Anyone who eats Asian food regularly probably knows that soy sauce has been around for at least a couple of thousand years and it is one of the most popular condiments in use today.
In ancient times, the people of Asia had to preserve meat and fish by packing them tightly in salt and the liquid that drained from the meat preserved like this was commonly used as a seasoning for other foods such as rice. As Buddhism became more popular, the salty meat drippings that were used for seasonings had to be exchanged for vegetarian alternatives. One alternative was a salty paste of some fermented grains and this was an early version of soy sauce.
As improvements were made on the recipe in Japan and a woman there opened the first commercial soy sauce brewery in the world, soy sauce soon became even more popular in Asia and its use began to spread.
Today, soy sauce is made with mashed soybeans, salt, wheat, and finally, a fermenting agent which is usually the same one used to make sake in Japan, Aspergillus oryzae. Aspergillus soyae can also be used. The mold used to ferment the soy sauce is a pretty important ingredient, as the soy sauce made with it is referred to as a “true” soy sauce.
Aspergillus oryzae is also used in the creation of Japanese rice wine, as mentioned earlier. Also called “koji”, it is one of the most important ingredients in the beverage. The mold is used to ferment steamed rice that has been milled sometimes down to less than 50 percent of its original mass in order to remove the amino acids, proteins, and fats that can really give the beverage a smell or flavor that is not as pleasant as it could be.
The cultivation of this mold is taken extremely seriously by sake brewers, since the mold is sensitive and can absorb the flavor and smell of the things around it, such as the smell of the wood a new brewing room might be constructed out of. If constructed of cedar, the sake may very well take on a faint cedar flavor after it is produced. In contrast to wine, sake should be consumed as soon as possible after being bottled. Some aged sakes are quite good, but the general opinion is to drink it as soon as you buy it.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
north carolina flood water damage restoration and other states such as
New Jersey mold remediation companies across the united states.
Friday, October 12, 2007
A Surprising List Of Diseases Caused By Mold
If you hear of an illness that ends in “mycosis”, it was probably caused by a mold. Those who are particularly at risk to contract this class of diseases are those with compromised immune systems and this often occurs in people who have a cancer of the blood, chemotherapy patients, those with HIV or AIDs, anyone with serious blood disorders. Even those these diseases are far more likely to affect those with compromised immune systems, they can develop after a person has surgery or any other invasive procedure. It can also be transmitted by contaminated surgical instruments.
Generally the first symptoms of these mycotic diseases are those that are similar to the flu, such as chills, coughing, pain in the muscles and the joints, and fever. Medications that are antifungal can cause some of these symptoms, as well, even though the fungal infection that it is intended to treat cause these exact same symptoms. These drugs can also cause kidney damage and end up affecting the eyes, skin, or liver and a doctor will probably ask for labwork often in order to catch some of these serious side effects before they become out of control.
Some of the diseases that can be caught from a mold are histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, coccidioidomycosis, candidiasis, blastomycosis, and aspergillosis. These are serious fungal diseases and should be treated as such.
Aspergillosis is caused by molds in the Aspergillus genus and tends to be found in many places including buildings, plants, food, water, and soil.
Blastomycosis is caused by Blastomyces and is found soils that are rich in nutrients and very moist. It has been known to affect both animals and humans.
Candidiasis is caused from the mold Candida and can cause mouth infections or genital yeast infections, but it is even more serious when it ends up invading the bloodstream. Candida is found in the intestines naturally, however.
Coccidioidomycosis is caused by the mold coccidioides and this is found most often in the dry soil in the southwestern United States, and central and South America. It starts as a flu-like disease, but can infect the lungs and infect the other organs in the body, including the brain.
Cryptococcosis is caused by Cryptococcus and associated the most with Eucalyptus trees and bird droppings. It typically begins in the lungs, but has no symptoms until it spreads to the rest of the body.
Histoplasmosis is caused by Histoplasma and tends to infect the lungs. Like other fungal infections, it includes flu-like symptoms and can spread to the rest of the body.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut Mold Remediation services and other states such as
north carolina mold remediation companies across the united states.
Generally the first symptoms of these mycotic diseases are those that are similar to the flu, such as chills, coughing, pain in the muscles and the joints, and fever. Medications that are antifungal can cause some of these symptoms, as well, even though the fungal infection that it is intended to treat cause these exact same symptoms. These drugs can also cause kidney damage and end up affecting the eyes, skin, or liver and a doctor will probably ask for labwork often in order to catch some of these serious side effects before they become out of control.
Some of the diseases that can be caught from a mold are histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, coccidioidomycosis, candidiasis, blastomycosis, and aspergillosis. These are serious fungal diseases and should be treated as such.
Aspergillosis is caused by molds in the Aspergillus genus and tends to be found in many places including buildings, plants, food, water, and soil.
Blastomycosis is caused by Blastomyces and is found soils that are rich in nutrients and very moist. It has been known to affect both animals and humans.
Candidiasis is caused from the mold Candida and can cause mouth infections or genital yeast infections, but it is even more serious when it ends up invading the bloodstream. Candida is found in the intestines naturally, however.
Coccidioidomycosis is caused by the mold coccidioides and this is found most often in the dry soil in the southwestern United States, and central and South America. It starts as a flu-like disease, but can infect the lungs and infect the other organs in the body, including the brain.
Cryptococcosis is caused by Cryptococcus and associated the most with Eucalyptus trees and bird droppings. It typically begins in the lungs, but has no symptoms until it spreads to the rest of the body.
Histoplasmosis is caused by Histoplasma and tends to infect the lungs. Like other fungal infections, it includes flu-like symptoms and can spread to the rest of the body.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Connecticut Mold Remediation services and other states such as
north carolina mold remediation companies across the united states.
Desert Mold Causes Valley Fever
It might not be that obvious, but even in desert climates such as parts of Arizona, California, Nevada, and etcetera mold can be a real problem. One of the most deadly (and most difficult to pronounce) molds lives in the desert areas of the southwestern United States called Coccidioidomycosis immitis. It is also known by the common name of Valley Fever. This causes a skin disease that can be fatal if left untreated. While this mold is present in the Southwestern United States and Mexico, this mold is not present in the deserts of Asia and Africa.
Another reason that mold can be a big problem in desert areas is that people also tend to use what are called swamp coolers to cool their homes and businesses off during the hottest parts of the year. This drives indoor humidity sky high and along with it comes the mold growth that you really do not want inside your building. Leaks are also common occurrences in the water pipes that flow up to the rooftop coolers, which causes water to leak in the ceilings, attics, and walls.
A third reason is that the high heat of the desert can cause the deterioration of roofs and the siding to occur more quickly than in other environments. Water leaking into the house through holes in the roof or the siding on the side of the house will allow mold to begin growing. Do your best if you live in a desert climate to watch for these leaks, since your property is particularly at risk for this kind of damage.
Since water and air conditioning are so important in these areas, the possibility of plumbing and air conditioning condensation leaks is pretty high. The best thing that you can do to prevent air conditioning condensation is to wrap any pipes in insulation so the water does not collect.
Unfortunately, most people do not think that these climates have enough moisture for mold to be a problem, but as said, this is a fairly large misconception. The same techniques used in other environments to combat mold contamination of the home should also be used in desert climates. The majority of mold claims in desert areas are a result of water damage, but mold can also be caused by defects in the construction of a home and sometimes general maintenance issues of the property.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.moldrestorationny.info
http://www.moldrestorationnj.info
Another reason that mold can be a big problem in desert areas is that people also tend to use what are called swamp coolers to cool their homes and businesses off during the hottest parts of the year. This drives indoor humidity sky high and along with it comes the mold growth that you really do not want inside your building. Leaks are also common occurrences in the water pipes that flow up to the rooftop coolers, which causes water to leak in the ceilings, attics, and walls.
A third reason is that the high heat of the desert can cause the deterioration of roofs and the siding to occur more quickly than in other environments. Water leaking into the house through holes in the roof or the siding on the side of the house will allow mold to begin growing. Do your best if you live in a desert climate to watch for these leaks, since your property is particularly at risk for this kind of damage.
Since water and air conditioning are so important in these areas, the possibility of plumbing and air conditioning condensation leaks is pretty high. The best thing that you can do to prevent air conditioning condensation is to wrap any pipes in insulation so the water does not collect.
Unfortunately, most people do not think that these climates have enough moisture for mold to be a problem, but as said, this is a fairly large misconception. The same techniques used in other environments to combat mold contamination of the home should also be used in desert climates. The majority of mold claims in desert areas are a result of water damage, but mold can also be caused by defects in the construction of a home and sometimes general maintenance issues of the property.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.moldrestorationny.info
http://www.moldrestorationnj.info
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