It's a common old wives' tale we've all heard and maybe once you even follow. You or your kids eat lunch and then you wait 30 minutes before jumping into the pool to cool off.

But does it really make a difference?

Monique Love and her 14-year-old son Shawn head to the pool at least twice a week in the summer. When at the pool, they tend to stay as long as possible so they bring snacks, lunch, and drinks along with them.

"We kinda sit for 30 minutes," Love said. "It's something that I was taught when I was younger. So, we don't have an upset stomach or anything like that so I still abide by that rule."

Just because you've been told all your life this is how it works, does that really make it true? Should you really wait 30 minutes before taking a dip?

"There is absolutely no scientific evidence that shows that it makes a difference," said Dr. Shaletha Jones with UAMS.

The initial thinking, she explained, was that your body needed the oxygen and blood to digest food, thus weakening muscles and potentially causing a person to drown. But the doctor said that is not true at all.

"While the body requires oxygen and blood to digest food, it's not a large amount that it would take it from the rest of the body," she said.

Once we told Love that waiting was a waste of time when it comes to swimming, she said she will still remain a little cautious. She will let her son swim after a meal and feel it out until she is comfortable with it.