A: "Ouch! I'm heaving headache! B: "Eat PANADOL~~"

At present time, whenever a person is having headache or is feeling achy in any part of his/her body, or fever sometimes, he/she will most likeky to take in Panadol.

Various products of Panadol seen in market

However, not all of them know what does Panadol actually do. They just have a concept that Panadol will relieve their pain and they eventually consume it. So, now I will be the one explaining to you how Panadol works here. Or to be more detailed, the question should be - how does paracetamol work?

Well, Panadol contains the active ingredient paracetamol. It is a simple painkilling medicine used to relieve mild to moderate pain and fever. Although it has been widely used for over 100 years, many people did not understand how it actually works. But, it is now thought that it works by reducing the production of prostaglandins in the brain and spinal cord.

Paracetamol

How many of you here know what prostaglandin is? It sounds scientific, doesn't it? Haha. In fact, prostaglandins are produced by our body in response to injury and certain diseases. One of their actions is to sensitize nerve endings, so that when the injury is stimulated, it will cause pain.

Thus, when the production of prostaglandin is reduced, the actions of sensitizing the nerves will be reduced as well. This will eventually increase our pain threshold, so that although the injury remains, we can feel it less.

How does it reduce fever then? It is thought that paracetamol can affect an area of the brain that regulates our body temperature, or known as the the hypothalamic heat-regulating center.

Here I made a flowchart to show you the summarized actions of paracetamol towards injury:

Take in Panadol --> Take in paracetamol --> Reduces the production of prostaglandins --> Less nerves will be sensitized --> We feel less pain although the injury remains

There are some cautions to be noted when you are to take in Panadol:

You should not take this medicine with any other paracetamol-containing products.
You should not exceed the dose as it is dangerous.
You should consult a doctor if symptoms persist.

Besides, children under 12 years of age are not recommended to take in Panadol. But, there are other forms of paracetamol which are more suitable for them.

Furthermore, Panadol should not be taken with other certain kinds of medicine as well. For example, cholestyramine, metoclopramide and domperidone. Cholestyramine will reduce the absorption of paracetamol from the gut so the effect of paracetamol will be reduced. On the other hand, metoclopramide and domperidone will increase the absorption of paracetamol from the gut.

We are also recommended not to take in Panadol for a long duration. Long-term use of paracetamol may increase the anti-blood-clotting effect of warfarin and other anticoagulant medicines, leading to an increased risk of bleeding.

It is totally undeniable that Panadol is a good painkiller. However, I personally think that we should not rely on it at most of the time. As mentioned above, taking it in overdose or in long-term duration will be harmful to our body. Take it whenever necessary only. If you are just suffering from a light fever, drink plenty of water, that will be the most appropriate cure to it. Don't think it is convenient and simply take in Panadol. This is not a good habit anyway.

CARE YOUR LIFE FOR IT IS YOUR LIFE.
CARE FOUR HEALTH FOR IT IS YOUR HEALTH.
CARE YOURSELF FOR EVERYONE CARES FOR YOU TOO.

References:
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100003607.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paracetamol

Wondering why the food taste damn good?

I love to eat, so does everyone.

Unless you are suffering from Anorexia Nervosa disorder~ Haha.
Well, let's get back to our main topic.
Since eating is one of life's pleasure,
taste and flavor are definitely important
to enjoying food.
So, what is the component that makes
your food tasty?
There are actually two.
They are glutamate and monosodium glutamate.
Monosodium glutamate is the one known as MSG.
I believe most of you knew and heard of MSG.

Nonetheless, I will still explain the definition roughly
on these two components before going further.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glutamate:
Glutamate is an amino acid,
found naturally in all protein-containing foods,
such as cheese, milk, mushrooms, meat,
fish and many vegetables.
Glutamate is also produced by human body
and is vital for metabolism and brain function.

Mushrooms

Cheese

Meats

Vegetables

Milk

(ALL OF THESE CONTAIN GLUTAMATE~)


Monosodium Glutamate:

Structural Formula of MSG

MSG is the sodium salt of glutamate.
When MSG is added to foods,
it provides a similar flavoring function
as the glutamate that occurs naturally in food.
MSG is comprised of nothing more than
water, sodium and glutamate.

Crystalline Monosodium Glutamate

Why is MSG used?
As the title mentioned above,
it is to give taste!
MSG is a flavor enhancer that
has been used effectively
to bring out the best taste in foods,
emphasizing natural flavors.

MSG seen in market:




MSG is normally obtained
by the fermentation of carbohydrates,
using bacteria or yeast species
from genera such as Brevibacterium, Arthrobacter,
Microbacterium, and Corynebacterium .

Like the sodium salts of other amino acids,
MSG is a stable colorless solid
that is degraded by strong oxidizing agents.
It exists as a pair of mirror image stereoisomers,
but only the naturally occurring L-glutamate form
is used as a flavor enhancer.

The most popular MSG being used in Malaysia

Our body handles glutamate and MSG the same.
For instance, the body does not distinguish
between free glutamate from tomatoes or cheese
and the glutamate from MSG added to foods.
Glutamate is glutamate,
whether naturally present or from MSG.

Is MSG safe?
Well, I can't even ensure you.
Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has classified MSG as a food ingredient that is
"generally recognized as safe",
the use of MSG remains controversial.
It was researched that MSG may not contribute to
any long-term health problems, such as Alzheimer's disease.
However, some people may still have
short-term reactions to MSG.
These reactions (known as MSG symptom complex)
may include:
- headache
- flushing
- sweating
- sense of facial pressure
- numbness in or around the mouth
- chest pain
- shortness of breath
- nausea
- weakness

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In my opinion, as long as we consume MSG
in an appropriate amount daily,
it should not be that serious.
No matter how it is still considered a chemical,
taking too much of it
would still harm our body of course.

Anyway, I still wanna thank those
who invented MSG. =)
Because of MSG, we get to enjoy tasty foods.
Because of tasty foods, I have my current body size.

References:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/monosodium-glutamate/AN01251
http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/msgbroch.cfm