#sciencearticle

Author: Bharathi Kavindi Jayaratne AbstractIron is essential for pathogenic growth and colonisation. Hence, it plays an important role in infections caused by bacteria. Pathogens such as bacteria isolate iron from the host through various molecules and receptors, allowing the bacteria to survive the host’s immune responses and defense mechanisms. Which the growth, replication, metabolism, and…

Source: Rappler.com

Masarap kung uto’y hihitin at kaginhawaan naman ang mararamdaman kung ito’y bubugahin. Malimit itong pinagpapapasahan sa kung kani-kaninong labi lang naman at patuloy na pinagtitiisan kahit na paupos na lang. Bihag nito ang mga taong naaakit sa pamatay nitong aroma. Ang nakakalungkot, ito rin ang pumapatay sa kanila  ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ang paninigarilyo.

Paninigarilyo, isang kasanayan kung saan sinusunog ang isang sangkap tulad ng tabako na nakapaloob sa balot ng sigarilyo sa pamamagitan ng paghithit-buga nito. Sa sobrang sarap nito, patuloy nilang nilalasap at nilalasahan ang usok na animo’y napakasustansiya sa katawan.

May iba tayong nakikita na naglalaway kapag nakikita lamang ng sigarilyo ngunit lingid sa kanilang kaalaman na ang ihinahanap-hanap nila na bisyo na iyon ang maaaring makasama sa kanilang kalusugan na maaari ring humantong sa kamatayan.

Ayon sa Department of Health (DOH) , naglalaman ang sigarilyo ng mahigit 4,000 na kemikal na pumipinsala sa kalusugan at kapaligiran na kung saan napatunayan na nagsasanghi ng kanser ang 69 na kemikal doon dahil naglalamat ito ng ‘cancer-causing agents’ tulad ng carcinogens.

Dagdag pa rito, naglalaman din ito ng nikotina na nagsasanhi n gating pagkahumaling dito na nagreresulta sa pagdidilaw ng ngipin at daliri.

Batay sa isinagawang pag-aaral, maliban sa maari tayong magkaroon ng iba’t ibang sakit tulad ng kanser sa baga, Chronic Obstructure Pulmonary Diseases (COPD), sakit sa puso, stroke, asthma, at diabetes, nakakapangit at nakakakulubot ng balat, nakakabaho ng hininga at nakakabaog din ang paninigarilyo.

Ayon sa Global Adult Tobacco survey, 17.3 milyon at mahigit pa ang mga Pilipinong naninigarilyo ngayon at isang tao kada 13 segundo o isang milyong katao taon taon ang namamatay dahil sa paninigarilyo.

Dagdag pa rito, inihayag ng DOH na sa Pilipinas, nagsisimulang nagisisigarilyo ang mga kabataan sa edad na pitong taong gulang at 80,000 hangang 100,000 ang mga kabataan edad 13 hangang 15 ang regular na naninigarilyo araw-araw sa kabila ng kamusmusan sa kanilang edad.

Kaya bilang aksyon sa tumataas na bahagdan ng mga naninigarilyong kabataan at katandaan, inamyendahan ng dating Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ang Republic Act No. 9211 o mas kilala sa Tabacco Regulation Act of 2003 upang maiwaksi ang epektong ibinibigay ng paninigarilyo sa atin.

Red, yellow, and green ̶̶ ̶ ̶ these may not the primary colors but they are the ones that will primarily prioritize your life into more nutritious and healthier way.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has given a department order and guidelines that will strengthen their campaign toward more nutritious food and beverage choices in all public schools both elementary and high school as well as DepEd offices nationwide.

The strategies and guidelines signed last March 14 by Education Secretary Leonor Briones will "promote healthy diets, positive eating behaviors and provide healthy eating environment".

In order the guidelines to be more effective, according to Manila Bulletin, people who are managing school canteens were reminded by the Department of Health (DOH) to make sure that they are selling the right “color” of food, based on the guideline released by the DepEd.

Based on the latest 8th National Nutrition Survey which showed that for children 5-10 years old, 29.1% were underweight, 29.9% were stunted, 8.6% were wasted, and 9.1% were overweight.

Healthy diet, as defined in the order, refers to a balance in food intake which achieves energy balance and a healthy weight, limits energy intake from total fats and shifts fat consumption away from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and toward the elimination of trans-fatty acids, increases consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and nuts, limits the intake of free sugars, limits salt (sodium) consumption from all sources.

In addition, based on the news released by Rappler, the order classified canteen-cooked food, common Filipino snacks, and those without Nutrition Facts into 3 categories:

GREEN – Food and drinks that should always be available in the canteen. The DepEd described the following examples as "the best choices for a healthy school canteen" such as oatmeal, cassava (kamoteng kahoy), and Boiled saging na saba.

YELLOW – Food and drinks that should be served carefully. The DepEd said these examples may be served once or twice a week only (Tuesdays and Thursdays), in small servings, and should be less prominent in the canteen menu, because they may contribute to excess calories if eaten in large amounts. Example of these are banana cue, camote cue, turon, and maruya.

RED – Food and drinks not recommended in the canteen menu, since they contain high amounts of saturated fat or sugar or salt like soft drinks, sweetened waters, powdered juice drinks and any processed fruit/vegetable juice with added sugar of more than 20 grams or 4 teaspoons per serving.

It is so good that DepEd released these kind of guidelines that will really help not only underweights and malnourished but also the overweight and obese ones.

However, in our university which there are senior high school students like me, I really cannot feel the guidelines ordered maybe because there are college students in there and also because we are almost considered as ‘college students’ that has can distinguish what are the do’s and don’ts especially in eating different foods and beverages.

I hope these would be strengthen more and it can be implemented not only in school but in nationwide to promote overall healthiness and a good lifestyle for a good life.

REFERENCES:

http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/06/08/doh-to-school-canteens-take-note-of-the-green-yellow-red-food/

https://www.rappler.com/nation/164940-deped-healthier-food-drinks-schools

http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-powerhouse-vegetables

Ebola is a rare, but serious viral disease. People get Ebola by coming into direct contact with someone who is sick with Ebola. Blood, bodily fluids, and contaminated objects, such as needles, clothing or bedding, can spread the virus. Bodily fluids include urine, feces, saliva, mucus, vomit, breast milk, and semen. It is possible to spread Ebola through sexual contact. Semen and vaginal secretions are among the bodily fluids that can spread the virus. The virus can remain in a man’s semen for up to seven weeks after he has recovered from Ebola. During this time, it is possible for him to give Ebola to his sexual partner. Experts recommend not having sex for seven weeks after recovery and using a condom for any sexual contact during that time. People with Ebola have to have symptoms to spread the disease. Before symptoms develop, people aren’t contagious. You must come into direct contact with bodily fluids after a person exhibits symptoms. Being on an airplane or in an airport with a person infected with Ebola who does not have symptoms is a low-risk situation. This means it’s unlikely that you would acquire the infection. Ebola doesn’t spread easily like a cold or the flu. You can catch a cold or flu from being around a sick person because it spreads through the air. But several things have to happen to catch Ebola. First, the person with Ebola has to have symptoms in order to become contagious to others. Then, you have to touch their blood, bodily fluids, or a contaminated object, such as soiled sheets. The virus has to enter your body through a cut, broken skin, or your eyes, nose, mouth, or other area with mucous membranes. Ebola is not a sturdy germ. Good hygiene, disinfection, and infection-control methods can prevent all the ways Ebola spreads. Internal and external bleeding is the most recognizable symptom of Ebola. But it doesn’t happen to everyone who gets the disease. Early on, Ebola symptoms look a lot like the flu. If bleeding starts, it’s in later stages of the disease or in people who are severely sick. Bleeding from Ebola takes the form of bruising, oozing blood from needles stick sites, bloody noses, and bleeding gums or eyes. Bleeding is rarely life threatening. Currently, there is no cure for Ebola, but people do survive the disease. Getting good supportive medical care early in the disease plays a big role in surviving Ebola. Supportive care includes isolating the patient, giving intravenous fluids and balancing electrolytes, monitoring blood pressure, and maintaining oxygen levels. People who recover from Ebola have antibodies to the disease that protect them for about 10 years. 

Eating peanuts might let you live longer, according to a recent study.

Consuming this tasty snack daily may help lower the risk of dying over a five- or six-year period than the people who ate the least peanuts and tree nuts, or none of them.

According to Dr. Xiao-Ou Shu, a professor of medicine in the division of epidemiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, "We showed that peanuts have similar cardiovascular benefits to tree nuts." She added that, "If people are not allergic to them, they should consider eating more peanuts for their heart-health benefits because they are cheaper and more affordable than other nuts."

Dr. Shu, who is also one of the researchers said that although peanuts are considered legumes, they have similar nutrients to a nut.

Take walnuts for example, it has been proven in several researches that this “brain-looking” nut contains high amounts of antioxidants, which some researchers say may combat the damage to brain cells' DNA caused by free radicals in our bodies.

“In a 2009 study in the Journal of Nutrition found that diets in which nuts made up as little as 2 percent reversed signs of aging in the brains of old rats, including the ability of the brain to function and process information” (Amanda Chan, livescience.com).

Peanuts, whose scientific name is Arachis hypogaea, contains phenolic anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins, and protein. Eating just a handful of this crunchy and delicious snack is enough to give you the recommended level of the above nutrients and minerals.

Going back to Dr. Shu and his teams’ recent research, which was gathered from 70,000 Americans, ages 40 to 79, of African and European descent who lived in the southeastern U.S, and 134,000 Chinese men and women, ages 40 to 74, who lived in Shanghai, eating peanuts in a regular basis will provide several health benefits.

Dr. Shu said, “The results for the U.S. study group showed that people who nibbled on the most peanuts were 21 percent less likely to die during the study period than individuals who ate the least. To experience this health benefit, people in the study needed to consume about 17 to 18 grams of peanuts per day, or roughly two-thirds of 1 ounce.”

Some of these plant-based chemicals (found in peanuts) could help maintain the heart's endothelial function, which affects the cells lining blood vessels, and they also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that may protect the heart, she further explained.

She also recommended that people should consider increasing their peanut intake as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle. People should replace eating sugary snacks like cookies and candy with peanuts.

However, those with peanuts allergies will definitely not benefit from this study. But this should not deter them from eating healthy foods.

References:

http://www.livescience.com/35320-best-foods-brain-health.html

http://www.livescience.com/50001-peanuts-boost-heart-health-longevity.html