akshay

Sugar, the Sweet Poison

2017-03-08T04:32:00.001-08:00

Sugar is a crystalline carbohydrate which gives sweet taste to our food. There are different types of sugars. They are glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose and sucrose.

Sucrose is the table sugar that we add to our food and the rest are the sugars present in fruits, vegetables and milk.

We eat varieties of food in our daily life. We eat fruits, vegetables, milk, coffee, fruit juices, cakes, chocolates, biscuits, sweets, desserts etc. Foods like coffee, tea, fruit juices, cakes, chocolates contain added sugars in it. The foods with added sugar are harmful to our health.

The added sugar is the single ingredient in our modern diet that contributes to several health disorders in our body. Following are the reasons why we should avoid added sugar from our daily diet.

Foods containing added sugar contain only calories and no essential nutrients. There are no proteins, essential fats, vitamins or minerals in sugar. It is just pure energy. So when we eat a bar of chocolate, it produces 20% of calories in our body and contributes to nutritional deficiencies. Sugar is also very bad for the teeth, because it provides easily digestible energy for the bad bacteria in the mouth.

Foods containing added sugar is high in fructose which can overload our liver. When sugar enters the blood stream from the digestive tract, it is broken down into glucose and fructose. Glucose is found in our living cells. But fructose is not required by our body for any physiological functions. Fructose cannot be metabolized by our liver. Excess of fructose will overload the liver causing fatty liver.

When liver is overloaded with fructose, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is caused. When fructose get turned into fat in the liver, it is shipped out as VLDL cholesterol particles. However, not all of the fat gets out, some of it remains in the liver. This can lead to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), a growing problem and it is strongly associated with metabolic diseases.

Insulin is an important hormone that controls many processes in our body. This hormone is secreted by an organ called the pancreas. When we eat foods containing added sugar, it increases the level of blood glucose. This is sensed by the cells in the pancreas, which then release insulin into the blood. Then insulin travels around the bloodstream, telling the cells that they should pick up sugar from the blood. Due to various reasons the cells stop responding to insulin and they become “resistant” to it. Insulin resistance is the main cause for several other diseases like obesity, cardio vascular diseases and diabetes.

Pancreas should produce more insulin whenever we eat foods with added sugar or a diet rich in carbohydrates. Our body will stop responding to the insulin produced by pancreas when we eat foods rich in high sugar. That is our body will start resisting insulin. Now, the pancreas will not be able to produce more insulin to keep up the demand of our body. So, the blood sugar level will increase resulting in Type 2 diabetes.

When we eat lot of foods with added sugar, cancer is caused. These foods increases the level of insulin in the blood constantly. Cancer is caused due to the uncontrolled growth and multiplication of cells. Insulin is the key hormone regulating the growth and multiplication of cells. Scientists believe that people having elevated insulin levels due to excess of sugar consumption are more likely to develop cancer.

Excess of intake of foods with added sugar increases the production of hormone dopamine in the brain. The release of dopamine causes addiction to junk foods in people.

Food containing sugar increases consumption and decreases satiety. Foods with added sugar affect the hormones and brain. People who are used to eating foods containing sugar will tend to eat more food and they lose control over consumption. People who consume foods with sugar are most likely to become overweight or obese. This applies to all age groups.

For many years scientists were under the impression that inclusion of saturated fat in the diet caused heart disease, which is the number one killer of mankind. However, the present studies are showing that saturated fat is harmless but foods having high sugar is the leading cause for heart disease. Studies have revealed that excess of fructose in our body due to foods with high sugar content has harmful effects on our metabolism. Large amount of fructose in our blood can raise triglycerides, LDL cholesterol levels in our blood. These are all major risk factors for heart disease. Medical researchers have come to conclusion that there is a strong association between sugar consumption and heart disease.

Our human body is designed to breakdown complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables into glucose. This glucose then slowly releases into the bloodstream while absorbing the vital nutrients from them. Glucose, the sugar that fuels the body, needs insulin which is released from the pancreas, to do its job. Feeding the body with the correct foods will allow the gradual release of glucose with small amounts of insulin, into the bloodstream. This process keeps the body running smoothly, with stable energy level and mind and body feeling balanced and nourished.

When we eat the wrong type of foods, like processed foods and sugar, ill health begins. Sugar is the key product causing almost all the degenerative and dangerous diseases. Therefore sugar is the potent killer of mankind. The processed sugar comes into our bodies like a villain, robbing and pulling nutrients out of our bones, muscles, brain and other tissues in order to be metabolized.

Every tablespoon of sugar stops the immune system for about 6 hours. If we get sick often, it must be due to sugar consumption. Sugar has a detrimental effect on the gut flora, promoting the growth of parasites, worms and fungi, encouraging the growth of Candida. Fungi attacks the living tissue and survive by producing toxins and enzymes to defeat the host’s immune system. Sugar also increases the growth of cancerous tumors, as cancer cells love sugar. So Sugar is a Sweet Poison which should be totally avoided if we want to lead a healthy life.

Beautiful Relationships for a Healthy Life

2017-02-21T02:17:00.005-08:00

Beautiful relationships are not the ones that are shown in our movies.

Beautiful relationship happens because each person values the other. They are willing to invest time in their partnerships.

In a beautiful relationship, not all the days are passionate and romantic. There may be rough times requiring proper communication.

In a beautiful relationship the partners and friends just enjoy each other’s presence and may feel out of the world without knowing there is future or not.

In a beautiful relationship, some partners feel that the feelings are enough while some believe in togetherness.

Beautiful relationships are based on mutual trust. Each partner or friend should support the other during good times and bad times. Each one should be available when the other needs.

Partners and friends should be specific about their requirements and needs. Partners and friends in relationship should try to discover the needs and requirements of their fellow partners and friends and prioritise their needs. This will make their relationship beautiful.

The most important aspect of beautiful relationship is that the partners and friends should remain loyal and honest.

A beautiful relationship does not require cute voice and a beautiful face. But a beautiful relationship requires a beautiful heart that understand each ones need.

In a beautiful relationship the partners develop unbreakable trust so that their relationship will be long lasting.

In a beautiful relationship not only love is shared, but care, concern, affection are shared between the partners and friends.

In a beautiful relationship each partner cares about the happiness of the other partner without wanting anything in return. Thus a beautiful relationship is a “selfless love”.

A beautiful relationship should be like that of a beautiful flower and a bumble bee. The flower is freely willing to share its nectar with the bumble bees. The bumble bees feel that it is their right. The flower blooms for the bumble bees.

The beautiful relationships take time to become strong. It is strengthened as the partners show care and love for each other. When the partners nurture and nourish their relationship with proper understanding the relationship becomes healthy and loving. There is no room for any misunderstanding between or among the partners.

The beautiful relationships which is healthy and strong have several health benefits. They are:

People in strong relationships improve health and happiness.

People with good quality relationships can handle stress better.

People with supportive partners and friends recover from serious illnesses like cancer, heart attacks etc. faster.

Physical affection between and among the friends and partners enhances the functioning of brain, heart and other body systems.

Partners and friends in relationship having frank and honest communication will have better understanding and will lead a happy life.

Partners in healthy relationships will experience better social ties and will enjoy the feeling of well being.

Partners in healthy and understanding relationships will get the help from their peer group and they will feel good.

People in loving relationships will have their systolic number low and hence their B. P will be maintained at optimum level.

Strong relationships among partners will improve their athletic and sports performance.

Loving relationships among friends prevent obesity and helps to lower weight. When friends are in love their bodies produce more adrenaline which act as an appetite suppressant.

Partners in beautiful relationships develop strong immune system, clear skin as their life style changes.

Hormones like endorphins, oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine are produced in sufficient quantities in people in beautiful relationships so that they think positive, their energy levels are at the peak, remain happy and loving. They develop positive attitude towards life which creates optimism in them.

The optimistic attitude towards life will unite people in different walks of life and will be a motivating force to bring people under one umbrella. So, develop proper beautiful relationships with every human being around you. Nurture love and understanding with everyone.

Sugar, the Sweet Villain

2017-02-11T02:29:00.004-08:00

People all around the world eat sugar as part of a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. Many people worry that eating sugar may be bad for their health. During the festival days, marriages, birthdays sweets made with sugar play their important role in our life.

Sugars belong to the class of carbohydrates and it is a source of instant energy.

Sugar is a chemical compound. It is a soluble form of carbohydrate. The elements present in sugar are carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Simple sugars are called monosaccharaides and include glucose, fructose and galactose.

The table sugar which we use in our kitchens is a Disaccharide called sucrose. In our body sucrose hydrolyses into glucose and fructose. Maltose and Lactose are other disaccharides.

Longer chain of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Sugar is obtained from almost all the plants. Sugarcane and sugar beet are the plants from which we extract sugar. The formula for Glucose is C₆ H₁₂O₆. The formula for sucrose is C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁.

Fructose, galactose, and glucose are all simple sugars, monosaccharides, with the general formula C₆H₁₂O₆.

All types of sugars are found in food products.

Fructose are the sugars present in all fruits. It is the sweetest of all the sugars. Fructose also occurs naturally in all root vegetables, cane sugar and honey.

Galactose is found in milk products. But occurs in the antigen of the RBCs that determines the blood groups. Galactose is less sweet than glucose.

Glucose is grape sugar. It occurs naturally in plant juices and fruit juices. It is the primary product of photosynthesis. All types of carbohydrates are converted into glucose during digestion and it is the form of sugar that is transported around the bodies of animals in the bloodstream.

The three disaccharides compounds of sugar are Lactose, Maltose and Sucrose. Their general formula disaccharide is C12H22O11.

Lactose is naturally occurring sugar and is found in milk. A molecule of lactose is formed by the combination of a molecule of galactose with a molecule of glucose. It is broken down when consumed into its constituent parts by the enzyme lactase during digestion.

Maltose is formed during the germination of grain like barley which is converted into malt. A molecule of maltose is formed by the combination of two molecules of glucose. It is less sweet than glucose, fructose or sucrose.

Sucrose is found in the stems of sugarcane and the roots of sugar beet. It also occurs naturally along with fructose and glucose in other plants and in all fruits. It is also found in the roots of carrots. A molecule of sucrose is formed by the combination of a molecule of glucose with a molecule of fructose. The table sugar that we add to our hot beverages contain sucrose. Honey also contain sucrose.

Function of sugar in foods:

Sugars have a number of functions in the preparation of foods, such as improving taste and texture. Following are few important functions of sugar:

Provide sweetness
Serve as preservatives in jams and jellies
Increase the boiling point or reduce the freezing point of foods
Allow fermentation of yeast
React with amino acids to produce colour and flavour compounds important to the taste and golden brown colour of baked goods
Make foods that have limited moisture content crisp

Uses of Sugar:

Metabolic use:

Sugar is an important source of food energy. During digestion, all food carbohydrates (starches and sugars) break down into single molecule sugars. These sugars are absorbed from the intestine into the blood stream and transported to the cells, where they are used to provide energy for cellular functions.

Medical uses:

Table sugar can be used to make oral rehydration solution (ORS), which can help prevent dehydration in children who have infantile diarrhoea or vomiting. The recipe of ORS is 1 litre of water, 8 teaspoons sugar and ½ teaspoon of salt.

Table sugar is an instantaneous remedy for patients suffering from low blood pressure. Take 2 teaspoons of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of salt in a glass of water, and squeeze half a lemon. Stir and let the patient drink it. Immediately, the falling BP rate will get stabilized.

All bitter medicines are mixed with sugar and administered to children and infants when they have to be given medicines.

Sugars in our diet can be naturally occurring or added. Naturally occurring sugars are found naturally in foods such as fruits (fructose) and milk (lactose). Added sugars are sugars and syrups put in foods during preparation or processing, or added just before eating.

Eating too much of sweet is not good for our health as many people consume more sugar than they require. It is important to be aware of how much sugar we can consume because our body does not need sugar to function properly. Added sugars contribute zero nutrients and add calories to our diet. Therefore it leads to extra pounds or even obesity, thereby reducing heart health.

We have to limit our consumption of foods with high amounts of added sugars like packaged foods, processed foods and sugar sweetened beverages. So according to the American Heart Association (AHA), the maximum amount of added sugars that we can eat in a day are:

Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons).

Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons).

Children aged between 2 to 18 years can take 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons).

Sugar is a sweet villain because if we do not control the intake of sugar in our diet, we will fall prey to several health disorders. So, limit sugar intake.

I wish I were a Bird

2017-02-07T03:04:00.001-08:00

Plant Pigments for Health

2017-02-02T01:51:00.002-08:00

Pigments are molecules that absorb specific wavelength of light and reflect all the others. A plant pigment is any type of colored substance produced by a plant. The color we see is the net effect of the light reflecting back to our eyes.

A plant pigment is any type of colored substance produced by a plant. In general, any chemical compound which absorbs visible radiation between about 380 nm (violet) and 760 nm (ruby-red) is considered a pigment.

There are many different plant pigments, and they are found in different classes of organic compounds. Plant pigments give color to leaves, flowers, and fruits and are also important in controlling photosynthesis, growth, and development.

Pigments are the substances produced by living organisms that have color resulting from selective absorption of colored lights. The principal plant pigments are chlorophyll, carotenoids, xanthophyll, Anthocyanins, and Betalains.

The primary function of pigments is “Photosynthesis”. Chlorophyll along with several red and yellow pigments help the plants to capture light. The secondary function of these varied colored plant pigments is to attract insects to flowers for pollination. The other functions of these plant pigments include preventing the diseases, fighting against disease causing germs, boosting immunity and healing and repairing the body parts affected by diseases.

Following are the various plant pigments and their role played in maintaining our health:

Chlorophyll:

The word Chlorophyll is a Greek word. “Chloro” means green and “phyllon” means leaf. It is a primary plant pigment. It is green in color. It is abundant in plant kingdom. This pigment is found in the leaves of the plants. The primary function of this pigment is photosynthesis. It helps to capture light. Their secondary function is to attract insects to flowers. Chlorophyll is found along with red and yellow pigments. They appear green because they absorb yellow and blue light and reflect green light.

This pigment is of two types. They are Chlorophyll a and Chlorophyll b. It serves as a fuel for photosynthesis. It absorbs CO2 and sunlight and converts it into carbohydrate and oxygen. Carbohydrate is the main source of energy in our diet.

Green Vegetables and Fruits contain Chlorophyll, fiber, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, calcium, and Beta-carotene. Green Fruits & Vegetables include, Asparagus, Avocados, Broccoli, Celery, Cucumbers, Green apples, Green beans, Green cabbage, Green grapes, Leafy greens, Lettuce etc.

The nutrients found in these vegetables reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure ,LDL cholesterol levels, normalize digestion time, support retinal health and vision, fight harmful free-radicals, and boost immune system activity.

Carotenoids:

Carotenoids include red, orange and yellow pigments. They absorb different wavelengths of light not readily absorbed by Chlorophyll. Carotene is the orange pigment found in carrots. Lutein, the yellow pigment is found in pumpkins. Lycopene the red pigment is found in tomatoes. Carotenoids are present in carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, green leafy vegetables and apricots, pineapples, mangoes and lemons.

Their functions include:

1. They attract pollinators and seed dispersers.

2. They absorb excess of light energy.

3. They are rich with antioxidants and phytonutrients.

4. They form the substrate for hormones.

Nutrients in Orange, red and Yellow Fruit and Vegetables contain Beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C. These nutrients reduce age-related macular degeneration and the risk of prostate cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, promote collagen formation and healthy joints, fight against harmful free radicals, encourage alkaline balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones.

Anthocyanins:

The meaning of the word, “Antho” means flower. “kyanos” means blue. It is a water soluble flavonoid pigment. Color appears as red to blue according to pH. They occur in all the tissues of higher plants including leaves, stems, roots and fruits. It is found in cell vacuoles, mostly in flowers and fruits but also in leaves, stems and roots. All berries contain anthocyanin.

Their functions include:

1. They attract plant pollinators.

2. They attract seed dispersers.

3. They repel predators

4. They protect cells from damage from excess light.

5. They improve night vision.

6. They protect our body against heart disease and cancer.

Nutrients in Blue and Purple Fruits and Vegetables include Lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids. These nutrients support retinal health, lower LDL cholesterol, boost immune system activity, support healthy digestion, improve calcium and other mineral absorption, fight inflammation, reduce tumour growth, act as an anti-carcinogens in the digestive tract, and limit the activity of cancer cells.

Anthocyanin is present in black currants, blackberries, blueberries, dried plums, eggplant, grapes, plums, pomegranates, prunes, purple cabbage, purple carrots, purple figs, purple grapes and Raisins.

Betalains:

The word Betalains is derived from the Latin name of the common beet (Beta vulgaris), from which Betalains were first extracted. They are water soluble red and yellow pigments. The most common betalain is betanin, also called beetroot red after the fact that it may be extracted from red beet roots. Betanin is a glucoside, and hydrolyses into the sugar glucose and betanidin. It is used as a food coloring agent, and the color is sensitive to pH. Other betalains known to occur in beets are isobetanin, probetanin, and neobetanin.

Their functions are:

They are antioxidants, fight against free radicals and keep them under control.

They protect our body against heart disease, various cancers, ulcers and liver damage.

Nutrients in Red Fruits and Vegetables include Lycopene, Quercetin, and Hesperidin. These nutrients reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, reduce tumour growth and LDL cholesterol levels, scavenge harmful free-radicals, and support joints in arthritis cases.

Types of Red Fruits & Vegetables are Beets, Blood oranges, Cherries, Cranberries, Guava, Papaya, Pink grapefruit, Pink/Red grapefruit, Pomegranates, Radishes, Raspberries, Red apples, Red bell peppers, Red chili peppers, Red grapes, Red onions, Red pears, Red peppers, Red potatoes, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Tomatoes, and Watermelon.

Xanthophyll:

The word Xanthophyll is derived from a Greek word. “Xanthos” meaning yellow and “phyllon” meaning leaf. They are yellow pigments. Xanthophyll pigments are found in the leaves of the green plants. The molecular structure of Xanthophyll is similar to Carotene. Carotenes are hydrocarbons with no oxygen atoms but Xanthophyll contain oxygen atoms. So Xanthophyll pigments are oxygenated carotenoids. The oxygen atom present in Xanthophyll helps in accepting or donating electrons.

The pigment Xanthophyll is a constituent of compounds/pigments like lutein, Zeaxanthin, neoxanthin, violaxanthin, flavoxanthin, and α and β cryptoxanthin. The main function of Xanthophyll is to protect plants from over exposure to sunlight by absorbing the excess light energy as heat. Carotenes are more orange while Xanthophylls are more yellow in color. Carotene and Xanthophyll plant pigments play a vital role in the metabolism of plants.

The fruits and vegetables containing Xanthophyll pigments are green leafy vegetables like spinach, cabbage, broccoli, kale, peas, green beans, corn, beets, carrots, oranges. These vegetables and fruits contain phytonutrients capable of preventing and fighting cancer naturally. Those who consume the fruits and vegetables containing Xanthophylls will have lower risk of developing various types of cancer.

The Xanthophyll pigments fight and prevent cancer by reducing DNA damage, increasing DNA repair. They boost the immune system so that the body is capable of killing the cancer cells and this reduces inflammation.

Fruits and vegetables are variedly colored because of the different types of pigments present in them. Each different color fruit and vegetables contains unique health components that are essential to our health. Fruits and vegetables are very important to our health because they are whole foods, created by nature, that are rich with large amount of nutrients. The plant pigments present in fruits and vegetables fight against even the deadly disease cancer. By eating fruits and vegetables of a variety of different colors, one can get the best all-around health benefits.

Eat Healthy! Live Healthy!! Stay Healthy!!!

Honey, the Gift of Nature to Mankind

2017-01-24T03:40:00.000-08:00

Honey is a thick, golden colored, and sugary liquid produced by honey bees. Honey bees collect pollen and nectar when most flowers are in bloom during spring season. They use their long, tube-like tongue like structures called proboscis to suck the nectar out of the flowers. They store it in their stomachs and carry it to the beehive. Inside the bee's stomach for about half an hour, the nectar mixes with the proteins and enzymes produced by the bees, converting the nectar into honey.

The honey bees then drop the honey into the bee hive. The bee hive is made of hexagonal cells that are made of wax produced by the bees. The honey bees go on dropping the honey in the cells of the bee hive until all the cells are full. The honey bees fan their wings to evaporate and thicken the honey so that the honey can be stored and used for long term.

Honey bees store the honey in the cells of their bee hive as a perfect food source for cold winter months for the young bees, queen bee and sick bees. Honey can be stored indefinitely in the bee hive by honey bees as the cells are away from air and water. The color of honey, taste, aroma and texture vary greatly depending on the type of flower the bees frequently visit.

The nectar of the flowers mixes with the enzymes present in the stomach of the honey bees so that the chemical composition and pH is transformed. Hence, honey is more suitable for long-term storage. The honey we use is not just the flower nectar that honey bees have collected, but it is the regurgitated and dehydrated substance with enhanced nutritional properties.

Nutritional values of Honey:

Honey is derived from the nectar of different colorful flowers. The main constituent of nectar of flowers is sucrose and water. Honey bees suck the nectar and enzymes are added in their stomach. The enzymatic addition will convert sucrose to fructose and glucose. Honey bees evaporate the water content in their hive. Evaporating the water content prevent the spoiling of honey.

Honey is a rich source of carbohydrates. Therefore honey is 80% natural sugar. Due to the high level of fructose, honey is sweeter than sugar. Honey contains 18% of water. If the honey contain lesser percentage of water, then it is more pure. The remaining 2% is minerals, vitamins, pollen and proteins.

The vitamins present in honey are B6, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and certain amino acids. The minerals found in honey include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Honey is a natural sweetener, rich with antioxidants and free from fat and cholesterol. One tablespoon of honey contains 64 calories.

Honey contain natural minerals and vitamins. They help in the metabolism of fats. They prevent the formation plaque in the arteries. They also minimize the elevation of cholesterol and fatty acids on the organs and tissues into the system. Hence honey prevent obesity and promote better health.

Both honey and sugar are simple sugars. Once they enter our body, they absorb quickly and work quickly to elevate our blood sugar. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so use less of it, but it has more calories per teaspoon so it is better use a small quantity. Honey has a lower Glycaemic Index value than sugar, meaning that it does not raise blood sugar levels quickly.

If honey is preferred over sugar, then use the darker varieties or the raw varieties of honey. Because, they are rich in flavonoids, which are reported to have antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties. Due to the flavonoid content, some view honey as a healthier alternative to sugar and a source of antioxidants.

Is honey allowed in Diabetic diet? Diabetes is malfunctioning of the pancreas where insulin is either not produced sufficiently or utilised properly. It is a carbohydrate metabolic disorder. The ingested sugars and starches cannot be distributed, and hence, eliminated in the urine. There are 2 types of diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body doesn't produce any insulin, whereas, people with type 2 diabetes either don't produce enough insulin or their cells resist the insulin.

Doctors do not suggest a diabetic patient to include honey in their diet. We should remember that honey is a carbohydrate just like rice or potatoes. One tablespoon of honey has approximately 17 grams of carbohydrate. The diabetic patient should reduce 17 grams of carbohydrate from their diet to include honey. They should also monitor blood glucose levels before and after taking honey. Purest form of honey should be included in their diet.

How can we differentiate between pure honey and adulterated honey?

Pure honey is directly from the bee hive. All commercial honey comes with the label pure honey. But the label does not guarantee “pure honey”. Honey is adulterated with glucose, dextrose, molasses, corn syrup, sugar syrup, flour, starch, jaggery etc. There are no sure methods available for testing the purity of honey. Take a glass of water and add a drop of honey into the glass of water. If the honey is pure, it will not readily dissolve in water. We have to stir it in the glass of water to dissolve the lumpy bits of honey. Those who have tasted pure honey will be able to identify the pure form and the adulterated one.

Honey is a super saturated sugar solution. All types of honey available crystallize. Crystallized or granulated honey is the semi-solid state of honey. This natural phenomenon happens when glucose, one of three main sugars in honey, spontaneously precipitates out of the supersaturated honey solution. Glucose loses water and is converted into glucose mono hydrate and takes the form of a crystal. The crystals form a lattice which immobilizes other components of honey in a suspension thus creating the semi-solid state.

Honey crystallizes because it is a supersaturated solution. This supersaturated state occurs because honey contains more than 70% sugar relative to the water content which is less than 20%. Glucose tends to precipitate out of solution and the solution changes to the more stable saturated state.

Honey is the gift of Nature to Mankind because it is rich with several medicinal properties. It is used for curing many ailments. Honey is rich with several minerals but it is free from sodium. It is also cholesterol free and fat free healthy substitute for white sugar. Honey should be included in our diet so that we can reduce the intake of white sugar which is harmful for our life. Honey is called the Liquid Gold as it is a treasure house of nutritional and medicinal values essential for healthy human life.

Amazing Ants!!!

2017-01-15T04:41:00.004-08:00

Ants are common insects with unique capacities. Ants belong to the insect family. Their size varies from 0.75 to 52 mm. They vary in their color. Their colors include red, blue, and green, with metallic luster. About 22,000 species of ants are classified. Ants belong to the family Formicidae.

They live in colonies. They are social insects. The ant community is headed by Queen Ant. The main function of Queen Ant is to lay thousands of eggs. In a colony there may be one or two queen ants.

There are worker ants, which are wingless females. They are sterile ants. They do not reproduce. They search food and bring food for the queen’s offspring. They work on the nest, protect the community and perform many other duties.

In the colony, there are male ants. The male ants are fertile ants. They are called drones. They have only one specific role of mating with the queen. After they perform that duty, they die. All the ants work in unity for their survival.

The life span of ants varies from several weeks to thousand years. They are strong as they can lift load ten times their weight. Their size is equal to the size of a paper clip. They are found everywhere in this world in all the ecosystems except Antarctica.

The ant’s body is divided into three parts. They are head, thorax and abdomen. Their body is covered with a strong exoskeleton called chitin. Ants have two kinds of eyes: the compound, lateral eyes, two in number and placed on the sides of the head. They also have simple eyes, three in number on the vertex. Both kinds are best developed in the males, less in the females and least in the workers. The main function of the eyes is to detect light and shadow.

The compound eyes are made from numerous tiny lenses attached together. They are good for detecting movements. But they do not form high resolution images. The three simple eyes present in ants detect light levels and polarization.

Six legs are attached to the thorax. Each leg has three joints. The legs of the ant are very strong so that they can run very quickly. The six legs terminate in a hooked claw.

Abdomen contains ant’s vital organs and reproductory parts. The stomach is located in the abdomen with most of the other large organs. The abdomen of the ant contains two stomachs. The ant stores food for itself in one stomach while the second stomach holds food which is shared with other ants.

Instead of lungs, the ants have small openings called spiracles in their exoskeletons that circulates oxygen through the body. The spiracles are tiny holes present in their body. This means that the ants do not draw breaths, but rather let the surrounding oxygen pass through them.

Ants do not have a heart like we do, or other mammals. Their heart is one big artery or a long tube starting from the brain, the artery works through the body parts. Their blood is not red either. The color of the blood is pale yellow when it doesn't carry oxygen. Their blood contains hemocyanin, a copper-based protein that turns blue in color when oxygenated. Their heart artery goes through their body parts.

The ants have nerve fibres flowing through the brain and muscles. They are the means of communication between the brain, organs and muscles. Their nervous system is a long nerve cord. An ant brain has about 250,000 brain cells. A human brain has 10,000 million so a colony of 40,000 ants has collectively the same size brain as a human being.

Ants feed on variety of different foods to be healthy. They are omnivores. But ants are attracted sugar because sugar is a dense source of energy that is relatively rare in nature. Ants need a lot of energy that sugar has because they keep on moving without rest.

There are a pair of strong jaws in the head region. They are called mandibles. The mandibles carry food, manipulate objects, construct nests, and for defense. The powerful mandibles are useful in grasping, carrying, cutting, and biting the food. The jaws open and shut sideways like a pair of scissors. Adult ants cannot chew or swallow solid food. Instead they swallow the juice which they squeeze from pieces of food. They throw away the dry part that is left over.

A pair of antennae is located at the head region of the ant. These organs detect chemicals, air currents, and vibrations. They also transmit and receive signals through touch. Antennae are used for not only to touch, but also for their sense of smell.

Ants recognize and identify their nest mates with the help of Antennae. When they find food they emit pheromones so that their nest mates can follow the food. Ants also have maxillary pulps to detect scents.

Ant’s antennae are like human ears, designed for receiving and sending messages or impulses or signals. The function of antennae is to help ants deliver key information about who they are and where they are from to their peers.

We cannot distinguish one ant from the other. But ants are capable of recognizing their friends. They do not have ears but they can smell other ants with the help of their antennae. They can smell with their antennae on their heads. Because each colony has a different smell from the other, even though they belong to the same species, they can recognize their companions and enemies. In other words, if their antennae do not work properly, they may live with their enemies.

Scientists have found that ant’s antennae are the main sensory organs and they are two way communication devices. They analyzed the coating of cuticular hydrocarbon all over the body of ants. This coating protects the insects from dehydration and helps in communication. They use this chemical to identify their friend or foe.

The scientists from University's School of Bio sciences removed the coating of cuticular hydrocarbons from the antennae of the ants of one nest. Their nest mates were not able to recognise and identify their colony identity. That means that CHCs on the antennae provide information about which nest they come from and they send out information.

Researchers also have found out that the CHC profiles are different depending on where on the body they are. They have to further find out about these chemical signals whether they will be useful for mankind.

When ants move in a fixed line, they touch the other ants moving in the opposite direction with the help of their antennae. This is how ants interact in their community. When they stroke their antennae they will come to know about their identity, and get information about food availability.

Ants show another interesting behavior called trophallaxis, which is more like kissing, but what happens is that the ants exchange food which is mostly regurgitated liquid. This way ants can feed other ants like queens, very young ants, and the sick worker ants that never come outside their nest.

We have also seen that ants walk one behind the other. When they move in a line, they secret a chemical called pheromone, which is smelling. Other ants follow the chemical signal. So the ants appear to be going in a line.

Scientists have successfully designed miniature robot ants. These robots consist of sensors, infrared emitters, and communication systems capable of detecting objects in their paths. Ant robots are swarm robots that can communicate via markings, similar to ants that lay and follow pheromone trails. These giant robotic ants will one day replace factory workers.

Sweet Potatoes-Good for Health

2017-01-07T02:51:00.002-08:00

Sweet potato plant is a tropical plant. They are sensitive to cold weather. They are herbaceous perennials. The plants will live for two years. This plant is a native plant of tropical regions of America.

Sweet potatoes are flowering plants. They are dicotyledonous plants. They belong to the family Convolvulaceae, i.e. morning glory family. They are vines. They produce edible roots that come in variety of colors.

Sweet potatoes are large, starchy, sweet tasting, tuberous roots. They are root vegetables. The perennial vines of sweet potato plant has heart shaped leaves. They have medium sized sympetalous flowers. In sympetalous flowers the petals are united along their margins to form a tubular shape. The heart shaped leaves give these plants an ornamental appearance.

The edible root is tuberous, long and has tapering end. Sweet potatoes have smooth skin. Their color ranges between orange, brown, purple, yellow, red, and beige. Its flesh color ranges from beige, white, red, pink, violet, orange & purple. There are 6,500 sweet potato varieties cultivated throughout the world.

Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre, beta carotene or vitamin A, Vitamin B2, B3, B5,B6, thiamine, niacin and riboflavin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, magnesium, iron, potassium, copper, phosphorous, calcium. They are high in Magnesium but low in sodium. They are low calorie vegetable though they have sugar.

Classification of Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes belong to plant kingdom, sub kingdom angiosperms, family Convolvulaceae and go by the botanical name Ipomoea Batatas.

Sweet potatoes are good for health. There are number of health benefits of this root vegetable. They work in three ways. They are rich in antioxidants. They have anti-inflammatory nutrients. They also have blood sugar regulating nutrients.

Beta carotene is a powerhouse of antioxidants. They facilitate anti-aging, cancer prevention and the maintenance of good eyesight.

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin B6. They help in breaking down homocysteine, a substance that contributes to the hardening of blood vessels and arteries.

The potassium contents of sweet potatoes are helpful for maintaining heart health. It lowers the blood pressure by balancing the fluids in our body. Potassium is an important electrolyte that helps to regulate heartbeat.

Sweet potatoes are sweet to taste. But they have a low glycaemic index. Therefore they regulate sugar level in our blood. They steady the level of blood sugar in Type 2 diabetic patients also. One medium sized sweet potato contains 6 grams of fibre. One steamed, medium sized sweet potato will lower the blood glucose levels in type 1 diabetics. The type2 diabetics will have improved blood sugar, lipid and insulin levels.

Sweet potatoes contain magnesium, the mineral for de-stressing. It promotes relaxation, calmness and good mood. Magnesium also strengthen arteries, blood, bone, muscles and nerves.

Sweet potatoes are high in anti-inflammatory properties because of the colored pigmented vitamins. One steamed sweet potato contains daily recommended intake of vitamin C. Vitamin A is a powerful disease fighting antioxidant. Sweet potatoes are rich in anthocyanin, an antioxidant, which promote healthy immune system. The pigment related antioxidants help to mitigate inflammatory disorders. Vitamin A present in sweet potatoes protect skin against sun damage and promotes glowing skin.

Sweet potatoes are a good source of dietary fibre, which helps the body to maintain a healthy digestive tract and regulates digestion.

Sweet potatoes have been shown to have anti-carcinogenic properties. Researchers have found that beta-carotene present in sweet potatoes will reduce the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women and ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women.

Several studies have suggested that increasing the consumption of sweet potatoes will decrease the risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Sweet potatoes will increase energy, enhance healthy complexion, and lower weight.

Sweet potatoes are low in sodium and high in potassium. Therefore, blood pressure is maintained at optimum levels.

Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene. It plays a protective role against prostate cancer and colon cancer in men.

Sweet potatoes are rich in iron. Women of child bearing age will benefit from eating sweet potatoes as their haemoglobin percentage in blood will increase. This will help them giving birth to healthy off springs.

Sweet potatoes are good in calcium and phosphorus. It is helpful for strengthening bones and joints. If it is included in the diet it prevents the onset of osteoporosis and arthritis in the elderly.

Vitamin A deficiency causes the outer segments of the eye's photo receptors to deteriorate, damaging normal vision. Correcting vitamin A deficiencies with foods high in beta-carotene, with sweet potatoes will restore vision. Vitamins C and E in sweet potatoes have been shown to support eye health and prevent degenerative damage. Including sweet potatoes in the diet of seniors will decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

Sweet potatoes are good for all the age groups of male and female humans. It is easily digestible and fortified with many essential nutrients important for the well being of all of us. Food technologists should undertake research to process baby food and food supplements for adults and seniors.

Tips for cooking sweet potatoes:

The flesh of sweet potatoes will darken upon contact with the air. So we should cook them immediately after peeling and/or cutting them. If this is not possible, keep them in a bowl covered completely with water until you are ready to cook them.

There are several ways of cooking sweet potatoes like boiling, steaming, stir frying and shallow frying. Sweet potatoes are tasty, cooked by any methods. But steaming the vegetable with its skin is the best option where all the nutritive values are retained enhancing the flavor.

One steamed medium sized sweet potato is a balanced diet. Include sweet potatoes in your daily diet to improve your health and energy.

Food Villain- Common Salt- Sodium Chloride

2017-01-04T02:36:00.000-08:00

Salt is an integral part of our diet. Salt is a flavoring agent and a food preservative. We use salt to preserve food since many years. Salt is an essential nutrient. It provides flavor, texture, and enhances color of our food.

Sodium Chloride (NaCl) is better known as common SALT. Salt contains the element sodium, which is an essential nutrient needed by the body in small amounts. Salt is important because it contains nutrients that preserve stomach health, and it maintains water retention and muscle contractions. Salt is healthy when it is consumed in moderation. Salt is required for the following reasons:

Salt sends electrical signals throughout the body.

Sodium, one of the constituents of salt makes us feel thirsty by activating electrolytes.

We drink more water when we are thirsty, and this water allows the kidneys to distribute electrolytes throughout the blood stream, regulating the blood pressure.

Salt intake prevents heat-related complications, such as stroke and heat prostration.

Sodium prevents the muscles from cramping, and it invigorates the nerves.

Salt assists the digestive system, including the absorption of nutrients.

Sodium is an important element that lines the stomach with digestive secretions and prevents the body from consuming itself.

Sodium assists the body in digesting and breaking down food.

Salt helps the salivary glands by stimulating an enzyme known as salivary amylase, which allows the taste buds to get the sense of the food being consumed.

A lack of sodium in the body can lead to complications like dehydration, shock and heavy perspiration.

Too much salt in diet is bad for health

When we consume too much salt in our diet, our body holds extra water. That is because the kidneys, which filter out waste from the blood, maintain a special ratio of electrolytes, say, sodium to potassium to water.

More salt in the diet means the kidneys keep more water in the system. That can have lots of undesirable effects, such as oedema i.e, swelling in places like the hands, arms, feet, ankles, and legs. Higher sodium intake increases water retention in our cells in our body and thus increases the volume of water in our blood. Our blood vessels cannot expand to accommodate this increased volume of blood. So, our blood pressure will rise. High blood pressure is a risk factor for many diseases, including heart problems and stroke.

Excess salt in our diet will make us feel thirsty. That is how the body tries to correct the sodium-water ratio. Drinking lots of water can worsen the issues of oedema and blood pressure. But not drinking enough could force the body to draw water out of other cells, making us feel dehydrated.

If we consume salty diets, we urinate more because of the excess water. Every time we urinate, our body loses calcium, the mineral that, gives strength to our bones and teeth. When we urinate too often our body loses calcium by weakening the bones which results in osteoporosis.

According to recent research, excess of salt in our diet may cause stomach ulcers, infections, and hasten stomach cancer.

Researchers also have found that excess of salt in our diet can negatively impact our cognitive functions.

Too much salt can have serious long-term health implications.

How to minimize sodium in our diet?

WHO recommends limiting sodium to less than 2,000 mg/day.

Eat fresh foods. Fruits and vegetables are low in sodium. While cooking vegetables add less salt while cooking. Slowly we will get adjusted to low salt delicacies.

Try to avoid processed food stuffs.

When buying branded food, opt for a low sodium food. Look into the label and then buy.

Limit the use of high sodium foods like pickles, sauces, and ketchups etc.

Use herbs and spices for flavoring foods to lessen salt.

Use salt substitutes wisely.

Before buying any branded processed food from the shop, read the food label to check whether Sodium containing compounds like Monosodium glutamate (MSG), Baking soda (also called sodium bicarbonate) Baking powder, Disodium phosphate, Sodium alginate, Sodium citrate and Sodium nitrite are included in the label. If any of these sodium salts are present in the food, stop buying them.

Our taste for salt is acquired. So we can learn to enjoy less. Decrease the use of salt gradually and our taste buds will adjust. Gradually reduce salt in food. After a few weeks of cutting back on salt, we probably will not miss it, and the foods with minimum salt will taste too salty. Start by using no more than 1/4 teaspoon of salt daily. Then throw away the saltshaker from the dining table. We should enjoy the taste of food without adding salt, then we are sure to enjoy total good health.

Though salt is a food villain, it is an integral part of our lives. It is a double edged sword. Therefore, we need strict balance since both too much salt and too little salt are harmful for our health.

Marvels of Nature-Beautiful and Colorful Display of Butterflies

2016-12-27T02:37:00.001-08:00

A butterfly has four wings. Two are fore wings and two are hind wings. They are attached to the second and the third thoracic segments. Strong muscles in the thorax move the wings upside down in the figure eight pattern during their flight.

Butterfly wings are made up of two protein membranes that are covered in thousands of scales and tiny hair. These wing scales are overlapping pieces of the protein chitin and are modified plate like setae. The colors and patterns of the butterfly come from these layers of tiny scales.

The wings are made of two chitinous layers that are nourished and supported by tubular veins. The veins exchange oxygen. The wings are covered with thousands of colorful scales together with many hairs.

The scales are the overgrowth of the body wall and have modified plate like setae. The front and the back wings have different patterns. The male butterflies have scent scales which are modified wing scales situated on the forewings to release pheromones. These are chemicals to attract females of the same species.

Butterflies have beautifully colored wings. They have ultraviolet patterns in the wings. But these ultraviolet patterns are invisible to us, but visible to other butterflies. The colorful wings of the butterfly serve various purposes. They are:

Camouflage, in which the color of the animal helps it blend into the environment, hiding the insect.

Attracting and finding mates, who look for certain colors and patterns.

Warning coloration: Brightly colored butterflies mimic a similar brightly looking butterfly.

Deceiving predators: Some butterflies have eyespots on their wings. These eyespots will appear as animal faces for their predators.

Butterflies are cold blooded animals. When they get too cold, they can spread these wings in the sun and pump blood into the wings and this will increase their body temperature.

Butterflies possess striking color display as they fly from flower to flower gathering nectar. Their brightly colored wings reflect and change colors before our eyes. This vivid color display dazzles our eyes. How do the butterflies get their colorful displays? They get their striking color displays from two sources. They are:

1. Ordinary or pigmented colors

2. Structural colors.

The ordinary or pigmented colors come from normal chemical pigments. The normal pigments absorb light of certain wavelengths and reflect others. Most of the butterflies get their different shades of brown and yellow from melanin, the color pigment.

Structural color is the color that stems up from the specific structure of the butterfly wings. It also explains why some of the butterfly colors appear so intense. This quality of changing colors is known as iridescence. It occurs when light passes through transparent multi-layered surface and undergoes multiple reflection. The multiple reflections compound one another and intensify colors.

Iridescence or goniochromism is the phenomenon of certain surfaces that appear to change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes. Examples of iridescence include soap bubbles, butterfly wings and sea shells, as well as certain minerals. Iridescence also means a lustrous rainbow-like play of colors caused by differential refraction of light waves that tend to change as the angle of view changes.

Butterfly wings are covered by thousands of microscopic scales split into two or three layers. Each scale has multiple layers separated by air. The equally spaced layers of butterfly wings create multiple instances of constructive interference.

When light strikes the different layers of butterfly wings it is reflected numerous times and the combination of all these reflections causes very intense colors. Most of the butterflies display ultraviolet spectrum visible only to other butterflies and not to human beings.

The combination of a butterfly’s structural and pigmented colors can create interesting effects. For example a butterfly with a yellow pigment creates blue iridescent color, we will see green shade made by merging of the two colors. We will see yellow, or blue or green or a combination of all the three as light enters at different angles and as the butterfly moves its wings.

Butterflies with bright colors and patterns are advertisements to their predators that they are distasteful. There are also butterflies that are brightly colored mimicking other species to fool their predators.

The scales form patterns and provide the butterflies with camouflage and help them to hide from their predators by easily blending with the environment. The common camouflage of butterflies are the wing patterns that resemble the leaves of the tree or the barks of a tree.

The scales on the top of the butterfly wings are brightly colored while the scales on the underside are patterned for camouflage while the butterfly rests.

Butterflies use colors and patterns for attraction and deception. Some butterflies look for certain colors or patterns while searching their mates. The ultraviolet patterns on the wings of the butterflies are invisible to us but are used by other butterflies to identify their mates.

Knowledge of science and its application has given us a breakthrough to understand the physics behind the colorful display of butterflies. While we understand the structural adaptation and the behavior of this small insect, we should not forget to wonder the marvels of Nature.

Butterflies, the Colorful Wonder of Nature

2016-12-19T03:10:00.002-08:00

Butterflies are the most beautiful and fascinating creations of Mother Nature. Butterflies belong to the insect world and they are called the winged flowers of the insect world. Butterflies belong to Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta and Oder Lepidoptera. Under the sub-order Rhopalocera, there are three super families of Butterflies. They are Hedyloidae, Hesperioidae, and Papilionoidae. There are about 20,000 species of butterflies in our planet.

Butterflies have colorful wings with beautiful pattern. The designs on the wings of the butterflies are unique. Butterflies have six legs, four wings, and two antennae. They are harmless. Butterflies are found everywhere except Antarctica.

Body of the butterflies are divided into head, thorax and abdomen. They have their skeleton around their bodies. Life cycle of a butterfly is in four stages. They are egg, larva, pupa and the adult butterfly. Their larvae are known as caterpillars. The life span of adult female butterflies of most species live about two weeks, with males living for slightly less time.

Female adult butterflies lay lots of eggs in thousands because only a few of them develop into the larval stage. The caterpillar stage of a butterfly is an herbivore and continuously feeds on the leaves to undergo growth and development.

The pupa stage is the third phase in the life cycle of a butterfly. In this phase pupa is transformed into butterfly. Pupa stage is the resting phase of the butterfly. The pupa stage is vulnerable to predators as it is stationary. They camouflage themselves with the color and the texture of their surroundings to prevent the detection of enemies.

Butterfly feed on nectar of flowers and other liquids through a small pipe under their heads. This pipe is called proboscis. In order to survive a butterfly needs food, shelter and air to breathe. Most butterflies will get their food needs from the nectar found in flowers, which they suck up with their proboscis, but some butterflies also may suck tea sap etc.

Butterflies shelter themselves in roosts. These roosts are any kind of plant with a good hiding space such as tall grass, shrubs, underneath leaves and even in caves. Butterflies will also hide underneath human items including fences. The butterflies also must be able to breathe air in order to survive and cannot stay trapped in a place, such as a jar, without any air holes.

Butterflies use their antennae to sense the air for scents. The antennae contain sensory organs known as sensillae. The shape, color and the structure of the antennae vary from species to species though their function remains the same.

Butterflies have a pair of compound eyes. It uses color vision when searching for food, and is sensitive to UV, violet, blue, green, and red wavelength peaks, suggesting color constancy. In nature, these butterflies feed on nectar provided by flowers of various colors not only in direct sunlight, but also in shaded places and on cloudy days. They have ultraviolet vision.

Butterflies taste their food with the help of chemo-receptors located at their feet. Butterflies have a pair of compound eyes. Vision is well developed in butterflies and most species are sensitive to ultraviolet spectrum. Some of the species have color vision.

Butterflies have two pairs of large and colorful wings, covered with scales. The wings are attached to their thorax. Veins support the wings and ensure blood supply. The scales, which are arranged in colorful designs unique to each species, are what gives the butterfly its beauty.

Butterflies are cold blooded, meaning they cannot regulate their own body temperature. As a result, their body temperature changes with the temperature of their surroundings. If they get too cold, they are unable to fly and must warm up their muscles in order to resume flight.

Butterflies can fly as long as the air is between 60°-108° F, although temperatures between 82°-100° F are best. If the temperature drops too low, they may seek a light colored rock, sand or a leaf in a sunny spot and bask. Butterflies bask with their wings spread out in order to soak up the sun's heat.

Butterflies have good control over their flight movements so that they can make sudden landings. Speed of the butterfly varies from species to species. Speed of the poisonous species of butterflies are slower than the speed of the non-poisonous species.

Butterflies protect themselves from predators through variety of tricks. The most common is chemical defense. Many plants produce poisonous chemicals to protect themselves from creatures that eat them. Butterflies use these poisonous chemicals produced by the plants to protect themselves from their enemies.

Camouflage is another technique that butterflies use to escape from their enemies. It is a technique of balancing and blending with the color of the surroundings to hide from their enemies. Some species of butterflies mimic their neighboring poisonous species to evade their enemies. They mimic their neighboring species by copying the colour pattern and produce an unpleasant smell and taste.

Butterflies hibernate by slowing down their body functions and live without food. Some butterflies can fly 50KMs per hour or even faster. Slow flying butterflies fly about 10KMs per hour.

We know about migration of birds. Butterflies too migrate only to one place from the place of their birth. Researchers are still to find out the reason behind their migration. Birds migrate during bad weather but butterflies migrate when the weather improves.

Many species of butterflies have become extinct due to deforestation and increase in population. Global warming and climate change have caused severe damage to these insects. Extensive human activity has resulted in habitat destruction. So several species of butterflies are becoming extinct.

Butterflies are under threat from their early stages. When they are eggs they are attacked by predators, diseases and environmental factors. Larvae of the butterfly are easy prey for ants, birds and wasps. Caterpillars are affected by many bacterial, viral and fungal diseases. Very few caterpillars become adults.

The adult butterflies are preyed by several birds like sparrows, robins, jays, and such other birds. Adult butterflies have to fight against spiders, wasps, dragonflies etc. for their survival. Extreme weather is an enemy to butterflies. They are cold blooded insects. Therefore, they are sensitive to high temperature. Harsh winds and rains will kill the butterflies.

Many of the butterfly species have become endangered because of habitat destruction and global warming. Rain-forests are being destroyed slowly. So great number of butterflies are diminishing.

As one of the member of this bio diversity, we have the responsibility to preserve the clan of butterflies. So we must set up, butterfly parks and gardens to nurture and nourish the species vulnerable to extinction.

Do and Learn Science….

2016-12-13T05:20:00.001-08:00

Optical Illusion

The main objective of science teaching is to impart training in scientific methods and scientific attitude to children. Children easily understand the scientific concepts when they actually “do” with their hands. “Doing” involves both hands and the brain. When children “do” science with their hands, they can transfer the learning experience of one situation to new learning situations.

Doing and Learning science has several advantages.

Children will have a behavioral change and they will be able to solve problems easily.

Children will get firsthand knowledge and they will develop interest in science learning.

Children will develop decision making skills and problem solving techniques.

Children will acquire self-confidence and will become self-reliant.

Children will start developing scientific attitude.

The learning experience will remain in their memory as they are learning science by doing.

Children will slowly develop a feeling that science is something that we have to do but not just learn from text books.

The advantages of doing and learning science are manifold. Let us see how to make children “do” and “learn” the concept of Optical Illusion in our regular class rooms.

Optical illusions occur because our brain is trying to interpret what we see and make sense of the world around us. Optical illusions simply trick our brains into seeing things which may or may not be real. The information gathered by the eye is processed by the brain, creating a perception that in reality, does not match with the true image. Perception means the interpretation of what we understand through our eyes. Therefore, to make children understand the concept of optical illusion, we can use of color, light and patterns to create images that can be deceptive or misleading to our brains.

The learning experience will remain in their memory as they are learning science by doing.

Children will slowly develop a feeling that science is something that we have to do but not just learn from text books.

The advantages of doing and learning science are manifold. Let us see how to make children “do” and “learn” the concept of Optical Illusion in our regular class rooms.

Teacher can devise certain craft ideas and ask children to do them. Children enjoy doing the crafts and will learn the lesson too. Following are some of the craft ideas for children to do…

1 1. Color wheel spinning toy: Take an old CD and ask children to cut paper and paste it on CD and paint with different colors. Then ask them to spin it using thread. Tell them note down their observation. They will see white color wheel spinning in front of their eyes as they rotate the disk.

2 2. Color Wheel spinning top: Let the children take the old cd and paste a white paper circle upon it. Paint the sectors of the circle with any two colors say, for example yellow and blue and then spin the disc. They will observe green color disc spinning.

3.Let children paint all the colors of the rainbow as shown above. When they spin, they will observe white color disc spinning as white color is the constituent of other colors.

4.Both the diagrams can be given to children to draw. The first diagram is a flower vase when they see black portion.. Two faces facing each other when they see the white portion. In the second diagram the animal’s legs are tricking our eyes.

5.Children should be encouraged to draw patterns of the above type to understand optical illusion.

6.A thaumatrope is a toy that was popular in the 19th century. A disk with a picture on each side is attached to two pieces of string. When the strings are twirled quickly between the fingers the two pictures appear to blend into one due to the persistence of vision

Teachers should encourage children to do activities for learning science. Children will develop firsthand knowledge of the topic if they do with their hands. As they understand the importance of doing science and they will also understand that science is not just limited to their text books. Over the period of time, they will start searching for science in their daily life.

Duck- Billed Platypus, the amazing primitive mammal

2016-12-08T02:30:00.001-08:00

Animals are gifts of Nature. They are closely associated with our daily life. Animals contribute a lot to our lives. They provide us food, clothing, medicine and other economic needs. One of the most important functions of animals is to help disperse seeds and pollinate plants. Primates, for example, help to disperse seeds through the fruits they eat.

Bats help spread seeds and pollinate a variety of plants. Bees are the most important animals to plant ecosystems. Many crops rely almost entirely on bees to spread and pollinate, including almonds, avocados, apricots and peaches. Without bees, the planet would face the prospect of mass starvation.

Animals help maintain the Earth's natural environment by predating upon plants and other animals. They exhale carbon dioxide, which green plants require to live. Animals help to fertilize plants via their droppings, which provide nutrition for plants. Once they die, animals also serve as food for microorganisms and supplement minerals for plants.

The animal under discussion is Duck billed Platypus. It is a semiaquatic egg laying mammal. They are a species of primitive mammals called monotremes. Duck-billed Platypuses live in burrows and spend much of their time in freshwater ponds and streams. These animals make their homes in the freshwater areas that flow throughout the island of Tasmania and the eastern and south-eastern coast of Australia.

Platypuses are carnivores (meat-eaters) and they use their bills to strain their prey. They feed on crayfish, worms, insects, snails and shrimp from muddy water. As they swim, they try to detect food along the muddy bottom of the river, stream, pond or lake using their sensitive bills. They store their food in their cheek pouches while hunting in water and swim to the surface.

Platypuses are venomous mammals. The body of the animal is broad and has a flat tail. The entire body is covered with dense brown colour fur. The function of the brown coloured fur is to keep the body warm and will not wet the body when the animal is swimming under water. The tail is used for storage of fat reserves. Their legs will spread outside the body and they crawl like lizards.

The animal has a webbed feet and has a large rubbery snout. The webbing are more significant on the front feet and are folded back when the animal is walking on land. The webbings on the front feet extend beyond the sides of the five toes and the end of the claws forming fan shaped paddles. When in water the animal propels itself with front feet rather than the hind feet.

The rubbery snout makes them appear like ducks. The snout is the sense organ with the mouth on the underside. Their nostrils are located on the dorsal surface of the snout. The eyes and ears are located in a groove set just back from it. This groove is closed when swimming.

Their body weight varies from 700 grams to 2.4 kilograms. Males are larger than the

females. Average length of males is 50 cms. Average length of females is 43 cms.

Their average body temperature is 32 degree Celsius

Platypuses have the ability to make and receive electrical impulses. They communicate through electro reception. The electro receptors of the Platypus are located in rostro-caudal rows in the skin of the bill. The Platypus can determine the direction of an electric source, by comparing differences in signal strength across the sheet of electro receptors. When they are feeding by digging in the bottom of streams with its bill, the electro receptors could be used to distinguish live and dead objects. When disturbed, its prey would generate tiny electrical current which the sensitive electro receptors of the Platypus can detect.

The male platypuses have a hollow, horny spur on the inner side of each of the hind feet. The spur is connected to a gland at its base containing venomous secretion with which the animal may defend itself. The venom is produced in the crural glands of the male, which are kidney-shaped alveolar glands connected by a thin-walled duct to a calcaneal spur on each hind limb. The males produce the venom and production rises during the breeding season. It is thought that it is used as an offensive weapon to assert dominance during this period.

The constituent of the venom is proteins, unique to platypus. This venom acts as a defensive weapon against predators. This venom is capable of killing smaller animals but does not affect human beings. The effect of the venom is non-life threatening but nevertheless powerful enough to seriously impair the victim.

Treatment for diabetes is a great challenge to the medical fraternity. Till today no cure or no control of the disease is found. A few Australian Scientists have discovered that the venom of male platypus can be used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Their findings are as follows:

1. Hormone produced in the gut of the platypus to regulate the blood glucose is also present in its venom.

2. The hormone glucagon like peptide GLP-1 is normally secreted in the gut of both humans and animals.

3. GLP-1 stimulate the release of insulin to lower the blood glucose.

4. In people with type 2 diabetes a short stimulus triggered by GLP-1 is not sufficient to maintain the blood sugar level.

5. Medication is required to release insulin to balance sugar level in the blood.

6. The Australian scientists found out that in the male platypus, GLP-1 regulates the blood glucose level.

1. The venom of the male platypus triggers the formation of stable GLP-1 in the system during the mating season.

2. This stable GLP-1 molecule is the most needed in the treatment of type 2 diabetes which can be either extracted from the platypus gut or can be synthesized artificially.

3. Further research is required to convert these findings into treatment for the type 2 diabetes.

Our Mother Earth is rich with animal and plant resources. We have to study all the plants and animals around us to find solution for our various problems. So let us start learning from Mother Nature as Mother Nature is the best teacher.

Courtesy:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161129114432.htm

Applications of firefly Bioluminescence

2016-12-01T01:43:00.001-08:00

Luciferin and luciferase are not particular molecules. They are generic terms for a light-producing chemical and it is usually a protein. Luciferase can be produced in the laboratory through genetic techniques, and has a wide variety of uses.

Genes for luciferase can be genetically engineered into organisms so that they glow when exposed to luciferin. This allows visualization of certain biological processes, stages of infection, and provides other valuable sources of information.

Mice, silkworms, and potatoes are just a few organisms that have already been engineered to produce the chemical.

Luciferase can be used in blood banks to determine if red blood cells are starting to break down.

We can genetically engineer Christmas trees to glow without lights, using luciferase. Luciferin would be added to a fertilizer used for the tree, which would react with the luciferase so that the tree can produce its own light.

Luciferase is a protein and works in a completely different way. It converts chemical energy to visible light. Some of that energy comes from ATP, the chemical that all cells use to drive their energy, the other part of the energy involved in the glow comes from a complex molecule called a luciferin.

Plants cannot make this luciferin and we don't know how fireflies make luciferin. We can genetically inject luciferin into the trees on the roadside. The trees will glow in the dark. Thus we can cut down the expenditure on street lighting. Similarly, trees in the parks and garden can be genetically engineered with the compound luciferin so that trees can glow during the night time.

Two scientists Mathew Maye and Rabeka Alam are using nanotechnology to harness the natural bioluminescence of fireflies in order to create lighting that does not need any energy to glow! By using nanotechnology, the team believes that they can create a natural bioluminescent lighting system that is 20 to 30 times more efficient.

According to Mathew Maye and Rabeka Alam, size and structure of custom, quantum Nano- rods hold the key. They are harnessing the chemical reaction between luciferin and its counterpart, the enzyme luciferase which causes the fireflies to glow. The team attached the manipulated luciferase enzyme to the surface of the Nano rod allowing it to act as a fuel. The energy that was released when the fuel and the enzyme interacted, it was then transferred to the Nano-rods, causing them to glow. This process is known as Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET).

The Nano-rods are composed of an outer shell of cadmium sulphide and an inner core of cadmium selenite and by manipulating the size of the core, and the length of the rod, then they were able to alter the colour of the produced light. Nano rods will become a substitute for LED lights. The Nano-rods that are made of the same materials can be used in computer chips, solar panels etc. In the future, we may have to insert the firefly luciferin coated Nano-rods into LED lights. Remember these Nano rods need not have to be plugged in. Thus these Nano rods will save on the lighting costs and using luciferin we can light up the entire world!

Firefly light is one of nature’s best examples of bioluminescence. The light is extremely bright and brilliant. It can be used for nonbiological applications by manipulating the interface between the biological and nonbiological components. It can be used for the many biological applications also.

Mother Nature has created hidden technologies in various species. They are abundantly found, but hidden. Man has to investigate deeply and should study and use it to his advantage to better his life and living standards. If man has to study and understand the various species available in this planet, he should not disturb nature. He should conserve all the members of the planet and live harmoniously with Nature.

What is Bioluminescence? Why do fireflies glow during night?

2016-11-29T02:26:00.001-08:00

Our planet is surrounded by many crawling, buzzing and flying insects. All insects are invertebrates and they come under the class Insecta under the phylum Arthropoda. The word arthropoda means jointed legs. Phylum Arthropoda contains more than a lakh of species of insects.

Insects are found in every habitat. They are found in air, water and on land. They are the most successful forms of life. They are the diverse group of creatures. Each insect is important and each insect has important functions to perform in this ecosystem. There are more insects in the world than the land animals.

Fireflies are classified under Lampyridae, a family of insects within the beetle order Coleoptera, or winged beetles. There are about 2,000 firefly species. These insects live in a variety of warm environments, as well as in temperate regions. They are a familiar sight in summer evenings. In drier regions, they are found around wet or damp areas that retain moisture.

These insects are actually beetles, nocturnal members of the family Lampyridae. Most fireflies are winged. Not all the species of firefly produce light. The luminescent insects of the same family is commonly known as glow-worms. Fireflies can grow to 9 centimetres in length and are easily identified by their flat bodies, blackish backs, large eyes, and short antennae. Of course, fireflies are most readily identified by their bioluminescent abdominal region. Egg, larva, pupa and the adult firefly glows in the dark.

What is bioluminescence?

Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by living organism. It is seen in marine vertebrates, invertebrates, in some fungi, some microorganisms, and terrestrial invertebrates like fireflies. It occurs through a chemical reaction that produces light energy within the organism’s body.

Bioluminescence occurs in specialized light emitting organs, i.e. firefly’s lower abdomen. The lower abdomen contains specialized photogenic cells called photocytes. These photocytes are arranged in rosettes. Each rosette consists of thousands of photocytes. The photocytes obtain their oxygen through tracheoles of the abdomen, fine branching tubes of the trachea. Bioluminescence is controlled by nerves penetrating the photogenic organ through a mechanism involving oxygen admission.

Luciferin is the light emitting compound found in the abdomen of firefly species. The enzyme luciferase acts on luciferin in the presence of magnesium ion, ATP and oxygen to produce light. The reaction is as follows:

Luciferin+Oxygen+ATP ======= Oxyluciferin+CO₂+AMP+ Diphosphate + Light

Not all fireflies glow in the dark. Certain species of fireflies only glow in the dark. All their stages of development i.e., egg, larva, pupa and the adults glow in the dark. Till recently it was thought that fireflies glow in the dark to warn their predators. But recent studies have confirmed that glowing in the dark is for mate selection. Fireflies are a classic example of an organism that uses bioluminescence for sexual selection. They have a variety of ways to communicate with mates in courtships: steady glows, flashing, and the use of chemical signals unrelated to photic systems. The signal provides potential mates with information about the species of the signaller or its quality as a mate.

Earthworm, the Ecosystem Engineers

2016-11-22T02:38:00.004-08:00

Planet Earth is the most beautiful planet in the solar system. Life is flourishing only in this planet because of sunlight, water, huge variety of plants, different classes of animals ranging from unicellular amoebae to multicellular mammals. Earth has atmosphere that contains oxygen gas, required by all living beings for breathing.

Our planet has a rich biological diversity. It houses several thousands of birds, millions of flowering plants, lakhs and lakhs of marine and aquatic animals and plants and so on. There are many millions of different species of animals, birds, snakes, fishes, worms and plants living on this Earth. This biological diversity brings stability to the planet Earth.

Earthworm, belonging to the phylum annelids is one of the members in this bio diversity comes under animal kingdom and it is an invertebrate. It is found all over the world except in the Arctic and Antarctic polar regions. They are long, tube shaped, segmented worms. They live in the soil. The segmented body help them to live in burrows in soil. They feed on dead and decayed organic matter and soil.

They have no eyes. But they have light sensitive cells scattered in their outer skin. These light sensitive cells give their skin capacity to detect light and help the worm to identify changes in light intensity. The worm cannot see images like how we see images. Their skin is sensitive to touch.

Earthworm has no bones. The worm moves by contracting and relaxing its body segments. They have bristle like structure called setae that help the body to anchor and control the worm while moving through soil.

They have no lungs. They breathe oxygen from the air. Oxygen diffuses through skin into their bodies as their skin is permeable and skin is their respiratory organ. They have closed blood circulatory system. They have 5 hearts. The hearts manage excess calcium in their diet. The digestive system comprises of alimentary canal. It runs through the body.

The worm has two distinct ends. The anterior end and the posterior end. Mouth is situated at the anterior end and anus is at the posterior end. Large number of chemo receptors are concentrated near the mouth. They have the ability to regenerate the last segments.

They have simple brain which directs the worm in response to light. They have both central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. The worm is hermaphrodite. That is each worm carries both male and the female reproductive organs in their body.

Earthworm is called the friend of the farmer.

Earthworm is a terrestrial organism. They live in borrows of the moist soil, rich in dead and decaying organic matter or humus. It is nocturnal animal. Earthworm comes out of the burrows during night time in search of food, which is dead and decayed organic matter.

When earthworm moves through the soil, it keeps on turning the soil in such a way that upper layer of the soil goes down and the lower layer of the soil comes up. So soil layers are loosened and aerated. It feeds on the soil and the organic matter present in the soil. It digests the soil and the organic matter and excretes the same. The excreta of the earthworm is very soft to touch. This type of activity of the earthworm helps water to reach the roots of the plants easily. Air can penetrate into the soil and soil will absorb oxygen from the air.

The undigested matter of earthworm is the excreta of the animal comes out of anus. It is rich in urea and hence rich in nitrogen. The excreta makes the soil fertile. The dead worm also increases the nitrogen content of the soil. Therefore earthworm is called the friend of the farmer.

The burrowing and feeding activity of earthworms are very beneficial to soil quality and crop production. Roots of the plants need oxygen for their growth and give out carbon dioxide through soil. As earthworm keeps on ploughing the soil, its porosity improves the exchange of gases with the atmosphere. This help the plants to grow well.

The worm castings have higher nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium and potassium content than the surrounding soil. This excreta contains many beneficial microbes that help decompose crop residue and this increases the nitrogen content of the soil.

As the earthworm moves in the soil, it ploughs the soil turning the layers of the soil upside down. It mixes the various layers of the soil nicely. This helps water to penetrate deeply into the soil. The impurities present in water are filtered by the soil. Thus earthworms improve the soil structure and they open up the space in the soil structure called pores.

Earthworms modify the soil properties. The physical, chemical and biological properties of soil are modified by the earthworms due to their burrowing activity. This modification of soil profile will influence the habitats and activities of other organisms within the soil ecosystem.

Earthworms are economically important. They are used as baits for fishing in many parts of the world. They are used as food by a large number of animals like frogs, moles, lizards, small insects etc. The earthworm makes the best food for fish in an aquarium and small animals in the laboratory. The Ayurvedic and Unani system of medicine suggests that earthworms are used for curing obesity, removing bladder stones, curing jaundice, and piles etc.

Earthworm's habit of burrowing makes the soil loose and porous. Their burrows permit the penetration of air and moisture in the porous soil. The faeces of earthworm is a good manure. The secretions of worm enrich the soil by adding nitrogenous bases. This idea is made use of in making vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is making use of earthworms for composting organic residues. Vermicomposting can be done at home also on a small scale. By vermicomposting we are preserving the earthworm species and in this way we can farm earthworms.

Earthworms, along with bacteria and fungi, decompose organic material. They increase the nutrient content of the soil. They improve the soil structure by burrowing. Burrowing also improves soil aeration and enhances plant root penetration. They are members of the food web. Birds and snails are their predators.

The earthworms play a vital role in our biodiversity. They live in the soil, eat the soil, digest the soil, plough the soil and enrich the soil. Thus they protect our soil by adding nutritive values to it. If the soil is preserved this way by the earthworms, water and air that touch the soil are also purified and preserved. Thus the earthworms help in preserving our environment. Undoubtedly, they are the “engineers of our ecosystem”.

Free Radicals-II

2016-11-12T03:05:00.003-08:00

Free radicals are atoms or molecules that are highly reactive with our cells because they contain unpaired electrons. Free radicals are natural by-products of several biological functions and bio chemical reactions. Free radicals are found in food, water, air etc.

They are causing severe damage to all the parts of the cells like proteins, cell membrane, nucleus, DNA etc. by stealing electrons through oxidation. That is why free radical damage is called Oxidative Damage.

When free radicals damage our cells our cells lose their ability to function properly. Continuous damage by free radicals will kill the cells and cause illness.

There are certain compounds or chemicals that reduce the formation of free radicals. Otherwise these compounds will react with free radicals and neutralise them. These compounds are called antioxidants.

The antioxidants work by donating required number of electrons to free radicals and they oxidise other cellular components. Once the unpaired electrons of the free radicals are paired, the free radicals stabilise and become nontoxic to cells. The main function of the antioxidants is cleaning or scavenging free radicals from our cells.

How does our body fight against free radical formation and maintain balance?

Our cells produce enzymes which will fight against free radicals. Our cells also produce natural antioxidants and scavenge the free radicals produced in the cells. Antioxidants will limit the formation of free radicals and prevent oxidative damage to our cells.

Fruits and vegetables contain essential and vital compounds like Carotene, Beta carotene, Lycopene, Lutein etc. These compounds protect the cells and their parts. They help in fighting against the damage caused due to free radicals.

Vitamin E and vitamin C in their natural form help in rehabilitating the cells that are damaged due to free radicals. Thus fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants in their natural form. So plenty of fruits and vegetables should be included in our diet.

Our body has self- repairing mechanism against the damages caused by free radicals. This system will repair and replace the damaged building blocks of the cells. This system self-repairs the damaged DNA, other nucleic acids with the help of various specialised enzymes.

The system removes the damaged bits, replaces the correct sequence of molecules. The self-repairing system of our body will set right the damaged DNA strands also. All the damaged parts of the cells will be replaced within a few days. Thus the self-repairing system will revive the damaged cells.

It is not necessary that the number of free radicals present in our body to be zero. Our body should strike a balance between the number of free radicals generated in our body and the defense and the repair mechanism available. Our body has to keep the oxidative damage low so that repair and replacement mechanism can be undertaken.

A properly balanced diet plays a vital role in keeping the oxidative damage under control. Proper dose of vitamins and mineral supplement will prevent the formation of free radicals in our body. Antioxidants present in fruits and vegetables will remove the ill effects of free radicals and hence prevent oxidative damage due to free radicals.

Concluded

Free Radicals I

2016-11-09T09:22:00.002-08:00

Our body is made up of cells. Every cell is made up of molecules and the molecules in turn are made up of atoms. Therefore our body is made up of atoms. Atoms have a nucleus consisting of protons and neutrons. Nucleus is surrounded by electrons, a negatively charged particles. An atom becomes a radical when it loses an electron or a radical is a charged atom. Radicals may be positively, negatively or zero charged.

Radicals are atoms or group of atoms or ions with the unpaired electron in the outermost orbit. They are charged atoms and are highly reactive. The unpaired electrons in the outermost orbit make them highly reactive. All the elements are capable of producing radicals as they are ready to lose the electrons from the outermost orbit. But we are concerned with only oxygen radicals because we are living in the atmosphere of oxygen.

The chemical behaviour of an atom is determined by the number of electrons in the outermost shell. When the outermost orbit is completely filled with eight electrons, the atom is stable and does not take part in any chemical reaction. When the outermost shell is not full, the atom is unstable. It will try to stabilise by either sharing the electron pair or by losing or gaining the electron pair.

An oxygen atom has a total number of eight electrons. Two electrons will occupy the first orbit. The remaining six electrons will occupy the second or the outermost orbit. Out of the six electrons, four electrons are paired. Two electrons are unpaired. Oxygen atom loses the unpaired electron to become a free radical. Now oxygen radical will try to steal the extra electron from the neighboring oxygen atom to stabilize. The neighboring oxygen atom becomes a free radical and will try to stabilize by stealing an electron from its neighboring oxygen atom. This leads to a chain of free radicals formation.

A free radical is an atom or a group of atoms that has an unpaired electron and is therefore unstable and is highly reactive. This enormous chain of free radicals will create a havoc on living tissues. It is estimated that the chain reaction can trigger 6.023 x 1021 billion molecules to react per second!

We live in a world surrounded by free radicals. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules with missing electrons. Free radicals are beneficial in small quantities to destroy pathogens, parasites, bacteria and virus that invade our body. But excess free radicals are the greatest threat to our health.

Free radicals are found everywhere. They are found in sunlight, the food that we eat, the air that we breathe and the water that we drink. So our body absorbs free radicals from all the above elements. Environmental factors also contribute to excess of free radicals in our body.

In addition, cigarette smoking, drinking alcohol, pollution of all types, frequent exposure to X-rays, eating microwaved food and processed food and junk food cause excess free radical production in our body. Since free radicals can cause chain reaction, the cells of our body are damaged and it becomes a great threat to our health and wellbeing. It is proved that all the cells of our body come under attack nearly 10000 times in a day by free radicals. So free radicals are the natural part of our life system.

Free radicals are molecules, usually of oxygen, that have lost an electron. That loss makes them unstable and reactive. They attain stability by stealing the neighbouring molecules' electrons. In stealing an electron, they operate as terrorists in our body. They can attack DNA, leading to dysfunction, mutation, and cancer. They can attack enzymes and proteins, disrupting normal cell activities, or cell membranes. Such membrane damage in the cells that line our blood vessels can lead to hardening and thickening of the arteries and eventually to heart attacks and strokes. Free-radical attacks on collagen can cause cross-linking of protein molecules, resulting in stiffness in the tissue.

The constant attack of oxygen radicals on our body is called oxidative stress which manifests as diseases like cancer, atherosclerosis, heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, stroke, emphysema, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, ulcers, cataract, ageing, senility and so on.

Production of free radicals in our body is continuous. The basic causes are:

The cells of the immune system creates highly reactive oxygen radicals. The other dangerous and molecular variety is Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). These are not free radicals but they less unstable but highly reactive. ROS radicals are weapons.

In every cell, energy is being produced for various metabolic activities. Therefore the cells produce free radicals.

Our body produces free radicals when we are stressed. Hormones produced by the body when it is stressed produce free radicals in abundance. When we lead a stressful life our body produces more free radicals and we suffer from variety of illnesses like fatigue, forgetfulness, elevated BP and sugar.

Pollutants generate free radicals in our body. The food that we eat contain hidden chemicals as our food is grown using pesticides, chemical fertilizers etc. When we ingest the food our body produces free radicals. So it is necessary that our food should be grown using organic methods.

Children are fond of processed foods. Adults are also used to eating processed foods and fast foods. They contain high levels of lipids which produce free radicals that damage the cardiovascular system.

Cigarette smoke generates free-radical concentrations. Lung damage is associated with smoking and is caused by free radicals. Air pollution has similar effects. Alcohol is a potent generator of free radicals. So do not smoke cigarettes and do not drink alcoholic beverages.

When we eat deeply fried foods, free radicals are produced in our body.

In addition, free radicals can result from sun-light. Exposure to sunlight generates free radicals that age the skin, causing roughness and wrinkles. If the exposure is prolonged, free radicals generated from sunlight causes skin cancer.

(To be continued)

Is it right to eradicate mosquitoes?

2016-11-03T02:06:00.002-07:00

Mosquitoes are the most dangerous insects in the world. Mosquitoes live in all continents and in all habitats. They live in any environment except in cold weather. Their favorite habitats are forests, tall grasses, weeds and plants, drainage ditches, meadows, pools, pastures etc… They require plenty of water to survive. The water may be drainage water or clean water or stagnant water.

Mosquitoes carry disease causing parasites. They spread diseases like zika virus, yellow fever, malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya etc. About 250 million people are affected with these diseases all over the world every year. They cause huge financial loss and medical burden by spreading these diseases. People die due to these diseases. Even animals are affected by these deadly mosquitoes.

There are about 3500 species of mosquitoes living in this planet. Most of them do not bite and bother human beings. Only a few hundred species are having devastating effects on humans. It is the female mosquitoes that suck the blood of humans and animals because they need the protein present in the blood to develop and nurture the eggs. The male mosquitoes live by feeding on the nectar of fruit bearing trees and plants.

More than a million people die each year from dengue, malaria etc. The mosquitoes are tiny in size but very efficient in killing people. Many countries are waging war against these tiny insects and they are trying to wipe out their entire clan. They are inventing variety of ways to destroy all the mosquitoes from our planet. In our country we are using only DDT. This pesticide is destroying other birds, insects like butterfly etc. and is causing respiratory diseases in young and old. But it is failing to control mosquitoes as they have become immune to this chemical.

No doubt, mosquitoes are bad and the worst enemy to mankind. Is it right to destroy the entire species? It is not right because they perform important functions and play a vital role in preserving the food web and ecological balance of our planet.

Mosquitoes are the oldest living insects. They have been on this earth for more than hundred million years. They represent an enormous amount of biomass on this earth. Eradicating mosquitoes will disturb the food chain and create imbalance.

Male mosquitoes feed on the nectar of fruit bearing flowers and orchids and pollinate them. They are the only pollinators of certain tasty and nutritious fruits. Suppose the mosquito clan is killed we will lose the tasty fruits and beautiful orchids.

Mosquito larvae feed on the floating decomposing organic material, such as bacteria and feces, which has been deposited by animals and decayed aquatic plant and animal bodies. Therefore the top layer of the water body becomes clean. Mosquito larvae help in the circulation of dissolved oxygen in water which allows other aquatic animals and plants to survive. In addition, the mosquito larvae serve as food for fishes and other aquatic animals. If mosquitoes are destroyed, fishes will be deprived of their food and become extinct.

Male mosquitoes feed on decayed organic matter and microbes. Our planet Earth has plenty of this type of waste. Mosquitoes serve as cleaners of this planet.

Adult mosquitoes are a source of food for bats, fishes, spiders, frogs, lizards, turtles, birds etc. If the mosquitoes are destroyed all the above species of animals may vanish from the earth.

Birds migrate from place to place in search of favourable climate. The arctic region is snow clad for most part of the year. When the snow melts many birds migrate to that region. Their only food is larvae of the mosquitos. If mosquitoes are eradicated, then the birds cannot migrate to that region.

If birds cannot migrate, then plant propagation and pollination will decrease. Living beings on this planet will begin to decline. If all living beings are interdependent by nature then how can the human beings survive? There will be a collateral damage to the flora and fauna of this planet.

So think before eradicating mosquitoes from the planet. Innovate and devise an effective tool or find out ways and means to control them but not destroy them altogether because they spread diseases. Mosquitoes controlling device should not destroy or harm or cause any health problems to other living members of this planet.

Eradicating mosquitoes completely may destroy our planet. Mosquitoes are important ecologically. Some of the species of mosquitoes spread life threatening diseases. That means not all the species of mosquitoes are potential threat to

humanity. So we have to only control the disease causing nature of the mosquitoes. How?

We have to control the population of the mosquitoes that spread diseases. The genes of the harmful species of mosquitoes should be genetically modified and their life span should be reduced. That means that as soon as the eggs are hatched out they should die. Or, the genes that help them to carry the parasites should be altered. Scientists should research more on altering their genes that spread diseases so that our ecosystem and health are protected.

Importance of indoor plants

2016-10-30T04:15:00.001-07:00

Indoor plants like money plant, snake plant, rubber plant, peace lily, aloe Vera, mother in law’s tongue, cactus, fern etc. are house plants. They grow inside the residences/offices/hospitals/gyms/showrooms and so on. They are grown in the interior for decorative purposes and for psychological effects. They improve our health by filtering impurities from indoor air.

They require correct mixture of soil and compost, light levels, temperature, humidity, water, proper fertilizers and correct size of pots. The indoor plants require proper soil mixture that includes soil conditioners and compost. They do not require direct sunlight for photosynthesis. The light through windows is enough. They require just moderate watering. Too much watering or too little watering should be avoided.

They require 15 to 25 degrees of temperature and a low humidity for their good growth. The soil in the pots gets depleted of their nutrients very quickly. Therefore it is necessary that we change the soil mixture very often. Moderate size pots which comes with a hole at the bottom is preferred for growing indoor plants.

Indoor air is air within the flat, office, school, building, hospital or a theatre. The indoor air is contaminated by smoke, chemicals, household toiletries, use of gadgets and so on. Indoor air pollution will make a large impact on our health if we do not take appropriate measures to control it. Indoor air pollution is more dangerous than the outdoor air pollution as we live more in the indoor than in the outdoor.

Modern living has made us expose to gases, chemicals, fumes, toxins, smoke, viruses, and bacteria. The quality of air that we breathe indoors is very poor. So we suffer from asthma, bronchitis, and such other diseases. Growing children and aged people suffer the most from the poor quality of indoor air.

There are several air purifiers and air humidifiers sold in the market. But they do not filter the indoor air as efficiently as plants do. So growing indoor house plants in each room is the best remedy to improve the quality of air. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen during photosynthesis as they are the green lungs of the world. Indoor house plants are the best indoor air cleaners and filter the toxic elements and pollutants present in the indoor air.

Our indoor air contains pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, trichloroethylene, and ammonia. The following house plants as suggested by NASA can be kept indoor to filter the pollutants.

Off the ten plants suggested by NASA, six plants are the best and the top plants in purifying our indoor air. They are Bamboo palm, Snake plant, Areca palm, golden pothos and peace lily.

Indoor air is filtered effectively by these plants if they are kept appropriate places.

The indoor air that we breathe in our homes and offices is contaminated with pollutants, chemicals like dust, dirt, fumes due to cooking, tobacco smoke, pollens, VOC, bacteria, and virus so on.

Plants that help to clean indoor air should have rich foliage. They should have large leaves. If there are more leaves in the plant then they can filter air efficiently. Plants absorb the pollutants and toxins through the pores present on the surface of the leaves. During photosynthesis, the leaves of the indoor plants absorb not only carbon dioxide gas but also other gases, including volatile organic compounds.

The indoor plants have the ability to remove the harmful compounds from the air by phytoremediation technique. Phytoremediation is a direct use of green plants to remove the pollutants. This will mitigate pollution in air, water and soil. The microorganisms living in the soil of the indoor potted plants play a vital role in neutralizing the VOC and other pollutants

Indoor plants purify air through the pores present in the leaves. Pollutants are absorbed through the microscopic opening in the leaves called stomata. Root microbes biodegrade the pollutants. Water vapour and phytochemicals are emitted into the air through a process called Transpiration. Convection current caused by the transpiration pull pollutants to the roots. Carbon dioxide gas enters the pores of the leaves while water and oxygen exit through stomata of the leaves.

Health hazards of breathing contaminated indoor air:

The advantages of growing indoor plants are

Indoor air is purified and filtered
We breathe oxygen rich air.
Indoor air is free from unwanted odor.
Improvement in health.
Plants release stress and calm our mind.
Plants give aesthetic appearance to our houses/offices.
Plants give positive energy to the people.

Grow indoor plants and enjoy the benefits…..

Magnesium- the Miracle Mineral-III

2016-10-25T03:21:00.001-07:00

Magnesium Supplements

Diet plays a vital role in the maintenance of our health. Therefore, it is very important to eat a balanced diet. For our specific dietary requirements of vitamins and minerals we have to consult a dietician for appropriate foods. Suppose we are not getting enough vitamin/mineral from our diet we should opt for a dietary supplement.

We are aware of the food sources that contain magnesium. We should take care while we are cooking foods containing Magnesium. We should use less fat (oil/ghee) for cooking foods rich in Magnesium as fatty substance will reduce magnesium content of the food. When we eat magnesium rich foods, we should avoid eating fatty foods as fat will prevent the absorption and assimilation of magnesium in our body. So magnesium deficiency is quiet common and should be supplemented.

Magnesium supplementation is recommended by health care practitioners when we suffer from low magnesium level. When magnesium level is depleted, supplements are required to maintain the level of magnesium.

Magnesium is a fundamental nutrient. Our body cannot manufacture this essential mineral. Sufficient level of magnesium is required for energy production in the cells, enzyme activity, and many other functions of our body. So it should be taken as food or food supplement. Magnesium is vital regulator of basic health. It is rediscovered as a solution to overall health. Sufficient magnesium is needed for several physiological processes of our body. If we want to achieve optimal health and wellbeing, we have to include magnesium rich food sources or magnesium supplements.

Magnesium supplements are available as Oral supplements and Trans dermal supplements. The oral supplements are taken in by mouth, pass through GI tract and get absorbed in the blood. The Trans dermal supplements are applied directly on the skin for the skin to absorb. It will be mixed with the blood for assimilation. The oral supplements may have side effects like diarrhea and vomiting. But the Trans dermal supplements will not have any side effects. Taking them is easy.

Some of the oral magnesium supplements are mineral salt magnesium, magnesium acid complex, amino acid magnesium chelates etc. The Trans dermal supplements are magnesium oil spray, magnesium gel, magnesium lotion, magnesium bath salts etc.

Before taking the Magnesium supplement, consult the doctor whether it is required and must be aware of the potential benefits and side effects. Magnesium supplements can be helpful and health enhancing provided how natural it is and how well our body can absorb the mineral.

Benefits of Magnesium Supplementation:

Magnesium supplements have cured several patients suffering from migraine headache, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and immune health.

Magnesium supplements will not only improve the symptoms associated with the deficiency but also supplies every cell in the body with a much needed nutrient and energy.

Magnesium supplements serves 100’s of functions within the body. It is very important for bone health, heart health, and energy production in cells, hormone regulation, relaxation and activation of muscle tissue and for healthy nervous system.

Magnesium is connected to other nutrients within the body. They are calcium, vitamin K and vitamin D. Magnesium supplements counterbalance the calcium level that is accumulated in the body when calcium supplements are taken regularly. Similarly, when one takes vitamin D supplement, or when one is deficient in vitamin K2, it will lower the magnesium that is stored in the body. That is why one must be careful when using a magnesium supplement as it may create an imbalance in the nutrients and increase toxicity. Therefore, we must depend on food based supplements.

We need magnesium to stay healthy and to preserve our immune system, and vision. Foods containing magnesium play vital role in preserving our health. It is better to get the required magnesium from food sources than from the supplements. The food sources rich in magnesium are found to contain other nutrients not found in the supplements which work together to keep our body healthy. Sometimes taking magnesium supplements higher than the normal recommended dose may interfere with the absorption of other nutrients and may cause several side effects.

In a nutshell, magnesium supplements are not a substitute of magnesium rich food. A diet including whole grains, legumes, fruits like banana, green leafy vegetables can provide enough magnesium needed for maintaining sufficient level of magnesium in our body.

(Concluded)

Magnesium, the Miracle Mineral- II

2016-10-21T03:40:00.000-07:00

Physiological role of Magnesium

Magnesium powers our enzymes.

Magnesium is a cofactor of over 300 enzymatic reactions involved in the metabolism of food and its components. Magnesium helps in the creation of new molecules important for health. Magnesium regulate the enzymes to function properly.

Enzymes are required for all bio chemical reactions taking place in our body. Many of the necessary chemical reactions that the body carries out, like breaking down of sugars in the digestive system requires enzymes. Yet enzymes do not function alone. Substances known as enzyme co-factors will regulate the functions of enzymes in order to control the rate of reactions within the body. These co-factors are responsible for starting and stopping the reaction.

Magnesium is one of the most common co-factors in the body. Its presence is important for:

Glucose and fat breakdown
Production of proteins, enzymes and antioxidants such as glutathione
Creation of DNA and RNA
Regulation of cholesterol production

Without enzyme co-factors bio chemical reactions of our body can go out of control. In fact even the slightest imbalance will disturb the functioning of thyroid glands and pancreas. Magnesium is as important hormones. But the difference is that our body can manufacture most of the hormones by itself. Magnesium, on the other hand, cannot be manufactured by the body, it must be taken in as food.

Magnesium drives our fuel source.

Magnesium is required for the energy production inside the tiny structures of our cells. The molecule ATP, or adenosine tri-phosphate, is the fundamental unit of energy used in human cells. Many of the functions carried out by cells require ATP to provide the energy for the action. These include:

Muscle fiber contraction
Protein synthesis
Cell reproduction
Transport of substances across the cells.

Mitochondria inside the cell is the store house of energy. They produce ATP by converting simple units of glucose, fatty acids, or amino acids. Without the presence of sufficient magnesium, the nutrients we take in, cannot be metabolized into usable units of energy. ATP is a fuel for all cellular activities.

ATP exists inside the cell as MgATP, as Magnesium is the catalytic agent. These MgATP units will sustain movement, perform cell maintenance, and to maintain a healthy balance of minerals inside and outside of the cells.

The interdependence of ATP and Magnesium can have far-reaching effects on nerve transmission, calcification of tissues and blood vessels, and muscle excitation, underlining the importance of maintaining adequate magnesium levels.

Magnesium protects our DNA.

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the body’s genetic code. It is used in the building of proteins and reproduction of cells. The cells in our body are constantly replaced by new cells. Studies have shown that DNA synthesis slows down due to insufficient magnesium.Magnesium is required for DNA synthesis.

Magnesium helps our DNA to remain stable and prevent cell mutations. Thus, Magnesium stabilises DNA. When DNA is damaged by environmental mutagens, Magnesium function like a cofactor. It helps in the production of healthy RNA, and synthesis of other proteins useful to our body.

Magnesium regulates our electrolyte balance.

There should be proper balance of mineral content inside our cells. Magnesium play a vital role in maintaining healthy balance or homeostasis of important minerals such as calcium, sodium and potassium. Healthy electrolyte balance helps proper functioning of nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and heart rhythms.

The body allows exchange of mineral ions, through the cell membrane, depending on the concentration inside or outside the cell. The ideal levels of minerals inside and outside the cells cannot be equal. So there is a tendency of ions to equalize across membranes. Therefore, the cell must actively move ions into or out of the cell, expending energy to create a healthy balance using special “exchange pumps”.

These mineral exchange pumps perform one of the most vital functions of the cell membrane, regulating the electrical action potential inside and outside of the cell, and maintaining homeostasis of minerals in the body. One such exchange pump, known as the “sodium-potassium” pump, pumps sodium out of the cell in exchange for potassium. This pump is activated by magnesium inside the cell and it is embedded in the cell membrane.

Magnesium deficiency impairs the sodium-potassium pump. In such a case potassium escapes from the cell, and will be lost in the urine, leading to potassium deficiency called hypokalaemia. Those with a known potassium deficiency should be treated for magnesium deficiency first as they will not respond to the former.

Similarly, Magnesium regulates calcium level. It plays a vital role in maintaining heart health. Magnesium dilates the blood vessels whereas the calcium contracts the blood vessels. Magnesium and Calcium work in the opposite plane.

Magnesium is a vital regulator of basic health. Magnesium has been re-discovered as a miracle mineral and a key to overall wellness. It is very necessary that we include food sources containing magnesium in sufficient quantity so that our cellular and bodily functions go on smoothly.

(To be continued)

Magnesium, the Miracle Mineral-I

2016-10-19T05:33:00.002-07:00

Magnesium is the most abundant mineral on the earth crust. It is abundant in sea water. It is the most abundant mineral in human body. An average adult body has 20-28 grams of Magnesium. Out of which, 60% is present in bones. Magnesium is present in our soft tissues, muscles and body fluids. It is concentrated inside the cells also. Heart and brain cells contain large percentage of Magnesium.

Magnesium is an essential nutrient/mineral. It is indispensable for health and wellbeing. By including magnesium rich food in our diet we can prevent heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis and asthma.

A recent research says that about 80% of people suffer from low level of Magnesium in their blood. If we suffer from any of the following symptoms then we are suffering from low magnesium level in our blood. The symptoms are: insomnia, irritability, anxiety, depression, restlessness, muscle soreness, infertility, PMS (premenstrual syndrome) , stress, headaches, mental disturbances, palpitations,fatigue,difficulty in concentration, allergies, lack of appetite, constipation, back pain, body odor, poor memory, poor co- ordination, insulin resistance, cravings for carbohydrates, poor dental health, gut disorder, kidney stones thyroid problems etc.

Magnesium is required for more than 300 bio-chemical reactions in our body. It helps to maintain normal nerve and muscle function. It supports a healthy immune system. It keeps the heart beat steady, and helps the bones remain strong. It also helps regulate blood glucose levels and aid in the production of energy and protein. It helps to maintain normal blood pressure. It help us to sleep and rest well. It is needed for vitamin D assimilation. It helps in losing weight and hence prevent obesity. Magnesium is also helpful during pregnancy for the proper growth and development of the foetus.

Food sources of Magnesium:

Magnesium is rich in:

Dark green leafy vegetables, fruits -banana, dried apricot, avocado, nuts- cashew and almonds, legumes- peas and beans, soya products, whole grains- brown rice and millet, and milk.

Sesame and corn, unpolished grains, citrus fruits, and oat meal.

Water is a good source of magnesium. Magnesium is abundant in "hard" water. Our body absorbs magnesium from water more easily than food.

Magnesium deficiency has several health implications. They are vertigo, low blood sugar level, tremor, swollen gums, and damage to the arteries that resemble atherosclerosis. Magnesium deficiency affects all the body tissues. If the food has a lot of calcium, proteins and phosphate it will decrease the absorption of magnesium from the gut. Magnesium deficiency is most common in people who eat canned food in large quantities, alcoholics and people who have problems with absorption. Also, this problem occurs in the elderly.

Inadequate magnesium intake leads to several health disorders. Magnesium deficiency leads to:

Cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, angina, ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, and hypertension.
Diabetes. Poor insulin secretion leads to reduced tissue sensitivity to insulin. In diabetic women during pregnancy magnesium deficiency can significantly increase the risk of miscarriage or difficulties in childbirth.
Osteoporosis. Magnesium is important for the normal functioning of the bones. In addition, its role is in the functioning of the parathyroid glands, where vitamin D is metabolised. Magnesium deficiency hampers the secretion of parathyroid hormone.
Migraines. Magnesium deficiency affects neurotransmitters, blood vessels and muscles of the head and neck causing pain.
Premenstrual syndrome. Disturbs the balance of calcium and magnesium due to hormonal fluctuations that leads to PMS.
Asthma. Deficiency of magnesium in the body causes reduced lung function, bronchial hyperactivity and difficulty in breathing.
Kidney stones.
HIV / AIDS. Magnesium deficiency also causes HIV infection which appears as fatigue, lethargy and mental weakness.
Lack of energy. People with magnesium deficiency during heavy physical exertion consume more energy.
Gastric tumour.

Excess of Magnesium:

In patients with kidney failure excess of magnesium is an important medical problem. It is called hypomagnesaemia. Other symptoms include: diarrhoea, flushing of the skin, thirst, low blood pressure, loss of reflexes, lethargy, and weakness of the body, retention of body fluids in the body, nausea, vomiting, and shallow breathing.

What causes Magnesium deficiency?

(To be continued)

Importance of Minerals in our Diet

2016-10-14T04:05:00.001-07:00

Human body is a complicated machine. We need proper fuels to make our body function effectively and efficiently. They are vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Minerals are required to keep the body healthy, energetic and fit.

Minerals are inorganic substances that occur naturally in certain nonliving things like water, soil and rocks. Minerals are found in plants and animals also. Plants absorb the minerals found in the soil when they are watered through root hairs.

Animals get their minerals when they eat the plants and plant products. They absorb minerals present in water when they drink water. Human body is not capable of producing all the nutrients that we need to function properly. Minerals are one such nutrient not produced in human bodies. So we must obtain them through our food. Therefore it is necessary to eat mineral-rich diet.

Minerals are of two types. They are:

i) Major Minerals or Macro Minerals. ii) Trace Minerals or Micro Minerals.

Minerals are required in different amounts but they are all essential. Minerals are grouped depending on how much they are needed on a daily basis. The minerals that are needed more in bigger amounts on a daily basis are known as “macro-minerals” or “major minerals”. The minerals that are needed less and in smaller amounts are known as “micro-minerals” or “trace elements”.

The Macro Minerals are Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Sodium, and Chloride.

The Micro minerals are Iron, Boron, Chromium, Iodine, Manganese, Molybdenum, Selenium, Silicon, Copper, Cobalt, Fluoride and few others.

Minerals are essential for human body to keep us healthy. They are important for several bodily functions.

Minerals are required for building strong bones, teeth, skin, hair and muscles. They are also required for strengthening nerves.

Minerals give us vitality. All cells require enzymes to work and function. Minerals act as cofactors for enzyme reactions as enzymes will not work without minerals.

Minerals help to maintain pH balance and water balance within the body.

Minerals facilitate transfer of nutrients across cell membrane.

Minerals help in contraction and expansion of muscles.

Minerals regulate tissue growth.

Minerals provide structural and functional support to our body.

Minerals only make up a very small percentage of body weight. But their role is very significant. Life would not be possible without minerals. There are about 18 to 22 minerals necessary for metabolic functions. Their absence would result in the imbalance of minerals in our body causing either deficiencies or excesses resulting in physiological impairment.

Here are the diseases caused by mineral deficiencies:

Osteoporosis, brittleness of bones is caused by the deficiency of Calcium.

Certain cancers like prostate cancer, breast cancer, and skin cancer, hormonal imbalance, hydrochloric acid imbalance are caused by the deficiency of Zinc.

Cell metabolism and several other related functions are caused by the deficiency of Magnesium.

Anemia or lack of hemoglobin in the blood is the result of deficient iron in our body.

Dental decay is caused by the deficiency of Fluorine.

Goiter is caused by the deficiency of Iodine.

And so on…..

Minerals are very often found in fresh fruits and green vegetable. Meat, fishes, and milk are also rich sources of minerals. Good physical health is important for enjoying life. Therefore it is important to eat nutritious diet rich in mineral sources. Good nutrition is an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Combined with physical activities, a mineral-rich diet will help us to reach and maintain a healthy weight. It will reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart diseases and cancer, and promote our overall health and wellbeing.

Water is Life

2016-10-09T01:35:00.001-07:00

Water is one of the important constituent of our diet. Our diet needs to be balanced in all respects. Our diet should contain carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals and water in proper proportion. The amount of water needed by our body depends on one’s age, type of work, and the climate.

Water is of major importance to all living things. In some organisms, up to 90% of their body weight is made of water. The human adult body contains 70% of water. Our body gets a lot of water from many of the food items that we eat. For example, fruits, vegetables, meat and fish give lot of water to our body.

Each day we must consume water to survive. Of course, this varies according to age and gender, and also by where someone lives. We need about 2.5 to 3 litres of water on day today basis for our bodily functions. Some of this water is from the food that we eat. Most of the water needed by our body, comes from drinking water, tea, coffee, milk etc. Some of the water in our body is the result of oxidation of glucose during the digestion of the food.

Water forms about 70% of our body weight and is an important constituent of all body cells. Although water does not provide energy, it is a very important nutrient. Water is vital for life and an essential nutrient. If we deprive our body of water, it will kill us.

Water is vital for several bodily functions and physiological processes. All our physiological activities depend on water. Water is a vital nutrient to every cell. It acts as a building material. Water assists in flushing out waste materials from our body and prevents constipation. We release lot of energy as we breathe. Our skin which is also an excretory organ sweat out to normalise the body temperature. The essential nutrients after carbohydrate metabolism and fat metabolism are transported by water into the blood stream & supply to cells and tissues. Water acts as a shock absorber for brain, spinal cord, and foetus. Water helps in the formation of saliva. It lubricates joints and keep our skin glowing.

We need to drink 2 to 3 litres of water every day and keep us hydrated. Lack of water will lead to dehydration. When there is dehydration, cells and tissues suffer from depletion of water. Physiological processes cannot take place in the absence of water. So we are drained of energy.

We need more water when we exercise. We sweat when we exercise. So we need to drink more water to replace the loss of fluid. Hot and humid weather will make us sweat and we need to drink more fluids.. Heated indoor air can cause our skin to lose moisture during wintertime. At great altitudes that is above 2,500 meters there will be increased urination and more rapid breathing. Therefore we need to drink more water.

When we have fever, vomiting or diarrhoea, our body loses fluids. So we should drink more water. In some cases, doctors will also recommend oral rehydration solutions, such as Electral, ORS etc. Women who are pregnant or breast-feeding need additional fluids to stay hydrated.

We drink water when we are thirsty. We should try to drink water even when we are not thirsty. This will cause cooling of our internal organs.

If we drink water before meals, it aids digestion. Drinking water before meals will help us to lose weight. So it prevents obesity.

Drinking water as soon as we get up in morning will prevent many diseases such as, heart diseases, kidney problems, and diabetes. Our muscles and joints will remain flexible. Body will become agile.

If we drink a glass of water when we are hungry, it will give the feeling of fullness in the stomach. So eating more food can be prevented. Drink few glasses of water in empty stomach. Water will remove toxic waste from our body.

Drinking water during the meals should be avoided to some extent. However small quantities of water during the meals may be all right. Drinking too much of water during the meals should be avoided. Drinking water with the meals will dilute the gastric juice and will slow down the process of digestion in the stomach and intestines.

Drinking cold water during the meals reduces the potency of stomach acids to digest food. Cold water will make the digestive enzymes become inactive and the process of digestion is hampered and leads to accumulation of toxic waste in the body. Similarly, drinking coke, soda, hot beverages like tea or coffee during mealtime should be avoided.

We can drink plenty of water half to one hour after our meals as most of the digestion process will be over by then. Now this water will help in transporting nutrients to various organs of our body.

Water is a compound of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. Oxygen is our life force. By drinking water, we get more oxygen essential for our survival on this planet. Our internal organs will be sufficiently aerated. Drinking water as soon as we wake up will slowly remove illness from our body as our blood is cleansed and body waste is removed. So drink water frequently as it contains no calories. It will help us to enjoy good health and long life.

Water is Life…. Water is our life force…. Water is Elixir… Water gives us Energy….

So drink more water.....