Pay Attention to These Life-Saving Body Clues

 

Not everyone has this crease on their ear, but if you do here’s what it means. I had no idea!

Our bodies are capable of so many incredible feats and tasks, but little things about the way your body looks and reacts to certain senses can tell you more than you’d ever guess! It’s important to pay attention to these signs before they lead to more serious issues. From a way to recognize the early onset of heart disease, to a way to predict diabetes, there are secrets to every major health problem. So, grab a pen and notebook, it’s time to learn about your body’s most telltale health signals.

Your Bra Size Says More Than You Think

According to the scientists at the Canadian Medical Association Journal, “larger bra cup size (‘D’ or larger) at age 20 predicted the onset of Type II Diabetes.” They also surmised that the fatty breast tissue influences insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes.

What to Do: To battle diabetes, be sure to include high-intensity workouts into your exercise routine.

The Dreaded Earlobe Crease

Scientists have discovered that linear wrinkles in one or both of your earlobes can be an indicator of heart attacks and eventual cardiac death. The American Journal of Medicine states that a crease on just one earlobe raises the cardiovascular risk by 33% and a crease on both increases it by 77%.

What to Do: Take care of your ticker! That means controlling your cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as losing any excess weight.

Terrible Sense of Smell?

Not being able to smell strong scents means a lot more than a hard time cooking. A study conducted by the Annals of Neurology found that older adults (50+) who couldn’t properly smell bananas, lemons, cinnamon, or other strong scents were five times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease within the next four years.

What To Do: Boost your brainpower by adding fish oil supplements like Omega-3 fatty acids, to your diet. This will build your body’s resistance to MPTP, which is the compound responsible for the onset of Parkinson’s.

Wider Waists Could Be Trouble

Having a bit of a belly into your 40s nearly quadruples your risk of developing dementia in your 70s! Researchers think this correlation is due to the fact that the type of fat surrounding your organs (visceral fat) releases inflammatory hormones that are associated with cognitive decline.

What to Do: Everything in moderation! Just try a balanced, portion-controlled Mediterranean diet. Items in that type of diet like olives, nuts, seeds, avocado and dark chocolate prevent the accumulation of visceral fat.

Being Tall Isn’t Always Good

Scientists at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences uncovered that women taller than 5’2 are likely missing a gene mutation that helps them reach 100 years old.

What to Do: Take care of your body! Stop smoking, cut back on alcohol and reduce your intake of eating red meat.

Calf Size Is Important

Less isn’t always more! Women with small calves (13 inches or less) were found to develop more carotid plaques, which is a widely known risk factor for a stroke. The researchers also discovered that the fat in larger calves actually pull dangerous fatty acids from your bloodstream and store them elsewhere!

What to Do: Simply drinking green tea is an easy way to keep your heart healthy. Out of 40,500 Japanese men and women surveyed in a recent study, scientists found that those who drank green tea every day had a drastically lower risk of dying of a stroke.

Short Arms, Big Problem

In a recent Neurology study, scientists discovered that women with the shortest arm spans (60 inches or less) were 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those with longer reaches.

What to Do: Get your arms moving! Try fun hobbies like painting, gardening, pottery and walking with your pets. A different 5-year Alzheimer’s study uncovered that adults who spent the a fair amount of time engaged in activities were more than 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

What’s Your Blood Type?

Researchers from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, in conjunction with Harvard Medical School, surveyed and observed over 100,000 adults and found that people with Type A, B, or AB were over 44% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those with type O.

What to Do: Don’t skip your vitamins! By just taking a daily multivitamin or a vitamin D supplement, you can reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by up to 44%.

Curvy Legs Equals Liver Failure

A study by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found that women with “wider” legs (between 20 and 29 inches measure around the center of the thigh) generally had a drastically higher level of the four enzymes that indicate liver disease.

What to Do: Keep your liver spotless! Avoid toxins while cleaning by wearing a mask and gloves. You should also cut down on your alcohol – strive to have only one glass of wine or bottle of beer daily. Any more could have lasting effects on your liver.

Finger Length Facts

This is an usual one! According to a 2008 study in the journal Arthritis Rheumatism, women whose index fingers are shorter than their ring fingers can be twice as likely to develop osteoarthritis in one or both of their knees. These women tend to have lower levels of estrogen, which is a factor that’s thought to play a key role in developing osteoarthritis.

What To Do: Build up your leg muscles – specifically, those surrounding your knees! You can do this while sitting at a table or at your desk by simply straightening each leg (making it parallel to the floor) 10 times and holding for 5-10 seconds each time.