If you thought the disgusting practice of picking your nose and eating the boogers is something that everyone outgrows after elementary school, I’m sorry to be the one to inform you that it’s not.

In fact, around 90% of people apparently still make it a habit!

First of all, ew.

Second of all, there’s actually a really good reason you should stop.

In 1995, a team of researchers set out how common it was for people to eat their own boogers as adults – because we already know that almost everyone picks their nose when in private.

They sent an anonymous survey to residents of Dane County, Wisconsin, and found that 91% of them picked their nose, and around 75% of those people assumed it was a universal practice.

The truth is that there aren’t many pros to the entire process.

Picking your nose in the first places can cause staph infections that can then be easily spread.

From boils and blisters to painful lumps, it’s something you probably want to avoid.

You can also accidentally wound your nose and cause an infection that way, too.

When it comes to eating your boogers, at least one doctor asserted it might be good for you; a way to boost your immune system.

There’s no evidence to back up this claim, and since the whole point of mucous is to trap debris and germs before they can get into your body in the first place, it seems kind of rude to just put them in a different way.

Though there is one study that suggests mucins can protect the surface of our teeth from certain bacteria, it seems that it’s best to avoid the whole mess if you can.

Because yes, it’s gross.

But also, because science says you’ll very likely do more harm than good.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about the mysterious “pyramids” discovered in Antarctica. What are they?