The heart is one of the most essential organs in your body, providing organs with the vital nutrients they require. As your heart pumps away faithfully, you may not have a second thought about it. Here are 18 fun facts about the heart that you need to know!
1. Your heart beats in time with music.
Depending on the music you listen to, your heartbeat can change.
2. It’s a fast worker!
It takes approximately 45 seconds on average for your blood to travel all the way around the body from your heart.
3. Heart rates vary between the genders.
An average man’s heart beats at an estimated 70 times a minute.
An average woman’s heart beats a little faster, at an estimated 78 times a minute.
4. Heart problems are big killers.
One of the greatest health threats in the world is heart disease.
5. Drugs can seriously impact on your heart health.
The electrical activity of the heart is affected by drug use (particularly by cocaine).
6. Heart capillaries are minute.
Smaller than a human hair, some of the capillaries in your heart are tiny!
[asense]7. Sneezes do not stop your heart.
The saying “Sneezing stops the heart” is a myth.
8. Sweet and life-saving?
Heart disease risk is reduced by eating dark chocolate.
9. Some hearts are massive!
The heart of a blue whale weighs a staggering 1,500 pounds and is the size of a double-decker bus!
10. Broken hearts are real.
People can litreally have broken hearts. Temporary heart failure can arise from tragic life situations.
11. How big is a heart?
The size of your heart is approximately the size of both your hands clasped together.
12. That’s a lot to keep moving!
1.5 gallons of blood is pumped around by your heart each minute.
13. It covers a lot of biological ground!
With the exception of corneas, every other cell in your body receives blood from the heart.
14. Heart sizes really do vary.
Certain individuals have bigger hearts than others, which is indicative of underlying heart disease.
15. You could power an HGV!
A truck could be driven 20 miles with the energy created by your heart every single day.
16. Meat eating can affect your heart’s health.
According to a study, vegetarians are 32% less likely to die or be admitted to hospital due to heart disease than non-vegetarians.
17. It’s unlikely to be hit by cancer.
As the heart stops dividing quite early in life, heart cancer is very rare.
FAQs about The Heart
What does the heart really do?
It does what you expect it to - it helps to keep blood reaching all areas of your body so that it can keep functioning.
Are there any areas of the body that the heart doesn’t pump to?
Yes - believe it or not, your corneas, in your eyes, don’t receive blood from the heart!
What are the four main chambers of the heart?
The heart is split up into two ventricles and two atriums, both pairs with designated left and right. The ventricles send blood out, and your atriums take blood in.
Do you know any interesting facts about the heart? Share them in the comments below!