Men may not really be from Mars, but their bodies are different enough from women's bodies
that they might as well belong to aliens.
The male body is capable of some truly remarkable, and sometimes shocking, things.
Got milk?
If you think that lactation is solely a woman's domain, we don't blame you.
After all, breastfeeding is most commonly associated with pregnancy and motherhood.
It turns out, though, that men can also lactate under certain circumstances.
While it has been claimed that any man can induce lactation through stimulation, breastfeeding
expert and doctor Jack Newman told Scientific American that it's a bit more complicated
than that.
According to Newman, lactation in men can only occur through a hormone spike, possibly
caused by a pituitary tumor or as a side effect of medication which may increase the production
of the hormone that is needed to produce milk.
It's not just human males who can lactate, either.
Males of other mammalian species have been observed lactating too!
Daddy downer
One in seven mothers experience postpartum depression, which may be characterized by
feelings of anxiety, panic attacks, loss of interest in activities, decreased appetite,
and withdrawing from family and friends.
But you may not have known that men, particularly young fathers and those with a history of
depression, can suffer from it too.
"Postpartum depression is also common in dads.
We think it's about 5-10% of fathers."
While their symptoms can be the same as women, in men the condition is called paternal postpartum
depression.
According to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 10 percent of
men experience paternal postpartum depression, which can begin in the first trimester of
their partner's pregnancy.
The depression may even continue for six months after the birth.
The number of men suffering from paternal postpartum depression increases to 26 percent
in the three to six months after the baby's birth.
Color me surprised
If your husband couldn't care less about picking out paint colors for your living room, there
could be a scientific reason for it.
Men and women actually see colors differently.
A study led by Israel Abramov, a psychology professor at Brooklyn College, found that
women are better able to distinguish between various shades of blues, greens, and yellows.
Why?
Because, according to Abramov, men require a longer wavelength in order to experience
the same color as their female counterparts.
Warmer colors have longer wavelengths, which means that a woman seeing an orange will see
a truer orange color, while men will see more of a reddish hue.
Grass also appears greener to women, while men see a bit more of a yellow tinge.
It's not all bad news for men, though.
They might not see colors as well as women do, but they are better at seeing details
from a far distance, as well as tracking quickly moving objects.
Uncle Flo
Menstruation has historically been viewed as a female-only curse.
While men don't menstruate, many of them have an unpleasant "time of month" as well.
They might not have to deal with tampons and pads, but many of them do experience what
is called Irritable Male Syndrome.
Studies have found that many men suffer from the same symptoms once a month as women going
through PMS, including mood swings, being unable to focus, and physical discomfort.
"Is your man moody and giving you problems?
Well, it may not be his fault.
He could be suffering from IMS, Irritable Male Syndrome."
A survey conducted by the U.K.'s VoucherCloud found that a quarter of men experience these
symptoms.
While men may experience hormonal fluctuations, women don't have to worry about syncing up
with their guy pals or their significant other.
Women living together often find that their menstrual cycles sync up with each other so
that they go through their time of month simultaneously, but this phenomenon seems to skip men, despite
what some men might claim.
"Somehow, I got on that woman's cycle of menstruation, and I got that menstruation inside of me."
Forever young
On average, women have a longer life expectancy than men.
While it might seem like men are getting the short end of the stick, nature has blessed
them with a more youthful appearance.
Since men tend to have higher testosterone levels, their skin is roughly 25 percent thicker
than women's skin.
They also have more collagen density, along with skin that is more moist because they
sweat more.
Men also lose collagen more gradually than women, who experience about five years of
rapid collagen loss after menopause.
This means that male skin doesn't show signs of aging as much as female skin does.
This doesn't mean that they can get away with not caring for their skin, though.
Men might have the natural advantage, but women are far more likely to use products
that protect their skin from the sun, which helps to slow down signs of aging.