BODY MASS INDEX BMI - Food and Health

BODY MASS INDEX BMI

Body mass index vitae mass index is a metric or measure that is used provide a snapshot of an individual's health and one number its purpose is to describe the relationship between a person's height and weight in clinical terms it's used to describe an individual's adiposity or body fat percentage its usefulness stems from the fact that it better estimates an individual's body fat than just body weight alone for example an individual who is 5 feet tall and weighs 150 pounds would be considered overweight while a person who is 6 feet tall and 150 pounds would not it's not a perfect metric and it does have limitations but it's pervasiveness in the world of medicine nutrition and its ease of use are reasons to understand it BMI was developed using the metric system in that equation is rather simple it's mass in kilograms divided by height in meters squared in the SI system which is what is used in the United States is mass in pounds divided by height in inches squared times 703 and there are dozens of calculators available online check the description below for one from the National Institute of Health body mass index is classified according to the table below numbers to remember are the normal range which is eighteen point five to twenty four point nine under weight being anything under eighteen point five and then over weight which is 25 to twenty nine point nine obese which has different classes but is generally anything over 30 and then morbidly obese would be anything over forty the higher your BMI the higher your risk for certain diseases such as heart disease high blood pressure diabetes gallstones breathing problems in certain cancers these health risks increase even more as the severity of an individual's obesity increases despite the limitations of BMI these risk factors are well established in the literature research has shown that an individual with a BMI over 25 classified as overweight and a BMI over 30 classified as obese increase the risk for the following conditions death from any disease or cause which is all cause mortality coronary heart disease which is essentially heart attack type-2 diabetes cancers specifically Demetrio breast and colon hypertension or high blood pressure dis lipedema which can mean high cholesterol and triglycerides stroke also known as cerebral vascular accident liver and gallbladder disease sleep apnea and respiratory problems osteoarthritis and gynecological problems including abnormal menses and infertility individuals

The BMI under 20 specially under eighteen point five depending on which resource you use are increased risk of medical problems as well unfortunately because the underweight folks are much fewer and farther between they don't get the same attention as the 1.3 billion overweight and obese adults that said being underweight has increased risk of death from any cause as well malnutrition vitamins and mineral deficiencies and then complications of vitamin and mineral deficiencies such as osteoporosis can also increase your risk of immunosuppression and infection as well as respiratory disease and gynecological problems body mass index is not without its limitations the first is at the level of adiposity for a given BMI value varies by race for example a white male with a BMI of 25 has 21 percent body fat an Asian male has 23 percent and an african-american male 20 percent this variability is true at all levels of BMI and for both males and females of all three races this suggests that the mean BMI associated with the development of an adverse metabolic profile varies by race the current w-h-o guidelines listed above apply to whites Hispanics and blacks and for Asians the current cutoff underestimates the amount of risk BMI is also considered to be an inaccurate measure of adiposity individuals with lean body mass such as athletes and weight lifters individuals with more muscle mass and to have a higher BMI despite body fat percentages in the low or normal range for example an individual who is 63 and weighs 235 pounds with about 10 percent muscle to fat ratio will have an ascertain determined BMI of 29.4 which places that person in the overweight territory and extremely near being named large on the other hand it might think little of muscle to fat ratio in older individuals or those who have lost muscle mass these limitations have led researchers and industry experts to suggest that BMI is an actor measurement of obesity despite insane accuracy it's simple to calculate and widely used despite the widespread use of BMI other body measurements may be better predictors these include neck circumference waist circumference waist to height ratio and waist to hip ratio there's evidence to support the clinical utility accuracy of these measurements but they are not widely used in clinical medicine so in conclusion BMI is regularly used to measure whether an individual is underweight normal weight overweight or obese a high BMI which is greater than 25 and overweight folks and greater than 30 and obese is associated with a myriad of health risks a low BMI meaning less than 18.5 also has increased health risks and finally BMI has two major limitations its accuracy varies by race especially in Asian folks and is limited in individuals with lean muscle mass...

The Negative Effects of too Much Salt SODIUM ON YOUR BODY? - Food and Health

Negative Effects too Much Salt SODIUM) ON YOUR BODY?

The negative effects of having too much salt circulating your body by better understanding the effects of salt on your body you may better be prepared to manage and restrict restrict your salt intake when appropriate if you haven't watched my brief lecture on how salt specifically raises your blood pressure I would encourage you to check that out typically consuming too much salt is something that occurs over time in a disease process it contributes to our chronic diseases however I will briefly mention that there are some acute processes as well too much salt an acute setting can lead to something called hypernatremia or too much salt in your blood this occurs because of dysregulation of sodium water or both and this is a different disease entirely and so I'm going to focus strictly on the chronic effects of sodium and hypertension let's pretend for a moment that we're talking about patient acts who has chronic hypertension his son pretension has caused in part because he consumes far too much salt every day the American Heart Association recommends 1,500 milligrams per day but he consumes three times up 4,500 milligrams per day the following is a list of diseases he's at risk for secondary to his high salt levels in subsequent high blood pressure first thing is kidney damage over time the excess fluid and circulation and elevated blood pressure can actually damage the kidneys one of the roles of the kidney is to filter your blood remove waste products and toxic products and send them off to your bladder in the form of urine when your kidneys are damaged these natural filter stopped working as effectively as these filters stopped working talk to some toxic substances begin to build up in your bloodstream and can cause all kinds of secondary issues this is why people with end-stage kidney disease require dialysis because their kidneys are no longer filtering or functioning appropriately and we use a machine to substitute that job for them the second thing is arterial damage chronically elevated blood pressure puts stress on the walls of your arteries because these arteries need to maintain pressure at the begin to thicken and stiffen to compensate for that increased pressure

This process is known as arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries at the same time these thickened arteries can actually begin to narrow leading to arterial stenosis or narrowing of the arteries this combination of hardening and narrowing is a setup for disaster over time these damaged arteries can dilate in bursts perform blood clots they send elsewhere or get so narrow that blood can no longer flow through them properly and since the arteries job is deliver oxygen aided blood to the organs that they flow into this can lead to organ damage downstream as those organs become deprived of oxygen the third thing it can really do is heart damage several things happen to heart muscle and arteries when chronically elevated blood pressure under these stress of pumping against that high blood pressure the heart muscle actually hypertrophy or gets bigger much like skeletal muscle and an athlete these the arteries of the heart known as the coronary arteries also can narrow stiffen like arteries anywhere else now fortunately the increase in heart muscle means that it requires more oxygen to do its job and when combined with those narrow and hardened arteries you have the classic setup for a heart attack high salt can also cause brain damage the arterial damage I mentioned can lead to reduced blood flow to the brain the narrowing and a hardening of the arteries can occur in the arteries of the neck known as the carotid arteries as this process evolved if the blood pressure remains elevated parts of the narrowed carotid artery can break off under pressure and it can end up somewhere on the brain circulation once there the oxygen deprived branches you can die leading to a full-blown stroke another way that this can manifest is a series of mini strokes over time that can cause a type of dementia known as vascular dementia there are a few other things that can also occur chronically elevated sodium has been linked to osteoporosis stomach cancer kidney stones and headaches in addition to putting you at risk for the other diseases have you sought to take Kim manifests with these signs and symptoms and they're all essentially signs of water retention it includes puffiness bloating weight gain and excessive thirst so in conclusion just a few key points here chronically consuming too much salt or sodium can lead to hypertension hypertension can lead to damage to your kidneys heart brain and blood vessels it also increases your risk for osteoporosis stomach cancer kidney stones and headaches and you may also notice puffiness bloating weight gain and excessive thirst... 

Vitamin D to Promote Testosterone Production - Food and Health

Vitamin D to Promote Testosterone Production

The research and evidence regarding vitamin D supplementation and testosterone there is a fair amount of research out there that is compelling and growing so I took some time to summarize it and condense it for your benefits so the question is how does vitamin D regulate testosterone it's not very well understood but it is believed primarily to occur because vitamin D inhibits the process of Roma Tai's ation in which testosterone has changed into estrogen it also appears that vitamin D may enhance the sensitivity of cell receptors in the testicular glands that produce testosterone the evidence is as follows a 2008 study showed the risk of Falls and the elderly was reduced more in individuals with increased testosterone vitamin D and calcium when compared to only elevated testosterone levels what this does is suggests a synergistic relationship between testosterone and vitamin D in 2010 men with sufficient vitamin D levels had significantly higher levels of testosterone and free androgen index and significantly lower levels of sex hormone binding globulin when compared to men with insufficient and deficient vitamin D additionally testosterone levels followed a seasonal pattern peaking in August and being at their lowest levels in March in a 2011 study researchers found men who supplemented vitamin D had significantly increased total testosterone by active testosterone and free testosterone when compared to baseline levels conversely the control group did not show any significant increases in any of these levels more recently a 2012 study found that vitamin D levels are literally associated with testosterone levels up to about 75 to 85 nanomoles per liter where the relationship begins to Plateau and just to be fair I did find a 2013 city that had negative results the authors of this study administered supplemental vitamin D and found no significant effects on serum or total free testosterone however they did find that serán vitamin D was a predictor of testosterone levels how much vitamin D do you need according to the National Institute of Health the recommended daily allowance for individuals over 18 is 600 international units per day and 800 international units per day after the age of 70 however for individuals will start diseases related to vitamin D deficiency such as chronic a disease the recommendations are higher also folks who live at latitudes more distant from the equator either north or south are greater risk of vitamin D deficiency as well the suggested 600 to 800 IU's per day may be appropriate but still subclinical for optimal vitamin D one of the studies I referenced use 3 thousand international units per day so talk to your doctor about measuring your level and ask before you begin supplementing more than the RDA sources the best source of vitamin D is natural sunlight obviously however that's not always an option and dietary sources include supplements fatty fish including salmon tuna and mackerel fish liver and beef liver cheese egg yolks and fortified foods namely milk and breakfast cereals and so in conclusion it's worth noting that many of these studies are looking at individuals who have a vitamin D deficiency for one reason or another like most vitamins minerals and supplements there's almost certainly a saturation point at which the advantages die down in regards to testosterone it appears to be generally certain that men with low nutrient D will have an expansion in testosterone when they start enhancing that benefit is not as obvious or well studied in men who have normal vitamin D levels and on a final note and the grand scheme of things vitamin D supplementation has relatively few if any major side effects when taken at the recommend daily allowance and should be a part of a baseline supplement regiment for weight lifters and athletes you...

Health Benefits of Phytates and Phytic Acid - Food and Health

Health Benefits of Phytates and Phytic Acid

A set of compounds called phytic acid which are more well known by the title fight aids they have any other fancy names that I can barely pronounce about will list for your benefits phytates are the primary form of phosphates storage in most plants especially in seeds but also in beans legumes and grains along these lines they become a significant wellspring of phosphorus for us as shoppers of plants as a rule non ruminants don't separate phytates well since we need the enzyme phytase that specifically targets them for metabolism when we do consume them we digest them down to other inositol phosphate termed I p12 ip6 and while all technically different are essentially metabolites of the phytic acid we have consumed vitamin D appears to aid in this digestion and the more vitamin D available the better the absorption and just as a side note vitamin D calcium and phosphate regulation in the body all occur in concerts historically phytates have received a bad reputation although their existence has been known for decades they were not embraced due to their tendency to buy minerals in the gut before they're absorbed slowing absorption and also influencing the activity of other digestive enzymes the perception was generally speaking the more any giving mineral we absorb the better so if I say it's inhibit absorption they must be bad correct one thing phytates are known to do is regulate iron absorption in folks who are at risk of iron deficiency or who are actively iron deficient this may become problematic however in a Western diet high in red meat we typically consume too much iron and this has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack stroke and cancer so fight a gas it may all things considered lessen our danger of those illnesses by hindering retention of iron from numerous points of view phytic corrosive acts like a nutrient and since it has phosphorous appended you could state mineral too truth be told some nutritionists would argue it should be considered an essential vitamin

The question is what can or what does fighting acid do for us so what does the evidence say perhaps the most promising and impressive potential of phytase are in its anti-cancer and anti tumor functions although the research is very early the potential is promising phytates have Antioch anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing activities all of which appear to help them target cancer cells it may block the proliferation of new blood vessels that allowed cancer cells to spread amazingly it may even rehabilitate cancer cells causing them to act normal again early evidence is promising especially for breast kidney prostate and colon cancer and of course there's a lot of research ongoing early research also suggests that high levels of phytic acid reduce your risk of developing atherosclerosis a disease process that increases your risk of heart attacks and also decreases the likelihood that platelets will stick to hardened arteries phytates are partially excreted in urine and may bind minerals during that process and so early evidence also suggests that it helps prevent the recurrence of kidney stones unsurprisingly like most things in the gut it does influence the pancreas and may help blunt the bump and blood sugar we get after eating food more researchers need to determine the implications of this finding but it will likely help with the sensation of feeling full longer and potentially help with diabetes management and prevention hemochromatosis is a disease where your body does not excrete or metabolize iron appropriately and you eventually suffer from your body dumping iron all over your body it is best managed with the help of a doctor who specializes in the disease but phytates may well help reduce absorption of iron in these patients who already have too much for osteoporosis I found a study that compared phytate consumption and found that

I had a protective effect against osteoporosis suggesting low phytate levels may be a contributing factor to the disease process and finally phytic acid is a natural antioxidants so I briefly want to touch on this mineral binding activity it's a real thing phytates clearly buying iron calcium zinc and manganese in the gut and this can affect your body's absorption however if you eat a balanced diet without excessive amounts of phytic acid then these effects are likely to be of minimal consequence the parts of the world where phytates may have the biggest effect on inhibited mineral absorption is in low-income countries where mineral fortification is uncommon and nutritional deficiencies are common there are some in the nutrition world arguing or gathering evidence to argue for D vitamin in these of the world to prevent the development or exacerbation of mineral deficiencies the other area of concern is individuals with iron deficiency who are also a risk of a fighty induced exacerbation of their illness if you are concerned about the loss of mineral absorption from phytic acid you can consider the following to potentially blunt the impact of that effect and that includes cooking or heating the foods that contain them soaking or fermenting and then also adding vitamin C or vinegar in your preparation that said the argument that certain plant foods are unhealthy because of the 5ik acid content seems unfounded although they bind minerals there's little evidence suggesting this is clinically significant and most people and the evidence is starting to mount that they have benefits although Heights and seeds whole grains and beans the content does vary widely from plant to plant so good examples include almonds beans Brazil nuts peanuts walnuts rice bran wheat bran and sesame seeds final question is do you need to worry the short answer is probably not if you consume a healthy balanced meal the evidence suggests you will not develop any mineral deficiencies from your phytate consumption and that this may actually confer some benefits the argument by some that certain plant foods are unhealthy because of their phytic acid concentration should also be taken with a grain of salt although we do need more evidence and research to make broad recommendations and draw firm conclusions and individuals without any major mineral or vitamin deficiencies phytic acid and moderation appears to be beneficial so in summary we can say phytic acid is the primary form of dietary phosphorus it has promising anti-cancer activity while research is ongoing it may also help with cardiovascular disease kidney stones insulin resistance hemochromatosis and osteoporosis it does bind and inhibit the absorption of iron calcium and zinc this does not appear to be clinically relevant in most individuals however iron deficiency anemia folks then individuals in developing nations may be more at risk than the average person the best dietary sources are seeds and you probably do not need to worry about the negative effects of phytate consumption if you consume a balanced diet...

Health Benefits of Fish Oil OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS - Food and Health

Health Benefits of Fish Oil (OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS)

Health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids you hear a lot about those in the news and you don't always know why people take them so I just wanted to sort of summarize the reasons that you should be taking them there the polygon saturated fats which we know are the good ones and they take a few weeks of consistent consumption to become therapeutic so just keep that in mind there's three types that I won't really spend much time on but just so you know one is alpha linoleic acid 2 is eco Panta Noack acid and decos x hexanoic acid anyway three types of omega-3s most of them and they're mostly found in fish although you can find with other things and the omega-3 part just refers to the where the first double bond appears in the polyunsaturated fat so the most important benefit of omega-3 fatty acids refers to the cardiovascular risk factors so here are the things that it absolutely does it lowers triglycerides significantly and may have a modest rise in HDL which is good as well as a modest rise in LDL which is not good it lowers blood pressure lowers your resting heart rate improves cardiac muscle relaxation filling and efficiency so some really good positive benefits there additionally it may also actually reduce the risk of arrhythmias it is also known to reduce coronary heart disease mortality including the risk of fatal Mis and sudden cardiac death and individuals within without known coronary heart disease it reduces total more tired total mortality and also lowers the incidence of heart failure and it may actually reduce the progression of atherosclerosis as well and it's unknown at this time whether it reduces the risk of acute coronary syndrome or stroke and more studies are needed it appears to have a very modest effect on increasing your glucose but that doesn't appear to affect the hemoglobin a1c so it's a sub-therapeutic change in in blood glucose it may actually reduce the risk of developing diabetes it may also help regulate skeletal muscle calorie expenditure and reduce the rate of weight gain in obesogenic environment and hypertrophy it may actually augment protein synthesis although we don't really know how that works it increases glycogen resynthesis rates and glucose oxidation so it helps your scales muscles recover faster and utilize that sugar it also increases the muscle cells ability to switch from glucose to fat for oxidation and it may actually decrease the rate of muscle degeneration it also has a bunch of anti-inflammatory properties so it may suppress some immune modulators which I won't get into as well as inflammatory factors I also has numerous neurological and nervous central nervous system effects against known it's been shown to reduce aggression stress and those that probably occur through suppression of noradrenaline it may also improve memory and decrease the risk of depression as well as have a synergistic effect with other antidepressants and also can increase cerebral blood flow in individuals who have a low dietary intake of omega-3s it has some other benefits

I may have a protective effect for diabetics for developing diabetic nephropathy it may have protective effects against your skin for skin cancer and for sun lights and burns as well as as being helpful with people who have systemic lupus erythematosus and then during pregnancy and breastfeeding it's still a little bit controversial but I believe the recommendations are that it is generally okay to consume one or two servings of fish a week for fish oil and you should you're supposed to avoid certain fishes such as shark swordfish mackerel tilefish because those ones are known to have higher levels of mercury and you should target ones that have shrimp light tuna salmon pollock and catfish but basically with breastfeeding and if you're pregnant or trying to become pregnant you can probably consume small amount of these in safely but you should also talk to your OBGYN before you do that side effects they'll basically a gastrointestinal disturbances you can get from the fish oil supplements it may modely increase your risk for bleeding although has it been tarnished show an increased risk of hemorrhage or anything like that and surprisingly there's actually no significant risk for mercury although we know that fish have work forgetting them if you stick to supplements from cod sardines and mackerel you'll actually reduce the risk of getting mercury in your fish meal supplements sources include many types of fish I just listed a couple that would be salmon mackerel Cointreau and shrimp are good sources also fish oil flaxseed oil and krill oil are also good sources and finally recommendations first obviously omega-3s confer many health benefits and are an excellent health supplement especially for cardiovascular and neurological benefits if you are pregnant plan on becoming pregnant or breastfeeding you can safely consume one or two servings a week but you should excuse me but you should discuss it with your OBGYN prior to starting it would be my advice for those who are supplementing fish oil or omega threes one gram per day is a good target number and lastly you can actually do taking the pills taken with food and will help with the gastrointestinal reflux and the so called fish burps that people get...

Human Growth Hormone - Food and Health

Human Growth Hormone

Growth hormone this peptide hormone also known as somatotropin human growth hormone or HGH is a physiologically active hormone that has a significant role in multiple processes in the human body growth hormone synthesis production and regulation occurs in the hypothalamus pituitary axis these two glands located in the mind are answerable for a wide assortment of hormone guideline that incorporates thyroid capacity conceptive hormones, for example, estrogen and testosterone adrenaline dopamine and others notwithstanding development hormone the regulatory process is quite complicated and has an entire medical specialty dedicated to it known as endocrinology so I won't dive any deeper into that discussion but I would encourage you to look it up if you want to know more now growth hormone is an anabolic hormone in other words it promotes growth and while this does include skeletal muscle it definitely is not limited to that it's also worth noting that it is not a neurogenic as opposed to say testosterone meaning it doesn't promote male sex characteristics such as facial hair and a deeper voice now the most prominent effect of this hormone is that it promotes bone growth and is the primary hormone responsible for growing to an adult size in children is largely responsible for determining height and it is modulated by several complex mechanisms secretion peaks during puberty where the most bone growth occurs and then declines with age like most hormones along with bone growth it does promote bone mineralization and calcium retention and then other functions include skeletal muscle protein amalgamation explicitly sarcomere hypertrophy increment in fit weight fat breakdown protein combination somewhere else not simply in the muscle decline cell take-up of glucose increased glucose synthesis release of insulin like growth factor one which organs pancreas regulation immune system stimulation and promoting some level of thyroid activity there is such thing as the body producing too much growth hormone naturally not from supplementation and this can lead to one of two diseases in children who secrete too much growth hormone often from a pituitary tumor you get the disease giantism think Andre the Giant this person is excessively tall often over seven feet and this occurs primarily because their growth plates had not yet fused now if you develop this problem with too much growth hormone as an adult you get something called acromegaly the difference is your growth plates are now fused so you will not be excessively tall instead you have a constellation of symptoms which includes a prominent jaw large hands deep voice and a bunch of other symptoms there's also a spectrum of disease that can affect the hypothalamic pituitary axis which regulates growth hormone secretion leading to a deficiency and this deficiency can occur as a child or as an adult often secondary to something like a stroke or cancer and there's an FDA approved growth hormone therapy available for these patients.

Growth hormone supplementation and athletic performance before I discuss the topic which one made clearly that this is an off-label use it's illegal and I'm certainly not advocating for it I'm just sort of presenting the information that is available there's limited in mixed evidence that supplementing growth hormone will improve athletic performance it appears that growth hormone does have an anabolic advantage at the molecular level but it is not clear that this helps with strength power or performance so one double-blinded study found no increase on power output or oxygen consumption another study did show an increase in insulin-like growth factor-1 but again with no corresponding improvement in strength or performance and a third study found that supplementation improves skeletal muscle synthesis is no better than a placebo one possible benefit is the build above connective tissue speeding recovery from injury without any subsequent change in muscle mass or strength again this is theoretical and not evidence-based but it is widely held to be true in the sports world and what are the side from supplementing or from having excessive natural production this can include joint pain and joint inflammation and enlarged heart muscle weakness ironically high cholesterol impaired glucose regulation and an increased risk of type 1 diabetes impotence increased fatigue and possibly an increased cancer risk and because your body regulates the hormone using a negative feedback loop long-term supplementation can actually wreak havoc on your body's ability to naturally produce growth hormone in other words you can stop reducing it altogether and this is similar to what happens with long-term testosterone supplementation so the question is should you supplement and if you haven't figured out by now the answer is very simply put no it's illegal in the u.s. at least and supplementation should only be done under the supervision of a physician the more thoughtful answer is that there is limited and mixed data that it even helps at all there's no slam-dunk study stating that growth hormone will boost your athletic performance rather the dogma in the sports world exists primarily because of what we know it does naturally and how much supplementation helps out folks who have a growth hormone deficiency furthermore there are many profound side effects including and up to hindering the ability of your body to naturally produce the hormone at all there are a few ways for you to naturally promote secretion primarily this includes exercise which is well known to allow levels to rise unchecked immediately after exercise this is certainly true of resistance training and in endurance training some studies are actually little mixed and fat long-term training can reduce growth hormone healthy sleep is the other primary booster those are the two that you should focus on other promoters of growth hormone secretion include stress starvation puberty as we discussed low blood sugar and other hormones such as growth hormone releasing hormone so in conclusion there are many important functions especially for bone growth during puberty and adolescence there are diseases where your body produces too much or not enough there is limited and very weak evidence that growth hormone boost athletic performance at all and it has many known side effects so you are not advised to supplement given this information there are natural ways to promote it and that primarily includes exercise and sleep you...

How to Burn Extra Calories at Work - Food and Health

How to Burn Extra Calories at Work

The level activity your job demands but at least a few of these should apply to just about everybody first thing is walking or biking to work any 175 person burns about a hundred calories per mile assuming that they walk about three miles per hour leave an opportunity to walk to work calories burn can add up very quickly for example one of the hospitals I worked at is about a quarter mile away so I burn about 50 calories every time I walk there and back it is too far to walk consider using a bicycle second thing is parked farther away if you do drive to work and let's be honest most people have to try parking farther away most people park as close as possible so it's usually not an issue to find a spot in the corner of the lot like walking this will increase your calorie expenditure join the community aspect of your work take the stairs 160 pound person will burn five calories for every flight of stairs they climb so if you walk up and down ten flights of stairs per day that's at least an extra fifty calories and obviously if you walk up more stories multiple times today that will add up very quickly stand up when possible standing actually burns more calories than sitting so if you're in a meeting or at the desk or some environment where you typically sit consider standing it actually increases your calorie expenditure by 50% when compared to being seated and of course you can buy desks that are vertically adjustable so you can stand up well at your computer if you do have to be seated consider using a stability or balance ball as a chair is sickening creature seated counter expenditure by as much as six percent according to a Harvard study 185 pound person burns 156 calories per hour seated over the course of an hour a day this adds up to more than 100 calories additionally it requires you to use your core muscles to maintain balance which increase your physical health and help tone your abs you can also try mini step around your desk they use resistance for your legs to do work one study published suggest that you could increase your calorie expenditure by as much as 100 calories per hour using this device and you can find them online for 

The more you walk the more calories you will burn just mentioned if you do have any joint diseases ankle weights may not be the best option for you as you could be stressing out any problems you already have exercise during your lunch break this could be walking around the building or it could mean if you have enough time to actually go to the gym either way you probably don't spend your entire lunch break eating or working so use that time to burn a few extra calories and there's a bonus and get a real workout in without more time to do other things in the evening take advantage of your employee fitness benefits this sounds obvious but it may not be many companies are becoming more aware of the impact of unhealthy folks on their workforce productivity into promoting healthy behaviors for their employees this often includes either access to gym Y at work or discounted membership to a gym nearby and if you don't have one of those perks try talking to your boss about it they may just say yes bring your fitness gear to work this could either be dumbbells or bands or something in that ballpark and keep them available at your desk there's a lot of exercises you can do while you read an email it was to a voicemail or something like that or you just do sets between tasks either way you can burn some extra calories there if you do travel for work plan ahead for those who do travel having a regular fitness routine can be very difficult make sure to bring your gym gear with you check with the hotel you're staying at make sure they have a gym if they don't switch hotels I also consider buying some resistance bands they're light and easily packing luggage and allow you to work out from your hotel room also getting others involve can be helpful that extra karma camaraderie can go a long way when you're trying something new exercising something that most people could use more open you probably want to have to trouble too much trouble recruiting more people while at work and this new group can then find times during the day or maybe even when you're not at work to increase exercise consider a treadmill desk this obviously isn't going to work for everybody but if you can do it you can really burn extra calories Mayo Clinic researchers estimate that walking on a treadmill awhile at work for two to three hours a day can actually help you shed as many as 66 extra pounds per year and finally I drink your coffee black a couple of black coffee has around five calories which is pretty negligible adding sugar and cream has a lot of extra calories around 30 to 60 calories each per tablespoon depend on what you're using and I estimate that over the course of you that can help to ismay's 10 fewer pounds of calories consumes...

How to Treat and Prevent Bad Breath HALITOSIS - Food and Health

How to Treat and Prevent Bad Breath

Some options out there to treat and prevent bad breath for most people most of the time this is either easily treated or prevented and I want to share with you some of the ways that you can accomplish this I previously made a video about the causes of bad breath and I would encourage you to check that out if you are interested in expanding your knowledge base however to briefly summarize the list includes but is not limited to poor dental hygiene which is the most common cause certain foods smoking dry mouth other dental causes such as cavities or tonsil stones and certain medical conditions like acid reflux and pneumonia are diabetes the first thing you can do is brush and floss your teeth more often poor dental hygiene is the most common cause of bad breath when plaque builds up bacteria growth in your mouth increases dramatically and trapped food can also contribute according to the American Dental Association you should brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss at least once a day it's also recommended that you do this after meals and first thing in the morning when the overgrowth of bacteria in your mouth is at its peak also make sure to replace your toothbrush regularly at least every 2 or 3 months the next thing you can do is scrape your tongue when brushing your teeth make sure you scrape your tongue as well this can be a source of bacterial overgrowth if ignored if you know this is a problem try buying a scraper made specifically for this purpose as a toothbrush it may not always be adequate certain foods including but not limited to fish cheese onions garlic and other vegetables and spices can definitely contribute to bad breath this can occur because either in small quantities the food in your mouth can be malodorous or they can travel through your bloodstream and when expelled from your lungs it can smell funny as well either way avoid eating them when you know you'll be socializing and/or brush your teeth after you consume them the next is to quit smoking everyone knows smoking is bad for your health and in fact check out this video of 88 reasons why smoking is bad for you one of the more hygienic ones is that it can cause your breath to be quite foul it can also stain your teeth cause gum disease and increase your risk of cancer so quit smoking while you're ahead then next is to use mouthwash regularly mouthwash is an excellent supplement to brushing and flossing they make types at our antibacterial and can really reduce the amount of foul-smelling bacteria in your mouth getting rid of that bacteria can improve your breath in addition to the cents added to the mouthwash alternatively if you don't have any just try swishing some water around which can help in a pinch the next is to remove your dentures at night obviously this only applies if you wear removable dentures make sure you take them out every night make sure to clean them with a denture cleanser before inserting them again in the morning and if you suffer from dry mouth which can be caused by many many things try chewing on sugar-free gum or sucking on sugar-free candies this will help promote saliva production and help fight off those foul-smelling bacteria if nothing else worked try talking to your dentist or primary care doctor about your concerns there are many dental and medical causes of bad breath that may require more than add home remedies the above suggestions do not work my recommendation would be to talk to a professional about other options... 

Amazing Health Benefits of Vitamin C - Food and Health

Health Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C and trying to summarize it it's an essential water soluble vitamin has other names such as ascorbic acid and has been called the most popular supplement on the planet this is essential because humans can't synthesize it and it must obtain it from their diet so I'm just going to kind of summarize things that I think are worth knowing and essentially everything that I'm going to talk about is evidence-based and backed up by researchers different studies that have been published so it's a digestion it's promptly caught up in the gut from dietary sources kind of clear the body utilizes it for collagen combination certain synapses, for example, dopamine and epinephrine and it's also a cofactor for l-carnitine synthesis not really going to go over any of that in detail so I would encourage you to look it up if you want to learn more it does have a few benefits though generally speaking it is thought to stimulate the immune system strength and connective tissue and promote wound healing it may also be an antihistamine it is well known as a vitamin supplement taken to prevent and treat the common cold I actually looked up the data for this there was a 2013 meta-analysis of 29 studies so meta-analysis when they combined all that data and try to drop one conclusion from 29 different studies that did show a small but statistically significant 8 percent reduction in the duration of cold symptoms in adults regularly taking vitamin C supplements of at least 200 milligrams per day in the general population and does not reduce the risk of developing the cold or getting sick it does appear to have a protective effect in highly active individuals who participate in it vigorous exercise in other words the evidence is not strong a vitamin C is dramatically helpful I mean I did say only 8% it is not dramatically helpful and preventing or treating

The common cold in most people neurologically speaking it may reduce the stress response it may have some antidepressants eye defects and it may be protective against dementia and Alzheimer's it does likewise seem to have a few advantages to physically dynamic people it might elevate our friends to advance carnitine and collagen biosynthesis and antioxidant protection of skeletal muscle the clinical significance or excuse me the significance to athletes is not known at this time it does not appear to mediate the immune response during short duration exercise however as I mentioned before it may reduce the risk of developing colds during prolonged exercise when supplementing with vitamin C there are some things some big categories of vitamin C does not provide any benefits for has not been shown to reduce the risk of developing cancer cardiovascular disease coronary heart disease cataracts or macular degeneration a deficiency in vitamin C is known as scurvy it's characterized by bleeding gums bruising fatigue and depression this is where the term limey comes from and that was used to describe 18th 19th century British sailors who had lemons or lime juice to their ROM to prevent scurry scurvy during long excursions at sea toxicity it's generally well tolerated you know so if you're supplemented with 200 milligrams a day that's a pretty that's a that's a higher than the recommended daily allowance and it levels a 2,000 milligrams per day or ten times that it may cause some gastrointestinal disturbances dose and pregnancy it is a category C however supplementation is generally recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding sources some common sources besides just a pill supplement is our citric fruits such as limes lemons Kiwi fruits apples vegetables potatoes leafy greens and fortified cereals the recommended daily allowance in males is 90 milligrams per day in females it's 75 milligrams per day and in general you should try not to exceed 2,000 milligrams per day as I mentioned before and that's basically it for vitamin C again all this is evidence base...

Health Benefits of Eggs (EGG WHITE & YOLK) - Food and Health

Health Benefits of Eggs (EGG WHITE & YOLK)

The nutritional content of chicken eggs and specifically the minerals and vitamins so he was a quick rundown of how they are helping keep you healthy previously I showed a lecture on egg consumption and cholesterol let's draw I encourage you to check it out but I will summarize it for you here although eggs do contain cholesterol this is not translate to increased serum cholesterol more importantly a consumption does not increase the risk of atherosclerosis coronary heart disease heart attack or stroke the research is clear eating egg yolk is not unhealthy and it is filled with nutritious protein healthy fats vitamins and minerals it generally it's unnecessary to separate the egg yolk out as you are losing a significant portion of the nutritional content and here are the nutritional facts level-4 are one large egg which includes the white and the yolk so what you're looking at here seventy calories per egg five grams of fat which is mostly unsaturated but there is a little bit of saturated fat so that's good some cholesterol salt one gram of carbohydrates very incentive again and six grams of protein and I'm going to talk about the vitamins and minerals so vitamin A is most famous for its protective effects of vision vitamin D is an important item as well vitamin D deficiency has been linked to bone disease depression multiple sclerosis Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease poor sleep quality cancer heart health asthma diabetes and low testosterone vitamin E the benefits of vitamin E are not as clear some of its counterparts it may be helpful in preventing certain neurological diseases vitamin b12 also known as cobalamin eggs are rich in this particular vitamin about 50% of your daily requirement vitamin D deficiency has been linked to nerve disease depression fatigue memory loss and other psychiatric issues riboflavin also known as vitamin b2 riboflavin deficiency has been associated with different Durham and skin issues anemia and potentially poor growth in animal models folic acid also known as b9 is another very important B vitamin as well known as a supplement of pregnancy providing a variety of congenital diseases and everyone else it appears to be helpful with stroke depression vision and a deficiency can lead to anemia among things nice and notice b3 is well known for its lipid lowering effects it's actually prescribed by physicians to help treat and prevent atherosclerosis and elevated cholesterol among other things and you'll also find a couple of carotenoids called lutein and zeaxanthin and these play a role and collect your vision much like vitamin A and there's also a small but note where the amount of iron and calcium so conclusion one large ad contains 70 calories 5 grams of fat mostly unsaturated 1 gram of carbohydrates and 6 grams of protein as far as vitamins and minerals it has vitamins A D and E vitamin b12 riboflavin folic acid and nice and also contains small but notable mats of leucine xanthine as well as iron calcium... 

Health Benefits of Vitamin B3 Niacin - Food and Health

Health Benefits of Vitamin B3 NIACIN

Tako niacin which is also known as vitamin b3 you may still hear or read about I described as nicotinic acid and also comes in two other forms niacin amide or nicotinamide and inositol hex and nicotine ate a lot of to having somewhat different effects on our bodies nice thing is a water soluble vitamin is often considered essential human nutrient depending on the definition use at baseline it helps the digestive system skin and nerves to function and is also important for converting food to energy I'm going to start by going over the benefits but make sure to stick around and learn about the side effects and toxicity it is not a supplement that should be started in high doses without the advice or supervision of a physician so nice it is most well known for treating high cholesterol for which it is prescribed by physicians it's been used for that purpose since the 50s and has been shown to lower bad cholesterol which is known as LDL and raise the good cholesterol which is HDL in that same context it has been shown to slow the progression of atherosclerosis or plaques in your arteries reduced risk of heart attack reduced risk of stroke and reduced risk of a second heart attack and folks who already had one it may benefit type 1 diabetics by reducing the risk or slowing the progression of the disease in osteoarthritis it appears to help improve symptoms including increasing joint mobility as far as Alzheimer's disease goes folks lower levels of nice and have increased risk however supplementation has not been studied folks with more nice and in their diet have a lower risk of developing cataracts and is currently being investigated as a potential treatment for rosacea aging and skin cancer there are some other potential benefits that are insufficient evidence to be formally recommended but potential benefits that includes ADHD migraine headaches dizziness depression motion sickness alcohol dependence orgasms and acne so as far side effects test ago you should not take niacin at high doses without your doctor's supervision high doses can cause flushing of the skin's stomach upset headache dizziness blurred vision and more importantly increased risk of liver damage can raise your blood sugar and it has many known interactions with prescription medications deficiency leads to something called pellagra which causes skin problems GI tract problems and mental status issues dietary sources include beets yeast liver kidneys fish including salmon swordfish and tuna sunflower seeds peanuts breads and cereals are often fortified dairy eggs and poultry the recommended daily allowance for adult men is 16 milligrams per day and for adult women 14 milligrams per day it is also likely safe in pregnancy and breastfeeding and again talk to your health care provider before supplementing so in conclusion there's really five points that I want to make proven to help lower cholesterol which reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke many other proven and potential benefits does have some serious side effects at higher doses may come in dietary source including fish poultry and nuts and the recommended daily allowance is 16 milligrams per day in males and 14 milligrams per day and adult females...

Health Benefits of Dietary Fiber - Food and Health

Health Benefits of Dietary Fiber

Fiber this nutritional and dietary term gets used a lot and people seem to think it's important but what is it why does it matter classically fiber is known for preventing or relieving constipation but what other health benefits does it have so first I just want to talk about what fiber is roughly speaking it is the part of plants that is indigestible sometimes referred to as roughage or bulk and when I say indigestible I mean that your body either does not have the natural enzymes to break the plant components down or that the transit time in our body is too fast for us to break it down the content varies widely from plant to plant but includes substances like lightnin which is part of the plant cell wall Polly and oligosaccharides which refers to various types of carbohydrates but in this case specifically things like cellulose and inulin and certain starches that we can't digest basically what happens is the fiber gets through your entire gastrointestinal tract without any substantial changes in its composition well it certainly looks different this is significant because it can modify the landscape of our GI tract and also affect how other various foods are absorbed so there's some fairly good evidence that shows that dietary fiber does have some benefits this includes most prominently normalizing your bowel movement so it will increase the weight size and soften your stool it can actually help with both constipation and hardening up of loose stools if you suffer from either problem it will pull your bowel movements back towards the middle and normalize them it's helpful more for maintaining bowel health including reducing risk of hemorrhoids and that particular disease which can lead to diverticulitis it can lower cholesterol levels soluble fiber does appear to help inhibit your body's absorption of certain bad fats such as low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol which have been linked to increased risk of heart attack stroke and dementia it also appears to help in diabetics seems to help slow the absorption of sugar and maintain lower blood sugar levels and it actually may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes it's also been shown to help maintain a healthy wait high fiber diets are more filling so you are likely to eat less food they're also less energy dense meaning fewer calories in the same volume of food and though better research is needed it may also help with lowering blood pressure acting as an anti-inflammatory and helping with colorectal cancer prevention although the evidence is mixed before

I talk about sources I'm just going to review the two types the first is soluble meaning it will dissolve in water and your gastrointestinal tract and form a gel-like substance and your guts soluble fiber appears to help more with lowering cholesterol and blood sugar and the second type is non soluble meaning it does not dissolve in water and promotes movement of material through your guts non-soluble appears to help more with an overall healthy digestive tract and treating constipation while most plant-based foods contain a combination of both soluble and insoluble fiber the specific content varies widely from food to food the best sources of soluble fiber include oats peas beans apples citrus fruits carrots barley and psyllium for insoluble that would be whole-wheat fiber wheat bran nuts beans and vegetables such as cauliflower green beans and potatoes okay sources include supplements like Metamucil they have less variety of fiber and are also stripped of other nutritional content but they're better than nothing but not as good as the foods above food so if I were added like cereal yogurt and gorilla bars are also not bad sources but the bad sources are refined processed foods such as canned fruits and vegetables white breads and pastas and cereals that are not whole-grain according to the Institute of Medicine men under 50 should get 38 grams per day in over 50 30 grams per day and women under 50 should get 25 per day and over should get 21 per day and then of course make sure to drink lots of water as fiber works best when absorbed by water and so a conclusion we can make the following statements fiber is part of the plant that is indigestible research has proven it helps normalize bowel movements maintain gut health lower cholesterol improved blood sugar control and help maintain a healthy weight it may also help with hypertension inflammation and colorectal cancer there are two types soluble and insoluble and both have their merits and finally the best sources of dietary fiber are fruits vegetables whole grains and legumes... 

Health Benefits of Psyllium Fiber - Food and Health

Health Benefits of Psyllium Fiber

Psyllium fiber briefly psyllium fiber is also known as aspo Gullah which I probably said wrong that's the common name used for several members of the plant genius plant I go and specifically this plant is harvested for the husk of its plant seed I'm going to start with the easy stuff primarily psyllium is used as a dietary fiber which is not well absorbing the gut and acts as a bulking agent helping retain water in the gastrointestinal tract and preventing in treating constipation it makes bowel movements easier and more regular notably it does not cause flatulence like most constipation medications the well-known over-the-counter product Metamucil is produced from psyllium fiber studies have shown that it can modestly decrease diarrhea and loose stools and helping them to become more regular and firm and it may also help with irritable bowel syndrome although studies are mixed psyllium appears to help lower cholesterol a study published in 2002 250 adults with hypercholesterolemia who are randomly assigned to either daily psyllium husk or a placebo for 26 weeks and they found at 5.1 grams of psyllium twice a day produces significant reductions in serum total and LDL concentrations in men and women with primary hypercholesterolemia more recently a 2009 meta-analysis was published looking at the same thing the authors looked at all studies comparing psyllium fiber and his cholesterol lowering effect ultimately including 21 studies they concluded that compared to placebo psyllium fiber produced significant reductions in both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol they also found that there was a dose-dependent relationship meaning more psyllium fiber intake produced greater reductions researchers have also looked at high blood pressure a 2009 study examined the effects of psyllium fiber on high blood pressure and in this study 141 hypertensive adults were randomized to six months of psyllium powder guar gum to be taken before meals or to a standard diet they found that six months of psyllium fiber significantly reduced both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure a smaller study a couple years earlier also looked at the effects of dietary fiber but not gliese ileum injures similar conclusions the author state dietary protein and soluble fiber supplements lower blood pressure additively in hypertensive patients it is reasonably well documented that increased fiber intake is associated with a reduction in risk of coronary heart disease and death from heart disease I couldn't find the study specifically looking at heart disease and so in fiber but there are some really great publications looking at non specific fiber intake a 2004 study completed a pooled analysis of 10 cohort studies that looked at coronary heart disease and fiber intake and then combined the data to draw conclusions they found that fiber intake was associated with a 14% decrease in risk of all coronary events and a 27% decrease in risk of coronary heart disease or death from heart disease an article was published in 2001 looking at dietary intake of fiber and type 2 diabetes the author's randomized 13 patients in a crossover study to two diets each for six weeks one with moderate fiber

Recommended by the American Diabetes Association and one with high fiber intake they found that high intake of dietary fiber improves glycemic control decreases hyperinsulinemia and lowers plasma lipid concentrations in folks with type 2 diabetes more recently a study published in 2015 look specifically at psyllium fiber and type 2 diabetes what they did is complete a meta-analysis of three randomized controlled clinical trials that were asking this question they concluded psyllium dose before meals showed significant improvement in both the fasting glucose concentration and glycosylated hemoglobin better known as hemoglobin a1c the relationship between psyllium obesity and weight loss isn't well studied but there is a body of evidence looking at dietary fiber and weight loss which would apply to psyllium fiber a 2005 study reviewed the currently available data and concluded studies that support dietary fiber preventing development of obesity our strong fiber intake is inversely associated with body weight body fat and body mass index and how exactly this works is not entirely clear one hypothesis is that dietary fiber like psyllium increases water absorption in the gut giving you a sensation of feeling full there's mixed evidence that psyllium husk may help with both Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis for example one study found that cilium maybe as effective as masala mean a medication used to treat ulcerative colitis to maintain remission of the disease however if you or someone you know suffers from one of these diseases I would advise against rushing out to supplement store to buy psyllium fiber supplements may actually exacerbate the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease so do not begin taking them without consulting your doctor thirty years ago there was some exciting studies published that suggested that high fiber diets may reduce your risk of developing colon cancer more recently some of the wind was taken out of the sails and the most recent studies finding modest at best association a 2011 study completed a systematic review and meta-analysis of 25 prospective studies looking at dietary fiber and grain intake and its association with colorectal cancer they found a high intake of dietary fiber was associated with a 10% reduced risk of colorectal cancer which was statistically significant another study published in 2000 looked at recurrence of colorectal cancer what they did is include 2,000 men and women over the age of 35 who had recently had a colorectal adenoma removed within six months and then randomized them to either a normal diet or a high-fiber diet there was no difference in recurrence of adenoma between those two groups and so in conclusion we can make some statements about psyllium it is a readily available over-the-counter supplement that has multiple benefits demonstrated in the research that I have provided above including benefits for constipation diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome shown to lower cholesterol blood pressure and risk of heart disease improves blood sugar control and type 2 diabetics associated with healthy weight BMI and weight loss it may be beneficial for inflammatory bowel disease but you should talk to your doctor first and finally a modest decrease in the risk of colorectal cancer... 

Health Benefits of Capsaicin CAYENNE PEPPER - Food and Health

Health Benefits of Capsaicin Cayenne Pepper

The medical advantages of capsaicin is a naturally dynamic part of Chili Peppers which are devoured by in excess of a fourth of the total populace every day gives a hot zesty flavor to nourishment dishes by going about as an aggravation which presents with a consuming sensation capsaicin works by official to a capsaicin receptor actually called trpv1 which is a nerve receptor that recognizes the consuming sensation hypothetically it turns the nerve receptors on then exhaust them until they no longer fire which is how they can help treat paint by exhausting the nerves has also been shown to influence serum levels of substance P serotonin and somatostatin you can become sensitized and desensitized to capsaicin which is why some people are more tolerant than others of the habanero peppers and the similarly hot peppers it's also worth noting that capsaicin has many cousins that act very similarly which are generally called caps Androids this includes substances like dye hydro cap c8 and cap c8 itself because capsaicin as a medication is so novel it's not exactly clear what benefits the capsule mines may have versus capsaicin itself I just want you to be aware that there is really a cluster molecules of which capsaicin is the most well known starting with pain it can be used topically and orally for pain relief although the topical prep is obviously more well known most often recommended for post surgical pain neurological pain including diabetic neuropathy shingles and trigeminal neuralgia as well as cluster headaches and arthritic type pain scientists have shown that capsaicin cream can be used to treat bone cancer in animals and are currently conducting similar pain studies in humans as far as skin conditions goes it has been shown to be beneficial with psoriasis it may also help with depression as it promotes an endorphin release and research is ongoing regarding this has some metabolic and GI tract benefits it's well known to increase the basal metabolic rate in human studies may also act as a stimulant of the digestive tract as a whole and is an alkaline substance which inhibits gastric acid secretion and may help with peptic ulcers studies have shown pepper consumption is protective against ulcers and stomach cancer may help with diabetes as well because it does increase substance P which has been shown to reverse diabetes in mice there's some pretty decent research that it can help kill prostate cancer cells and there's other research ongoing for other types of cancer including colon pancreatic liver and breast it is well documented to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and finally preliminary studies have shown that capsaicin can inhibit fat absorption and serum cholesterol and animal models so just a few precautions keep in mind that this is a relatively new substance as a medication and it's not really well understood it is generally considered to be safe as it is found naturally in peppers that people have been consuming for thousands of years however most commonly if you take too much it will present with upset stomach including nausea vomiting abdominal pain or diarrhea and just be wary of supplements as this is not a well studied drug and I can't find any FDA guidelines regarding oral therapy as far as formulations go it can be a supplement form either topical which is the most common preparation or pill form and then obviously naturally you can get it from pepper consumption which is probably the best source and again because it's not regulated by the FDA there are no guidelines for dosages...

Health Benefits of Thiamine Vitamin B1 - Food and Health

Benefits of Thiamine Vitamin B1

The benefits of thiamine also known as vitamin b1 thiamine is a water-soluble vitamin and is involved in many essential bodily functions this includes nervous system and skeletal muscle function the full of electrolytes in and out of nerve and muscle cells digestion and carbohydrate metabolism common food sources include yeast legumes meat grains cereals and super grains nuts and seeds milk and oranges as far as metabolism goes it's absorbed in the small intestine and transported to the liver the highest concentrations are found in skeletal muscle the liver heart kidneys in the brain is limited tissue storage requiring relatively constant influx or supplementation and it is an important cofactor an amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism as far as benefits go supplementation has shown good evidence to reduce the complications of Lee's disease maple syrup urine disease pyruvate carboxylase deficiency and it individuals at risk for malabsorptive issues such as Crohn's disease bariatric surgery patients in short bowel syndrome there are other potential benefits however most of these require more research to be considered conclusive but early studies are promising it's included its ability to prevent kidney disease and folks with type 2 diabetes other diabetes complications such as peripheral neuropathy visual problems prevent cataracts reduce the risk and symptoms of Alzheimer's reduce the risk of heart failure certain forms of anemia joint and rheumatoid disease temporomandibular joint disorder hip fractures potentially preventing cervical cancer and improving athletic performance deficiency increases your risk of some pretty serious diseases but I'm not going to get into them in detail those include adult and child berry berry or Nicki Korsakoff syndrome and lis syndrome there's some other formulations worth mentioning Subutai Amin is a polymer of 2,000 molecules bound together they may have some other benefits compared to regular firemen because it is more labour philic and these potential benefits include neuroprotective glutamine cholinergic and dopamine receptor sensitivity memory improvement in reduction in fatigue benefit I mean is another thiamine derived compound it may be helpful with pain perception reduce stress on cardiac muscle reduced complications of diabetes increased glucose utilization by skeletal muscle and as a potential antioxidant the kidneys clear thiamine very efficiently so it essentially has no toxic syndrome because of its slick excretion the recommended daily allowance dosages are usually between 1 and 2 milligrams per day in adults the RDA is 1.2 milligrams per day for adult men 1.1 milligrams per day for adult women 1.4 milligrams per day during pregnancy and lactation so in conclusion this is a very important vitamin it's beneficial to your nervous system your muscle function and digestion and carbohydrate metabolism among other things as many common food services so it's easily obtained many potential benefits that do require more research some serious conditions are associated with deficiency several other promising formulations and it's relatively non-toxic so supplementation is generally no big deal... 

What Causes Bad Breath? - Food and Health

Causes Bad Breath

The causes of bad breath just so you know the technical term halitosis simply means bad breath this is derived from the Latin word halitosis meaning breath or exhalation and the Greek suffix osseous meaning a process or condition one quick point before I get started saliva is important to the hygiene in our mouth contains enzymes that help break down food and maintain the acid-base balance at your mouth both of which blunt the growth potential of bacteria it is antibacterial properties as well including compounds such as IgA an immunizer that assumes a basic job in invulnerability lactoferrin lysozyme and peroxidase these are fundamental to our oral cleanliness and at last to our general body wellbeing as well and on to the causes of bad breath the first and most common would be poor dental hygiene if you don't brush and floss your teeth regularly meaning two or three times a day food particles and bacteria will build up the bacteria can thrive around your teeth tongue and gums leading to plaque buildup and over a period of time sometimes as fast as overnight or in subsequent days your breath will inevitably get words continued neglect can lead to other conditions in your mouth including dental cavities gum disease or around your teeth unfortunately these issues if what's up treated can cause problems much worse than bad breath eating certain foods can either release their own foul odor and/or promote certain bacteria that do the same thing this includes but is certainly not limited to fish cheese onions garlic and other vegetables and spices you may have part of the ketogenic diet which is essentially a low carb diet if your body isn't a significant katatak state and that is to say that you are relying primarily on body fat for energy production it can actually cause your breath to smell fruity and this is commonly known as katatak breath smoking and chewing tobacco and frankly any tobacco products can also cause bad breath not only will they cause your breath to smell bad they will stain your teeth you rotate in the road your gums and increase your risk for gum disease and oral cancer among other types of cancer if your mouth does not produce enough saliva it can lead to a dry mouth this process is known as xerostomia slothy helps clean your mouth in the lack of saliva can foster an environment for bacteria to grow causes a dry mouth include dehydration certain illnesses such as Sjogren's syndrome medications or excessive breathing through your mouth this is why when you wake up in the morning you have a dry mouth and morning breath because you have an overgrowth of bacteria from the decrease in saliva production other dental causes of bad breath include dental cavities also known as dental caries which provide a place inside your tooth where bacteria can flourish poorly fitting dentures or braces can also set you up for bad breath tonsil stones which are technically known as tonsil lifts can be impacted in the tonsils in the back of your mouth and can be very foul-smelling and of course post surgical infections after dental surgery or oral maxillofacial surgery there are some medical conditions that can also contribute to bad breath this would include upper respiratory tract infections like acute and chronic sinusitis and thrush as well as lower respiratory tract infections namely bronchitis and pneumonia diabetes acid reflux and lactose intolerance can also contribute to bad breath and certain liver and kidney diseases can set you up bad breath as well

Health Benefits of Vitamin E - Food and Health

Health Benefits of Vitamin E

Vitamin E it took some time to do some background research on it to give you an overview and explain all the things that I think are worth knowing about it including any health benefits just a few general points it's a fat soluble compound and it's most generally known as an antioxidant you may also hear for hear it referred to as tocopheryl or tocotrienol which are two of the scientific names alpha-tocopherol being the most important form and just as a disclaimer everything that I'm talking about here is evidence-based has research to back it up because it's a fat soluble vitamin bioavailability or availability in your body depends on fat digestion and absorption and it's transported around the body piggybacking on various type of proteins such as chylomicrons and very low density lipoprotein which is like a type of LDL benefit wise the therapeutic benefits are supple supplementing with vitamin E are few if any a few things that it may do it may slow the progression of Alzheimer's but the data is not conclusive it may reduce reduce the risk of cataracts or age-related macular degeneration but again controversial and it may have a protective effect against tardive dyskinesia it does not appear to have any effect in preventing stroke and has mixed evidence and its ability to prevent heart disease lastly its effects on cancer as a whole are not well understood and evidence to support supplementing it for the purpose of preventing cancer are insufficient at this time for example one large tales got a large-scale study was stopped because it was found to actually increase the risk of prostate cancer not prevented toxicity wise toxic doses may impair absorption of other fat soluble vitamins it might increase the risk of bleeding necrotizing enterocolitis and children and anaemia meta-analysis found individual supplementing with high-dose vitamin E actually had an increased risk of all-cause mortality thus individuals without any special indications should not supplement vitamin E for disease prevention without consulting a doctor deficiency is uncommon except in individuals who have difficulty absorbing fat soluble vitamins prolong deficiency can prevent present with neurological symptoms or red blood cell abnormalities common dietary sources include things our oils meats eggs leafy vegetables the recommended daily allowance is 15 milligrams per day in adolescents and young adults although again supplementation is is not recommended for the general population there are some individuals for example Colby static disease or pancreatic disease who can have trouble releasing enzymes that help absorb them and those types people might need to supplement but that should be something they discuss with the physician so in summary there's really only three things I think you need to know about vitamin E it's a fat soluble vitamin acts as an antioxidant it does not have very many therapeutic uses and supplementation is generally not recommended unless you have a disease process that inhibits its absorption...

Health Benefits of Vitamin K - Food and Health

Health Benefits of Vitamin K

Vitamin K which is an essential fat soluble vitamin first discovered in the first half of the 20th century it has a well-known role in helping your body form blood clots which led it to be called antihemorrhagic factor and interestingly enough the name K or the letter K comes from the german or danish word for coagulation which starts with the k' and it may also be referred to a set of structurally similar molecules that are active in our bodies such as phil aqua now and fatahna di own and menaquinone zong I can't say them metabolically speaking vitamin K is a I said fatso vitamin so it requires functioning pancreas and biliary tree to adequately absorb through your gut is bound to proteins when you ingest it and so the pancreas has proteins that help strip that off and then I get sins or absorbed into your gut cells attached to lipoproteins like chylomicrons and then shipped off to various destinations it's action so its primary action or is it's a central component of the coagulation cascade which is part of the process that your body uses to stop bleeding in form blood clots and this is normal and healthy part of how your body manages that and it doesn't necessary for too deep vein thrombosis or strokes or anything like that it's also a cofactor for some proteins used in bone formation and like certain glycoproteins and it does share some relationship with management of bone mineral density but that's not really well understood at this point and its ability to prevent diseases of bone minerals disease such as osteoporosis osteoarthritis etc via supplementation is not well documented in the literature at this point it does have some other potential benefits it does appear to be neuroprotective or may be neuroprotective against Alzheimer's might reduce coronary artery calcification although its impact on cardiovascular events and mortality is not well documented does appear to potentially or may improve bone mineral density reduce the risk of fractures and oddly enough it and individuals who have had hepatocellular carcinoma which is a type of liver cancer have had that surgically removed it might reduce the risk of recurrence in those individuals toxicity is exceptionally rare the upper limit of vitamin K is not really well known clinical signs of symptoms of vitamin K deficiency include easy Bruce ability mucosal bleeding which is bleeding anywhere in your GI tract splinter hemorrhages which are clots under your nails and blood in the stool and urine essentially what you develop is a dietary induced dietary derived bleeding disorder and they're rare that the deficiency is rare and is usually associated with diseases of the GI tract that cause malabsorption such as cystic fibrosis or problems with your gall bladder or something like that and it does also have some association with bone mineral density diseases like osteoporosis hip fractures and increased risk of cardiovascular disease people who are deficient have those and interestingly enough it is also a common problem in newborns and they all receive a shot of vitamin or a dose of vitamin K shortly after delivery and it's not replaced they're at risk of developing vitamin K deficiency of the newborn which is essentially that same bleeding disorder I just described a second ago the reason for the deficiency is the liver enzymes I just aren't up to task right when the baby comes out and they don't use vitamin K very well sources are dark green or leafy vegetables and that's why most people on kuben are supposed to be very attentive to their vegetable intake and salads and stuff like that and it is also produced by a gut by by intestinal gut bacteria to a certain extent the recommended daily allowance and women is 90 micrograms and in men 120 and that's roughly based upon a 0.75 to 1 micrograms per kilogram of body weight and supplementation however is not generally necessary as most people obtain enough from dietary sources unless they have problems with their GI tract as I kind of mentioned before so I conclusion there's only a few things you really need to know about vitamin K it's an essential fat soluble protein its primary function the bodies to stop bleeding the coagulation cascade does appear to have some other benefits though especially with diseases of diseases of bone mineral density and cardiovascular disease deficiency does result in increased risk of bleeding but is not an issue in most people and the primary dietary sources are dark green and/or leafy green vegetables...

Health Benefits of Honey - Food and Health

Health Benefits of Honey

Honey and its potential health benefits humans have been collecting honey and beekeeping for at least eight thousand years is a long history of medicinal use saving back to ancient Egypt reported benefits or uses include antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties and I'm going to address those claims later on in this article honey is a sweet food made by bees foraging nectar from flowers for bees it serves both as a short-term energy source during foraging and for long-term energy storage during the offseason the sweetness of honey is derived primarily from its content of fructose and glucose just a few other pieces of information for context 1.7 million tons of honey were produced worldwide in 2013 in China was the number one producer in addition to its use as a food additive honey can be used to make Mead or honey beer and there are many different classifications and types of honey as well as grades of honey based on flavor absence of defects and clarity but that is beyond the scope of this article so the first question I asked myself is honey better for you than sugar now just to start off at the end of the day sugar is sugar and that can cause problems with your body's metabolism over time the dietary guidelines of America the American Heart Association Center for Disease Control prevention I'll recommend reducing your total sugar intake however if you have to choose between refined cane sugar or tabletop sugar versus honey honey probably does have a very slight edge it contains more types of sugar than just glucose and fructose for example dextran and some of these are more complex and require more energy to break down this means your body can theoretically spend more energy breaking down and absorbing honey and table top sugar however that said I'm not aware of any study that compares honey consumption versus sugar head-to-head to assess any differences in weight gain or blood sugar honey also has trace minerals and vitamins not found in refined sugar which I will address in just a second so the nutritional content of honey 1 tablespoon contains 64 calories 0 grams of fat no cholesterol 1 milligram of sodium 17 grams of carbohydrates which are all sugar and no protein it contains minimal amounts of your daily needs of vitamins and minerals meaning overall not a good source of vitamins or minerals but it does contain trace amounts of calcium iron magnesium phosphorus potassium selenium and fluoride it also contains the minerals vitamin A C and folate or folic acid as far as potential health benefits the first and most common would be common cold and cough a systematic review of the evidence suggests that it probably does not help with coughs and adults but may help in children one study did show that beat out robitussin in a head-to-head treatment of cough symptoms it also is thought to help improve sleep quality through the night when your cough symptoms can be more obnoxious high D is also relatively safe so it is reasonable to use both adults and children's as a cough suppressant it does not appear to treat the virus which is caused by the common cold but it does seem to help alleviate some of the symptoms it's also known for its potential healing properties it does contain trace compounds that have been implicated in healing such as hydrogen peroxide and methylglyoxal however the evidence is weak and no firm conclusions can be drawn on whether it can help improve healing of post-surgical wounds or burns manuka honey

Specific type made in New Zealand does appear to have some beneficial effects on wound healing and is endorsed by some wound care doctors in the US the benefit of this is likely due to the acidic content of the honey which can help in the healing process it has some reported antibacterial properties and in the lab it has been shown to hamper the growth of some well known bacteria including ecoli salmonella staph aureus and Pseudomonas but whether it has any effect or the same effect in humans is unproven it has reported uses to treat allergies all of the evidence is weak that it provides any benefit for treating allergies or clearing up a stuffy nose several studies have looked at the polyphenol content of honey polyphenols are known to have antioxidant properties in humans and one study found that honey consumption did increase the measurable blood content of phenolic antioxidants more research is required to determine if this is clinically significant there's a widespread myth that honey is better sugar for diabetics than regular cane sugar or any other type sugar generally speaking sugar is bad for diabetics and there is no best the glycemic index is a way to compare foods head to head and measure how much they increase your blood sugar,  pure honey the glycemic index is 58 and for white table sugar that range is 58 to 65 and so I would argue that's a negligible difference foods that have a low glycemic index are in the 10 to 30 range in higher numbers are closer to 100 diabetics should avoid sugar period and you'll be hard-pressed to find a nutritionist telling a diabetic it's okay to consume honey one more point here one caution is do not give honey to any infants under one-year-old as this can expose them to a very serious bacterial infection known as botulism and so in conclusion we can make a few points honey has thousands of years as a staple in human culture and consumption it's probably not any better than table sugar in terms of calories but it does have slightly more nutritional content it appears to help treat cough symptoms wound healing and acts as an antioxidant it does not have good evidence suggesting that it can help in the treatment of allergies or as an anti bacterial diabetics should avoid honey just like they avoid any other sugar and do not give honey to infants under one-year-old...