Beware of fresh looking vegetables

Often we are being more fascinated for fresh looking vegetables thinking it to be more healthy and nutritious. Indeed they are, but now a days vegetables are artificailly being made to look more fresh and bigger in size.

There has been an extreme in the field of adulteration of eatables and now a days a very harmful chemicals are being used in vegetables to make them bigger in size and to look fresh.

Common chemical used to adulterate vegetables

The chemicals substances used most commonly to adulterate vegetables in order to look fresh and fleshy are mainly a banned injection called oxytocin. The other chemicals used are calcium carbide (CaC2), a chemical used in explosives and also used for artificial ripening of fruits especially mangoes.

Oxytocin in vegetables

Oxytocin injections were used to augment labor in a full term pregnant women, however its misuse to terminate pregnancy made this chemical a banned product in India. The injection is administered in the vegetables either within the plant or just before it comes to the market which make them a fresh and fluffy appearance. Oxytocin injections are mainly injected in bottle gourds, bitter gourds, pumpkins, spinach etc. The customer gets attracted by its fresh and green look and thus feels that those are much better in quality.

In recent times oxytocin has been also used in cattles for more milk production. However there are serious effect on health by using these vegetables and milk of such cattles which are described below.

Calcium carbide in fruits and vegetables

Calcium carbide are used in fruits for ripening. Though there is no exposure limit for calcium carbide but this doesnt make it safe to use. It can cause a serious damage to eyes and lungs.

Harmful effects of chemicals used in vegetables

The chemicals used in vegetables are hazardous for health, but these are being openly used especially in the Northern region of India like Delhi and nearby areas.

Health hazard of calcium carbide

The contact of calcium carbide can severely irritate and burn the eyes and skin
causing permanent eye damage and ulcers on the skin. There may be irritation in mouth, throat and if inhaled can cause cough and wheeze.

Some times there may be medical emergency like pulmonary edema which can be life threatening at times.

Apart from that calcium carbide are also known to cause some cancer in animals, it can affect reproduction and may cause azoospermia.

The conclusion lies that it is easy to get fascinated towards fresh and fliffy looking vegetables but it is necessary to ensure that it is safa and palatable without any hazards.

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Latest update of Swine flu

The terror of Swine flu is on. Even in India few cases had been investigated and confirmed, the first case being at Hyderabad and the second one at Kolkata.

Globally as per WHO report 11,168 people in 42 countries with lab-confirmed H1N1 swine flu infection has been detected, out of which 86 people have died. As per CDC reports 6,552 people in 48 U.S. states with confirmed or probable swine flu, including nine people who have died. As per CDC estimate there are about 100,000 people in the U.S. have the swine flu virus. Thus Swine flu is dangerously spreading worldwide.

Diagnosis, treatment and prevention of swine flu

Though I dont think the conscious people are not aware of Swine flu till date, still those who are still in search of a bit detailed information about swine flu especially by H1N1 influenza virus must go through Swine Flu - A new terror spread at Northern America . The outbreaks of Swine flu has been earlier too and remedy had been invented earlier, but this time it is genetically reformed H1N1 virus which does not respond to amantadine the traditional antiviral drugs for influenza virus, neither it is prevented by old vaccine.

It is important to recognize or diagnose Swine flu, so that proper management can be ensured as early as possible and further prevention can be made by isolating the victim. It is difficult to diagnose Swine flu as the symptoms are very common and can be present in any other flu. Thus it is necessary to be alert. One must look into symptoms and diagnosis of Swine flu for detail. Treatment as I mentioned earlier is not so easy because of ineffectiveness of amantadine. Though newer antiviral Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir) are effective but one should always emphasize on prevention of spread. The details about treatment and prevention of Swine flu can be seen going through the link.

Vaccine for H1N1 Swine flu

Though scientists are busy for inventing the vaccine for this newer virus, and it is expected that within October 2009, world can see the permanent solution for this disease. At present the disease has become pandemic and that too at level 6. At present scientists are continuously studying the virus and has a close watch on any type of further mutation and genetic changes in the virus. The drugs tamiflu and Relenza are being constantly studied as these are at present effective in Swine flu.

Regarding vaccine, as in most of the viral disease, vaccines are prepared from the virus itself. The candidate virus for obtaining vaccine has already been shipped which was a challenge as the virus is highly infectious and is air born disease. The infection can occur even at a diastance of 1 feet from the victim. The scientists and WHO assured that till October the vaccine will be prepared which will confer 100 percent protection against H1N1 influenza virus. By this time newer drugs are being tested for Swine flu disease.

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