Friday, November 30, 2007

Honey for All wounds

Can honey be used for all wounds? the fact is that honey can be used for all types of wounds, as was revealed by repeated research in the last period.

Honey impregnated cotton gauze to heal all wounds was used by the ancient Egyptians since thousands of years. They put the gauze over the wounds for 4 days needed to heal the wound.

Use of honey to heal all wound types was common to all nations over different ages.They described its use for different types of wounds,either alone or combined with other foods or herbs. In the early 20Th century, researchers started to document honey wound-healing properties, yet introduction of antibiotics temporarily halted its use.


Researchers still not attribute exactly the wound-healing properties of honey to a specified effect. They sometimes attribute them to the osmotic properties of honey, other times they attribute them to its content of a certain constituent like, organic acids, alkali's, minerals,trace elements, or hydrogen peroxide.

Regardless the mechanism by which honey heal wounds, it can be used to heal nearly all types of wounds like:

- Post-Operative Wounds: Surgery should enter the honey trap | Laboratory News

- Diabetes Wounds

- Abscesses and Boils

- Burns

- Ulcers

- Shot wound

- Bone fracture

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Taking Impotence Pill For the First Time

If impotence pill fails, many men give up - Men's health- msnbc.com

Are you taking the impotence pill for the first time, to get the best result of it,
read on.

For the impotence pill to do its job successfully,i.e. to increase blood flow to the genital organs, they need some precursor biochemical materials to be abundant in the body, since they act by increasing the concentration of a neurotransmitter (Acetyl Choline)that is already present in the nerves. They do not perform a physiological role on their own.

The biochemical materials that are needed for a good erection are, Acetyl Choline and Nitric Oxide (NO). The precursors of Acetyl Choline are the vitamin Pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5) and the amino acid Cysteine, and the precursor of NO is the amino acid Arginine.

If it is your first time to take impotence pill, go search for a nutritional supplement that is rich in amino acids, Arginine, Cysteine(or Methionine), and Vitamin B5 ( Calcium Pantothenate or Panthenol), and take them sometime before your pill.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Count Carb: How Many Teaspoons of Sugar in your Food Items

This is a new way to count carb in your food, so as you find it more easy to count carbs in all your food items.

This list contains the equivalent number of teaspoons of sugar in your food items. It is derived from their carb content. Calculations are made based on the net carb content, i.e. excluding fibers.

Reading this list makes you sense the carb content of food items, e.g.
eating 1 medium avocado supplies your body with 306 Calories, only 14 of which are coming from equivalent to less than 1 teaspoon of sugar,and the rest is coming from beneficial nutrients including good fats, while eating 1 dried fig supplies 47.7 Calories about 42 of which come from carb equivalent to 2.62 teaspoons of sugar.

While eating white sugar has unhealthy effects, all fruits -except the dried items which can only be eaten within a calorie plan- contain small amounts of sugars, and they should represent a considerable part of your carb intake.

The lists take exhaustive work, and I can not continue unless people want them, so please if you are interested just put 1 word in your comment " continue".

1- Fruits

# 1 Apple, raw with skin contains carbohydrates equivalent to 4.325 teaspoons of sugar and contains 81 Calories
# 0.25 cups Applesauce, unsweetened contains carbohydrates equivalent to 1.525 teaspoons of sugar and contains 26 Calories
# 0.25 cups Applesauce, sweetened contains carbohydrates equivalent to 3 teaspoons of sugar and contains 48.5 Calories
# 1 tbs Apple Butter contains carbohydrates equivalent to 2.1 teaspoons of sugar and contains 33 Calories
# 10 halves Apricots, dried, sulfured contains carbohydrates equivalent to 4.625 teaspoons of sugar and contains 83 Calories
# 1 Apricots, fresh contains carbohydrates equivalent to 0.775 teaspoons of sugar and contains 17 Calories
# 1 medium avocado, whole, raw (Haas) contains carbohydrates equivalent to 0.875 teaspoons of sugar and contains 306 Calories
# 1 banana, raw, medium contains carbohydrates equivalent to 6 teaspoons of sugar and contains 105 Calories
# 0.25 cups Blackberries contains carbohydrates equivalent to 0.675 teaspoons of sugar and contains 18.5 Calories
# 0.25 cups Blueberries contains carbohydrates equivalent to 1.025 teaspoons of sugar and contains 20.3 Calories
# 0.25 Boysenberries, frozen, unsweetened contains carbohydrates equivalent to 0.7 teaspoons of sugar and contains 17 Calories
# 0.25 Cantaloupe, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 0.775 teaspoons of sugar and contains 14 Calories
# 10 Cherries, sour, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 1.8 teaspoon of sugar and contains 34 Calories
# 10 Cherries, sweet, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 2.425 teaspoons of sugar and contains 49 Calories
# 0.25 cups Crab Apples, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 1.375 teaspoons of sugar and contain 21 Calories
# 0.25 cups Cranberries, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 0.725 and contain 11.8 Calories
# 10 Dates, dried contain carbohydrates equivalent to 13.7 teaspoons of sugar and contain 228 Calories
# 0.25 cups Elderberries, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 1.025 teaspoons of sugar and contain 26.5 Calories
# 10 Figs, dried contain carbohydrates equivalent to 26.2 teaspoons of sugar and contains 477 Calories
# 1 medium Fig, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 2 spoons of sugar and contains 37 Calories
# 0.25 cups Gooseberries, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 0.55 teaspoons of sugar and contains 16.5 Calories
# 1/2 medium Grapefruits, pink and red, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 2.125 teaspoons of sugar and contain 39 Calories
# 1/2 medium Grapefruits, white, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 2.15 teaspoons of sugar and contain 39 Calories
# 0.5 cups Grapes, American (slip skin), raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 1.85 teaspoons of sugar and contain 29 Calories
# 0.5 cups Grapes, European (adherent skin), raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 3.35 teaspoons of sugar and contain 57 Calories
# 1 medium Guava, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 1.45 teaspoons of sugar and contains 46 Calories
# 0.25 cups Honeydew melon, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 0.9 teaspoon of sugar and contain 15 Calories
# 0.25 cups Java plum, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 1.325 teaspoons of sugar and contain 20.3 Calories
# 3.5 Oz's Jujube, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 5.025 teaspoons of sugar and contain 78 Calories
# 1 medium Kiwi, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 2,175 teaspoons of sugar and contains 46 Calories
# 1 medium Kumquat Kumquats, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 0.45 teaspoons of sugar and contains 78 Calories
# 1 medium Lemon, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 0.95 teaspoon of sugar and contains 17 Calories
# 1 medium Lime, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 1.3 teaspoons of sugar and contains 20 Calories
# 0.25 cups Loganberries, frozen contain carbohydrates equivalent to 0.75 teaspoons of sugar and contain 20.3 Calories
# 10 medium Lychees, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 0.075 teaspoons of sugar and contain 66 Calories
# 0.25 cups Mandarin Oranges, canned, light syrup contain carbohydrates equivalent to 2.45 teaspoons of sugar and contain 38.5 Calories
# 0.25 cups Mandarin Oranges, canned, juice pack contain carbohydrates equivalent to 2,45 teaspoons of sugar and contains 38.5 Calories
# 1 medium Mango, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 1,375 teaspoons of sugar and contains 23 Calories
# 3.5 ozs Mixed Fruit, dried contain carbohydrates equivalent to 7.875 teaspoons and contains 135 Calories
# 0.25 cups Mixed Fruit, frozen, sweetened contain 13.975 teaspoons of
sugar and contain 241 Calories
# 0.25 cups Mulberries, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 1.975 teaspoons and contains 34.8 Calories
# 1 medium nectarines, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 0.7 teaspoons of sugar and contains 15 Calories
# 1 orange Orange, navel, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 3.45 teaspoons of sugar and contains 60 Calories
# 1 oranges Orange, Valencia, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 2.85 teaspoons of sugar and contains 59 Calories
# 1 papaya Papaya, raw, medium contains carbohydrates equivalent to 6.075 teaspoons of sugar and contains 119 Calories
# 1 Passion Fruit (grandilla), purple, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 0.575 teaspoons of sugar and contains 17 Calories
# 1 Peach, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 2 teaspoons of sugar and 37 Calories
# 0.25 Peaches, canned, light syrup contain carbohydrates equivalent to 2 teaspoons of sugar and contains 37 Calories
# 0.25 Peaches, canned, juice pack contain carbohydrates equivalent to 1.6 teaspoons of sugar and contain 27 Calories
# 1 Pear, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 5.275 teaspoons of sugar and contains 98 Calories
# 0.25 pears, canned, light syrup contains carbohydrates equivalent to 2.125 teaspoons of sugar and contains 36 Calories
# 1 Persimmon, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 2.1 teaspoons of sugar and contains 32 Calories
# 0.25 Pineapples, canned, juice pack contain carbohydrates equivalent to 2.325 teaspoonful and contain 37.5 Calories
# 0.25 Pineapples, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 1.075 teaspoons of sugar and contain 19 Calories
# 0.25 Plantains, cooked contain carbohydrates equivalent to 2.775 teaspoons of sugar and contain 44.8 Calories
# 1 medium Plum, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 1.9 teaspoons of sugar and contains 36 Calories
# 1 medium plum Pomegranate, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 6.375 teaspoons of sugar and contains 105 Calories
# 1 medium Prickly pear, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 1.55
teaspoons of sugar and contains 42 Calories
# 10 Prunes, dried contain carbohydrates equivalent to 11.675 teaspoons of sugar and contain 201 Calories
# 0.25 Prunes, dried, cooked contain carbohydrates equivalent to 2.85
teaspoons of sugar and contain 56.5 Calories
# 1 medium Quince, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 3.1 teaspoons of sugar and contains 52 Calories
# 2/3 cups Raisins, golden seedless contain carbohydrates equivalent to
18.975 teaspoons of sugar and contains 302 Calories
# 2/3 cups Raisins, seeded contain carbohydrates equivalent to 17.925 teaspoons of sugar and contains 294 Calories
# 0.25 cups Raspberries, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 0.375 teaspoons of sugar and contains 15 Calories
# 0.25 cups Strawberries, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 0.425
teaspoons of sugar and contains 11.3 Calories
# 0.25 cups Strawberries, frozen, unsweetened contain carbohydrates equivalent to 0.65 teaspoons of sugar and contains 13 Calories
# 0.25 cups Tamarind, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to 4.35 teaspoons of sugar and Contains 71.8 Calories
# 1 medium Tangerine, raw contains carbohydrates equivalent to 1.875 teaspoons of sugar and contains 37 Calories
# 0.25 cups Watermelon, raw contain carbohydrates equivalent to.675 teaspoons of sugar and contain 12.8 Calories

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Fish, Cheese and Lean Meat may stunt Prostate Tumors

Is there any food that may stunt prostate tumors? In fact foods that are foods that lead to reduction of the level of an insulin like growth factor like fish, cheese and lean meat can do that.

In a study published in the journal Prostate, U.S. researchers found that tumor growth was stalled and survival rates lengthened in mice fed a low carbohydrate diet.
They found mice fed a low-fat but high-carbohydrate diets had larger tumors. The mice on a diet high in both fat and carbohydrate had the biggest tumors and the worst survival rate.


Based on earlier research which has linked the growth of prostate tumors to higher levels in insulin like growth factor in mice, the researchers tested whether the reduction in the levels of these substances in mice -through diet- might slow tumor growth.

They found only the mice on the low-carbohydrate diet had lower levels of of the form of insulin-like growth factor capable of stimulating tumor growth.
They hypothesized carbohydrates in the diet affect the level of insulin and a related substance known as insulin-like growth factor in the body.


When these findings are ultimately confirmed in human clinical trials, there would be a designed low-carb diets for prostate, until then, you can eat food low in carbohydrates to control weight and to gain benefits of their prospective effects on the prostate. You may find some foods that are low in carbohydrates , by following these links:
Food that contain no carbohydrates

1-5 grams carbohydrate containing foods

6 grams carbohydrate containing foods

Thursday, November 15, 2007

List of food that Burn Fat, on Scientific Basis

What foods that burn fat? Is there a scientific basis for these claims? how do they act? this is what this article trying to resolve.

If you want a list of foods that burn fat that is based on scientific basis, that comprises very wide choices and is not limited to a narrow one, you are in the right place.

It is not the usual traditional list of known foods, with slight changes in words that make you even more confused. It is based your metabolic needs involving foods that burn fat by consuming energy as
metabolic calories or heat, moreover, it involves foods that do not burn fat inside cells, but foods that burn them outside the cell.

Protein:
Protein requires about 25% more metabolic energy to digest.


List of High Protein Foods

whey (supplement found in health food stores)
chicken breast
turkey breast
salmon
tuna
cottage cheese
swordfish
haddock
lean ground turkey
round steak
sirloin steak
lean ground beef
orange roughy

List of Good other Sources Of Protein
Whey (supplement found in health food stores)
Chicken (without skin)
Turkey (without skin)
Lean cuts of beef
Lean cuts of pork
Lean cuts of lamb
Lean cuts of veal
Eggs
Egg whites
Tuna fish
Salmon
Shrimp
Lobster
Flounder
Sardines
Snapper
Swordfish
Trout
Crab
Clams
Scallops
Sirloin steak
Round steak
Lean ground beef
Milk (2% or skim)
Cottage cheese (low fat/non fat)
Yogurt (low fat/non fat)
Tofu
Black beans
Garbanzo beans (aka chick peas)
Kidney beans
Lentils
Lima beans
Navy beans
Pinto beans
Miso
Soybeans
Peanuts
Almonds
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Pecans
Pistachio nuts
Natural peanut butter
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Protein powder, protein shakes and protein bars
---

Calcium Rich Foods
Clinical trials proved that increasing dietary calcium significantly
augmented weight and fat loss secondary to calorie restriction, and increased the percentage of fat loss from the trunk region.

Dairy foods

Yogurt, plain
Yogurt, fruit
Milk, nonfat or low fat
Milk, whole
Cheese, including American, ricotta, cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese
Milk shakes
Eggnog

Nondairy Foods with Calcium

Salmon
Tofu
Rhubarb
Sardines
Collard greens
Spinach
Turnip greens
Okra
White beans
Baked beans
Broccoli
Peas
Brussels sprouts
Sesame seeds
Bok choy
Almonds
Celery

Calcium-fortified Foods
In addition to the large number of calcium rich foods that are naturally found, like milk and cheese, a lot of foods are now fortified with calcium. These can be especially good choices if you do not like to drink milk.
Calcium-fortified breakfast cereal, including General Mills Whole Grain Total, Total Raisin Bran, Total Cranberry Crunch, and Total Honey Clusters, all of which have 100%Daily Value of calcium per serving!
Calcium-fortified orange juice
Calcium-fortified soy milk
Instant oatmeal
Calcium-fortified bread or English muffins
Calcium-fortified drink mixes such as Pediasure or Carnation Instant Breakfast
Other calcium-fortified breakfast cereals, including General Mills Golden Grahams (350 mg)
---

Low Glycemic Index Foods

Although these foods do not burn fat by themselves, yet they represent
a great help to you if you search to burn fat to lose weight.

Research revealed that low Glycemic index foods like most vegetables,fruits, beans and unprocessed grains raise blood sugar slowly. This guards against sharp rises in blood insulin the hormone that help synthesize fat. Animals fed on low glycemic index diet were lean, with normal amounts of fat in throughout their bodies, in contrast to animals fed on high glycemic index diet which had twice the normal amount of fat in their bodies, blood and livers. This is a bonus
property that may reduce the risk of gall stone formation that may accompany some diet programs.

Go here to view Glycemic Index (Gi) Food List

----
Foods that lower blood sugar

Again, these foods do not burn fat by themselves, however, they have a great impact on one searching a healthy style of eating. Comprising these foods with the other mentioned groups will make you not in need to burn fat.

These foods help control your blood glucose so that sharp increases in blood insulin can be avoided. Controlling blood insulin is a great way to reduce the risks of insulin resistance, increased fat synthesis, and diabetes mellitus.

Go here to view Foods and Herbs Lower Blood Sugar
---

Negative Calorie Foods (Fiber containing foods):
Fibers in plants hold water many times its weight of water, it is due to this property that keeps plants alive under the sun during the day time. Were it not, plants would have dried and died when exposed to sun rays for long hours.

When vegetables and fruits are ingested, they absorb a large amount of water acquiring a heavy mass that is pushed away by intestines to be excreted, this work consume energy more than the small amounts contained in these foods.
Go here to view aList of Negative-Calorie Foods . Additional information are calorie content and portion size.
---

Warming Spices
When you eat these foods you feel hot and sweating, this is because they dilate blood vessels in the peripheries of your body, i.e. they shunt your blood into the vessels of your skin which has a large area that may absorb a good deal of blood that lose heat by sweating. To see result with them to burn fat, put them as a part of your plan, and not the only plan. If you feel you do not like them do not panic and search for another group of food to burn fat.

The list includes:
1- Cayenne Pepper
- Bell peppers
- pimento
- paprika
- chili
2- Cinnamon
3- Ginger (Turmeric)
4- Nutmeg
5- Mace
6- Cloves
7- Allspice
At Wikipedia there is a very large list 0f culinary herbs and spices that include even moreWarming Spices
---

Some Special Foods and Drinks that Burn Fat:

1- Apples:
It contains the highest content of pectin, in some studies pectin were found to bind fatty acids, and this may cause fats not to be absorbed into the intestinal walls, i.e. it burns them before they enter into the body. Why not take them as snacks?


2- Green Tea:
I wonder this great buzz about green tea, is it supposed to be taken alone to burn fat? will it replace foods for one searching to burn fat? do not you drink teas?
The clinical studies proved it has an effect on burning fat, so what is the problem if it is taken as an additive to a plan to burn fat?
Drink green tea for its antioxidant effect as well as to burn fat.


Would not it be a better choice that you define your plan to burn fat and lose weight, then you choose your appropriate food out of this very large list of foods?

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Recipes to Lose 264 Calories Per Day

Is it possible that you can lose 264 Calories per day? and if that is true, what are these recipes? read this article to find out.

In the study between Saint Louis University and Wayne University, it was shown that including eggs as part of breakfast will result in less calories consumed throughout the whole day.The group that ate eggs in breakfast felt less hungry and consumed an average 264 less calories that day.

Since Eggs may be an important part of diets that promote weight management, I picked up these 4 recipes from thatsmyhome.com website.
They are based on Eggs, moreover, other ingredients like peppers and avocado are foods known to burn fat. Certainly you can modify them to suit your requirements.

1- Omelet 101

If you never took Omelets 101, here is the short course: You must have the right pan, thoroughly preheated over a moderately hot burner. You must have a decently large glob of butter and a no-fear attitude.

The pan must be of heavyweight metal, preferably aluminum with a nonstick coating. It must have sloping rather than steep sides, so that the eggs can readily be slipped out and flipped over to form a neat little package on the warmed serving plate. An 8-inch pan is perfect for a two- or three-egg omelet; a 10-inch pan will accommodate a five or six egg omelet that will satisfy two or three light eaters or one teenage boy.

Allow the pan to heat until a drop of water will dance upon it - not just sizzle. With a fork, whisk the eggs together briefly - just enough to incorporate the yolks and whites - with a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of milk or water or nothing at all.

Put butter into the pan, and when it has foamed and subsided, pour in eggs and allow them to set a minute; then begin gently stirring and pulling the set eggs away from the sides of the pan toward the center, so the uncooked part can flow underneath.

When the eggs are set but still moist on top, lay 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your chosen filling down the center of the omelet, perpendicular to the handle. With a spatula, flip one-third of the omelet - the part closest to the handle - over the filling. Now grasp the handle from underneath, tip the pan up and over and slip the omelet out of the pan onto the plate, flipping it over one more time as you go. Your omelet
has been folded in thirds, like a proper business letter.
---
2- Fajita Scramble

1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 chopped onion
8 eggs
1/2 tsp fajita seasoning
1/8 tsp hot sauce
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese (Monterrey jack, cheddar, etc)
4 fajita size tortillas
Chopped fresh cilantro
Salsa

Saute vegetables in large frying pan, with 1 teaspoon of butter, until soft. Beat eggs, seasoning, hot sauce, and milk, with a whisk or fork, until well blended.
"Scramble" eggs while cooking until semi-firm. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese and cook until melted. Warm the fajitas by placing in a microwave for 25 seconds. Place 1/4 of scrambled egg mixture in each fajita and roll up.

Top each fajita with the remaining cheese and heat in the microwave until the cheese melts. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the fajitas and serve with salsa on the side.
Serves 4
---

3- Migas with Tortillas

4 large eggs
1 T. water
2 T. chunky salsa
1 T. butter
1 T. oil
2 6 inch corn tortillas cut into strips
1/4 C. finely chopped onion
2 T. green chilies
1 medium tomato seeded and chopped
1/2 C. chopped avocados (optional)
2 t. fresh chopped cilantro
2/3 C. grated Monterrey cheese
sour cream

In a small bowl combine the eggs, water and salsa. Set aside.Warm the butter and oil in a skillet. Add the tortilla pieces and saute until softened. Add the onion and saute until transparent. Stir in the chopped green chilies.
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Scramble the eggs until done. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the avocado, tomato, cilantro and cheese, stirring well.

Serve at once with warm flour tortillas. Garnish with sour cream and additional salsa.
---

4- Breakfast Fajitas

1 lb. sweet or mild Italian bulk sausage
1/4 c. diced green pepper
1/4 c. diced yellow pepper
1/4 c. diced onion
1 c. diced Granny Smith or other tart apple with skin on 6 eggs
1-1/2 c. shredded cheddar or Mexican mix cheese
8 lg. round fajita or soft burrito shells
Fresh or jar salsa to taste
Sour cream if desired
Lettuce for garnish

Cook bulk sausage over medium heat in skillet until no longer pink. Drain thoroughly and keep warm. Saute peppers, onion and apple in 1 T. oil over medium heat until they turn slightly translucent (about 6-8 minutes). Remove from heat and keep warm.

Scramble eggs with whisk and cook lightly over medium heat. Remove from heat and keep warm. Assemble fajitas by placing equal amounts of cooked sausage, scrambled eggs and pepper mixture in a narrow row at one end. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Begin rolling tightly from the filled end working away from yourself. Lay each fajita on foiled lined baking sheet with seam side down. Sprinkle tops lightly with shredded cheese.

Broil on low in oven on top rack just until cheese bubbles and fajitas turn a light golden brown. Slice on the diagonal and serve on a bed of freshly chopped lettuce. Top with salsa and serve with sour cream if desired.
Makes 8 servings.

Friday, November 09, 2007

Finally, How Cataract is Formed

Finally, How Cataract is Formed

Cataract surgery in which normal lenses are removed and replaced with artificial ones is performed to nearly 5 million people annually. Cataract is the world's leading cause of blindness.

Cataract causes the transparent lens crystalline proteins to clump together causing light to be scattered once it enters the eye lens, resulting in cloudy vision or blindness.

PROTEINS:
To understand what happens in a simple way, we should first delve into
some characters of proteins. Proteins are made of polypeptide chains which are formed by bound together amino acids(the human body building units).
The polypeptides may be similar or different, as well as the sequence of amino acids differs for every polypeptide chain, and all are genetically encoded.

There are various types of physico-chemical bonds that maintain a protein configuration, so as to perform its structural or functional role. The natural, biological conformation of a protein is referred to as its native state.

Proteins vary in their stability, but any protein can be denatured (converted to unfolded or altered state). Mild conditions of pH and temperature must be used for the lab isolation and storage of proteins.

Mild denaturation is progressive, producing partial unfolding, while fully denatured proteins are in a random coil with no recognizable structure (like when your cat unfold a ball of wool- and you may strike her). The consequences of denaturation are loss of biological activity, decreased solubility and inability to form crystals.

Denaturation occurs when the surrounding conditions are changed, it can be brought by extremes of pH and high temperature, by chaotropic ions(e.g. trichloroacetate), concentrated urea, and ionic detergents(e.g.sodium dodecyl sulphate).

In each case the denaturing conditions weaken the non-covalent bonds(atoms are only attracted at their surfaces), that maintain its native structure, and stabilize a different denatured structure. If these conditions are removed , the native conformation may reform, but denaturation may be irreversible (it often causes protein aggregation).

Proteins denatured to insolubility can be dissolved under the right conditions, e.g. the solubility of boiled egg white (denatured protein ) in a strong urea solution.

Eye Proteins:
The eye lens is made up of densely packed crystalline proteins, arranged in such a way that light in the visible wavelength range can pass through, but for a variety of reasons including UV radiation exposure and age, these proteins are clumped together causing Cataract.

Research of the 3 major crystalline proteins individually did not reveal the real cause of cataract, but researching the interaction between them was the clue to understand proteins aggregation, which is the cause of other diseases like Alzheimer's disease.

the interaction between proteins was elucidated by studying 2 of them. It was found that fine tuned combination of attraction and repulsion between the 2 proteins resulted in an arrangement that was transparent to visible light, there had to be a weak attraction between the proteins in order for the eye lens to be transparent. Cataract may form if this balance is disrupted.

Lens proteins were modeled as colloidal particles, and the research revealed that there was a very narrow window in which the protein solution remained stable, and this was a necessary condition for lens transparency.


What keeps the interactions between eye proteins in the optimal weak range, is it foods we eat, geography we live with, or life style?
Next days may bear the answer.

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Foods that Cut Aging Related Blindness Risk

Is there a relation between food and aging related blindness? are there foods that can lead us to blindness, and others that cut this risk?

The leading cause of aging related blindness after age 60 is aging related macular degeneration (AMD).
Researchers found that taking vitamin D and eating foods that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids - specially fish- may reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.

AMD occurs when the macula -at the back of the retina- breaks down over time, and vision becomes blurred.

Researchers in a trial sponsored by the American Institutes of Health's National Eye Institute, found that one type of omega-3 fatty acids called Docosahexaenoic acid is believed to play an important role in the normal functioning of the retina.

Docohexaenoic acid is mainly found in fatty fish such as Salmon and Tuna, and can be produced by the human body when there is a good supply of the essential fatty acid Linolenic acid, foods that are rich sources of Linolenic acid include Flax seeds, Wall nuts, Soybeans, and some dark green leafy vegetables.

Researchers found that people who ate more fish -more than 2 medium servings per week- were least likely to have the disease.
The authors believe fatty acids may promote cell survival and bolster blood vessel function, reduce inflammation and maintain energy balance.

A second team of researchers found that vitamin D was associated with reduced risk of early AMD, but not advanced AMD. They suggested vitamin D may cut the risk of early age-related macular degeneration by reducing inflammation or preventing blood vessel growth in the retina.

The disease affects millions of people and here 2 lists of foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, or vitamin D, so that those people at risk would consider paying attention to these foods:

List of foods rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Flax seeds --2 tablespoons (serving size) provides 140.5% of Daily Value(DV)
Walnuts ------0.25 cup ----------------------------- 90.8% of Daily Value(DV)
Salmon, Chinook, baked/broiled 4 oz-wt ------------- 83.6% (DV)
Soybeans, cooked 1 cup ----------------------------- 41.2% (DV)
Halibut, baked/broiled 4 oz-wt---------------------- 24.8% (DV)
Shrimp, steamed/boiled 4 oz-wt---------------------- 14.8%
Snapper, baked/broiled 4 oz-wt---------------------- 14.4%
Tofu, raw 4 oz-wt ---------------------------------- 14.4%
Scallops, baked/broiled 4 oz-wt--------------------- 14.0%
Winter squash, baked, cubes 1 cup ------------------ 13.6%
Tuna, yellow fin, baked/broiled 4 oz-wt------------- 13.2%
Cod, baked/broiled 4 oz-wt-------------------------- 12.8%
Brussels sprouts, boiled 1 cup---------------------- 10.4%
Cauliflower, boiled 1 cup -------------------------- 8.4%
Cloves, dried, ground 2 tsp ------------------------ 8.0%
Broccoli, steamed 1 cup ---------------------------- 8.0%
Mustard seeds 2 tsp -------------------------------- 8.0%
Collard greens, boiled 1 cup ------------------------ 7.2%
Cabbage, shredded, boiled 1 cup---------------------- 6.8%
Spinach, boiled 1 cup ------------------------------- 6.0%
Summer squash, cooked, slices 1 cup ----------------- 6.0%
Kale, boiled 1 cup----------------------------------- 5.2%
Oregano, dried, ground 2 teaspoons------------------- 4.8%
Strawberries 1 cup ---------------------------------- 4.4%
Green beans, boiled 1 cup --------------------------- 4.4%
Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup ------------------------- 3.6%
Romaine lettuce 2 cup ------------------------------- 3.2%

Shrimps have a high content of cholesterol, and many other foods are calorie dense, so it is a better idea if you stick to Flax seeds, Wall nuts, Tuna and Salmon fish.
You still have the choice to diversify foods for your convenience.


List of Foods Rich in Vitamin D

Salmon, Chinook, baked/broiled 4 oz-wt----------------------- 102.8%
Shrimp, steamed/boiled 4 oz-wt ------------------------------- 40.6%
Cow's milk, 2% 1 cup ----------------------------------------- 24.4%
Cod, baked/broiled 4 oz-wt ----------------------------------- 15.9%
Egg, whole, boiled 1 each ------------------------------------- 5.7%

Although these are the richest foods with vitamin D, yet it is much better if you get your needs by exposure to sun in the morning for a few minutes every day.

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