You are what you eat

You are what you eat. But do you recall munching some molybdenum or snacking on selenium? Some 60 chemical elements are found in the body, but what all of them are doing there is still unknown.

Roughly 96 percent of the mass of the human body is made up of just four elements: oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, with a lot of that in the form of water. The remaining 4 percent is a sparse sampling of the periodic table of elements.

--> --> Some of the more prominent representatives are called macro nutrients, whereas those appearing only at the level of parts per million or less are referred to as micronutrients.

These nutrients perform various functions, including the building of bones and cell structures, regulating the body's pH, carrying charge, and driving chemical reactions.

The FDA has set a reference daily intake for 12 minerals (calcium, iron, phosphorous, iodine, magnesium, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum and chloride). Sodium and potassium also have recommended levels, but they are treated separately.

However, this does not exhaust the list of elements that you need. Sulfur is not usually mentioned as a dietary supplement because the body gets plenty of it in proteins.

And there are several other elements — such as silicon, boron, nickel, vanadium and lead — that may play a biological role but are not classified as essential.

"This may be due to the fact that a biochemical function has not been defined by experimental evidence," said Victoria Drake from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.

Sometimes all that is known is that lab animals performed poorly when their diets lacked a particular non-essential element. However, identifying the exact benefit an element confers can be difficult as they rarely enter the body in a pure form.

"We don't look at them as single elements but as elements wrapped up in a compound," said Christine Gerbstadt, national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

A normal diet consists of thousands of compounds (some containing trace elements) whose effects are the study of ongoing research. For now, we can only say for certain what 20 or so elements are doing. Here is a quick rundown, with the percentage of body weight in parentheses.

Oxygen (65%) and hydrogen (10%) are predominantly found in water, which makes up about 60 percent of the body by weight. It's practically impossible to imagine life without water.

Carbon (18%) is synonymous with life. Its central role is due to the fact that it has four bonding sites that allow for the building of long, complex chains of molecules. Moreover, carbon bonds can be formed and broken with a modest amount of energy, allowing for the dynamic organic chemistry that goes on in our cells.

Nitrogen (3%) is found in many organic molecules, including the amino acids that make up proteins, and the nucleic acids that make up DNA.

Calcium (1.5%) is the most common mineral in the human body — nearly all of it found in bones and teeth. Ironically, calcium's most important role is in bodily functions, such as muscle contraction and protein regulation. In fact, the body will actually pull calcium from bones (causing problems like osteoporosis) if there's not enough of the element in a person's diet.

Phosphorus (1%) is found predominantly in bone but also in the molecule ATP, which provides energy in cells for driving chemical reactions.

Potassium (0.25%) is an important electrolyte (meaning it carries a charge in solution). It helps regulate the heartbeat and is vital for electrical signaling in nerves.

Sulfur (0.25%) is found in two amino acids that are important for giving proteins their shape.

Sodium (0.15%) is another electrolyte that is vital for electrical signaling in nerves. It also regulates the amount of water in the body.

Chlorine (0.15%) is usually found in the body as a negative ion, called chloride. This electrolyte is important for maintaining a normal balance of fluids
.
Magnesium (0.05%) plays an important role in the structure of the skeleton and muscles. It also is necessary in more than 300 essential metabolic reactions.

Iron (0.006%) is a key element in the metabolism of almost all living organisms. It is also found in hemoglobin, which is the oxygen carrier in red blood cells. Half of women don't get enough iron in their diet.

Fluorine (0.0037%) is found in teeth and bones. Outside of preventing tooth decay, it does not appear to have any importance to bodily health.

Zinc (0.0032%) is an essential trace element for all forms of life. Several proteins contain structures called "zinc fingers" help to regulate genes. Zinc deficiency has been known to lead to dwarfism in developing countries.

Copper (0.0001%) is important as an electron donor in various biological reactions. Without enough copper, iron won't work properly in the body.

Iodine (0.000016%) is required for making of thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolic rate and other cellular functions. Iodine deficiency, which can lead to goiter and brain damage, is an important health problem throughout much of the world.

Selenium (0.000019%) is essential for certain enzymes, including several anti-oxidants. Unlike animals, plants do not appear to require selenium for survival, but they do absorb it, so there are several cases of selenium poisoning from eating plants grown in selenium-rich soils.

Chromium (0.0000024%) helps regulate sugar levels by interacting with insulin, but the exact mechanism is still not completely understood.

Manganese (0.000017%) is essential for certain enzymes, in particular those that protect mitochondria — the place where usable energy is generated inside cells — from dangerous oxidants.

Molybdenum (0.000013%) is essential to virtually all life forms. In humans, it is important for transforming sulfur into a usable form. In nitrogen-fixing bacteria, it is important for transforming nitrogen into a usable form.

Cobalt (0.0000021%) is contained in vitamin B12, which is important in protein formation and DNA regulation.

By,
Jasim Mubarak
MSc. Industrial Fisheries
BSc. Zoology

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Aquarium Freshwater Algae

In the freshwater aquarium, algae are rarely more than an irritant, but they sometimes reveal underlying problems that may need fixing before a more serious aquarium water quality problem develops.

Types of Algae

DiatomsDiatoms are brown-colored algae with siliceous cell walls that are are very tolerant of low light levels. Aquariums with serious diatom problems are most likely not receiving enough light for good plant growth.
Red AlgaeKnown as hair, beard and brush algae, these are different members of the red algae group, despite their usually dirty green color. Red algae tend to appear first on the edges of plant leaves but can also be found on solid objects, such as bogwood.
Green AlgaeGreen algae needs bright light and is more common in brightly lit tanks than in gloomy ones. Arguably a sign of good environmental conditions, green algae is rarely a pest because so many fish and invertebrates happily eat it. Occasionally, a planktonic green algae bloom turns the water green; this is more common in fish ponds than aquariums and is known as “green water.”
Blue-green AlgaeTechnically these are bacteria known as cyanobacteria. They appreciate still, nutrient-rich water and are consequently most common in overstocked tanks with inadequate circulation and insufficient water changes. Blue-green algae aren't eaten by most fish, but some do, such as Ameca splendens. Some of the Nerite snails eat blue-green algae too. Really, there is only one way to combat blue-green algae: remove the conditions it likes. Stop direct sunlight, ensure good water movement and reduce nitrate/phosphate concentration.
Controlling Algae: Nutrients
Algae use nutrients from the water including nitrate and phosphate as fertilizer. Blue-green algae in particular are characteristic of aquariums with poor water quality, while diatoms thrive in new aquaria where water quality varies. Optimizing aquarium water quality is an important part of preventing algae problems.

Some aquarists have suggested that diatoms can use the silicon in silica sand as a fertilizer. This is unlikely: the silicon in silica sand is no more accessible to the diatoms than the silicon in glass, both being made almost entirely from silicon dioxide.

Controlling Algae: Lighting
The relationship between lighting and algae is complex. In an unplanted aquarium, the more light you provide, including direct sunlight, the faster algae will grow. But because many aquatic plants can actively suppress the growth of algae when they are healthy (see Allelopathy below), brightly lit aquariums with a lot of aquatic plants can actually have less algae than dimly lit aquariums with no plants or only slow-growing plant species.

Controlling the lights’ illumination period in an aquarium is important. Aquatic plants do best with a regular 10- to 12-hour lighting period. Any lighting beyond this point will favor the algae. Aquatic plants do just as well if the lighting is broken into two five- to six-hour periods with a two-hour “siesta” in between, but for some reason, algae do not. Try putting your aquarium lights on a timer switch to see if that reduces algae problems in a planted aquarium.

Algae-eating Fish and InvertebratesA variety of fish, snails and shrimp are sold as algae-eaters for the freshwater aquarium. Most of these fish and invertebrates only eat green algae, ignoring blue-green algae completely and having a marginal effect at best on red algae and diatoms.

They key thing to remember with algae-eaters is that they add to the biological load of the aquarium. More fish mean more nitrate and phosphate, which in turn will speed up the growth of algae. So, while algae-eating animals may be part of an overall algae control strategy, by themselves they are not the magic cure.

Allelopathy
Some fast-growing plants produce chemicals that suppress the growth of algae. The details are still unclear, but practice tanks with healthy, fast-growing plants tend not to have major algae problems. The most common algae in such tanks are green algae, and these are easily managed by adding some small algae-eating fish or invertebrates, such as Crossocheilus siamensis, nerite snails or Amano shrimp.

Among the plants known to have allelopathic effect are Cabomba, Egeria, Ceratopteris, Hygrophila and Vallisneria. Under good conditions, these aquatic plants grow very rapidly – in many cases requiring weekly pruning. Note that slow-growing aquatic plants, such as Anubias, Cryptocoryne, Java fern and Java moss, have no allelopathic effect. Indeed these plants are likely to be smothered by algae under unfavorable conditions.

Algicides and Antibiotics
Commercial algicides are very effective but must be used with caution. As the algae decays, water quality declines and oxygen is consumed. Antibiotics such as erythromycin are equally effective against blue-green algae but can cause the same problems if used injudiciously.

The main argument against these algae-killing chemicals is that if the factors that caused the algae problem are not identified and fixed first, the algae will be back in a few weeks, anyway.

UV Sterilizers
Ultraviolet sterilizers are used primarily for dealing with aquarium green water; they have little to no effect on the kinds of algae that grow on the glass, substrate or plants. They are mainly used on ponds.
Scrapers and Sponges
Arguably the best way to manage algae in most aquariums is simply to mechanically remove the worst and accept the rest as part of the scenery. A good algae sponge will help keep the front glass clean, but take care to use sponges designed for acrylic tanks if you have an acrylic aquarium. Also be aware that sponges can trap small grains of sand and may end up scratching glass aquariums.
There are many types of algae scrapers on the market that offer a variety of distinctive features. All work well and are more dependent on how often they’re used than how they’re put together. For best results, wipe the glass weekly; this prevents the more tenacious types of algae from getting established in the first place.

re reported by,,,,,

  JASIM MUBARAK PK ..STUDENT OF MSC INDUSTRIL FISHERIES ,,CUSAT,, COCHIN

Scientists Discover New Species in One of World’s Deepest Ocean Trenches

ScienceDaily (Oct. 16, 2010) — Scientists investigating in one of the world's deepest ocean trenches -- previously thought to be void of fish -- have discovered an entirely new species.

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The findings by a team of marine biologists from Aberdeen, Tokyo and New Zealand, have shed new light on life in the deepest places on Earth and the global distribution of fish in our oceans.

The expedition to the Peru-Chile trench in the South East Pacific Ocean revealed a new species of snailfish living at 7000m, never before caught or captured on camera.

Mass groupings of cusk-eels and large crustacean scavengers were also discovered living at these depths for the first time.

During the three-week expedition on the research vessel Sonne, the team of scientists employed state-of-the-art deep-sea imaging technology, including an ultra-deep free-falling baited camera system, to take a total of 6000 images between 4500 and 8000 metres deep within the trench.

The expedition is the seventh to take place as part of HADEEP -- a collaborative research project between the University of Aberdeen's Oceanlab and the University of Tokyo's Ocean Research Institute, with support from New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric research institute (NIWA).

The HADEEP team has been investigating extreme depths across the globe for 3 years. Their findings to date have included capturing the world's deepest fish on camera for the first time.

These latest discoveries provide a new insight into the depths at which fish survive and the diversity of populations which could exist in the deepest points of oceans across the globe.

Dr Alan Jamieson from the University of Aberdeen's Oceanlab, who led the expedition said: "Our findings, which revealed diverse and abundant species at depths previously thought to be void of fish, will prompt a rethink into marine populations at extreme depths.

"This expedition was prompted by our findings in 2008 and 2009 off Japan and New Zealand where we discovered new species of snailfish known as Liparids -- inhabiting trenches off Japan and New Zealand at depths of approximately 7000m -- with each trench hosting its own unique species of the fish.

"To test whether these species would be found in all trenches, we repeated our experiments on the other side of the Pacific Ocean off Peru and Chile, some 6000 miles from our last observations. "What we found was that indeed there was another unique species of snailfish living at 7000m -- entirely new to science, which had never been caught or seen before.

"A species of cusk-eel -- known as Ophidiids -- also gathered at our camera and began a feeding frenzy that lasted 22 hours -- the entire duration of the deployment.

"Further research needs to be conducted to decipher whether this is also an entirely new species of cusk-eel that we have discovered.

"Our investigations also revealed a species of crustacean scavengers -- known as amphipods -- which we previously did not know existed at these depths in such great numbers.

"These are large shrimp-like creatures of which one particular group, called Eurythenes, were generally far larger and occurred much deeper in this trench than has ever been found before."

Dr Niamh Kilgallen, an amphipod expert from NIWA said:"The sheer abundance of these big amphipods was overwhelming, particularly at 7000 and 8000m, which is much deeper than they have been found in any other trench. It begs the question of why and how they can live so deep in this trench but not in any other."

Dr Toyonobu Fujii, a deep-sea fish expert from the University of Aberdeen said "How deep fish can live has long been an intriguing question and the results from this expedition has provided deeper insight into our understanding of the global distribution of fish in the oceans."

Dr Jamieson added: "These findings prompt a re-evaluation of the diversity and abundance of life at extreme depths. Furthermore, it is now apparent that each of the deep trenches across the globe hosts a unique assembly of animals which can differ greatly from trench to trench. The immense isolation of each trench draws parallels with island evolution theory popularised by Darwin's finches." The HADEEP project is funded by the Nippon Foundation, Japan, and NERC, UK.

re reporteed   by,,,,,
JASIM MUBARACK,, STUDENT OF ,,MSC,, INDUSTRIAL FISHERIES,, COcHIN,, CUSAT

Why smoking is harmful?

Why smoking is harmful?

The word tobacco is thought to derive from the Native American word tabago, for a Y-shaped pipe used in sniffing tobacco powder. Cigarettes and other forms of tobacco consist of dried tobacco leaves, and other ingredients added for flavor and other properties.

Some facts related with smoking:- Smoking is the second major cause of death in the world. It's responsible for the death of one in ten adults worldwide.- Smoking accounts for about 80-90% of all chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Smoking is involved in 85% of all lung cancer deaths.- Smoking is the major cause of cancer of the lips, tongue, mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophagus.- Smoking has many other harmful effects in the body, a too long list to include it here.

Why smoking causes cancer? It's because tobacco and tobacco smoke contain more than 60 carcinogenic compounds. In general, more than 4,000 individual substances have been identified in tobacco smoke, including carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia and other highly toxic irritants. Yes, it's not a mistake, ¡more than 4,000 toxic substances that can go inside your body when you smoke!

Besides all the harmful effects of tobacco, it is addictive, and this explains why although 70% of smokers want to quit and 35% attempt to quit each year, fewer than 7% succeed. And the main reason why tobacco becomes addictive is due to its content of nicotine, which alters brain functioning.

Nicotine is a naturally occurring liquid alkaloid. An alkaloid is an organic compound made out of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and sometimes oxygen. These chemicals have potent effects on the human body. For example, many people enjoy the stimulating effects of another alkaloid, caffeine.

When you smoke, nicotine is absorbed through the skin and mucosal lining of the mouth and nose or by inhalation in the lungs. Once in the body, it activates the same reward system as do other drugs such as cocaine or amphetamine, although to a lesser degree. In the brain, nicotine increases the level of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is a chemical in the brain responsible for feelings of pleasure. The acute effects of nicotine subside within minutes, so people continue dosing themselves frequently throughout the day to maintain the pleasurable effects of nicotine and to prevent withdrawal symptoms.

If you smoke, please do a favour to yourself: Stop smoking. I would like to have some magic words to persuade you, but I don't have any. Just have facts, as you can read above. Think about it, everytime you smoke you harm your body. Do you really want to continue harming yourself? Love yourself instead, give a present to yourself instead: stop smoking and life will be much better for you and for those around you. It's difficult to stop doing it, but it can be done. You just need to convince yourself to do it, find the reasons and you will have half of the way already walked.

And if you don't smoke, congratulations!

aquarium light

Best Way to Light Your Aquarium
How do you light your aquarium? Do you use natural light? A lamp? An aquarium light in the hood that covers your aquarium? Or some other way to light your fishes’ living space? What’s the best way to give your fish a lighted living area?

You want to recreate the natural habitat for your fishes. There is a day/night cycle that is important for fish. There’s got to be a balance, because, for example, consider how you would feel if you had to live day and night under a bright light or in darkness! Stressful, either way … right? Yes.

Without normal day and night conditions, we’d all be unhealthy and unable to enjoy our normal behavior patterns. Inside your house, these conditions don’t exist unless you create them for your fish.

You’ll need lighting intended for aquariums to give your fish the natural wavelengths present in normal daylight. Placing your tank in direct sunlight doesn’t work because it overheats the water.

For the night cycle, remember that even in natural underwater habitats for fish, it is not completely dark. It’s usually gently lit by moonlight. Lunar LEDs are the best source of a dim light for your fishes’ nighttime rest and your observation of your dear fish.

Use a lighting timer so you don’t forget and in case you’re not there to maintain the daylight/moonlight conditions.

Depending on the type of fish you keep, (that is, depending on what their natural environment would be like as far as how it would be lighted), you may need either less intense day lighting (as those fish who would in nature come from a rainforest river), or your type of fish may need high light (for example, fish who normally would live in shallow, tropical areas), or they could need “actinic light” (such as for deep water fishes.) These are not very intense and they appear blue.

As a quick reference: For bowls with low-light organisms you may want an incandescent/halogen bulb; for freshwater fish in shallow tanks you could use a normal output fluorescent bulb; with freshwater planted, nano reefs, saltwater fish only you may utilize a high output or very high output fluorescent bulb; for anything it’s possible to just use a power compact fluorescent bulb; and for coral reefs, high light organisms, and lighting that is best for plants - get metal halide and HQI lighting.

Health and Physical Fitness

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Health and physical activity tips including information on men's and women's health and wellness including advanced nutritional products for the immune system, joint health, weight loss and general health. All five components of fitness and health: strength training, weight management, cardiovascular exercise, nutrition, and flexibility training are discussed in the Online Muscle Fitness section of the site.

The Top 20 Lessons For Living LongerBy: Sean Barker
You are probably sick of hearing "new" studies telling you to do this or eat that to live longer and feel like you did in your twenties.
Despite all the medical advances available today, the most effective and the most practical advice to living a long and healthy life can be found in our past.
Here are the top twenty time-tested healthy habits that have survived for centuries to increase the quantity and quality of our life.
1. Eat mostly plants.
(Have meat as a side dish instead of the main dish)
2. Put family first.
(Time with family is priceless)
3. Take a walk.
(Our legs are meant to move us, so move)
4. Drink a glass of red wine daily.
(It's been a practice for centuries, it must be good)
5. Reduce and manage stress.
(Stress kills, so avoid it or deal with it)
6. Have a purpose.
(Be excited when you wake up each morning)
7. Get outdoors.
(We came from nature, go back for a visit)
8. Be grateful.
(Appreciate what you got and you will get more)
9. Have fun.
(Do things that you enjoy)
10. Maintain a healthy body weight
(Move more, eat less)
11. Get regular exercise.
(Push and pull heavy things)
12. Love and laugh
(Preferably both at the same time)
13. Snack on nuts
(The most nutrient dense food in the world)
14. Give something back.
(If you want to get, you have to give)
15. Eat a large breakfast.
(Your mother was right...again)
16. Eat a medium lunch
(It's a lunch break, not a lunch buffet)
17. Eat a small dinner
(Enough eating already)
18. Drink plenty of water.
(It's the basis of all living things)
19. Sleep when it's dark.
(There is a reason why we can't see in the dark)
20. Learn new things.
(You live, you learn)
Get your FREE Fat Loss report "The Truth About Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose That Beer Belly" from Sean Barker at 
Sean is a Certified Personal Trainer and a proud and busy Dad. Sean has been involved in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years and have appeared in High Performance Muscle Magazine, been on health and fitness radio shows and was selected as a sponsored athlete by one of the top supplement nutrition companies in the world. His popular Dad Fitness fat loss workouts have helped Dads around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 3 hours per week. For more information on the Dad Fitness workouts that will help you burn fat without spending hours in the gym,