Kojic acid inhibits melanin production by blocking tyrosine, an amino acid needed to make melanin. This can lighten visible sun damage, age spots, or scars. It’s found in cosmetic products like creams ...

Millions of heartburn and bloating sufferers could be receiving the wrong treatment, study finds Cameron Henderson is a versatile journalist currently serving as Science Correspondent for The ...

Essential amino acids are organic compounds your body can’t produce on its own. The nine essential amino acids—histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, ...

Over time, your body’s stores of hyaluronic acid decline. Age is one reason, but environmental factors — such as smoking and air pollution — also accelerate this process. That’s the bad news. The good ...

You may have muscle shaking or cramping, signs of temporary lactic acid build-up during intense exercise. Signs of lactic acidosis include nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath. Staying hydrated ...

Several things can trigger acid reflux or a GERD episode, including some eating habits (like having dinner very late at night) or eating certain foods (like spicy, acidic, or fatty foods). Felice ...

Overview: Caprylic acid is a medium-chain fatty acid your body can use as a source of energy. It may help some people use ketones for energy. But the benefits of taking caprylic acid for any other use ...

Nucleic acids (DNA or RNA) are polymers of nucleotides – each nucleotide consists of a pentose sugar, a phosphate group and one of the nitrogenous bases (purines and pyrimidines). Nucleic acids ...

This story appears in the April 2011 issue of National Geographic magazine. Castello Aragonese is a tiny island that rises straight out of the Tyrrhenian Sea like a tower. Seventeen miles west of ...

The pH is a negative logarithmic scale, which measures the molar concentration of hydrogen ions from 1 to 10 14 ions. It therefore has no unit of measurement. Numbers on a negative logarithmic scale ...

Heartburn is a common symptom of acid reflux that may feel like a burning sensation in the throat and chest. Some people may experience heartburn and other symptoms of acid reflux after eating ...