Plastics have become an inseparable part of human life.  Offering many benefits, plastics have over time made our lives so much easier.  Contributing to some of the greatest advancements in modern technology, plastics are low cost, durable, and rapidly produced in a wide variety of products and have largely replaced wood, glass, and metal. Being used worldwide, the global annual output of plastic products reached a staggering 400,3 million metric tons in 2022.  China has emerged as the leading producer of plastics, accounting for 32% of global plastic materials, with the rest of Asia accounting for an additional 19%.  North America accounted for another 17% of global plastic production, about the same as Europe. The booming plastic production has also

Ancient man’s lifestyle of walking long distances daily in search of food and shelter, typified by opportunistic eating and either fasting or feasting, also meant that they had to go for long periods of time without food when none was readily available.  It makes you wonder if the human body was originally designed to have three square meals a day, with snacking on demand. The bodies of our ancestors must have been able to function without food for irregular and extended periods of time.  The body fortunately still has biological survival mechanisms that gets activated when deprived of food for extended periods. Modern man practices fasting for health reasons or for cultural or religious beliefs, such as the Ramadan fast

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that occurs naturally in the body.  It is essential for the creation of every cell in the body, as cholesterol is an essential component of cell membranes, where it provides fluidity to allow transporters, such as those for glucose and hormones, to transverse cell membranes.  Cholesterol is a precursor for the making of the most important steroid hormones in the body, such as cortisol, oestrogen, testosterone, and many others.  Cholesterol is also essential for making bile acids, which help with the digestion of food. Where does cholesterol come from? The cholesterol in our bodies comes from two different sources, it is either made “afresh” in the cells, a process referred to in biological terms as

When we eat, food gets broken down (digested) in the gut.  Digested food is absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream, supplying energy and nutrients to the body.  The body is made from organs and trillions of tiny, microscopic cells, which work together to keep us alive.  Our health relies on this community of organs and cells working together and looking after each other.  As nutrients in the bloodstream reach the cells, chemical reactions take place and molecules are built up, broken down, and used for energy.   Chemical reactions happen continuously inside cells, which converts the nutrient from the food we eat into molecules that are useful for the cells.  Life needs energy and chemical reactions in the cells extract

Normally associated with the uncontrollable tremor of a hand or other unintended movements, Parkinson’s disease is much more complicated than the tremor that meets the eye.  Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder that affects more men than women, and its symptoms start gradually, usually after age 60, and worsen with. time.  It is a type of movement disorder that causes parts of the brain to deteriorate progressively.   It affects the nervous system and parts of the body controlled by this area of the brain.  Experts estimate that worldwide at least 1% of people over 60 are affected. Parkinson’s disease is best known for the way it affects muscle control, balance, and movement, but it can also affect mood, mental health,

That brief surge of energy that swells in us after eating a large sugary treat, commonly known as a sugar rush, is due to a temporary rise in blood sugar.  Blood sugar spikes occur when your blood sugar first rises and then falls sharply after you have eaten and are linked to certain types of food. What is blood sugar? The widely used term “blood sugar” is a misnomer, as it refers to glucose.  During digestion the body breaks down carbohydrates into a simple sugar called glucose, which then enters the bloodstream.  Apart from glucose, other sugars are also present in the blood.  Food contains several types of sugar, such as fructose from fruit and lactose from milk.  Contrary to

While menopause is a natural process that very woman goes through, the physical and emotional symptoms can affect some women worse than others.  Severe symptoms can be challenging to manage, as it is a chronic condition, rather than an acute illness, and needs long term therapy.   The onset of menopause leads to discomfort, not only the discomfort brought on by the symptoms, but also the emotional discomfort associated with these changes. Some women prefer holistic, more natural, options for the treatment of menopausal symptoms and ways to make menopause more manageable, rather than taking drugs for hormone replacement therapy, due to the risks associated with it.  The natural approach to the treatment of the symptoms of menopause works in a

Cancers are the second leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases.  Cancers are a collection of diseases in which abnormal cells can divide uncontrollably and spread to nearby tissue.  Cancers can arise in many parts of the body, which leads to a range of cancer types and can in some cases spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems. Presently, various treatment strategies have been used as conventional treatments for patients with cancer, such as surgical removal of tissue, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy.  Advanced stages of cancer have relatively unfavorable clinical outcomes due to factors such as toxicity, chemoresistance, and other detrimental side effects.  The past number of years there has been increased evidence