Black-tailed rattlesnake in desert

What Are the Functions of Lipase Enzymes?

Lipases are a general class of enzymes that break down fat molecules. Fats, also called lipids, exist in many forms; different kinds of fats require different lipases to break them down. Your body uses lipases to digest fat and also depends on lipases to help move cholesterol in the body.

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Testosterone Effects on the Face

The male hormone testosterone has many different effects upon a man's body and brain. Before a male baby is born, testosterone secretions cause his internal and external reproductive organs to develop.

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Man standing next to punching bag

Adrenaline & Testosterone

Adrenaline and testosterone are both human hormones. Adrenaline, the common name for epinephrine, is a stress hormone produced in similar quantities in both men and women. Testosterone is classically considered a "male" hormone, although it's produced in small amounts in women as well.

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double helix of the DNA

Why Humans Need Nucleic Acids

Humans--and all other living organisms--need nucleic acids. The nucleic acids, which include deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, and ribonucleic acid, or RNA, encode genetic information and allow humans and other organisms to follow their genetic instructions.

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What Carries Oxygen & Food to Your Body Cells?

Your bloodstream is critical to your survival, because it's what carries oxygen and nutrient molecules to your body cells. Nutrient molecules that you absorb from the digestive tract can dissolve in the blood, and cells remove them from the blood as needed.

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Sour cream in a bowl

Lactobacillus and Lactose Intolerance

Lactobacillus acidophilus is a strain of bacteria that can digest lactose, the sugar in milk and other dairy products. If you're lactose intolerant and experience digestive complications upon consuming dairy, you may be wondering whether supplemental Lactobacillus can help alleviate your symptoms.

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How Is Glucose Transported in the Circulatory System?

Simple sugars and starches are both carbohydrates, and both contain the molecule glucose, which is also called blood sugar. Glucose is a very important biological molecule, as it is the brain's primary source of energy and a significant source of energy for all body cells.

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fresh ginger root on wooden chopping block.

Ginger & Constipation

You might have heard that ginger is a helpful herbal medicine and that it can relieve some digestive difficulties. While it's true that ginger is a traditional remedy for certain digestive ailments, but it doesn't have any utility in helping treat constipation.

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Pork chop with salad close up

What Pork Does to the Digestive System

If you're a fan of pork but have heard that it has negative effects on the digestive tract, you needn't worry -- clean, well-cooked pork meat doesn't have detrimental effects on health. Instead, you digest it as you would any other animal protein.

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Beautiful baby girl playing with dummy

Is 800 Mcg of Folic Acid Too Much During Pregnancy?

During pregnancy, you need large quantities of folic acid to help ensure that you're meeting the needs of your developing embryo or fetus. Generally speaking, 800 micrograms of folic acid is not too much -- in fact, your obstetrician may advise you take as much as 1000 micrograms of folic acid daily during pregnancy.

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mid section view of a woman cutting a yellow bell pepper

The Effect of Diet on the Circulatory System

Your circulatory system consists of the heart, blood and blood vessels. It's the body system responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients to the cells and for assisting in the elimination of certain cellular waste products.

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A Loss of Appetite During Pregnancy

Pregnancy brings about tremendous change in a woman's body. Her hormone levels soar, her body changes shape, weight, and proportion, her blood volume increases, and all her systems work harder to provide for not only her needs, but those of her unborn baby, as well.

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Salting salad.

Is Sodium Bad for Weight Loss?

If you're interested in losing weight and keeping track of the trends and headlines in popular nutrition, you might have heard that sodium is bad for you if you're trying to lose weight.

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Young slim woman with little fat on her belly

Enzymes That Break Down Fat Cells

There are no human enzymes that are specifically designed to break down fat cells; instead, the process is a complicated one and involves many different enzymes. Humans store fat for energy and break it down only when they are at an energy deficit.

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Is a Weight Loss Tea Harmful During Pregnancy?

During pregnancy, your body works hard to supply your growing baby with the energy and nutrients it needs to develop organs, put on weight, and add a healthy layer of fat under the skin.

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Tablet with the chemical formula of  Aspartic acid .

What Is L-Aspartic Acid & How Does It Help the Body?

L-aspartic acid, often just called aspartic acid, is an amino acid — the building block of proteins and necessary for several other processes in the body. For instance, you can burn amino acids for energy, convert them into fat and other molecules, or use them to make your own cellular proteins.

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Young pregnant woman in jeans holding stomach

A Huge Belly at 29 Weeks Pregnant

Of all the changes that occur in a woman's body during pregnancy, the most physically apparent is the abdominal distension that accompanies a growing baby. Pregnant women are all different, and while some may look relatively small throughout their pregnancies, others appear to have huge bellies.

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Caucasian woman is holding hand on her belly.

Can Fat Burners Affect Your Chances of Getting Pregnant?

If you're trying to get pregnant, you'll likely want to make sure you're not doing anything that could negatively impact your fertility or harm your embryo if you conceive. "Fat burners" are a broad category of substances that occur in foods or that you take as supplements.

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girl jumps at empty gym

What Is the Role of ATP in Metabolism?

ATP is short for adenosine triphosphate, a crucial chemical in human metabolism that has been called "chemical currency" because the cells use it as a direct source of energy.

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