What are Food Additives?

Food additives are substances that become part of a food product when they are intentionally or unintentionally added to the food while it is being processed or produced (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2011). Examples include using vinegar solutions to pickle food; adding spices or herbs to foods, and adding salt to preserve meat.

What are the purposes for using food additives?

- They improve and maintain the stability and quality of food (South Australian Department of Health, 2006). An example is the addition of sorbitol humectant to mixed dried fruit to maintain the fruit’s softness and moisture.
- They improve the appearance and taste of ...

Introduction

Migraine is a common type of headache disorder which is characterized by moderate to severe recurrent headache. Migraine headaches are generally severe and could last up to 3 days, wherein the pain affects half of the head but the pain is pulsating in nature. People with acute migraine headache may have suffer from sensitivity to light, vomiting, nausea, and sensitivity to smell and sound. In some cases, the pain may become severe and worsen after physical activity. In 1/3rd of patients with migraine, a short period of visual disturbance or aura occurs which is an indication that the pain ...

Dopamine hypothesis is a theory that links schizophrenia or psychosis to the dopamine levels in the brain. This theory is derived from several clinical observations and otherwise symptom related results of medication from different patients. The significant presence of dopamine level in a patient’s brain may be the strongest link in the study of patient psychosis. However, since the theory is still in clinical studies; and other factors are now being studied in relation to the change in mental state.

There are several evidences supporting the dopamine hypothesis. Firstly, the evidence comes from pharmacological studies of a group of drug called ...

Abstract

Obesity is a heritable and genetically influenced disorder. Recent studies have proved that obesity is a biochemically driven neurological disorder. Obesity has a complex and heterogeneous genetic and phenotypic manifestation. Familial obesity is monogenic and common obesity is polygenic. Leptin and its receptor (LEPR), the α-melanocortin-stimulating hormone receptor (MC4R), pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and prohormone subtilisin/kexin type 1 (PCSK1) are some of the single genes involved in monogenic obesity. Glutamate Decarboxylase 2 gene (GAD2) gene is thought to be part of a polygene system resulting in common obesity. GAD2 coding sequence is present on chromosome 10p locus and encodes for a protein GAD65. This protein catalyzes ...

2. Neurodegenerative disease resulting in mental and intellectual decline (alz.org).
3. Most common cause of dementia and progressively worsens leading to patient’s death.
4. Symptoms
a. Memory loss (alz.org).
b. Inability to solve daily tasks and problems
c.Confusion about place and time
d. Depression and social withdrawal
- Causes of AD
- i. Presence of Amyloid peptide oligomers and neurofibrillary tangles that result in damage and death of neurons.(Gravitz, 2011)
ii. Inherent Genetic predisposition. (APOE) allele 4, GSK3 and TREM2 are part of gene clusters associated with AD ( ...

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology (or EP) examines psychological traits like memory, language, and perception, from an evolutionary perspective, which is modern. This theory seeks to identify the human psychological traits that are evolved adaptations. These are the traits, which are the functional products of sexual selection or natural selection. According to the adaptationists, physiological mechanisms are related to psychological processes. They consider the physiological mechanisms of the heart, immune system, and lungs.
Some of the evolutionary psychologists apply this thinking to psychology, and argue that the human mind has a similar modular structure to the human body, where different modular adaptations ...

Discuss in detail the mechanism of action of named antiepileptic agents with reference to the relative clinical success of a particular mechanism in the treatment of epilepsy
Carbamazepine is a Sodium channel Blocker. It is the major first line antiepileptic drug. It is used for the treatment of partial seizures and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Carbamazepine blocks sodium channels during rapid, sustained neuronal firing. It also prevents post-tetanic potentiation.
Phenytoin is also another first-line drug for the treatment of partial and secondary generalized seizures. Its mechanism of action is to block the movement of ions through the sodium channels during ...