There is an old saying that ‘kids ask the darndest questions.’ You may have heard that before.
Well, let me tell you that adults ask some pretty cool questions too.
Here are 13 health questions and answers that you may never have asked but are going to find fascinating answers to.
We’ve had a great time compiling this list for you and we’re sure you’ll find this to be some seriously interesting reading.
So, without further ado, let’s get to the bottom of these unique queries.
Just number one alone is something that everyone should know. You may never have thought to ask, but now that you see the question you’ll just have to know the answer… Well, that’s how most of these questions are, so buckle up and let’s go.
#1.
Can A Hiccup Kill You?
Yes, but only under extremely adverse circumstances. If you’re in a very distressed situation such as you’re elderly, weak, infirm and have a very bad heart, yes, it is possible for a bad case of the hiccups to kill you. But you’d have to be pretty much near dead in the first place. Other than that, they are pretty safe.
The incorrect lore behind all of this is that; people have heard that your heart stops when you sneeze and then translated that back to hiccups as well.
When you sneeze the pressure changes and your heart adjusts its rhythm to compensate. In some cases, this adjustment could include skipping a beat in order to return blood flow to normal.
When you hiccup, there is a slight pressure change, but nothing on par with a sneeze. This has led some to speculate that a hiccup could kill you much like a sneeze.
It’s possible, but you’d have to be in seriously bad shape before it would be a concern.
#2.
Are Bananas Good For You?
The answer is, no and yes under certain circumstances. Bananas are a great source of potassium, vitamins and other minerals and as such are good for you. However, if you have a diabetic reaction to high sugar content foods, then a banana or several bananas could be enough to trigger an event.
If you don’t have any diabetic tendencies, then more than likely you’ll be fine eating bananas. If you are under a physician’s care for your blood sugar control, then by all means, consult them first.
#3.
Does Rubbing Alcohol Kill Jock Itch?
Yes, but don’t do it. Dermatophytes is a pathogenic fungus that grows on skin, mucus membranes and other body surfaces causing ringworm, jock itch and other dermal maladies. Yes, isopropyl rubbing alcohol and bleach will kill it, however, these are dangerous, harmful chemicals that should not be used for this purpose.
Instead use approved remedies that you can typically find at your local drug store. If the condition persists, then go see a doctor and get a much stronger medication by prescription.
We cannot over state this; do not treat jock itch, ringworm or other skin problems with rubbing alcohol, bleach or any other non-approved medication. You could make the problem much worse or create a whole new problem that you just don’t need.
Especially because jock itch usually means itching in your private parts. Those are not something you want to get chemical burns on or get poisoned.
#4.
Is Erythritol Bad For Dogs?
No. In limited quantities erythritol should not be poisonous to your dog. Do be aware that in sufficient quantities your dog will likely have a pretty nasty case of diarrhea that could even be explosive.
There are a number of different sweeteners that your dog could get into, if they get into erythritol don’t fret, it’s one of the best studied concentrated sweeteners out there and has shown no toxic effects even at high dosages.
If your dog has gotten into other sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium or others, please search for them separately as we are not covering each of them in depth in this article.
#5.
Fat Free Butter – Is There Such A Thing?
No, there is no such thing as fat free butter. However, there are fat free butter alternatives which are generally comprised of a carrier such as maltodextrin and then butter flavoring mixed in with it. These can be added to foods, sprinkled on top or even made into liquids and poured on.
Butter itself is virtually all fat, packing in 11 grams of fat per 14 grams of butter (1 tablespoon) and 100 to 104 calories. The reason for the variance on calories is that some nutritional sources list it as having 100 calories per tablespoon and others list it as high as 104.
Getting to the truth of it; because fat contains 9 calories per gram, and there are 11 grams, this would equal 99 calories. There are then 3 grams of other materials such as protein and traces of carbohydrate which both have caloric values. This means that, in reality there are likely closer to 104 calories than 100.
#6.
Where To Buy Tamarind?
Tamarind grows plentifully throughout Southeast Asia and South America in countries such as Thailand, Mexico and India. So, look to your specialty markets of Thailand and India that carry fruits from these countries and you should be able to find it, or you can look to Amazon who caries a few tamarind products.
Tamarind is technically a fruit. It resembles dried brown string beans with the husks (shells) being brittle. You remove them from their shells, suck on the seeds with the sticky, pasty fruit matter until that matter dissolves and then you spit out the seeds.
It has a sweet and sour flavor that really lends itself to cooking when making dishes that can benefit from that type of a flavor profile.
#7.
What Is Sarsaparilla Root And Is Sarsaparilla Root Beer?
No, sarsaparilla is not root beer that was originally made from the sassafras root which companies no longer use due to possible health concerns. Sarsaparilla’s flavors remind one of wintergreen, licorice and vanilla which make for a great sarsaparilla soda, which still remains popular to this day in various regions of the United States.
Sarsaparilla was widely consumed during the days of the Old West. It then became a staple of the soda shops where it was used as a stand-alone soda and the base for floats and other delectables.
#8.
What Are The Dangers Of Singing Bowls?
The real dangers of singing bowls are that people who may potentially really need intervention for their health concerns will put their faith into an unproven therapy and forgo treatment which may worsen their condition. There is also the possibility that the vibration they give off may vibrate surgically installed metals in the body causing them to loosen from their fit.
These are generally applicable only when someone is receiving a singing bowl intensive therapy where the bowl(s) are in contact with the body. Just being in the same room as singing bowls being played is not likely to be of any harm.
There may be some frequencies that are disruptive to pacemakers and you should consult your doctor prior to attending ceremonies where singing bowls might be used.
Other than that, they appear to be relatively benign and have been used for thousands of years without any verifiable instances of damage that we are aware of at the time of this writing.
#9.
Are Fava Beans Dangerous?
Yes, for some people they can be quite deadly in a reaction known as favism which is caused by the lack of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. For these people generally of African, South East Asian or Mediterranean descent even the pollen from the fava bean plant can be deadly.
So, if you ever find yourself dining with Hannibal Lecter don’t eat the beans.
#10.
What Is Chinen Salt?
Chinen Salt is not a table salt used in food seasoning. It is an herbal supplement used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine to treat type 2 diabetes. It was named so, because the active ingredients in the herbs in the supplement are considered to be salts.
We are not recommending Chinen salts for diabetic treatment and advise that you seek the advice of your health care practitioner before doing so.
#11.
Does Coffee Make You Hungry?
Coffee contains the stimulant caffeine which has a double-edged sword. The caffeine itself both curbs hunger and has been shown to elevate metabolism as well as keep you awake. The elevated metabolism may help you to metabolize additional fat and staying awake longer is associated with greater food consumption.
Most people will drink black coffee as a way to actually curb hunger pangs and give them that added extra kick of energy from the caffeine which helps alleviate the tiredness associated with the lower calorie consumption while dieting.
If you were to use sweeteners in the coffee, then they will have their effects depending on their type.
Sugar, honey and other caloric sweeteners will raise blood sugar levels which in turn raise insulin levels and lead to fat storage.
Non caloric sweeteners can change your perception of how sweet natural sweeteners really are and then lead to their over consumption in the attempt to reach those same sweetness levels.
They may also tell the brain that simple carbohydrates have entered the body even though they have not and this in turn has been shown to cause the body to secrete more insulin that will then attempt to store any excess calories as fat.
#12.
Can You Really Lose 30 Pounds In 30 Days?
Yes, you can, however this is not recommended as you will undoubtedly lose as much or more muscle than you do fat. You see, a pound of fat contains 3,500 calories which is pretty difficult to metabolize on a daily basis. Muscle on the other hand contains only 1,816 calories per pound. So, your initial weight loss will be mostly water and as you continue, you’ll lose both fat and muscle.
The reason this is such a bad thing is that; your muscle is a main component of the ‘engine’ of your body, I.E. the part that burns the majority of the fuel.
When you lose this essential muscle, your engine gets smaller, and it becomes increasingly more difficult to burn off those excess fat calories.
Think of it this way. You want a big engine to burn up a lot of fuel (fat). So, now instead of a truck engine you have an economy car engine which sips fuel instead of chugging it.
You’ve become more fuel efficient which may sound good on the surface but is the exact opposite of what you want.
A much better approach would be to look towards losing 1 to 3 pounds per week with the combination of diet, cardiovascular exercise and resistance training or weight training.
Please consult your doctor prior to engaging in any dietary or exercise changes.
#13.
Can Pancreatitis Kill You?
Yes. However, most people recover from a bout of pancreatitis within 5 to 14 days with some cases clearing up in as little as 3 days. The real danger is not getting proper treatment or it turning into chronic pancreatitis which can have prolonged bouts of nearly intolerable pain and lead to other maladies such as diabetes and cancer as well.
We cannot over state this; if you suspect that you have pancreatitis, please go see a specialist in this area as soon as possible. Heading it off at the pass is critical to your long-term health and wellbeing.
Bonus
Here is an extra question for you just as a bonus.
With the popularity of apple cider vinegar people keep asking this question quite a bit. So, here you go.
Are Apple Cider Vinegar Pills As Effective As The Liquid?
No they are not. During the freeze-drying process, you lose some of the enzymatic and acidic potency. Other drying methods are less stable than freeze drying and even freeze drying degrades the potency.
When in doubt eat or drink the real thing.
As an example: whole oranges will always be better for you than orange juice and whole fruits and vegetables will always be better for you than their extracts.
Eat whole foods and be happy!
Sources
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5944690/
2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.4103/0253-7176.135397
3. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/7/5/1953
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0273230096901002
6. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07315724.2012.10720023
7. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17470218.2011.552729
8. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11695-020-04466-8