As a parent, I feel like the phrase I utter the most is, “Don’t pick your nose and eat it!” Although children are notorious for eating their boogers, did you know that one study revealed 91% of adults admitted to being nose pickers? Although picking your nose is rather unsightly, it’s more eating those nose pickings that we’re going to talk about today.
source: Shutterstock
Firstly, those nose boogers are mostly made of water, gel-like proteins that fight off germs. However, because of these properties, boogers are actually full of harmful bacteria and viruses, including influenza. Boogers are meant to protect your body from invading germs. When you breathe in, you’re not just breathing in air. You’re also breathing in dirt, viruses, and bacteria.
This bacteria is expelled when you blow your nose or sneeze. But if you decide to eat your boogers, you’re letting that harmful bacteria enter your system. And it’s not even just eating your boogers that has potential for health risks. Picking your nose increases the risk of transmitting the bacteria that lurks underneath your fingernails. One study even revealed that people who pick their noses are far more likely to have Staph (an extremely harmful, sometimes life-threatening infection) in their nose than people who refrain from picking.
source: Healthline
The moral of the story? Don’t pick your nose, and certainly don’t eat whatever you find up there. If your boogers are bothering you, reach for a tissue like a civilized person.