At 7.75 kg (17.1 lb) at birth, Nadia Khalina may have taken the title of the world's heaviest baby. Since birth Nadia has lost some weight but doctors say she could have heart problems.
The heaviest baby ever born weighed 10.8 kg in the United States in 1879 but it died within 11 days. The latest edition of the Guinness Book of Records notes a Brazilian baby born this year weighed 7.57 kg. Nadia was heavier. Link (w/ photos)
| A cough releases an explosive charge of air that moves at speeds up to 60 mph. A fetus acquires fingerprints at the age of three months. A fingernail or toenail takes about 6 months to grow from base to tip. A healthy individual releases 3.5 oz. of gas in a single flatulent emission, or about 17 oz. in a day. A human being loses an average of 40 to 100 strands of hair a day. A person will die from total lack of sleep sooner than from starvation. Death will occur about 10 days without sleep, while starvation takes a few weeks. A sneeze can exceed the speed of 100 mph. According to German researchers, the risk of heart attack is higher on Monday than any other day of the week. According to the Kinsey Institute, the biggest erect penis on record measures 13 inches. The smallest tops off at 1 3/4 inches. After spending hours working at a computer display, look at a blank piece of white paper. It will probably appear pink. An average human drinks about 16, 000 gallons of water in a lifetime. An average human scalp has 100,000 hairs. An average person uses the bathroom 6 times per day. An individual blood cell takes about 60 seconds to make a complete circuit of the body. Babies are born with 300 bones, but by adulthood we have only 206 in our bodies. Beards are the fastest growing hairs on the human body. If the average man never trimmed his beard, it would grow to nearly 30 feet long in his lifetime. Blondes have more hair than dark-haired people. Blood sucking hookworms inhabit 700 million people worldwide. By age sixty, most people have lost half of their taste buds. By the time you turn 70, your heart will have beat some two-and-a-half billion times (figuring on an average of 70 beats per minute.) During the 2,475,576,000 seconds of the average length life, we speak 123,205,750 words, have sex 4,239 times, shed 121 pints of tears. Each square inch of human skin consists of twenty feet of blood vessels. Every human spent about half an hour as a single cell. Every person has a unique tongue print. Every square inch of the human body has an average of 32 million bacteria on it. Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie. Fingernails grow faster than toenails. Fingerprints serve a function - they provide traction for the fingers to grasp things. Humans have 46 chromosomes, peas have 14 and crayfish have 200. Humans shed about 600,000 particles of skin every hour - about 1.5 pounds a year. By 70 years of age, an average person will have lost 105 pounds of skin. Humans shed and re-grow outer skin cells about every 27 days - almost 1,000 new skins in a lifetime. If it were removed from the body, the small intestine would stretch to a length of 22 feet. If you are locked in a completely sealed room, you will die of carbon dioxide poisoning first before you will die of oxygen deprivation. If you go blind in one eye, you'll only lose about one-fifth of your vision (but all your depth perception.) In a lifetime the average US resident eats more than 50 tons of food and drinks more than 13,000 gallons of liquid. In the late 19th century, millions of human mummies were used as fuel for locomotives in Egypt where wood and coal was scarce, but mummies were plentiful. It takes 17 muscles to smile --- 43 to frown. It would take 1,200,000 mosquitoes, each sucking once, to completely drain the average human of blood. Jaw muscles can provide about 200 pounds of force to bring the back teeth together for chewing. Lab tests can detect traces of alcohol in urine six to 12 hours after a person has stopped drinking. Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day. Most men have erections every hour to hour and a half during sleep. On average women say 7,000 words per day. Men manage just over 2000. One in every 2000 babies is born with a tooth. Pregnancy in humans lasts on average about 270 days (from conception to birth). Roughly 80% of all human beings on earth have one or more internal parasite infestations. For america, the estimate is 95%. Almost all human beings will suffer from internal or external parasites at least once in their lifespan and may never even know it. Some people never develop fingerprints at all. Two rare genetic defects, known as Naegeli syndrome and dermatopathia pigmentosa reticularis, can leave carriers without any identifying ridges on their skin. The ashes of the average cremated person weigh nine pounds. The average adolescent girl has 34,000 underdeveloped egg follicles, although only 350 or so mature during her life (at the rate of about one per month). The average duration of sexual intercourse for humans is 2 minutes. The average human body contains enough: iron to make a 3 inch nail, sulfur to kill all fleas on an average dog, carbon to make 900 pencils, potassium to fire a toy cannon, fat to make 7 bars of soap, phosphorous to make 2,200 match heads, and water to fill a ten-gallon tank. The average human produces 25,000 quarts of spit in a lifetime, enough to fill two swimming pools. The average person releases nearly a pint of intestinal gas by flatulence every day. Most is due to swallowed air. The rest is from fermentation of undigested food. The body's largest internal organ is the small intestine at an average length of 20 feet The brain is soft and gelatinous - its consistency is something between jelly and cooked pasta. The feet account for one quarter of all the human bodies bones. The human body has enough fat to produce 7 bars of soap. The human body has over 600 muscles, 40% of the body's weight. The human brain is about 85% water. The largest cell in the human body is the female ovum, or egg cell. It is about 1/180 inch in diameter. The smallest cell in the human body is the male sperm. It takes about 175,000 sperm cells to weigh as much as a single egg cell. The largest cell in the human body is the female reproductive cell, the ovum. The smallest is the male sperm. The largest human organ is the skin, with a surface area of about 25 square feet. The left lung is smaller than the right lung to make room for the heart. The little lump of flesh just forward of your ear canal, right next to your temple, is called a tragus. The longest muscle in the human body is the sartorius. This narrow muscle of the thigh passes obliquely across the front of the thigh and helps rotate the leg to the position assumed in sitting cross-legged. Its name is a derivation of the adjective "sartorial," a reference to what was the traditional cross-legged position of tailors (or "sartors") at work. The most common blood type in the world is Type O. The rarest, Type A-H, has been found in less than a dozen people since the type was discovered. The Neanderthal's brain was bigger than yours is. The only bone in the human body not connected to another is the hyoid, a V-shaped bone located at the base of the tongue between the mandible and the voice box. Its function is to support the tongue and its muscles. The only time the human population declined was in the years following 1347, the start of the epidemic of the plague 'Black Death' in Europe. The permanent teeth that erupt to replace their primary predecessors (baby teeth) are called succedaneous teeth. The sound of a snore (up to 69 decibels) can be almost as loud as the noise of a pneumatic drill. The tips of fingers and the soles of feet are covered by a thick, tough layer of skin called the stratum corneum. There are 45 miles of nerves in the skin of a human being. There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body. There are four main Blood types: A, B, AB and O and each Blood type is either Rh positive or negative. Blood types in the US - Type O positive 38.4%, O negative 7.7%, A positive 32.3%, A negative 6.5%, B positive 9.4%, B negative 1.7%, AB positive 3.2%, AB negative 0.7% Though it makes up only 2 percent of our total body weight, the brain demands 20 percent of the body's oxygen and calories. Three-hundred-million cells die in the human body every minute. Women burn fat more slowly than men, by a rate of about 50 calories a day. Women's hearts beat faster than men's. Your stomach cells secrete hydrochloric acid, a corrosive compound used to treat metals in the industrial world. It can pickle steel, but mucous lining the stomach wall keeps this poisonous liquid safely in the digestive system. |
The discovery--or re-discovery-- that alcohol consumption might be good for you emerged in the early 1990s in a phenomenon known as the "French paradox:" the observation that, although the French diet is higher in fat than ours, rates of coronary disease are lower than in the United States.
Research initially suggested that the red wine that adds so much pleasure to a French meal also helps protect French hearts. Chemical compounds called flavinoids, found in large amounts in the seeds and skins of red grapes, appeared to have positive effects on cholesterol levels (both raising the levels of "good" and decreasing the levels of "bad" cholesterol) and reducing blood platelet aggregation.
Red wine staked out its territory as the "healthy" alcoholic beverage.
Dutch researchers in 2000 offered evidence to counter the widely held belief that red wine was better for the heart than beer. The Dutch study, led by Dr. Henk Hendriks of the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, studied 11 healthy men who drank four glasses of either beer, red wine, spirits or water with dinner for three months. They switched beverages every three weeks. Despite the small number of subjects in the study, the results were striking.
The men showed a 30 percent increase in vitamin B6 in their blood plasma after three weeks on beer. Drinkers of red wine and Dutch gin received only one-half the increase in the vitamin. B6 prevents the body from building up high levels of homocysteine, a chemical linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Homocysteine levels did not increase in the beer drinkers, but rose for those who drank wine or spirits
A somewhat similar study in Denmark also addressed the "red wine v. beer is better for your heart" debate. The Danish Brewers Association reported that beer works as well as wine in preventing heart disease. "It cannot be proved that there is any health advantage to drinking red wine, for example, rather than beer," according to the study by the Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine at the University of Muenster. "Studies indicate that light to moderate alcohol consumption from beer, wine or spirits is associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality, owing primarily to a decreased risk of coronary heart disease."
Folate and B-Vitamins
In the Czech Republic, a great beer drinking nation, a study published in the July 2001 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition attributed beer's health effects on the heart to its folate content.
Dr. O. Mayer Jr. and colleagues from the Center of Preventative Medicine at Charles University in Pilsen wrote in their report: "Moderate beer consumption may help to maintain the total homocysteine levels in the normal range due to high folate content. Folate from beer may...contribute to the protective effect of alcohol consumption on cardiovascular disease in population(s) with generally low folate intake from other nutrients." (It sounds like the Czechs aren't eating their leafy vegetables.)
The Czech study measured blood levels of folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 in 543 men and women between 35-65 years of age who drank more than 6.3 ounces of alcohol weekly. Since Pilsen is home to Plzensky Prazdroj, brewer of the world-famous golden lager Pilsner Urquell, it's no surprise that the overwhelming majority of these test subjects were beer drinkers. The B-vitamins measured came from the yeast used to ferment beer, and the beer drinkers had the lowest blood levels of homocysteine and the highest levels of folate.
Alcohol After a Heart Attack
The April 18, 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that found that drinkers of alcohol had a lower risk of dying from a heart attack. The study, led by Dr. Kenneth J. Mukamal of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, studied 1,913 patients at 45 hospitals between 1989-1994. Each patient had been hospitalized with a heart attack. The report concluded that moderate drinkers had a 32 percent lower risk of dying from a heart attack than those who didn't drink alcohol. Moderate drinkers, according to the researchers, were defined as people who drank at least seven drinks a week. Light drinkers (less than seven drinks a week) had a 21 percent lower risk. The findings were similar for men and women.
As in other studies, Dr. Mukamal's team found that alcohol helps prevent heart disease by boosting levels of HDL cholesterol and by thinning the blood or reducing insulin resistance.
Alcohol and Stroke
In the September 2001 issue of Stroke magazine, Dr Kenneth Mukamal, who had previously reported on alcohol's effects on the heart, found that light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with fewer brain lesions and so-called silent strokes. Dr. Mukamal wrote that as a blood thinner, alcohol improves blood circulation in the brain and offers protection from silent strokes caused by tiny blood clots.
In the study, 3,376 people aged over 65 were given MRIs to determine their overall brain health. Dr. Mukamal broke the test subjects down into six groups: abstainers, former drinkers, very light drinkers (less than one drink a week), light drinkers (one to six drinks a week), moderate drinkers (seven to 14 drinks a week) and heavy drinkers (more than 15 drinks a week).
The results showed that light and moderate drinkers had the fewest white-matter lesions; heavy drinkers had the most. The fewest signs of silent strokes were suffered by heavy drinkers, followed by light and moderate drinkers, but the heavy drinkers were also more likely to have brain atrophy. "Overall, we found that non-drinkers have the most strokes and white matter disease. Light to moderate drinkers have fewer strokes and the least amount of white matter disease, but somewhat greater atrophy. Moderately heavy drinkers had the fewest strokes but more white matter disease and the most atrophy."
Another study to highlight the brain as well as heart health was conducted by Dr. Monique M. B. Breteler of the Erasmus University Medical School in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The study found that "light to moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke." The six-year study followed 7,983 individuals aged 55 years and older and determined that the effect was the same regardless as to the source of alcohol.
The researchers believe the results may be due to one or both of two reasons: 1) the ethanol in the alcohol might thin the blood and lower cholesterol, thereby reducing the chance of vascular dementia; 2) alcohol may release acetylcholine in the hippocampus, an area of the brain that facilitates learning and memory. Moderation, according to the study, is defined as one to three drinks a day.
Alcohol and Brain Function
Alcohol may not only be good for the heart. The noggin may benefit as well.
A study conducted by Dr. Guiseppe Zuccala of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome found that moderate alcohol use may protect the brain from mental decline associated with aging. In the report published in the December 2001 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, Dr. Zuccala studied the mental abilities and alcohol use of nearly 16,000 Italian men and women over the age of 65: approximately 8,700 regular drinkers, and 7,000 non-drinkers. Moderate use of alcohol was associated with a 40 percent lower risk of mental impairment. Dr. Zuccala postulated that the reasons for the difference may be alcohol's beneficial effects on blood pressure and blood flow or perhaps the slowing of arterial disease.
At Indiana University in the United States, medical geneticist Dr. Joe Christian observed 4,000 male twins for 20 years to determine if moderate drinking affected the brain. He administered psychological tests to the brothers at ages 66 and 76 and found no harm done from moderate drinking. It turns out that brothers who drank moderately--one to two drinks a day--scored higher on mental skills tests than those who drank less than one drink a day or more than two drinks. Moderate drinking was deemed helpful in improving memory, problem solving and reasoning ability.
As part of the ambitious Nurses' Health Study at Harvard University, another paper by Dr. Meir Stampfer, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2001, determined that moderate drinking of alcohol seemed to preserve the mental abilities of older women. From 1995 to 1999, Dr. Stampfer interviewed over 9,000 women between the ages of 70-79. He measured their mental functions using seven different tests and collected information about their alcohol use in 1980, which was updated through 1994. The results showed that women who drank moderately had significantly better scores on five of the seven tests, as well on a global score that combined the seven tests.
Alcohol Metabolism
Dr. Meir Stampfer, of Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston and the Harvard School of Public Health, reported in February 2001 in the New England Journal of Medicine that there was a difference in the way people metabolize alcohol and that this difference could help explain some of the variation between people in alcohol's beneficial effects on the heart.
Dr. Stampfer and his team identified two forms of the gene that produces alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme that breaks down alcohol. One form of the gene is associated with a slower rate of alcohol metabolism than the other. People who have this gene and who are moderate drinkers retain higher levels of HDL cholesterol and face about half the risk of heart attack than drinkers without the gene. "This is kind of a poor person's randomized trial," said Dr. Stampfer. "The gene is basically distributed at random with respect to behavioral characteristics, including alcohol consumption. So you can't argue that people with this gene exercise more or have a better diet." The study's subjects were 396 male doctors who had suffered heart attacks and 770 controls who had not.
A Little Bit of This/ A Little Bit of That-Beer Helps
At the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dr. Margo A. Denke, an Associate Professor of Medicine, conducted clinical research on the health effects of alcohol, and beer in particular. The results of her 2001 study found that moderate consumption of alcohol can lower risk of heart disease and stroke. "The majority of more recent large population-based studies have observed that moderate drinking in the range of one to three drinks daily is associated with a 30-40 percent lower rate of coronary heart disease compared to non-drinking," wrote Dr. Denke. She cited several reasons for her findings.
* alcohol increases HDL and this could account for 30-50 percent of the moderate alcohol consumption benefit
* alcohol increases bleeding time, acting as blood thinner and reducing the risk of coronary thrombosis
* alcohol lowers insulin levels, which is good for non-diabetics because it reduces the chance of developing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries
Dr. Denke believes that beer is a more beneficial alcoholic drink than spirits because beer contains many more nutrients per serving, such as protein and B-vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, cadmium and iron. She found that one to two beers a day provides 14 percent of dietary calories, 11 percent of dietary protein, 12 percent of dietary carbohydrates, nine percent of dietary phosphorus, seven percent of dietary riboflavin and five percent of dietary niacin.
Polyphenols in beer, also found in abundance in red wine, are also beneficial for their antioxidant properties that reduce LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) oxidation. Researchers in Denmark have studied the effect of polyphenols in red wine on heart health and concluded that only red wine produced enough of these compounds to be of benefit. Dr. Denke, however, has concluded that beer contains similar levels of polyphenols to red wine, and four to five times as much as white wine. (The Danish researchers agree with Dr. Denke on the white wine findings). Dr. Denke also points out that there are also several polyphenols in hops that have been shown to reduce test tube growth of human cancer cells.
Finally, Dr. Denke reports that beer has isoflavinoids, which are a class of so-called phytoestrogens: plant compounds that mimic the activity of the female hormone estrogen. Isoflavinoids have been found to inhibit test-tube growth of prostate, breast and colon cancers.
Alcohol and Women's Health
Two studies released this year deal solely with the effects of drinking alcohol on women's health.
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirmed the benefits for women of drinking alcohol. Data was collected from more than 70,000 nurses aged 25-42 whose health histories were tracked from 1989. The study found that younger women who drink two or three alcoholic beverages a week have a lower risk of developing high blood pressure than women who do not drink alcohol. The women in the group who drank two or three alcoholic drinks a week had a 14 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure than those who didn't drink at all. (In this study, a drink was defined as either 12 ounces of regular beer, four ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of liquor.)
A study of post-menopausal women found that alcohol helps lower cholesterol levels. The study, led by Dr. David J. Baer, a research physiologist affiliated with the United States Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Research Center and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, included 51 healthy women with an average age of 60. Each woman was randomly assigned to one of three eight-week dietary programs. Those on the control diet drank no alcohol, some drank one drink a day and the third group drank two drinks a day. The women's cholesterol and triacylglyceride levels were measured before, during, and after the study.
Dr. Baer's team's findings showed that the women who drank one drink a day reduced their triacylglyceride level by eight milligrams and their LDL cholesterol level by four milligrams. The women who drank two drinks a day increased their HDL by three milligrams. "The epidemiologic data suggest that increasing consumption above one or two drinks per day is detrimental and not protective," said Baer. "Higher intakes of alcohol appear to increase triacylglycerides and do not appear to improve cholesterol levels."
Beer and the Kidneys
A Finnish-U.S. study of beer-drinking, middle-aged men was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 1999. The report stated that an increase in beer consumption may reduce the risk of developing kidney stones. Results showed that there was a 40 percent lower risk of kidney stones in beer drinkers, but the researchers were stumped as to whether the results were due to water, alcohol or hops.
Alcohol and Stress
Perhaps popping off to the pub relieves stress.
At Leeds University in the United Kingdom, Dr. Colin Gill's research showed that the welcoming atmosphere of the local pub helps men get rid of the stresses of modern life and is vital for their psychological well-being. Dr. Gill said that rather than complain, women should encourage men to pop out for a beer. "Pub-time allows men to bond with friends and colleagues," he said. "Men need break-out time as much as women and are mentally healthier for it."
Dr. Gill added that men might feel unfulfilled or empty if they had not been to the pub for a week. The report, commissioned by alcohol-free beer brand Kaliber, surveyed 900 men on their reasons for going to the pub. More than 40 percent said they went for conversation, with relaxation and a friendly atmosphere being the other most common reasons. Only 10 percent listed alcohol as their primary reason.
In Spain, an alcohol and stress study was conducted at Autonoma Universidad in Madrid. Published results showed that moderate drinkers feel better about their health than non-drinkers. In Spain's 1993 National Health Survey of 20,000 adults "the results showed that people who drank alcohol, including beer and spirits, were less likely to report ill health than people who abstained altogether," according the report published in the British Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. "Overall, the higher the consumption of total alcohol the lower the levels of subjective ill health." Of the test subjects, 57 percent drank regularly, with the majority consuming one to two drinks a day. Those who drank regularly were less likely than those who didn't to report "suboptimal" health.
How Much to Drink?
Quantity is the big question. How much should a person drink to benefit from the health effects of alcoholic drinks? The answer overwhelmingly given by all researchers and medical experts is to drink moderately. But, of course, the word "moderate" can be a bit vague.
At a conference on the effects of alcohol on health sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences, Dr. Arthur L. Klatsky, a highly respected researcher on the epidemiology of alcohol, and Dr. Roger Ecker, a practicing physician, presented an "algorithm" for helping doctors advise patients on how much to drink. Their recommendations of moderate drinking for people who have coronary heart disease or two or more risk factors for it, are for one to three drinks a week for men between 21 and 39 years of age and women between 21 and 49. They further suggest that men 40 or older and women 50 or older consider adding moderate amounts of alcohol to their diets if they have heart disease or one or more risk factors for heart disease. Exceptions are made for pregnant women and recovering alcoholics and other preventive measures, such as stopping smoking, are also encouraged.
Dr. Harvey Finkel, Clinical Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, studies the effects of alcohol on the heart. Dr. Finkel says that men should drink one- to three-ounce servings of alcohol a day (a standard drink being approximately one-half ounce of alcohol), with three drinks being the maximum, and that women should drink half that amount. He claims the difference in quantity is not due to the average differences in body weight between men and women, but due to the difference in men's and women's stomachs' ability to break down alcohol. Dr. Finkel goes on to say that four drinks a day does more harm than good and that death rates are higher for heavier drinkers than for abstainers.
The American Heart Association Dietary Guidelines also recommend moderation in drinking alcohol. Their definition of moderation is an average of one to two drinks a day for men and one for non-pregnant women. A drink is defined as either 12 ounces of regular beer, five ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits or one ounce of 100-proof spirits.
It is worth mentioning that on subjects ranging from the definition of "moderation" to the consumption of alcohol by pregnant or nursing women, US scientists tend to set lower limits than their European colleagues. There seems to be a suspicion in the American medical establishment that people will take any advice on the moderate consumption of alcohol as a license to abuse alcohol, which everyone agrees is bad for you.
Drink to your Health
For many centuries and in many languages, we've raised our glasses to one another and toasted good health. Perhaps we realized subconsciously that our foam-topped mugs were packed with compounds that did us good; perhaps it was just wishful thinking.
Now, a century of observations, and two decades of hard-headed scientific examination have confirmed our best hopes: the beer that bring enjoyment, refreshment, and convivial times with friends can also contribute to a healthier life in which to enjoy those pleasures.
To your health!
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Gregg Glaser is All About Beer Magazine's news editor, and a very healthy fellow.
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Sidebar: Beer as Good Food
Traditionally, beer has been viewed as a nourishing household product like bread, based on grain. One style, doppelbock, was even dubbed "liquid bread" by the monks who relied on it for sustenance during Lenten fasts. In earlier times, beer was the healthful mealtime beverage for young and old alike and a source of valuable nutrients.
Beer's ingredients are so pure that beer has been regarded as inherently kosher--conforming to the highest standards of food purity.
In the 1930s, copy writer Dorothy Sayers (best known for the Lord Peter Wimsey crime novels) coined the advertizing line "Guinness is Good for You!" and the famous Irish stout was dispensed to invalids and nursing mothers.
Somewhere, we lost sight of beer's essential wholesomeness. Now, research has documented beer's medical benefits, but beer's contributions to good nutrition are just as impressive, and just as important to overall health.
If an "average" 12 ounce bottle of beer sported a Nutrition Facts label, this is what it would tell you:
Beer contains 150 calories.
Beer has no fat
Beer has no cholesterol
Beer is caffeine free
Beer contains no nitrate
Beer contains 1 gram of protein and 13 grams of carbohydrates
Beer contains significant amounts of magnesium, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, and biotin
Beer is chock full of the B vitamins (as anyone who has taken brewer's yeast as a B supplement already knows), with impressive amounts of B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxin), and B9 (folate), with smaller amounts of B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B12 inotisol and choline.
Beer is 92 percent water
There will be variation from one beer style to another, of course. "Light beers" contain fewer calories and carbohydrates. High alcohol beers--barleywines or imperial stouts-- may contain more calories and carbohydrates. Different beer styles--dark styles, wheat beers--will have different levels of trace elements from pale ales or pilsners. But, across the board, beer in moderation is a nutritious beverage, and a great companion for food.
Beer as a Healthful Ingredient in Cooking
Cooks have discovered the array of tastes beer can bring to the kitchen. Not only can different styles of beer add depth to a flavor, but beer can also be used in place of some higher calorie ingredients, enhancing both health and enjoyment.
Substitute a stout or a porter for some of the oils or sugars in a marinade. You'll have all the rich flavors of the original, and nuances from the beer. And beer is an excellent tenderizer.
In baked goods, beer adds moistness, but with fewer calories.
Try a slightly sweet bock beer as a glaze during broiling or grilling, instead of an oil or syrup based glaze. The residual sugars in the beer add sweetness.
Beer can be substituted for wine in stews, soups, and sauces (but avoid the highly-hopped beer styles, which add too much bitterness as the sauce is reduced). In fact, the classic Belgian beef stew Carbonnade ˆ la Flamande gets its distinctive character from beer.
Drizzle a fruit lambic over fresh fruit instead of syrup for a dessert that is light, but still a satisfying conclusion to a meal.
Solutions for a More Peaceful Night's Sleep
(ARA) - Most Americans do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep required for good health, safety and optimum performance. In fact, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recently reported that 63 percent of Americans are sleep deprived.
During stressful times -- such as the loss of a loved one, a change in job status or a serious illness -- the numbers of those who suffer from sleep deficiency can be even greater. Ironically, this is the time when a good night's sleep is even more important to facilitate recovery and healing.
The following suggestions may ensure a more peaceful and restorative night's sleep for the entire household.
Struggling for Much-Needed Rest
People who suffer from anxiety often have difficulty falling asleep, wake up frequently during the night, arise too early in the morning, or experience unrefreshing sleep. These symptoms of insomnia are fueled by stress, grief, worry and disrupted sleep schedules.
One solution to combating insomnia is to create a restful sleep environment in every bedroom in the house. This includes keeping the temperature cool, the light dim and the bed comfortable.
"Choosing a good mattress can make a difference in the quality of sleep you get at night and the way you feel during the day," said Dr. Gary Zammit from the Sleep Disorders Institute at St. Luke's - Roosevelt Medical Center in New York City. "Most people do not realize that their bed can be preventing them from sleeping well and, in some cases, keeping them awake."
Insomniacs might consider alternative sleep surfaces to improve their sleep. One alternative is the Sleep Number Bed by Select Comfort with adjustable firmness and individualized comfort levels. In studies conducted at Stanford University and Duke University, participants fell asleep faster and experienced better quality, more restorative sleep on the Sleep Number bed than on a traditional innerspring mattress. Stanford University researchers also found that 87 percent of those who slept on the Sleep Number bed experienced a greater percentage of REM sleep with fewer disturbances.
Insomnia can be a forerunner of depression and other health-related problems, so it is important to seek a doctor's advice if symptoms persist.
For many involved in a crisis, daytime sleepiness is a frequent problem. Even if a person is getting the recommended eight hours of sleep a night, stress and emotional fatigue can cause excessive sleepiness and frequent dozing off. This can be especially harmful for adults since daytime sleepiness can lead to health problems or dangerous situations when they drive.
The best solutions for overcoming daytime sleepiness are to stick to a normal sleep routine and get extra rest if your body needs it. When stressed, adults should pay careful attention to what their bodies are telling them, make good judgments about getting to bed earlier and take frequent naps.
Lack of concentration, nodding off during quiet activities or having trouble waking up in the morning are signs that a child is not getting enough sleep. Parents should remember that if the sleep schedule is disrupted even one night, a child may experience these symptoms.
"Children copy their parents' sleep patterns, so it's important for parents to maintain consistent sleep schedules and get enough sleep at night," says Dr. Zammit. "Getting a good night's sleep should be a family priority, and it starts with the adults in the household."
Nightmares -- vivid, long, scary dreams -- are more frequent during times of stress, anxiety and helplessness. Children aged 3 to 6 are the most common sufferers of bad dreams, but traumatic events can increase the occurrence of nightmares in adults as well.
To avoid the anxiety nightmares can cause, it is important for adults to monitor the amount of television their family watches before bedtime and discuss any disturbing images with their kids. When children have nightmares, parents should comfort them by talking about the bad dream and offering reassurance that they are available whenever needed.
To reduce the chance of having nightmares, adults should avoid eating directly before bedtime and reduce their intake of caffeine and alcohol, as each will increase brain activity that can disrupt sleep.
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To win a gold disc, an album needs to sell 100,000 copies in Britain, and 500,000 in the United States.
Melba toast is named after Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba (1861-1931).
Music was sent down a telephone line for the first time in 1876, the year the phone was invented.
The CD was developed by Philips and Sony in 1980.
About 2,4 billion CDs are sold annually. The number of recorded CDs and blank CDs sold has been about equal.
About one-third of recorded CDs are pirated.
The Star-Spangled Banner became the US national anthem in 1931. Prior to that, it was My Country ‘Tis of Thee," which had the same melody as Britian's national anthem God Save the Queen, which is based on music written by John Bull in 1619. Bull's melody has been used more than any song in national anthems.
The British anthem was performed the most times in a single performance. In 1909, while waiting for King Edward VII who was getting dressed a German band played the anthem 17 times.
Tap dancing originates from Irish clog dancing and what is called the Irish reel and jig.
It was at a concert in Minneapolis in 1954 that Al Dvorin first closed Elvis's concerts with: "Ladies and Gentleman, Elvis has left the building. Thank you and good night."
Elvis favourite collectibles were official badges. He collected police badges in almost every city he performed in.
Elvis was an avid gun collector. His collection of 40 weapons included M-16s and a Thompson submachine gun.
Duran Duran took their name from a mad scientists in the movie Barbarella.
Bob Dylan's first professional performance was as opening act for John Lee Hooker at Gerde's Folk City in New York, 1961.
Before they were known as Journey, Steve Perry called his band Golden Gate Rhythm Section.
Kenneth Edmonds was nicknamed Babyface by funk guitarist Bootsy Collins.
The world's largest disco was held at the Buffalo Convention Centre, New York, 1979. 13,000 danced a place into the Guinness Book of World Records.
In August 1983, Peter Stewart of Birmingham, UK set a world record by disco dancing for 408 hours.
Lebanon is the top movie-going country - 35,3 movies per person p.a. China is second with 12,3, followed by Georgia (5,6), India (5), Iceland (4,5), Australia is 6th at 3,9 then New Zealand and the US at just under 3,9.
The US has the most cinemas (23,662) while India [the country that produces the most movies - about 800 a year, twice as many as Hollywood] has about 9,000 cinemas and China has approximately 5,000 cinemas. - 300,000 people per cinema.
Indian comic actress Manorama has played the most leading roles of any performer in movie history. She began her career in 1958 and in 1985 had appeared in her 1,000th movie.
Ireland has won the most Eurovision song contests (7 times).
Annie Lennox holds the record for the most Brit awards (8).
The Beatles holds the top spot of album sales in the US (106 million), followed by Garth Brooks second (92 million), Led Zeppelin (83 million), Elvis Presley (77 million), and the Eagles (65 million). Worldwide The Beatles sold more than 1 billion records.
Klezmer music is derived from two Hebrew words, clay and zimmer, meaning "vessel of music."
The Ocarina, a musical wind instrument, is also known as the Sweet Potato.
The LP (long-playing) record was invented by Paul Goldmark in 1948. The LP is not dead yet: more than 10 million LPs are sold every year.
The longest song to reach number one on the Billboard charts on LP was "I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)" by Meatloaf, the shortest: "Stay" by Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs.
At the first Grammy Awards, held on 4 May 1959, Domenico Modugno beat out Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee for the Record of the Year, with "Volare." More
The British, the highest per capita spenders on music, buy 7,2% of the world music market.
The first pop video was Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, released in 1975.
The Beatles song "Martha My Dear" was written by Paul McCartney about his sheepdog Martha.
Jeanne Louise Calment's CD was released on her 121st birthday in 1996. Titled "Time's Mistress" it features Ms Calment reminiscing to a score of rap music and other tunes.
A grand piano can be played faster than an upright (spinet) piano.
A piano covers the full spectrum of all orchestra instruments, from below the lowest note of the double bassoon to above the top note of the piccolo.
The harmonica is the world's best-selling music instrument.
The term "disc jockey" was first used in 1937.
The last note of a keyboard is C.
Themes from movies Unforgiven, A Perfect World, The Bridges of Madison County, and Absolute Power were all written by Clint Eastwood.
The US share of the world music market is 31.3%.
The only guy without a beard in ZZTOP surname (last name) is Beard.
Since its launch in 1981 the song Memory of the musical Cats has been played on radio more than a million times.
Paul McCartney was the last bachelor Beatle when he married Linda Eastman in a civil ceremony in London, 1969. Paul's brother Mike was his best man. No other Beatle attended the wedding.
There are 6 versions of Franz Schubert's "Die Forelle" ("The Trout"), simply because when friends asked him for copies of the song, he wrote out new copies to the best he could remember at the time.
In 1952, John Cage composed and presented ' 4'33" ', a composition consisting of 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence.
The Carpenters signature song, We've Only Just Begun, was originally part of a television commercial for a California bank.
In 1972 Leslie Harvey of Stone the Crows died after being electrocuted onstage in England. In 1976 Keith Relf, who used to play for The Yardbirds, was electrocuted by his guitar while playing in his basement. During a mid-performance in 1994 Ramon Barrero, a Mexican musician famous for playing the world's smallest harmonica, inhaled the harmonica and choked to death.
U2 was originally known as Feedback. To date, U2 have sold more than 70 million records, grossing $1,5 billion.
In May 1997, Paul McCartney broke his own world record by obtaining his 81st gold disc.
Global sales of pre-recorded music total more than $40 billion.
The top selling singles of all time are Elton John's "Candle in the Wind ‘97", at 33 million, Bing Crosby's "White Christmas", 30 million, and Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock", 25 million.
DVD discs are the same diameter (120mm) and thickness (1.2mm) as a Compact Disc but a DVD can store 13 times or more data.
Beethoven was the first composer who never had an official court position, thus the first known freelance musician. Born in 1770, he grew up poor, but published his first work at age 12. By age 20 he was famous. He often sold the same score to six or seven different publishers simultaneously, and demanded unreasonably large fees for the simplest work. He was short, stocky, dressed badly, didn't like to bath, lived in squalor, used crude language, openly conducted affairs with married women, and had syphilis. Beethoven was deaf when he composed his Ninth Symphony.
Did You Know …
If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced
enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.
(Hardly seems worth it.)
If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is
produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb.
(Now that’s more like it!)
The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to
squirt blood 30 feet.
(O.M.G.!)
A pig’s orgasm lasts 30 minutes.
(In my next life, I want to be a pig.)
A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to
death. (Creepy.)
(I’m still not over the pig.)
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.
(Do not try this at home. Maybe at work.)
The male pray mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its
body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male’s head off.
(”Honey, I’m home. What the….?!”)
The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It’s like a human jumping
the length of a football field.
(30 minutes… lucky pig. can you imagine??)
The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds.
(What could be so tasty on the bottom of a pond?)
Some lions mate over 50 times a day.
(I still want to be a pig in my next life…quality over quantity)
Butterflies taste with their feet.
(Something I always wanted to know.)
The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
(Hmmmmmm……..)
Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed
people.
(If you’re ambidextrous, do you split the difference?)
Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump.
(OK, so that would be a good thing……………….)
A cat’s urine glows under a black light.
(I wonder who was paid to figure that out?)
An ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain.
(I know some people like that.)
Starfish have no brains.
(I know some people like that too.)
Polar bears are left-handed.
(If they switch, they’ll live a lot longer.)
Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure.
(What about that pig??)
Back pain has a variety of causes, including poor posture and poor body mechanics. For example, standing for long periods of time or sitting incorrectly can cause back pain. Engaging in certain sports often carries a risk of back injury. Low back pain is often associated with heavy physical work, lifting or forceful movement, bending or twisting, or awkward positions. You may even have a back injury and not know it until a stressful movement aggravates the condition. Uncommon—but serious—causes of back pain include infections, tumors, and fractures.
Don’t ignore back pain. Talk to your doctor if your pain persists.Here are some common causes of back pain:
Sprain or Strain: A sudden fall, car crash, or sports injury can cause a sprain or strain—or even just lifting something too heavy. When a back injury occurs, muscles, ligaments, and tendons can become over-stretched, overused, or torn. Tissues can swell, causing pain, tenderness, and stiffness.
Obesity: Your spine caries a large portion of your weight. Being overweight puts pressure and stress on the back, especially the low back. Plus, carrying excess weight aggravates other health conditions such as osteoporosis (weak bones), osteoarthritis (joint pain), rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease), degenerative disc disease (described below in the aging section), spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis.
Aging: Ligaments thicken and discs dry out with age. These age-related changes in the spine may lead to disorders that create pressure on your spinal nerves—meaning that you’ll have symptoms like pain, numbness, or weakness. Degenerative disc disease is an example of an age-related spinal disorder. Over time, your discs can lose their normal structure and function. That is just wear and tear, but it can result in a herniated disc (bulging out) and pain (see diagram). Sometimes when there’s a tear, chemicals are released, and they can irritate the spinal nerves, causing a specific type of nerve pain (radiculopathy).
Music was sent down a telephone line for the first time in 1876, the year the phone was invented.
Sound travels through water 3 times faster than through air.
A square piece of dry paper cannot be folded in half more than 7 times.
Air becomes liquid at about minus 190 degrees Celsius.
Liquid air looks like water with a bluish tint.
A scientific satellite needs only 250 watts of power, the equivelant used by two hour light bulbs, to operate.
The thin line of cloud that forms behind an aircraft at high altitudes is called a contrail.
Radio waves travel so much faster than sound waves that a broadcast voice can be heard sooner 18,000 km away than in the back of the room in which it originated.
A US ton is equivalent to 900 kg (2000 pounds). A British ton is 1008 kg (2240 pounds), called a gross ton.
Industrial hemp contains less than 1% of THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana.
Since space is essentially empty it cannot carry sound. Therefor there is no sound in space, at least not the sort of sound that we are used to.
The Space Shuttle always rolls over after launch to alleviate structural loading, allowing the shuttle to carry more mass into orbit.
The word "biology" was coined in 1805 by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.
Most of the air is about 78% nitrogen gas. Only 21% consists of oxygen. The remaining 1% consists of carbon dioxide, argon, neon, helium, krypton, hydrogen, xenon and ozone.
Argon is used to fill the space in most light bulbs. Neon is used in fluorescent signs. Fluorescent lights are filled with mercury gas.
Hydrogen gas is the least dense substance in the world.
Water expands by about 9% as it freezes.
The surface of hot water freezes faster than cold water but the rest of the water will remain liquid longer than in a cold sample.
The smallest transistor is 50-nanometres wide - roughly 1/2000 the width of a human hair.
A compass does not point to the geographical North or South Pole, but to the magnetic poles.
The double-helix structure of DNA was discovered in 1953 by James Watson and Francis Crick. The length of a single human DNA molecule, when extended, is 1.7 metres (5 ft 5 in).
In a desert, a mirage is caused when air near the ground is hotter than air higher up. As light from the sun passes from cooler to warmer air, it speeds up and is refracted upward, creating the image of water.
The typical bolt of lightning heats the atmosphere to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
An electric oven uses one kilowatt-hour of electricity in about 20 minutes, but one kilowatt-hour will power a TV for 3 hours, run a 100-watt bulb for 12 hours, and keep an electric clock ticking for 3 months.
In the 6th century BC Greek mathematician Pythagoras said that earth is round - but few agreed with him.
Greek astronomer Aristarchos said in the 3rd century BC that earth revolves around the sun - but the idea was not accepted.
In the 2nd century BC Greek astronomer Erastosthenes accurately measured the distance around the earth at about 40,000 km (24,860 miles) - but nobody believed him.
In the 2nd century AD Greek astronomer Ptolemy stated that earth was the centre of the universe - most people believed him for the next 1,400 years.
Hiccups happen when the diaphragm, the muscle that controls our breathing, becomes irritated and start to spasm and contract uncontrollably. With each contraction, air is pulled into the lungs very quickly, passes through the voice box, and then the epiglottis closes behind the rush of air, shaking the vocal chords, causing the "hic" sound. The irritation can be caused by rapid eating, emotional stress and even some diseases. The best cure? Breathing into a paper bag. This calms the diaphragm by increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in your bloodstream.
The length from your wrist to your elbow is the same as the length of your foot.
Your heart beats 101,000 times a day. During your lifetime it will beat about 3 billion times and pump about 400 million litres (800 million pints) of blood.
Your mouth produces 1 litre (1.8 pints) of saliva a day.
On average, people can hold their breath for one minute. The world record is seven-and-a-half minutes.
The human head contains 22 bones. More on the head and brains
On average, you breathe 23,000 times a day.
On average, you speak almost 5,000 words a day - although almost 80% of speaking is self-talk (talking to yourself).
Einstein's brain was of average size (1375 grams - 49oz).
Over the last 150 years the average height of people in industrialised nations increased by 10 cm (4 in).
In the 19th century, American men were the tallest in the world, averaging 1,71m (5'6"). Today, the average height for American men is 1,75m (5'7"), compared to 1,77m (5'8") for Swedes, and 1,78m (5'8.5") for the Dutch.
The tallest nation in the world is the Watusis of Burundi.
If the amount of water in your body is reduced by just 1%, you'll feel thirsty.
Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, suggested that a woman could enlarge her bust line by singing loudly and often.
A person can live without food for about a month, but only about a week without water.
You'll drink about 75,000 litres (20,000 gallons) of water in your lifetime.
After a certain period of growth, hair becomes dormant. That means that it is attached to the hair follicle until replaced by new hair.
Hair on the head grows for between two and six years before being replaced. In the case of baldness, the dormant hair was not replaced with new hair.
Men loose about 40 hairs a day. Women loose about 70 hairs a day.
In the Middle Ages the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow was called an ell.
A person remains conscious for eight seconds after being decapitated.
The first human sex change took place in 1950 when Danish doctor Christian Hamburger operated on New Yorker George Jargensen, who became Christine Jargensen.
The muscle that lets your eye blink is the fastest muscle in your body. It allows you to blink 5 times a second. On average, you blink 15 000 times a day. Women blink twice as much as men.
A typical athlete's heart churns out 25 to 30 litres (up to 8 gallons) of blood per minute.
We have four basic tastes. The salt and sweet taste buds are at the tip of the tongue, bitter at the base, and sour along the sides.
Unless food is mixed with saliva you cannot taste it.
The liver is the largest of the body's internal organs. The skin is the body's largest organ.
Not all our taste buds are on our tongue; about 10% are on the palette and the cheeks.
On average a hiccup lasts 5 minutes.
Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.
It takes about 3 months for the transplanted hair to start growing again.
About 13% of people are left-handed. Up from 11% in the past.
In 1900, a person could expect to live to be 47. Today, the average life expectancy for men and women in developed countries is longer than 70 years.
A newborn baby's head accounts for one-quarter of its weight.
King Henry I, who ruled in the England in the 12th century, standardised the yard as the distance from the thumb of his outstretched arm to his nose.
The bones in your body are not white - they range in colour from beige to light brown. The bones you see in museums are white because they have been boiled and cleaned.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth.
Every person has a unique tongue print.
If all your DNA is stretched out, it would reach to the moon 6,000 times.
Approximately two-thirds of a person's body weight is water. Blood is 92% water. The brain is 75% water and muscles are 75% water.
The coloured part of the eye is called the iris. Behind the iris is the soft, rubbery lens which focuses the light on to a layer, called the retina, in the back of the eye. The retina contains about 125 million rods and 7 million cones. The rods pick up shades of grey and help us see in dim light. The cones work best in bright light to pick up colours.
We actually do not see with our eyes - we see with our brains. The eyes basically are the cameras of the brain. One-quarter of the brain is used to control the eyes.
"Mobile" or "Cell"
What is correct: "mobile" phone or "cell" phone? Same thing. The word cell is short for cellular and has been used since Bell Laboratories set up the first wireless telephony system in 1947. It consisted of a network of low-powered transmitters, each placed to cover a small region or cell. Commercial cell phones were introduced in Chicago in 1978 and in Europe in 1981 - the first mobile phone call in the UK was made by comedian Ernie Wise. If you're surprised to learn that mobile telephony has been around so long, here's another surprise: Bell Laboratories invented the videophone in 1927.
Numbers
Most numbers on a phone keypad have letters assigned to them. For instance, the letters for the number 2 are a, b and c. But there are no letters assigned to the numbers 1 and 0. These numbers remain unassigned because they are so-called flag numbers, kept for special purposes such as emergency or operator services. Previously, Q and Z were not included on the keypad, meaning that you could not dial a word such as Quincy. Q is now assigned to the number 7, and Z to number 9.
Mobile joke
Blonde answers her mobile phone: "Oh! How did you know I'm in the shopping center?"
Mobile quote
"If the phone doesn't ring, it's me" - Jimmy Buffet
Home improvements: indoors and outdoors Fixed vs. Adjustable: Which mortgage is right for you? Your biggest investment: real estate Smart steps for simple carpet care Ten tips to keep you and your car running smoothly How to winterise your windows and doors Paint like a Pro: essential products for any interior paint project Useful info on everything automobile What to look for when shopping for an All Terrain Vehicle Kidnappings for ransom on the rise. Take extra care Think your car is safe from thieves? Think again Guide to consumer electronics When in doubt, use lowercase text in your web searches - simple tips for more exact searches | Despite what mom told you, culinary experts say you do not always have to wait for everyone to begin eating. If you know what is where on a proper table settings Isn't it all about what you eat and how you entertain Forget the mess, kids who cook can develop a lifelong love of good food Can't remember if an egg is fresh or hard boiled? Is the soup or stew is too salty? Fix those spoils in the kitchen
Seafood is healthy. Here's why Scare up some easy Halloween treats for the kids The biggest day of your life: Wedding planning To prevent crying when you cut an onion, cut it under a running tap of cold water. You can also put the onion in the freezer for ten minutes before you cut it. |
Useful family advice Does your daughter have a positive body image? How can you keep kids safe around water? Find the working environment that best suits you Tips to keep kids and teens safe on the Internet Team dating is better safety, less lying, and more fun If the deal sounds too good to be true, it often is! Here is valuable advice on online shopping The indentation at the bottom of the bottle strengthens the structure of the bottle but also is there to trap the sediments. It is an offence for a supplier to sell goods which do not comply with product safety legislation. This applies to both new and second-hand products, but not to antiques or to goods needing repair or reconditioning, providing you were clearly informed of this fact beforehand. |
During the 6th Century, it was customary to congratulate people who sneezed because it was thought that they were expelling evil from their bodies. During the great plague of Europe, the Pope passed a law to say "God bless you" to one who sneezed.
There still are some weird laws on the books. In Washington state, it is against the law to boast that one's parents are rich. In Maryland, it's illegal to play Randy Newman's "Short People" on the radio. In Alabama it is illegal to play Dominoes on Sunday. And in Minneapolis, double-parkers can be put on a chain gang.
In 1313, King Edward II enacted that "You are forbidden from dying in parliament."
An old statute in Kentucky states that men who push their wives out of bed for inflicting their cold toes on them can be fined or jailed for a week. A 100-year-old law in Willowdale, Oregon makes it illegal to swear during sex. An odd law in Minnesota makes it illegal to hang male and female underwear on the same washing line. In Melbourne, Australia it is illegal for men to parade in strapless dresses - but they are allowed to cross-dress in anything with sleeves.
An old law in Russia allows a police officer to "beat a peeping tom soundly." In Texas, two categories of men are exempt from peeping tom charges: men over 50 and men with only one eye.
A pregnant woman can urinate anywhere she wishes, including a policeman's helmet, according to a London local by-law. But in Vermont, women require their husbands permission to wear false teeth.
In Virginia, horses of more than one year old are prohibited in a place of worship. In Tennessee, shooting any game other than whales from a moving automobile is against the law. In Normal, Oklahoma you could be sent to prison for "making an ugly face at a dog."
In Oceania, women colored their lips with lipstick containing the basic component made of tiny molluscs
Every woman today absolutely automatically applies lipstick before going out of home. This habit is very old indeed: women began to apply lipstick in primeval times. Colored clay or berry juice served the very first lipstick at that time. But nobody knows why primitive women applied lipstick at all, either to attract or to scare men away. Rock carvings and cave petroglyphs discovered in Africa and Western Europe prove that women of primeval times actually applied lipstick.
A mixture of natural pigments and animal fats was the progenitrix of contemporary lipstick in Ancient Egypt. Red lead, ferrous oxide was used to colour that lipstick which smelt of rust. To make the odour better, fragrant essences were added to lipstick. Archeologists discovered remains of such mixtures in tombs of noble Egyptian women.
Some cuneiform texts tell that women applied juice of acrid plants, juice of wild iris for instance, to add color to their lips. Such juice caused blood flow to the lips and they remained intensive red within a rather long period of time. It is said that some Moslem women still use the method to add color to their lips today.
Natural pigments were widely applied in the ancient times. Henna was used to color not only hair but also body and it gave really steady color. Lips colored with henna remained bright for several days. In old times, noble Japanese women were not allowed to appear in public without intensive makeup. At that, faces often looked like masks thanks to thick foundation and dark lipstick. It is known that the basic components of that lipstick were tar and beeswax, the latter made lipstick structural and thick. It is astonishing but today beeswax is still one of the basic lipstick components.
Oceania women colored their lips with lipstick containing the basic component made of tiny molluscs. It made lipstick bright red. Some famous cosmetics brands still add this component to lipstick, at that this sort of lipstick is rather expensive. Dye obtained from under the mollusc shell is very costly because it is harmless, stable and contains unique moisturizing substances. So, lipsticks and rouge containing the pigment are appreciated for their high quality.
In the years before Inquisition, women in Europe applied cinnabar as lipstick. That was vermilion, a component really dangerous for health.
In the Middle Ages, women applied no cosmetics because of a special directive of the Pope. But in several centuries, the tradition of applying makeup was revived and once again makeup was often too excessive.
In the 17th century, the English parliament issued an unprecedented law according to which men had no problems in divorcing their wives in case it turned out that women's makeup during matchmaking wonderfully concealed all of their defects that became obvious after marriage.
In the 18th century, lipstick became popular with men not only women. Men of the French court circle applied carmine mixed with grease to lips thus making them bright against the background of beard and moustache.
It was in 1915 that lipstick for the first time took the form we know today, a retractable stick. Just within several years lipstick became an everyday attribute. In the 1930, Elizabeth Arden said that girls with lipstick on their lips stood a better chance in getting a job than those who had no makeup at all. The motto made lipstick incredibly popular. In silent films women applied very bight lipstick and made the lips outline well-defined.
Thanks to the long lipstick evolution we now have a wide range of lipsticks beginning with medical, hygienic to moisturizing or resistant lipsticks. All of them are improved versions of components used by our ancestors.
