25 Fascinating Facts About the Health Sciences

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Learning about the breakthroughs and discoveries of the health and sciences field can hold one’s attention for hours at a time. It can seem like there is no limit to the number of interesting facts that health-science researchers and scientists have compiled throughout history. This is one of the major reasons The Allen School has passionately taught health science for over 60 years. Let these fun and incredible facts stoke your interest and deepen your knowledge in the study of the health sciences.

Interesting Facts About Health Sciences:

  1. The Hippocratic Oath, which still unites doctors around the world to a common ethical code, was written over 2,000 years ago. (Source: “Hippocratic Oath.” Encyclopedia Britannica, edited by Adam Augustyn.)
  2. Myofascia – like that tough casing around a steak – is found in and around all tissues of the human body, and it adapts to the particular musculoskeletal movements unique to each person. (Source: Cleveland Clinic.)
  3. Now cliché, the slogan “You are what you eat” achieved widespread popularity after a 1923 beef advertisement, which claimed: “Ninety percent of the diseases known to man are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what you eat.” (Source: Martin, Gary. “You are what you eat.” The Phrase Finder.)
  4. Everyone knows that the rich green color of most plant life is due to chlorophyll. What is not widely known is that its molecular structure is almost identical to the hemoglobin contained in the blood. (Source: Oregon State University.)
  5. The vagus nerve, which plays an integral role in regulating the entire nervous system, connects to every organ of the human body except the adrenals. (Source: Dr. Mark Sircus.)
  6. A study reviewed by the NIH proved that slow, deep breathing reduces one’s heart rate, increases vigor, boosts alpha brain waves, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system. (Source: Zaccaro, Andrea et al [2018]. How Breath-Control Can Change Your Life […]. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.)
  7. As far back as the early 1930s, scientists working for John Hopkins University were able to clearly see and identify living microscopic organisms even smaller than bacteria by using extremely advanced microscope technology. (Source: Johnson, Hal. “Newest Microscope Will Trail Unknown Germs to Their Lairs.” San Diego Union, Dec. 12, 1931.)
  8. During experiments aimed at discovering what was responsible for slowed decay rates in certain plant tissues, Nobel Laureate Albert Szent-Gyorgyi conclusively identified what we now know as vitamin C. (Source: Science History Institute.)
  9. In the mid-1800s, people ridiculed the suggestion by Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis to wash one’s hands before delivering childbirth or conducting surgery. (Source: The Washington Post.)
  10. The electromagnetic field of the human heart is over 100 times more powerful than the brain and can be detected by magnetometers up to three feet away. (Source: “Science of the Heart.” 2022. HearthMath Institute.)
  11. A study concluded that “self-awareness” and “targeting emotional processes” (e.g., journaling) significantly reduced pain and improved the physical functioning of patients suffering from chronic pain. (Source: Hsu, Michael C., MD et al [2010]. “Sustained Pain Reduction Through Affective Self-awareness in Fibromyalgia […].” Journal of General Internal Medicine, 25, 1064–1070.)
  12. Spending at least two hours in nature per week creates health improvements comparable to meeting common exercise guidelines as well as overcoming socioeconomic barriers to health. (Source: White, Matthew P. et al [2019]. “Spending at least 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing.” Scientific Reports, 9 [Article no. 7730].)
  13. The Medical Assistant field was officially recognized in 1956 with the founding of the American Association of Medical Assistants. (Source: American Association of Medical Assistants.)
  14.  Since 1961, The Allen School of Health Sciences has assisted and trained thousands of people for their new careers in healthcare. Learn more at one of our Allen School of Health Sciences campuses.
  15. The human body generates approximately 3.8 million new cells every… single… second! (Source: Starr, Michelle. “Your Body Makes 3.8 Million Cells Every Second […].” 2021. ScienceAlert.com.)
  16. Laughter has been repeatedly proven to stimulate organs, relieve stress, and improve immunity. (Source: Mayo Clinic.)
  17. Unlike the circulatory system, the lymph system doesn’t have a constantly pulsing network of tubes to keep it moving. The body’s solution? Movement! Exercise stimulates lymph nodes, drains cellular waste products, and enhances natural immunity. (Source: MD Anderson)
  18. Fingernails grow faster on one’s dominant hand. (Source: American Academy of Dermatology Association.)
  19. A study on how taking photos affects memory suggests that taking a picture of something actually reduces one’s memory for it. (Source: Soares, Julia S. & Storm, Benjamin C. [2018]. Forget in a Flash […], Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 7(1), 154-160.)
  20. Yarrow and mallow were some of the earliest known medicines, used as far back as 60,000 years ago to heal internal and external surface barriers of the body. Today, people use them for the same reasons. (Source: Applequist, Wendy L. & Moerman, Daniel E. [2011]. “Yarrow […]: A Neglected Panacea? […].” Economic Botany, 65(2), 209-225.)
  21. Knowledge and use of medicinal mushrooms go back thousands of years. Even the 5,300-year-old Ice Man “Ötzi” had finely preserved mushroom specimens tucked in his pouch. (Source: Stamets, Paul E. et al [2018]. “Extracts of Polypore Mushroom Mycelia Reduce Viruses in Honey Bees.” Scientific Reports 8 [Article no. 13936].)
  22. Mycoremediation – the use of fungi with toxin-remediating properties – is becoming a popular method for quickly breaking down environmental pollutants and improving public health. (Source: Permaculture Magazine.)
  23. Legacy pollutants continue to be phased out of modern industrial use since lead was removed from paint in 1978 and from gasoline in 1995 – making our environment a safer and healthier place. (Source: Department of Ecology State of Washington)
  24. The next time you feel a sneeze coming on when you don’t have a tissue, simply rub the middle of your forehead up and down. It has a mitigating effect on the sneeze reflex.
  25. When sprouted, seeds and nuts boast higher levels of nutrients, reduced digestion-inhibiting anti-nutrients, and increased levels of enzymes that aid in digestion. (Source: SFGATE.)
  26. The placebo effect is getting measurably stronger over time. (Source: Tuttle, Alexander H. et al [2015]. “Increasing placebo responses over time […].” The Journal for the International Association for the Study of Pain, 156(12), 2616-2626.)

Learn More at Allen School of Health Sciences

Ready to start learning more about the health sciences? Working towards a new career? Contact the Allen School today! We are enrolling now for classes starting soon. We cannot wait for you to become part of the Allen School family. Visit www.allenschool.edu to learn more.

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