Health

Find some great and fun health facts all gathered right here under our health category.  Once you have had your fill of fun facts about health head on over to our random fact generator to learn more random factoids!

WTF Fun Fact 13300 – Swearing and Exercise

Exercise often needs to be hard to be productive. And that can be a frustrating experience. Maybe that’s why swearing and exercise go together to make you more productive. That’s right, recent research has suggested that swearing during exercise can help to alleviate pain, improve performance, and even reduce stress.

How swearing and exercise go together

According to a study published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise, swearing during exercise can help to reduce the sensation of pain. For example, the study found that people who swore while squeezing a hand grip held on for longer and reported less pain than those who did not swear. That’s because swearing triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response. And this can help to increase pain tolerance and reduce the sensation of discomfort.

“Swearing appears to be able to bring about improvements in physical performance that may not be solely dependent on a stress response arising out of the shock value of the swearing,” Richard Stephens, the study’s co-author, said.

In addition to reducing pain, swearing can also improve performance during exercise.

A study found that athletes who swore before completing a physical task were able to produce more power and strength than those who did not swear. Letting out some choice curse words can increase your adrenaline levels and provide you with a burst of energy. These same things can help athletes perform at their best.

Let it out

Finally, swearing can also help to reduce stress and anxiety during exercise. That’s because swearing can help to regulate emotions and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. It provides a cathartic release, which can help to improve mental wellbeing.

While swearing during exercise may not be suitable for everyone, there appear to be a number of benefits to using profanity during physical activity.

So next time you hit the gym, don’t be afraid to let out a few choice words – it could be just what you need to improve your performance and reduce pain and stress.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Cursing helps you crush your workout, experts say” — Global News

WTF Fun Fact 13299 – Caffeine and Adenosine

Caffeine doesn’t actually give you energy. That buzzed feeling you get when you drink coffee or soda is actually due to an interesting relationship between caffeine and adenosine in your brain that simply tricks you into thinking you’re not tired.

How do caffeine and adenosine work?

Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed stimulants in the world. Many people rely on caffeine to stay awake and alert. But have you ever wondered how caffeine actually works to keep you awake?

Contrary to popular belief, caffeine doesn’t actually give you energy. It actually works by blocking the action of a chemical called adenosine in the brain.

Adenosine is a naturally occurring chemical in the brain. It builds up throughout the day as the brain uses energy. As your adenosine levels rise, these chemicals bind to adenosine receptors in the brain. This, in turn, triggers a response that makes you feel tired and drowsy.

Caffeine works by blocking the adenosine receptors in the brain. This prevents adenosine from binding to those receptors and triggering tiredness.

So, by blocking adenosine, caffeine essentially tricks the brain into thinking that it’s not tired, even though it doesn’t actually provide any extra energy.

Most of us use caffeine to help us feel more awake and alert. But it’s important to know that it doesn’t actually provide any extra energy. In fact, caffeine doesn’t provide any calories or nutrients at all! It’s simply a chemical that alters the way the brain and body function. Interesting, right?

How can we get more energy?

So, caffeine can’t actually boost your body’s real energy reserves. But you can get more energy through the consumption of calories in the form of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. When we eat food, our bodies break these down into glucose.

Glucose molecules are transported into our cells and then broken down through chemical reactions that release energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). This true energy is then used by our cells to power a wide range of biological processes. THAT’S how you really get more energy.

In addition to consuming calories, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, and engaging in physical activity can all help improve energy levels. These are the ways you can truly feel more alert and focused throughout the day.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Tired or Wired” — NIH News in Health

WTF Fun Fact 13298 – A Rollercoaster Cure for Kidney Stones

Roller coasters are known for their stomach-churning twists, turns, and drops. But did you know that these thrilling rides may have a surprising health benefit? How about a roller coaster cure for kidney stones?

Well, according to recent research, riding a roller coaster really can help people pass the stones.

Kidney stones are a real pain

Kidney stones are hard, mineral deposits that form inside the kidneys. They can be incredibly painful and cause symptoms like back or abdominal pain, nausea, and difficulty urinating.

In some cases, surgery or other medical interventions may be necessary to remove them. But for smaller stones, riding a roller coaster may be a more fun and natural solution.

The idea that roller coasters could help pass kidney stones came from a patient who reported passing a stone after riding the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster at Disney World. Intrigued by this anecdote, urologist David Wartinger from Michigan State University set out to investigate further.

To test the theory, Wartinger and his team created a 3D-printed model of a human kidney with three small stones inside. Then they took it on several roller coaster rides. They found that the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride at Disneyland in Orlando, FL really was highly effective at dislodging the stones from the kidney.

After the ride, the stones were able to pass through the urinary tract more easily, reducing the need for medical intervention.

How do roller coasters help “cure” kidney stones?

Why do roller coasters have an effect on passing kidney stones? It has to do with the forces generated by the ride. During a roller coaster ride, the body experiences a range of movements, including sudden drops, sharp turns, and rapid accelerations. These movements create a force called acceleration. This acceleration can jostle kidney stones and potentially dislodge them from the kidney.

Of course, riding a roller coaster isn’t a guaranteed cure for kidney stones, so don’t buy that ticket to Disney just yet. The size, location, and type of stones can all affect whether or not a ride will be effective. Additionally, riding a roller coaster may not be practical or advisable for everyone, especially those with other health conditions or mobility issues.

We need more research to understand the effects of roller coaster rides on kidney stones completely. But for now, this serves as an interesting example of how unexpected solutions can sometimes be found in unlikely places.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “How a Roller Coaster Can Help You Pass a Kidney Stone” — Gizmodo

WTF Fun Fact 13288 – The Healing Power of Laughter

March 19th is National Let’s Laugh Day in the United States, a day to celebrate the healing power of laughter. Laughter can reduce stress, boost the immune system, and improve overall well-being.

Science on the healing power of laughter

Laughter has some quirky effects on the body. For example:

  • Laughing increases oxygen flow to the brain. This can improve mental clarity and creativity.
  • Laughter can help relieve pain. It does this by releasing endorphins, which are natural painkillers.
  • Laughter has been shown to improve cardiovascular health. It can increase blood flow and reduce inflammation in the body.
  • Laughing can help improve relationships and social bonding. That’s because it creates positive feelings and can be contagious.
  • In some cultures, laughter is considered a form of therapy. It’s used to treat a variety of physical and mental health conditions. Laughter can even help boost the immune system.
  • Laughing can increases the production of antibodies and activate immune cells.

A day to celebrate laughing

So, how can you celebrate National Let’s Laugh Day? Here are some ideas:

  • Watch a funny movie or TV show with friends or family.
  • Attend a comedy show or open mic night.
  • Practice laughing yoga or other laughter exercises.
  • Spend time with people who make you laugh.
  • Share funny stories or jokes with friends and coworkers.

Have you heard of “laughter yoga”?

Laughter yoga is a form of exercise that combines laughter with breathing techniques and gentle physical movements. It was developed in India in the mid-1990s by Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician who wanted to promote the health benefits of laughter.

In laughter yoga, participants engage in a series of laughter exercises. These stimulate laughter and promote feelings of joy and relaxation. These exercises may involve things like clapping, chanting, and playful interactions with other participants.

The goal of laughter yoga is not to tell jokes or be funny, but rather to engage in intentional, prolonged laughter. Laughing for an extended period of time, even if it’s initially forced or fake, helps the body produce genuine laughter, which helps release tension and promote feelings of well-being.

Researchers have found that laughter yoga has a variety of health benefits, including reducing stress, boosting the immune system, improving cardiovascular health, and enhancing mood. It’s also been used as a complementary therapy for a variety of health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and chronic pain.

Remember, laughter is a powerful tool for improving your physical and mental well-being. So, go ahead and let out a good belly laugh on National Let’s Laugh Day (and every day) to reap the benefits of this simple but effective form of therapy.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “National Let’s Laugh Day” — National Days Today

WTF Fun Fact 13270 – Maggot Therapy

Maggot therapy involves using disinfected fly larvae (maggots) to help remove damaged tissue from wounds. And while it may sound gross, it’s making a comeback in mainstream medicine.

What is maggot therapy?

Maggot therapy, also known as maggot debridement therapy (MDT), is a medical treatment that uses live maggots to clean and heal wounds in humans. Granted, it sounds like an unpleasant approach to wound care. But it actually has a long and fascinating history dating back centuries. For example, maggots were used by the Mayans and other Native Americans.

In the early 19th century, a French surgeon named Jules-Francois Germain found that maggots could clean wounds more effectively than traditional methods like cauterization. Their use could also help avoid amputation.

In and out of style

Throughout the 19th century, doctors and surgeons used the technique to treat a variety of conditions like ulcers, abscesses, and gangrene. But despite its effectiveness, maggot therapy fell out of favor in the mid-20th century. This is partly due to the development of antibiotics. Those are far easier to convince someone to take!

However, in the 1980s, antibiotic resistance became a huge problem thanks to the overuse of antibiotics. This helped revive the interest in using maggots in medicine. Scientists even developed new techniques for sterilizing and breeding maggots so they would pose less risk. This also helps patients see them as lab-created entities rather than something you’d find in a dumpster.

Today, maggot therapy is recognized as a safe and effective treatment for a variety of wounds. It’s used for treating diabetic foot ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, and pressure ulcers.

Maggots today

While still relatively rare, doctors do use maggots in hospitals today. They’re carefully applied to wounds in a special dressing so they can feed on the dead tissue and secrete enzymes to kill bacteria and promote healing. When the maggots are removed after several days, a wound is cleaned and dressed and ready to let the body take over the healing.

Maggots might sound gross, but they’re a cost-effective treatment option. They are also particularly helpful for patients who have not responded well to other forms of wound care. As a result, this therapy is gaining increasing recognition as a valuable tool in the treatment of chronic wounds.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Entomological Medicine: How One Scientist is Working to Bring Maggot Therapy Into Wider Use” — Entomology Today

WTF Fun Fact 13269 – Eating Healthy is Hard

On some level, eating “healthy” is pretty straightforward. We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us and processed food is bad. And for the most part, we own our decisions, even when we don’t like the outcome. But when you dig a little deeper, eating healthy is hard – really hard. Especially since “healthy” food guidelines change and quality food options aren’t readily available or affordable to everyone.

So maybe it’s not such a surprise that 52% of Americans surveyed in the 2012 “Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes toward Food Safety, Nutrition & Health” found that doing taxes seemed easier than figuring out how to eat healthily.

Why healthy eating is hard

The 2012 study is over 10 years old now, we’ll grant you that. But if anything, nutrition is even more confusing these days with new studies coming out every week to tell us that what we were told was good for us a few years ago (a glass of wine, anyone?) is not slowly killing us.

The poll was commissioned by the International Food Information Council Foundation. It was conducted during the month of April with 1,057 American subjects ages 18 to 80 who were polled online. They were asked about “their health, diet, influences on food selection, and related knowledge and beliefs.”

People showed a large amount of confusion over healthy eating in general, most of which traces to the shortcomings of the food industry. The bit about taxes comes from a specific question:

Which do you think is harder to do well?
1) Figuring out how to do your own taxes – 48%
2) Figuring out what you should and shouldn’t eat to be healthier – 52%

People who said taxes were less confusing were more likely to be men (55%), those without a college degree (56%), those whose BMI put them in the overweight or obese range (60%), and those who had heart disease or high cholesterol (59%), or high blood pressure (57%).

Other interesting findings included:
– Americans believe their physical activity and sleep have more of an impact on their health than their diet.
– Half of Americans feel that enjoying their food is more important than worrying about what’s in it.
– Only 20% weren’t trying to do anything to change their weight.
– Only about one in seven Americans correctly estimate the number of calories they need to maintain their weight.

Let’s face it, the nutrition landscape is hard to navigate!

The latest American food survey

The 2022 survey is a bit different. More consumers than ever are trying to decipher food labels. And while more consumers than ever are concerned about the environmental impact their food has, it still doesn’t always translate to eating healthier.

Food choices aren’t just about knowledge. We also make them based on availability, price, emotion, and other values.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Americans Find Doing Their Own Taxes Simpler than Improving Diet and Health” (pdf) — Food Insight

WTF Fun Fact 13258 – The Role of Gut Bacteria

We don’t yet know all the details of the role of gut bacteria in our minds and bodies. But research keeps suggesting that these bacteria are plentiful and influential on everything from our moods to our cravings.

What is the gut microbiome?

The gut microbiome refers to the diverse community of microorganisms that live in the human digestive tract, particularly in the large intestine. It includes:

  • bacteria
  • viruses
  • fungi
  • other microbes.

These microorganisms play a crucial role in maintaining the health of the digestive system and the body as a whole.

The gut microbiota is estimated to contain over 100 trillion microorganisms. These microorganisms perform a range of important functions. Some break down complex carbohydrates and other nutrients, producing vitamins and other essential compounds. Others help regulate the immune system and protect against harmful pathogens. The composition of the gut microbiota can vary based on diet, age, medication use, and environmental exposures.

Research has linked imbalances in the gut microbiota to a range of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and mental health issues.

The role of gut bacteria in eating?

There is growing evidence to suggest that gut microbiota may influence

  • our brain function and behavior
  • our mood
  • anxiety
  • cognition
  • appetite
  • food cravings and preferences

Gut bacteria are known to produce neurotransmitters and other signaling molecules that can affect appetite and food preferences. They can also influence the way that the body processes and stores nutrients.

Some types of gut bacteria have been shown to produce compounds that stimulate the release of hormones like leptin and ghrelin which control appetite. Other types of bacteria can regulate the release of appetite-regulating hormones and promote feelings of fullness and satiety.

Gut microbiota may also affect food preferences and taste perception. For example, people with a high ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes bacteria in their gut often prefer high-fat and high-sugar foods. These, in turn, contribute to weight gain and other health problems.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Is eating behavior manipulated by the gastrointestinal microbiota? Evolutionary pressures and potential mechanisms” — Bioassays (Academic Journal)

WTF Fun Fact 13257 – Snoring and Relationships

Snoring is bad for relationships. The damage is hard to quantify since there are many reasons for poor sleep, and a lack of sleep can lead to everything from health issues to resentment. But it seems clear that if one person snores and keeps the other awake, it frequently leads to trouble. Snoring and relationships are a terrible combination.

Why snoring is bad for relationships

There are many incorrect statistics out there (like snoring is the third leading cause of divorce – it’s not) due to people misreading scientific research. But plenty of work has been done on the damage one partner’s snoring can do to the other and the relationship overall.

For example, the Sleep Disorders Center at Rush University Medical Center conducted a study on couples in which the husband had sleep apnea that affected the wife’s ability to sleep due to snoring. They found cases in which the wife’s sleep efficiency scores decreased significantly because they were woken up by snoring up to 8 times per hour!

Rosalind Cartwright, Ph.D., founder of the Sleep Disorders Center at Rush, noted:

“Couples who struggle with sleep apnea have a high divorce rate. Our early results are showing that the wife’s sleep is indeed deprived due to the husband’s noisy nights. This is not a mild problem. The lack of sleep for both partners puts a strain on the marriage and creates a hostile and tense situation.”

The good news is that when the sleep apnea was treated, and the snoring ceased to disturb the wife’s sleep, her quality of life went up, her sleepiness went down, and the marital satisfaction score improved.

It’s important to note that while studies suggest a link between snoring and marital conflict, they do not necessarily imply causation. Snoring may be a symptom of an underlying health condition (such as sleep apnea). It’s possible that these factors, rather than the snoring itself, may be contributing to conflict. And, of course, studies may not apply to all couples.

More research is needed to fully understand the relationship between snoring and marital conflict.

The “sleep divorce”

A sleep divorce is a term that refers to the practice of couples sleeping separately to get a better night’s sleep. It can mean sleeping in different beds or different rooms.

This practice is becoming increasingly popular among couples. Some find that snoring, tossing and turning, or different sleep schedules destroy a partner’s sleep. This can lead to a variety of health problems.

There are many reasons why couples may choose to sleep separately. Snoring is among the most common since it can happen frequently and lead to daytime fatigue and irritability.

While the idea of sleeping separately may seem unromantic to some, it can actually have several benefits. Sleeping separately can lead to better sleep quality, improving mood, productivity, and overall health. It can also reduce arguments and conflicts that may arise from sleep disturbances. This can improve the overall quality of the relationship.

Of course, for some, sharing a bed may be an important part of the intimacy and connection in their relationship. Additionally, it’s important for couples to communicate openly about their sleeping arrangements and work together to find a solution that works for both partners.

— WTF fun facts

Source: “Can Snoring Ruin A Marriage?” — ScienceDaily

WTF Fun Fact 13240 – ChatGPT Medical Exam

There’s been a lot of speculation and panic around what the AI tool ChatGPT can and can’t do and whether it’s going to replace/destroy us all. But it looks like it’s not going to be replacing doctors any time soon, even though it may be a semi-reliable source for those studying for the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE).

Did ChatGPT pass a medical licensing exam?

In a word, no. ChatGPT did not “pass” a medical licensing exam, though there will probably be some sensational headlines to the contrary.

A study published February 9, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS Digital Health by Tiffany Kung, Victor Tseng, and others at AnsibleHealth found that:

“ChatGPT can score at or around the approximately 60 percent passing threshold for the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE), with responses that make coherent, internal sense and contain frequent insights…”

In other words, ChatGPT can generate human-like responses to certain types of questions on the exam.

According to a press release about the study:

“Kung and colleagues tested ChatGPT’s performance on the USMLE, a highly standardized and regulated series of three exams (Steps 1, 2CK, and 3) required for medical licensure in the United States. Taken by medical students and physicians-in-training, the USMLE assesses knowledge spanning most medical disciplines, ranging from biochemistry, to diagnostic reasoning, to bioethics.”

However, they had to remove all image-based questions, so the AI could only attempt 350 of the 376 questions (that are available for public viewing) that appeared on the June 2022 exam.

How well did AI do on the medical exam?

There’s a joke people tell that goes a little something like this:
What do you call the person who graduates first in their medical class?
Answer: Doctor.
What do you call the person who graduates last in their medical class?
Answer: Doctor.

In other words, you’re never going to know if your doctor aced their exam or barely passed.

But if ChatGPT is your doctor, you will know it’s incapable of doing really well on the exam (though in some cases, it did pass). After the researchers removed all “indeterminate responses,” “ChatGPT scored between 52.4% and 75.0% across the three USMLE exams. The passing threshold each year is approximately 60%.”

It was good at producing novel and clinically significant insights the vast majority of the time, however. But if you can’t pass, that doesn’t really mean much.

What’s also interesting is that “ChatGPT exceeded the performance of PubMedGPT, a counterpart model trained exclusively on biomedical domain literature, which scored 50.8% on an older dataset of USMLE-style questions.”

But all that means is that ChatGPT is a really good AI language model. It doesn’t mean it’ll be replacing your doctor any time soon. And since it’s not always good at producing correct information, you may not want to use it to get medical advice.

What ChatGPT can be used for is helping to distill jargon-heavy medical writing into language that non-experts can understand. So if there’s a scientific study you’d like to know more about, you can plug that into ChatGPT and get a fairly reliable summary. — WTF fun facts

Source: “ChatGPT can (almost) pass the US Medical Licensing Exam” — EurekAlert