Mercury: a friend or a foe?

Xean James, a 7 year old kid, was rushed to the hospital due to heavy metal poisoning. Thanks to the management and the health care team that attended him, his life was saved. Days have passed, the boy fully recovered from the tragic incident. One sunny morning, Leslee, the mother of the child, visited his son and grab the chance to sit back and talk to his naughty son about what just had happened. She told her son that the reason behind his hospitalization was due to exposure to mercury.

credit

What is HEAVY METAL POISONING?

Exposure to lead, cadmium, mercury, aluminum, copper, and other less common metals can cause serious disease and can be fatal. Scientist has established threshold limits that indicate dangerous exposure, depending on the metal in question, but there is widespread controversy over whatever any degree of exposure can be considered safe and tolerable. In fact, no one knows if even the smallest exposure to any toxic metal is safe, particularly, among people considered sensitive to a particular metal.

The TEST

1. HAIR MINERAL ANALYSIS. This test offers a cost-effective and painless way of screening for chronic heavy metal accumulation in the body. A small amount of hair is collected from the nape of the neck, where removal is not visible. Hair that has just emerged from the follicle provides a good representation of heavy metal exposure in the recent past. If a hair analysis shows significant abnormalities, additional information can be obtained by performing a urine provocation test fro more exact measurement and confirmation of results.

2. URINE PROVOCATION TESTS. Typically, the patient is given an oral or intravenous injection of an agent designed to concentrate heavy metals in the urine, which is then collected for the next 6 to 24 hours fro analysis. Based on these results, a course of heavy metal detoxification, typically using oral or injectable chelating agents, can be determined.

3. BLOOD TESTS. These are less useful fro measuring heavy metal toxins. For toxic metals to show up in blood tests, you need to have significant toxicity or poisoning. Subacute and low grade accumulation are much more common, yet are rarely detected with blood tests, so in most cases we prefer hair or urine screening tests.

Reference:

Henry’s Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods 21^st Edition, Edited By Richard A. McPherson, Matthew R. Pincus, 2007

struggling blogger

Cinderella and the Cursed Apple

Hear this BABY!!!

“An apple a day, keeps the doctor away.”

I’ve heard this quotation a lot of time, from different lips in various places. But how "100% panatag ka" that an apple a day really keeps the doctor away?

As I indulge myself to my daily doze of breakfast, I didn’t notice that I was eating my apple up to its middle part where the seeds are located. Out of nowhere, I took a bite of the apple seed, and it tasted awkward, it was like something I couldn’t explain, and there’s no exact word even in the dictionary that can explain the taste I felt.

Without hesitation, I stopped eating my apple and ran hurriedly to my computer and started to do some research. Due to the curiosity I felt, I found out that APPLE SEEDS contain toxic substances. And I’m talking about CYANOGENIC GLYCOSIDES also known as PRUNASIN. This chemical compound is cyanide attached to a sugar. Cyanogenic glycosides are not solely found in apples. It is also found in peaches, apricots, cherries and raspberries (so you better watch what you eat)

When small amounts of prunasin are ingested the following will be manifested by the patient:

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Confusion
• Anxiety
• Vomiting

But when large amounts are ingested the following will occur:

• Difficulty in breathing
• Increased blood pressure
• Increase cardiac output
• Convulsion
• Coma
• At worst, even DEATH

The good part is, eating 1 apple (with the seeds) will not kill you. It will take 100 grams of prunasin or half a cup of apple seeds to make 150 lbs ill. Therefore, we can still say that “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away.” in spite of the toxic chemical found on the seeds.

For more additional information about this news, click this.

Moral of the story:

Things consumed in excess are bad. Self control is advised.

references:

• http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/apples.asp
• http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/edible/msg011746212572.html
• http://chemistry.about.com/b/2007/09/12/yes-apple-seeds-and-cherry-pits-are-poisonous.htm

Trivia:

The N^th commenter will receive a special treat from me.

(Clue: N is equal to the date of my birthday. :]

struggling blogger