Hydrophilic, Hydrophobic, and Hygroscopic

Hydrophilic refers to substances that absorb water. A hydrophilic substance will bond, on a molecular level with water.
Hydrophobic materials hate water and repel it.
Hygroscopic refers to the ability of a material to absorb humidity from the air.  A hygroscopic substance will actively attract and absorb water, without bonding. A hygroscope indicates changes in humidity.

Water is hydrophilic (mixes with more water easily) and oils or fats are generally hydrophobic and separate from water, forming an oily layer.

The suffix "philic" means loving or attracted to. The suffix "phobic" means fear or fearful.

Novel Uses for Sugar

Healers in Africa have been putting crushed sugar cane on wounds for generations. Moses Murandu is a nurse who grew up watching his father use the remedy in Africa and was surprised to find that doctors in England didn't use it. He started a study to research the idea and tested it on patients with bed sores, leg ulcers, and amputations before dressing the wounds. They found that sugar can reduce pain and kill bacteria that slow healing. Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it naturally absorbs water, which bacteria needs to survive. Sugar is also much cheaper than modern antibiotics. The next time you cut yourself, give it a sprinkle of sugar before putting on a band-aid.

Sugar Cure

Healers in Africa have been putting crushed sugar cane on wounds for generations. A study was conducted testing sugar on patients with bed sores, leg ulcers and amputations before dressing the wounds.

Results showed sugar can reduce pain and kill bacteria that slow healing. Sugar is hygroscopic, meaning it naturally absorbs water which the bacteria need to survive. Sugar is also much cheaper than many antibiotics. Try giving that cut a sprinkle of sugar before putting on a band-aid.