Rivers, Streams and all parts

Fresh water is defined as having low salt concentration. (Mostly less than 1%) Rivers and Streams are bodies of flowing water moving in one direction. They can be found everywhere and get their starts at headwaters, which may be springs, snowmelt or even lakes, and then travel all the way to their mouths. The mouth of a river is the part where it empties into another body of water, such as lake, bay, ocean or another river.  Rivers and streams make up about 3% of the earth's total fresh water. Freshwater fish such as trout and heterotrophs can be found there, and aquatic green plants and algae can also be found there.  Since there is less light, there is less diversity of flora, and because of the lower oxygen levels, fish that require less oxygen, such as catfish and carp, can be found. The temperature is cooler at the source than it is at the mouth. The water is also clearer, has higher oxygen levels. Towards the middle part of the stream/river, the width increases, and so does species diversity. Deposits of sediments and nutrients at the mouths of rivers build up protective coastal deltas. Toward the mouth of the river/stream, the water becomes murky from all the sediments that it has picked up upstream, which decreases the amount of light that can penetrate through the water. The levels and types of nutrients in a stream depend on what is happening in the stream’s watershed.  The characteristics of a river or stream change during the journey from the source to the mouth.  Rivers provide drinking water to many people in undeveloped countries and they are also sources of energy. That being so, we should protect the rivers because they support life and help us form other living conditions.

 

Health Benefits of Garlic

Garlic is a delicious seasoning, adding great flavor to numerous foods, but it is also anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. Garlic is composed of a variety of enzymes, flavonoids, antioxidants, and minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and selenium. The vitamins it contains are vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. Daily consumption of garlic can prevent and even help to cure many health problems. If consumed in small doses, and consumed often, it is an excellent supplement. In history, garlic was considered to be the best medicine. In WW1, even though penicillin had already been discovered, if there was a shortage or lack of penicillin, medics and doctors would use garlic on the wounded to prevent infections and gangrene. It was placed raw on wounds, and may have saved many lives. It was used to cure cancerous tumors and was also put row on wounds; it saved many lives.

Garlic supports a healthy immune system, which is necessary to fight cancer. It appears that it also has the ability to reduce the formation of cancerous cells, and slow the growth of tumor cells. Studies have shown that compounds in garlic slow the rate of growth in the tumor, even reducing the tumor size by half. There are several healthy ingredients in garlic and they are useful to us in ways that we do not even know. Allicin is produced when garlic is finely chopped or crushed. It starts to break down almost immediately, so its medicinal effects decrease quickly as well, but cooking and microwaving also destroy its benefits. Therefore for it to be most effective, you should crush a little and combine it with cooked food shortly before serving. Another benefit of garlic to us is its ability to help control our blood pressure by thinning our blood. The chemical found in garlic, called ajoene, thins the blood and keeps clots from forming. Studies show that in populations where there is more garlic consumed, there is also a reduced incidence of hypertension and heart disease.