Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Compounds that elicit a sweet taste.  

A histone deacetylase inhibitor that may have anticancer activity. A sulfur-containing compound found in vegetables of the mustard family (Cruciferae). Like other isothiocyanates, it has been shown to prevent cancer in animals.  

Additives involved in idiosyncratic food intolerance reactions. Sodium and potassium bisulfite and metabisulfite are used in food products to prevent spoilage by microorganisms as well as oxidative discoloration. They are added, among others, to salads, wine, dehydrated fruits, potatoes, seafood, baked goods, and tea mixtures. Symptoms that may occur in sulfite-intolerant persons are airway constriction,…

When rats and some humans are fed sucrose-rich, low-fat diets, blood lipids, particularly triacylglycerols, increase. This is due to the fact that the fructose of the sucrose is metabolized primarily by the liver, and the product of this metabolism is triacylglyceride, which is then exported to the periphery for storage. In normal individuals, there is…

This is due to the fructose-induced increase in fatty acid synthesis. Adaptation can and does occur and the liver returns to its normal fat level. Not observed in humans.  

Pepsin inhibitor that serves as an antiulcer drug. Oral tablet used in the treatment of peptic ulcer which is thought to work by actually binding to the ulcer site and coating it. The most common adverse effect is constipation. An antiulcer drug (Carafate) used to treat duodenal ulcers. Sucralfate works by forming a coating over…

Compounds produced by food-borne microorganisms. To this group belong the toxins produced by Clostridium botulinum, which are a group of motile, gram-positive, rod-shaped, spore-forming, anaerobic bacteria that are capable of producing neurotoxins. According to the toxin they produce, there are seven types and three subtypes of Clostridium botulinum: type A, subtype Af (A toxin); type…