Stanford Scientists reveal: Our body temperature is cooler than you think
9:07 AM EDT, May 1, 2024
The widely accepted belief that a healthy person's correct body temperature is 98.5 degrees Fahrenheit is now considered inaccurate, and here's why.
Stanford University scientists have discovered that the average human body temperature is lower than previously thought. Since the 1880s, when the standard was set, numerous factors, including environmental changes, have reduced our average body temperature.
The Stanford team analyzed over 677,000 temperature readings from the Civil War era to today. Their findings indicate that the average drop in body temperature in every decade is about 0.05 degrees Fahrenheit.
In the past, our body temperature was higher
Dr. Julie Parsonnet, who spearheaded the research, points out that the traditional benchmark of 98.5 degrees Fahrenheit no longer holds. However, the study stops short of specifying what should be considered abnormally low or high temperatures, suggesting that the outdated standards need reevaluation and that further research is necessary.
The practice of medical thermometry dates back to the 19th century when Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich, a German physician, defined what 'normal' body temperature should be. It's crucial to acknowledge, though, that medical knowledge and the accuracy of thermometers back then were considerably inferior to what we have today. Even mild inflammatory conditions, which are now carefully addressed, were often overlooked in those times.
Moreover, several factors can influence a body temperature measurement, such as the time of day, the method used for measurement, the person’s last meal, and their gender. For instance, it is common for women to experience temperature shifts depending on their menstrual cycle phase.
Considering all these factors underscores the significance of revising the old norm. As Stanford University research highlights, adherence to outdated standards could lead to misinterpretations of one's health condition, further supporting the need for an updated benchmark that reflects 19th-century findings.
