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    Water is an important component for a human body


    What is plasma in blood?

    Plasma is the liquid portion of blood. About 55% of our blood is plasma, and the remaining 45% are red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets that are suspended in the plasma.

    Why drinking enough water daily is important to the body?

    Plasma is about 92% water. It also contains 7% vital proteins such as albumin, gamma globulin and anti-haemophilic factor, and 1% mineral salts, sugars, fats, hormones and vitamins.

    Plasma serves four important functions in our body:

    1. Helps maintain blood pressure and volume.

    2. Supply critical proteins for blood clotting and immunity.

    3. Carries electrolytes such as sodium and potassium to our muscles.

    4. Helps to maintain a proper pH balance in the body, which supports cell function.

    Reference: https://www.redcrossblood.org


    Curcuma Longa (Curcumin) as a Potential Treatment for

    COVID-19


    One of the best strategies around the world to help combat the COVID-19 has been directed to drug repositioning; however, these drugs are not specific to this new virus. Additionally, the pathophysiology of COVID-19 is highly heterogeneous (evolve to different variants), and the way of SARS-CoV-2 modulates the different systems in the host remains unidentified, despite recent discoveries. This complex and multifactorial response requires a comprehensive therapeutic approach, enabling the integration and refinement of therapeutic responses of a given single compound that has several action potentials. In this context, natural compounds, such as Curcumin, have shown beneficial effects on the progression of inflammatory diseases due to its numerous action mechanisms: antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antiplatelet, and cytoprotective. These and many other effects of curcumin make it a promising target in the adjuvant treatment of COVID-19. Hence, the purpose of this review is to specifically point out how curcumin could interfere at different times/points during the infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, providing a substantial contribution of curcumin as a new adjuvant therapy for the treatment of COVID-19.

    Reference: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Potential-curcumin-in-cell-damage-caused-by-SARS-CoV-2-in-the-lung-and-heart-Curcumin_fig2_351394209




    Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factors (BDNF)


    Curcumin able to boost Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factors (BDNF) levels; it may help to regulate brain functions in individuals with Alzheimer disease, Schizophrenia and a range of neurological symptoms.

    Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781139/


    Diabetes a silent "killer" disease


    When we hear the word “diabetes,” our first thought is likely about high blood sugar(glucose).

    What is diabetes?  In fact, it is a group of conditions where our body cannot produce enough or any insulin or cannot properly use the insulin that is produced by our pancreas to break down our sugars(glucose) intake from the food we eat and it is being use for energy in our body cells.  This resulted in our body unable to get sugar from our blood into our body cells and this can lead to high blood sugar levels.

    Hence, when diabetes is not properly managed when diagnosed early or left untreated, it can lead to potential complications that include heart disease, stroke, kidney damage and nerve damage.

    There are 3 main types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes.

     

    Dangerous effects of uncontrolled diabetes in our body:

    What are some signs of you having high blood sugar levels? The symptoms of high blood sugar levels can include weakness in your body, increased thirst and urination, vision changes such as blurred vision, and dry skin.

    Want to know more about the causes, effects, symptoms and how you can prevent diabetes, you may click on this link to find out more:

    Reference: https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/effects-on-body


    Study of curcumin on diabetes :

    Curcumin improves the pathological events in diabetes through different mechanisms such as regulation of lipid metabolism, antioxidative activity, and antihyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects. Studies related to curcumin have shown that curcumin not only mitigates the complications directly caused by diabetes but also alleviates indirect complications like nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, atherosclerosis, stroke, and coronary artery diseases. The common complications of long-lasting diabetes can be improve by the consumption of curcumin. In animal models, curcumin extract delays diabetes development, improves β-cell functions, prevents β-cell death, and decreases insulin resistance. Some doses of nanocurcumin(improve bioavailabilty) can be more effective in reducing lipid profile than poor curcumin extract.

    Reference: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2022/1375892/