Thursday, May 6, 2010

Cuppa yogurt a day keeps all the doctors at bay

Impracticable health secrets are available aplenty. This article is not one more which elucidates such secrets. I am up to unveiling a health food tip which may be known to many. The main purpose of this article is to give a genuine insight into benefits of consuming healthy yogurt everyday.
Why am I so particular about yogurt?
Yogurt is easy to prepare and tasty to intake. In this busy industrial era most of us are slaves for junk foods. These junk foods not only increase the risks of cardiac arrests and obesity but also spoil our healthy gut flora.
What does this gut flora mean? It is no jargon. The bacterial and microbial population which inhabits the gut portion of our digestive tract is termed as gut flora.
Well coming back to our main discussion objective, our gut flora determines our general digestive health. Yogurt contains a combination of beneficial microorganisms like lactobacillus which help us in efficient food digestion. Thus we have a healthy system, devoid of any malfunctions like stomach upset or uneasiness or constipation.
Is this the only benefit of yogurt? No, certainly not. Yogurt provides ample health benefits like:
Cure to vaginal infection: Yogurt provides a reliable cure for women and adolescents who suffer from frequent vaginal infection.
Cure to inflammatory bowel disease and H. pylori infection: IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) is a potential health hazard in some individuals. Yogurt provides genuine cure from such disorders and Helicobacter Pylori infection.
Escalated immune performance: A well equipped immune system saves us from most invading pathogens. Yogurt plays a vital role in immune building.
Food nutrient absorption: Even though we intake nutritious food lack of proper absorption may lead to deficiencies of vitamins, minerals. Yogurt helps in proper nutrient absorption.
Improved bone health: Healthy bone is the secret of fitness and general health. Research insights suggest vital role of yogurt in improved bone health.
Low Cholesterol level: While we are trying out numerous pain stacking methods to reduce weight by burning the cholesterol, yogurt is a proven alternative. Consuming recommended levels of low fat yogurt daily reduces cholesterol level considerably.
Minimization of high blood pressure risks: Yogurt also minimizes the risk of high blood pressure like heart attack and other harmful effects.
Osteoporosis relief: With aging the strength of bones reduces and we become victims to osteoporosis. Yogurt has proven effect on osteoporosis relief.
Provision of health supplement for lactose-intolerant individuals: Lactose intolerant individuals are deprived of health supplements from milk. Such people can consume yogurt as an healthy alternative.
Relief from constipation and colon cancer: Colon cancer is a severe health threat. Yogurt reduces instance of colon cancer and also provides cure for constipation.
Weight loss ability: Low fat yogurt plays critical role in reduction of weight and prevents obesity.
Having seen the benefits of yogurt we need to utilize its potential considerably and lead a healthy life by consuming yogurt on a daily basis. The bacterial content of yogurt plays a major role in its usage as a health food. www.microbexpert.com provides the complete list of bacterial genus and detailed information about other microorganisms.
Some naturally available health foods act as medicine for curing many ailments. This article is focused on elucidating the importance of yogurt in maintenance of good health.

Dear host, I am the hunter, show me the way to enter

“My eyes are red and hot”

“My joints are aching like anything”

“I’m dehydrated due to dysentery”

We have heard people expressing above woes many instances in our daily life. Probably these people are victim of some sort of infection. What the damn thing is this infection.

Cool. Infection is a normal process encountered by all of us in our day to day life. Whenever a bacterium or a virus or fungi enters our body, it is termed as an infection. It is only when these microbes multiply within our body and our immune fails to resist the microbial attack, does it result in infectious disease.

Well how do these bloody microbes enter our system?

The microbes are ubiquitous and are found all around us. But they enter our body through three major routes. These routes of infection are:

• Ingestion
• Inhalation
• Inoculation

Now let us see in detail about the above routes of infection.

Ingestion: Here the microbe enters our system through our intake. This could be along the food or water which we intake. Common examples of infection that is spread through ingestion are typhoid or amoebic dysentery. That’s the reason we need to sanitize our hands before food intake. Also we need to eat healthy, safe cooked food to avoid this type of infection.

Inhalation: Every time we breathe we intake millions of microbes from the air around us. Do we contract flu every time we inhale? Certainly not. Let me explain the concept of droplet nuclei. Whenever a person with common cold or flu sneezes the virus from the droplets of his sneeze get affixed with dust particles in the air. These particles which harbor the virus are called droplet nuclei. Another reason for contracting cold is fomite. Fomite is an inanimate object like a kerchief that spreads the infection. Thus we see inhalation as a potential route of infection.

Inoculation: Use of sterilized surgical or disposable needle is always recommended during medical procedures. The reason behind this action is that the microbes may be adhering to unsterilized medical equipments and transmit the infection to another person. This type of transmission of infection is called inoculation.
Having seen the routes of infection and common modes of transmission of infection we can be careful in future and avoid infectious diseases by being vigilant.

Do you wish to know the various infectious microbes that invade our system and cause illness? Do refer the site www.microbexpert.com and get lots of such useful details on microorganisms of all sorts.

Summary: We are aware of various infectious diseases through media and word of mouth. But we need to know the details about these infections to safeguard our health. This article aims at creating some basic awareness about routes of infection.

Surprise Gift: Buy fast-food, get enteric pathogen for free

Busy are the city dwellers, busier are the road side fast food. At the current over crowding industrial age people seldom find time to cook healthy food. They opt for the road side restaurants. People pay for the under cooked food and eat it with standing ovation
Now the big question is “How safe are these road side food courts?”
Awareness about the threats posed by unsafe food is an essential prerequisite to healthy food habits. Unsafe food harbors harmful pathogens which can cause infection in our digestive system and lead to a minor enteric infection to fatal food poisoning. Let us go ahead and see in detail about the ill effects caused by unsafe and unhygienic food material.
To start with let us get to know about the enteric pathogens and enteric fever. Enteric pathogens are bacteria and protozoa like salmonella and amoeba which cause enteric fever when ingested through these unsafe foods. The notorious enteric diseases are typhoid and amoebiasis.
When we ingest under cooked and unsafe foods these pathogens enter our system and cause initial symptoms like:
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Dizziness
• Fever
When food is cooked properly with quality ingredients, these pathogens are totally killed. But most of the road side food stalls use degraded and low quality ingredients. At these road side food shops, the cooking methods are also unsafe. Moreover there are fecal contaminations in the food which could probably be the most dangerous factor accompanying unsafe food.
Due to improper sanitation and unclean cooking habits, there is a high risk of fecal contamination in these unsafe food materials. Consequently, the individual who intakes the food becomes an easy victim of enteric infection in case his immune apparatus is considerably weak.
Another common occurrence associated with the road side food intake is food poisoning. This is an impact of the toxic substance generated by the pathogenic bacteria dwelling in the unsafe food.
Considering these lurking dangers associated with unsafe and unhygienic foods supplied at road side food stalls, it is highly advisable that we avoid eating food material prepared by these sub standard stalls.
There goes an adage “Prevention is better than cure”. Let’s follow healthy food habits and protect our gut and digestive system from harmful effects of enteric pathogens.
To view a complete list of toxic pathogens refer to the website www.microbexpert.com. This site offers a comprehensive A-Z list of microorganisms. There are additional details about the theoretical facts and characteristics of microorganisms like bacteria, algae, virus, fungi, and protozoa.
Summary: The objective of this article is to warn the easy targets for enteric infection about the hazards posed by the pathogens in unsafe food. Avoiding such unsafe road side stalls and unhygienic food malls is the best way to protect ourselves from enteric infection and its harmful effects on our health.

Child care vs. awareness on neonatal infection: The naïve realism

Gone are the days with nuclear families where the experienced elders guided their off springs about childcare. Granny’s guidance is no longer available to new moms.

Nowadays it is very essential that every mother needs to know all the details about kid healthcare. You are about to see the various infections that haunt the babies.

The major infections that are encountered by new born are listed below:

• Candidiasis
• Congenital Infections
• Conjunctivitis
• E. Coli Infection
• Group B Streptococcal Disease (GBS)
• Listeriosis
• Meningitis
• Sepsis


Candidiasis

This infection caused by the yeast Candida causes diaper rash, oral thrush in newborns.
The baby could have contracted this fungus from the mother's vagina during delivery or during breastfeeding.

Congenital Infections
The most common congenital infections are:

• AIDS
• Chickenpox
• Cytomegalovirus infection
• German measles
• Herpes
• Syphilis
• Toxoplasmosis

Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis or pinkeye is another infection caused in new born by either bacteria or virus.

E. coli Infection

This infection may lead to conditions like:
• Meningitis
• Pneumonia
• Sepsis
• Urinary tract infection


Group B Streptococcal Disease (GBS)

The common effects of GBS in newborns are sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis.

Listeriosis

Intake of unhygienic food supply may be root cause of listeriosis, which leads to:
• Meningitis
• Pneumonia
• Sepsis

We have seen the major infections contracted by babies. Probably the next question is- How the mom knows that the kid has contracted any infection?

Now, let us see the symptoms for onset of infection in babies:

• Abnormalities in skin
• Breathing complexities
• Constant crying
• Reduced feeding
• Temperature variations

The above symptoms signify the onset of infection in babies.

The above details are catered with the sole intention of educating the carrying mothers about the possible health hazards relating to their new baby. Anyway it is obvious that proper care and precaution can come a long way in safeguarding your kid’s heath. At the same time a sitting with an experienced paediatrician is an essential step in getting well informed about child care.

As far as the various infectious pathogens, you get a lot of info from www.microbexpert.com, which displays a detailed A-Z list of micro organisms and pathogens.

Summary: It is essential that every expecting and new mom gets well informed about the possible infections that may invade their new born baby’s health. This article focuses on providing a clear insight into most common infections to which the new born babies are highly vulnerable.

The Minuscule organic factory by the name Algae: How do they make it possible?

The catchiest talk around the world is global warming, and renewable energy. Not because it’s catchy but because it’s worthwhile did this article initiate.

Well, all of us know about algae, the slimy creature that tremendously grows above water sources. Possibly thought of as weeds decades before, are now identified as a potential source of alternate fuel.

Fossil fuels, which are currently the biggest source of fuel, are getting depleted in a very fast manner. A potential alternative could only be a source that could be found aplenty.

What makes them a potential source of fuel?

Pond scum (the common term by which algae are referred) utilizes the solar energy incident on them to carryout photosynthesis and produce energy which is stored as oil.

Experts estimate that thousands of gallons of oil can be harvested from algae in a year per acre, when compared to 30 gallons from corn; 50 gallons from soybeans with the same growth parameters.

Now let’s see the reasons that make algae a successful fuel source:

• Algae are the fastest growing plants in the world

• Half of their weight is oil

• Algal lipid oil can be converted into bio-diesel for cars, trucks, and for that case even airplanes

Now let us take a closer look at how algae produce oil. Actually micro-algae generate lipids in the form of triacyglycerols (TAGs). The strange fact is that some micro-algae can be triggered to accumulate extensive quantities of lipids, greater than half of their biomass.

Now the question is how do algae grow so quickly?

While some algae reproduce sexually, some asexually, many combine both modes. Some green algae alter the type of reproduction owing to changes in environmental conditions, like lack of moisture or nutrients.

What’s the latest news from algae fuel sector?

There are emerging processes that uses genetically modified (GM) strains of algae and reduce the cost of making fuel. Such GM algae could be grown in enclosed plastic tubes exposed to sun.

Getting back to initial discussion, how well does the algae impact global warming reduction?

Carbon producing power plants, or manufacturing plants, are one of the major contributors for global warming. On the other hand it is interesting to note that this CO2 is used by algae for photosynthesis. Thus the CO2 from such power plants and for that case any such facility could be discharged into algal farms which will utilize them and convert them to energy.

To explore the algal species in detail, take a glimpse at www.microbexpert.com, which presents a unique algal A-Z list.

Summary: Algae is looked upon as a potential alternative for petroleum fuel. They also act as an effective means in reducing global warming. This article aims at summarizing these highlights of algae briefly.

Key words: Environment, Algae, Global warming, alternate energy, fuel

Your honour: The name of the accused is Bacteria, a notorious invisible….

“Today there is a grave case pending judgement” – quoted an onlooker at the court.

“Yes. At last they have captured the invisible trickster”. Blah, blah, blah……..

“Silence”, shouted the court assistant with a shrill voice. Soon the Judge and lawyers assembled.

Bacteria, Bacteria, Bacteria…..called the court assistant at his usual freaky tone. The invisible accused suddenly pops up at the scene. As the Judge looked sarcastically, the defence lawyer started his argument.

Lawyer: Your honour, the accused name is Bacteria, a notorious, invisible trickster giving lot of troubles to mankind.

Judge: Well, what are the complaints?

Lawyer: There are innumerable complaints on the accused,

People say:

• He spoils the leftover food
• He decomposes the garden flowers
• He makes the vase water smelly
• He causes body odour
• He causes dental caries
• He causes sore throat…
• He kills them mercilessly

This time we caught him red-handed. He is really intolerable and needs severe punishment.

Before the Judge could open up, the accused starts defending himself.

Bacteria: I request the permission of the honourable judge to present my defence argument.

With a sympathetic sigh, Judge permits the accused to present his argument.

Bacteria:

Respectable Sir, the lawyer is exaggerating his claim. He has forgotten the benefits I have rendered to the people. To quote some of my daily good deeds:

• I ferment the Yogurt, Vinegar and many more products which are essential health supplements to humans.
• I help in breaking down the organic fertilizers and presenting them in a readily usable state for the plants.
• I fix nitrogen for plants; thereby help in growth of plants and help people have a good harvest.
• I help humans in digestion by means of breaking down complex food material into simple and usable nutrients.
• I help in bioremediation, by utilising the dead and decay and thereby clean the earth from the wastes generated by humans.
• I help people, in production of life saving antibiotic drugs

After enjoying all my hard work, people sterilize and choke my fellow mates to death. They massacre us. Kindly consider my argument.

Judge: Well I am quite confused. Let me adjourn the court for a later date. I will refer www.microbexpert.com, which presents A-Z of bacterial details, and get back to you.

Summary: Bacteria are both beneficial and harmful. There are plenty of bacteria in human body helping in lots of processes. Also there are harmful bacteria causing terminal illnesses. Any way they are inevitable in our daily activities.

How well are we tapping these invisible reserves?

The title sounds funny isn’t it?

But friends, as you read through you will find that the content is really valuable. What I mean by invisible reserves are the micro organisms like bacteria, virus, and algae.

All of us know that these microbes make life difficult by their harmful effects. Yet we should not forget the benefits enjoyed by mankind through these microbes.

We benefit a lot from these micro organisms. I would like to list out a few benefits that we obtain from these ubiquitous microbes.

Bacteria: From our daily reserves of curd to our effective digestion process, these minuscule organisms play a great role. To make it more clear, Curd, and for that sense any fermented product requires bacteria or yeast to trigger the fermentation process. Our stomach consists of a bacterial micro flora which helps us digest our food intake.

Algae: It is a well known fact that petroleum reserves from fossil fuels is depleting in a very fast rate. Thus we need an alternate energy source to bridge this gap. Fuel from algae is found to be an efficient alternative. Who knows 2030’s Chevrolet may run on algal fuel.

Fungi: Antibiotics are playing a vital role in recovery of severely ill patients by curing them of the infection. Fungi are the micro organisms that act as a source of this valuable compound – antibiotic. To quote an example, penicillin the life saving antibiotic is got from the mold Penicillium notatum.

Similarly viruses are also of many benefits in scientific research. If we could use all the potential benefits rendered by these invisible microbes we have the chances of making more scientific innovations using them. Find more details about microbes at www.microbexpert.com

Summary: Micro organisms play a crucial role in human health and scientific research. There are still a lot of untapped benefits from these miniscule living beings.