Let's Live Green

Diapers / Nappy :

2012-11-24T17:41:00.001+05:30

A Diaper (in American English) or a Nappy (in Commonwealth English) is a kind of underwear that allows one to defecate or urinate in a discreet manner. When diapers become soiled, they require changing; this process is often performed by a second person such as a parent or caretaker.

The word Diaper originally referred to the type of cloth rather than its use. Diaper was the term for a pattern of repeated, diamond shapes, and later came to describe a white cotton or linen fabric with this pattern. The first cloth diapers consisted of a special type of soft tissue sheet, cut into geometric shapes. This type of pattern was called diapering and eventually gave its name to the cloth used to make diapers and then to the diaper itself, traced back to 1590s England. This usage stuck in the United States and Canada following the British colonization of North America, but in Britain the word "nappy" took its place. Most sources believe nappy is a diminutive form of the word napkin, which was itself originally a diminutive.

Diapers have been worn throughout human history. They are made of cloth or disposable materials. Cloth diapers are composed of layers of fabric such as cotton, hemp, bamboo or microfiber and can be washed and reused multiple times.
Diapers are primarily worn by children who are not yet potty trained or experience bedwetting. However, they can also be used by adults with incontinence or in certain circumstances where access to a toilet is unavailable. These can include the elderly, those with a physical or mental disability, and people working in extreme conditions such as astronauts. It is not uncommon for people to wear diapers under dry suits.

Diapers are usually worn out of necessity rather than choice, although there are exceptions; people such as infantilists and diaper fetishists wear diapers recreationally for comfort, emotional fulfillment, or sexual gratification. Terms such as "incontinence pads" can be used to refer to adult diapers.

Types :

Disposable :

The first disposable diaper was invented and patented in 1948 by Valerie Hunter Gordon (née de Ferranti), granddaughter of inventor Sebastian Ziani de Ferranti.

Modern disposable baby diapers and incontinence products have a layered construction, which allows the transfer and distribution of urine to an absorbent core structure where it is locked in. Basic layers are an outer shell of breathable polyethylene film or a nonwoven and film composite which prevents wetness and soil transfer, an inner absorbent layer of a mixture of air-laid paper and superabsorbent polymers for wetness, and a layer nearest the skin of nonwoven material with a distribution layer directly beneath which transfers wetness to the absorbent layer.

Other common features of disposable diapers include one or more pairs of either adhesive or velcro tapes to keep the diaper securely fastened. Some diapers have tapes which are re fastenable to allow adjusting of fit or reapplication after inspection. Elasticized fabric single and double gussets around the leg and waist areas aid in fitting and in containing urine or stool which has not been absorbed.

Some diapers lines now commonly include wetness indicators, in which a chemical included in the fabric of the diaper changes color in the presence of moisture to alert the caretaker or user that the diaper is wet. A disposable diaper may also include an inner fabric designed to hold moisture against the skin for a brief period before absorption to alert a toilet training or bedwetting user that they have urinated. Most materials in the diaper are held together with the use of a hot melt adhesive which is applied in spray form or multi lines, an elastic hot melt is also used to help with pad integrity when the diaper is wet.

Some disposable diapers include fragrances, lotions or essential oils in order to help mask the scent of a soiled diaper or to protect the skin. Care of disposable diapers is minimal, and primarily consists of keeping them in a dry place before use, with proper disposal in a garbage receptacle upon soiling. Stool is supposed to be deposited in the toilet, but is generally put in the garbage with the rest of the diaper.

Pros:

· Disposables are easy; you just throw them away.

· Traveling is easier with disposables.

· Disposables are great for kids who have diarrhea because these diapers don't leak.

Cons:

· Disposables don't disintegrate — so they fill up landfills

more.

· Disposables can be expensive.

· Using disposables may increase the time it takes to potty

train your child because the little one can't feel it when he's

wet.

Cloth Diaper:

Cloth diapers are reusable and can be made from natural fibers, manmade materials, or a combination of both. They are often made from industrial cotton which may be bleached white or left the fiber’s natural color. Other natural fiber cloth materials include wool, bamboo, and unbleached hemp. Manmade materials such as an internal absorbent layer of microfiber toweling or an external waterproof layer of polyurethane laminate (PUL) may be used. Polyester fleece and faux suede cloth are often used inside cloth diapers as a "stay-dry" wicking liner because of the non-absorbent properties of those synthetic fibers.

Modern cloth diapers come in a host of shapes, including preformed cloth diapers, all-in-one diapers with waterproof exteriors, fitted diaper with covers and pocket or "stuffable" diapers, which consist of a water-resistant outer shell sewn with an opening for insertion of absorbent material inserts. Many design features of modern cloth diapers have followed directly from innovations initially developed in disposable diapers, such as the use of the hour glass shape, materials to separate moisture from skin and the use of double gussets, or an inner elastic band for better fit and containment of waste material.

Pros :

· Cloth is more natural.

· Cloth diapers now come with Velcro straps, so you don't

have to worry about safety pins.

· If you don't like washing diapers, you can use a diaper

service that will pick up, wash, and deliver diapers to you

on a weekly or biweekly basis (provided you don't live too

far out in the hills).

· Washing your own diapers is less expensive than using a

service. Cloth diapers, regardless of whether you use a

service or wash them yourself, are less expensive than

disposables.

· Cloth diapers make great burp rags (placed on your

shoulder so the liquid burps don't get on you). When your

kids grow out of them, they make great dusting rags.

Cons:

· Cloth diapers use water and electricity to wash.

· Cloth diapers must be rinsed out in the toilet, and you have

to deal with the mess and the smell.

· Cloth diapers leak more than disposables (even with the

plastic outer pants).

· Cloth diapers are not good for travel because you have to

carry the used diapers with you.

The problems with both disposable and cloth diapers are that both can cause diaper rash equally, and both smell really bad after they've been used.

Chemicals in Disposable Diapers :

Disposable diapers appear to be a necessity in today's lifestyle of convenience and temporary items. Though they are commonly used, synthetic, single-use diapers often contain chemicals linked to long-term health conditions. A study published in the "Archives of Environmental Health" in 1999 states that disposable diapers should be considered to be a factor that may cause or worsen childhood asthma and respiratory problems. The soft, sensitive skin of babies is also prone to rashes and allergic reactions due to the chemicals in disposable diapers.

Dioxins :

Most disposable diapers are bleached white with chlorine, resulting in a byproduct called dioxins that leach into the environment and the diapers. Dioxins are among the most toxic chemicals known to science and are listed by the EPA as highly carcinogenic chemicals. According to the World Health Organization, exposure to dioxins may cause skin reactions and altered liver function, as well as impairments to the immune system, nervous system, endocrine system and reproductive functions.

Sodium Polyacrylate :

Sodium polycarbonate is a super absorbent chemical compound that is used in the fillers of many disposable diapers. It is composed of cellulose processed from trees that is mixed with crystals of polyacrylate. This chemical absorbs fluids and creates surface tension in the lining of the diaper to bind fluids and prevent leakage. Sodium polyacrylate is often visible as small gel-like crystals on the skin of babies and is thought to be linked to skin irritations and respiratory problems. This chemical was removed from tampons due to toxic shock syndrome concerns. As it has only been used in diapers for the last two decades, there is not yet research on the long-term health effects of sodium polyacrylate on babies.

Tributyl-tin (TBT):

Many disposable diapers contain a chemical called tributyl-tin (TBT). According to the EPA, this toxic pollutant is extremely harmful to aquatic (water) life and causes endocrine (hormonal) disruptions in aquatic organisms. TBT is a polluting chemical that does not degrade but remains in the environment and in our food chain. TBT is also an ingredient used in biocides to kill infecting organisms. Additionally, according to research published by the American Institute of Biological Sciences, tributyl-tin can trigger genes that promote the growth of fat cells, causing obesity in humans.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs):

Disposable diapers frequently contain chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These include chemicals such as ethylbenzene, toluene, xylene and dipentene. According to the EPA, VOCs can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system as well as cancers.

Other Chemicals:

Other chemicals often used in disposable diapers include dyes, fragrances, plastics and petrolatums. Adhesive chemicals are used in the sticky tabs to close the diapers and dyes are used to color and make the patterns and labels that mark diapers. Perfumes and fragrances are used in some disposable diapers to help mask odors.

Environmental Concerns:

While the study claims that the threat of harmful exposure to dioxins may be low, there may be an indirect threat from diapers after they are thrown away. Disposable diapers make up 1-3% of all solid waste that goes into landfills. Dioxins may leach out of diapers and enter ground and surface water, concentrating at levels that would pose a threat to human health. Also, dioxins are released into the environment when wood pulp is bleached with chlorine. Disposable diapers do not degrade when in landfills.

Disposable diapers are often thrown into the trash, and eventually into a landfill, still containing feces. Throwing human feces into a landfill is illegal but many parents do not know that they should be dumping the feces into the toilet before throwing the diaper away. Human waste has added to the amount of dangerous bacteria that already exists in landfills and increases the threat of the bacteria leaching into groundwater.

Quite possibly solid waste is the one thing people think about most when one discusses the impact of diapers on the environment. The amount of solid waste generated by disposable diapers is legendary, and in many people’s minds somewhat exaggerated. The fact that many believe it to be larger than it really is does not make it insignificant, however. Disposable diapers are still the third largest individual constituent of municipal solid waste accounting for.

Nail Polish & Remover

2012-08-25T16:51:00.001+05:30

Nail polish looks lovely in the bottle and even prettier when applied to freshly manicured nails, but the health implications of a bottle of nail polish may not be so attractive. The potent smell that almost knocks you over when you open a bottle is due to array of potentially toxic chemicals found in some bottles of nail color. So what are the dangers of nail polish and should you expose yourself to this product?

Women pamper themselves with manicures and pedicures for special occasions or even just for everyday wear. However, women may not know the health hazards related to nail polish. The Northern California Cancer Center and Asian Health Services of Oakland conducted a survey in 2009 on women who work in nail salons. The survey found that although salon workers wear face masks, they suffered acute health effects from the chemicals and toxins in nail care products. Women, who are exposed to nail polish toxins only briefly at home, may not be at the same risk as salon workers. However, research is ongoing and women at home should still be aware of the health risks.

Constituents :

Most nail polishes are made of nitrocellulose dissolved in a solvent (e.g. butyl acetate or ethyl acetate) and either left clear or colored with various pigments. Basic components included are: film forming agents, resins and plasticizers, solvents, and coloring agents. Adhesive polymers (e.g. tosylamide-formaldehyde resin) ensure that the nitrocellulose adheres to the nail's surface. Plasticizers (e.g. camphor) are chemicals that link between polymer chains, spacing them to make the film sufficiently flexible after drying. Pigments and sparkling particles (e.g. mica) add desired color and reflecting characteristics. Thickening agents (e.g. stearalkonium hectorite) are added to maintain the sparkling particles in suspension while in the bottle. Ultraviolet stabilizers (e.g. benozophenone-1) resist color changes when the dry film is exposed to direct sunlight.

Nail polish ingredients often include toluene. Solvents such as toluene and xylene are petroleum-based products that have been linked to cancer. Formaldehyde (formalin) may cause allergic reactions and is unsafe for use by asthmatic people. It is a carcinogen.

Water-based nail polish is based on an acrylic polymer emulsion (e.g. styrene-acrylate copolymer), and pigments similar to those used in watercolor paints This is marketed as an environmentally-conscious product, since nail polish is considered a hazardous waste by some regulatory bodies. In this application, the solvent (water) does not completely evaporate as in the case of the traditional nail polish; part of the water is absorbed through the fingernail.

Dibutyl Phthalates

Dibutyl Phthalates are chemicals found in most nail polishes. DBPs have been linked to early puberty in girls and uterine problems in women, according to carefair.com. Health problems in men have also been linked to this chemical such as testicular cancer and low sperm count. Extended exposure to DBPs can cause immediate effects like nausea, vomiting, headaches and dizziness. However, there are also long-term consequences in exposure to this chemical such as kidney and liver damage. Pregnant women are warned about birth defects cause by Dibutyl Phthalates.

Toluene

Toluene is a chemical used in nail polish. It is a clear and colorless liquid used to make dyes and paints. Toluene is also used for paint thinners and explosives. This dangerous chemical has been known to affect the function of the central nervous system, according to greenlivingtips.com. Exposure to toluene can cause headaches, fatigue and dizziness. This chemical in nail polish has also been linked to kidney and liver failure.

Formaldehyde

One of the ingredients in nail polish is formaldehyde. This chemical is used for its preservative qualities. However, formaldehyde can cause dangerous health effects. Exposure to the chemical can cause wheezing, coughing and irritation to the throat, according to greenlivingtips.com. Formaldehyde is also harmful when it comes into direct contact with skin. Skin irritation and rashes occur from exposure to this chemical.

The Dangers of Nail Polish:

Although most nail polishes contain a variety of chemicals, the one that's received the most scrutiny is one called dibutyl phthalate or DBP. DBP is a member of a group of substances known as phthalates, chemicals which are added to plastics to soften and make them more malleable. Phthalates are of concern in humans because they have the potential to disrupt hormone levels in the human body and potentially cause birth defects in children and cancer in humans. They've also been demonstrated to cause liver toxicity in rats and are thought to play a role in childhood asthma. Phthalates are of such concern that they've been banned from use in cosmetics in Europe. Unfortunately, our FDA hasn't been so quick to respond and continues to allow this chemical to be added to nail polish as well as other cosmetics.

If you plan on painting your nails, keep the dangers of nail polish in mind, particularly if you're pregnant. Because of the association of DBP with birth defects, it would be wise to avoid using any nail polish that's not designated to be free of DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde and to avoid nail salons where these products might be used. To verify this, it would be worthwhile to call the company before purchasing or buy natural nail polishes from your local natural food market. All nail care products should be used in a room with good ventilation.

Nail polish can put one in risk of multiple health problems. This is a result of the multiple harmful chemicals found in nail polish. Ingredients such as Toluene, formaldehyde, and Acetone have serious effects and can cause nervous system problems, eye irritation, throat and lungs irritation, allergic reactions, cancer, heart problems, and thyroid disorders. Nail polish is especially potentially harmful to pregnant women because of the chemical, dibutyl phthalate or DBP, which in a lab study found that the chemical caused lab animals to produce a higher number of offspring with birth defects, especially in males. Another study found that this chemical could cause premature puberty in young girls. Therefore, it is essential that before buying nail polish, one reads the ingredients and chemicals in the product.

Nail polish remover :

Nail polish is removed with nail polish remover or nail pads, which is an organic solvent, but may also include oils, scents and coloring. Nail polish remover packages may include individual felt pads soaked in remover, a bottle of liquid remover that can be used with a cotton ball or cotton pad, and even containers filled with foam that can be used by inserting a finger into the container and twisting until the polish comes off.

The most common type of nail polish remover contains acetone. It is powerful and effective, but is harsh on skin and nails, which can even make them more brittle. Acetone is considered a volatile organic compound by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It can also be used to remove artificial nails, which are usually made of acrylic.

The common alternative is simply called "non-acetone nail polish remover", which usually contains ethyl acetate. This is a less aggressive solvent and can therefore be used to remove nail polish from artificial nails.

Acetonitrile has been used as a nail polish remover, but is thought to be more toxic. It has been banned in the European Economic Area for cosmetics since 17 March 2000

Trivia :

Don't take chances with your health. Keep the dangers of nail polish and remover in mind when you shop for or use nail care products. Select your polishes wisely and use them safely. Beautiful nails aren't worth the potential health risks.

Hair Removal

2012-08-25T15:21:00.001+05:30

Hair typically grows all over the human body. Hair can become more visible during and after puberty and men tend to have thicker, more visible body hair than women. Both men and women have visible hair on the head, eyebrows, eyelashes, armpits, pubic region, arms, and legs; and men also have thicker hair on their face, abdomen, back and chest. Hair does not generally grow on the palms of the hands, the lips, certain areas of the genital structure, or the soles of the feet.

Forms of hair removal are practiced for a number of reasons, including cultural, sexual, medical and religious. Forms of hair removal have been practiced in almost all human cultures. The methods used to remove hair have varied in different times and regions, but shaving is the most common method.

Each culture of human society has developed social norms relating to the presence or absence of body hair, which has changed from one time to another. Different standards can apply to males and females. People whose hair falls outside a culture's aesthetic standards may experience real or perceived social acceptance problems. For example, for women in several societies, exposure in public of body hair other than head hair, eyelashes and eyebrows is generally considered to be unaesthetic, undesirable and embarrassing. In Middle Eastern societies, removal of the female body hair has been considered proper hygiene, necessitated by local customs, for many centuries.

With the increased popularity in many countries of shorter dresses and swimsuits during the 20th century and the consequential exposure of parts of the body on which hair is commonly found, there has been an increase in the practice of removing unwanted body hair, such as on legs, underarms and elsewhere. People may also remove some or all of their pubic hair for aesthetic or sexual reasons. However, some women in Western cultures choose not to remove hair from their bodies, either as a preference or as an act of defiance against what they regard to be an oppressive ritual.
Many men in Western cultures shave their facial hair, so only a minority of men have a beard, even though fast-growing facial hair must be shaved daily to achieve a clean-shaven or hairless look On the contrary, in some cultures e.g.: Iranian a display of a beard is considered to be a display of wisdom. Some men shave because they cannot grow a "full" beard (generally defined as an even density from cheeks to neck), because their beard color is different from their scalp hair color, or because their facial hair grows in many directions, making a groomed look difficult. Some men shave because their beards are very coarse, causing itchiness and irritation. Some men grow a beard or moustache from time to time to change their appearance.

Some men shave their heads, either as a fashion statement, because they find a shaved head preferable to the appearance of male pattern baldness, or in order to attain enhanced cooling of the skull – particularly for people suffering from hyperhidrosis. A much smaller number of Western women also shave their heads, often as a fashion or political statement.

Some women also shave their heads for cultural or social reasons. In India, tradition required widows in some sections of the society to shave their heads as part of being ostracized . The outlawed custom is still infrequently encountered mostly in rural areas. The society at large and the government are working to end the practice of ostracizing widows. In addition, it continues to be common practice for men and women to shave their heads prior to embarking on a pilgrimage.

Hair removal, also known as Epilation or Depilation, is the removal of body hair, and describes the methods used to achieve that result.

Forms of hair removal :

Epilation is the removal of the entire hair, including the part below the skin. Methods include waxing, sugaring, epilation devices, lasers, threading, intense pulsed light or electrology. Hair is also sometimes removed by plucking with tweezers.

Depilation is the removal of the part of the hair above the surface of the skin. The most common form of depilation is shaving or trimming. Another option is the use of chemical depilatories, which work by breaking the disulfide bonds that link the protein chains that give hair its strength.

Hair removal methods :

Many products in the market have proven fraudulent. Many other products exaggerate the results or ease of use.

Temporary removal of hair to the level of the skin lasts several hours to several days and can be achieved by

Shaving or trimming (manually or with electric shavers)
Depilatories (creams or "shaving powders" which chemically dissolve hair)
Friction (rough surfaces used to buff away hair)

"Epilation", or removal of the entire hair from the root, lasts several days to several weeks and may be achieved by

Tweezing (hairs are tweezed, or pulled out, with tweezers or with fingers)
Waxing (a hot or cold layer is applied and then removed with porous strips)
Sugaring (similar to waxing, but with a sticky paste)
Threading (also called fatlah or khite in Arabic, or band in Persian) in which a twisted thread catches hairs as it is rolled across the skin
Use of Turmeric along with other ingredients like besan powder and milk
Epilators (mechanical devices that rapidly grasp hairs and pull them out)
Prescription oral medications
Drugs that directly attack hair growth or inhibit the development of new hair cells. Hair growth will become less and less until it finally stops; normal depilation/epilation will be performed until that time. Hair growth will return to normal if use of product is discontinued. Products include the prescription drug Vaniqa, with the active ingredient eflornithine hydrochloride inhibiting the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase, preventing new hair cells from producing putrescine for stabilizing their DNA.

Permanent hair removal :

For over 130 years, electrology has been in use in many countries. It is approved by the FDA. This technique permanently destroys germ cells responsible for hair growth by way of insertion of a fine probe in the hair follicle and the application of a current adjusted to each hair type and treatment area. Electrology is recognized by the FDA as the only permanent hair removal method.

Laser hair removal technology became widespread in the US and many other countries from the 1990s onwards. It has been approved in the United States by the FDA since 1997. With this technology, light is directed at the hair and is absorbed by dark pigment, resulting in the destruction of the hair follicle. The hair removal becomes permanent after one or more sessions. The number of sessions needed depends upon the amount and type of hair being removed. Equipment for performing laser hair removal at home has become available in recent years.

Permanent hair reduction :

Photoepilation

Laser hair removal (lasers and laser diodes)
Intense pulsed light (high-energy lamps)
Diode epilation (high energy LEDs but not laser diodes)

Experimental or banned methods :

Photodynamic therapy for hair removal (experimental)
X-ray hair removal is an efficient, and usually permanent, hair removal method, but also causes severe health problems, occasional disfigurement, and even death. It is illegal in the United States.

Doubtful methods :

Many methods have been proposed or sold over the years without published clinical proof they can work as claimed.

Electric tweezers
Transdermal electrolysis
Transcutaneous hair removal
Photoepilators
Microwave Hair Removal
Foods and Dietary supplements
Non prescription topical preparations (also called "hair inhibitors", "hair retardants", or "hair growth inhibitors")

Trivia :

There are several disadvantages to many of these hair removal methods. Most are not permanent, can cause medical problems and permanent damage, or have very high costs. Some of these methods are still in the testing phase and have not been clinically proven.

One issue that can be considered an advantage or a disadvantage depending upon an individual's viewpoint, is that removing hair has the effect of removing information about the individual's hair growth patterns due to genetic predisposition, illness, androgen levels (such as from pubertal hormonal imbalances or drug side effects), and/or gender status.

Aloe Vera

2012-07-09T11:25:00.000+05:30

Aloe Vera is a stem less or very short stemmed succulent plant growing to 60–90 cm tall, spreading by offsets. The leaves are thick and fleshy, green to grey-green, with some varieties showing white flecks on the upper and lower stem surfaces. The margin of the leaf is serrated and has small white teeth. The flowers are produced in summer on a spike up to 80 cm tall, each flower being pendulous, with a yellow tubular corolla 2–3 cm long. Like other Aloe species, Aloe vera forms arbuscular mycorrhiza, a symbiosis that allows the plant better access to mineral nutrients in soil.

Aloe vera is now widely used on facial tissues, where it is promoted as a moisturizer and/or anti-irritant to reduce chafing of the nose of users suffering hay-fever or cold. It is common practice for cosmetic companies to add sap or other derivatives from Aloe vera to products such as makeup, tissues, moisturizers, soaps, sunscreens, incense, shaving cream, and shampoos. Other uses for extracts of aloe vera include the dilution of semen for the artificial fertilization of sheep, use as fresh food preservative, and use in water conservation in small farms. It has also been suggested that biofuels could be obtained from Aloe vera seeds. Aloe is also used as a food substance. Some molecular gastronomists have begun to take advantage of its gelling properties. Perhaps the most notable among these is Chef Quique Dacosta's "Oysters Guggenheim," created at El Poblet in Spain.

Aloe vera juice is sold to support the health of the digestive system, but there is neither scientific evidence nor regulatory approval to support this claim. The extracts and quantities typically used for such purposes appear to be dose-dependent for toxic effects.

Aloin, a compound found in the exudates of some Aloe species, was the common ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) laxative products in the United States prior to 2003, when the Food and Drug Administration ruled that Aloin was a class III ingredient, thereby banning its use as Aloe vera has potential toxicity, with side-effects occurring at some dose levels both when ingested or applied topically. Although toxicity may be less when Aloin is removed by processing, aloe vera that contains Aloin in excess amounts may induce side-effects. A 2-year National Toxicology Program (NTP) study on oral consumption of non-decolorized whole leaf extract of aloe vera found evidence of carcinogenic activity in male and female rats. The NTP says more information is needed to determine the potential risks to humans. Aloe latex contains strong laxative compounds. Products made with various components of aloe (Aloin, aloe-emodin, and barbaloin) were at one time regulated by the FDA as oral over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives. In 2002, the FDA required that all OTC aloe laxative products be removed from the U.S. market or reformulated because the companies that manufactured them did not provide the necessary safety data.

Use of topical aloe vera is not associated with significant side effects.

A 2-year National Toxicology Program (NTP) study on oral consumption of non-decolorized whole leaf extract of aloe vera found clear evidence of carcinogenic activity in male and female rats, based on tumors of the large intestine. According to the NTP, from what is known right now there is nothing that would lead them to believe that these findings are not relevant to humans. However, more information, including how individuals use different types of aloe vera products, is needed to determine the potential risks to humans.

Abdominal cramps and diarrhea have been reported with oral use of aloe vera.

Diarrhea, caused by the laxative effect of oral aloe vera, can decrease the absorption of many drugs.

People with diabetes who use glucose-lowering medication should be cautious if also taking aloe by mouth because preliminary studies suggest aloe may lower blood glucose levels.

There have been a few case reports of acute hepatitis from aloe vera taken orally. However, the evidence is not definitive.

Potential Drug Interactions :

Aloe latex should not be taken internally if you are taking the following drugs: digoxin (Lanoxin), diuretics, steroids, drugs for irregular heartbeat, and drugs that cause potassium loss.

Aloe taken orally may cause blood sugar levels to become too low, especially if combined with blood sugar medications.

Aloe appeared to interact with the general anesthetic sevoflurane in one report.

A preliminary study on humans found that aloe vera increased the absorption of vitamins C and E.

Aside from decreased absorption of levothyroxine and other medications, aloe vera juice may not be safe to take. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued its final ruling that aloe juice, aloe extracts and other aloe taken internally are not generally regarded as safe. Use of aloe supplements internally has been linked to thyroid dysfunction, acute hepatitis — inflammation of the liver — and perioperative bleeding. Internal use of whole leaf aloe vera extract has been linked to an increased risk of cancer in rats, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Ingestion Dangers :

The ingestion of aloe juice or latex may also irritate the intestines when taken orally. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, aloe vera latex contains powerful laxative properties. Use of the aloin latex as a laxative may result in severe cramping and purging of the intestines. Misuse of Aloin may lead to excessive electrolyte loss and has subsequently been banned by the Food and Drug Administration as of 2002. The FDA ban restricts use of aloe vera latex in over-the-counter laxative medications.

Because of its strong effects, aloe vera juice is not safe for some people. Pregnant women should never consume products containing aloe latex because it can cause strong uterine contractions and also may cause miscarriage or birth defects. Oral use of aloe products also may lower blood sugar levels, so it's not safe for use by people with diabetes who use drugs to lower their glucose levels. Because of its effects on blood sugar levels, you should not take aloe juice within two weeks of undergoing surgery. And because aloe juice can cause bowel contractions and irritate the intestines, people with digestive conditions such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease should never take aloe juice. High doses of aloe latex may cause kidney damage or kidney failure.

Aloe Vera is now a known Genotoxic substance meaning it will alter our DNA structure that will affect our future generation adversely. Our donation of blood and other organs may affect the recipient. Cosmetic industry is so strong that it inhibits the further research and publishing of data on Genotoxicity study of Aloe Vera on humans. Regulatory authority simply considers Aloe Vera as “generally not regarded as safe”.

So women of world please thinks twice before you use it again. In quest of supple skin and beautiful body, you are leaving your progeny with genetic disorders. Our future generation will be more prone to unknown types of cancers.

For Tech Savvy :

The Genotoxic and antigenotoxic effects of Aloe vera leaf extract (AV) were investigated using the chromosome aberrations (CAs) test for the bone marrow cells of rats, sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and micronucleus (MN) and CAs tests for human lymphocytes, and the Ames Salmonella/microsome test system. In the bone marrow cells of rats, AV extract significantly induced structural and total CAs at all concentrations and in all treatment periods. In human peripheral lymphocytes, AV did not increase the mean SCE; however, it significantly induced the MN frequency and structural CAs. In addition, AV showed a cytotoxic effect by decreasing the replication index (RI), mitotic index (MI), and nuclear division index (NDI) in human lymphocytes and by decreasing the MI in the bone marrow cells of rats. AV did not decrease the genotoxicity or cytotoxicity of urethane (ethyl carbamate, EC) in the bone marrow cells of rats or in the mitomycin-C (MMC) in human lymphocytes. AV was a weak mutagen in the TA98 strain of Salmonella typhimurium in the absence of S9mix; however, AV+NPD (4-nitro-o-phenylenediamine) and AV+SA (sodium azide) exhibited a synergism in increasing the number of revertants for the TA98 and TA100 strains in the absence of S9mix, respectively.

Aloe-emodin (AE) and derivatives may be present as undesired components co-extracted during extraction of plants containing anthraquinonic derivatives for preparation of diacetylrhein. AE is a well-known in vitro mutagen, but up to now it failed to induce any clear in vivo genotoxic activity in the chromosome aberration assay in rat bone marrow or the in vivo/in vitro UDS test in liver. However, the two target organs noted during rodent carcinogenicity studies with danthron and emodin, two other well-known anthraquinone derivatives, are the colon and the kidney. Therefore, the choice of the organs for testing the genotoxicity of AE, i.e. bone marrow and liver, may be considered inadequate to demonstrate a possible in vivo genotoxic activity. In this context, the in vivo mouse comet assay was performed on both isolated kidney and colon cells in order to demonstrate a possible organospecific genotoxicity after oral administration of AE. Concurrently, the Ames test and the in vitro micronucleus assay with TK6 human lymphoblastoid cells were performed in their microscale version both with S9 from Aroclor 1254-induced liver or kidney, and without S9. AE induced primary DNA damage in the liver and in the kidney as observed between 3 and 6h after two oral administrations at 500, 1000 and 2000mg/kg bw, underlining an in vivo genotoxic mechanism of action. Furthermore, AE induced a clear genotoxic activity both in the Salmonella typhimurium strains TA1537 and TA98 and in the in vitro micronucleus assay in the absence as well as in the presence of metabolic activation. As no significant variation in the genotoxic activity of AE was noted when using either liver or kidney S9-mix, it seems that no quantitatively and/or qualitatively specific renal metabolism occurs. The kidney may be a target organ of AE as it is the major route of excretion. Under such conditions the separation of AE components should take place and the residual content of undesired AE derivatives should be made as low as reasonably achievable. AE present in plant extracts should be considered as an in vivo genotoxin and this property should be taken into account in the risk assessment for human exposure.

Check Your Food

2012-06-24T15:02:00.001+05:30

Simple Screening test for Detecting Adulteration in Common Food :

1	Vegetable oil	Castor oil	Take 1 ml. of oil in a clean dry test tube. Add 10 ml. Of acidified petroleum ether. Shake vigorously for 2 minutes. Add 1 drop of Ammonium Molybdate reagent. The formation of turbidity indicates presence of Castor oil in the sample.
		Argemone oil	Add 5 ml, conc. HNO₃ to 5 ml.sample. Shake carefully. Allow to separate yellow, orange yellow, crimson colour in the lower acid layer indicates adulteration.
2	Ghee	Mashed Potato Sweet Potato, etc.	Boil 5 ml. Of the sample in a test tube. Cool and a drop of iodine solution. Blue colour indicates presence of Starch. colour disappears on boiling & reappears on cooling.
		Vanaspati	Take 5 ml. Of the sample in a test tube. Add 5 ml. Of Hydrochloric acid and 0.4 ml of 2% furfural solution or sugar crystals. Insert the glass stopper and shake for 2 minutes. Development of a pink or red colour indicates presence of Vanaspati in Ghee.
		Rancid stuff (old ghee)	Take one teaspoon of melted sample and 5 ml. Of HCl in a stoppered glass tube. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Add 5 ml. Of 0.1% of ether solution of Phloroglucinol. Restopper & shake for 30 seconds and allow to stand for 10 minutes. A pink or red colour in the lower(acid layer) indicates rancidity.
		Synthetic Colouring Matter	Pour 2 gms. Of filtered fat dissolved in ether. Divide into 2 portions. Add 1 ml. Of HCl to one tube. Add 1 ml. Of 10% NaOH to the other tube. Shake well and allow to stand. Presence of pink colour in acidic solution or yellow colour in alkaline solution indicates added colouring matter.
3	Honey	Invert sugar/jaggery	1. Fiehe’s Test: Add 5 ml. Of solvent ether to 5 ml. Of honey. Shake well and decant the ether layer in a petri dish. Evaporate completely by blowing the ether layer. Add 2 to 3 ml. Of resorcinol (1 gm. Of resorcinol resublimed in 5 ml. Of conc. HCl.) Appearance of cherry red colour indicates presence of sugar/jaggery.
			2. Aniline Chloride Test : Take 5 ml. Of honey in a porcelain dish. Add Aniline Chloride solution (3 ml of Aniline and 7 ml. Of 1:3 HCl) and stir well. Orange red colour indicates presence of sugar.
4.	Pulses/Besan	Kesari dal(Lathyrus sativus)	Add 50 ml. Of dil.HCl to a small quantity of dal and keep on simmering water for about 15 minutes. The pink colour, if developed indicates the presence of Kesari dal.
5	Pulses	Metanil Yellow(dye)	Add conc.HCl to a small quantity of dal in a little amount of water. Immediate development of pink colour indicates the presence of metanil yellow and similar colour dyes.
		Lead Chromate	Shake 5 gm. Of pulse with 5 ml. Of water and add a few drops of HCl. Pink colour indicates Lead Chromate.
6	Bajra	Ergot infested Bajra	Swollen and black Ergot infested grains will turn light in weight and will float also in water
7	Wheat flour	Excessive sand & dirt	Shake a little quantity of sample with about 10 ml. Of Carbon tetra chloride and allow to stand. Grit and sandy matter will collect at the bottom.
		Excessive bran	Sprinkle on water surface. Bran will float on the surface.
		Chalk powder	Shake sample with dil.HCl Effervescence indicates chalk.
8	Common spices like Turmeric, chilly, curry powder,etc.	Colour	Extract the sample with Petroleum ether and add 13N H₂SO₄ to the extract. Appearance of red colour (which persists even upon adding little distilled water) indicates the presence of added colours. However, if the colour disappears upon adding distilled water the sample is not adulterated.
9	Black Pepper	Papaya seeds/light berries, etc.	Pour the seeds in a beaker containing Carbon tetra-chloride. Black papaya seeds float on the top while the pure black pepper seeds settle down.
10	Spices(Ground)	Powdered bran and saw dust	Sprinkle on water surface. Powdered bran and sawdust float on the surface.
11	Coriander powder	Dung powder	Soak in water. Dung will float and can be easily detected by its foul smell.
		Common salt	To 5 ml. Of sample add a few drops of silver nitrate. White precipitate indicates adulteration.
12	Chillies	Brick powder grit, sand, dirt, filth, etc.	Pour the sample in a beaker containing a mixture of chloroform and carbon tetrachloride. Brick powder and grit will settle at the bottom.
13	Badi Elaichi seeds	Choti Elaichi seeds	Separate out the seeds by physical examination. The seeds of Badi Elaichi have nearly plain surface without wrinkles or streaks while seeds of cardamom have pitted or wrinkled ends.
14	Turmeric Powder	Starch of maize, wheat, tapioca, rice	A microscopic study reveals that only pure turmeric is yellow coloured, big in size and has an angular structure. While foreign/added starches are colourless and small in size as compared to pure turmeric starch.
15	Turmeric	Lead Chromate	Ash the sample. Dissolve it in 1:7 Sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄₎ and filter. Add 1 or 2 drops of 0.1% dipenylcarbazide. A pink colour indicates presence of Lead Chromate.
		Metanil Yellow	Add few drops of conc.Hydrochloric acid (HCl) to sample. Instant appearance of violet colour, which disappears on dilution with water, indicates pure turmeric. If colour persists Metanil yellow is present.
16	Cumin seeds (Black jeera)	Grass seeds coloured with charcoal dust	Rub the cumin seeds on palms. If palms turn black adulteration in indicated.
17	Asafoetida(Heeng)	Soap stone, other earthy matter	Shake a little quantity of powdered sample with water. Soap stone or other earthy matter will settle at the bottom.
		Chalk	Shake sample with Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄₎. Asafoetida will settle down. Decant the top layer and add dil.HCl to the residue. Effervescence shows presence of chalk.
18	Food grains	Hidden insect infestation	Take a filter paper impregnated with Ninhydrin (1% in alcohol.) Put some grains on it and then fold the filter paper and crush the grains with hammer. Spots of bluish purple colour indicate presence of hidden insects infestation
19	Milk	Water Urea	Put a drop of milk on polished vertical surface. The drop of pure milk either stops or flows slowly leaving a white trail behind it. Whereas milk adulterated with water will flow immediately without leaving a mark. Take 5 ml of milk in a test tube and add 2 drops of bromothymol blue soln. Development of blue colour after 10 minutes indicates presence of urea.
20	Ice Cream	Washing Powder	Put some lemon juice, bubbles are observed on the presence of washing powder
21	Sugar	Chalk	Dissolve sugar in a glass of water, chalk will settle down at the bottom, similarly for salt
22	Silver Foil	Aluminum Foil	On ignition genuine silver foil burns away completely leaving glistening white spherical ball of the same mass while aluminum foil is reduced to ashes of black Grey colour.
23	Coffee	Chicory	Gently sprinkle the coffee powder on surface of water in a glass. The coffee floats over the water but chicory begins to sink down within few seconds. The falling chicory powder particles leave behind them a trail of colour, due to large amount of caramel they contain
24	Tea	Coloured leaves Used tea Iron fillings	Rub leaves on white paper, artificial colour comes out on paper. Tea leaves sprinkled on wet filter paper. Pink or red spots on paper show colour Move a magnet through the sample. Iron will stick to the magnet.
25	Red Chilli powder	Rodemine Culture Brick Powder	Take 2gms sample in a test tube, add 5ml of acetone. Immediate appearance of red colour indicates presence. of Rodamine Brick powder settles fast chilli powder settles slowly when put in water.
26	Saffron	Coloured dried tendrils of maize cob	Pure saffron will not break easily like artificial. Pure saffron when allowed to dissolved in water will continue to give its colour so long as it lasts.

Milk

2012-06-03T16:44:00.000+05:30

Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. Milk is an emulsion or colloid of butterfat globules within a water-based fluid that contains dissolved carbohydrates and protein aggregates with minerals.

Because it is produced as a food source for a neonate, all of its contents provide benefits to the growing baby mammal. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food.

Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many diseases in the baby.

Milk contains:

Enzymes : The enzymes of cow's milk are reported as proteinases, lactase, diastase, lipase, salolase, catalase, peroxidase, and aldehydrase.

Vitamins : All the vitamins recognized at the present time are contained in milk. Some are present in comparatively large and others in smaller amounts.

Pigments : The appearance of milk is white. This is due to light rays reflected by the colloidally dispersed constituents of the milk, the calcium caseinate, and calcium phosphate.

Salts : Milk contains salts of potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphates, chlorides, and citrates. Traces of sulfates and carbonates are found. Iron is present in small amount. Iodides are also found in small amounts. The salts of milk are found in milk in solution, in the colloidal state, and in combination with the proteins. Calcium and magnesium are in combination with the casein to form calcium and magnesium caseinates. Zoller states that there may be traces of sodium and potassium caseinates.

Lactose : Sugar

Fat : Butter fat is composed of glycerol and fatty acids. Fatty acids of both the saturated and unsaturated series are present. The relative percentage of the unsaturated fatty acids varies with the feed, averaging higher in summer than in winter.

Apart from above milk also contains :

Niflumic acid - anti-inflammatory painkiller
Mefenamic acid – anti-inflammatory
Flunixin - anti-inflammatory
Ibuprofen – painkiller
Diclofenac – anti-inflammatory
Ketoprofen - anti-inflammatory
Florfenicol – antibiotic
17B-estradiol – sex hormone
Triclosan – anti-fungal drug
Pryimethamine – anti-malaria drug
17a-ethinylestradiol – steroid hormon

SO how the milk contamination occurs?

Read Carefully…

Sources of Microbial Contamination :

ÖBefore the cow is even milked, pathogens in the surrounding environment can get into the cow's feed or water. Bacteria on the inside or outside of the cow's udder can get into the milk. If the milking device (human or mechanical) hasn't been properly sanitized it may contaminate the raw milk

ÖStorage and Transfer of Raw Milk: Any time the milk is transferred or stored; all equipment and containers must be sterile to prevent contamination. The storage temperature must be low enough (usually 4 degrees Celsius) to keep any bacteria remaining in the milk from growing.

ÖPasteurization: We know that pasteurization doesn't kill all the bacteria in milk, but it won't even kill the ones it's supposed to if the guidelines for time and temperature aren't met. One way the dairy industry checks milk to make sure it has been properly pasteurized is by testing for alkaline phosphates. This enzyme has the same D-value as the tuberculosis bacterium, so if it's found in pasteurized milk, that means that time and temperature requirements were not met.

ÖEquipment: Postpasteurization contamination (PPC) because of flaws in equipment or poor sanitation practices is the most common reason for pasteurization failures.Equipment has to be properly maintained and tested, and cleaned and sterilized between uses.

ÖThe plate heat exchanger is one potential source of PPC, since cold raw milk and hot pasteurized milk pass each other on opposite sides of the heat exchange plates. If the plates have leaks or cracks, the raw milk can contaminate the pasteurized milk.

ÖStorage and Transfer After Pasteurization: Milk is vulnerable to what the industry calls time-temperature abuse whenever the milk is transferred or stored. This includes all points at or between the processing plant, the warehouse, the store and your home. The weak link in the overall cold chain is usually that indeterminate period after the milk leaves the retail outlet and reaches the consumer's refrigerator.

ÖNow that it's been brought to your attention, the pressure is on to get the milk home and into the fridge as quickly as possible. Check the temperature of your refrigerator regularly, too. It should always be less than 10 degrees Celsius.

Sources of Chemical Contaminants :

The sources of chemical contaminants in raw materials of animal origin, mainly milk, are to a large extent comparable to those of raw materials originating from plants. The most of chemical contaminants in milk and dairy products are veterinary drugs such as antimicrobials (antibiotics and sulfonamides), hormones, anthelminthitic drugs, pesticides and etc.

ANTIBIOTIC DRUGS

Much of the veterinary treatment of dairy cattle involves intra mammary infusion of antibiotics to control mastitis. Drugs apply to control several illnesses and to increase milk production. The most commonly used antimicrobials in dairy cattle can group into five major classes. These include the beta-lactams (e.g, penicillins and cephalosporins), tetracyclines (e.g., Oxytetracycline, tetracycline and chlortetracycline), amino glycosides (e.g., streptomycine, neomycin and gentamycin), macrolides (e.g., erythromycin) and sulfanomides (e.g., sulfamethazines). These drugs are administered to animals by many routes such as injection routs, orally in the food and water, topically on the skin and by intra mammary and intrauterine infusions. Whenever any route with an antibiotic treats a lactating cow, measurable levels of the antibiotic are usually detectable in the milk for a few days after the last.

BOVINE GROWTH HORMONE

Bovine Growth Hormone (BGH) or Bovine Somatotropin (BST) is a genetically engineered protein hormone either identical or similar to the natural bovine pituitary product. Its primary function is to increase milk production dairy lactating cattle. Therefore, BST is a protein hormone that increases milk production in cows between 10 and 15% An increase in milk yield typically occurs with 5 days after beginning of treatment. BGH increases activity and/or longevity of mammary secretary cells, probably via Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF)-I produced by the liver and/or the mammary gland.

PARASITICIDE DRUGS

Parasiticide drugs also use to remove internal parasites such as flukes, tapeworms (helminths) and nematodes (round worms) are important in animal production systems. These metabolites can account for all residues found in milk and dairy products at any time point that are both bioavailable and of toxicological significance. Residues of benzimidazole compounds can occur in milk and dairy products and it is necessary to observe withdrawal periods for milk after therapy. Toxicological studies of animals have shown albendazole and its metabolites to be mutagenic.

PESTICIDES AND INSECTICIDES

Contamination of feeds arises in the field or store where treatment with pesticides occurs. Chlorinated pesticides and related compounds such as DDT, Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and Dioxins can enter milk and dairy products. The chlorinated hydrocarbons are extremely durable, persistent, endocrine-disrupting activities, bio-accumulating and widely distributed toxic compounds that find their way into the food chain usually through use in controlling environmental or animal pests As much as 20% of an ingested chlorinated hydrocarbon excretes in milk. Chlorinated hydrocarbons adhere to milk fat and butter contains a much higher proportion of these insecticides. DDT can accumulate in fatty tissues and can transfer into milk and dairy products. Organochlorine pesticides such as DDT and Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) have banned in most countries since 1983. Residues of such compounds may persist in the environment and cause contamination through the food chain . Presented organochlorine pesticide residues (owing to their use in sanitary actions) indicating a human exposure through milk and dairy products.

MYCOTOXINS

Some of the moulds produce various toxic metabolites under appropriate temperature and moisture conditions. These metabolites, which may be hazardous for human health, are called mycotoxins Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) may be found in the milk of animals that are fed with Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) containing feed. It can produce by moulds of feeds that have been harvested damp, have not adequately dried, or are improperly stored. These substances through the feedstuff can infect dairy cattle. The content of AFM1 in milk is entirely dependent on the presence of the precursor AFB1 in the ration of dairy cattle and it can numerically express as feed to milk ratio. The forming of AFM1, metabolite of AFB1, occurs in liver and it secrets into milk in the mammary gland of dairy cows.

HEAVY METALS

Heavy metals can enter to milk and dairy products and affect the health of people who have consumed contaminate milk and dairy products. There are various levels of heavy metals in produced milk samples of different country.

Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone and Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society recombinant bovine growth hormone (RBGH) is just one of the synthetic (man-made) hormones that are marketed to dairy farmers to increase milk production in cows. Think about this for a moment. If this particular growth hormone increases milk production in cows than what will it do to the human body over time?

RBGH contains amplified levels of the hormone IGF-1, which promotes cancer tumors in the breast, colon, and prostate.
It contains increased somatic cell counts (SCC’s), which means the milk has more pus, which makes it turn sour more. quickly.
Hormone use makes the cows produce low quality milk during times when they should not be giving milk, in other words, during a cows rest period.

· a new study which concludes that milk from cows injected with recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH) increases risks of breast and colon cancers in humans. This study is published in the January issue of the International Journal of Health Services, a peer-reviewed, leading international public health journal.

· The study summarizes evidence that rBGH increases levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) in milk. IGF-1 is a powerful stimulator and regulator of cell-growth and division in humans and cows. The study concludes that increased IGF-1 levels are risk factors for breast and colon cancer.

Ice Cream

2012-05-19T16:25:00.000+05:30

Ice cream is one of the best treats one can have. It doesn't matter if it's the middle of winter or summer, it can make you happy. However, all over the world, due to luxury and lack of discipline and self-control, we eat treats every single day absent a special occasion and/or reward and this leads to gluttony.

Your ice cream has the following composition:

Milk Fat : is more than 10%, usually between 10% and as high as 16% fat in some premium ice creams. The fat component adds richness of flavor, contributes to a smooth texture with creamy body and good meltdown, and adds lubrication to the palate as it is consumed.
Milk solids-not-fat : are 9 to 12%: this component, also known as the serum solids, contains the proteins (caseins and whey proteins) and carbohydrates (lactose) found in milk. The milk solids-not-fat component also contributes to the flavor but more importantly improves the body and texture of the ice cream by offering some "chew resistance" and enhancing the ability of the ice cream to hold its air.
Sweetners : 12 to 16% , usually a combination of sucrose and glucose-based corn syrup sweeteners. The sugars give the product its characteristic sweetness and palatability and enhance the perception of various fruit flavors. In addition, the sugars, including the lactose from the milk components, contribute to a depressed freezing point so that the ice cream has some unfrozen water associated with it at very low temperatures typical of their serving temperatures, -15^o to -18^oC. Without this unfrozen water, the ice cream would be too hard to scoop.
Stabilisers and emulsifiers : 0.2 to 0.5%. The stabilizers are a group of compounds, usually polysaccharides, that are responsible for adding viscosity to the unfrozen portion of the water and thus holding this water so that it cannot migrate within the product. This results in an ice cream that is firmer to the chew. Without the stabilizers, the ice cream would become coarse and icy very quickly due to the migration of this free water and the growth of existing ice crystals.
The emulsifiers are a group of compounds in ice cream which aid in developing the appropriate fat structure and air distribution necessary for the smooth eating and good meltdown characteristics desired in ice cream.

Water : 55% to 64% water, which comes from the milk or added as other ingredients. {See, ice creams are made by weight percentages; than air is pumped in to increase the volume and sold by volumes (litres)…one of the highest profit making industries}.

First of all, ice cream is a dairy product. It is derived from an animal, a grafted (man-made) animal at that. The black and white dairy cow is a crossbreed of a water oxen and a buffalo. It is not a natural creature to the earth.

Dairy products are the biggest cause of leukemia, especially in young children. Leukemia used to be a disease indicative of Caucasians, but now many African-Americans are dying of leukemia due to an increase of dairy products in the African-American diet.

Chemical hormones (synthetic estrogen) make the female cow grow bigger and develop faster, what do you think they do to young girls who love to eat ice cream? These little young girls are walking around at age 8, 9 and 10 with fully developed breasts and buttocks, something you didn't see in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s. God and Mother Nature did not speed up the physical development of little girls. Man and his chemical food industry did!

So not only is ice cream full of snot, mucus forming, and laced with harmful chemical growth hormones, but ice cream contains a lot of other chemical additives that are injurious to health.

Here is the list of chemicals you will be surprised to find in traditional ice creams.

Diethylglycol : A cheap chemical used as an emulsifier instead of eggs; is the same chemical used in antifreeze and paint remover.

Vanilla : Piperonal : Used in place of vanilla. This chemical is used to kill lice.

Cherry : Aldehyde C-17: Used to flavor cherry ice cream. It’s an inflammable liquid also used in aniline dyes, plastic and rubber.

Pineapple : Ethyl Acetate: Used to give ice cream a pineapple flavor – and as a cleaner for both leather and textiles; its vapors have been known to cause chronic lung, liver and heart damage.

Nuts : Butyraldehyde: Used in nut flavored ice cream. It’s one of the ingredients in rubber cement.

Banana : Amylacetate: Used for its banana flavor. It’s also used as an oil paint solvent.

Strawberry : Benzyl Acetate: Used for its strawberry flavor. It’s a nitrate solvent.”

Nearly all artificial food flavors and food colors come from coal tar.This is a substance in coal and petroleum.

TRIVIA :

Heard of Ice Cream Headache ?

"Most people have experienced the dreaded ice cream headache at some point. You are minding your own business on a hot summer day and you are eating something like an ice cream cone, a milk shake, a Slurpee or a snow-cone. Then suddenly, out of the blue you are hit with the most excruciating headache in the world! Fortunately they only last about 30 seconds.

So where do these horrible headaches come from Here's a summary: When something cold touches the roof of your mouth on a hot day, it triggers a cold headache. The cause is a dilation of blood vessels in the head. The dilation may be caused by a nerve center located above the roof of your mouth - when this nerve center gets cold, it seems to over-react and tries to heat your brain. Therefore, the easy way to avoid brain freeze would be to keep cold things away from the roof of your mouth.

450 grams of ice cream is mixed with air to make a volume of 1 Litre and sold as one Litre of ice cream and we pay for air too.

Shower Gel

2012-05-06T15:59:00.000+05:30

Shower gel, also known as body wash, is the general term for a substance similar to liquid soap, which is used for cleaning the body. Almost all available shower gels have an appealing scent and do not contain any saponified oil. Though, instead being products of petroleum, Shower gel/body wash is an emulsion of water and detergent base with added fragrance used as a skin cleansing agent in the shower or bath.

Shower gel is available in different colors and fragrances are PH-balanced. Some shower gels are herb-infused, and some claims to have aroma-therapeutic benefits. Shower gels for men may contain the ingredient Menthol which gives a cooling and stimulating sensation on the skin, and many men's shower gels are also designed specifically for use on hair & body and are thus more convenient to use. Shower gels contain milder surfactant bases than shampoos and in addition to being PH-friendly to the skin, most also contain gentle conditioning agents in the formula. This means that shower gels can also double-up as an effective and perfectly acceptable substitute to shampoo, even if they are not labeled as a hair & body wash. Washing hair with shower gel should give approximately the same result as using a moisturizing shampoo.

Nowadays, most of us don't use soap in the shower or bath. Instead, we lather up with bath foams, shower gels, facial washes and scrubs, all of which rely on complex chemicals called detergents, often the same ones used in heavy industries for degreasing, to wash away simple dirt on our body.

The difference between soap and detergent is like the difference between cotton and nylon. Soap is produced from natural products by relatively small modification.

Detergents are produced entirely in a chemical factory. There is no difference between the detergents in your household cleaning products and those you use in your bath. It is simply a matter of concentration.

Bubble baths, which are highly fragranced, have the greatest potential to cause skin irritation, allergic skin reactions and headaches. In the some countries they carry a health warning alerting users to the possibility of skin irritation and urinary tract infections.

Body washes essentially contain the same basic ingredients as bubble bath. Soaking in any bath product will prolong its contact with your skin, increasing the risk that chemicals will be absorbed. Both bubble baths and shower gels have the potential to penetrate the skin and lungs.

Bubble bath is likely to contain potentially irritating detergents like sodium laureth sulphate and cocami-dopropyl betaine (the latter is also a penetration enhancer, allowing other chemicals to be more easily absorbed); preservatives such as tetrasodium EDTA, a potential irritant; and methylchloroisothiazolinone (both potential mutagens ? substances that speed up gene mutation).

If it contains cocamide EDTA (or similar compounds ending with DEA, TEA or MEA) along with formaldehyde-forming substances such as bronopol, DMDM hydantoin, diazo-lidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea and quaternium-15, it is likely to contain cancer-causing nitrosamines. Studies show up to 93 per cent of toiletries and cosmetics contain these compounds.

So try to avoid bubble baths altogether and limit your use of shower gels. Stick to plain old soap instead. Vegetable oil and glycerine soaps are best. They foam beautifully and are made from enriching oils such as coconut, hemp and olive. They are usually unfragranced or scented with essential oils.

Liquid soap v/s bar soap :

Powered by the lure of exotic fragrances and the promise of skin-pampering ingredients, liquid soap, body wash and shower gel have steadily eroded the primacy of bar soap over the past decade, largely on the well-scrubbed backs of female consumers. (Men – 83 percent of them – still prefer bar soap.)

· Some people say moisturizers in liquid soap leave a residue that requires extra rinse time to remove. Maybe they’re using too much.

· With bar soap, it’s pretty easy to tell when you’ve got enough suds, while a liquid dispenser involves more guesswork. That’s why three 4-ounce bars will outlast a 12-ounce container of liquid.

· Even at the low end (Suave body wash), a 12-ounce bottle of liquid soap will cost you at least 2 bucks. When purchased in eight-bar packages, comparably inexpensive bar soaps like Dial or Irish Spring check in at about $1.65 per 12 ounces. The same economies tend to hold with higher-end brands.

· Once upon a time, soap generally was considered to be pretty clean stuff. Then meddlesome biologists discovered germs that could live practically everywhere, even in soap.

· Liquid soap significantly reduces any exchange of germs between users, which is a plus. But two studies cited by The New York Times suggest the risk of transmitting disease from bar soap is pretty remote. You’re anxious about catching germs while washing yourself? Lighten up. You could be hit by a bus tomorrow.

· Liquid soap devotees are quick to denounce the way bar soap turns slimy or mushy in standing water, and they’ve got a point. Apart from the mess, the degraded soap also represents a waste.

Bath Gel Ingredients

The main basic ingredients found in bath gels are as under.

Water

o This is the main ingredient listed in bath gels. Water's function is to be the solvent for the other ingredients and make the product fluid or liquid in composition.

Emulsifiers

o Emulsifiers act as foam increasers and thickening agents for bath gels, giving the product its gel-like consistency. Common emulsifiers found in bath gels are cocamide DEA, lauramide DEA, linoleamide DEA and oleamide DEA.

Detergents

o All cleansers have detergents in them. However, mild detergents or cleansing agents are used in bath gels to avoid stripping too much of the skin's natural moisture. Lauryl glucoside, disodium cocoamphodiacetate and cocamidopropyl betaine are mild detergents used in bath gels.

Surfactants

o Surfactants are similar to emulsifiers, but their primary function is to create a lather or foam as an indication that the bath gel is cleaning the skin. Sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate are the most common surfactants found in bath gels.

Preservatives

o Preservatives are needed to extend the shelf life of bath gels and prevent microbial contamination. Parabens are the group of preservative most used in bath gels. Others include methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben and butylparaben.

Fragrance

o Most bath gels contain fragrance to get rid of the chemical smell of some of the bath gel ingredients and make using the bath gel a pleasant experience. Fragrances used in bath gels are either synthetic or come from essential oils and natural plant extracts.

Bath Soap/Toilet Soap(Opaque)

Ingredients :

Refined coconut oil
Caustic soda solution
EDTA (Ethylene diaminetetracetate)
Citric acid
Sodium chloride
CDEA (Coco diethanolamide)
Light mineral oil
Scent to suit
Color

Bath Soap(Tranparent)

Ingredients :

Coconut oil
Stearic acid
Castor oil
Caustic soda solution
Glycerol
Alcohol
Sugar
Water
CDEA
Perfume

Chocolates

2012-04-29T16:11:00.000+05:30

Chocolate is produced from the seeds of Cacao tree. Cocoa beans are very bitter in taste so it has to be fermented to develop the flavor.

After fermentation, the beans are dried, cleaned, and then roasted, and the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The nibs are then ground to cocoa mass, pure chocolate in rough form. Because this cocoa mass usually is liquefied then molded with or without other ingredients, it is called chocolate liquor. The liquor also may be further processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar mix is your chocolate.

Types of Chocolates :

Dark chocolate : Bitter or Unsweetened baking chocolate contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Dark chocolate is produced by adding fat and sugar to the cacao mixture. Dark chocolate, with its high cocoa content, is a rich source of epicatechin and gallic acid, which are thought to possess cardioprotective properties.

Sweet chocolate : Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of combining cocoa solids, cocoa butter or other fat, and sugar. sweet chocolate requires about 15 to 35 % concentration of chocolate liquor or cocoa solids.

White Chocolate : Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids. White chocolate does not contain any theobromine, meaning it can be consumed by animals. It is usually not used for cooking purpose.

Cocoa solids contain alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have physiological effects on the body. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain. Some research found that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure. The presence of theobromine renders chocolate toxic to some animals, especially dogs and cats.

Types of Cocoa beans :

The three main varieties of cacao beans used in chocolate are criollo, forastero, and trinitario.
Representing just five percent of all cocoa beans grown, criollo is the rarest and most expensive cocoa on the market, and is native to Central America, the Caribbean islands and the northern tier of South American states. Criollos are particularly difficult to grow, as they are vulnerable to a variety of environmental threats and produce low yields of cocoa per tree. The flavor of criollo is described as delicate yet complex, low in classic chocolate flavor, but rich in "secondary" notes of long duration. Yes it is the most expensive cocoa bean.
The most commonly grown bean is forastero,a large group of wild and cultivated cacaos, most likely native to the Amazon basin. The African cocoa crop is entirely of the forastero variety. The source of most chocolate marketed, forastero cocoas are typically strong in classic "chocolate" flavor, but have a short duration and are unsupported by secondary flavors, producing "quite bland" chocolate.
Trinitario is a natural hybrid of criollo and forastero. Trinitario originated in Trinidad after an introduction of forastero to the local criollo crop. Nearly all cacao produced over the past five decades is of the forastero or lower-grade trinitario varieties.

Making of Chocolate :

Cocoa beans Processing :

Cacao pods are harvested by cutting the pods from the tree using a machete, or by knocking them off the tree using a stick. The beans with their surrounding pulp are removed from the pods and placed in piles or bins, allowing access to microorganisms so that fermentation of the pectin-containing material can begin. The fermentation process, which takes up to seven days, also produces several flavor precursors, eventually resulting in the familiar chocolate taste.
It is important to harvest the pods when they are fully ripe because if the pod is unripe, the beans will have low cocoa butter content, or there will be insufficient sugars in the white pulp for fermentation, resulting in a weak flavor. After fermentation, the beans must be quickly dried to prevent mold growth. Climate and weather permitting, this is done by spreading the beans out in the sun from five to seven days.
The dried beans are then transported to a chocolate manufacturing facility. The beans are cleaned (removing twigs, stones, and other debris), roasted, and graded. Next, the shell of each bean is removed to extract the nib. Finally, the nibs are ground and liquefied, resulting in pure chocolate in fluid form: chocolate liquor. The liquor can be further processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

Blending :

Chocolate liquor is blended with the cocoa butter in varying quantities to make different types of chocolate or couvertures. The basic blends of ingredients for the various types of chocolate (in order of highest quantity of cocoa liquor first), are as follows:
Usually, an emulsifying agent, such as soy lecithin, is added, though a few manufacturers prefer to exclude this ingredient for purity reasons and sometimes at the cost of a perfectly smooth texture. Some manufacturers are now using an artificial emulsifier derived from castor oil that allows them to reduce the amount of cocoa butter while maintaining the same mouthfeel.
The texture is also heavily influenced by processing, specifically conching. The more expensive chocolate tends to be processed longer and thus have a smoother texture and mouthfeel, regardless of whether emulsifying agents are added.
Producers of high quality, small batch chocolate argue that mass production produces bad quality chocolate. Some mass-produced chocolate contains much less cocoa (as low as 7% in many cases), and fats other than cocoa butter. Vegetable oils and artificial vanilla flavor are often used in cheaper chocolate to mask poorly fermented and/or roasted beans.
In 2007, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association in the United States lobbied the Food and Drug Administration to change the legal definition of chocolate to let them substitute partially hydrogenated vegetable oils for cocoa butter, in addition to using artificial sweeteners and milk substitutes. Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do not allow a product to be referred to as "chocolate" if the product contains any of these ingredients.

Conching :

The penultimate process is called conching. A conche is a container filled with metal beads, which act as grinders. The refined and blended chocolate mass is kept in a liquid state by frictional heat. Chocolate prior to conching has an uneven and gritty texture. The conching process produces cocoa and sugar particles smaller than the tongue can detect, hence the smooth feel in the mouth. The length of the conching process determines the final smoothness and quality of the chocolate. High-quality chocolate is conched for about 72 hours, lesser grades about four to six hours. After the process is complete, the chocolate mass is stored in tanks heated to approximately 45–50 °C (113–122 °F) until final processing.

Tempering :

The final process is called tempering. Uncontrolled crystallization of cocoa butter typically results in crystals of varying size, some or all large enough to be clearly seen with the naked eye. This causes the surface of the chocolate to appear mottled and matte, and causes the chocolate to crumble rather than snap when broken. The uniform sheen and crisp bite of properly processed chocolate are the result of consistently small cocoa butter crystals produced by the tempering process.

The fats in cocoa butter can crystallize in six different forms (polymorphous crystallization). The primary purpose of tempering is to assure that only the best form is present. The six different crystal forms have different properties and the process in temperature controlled.

Two classic ways of manually tempering chocolate are:

Working the molten chocolate on a heat-absorbing surface, such as a stone slab, until thickening indicates the presence of sufficient crystal "seeds"; the chocolate is then gently warmed to working temperature.
Stirring solid chocolate into molten chocolate to "inoculate" the liquid chocolate with crystals (this method uses the already formed crystals of the solid chocolate to "seed" the molten chocolate).

Storage :

Some people who purchase chocolate off the store shelf can be disappointed when they see whitish spots on the dark chocolate part. This is called chocolate bloom and is not an indication of chocolate gone bad. Instead, this is just an indication that sugar and/or fat has separated due to poor storage.

Chocolate is very sensitive to temperature and humidity. Ideal storage temperatures are between 15 and 17 °C (59 and 63 °F), with a relative humidity of less than 50%. Various types of "blooming" effects can occur if chocolate is stored or served improperly. Fat bloom is caused by storage temperature fluctuating or exceeding 24 C while sugar bloom is caused by temperature below 15 C or excess humidity. To distinguish between different types of bloom, one can rub the surface of the chocolate lightly, and if the bloom disappears, it is fat bloom. One can get rid of bloom by re-tempering the chocolate or using it for anything that requires melting the chocolate.
Chocolate is generally stored away from other foods, as it can absorb different aromas. Ideally, chocolates are packed or wrapped, and placed in proper storage with the correct humidity and temperature. Additionally, chocolate is frequently stored in a dark place or protected from light by wrapping paper.
If refrigerated or frozen without containment, chocolate can absorb enough moisture to cause a whitish discoloration, the result of fat or sugar crystals rising to the surface. Moving chocolate from one temperature extreme to another, such as from a refrigerator on a hot day, can result in an oily texture. Although visually unappealing, chocolate suffering from bloom is perfectly safe for consumption.

Potential health effects of chocolates :

Obesity risk :

The major concern that nutritionists have is that even though eating dark chocolate may not affect serum cholesterol, blood pressure or LDL oxidation, it is not known whether it affects certain biomarkers of cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, the amount needed to have this effect would provide a relatively large quantity of calories, which, if unused, would promote weight gain. Obesity is a significant risk factor for many diseases, including cardiovascular disease.

Acne :

There is a popular belief that the consumption of chocolate can cause acne. This belief is not supported by scientific studies. Various studies point not to chocolate, but to the high glycemic nature of certain foods, like sugar, corn syrup, and other simple carbohydrates, as a cause of acne. Chocolate itself has a low glycemic index. Other dietary causes of acne cannot be excluded yet, but more rigorous research is suggested.

Good Effects :

ü Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. However, chocolate with a high sugar content will negate this benefit. Dark chocolate contains significantly higher amounts of cacao and lower amounts of sugar than white chocolate, making it more healthful.

ü The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.

ü Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.

ü The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which can raise good cholesterol.

ü Men who eat chocolate regularly live on average one year longer than those who don’t.

ü The flavanoids in chocolate help keep blood vessels elastic.

ü Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.

ü The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.

Bad Effects :

Ö Chocolate may contribute to lower bone density.

Ö Chocolate can trigger headaches in migraine sufferers.

Ö Milk chocolate is high in calories, saturated fat and sugar.

Ö Chocolate is a danger to pets (chocolate contains a stimulant called theobromine, which animals are unable to digest).

Ö Dark chocolate may increase your changes of having kidney stones. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, dark chocolate has oxalates in it. This can cause an increase in urinary oxalate excretion, which can increase your risk of forming kidney stones. If you are predisposed to kidney stone formation or if you have had a kidney stone in the past, then it is important for you to avoid oxalate consumption in its various forms, including dark chocolate.

Here are a few things chocolate Will Not do:
Chocolate Won’t :

§ Cause acne.

§ Make you nervous or irritable: cacao contains the stimulants caffeine and bromine, but not in significant amounts in chocolate bars and nibs.

§ Turn you into an addict: chocolate is not addictive.

§ Raise your cholesterol: chocolate contains stearic acid, a neutral fat which doesn’t raise bad cholesterol.

Sports Drinks

2012-04-15T17:13:00.000+05:30

A sports drink beverage is designed to help athletes rehydrate when fluids are depleted after training or competition. Electrolyte replacement promotes proper rehydration, which is important in delaying the onset of fatigue during exercise. As the primary fuel utilized by exercising muscle, carbohydrates are important in maintaining exercise and sport performance.

Types of sport drinks :

Sports drinks can be split into three major types:

Isotonic sports drinks contain similar concentrations of salt and sugar as in the human body.
Hypertonic sports drinks contain a higher concentration of salt and sugar than the human body.
Hypotonic sports drinks contain a lower concentration of salt and sugar than the human body.

Most sports drinks are moderately isotonic, having between 4 and 5 heaped teaspoons of sugar per five ounce (13 and 19 grams per 250ml) serving. They never have a pH comparable to carbonated soft drinks.

The primary purposes of fluids consumed before, during and after exercise are to:

a) Replace sweat loss i.e. add electrolytes
b) Supply a source of carbohydrate that can supplement the limited stores of glycogen in the muscles and liver.
c) Reduce the problems associated with dehydration i.e. increased heart rate, increases in body heat and loss of fluids.

Reducing risk of water intoxication :

Water is the best beverage for simply rehydrating. However during exercise or just being outside on a hot day electrolytes are also lost. Consumption of excessive amounts of water can cause water intoxication, a potentially fatal imbalance of electrolytes in the body. Water intoxication is extremely rare. It might occur, for example, during intense exercise when heavy sweating removes water and electrolytes from the body, but only large quantities of water are consumed to replace what has been lost. The resulting low concentration of electrolytes adversely affects central nervous system function.

Many sports drinks reduce the risk of water intoxication by replenishing fluids and electrolytes in a ratio similar to that normally found in the human body. However, some sports drinks have low concentrations of electrolytes, so overconsumption of them could still lead to water intoxication. People whose work or exercise puts them at high risk of developing heat illness or water intoxication should seek professional advice about proper rehydration of the body.

Dehydration and Performance :

The decline in physical performance during training and competition accelerates as the glycogen content of the exercising muscles reduces and therefore it becomes increasingly difficult to exercise at high intensities. Low intensity exercise is possible, with the muscles relying mainly on fat as a fuel. Carbohydrate and fatty acids are the main fuels for the skeletal muscle to provide energy during prolonged exercise.
In contrast to fat stores, the glycogen reserve in the body is limited (400 500g). In practice, the muscle glycogen reserves are sufficient for about 45 minutes of high intensity aerobic exercise. When the muscle glycogen stores become depleted, the muscles become more sensitive to cramp.
Ingestion of fluid during prolonged exercise can help maintain cardiovascular function, attenuate the rise in body temperature that occurs, and improve exercise performance. The optimum formulation of such a drink to achieve this will depend on more than just the amount of carbohydrate in the drink. The key to successful hydration and restoration of glycogen levels lies with your body and how quickly the sports drink fluid can be absorbed.
In Sports drinks the two major limiting factors that control the rate of fluid absorption into the blood stream as 1) the combined rates of gastric emptying and 2) intestinal absorption.

Gastric emptying :

The volume of ingested fluid, the energy density of the fluid measured by the osmolality (mOsm/kg H2O) and the balance of the mineral content in the fluid determine the rate of gastric emptying. Ever wondered why you can feel really thirsty and drink water, but feel really bloated? That’s because the body is seeking the replenishment of minerals (electrolytes) as well as fluid. The term osmolality defines the relative concentration of the fluid by identifying the number of dissolved molecules in the fluid.

Intestinal absorption :

The carbohydrate concentration and the osmolality of the beverage are crucially important in influencing the rate at which the fluid is absorbed across the intestinal epithelium. A drink that is high in energy density, has a high osmolality and is low in sodium chloride (e.g. common carbonated soft drink) will possibly create a decrease in plasma volume as fluid temporarily leaves the blood and passes into the intestine in an attempt to dilute the ingested fluid .
Physiologist Pete Cunningham, believes that the ideal sports drink should have an energy density of 4-6%, with a carbohydrate content from both fructose, glucose and/or maltodextrins, a sodium chloride concentration of approximately 30 mmol/l and most importantly, an osmolality that promotes a sufficient osmotic gradient

Re-hydration and Replenishment :

Once correctly re-hydrated, the key challenge in post exercise is replenishing the body's glycogen reserves as fast as possible. Glycogen is the storage form of glucose and the predominant source of energy for the active muscle. The intake of carbohydrates (such as sugar, glucose, maltodextrin, etc.) directly after endurance exercise increases the rate of muscle glycogen synthesis. However, an overnight rest will normally not be long enough to achieve complete recovery, as full restoration of the glycogen reserves takes longer. The post exercise challenge for sports drinks is to speed up muscle recovery times. Combining hypotonic and Isotonic sports drinks with high-grade proteins such as a series of vegetarian proteins, can significantly increased recovery.

Instead of having Sports drinks, drink at least 64 ounces of plain water each day, so you will feel full, eat less, and get rid of excess salt.

Energy Drinks

2012-04-15T17:07:00.000+05:30

Energy drinks are beverages whose producers advertise that they "boost energy". These advertisements usually do not emphasize energy derived from the sugar and caffeine they contain but rather increased energy release due to a variety of stimulants and vitamins.

Ingredients :

Energy drinks generally contain methylxanthines (including caffeine), B vitamins, and herbs. Other commonly used ingredients are carbonated water, guarana, yerba mate, açaí, and taurine, plus various forms of ginseng, maltodextrin, inositol, carnitine, creatine, glucuronolactone, and ginkgo biloba. Some contain high levels of sugar, and many brands offer artificially sweetened 'diet' versions. A common ingredient in most energy drinks is caffeine (often in the form of guarana or yerba mate). Caffeine is the stimulant that is found in coffee and tea. Energy drinks contain about three times the amount of caffeine as cola. 12 ounces of Coca-Cola Classic contains 35 mg of caffeine, whereas an Energy Drink contains 120 mg of caffeine.

Energy shots :

Energy shots are a specialized kind of energy drink. Whereas most energy drinks are generally sold in cans or bottles, energy shots are usually sold in 50ml bottles. Energy shots can contain the same total amount of caffeine, vitamins or other functional ingredients as their larger siblings, and therefore they may be considered concentrated forms of energy drinks. The marketing of energy shots generally focuses on their convenience and availability as a low-calorie "instant" energy drink that can be taken in one swallow (or "shot"), as opposed to energy drinks that encourage users to drink an entire can (which may contain 250 calories or more).

Effects :

A variety of physiological and psychological effects have been attributed to energy drinks and their ingredients. Two studies reported significant improvements in mental and cognitive performances as well as increased subjective alertness.

Excess consumption of energy drinks may induce mild to moderate euphoria primarily caused by stimulant properties of caffeine and may also induce agitation, anxiety, irritability and insomnia. During repeated cycling tests in young healthy adults an energy drink significantly increased upper body muscle endurance. It has been suggested that reversal of caffeine withdrawal is a major component of the effects of caffeine on mood and performance.

Restorative properties were shown by a combination of caffeine and the sugar glucose in an energy drink, and some degree of synergy between the cognition-modulating effects of glucose and caffeine was also suggested. In one experiment, a glucose-based energy drink (containing caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone) was given to eleven tired participants being tested in a driving simulator. Lane drifting and reaction times were measured for two hours post-treatment and showed significant improvement.
Caution is warranted even for healthy adults who choose to consume energy drinks. Consumption of a single energy drink will not lead to excessive caffeine intake; however, consumption of two or more drinks in a single day, can. Other stimulants such as ginseng are often added to energy drinks and may enhance the effects of caffeine, and ingredients such as guarana themselves contain caffeine. Adverse effects associated with caffeine consumption in amounts greater than 400 mg include nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, increased urination, abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia), and dyspepsia. Consumption also has been known to cause pupil dilation when taken with certain antidepressants or SSRIs. Most mainstream energy drinks do not provide electrolytes, and have a higher likelihood of an energy "crash-and-burn" effect. Caffeine in energy drinks can excrete water from the body to dilute high concentrations of sugar entering the blood stream, leading to dehydration. If the body is dehydrated by 1%, performance is decreased by up to 10%.

Caffeinated alcoholic energy drinks :

Energy drinks are often used as mixers with alcoholic beverages producing mixed drinks which are similar to but stronger than rum and coke with respect to the amount of caffeine that they contain. They are also sold in a wide variety of formulations which combine caffeine and alcohol. Fruit flavored caffeinated energy drinks in flavors such as watermelon, lemonade and cranberry-lemonade are cheap with a fruity taste. Packaged in 24 ounce cans, they are wildly popular with young people.

Through separate mechanisms, energy drinks act as stimulants and alcohol as depressants. Mixing a depressant with a stimulant sends mixed signals to the nervous system and can cause cardiac problems such as heart arrhythmia. In addition, energy drinks can lessen some of the subjective effects of alcohol while making the drinker feel more stimulated and less fatigued. However, they may be unable to counteract some of the psychomotor impairments of alcohol intoxication. Consequently, the mix can be particularly hazardous as energy drinks can mask the influence of alcohol and a person may misinterpret their actual level of intoxication In fact, people who drink mixers are more likely than non-mixers to drink more alcohol, and are also more likely to suffer alcohol-related consequences such as assault, injury or being an intoxicated driver, even after adjusting for the number of drinks. Although people decide to drink energy drinks with alcohol with the intent of counteracting alcohol intoxication, another large majority do so to hide the taste of alcohol. Researchers at the Human Performance Laboratory have suggested people refrain from mixing such powerful stimulants with alcohol, they believe it might cause cardiopulmonary or cardiovascular failures.

Anti-energy drinks :

Several beverages have been marketed in the world as "anti-energy", "chill out", or "relaxation" drinks. They are growing in popularity, with sales doubling from 2008 to 2010, and expected to more than double again by 2014. They contain ingredients such as theanine and melatonin.

Hidden risk :

In November 2010, the University of Texas Medical School at Houston reported that energy drinks contain more caffeine than a strong cup of coffee, and that the caffeine combined with other ingredients (sometimes not reported correctly on labels) such as guarana, amino acid taurine, other herbs, vitamins and minerals may interact. Energy drinks consumed with alcohol may affect heart rates, blood pressure and even mental states. The caffeine content of energy drinks range from 80–300 mg per 16-oz serving whereas a 16-oz cup of coffee can contain 70–200 mg.
Health experts say caffeine prevents sleepiness and delays the feeling of drunkenness normally experienced when drinking alcohol, causing some people to continue drinking after they normally would have stopped. Both caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, so mixing energy drinks with alcohol can cause severe dehydration, possibly leading to vomiting, nausea, and other health problems in the long term.

Soft Drink( Cola)

2012-04-15T17:00:00.000+05:30

A soft drink (also called soda or carbonated beverage) is a beverage that typically contains water (often, but not always carbonated water), a sweetener, and a flavoring agent. The sweetener may be sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, or a sugar substitute (in the case of diet drinks).

A soft drink may also contain caffeine, fruit juice, or both.

Soft drinks are called "soft" in contrast to "hard drinks" (alcoholic beverages). Small amounts of alcohol may be present in a soft drink, but the alcohol content must be less than 0.5% of the total volume, if the drink is to be considered non-alcoholic.

Soft drinks may be served chilled or at room temperature. They are rarely heated.

Manufacturing :

Soft drinks are made by mixing dry ingredients and/or fresh ingredients (for example, lemons, oranges, etc.) with (carbonated)water. Production of soft drinks can be done at factories or at home.
Soft drinks can be made at home by mixing either a syrup or dry ingredients with carbonated water

Health effects :

The consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, dental cavities, and low nutrient levels. Experimental studies tend to support a causal role for sugar-sweetened soft drinks in these ailments, though this is challenged by other researchers. "Sugar-sweetened" includes drinks that use high-fructose corn syrup, as well as those using sucrose.
Many soft drinks contain ingredients that are themselves sources of concern: caffeine is linked to anxiety and sleep disruption when consumed in excess, and some critics question the health effects of added sugars and artificial sweeteners Sodium benzoate has been investigated by researchers at University of Sheffield as a possible cause of DNA damage and hyperactivity. Other substances have negative health effects, but are present in such small quantities that they are unlikely to pose any substantial health risk.

Obesity and weight-related diseases :

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight and obesity, and changes in consumption can help predict changes in weight. One study followed 548 schoolchildren over 19 months and found that changes in soft drink consumption were associated with changes in body mass index (BMI). Each soft drink that a child added to his or her daily consumption was accompanied by an increase in BMI of 0.24 kg/m². Similarly, an 8-year study of 50,000 female nurses compared women who went from drinking almost no soft drinks to drinking more than one a day to women who went from drinking more than one soft drink a day to drinking almost no soft drinks. The women who increased their consumption of soft drinks gained 8.0 kg over the course of the study while the women who decreased their consumption gained only 2.8 kg. In each of these studies, the absolute number of soft drinks consumed per day was also positively associated with weight gain.
It remains possible that the correlation is due to a third factor: people who lead unhealthy lifestyles might consume more soft drinks. If so, then the association between soft drink consumption and weight gain could reflect the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle rather than the consequences of consuming soft drinks.
The consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks can also be associated with many weight-related diseases, including diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors, and elevated blood pressure.

Bone loss :

In a meta-analysis studies, drinking soft drinks correlates with a decrease in milk consumption along with the vitamin D, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, calcium, protein and other micronutrients. Phosphorus, a micronutrient, can be found in cola-type beverages, but there may be a risk in consuming too much. Phosphorus and calcium are used in the body to create calcium-phosphate, which is the main component of bone. However, the combination of too much phosphorus with too little calcium in the body can lead to a degeneration of bone mass.
Research suggests a statistically significant inverse relationship between consumption of carbonated beverages and bone mineral density in young girls, which places them at increased risk of suffering fractures in the future. One hypothesis to explain this relationship is that the phosphoric acid contained in some soft drinks (colas) displaces calcium from the bones, lowering bone density of the skeleton and leading to weakened bones, or osteoporosis

Dental decay :

Most soft drinks contain high concentration of simple carbohydrates: glucose, fructose, sucrose and other simple sugars. Oral bacteria ferment carbohydrates and produce acid, which dissolves tooth enamel during the dental decay process; thus, sweetened drinks are likely to increase risk of dental caries. The risk is greater if the frequency of consumption is high.
A large number of soft drinks are acidic, and some may have a pH of 3.0 or even lower. Drinking acidic drinks over a long period of time and continuous sipping can therefore erode the tooth enamel.
Using a drinking straw is often advised by dentists as the drink does not come into as much contact with the teeth. It has also been suggested that brushing teeth right after drinking soft drinks should be avoided as this can result in additional erosion to the teeth due to the presence of acid.

Hypokalemia :

There have been a handful of published reports describing individuals with severe hypokalemia (low potassium levels) related to chronic extreme consumption (4-10 L/day) of soft drinks.

Sugar content :

The USDA's recommended daily intake (RDI) of added sugars is less than 10 teaspoons per day for a 2,000-calorie diet. High caloric intake contributes to obesity if not balanced with exercise, with a large amount of exercise being required to offset even small but calorie-rich food and drinks.
Until 1985, most of the calories in soft drinks came from sugar or corn syrup. As of 2010, in the United States high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is used nearly exclusively as a sweetener because of its lower cost, while in Europe, sucrose dominates, because EU agricultural policies favor production of sugar beets in Europe proper and sugarcane in the former colonies over the production of corn. HFCS has been criticized as having a number of detrimental effects on human health, such as promoting diabetes, hyperactivity, hypertension, and a host of other problems. Although anecdotal evidence has been presented to support such claims, it is well known that the human body breaks sucrose down into glucose and fructose before it is absorbed by the intestines. Simple sugars such as fructose are converted into the same intermediates as in glucose metabolism. However, metabolism of fructose is extremely rapid and is initiated by fructokinase. Fructokinase activity is not regulated by metabolism or hormones and proceeds rapidly after intake of fructose. While the intermediates of fructose metabolism are similar to those of glucose, the rates of formation are excessive. This fact promotes fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis in the liver, leading to accumulation of fat throughout the body and possibly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Increased blood lipid levels also seem to follow fructose ingestion over time.

Weight gain and insulin response to artificial sweeteners :

Animal studies have indicated that a sweet taste induces an insulin response in rats. However, the extension of animal model findings to humans is unclear, as human studies of intragastric infusion of sucralose have shown no insulin response from analogous taste receptors. The release of insulin causes blood sugar to be stored in tissues (including fat). In the case of a response to artificial sweeteners, because blood sugar does not increase there can be increased hypoglycemia or hyperinsulinemia and increased food intake the next time there is a meal. Rats given sweeteners have steadily increased calorie intake, increased body weight, and increased adiposity (fatness). Furthermore, the natural responses to eating sugary foods (eating less at the next meal and using some of the extra calories to warm the body after the sugary meal) are gradually lost.
A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio showed that increased weight gain and obesity were associated with increased use of diet soda in a population based study. The study did not establish whether increased weight gain leads to increased consumption of diet drinks or whether consumption of diet drinks could have an effect on weight gain.

(Club) Soda

2012-04-15T16:54:00.000+05:30

(Club) Soda is also known as Soda, Soda water, Sparkling water but it basically is water into which carbon dioxide gas under pressure has been dissolved, a process that causes the water to become bubbly.

Carbonated water is the defining ingredient of carbonated soft drinks. The method of dissolving carbon dioxide in water is called carbonation.

Preparation :

Carbon dioxide dissolved in water at a low concentration (0.2%–1.0%) creates carbonic acid (H₂CO₃), which causes the water to have a slightly sour taste with a pH between 3 and 4. An alkaline salt, such as sodium bicarbonate, may be added to soda water to reduce its acidity

The process of dissolving carbon dioxide in water is called carbonation. Commercial soda water in siphons is made by chilling filtered plain water to 8 °C (46 °F) or below, optionally adding a sodium or potassium based alkaline compound such as sodium bicarbonate to reduce acidity, and then pressurizing the water with carbon dioxide. The gas dissolves in the water, and a top-off fill of carbon dioxide is added to pressurize the siphon to approximately 120 pounds per square inch.

Uses :

Carbonated water is often drunk plain or mixed with fruit juice. It is also mixed with alcoholic beverages to make cocktails, such as whiskey and soda or Campari and soda. Flavored carbonated water is also commercially available. It differs from sodas in that it contains flavors (usually sour fruit flavors such as lemon, lime, cherry, orange, or raspberry) but no sweetener.
Carbonated water is a diluent. It works well in short drinks made with Alcohols and in long drinks such as those made with vermouth. Adding soda water to 'short' drinks such as spirits dilutes them and makes them 'long'. Report states that the presence of carbon dioxide in a cocktail may accelerate the uptake of alcohol in the blood, making both the inebriation and recovery phases more rapid^] The addition of carbonated water to dilute spirits was especially popular in hot climates and seen as a somewhat "British" habit. Adding soda water to quality Scotch whiskey has been deprecated by whiskey lovers, but was a popular lunchtime drink or early evening pre-dinner or pre-theater drink until the late part of the 20th century.

Health effects :

Carbonated water eases the symptoms of indigestion (dyspepsia) and constipation. This works in two different ways to reduce the effects of indigestion. First, the carbon dioxide gas encourages burping, which can help relieve pressure or a painfully full sensation in the stomach. Second, the sodium bicarbonate -- also known as baking soda -- helps neutralize excess stomach acid.

Researchers found that Club Soda with higher sodium levels reduced cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular problems in postmenopausal women.

Lesser Known Uses of Club Soda :

food preparation

o Club soda can be used in the kitchen to help with a variety of cooking projects. When making breakfast foods such as pancakes and waffles, substitute club soda for the liquid called for in the pancake and waffle recipes for a light, airy texture. Club soda may also be used to make inexpensive soft drinks by adding club soda to fruit juice. Those who love to eat oysters know that shucking them can become a difficult chore. Make shucking a bit easier by soaking oysters in club soda. The soda helps loosen the oyster shells, making the shucking process less cumbersome.

cloth Care

o Grease and food stains sometimes seem impossible to remove from double knit fabrics,carpets and delicate fabrics. Treat stained fabric with club soda and scrub gently to help get the stain out properly. Club soda is also used to remove urine stains by blotting the spot with club soda. Club soda also alleviates the smell associated with urine.

Domestic Cleaning

o Club soda can be poured directly on surfaces like ranges, counter tops and sinks. Wipe clean with a cloth and rinse with warm water. Club soda is also safe for use on porcelain fixtures. A benefit to using club soda for cleaning these surfaces is that it will not damage the finish or leave streaks like other commercial cleaners. Use club soda to help wash heavy cast iron pots and pans. Pour club soda into the used pot or pan while it is still warm to keep food from sticking. Pouring club soda on rusty nails, screws and blots helps alleviate the rust, making them easier to remove.

Plant Care

o Water your house plants using leftover club soda which contains more minerals than tap water. Using club soda once a week helps plant achieve optimum growth.

Ornaments

o Club soda is an effective jewelry cleaner for precious gems such as sapphires, diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Soak stone in a glass of club soda overnight.

Car Windshields

o Keeping a spray bottle filled with club soda in the car helps drivers touch up the windshield. Bird droppings, bug splatter and other road stains cannot be prevented but the carbonation of club soda helps speed up the cleaning process.

Hair Color

o Those who color their hair blonde know that chlorine exposure may cause hair to appear greenish. Rinse hair with club soda after swimming to help restore hair color.

Newspaper Preservation

o A mixture of club soda and milk of magnesia is used to preserve newspaper clippings. Mix one capful of milk of magnesia with one quart of club soda and let the mixture stand overnight. Soak newspaper clippings for about one hour and blot dry.

Hair Care

2012-04-03T16:10:00.001+05:30

Hair care is an in general term for parts of hygiene and cosmetology concerning the hair on the human head. Hair care will differ according to our hair type and according to various processes that can be applied to our hair.

Concern for the hair and care of the scalp skin may appear separate, but are actually intertwined because hair grows from beneath the skin. The living parts of hair (hair follicle, hair root, root sheath, and sebaceous gland) are beneath the skin, while the actual hair shaft which comes out (the cuticle which covers the cortex and medulla) has just dead cells. Damage or changes made to the visible hair shaft cannot be repaired by a biological process, though much can be done to manage hair and ensure that the cuticle remains intact.

The sebaceous glands in human skin produce sebum, which is composed primarily of fatty acids. Sebum acts to guard hair and skin, and can inhibit the growth of microorganisms on the skin. This oily substance gives hair moisture and shine as it travels naturally down the hair shaft, and serves as a protective substance preventing the hair from drying out or absorbing excessive amounts of external substances. Sebum is also distributed down the hair shaft “mechanically” by brushing and combing. When sebum is present in excess, the roots of the hair can appear oily, greasy, and darker than normal, and the hair may stick together.

One way to distribute the hair's natural oils through the hair is by brushing with a natural bristle brush. The natural bristles effectively move the oil from the scalp through to the hair's mid-lengths and ends, nourishing these parts of the hair. Brushing the scalp also stimulates the sebaceous glands, which in turn produces more sebum. When sebum and sweat combine on the scalp surface, they help to create the acid mantle, which is the skin's own protective layer.

Scalp skin, just like any other skin on the body, must be kept healthy to ensure a healthy body and healthy hair production. If the scalp is not cleaned regularly, by the removal of dead skin cells, toxins released through the skin or external hazards (such as bacteria, viruses, and chemicals) may create a breeding ground for infection. However, not all scalp disorders are a result of bacterial infections. Some arise inexplicably, and often only the symptoms can be treated for management of the condition (example: dandruff). There are also bacteria that can affect the hair itself. Head lice are probably the most common hair and scalp ailment worldwide. Head lice can be removed with great attention to detail, and studies show it is not necessarily associated with poor hygiene. More recent studies reveal that head lice actually thrive in clean hair. In this way, hair washing as a term may be a bit misleading, as what is necessary in healthy hair production and maintenance is often simply cleaning the surface of the scalp skin, the way the skin all over the body requires cleaning for good hygiene.

Effect of Water we use :

The minerals are found in groundwater usually extracted using a (tube) well. The level of calcium that is found naturally from the ground determines the hardness of water. While calcium is the element that determines hardness of water, there are many other elements in well water that affect hair, scalp and skin. Ground water or (tube) well water consists of various minerals and their role is described as under

· Calcium causes hair to feel dry and lack shine and volume. It can prevent the proper processing of color, highlights, perms or relaxer/straighteners and can cause a perm to appear relaxed. Calcium builds up on the scalp causing flaking of the scalp, giving the appearance of dandruff. Calcium can choke the hair at the mouth of the follicle causing the hair to break off, and then coat the scalp, blocking further new hair growth.

· Iron can cause water to have a red or rusty hue. Iron leaves hair feeling dry, brittle and weighted down. It causes lack of shine and can cause dark hair to tint darker and blonde hair to turn orange. Iron can inhibit the proper processing of perms, color, highlights, and relaxers/straighteners.

· Copper discolors hair causing blonde hair to turn green and dark hair to tint darker. Copper can weigh hair down and cause dryness, and can inhibit the proper processing of perms, color, highlights, and relaxers/straighteners.

· Magnesium causes hair to lack shine, feel dry, appear weighted down therefore lacking volume, and can inhibit the proper processing of perms, color, highlights, and relaxers/straighteners.

· Silica causes many of the same effects on the hair as calcium. It causes hair to feel dry, lack volume, and can cause dandruff-like symptoms of flaking. Build-up of silica can choke the hair follicle causing hair to fall out.

· Lead can cause the hair to feel dry. Lead can prevent the proper processing of perms, color, highlights, and relaxers/straighteners.

To improve the hair health and further prevent issues with dryness and buildup, people uses a shower head filter that will remove the minerals found in most city waters. However, hard water minerals and the sanitizing agents like Chlorine can also deposit in or on the hair, building up over time. The chemical and mineral content of water varies by geography.

Types of Hair Damage :

Split ends :

Split ends, known formally as trichoptilosis, happen when the protective cuticle has been stripped away from the ends of hair fibers.
This condition involves a longitudinal splitting of the hair fiber. Any chemical or physical upset, such as heat, that weathers the hair may eventually lead to split ends. Typically, the damaged hair fiber splits into two or three strands and the split may be two to three centimeters in length. Split ends are most often observed in long hair but also occur in short hair that is not in good condition.
As hair grows, the natural protective oils of the scalp can fail to reach the ends of the hair. The ends are considered old once they reach about 10 centimeters since they have had long exposure to the sun, gone through many shampoos and may have been overheated by hair dryers and hot irons. This all results in dry, brittle ends which are prone to splitting. Infrequent trims and lack of hydrating treatments can intensify this condition.

Breakage and other damage :

Hair can be damaged by chemical exposure, prolonged or repeated heat exposure (as through the use of heat styling tools), and at times by excessive perming and straightening.

Infections and skin disorders :

When hair behaves in an unusual way, or a scalp skin disorder arises, it is often required to visit not only a qualified physician, but sometimes a dermatologist, or a trichologist. Conditions that require this type of professional help include, but are not limited to, forms of alopecia (Baldness), hair pulling/picking, hair that sticks straight out, black dots on the hair, and rashes or burns resulting from chemicals we apply on our hair.
There are a number of disorders that are particular to the scalp. Symptoms may include:

Abnormal odor
Bleeding
Bumps
Caking skin buildup that appears white or another color than one's natural skin tone
Chafes
Clumps of hair falling out
Clumpy flakes that do not easily slough off the scalp skin
Dandruff
Excessive itchiness that doesn't go away with a few hair wash, redness of scalp skin
Patches of thinning
Pus-like drainage
Shedding

Any of these symptoms may indicate a need for professional assistance from a dermatologist or trichologist for diagnosis.
Scalp skin can suffer from infestations of mites, lice, infections of the follicles or fungus. There could be allergic reactions to ingredients in chemical preparations applied to the hair, even ingredients from shampoo or conditioners. Common concerns surrounding dandruff (often associated with excessive sebum); psoriasis, eczema, or seborrheic dermatitis.
An odor that persists for a few weeks despite regular hair washing may be an indication of a health problem on the scalp skin.

Not all flakes are dandruff. For example, some can merely be product buildup on the scalp skin. This could result from the common practice of applying conditioner to scalp skin without washing. This would dry upon the scalp skin and flake off, appearing like dandruff and even causing itchiness, but have no health effects whatsoever.

Hormone changes and imbalances :

There are various reasons for hair loss, most commonly hormonal issues. Fluctuations in hormones will often show in the hair. Not all hair loss is related to what is known as male pattern baldness, women can suffer from baldness just as men do. Formulas for addressing this specific cause of lack of hair growth yet typically they require around three months of consistent use for results to begin to appear. Cessation may also mean that gained growth may dissipate.

Particularly among women, thyroid disease is one of the more under-diagnosed health concerns. Hair falling out in clumps is one symptom of a set of symptoms that may indicate a thyroid concern. In many gynecological exams a blood screen for thyroid is now a common protocol. Thyroid often shows up first in the behavior of the hair.

During pregnancy and breast feeding, the normal and natural shedding process is typically suspended (starting around month three because it takes a while for the body to recognize and reset for the hormonal shifts the body goes through) for the period of gestation and extended longer if one breast feeds (this includes pumping for breast milk). Upon cessation of either of these, it typically takes around two months for the hormones to shift again to the normal hormonal settings, and hair shedding can increase exponentially, for approximately 3–6 months until hair returns to its normal volume. It is commonly noticed that hair seems thicker and shinier, even, during pregnancy and breast feeding in response to the influx of shifting hormones. It is not unusual also for hair color to change, or hair structure to change (e.g., straighter hair, curlier hair). These changes can occur more often than people may realize yet isn't often reported.

Hair care and nutrition :

Genetics and general health are factors in healthy hair. Proper nutrition is important for hair health. The living part of hair is under the scalp skin where the hair root is housed in the hair follicle. The entire follicle and root are fed by a vein, and blood carries nutrients to the follicle/root. Any time an individual has any kind of health concern from stress, trauma, medications of various sorts, chronic medical conditions or medical conditions that come and then wane, heavy metals in waters and food, smoking etc. these and more can affect the hair, its growth, and its appearance.

Generally, eating a full diet that contains protein, fruits, vegetables, fat, and carbohydrates is important (several vitamins and minerals require fat in order to be delivered or absorbed by the body). Any deficiency will typically show first in the hair. A mild case of anemia can cause shedding and hair loss. Among others, the B group of vitamins is the most important for healthy hair, especially biotin. B₅ (pantothenic Acid) gives hair flexibility, strength and shine and helps prevent hair loss and graying. B6 helps prevent dandruff and can be found in cereals, egg yolk and liver. Vitamin B₁₂ helps prevent the loss of hair and can be found in fish, eggs, chicken and milk.

When the body is under strain, it re prioritizes its processes. For example, the vital organs will be attended to first, meaning that healthy, oxygenated blood may not feed into the hair follicle, resulting in less healthy hair or a decline in growth rate. While not all hair growth issues stem from malnutrition, it is a valuable symptom in diagnosis.

Scalp hair grows, on average, at a rate of about half an inch per month, and shampoos or vitamins have not been shown to noticeably change this rate. Hair growth rate also depends upon what phase in the cycle of hair growth one is actually in; there are three phases. The speed of hair growth varies based upon genetics, gender, age, hormones, and may be reduced by nutrient deficiency (i.e., anorexia, anemia, zinc deficiency) and hormonal fluctuations (i.e., menopause, polycystic ovaries, thyroid disease).

The essential omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin B12, and iron, found in fish sources, prevent a dry scalp and dull hair color. Dark green vegetables contain high amounts of vitamins A and C, which help with production of sebum and provide a natural hair conditioner. Legumes provide protein to promote hair growth and also contain iron, zinc, and biotin. Biotin functions to activate certain enzymes that aid in metabolism of carbon dioxide as well as protein, fats, and carbohydrates. A deficiency in biotin intake can cause brittle hair and can lead to hair loss. In order to avoid a deficiency, individuals can find sources of biotin in cereal-grain products, liver, egg yolk, soy flour, and yeast. Nuts contain high sources of selenium and therefore are important for a healthy scalp. Alpha-linoleic acid and zinc are also found in some nuts and help condition the hair and prevent hair shedding that can be caused by a lack of zinc. Protein deficiencies or low-quality protein can produce weak and brittle hair, and can eventually result in loss of hair color. Low-fat dairy products are good sources of calcium, a key component for hair growth. A balanced diet is extremely necessary for a healthy scalp and furthermore healthy hair.

So focus on your diet and lifestyle instead of searching for miracle medicines. Results are slow but sure.

Hair Color

2012-04-01T16:48:00.001+05:30

Hair coloring is the process of adding color to or removing color from the hair shaft. Hair coloring process may be referred to as coloring or bleaching, depending on whether we are adding or removing color to our hair. Most common reasons are to cover gray hair, to change to a color regarded as more trendy, and to restore the original hair color.

Our hair color is the pigmentation of hair follicles due to two types of melanin namely Eumelanin and Pheomelanin. Normally, if more melanin is present, the color of the hair is darker; if less melanin is present, the hair is lighter. Levels of melanin can vary over time causing a person's hair color to change. It is likely to have hair follicles of more than one color in a person.

There are mainly three kinds of Hair colors available in the market. They are,

1. Temporary Hair Color.

2. Semi Permanent Hair Color.

3. Permanent Hair Color.

Temporary Hair Color :

Temporary hair color plainly coat the hair shaft with pigments which later wash off. Temporary hair colors may deposit acidic dyes onto the outer surface of the hair shaft or might consist of some pigment molecules that can slip inside the hair shaft, using a small amount of peroxide or none at all. Shampooing will eventually dislodge temporary hair color. These products don't contain ammonia, meaning the hair shaft isn't opened up during processing and the hair's natural color is retained once we washout our hair.

Semi-permanent hair Color :

Semi-permanent hair color has smaller molecules than temporary colors, and is therefore able to partially break in the hair shaft. For this cause, the color will survive repeated washing, typically 4–5 shampoos or a few weeks. Semi-permanents colors contain nil, or very low levels of developer, peroxide or ammonia, and are therefore safer for damaged or fragile hair. However, semi-permanents may still contain the toxic compound p-phenylenediamine or other such ingredients.

Semi-permanents have several advantages as compared with permanent color. Because there is essentially no lifting (i.e., removal) of natural hair color, the final color is less uniform/homogeneous than a permanent and therefore more natural looking; they are gentler on hair and therefore safer, especially for damaged hair.

Permanent Hair Color :

Practically all permanent hair colors use a two-step process (usually occurring concurrently) which first removes the original color of the hair and then deposits a new color. It's essentially the same process as lightening, except a colorant is then bonded within the hair shaft. Ammonia is the alkaline chemical that opens the hair cuticle and allows the hair color to penetrate the cortex of the hair. It also acts as a catalyst when the permanent hair color comes together with the peroxide. Peroxide is used as the developer or oxidizing agent. The developer removes pre-existing color. Peroxide breaks chemical bonds in hair, releasing sulfur, which accounts for the characteristic odor of hair color. As the melanin is decolorized, a new permanent color is bonded to the hair cortex. Various types of alcohols and conditioners may also be present in hair color. The conditioners close the cuticle after coloring to seal in and protect the new color.

Mechanism of Action of Hair Color :

The most popular way to achieve permanent hair coloring is through the use of oxidation dyes. The ingredients of these products include 2,5-diaminotoluene a coupling agent, and an oxidant. The process is typically performed under basic conditions.

The mechanism of oxidation dyes involves three steps:

1) Oxidation of 1,4-diaminobenzene derivative to the quinone state.
2) Reaction of this diamine with a coupler.
3) Oxidation of the resulting compound to give the final dye.

Oxidizing agents are usually hydrogen peroxide, and the alkaline environment is generally provided by ammonia. The blend of hydrogen peroxide and the primary intermediate causes the natural hair to be lightened, which provides a blank canvas for the dye. Ammonia opens the hair shaft so that the dye can actually bond with the hair, and ammonia speeds up the reaction of the dye with the hair.

Most permanent color changes require that the cuticle of the hair be opened so the color change can take place within the cuticle. This process, which uses chemicals to alter the structure of the hair, can damage the cuticle or internal structure of the hair, leaving it dry, weak, or prone to breakage. After the hair processing, the cuticle may not fully close, which results in coarse hair or an accelerated loss of pigment. Generally, the lighter the chosen color from one's initial hair color, the more damaged it may be.

Bleaching :

Bleach is used to lighten hair color. The bleach reacts with the melanin in hair, removing the color in an irreversible chemical reaction. The bleach oxidizes the melanin molecule. The melanin is still present, but its oxidized molecule is colorless. However, bleached hair tends to have a pale yellow tone. The yellow color is the natural color of keratin, the structural protein in hair. Also, bleach reacts more readily with the dark eumelanin pigment than with the phaeomelanin, so some gold or red residual color may remain after lightening. Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most common lightening agents. The peroxide is used in an alkaline solution, which opens the hair shaft to allow the peroxide to react with the melanin. Bleaching has the side effect of raising of the cuticle, making the hair more porous.

When you bleach your hair, some of your natural pigment will stay. Even though people believe that if you bleach your hair, you can apply any color and it will come out how the color swatch looks. This is not always the case. Since some of your natural pigment stays, it mixes with the color base you are applying and can some times cause, well, a funky color. If you've ever-turned green or orange, you know what I mean!

Common Hair Colorant Ingredients & Their Functions :

Component	Function	Ingredients
Solvent	Dye vehicle	Water, Propylene glycol, Ethanol, Glycerin
Surfactant	Foaming, thickening	Sodium lauryl sulfate, Ceteareth-25, Cocoamide MEA, Oleth-5
Alkali	Swell hair	bleaching Ammonia, Monoethanolamine
Buffer	Stabilize, reproducible	Disodium phosphate, Citric acid.
Dye precursors	Impart color	P-Aminophenol, 1-Naphtol, P-Phenylenediamine, 4-Amino-2-hydroxytoluene
Fatty alcohols	Emollients	Glyceryl stearate, Cetearyl alcohol
Quaternary compounds	Conditioning	Polyquaternium, Cetrimonium chloride
Peroxide, Oxidant	bleaching	Hydrogen peroxide

How Safe is Hair Color :

Cancers develop due to a combination of many factors damaging the DNA of a cell in the body. Many studies have been conducted to try to determine whether long-term hair dye use causes cancer, and it is still a controversial subject. Most studies have focused on a possible increased risk of bladder cancer. Some studies have found that women who had consistently used hair dye long term had higher levels, and other studies did not. Many official bodies have determined that the evidence so far is inconclusive.

However, new studies have linked hair dye use to development of a specific type of cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (Zhang et al, 2008). This study looked at groups of women suffering from this disease, and a control group. It was found that women who started using hair dye, particularly darker colors, before 1980 had an increased risk of developing the disease.

The strongest evidence that hair dyes can cause cancer in humans comes from studies of cancer rates in hairstylists. One study found that if a hairstylist had used hair dyes at work for 5 years or more, she had a three times higher risk of developing breast cancer. Other studies have consistently found that hair colorists have an increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma and leukemia.
Studies have shown that hair stylists have higher rates of skin allergies, asthma and breast cancer.

"Hair coloring is a personal decision for all kinds of reasons. But if you are the person, if semi-permanent or temporary dyes could serve your purpose, You should do it. Because these contain much less of the ingredients linked to cancer."

Hair Styling and Fixing Gel/crème :

2012-03-22T16:29:00.000+05:30

Styling and Fixing Gel/crème :

Hair gel is a hairstyling product that is used to stiffen hair into a particular style and or to give our hair a wet look. They are similar to, but stronger than, those of hair spray and hair wax.

It is used for grooming, styling and managing hair. The first hair gel was created in 1929 called Brylcreem; it was the first mass-marketed men's hair care product. Prior to the introduction of commercial hair gel, people used petroleum jelly to keep their hair in place till the end of the day.

Many types of hair gel is available in the market in numbered variants. Higher numbered gels maintain a greater "hold" on hair, while lower numbers do not make the hair as stiff and in some products give the hair a wet look. A category typically referred to as "ethnic" gels are designed and manufactured specifically for sculpting the hair texture common to African Americans.

Some types of hair gel contain temporary hair coloring for the hair, including variants in unnatural colors allied with various subcultures, and are popular within the goth and raver subcultures.

Mechanisms of action over Hair:

A hair styling gel is designed to help hold hair in a fixed shape. It is a clear product that is smoothed through the hair, coating it, and setting up a rigid film that inhibits movement. A well-formulated gel will remain flexible when initially applied but will become stiff when it dries.

Cationic polymers are one of the main functional components of hair gel. The positive charges in polymer causes it to stretch, making the gel more viscous. Hair gels resist natural protein conformations and allow hair to be styled and textured. This is because the stretched-out polymer takes up more space than a coiled polymer and thus resists the flow of solvent molecules around it. The positive charges also bind the gel to the negatively charged amino acids on the surface of the keratin molecules in the hair. More complicated polymer formulas exist; e.g., a copolymer of vinylpyrrolidone, methacrylamide, and N-vinylimidazole.

Frequency of application of Hair Gel and hair health :

Doctors advise against applying hair gel daily. According to them hair needs to breath.

Though hair is a dead cell, these dead cells can react in certain ways to the chemicals that are used on them. The regular application of chemicals can break, discolor and dry our hair.
Using a hair gel with a large percentage of alcohol, for instance, will dry the hair shaft and make it more prone to breakage.
Excessive usage of gels with harmful ingredients can harm the scalp skin damaging the hair eventually.
Avoid applying hair gel to the ends of the hair as this might weigh it down and reduce the motion.
Do not apply too much of gel on a particular area alone.
Hair gels are good on fine and medium hair. If your hair is thick, then you have to take special efforts to style your hair.
Every type of hair and hair style will require no more than a small chunk of gel, so do not use excess as this will give your hair a hard and crunchy look. The alcohol in the gel will dry up your hair if used in excess amounts.
Carry out a patch test to ensure that your skin is ready for the hair gel you are going to use.

Ingredients of Hair gel :

The primary ingredients of hair gel include humectant, plasticizer and a water-soluble polymer. They come include beeswax, alcohol and petroleum jelly. Other ingredients might include herb extracts, vitamins, nutrients and fatty acids for promoting hair growth. Most of these ingredients are listed by their chemical names. Here is a list of possible chemicals you might see on the labels of your hair gel and their possible adverse impact on your health.

Polyquaternium-11 : This is a possible carcinogen and a respiratory toxin.
Panthenol : Experiments conducted on animals show broad systemic effects at high doses.
Benzyl Nicotinate - These exhibit broad systemic toxicity in animals.
Zinc PCA : This has been found to be persistent, bioaccumulative in wildlife.
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate : This may contain harmful impurities.
Phytic Acid : Animal studies show brain and nervous system effects at moderate doses.
Dipropylene Glycol : Tests done on animal effect on sense organs at moderate doses.
Polysorbate 20 : Studies on animal show reproductive effects at high doses.
Methylchloroisothiazolinone : This has been found to be human immune system toxicant.
Tetrasodium EDTA : Animal studies show sense organ effects at low doses
Methylparaben : This is a possible carcinogen, neurotoxin and a skin irritant.
Fragrance : This could be an irritant for those with allergies.

Shampoo & Conditioners

2012-03-20T17:59:00.003+05:30

Hair care products are mainly divided as, Shampoos, Conditioners, Styling and Fixing gels, colorants, and hair loss care products.

Shampoo and Conditioners :

Hair grows all over the place on our skin except on the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet. Hair is made up of a protein named keratin (the same protein in our nails) produced in hair follicles in the outer layer of skin. As follicles produce new hair cells, old dead cells are being pushed out through the surface of the skin at the rate of about six inches a year. The hair you can see is actually a string of dead keratin cells, just like your nails. The average adult head has about 100,000 to 140,000 hairs and loses up to 100 of them a day; so seeing a few strands of hairs on your hairbrush is not necessarily cause for distress.

There are some clues to identify the type of your hair. If your hair looks dull and greasy, it is an oily hair. It can quickly become oily. It can attract dirt easily. You may have to wash your hair frequently in that case. If your hair has split ends, tough to the touch, frizzy and if you find the combing or brushing operation difficult, then your hair is dry hair. After concluding on the type of your hair, have it confirmed from a competent source and then go to the market for choosing the right type of shampoo for your hair. If your hair is chemically treated, you have to go in for a shampoo designed specifically for that purpose. Also find out the texture of your hair, whether medium or coarse and select a proper shampoo to treat it. If you have curly or wavy hair the shampoo should be able to penetrate up to the root of the hair. If you have dandruff problems specially designed shampoos are available. A pharmacist can guide on your choice.

Hair care is an overall term for parts of hygiene and cosmetology involving the hair on the human head. Hair care will differ according to one's hair type and according to various processes that can be applied to hair. All hair is not the same; indeed, hair is a manifestation of human diversity.

Shampoo:

Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in our hair. The object is to remove the undesired build up on hair without stripping out so much sebum on hair. (Sebum is an oily substance secreted by the sebaceous glands attached to hair follicles. Its main purpose is to make hair waterproof and to protect them from drying out).

Shampoos have a pH of between 4 and 6 and do not contain soap. Soapless shampoos are acidic and therefore closer to the natural pH of hair. Acidic shampoos are the most common type used and maintain or improve the condition of the hair as they don't swell the hair shaft and don't strip the natural oils.

Shampoo is generally made by combining a surfactant, most often sodium lauryl sulfate and/or sodium laureth sulfate with a co-surfactant, most often cocamidopropyl betaine in water to form a thick, viscous liquid. Other essential ingredients include salt (sodium chloride), which is used to adjust the viscosity, a preservative and fragrance.

Needless to say that we are adding chemicals through our scalp skin to our bodies being Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Xylene Sulfonate, TEA Lauryl Sulfate, Sulfur (in dandruff shampoos)
Selenium Sulfide (in dandruff shampoos), Less common ingredients, Magnesium Sulfate
Sodium Thiosulfate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Alkyl Sodium Sulfate, Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate, TEA-Dodecylbenzene, Sodium C12-15 Alkyl Sulfate, Sodium Dodecyl Sulfonate

Conditioners :

Even though most modern shampoos include a conditioning component, shampooing is frequently followed by the use of conditioners which ease combing and styling. Conditioners are often used after shampooing to smooth down the cuticle layer of the hair, which can become roughened during the physical process of shampooing.

There are three main types of conditioners:

Anti-oxidant conditioners : which are mainly used in salons after chemical services and prevent creeping oxidation.

Internal conditioners : which enter into the cortex of the hair and help improve the hair's internal condition (also known as treatments).

External conditioners : or everyday conditioners, which smooth down the cuticle layer, making the hair shiny, combable and smooth. Conditioners can also provide a physical layer of protection for the hair against physical and environmental damage.

Conditioners are frequently acidic, as low pH protonates the amino acids, providing the hair with positive charge and thus more hydrogen bonds between the keratin scales, giving the hair a more compact structure. Organic acids such as citric acid are usually used to maintain acidity.

There are several types of hair conditioner ingredients, differing in composition and functionality:

Moisturizers : whose role is to hold moisture in the hair. Usually these contain high proportions of humectants.
Reconstructors : usually containing hydrolyzed protein. Their role is supposedly to penetrate the hair and strengthen its structure through polymer cross linking.
Acidifiers : acidity regulators which maintain the conditioner's pH at about 3.5. In contact with acidic environment, the hair's somewhat scaly surface tightens up, as the hydrogen bonds between the keratin molecules are strengthened.

Detanglers : which modify the hair surface by pH as acidifiers, and/or by coating it with polymers, as glossers.
Thermal protectors : usually heat-absorbing polymers, shielding the hair against excessive heat, caused by, e.g., blow-drying or curling irons or hot rollers.
Glossers : light-reflecting chemicals which bind to the hair surface. Usually polymers, usually silicones, e.g., dimethicone or cyclomethicone.
Oils (EFAs - essential fatty acids) : which can help dry/porous hair become more soft and pliable. The scalp produces natural oil called sebum. EFAs are the closest thing to natural sebum (sebum contains EFAs).
Surfactants : Hair consists of approximately 97% of a protein called keratin. The surface of keratin contains negatively-charged amino acids. Hair conditioners therefore usually contain cationic surfactants, which don't wash out completely, because their hydrophilic ends strongly bind to keratin. The hydrophobic ends of the surfactant molecules then act as the new hair surface.
Lubricants : such as fatty alcohols, panthenol, dimethicone, etc.
Sequestrants : for better function in hard water.
Antistatic agents.
Preservatives.

Read out. What do the contents of our Shampoo and Conditioners actually do to our hair:

Ingredients that do nothing :

Proteins
Digesting proteins will certainly improve your health but washing your hair with them won't change a thing.

Vitamins and provitamins
Offer no advantage to hair care or hair problems.

Botanical extracts
Make a product smell good but do not offer any other beneficial qualities to hair care.

UV protectant
Very minimal results were noted on the tested products.

Fruit acids, a.k.a. alpha-hydroxy acids
Offers no benefit to hair care.

Antioxidants
Offers no benefit to hair care.

Designer water
Benefits derived from including designer water to hair products will be washed away with normal shower water.

Humectants
Manufacturers use humectants in shampoo mainly to increase advertising verbiage. The shampoo detergents remove the humectants that attract moisture to hair.

Ingredients that actually Work:

Ammonium lauryl sulfate
Detergent type ingredient that cleans the hair.

Guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride
Promotes smoothness and volume to hair.

Dimethicone
Coats the hair adding to manageability and softness.

Many of the less expensive shampoo products contain the basic ingredients which will actually improve hair, while leaving out the fluff ingredients. Antioxidants and botanical extracts may make the product more appealing, but can also run up the price, offering no true benefit to improving our hair.

Perfumes, Deodorants, and Body Sprays

2012-02-26T15:10:00.000+05:30

Perfumes, Deodorants, and Body Sprays:

We love to wear fragrances. It is true that there is very powerful connection between scent and memory, as well as scent and emotion. Our love for fragrance has allowed marketers to reach their audience by linking fragrance with a desired quality such as ‘Sexiness’, or ‘Freshness’, or ‘Innocence’. This message is so pervasive that we feel it necessary to wear a fragrance in order to be desirable or feel sexy that fragrance is considered a 'normal' component of our everyday lives.

Fragrances are used in an wide variety of fields, including Perfumes proper, cosmetic products, Hygienic products, Drugs, Detergents and other Household products, Plastics, Industrial greases, Oils and Solvents, Foods, etc. Their composition is usually complex and it involves numerous natural and synthetic sweet-smelling constituents.

Perfumes, Colognes and Body sprays are often called “Fragrances”. But under the law, the term fragrance is defined as a combination of chemicals that gives each perfume or cologne its distinct scent. Fragrance ingredients may be produced by chemical synthesis

or derived from petroleum or natural raw materials. Companies that manufacture perfume or cologne or sprays purchase Fragrance mixtures from fragrance houses (companies that specialize in developing fragrances) to develop their own proprietary blends/brands. Perfumes, Colognes, and Sprays also contain solvents, stabilizers, UVabsorbers, preservatives and dyes. These additives are frequently, but not always, listed on product labels. In contrast, the chemical components in fragrance itself are protected as trade secrets and described on the label only as “fragrance”.

Deodorants and Body Sprays are substances applied to the body to affect body odor caused by bacterial growth and the smell associated with bacterial breakdown of perspiration in armpits, feet and other areas of the body. Their main function is to smell nice, and not prevent sweating or odors.

Mechanism of Action is

neutralizing the smell of the perspiration mixed with bacteria
antiseptic action against that bacteria

Deodorants are healthier than antiperspirants because they don’t interfere with perspiration, but many conventional brands contain harsh, potentially toxic ingredients.

The chemicals found in sprays such as butane and propane can contribute to skin irritation for some. Fragrance-free deodorant sprays made from natural mineral salts are becoming increasingly popular for consumers who suffer from sensitive skin or fragrance sensitivities these days.

Antiperspirants, a subgroup of deodorants, (Sprays, Roll on or Sticks) affect odor as well as prevent sweating by affecting sweat glands. Antiperspirants are typically applied to the underarms, while deodorants may also be used on feet and other areas in the form of body sprays. Antiperspirants work by clogging, closing, or blocking the pores with aluminum ions so they cannot release perspiration. Aluminum is a hazardous material that the FDA allows to be added to body care products in regulated amounts. There is no proof that these “regulated amounts” of what is essentially poisonous to the human body are actually safe. Arguments against the use of aluminum emphasize the fact that aluminum accumulates in the brain over a period and may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancers. Aluminium salts have been established as a neurotoxin. At high doses, aluminium itself adversely affects the blood-brain barrier, and is capable of causing DNA damage, and has adverse epigenetic effects. Research has shown that high doses of the aluminium salts used in antiperspirants have detrimental effects to a number of species such as non-human primates, mice, and dogs.

Recent studies on the effects of aluminum and the dangers of antiperspirant usage suggest that it travels more easily into the lymphatic system when underarms are shaved.

Our antiperspirant label may list aluminum as:

aluminum chlorohydrate
ammonium aluminum sulfate
potassium aluminum sulfate
aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly.

In many countries, deodorants are classified and regulated as cosmetics by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Antiperspirants are classified as drugs by the FDA.

The Physiology of Perspiration:

The Apocrine glands are the reason that underarm perspiration smells stronger than the sweat secreted by the rest of the body. The two types of sweat glands that cover the human skin are:

Apocrine, or scent, glands located only in the armpit, ear, navel, nipple, and genital regions
Eccrine glands do the work of regulating the body’s temperature by secreting a watery sweat over the skin. This sweat quickly evaporates and maintains the body temperature.

In hot weather or under stress or hard exercise, excessive perspiration exceeds the rate of evaporation. Sweat produced by the eccrine glands does not contribute to body odor because eccrine sweat contains no substances that are attractive to bacteria. Apocrine sweat, on the other hand, contains organic compounds that are quickly populated by bacteria on the surface of the skin. This bacterial activity is what produces underarm odor.

Human perspiration is largely odorless until it is fermented by bacteria that thrive in hot and humid environments. Our underarm is among the most consistently warm areas on the surface of our body, and sweat glands provide moisture, which when excreted, has a vital cooling effect. When adult armpits are washed with alkaline pH soap, the skin loses its acid mantle (pH 4.5 - 6), raising the skin pH and disrupting the skin barrier. As many bacteria thrive in this elevated pH environment, this makes the skin susceptible to bacterial colonization. The bacteria feed on the sweat from the apocrine glands and on dead skin and hair cells, releasing trans-3-Methyl-2-hexenoic acid in their waste, which is the primary cause of body odor. Underarm hair wicks the moisture away from the skin and aids in keeping the skin dry enough to prevent or diminish bacterial colonization. The hair is less susceptible to bacterial growth and therefore is ideal for preventing the bacterial (body) odor.

The US FDA says that people with renal dysfunction may not be aware that the daily use of antiperspirant drug products containing aluminum may put them at a higher risk because of exposure to aluminium in the product." The agency warns people with renal dysfunction to consult a doctor before using antiperspirants containing aluminum.

Yes, your Perfumes, Colognes, Deodorants, and Body Sprays contains…

(The List being so long, we are considering few ingredients here).

Coumarin :
Previously the active ingredient in rat poison. A carcinogenic ingredient used in the manufacturing of deodorants, shampoos, skin fresheners and perfumes.

Parabens :From 1998 on, reports started appearing stating that parabens had
estrogenic-like activity in mice, in rats, and in human breast cancer cells in the lab. Since most breast cancers respond to estrogen the link between deodorants and breast cancer did not seem so outlandish anymore. So, currently, questioning the safety of applying hormone-mimicking compounds to an area so close to the breast appears to have gained some legitimacy. In addition, estrogen/progesterone Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) was found to significantly increase breast cancer risk making the paraben-cancer connection even more badly. New study actually tells us that up to now it was known that parabens could be absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract or the blood, metabolized, and eventually excreted in the urine. But now the presence of intact parabens in tumor tissue shows that these chemicals can not only be absorbed through the skin but can also persist and accumulate in breast cancer tissue in their original form, without being degraded. This is shocking information. We do not yet know how long they can persist and what effects they might have. The chemical form of the parabens found in breast tumors suggests that the source is probably from underarm cosmetics.

Diethyl phthalate is a fragrance solvent that has been associated with adverse effects on the development of the reproductive system in epidemiological studies. Although research is not yet definitive on the mechanism of DEP toxicity, findings from human studies raise strong concerns about the safety of DEP exposures.

Benzyl salicylate, benzyl benzoate and scent chemical

lilial (butylphenyl methylpropional) have been demonstrated estrogenic

activity in a recent study with human breast cancer cells.

a-Terpineol: highly irritating to mucous membranes, aspiration into the lungs can produce pneumonitis or even fatal edema., also can cause excitement, ataxia (loss of muscular coordination), hypothermia, CNS respiratory depression, headache, prevent repeated or prolonged skin contact, found in perfumes and cologne.

Benzaldehyde: narcotic, sensitizer, local anesthetic, CNS depressant, irritation to the mouth, throat, eyes, skin, lungs, an GI tract, causing nausea and abdominal pain, may cause kidney damage, do not use with contact lenses. Found in perfume, cologne, and body sprays.

Benzyl acetate: carcinogenic, linked to pancreatic cancer, from vapors irritating to eyes and respiratory passages, exciting cough, can be absorbed through the skin causing systemic effects, is used in perfumes and colognes, and deodorants.

Petroleum distillates: extremely hazardous for humans, may cause cancer, lung damage if swallowed, many chemicals are petroleum based, for example 95% of all synthetic fragrances creating serious health problems.

Yes there are Chemical sensitizers (skin irritants) in perfumes, colognes and body sprays that can cause Allergic effects associated with exposure to such fragranced products.

There are Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals in perfumes, colognes, and body sprays.

There are twelve fragrance chemicals that may affect sex hormones and the thyroid function.

In most of the countries, cosmetics law does not provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require safety testing for fragrances or to approve fragrances prior to their sale. Nor does the FDA itself systematically review the safety of cosmetic and fragrance ingredients.

Products we put on our bodies should not contain chemicals that could damage our health. Yet due to gaping holes in government law, it is perfectly legal for perfumes, colognes, and body spray products manufacturers to contain sensitizers, hormone disruptors, reproductive toxicants, carcinogens and other toxic chemicals linked to harmful health effects.

So what can we do about?

Yes we need smarter laws and greater public awareness to have safer products.

Comprehensive safe cosmetics legislation is necessary to give the FDA the authority and resources it needs to ensure cosmetics are free of toxic chemicals. New health-protective policies are needed to protect the safety and health of the people from toxic, untested and unregulated chemicals in the cosmetics and personal care products we buy every day and should include:

• Ingredients suggesting linked to cancer and birth defects must be phased out of

cosmetics.

• To create a Health based Safety Standard and all ingredients in cosmetics must meet

that health-based safety standard that includes protections for children and other

vulnerable populations.

• Pre-market safety assessment of cosmetics ingredients that includes protections for

children and other vulnerable populations.

• Required listing on product labels of all chemical constituent ingredients in personal

care products, including fragrances and contaminants.

• Health and safety data-sharing across the globe to avoid duplicative testing and

encourage transparency and alternatives to animal testing.

• Government support for the creation of innovative solutions and safe alternatives to toxic

chemicals in cosmetics.

• Government support for small businesses to help them meet legal regulations for safer

products.

• Adequate Budgeting and funding and support to the FDA to provide effective oversight

of the cosmetics industry.

Q : Which is better? To drink your perfume (Chemicals) or apply it to your skin?

A : When you drink your perfume(Chemicals), your body will absorb it from the
gastrointestinal tract, get it metabolized, and eventually excreted in the urine.

When you apply it to your skin, it rapidly enters your body intact and starts damaging your vital organs.

Ya...but don't ever try that either...

Moisturizers

2012-02-24T15:30:00.001+05:30

Moisturizers are chemicals specially formulated to make the external layers of the skin (epidermis) softer and more elastic. They increase the skin's hydration (water content) by reducing evaporation. Naturally occurring skin lipids and sterols as well as artificial or natural oils, humectants, emollients, lubricants, etc. may be part of the composition of skin moisturizers available in the market.

Moisturizers prevent and treat dry skin, protect sensitive skin, improve skin tone and texture, and mask imperfections.

Moisturizers can be used to prevent the skin from becoming too dry or oily, such as with light, non greasy water-based moisturizers. Such moisturizers often contain lightweight oils, such as cetyl alcohol, or silicone-derived ingredients, such as cyclomethicone.

Moisturizes of the new generation has substances of the natural plant products, vitamins, collagen, elastin, desoxyribonucleic acid, ribonudeic acid, lecithins, retinoids and etc.

Some active ingredients in moisturizers are vitamin C, Aloe Vera, alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10 and vitamin A

Mechanisms of action over skin:

There are three mechanisms applied to moisturize skin.

· Occlusives: These work by forming a thin film on the outer surface of the skin to prevent any loss of moisture.

· Humectants: These attract water from the air in order to moisturize the skin.

· Restoration of Deficient Materials: These are more complex and try to restore natural moisturizing factors on the skin such as amino-lipids.

We use skin care products on a daily basis. We want to smell good, have and moist shiny skin. But something nasty lurks beneath the sweet perfume and creams. Cosmetic companies are using chemicals that are known to cause cancer and birth defects, and there are no regulations at all to control the amount of toxins that are entering our bodies.

Personal care products do not need approval from the Government Drug Agencies before reaching the shelves of your local stores and chemists. There are virtually no restrictions on the ingredients that may be used in personal care products since the Government Agencies cannot require safety testing of products before they are sold to the public. The cosmetic companies themselves are held responsible for the safety of their own products. As a result and driven by profit rather than a concern for human health and well-being, personal care products are often filled with synthetic and hazardous chemicals. A study done by the US National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health lists 884 chemicals in use by the cosmetic industry as toxic substances. But according to the US FDA, cosmetic companies are responsible for testing their own products to ensure safety, and they don’t have to file data on the ingredients they use.

Two factors have to be considered when assessing the safety of a moisturizer:

· The safety of the ingredients it contains.

· The risk of bacterial contamination.

A recent study discovered that the application of certain moisturizers increases the incidence of skin cancer in high-risk mice, though it should be noted that these animals were subjected to UVB radiation in high doses over a long period of time prior to application of moisturizers.

As with most skin-care products, there is a risk of moisturizers being contaminated with bacteria that can cause disease.

Ingredients in Moisturizers :

We believe that reputed cosmetic companies would avoid using harmful ingredients in the moisturizers, considering how expensive some of them are. But sadly, even some of the best available moisturizers contain harmful ingredients that in the long run would dry up our skin and speed up the aging process.

Here is a list of moisturizer ingredients that might harm your skin's structure.

· Petroleum Products: Petroleum based ingredients are commonly used in many skin care products such as moisturizers. This is because these ingredients can produce an inexpensive cream which has a nice feel to it, creates a good dermal barrier, is effective at keeping moisture in the skin, all while hydrating the skin to a small degree. Mineral oil (a form of kerosene), also referred to as paraffin oil or liquid paraffin, white petrolatum, and paraffin wax are the most commonly used ingredients in skin care products today, used in the base cream for creating an oil and water emulsion. The industry is changing. Petroleum products like paraffin and mineral oils clogs up the pores causing the appearance of whiteheads and blackheads. It also slows down the development of collagen and regular use of such products causes build up of toxins. Many women who breastfeed will apply cream to their breasts without too much consideration for what's in it. Studies have actually found that mineral oil paraffins can bio accumulate in both fat tissue and human breast milk.

· Parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl, ethyl): This is a very widely used preservative that is used in moisturizers as well as other skin care products. They disrupt the body's hormonal balance and also adversely affect the adrenal system. Some research has also linked parabens with cancer. Some combinations of these synthetic preservatives are used in 99% of the skin products available today. Recent medical studies indicate these chemicals are estrogenic - they mimic estrogen in the body with butylparaban being the most potent. Parabans have also been found in breast cancer tissue. The major controversy surrounding parabens stems from a 2004 Scottish study that found and examined trace amounts of the substance in 20 sample malignant breast cancer tumors. Given the observed ability of parabens to mimic estrogen, a naturally occurring hormone that has a role in the development of breast cancer tumors, some scientists have correlated exposure to parabens with increased cancer risk and have made a call to investigate the possibility of a causal link between the two phenomena. While the limited scope of the study cannot conclusively identify the cause of the breast cancer as paraben exposure, the lead molecular biologist of the research team noted that the type of parabens found in the tumors is found in commercial health and beauty products, such as underarm deodorant. The location of the tumors was also similar, as they were found in the upper quadrant of the breast, near the underarm, which could indicate that long-term use of paraben-containing commercial beauty products could increase an individual's risk of developing breast cancer. A small percentage of the population has an intolerance of parabens. An allergic reaction to parabens may manifest itself as a rash, redness or irritation. Paraben allergies can also cause contact dermatitis - a blanket term for persistent skin irritation caused by contact with an allergen - and rosacea, a chronic skin condition characterized by redness. So it’s a long term health hazard.

Sodium Laureth Sulfate: This is also a harmful moisturizer ingredient. It can very easily penetrate the skin by breaking down the moisture barrier of the skin. When sodium laureth sulfate combines with some other chemicals found in the moisturizer it turns into nitrosamine which is a carcinogen.

· Propylene Glycol: Propylene glycol can inhibit the growth of skin cell and also cause dermatitis. Prolonged use can give rise to skin irritation and kidney and liver abnormalities.

· Phthlates: as Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), butyl benzyl phthalate. These toxic cosmetic ingredients are found more in perfumes, hairsprays, and nail polishes. Phthlates are used as skin moisturizers, and to enhance penetration of skin. They are also used as plasticizers to soften plastic. Phthlates are known to have negative effects on the reproductive system and early development. It acts as hormone disruptors. Associated with premature breast development in girls and problems with reproductive development in male fetuses.

· Fragrance: Usually listed as 'fragrance', or 'parfum' Commonly used in cosmetic ingredients and personal care products, fragrance may contain up to 4000 separate ingredients, although typically most products use an average of 50-100 fragrance ingredients. These ingredients have no restrictions and are not required to be listed separately. Often used to mask the scent of other ingredients or to make the product smell more appealing. Fragrance is added to most personal care products on the market. 95% of the chemicals used in fragrances are synthetic derivatives of petroleum.

· Hydroquinone: Found in skin lightening products and moisturizers. A possible carcinogen, neurotoxin (substance which affects the nervous system), and a skin sensitizer. It causes ochronosis, a disease of the skin which results in black and blue lesions on the skin and is irreversible.

· Triclosan: It is used in anti bacterial moisturizers. Also known as 5-cholor2 (2,4 dichlorophenoxy)-phenol. It may not appear on the labels of cosmetic ingredients due to trademark associations. It is one of the antibacterial agents that have been found in human breast milk and fish. It helps form cancer causing dioxins when manufactured or incinerated and its cosmetics safety is a concern for women only.

Surveys show that on average, women use 12 products containing 168

ingredients every day, men use 6 products with 85 ingredients (EWG

2004), and children are exposed to an average of 61 ingredients daily

(EWG 2007a).

Remember, we can absorb more toxins from Skin Care Products than Food.

Yes our skin is our largest organ and also the thinnest. Less than 1/10th of an inch separates our body from potential toxins. Worse yet, our skin is highly permeable. Most items we rub on our skin will end up in our bloodstream, and will be distributed throughout our body. This is why they say "don't put anything on your body that you wouldn't eat if you had to..."

Putting chemicals on your skin may actually be worse than eating them. When you eat something, the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help to break it down and flush it out of your body.

However, when you put these chemicals on your skin, they are absorbed straight into your bloodstream without filtering of any kind, going directly to your delicate organs. And once these chemicals find their way into your body, they tend to accumulate over time because you typically lack the necessary enzymes to break them down. When you add up daily exposure over the course of a lifetime, it really adds up!

If we're perusing our local health store for some safer options, here are some things to keep in mind:

Look for the genuine USDA Organic Seal if you live in US.
Look for products that are fragrance-free. Any one artificial fragrance may contain hundreds of chemicals. Fragrances are a major cause of allergic reactions.
Always look for the order in which the ingredients are listed on the label. Manufacturers are required to list ingredients in descending order by volume, meaning the first few ingredients are the most prominent. If Aloe Vera is the last ingredient in a long list, your Aloe Vera moisturizer isn't very natural.
Stick to simplicity. Do we really need 200 products to prepare for our day? Simplify our life and save our bank account and heath too.
Try to buy products that come in glass bottles rather than plastic, since chemicals can leach out of plastics and into the contents. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a serious concern in EU; and make sure any plastic container is BPA free.
Look for products that are made by companies that are Earth-friendly, Eco friendly, animal-friendly and care for green life.

The quest for supple skin may lead us to slow death.

Talcum Powder

2012-02-12T17:30:00.000+05:30

Dear reader,
Lets talk about a very innocent looking product used worldwide …The Talcum Powder…

Talcum or Face or Body powders contains Talc, Chalk, zinc oxide, zinc stearate and a suitable perfumes. Often specific ingredients like antiseptic and cooling agents are added. The role of the talc is to act as a powder base and to make skin smooth. Chalk absorbs secretion (perspiration) without showing any evidence of such absorption. Zinc oxide masks enlarged pores and minor blemishes, whereas zinc stearate makes powder adhere to skin. Baby talcum powders contain considerable amounts of zinc stearate for adhesiveness and boric acid, for antiseptic purposes.

Talc is a major raw material in Talcum Powder. It is a mineral consists of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula Mg₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂. It is produced by crushing the talc rock mineral and processed further to remove traces of other minerals, but it can not separate micro fibers which are similar to asbestos.

Talc is the most deleterious ingredient in Talcum Powder. Inhalation of talc by babies might lead to chocking and asphyxiation. It's a potent carcinogen and causes inflammation to lungs. It causes cancers if applied heavily on armpits and genital areas. In females it can also cause ovarian cancer, if there's slow deposition of talc particles.

Talc is found in a wide variety of consumer products ranging from cosmetics, domestic and garden pesticides to antacids. However, the products most widely used and that pose the most serious health risks are the body powders. Because talc is resistant to moisture, it is also used by the pharmaceutical industry to manufacture medications and is a listed ingredient of some antacids. Talc is the principal ingredient in home and garden pesticides and flea and tick powders. Talc is used in smaller quantities in deodorants, chalk, crayons, textiles, soap, insulating materials, paints, asphalt filler, paper, and in food processing.

Talc is very much related to the potent carcinogen asbestos. Talc particles have been shown to cause tumors in the ovaries and lungs of cancer victims. For the last 30 years, scientists have closely scrutinized talc particles and found dangerous similarities to asbestos. In 1993 US National Toxicology Program report which found that cosmetic grade talc, without any asbestos-like fibers, caused tumors in animal subjects. Clearly with or without asbestos-like fibers, cosmetic grade Talcum Powder is a carcinogen.

Talc is a toxic substance. Talc particles cause tumors in human ovaries and lungs. Numerous studies have shown a strong link between frequent use of talc in the female genital area and ovarian cancer. Talc particles are able to move through the reproductive system and become imbedded in the lining of the ovary. Researchers have found talc particles in ovarian tumors and have found that women with ovarian cancer have used talcum powder in their genital area more frequently than healthy women.
Talc poses a health risk when exposed to the lungs. The common household hazard posed by talc is inhalation of baby powder by infants. Several thousand infants each year have died or become seriously ill following accidental inhalation of baby powder. Talc is used on babies because it absorbs unpleasant moisture. Clearly, dusting with talcum powder endangers an infant's lungs at the prospect of inhalation. Exposing children to this carcinogen is unnecessary and dangerous.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies talc that contains asbestos as "carcinogenic to humans".
Based on the lack of data from human studies and on limited data in lab animal studies, IARC classifies talc not containing asbestos as "not classifiable as to carcinogenicity in humans".
Based on limited evidence from human studies, IARC classifies the perineal (genital) use of talc-based body powder as "possibly carcinogenic to humans".

Baby powders are comparatively mild. It is an astringent powder and contains either talc or cornstarch. It's a rare condition that baby powder contains talc. Baby powder is gentle as it is made up of pure cornstarch with some amount of zinc oxide or sodium bicarbonate. It also contains soothing natural ingredients like, chamomile, marshmallow and calendula extracts. It also contains kaolin, bentonite, rose extract and myrrh and slippery elm extract. Arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, oat starch, aloe vera, rose clay, lavender oil and vitamin E are also found in baby powders. All these ingredients make baby powders safe for use.

When we consider the pros and cons of talcum powder vs baby powder, then it's obvious that baby powder is much safe to use. Baby powder is not only safe on babies but also on adults. Talcum powder has many disadvantages that can pose health risks.

Thus, when we compare talcum powder vs baby powder, the later is always a safer option. Never use talcum powder on your baby's skin. Use homemade baby powders or a good brand baby powder, containing natural ingredients. You can also use medicated powders formulated for yourself and your baby. To have a smooth, supple and healthy skin, it's always suggested to replace talcum powder with baby powder.

· Women who use talcum powder every day to keep fresh are 40 per cent more likely to develop ovarian cancer, according to research.

· Scientists fear powder particles applied to the private parts may travel to the ovaries and trigger a process of inflammation that allows cancer cells to flourish.

· Although previous studies have raised concerns over talc, the latest findings from the U.S. suggest that the risks are much greater than first thought.

· Now the researchers have urged all women to stop using talc immediately.

· Experts from Harvard Medical School in Boston studied more than 3,000 women. They discovered using talc just once a week raised the risk of cancer by 36 per cent, rising to 41 per cent for those applying powder every day.

· The study also revealed that the risks were greater still for those with a certain genetic profile.

· Laboratory tests show ovarian cells exposed to talc divide more rapidly - a characteristic sign of cancer.

· But until recently there was no proof that powder could travel through a woman's reproductive tract as far as the pelvis and then on to the ovaries. However, last year, a separate group of doctors at Harvard Medical School identified tiny particles of powder in the pelvis of a 68-year-old woman with advanced ovarian cancer who had used talc every day for 30 years.

· More than 6,000 women a year in the UK who uses talcum powder are diagnosed with cancer of the ovaries.

So what do you think ? Stop using Talcum Powder ? Switch over to Corn Starch Powder ? Or wait for more cancers….

”How many deaths will it take till we know…that too many people have died.......

Yes…Lets Learn to Live Green…Say No to Chemicals….

Hand Sanitizer

2012-02-03T16:03:00.001+05:30

Dear reader,

Now that you have just finished brushing your teeth and done with your morning ritual …you are ready for another chemical(s) shot…

Yes...Your Hand Sanitizer...

1. Alcohol based HS : contains about 60 % to 95 % of Ethyl Alcohol(EA) or Iso Propyl Alcohol(IPA) or n-Propanol or Povidone-Iodine. Most HS contains EA or IPA. Alcohol kills different types of bacteria. It also has high anti viral activity against many different kinds of viruses. Alcohol kills both pathogenic (disease causing) microorganisms as well as resident bacterial flora, which generally do not cause illness. Alcohol also strips the skin of the outer layer of oil, which may have negative effects on barrier function of the skin and loss of skin lipids. Alcohol also termed as a relaxant and worlds 4^th most addictive substance (Nicotine being the worlds highest addictive and dangerous substance above Heroine). So every time we rub HS we loose skin lipids, essential skin oils and the skin resident bacterial flora required by our skin. And for “I don’t use Alcohol people” it’s a serene way to consume alcohol and stay sanctimonious.

Non Alcohol based HS : contains small concentrations of the nitrogenous cationic surface-acting agent like Benzalkonium Chloride or the Chlorinated Aromatic Compound Triclosan or Povidone-Iodine.

Benzalkonium Chloride and Triclosan are rated as a level 7 high hazard in the Cosmetics Safety Database. Triclosan has been shown to accumulate in biosolids in the environment, one of the top seven organic contaminants in waste water according to the American Toxicology Program. Triclosan leads to various problems with natural biological systems and Triclosan, when combined with chlorine e.g. from tap water, produces Dioxins, a probable carcinogen(Cancer inducing agent) in humans.

2. Poly Acrylic Acid as a thickening agent. A so called non toxic

Chemical but definitely a skin and eye irritant.

3. Humectants (retains moisture) such as Glycerin for liquid rubs,Propylene Glycols, and essential oils of plants.

4. Perfumery chemicals for aroma.

So how many chemicals you have added to your body after using tooth paste and Hand Sanitizer. Are we exploring areas for increased cancer risk to our world? We will check up…wait for more…

Yes..You can say no to chemicals…
Nothing is impossible, If a man tries...and woman cries...

Tooth Paste

2012-01-15T16:21:00.000+05:30

Dear Reader...lets start our day with Tooth Paste...lets see what are we actually shoving in our body at the start of the day and do we really need it ?

Yes your tooth paste contains...

1. Detergents like SLS Sodium Lauryl Sulfate for making foam,,,as
    we associate foam with cleaning....SLS is used in car wash,
    Industrial cleaning, and a de-greaser...

2. Fluorides to slow tooth decay and strengthen the enamel...too
    much fluoride causes Fluorosis and can cause cracking, pitting,
    and stain in children. One tooth paste contains enough Fluorides
    to kill a small child in four hours.

3. Abrasives as Silica, Hydrated Silica, Calcium etc for cleaning
    purpose...Hydrated Silica is also termed as bio
   accumulator..which can accumulate in body over a period of
   time...

4. Saliva Inhibitors...like TSPP Tetra Sodium PyroPhosphate
contributes to reduce plaque buildup....

5. Hydrogen Peroxide..for whiter teeth...is also known as a weak
carcinogen...cancer inducing agent...

6. Stabilizers and Bulking agents like Glycols and other
polymers...aslo famous for

cancer,allergies,immunotoxicity and organ system toxicity..

7. Methyl Paraben ...a toxic chemical to increase shelf life of the
tooth paste...

8. Xylitol...a non sugar sweetener for taste...

9. Anti bacterial agents like Triclosan and others....

10.Flavoring and Fragrance agents to mask odor and bad taste of
chemicals.....

Yes...about 50 chemicals we are adding to our body as we start our day...

Lets explore how we push chemicals to our body on hourly basis...all by our own consent...and happily..wait for more....we have just started......