50+ Interesting Facts About The Human Beings

Who Has More Depth? Yes, women do have more depth and complexity—and science has the proof!

Key Points

It’s all in the chromosomes. According to the Los Angeles Times, men are the product of an X and a Y chromosome. Their maleness is in the Y chromosome. However, Y is usually the inactive genes. Therefore, men’s genetic instructions are found in one chromosome, the X. Women, on the other hand, have twice the amount of genetic instructions as men do since they are the product of two X chromosomes. No wonder why men are more shallow and simpler than women.

Human Body Facts

By age 18, the human brain stops growing. As a matter of fact, the human brain after age 18 begins to lose more than 1,000 brain cells each day. Do not fear: since the fully developed brain has over 100 billion cells, at the rate of losing 1,000 cells each day, it will take 300,000 years before your brain is out of cells.

An adult human’s brain weighs 3 pounds. The heaviest on record weighed 5 pounds.

Humans use about 100% of their brain. Modern MRI scans proved that people use just about their entire brain even when they are sleeping. It is a myth that humans use only 10% of their brains.

The human brain is capable of executing 10 quadrillion calculations per second–no computer today can match the human brain!

Body Production!

The average human produces 10,000 gallons of saliva in a lifetime.

The human body produces and destroys about 900 million blood cells every minute; that is, about 15 million every second.

Skin The human body sheds about 40 pounds of skin in a life time.

Miscellaneous Body Facts

A sneeze can reach 100 mph, a cough only 60 mph.

It is impossible to sneeze without blinking your eyes.

Children have more bones than adults (children: 300; adults: 206).

The human eye blinks over 4 million times a year.

Her Curvy Hips Make Her Smarter

Smart women grow curvy hips! University of Pittsburg and University of California studied about 16,000 women and reported: 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.

Men that are fat are happier than thin men. Fat women are not. Researchers in Boston studied 45,000 men and discovered that fat men are 42% less likely to commit suicide than men with no extra weight.

Artificial Food Coloring=Crushed Bugs

Asian longhorn beetle: bright enough to color my yogurt!

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

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

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 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).

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-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 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

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!

Junk food makes people insane! The increase in mental disorders in the last several years could be attributed to the increase in the consumption of an unhealthy diet. Foods with omega-3 fatty acid (mainly vegetables and fish) help keep the brain healthy. People eat 1/3 less vegetables and 2/3 less fish than they did 50 years ago (BBC News).

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).

Butt Fat Better for Your Brains

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

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 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

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

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 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!

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.

Cellular Phone Radiation Causes Insomnia

No deep sleep for tonight!

Bengt Arnetz, a Swedish researcher whose finding was published in BBCnews.com, discovered that radiation your brain receives from using the cell phone before bed can keep you up at night. People, in the study, whose brains were exposed to cell phone radiation not only slept less, but did not reach a state of deep sleep.

She Wants Him to Be Like Her Daddy

Lynda Boothroyd lead a Polish study to see whether women were more or less attracted to men who looked like their fathers. The result was that a woman who during childhood enjoyed a good relationship with her father tends to chose men with similar physical features as her father’s features. A woman who did not have a good relationship with her father was attracted to men whose physical features did not resemble those of the girl’s father.

Tattoo Regret

According to the New York Times, 17% of those who have a permanent tattoo regret getting the tattoo. Today there are laser treatments that a person can get to disperse tattoo ink into the body. Traditional tattoo ink may require 8 or more laser treatments costing thousands and still leaving some marks of the tattoo. However, newer tattoos that use Freedom 2 ink need only one laser treatment to disperse the ink into the body and remove the tattoo.

Don’t Trust Phone Conversations

People lie most during phone conversations. A Cornell University study found that 37% of college students’ phone conversation is telling lies. People tend to be more truthful in face to face conversations and in anything written (including text messaging).

Smell Can Make You or Break You

Sweat Smell Improves Test Scores

Rice University researchers found that smelling the odor of fear could improve test results. They gathered men’s sweat from two groups of men: some who watched a horror movie and others who did not get scared. They asked a group of women to smell the sweat and complete language quizzes. Women who smelled the sweat of the scared men did much better than women who smelled the sweat of men who were not scared.

Fries and Anxiety

Peppermint and cinnamon smells decrease the level of anxiety and frustration, while smells of pastries and fast foods increase anxiety and frustration.

Scent Advertising: Is it the New Vogue?

Kentucky Fried Chicken uses scent dispensers from carts that deliver lunches in office buildings. James O’Reilly, KFC’s chief marketing officer, believes that the fresh scent of fried chickens is better advertisement than other traditional methods of advertisement.