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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.
The human body produces and destroys 15 million blood cells every second.
Vaccines prevent between 2.5 and 4 million deaths every year.
Women are two-thirds more likely than men to develop irritable bowel syndrome. This may be attributable to hormonal changes related to their menstrual cycles.
In most cases, kidneys can recover from almost complete loss of function, such as in acute kidney (renal) failure.