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Human Health and Medical Fun Facts

Her Curvy Hips Make Her Smarter

Women hips

Smart women grow curvy hips! University of Pittsburg and University of California studied about 16,000 women and reported the following in 2007: curvy hips indicate smart women who will deliver intelligent children! Women should have fat in their hips, rather than their waist, because hip fat is usually high on omega-3 fatty acids (fat that develop the brain), while waist fat is high on omega-6 fats that do not develop the brain.

Artificial Food Coloring=Crushed Bugs

Asian longhorn beetle: bright enough to color my yogurt!Asian longhorn beetle

Yes, if you see food labels that read "artificial coloring" and "color added" that means most likely you'll be eating bugs along with other ingredients. The FDA does not require companies to be more specific about their food coloring. Therefore, companies choose not to label "crushed beetles for red dye", a label that might discourage consumers from buying their products.

Dannon admits to using cochineal beetles as a dye to some of its yogurt products.

In 2009, Michael Jacobson has attempted to pressure the FDA to require more specific labeling for the sake of those who might have allergies.

Toothbrush, a Dangerous Instrument


Each year about 2,500 people go to emergency rooms to be treated because of injuries caused by using a toothbrush—most injuries happen when a fall occurs while brushing (Food & Drug Administration).

Bottled Water Contains More Bacteria Than Tap Water

water bottle

EPA standards for tap water are much stricter than FDA standards for bottled water. Result: tap water is cleaner and cheaper.

Two independent studies confirmed the above statement.

The first study at Case Western Reserve University tested 39 samples of bottled water and found that 15 of the samples contained about twice as much bacteria as Cleveland tap water.

Another study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that about 18% of bottled water brands contained more bacteria than allowable, besides other chemicals found in the bottled water.

Also about 1/3 of bottled water sold in the US is tap water. Aquafina (Pepsi product) and Dasani (Coke product) are nothing but tap water.

Antidepressant's Side Effect: No Romance!


Anthropologist Helen Fisher and psychiatrist James Thomson collaborated in a study that concluded that antidepressants alter brain chemistry resulting in diminishing a desire for romance. Antidepressants decrease levels of dopamine (a brain chemical of pleasure that plays an important role in creating an urge for love and romance).

In the study, women who took antidepressant looked at attractive men in photos and thought the men to be not so attractive.

Daylight Saving Time Causes Heart Attacks

Woman sleeping

According to the US News and World Report, during the first week of daylight saving time, there is a 5% increase in heart-attack incidents (due to people not getting enough sleep). There is a slight decline in heart-attack incidents during the first week after daylight saving time ends.

The moral of the story: get plenty of sleep to reduce the risk of heart attack.

Another study published by CNN in 2009 shows that the average American gets 6.7 hours of sleep daily. In 2001, the average American slept 7 hours.

Microwave Oven Radiation: Is It Harmful?


Microwaves meeting legal standards should not emit radiation more than 5 milliwatts per square centimeter (2 inches around the microwave). Supposedly, this emission is less than what you get from using a cellular phone.

Also standing 2 feet away from the microwave will reduce radiation by 100 times than standing 2 inches away (New York Times, 2007).

Laser Printers: Dangerous Emissions


Australian air-quality inspectors studied the emissions of 62 laser printers. They found that 27% of laser printers emitted toner grains into the air. Toner tiny grains when breathed into the lungs could be compared to second-hand smoke. Some laser printers' emissions were dense enough to almost match pollution from second-hand cigarette smoke.

Breast Feeding

Breast feeding by PicassoBreast feeding by Picasso

Breast-Fed=Higher IQ

90% of breast-fed children get higher IQ points than those who are formula fed. 90% of babies carry a specific genes needed to digest breast milk fats into polyunsaturated fatty acids that develop the brain. Those babies end up with more IQ points.

This research study was done in England and New Zealand in 2007 and included more than 3,000 children.

Infant-Formula Industry: Unethical Tactics

In summer 2007, The Health and Human Services Department ran an ad campaign showing health risks for infants who are not breast-fed. Soon the infant-formula industry, through lobbying, was able to force the Health and Human Services Department to replace its ads by new ones that do not mention any risks and only emphasize benefits of breast feeding.

Hot is Carcinogen

Hot tea

The Los Angeles Times reported in April 2009 about a province in Northern Ireland (Golestan) whose population suffered from esophageal cancer. Scientists eventually concluded that the cause was drinking hot tea. The people there drank their tea at about 158 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fish, Good for Your Sanity!



The Flu

The flu kills about 36,000 people each year in the US—90% of those who die of the flu are 65 or older.

Laughter, a Good Medicine


Researchers in Norway surveyed 54,000 people and found that a sense of humor can extend life for those who are sick. Those that had cancer and a sense of humor were 70% more likely to survive than their counterparts with little or no sense of humor.

Maggots or Antibiotics?

Maggots or Antibiotics Maggots are more effective than modern antibiotics for treating open wounds, especially that bacteria are developing immunity to antibiotics. Maggots on open wounds will eat all decaying flesh within three days, will leave healthy flesh alone, and will not cause any side effects.

Who Are Your Sleeping Partners?

BedAverage pillows and mattresses contain millions of fungi cells from 16 fungi species. This fungi (normally found in damp and moldy places) come from night time sweating. The average person sweats about 100 liters each year. In addition to fungi, other bed partners are dust mites—mattresses gain a pound or more each year from dust mites.

What’s on Your Baby’s Skin?



Phthalates is a chemical that might harm a baby’s reproductive system. It is used in creams, lotions, shampoos, and powders to preserve color and fragrance. However, companies are not required to list it as an ingredient, and they don’t. Good luck finding the right baby lotion or shampoo with no phthalates!

Results, published in the Los Angeles Times, of urine tests of 163 infants found that 100% of the babies carried some kind of a level of phthalates.

Soda for My Toddler

28% of kids between ages 2 and 5 have at least one tooth cavity thanks to soda drinks and sweets (USA Today, 2007).

Butt Fat Better for Your Brains

Fat butt

Butt and thigh fat is much better for your brains than belly fat. Mid-life large belly not only increases the risk of diabetes and heart problems, but also Alzheimer’s, according to a new study by Rachel Whitmer and her colleagues. The study examined medical records of 6,583 people who are members of a health organization called Kaiser Permanente of Northern California. The study traced people from the time they were middle age to their 70s and 80s. People with mid-life bellies were 3 times more likely to develop dementia later in life.

Financial Benefit from Smokers and Obese People

Cigarette butts

Smokers and obese people financially benefit governments with socialized healthcare, according to a study by Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment. Healthy people live longer and require more health care than smokers and obese people. The study completed in 2008 concluded that healthy people need about $417,000 in healthcare expenses during their lifetime. Obese people, who on average died 4 years before healthy people, came in second place costing $371,000. Smokers, who on average died 7 years before healthy people, required the most inexpensive healthcare during a lifetime, $326,000.

Fat America Growing Fatter

Fat belly

In the early 1990s, not a single state in America had an obesity rate of over 15%. In a 2007 study, not a single state had an obesity rate below 15%. As a matter of fact, Colorado emerged as the thinnest state with an obesity rate of 17.6%. Mississippi emerged as the fattest state with an obesity rate over 30%.

Could busy Mom and Dad be the problem?

A study finding published in Scientific America, in 2008, stated that babies who spend more time at day cares and with baby sitters gain weight. And many babies carry that weight on to childhood and after. The study included over 8,000 babies.

Your Computer, Your Sleep, and Your Heart

Man sleeping

Turn the TV/computer off and go to bed! Getting 5 hours of sleep doubles your chances of heart attack, according to a British study that tracked 10,000 people over an eight-year period. People get less sleep today than they did in the past mainly because of using electronic devices late into the night.

Your Sewage Shall Find You Out!

Sewage pipes

Sewage plants tell all! Researchers at Oregon State University, through testing a spoon of water from a community’s sewage plant, were able to know what legal and illegal drugs are being used in the community. This type of testing will help authorities be aware of what type of illegal drugs are being used in town, what days, and by what amounts.

Fight Cancer with Bright Colors

It's all in the color!Eggplant

The brighter the produce color is the better antioxidant it is. Blueberries (and other bright-colored berries), red cabbage, and eggplant are a few good antioxidant foods. In a study, Monica Giusti found that these produce not only stopped tumors from growing, but also killed about 20% of tumor cells.

Yes, “life isn’t fair”—Just Get Over It

A study found that those who believe they are receiving undeserved injustices in their life are 55% more likely to have a heart attack. Therefore, the best thing you can do for your heart is to get over the idea that life isn’t fair.


Long-term use of antibiotics more than doubles the risk of breast cancer in women (Journal of the American Medical Association).

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