So may health issues can be explained and deconstructed based on the fundamentals of biochemistry!
But at the same time, all this biochemistry isn’t fully explained to the lay person.
And therefore, many people end up having doubts about their own health without first comprehending that their health is dependent on how the cells in their bodies function — which is, in essence, a biochemical reaction.
Unfortunately, the cells in our body function in multiple complex cascade sequences. And when the cascade malfunctions, the entire body starts to feel it in various places.
In a cascade, what we have is a sequential process.
Meaning that we’d see, for example, the presence of Biochemical A triggering…
We do need to sieve out the marketing spiels and the half-truths from the actual facts.
Turmeric is a plant that we do use for cooking purposes. Indian cuisine makes use of it in many of those delicious curries that their chefs are able to spin out. Its root (the rhizome) makes it look somewhat similar to the ginger root, and as such, they are classified within the same plant family.
Within this turmeric rhizome lies a compound known as curcumin. Curcumin is an anti-inflammatory compound that can regulate the inflammatory signalling pathways that our cells use, namely the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway.
As such, curcumin is considered to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties…
Knowledge is power. At least, it reduces the chances of people getting manipulated by systemic machinations.
As most educators have already understood, teaching is a pretty demanding job. You may get students who don’t perform up to their performance ceilings; you may get disruptive students who don’t like to pay attention in class; and you’re swamped with a ton of administrative work such as lesson planning and setting various assessments for them.
It’s therefore an easy thing for the more experienced educators to become jaded and simply go through the motions. Read off the slides. Reuse the same exam questions. Talk as if nobody’s there.
And that does affect student learning.
So getting these notes from…
Are we really doing enough for the environment?
The response to climate change is always a mixed bag. We have people who are fervently supporting any initiatives to reduce pollution and support the environment… and on the other hand of the spectrum, we do have people who believe that climate change is a hoax.
(As a tongue-in-cheek joke, I always believed that winters in Illinois were a sign of “global cooling”, while summers in Illinois or Melbourne, Australia were part of “extreme global warming”.)
The problem is that we know our anthropogenic activities can be highly polluting, and that’s why some major cities around the world face massive…
We don’t really want our bosses to go to space, do we? We’d rather be the ones who had the opportunity to go to space!
The American Dream was popularised as being:
the belief that anyone, regardless of where they were born or what class they were born into, can attain their own version of success in a society in which upward mobility is possible for everyone. The American dream is believed to be achieved through sacrifice, risk-taking, and hard work, rather than by chance.
There was even a structure for it, if we all do recall. …
In this case, we’d be looking at the beta glucans derived from the shiitake mushrooms.
The shiitake mushroom is a fungus that is native to East Asia. In fact, its name is distinctly Japanese. It is cultivated on the dead logs of the shii tree, and it is a mushroom (take), hence the name “shiitake”. This description already makes me want to eat it now:
Shiitake mushrooms are known for their strong, earthy flavor. They’re packed with umami thanks to the amino acid glutamate. When cooked, shiitake caps have velvety, meaty texture, while the stems can be tough — or pleasantly chewy, if cooked long enough.
Nutritionally, the same article states that:
Shiitake mushrooms are…
There are so many protein-dependent cellular functions in our body that improper folding or complete misfolding can result in nasty consequences.
There are so many different types of proteins in the body. In fact, it is estimated that the human body contains 80,000–400,000 different types of proteins, and these proteins are present for different purposes in the body.
Now, the cells in our body can manufacture these proteins via the activity of specific genes within its deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) identifier.
Some of these proteins are structural proteins, such as collagen in our joints and keratin in our hair. Others are dissolved within our blood, as it is the case of haemoglobin, which exists to transport the oxygen that we breathe in…
We’d first need to understand the underlying mechanisms behind how that allergic reaction develops.
Springtime is associated with the end of the cold weather in most temperate countries. Animals come out to play, and flowers start to bloom again.
Unfortunately, some people living in temperate countries tend to be highly susceptible to hay fever symptoms when it comes around to springtime.
The sneezes. The teary eyes. The annoyances of not really feeling unwell, but knowing that there’s something wrong that they can’t pinpoint as yet.
The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic further amplifies the uncertainty in one’s mind. …
We’re quite clear what these surgeries can do… But what do they NOT do? That’s a whole new ball game altogether.
According to the World Health Organization, heart disease is the number one killer of humans worldwide.
And as such, there have been many different things that the healthcare and medical professionals have come up with in an attempt to counteract that issue, such as:
- The use of statins, where more than 35 million Americans are known to take it daily;
- The insertion of a stent, which is a tiny tube that goes into an artery to prop it open;
- The use of a heart bypass involves the use of existing arteries to redirect the flow of blood so that it…
How does economic or financial gain dictate how we live healthy lives?
Interestingly, it seems as if the most important criterion for making decisions nowadays is something based off a financial/economic analysis.
It was recently reported that there is currently an oversupply of sugar in India, and hence Indians are being encouraged to consume more sugar. I don’t know what you think of it, but I’m finding it rather suspicious. The Indian Sugar Mills Association is also developing an online campaign that:
also includes social media posts and workshops, where celebrity chefs and health coaches discuss healthy living.
It features recipes for sweets, and takes aim at artificial sweeteners, suggesting they don’t…
Dr Joel Yong, PhD
Deconstructing the interconnectedness between health and business. Chat with me at https://app.ddichat.com/experts/thethinkingscientist.
