Eating bananas introduces radiation into the body, the human stomach can dissolve razor blades, and we can turn discarded plastic bottles into appealing vanilla flavoring… These are some interesting facts that not everyone knows.
Surprising Facts About Eating That Not Everyone Knows
1. The Human Stomach Can Dissolve Razor Blades
A razor blade like this will dissolve after two hours in the human stomach’s acid. (Photo: Krystal-Q).
If you ever swallow a razor blade, don’t panic. The human body has more capabilities than you think. Acids are rated on a scale from 0 to 14 – the lower the pH, the stronger the acid. The human stomach acid typically ranges from 1 to 2, which means it has an extremely strong pH.
In a study published in the journal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, scientists found that a razor blade would dissolve after two hours of soaking in stomach acid.
2. Bananas Contain Radiation
Bananas have a naturally high potassium content, and a small portion of all potassium is radioactive. (Photo: Mental Floss).
Bananas contain potassium, and due to the decay of potassium, this fruit is slightly radioactive. But don’t worry! You would need to eat 10 million bananas at once to die from radiation poisoning caused by bananas, according to Dr. Joe Schwarcz from McGill University (Canada).
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), bananas have a naturally high potassium content; each banana can emit 0.01 millirem (0.1 microsieverts) of radiation. This is a very small amount of radiation. You would need to eat about 100 bananas to receive a radiation dose equivalent to the natural background radiation you encounter daily in the U.S.
3. You Can’t Burp in Space
We can’t burp in space. (Photo: Your Health Today).
When you burp on Earth, gravity keeps the solids and liquids from the food you just ate down, so only gas escapes from your mouth.
In a weightless environment, gases cannot separate from liquids and solids. Therefore, burping essentially becomes a vomiting phenomenon.
4. Plastic Can Be Turned into Vanilla Flavoring
It is possible to convert plastic bottles into vanilla flavoring using genetically modified bacteria. (Photo: Impakter).
Researchers have found a way to convert plastic bottles into vanilla flavoring using genetically modified bacteria, according to a study published in the journal Green Chemistry in 2021. The authors of the study explain that the demand for vanillin (the main component extracted from vanilla beans) is “growing rapidly” as it is found in many food products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, cleaning agents, and even herbicides.
But don’t expect to eat ice cream flavored like plastic anytime soon. The study merely proves that the conversion from plastic to vanilla flavoring is possible, not whether it is safe for human consumption.
5. Beer Has Twice the Bubbles of Champagne
Beer has twice the bubbles of champagne.
According to a study published in 2021 in the journal ACS Omega, while a bottle of champagne produces about one million bubbles, a half-liter of beer produces around two million bubbles. So why is this important? More bubbles lead to a richer flavor.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that beer and champagne can be compared in terms of flavor. They just happen to be the beverages the researchers chose to compare the results in context.
