Human Need for Amino Acids

Amino acids are simple organic compounds made of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and, in a few cases, sulfur. Amino acids join together to form protein molecules, the basic building blocks of all living things. Amino acids can vary widely. Only about 20 amino acids are common in humans and animals, with 2 additional ones present in a few animal species. There are over 100 lesser known amino acids found in other living organisms, particularly plants. The first few amino acids were discovered in the early 1800s. Although scientists determined that amino acids were unique compounds, they were unsure of their exact significance. Scientists did not understand their importance in the formation of proteins—chemical compounds responsible for the structure and function of all cells—until the first part of the twentieth century.

An important characteristic of amino acids is their ability to join together in chains. The chains may contain as few as 2 or as many as 3,000 amino acid units. Amino acids become proteins when 50 or more are bonded together in a chain. All the millions of different proteins in living things are formed by the bonding of only 20 amino acids. Like the 26 letters of the alphabet that join together to form different words, the 20 amino acids join together in different combinations and sequences to form a large variety of proteins. But whereas most words are formed by about 10 or fewer letters, proteins are formed by 50 to more than 3,000 amino acids. Because each amino acid can be used many times along the chain and because there are no restrictions on the length of the chain, the number of possible combinations for the formation of protein is truly enormous. The order of amino acids in the chain, however, is extremely important. Just as not all combinations of letters make sense, not all combinations of amino acids make functioning proteins. Some amino acid combinations can cause serious problems. Sickle-cell anemia is a serious, sometimes fatal disease caused by a single amino acid being replaced by a different one at the sixth position from the end of the protein chain in the hemoglobin molecule, the oxygen-carrying particle in red blood cells.

The 20 amino acids required by humans for making protein are necessary for the growth and repair of tissue, red blood cells, enzymes, and other materials in the body. Twelve of these amino acids, called non-essential amino acids, can be made within the body. The other eight, called the essential amino acids, cannot be made by the body and must be obtained from the diet. Proteins from animal sources—meat, eggs, milk, cheese—contain all the essential amino acids. Except for soybeans, vegetable proteins do not have all the essential amino acids. Combinations of different vegetables, however, form a complete source of essential amino acids.

Blood Supply and Diseases

Blood supply refers to the blood resources in blood banks and hospitals that are available for use by the health care community. The blood supply consists of donated blood units (in pints) that are used in blood transfusions. A blood transfusion is a procedure whereby blood is administered through a needle into the vein of a person or animal. Such transfusions are usually performed in order to replace blood lost due to injury or surgery. Blood banks are institutions that store blood to be distributed to local hospitals and medical centers. There are a number of blood banks in every country of the world. Together they contain most of the nation's supply of donated blood. Many blood banks are run by the Red Cross, an organization that also conducts frequent blood drives throughout the world. In fact, the American Red Cross gathers half the blood used in the United States. The blood supply must be replenished constantly to meet the needs of hospitals and trauma units as well as to replace blood components that have a short shelf life.

Donation of blood by volunteers is critical in maintaining the supply of blood in blood banks. Beginning in the late 1990s, blood donations in the United States began to increase by 2 to 3 percent per year. But at the same time, the demand for blood increased by 6 to 8 percent. In 2000, about 13 million units of blood were used in the United States. Blood is collected from a donor by inserting a needle attached to a thin plastic tube into a vein of the arm. Blood flows through the tube and into a sterile plastic bag. The body of an average adult human contains approximately 6 quarts (5.6 micro liters) of blood, and the removal of one pint usually has little effect (although some people—especially those with low body weights—may experience temporary dizziness, nausea, or headache). Healthy donors can make blood donations about every eight weeks without causing harm to their bodies.

The collected blood of the donor is tested for hepatitis (a disease of the liver), syphilis (an STD, or sexually transmitted disease), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; the virus believed to cause AIDS), and related viruses. It is also classified according to blood type and the presence of Rh, or Rhesus, factor. (Blood types are A, B, AB, and O. Rhesus factor is a substance, called an antigen, in the blood of most people.) It is extremely important that blood be marked correctly. Patients receiving donated blood that is incompatible with their own may suffer serious reactions to it. After being collected and classified, whole donated blood is refrigerated.

Most donated blood is separated into its components—plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets—before being stored. This allows the blood of a single donor to be used for several patients who have different needs. Blood is separated by means of centrifugation, a process in which the blood is rapidly spun so that the heavier blood cells and platelets separate out from the lighter plasma. Plasma, the liquid part of blood, can be dried into a powder or frozen. Fresh frozen plasma and freeze-dried preparations containing clotting factors are used to treat patients with hemophilia. Hemophilia is an inherited disorder in which certain clotting factors are missing in the blood, resulting in excessive bleeding. Concentrated red blood cells are used to transfuse patients with anemia, a condition in which the blood contains an insufficient number of red blood cells. White blood cells and platelets are used for transfusions in patients who have a deficiency of these components in their blood.

When AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) began to appear in hemophiliacs and surgical patients in the early 1980s, it was determined that these patients had contracted the disease through donated blood. In 1985, a test was developed to detect HIV—the virus believed to cause AIDS—in blood. Donors are now carefully screened to eliminate any who may be at risk for carrying the AIDS virus. Although the risk of contracting HIV from blood transfusions is remote, some patients who are scheduled to undergo surgery may choose to donate their own blood beforehand, in case a transfusion is necessary. It is important to know that a blood donor cannot contract AIDS or any other disease by donating blood. The equipment used to collect donated blood is used only once and then discarded. The restrictions on who can donate blood have been expanding steadily to reduce the risk of introducing infections into blood supplies. Almost all countries run a number of diagnostic tests to screen for viruses and other contaminants before shipping blood. Once-rare procedures, like stripping out white blood cells from donated blood to reduce the side effects from transfusions, is now commonplace.

Chlorine Filter Shower Head - Reducing The Risk Of Some Serious Diseases

Chlorine filter shower head - sounds like a contradictory in terms doesn't it. After all, we have all been told that chlorination is vital to kill microbiological matter - without it, bacteria would run wild in drinking water causing serious gastrointestinal illnesses or even death.

However, as important as chlorination is, many do not realize how damaging it can be to their health.

Chlorine Health Effects - Asthma

Did you know that asthma, is one of the most common reason for Absence from school? Did you know that the U.S. swimming team has a disproportionately higher level of asthma suffers when compared to other teams within the overall U.S Olympic team.

What is the connection - you got it - chlorine. Chlorine worsens the condition of current asthma sufferers and increases the risk of getting asthma.

Whether you drink it via a glass of water or inhale it when you have a hot shower, chlorinated water can affect you.

More Health Effects - Cancer

When chlorinated water interacts with organic matter like hair, skin, urine etc - it forms disinfectant by products which scientists claim can cause cancer.

Don't think you are off the hook if you drink bottled water. You take showers don't you? Chlorine can seep through the skin or can be inhaled when it turns to steam in a hot shower.

Some scientist claim inhaling chlorine is more dangerous than drinking it via a glass of water. As a matter of fact, the EPA found that there are elevated amounts of chloroform in almost every American household due to the use of chlorinated water.

Therefore, it is vital to do what you can to lower the level of chlorine in your home.

Chlorine Filter Shower Head

This is one of the devices that can remove virtually 100% of chlorine from your shower water. It is easy to install and inexpensive.

Apart from the health effects, bathing in chlorine-free water leaves the skin and hair more radiant than bathing in regular tap water. This is because chlorine tends to dry out hair and skin.

What You Need To Do Now

Look for reputable suppliers of chlorine shower head filters. Reputable suppliers tends to sell certified filter units.

Certified devices have been tested and are guaranteed to remove contaminants of a certain class. Fort example, some certified filters can remove chlorine and sediment only others can remove a wider variety of contaminants

Foods To Eat When Pregnant: Do You Know Your Pregnancy Nutrients?

We have all heard the cliché "you are what you eat", and like most clichés there is an element of truth in it. If you eat healthy nutritious foods then you will be healthy and full of energy. Eat unhealthy foods and the opposite applies. It's pretty simple really. This also applies to the pregnant mother when she is considering the health of her unborn child and the best foods to eat when pregnant. When she decides to eat healthy wholesome foods that are packed full of all the essential vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats, she is already giving her unborn baby the fantastic start in life that it requires. It's important for expectant mother's to realise the implications of not following a proper pregnancy nutrition plan: low birth weight, birth defects, miscarriage and mortality.

So what are proteins? Proteins are known as the building blocks of life in that they are essential for cell wall development and cell repair. Basically you need proteins for the development of all the vital organs like the heart, lungs and kidneys, as well as muscle and tissue growth. Proteins cannot be stored in the body, so it's important to consume adequate amounts every day for the baby. Recommended daily intake is approximately 60 grams. Good sources of protein include lean meats such as chicken, turkey and fish, as well as pork, beef and lamb. There's also a wide variety of dairy products that you can choose from, including pasteurised cottage cheese, yogurt and hard cheeses. Of course, you should avoid uncooked eggs, soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk like brie and feta, and blue veined cheeses which may harbour dangerous bacteria.

Calcium is essential for foetal development of bones and teeth, helps nerves and muscle formation and helps prevent blood clots. You will need about 1000mg/day while pregnant. It's very important to ensure that you are getting adequate levels during pregnancy, not just for the baby's health but also for the mother's health, as a lack of calcium during pregnancy can lead to osteoporosis for the mother later in life. Recommended foods to eat when pregnant that contain calcium include pasteurised dairy products like milk, yogurts and hard cheeses, dark green leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified foods like cereals and breads. If for some reason you have trouble getting the calcium that you require in your diet, your doctor can prescribe a pre-natal supplement.

Healthy fats are another important dietary element during pregnancy. Nut oils, olive oil, or avocados are good choices. Avoid trans-fats and aim for three servings of healthy fat each day. Trans-fats inhibit the conversion of fatty acids needed for foetal brain development and decrease the fat content of breast milk. It's not good for you and not good for your baby. If the food label includes the words "partially hydrogenated" in it, it means it has trans-fats in it and is to be avoided.

There are a variety of essential vitamins required by the developing foetus. Both vitamin A and D helps with foetal bone and teeth development, and can be sourced from milk, carrots, eggs and green vegetables. Vitamin E helps in the formation of red blood cells and can be found in vegetable oil, wheat germ and nuts, while vitamin C assists in building a healthy immune system and can be found in citrus fruits, green beans, potatoes and tomatoes.

Getting to know the right foods to eat when pregnant is the responsibility of every expectant mother. For the health of your unborn child, do it today.

Stress Relief What is Important

Stress is a state when a person feel more anxious, threatened, angry or often tense. It is somewhat frequently experienced at work (work-related stress) and from time to time at home. There are very wide effects of stress on the body and they can obvious such both physically and mentally. Some effects of stress on the body are more easier to notice than others. The variety of effects of stress on the body are that now and then easy to cope with others, especially long-term belongings of stress can be debilitating.

Although stress is a usual part of our lives and then we still experience over the years, we know how to deal with what is imperative with herbal stress relief
. The physical effects of stress on the body are more easier to detect that compared to the mental effects. Stress is often that seen as a negative aspect in our lives herbal stress relief , but in fact it can have a positive effect on us. Stress affects us negatively when it does not have to release or respite. A body under continuous stress will eventually fall and then are struggling to find balance for herbal stress relief.

Ashwagandha for Stress Relief

The shoots of the Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera shrub are used in food and in India seeds of the Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera are used to thicken milk herbal stress relief . African tribes also use Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera to treat fevers, and other inflammations for herbal stress relief.
Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera is usually crushed and used in a traditional Ayurvedic formula called Shilajit or shilajatu. Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera has comparable properties as Chinese ginseng herbal stress relief . Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera is heat neutral which means it has no warming or cooling properties. Unlike ginseng which is a warming herb.
The active components in Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera are alkaloids and withanoloids which provides it with the properties it possesses herbal stress relief. Withanoloids within Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera provides it all its medicinal character. Withanoloids consist of steroidal molecules which act to fight inflammation. Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera is frequently compared to Chinese ginsengs which contain molecules like withanoloids called ginsenosides. For this reason Ashwagandha is frequently called Indian ginseng. Therefore, both ginseng and Ashwagandha or Withania Somnifera kindle the immune system, stop inflammation, increase memory, and helps maintain general healthy and wellness. Also it is known to augment the production of bone marrow, semen, and inhibits the aging process.