Archives for Science Category\
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
Fat is a nutrient and it is essential for body function and without it one could not live. Fat not only supply energy but also makes other nutrients to do their functions Fats are usually soluble in organic solvents and insoluble in water. They are known as tri-esters of glycerol and fatty acids. Fats are solid at room temperature and lipids are either liquid or solid. Fats are two types’ viz. animal fats and vegetable fats. Animal fats are butter, cream, meat, etc. Vegetable fats are olive oil, peanut oil, seed oil, corn oil, etc. Saturated fat: Large amount of saturated fat is from animal meat products, dairy products and coconut oil. Saturated fat molecule is covered in hydrogen atoms and a large intake increases cholesterol levels which can lead to cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Monounsaturated fat: Monounsaturated fat molecules are not saturated with hydrogen atoms. They are neither good nor bad and reduce risk of developing heart disease. Olive oil, groundnut oil and avocados .Polyunsaturated fat: Poly-saturated fat is saturated with hydrogen atoms. Polyunsaturated fat is good for our health, especially those from fish, known as the Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids protect us from heart disease as they lower blood cholesterol levels and may also help reduce the symptoms experienced by people who suffer from arthritis. Sardines, mackerel, trout, salmon and herring, safflower oil, grape seed oil, and sunflower oil.
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Sunday, November 29th, 2009
The influenza virus in winter leads to chest infections, asthma, pulmonary disease and bronchitis. In such conditions, it is better to avoid activities in the cool mornings and choose to evening exercises and joggings. For those having weak lungs, chest physiotherapy and steam inhalation are preferred. Avoid pollution of all kinds. It is better to have the vaccines –the influenza vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine to reduce the intensities of flu attacks. Avoid cold foods like yogurt, cold salads, ice-cream, etc. Instead drink hot soups, ginger tea, spicy rasam and sipping hot black coffee can work much better against asthma. Also food rich with Vitamin C, tomatoes, capsicum, ews pumpkin, citrus fruits and gooseberries can boost immunity and prevent cold, cough and sniffles. Spasm of trachea and bronchus is due to allergens in the atmosphere and so it is very important to keep the surroundings clean and dry. In acute conditions, patients used to have pills and injections to get relief from chronic condition. Now advances in Medical Science can cure immediately Steroid inhalers under the Doctor’s guidance very effective for good respiratory health. Yoga, simple pranayam and kabalabhaati exercises
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Friday, November 13th, 2009
We can hurt ourselves in many ways like burns, bump to head, scrapped knee , itching insect bites, cutting fingers by razors, etc. Minor injuries can be treated with cold pack for 20 minutes to stop bleeding. Then apply a warm wet cloth to help reabsorb the blood. For cuts and wounds, wash the wound with water from the tap, wash it with a dry cloth and put on a antibiotic band-aid. Large wounds must be treated with Doctors only. Diabetic wounds, control blood sugar levels. Wounds are partial as on some people, they close, form crust and fall. With others, serious wounds take longer time to heal and require Doctors attention. Bed sores are bad. Some of the important factors like lack of vitamins, nutritious food, smoking, stress, illness such as diabetes, malfunctioning of thyroid, hypertension can decrease the body’s capability of healing. Scar formation may turn into dark-coloured. In olden days, many had belief in grandma’s treatment for wounds such as rubbing honey gently over the wound, applying turmeric an antiseptic agent, lime (chunna), plant latex and herbs as they have fear to go to hospital. If the treatment fails to heal the wounds, never hesitate to approach a doctor before it gets worsened.
Caution: Don’t suck bleeding finger, tie an injured limb to stem bleeding, never put ice on burns as it leads to delay in healing and damage and don’t pop blisters as it exposes raw skin resulting infection.
When we say ‘a’(solute) dissolves in ‘b’(solvent), it means ‘a’ has a property to break apart and move into ‘b’. The attraction b/w ‘a-b’ particles must be greater than ‘a-a’/'b-b’ particles for a solution to form.
Polar substances: (+ve,-ve parts) Eg.Water, HCl
Non-Polar substances: all oils,petrol,diesel etc.
Sugar(polar),Salt(ionic) dissolve in polar substance like water but not in non-polar substance like oil.
