Vitamins and supplements like melatonin and fish oil offer health benefits but can cause side effects if misused. Learn about the impact of saw palmetto on blood pressure and find the best multivitamins for young women and adults over 50.
From batteries to fertilizers, soaps and hairspray, there are more uses of the chemical potassium hydroxide than most people are aware. As a strong base it help neutralize acid, but it can also be used as a food thickener or stabilizer.
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Sodium nitrate is a colorless, odorless, crystalline compound, sometimes referred to as soda niter, nitrate of soda or Chile saltpeter. It is used for making potassium nitrate, fertilizers, explosives, in the production of high-strength glass, some limited pharmaceuticals and to preserve meats.
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The Miracle Berry, Synsepalum dulcificum, is a fruit that possesses a strikingly unusual property: when the pulp from the red berries coat a person's tongue, everything they subsequently consume tastes sweet.
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Sodium acetate is the sodium salt of acetic acid. It has the chemical formula C2H3O2Na and is also known as sodium ethanoate. It is an inexpensive chemical that has a wide range of uses, including as a food additive and pickling agent or a laboratory reagent.
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Rosehip oil is extracted from the fruit seeds of the wild rose bush plant called Rosa affinis rubiginosa. Most rosehip oil extracts are derived from the wild plants grown in the southern Andean Mountains, in Chile and Argentina.
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Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid. However, unlike other amino acids, taurine is not a constituent of any protein. Instead, it exists free in intracellular fluids.
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Lecithin is also known as phosphatidylcholine. It is a fat, or lipid, material found in the membranes of all living cells and functions to regulate the entry and exit of cellular nutrients. While lecithin is found in many foods, either naturally or as a food additive, it is also sold as a dietary supplement.
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You've probably encountered many products containing sodium metabisulfite without even realizing it. Sodium metabisulfite preserves food and is used extensively in commercial wine making. It is a bleaching agent in the textile, pulp and paper industries.
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Maintaining proper water chemistry in your pool is essential for health and safety. One of the most common pool chemicals is hydrocholoric acid, often known as muriatic acid. It is a very strong acid used to lower the pH or total alkalinity of the water. It can also be used as an acid washer for cleaning an empty pool.
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Oxygen supplements can be life saving or a marketing scam. When provided in the form of supplementary oxygen gas, as in an emergency medical situation, oxygen supplementation is vital for survival.
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Both calcium and vitamin C are important for proper health. Calcium helps build strong bones and teeth, and vitamin C boosts your immune system. Unfortunately, vitamin C, when taken alone, can deplete calcium stores in your body, and can often be too acidic to be tolerated by people with sensitive stomachs.
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Sweating during physical activity or heat can cause severe problems due to dehydration and electrolyte loss. Electrolytes, the salts your body needs for proper functioning, include sodium, chloride and potassium.
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The reaction of potassium permanganate with sodium oxalate proceeds via a classic oxidation-reduction reaction. Two half-reactions make up the full reaction. In each half-reaction, chemicals either lose or gain electrons.
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Liver function tests or LFTs are blood tests designed to determine how well your liver is working. The concentrations of several liver enzymes in your blood, including alanine aminotransferase, serve as good indicators of liver damage. High levels of alanine aminotransferase usually indicate a damaged liver.
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