Did you know that milk does not make your bones stronger? that Kids learn faster than adults? that sharks do not need sex anymore for reproduction? that sleep-deprived Teens are more likely to commit a crime? and eating chili can lead to longevity?
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Naturally, when we woke up we stretch our bodies to wake up the muscles, preparing ourselves to face the new day. However, what we did not notice is in a small amount, our height increases. Our backbone, the vertebral column is composed of 33 vertebrae and is separated by an elastic intervertebral disc which allows the vertebrae to move, hold the vertebrae together, and acts as a shock absorber in the spine. Anyway, inside the intervertebral disc is the gelatin-like material that provides cushioning and protection to the spine called nucleus pulposus.
In the morning as we sit on our chairs to eat our breakfast the discs grow in size due to osmotic pressures in one and a half to two centimeters. However, as the day progresses, the height of the discs slowly decreased due to compressive forces. At night time, our spine is no longer subjected to the pressures of gravity, diffusing the discs slowly in a passive process (imbibition). The diffusion of fluid provides nutrients to the nucleus pulposus and the fibrous rings that encompass it, annulus fibrosus to stay in place. But as we wake up, the excess fluid increases our height by up to a half-inch which simply means we are physically growing up. But there is a limit to it. As we age we shrink because the water content of the discs is reduced, lessening the ability of the narrower disc to refill fully and our spine also curves which explains the shortness of our loving grandparents.
Fun fact, astronauts can gain up to two inches in height once freed from the gravitational pressure of Earth. So if you desire to grow up and lose weight naturally, be an astronaut and travel to the moon where you weigh less and get taller a little bit and probably take a selfie and share it on social media to show the physical improvements to the world.
