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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.
Every 10 seconds, a person in the United States goes to the emergency room complaining of head pain. About 1.2 million visits are for acute migraine attacks.
The average human gut is home to perhaps 500 to 1,000 different species of bacteria.
More than nineteen million Americans carry the factor V gene that causes blood clots, pulmonary embolism, and heart disease.
There are over 65,000 known species of protozoa. About 10,000 species are parasitic.