Why our body temperature is on decline

Human body temperature has declined steadily over the past 160 years, a study has shown.

It’s a number everybody knows by heart that our bodies are supposed to be an average 37 degrees Celsius.

But, that number may be outdated, according to a new analysis of body temperature records going back to 1860.

The study suggested the body temperature of the average US man had dropped by 0.6 degrees Celsius since the Civil War, in a report published in the science reports. (A similar drop was found in women.) Other studies had already established these newer, lower baselines, blaming faulty thermometers for the discrepancy.

The drop, according to researchers, may be a product of lower overall levels of inflammation, thanks to antibiotics, vaccines and improved water quality. Modern technologies, such as central heating and air conditioning, could also explain the trend.