Since YouTube was founded (15 years ago, yes we are that old), it has been known as an experimental space. YouTubers are just people that upload their crazy ideas for the world to see. More recently, with some of YouTube’s updated policies, the amount of crazy content seems to be decreasing. Here a list of channels where the creators defy conformity to continue to push the boundaries of originality…. and good sense. These guys really risk their lives for the views.

10 Disturbing Channels From The Weird Part Of YouTube

10Hot Ones
Spicy food, 8.16 million subscribers

Let’s start our list with a very popular entry. In his channel “First We Feast”, host Sean Evans interviews celebrities while they attempt to eat chicken wings covered in spicy sauces. The wings get increasingly hot as the rounds go on. Not every artist enjoys (or is able to handle) spicy food. Hilarity ensues.

This is arguably the most lighthearted and popular channel on this list. Spicy food is appreciated by many people. However, the consequences of consuming some species of chilies can be quite grim. Capsaicin, the main bio-active compound in chili peppers, can cause severe symptoms in the human body. These symptoms include: stomach aches, vomiting and diarrhea. These symptoms are often seen on the show, including the diarrhea part (we are looking at you Bobby Lee).

Furthermore, a man has reportedly passed away in 2019 in the UK. He consumed a fish cake, that was so hot that burned his throat and caused him to asphyxiate to death.

9Furious Pete
Competitive eating, 5.15 million subscribers

Competitive eating has been around since long before YouTube was founded. It is not a surprise that this practice was adopted by people seeking likes on the internet. Peter Czerwinski holds several Guinness World Records^[4] in competitive eating, an achievement he was able to transform into a successful YouTube career. I myself cannot watch people eating without getting hungry myself.

Most notably, he can be seen in his channel eating a pizza of the size of a dinner table and an 11 lb jar of Nutella in one go! However, eating challenges are not only fun and games. Some contests can be quite nasty even to watch. Check out our 10 Unappetising Facts About Eating Contests list. It goes without saying the risks involved in overeating. To name only a few, it can lead to obesity, diabetes and coronary heart disease. Even more concerning, this year a woman died in Australia while participating in an eating contest, after consuming a large number of lamingtons, a traditional Australian cake that is nearly as delicious as New Zealand’s pavlova!

8Mustang Wanted
Altitude stunts, 295 thousand subscribers

As a random subscriber commented on one of his videos: “This guys has balls made of diamonds”. Do you remember those high altitude videos that were going viral a while back? Those scary videos where Russian kids would hang from tall buildings (with no safety gear at all) risking falling to their deaths? Well, Pavlo Gennadiyovich Ushivets, made his YouTube channel about ignoring all the instincts that evolution taught us over the past 200,000 years.

It’s silly to explain how falling from the top of the1,356 ft tall Princess Tower of Dubai would be detrimental to your health. That does not seem to scare Pavlo, as the Princess Tower is only one of the buildings you can see him dangling from without any equipment. In our society where people die while taking selfies, Pavlo certainly stands out from the rest.

7StreetBeefs
Mixed Martial Arts, 1.39 million subscribers

In its early days, YouTube was mostly about cat videos . . . and people fighting. The OG’s of the internet may remember Kimbo Slice, the king of backyard brawls, who unfortunately passed away in 2016 In those days, you could barely see any blood due to the low definition of the cameras around.

In these days, MMA fighting is still a popular genre on YouTube. No doubt the fighting looks even gorier in high definition. The channel StreetBeefs is one of the most successful amateur fighting organizers to grace the platform. The videos do not shy away from showing two young lads slugging it out. Even though deaths are relatively rare in MMA bouts and have never occurred with StreetBeefs, in 2019 at least 15 casualties were reported as resulting from competitions like these.

6skippy62able
Inhaling things, 2.52 million subscribers

This one is easily one of the weirdest entries on our list. We are all aware that alcohol must be consumed responsibly. However, when we think “consume”, the word “drink” comes to mind, rather than the word “inhale”. Kevin Thomas Strahle, also a competitive eater, decided to get a “competitive” edge, attracting views by inhaling stuff. That includes, alcohol, soda and other fizzy drinks.

On his latest videos, he has been vocal about YouTube limiting exposure on his videos, labelling them as non-advertiser friendly. This time we must side with YouTube’s decision, due to the fact that this is a very unhealthy activity. Additionally to all the usual undesirable side effects of ingesting alcohol by drinking, inhaling has other problems: The practice is known to increase the chance of overdose, damaging the lungs and cause addiction. Furthermore, it seems that he is in severe pain while doing it. Generally, Kevin’s channel is basically about ingesting anything weird – including eating a whole cactus and drinking a 20 year old bottle of Crystal Pepsi (the video of which includes a serious vomiting warning).

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5PaulsGear
Motorcycling, 8.61 thousand subscribers

The adrenaline rush you get by riding a motorcycle is something that is quite unique. Even a religious experience to some. That being said, the top speed that most people will ever experience while riding a bike is not likely to exceed the 80 mph (about 120 km/h). Maybe slightly more than that if you are a bit of a daredevil. There are reasons for speed limits. No safety precautions can save you from a high speed crash, especially while on a motorcycle.

However, YouTuber PaulsGear (his name seems to be somewhat of a secret) can be seen on his channel driving at an astounding speed of 186 mph (or about 300 km/h). Admittedly, that can only be achieved (within the confines of the law) at an autobahn, access highways in Germany that have sections with no speed limit. This mysterious character of PaulsGear often hides his face by wearing a bike helmet. It is unlikely, however, that the helmet would save his life in the event of a crash at his preferred speed.

4BlueWorldTV
Marine diving, 632 thousand subscribers

Most people believe that space is final frontier. Well, be surprised to know that it’s not the only final frontier. About 5% of our oceans have been explored and charted, kind of embarrassing given that our planet is about 70% water. In order to fix that and educate us, marine biologist Jonathan Bird created his channel, focused on sea exploration. In his videos, he can be seen swimming with several species of sharks, see snakes and octopuses.

On top of the marine life, other dangers are associated with scuba diving, such as drowning (obviously), decompression sickness and arterial air embolism. The last one happens to a diver when bubbles form in an artery on ascent and block his blood-flow or. Basically, your blood boiling in your veins. Jonathan is an experienced diver and is very mindful about safety, but a regular person should avoid facing the ocean like he does.

3Göran Winblad
Ultra marathon, 3.1 thousand subscribers

Can you run a 5K (3.1 miles)? Good for you! How about a 10K (5.2 miles)? That’s even better, but only about a quarter of the distance of a marathon, which is 42.2 km (26.2 miles). It takes a very physically fit person to run a marathon and still requires months’ worth of preparation. Some people take running to a whole other level, by becoming ultramarathon runners. For a ultramarathon runner, 50K (31 miles) are common place, and some races can stretch up to 100 miles. Regardless of the benefits of running, the human body is not designed to go that far.

The health impacts of running that much, with no breaks, include nausea and/or vomiting, damaging your organs and immune system. Scientists have actually determined running a ultramarathon to be an health-damaging, rather than beneficial.

2drugslab
Taking drugs, 1.03 million subscribers

Ah the Netherlands. As you may know, the drug policy is a bit looser there than in most countries (we are getting increasingly into controversial territory). In their channel, Nellie Benner, Rens Polman and Bastiaan Rosman try a lot of different kinds of drugs. The substances include (but are not limited to) marihuana, cocaine, ecstasy, speed and LSD. All three are fairly young and attractive. While intoxicated, they do all sorts of activities that range from entertaining to insane.

One would think that censorship would be all over this channel right? Not in Holland. The whole thing is sponsored by BNNVARA,^[16] a Dutch public broadcaster, in an effort to draw attention to drug abuse and responsible consumption. Their heart rates and body temperatures are monitored for safety purposes. Regardless of any precautions taken, drug consumption can always lead to overdosing.

1Brave Wilderness
Stings and bites, 15.6 million subscribers

Finally our number 1! Getting people interested in science and nature is no easy task. A field trip goes a long way, but few people (if anybody) are willing to go to the extremes that Nathaniel “Coyote” Peterson, a wildlife educator, went to draw attention his cause. You see, getting bitten or stung by a bug can be such a harrowing experience that the Schmidt sting pain index was developed to put a number to a feeling that words don’t do quite justice.

Only a madman would subject himself to that voluntarily, right? Well, on his channel, Coyote was stung by pretty much every animal that he could get his hands on. In fact, he was already stung by four animals that made our own list of the Top 10 Most Horrifyingly Painful Venoms.

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From the moment you’re born you’re on a one way street towards death. No one has avoided it yet, so there’s no reason to be too worried. Realistically, you probably avoid dozens if not hundreds of potential ways to die every day. From car accidents to falls to choking on a chicken bone, you could get done-in at any moment. But worrying about it is hardly the way to live your life.

That said, while we can all do our due diligence to stay safe and breathing, there are several things you may do that are inching you ever closer to having your ticket punched without you even realizing it. 

10. Having An Apple Shaped Body Puts You at Higher Risk of Death

You probably don’t need to be told again that your diet and weight and exercise and all that jazz influences your overall health. Poor diet and poor health are more likely to lead you to an earlier grave. But did you know that your shape also influences this? As in your literal, physical shape.

Some people have what you might call a pear-shaped body, while others are a little more apple-shaped. Does it make a difference? More than you know. Research has shown that an overweight person who is pear-shaped is actually at less risk of death than someone with a “normal” weight who would be considered apple-shaped.

If you carry all your weight at your waistline, your risk of dying from any number of causes is higher than those who carry it on their hips and thighs. Traditionally, people, including doctors, are more focused on BMI. But this research suggests that even those with a good BMI who are thin but not muscular can still be less healthy than someone with a high BMI and more body fat. 

In studies of over 15,000 people, those with higher waist-to-hip ratio who were not overweight were at a greater risk, up to two times, than people considered overweight and obese. Abdominal fat is more linked to type 2 diabetes, some kinds of cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and even dementia.

9. A Lack of Friends Puts You at a Higher Risk of Death 

Good news for social butterflies, there’s evidence that your friends are helping you live longer. Bad news for various introverts and people who just don’t socialize well, because that means the opposite for you. A lack of friends and overall loneliness puts you at a greater risk of death than many other factors such as obesity, blood pressure and even smoking.

One study concluded that social isolation can have the same effect on your overall health as smoking 15 cigarettes per day. It can shorten your lifespan by as much as 15 years. People who suffer loneliness and isolation have a 50% greater risk of dementia as well as 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increase in stroke risk. Across the board, it’s bad news.

If you’re feeling good about your own social life, then you should know many people aren’t. A third of people over 45 report feeling lonely, which can still happen even if others are around, while a quarter of those over 65 qualify as socially isolated, which means a lack of social connections.

8. Losing a Spouse Increases Your Risk of Death

Keeping in line with how relationships affect your health, losing a spouse can only devastate the partner left behind. Along with the emotional trauma of losing your partner, there’s also a potential physical toll. 

A massive study over over 370,000 elderly couples across nearly a decade showed that when one partner dies, the odds of dying from literally anything will increase for the surviving partner. Cause-specific mortality increases as well for things like cancer, infections and more. 

Other studies have shown that the younger a person is when their spouse dies, the more likely they are to die within the year. This is especially true for men. Men were 70% more likely to die within a year of their spouse dying than similarly aged men who had not lost a partner. Women were 27% more likely to die.

7. More Than 11 Moles On Your Arm Raises Your Skin Cancer Risk

For years now doctors have recommended going to get any suspicious moles on your body checked out in case it’s skin cancer. Most people have several moles already but if you sprout a new one or one grows larger or in an odd shape, it’s a good sign you may need to have it looked at. 

Less well known is that moles, in general, are a sign you may be at risk for skin cancer. Some research has shown that if you have over 11 moles on your right arm, you are now at higher risk for skin cancer. Feel free to take a second to count yours. 

If you got over 11, you may want to keep an eye on them and make sure you’re using sunscreen. Having over 50 moles anywhere on your body is also a risk factor. But if you got up to 100 moles, then the data suggests you’re now at 5 times the normal risk for skin cancer.

6. Couples Without Kids Have Higher Mortality Rates

The number of people in America who are choosing to not have children is growing, with 44% of non-parents between 18 and 49 saying they probably won’t ever have kids. And while it’s a growing and popular sentiment these days, some people may want to think twice as there’s evidence couples without kids don’t live as long.

Women who don’t have kids have shown a fourfold increase in death rates. Yes, there are a number mitigating factors to consider as well, but there’s a noteworthy correlation, nonetheless.  The biggest thing to consider in a Danish study that looked at 21,000 couples seeking IVF was that they could not have children for whatever reason so there could have been a myriad of other health issues at play. 

While the researchers could not assign causation and the numbers were low, just 316 deaths in 11 years, they were still something of a statistical anomaly. 

5. Diet Soda Has Been Linked to Increased Risk of Stroke and Death in Women

The soda industry is massive, raking in $221.6 billion in 2020. For some, the sugar is too much and so they stick to diet soda. It’s not nearly as big as the entire business but diet soft drinks pull in over $4 billion per year. And sure, you’re cutting back on sugar but you may not be doing yourself any favors in the long run.

Artificially sweetened drinks have been linked to increased risk to a variety of health concerns including stroke and coronary disease. The study involved 80,000 postmenopausal women between 50 and 79 over the course of 12 years. The women who had two or more diet drinks a day were at 23% greater risk of stroke, 29% greater risk of coronary heart disease and had an overall risk of death increased by 16%. The risk factors increased further for women who were obese or of African American descent. 

Again, there was no definite cause-and-effect link here but the noteworthy correlation may at least make you want to consider reaching for some water instead of a diet soda next time.

4. Tall, Thin Men Are at Higher Risk of Collapsed Lung

Obviously there’s no “right” body type but society tends to lean towards some being more desirable to most people than others. Being tall and thin, for instance, is typically considered healthy and attractive. But that’s not always true. 

Tall, thin men are at an increased risk of pneumothorax, or collapsed lungs. It happens when air gets between your chest cavity and your lungs and then pushes down on the lung. Men are at highest risk between ages 20 and 40 and if you’re tall but underweight, that increases your risk further. 

One theory is that growth spurts can spur the condition on. You grow taller while not gaining enough weight to keep up with the height and it causes a weakening of the lungs, which can then collapse. About half the patients who come into the Chest Medicine Clinic in Edmonton are tall, thin men.

3. Taller People Are at greater Risk of Cancer

Speaking of the dangers of being tall, your height may play a role in your cancer risk. There are 6 different cancers that seem to have increased risk for those who are taller. A study that followed nearly 1.3 million women over years showed that the relative risk of all cancers increases by 10% for every 10 cm or 4 inches over average height that you are. And that’s just in general.

Specific cancers carry different risks. Based on a 5 cm or 2 inch increase in height over the average you are at a 10% greater risk of kidney cancer, 8% for ovarian cancer, 4% for prostate cancer and 5% for colorectal. Other cancers have similar risks based on height, too.

2. Toxoplasmosis Significantly Increases Your Risk of Traffic Accidents

Toxoplasmosis is one of those things everyone on the internet knows about because plenty of sites have written about all the goofy ways it may mess with your brain. It’s been an internet staple for over 15 years. But the thing is, we keep discovering new ways it may mess with us.

So the original story about this parasite is that it infects mice and rats and makes them lose their fear of cats because it wants to get into the cats to continue its life cycle. So brave little rats get killed by cats and the parasite moves to the cat. Then you, a cat owner, get infected by cleaning your litter box. But what does it do to humans?

Aside from everything the other sites mention, including our own, toxoplasmosis may cause car accidents. It’s estimated that between 30% and 60% of the world population has been infected by toxoplasma gondii and part of the effect it has on humans seems to be slowed reaction times.

Based on comparisons between infected and non-infected individuals, those who have signs of the parasite are at a 2.65 times higher risk of traffic accidents. Those who have been infected longer show a lower risk, however.  Something to consider next time you plan to head out for a drive after cleaning the litter.

1. People Who Didn’t Get the Covid Vaccine Are at Higher Risk of Traffic Accidents

Here’s one that’ll melt your brain for a minute. We all know that the Covid vaccine caused a bit of a divide amongst people. Most of us got it and some people thought it was part of some government and pharmacy company conspiracy to poison the population. Ignore all of that for now. Research has shown that people who didn’t get the vaccine are at a significantly higher risk of traffic accidents.

Researchers looked at over 11.2 million people over a one month period. Of that group, 16% didn’t get vaccinated while the remaining 84% did. There were 6,682 traffic accidents reported among all of them. The unvaccinated group accounted for 25% of all the crashes which translates to a 72% increased relative risk compared to the vaccinated. Even adjusted for diverse variations like age, sex, location, economic status and more the increase is still 48%.

So how does not being vaccinated relate to car crashes? The research can’t draw concrete conclusions but the hypothesis is that there are psychological factors at play that put a person who would be hesitant to get the vaccine at greater risk of accidents. In other words, people who are distrustful of public health recommendations may be more inclined to ignore driving rules and be reckless behind the wheel.