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[Others]

Why is sand listed as an ingredient in my potato chips? 3 0
Posted by bio_man   March 4, 2023   3925 views   Featured
One advantage of being a science major is knowing fancy scientific words for everyday things. Since my teenage years, I developed the habit of reading the ingredients list before purchasing any packaged food item. Recently while searching for a snack at the store, I stumbled upon the potato chips aisle (admittedly, salty, crunchy snacks have always been a weakness of mine). Given how expensive everything has gotten lately, the more affordable budget brands peaked my interest. After quickly glancing over the ingredients of one bag, I noticed that "silicon dioxide" was listed at the end; in fact, it was a common ingredient in that particular brand's entire line of products! Knowing that silicon dioxide is the main component of beach sand, my ... Read more
Ingredients Food Industry SO2 Silicon Dioxide Sand FDA Food Chips
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[Interesting Facts]

A sense of control can aid recovery 1 0
Posted by bio_man   March 2, 2023   2155 views
If emotions can make you sick, if a belief that you will die can kill you (as in voodoo deaths), and if a sugar pill that you believe is a powerful drug can take away your pain, can a belief that you can bring about your own recovery help you to recover? Even with acceptance of the role of emotional factors in both illness and recovery, the assumption has persisted that emotional factors work on an unconscious level, and because of this they are not subject to voluntary control. Most of us still see illness as something that happens to us. Dr. Carl Simonton, chief of radiation at Travis Air Force Base, questioned this assumption. He was impressed by demonstrations that people could learn to control autonomic processes through biofeedback and ... Read more
Immune System Mind control Power of the mind Cancer Research
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[Research]

A meta-analysis of 40 studies concludes that cinnamon can improve memory and cognitive function 0 0
Posted by bio_man   February 18, 2023   2632 views
A team of researchers at Birjand University of Medical Sciences in Iran recently reviewed several past studies exploring the effects of cinnamon on cognitive functions. Their analysis, outlined in Nutritional Neuroscience, highlights the potential value of cinnamon for preventing or reducing memory or learning impairments. Nakhaee, Kooshki and their colleagues reviewed hundreds of studies stored in several online research databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and Web of Science. They then narrowed down their analysis to 40 of these studies, those that were most pertinent to their topic of interest. Among these 40 studies, 33 were carried out in vivo (i.e., examining real living organisms, such as humans, rodents, or other animal ... Read more
Memory Cinnamon Study Research Cognition
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[Interesting Facts]

Important but Disappearing Reflexes 1 0
Posted by bio_man   February 15, 2023   2621 views
Infants are born with reflexes that support their survival. Newborns are making adjustments to living outside of the womb and do not have time to worry about survival. Fortunately, these reflexes support them in the first few months of life. One reflex is the rooting reflex. This reflex occurs when the cheek or mouth is stroked and results in the baby turning its head toward the stroke. This reflex helps the baby find the nipple when it is time to eat. This reflex disappears around 4 months of age. Another reflex is the sucking reflex. Whenever something touches the roof of the baby’s mouth, it will begin to suck. While this reflex is active before birth, babies that are born prematurely sometimes have difficulty coordinating their sucking ... Read more
Babies Infants Reflexes
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[Interesting Facts]

The reason behind your emotions, according to Hippocrates 0 0
Posted by bio_man   January 28, 2023   1718 views
Hippocrates (460–377 BC) postulated that the imbalance or excess of four fluids (called humors) within the body play a role in ones emotional and physical state. The chart below shows the four humors (row 1), the condition created by too much of each (row 2), and their respective emotions (row 3): The Hippocratic theory of personality popularized the practice of bloodletting — opening a vein or applying leeches to "drain off" excessive amounts of the troublesome humor. In medieval Europe, it was common for barber-surgeons (whose professional practice relied on sharp instruments like knives and razors) to advertise their bloodletting services by posting a sign depicting a pale human arm traced with a crimson spiral of blood. (Remember that ... Read more
Hippocrates Personality Emotions Blood Bodily Fluids
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