This is part two of a two-part series on tryptophan and sleep. The first covered sleepiness from Thanksgiving turkey or warm milk. This last part will cover tryptophan supplements, including safety issues. Although reports from studies into the effect of tryptophan vary widely as to its effects on mood, memory, and sleep, it does seem […]
Tryptophan: Does Thanksgiving Turkey or Warm Milk Make You Sleepy?
I just came across of dubious food fact about bananas. The tryptophan in bananas has sleep-inducing properties. Therefore, if you eat a banana before going to bed it will help you sleep. Anyone who has suffered bouts of insomnia will not have to be told that this is highly unlikely, but what about turkey? Everyone […]
Are You Really More Likely to Cut Yourself with a Dull Knife?
Before I even begin I’ll admit that this is more of an academic discourse than a practical one. Of course, you need a sharp knife to do your work in the kitchen. But I do love to question conventional wisdom and along the way, we may reveal some practical considerations. You have probably heard chef’s […]
Chlorine As a Medicine
Most of us use bleach quite often to either clean and sanitize our homes or to whiten our whites. Household bleach is actually sodium hypochlorite but the basis is chlorine. Chlorine is a bactericidal AND a virucide. In other words, it will effectively kill many bacteria and viruses. So, can you blame the patent medicine […]
Iconic Fast Food Signs of America
If you drive along any of our country’s back roads, there is one feature that is ubiquitous: the fast food sign. Sadly, however, the variety of signs you will see along our roadways has been reduced to a relative handful of fast-food giants. Some of the old historic players, which helped build the fast-food industry […]
Do Ripe Bananas Contain Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Making them an Anti-Cancer Food?
You may have seen a post floating around Facebook and other social media platforms (also Instagram) asserting the benefits of a fully ripe banana with dark patches on the skin. According to this message, it only takes one ripe banana a day to fight cancer! The message goes something like this: “According to the latest […]