5 Gross Habits That Are Actually Good

Even though we’ve all heard that it takes 21 days for a habit to stick, this statement hasn’t actually been proven in practice. According to recent studies, you’ll need at least 66 days for a new way of behavior to become automatic. However, not all of our inappropriate habits are really as awful as we’re used to considering them.

Bright Side made a list of some of the most common “gross” habits we all have that are actually good for our health.

5. Spitting

Spitting can look disgusting, especially if it’s done in public places. However, when you’re exercising, it could help you breathe more easily.

Normally, we breathe through our nose — this warms up the air and makes it more humid, allowing the body to absorb oxygen more efficiently. But when we exercise, we tend to breathe through our mouth and this causes it to produce more saliva that interferes with our breathing patterns. Hence, it’s perfectly normal to get rid of the excessive mucus produced after running by spitting it out.

4. Chewing gum

Although gum doesn’t have any nutritional benefits, it’s been scientifically proven that chewing it provides a better study and test-taking aid than caffeine. Chewing gum can help you focus, sharpen your memory, reduce stress, and balance your hormones by raising the cortisol level.

3. Farting

Even if you aren’t aware of it happening, your body releases gas up to 25 times a day and about 3-5 times during your sleep. As a rule, your digestive tract starts producing carbon dioxide and methane about 6 hours after eating, and farting helps your body get rid of this. If you’re trying to hold the gas in, it may trigger abdominal pain or bloating.

2. Burping

A good burp after you’ve had a huge meal is actually good for your stomach since it helps relieve it of air. Suppressing a belch and keeping gas inside your stomach may cause a splash of gastric acid into the gullet that, in turn, may trigger chest pain.

But if you’re burping too much throughout the day, you should probably see a doctor as it may be a symptom of acid reflux disease.

1. Skipping showers

If you take a shower every day, you wash away some essential oils from your skin and hair that are necessary to keep them hydrated and protected. Even hot water without soap can destroy lots of useful bacteria that your skin needs to stay radiant and elastic. So it’s perfectly natural and even healthy for you to skip showers once or twice a week.

Do you have any “gross” habits? What do you think of the habits in this article? Share your opinions with us in the comments!