A new study by researchers from Stanford University has revealed the average human body temperature is decreasing. According to the scientists, this challenges the long-held standard established in the 19th century.

During the study, led by Dr. Julie Parsonnet, an expert in infectious diseases, the researchers analysed data spanning nearly two centuries and concluded that the commonly accepted average temperature of 36.6 degrees Celsius is incorrect.

According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, Dr. Parsonnet’s team at Stanford University worked with 618,306 measurements of oral temperature from adult patients taken between 2008 and 2017.

The team used machine learning algorithms to eliminate data affected by diseases. They also conducted an extensive analysis of body temperature trends over time. The study was published in the scientific journal eLife.

The scientists found that normal human body temperature naturally varies between 36.2°C and 36.8°C (97.3°F and 98.2°F), suggesting that the commonly accepted value may be too high.

“Most people, including many doctors, still think that everyone’s normal temperature is 36.6 degrees. In fact, what’s normal depends on each person and the situation; it’s rarely 36.6 degrees,” stated Parsonnet, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Stanford University as quoted by The Jerusalem Post.

They discovered that the average body temperature of people in the US decreased by at least 0.05 degrees Celsius, attributed to improvements in living conditions and the general health of the population. “Physiologically, we are simply different from what we were in the past,” Dr. Parsonnet stated.

This decrease in the body temperature can be linked to improvements in public health and a lower incidence of chronic infections compared to the 19th century, as well as advancements in healthcare that have reduced chronic degradation in individuals, reported El Universal.

However, this modification in average body temperature has implications for diagnosing conditions like fever, which may vary depending on each individual’s normal temperature range.