Cholesterol is a type of waxy lipid used as a structural component of cell membranes and a precursor molecule to hormones. It is also a risk factor in heart disease. There is a lot of confusion surrounding cholesterol because the amount we eat in our diet does not necessary translate to the amount in our body.
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The leg press can be done in a number of different ways; however, they're all fairly similar and work the same muscles.
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Cars contribute only a modest amount of pollution on their own, but there are, according to Yale University, a fleet of 246 million vehicles in the United States alone, making them a potent polluting force in bulk.
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Your spinal cord is the long bundle of nervous tissue and bones that relay messages between your brain and body. Nearly all muscular movement in the body is facilitated by these messages carried by the nerve cells. A severe injury to the spinal cord can therefore greatly hamper movement or prevent it altogether.
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The wrist is the location at which the two forearm bones — the ulna and radius — make contact with the various carpal bones of the hand. A break or fracture is caused by a large fall or excessive force against the bone.
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The forearm is composed of two bones: the radius, which is the larger bone, and the ulna. The point at which these bones come into contact with the carpal bones in the hand is the wrist joint. In a distal radius fracture, the end of the radius near the wrist suddenly breaks.
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TSH stands for thyroid-stimulating hormone. This hormone is produced by the pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain, and starts a complex process that regulates endocrine function throughout the rest of the body.
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As different as each living organism may appear to be on the surface, all life is made up of basically the same molecules at the core. These molecules are formed by the way in which carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and other elements bond together.
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The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of connective tissue that originates at the heel bone and runs the entire length of the sole. It helps maintain the arch system of the foot and plays a role in your balance and phases of your gait.
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Your body is composed of numerous substances, but nothing is more fundamental and pervasive as water. It plays a role in many of the body’s basic functions. The percentage of water in your body changes daily, confusing many people who are trying to lose weight.
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The anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL for short, is one of the four major fibrous ligaments in the human knee. Its job as a ligament is to anchor one bone to the other; in this case, it originates deep within a notch of the femur in the upper leg and attaches to the tibia in the lower leg.
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Basketball may not be the most efficient weight-loss tool, but it can be one of the most effective. Those who have a distaste for something as austere and demanding as running may nevertheless find basketball useful because it is an activity that is both fun and capable of burning calories.
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Fish oil is a kind of nutritional oil derived from the tissue of fish. Mackerel, herring, trout, flounder, tuna and salmon are abundant in oil. It is used for the skin, brain and immune system.
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L-arginine is a chemical building block known as an amino acid. The "L" in the name refers to the left-handed configuration of the molecule. Amino acids form the molecular foundation of proteins. Arginine in particular also has several specific functions.
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Platelets are small, colorless cells that originate in the bone marrow and circulate through the blood. Unlike other cells, they completely lack DNA and a nucleus. When bleeding occurs, the platelets gather at the open wound.
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Uric acid is a waste product that forms from the degradation of genetic material such as DNA and RNA. Uric acid is benign at normal levels. However, if excessive levels of uric acid build up and form needle-like crystals in the joints, it can cause a painful inflammatory arthritic condition known as gout.
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Fortification is the process by which manufacturers add micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals to food. The purpose is to reduce the rate of common deficiencies and diseases that would otherwise occur in the absence of these nutrients.
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Iodine is a chemical element and an important nutrient that the human body needs to produce hormones in the thyroid gland, an organ in the front of the neck. These thyroid hormones help regulate protein production, energy metabolism and normal growth and development.
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A carbohydrate is an important organic nutrient that has numerous roles in living things. It stores energy, acts as a structural component, at least in plants, and forms the backbone of genetic molecules such as DNA and RNA.
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Before a muscle can grow stronger, it will incur microscopic damage in the course of a difficult workout or resistance training. The process of healing can last a week or longer and possibly overlap with the next workout.
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