tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49101061189833017682024-03-05T16:11:56.981-05:00Logical Factual ScienceLogic and Facts, used to provide you with Science, in a real way that you can apply to your life.
No more pseudo-science or pseudo-medicine being presented as advice from people with no real knowledge of how the human body works.
It's a blog about science, health science, and medicine, with a little skepticism and some critical thinking.
Please enjoy some Logical Factual Science!
Future topics include: High Fructose Corn Syrup and Power Balance Bracelets.Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-76185604293752739362014-01-04T20:40:00.001-05:002014-01-07T00:24:42.303-05:00Breast Cancer from Anitpersperant?A friend of mine recently shared a post on facebook that stated antiperspirants cause breast cancer near the armpit because they are full of toxins and cancer causing agents that get absorbed into your skin, and that washing the antiperspirant off before bedtime will prevent such effects.<br />
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This is a perfect example of half-truth being presented as a health warning or safety tip.<br />
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<b>First</b>, lets discuss why your pits stink:<br />
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Arm pits are typically a warm area of your body and when your skin is warm it will release sweat (essentially salt water) in an attempt to cool off. When the water evaporates from the surface of your skin it absorbs heat - the transformation from liquid to vapor is an endothermic process. The heat on the surface leaves your skin with the water. Sometimes you sweat out a bit of sugar (not quite the same kind you put in your morning coffee) or some small proteins - particularly while sweating more actively. These sugars and small proteins are the ideal food source for the <a href="http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/men/sweating-odor/bacteria-cause-body-odor.htm#icpgn=relatedlink" target="_blank">bacteria</a><a href="http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/men/sweating-odor/bacteria-cause-body-odor.htm#icpgn=relatedlink" target="_blank"> that live in the moist environment under your arms</a>. They break them down and create waste products that smell bad. Hence the stinky arm pits.<br />
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<b>Second</b>, lets define Deodorant and Antiperspirant:<br />
They are not the same thing, however these terms are often used interchangeably.<br />
Both are applied to the armpit with the goal of reducing odors caused by sweat and the bacteria that grow in your underarm.<br />
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<u>Deodorant</u> accomplishes this by basically putting perfumes and odor absorbing or destroying compounds on the skin to keep you smelling fresh even in the presence of sweat.<br />
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<u>Antiperspirant</u> is usually deodorant with added aluminum or aluminum containing molecules. The aluminum acts to clog the ducts that carry sweat from your glands to the surface. This will not usually clog 100% of your sweat ducts but should affect a large number of them. So no matter how warm your pits get, no matter how much sweat is produced in the glands, it cannot escape to the skin and therefore cannot be broken down by the bacteria. No sweat = no stink! <br />
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You can usually identify one from the other based on packaging that says things like "Keeps you dry" or better yet, turn the thing over and read the ingredients. Antipersperants will have ingredients like "Aluminium chloride, aluminium chlorohydrate, aluminium zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly and aluminium zirconium trichlorohydrex gly."<br />
<a href="http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/antiperspirant-ingredients" target="_blank">WebMD explored the other components of deodorants and antiperspirants.</a><br />
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<b>Now</b>, lets break down the claims in the post.<br />
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1 - <u>Antipersperant is full of toxic chemicals that cause cancer</u> - are you kidding me? There are so many regulations around everything you buy that no company would even consider adding a known toxic compound to a product intended to be applied to the skin. Additionally, antipersperant is classified as a drug (while deoderant is a cosmetic) and therefore is subject to FDA approval. The <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/98fr/03-14140.htm" target="_blank">FDA investigated</a> the safety of aluminum in antiperspirants and found the levels of aluminum containing compounds to be well within safe limit and only cautions people to refrain from eating antiperspirants and inhaling aerosol varieties; however, this was not solely due to the presence of aluminum.<br />
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2 - <u>These supposed toxins will be absorbed through your skin.</u> Percutaneous absorption is a difficult task to acheive. If there were toxic chemicals in your antipersperant, the chances of them being absorbed through your skin would be slight. The skin is a highly impervious membrane which only allows certain very small molecules with specific properties through. Ionization and hydrophobicity are some of the important aspects that govern what may and may not pass through the surface of your skin - they must have just the right charge and just the right relationship with water and fats. The only potential scenario for these chemicals to enter your body is if the skin is comprimised in some way due to cracking or cuts. Even then, the amount of toxins to enter these defects are highly unlikely to reach a concentration high enough to cause any real damage. <br />
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3 - <u>Once in your body the chemicals will alter your DNA and induce cancer.</u> This one is not so far fetched - if you can get past the absence of the compounds and the impermeable barrier of the skin. If there is a carcinogen in one of your cells, then yes it could potentially result in cancer. See <a href="http://logicalfactualscience.blogspot.com/2013/02/cancer-1-not-bunch-of-dead-cells.html" target="_blank">Cancer: Not a bunch of dead cells</a>.<br />
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4 - <u>Washing antipersperant off your skin before bedtime will prevent any adverse effects the toxins may cause.</u> Honestly, who comes up with this stuff? If there are so many toxic chemicals in the antipersperant and it has been sitting on/absorbing into your skin all day, then how will removing it from the surface for the night time prevent those supposed ill effects? Logically, it should follow that some of the toxins have already absorbed into your body and rising them off the skin would not have any effect on those toxins.<br />
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<b>Finally</b>, the truth behind the lies:<br />
There is a slight ounce of truth behind these claims however they are lost, buried in the fear mongering.<br />
Aluminum clogs sweat ducts, this can cause some inflammation and irritation to these ducts. This is much more likely to lead to cancer than any theoretical toxins that are magically absorbed through the skin.<br />
It has also be shown that aluminum can have estrogen like effects and therefore can theoretically cause breast cancer. This, however, would require a sufficient amount of free aluminum to cross the skin and accumulate in breast tissue - keep in mind most antiperspirants use aluminum containing compounds not just pure aluminum. Nevertheless, research has been done to investigate this theory and <a href="http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/AP-Deo" target="_blank">no evidence has been found</a> to support the claim.<br />
You may have also seen articles claiming a link between antiperspirants and other health concerns such as <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/does-aluminum-in-pans-and-antiperspirants-lead-to-alzheimers-disease/2013/05/03/e2726998-ae75-11e2-98ef-d1072ed3cc27_story.html" target="_blank">Alzheimers Disease</a> and <a href="http://www.kidneyfailureweb.com/medications/943.html" target="_blank">kidney disease</a>. And, again, there is <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fact-or-fiction-antiperspants-do-more-than-block-sweat" target="_blank">no evidence</a> to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/26/health/26real.html?_r=0" target="_blank">support these claims</a>.<br />
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<b>Conclusion</b>: NO - Antipersperant does not cause cancer, Alzheimers, or kidney disease. But if you are concerned about the aluminum in them the logical answer would be to use deodorant rather than antiperspirant (as opposed to washing your pits before bed - but your coworkers might like it if you do that anyway).Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-47475214319450819852013-08-27T00:59:00.006-04:002013-08-27T01:00:17.906-04:00Alas, time is shortI have not posted any earth shattering information for quite some time, and am unsure when I will be able to dedicate the necessary amount of time to put something coherent together.<br />
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In the meantime I hope you will enjoy this <a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/bad-science-quiz1.htm" target="_blank">quiz from How Stuff Works</a> about common misconceptions and pseudoscience.<br />
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If there are any topics covered that you would like to learn more about, leave me a note in the comments and I will discuss in further detail....eventually.....<br />
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until next time..Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-29113328027353959592013-02-11T00:07:00.000-05:002013-02-11T00:07:53.404-05:00Cancer #1: Not a bunch of dead cellsCancer is a word that everyone has heard but not many people actually understand.<br />
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"How can they kill cells that are already dead?"<br />
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I have had multiple conversations with family members explaining that cancer cells are not dead cells, in fact that is the problem.<br />
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Every cell in your body has a purpose; "be bone" "pump the heart" "feel heat" "make enzymes" and so on.<br />
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Every cell in your body has the same DNA (<a href="http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/dna" target="_blank">deoxyribonucleic acid</a>) that codes for your entire existence. What makes a bone cell a bone cell and heart muscle heart muscle are the genes it expresses. Simply put it can be thought of as light switches. All cells have each and every switch built in but only some get turned on, the ones that say "make this protein". Each gene codes for a specific protein, those proteins can be enzymes that break down other molecules or put other molecules together, receptors that sit in the cell membrane and wait for a signal, or proteins that make the cell do other things like move.<br />
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All cells have genes that tell them when to divide and when to die. Most cells divide rather slowly and stop when they touch other cells, a phenomenon called "contact inhibition". Cells will die when they are no longer useful or there are too many of the same kind.<br />
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<a href="http://www.geekosystem.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/mitosis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://www.geekosystem.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/mitosis.jpg" width="320" /></a>When a cell divides it replicates its DNA to make an identical copy. Each and every time this happens there is the possibility for error. A simple typo can cause the wrong information to be passed from a parent cell to a daughter. Most of these errors are found and fixed before it can do any harm. And many errors that occur are in areas that code for nothing. However, occasionally an error will get by, and the new cell will be dysfunctional in some way.<br />
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"Your pigment is blue now" rather than green; relatively harmless. Often the consequences are imperceptible. <br />
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When this happens in certain parts of the genome, the ones that code for cell division and cell death, we see a different scenario, we get cancer. The gene that says "stop dividing" has been silenced, or the gene that says "time to die" is quiet. With cancer the cells lose the ability to stop dividing, they no longer die as they should. Thus they continue to replicate faster than they die and accumulate a large mass of cells. They lose their original function over time and stop resembling the cell they originally were.<br />
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<a href="http://www.topcancernews.com/images/1/TumorCells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://www.topcancernews.com/images/1/TumorCells.jpg" width="320" /></a>These cells have a high metabolic rate since they are constantly dividing and require a large blood supply to fulfill their need for oxygen and nutrients. They are leeching the nutrients away from the rest of the body, and that is when you start to feel ill. The mass gets large enough to put pressure on other tissue causing pain; symptoms emerge.<br />
With quick detection and quick diagnosis, treatments can be very effective in removing the cancer or at least returning the patient to a normal lifestyle. The best case scenario we all hope for after hearing the diagnosis.<br />
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In a future post we will discuss the difference between benign and malignant tumors, and what metastasis means. We will also explore what chemotherapy means and how it works.Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-60157481899301620112012-06-15T22:40:00.000-04:002013-02-26T00:00:08.758-05:00Science Trivia #1I have been thinking that adding a bit of 'fun' to the blog would be beneficial, thus a new topic series: Science Trivia!!!! woooohooo!<br />
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Q: What is the most poisonous animal on Earth?<br />
a. The King Cobra<br />
b. A "Daddy-Long-Leg" Spider<br />
c. The Poison Dart Frog<br />
d. A Scorpion<br />
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A: The Poison Dart Frog<br />
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While the King Cobra is a venomous snake who's venom is extremely poisonous, this is not the most poisonous animal, nor the <a href="http://listverse.com/2011/03/30/top-10-most-venomous-snakes/" target="_blank">most poisonous snake</a>.<br />
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The affectionately named "daddy-long-leg" or harvestmen, is not poisonous at all, as described in a <a href="http://logicalfactualscience.blogspot.com/2011/01/myths-and-misconceptions-1-daddy-long.html" target="_blank">previous post</a>.<br />
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The Poison Dart Frog, as the name suggests, is a very poisonous animal, the <span class="fullpost">Golden Poison Frog (Phyllobates terribilis) from Venezuela is the most deadly variety. This animal has the capacity to <a href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/poison-frog/" target="_blank">kill 10 adult men</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="fullpost">The Scorpion is also a very poisonous animal, but most do not contain enough venom to <a href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/scorpion/" target="_blank">kill one human</a>. </span><br />
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<span class="fullpost">None of these guys are particularly pleasant, and aside from the harmless daddy long leg, you would best avoid them altogether. </span><br />
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<span class="fullpost">I hope you enjoyed this trivia question, and if you have one of your own, please leave it in the comments.</span>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-38592091828507236842012-05-18T15:54:00.002-04:002012-05-18T17:28:07.459-04:00Bad Infomercials #1: Kinoki Foot PadsOkay, so I felt it was time to tackle some of the worse infomercials, and how they manipulate and fabricate science to get you to believe their claims and buy their products.<br />
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First up is the Kinoki Foot Pads - a product that claims to detox your body by extracting toxins through your feet.<br />
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In case you are not familiar with this product you can view the commercial <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exmEGrNqgcA" target="_blank">here</a> - take a gander at some of the comments too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlkEHZ24jpuyOfc2Cx275m9WBwnaC87ZNuIXnCAhBE2qbOePp2M6Yo9x0T0eK7AWCNuF4DcB3HEvKC_-oSS_BgKoRGOxQ9PGaSBhLXDddbyoKvo3LIJ0GoqOQgYtdy-vrUMnVyOTOkCw/s1600/ail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlkEHZ24jpuyOfc2Cx275m9WBwnaC87ZNuIXnCAhBE2qbOePp2M6Yo9x0T0eK7AWCNuF4DcB3HEvKC_-oSS_BgKoRGOxQ9PGaSBhLXDddbyoKvo3LIJ0GoqOQgYtdy-vrUMnVyOTOkCw/s320/ail.jpg" width="320" /></a>First, the commercial asks if you "are poisoning yourself with unavoidable toxins in the food, water, and air we breathe" and if you suffer from ailments caused by them. <br />
As it is true that some foods do contain things that are less than healthy for you, it is very rare that you actually ingest enough "poison" to actually make you sick. And if you did, your symptoms would be much more severe than the ones they suggest. Also, these symptoms are completely non-descript and very common among most people who are not actually ill.<br />
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Second, they claim this "ancient Japanese secret to perfect health" removes those toxins and other things from your body.<br />
Now they are pandering to those who believe in and trust actual western health practices. While heavy metals can be dangerous, an individual is very unlikely to have an appreciable amount of heavy metals in their body, unless someone is intentionally poisoning them. You do however have metabolic waste and some toxins in your body, but again, not enough to make you ill, and your liver and kidneys are there to remove them for you - not your feet. Parasites simply are not a thing that can diffuse through skin, and if you have enough of them, the symptoms will let you know and modern medicine has plenty of ways to kill them. Chemicals are not out of place in our bodies, we are basically a bag of them, everything we eat and drink can be described as a chemical and we would die if there were no chemicals in our bodies. In terms of dangerous chemicals, again you would be painfully aware of the effects of consuming something like drain cleaner. Cellulite is not really a thing, it is the appearance of subcutaneous (just under the skin) fat when it is less than evenly distributed.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Third, they claim you can reclaim your vitality with these amazing foot pads. </span> "Just like a tree that takes in energy from the sun and removes toxins through the roots, your body works the same way!"<br />
As one of the commenters on the video stated: Not only is that not how your body works, that is not how a tree works!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuPydDR7nKA9DVkO8thn-g5Vdaoq6zOC-TlVp0hSr3eu5mmGzDd5uEkUMuRW9gvtEX1VpVmAJVakm9kpnUmwvHJBQzJRMeUnLQtnxcAS0CHZ2g2-lu-xzmL2yihPa_6Qm7Mo5xyXqrrA/s1600/foot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuPydDR7nKA9DVkO8thn-g5Vdaoq6zOC-TlVp0hSr3eu5mmGzDd5uEkUMuRW9gvtEX1VpVmAJVakm9kpnUmwvHJBQzJRMeUnLQtnxcAS0CHZ2g2-lu-xzmL2yihPa_6Qm7Mo5xyXqrrA/s320/foot.jpg" width="320" /></a>Trees use their roots to absorb water and nutrients from the soil, not to expel toxins. Their one metabolic waste product formed by photosynthesis is oxygen which they release from their leaves into the air.<br />
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Next, they say this is based on "ancient Japanese reflexology." In case you are not familiar with reflexology, the only thing it has in common with a foot pad, is that it involves feet. <a href="http://www.reflexology-usa.org/" target="_blank">Reflexology</a> is a tool used to relieve stress and improve relaxation. You can learn more <a href="http://www.reflexology-usa.org/" target="_blank">here</a>. While some scientists doubt the effectiveness of this method, it is still in no way related to extracting toxins through the skin on the bottom of your feet.<br />
Additionally, your liver and kidneys are there for removing toxins and metabolic waste from your body, there is no need for your feet to be involved in this process.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVKpUMrv99d0tLh85rQAl-gzdcS8qv0hoMwS_sKzSxqxXDGY8cZZICGZu8YeihUXqfdBFtNjMrcyJ6Wv62b54DUl4UPCb3jj6ORrMS4qWEi4cddurxydS7RSf_C83YS2TtIUrWtvWdQM/s1600/lab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVKpUMrv99d0tLh85rQAl-gzdcS8qv0hoMwS_sKzSxqxXDGY8cZZICGZu8YeihUXqfdBFtNjMrcyJ6Wv62b54DUl4UPCb3jj6ORrMS4qWEi4cddurxydS7RSf_C83YS2TtIUrWtvWdQM/s320/lab.jpg" width="320" /></a>They go on to show the "lab results" for 2 individuals who used this product. They say that the pad gets lighter every time you use it, until there are no toxins left in your body. Lets take a closer look at these results. First, these results are displayed as a 'Yes' or 'No' not as a number with associated healthy ranges. If you have ever had blood work done, you will see a range for the acceptable/expected values and then your number with a note on whether your values are too high or too low.<br />
As if it was necessary to continue debunking the claims made by this products commercial, we can look at the specific items they test for.<br />
<a href="http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/benzene/basics/facts.asp" target="_blank">Benzene</a> is a colorless, odorless liquid that readily evaporates and is commonly found in a laboratory. While it is possible to be exposed to this compound environmentally, the levels would likely be low enough for your liver to handle. Isopropyl and methyl alcohol are simple solvents, both evaporate quickly and you are unlikely to ingest a dangerous amount unless you do so intentionally. Aluminum, cadmium, copper, and nickel are all metals that we need, in very trace amounts, in our bodies and can be found in some supplements. Mercury and lead are highly toxic and if you ingested even a small amount, you would not survive long enough to order, use, and receive the results from this product. Trace amounts of thallium are not dangerous, and thulium is something only specialized professionals would come in contact with. Arsenic is highly toxic, would be very unlikely to find, unless again it was intentionally being dosed to someone. <a href="http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/" target="_blank">Asbestos</a> is something we can be exposed to environmentally, but it is a fiber not a toxin, that can be inhaled, not absorbed, so it would not likely be in your blood to be extracted by these pads. <a href="http://www.food-info.net/uk/colour/azo.htm" target="_blank">Azo dyes</a> are used in many foods, and are therefore something we can be exposed to and ingest, however "Direct toxic levels of azo dyes will never be reached by consuming azo dye coloured food." <a href="http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/pcbs/pubs/about.htm" target="_blank">PCB's, Polychlorinated Biphenyl</a>, can be very dangerous, but their use has been long banned, and exposure probability is very low.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxfn3NE-SuYWNdMjQ8IHRZX9x3RTWgBETIpTrbbWv6Bbijj_ralo7SYNfZotPxQD_nXneVaLCjhzie2Ct6BeNvnABvjskoNYsco8wVai43W49sOQvwFVJMRYjRklQnGoMH8-kpmpgns0/s1600/ions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxfn3NE-SuYWNdMjQ8IHRZX9x3RTWgBETIpTrbbWv6Bbijj_ralo7SYNfZotPxQD_nXneVaLCjhzie2Ct6BeNvnABvjskoNYsco8wVai43W49sOQvwFVJMRYjRklQnGoMH8-kpmpgns0/s320/ions.jpg" width="320" /></a>Then, the commercial says the foot pads "contain ions to refresh your body and enhance your overall well being." It may very well contain ions, perhaps that is part of how they manage to change color whilst doing nothing but fooling you into thinking this product actually does something. Ions are important in your body, all cells in your body - neurons, muscle tissue, skin, all organs - are full of, and surrounded by, ions of many varieties and require them to function. Calcium, chlorine, sodium, potassium, and many other important minerals exist as ions in your body.<br />
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Lastly, the product is 'FDA Registered' this is not to be mistaken by something that has been <a href="http://www.fda.gov/drugs/informationondrugs/ucm142438.htm" target="_blank">FDA Approved</a>. As stated on the FDA's website "Assignment of an NDC number does not in any way denote FDA approval of the product. Any representation that creates an impression of official approval because of possession of an NDC number is misleading and constitutes misbranding."<br />
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Please, do not let people like these fool you into buying into their lies, do not jeopardize your health or your bank account hoping for a 'miracle.' If you have a legitimate health concern, call your doctor, or schedule an appointment. Do your research and know what you are dealing with, with every purchase, especially those dealing with your health.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/detox-foot-pads/AN01849" target="_blank">Mayo Clinic</a> has some additional information that may be helpful.<br />
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<br /></div>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-63302291163608365832012-04-06T22:51:00.001-04:002012-04-06T22:59:39.796-04:00Sleep well, breathe deep!As a brief respite from research and thesis writing, I read a link sent to me by a friend..<br />
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<a href="http://www.greatist.com/health/89-simple-swaps-that-could-change-your-life/#" target="_blank">89 Simple Swaps That Could Change Your Life </a>on greatest.com has a long list of things you can do to switch a poor choice out for a good one; while this list is far from perfect and I certainly do not agree with everything it says, I think it is worth a read.</div>
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One item I found particularly important is #71:<br />
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"71.<b> Fun alarm clock song for annoying ringer. </b>Who wants
to be woken from a peaceful slumber thanks to an irritating beep?
(Waking up early is hard enough.) Choose a fun little melody on the cell
phone to wake up to instead!"<br />
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I definitely agree with this one; I have always said that the worst way to wake up is to be scared awake, and that basically what traditional alarm clocks do - BEEP BEEEP BEEEP BEEEEEP - not a pleasant way to start the day. If your clock has no tone or tune options try using your cell phone which often come with a number of alternative ring tones, usually you can set one of them as your alarm tone. If you don't like the ones they've got most phones allow you to add your own tones whether by downloading them on your phone or syncing it to your computer. (Note: a free software to let you make any sound file a ring tone on most phones - <a href="http://www.bitpim.org/" target="_blank">bitpim</a>)<br />
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If you are interested to know my personal preference, I use 2 alarms, both on my phone - both preloaded Verizon ringtones. The first is called Deep Blue Calling (if you happen to have it too) a very subtle song and it is set to go off half an hour before I intend to wake up. The second is called Rodeo Clown (doesn't remind me of either to be honest) and is a bit louder, set for the time I want to get up. Also note, for my phone there is an auto-sleep time of 5 minutes. I would recommend something like this if you are considering changing your wake-up soundtrack. <br />
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Another great one is #74:<br />
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"74.<b> Breathing for bein’ a stress mess. </b>Calm breathing can boost relaxation and calm the mind. Take a <a href="http://www.greatist.com/health/relieve-stress-by-breating/">long, deep breath</a> to relax the bod rather than stressing out."<br />
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I can't begin to count the times I have used this myself and told my friends to do so. A few simple deep breaths in and slow breaths out has the amazing ability to calm the mind and help you keep from getting overwhelmed - or help you stop being overwhelmed. I know it seems stupid and it's kind of a cliche, but it really works! Next time you are in a bit over your head or have a mound of work to tackle, try taking a few deep slow breaths before moving forward and I'm sure you will see.Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-64732296869158354642012-02-22T11:44:00.000-05:002013-11-02T16:46:24.594-04:00Wishful thinking..In the hopes that my schedule will become less crazy in the weeks to come, I offer you this.<br />
<br />
Here is a great example of how science can be twisted and warped to support a claim that may not be entirely true; luckily, someone was present to set the record straight.<br />
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You may have heard that a glass of wine contains beneficial compounds such as antioxidants, this is true, and apparently so does a bottle of whiskey. Unfortunately the beneficial effects of these compounds will be outweighed when one chooses to consume excessive amounts of either of these beverages. Additionally, the very same antioxidants as well as many others are also found in a variety of foods and beverages that have lesser negative effects.<br />
<br />
~ anti - oxi - what now?? in a future post (when I have more free time) I plan to explain the role antioxidants play in protecting your cells, what they protect against, what this means for your overall health, what the heck antioxidants really are, and where you can find them. but this is all for now ~Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-82498081788860670582012-02-12T23:45:00.000-05:002013-02-10T23:33:28.707-05:00Expiration Date: 2004?!?!I was taking some free time this weekend to clean up and rearrange a few things in my bathroom, this included my medicine cabinet where I found some OLD NyQuil and Sudafed that are waaay past their expiration date.<br />
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<a href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.diylife.com/media/2010/08/blue-water-toilet-flushing-590bes080610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.diylife.com/media/2010/08/blue-water-toilet-flushing-590bes080610.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I decided to look up what I should do with them.<br />
I have always heard that they should be flushed down the toilet, but I wasn't sure if that was wise. I live in a city so the water should go to a treatment plant to be cleaned, but what about those who have septic tanks/leeching fields and well water?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj581Nrrrrg5Tok79MqiRZw-9BDA4P5vURn4okw8Hh0Gw4qtMLxSaSiCWR3b4vAKSlpQrVWuUQzCp-aW4kGihwiCpR2YnVjvI8MqURZOkgSgsJj-2h2_ueR16gJv8-WZrm1rulrFzrQ6s/s1600/Got+Drugs+Web_Button.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj581Nrrrrg5Tok79MqiRZw-9BDA4P5vURn4okw8Hh0Gw4qtMLxSaSiCWR3b4vAKSlpQrVWuUQzCp-aW4kGihwiCpR2YnVjvI8MqURZOkgSgsJj-2h2_ueR16gJv8-WZrm1rulrFzrQ6s/s320/Got+Drugs+Web_Button.jpg" width="212" /></a>As it turns out, the FDA has a very helpful guide put together that instructs you to take advantage of your communities 'take-back' program where available. Many communities will host days where they will accept any and all expired medications and dispose of them safely for you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjer7TiYoMl3klnj2aUt_sQ06vuydC5k7qvPM2-n3I7bdyNveARDlNsWlrdI3TSGCUaJHw4dcXMlaIOPa58TUm3TEGcyghRSZvjbzsD50_M_tsUrngz4Hg5jHTLZ4DRcQNGbkXt30JFb8/s1600/DSCN7671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjer7TiYoMl3klnj2aUt_sQ06vuydC5k7qvPM2-n3I7bdyNveARDlNsWlrdI3TSGCUaJHw4dcXMlaIOPa58TUm3TEGcyghRSZvjbzsD50_M_tsUrngz4Hg5jHTLZ4DRcQNGbkXt30JFb8/s200/DSCN7671.JPG" width="200" /></a>They recommend only flushing medications if they specifically say on the package to do so, for most other medications the trash is best and to mix them up with something like coffee grounds. This is what I did with mine.<br />
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<a href="http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm101653.htm" target="_blank">The Guidelines for Drug Disposal can be found here.</a> <br />
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I hope this helps you safely discard your expired medications; remember to never consume expired drugs, especially if they are in liquid or gel cap form, and when in doubt always contact your doctor or pharmacist.<br />
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<a href="http://health.lifegoesstrong.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/reg/article_media/throw_out_pills.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://health.lifegoesstrong.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/reg/article_media/throw_out_pills.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-56785439518245168162011-12-11T14:06:00.001-05:002011-12-11T14:58:55.932-05:00Gentlemen, Nuke Your Sponges!!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">In a
recent <a href="http://www.medhelp.org/" target="_blank">MedHelp</a> release about the <a href="http://www.medhelp.org/general-health/slideshows/15-Germiest-Places-in-Your-Home/299" target="_blank">15 Places Germs Hide in Your Home</a>,
they suggest putting a damp kitchen sponge on a plate/bowl and microwaving it
for 1 minute on high to disinfect. This struck me as a genius solution for a
potentially sickening or expensive dilemma. It has also inspired me to post
about sanitization and germ management. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">To start
off with I feel it is important to define the different levels of disinfection;
you may not realize that to sanitize and to sterilize are not quite the same.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Microbe
control can be divided into 3 categories:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">[<a href="http://www.microrao.com/micronotes/sterilization.pdf" target="_blank">www.microrao.com</a>, <a href="http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FS/FS07700.pdf" target="_blank">University of Florida</a>, <a href="http://lysol.com/" target="_blank">Lysol</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Most
people regularly clean their bathrooms more fastidiously than other areas of
their house; meanwhile, they may be unknowingly leaving havens for germs
untouched by their army of cleaning products.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">As
pointed out by the MedHelp article your dish sponge is one of the most bacteria
rich places in your entire home; the soles of your shoes, the bottom of your
purse, and infrequently washed kitchen areas are also high in bacteria. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">However
they failed to mention door knobs and handles, light switches, telephones, remote
controls, and computer mice/keyboards; perhaps these represent numbers 16-20. Wrist
watches, glasses, and belt buckles can also harbor our nasty little nemeses’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">They
recommend microwaving things such as kitchen sponges in order to sanitize them;
microwaves work by mobilizing water molecules to vibrate at very high rates to
produce heat to cook food. This is a very clever use for that technology as far
as I am concerned, but there are other ways, things like dish sponges can also
be run through a cycle in the dishwasher to accomplish the same goal. The
dishwasher is also a great tool for sanitizing cutting boards, coffee pot carafes
and filter baskets, and just about anything that is made of hard plastic or
metal and can withstand exposure to hot water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Hard
surfaces not intended for food preparation can be disinfected with wipes (made
by <a href="http://www.clorox.com/products/clorox-disinfecting-wipes/" target="_blank">Clorox</a> or <a href="http://www.lysol.com/cleaning-products/disinfecting-wipes/disinfecting-wipes-4in1" target="_blank">Lysol</a>). These super-handy things can clean your tables (provided
they are not a porous wood), doorknobs, light switches, phones, remotes,
keyboards, faucets, soap dispensers, tile/laminate floors, glass
mirrors/tabletops/screens and monitors, plastic cords and cables, stove knobs,
fridge door handle, buttons of the microwave/television/alarm clock/other
electronics, and much more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">For those
items that may be harmed from exposure to excess moisture, or if you intend to
do a more thorough cleaning of electronics, I recommend rubbing alcohol. A
tissue held to the opening of a bottle of isopropyl alcohol while inverted or a q-tip dipped in a small cup of it can
be a very useful tool for cell phones and deep cleaning your keyboard. Rubbing
alcohol is convenient because it evaporates quickly and leaves no residue, but
be careful because it can take the finish off of wood or remove certain
coatings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The CDC has also provided a document on <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ounceofprevention/docs/oop_brochure_eng.pdf%20" target="_blank">sanitary practices for everyday disease prevention</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">I hope this helps you kick your cleaning routine up a notch and has led you to be a bit more mindful of all the germ covered things we come in contact with everyday without even realizing it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-65737403437629197142011-12-07T18:02:00.001-05:002011-12-07T18:07:44.243-05:00Whats in my food? #1: Flour<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Sorry for
the infrequent posting, but the life of a graduate student is an unpredictable
one, and you just never know when you will have a chance to write.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">In my
last post I introduced the new topic “What’s in my food” and in this post we
will be taking our first bite into the ingredients list on the back of your
food package. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Why not
start at the beginning? Water, we all know what that is, we all love it, and
its pretty hard to consume enough of it to so any harm; though it is possible
to die from water intoxication (check out this story about a <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jan/15/usa" target="_blank">woman who died from overdosing on water</a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">What’s
next on the list? Flour for a lot of foods, again nothing to scary, we are all
pretty familiar with this fluffy white powder, and many of us have a bag full
sitting in the cabinet right now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Flour is
a starch made from grain and is typically used either as the main base for
baked goods and the like, or used as a thickening agent (food glue). Sometimes
multiple kinds of flours are used together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">However, food
is not always made with the simple all purpose flour we all know, sometimes a
substitute is used. Here’s a list of some other names that may be used for
flour, or other ingredients that may be used in place of it (please note this
is not a comprehensive list, but it is meant to give you an idea of how one
thing can have many names):</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.mytenda.com/tenda/images/goldmedalflour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.mytenda.com/tenda/images/goldmedalflour.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Flour and
its alternate names:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Enriched
Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Bleached
Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Wheat
Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Barley
Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Rice
Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Corn
Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Flour
substitutes/things that are like flour:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">whole
wheat</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">whole
grain wheat</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">wheat
bran</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">wheat
germ</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">whey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">corn
starch</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">modified
corn starch</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">whey
corn starch</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">corn
meal</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">-<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">milled
corn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">As
always if there are any questions, please leave me a comment; if you have an
item to add to the list, you can leave a comment as well. </span>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-52833339559385275762011-09-15T12:50:00.000-04:002011-09-15T12:52:04.597-04:00What's in my food? (Intro)Okay, after a short summer break, I finally have time to write some more; time for another new topic (don't worry, I have not forgotten about the others, I just want to mix it up a bit).<br />
<br />
Topic number 3: What's in my food?<br />
<br />
Most pre-packaged foods have a laundry list of ingredients, often starting with water, flour, and some form of sugar or a sugar substitute (something I will address in a future post) before they begin listing the ingredients you expected to find based on the front of the package. But what about all that stuff at the end? Is that stuff really necessary, it is just filler? What am I really putting into my body?<br />
<br />
Well, many foods will show you in the Nutrition Facts how much they have of certain vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, C, D, and Calcium, Iron, etc. Typically, this is very helpful and informative; plus, these figures have to be somewhat accurate as required by the <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/default.htm">FDA</a>. But, in the ingredients list they simply list in order of most to least, i.e. the things first on the list make up more of the food item than the things last on the list. This is helpful, yet ambiguous and many of the items on the list are things you may not recognize. I will be breaking it down for you and hopefully helping you become a more informed and healthier consumer.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nutritionresources.com/Image29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.nutritionresources.com/Image29.jpg" width="166" /></a><a href="http://notesfromthefunnyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/muffin-mix-ingredients.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="http://notesfromthefunnyfarm.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/muffin-mix-ingredients.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We will start by looking at certain vitamins that are often included in your foods ingredient list that you may not recognize. We will look at what acids are used in foods, different preservatives, and anything else I can think of. And of course, if there is something specific you would like me to investigate please leave a comment and I will do my best!Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-6372476413365644802011-06-14T01:26:00.002-04:002011-06-15T00:06:07.436-04:00Lactose Intolerance<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Milk and other dairy products are not only delicious but they are an important part of a healthy diet, providing youir body with necessary nutrients like calcium and vitamin D. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">You or someone you know may have been told that they are lactose intolerant, and thus avoid drinking milk and eating dairy products.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://chemistry.berea.edu/%7Ebiochemistry/2008/ah/hydrolysis.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://chemistry.berea.edu/%7Ebiochemistry/2008/ah/hydrolysis.png" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">This is a common easy solution to reduce the symptoms associated with the inability to digest dairy. But it is not the only option; many people can actually reverse their lactose intolerance. Let’s break it down….</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Lactose is a sugar that is mainly found in milk, and is broken down by an enzyme called lactase or beta-galactosidase. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">~Sidenote: Terms that end with “–ase” are almost always enzymes - that is, a protein with catalytic activity to link two molecules together, break a molecule apart, or both. ~ Similarly, terms that end with “-ose” are almost always sugars (glucose, fructose, sucrose – but be careful because sucralose is not a sugar but an artificial sweetener) ~</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">There are three main causes for issues associated with milk consumption. The first and most severe is an allergy to cow milk. <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/milk-allergy/DS01008">Milk Allergy</a> is not the same as lactose intolerance, as this is an immune mediated response where the body mounts an allergic reaction to the proteins in milk. This can be caused by cow, goat, or even soy milk. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The second is a genetic mutation causing <a href="http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=6201">Lactase Deficency</a>. This means that your cells cannot produce enough lactase to breakdown the lactose from your diet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Third, the topic of this post, is a diet induced reduction in lactase production. In individuals with the genetic ability to form lactase, the enzyme levels may drop when they have not been consuming dairy on a regular basis. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Simply put, the more lactose you consume – the more lactase you produce. If you eat milk products on a regular basis you will produce more lactase. (</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Here is a fun video that explains why: <a href="http://youtu.be/oBwtxdI1zvk">http://youtu.be/oBwtxdI1zvk</a>)</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">When your body isn’t producing enough lactase to breakdown the amount of lactose you consume, you may exhibit symptoms characteristic of ‘lactose intolerance’. These symptoms often include indigestion, stomach upset, and gas, among other gastro-intestinal (GI) issues. As these can all be very uncomfortable and disruptive most people experiencing this will go to the doctor and are told they are lactose intolerant. They then restrict their lactose intake to prevent the symptoms. This is a good fix for someone who does not care for dairy, but those who still enjoy cheese, ice cream or other milk products might find the change difficult or upsetting.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">There is hope however; since most healthy individuals have the capacity to change their lactase production. Many people who become lactose intolerant are those who have not eaten much dairy for a period of time and later, when they have some, they develop symptoms. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Therefore if you become lactose intolerant, you can reverse it! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">However, if you are allergic to milk or have a genetic deficency this method will be of no help and could be dangerous; this is for those who have the machinery to produce lactase, but have lowered their production by lowering their lactose ingestion.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">It likely won’t be pleasant, and it will likely take a few weeks, but it can be done. The longer it has been since cutting back on dairy products the harder this will be.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">It is truly simple too, just drink some milk, or eat some cheese/yogurt/ice cream, etc.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Make sure you start <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">very slow</b> with a half a glass or less a day. When a small amount of dairy no longer bothers you try increasing it a bit. Continue in this fashion until you stop experiencing the symptoms and body can produce enough lactase to breakdown the lactose you consume. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">One study provides evidence for <a href="http://www.medicinalfoodnews.com/vol03/issue8/yogurt">including yogurt</a> as a way to improve symptoms, since the bacteria in yogurt will help you break lactose down.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">You may not be able to eat a grilled cheese sandwich a bowl of ice cream and a tall glass of milk all in one sitting, but you should be able to get to a point where you don’t need to worry about how much lactose you are consuming.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">If your intolerance has persisted for a long time or is severe, only try this under physician supervision, and go very slowly, but eventually you should be able to eat your favorite dairy products again! If at any time you feel your symptoms are worsening or you no longer feel comfortable going this route, lower your dairy intake and call your doctor. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">I want to stress the fact that those born without the ability to produce lactase, by genetic deficiency, cannot induce lactase production by consuming more lactose, for these individuals it would be a very unpleasant and potentially dangerous thing to attempt. It is also important to note that a cow milk allergy also cannot be altered this way, and consumption of dairy in these individuals is a very bad idea. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">To reiterate one more time, increasing your dairy intake in the hopes of reversing lactose intolerance should only be attempted by those who have recently developed symptoms and who wish to be able to eat dairy on a regular basis. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">For those of you who have not experienced lactose intolerance, you may be thinking, is there a way to prevent developing it? And simply, yes there is, unless you are genetically predisposed to lactase deficiency, or are allergic to milk, by maintaining some level of dairy intake you will continue to stimulate lactase production and prevent drops in enzyme levels.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">I hope this is helpful, and I will answer any questions you may have on this topic. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-51524613278037348782011-05-28T18:14:00.002-04:002011-06-14T10:58:30.448-04:00Fat #2: What is it used for in my body?<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Your body requires fat to function, without any fat you would not be able to survive. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">All mammal cells are surrounded by a membrane, known ads the phospho lipid bi-layer, it is 2 layers of phosphates with fatty acids attached. These membranes also contain cholesterol, proteins, and carbohydrates. Every single cell in your body needs fat in order to survive.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgECIwuJB5TSu1drFJzt5-I_4AEAK0XYi2Ng0HaW_8MY5NMvKYsuhbj1r_xLtfCA_9ANbed6L6q5MDkVmL4EaaH6ZCSd3DgoRnRy33J2kZ87Z3-utrUqslpI9w4A1cGw62XC1Q7261tmiE/s1600/phospholipid+membrane.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgECIwuJB5TSu1drFJzt5-I_4AEAK0XYi2Ng0HaW_8MY5NMvKYsuhbj1r_xLtfCA_9ANbed6L6q5MDkVmL4EaaH6ZCSd3DgoRnRy33J2kZ87Z3-utrUqslpI9w4A1cGw62XC1Q7261tmiE/s640/phospholipid+membrane.bmp" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">~Hydro-what now?? Hydrophobic and hydrophilic are used to describe how atoms and molecules behave in water. Hydro- is the prefix for water, -phillic means something likes water or is easy to mix in water, -phobic means something does not like water (is afraid) and is not easy to mix in water. Examples of hydrophilic things: vinegar, alcohols, fruit juices. Examples of hydrophobic things: oil, fats. Some things can be mixed with both oils and waters depending on their charge and the pH of the solution.~ </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">This membrane structure is important because it is ‘selectively permeable’ to different ions, molecules, and compounds. Things your cells need, like water and ions can freely cross because of their charge and how they interact with the hydrophobic fats. Similarly large molecules such as peptides cannot cross because they do not behave in a manner that allows them to co-exist with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic environments.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.foodmuseum.com/images/exfatMoleculeandCells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://www.foodmuseum.com/images/exfatMoleculeandCells.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">When the amount of energy you intake (in the form of sugars, carbohydrates, or fats) exceeds the amount of energy you expend (by doing daily activities, exercising, excreting) your body stores the energy for later use. Your liver converts these energy molecules to free fatty acids and binds 3 of them together with a glycerol molecule and that body cans store. This is called a triglyceride, as mentioned in the last post, and is primarily found in fat cells. These cells have the same membrane as other cells in your body but lack some other organelles, they are basically just a droplet of fat surrounded by a membrane.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Next time we will discuss where in your body you should have fat, how much is healthy and how much is too much.</span></div>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-67185402942508258992011-03-20T22:04:00.001-04:002011-03-20T22:06:22.476-04:00Fat: What is it really?<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In this post I will introduce my second theme: <u>FAT!</u> [**dramatic music**]</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We will talk about what it really is, what your body does with it, what different types there are, which kinds you should eat and which kinds you should avoid. If at any time you have more questions, please ask and I’ll do my best to answer them. And I will attempt to explain all this without requiring you to have a thorough understanding of biology and chemistry (but maybe a basic one).</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;">What is fat?</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivU6089zrB6XVmCZ2brvTfNtYSFUVNPWhnFehX4mcNdnPCLxOtWSJqgjQYelXTQUZyChanjrLtMuYvL4YfJBmR-UwpVpVy4Lr_qpDDkS_u9vEMCw5DfDfQ9FmBMYo3eE7A1RDKYFspHJY/s1600/fatty+acid.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivU6089zrB6XVmCZ2brvTfNtYSFUVNPWhnFehX4mcNdnPCLxOtWSJqgjQYelXTQUZyChanjrLtMuYvL4YfJBmR-UwpVpVy4Lr_qpDDkS_u9vEMCw5DfDfQ9FmBMYo3eE7A1RDKYFspHJY/s320/fatty+acid.bmp" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">On a molecular level, fat is made up of fatty acids which are chains of carbon atoms with hydrogens accompanying each but the last which is whats called a ‘carboxylloc acid’ with a double bond to an oxygen and a hydroxide (or oxygen and hydrogen)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpm4iwjvpTGg-e7Z_KFNfDhQWFKsEunpqAWNjh2yzhJ-CQ46IVIbXHdsTwNZ7KbX16opqVH0oKW0Q5xneCqsnPqcCzsQ8fEniRYYHu514H8JXlCtZpVIwEHRkvOdUtpZ526Xie6IthmDo/s1600/triglyceride.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpm4iwjvpTGg-e7Z_KFNfDhQWFKsEunpqAWNjh2yzhJ-CQ46IVIbXHdsTwNZ7KbX16opqVH0oKW0Q5xneCqsnPqcCzsQ8fEniRYYHu514H8JXlCtZpVIwEHRkvOdUtpZ526Xie6IthmDo/s320/triglyceride.bmp" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">These chains vary in length from several carbons to over 20 long. They also vary in the number and position of double bonds between carbons; as we will see in another post, this can make a big difference to how the fatty acid behaves and what it does in your body.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Fat can be in the form of free fatty acids or as triglycerides. When you eat food most of the fat is in the free form, your body links groups of 3 free fatty acids together with a glycerol for storage as triglycerides.(image courtesy of: familyhealthavenue.com)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: small;">That's all for now, next time we will discuss how important fat is for the regular function of your body; if you would like me to address anything specific, let me know in a comment.</span></span></div>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-71986040856247635432011-02-04T00:47:00.005-05:002011-06-14T11:00:48.410-04:00Four Loko - the popular alcoholic energy drink!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://live.drjays.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/all3flavors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://live.drjays.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/all3flavors.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;">Where to start with this one, oh boy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The alcoholic energy drink produced by <a href="http://www.phusionprojects.com/">Phusion Projects</a> became very popular and the subject of many debates this past year. This drink is called <a href="http://www.drinkfour.com/">Four Loko</a> and contains 6 or 12 % alcohol by volume in each in 23.5 oz. can. There is another product called Four MaXed that contains 10% alcohol in a 16 oz.can. An average beer has about 4-5% <a href="http://www.alcoholcontents.com/">alcohol by volume</a> in 12 oz. After you do a bit of math, 24 oz. of 12% alcohol is about the same amount of alcohol as 5-6 beers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The primary concern about this drink is its high capacity to incite dangerous situations. We heard numerous stories about young people dying or needing to go to the hospital after drinking Four Loko. The reason it is so dangerous is because of the <a href="http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1182710-overview">caffeine</a>. While caffeine alone is a normal part of many Americans' morning pick-me-up, it can be deadly when mixed with alcohol.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I have been unable to find out just how much caffeine is in a can of Four Loko according to the manufacturer, but some quote them as claiming it is as much as a cup of coffee. Some say that it is equivalent to a couple cups of coffee, and a few websites had the number 135 milligrams (mg). However it is unclear whether these figures are referring to the entire can or just 1 serving, I have been unable to find how many servings are in each can, but i assume it is more than 1 since they are nearly 24 oz.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A typical 16 oz. coffee drink from Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks contains approximately <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeine/AN01211">150 mg of caffeine</a>. 16 oz. is equal to 2 cups, so a typical cup of coffee has about 75mg of caffeine. If the number 135 is correct, then there is indeed about 2 cups of coffee worth of caffeine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Alone neither the amount of alcohol nor caffeine is enough to cause any health problems when consumed over a long enough time period. What gets people into trouble is consuming both at one time, and drinking the entire thing in a short period of time. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Ethyl+Alcohol">Alcohol</a> at low levels acts an a stimulant and at high levels acts as a depressant; caffeine, on the other hand, acts as a stimulant. Both have significant and opposing neurological and cardiovascular effects. When combined someone will loose their coordination, judgment, and reaction time due to the alcohol; meanwhile the caffeine will make them feel more awake and alert thereby masking the degree of 'drunkenness' often leading to the consumption of more alcohol and/or the illusion that they are capable of driving a vehicle. As you might think, this can get dangerous quite easily. With both alcohol and caffeine on board, someones heart will be told to speed up as well as to slow down, this can become life threatening when consuming even moderate amounts of each as heart failure can occur.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The liver of a healthy adult has the ability to metabolize 1 drink/hour; a drink is defined as 12oz. of beer, 5 0z. of wine, or 1.5 oz. of liquor. When someone drinks more than their liver can handle they begin to feel drunk, and if they drink too much too quickly they can easily become very sick. Alcohol at higher doses can cause <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alcohol-poisoning/DS00861/DSECTION=causes">alcohol poisoning</a>, coma and death. One entry on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_drink#Caffeinated_alcoholic_energy_drinks">Wikipedia</a> states that "drinking a caffeinated alcoholic energy drink is indistinguishable from drinking a couple of glasses of wine followed by a couple of cups of coffee, a typical dinner behavior." However, when someone consumes the volume of a Four Loko they are not likely to do so over 5-6 hours, but closer to 1; they are also not likely to stop at 1 can, or even 2. So imagine drinking 15 beers and 5 cups of coffee in a 2-3 hours, does that sounds like a good idea? I didn't think so, but that is what many people are doing when they drink Four Loko and that is the main cause of the news stories we have been haring about.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The public has become so aware of the negative effects Four Loko can have that some call it a 'Can of Cocaine' and <a href="http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1943302">satirical videos</a> have been made. Though these exaggerate and make light of the risks associated with the drink, please do not take the danger lightly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The drink by itself would not cause illness if only 1 were consumed over a minimum 5 hours. I do not want to say that the product is inherently dangerous or that the company is selling an unsafe product. But when the drink is full of fruity flavor that doesn't taste much like an alcoholic beverage, is sold at low prices so large numbers can be afforded by poor college students, and when someone consumes too many in a short time they put themselves in situations where bad things can happen, and as we have seen, they do. Phusion Projects does have <a href="http://www.phusionprojects.com/responsibility.html">responsible drinking</a> information and resources on their website for those who wish to read it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Many states have already banned drinks like Four Loko from being sold, if yours has not, please carefully reconsider if you are thinking of buying some. I also understand that Phusion Products may be <a href="http://www.phusionprojects.com/media_reformulation.html">dropping the caffeine</a> out of the recipe of Four Loko. Until they do, I cannot recommend this product, and if they do, I would still urge consumers to do so carefully. No one under the age of 21 should purchase or drink alcohol, and never drink and drive regardless of what your drink of choice may be.</span>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-62070668131798180312011-01-21T18:26:00.013-05:002011-06-14T11:03:24.619-04:00Something I saw on "The Doctors"<span style="font-size: small;">There is a popular TV show you may have heard of, and I have referred to previously in posts, it is called <a href="http://www.thedoctorstv.com/">The Doctors</a> and in many areas it airs on CBS.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">On the episode that aired on <a href="http://www.thedoctorstv.com/main/show_page/D3086">January 19th, 2011</a>, they were talking about sleep which is a very important part of everyone's life, poor sleep begets poor health. Time when you are sleeping is time when your body and mind can be refreshed. It is important for everyone to get plenty restful sleep without many interruptions, I can do a whole post on sleep, let me know if you are interested.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The show presented a number of ways to improve your sleep, but one stood out to me: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"</span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>2. Bathroom Break: </b>Stop drinking liquids two hours before sleep and urinate immediately before bed. Failing to empty your bladder entirely causes bacteria to multiply and increases your chance of developing a urinary tract infection."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Their rationale being that urine collects and sits in your bladder while you sleep which can make your bladder a "breeding ground" for bacteria. While you are more likely to sleep through the night if you urinate shortly before bed, thereby giving you more uninterrupted sleep, this advice is not sound.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">First, in a healthy individual <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2206779/pdf/jhyg00408-0093.pdf">Human Urine is Sterile</a>, and therefore should contain no bacteria at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Second, urine sitting in your bladder is not how a Urinary Tract Infection begins, it begins when bacteria attach to the opening of the urethra and begin growing; the <a href="http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/utiadult/">NKUDIC</a> has a very thorough description of UTI's and what causes them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Most importantly, failing to properly hydrate your body during any part of the day can cause much worse health problems than <a href="http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/urinary-tract-infections-in-teens-and-adults-topic-overview">Urinary Tract Infections</a>. While someone who is specifically susceptible to bladder infections (a condition that is more severe than urinary tract infections) or someone who is currently battling a UTI may consider reducing their nighttime fluid intake, this is not a significant concern for most. For those of us with healthy bladders, holding a little extra liquid for a few extra hours, even on a nightly basis is not typically a problem, and people should not risk becoming dehydrated just because the doctors scared them into thinking they might get an infection. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/dehydration/DS00561/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print">Dehydration</a> can cause all sorts of health issues, throwing-off your <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/fluidandelectrolytebalance.html">Fluid and Electrolyte Balance</a> can affect your kidneys primarily, however if severe enough it can effect the entire body. Lack of sufficient water causes your cells to shrink and decreases their function, this goes for skin cells, muscle cells, and all internal organs including your brain. Even slight dehydration can become problematic if it is persistent, say for 8 hours, the amount of time it is recommended that humans sleep. Dehydration can quickly begin to affect your immune system which may leave you more susceptible to all sorts of infections. On the other hand, <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/urinarytractinfections.html#cat4">Urinary Tract Infections</a> can be easily prevented with a few glasses of cranberry juice, this simple fix can even treat mild infections.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ48QttIsDXOdTaCLce3wLgthdqmV3Ol3-oXOCBwl5LB_rYcqz_" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ48QttIsDXOdTaCLce3wLgthdqmV3Ol3-oXOCBwl5LB_rYcqz_" width="249" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">You probably already experience some extent of dehydration while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning your urine is most likely darker and a bit brown as compared to during the day, this is because you are slightly dehydrated. Urine color is a very direct indicator of hydration level, the lighter and more yellow the more hydrated a person is, the darker and more brown the less hydrated the person is. When you see darker urine it is a good idea to have an extra glass of water.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I always drink a little extra before bed, and sleep with a full glass on my nightstand, I typically also drink a glass when I wake up regardless of the color of my urine. This may be something you could do, but keep in mind over-hydration can be just as serious as dehydration so don't overdo it. The <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283">Mayo Clinic</a> recommends 1.5 litres (6.3 cups) each day, and this increases dramatically with exercise.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Take home message: YOU NEED WATER! do not intentionally dehydrate yourself with the belief that you are preventing urinary tract infections, since you are likely doing much more harm than good. Pee before bed, always have some water available, and if your urine is a bit dark, drink an extra glass.</span>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-32013027538821397722011-01-06T18:41:00.003-05:002011-02-02T21:45:54.235-05:00Myths and Misconceptions #1: Daddy Long Legs<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I thought is would be cool to theme some posts, theme number 1: Myths and Misconceptions.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The first in this series is a relatively simple one: daddy long legs.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">So I bet you have heard the statement “The daddy long leg spider has the most poisonous venom in the world but it can’t bite through your skin because its fangs are too short” or some variation on that.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This is a common myth that is incorrect on several counts. While it is true that daddy long legs cannot hurt you is it not because they are incapable of injecting poisonous venom into your skin.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">First, the North American “Daddy Long Leg” is actually the harvestmen which is not a spider at all, though it is an arachnid. It is important to note that there are 2 other animals that can also be referred to as the daddy long leg; the cellar spider and the crane fly, both of which are also harmless.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Second, the Harvestmen has no venom glands and is therefore not poisonous. The cellar spider and crane fly do have venom but are unable to deliver a dose large enough to affect humans. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Third, they have no fangs, so I guess the total lack of fangs would mean that they cannot penetrate human skin, since they don’t even exist.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I hope this was informative and I hope that you will send me any myths and misconceptions you are interested in learning more about.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">References:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html">http://spiders.ucr.edu/daddylonglegs.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2060B.html">http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2060B.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.backyardnature.net/longlegs.htm">http://www.backyardnature.net/longlegs.htm</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.arachnology.be/pages/Daddylonglegs.html">http://www.arachnology.be/pages/Daddylonglegs.html</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opiliones</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcidae">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcidae</a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crane_fly</a></span></span></div>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-79618502281928322022010-12-19T22:58:00.005-05:002011-02-02T21:43:54.730-05:00So who should I trust, and who is full of it?<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">It can be hard to determine which sources are the best, and who exactly you should listen to. I know I said “without naming names” in my last post, but that is precisely what I intend to do in this one. I think it is important for people to know where their medical information is coming from and whether it is credible or not.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Never believe anything they say:</span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Infomercials! – these are the guys I was talking about in the first part of my last post; these are the ones who want your money, even if it puts your health at risk. While some of what they say is based on facts, they twist it and add stuff to make you believe their lies. Things like diet pills on infomercials are usually full of nothing, or very dangerous drugs like ephedrine. Similarly, things like miracle cleansers will usually do nothing but clean out your bank account. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, I can make a whole post on it, leave me a comment.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">People who ask/answer questions on sites like <a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/">Yahoo Answers</a>, or <a href="http://www.ask.com/">Ask.com </a>– some of these people are knowledgeable professionals, most are not. Many are those people who take the infomercials as fact, they are likely exposed to most of the bad sources of information on this list and remember bits and pieces, then regurgitate a fractured version in a way that may or may not make any sense. Sometimes they are people who want only to fool others and get as many people as possible to believe their lies. This can be a way to get some direction for further research, but should not be taken for fact.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Anyone who does not cite their source – if there is no reference as to where the information came from, then you can assume they are making it all up, if there are references, check them out! You may discover they are complete crap, or they may be much more informative and helpful than the explanation you were originally given. (I will attempt to provide as many alternate sources as possible to allow you to do your own research if you want to look further in to what I have presented, and of course, if you want to learn more, just ask.)</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Most of the info can be trusted, but be careful..</span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">TV shows like “The Doctors” or “Dr. Oz” – these shows are what I was talking about in the second part of my last post. It is not limited to television; radio shows, websites, magazines, and other media are guilty of unintentionally distorting good medical information into less than truthful advice. For the most part what they have to offer is good, awareness about diseases, teaching the public what warning signs they should recognize for various conditions, what to do in the event of a medical emergency, ways to prevent disease, all good stuff. Sometimes though, they create a bit of a misconception due to their over-simplifications. Also, sometimes they manage to induce some form of paranoia or hypochondria since many diseases and conditions present with common innocuous symptoms. Do not write these guys off altogether, just take what they have to say with a grain of salt, and if you are curious or skeptical, just look it up!</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About">Wikipedia</a> – many people would classify this in the “Never believe anything they say” category, but that’s not where I put it. It is true that Wikipedia can be edited by anyone on the planet and they can say whatever they darn well please, no matter how truthful it is. But in reality the majority of information on Wikipedia is true, and most people cite their sources! This does not mean that everything is true; it is like a minefield of lies dispersed between the facts. I recommend using Wikipedia to get an idea about the topic you are interested in, and directions you might like to investigate further, then go straight to the references part at the bottom and check them out, they are usually much more thorough, and can often be used as citations for your work. That is not to say that any citation in Wikipedia is great and full of truth; it may not be, so again, take it with a grain of salt.</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">ALMOST always credible information:</span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><a href="http://webmd.com/">WebMD.com</a> – this is a great website with tons of helpful information on conditions, diseases, drugs, and general health information. They have a nifty ‘symptom checker’ that can help you zero in on what is ailing you. Not to be used as a substitute for your doctor, but it can give you an idea of whether you should <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">schedule a visit, or something you might like to mention while you are there. If you know of another website you think may fit here, let me know and I can check it out.</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Web sites from trusted organizations and universities – <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/">Mayo Clinic</a>, <a href="http://www.health.harvard.edu/">Harvard</a>, </span><span style="font-size: small;"><cite></cite><cite><span style="font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.weillcornell.org/health_information">Cornell</a></span></cite></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Government sites - <a href="http://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a>, <a href="http://www.fda.gov/">Food and Drug Administration</a>, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/">Center for Disease Control</a></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scholarly Journals – these can be found on <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed">PubMed</a> through the NIH – scholarly journals are the research articles published by scientists. All the information contained in them has been thoroughly reviewed and double checked by a number of individuals. They are written by experts for experts and may not be easily understood by a lay person, so this is n</span>ot helpful for everyone.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Text Books – Definitely my favorite source of information! Text books are compilations of all the information that has been published in the articles above, with all the background information to help it make sense to you. The information is presented clearly and with nice diagrams to illustrate things in a more dynamic way. The more advanced the textbook the more background knowledge you need, so start with general topics and work up. (Books I may use in my posts include: Human Anatomy by McKinley and Olaughlin, Human Physiology by Silverthorn, Brody's Human Pharmacology by Wecker, Basic and Clinical Pharmacology by Katzung, and Basic Pharmacology by Hernandez and Rathenavelu.)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Your doctor – trust no one more than a good doctor, they have gone through years of training to be able to diagnose and treat any health problem you have, and to answer all your questions. Find a good one, one who is approachable and explains things to you, one who is compassionate and asks your opinion. If you don’t like your doctor, get a new one, find the perfect doc for you and stick with them. Always remember to tell them full details and keep them informed of any vitamins, supplements, or anything else you may be taking. There is no substitute for your doctor!</span></li>
</ul>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-18015280728757670612010-12-09T23:42:00.004-05:002011-01-06T21:58:46.287-05:00The problem with fake medical advice.<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">This is the reason I started this blog; not everyone who is presenting medical information is doing it factually. Most of the time when you hear things that sound true, you assume they are; if someone sounds like they know what they are talking about, most people will believe what they have to say. But often times you shouldn’t.</span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">The people who present false information as fact are essentially manipulating people for profit, this alone is somewhat benign, but when they are selling false medicine they can be putting people’s health and even lives at risk. Those who try to convince you that something in your home right now will kill you if you don’t buy their product; those who claim that their magical object is the secret to health and longevity; those who try to solve a problem you have with the next ‘super-drug’; it is all asinine There are way too many legitimate ways to earn an honest dollar, ways that serve no harm or even benefit others, for anyone to devote their time and money to compromising people’s health in return for some money.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">It is not only those out to make a buck, sometimes it is also those with good intentions. Without naming names, there are plenty of people out there who are attempting to provide the masses with some degree of medical information so they can live healthier lives. This sounds pretty good, right? The problem here is that many times they will ‘dumb it down’ to make it easier for anyone who may be reading/listening/watching to understand. Often, they manage to put it in words that encompass all the necessary information and make sense to the lay person. Other times they generally represent the true information they are trying to convey, but leave out some crucial details, this is now verging on falsification. When things are simplified to the point of losing the true information, it practically becomes a lie, even when the intentions are pure. This can be even more detrimental because people are conditioned to trust these individuals, and will often act on the information they get from them. People may end up doing something that may actually cause them harm. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">One day while listening to the radio I heard a segment about consuming unpasteurized milk. My friends and I mocked it because we have the education to know how ridiculously bad that notion really is. Still, people were calling in telling the host how they think it tastes better and that it is supposedly healthier, that they will never go back to drinking pasteurized milk. I understand those who dislike things purely because they are commercialized and prefer to ‘buy local’; I have no problem with this concept. But milk is pasteurized for a reason, there are numerous pathogens that cows carry (inside and out) without making them sick (lots for humans too). When those little bugs are in the milk that is being ingested by humans they can make us very sick, and with repeated exposure has the potential to cause conditions that may eventually kill us. As usual, this is particularly dangerous for children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems. It is true that the pasteurization process can remove some nutrients from the milk, but it does not add toxic chemicals or cause any diseases, it is merely a controlled heating of the milk to remove the majority those bacteria in order to keep us healthy. The process can also substantially lengthen the freshness of that milk. Learn more from <a href="http://www.fcs.msue.msu.edu/ff/pdffiles/foodsafety2.pdf">Michigan State University</a> and if you are really interested, this document from the <a href="http://whqlibdoc.who.int/monograph/WHO_MONO_14.pdf">World Health Organization</a> may be fascinating. Alternatively, here is a link to a website dedicated to <a href="http://www.realmilk.com/">Raw Milk</a>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Please never drink unpasteurized milk unless it is from a cow or goat you know personally, one who is well cared for and kept clean, even then it may not be entirely safe; drink at your own risk!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">It is my intention to never present false information; I will do my best to put things in plain language and simple terms, while still keeping the true meaning intact. I will provide citations for anything and everything that I feel requires or may benefit from references. Also, though the life of a graduate student is hardly a profitable one, I am not doing this blog for money; I am doing it to help people.</span></div>Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4910106118983301768.post-18220800368892023862010-12-08T17:21:00.000-05:002010-12-08T17:35:33.999-05:00Logical Factual Science..Applied to your life!Welcome to Logical Factual Science!!<br /><br />This will be a blog about everyday things you encounter in your life with real scientific explanations.<br /><br />I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of pseudo-scientific and pseudo-medical information and advice being peddled by people who know nothing about science, health care, and how the human body works.<br /><br />I am a pharmacologist/toxicologist and have extensive education about how the body works, what can go wrong, what can be done to reverse things that go wrong, and the positive and negative effects of compounds on the body.<br /><br />If you have questions about any of my posts, please don't hesitate to ask.<br />If you have a topic you would like me to address, please send them to me.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy some real Logical Factual Science!Steph the Scientisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18045603984746145313noreply@blogger.com0