Benzene: A carcinogen found in soft drink | People falling Sick after having carbonated drinks or soft drinks

Michael Faraday discovered benzene in 1825. Benzene formula was proposed by Friedrich August Kekule. Benzene formula is C6H6 with the molar mass of 78.11 g/mol. Benzene structural formula includes aromatic, cyclic, six carbon, six hydrogen organic compound. Benzene used as solvent in various industries.Benzene is parent organic aromatic compound. Derivatives of benzene compound include cumene, ethylbenzene, styrene, cyclohexane, and aniline.

 A carbonated drink tastes good on a hot day but did you know people are falling ill after having carbonated drinks or soft drinks.

One of those reasons for the sickness is a chemical called Benzene. Benzene is a deadly carcinogen chemical that causes cancer.

 When you drink a soft drink

Within 20 minutes of drinking a soft drink

Within 20 minutes of drinking a soft drink blood sugar spikes and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar into fat. The continuing insulin burst, over time, eventually creates insulin resistance and finally diabetes can be the result.

Within 40 minutes of drinking a soft drink

Caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, your blood vessels dilate and your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.

Around 45 minutes of drinking a soft drink

Increase serotonin production, which stimulates the pleasure centres of your brain – a physically identical response to that of heroin, but not as strong. It can cause anxiety and depression.

After 60 minutes of drinking a soft drink

Sugar crash will start in the body. A sugar crash leads to signs of lethargy and weakness; hunger may also become noticeable, as well as sadness.

The recommended limit for benzene in drinking water is 5 parts per billion (ppb), researchers have found benzene levels as high as 79 ppb in some soft drinks.

Benzene in every day life can be used in the following sectors

• Clothing
• Packaging
• Paints
• Adhesives
• Unbreakable windows
• Plywood
• Computer casings
• Compact discs
• Dyes
• Agrochemicals
• Pharmaceuticals
• Beverages
• Cosmetics
• Personal care products
• Solvents
• Degreasers
• Mineral spirits
• Plastics
• Rubber products
• Resins
• Glues
• Dyes
• Detergents
• Pesticides

 Benzene has also long been recognized as an effective industrial solvent and degreaser, a use that remained quite popular for many decades. And with the rise of the automobile, benzene became a popular gasoline additive to increase octane ratings and reduce engine knocking. Benzene is still a component of gasoline.

In 1928, medical experts recognized a connection between benzene exposure and leukemia.

In 1948, American Petroleum Institute (API) showed that benzene can cause leukemia.

In 1990, a study reported having found benzene in bottles of Perrier for sale in the United States.

In 1993, research showed how benzene can form from benzoic acid in the presence of vitamin C

In 2006, the Korea Food & Drug Administration (KFDA) detected benzene in 27 out of 30 (90%) vitamin-enriched drinks.

In 2008, Coca-Cola announced that it would be phasing out sodium benzoate from many of its drinks

Most of the people are becoming victims of exposure to small amounts to hazardous levels of benzene including in beverages.

 Benzene in carbonated drinks

 Benzene has been detected sporadically at low levels in some soft drinks. It is thought that this occurs as a result of an interaction between the preservative sodium benzoate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Sodium benzoate is added as a preservative to prevent mould growing in the drinks and vitamin C may be used as an antioxidant or may be naturally present.

People who have inhaled very high levels of benzene in the workplace have been found to have an increased risk of cancer. Benzene is present in the atmosphere from exhaust emissions. On average, people breathe in 220 μg of benzene every day. For smokers cigarette smoking is the main source of exposure at 7900 μg per day.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a guideline level for benzene in water of 10 μg/kg.

Benzene levels are regulated in drinking water nationally and internationally, and in bottled water in the United States, but only informally in soft drinks.

The majority of the drinks contained benzoates and ascorbic acid, which are thought to react to form benzene. A limited number of mango juices and cranberry drinks were chosen as these fruits have been found to naturally contain benzene. In addition, a small number of drinks containing ascorbic acid and alternative preservatives such as sorbates or sulfur dioxide were chosen to help establish whether benzene was occurring from sources other than sodium benzoate.

Other factors that affect the formation of benzene are heat and light.

Other factors that affect the formation of benzene are heat and light. Storing soft drinks in warm conditions can speeds up the formation of benzene.

Soft drink                                            Benzene amount

• Diet coke                                             <1 ppb
• Sprite                                                  <1 ppb
• ROCKSTAR Energy Drink                    <1 ppb

 Following methods are used to detect benzene levels in carbonated drinks

 RSSL Method

 This method utilizes SPME (solid phase microextraction) and GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry).

 CSL method

 This method utilizes headspace and GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry)

Read Full Story Here: Benzene: A carcinogen found in soft drink | People falling Sick after having carbonated drinks or soft drinks

Why Chillies are so Hot? Read the Chemistry behind Red Hot Chillies

Did anyone thought how Chillies will get hot flavour? Burning sensation on your tongue after having chillies? And Why do we passionate to eat chillies even though they are hot?

When you’ve eaten spicy food in precise chillies you will get tears in your eyes, and your mouth feels burning sensation and as a course of action spontaneously you will have a glass of water to suppress the hotness. But still after having a glass of water you feel to drink more water! All this kind of taste, burning sensation and heat on your tongue is due to a chemical named ‘Capsaicin’ which is present in chillies.

Why do we passionate to eat chillies even though they are hot?

The reason behind why people are passionate to eat chillies even though they are hot is when nerve cells release substance p ( neuropeptide functions as a neurotransmitter and as a neuromodulator ) and these act on brain cells in the same way that opium-derived drug morphine does, as a result, you feel good. The degree of heat produced by chillies can be measured by ‘Scoville scale’. The number of Scoville heat units (SHU) indicates the amount of capsaicin present.

Example

• Chemical Scoville heat units
• Capsaicin 16,000,000
• Dihydrocapsaicin 15,000,000
• Nordihydrocapsaicin 9,100,000
• Homodihydrocapsaicin 8,600,000
• Homocapsaicin 8,600,000
• Nonivamide 9,200,000

Capsaicin

Capsaicin is a capsaicinoid, a family of chemicals found in these peppers which induce the feeling of heat upon ingestion. There are five other major capsaicinoids; however, capsaicin is the most prevalent and strongest. Capsaicin retains its original potency despite time, cooking, or freezing. Capsaicin is a chemical compound which stimulates chemoreceptor nerve endings in the skin, especially the mucous membranes.

There are six types of capsaicinoids

• Capsaicin
• Dihydrocapsaicin
• Nordihydrocapsaicin
• Homodihydrocapsaicin
• Homocapsaicin
• Nonivamide

 Structure

Capsaicin is an odourless, flavourless, lipophilic substance. It belongs to alkaloids, is a derivative of vanillylamide and has three function groups.

History of capsaicin
The molecule was first isolated in 1816 in crystalline form by P. A. Bucholz and again 30 years later by L.T. Thresh, who gave it the name "capsaicin". The structure of capsaicin was partly elucidated by E. K. Nelson in 1919. Capsaicin was first synthesized in 1930 by E. Spath and F. S. Darling.

Capsaicin is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact. Capsaicin and several related compounds are called capsaicinoids and are produced as a secondary metabolite by chili peppers, probably as deterrents against certain herbivores and fungi.

Mechanism
Capsaicin, as a member of the vanilloid family, binds to a receptor called the vanilloid receptor subtype 1 (VR1). VR1 can be stimulated with heat and physical abrasion and thereby it permits cations to pass through the cell membrane and into the cell when activated.

The resulting depolarization of the neuron stimulates it to signal the brain. By binding to the VR1 receptor, the capsaicin molecule produces the same sensation that excessive heat or abrasive damage would cause, explaining why the spiciness of capsaicin is described as a burning sensation.

The VR1 ion channel is member of the superfamily of TRP ion channels i.e., TRPV1. There are a number of TRP ion channels that have been shown to be sensitive to different ranges of temperature and probably are responsible for our range of temperature sensation. Thus, capsaicin does not actually cause a chemical burn, or indeed any damage to tissue but it causes only the sensation.

Applications

• Capsaicin applications in food sector
• Capsaicin applications in medical sector
• Capsaicin applications in pest control
• Capsaicin applications weight loss and regain

Capsaicin applications in Food sector

It is used in food products to give them added spice or heat.
In high concentrations capsaicin will also cause a burning effect on other sensitive areas of skin
To get experience the pleasurable and even euphoriant effects
Capsaicin applications in Medical sector

Capsaicin is being used in

• Topical ointments
• High-dose dermal patches
• In pain relieving treatment
• In post-herpetic neuropathy
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Hernia repair and
• Osteoarthritis

Capsaicin applications in pest control
Capsaicin is also used to deter mammalian pests and to improve crop security.
Capsaicin applications weight loss and regain

 It causes a shift in substrate oxidation from carbohydrate to fat oxidation as a result of this there is a decrease in appetite as well as a decrease in food and fat intake. The reduction in fat intake will have changes in weight of the person.

Read Full Story Here: Why Chillies are so Hot? Read the Chemistry behind Red Hot Chillies 

New carbon-free public bus that charges in 15 seconds

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: ABB Ltd, Geneva's public transport operator TGP, the Office of Promotion of Industries and Technologies, and the Geneva power Utility SIG have joined forces to develop electric buses that need just 15 seconds of charge to run a whole 2 km.

TOSA (Trolleybus Optimisation Systeme Alimentation) is a zero-carbon-emission solution as the electricity (power) used comes totally from clean hydro power. The charging time is so quick that it does not interfere with the bus schedule and improves the urban environment and landscape as it does not need overhead lines while providing greater route flexibility. The system uses a laser-controlled moving arm, which connects to an overhead receptacle for charging at bus shelters, instead of the usual trolley poles to overhead lines.

In 2017, Geneva one of the world’s leading cities will have these new line of buses that will likely change the face of public transport in its recognized global center of diplomacy, a financial hub and a technology and innovation center.

At first sight, these buses look like the regular electric trolley buses one sees in most European cities. But look towards the roof of one of these buses and you will see that instead of trolley poles - that connect to overhead lines - there's a moving arm on the bus that connects to an overhead receptacle, which is in turn integrated with a bus terminal.

This electric bus will have a capacity of carrying as many as 135 passengers. The bus will be charged directly at selected stops with a 15-second energy boost while the passengers enter and leave the bus, based on a new type of automatic flash-charging mechanism. The pilot project runs between Geneva airport and the city’s international exhibition center, Palexpo.

The 15-second flash charging technology developed by ABB, has the potential to transform urban public transport and will be relevant to countries such as India which are trying to balance infrastructure growth with sustainability. India currently operates on slow charging platforms but for buses and in order to expand infrastructure for electric vehicles, fast charging is a must.

TOSA importance in India

Transport represents India's greenhouse gas emissions for a tenth and road transport accounts for 95 percent of that.

According to Times of India report, a study by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), one diesel bus replaced by an electric bus on Indian roads will lead to a CO2 reduction of around 25 tonnes a year. India has 150,000 diesel buses. If all of these are replaced by electric buses, that amounts to reduce 3.7 million tonnes of CO2 emissions a year in India.

This technology will then empower - quickly - the creation of smart cities; Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision is to have 100 smart cities in India. This will also boost India's Paris Climate Accord goals. Under the Accord, India has committed to reduce emission intensity by as much as 33 percent, by 2030. India has also agreed to have 40 percent of its total installed electric power capacity come from non-fossil-fuel-based energy resources by 2030.

"We see a big trend towards urbanization which causes a lot of traffic congestion. One of the solutions to that is people travelling together on public transport, and the need for that to be emission free. TOSA is a system that meets those needs and it is a technology that offers flexibility. This is a way to be economically viable, green and energy efficient," said Bruce Warner, Global Product Specialist for rail and urban transportation, ABB.
Read Full Story Here: New carbon-free public bus that charges in 15 seconds

Safe cosmetics for beautiful makeovers

Won’t it be nice to have a radiant, skin-kissed glow all the time? How great it would be to have your eyebrows in shape, bright, glossy lips, flawless skin and perfectly styled hair? It not just gives you that ultimate chic look but also uplifts the confidence, making you more presentable.

With the growing importance among people to project their best self-image, make-up has become an unavoidable part of our daily routine. Today, the market is flooded with thousands of cosmetics of various brands. Slowly, these luxurious beauty products with their alluring features are taking over the world by their side.

A step towards safer cosmetic alternatives

Though these beauty products have become an inevitable part of our lives, the fact that they are completely not safe cannot be ignored. We often hear about the luxurious creams and lotions containing harmful chemicals, posing a serious threat to our health and overall well-being, most of them even being carcinogenic. Does that mean one should stop using cosmetics or let the toxic beauty take a toll on our safety? The answer is fortunately a NO. You can choose great working beauty and personal care products with minimal chemical exposure.

Here are few tips to choose your cosmetics wisely

Look for certified lables on the cosmetics you purchase
Learn to read the ingredients listed on the lable
Check for the composition on the product, avoid buying beauty products with heavy metals, parabens, phalates and 1,4 dioxane to name a few
Do not purchase beauty and personal care products on heavy discounts
Never use the products that have crossed their expiry dates
Switching to organic make-up products is another alternative
Why not choose home remedies?
Isn’t the path to safer makeovers, simple? Don’t fall for all the marketing claims, choose your cosmetics cleverly. Now is the time to flaunt your beauty with gorgeous makeovers! Spread your charisma everywhere you go! Get admired and mesmerize the world with your impressive style statement!!!

Cosmetic industry – An overview

The giant cosmetic industry is ever rowing and expected to reach $265 billion by the  end of this year. As per a report by "Global Beauty Care Products Industry 2012-2017:  Trend, profit and forecast analysis" the global cosmetic sector will see a growth of  3.4% over the next five years. With the growing  customer base, the cosmetic industry  does not see any threat in the near further. The cosmetic industry surprises us with  amazing products every year, lets wait  and see with what new goodies are they going  to excite us in the coming years!

Read Full Story Here: Safe cosmetics for beautiful makeovers

Nobel Prize 2016 in Chemistry awarded for developing molecular machines

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: The Nobel Prize 2016 in Chemistry is finally revealed. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in chemistry jointly for 3 scientists i.e. Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa for the design & production of minuscule molecular machineswith controllable movements that have the ability to convert Chemical energy into mechanical forces and motion. The announcement was done in Stockholm, Sweden through press-releases.

A bank cheque of 8 million Swedish kronor approximately $933,000 will be divided among all the three.

Jean-Pierre Sauvage is a French chemist specialized in supramolecular chemistry. Sauvage was born in Paris in 1944 and obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Louis Pasteur under the supervision of J.-M. Lehn. In 1983 he took the first step towards a molecular machine when he was able to succeed in linking two ring-shaped molecules together to form a chain, called a catenane. Usually, the molecules are combined with strong covalent bonds in which the atoms share electrons, however in chain they link by a freer mechanical bond. For a machine to be able to perform a task it must consist of parts that can move relative to each other. The two interlocked rings fulfilled exactly this requirement.

Sir James Fraser Stoddart a Scottish chemist born in 24 May 1942, works in the area of supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology. He further enhanced the research in 1991, by developing a rotaxane. Stoddart threaded a molecular ring onto a thin molecular axle and demonstrated that the ring was able to move along the axle. Among his developments based on rotaxanes are a molecular lift, a molecular muscle and a molecule-based computer chip.

Bernard L Feringa from Netherlands is a synthetic organic chemist specialized in molecular nanotechnology and homogenous catalysis born in 1951. Feringa was the first person to develop a molecular motor; in the year 1999, he got a molecular rotor blade to spin continually in the same direction. With the help of molecular motors, he was able to rotate a glass cylinder that is 10,000 times bigger than the motor and also designed a nanocar.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said that the molecular machines can be used in the development of new materials, sensors and energy storage systems. 

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2015 was also awarded to 3 scientists Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar "for mechanistic studies of DNA repair". Even this time Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (RSAS) decides to honor the award to three members jointly.  

What Nobel Prize basically mean?

Nobel Prize is an annual honor given every year for the most prominent work done in various fields like Chemistry, Physics, Economics, Medicine & importantly for promoting the peace. It is considered as one of the most influential & prestigious honors in the world. The first Noble Prize was given in the year 1901, however the idea of honoring with the Nobel Prize was initiated by Alfred B. Nobel, a Swedish Chemist & the one who introduced Dynamite to the world. Nobel Prize is presented every year in Sweden & is the responsibility of Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to handle or govern the award in Chemistry.

Top 5 countries to bag more number of Nobel Prizes:

United States of America

United Kingdom

Germany

France

Sweden

Nobel Prize’s stats revealed in numbers: 

In between 1901 and 2015, 822 men, 48 women & 23 organizations were awarded with Nobel Prize. The first person to get Nobel Prize in Chemistry was Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff of Netherlands for discovering the laws of Chemical Dynamics & Osmotic Pressure in solutions. During the world wars for some years Nobel Prizes were not given & for Chemistry field it was not honored in these following years. 

1916

1917

1919

1924

1933

1940

1941

1942

Read Full Story Here: Nobel Prize 2016 in Chemistry

How Histamine causes allergies in Human & Steps to reduce

In the most basic sense, histamine is nothing but a, natural substance which is originated from our own body and is also present in most of the foods. Histamine will be liberated, when it undergoes stress and allergy. One of the other major role of histamine’s function is neurotransmitter or chemical messenger that carries signals from one nerve to another.

In an allergic responses, an allergen stimulates the release of antibodies, which attach themselves to mast cells. As a allergic response, our body’s histamine will set freed from the mast cells and causes itching to eyes, more mucus from nose, skin rashes, headache and diarrhea etc.

In a normal healthy individuals, the production and ingestion of histamines is balanced out by an enzyme called diamine oxidase (DAO), which breaks down the histamines. But in case of some people have a deficiency of DAO enzyme, so the histamines build up in their own body, and cause a wide array of symptoms.

When coming to its discovery part, histamine was first synthesized in 1907 and its pharmacological properties were demonstrated in 1911. Because the substance was extracted from tissue, the word “histo” was used to describe this “amine”.

The release of histamine can be caused by almost any allergen like inhalant allergen, dust mite, ragweed pollen, penicillin, sulfa, aspirin drugs, stinging insect venoms, and also even by foods like egg, wheat, milk, fish.

The symptoms listed for histamine intolerance are so incredibly broad that almost anyone could recognize at least one of them. But remember, these symptoms could be caused by a variety of different problems.

If you have selected medical path, then you can have a DAO test, to see if your DAO levels are normal. There is one more method, which is purely based on experimental approach i.e., a skin prick test. That’s better than random guessing, but still not particularly precise method.

In women, the production of DAO enzyme fluctuates with the menstrual cycle. This means that histamine intolerance issues will likely be worse during the follicular phase. With this monthly fluctuation, it’s even harder to figure out what foods that making you histamin intolerance.

Another scenario where DAO levels will increase, that is during pregnancy. In the whole slew of changes that occur during even a healthy pregnancy, it’s easy to miss out on the improvement of histamine intolerance symptoms.

Generally if, the histamine levels exceeding 2 mg/L in beverages and 50 mg/kg in foods are treated as risky. People with Histamine Intolerance tend to react to even lower levels because they are especially sensitive.

If you have identified, at least two typical symptoms-which i was listed at the starting of this article and they go away either with a low-histamine diet or with the use of antihistamine medications, then you probably have Histamine Intolerance. People who suspect they may have Histamine Intolerance should first be tested for true food allergies to rule those out before undergoing more specialized testing.

There are many possible foods, in the world that have nothing to do with Histamine Intolerance, so you may discover some surprising food reactions if you pay close attention and following are the few examples.

Histamine in Foods

There are many foods that contain histamine or cause the body to release histamine when we intake into our body. These types of reactions are food intolerances, and are different from food allergy in that the immune system is not involved in the reaction. The symptoms, however, can be the same as a food allergy.

Fermented foods may cause allergy symptoms because they are either rich in histamine or because of the presence of yeast or mold is involved in the fermentation process.

Histamine-Rich Foods:

Alcoholic beverages, especially beer and wine
Anchovies
Avocados
Cheeses, especially aged or fermented cheese, such as parmesan, blue and Roquefort.
Cider and home-made root beer.
Dried fruits such as apricots, dates, prunes, figs and raisins
Fermented foods, such as pickled or smoked meats, sauerkraut, etc.
Mackerel
Mushrooms

Read Full Story Here: How Histamine causes allergies in Human & Steps to reduce 

Do Soy Burgers Contain Hexane?

The patty of a veggie burger may be made from vegetables like potato or corn, textured vegetable protein like soy, legumes like beans, tofu, nuts, mushrooms, grains and from wheat and flax seeds. In India where vegetarianism is widespread, where fast food restaurant chains like McDonald's, Burger King and KFC serve veggie burgers.

Some convenience store bought vegan staples can be life-savers for those with a busy schedule or that are cutting down their meat and dairy consumption.This scenario is especially true for products that replace animal-based foods, like vegan cheese and yogurt and of course, our favourite veggie burger is also in the list. While we know whole foods are best protein fiber source, these products help many of us ease into a plant-based diet with a little less intimidation.

In this busy world most of us are interested to make quick meal in a few minutes with less efforts, and we love the way they taste. One of the most popular vegan food item that falls under this criteria is the veggie burger.

I like those frozen veggie burger patties that I buy at the grocery store, but the other day a lady told me they've got hexane in them.

Hexane sounds bad but, what is it?

Do all veggie burgers contain hexane and does this mean I shouldn't eat them?

Veggie burgers don't contain any hexane. Some soy protein ingredients in meat analogs and nutrition bars, which are listed on labels as soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate or textured vegetable protein, have undergone hexane processing.In fact, hexane can be used as a healthy protein source for vegetarians.

Let me explain how this story about hexane came to be:

Hexane is classified as an air pollutant by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and as a neurotoxin by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Hexane is one of the chemical compounds that composed of Carbon and Hydrogen chained together individually by single bonds. Hexane could be made by human synthesis and occurs naturally. Almost all the hexane is acquired from petroleum mixtures through controlled distillation and other removing methods.

Hexane is an useful compound as a solvent. There are many popular uses of this compound and one of them is as an industrial cleaner or degreaser. It is useful in dividing molecules and separating fats and oils apart from different substances. It is used in plants and vegetables to remove the greases and proteins and they are used in other productions

In the food industry, hexane is used to extract the vegetable oil from plant seeds such as canola, soybeans, sunflowers and corn because it is more efficient and less expensive than squeezing out the oil with presses. The hexane is removed from the oil before it is bottled and sold, but there is always the potential for some hexane residue to be left in the oil.

Is it difficult to avoid hexane?

Most hexane exposure comes through the air, however if you wish to eliminate hexane residues from your diet, you can choose foods that are "100-percent organic" and oils that are expeller-pressed rather than solvent-extracted. Expeller pressing is not as efficient as hexane extraction so oils made this way are going to be more expensive. Keep in mind that labels that state the product is made with organic ingredients may still use ingredients that have been exposed to hexane.

Not only vegan food items, even some of the vitamins will be processed by hexane.

Is it your suppliments processed with Hexane?

Many of us take vitamins and other supplements regularly in hope they will make us healthier and maybe to fill in gaps in less than perfect diets. But, the significant problem with the supplement industry is that many companies do not disclose toxic solvents used to process the vitamins they make. Of particular concern is a substance called hexane, generally used as an industrial-strength cleaner, degreaser and a component in gasoline, but is also used in a variety of supplements and other natural food products to extract certain nutritional components.

According to the World Health Organization, a single exposure to hexane can cause vertigo, dizziness, and drowsiness. It is also a skin irritant. Long-term exposure may cause neuropathy, anorexia, and diminished reflexes. The FDA does not currently set a limit for hexane in most foods with the exception of hops and spices which are allowed to contain up to 25 ppm or 2.2% per weight. Since there is no specific limit set by the FDA, food manufacturers do not have to disclose the use of hexane in their products.

Most of the research on toxicity of hexane involves inhalation of the chemical. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets the limit of exposure to inhaled hexane to 50 ppm over an 8 hour work day. Over 50 common household products contain hexane, so for those of at home it is difficult to determine the amount of daily exposure.

In order to reduce your risk of exposure to dangerous chemicals, it is vital to know where your supplements come from and what type of manufacturing practice the company uses. The manufacturer should be willing to disclose any chemical coatings or solvents that are used.

In choosing supplement it is best to research the company to understand their manufacturing practices. Avoid supplements made by pharmaceutical companies. Choose companies that use real, whole foods in their supplements and not synthetic vitamins. The vitamins or supplements should also be raw-based. Look for vitamins that are gluten-free, soy free, and do not contain any preservatives or artificial colors. You take vitamins and supplements to help improve your health, so do a little research to make sure you get the best quality product available.
Read Full Story Here: Do Soy Burgers, Processed Vitamins Contain Hexane?