How many times have you seen a young child (or an adult for that matter) pick their nose and then eat it? Gross right? Well, maybe not. Did you know that there is actually research that says eating your boogers could be good for you?  How would one go about getting people to volunteer for this research exactly?

Believe it or not, according to an article in Men's Journal research shows eating snot could help people’s immune system fight such things as respiratory infections, stomach ulcers, and even HIV.

According to a Fox News report, ingesting boogers can be good for teeth, as well as overall health as they are packed with a “rich reservoir of good bacteria.”

Let's take a second and analyze this. What are boogers made of? Before we get to that, we must first know about mucus or snot. It's the sticky, slimy stuff that's made inside your nose, airways, and even your digestive tract.

Mucus is kind of like the oil in your car that keeps the engine lubricated. Mucus keeps the lining of your nose moist and warms the air you breathe. This little bad boy also protects the lungs. When you breathe in air through your nose, it contains lots of gross stuff, like dust, dirt, germs, and pollen.

After this stuff gets stuck inside the nose, the mucus surrounds it and then the tiny hairs inside your nose, called cilia, helps to move the stuff to the front of our nose, where the mucus, dirt, and other debris gets dry and clumps together, and voila you have yourself a full-fledged booger.

Boogers are like people--they come in different shapes and sizes.  They can be squishy and slimy or tough and crumbly. We all get them and that's a good thing because boogers are a sign that your nose is working the way it should!

As if just eating the boogers wasn't enough, researchers are apparently already working on producing mucus toothpaste and snot chewing gum. Not only that, the study found that people who eat their boogers are not only healthier, but happier. WTF?

Next time you see someone go digging for nose-gold, try not to be grossed out and remember, they're probably happier and healthier than you or me.

 

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