Symptoms of low zinc levels include hair loss, dry skin, and lethargy and poor memory

Zinc is a mineral that the body needs in order to operate. The immune system, DNA synthesis, and protein synthesis all depend on it. Zinc insufficiency is a widespread issue in the US and other affluent nations. The USDA advises adults over the age of 19 to consume 11 milligrams of zinc daily. There are indications, though, that if you’re pregnant, you should up your daily zinc consumption to 20 milligrams or more.

These indications may be seen: Hair loss, brittle nails, dry skin, exhaustion, lethargy, impaired memory, mood swings (including anger), and fatigue are signs of low zinc levels.

It has been determined that the body needs zinc as an essential mineral to ensure proper functioning. Moreover, it is employed in a number of therapies for a variety of illnesses and disorders.

It can be found in a wide range of foods, including whole grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables like beans and peas, and fruits like bananas, citrus fruits, and pineapple. It can also be found in animal products like cattle, poultry, and fish.

Zinc insufficiency can result in zinc-deficiency anemia, which impairs cognitive function, causes alopecia and hair loss, growth retardation in children, and infertility in adults.

Zinc is a crucial mineral that supports the immune system’s continued good operation. It’s necessary for the synthesis of estrogen and testosterone in men and women, respectively.

More than 30% of people worldwide suffer from zinc deficiency. Many health problems, including depression, decreased libido, low sperm count, infertility, and chronic fatigue syndrome, can be brought on by zinc deficiency.

People can boost their intake of zinc in a variety of ways. The most typical method is to eat more foods high in zinc, like oysters, beef liver, eggs, and cashews.

A crucial mineral for our health and wellbeing is zinc. It aids in the synthesis of collagen, DNA, and enzymes. It can also be present in some meals that have a high zinc level, though.

Avoiding processed meats like bacon and sausage, consuming less alcohol and caffeine, and avoiding shellfish are some methods to reduce your intake of zinc. By skipping meals when you’re hungry or eating smaller portions throughout the day, you can also reduce your consumption of zinc.

What about a runny nose in a child? Certainly one of the 5 ways we have checked

What about a child who has a runny nose? There is only one solution, and it was what our grandparents did. Use these 5 home remedies if your baby’s common rhinitis is making it tough for him to breathe. You can rapidly stop a runny nose and stop the virus from spreading.

runny nose of a child
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

What about a runny nose in a child

What can a youngster do to treat a runny nose? Often the tastiest and best methods for battling infection are Grandma’s cold and runny nose cures.

We have numerous options at home for treating a child’s runny nose.

Let’s properly combat the first sign of the infection before it spreads.

Home remedies for a runny nose in a child

So what about a runny nose in a child? Preferably something with antibacterial properties, warming up, and at the same time not causing a lack of comfort in the toddler.

Here are 

the top 5 remedies for a runny nose in a child:

  • Garlic – put a few slightly crushed garlic cloves on the cupboard or by the child’s bed overnight. Alliacin contained in the cut or crushed clove has antibacterial properties. Fragrance therapy alone allows you to unblock a stuffy nose.
  • Drinking infusions – linden, sage, chamomile – are our grandmothers’ favorite herbs, which also have immunity-supporting properties. We can add raspberry juice or honey to infusions and teas to enhance their effect. However, remember to add them to already cooled tea. Honey, raspberries and elderberries will lose their healing properties if you pour them into a liquid with a temperature higher than 40 degrees C.
  • Inhalations – in order to quickly cure a runny nose in a child, it is worth focusing on inhalations , even if we do not have a real inhaler. It is enough to pour a few drops of essential oils, e.g. mint, eucalyptus, thyme into a bowl with hot water, and ask the child to lean over the vessel to inhale the steam. If your toddler does not like inhalation through a mask or over a bowl, you can use the same method by pouring the oils into a bathtub with warm water. Moisture and steam in the bathroom, combined with oils, will quickly fight a runny nose in a child.
  • Marjoram ointment – not only soothes the skin around the nose and makes the child feel no pain when cleaning the nose, and due to its antibacterial properties, it effectively supports the child’s body in the fight against runny nose.
  • Walking – contrary to appearances, in order to quickly cure a runny nose in a child, it is best to go for a walk . If the runny nose is light, watery and does not stay in the nose too much, it is worth going out, for example for a 10-minute walk with your baby. The cool air will constrict the nasal mucosa, which will no longer be irritated and produce large amounts of mucus.

Runny nose in a child: how to quickly cure it?

In addition to the infusions that our grandmothers used for a runny nose, it is good to take into account a few additional ways to help 

treat a runny nose.Since a runny nose is a viral disease and a sign of a developing infection that affects the entire body, it is worth paying attention not only to the nose.This is how you speed up the 

treatment of colds and runny nose:

  • Warm your baby up with a warm bed.
  • Ventilate the child’s room frequently to provide fresh air.
  • Change the vessels from which your child drinks water frequently to prevent the proliferation of viruses and bacteria.
  • Give your baby onion syrup or elderberry syrup to boost their immunity.
  • Raise your baby a sleeping pillow so that mucus can run out of the nose rather than stay in it.

The most important thing in treating a runny nose in children is regular 

discharge. Regardless of whether a child can handle tissues on their own or needs an aspirator and a parent’s help, the runny nose will not go away if we do not simply get rid of it mechanically.If 

home-made treatment of a runny nose has not worked after 3 days, visit a doctor with your child to see how the infection develops and whether any medical measures are needed.

Harmful chemicals are found in water in a plastic bottle

According to chemists from the University of Copenhagen, there may be a specific cause if someone tastes plastic while drinking water from a plastic bottle.

Harmful chemicals in water in  a plastic bottle

The water’s high concentration of chemicals after being in the bottle for 24 hours caught us off guard. There were hundreds of substances, including some that had never been discovered in plastic before and compounds that could be harmful to health. There were thousands of substances left over after washing the bottle in the dishwasher, according to prof. Jan H. Christensen, one of the authors of the article that was published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.

Over 3.5 thousand substances came from detergent cubes used in dishwashers and about 400 substances from the bottles alone.

Seventy percent of these compounds’ toxicity is unknown, and a sizable portion of them have not yet been fully characterized.

Researchers are worried, for example, by the presence of the so-called photoinitiators, which have the potential to interfere with hormones and promote cancer. 

Scientists also found plastic softeners, antioxidants and other manufacturing compounds. Some of the compounds may come from changing substances in the bottle into other substances. Scientists have discovered, for example, DEET – an insect repellent . This substance could have arisen from the decomposition of one of the plastic softening additives.

Even with known substances specifically added to plastics, the toxicity of only a small fraction of them has been studied. So consumers do not know if the other compounds are harmful to their health.
– emphasizes the co-author of the work, Selina Tisler.

In experiments, the Danish team reconstructed the way most people use plastic bottles – they left tap water in new and used bottles for 24 hours before and after washing in the dishwasher.

In addition to the compounds present in the detergent, more substances from plastics were released into the water after washing. Probably because the operation of the dishwasher helped to release them. 

We all make sure that our drinking water is pesticide-free. However, when we pour water into containers from which we drink, we are effectively introducing hundreds or thousands of compounds into it. While we cannot yet say if they are harmful, I will personally use a glass or steel bottle.
– says prof. Christensen.

The manufacturers may have purposefully added only a small portion of the compounds found, according to researchers. The majority of them might have formed during chemical changes, as happened with the previously mentioned DEET, or unintentionally entered the bottles during production.

The researchers claim that the results show gaps in both legal regulations and knowledge.

This study demonstrates how little we know about chemicals leaking from objects that come into contact with our food and beverages.

The lack of regulation of concentration measurements during production is a widespread issue.

Prof. Christensen adds that efforts are being made to improve this area’s regulation in Denmark and other places across the world.

Chemists are counting on manufacturers to take greater responsibility themselves now.

Hopefully, companies that put their names on reusable plastic bottles will be more careful about the products they order from vendors. Perhaps they will start to impose greater requirements on them regarding the testing of substances in their articles.
– says Selina Tisler.

see also : Health benefits of drinking water in the morning

The best supplements and diet for iron deficiency

Malaise, fatigue, pale skin, respiratory problems, and anemia are all conditions that may have a common cause: iron deficiency. It is an extremely important element that should be provided to the body in a balanced diet. What is the cause of an iron deficiency? What is worth eating, what is iron in? And how to quickly replenish iron in the body?

Iron belongs to the group of micronutrients that are of fundamental importance for the proper functioning of our body. This element supports many important metabolic processes, including oxygen transport and DNA synthesis. Iron also supports the work of muscles; including the most important thing – the heart. In addition, it supports the body’s immunity in the fight against microorganisms, and helps to reduce the feeling of weariness and fatigue. Hence, the situation in which the body suffers from iron deficiency cannot be ignored .

Iron deficiency is a problem that can be caused by a variety of causes. These include:

  • blood loss – resulting, for example, from bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, respiratory system, trauma and surgery, or heavy menstruation in women;
  • increased demand – here the cause may be puberty, pregnancy or breastfeeding; 
  • impaired absorption from the gastrointestinal tract – celiac disease, H. pylori gastritis, autoimmune gastritis, diet with insufficient protein, frequent diarrhea;
  • improperly balanced diet – strict slimming diets, improperly composed vegetarian or vegan diet.

When iron is low, your body will not send a signal right away. Over time, characteristic symptoms will appear, such as:

  • dizziness and headaches,
  • accelerated heartbeat
  • fatigue,
  • pale skin,
  • shortness of breath
  • poor appetite or its complete lack,
  • greater than usual nail breakage.

Iron deficiency – what to do? If you have any disturbing symptoms, do a blood count. Pay attention to the level of iron, hemoglobin, and hematocrit in the test. Below normal results may indicate anemia associated with an insufficient amount of this element.

What has a lot of iron?

To avoid iron deficiency, it is worth having a properly composed diet. Iron is an ingredient of many products that we eat every day. Most of this element is found in red meat – beef, veal or lamb. It is also worth reaching for processed meat – cold cuts, good-quality pates or black pudding. Iron is also found in offal such as pork, beef, or poultry liver. Iron is also an ingredient in fish – especially sardines, herring, smoked cod, and smoked mackerel.

What for people who don’t like meat or don’t eat meat at all? They should include chard, broad beans, beets, peas, dill, spinach, and parsley in their diet. Iron is also found in fruits, especially wild strawberries, black currants, and raspberries. Worth remembering! Merely consuming iron-rich foods may not be enough. It is important that this element is well absorbed from the digestive system. Drinking coffee or tea too often does not help here. This can block iron absorption. A diet low in protein and high in oxalate, phosphate and phytate is also disadvantageous.

How to quickly replenish iron in the body?

An iron-rich diet can be supported by supplements.

Before taking iron supplements, however, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor. Correct dosage is very important. While iron cannot overdose from the diet, it can overdose on supplements. Stomach problems – constipation – can be the result.

Iron supplements interact with other medications. If you are taking them, it is imperative to consult a specialist before supplementing with iron!

Transfer/Transit Passenger Services at the Istanbul Airport

I am writing this post for passengers who landed in Istanbul to catch their connecting flight to Europe and other countries.

Transfer Desks

I had received my boarding passes at Karachi Airport. But on the second boarding pass, the gate number was not mentioned. I simply followed the signs, which were in Turkish and English. As I was moving forward, I stopped at the Turkish Airlines counter and asked them where I should go now. The gentleman at the counter politely told me to go to the ‘Security and Baggage Line´.


There are 16 “Transfer Desks” for Turkish Airlines.

Transfer Desk at the Istanbul Airport
Image : Istanbul Airport Website

At Istanbul Airport, all departing and transferring passengers and their luggage are screened at security checkpoints to prevent the entry of prohibited items into restricted areas and aircraft.

I moved towards the screen area and joined a queue. The officers asked me to take off my jacket and put it on a tray. He told me to use separate trays for your backpacks and luggage. I had put my cellphones, chargers, and belt in a separate tray. I smoothly passed through the security checkpoint and wore my belt and jacket. I put my mobile phones back in my jackets.

Security and baggage screening
image – Istanbul Airport Website

I took out my boarding pass and saw the time of departure. I saw that boarding will start at 15:00 in Istanbul and flight will depart at 16:25. I looked on the terminal monitor to find the gate number of departure. There was a message that it would be announced at 14:55.


I had two tools with me. I had downloaded the Turkish Airlines app and saved Istanbul Airport’s WhatsApp number. I opened the app and searched for information about my flight. It showed that the boarding would start at Gate No.13. However, the WhatsApp account did not display the gate number.

I decided to loiter around the airport. After moving around the airport for 20 minutes, I decided to go to gate no. B13. I went there, took a seat, and started surfing on my mobile phone. I made calls to family members in Pakistan and to my daughter in Munich.

After half an hour, I checked the WhatsApp of the airport, and it showed the gate number, which was 13. However, Terminal screen did not show the gate number. I waited till 14:55 and went to the terminal again. Now it showed gate number 13 for boarding the flight to Munich. I approached the desk where staff had arrived. The officer stamped my boarding card and allowed us to wait until boarding time. I waited and moved towards my gate at the boarding time.

I am posting important information from the Istanbul Airport’s website for my readers.

Things You Should Consider When Passing Through the Terminal Entrance Security Checkpoint

  • Do not hurry at security checkpoints.
  • Complying with the information and directions provided by the personnel at the security checkpoints will facilitate your safe and fast passage.
  • Leave the items that can trigger the door detector’s alarm (a mobile phone, keys, coins, etc.) in plastic trays for X-ray device control.
  • Take off your belt, jacket, coat, blazer, etc. at the X-ray machine preparation table and place them in plastic trays.
  • Take laptops, cameras, and other large electronic devices out of their cases and place them in separate plastic trays.
  • There is no restriction on liquids (except dangerous liquids) at terminal entrance security checkpoints.
  • Make sure to take all your belongings before leaving the X-ray device area.

Things You Should Consider When Passing Through Airside Security Checkpoints in Domestic and International Departure Areas

  • Have the passenger’s boarding pass (boarding card) ready.
  • Do not hurry at security checkpoints.
  • Complying with the information and directions provided by the personnel at the security checkpoints will facilitate your safe and fast passage.
  • Make sure that your cabin baggage does not contain liquids that are not in compliance with liquid restrictions.
  • Leave the items that can trigger the door detector’s alarm (a mobile phone, keys, coins, etc.) in plastic trays for X-ray device control.
  • Take off your belt, jacket, coat, blazer, etc. at the X-ray machine preparation table and place them in plastic trays.
  • Take laptops, cameras, and other large electronic devices out of their cases and place them in separate plastic trays.
  • Take the 1-liter transparent re-sealable bag enclosing containers with liquids (each up to 100 ml) out of your bag and place it in a separate plastic tray.
  • Make sure to take all your belongings before leaving the X-ray device area.

Hand Baggage (Cabin Baggage) Preparation

Certain items may not be carried either in the cabin or in the hold, or may only be carried in limited amounts, for the purposes of flight safety. For this reason, you should contact before your flight with the airline operator you are traveling with for any security practices that may change

Strawberry: vitamins and minerals

The delicate red fruit contains a lot of nutritious ingredients. Strawberries are a summery treat that you can indulge in carefree because they have so few calories.

coconut truffle beside red strawberries. It is loaded with vitamin c
Photo by ROMAN ODINTSOV on Pexels.com

It is loaded with Vitamin C.

Strawberries are rich in vitamins, including vitamin C, which is higher than that of lemons and oranges. They also contain folic acid, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, and polyphenols, which help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Origin: The strawberry, a random product.

Strawberries have been eaten since the Stone Age, and the Romans valued them. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the small-fruited garden strawberry was cultivated in France and England. In the 18th century, the garden strawberry arose in Holland from a random crossing of two varieties imported from overseas. In Germany, strawberries are mainly imported from Spain, Greece, and the Netherlands.

Strawberry Season: Best in early summer

German strawberries are in season from May to July. When they’re freshly picked, they usually taste the best because they don’t have to travel long distances. Spanish and Italian fruits are available earlier in the year. However, it is worthwhile to wait until the local season begins in early summer.

Storage: Sensitive fruits

Strawberries have a high level of sensitivity. As a result, you should consume them as soon as possible. The sensitive fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days unwashed and covered. Pressure points are avoided by using a flat container. Damaged fruits should be removed because they mold quickly.

Tips for preparing strawberries

Strawberries are best eaten fresh and with whipped cream or ice cream. They are also popular in salads, dried in muesli or as a cake topping. The color of the fruit does not provide any information about its aroma, and deep red strawberries are not always sweeter.

Nutritional table: Strawberry (per 100 grams)   
energy   
kcal35
Fat   
total (g)Sense
carbohydrates   
total (g)6
Minerals (mg)   
Sodium (Na)3
Potassium (K)160
Calcium (Ca)20
Magnesium (Mg)15
phosphate (P)25
iron (Fe)0.6
Zinc (Zn)0.3
vitamins   
beta-carotene ( µg)15
Vitamin E (mg)0.1
Vitamin B1 (mg)0.03
Vitamin B2 (mg)0.05
Vitamin B6 (mg)0.06
Folic acid (µg)45
Vitamin C (mg)55
 

Source of nutritional information: German Society for Nutrition: The nutritional value table

Kremser (Redaktion), Dr. Katharina. “Erdbeere: Vitamine Und Mineralstoffe.” Apotheken Umschau, 3 May 2013, www.apotheken-umschau.de/gesund-bleiben/ernaehrung/erdbeere-vitamine-und-mineralstoffe-712677.html.

Why is it not possible to avoid sweet foods?

A study found that eating more French fries, crisps, and chocolate bars has more to do with the brain than with poor willpower, which makes us favor foods high in fat and sugar.

Researchers from Yale University in the United States and the Max Planck Institute in Germany concluded that if we continue to regularly eat this type of food, even in small amounts, our brain will eventually be able to perform the same function.

For eight weeks, in addition to their regular diets, one group of participants in the study was given a pudding made with a small amount of high-sugar and high-fat ingredients. Another control group was given a pudding with the same number of calories but less fat by the researchers.

The volunteers’ brain activity was monitored both before and after the eight-week study. High-fat and high-sugar diets result in weight gain, according to research using interventional studies (in which participants use a drug, medical device, activity, or procedure) in healthy, middle-weight participants.

The demand for low-fat foods declines as a result of changes in growth and metabolic factors. It has a significant impact on the brain’s propensity for junk food and, more generally, has an impact on the neuronal encoding system, which is the mechanism by which neurons communicate with cells by electrical activity. According to the study, the group that consumed the high-fat, sweetened pudding showed noticeably improved brain activity.

The diet triggered the dopaminergic system in these participants. This is the brain region in charge of motivation and reward.