10 Health Facts: The human body, Health Well-being and random interesting facts.
These 10 fascinating health facts cover a range of topics to provide you with knowledge and insights into how you can better take care of yourself and information about health from around the world.
As more research is released and with easy access to various health resources online, knowing facts from fiction is harder than ever. Because of this, it’s becoming more difficult to keep up to date with the latest facts. Take a look at 10 health facts that may surprise you.
Health Fact #1: Fat does not weigh more than muscle
How many times have you heard that fat weighs more than muscle? That is incorrect. Muscle and fat weigh the same kilo for kilo, pounds for pound. It is the density and space taken up in the body that varies. Muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less space than the same weight of fat.
Health fact # 2: A positive mindset helps you live longer
A study by researchers suggests that there are benefits to a positive mindset and positive thoughts. Positive thinking can improve resilience, decrease depression and anxiety, improve psychological well being, improve cardiovascular health, and also help age better.
I have written a post specifically looking at the benefits of mindfulness. Check it out HERE.
Health Fact #3: Do your eyes pop out if you sneeze with your eyes open?
A popular “old wives tale” is that our eyes close during a sneeze to prevent our eyes popping out.
Although humorous, this is incorrect. Researchers believe that when our brain gets a signal to sneeze, it sends a message to certain areas to contract, like our esophagus and sphincter.
This signal also includes the muscles that control the movement of our eyelids.
It is thought this function occurs to prevent dust and other particles from entering our eyes during the sneeze.
Health Fact #4: Each cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes
Thinking of quiting smoking? Each smoke you inhale reduces your life by 11 minutes! Add that up over decades of smoking, is it worth it ?
Health Fact #5: Australian Doctors who wish to work in Antarctica need to have their appendix removed
The Australian Government recommends all Australian doctors wishing to be stationed in Antarctica during the winter have their appendix removed.
The reason for this is there is no way to transport unwell patients back to Australia for surgery during the harsh winter Antarctica weather. There is only one doctor present during that time of the year. In saying that, one Russian doctor removed his own appendix using local anaesthetic in the 1960s and survived.
Health Fact #6: Your thigh bones are stronger than concrete
Coming in at number 6 of 10 health facts you didn’t know is your thigh bones, or femur are the longest and strongest bone in the human body. I The human femur can resist forces of 1,800 to 2,500 pounds, so it is not easily fractured and thought to be stronger than concrete!
Health Fact #7: Dogs can smell cancer and low blood sugar
Dogs noses are very sensitive and can be trained to detect a number of substances. Numerous studies have shown man’s best friends can smell cancers, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, melanomas and colorectal cancer.
Studies have also shown that mans best friend can also detect a chemical released through the skin, and can determine if someone has low blood sugar levels.
Health Fact # 8 Sitting down all day can kill you
Scientists in Australia have found that sitting for long periods, for more than 10 hours per day, can increase death risk by almost 48%! The researchers compared people who sat at their desks for 10 hours per day, to people who sat for less than 4 hours and discovered their increased risk of death!
Health Fact #9 : Put a pencil between your teeth to feel happier
Putting a pen or pencil between your teeth helps to trick your brain into think your smiling. Of course, you could just fake smile for a while to get the same response.
Kelly McGonigal Ph.D writes that faking a smile can can lift your mood and help you deal with stress. Read my blog on the effects of stress here.
Health Fact #10: Hair and nails do not keep growing after you die.
This myth freaked me out as a child. It is a common myth that hair and nails continue to grow when we die. It may appear this way, as the tissues and skin shrivel giving the appearance that hair and nails have grown.
References
Australian Government. Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment. (2017). Do you need your appendix removed before you go? Retieved from
https://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/people-in-antarctica/health/
Caesum. (2019). Do you know these suprising health facts? Retrieved from https://www.stephencolecloughblog.com/health/do-you-know-these-surprising-health-facts/
Healthline. (2018). Femur. Retrieved from
https://www.healthline.com/human-body-maps/femur#1
Mayoclinic. (2018). Stress Management. Retrieved from
National Geographic. (2015). How dogs can sniff out diabetes and cancer. Retrieved from
Lifescience. (2019). Why do my eyes close when I sneeze? Retrieved from
The Univeristy of Queelsand, Australia. (2019). 20 Random health facts. Retrieved from
https://blog.health.uq.edu.au/blog/2016/03/20-random-health-facts-you-probably-dont-know
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