Left Over, Cut Onions Become Toxic - Facts Analysis

Story:

Please remember it is dangerous to cut onions and try to use it to cook the next day. It becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning.




Other Version:

Onions! I had never heard this!!!

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu...Many of the farmers and their families had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS

Sometimes when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu and is the very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open.

Onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.It is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook the next day, it becomes highly poisonous.

Please pass this on to all you love and care about.


Hoax or Fact:
Hoax.

The message claims that left over, cut onions should not be used the next day, because they become highly poisonous because of bacteria growth, turn toxic and lead to adverse stomach infections. The message is not a fact, there is no scientific evidence to prove this claim.

Onions as such do not have any special property to magically attract bacteria from its surroundings. In fact, when onions are cut, they emits sulfenic acids which inhibit the growth of germs and thereby protect them from surrounding bacteria. This is because bacteria generally like moist and neutral environments, and they cannot stand acidic environments - that's why vinegar is used for preserving. Left over, cut onions are not poisonous, they are fine to use and can be stored in a refrigerator, in a sealed container at the proper temperature of 40°F or below for up to 4 days. You can also store them safely in zippered bags and use them within a day or two. But onions can lose their nutrient value when stored over a period of time.
However, it is also important to note that onions have to be handled in hygienic manner while cutting and re-using them, because they can be contaminated with certain bacteria when they come in contact with dirty hands or unhygienic cutting board, and consumption of such onions can indeed make a person sick. But again, this is possible with any other food item, not onions in particular.

Therefore, the message saying cut onions become toxic is a hoax, left over, cut onions are not poisonous, they are safe to use when stored in hygienic conditions. There have been many other versions of this story, claiming that leaving onions around a room will absorb the flu virus along with bacteria causing other illnesses and will prevent people from becoming sick. It is a fact that onions were used in folk medicine long before 1919, but it is just a false belief, there is no scientific evidence to prove it. Onions are not bacteria magnets, they are good to use, especially because they are high in vitamin C and are a good source of fiber and other important nutrients.

source: www.wisethinks.com

The unflattering side effect of a low-carb diet

You’ve been wanting to lose weight so you can fit into that lovely red dress you’re eyeing to wear on your special date. So, you’ve decided to eliminate carbohydrates in your meal believing you will not gain extra pounds before the date. Yes, low-carb diets may be good for your waistline, but it may not be the same for your breath.

Bad breath from low or no-carb diets is often caused by chemicals called ketones that are released in the breath as the body burns fat. An example of this effect occurs especially in the popular Atkins diet. Carbohydrates aren’t readily available, so the body starts consuming other fats and proteins as its source of energy. As a result, one gets a breath problem.

It’s not an oral hygiene problem. Brushing, flossing, and scraping the tongue may not be able to hide the bad breath. Instead, reconsider your diet and modify it to avoid this embarrassing condition. There may be some ways to mask bad breath by (using mouthwash, for instance), but the basic problem still exists—so, better introduce complex carbohydrates (found in whole grains and vegetables like broccoli and spinach) in your diet instead.

What to do

Though this is not an oral hygiene problem, certain remedies can help banish the bad breath or at least mask the odor.

• Drink more water. Drinking water and swishing it around your mouth after your mouth after you eat helps moisten the mouth and gets the food particles that may contribute to odor, out. Chewing fresh parsley can also help.

• Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless mints. In particular, those that contain Xylitol also kill bacteria and can prevent cavities.

Optimum nutrition means having a well balanced meal—the greatest percentage for energy source should come from carbohydrates. The key is on the amount and kinds of foods that we eat. Complex carbohydrates may be good for dieters and with people who have diabetes because they are rich in fibers and makes one feel full at once. So, before you blame carbohydrates for any added inches in your waistline and decide to eliminate them altogether, think again. The downside could be unattractive, too.

• Want to know more? Manila Doctors Hospital’s resident nutritionists and dieticians at the PROHEALTH Center offer diet counseling services that are tailor-fit to your lifestyle. They also offer nutrition and disease education on common medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity.

PROHEALTH is open from Mondays through Saturdays from 8:00am to 5:00 pm and is located at the ground floor of Manila Doctors Hospital, No. 667 United Nations Ave., Ermita, Manila. You may reach them at these numbers (02) 524-3011 local 4718. For more information, visit the Manila Doctors website here.

source: interaksyon.com

American beaches laden with sewage, bacteria: study

WASHINGTON - US beaches can be dirty places, making about 3.5 million people sick each year from sewage in the water, said an annual study Wednesday that rates American beaches by how dirty they are.

The Natural Resources Defense Council report included 3,000 beaches nationwide and listed 15 "repeat offenders" that have turned up again and again in the pollution rankings.

Those included four beaches in Louisiana, Avalon and Doheny State Beaches in southern California, and select waterfront beaches in Ohio, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Wisconsin.

Overall, the total number of beach closures and water quality advisories nationwide last year was the third highest in 22 years of monitoring, said the study.

"America's beaches are plagued by a sobering legacy of water pollution, including bacteria-laden human and animal waste," said NRDC Water Program Director Steve Fleischli.

"So when people dive into the ocean, it can make them sick with a range of waterborne illnesses including stomach flu, skin rashes, pink eye, ear nose and throat problems, dysentery, hepatitis, respiratory ailments, neurological disorders and other serious health problems."

Louisiana tallied the highest number of dirty samples (29 percent) that exceeded national standards for designated beach areas in 2011.

The southern state famed for its seafood and music and whose shoreline was among those sullied by the BP oil spill in 2010 ranked last out of 30 states measured for beachwater quality.

However, since the ranking was based on bacteria sampling in the waters, the problem was not solely attributable to the devastating oil spill, the NRDC said.

Instead, the main problem across most of America's beaches is polluted storm water runoff -- with more than 10 trillion gallons of untreated storm water making its way into surface waters each year, according to US Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

"The biggest known cause of beach closings and swimming advisories is polluted storm water runoff," said Fleischli.

"When it rains, the water carries trash, chemicals, oil, animal waste -- you name it -- off the paved streets of our communities into sewers and ultimately to our beach."

The environmental group appealed for tougher EPA standards on beach water quality and improved measures to halt runoff pollution and sewer overflows.

"EPA believes it is acceptable for one in 28 swimmers to become ill with gastroenteritis from swimming in water that just meets its proposed water quality criteria," said NRDC.

"This risk is unacceptably high and is not protective of public health."

As many as 3.5 million people get sick from coming in contact with raw sewage from sanitary sewer overflows every year, the EPA says.

The NRDC also listed the best beaches for water quality. The top beaches were in the northeastern states of Delaware (Dewey Beach) and New Hampshire (Hampton Beach State Park and Wallis Sands Beach).

Other five-star ratings went to Newport Beach in California, Ocean City Beach 6 in Maryland, and Gulf Shores Public Beach in Alabama.

No Florida beaches made the top 12 that received the five-star rating.

source: interaksyon.com