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For about 100 years, scientists thought that peptic ulcers were caused by stress, spicy food, and alcohol. Later, researchers added stomach acid to the list of causes and began treating ulcers with antacids. Now it is known that peptic ulcers are predominantly caused by Helicobacter pylori, a spiral-shaped bacterium that normally exist in the stomach.
In the United States, an estimated 50 million unnecessary antibiotics are prescribed for viral respiratory infections.
The average human gut is home to perhaps 500 to 1,000 different species of bacteria.
More than 150,000 Americans killed by cardiovascular disease are younger than the age of 65 years.
Although puberty usually occurs in the early teenage years, the world's youngest parents were two Chinese children who had their first baby when they were 8 and 9 years of age.