DO you swear too much, drink a lot of coffee, regularly gorge on chocolate and love a good gossip?
They might all be bad habits but it turns out they are actually good for you.
From boosting your alertness and lowering your levels of depression to a decreased risk of heart attack and stroke – your habits can be a good thing according to Body and Soul.
Here are some of the common habits you might have agonised over that are actually good for your health, according to science.
1. Chewing gum
Often find yourself chewing gum like an upset footy coach on the sidelines?
Don’t worry. A study from Cardiff University in Wales found that chewing gum can boost thinking and alertness – particularly if chewed during a cognitive activity.
If you’re prone to dropping the odd f-bomb, don’t stress.
Perhaps you’d feel better knowing that people who are fond of the odd profanity can endure pain nearly 50 per cent longer than those who mind their Ps and Qs, according to researchers at Keele University.
This knowledge could come in handy for your next visit to the dentist.
3. Drinking coffee
Your need for caffeine could actually be doing you a favour.
A study led by Harvard School of Public Health in the US found a 20 per cent lower risk of depression in women who drink four or more cups of coffee a day than those who drink little or none.
Meanwhile, a further study by the same group found that drinking up to three coffees a day can decrease the risk of prostate cancer in men by 30 per cent.
Get yourself to a cafe, stat!
4. Texting instead of calling
Think mobile phones have made us more disconnected from the world?
That may not be true.
A US survey conducted by mobile phone provider Samsung found that 53 per cent of teens and 51 per cent of parents felt texting with their family members helped improve their relationship.
It lets you stay connected while also giving you privacy.
5. Listening to loud music
If you need a reason to crank up the tunes, this is it.
According to the University of Manchester loud music can make you feel happier.
A word of warning though – if it’s too loud you might risk permanent hearing damage, so don’t indulge the urge to crank up the volume too often.
Proceed with caution here, but academics at Stanford University in the US say a Monday morning gossip sesh can actually have positive effects.
Teams that engage in a bit of friendly gossip are more likely to cooperate compared with groups that consider it unsavoury to talk behind others’ backs.
7. Playing video games
Countless studies have looked at the link between video games and pain management.
Many – such as one from the Dunedin School of Medicine in New Zealand – found that the engrossing nature of gaming can help distract people from focusing on their ailment and so significantly reduce levels of discomfort and pain.
8. Eating chocolate
Like you need an excuse, but here is one anyway.
An extensive British Medical Journal review of research on 114,000 people found that those who ate the most chocolate had a 37 per cent decreased risk of developing heart disease and a 29 per cent decreased risk of suffering a stroke compared to those who ate less or abstained completely.
Just make sure you opt for at least 70 per cent cacao.
9. Using ‘filler’ words
Can’t, like, construct, um, a single sentence without, er, throwing in lots of useless filler words?
It’s not all bad news, according to academics who specialise in linguistics.
One study from the University of Illinois in the US found that using the odd filler words, such as um, actually helps with listener recall.
While another US study from the University of Rochester found the words also assist with listener comprehension.
10. Living in a mess
Don’t feel bad if your home is untidy.
Research from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management in the US found that those who performed tasks in a messy environment were 28 per cent more creative than those who did so in a tidy room.
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