Nigari: You Will Hate to Like It

By: Kate M. Serrano

Sometimes wellness leaves a bad taste. It is the case of Nigari, the natural form of the Magnesium Chloride. This sea water extracted mineral is used to coagulate soya milk into tofu and has various beneficial properties for the human body. Magnesium Chloride has therapeutic and prophylactic effects for certain infectious diseases and help the healing and recovery of the human body.

Pierre Delbet, a French surgeon and founding member of what became the French Cancer Society, particularly uses Magnesium Chloride as the base of his experiments. His first studies date back to 1889 when he was looking for an antiseptic to clean contaminated wounds of soldiers that does not cause degradation of organic tissues. Unlike regular antiseptics used at the time, Magnesium Chloride perfectly fulfilled the role.

Much later studies have shown that this mineral can benefit blood pressure and help prevent sudden cardiac arrest, heart attack, and stroke. GreenMedInfo.com's database project records over 100 health benefits – premenstrual syndrome, aging, type 2 diabetes and migraine, among others. Not more than two years ago, I was periodically suffering tonsillitis. A friend advised me to drink a glass of water mixed with no more than a quarter tablespoon of Nigari every morning. Besides the horrible taste, the effect was immediate; it stopped the inflammation of my throat. I would even manage to trade my morning coffee with it as it boosts me for the whole day.

If you feel sudden loss of appetite, fatigue and weakness, these may be early signs of magnesium deficiency. One way to optimize magnesium level is by consuming plenty of organic green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds. Or better yet try including seaweed, almond butter and unsweetened cocoa in your daily diet.

                                    

Potential New Class of Antibiotic

            

By: Jessica Robertson

All currently marketed antibiotics are slowly but steadily losing their power against the bacteria of our time. Bacteria have been exposed to our drugs for decades now, and they continue to develop resistance mechanisms. It is absolutely essential that new agents be developed to war against the infections of our day if we plan to remain victorious against modern disease.

            An international team of researchers from Germany, Austria, and Canada has been busy studying a promising new antimicrobial mechanism. They are observing a small peptide known as MP196, which represents a class of very small peptides with a positive charge; composed of just four to ten amino acids, these peptides are showing themselves effective against a wide array of bacteria, even those that are considered multi-drug resistant and are common causes of sepsis. In order for a drug to be approved for use, its mechanism must be fully and deeply understood; after much thorough research, this team has finally answered that question, making the path to a new antibiotic a little easier.

The team showed that the peptide forces its way into the membrane of the bacterial cell, causing major disruptions in some of the crucial proteins located in the cell wall. The bacterial cell cannot continue the synthesis of its cell wall, an ongoing process that lends protection and stability to the cell, and the cell can no longer efficiently produce its own energy, making all cell mechanisms impossible.

The processes by which the peptide disarm the bacteria are special in nature, and the researchers predict that the peptide will be particularly difficult for bacteria to develop a resistance against. The nature of the process also ensures that the peptides will not harm human cells, since human cells lack the cell wall that the peptides are designed to attack.

Findings such as these establish hope that even in the face of numerous multi-drug resistant diseases, the age of the antibiotic is not over. We can all do our part to prolong the efficacy of our current drugs by following the directions of our prescriber's. Do not stop taking a series of antibiotic drugs unless directed by your doctor, and always properly dispose of unused antibiotics by returning the leftover pills to a participating pharmacy, instead of throwing them in trash or flushing them through the water system.

Keep Calm and Love Monkeys

By: Kate Serrano

Approximately an hour from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia we see an interesting series of caves dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war and victory. The first thing that greets tourists when getting there is the tallest statue of the deity followed by a 272-step staircase that you have to climb to get to the cave’s entrance. More interestingly as you make your way through the steep steps you meet a few playful and cheeky friends; quite a handful of macaque monkeys have made this place their home.

 Some would be scared as they may jump off bags and steal food. They can also hurt you when threatened so the best advice: keep calm. Macaques are the most widespread of their kind, living in different habitats all over the planet. It is fascinating to know too that these monkeys are not only found in natural habitats like the Batu caves. They also abound in zoos, kept as pets and in research facilities. Yes, these monkeys have been a great help to science in medical and biological research.

 Apparently humans and macaques are 93% similar in DNA structure so thanks to these primates, the development of vaccines for smallpox, tuberculosis, rabies and polio are made possible. And in more recent studies, macaques have been tested for advanced AIDS research.

 It will not be surprising to know that there may be a cure to almost anything in the future! However, along with these medical advances and health benefits come research ethics and conservation issues. The question of the exposure of animals to harm and the depletion of their wild population are just some of the things brought up on the table. At this point, public support is much needed to break the barrier of pros and cons. How do we balance out care for animals and care for humans? Simple answer. Social responsibility.