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Showing posts from May, 2015

Dairy-Free Sources of Calcium

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Fun fact: Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, and is found naturally in a wide variety of foods and beverages and added to many others! (Hellooo orange juice.) But whether lactose-intolerant or sick of wine and cheese parties, there’s no need to rely only on dairy products for that daily dose of calcium. Here’s why we should get enough calcium—and all the unexpected ways to get enough of it. Beyond the Dairy Aisle—The Need-to-Know It’s no secret that calcium is vital for strong bones and teeth , but it goes beyond that. This mineral also helps the body maintain healthy blood vessels, regulate blood pressure, and even prevent insulin resistance (which could lead to Type 2 diabetes) . Adults should consume about 1,000 mg of calcium per day (which translates to about one glass of skim milk, one thick slice of cheddar cheese, and one cup of plain yogurt), yet most Americans still fail to meet the mark. According to one survey , only 16 percent of females ages 20 t

Berylium

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Uniquely strong and light, beryllium is used to make cell phones, missiles and aircrafts. But workers who handle the metal need to watch out, as airborne beryllium has been known to be highly toxic. Named after beryllos , the Greek name for the mineral beryl, the element was originally known as glucinium — from Greek glykys , meaning "sweet" — to reflect its characteristic taste. But the chemists who discovered this unique property of beryllium also found that it is in fact highly toxic and should therefore never be tasted, according to Jefferson Lab. In fact, the metal, its alloys and salts should only be handled in accordance with specific work codes. Beryllium is also classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and it can cause lung cancer in people who get exposed to beryllium on a daily basis because of their occupations that require them to mine or process the metal, said Dr. Lew Pepper, a medical researcher at Queens College