in a solution for a while. Third, we brush and floss our teeth, use fluoride toothpaste and rinse (at least we hope you do). And our teeth, unlike the half of a cow's tooth in the jar, is protected and constantly cleaned by saliva which has enzymes and minerals in it.

And fourth, the beverages we drink - especially a sports drink that is usually consumed in the most "thirstiest" of circumstances -- pass right through our mouth and into our bodies...they don't linger there for a few hours. We have yet to meet anyone who "sipped" their sports drink. This is called common sense. Something these NYU activists clearly lack.

The moral of the story is that you have to take most studies like this today with a huge grain of salt. These studies are often a dime a dozen, written by activist scientists looking to draw attention to themselves. Believe it or not, that's a big part of what scientists believe what they need to do. So many often manufacture the sensational, so they can get on TV or WebMD, rather than objectively pursue science.

Although life may mimic art, it's not always mimicked by science - so if you're an active person, go ahead and drink your Vitamin Water, Life Water, Gatorade, Powerade, or Propel Fit Water - and stay hydrated and healthy. It won't harm your teeth. Especially if you do what your mother has taught you since age 3 and brush your teeth.