No Food Is Chemical-Free

Aspartic acid, threonine, arginine, and tyrosine are just a few of the chemicals inside every banana. Breaking "natural" foods down into their chemical components helps to complicate one-sided views on nutrition and health. Just as these chemicals are perfectly safe to eat in small doses, so are many man-made compounds that go into other foods. Of course, certain foods contain synthetic (and natural!) chemicals that aren't healthy at all. It all depends on what you're eating, how it was made, and how your body processes it.

Source: http://curiosity.com

Pomegranates May Be The Antidote For Aging

Researchers from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have discovered a molecule in pomegranates that could help muscle cells protect themselves against one of the main causes of aging. The only catch: the pomegranate molecule must be converted into the anti-aging ingredient by specific microbes that inhabit the intestines—but only the intestines of some people.
Here's how it works: normal cells regularly swap out old "batteries," known as mitochondria, for new ones through a process called mitophagy. As you age, that process breaks down and faulty mitochondria begin to build up in your cells. This is what causes weakness in aging muscles along with other age-related diseases such as Parkinson's. The scientists discovered that a molecule called urolithin A is able to reboot the renewal process of mitophagy and thereby slow down cells' aging process. In a study of nematode C. elegans, a popular research subject because of the worm's 10-day lifespan, exposure to urolithin A resulted in them living more than 45% longer. In studies with two-year-old mice, the aging rodents had 42% better running endurance when exposed to urolithin A. Human studies are currently being held to test a urolithin A supplement, which would bypass the need for specific gut bacteria.

Source: http://curiosity.com 

The Potential Dangers Of Taking Medicine With Grapefruit Juice

Grapefruit is a great source of vitamin C and potassium, and can be a good boost to a healthy life. But many medications come with specific warnings against taking them with grapefruit juice. What's the deal? Apparently, grapefruit juice makes medication work a little too well.
An organic compound in grapefruit called furanocoumarin interferes with the CYP3A4 enzyme in the small intestine, which helps the body metabolize, or break down, drugs. This little interference may cause your body to absorb more of certain medications than it is meant to, including some drugs for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and anxiety. Usually, a safe dosage of a medication contains more of the drug than your body will actually absorb. But when grapefruit juice enters the picture, the drug may be absorbed in greater amounts, and might stay in your body longer than is safe. Long story short: stay away from grapefruit juice when taking meds, just in case. For more of the science behind this weird phenomenon, watch the video below.

Source: https://curiosity.com