EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT VITAMINS.

We all know vitamins are essential nutrients the body needs – but what does each vitamin do? And which foods are vitamin powerhouses? Here are the main vitamins you should be concerned with and what to add to your diet to make sure you’re getting enough.

1. VITAMIN A

Good For : Vitamin A helps in the formation and maintenance of healthy teeth and bones. Vitamin A is also essential for a healthy, young-looking skin. Vitamin A promotes sharp vision, especially in dim light.

Sources : Found in milk, hard cheese, cottage cheese, cream, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, winter squashes, pink grapefruit, apricots, broccoli, spinach and most dark green leafy vegetables.

Deficiencies: Increase the susceptibility to infectious diseases, as well as cause vision problems.

Recommended Daily Intakes : 900 micrograms for men and 700 micrograms for women.

2. VITAMIN D

Good For : Vitamin D Promotes the body’s absorption of calcium, which is essential for the normal development of healthy teeth and bones. It also helps maintain adequate blood levels of the minerals calcium and phosphorus.

Sources: Vitamin D is found in cheese, butter, margarine, cream, fortified milk , fish, oysters, and egg yolk. Vitamin D is also known as the “sunshine vitamin” because the body manufactures the vitamin after being exposed to sunshine. 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine 3 times weekly is adequate to produce the body’s requirement of vitamin D.

Deficiencies: A vitamin D deficiency leads to weak bones and rickets in children.

Recommended Daily Intakes : 600 IU (International Units)

3. VITAMIN E

Good for : Important for cell health and the proper functioning of the immune system, and it prevents the oxidation of fat.

Sources: Vitamin E is found in wheat germ, corn, nuts, seeds, olives, spinach, asparagus, and other green leafy vegetables, vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, soybean, and cottonseed) and products made from them such as margarine.

Deficiencies: Weak muscles, fertility problems, Hemolytic anemia (death of red blood cells).

Recommended Daily Intakes : 15mg

4. VITAMIN K

Good for : Essential for the formation of prothrombin, a blood-clotting compound.

Sources: Vitamin K is found in cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, and other green leafy vegetables, cereals, soybeans, and other vegetables. Bacteria in the intestines normally also produce vitamin K.

Deficiencies: Vitamin K deficiency is very rare. It occurs when there is an inability to absorb the vitamin from the intestinal tract, and can also occur after prolonged treatment with oral antibiotics.

Recommended Daily Intakes : 1-2mg

5. VITAMIN C

Good for : Also known as ascorbic acid. It promotes healthy teeth and gums, helps in the absorption of iron, and helps maintain normal connective tissue. It also promotes wound healing and strengthens immunes system to protect from virus and bacteria.

Sources : Found in citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, turnip greens and other greens, sweet and white potatoes, and cantaloupe. Most other fruits and vegetables contain some vitamin C; fish and milk contain small amounts.

Deficiencies: Scurvy, resulting in loss of appetite, irritability, depression, bleeding gums and loss of teeth, Wounds fail to heal, Bruises and petechiae. (spots of blood under the skin’s surface)

Recommended Daily Intakes : 80 – 100mg

6. VITAMIN B1

Good for: Essential for healthy nervous system, good digestion, healthy muscles,healthy heart and good sleep. Vitamin B1 or Thiamine is also important in the production of energy.

Sources: Thiamine (vitamin B1) is found in fortified breads, cereals, pasta, whole grains (especially wheat germ), lean meats (especially pork), fish, dried beans, peas, and soybeans. Dairy products and milk, fruits, and vegetables are not very high in thiamine, but when consumed in large amounts they become a significant source.

Deficiencies: A deficiency of thiamine can cause weakness, fatigue, psychosis, and nerve damage. Vitamin B1 deficiency is most commonly seen in alcoholics.

Recommended Daily Intakes : 1.2 mg

7. VITAMIN B2

Good for : Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin works with the other B vitamins and is important for hair, skin, nail, eyesight and growth. Riboflavin helps in red cell production. Similar to thiamine, it helps in releasing energy from carbohydrates.

Sources: Lean meats, eggs, legumes, nuts, green leafy vegetables, dairy products, and milk provide riboflavin in the diet. Breads and cereals are often fortified with riboflavin. Because riboflavin is destroyed by exposure to light, foods with riboflavin should not be stored in glass containers that are exposed to light.

Deficiencies: Deficiency symptoms include dry and cracked skin and eyes that are sensitive to bright light.

Recommended Daily Intakes : 1.3 mg

8. VITAMIN B9

Good for: Also called Folate. Important in the synthesis of DNA and acts with vitamin B12 in the formation of red blood cells. It helps in cell renewal and preventing birth defects in pregnancy.

Sources: Major dietary sources of folate include green leafy vegetables, organ meats, meat, poultry, seafood, legumes (dried beans), seeds, and whole grain breads and cereals.

Deficiencies: Pernicious anemia (large cell type), Depression.

Recommended Daily Intakes : 400 mcg (pregnant women should aim for 600 mcg)

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HOW TO GET RID OF MOSQUITOES: A HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP THAT REALLY WORKS!

Mosquitoes are vectors for some serious diseases, transmitting viruses through infected blood. These vector-borne illnesses range from malaria, dengue and even the deadly yellow fever. There are many off-the-shelf pesticides and mosquito repellents that claim to take care of the menace. However, these are mostly chemical based and have some serious harmful side-effects.

So here’s the simple Homemade Mosquito Trap that Really Works!

Items needed:

• 1 cup of water
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1 gram of yeast
• 1 2-liter bottle

HOW TO DO:

1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.

2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle.

3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.

4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.

5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.)

6. Change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control.

You must be curious as to how this technique works. It is pretty simple, actually. Mosquitoes are attracted by carbon dioxide-generating sources like animals and human beings. The mix of yeast and sugar gives rise to carbon dioxide at a slow and steady rate. This, in turn, attracts those blood thirsty mosquitoes to the bottle with a vengeance. Eventually, they end up in the water and fall prey to the trap.

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10 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT SPERM.

The male sperm is more than what you think it is; it has certain qualities and characteristics that make it beyond ordinary. Here are 10 things about sperm that you might find interesting!

1. HOW LONG DOES SPERMS CELL LIVE INSIDE A MANS BODY IF NOT EJACULATED?

Sperm lasts in a male body for around 74 days. If they are not released during an ejaculation within this period, they die and are then reabsorbed in the male body. You make about 1000 sperm cells per second! Pretty amazing right?

2. SOME LIKE IT HOT, SPERM LIKE IT COLD.

Temperature can lower sperm count! It is shown that men have less sperm during summer season and more during winter season. Testicles are also few degrees colder than the rest of the body.

3. 90% OF SPERM EJACULATED IS DEFORMED.

Not all sperm are created equal. Sperm can have a multitude of defects in the head, neck, or tail, such as two heads, two tails, and coiled tails — to name a few. These defects can potentially affect the ability of sperm to reach and fertilize an egg, but it does not mean men are infertile.

4. A SINGLE EJACULATION CAN CONTAIN UP TO 300 MILLION SPERMS!

It only takes 1 sperm cell to fertilize womans body but there are approximately 300 million sperm cells per ejaculation.Only 1 in 5 sperm will start swimming in “the right” direction after ejaculation. The journey of the sperm cells passing through the fallopian tube after ejaculation is a survival of the fittest.

5. SPERM ALSO HAVE GENDERS.

Not all sperm are chromosomally male. Several sperm do carry the X chromosome, while others carry the Y chromosome. However, female sperm is actually stronger than male sperm, according to Harvard Health Publications. This means the likelihood of getting pregnant by a female swimmer is higher than a male one. If a father provides an X chromosome, the baby will be female, whereas if he supplies a Y chromosome, the baby will be male.

6. MEN WITH DEEP VOICES HAVE LOWER SPERM COUNT.

According to the findings of one study published at PlosOne, researchers found that men with attractively deep voices had a lower concentration of sperm cells in their ejaculates.

7. SPERM HAVE BODYGUARDS.

Only 5% of semen contains sperm, and a sperm only carry half as much DNA as other cells in the male body. This make it suspicious to the immune system and it therefore sees sperm as a foreign invader. The sperms bodyguards are cells in the semen that protects sperm cells, creating a barrier from immune system cells which would attack them.

8. SIZE DOES NOT MATTER.

Sperm cells are about 0.05 millimeter and can not be seen with the naked eye, unlike a human egg which is about 30 times bigger than a sperm cell and large enough to be seen with your own eyes.

9. GOOD DIET = GOOD SPERM.

Sperm count and quality can be greatly affected by a man’s dietary habits. Foods that will give you vibrant, healthy, muscular, happy, robust sperm include oysters, bananas, walnuts, asparagus, garlic, lean beef, and chocolate. It’s also important to drink plenty of water, because sperm spend their brief lives pretty much submerged in a swimming pool of your balls’ own making.

10. BAD DIET = BAD SPERM.

If you want a healthy baby, put down the cigarettes and stay away from the vodka, say “no” to the bacon, cheese, cupcakes, and sausages, and drink decaf coffee. Wireless technology can also damage sperm.

It’s not only the heat from a toasty laptop that can kill or harm your sperm—the very WiFi connection can potentially harm both sperm and eggs. Radio frequency electromagnetic waves are thought to induce oxidative damage to both sperm and eggs.

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Useful Basic First Aid That All Should Know

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Green energy investment plans hit record high

China helped push global green energy investment plans to record heights in 2015, offsetting a sharp fall in Germany, authors of a UN-backed report said today, predicting further growth.

Solar and wind power, especially in developing countries, are driving spending higher and last year for the first time renewables made up more than 50 per cent of new electricity capacity plans, the Frankfurt School of Finance report said.

“The term ‘niche product’ no longer applies to renewables,” said Ulf Moslener, professor for sustainable energy finance at the school and one of the report’s authors.

“Investments are becoming less expensive, due to falling equipment costs, which will also enable further growth, especially in light of the new momentum from the Paris climate summit goals,” he told reporters.

Firmly committed renewable investment plans totalled $286 billion last year, up five per cent from $273 billion in 2014, as per study, which is prepared annually by Frankfurt School-United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Collaborating Centre and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Solar power accounted for $148 billion, up 12 per cent partly driven by an ongoing solar boom in Japan.

Wind accounted for $107 billion, up nine per cent helped by offshore projects.

Biomass accounted for just $5 billion of investment pledges, down 46 per cent.

The study excludes large hydrological power projects due to environmental concerns. Other studies which include such data therefore may arrive at larger sums.

China accounted for $103 billion of the total, up 17 per cent, ahead of Europe with $49 billion, the United States with $44.1 billion and Asia, excluding China and India, at $48 billion.

China expects its greenhouse gas emissions to peak by ‘around 2030’ as part of its commitments to a global pact to combat global warming signed in Paris last year.

China, India and Brazil and other emerging nations jointly outdid developed nations, with $156 billion or 55 per cent of the total.

Spending plans in Germany, a leader in renewable projects, technology and research, fell by 46 per cent to $8.5 billion in their steepest fall in 12 years.

A version of this article appears in print on March 25, 2016 of The Himalayan Times.

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