Strange but True – Your Body

By Laura Greene

Did you know...? 10 interesting facts about the human body.

Maui’s year-round sunshine guarantees year-round exposure to other peoples’ bodies and no matter what shape or size they are, the human body is amazing. It’s an incredible thing, full of its own complexities  and, despite decades of study, there is still so much we don’t know about our own anatomy. The following 10 quirky facts are strange but true and you may just be surprised to learn more about your body!

1. In a hot climate, humans can sweat as much as 3 gallons of water a day. In 2010 the US Census Bureau reported that Maui has a population of 154,834 which would equal up to 464,502 gallons of sweat every day. That’s two thirds of the Maui Ocean Center’s 750,000 gallon aquatic tank. That’s a lot of sweat!

2. Simple to severe sunburn has been shown to damage your blood vessels substantially. It can take as long as four to fifteen months for them to return to their normal condition. So don’t forget the sunscreen next time you go tanning or are out in the surf.

3. Each of us are estimated to have 60,000 miles of blood vessels. To put that in perspective, the distance around Maui’s shoreline is about 120 miles, meaning your blood vessels could run 500 times around the island if laid end to end!

4. 80% of the brain is water and about two-thirds of your body weight is water. Maybe that’s why we like being in the ocean so much! So the next time you’re feeling dehydrated in Maui’s summer heat – get a drink and keep your brain hydrated.

5. Almost all babies are born with blue eyes – even if neither parent has them. This is because the pigment melanin in a newborn’s eyes often needs time after birth to fully develop or become darker with exposure to UV light, later revealing the baby’s true eye color.

6. Our feet have approximately 500,000 sweat glands and can produce more than a pint of sweat a day. We’re lucky we can wear slippahs all the time on Maui!

7. Wonder why you like new foods as you get older? When we are young, we taste with more than just our tongue, as we also have taste buds on the roof and sides of our mouths. As we get older our taste buds are just on our tongue and they reduce in sensitivity as we age. So things that tasted strong when we were little are easier to eat. Blue cheese or Li Hing Mui anyone?

8. It’s easier to have the aloha spirit – as it takes 43 muscles to frown but just 17 to smile, so relax and smile!

9. Your body uses every muscle it has to balance when you are standing still, that’s an incredible 300 muscles. Imagine how hard those muscles work when you go surfing or Stand Up Paddle boarding. No wonder it’s such a great workout!

10. On any given day, sexual intercourse takes place 120 million times on earth – that’s roughly four per cent of the world’s population having sex. With all the honeymooners that flock to Maui each year, we bet the Valley Isle contributes well to that statistic…