› added 12 years ago

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TIL that when the human body is deprived of adequate nutrition, testosterone levels drop, but estrogen levels remain constant, causing a hormonal imbalance, creating what we call “man boobs”.

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xVQdD TIL that the reason why it hurts to eat pineapple is because it contains the enzyme bromlain which digests protein, and it can be prevented by grilling the fruit.
jnDa TIL that the phrase “It’s Greek to me” has analogues in many languages. In Greek, the foreign language in the saying is Turkish or Chinese. In Turkish, it’s French or Arabic. In French and Arabic, it’s Chinese. In Chinese, it’s “ghost script,” “bird sounds,” or “chicken intestines.”
9Yv7p TIL of "Doctor" Linda Hazzard, who in the early 20th century killed at least a dozen patients, who coincidentally had just added her to their wills, by "treating" them with 30-40 day total starvation therapy. At first she couldn't be prosecuted because her patients signed up willingly.
5YZAP TIL: Paris was strictly and island city in the Seine until nearly 1000 AD.
ep7ZD TIL extortion rings called "The Black Hand Society" were once found in major cities across America in the early 1900s, named for the distinctive signature often left on their threat letters - a hand imprinted or drawn in thick black ink.