Saturday, 31 March 2012
Saturday, 24 March 2012
Xanthan Gum
Philadelphia cheese ingredients: , PASTEURIZED NONFAT MILK, AND , MILKFAT, CHEESE CULTURE, SALT, Stabilizers (XANTHAN, AND/OR , CAROB BEAN, AND/OR , GUAR GUMS)
Theobromine
Today’s topic,
one that everybody likes: chocolate.
Ok, to be
franc, this post is not truly about chocolate but about Theobromine. I decided
to research this specific compound because not long ago, I read in a magazine
that coffee and caffeine aren’t really the best metabolism boosting nutrient
you can take in, so I stated looking for alternatives. And voila! Her we go, a
new source: Theobromine.
It is a
compound closely related to caffeine but with a milder stimulatory effect on
the nervous system and comes with diuretic and relaxing effects. It is said to be one of the chemicals that
cause the soothing effect of chocolate. It can lower blood pressure and relax
the bronchi muscles giving it perfect characteristics to be used as natural
medicine against stress or colds and even asthma and it is even used in modern
medicine as a vasodilator and hart stimulant. It is also used in b
Beware though;
it can be toxic if too much is digested and poisonous to some domestic animals,
like dogs or horses.
It has a
formula of C7H8 N4O2 and is an alkaloid. It is mostly
fund in the cocoa beans and consequently in chocolate, especially in darker exemplars.
It can also be found in tea and some nuts.
This is
just another example to show that chemistry is truly everywhere!
Saturday, 17 March 2012
Isopropyl Alcohol
So I was cleaning the
windows today, I know wow right: who would have thought? And curious as I am I couldn’t
help but look at the ingredient label. Most of the ingredients sounded
completely alien to me, but the isopropyl alcohol seemed familiar, I researched
a bit and here it is:
Isopropyl alcohol is a
flammable, colorless liquid with an odor resembling alcohol. it goes with the
formula of C3H8O and is also known as Rubbing
alcohol (there we go, I should have said that earlier right? Now most of you
know what it is). So back on track, it is produced by the hydration of water
and propene and is a widely used alcohol. It not only serves as a good solvent
of non-polar compounds and evaporates quickly, which explains why it is found
in cleaning. Due to its low toxicity it is also used in medicine for disinfection
pads or liquids and in the laboratory for DNA extraction, as it doesn’t
dissolve it also making it appropriate for specimen preservatives.
Of
course please beware though it isn’t quite as corrosive as other alcohols, it
still is irritant for the eyes
and mucous membranes. And although the alcohol is used in disinfection, one
would not recommend using cleaning products to disinfect wounds, as they mostly
contain other chemicals that can be more harmful.
Saturday, 10 March 2012
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