Can someone die from excessive water intake?

Excessive water intake is known as water intoxication and is the direct result of drinking too much water at too quickly a rate. The excess water greatly dilutes the nutrients and ions in the body. The result is that the body cannot carry out its functions. In particular, when the sodium ion concentrationdecreases, hyponatremia occurs, which may lead to coma and death

What is bulimia?

Bulimia is an eating disorder in which individuals binge eat frequently—often several times a week or even several times per day. Sufferers of this illness may eat an enormous amount of food in a short time, consuming thousands of calories. Then they will purge their bodies by vomiting or using laxatives and/or diuretics.

What are the benefits of breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding provides benefits to both the baby and the mother. A major benefit to the baby is that breast milk supplies the correct amount of nutrients as the baby grows from an infant to a healthy toddler. The nutrients in breast milk also protect the infant from certain childhood illnesses. Finally, recent research has shown that breast milk contains certain fatty acids (building blocks) that help the infant’s brain develop. In the early days following childbirth, the mother’s body releases a hormone that makes her uterus contract and get smaller in response to the baby’s sucking. Breastfeeding also provides many emotional benefits between mother and child and encourages maternal-infant bonding. Human breast milk consists of mostly of water (88 percent), sugars (6.5 to 8 percent), lipids (3 to 5 percent), proteins (1 to 2 percent), amino acids, and salts. It also contains large quantities of lysozymes—enzymes with antibiotic properties. Human milk is bluish-white in color and sweet. The blue color comes from the protein and the white comes from the fat. There are approximately 750 calories per liter of breast milk.

Can microorganisms be used to produce vitamins and amino acids?

Numerous vitamins are currently produced by industrial fermentations. Vitamin B12, for example, is used to prevent certain types of anemia in the body, and riboflavin is used to encourage metabolic processes in the body. Both are produced by bacteria cultivated in industrial plants. Yeasts are rich in B vitamins and are used as a food supplement. Among the amino acids produced by microorganisms in industrial processes are glutamic acid and lysine. Both are used as dietary growth supplements.