Over 90 percent of adults regularly poke their noses—and a surprising amount also tend to eat their boogers.
However, it turns out that this is not a good idea at all.
Our nose hairs act as a filter that stops viruses and bacteria from making their way into our bodies. Therefore, it could very well be a hotbed of disease—and ingesting them is not suitable for the body at all, reports Business Insider.
“Oh, I never pick my nose,” many say—but most people definitely do.
In a study, 91 percent of the adults surveyed admitted to picking their nose regularly, according to Business Insider.
In other words, most of your loved ones are probably nose-pickers.
But it doesn’t end with just picking—some choose to eat them as well. However, it turns out that this type of behavior can put much more than just your social status at risk—it can also be harmful to your body and health.
An important defense mechanism
Boogers, or whatever you want to call them, mainly contain water and slimy protein made to form that sticky consistency. These proteins hold back all kinds of bacteria and viruses.
That’s their primary function, the first line of defense for the body against things like the coronavirus. When you inhale, your air is not the only thing that gets in your nose. However, most germs will get stuck in the mucus and hairs inside your nostrils.
It works like a flytrap for microbes. As you continue to inhale, the mucus hardens and eventually becomes boogers.
Like a prison cell, it gets rid of the small enemies who want to create chaos inside the body.
So eating your boogers is not really recommended, especially after your body worked so hard to keep them out. Some people claim that eating them boosts your immune system, but there is no scientific evidence behind that.
Poking your nose also opens the door for a nasty bacteria lurking under your fingernails, Staphylococcus aureus—which can lead to severe consequences.
So the next time you think about tasting one of your boogers—stop it and properly blow your nose instead.
Now press that SHARE button below to spread this vital information to your friends and family! It’s probably more necessary than you might think!
