As your barrier against hostile outside elements, it's in your best interest to keep your skin healthy. Cell physiologist Dr. Wendy Bollinger Bollag describes glycerin, or glycerol, as a product "that's been used in skin care products for...
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...
In order to ensure that reactions happen on time scales conducive to life, humans and other living organisms employ many different enzymes, or biological catalysts. Enzymes are proteins that make chemical reactions happen faster than they...
Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound found in the spice turmeric, which is derived from Curcuma longa, a member of the ginger family. Curcumin, the most active component of turmeric, is responsible for many of the health benefits associated with...
Liposuction may be a way to remove unsightly fat, but is unlikely to bring a health benefit by changing LDL, or "bad," cholesterol concentrations in your body, according to a 2008 study published in the journal "Obesity." You want to keep your LDL...
During digestion, enzymes work to break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates into amino acids, fatty acids and sugars. These compounds are then transported by your bloodstream to serve as energy sources at the cellular level. The cells use...
Glycerin, also known as glycerol and glycerine, is a substance known as a humectant that moisturizes and increases the general health of your skin in many ways. You can find glycerin at most pharmacies and grocery stores. It can be applied in its...
Vegetable glycerin is a hydrolytic product. The process of hydrolysis uses high temperature and pressure to break up plant fats into its components of fatty acids, or plant oils, and glycerol, or vegetable glycerin. Glycerin is a sweet and viscous...
Histamine is a chemical which is made by the body and has a number of roles in the human body. Medications that interfere with histamine can be used to treat allergies as well as acid reflux. This molecule is able to affect the immune, digestive...
Over the years, red wine has been suggested to have a multitude of health benefits. The grape skins used to make the wine have an extremely high amount of polyphenols. There are many types of polyphenols in red wine, but the prominent polyphenol...
Quercetin and hesperidin are members of a family of naturally occurring chemicals produced in plants known as flavonoids. According to the University of Maryland School of Medicine, flavonoids have a number of health-promoting qualities. They are...
Flavonoids, or antioxidant-like plant substances, in red wine may reduce mucus and phlegm associated with several conditions. Red wine contains an abundance of the flavonoid resveratrol, which is produced by the reaction of plants to stress....
Glycerin is a compound that can be made from natural products such as vegetable oil, or can be synthesized from propylene alcohol. The result is an alcohol-based product that is an ingredient in many skin-care products. Glycerin, also called...
Phospholipids comprise an important class of biological molecules that serve both structural and functional roles in the human body. Their unique composition allows phospholipids to form isolated "envelopes" within the watery environment of your...
Healthy fats such as omega-6 fatty acids are an important component of the diet. One type of omega-6 fatty acid is arachidonic acid, which is abundant in the cell membranes of the human brain, liver and muscle. It can be generated by the body...
All fats cannot be eliminated from a well-balanced diet. Many healthy fats such as omega-6 fatty acids are important for biological processes. Arachidonic acid, which is abundant in muscle, liver and the brain, is one of these omega-6 fatty...
Inflammation is the way in which your body responds to injury or damage, according to the website Biology Online. It may be acute --- lasting for only a short period of time --- or chronic --- lasting for several months or years, for example, in...
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world, but around 2 million people in the U.S. alone do not know they have the condition, reports the Glaucoma Research Foundation. Glaucoma does not typically cause symptoms. In most cases,...
Lipase is the chemical name for enzymes that digest fat, and an enzyme is a protein that helps chemical reactions take place faster than they otherwise would. Your pancreas produces lipases and secretes them into your digestive tract so you can...
Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder impacting approximately one percent of the American population. Symptoms are characterized as positive or negative and include auditory hallucinations, delusions and disrupted thinking patterns, as well as...
Although weightlifting may form the core of your muscle-building program, the right diet and enough rest are equally important. Weightlifting starts the process. Then, the right combination of carbohydrates and proteins provides energy and...
Detoxification is a delicate process that requires the balance of many factors for your physical and mental well-being; it should always be undertaken with professional supervision. Addiction to alcohol or chemical substances can leave your body...
Essential fatty acids are a group of unsaturated fats that you must obtain from your diet.. The three primary types of essential fatty acids are arachidonic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Linolenic acid is versatile, in that it can be...
Vitamin E may help improve or maintain healthy circulation by affecting cholesterol and blood clotting activity in your blood vessels. Vitamin E also has antioxidant properties that may inhibit the onset of atherosclerosis, a condition that occurs...
Interest in the numerous benefits of fish oils, such as cod liver oil, has grown exponentially in recent years. While cod liver oil is certainly not a miracle cure, a growing body of evidence suggests that it may provide some benefit to people...
Many health experts are adding blueberries to their list of super foods, including a team of USDA nutritionists reporting in the "Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry," who placed both wild and cultivated blueberries as two of their top five...
Blood is a type of connective tissue that contains red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The contents of blood cells are identified in lab by using cell staining techniques and evaluated under a light microscope. Some cell contents are...
Cod liver oil contains two types of omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, that are known to have many beneficial effects for physical and mental health. EPA, in particular, has proven helpful in the treatment of psychiatric problems like bipolar...
Most discussions of heart disease risk, sooner or later, include the mention of an infamous waxy substance called cholesterol. In spite of its bad reputation, cholesterol plays many roles, making it just as essential to your health as...
