Healthy Junkie

High fructose corn syrup is a group of corn syrups that have gone through enzymatic processing to convert glucose into fructose for desired sweetness. It is cheaper than traditional sugar and is found as a sweetness in most products at food stores. HFCS is made by harvesting corn and sending it to a wet mill. At the mill the corn is crushed and run through screens in order to separate the corn starch from other parts of the kernal. After being separated, natural enzymes are added. This...

Guar gum is commonly used as a food thickener in everything from pastries to ice cream. It has also been used in non-prescription diet pills to create a sense of fullness. Ice cream without Guar Gum will melt and refreeze into grainy ice crystals. In foods, Guar gum acts not only as a thickener but as a binder and plasticizer. Processed foods with creamy textures are often held together with binders such as Guar gum.To manufacture Guar Gum, seeds are dried out and crushed into a flour or sold...

Corn Syrup Solids are High fructose corn syrup that has been dried to make a powder. To make Corn Syrup Solids, liquid corn syrup is passed through a drum or spray dryer to remove most of the water. This produces a crystalline corn syrup powder. Corn Syrup solids are commonly used as a frosting, or in hard candies to prevent them from being sticky. Adverse reactions to corn syrup solids are the same as in High Fructose Corn syrup as they are the same product in different form.

Glycerides are the main component of animal fats and vegetable oils. Triglycerides account for 99% of Glycerides while Monoglycerides and Diglycerides account for the other 1%. Your body converts triglycerides into mono and diglycerides during digestion. Mono and diglycerides allow food processors to mix oil and water in a process known as emulsification. Trans Fat are typically used for the process but are no longer used in light of adverse health effects. Mono and diglycerides cannot be...

Whey, or milk plasma is the liquid that is left after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of cheese and casein production. Sweet whey is made from swiss or chedder cheese while sour whey is made during production of cottage cheese. Whey is often added to processed food such as bread, crackers, and animal feed. Whey protein is derived from whey and commonly used in bodybuilding supplements. Because whey contains as much as 70% lactose, it should be avoided by those who are...

Riboflavin, or Vitamin B2 is required for a variety of cellular processes. It plays a vital role in the metabolism of fats, energy, carbohydrates, and proteins. Riboflavin is best known for its yellow orange color.Wheat bran, eggs, meat, milk and cheese are good sources of this vitamin Riboflavin deficiency is characterized by cracked red lips, inflammation of the mouth and throat and/or scaling of the skin. Deficiency of this important vitamin can also cause lack of growth, weakness, and...

Niacinamide, also known as nicotinamide, has many of the same effects as niacin, but does not cause the flushing of face which niacin will induce. Niacinamide is commonly used to avoid flushing associated with Niacin. Niacinamide has anti-inflammatory properties making it good for treatment of acne. Animal studies have also shown that Vitamin B3 also has anxiolytic properties and may work similarly to benzodiazepines.Although Niacinamide is a vitamin, you should not exceed more than 3g of...

Vitamin A, or Retinyl palmitate, is derived from fish liver oil and is the main component in palm oil. Vitamin A is used as an antioxidant and as a vitamin in low-fat milk. It is also an ingredient in many topical skin care products. Some benefits of vitamin A include being good for the immune system, bones, skin, and women who are pregnant. Vitamin A is essential for growth in both adults and children. It can be found in foods such as milk, eggs, liver and green vegetables. Vitamin A...

How would you like to have that in your job description? For the human heart, 24/7 is the standard. Subpar performance may not seem like an option when talking about the heart's work habits, but for roughly 5 million Americans living with heart failure, it's a round-the-clock reality.Heart failure is a form of heart disease that simply means your heart isn't working as well as it should. A healthy heart pumps about 100,000 times a day, delivering blood to and from the far reaches of your body. An unhealthy heart still pumps, but it may not pump enough blood or with enough force to send a sufficient

"This is just the latest step in a growing movement to protect the most vulnerable and most defenseless victims of tobacco smoke pollution," says Banzhaf, noting that there are many reasons supporting the prohibition on adoption by prospective parents who smoke, even if only outdoors. For similar reasons judges in more than half our states in the USA, and a few in foreign countries, have recognized that smoking around children can be not only dangerous but deadly, and have ruled that smoking...

The weather forecast predicts a chance of showers. Do you see a rainy day with patches of sunshine, or a sunny day with a few raindrops? Believe it or not, whether you pick the negative view or the positive one could make a big difference to your health prospects. We’ve been told about the health virtues of positive thinking for years, but now researchers believe that they have taken a large step closer to proving the theory. A study published in the European Heart Journal may be the first to...

According to a new study, called Go Red for Women, almost a third of women polled didn't know the symptoms of heart disease or that it is the number one killer of women around the country. When it comes to prevention, many of the women surveyed admitted to seeking help from therapies that aren't scientifically proven. A shocking 69% believe multivitamins help prevent heart problems, while 29% think aromatherapy was a preventative strategy.Classic symptoms of a heart attack include heaviness...

First Lady Michelle Obama yesterday (Tuesday 9 February) unveiled a nationwide campaign called Let’s Move as part of an ambitious goal to beat childhood obesity in the US within a generation to ensure that children born today reach adulthood at a healthy weight.The initiative is designed to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity through a comprehensive approach that builds on effective strategies, and mobilises public and private sector resources, according to a news statement from The White House.Let’s Move will engage every sector impacting the health of children to achieve the national

Fish lovers have reason to celebrate because not only is fish delicious, but research has found that people who eat fish are generally healthier than those who don't, especially when it comes to heart health. Fish is a lean protein, and it's loaded with essential vitamins and minerals like zinc, magnesium and iron that all help with heart health. And it's a rich source of omega 3s, essential "good" fats in fish, which help protect your heart and reduce inflammation.While a lot of confusing information about contaminants in fish has surfaced recently, for most people the benefits of eating fish

A new study has reversed the conventional view that age brings an increasing propensity for napping after showing that healthy young adults are more likely to doze off than healthy older adults. Scientists in the UK, who conducted the study, said that daytime sleepiness is more common in younger people and older adults are more alert during the day and need less sleep at night. Despite spending a longer period asleep at night, young people aged 20 to 30 are more likely to find their eyes...