Human Body Temperature Decreasing Over Time, Studies Suggest
Summary
Recent studies suggest that average human body temperature has gradually decreased over the past 150 years, challenging the long-accepted 37°C standard. Researchers point to improvements in health, sanitation, vaccination, and lifestyle changes, while also questioning whether 19th-century thermometer measurements were accurate.
Key Points
- Recent research indicates the average human body temperature is lower today than it was 150 years ago.
- Scientists suggest better health, fewer infectious diseases, sanitation, vaccination, and modern indoor living may explain the decline.
- Some experts argue Carl Wunderlich’s 19th-century thermometer measurements may have been systematically higher than modern readings.
- Medical references are beginning to reconsider 37°C as the universal normal body temperature, though dangerous low or high temperatures still matter.
