Arthritis and Osteoarthritis

A Helpful Tool For People Searching For Clinical Research Trials

by

Joseph

Sometimes the search for a good doctor can be quite nerve wracking even under the best of circumstances, but the emotional burden becomes even greater when searching for doctors who are participating in clinical trials.

Trial Reach and CureClick know this; so they developed a tool which makes the search for clinical research trials a bit easier.

Last July CureClick and Trial Reach asked if I would like to help out with this task; since I'm a CureClick Ambassador I was happy to help.

At this very moment you can use the Trial Reach Clinical Trials Search Tool that I embedded in the sidebar of Living Fit, Healthy and Happy(SM).

The clinical trials search tool is absolutely amazing! The tool is designed so that users can search for any clinical trial for any condition. Then the tool provides relevant results based on the user answering a few questions. Now you can search for clinical trials that best fit your needs.

Although I receive a small one time payment for installing the Trial Reach Clinical Trials Search Tool on Living Fit, Healthy and Happy(SM), the potential benefit to all of you is what inspired me to install it on this website. So, please take the time to use it. And tell all of your family and friends about it, too!

To learn more about my relationship with CureClick and why I'm talking about clinical trials, please click on this link.

curec.lk/1Gb4toG

 

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Living And Coping With Arthritis - How To Stay Active And Independent

Living And Coping With Arthritis - How To Stay Active & Independent

Living And Coping With Arthritis - How To Stay Active And Independent

By: Richard Clement

Arthritis pain can be frustrating. Nagging and crippling arthritis pain can continue day after day. How much happier would you be if you could stop your arthritis pain right now and feel great all day? Knowing the nature of the disease can really bring you the right answers.

What is arthritis?

Arthritis comprises over 100 different diseases and conditions. The word arthritis means "joint inflammation". When joints are inflamed, it causes pain and usually also limits movement of the joints that are affected. For many people, arthritis pain has a large impact on their life. Arthritis is second only to heart disease as a cause of work disability. Arthritis limits everyday activities such as walking, dressing and bathing for more than 16 million Americans. Each year, arthritis results in 750,000 hospitalizations and 36 million outpatient visits. Arthritis is not just an old person's disease. Nearly two-thirds of people with arthritis are younger than 65 years including nearly 300,000 children. Arthritis affects children and people of all racial and ethnic groups but is more common among women and older adults.

The disease can affect different parts of the body. Two of the most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the joint lining becomes inflamed as part of the body's immune system activity. RA is one of the most serious and disabling types, affecting mostly women. Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than in men and generally strikes between the ages of 20 and 50. Both sides of the body are usually affected at the same time. Symptoms of RA differ from person to person but can generally include:

  • Joint tenderness, warmth, and swelling.
  • Pain and stiffness lasting for more than 1 hour in the morning or after a long rest.
  • Joint inflammation in the wrist and finger joints closest to the hand.
  • Fatigue, an occasional fever, and a general sense of not feeling well.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. It is a degenerative joint disease in which the cartilage that covers the ends of bones in the joint deteriorates, causing pain and loss of movement as bone begins to rub against bone. OA commonly affects the joints of the fingers, knees, hips, and spine. Osteoarthritis is more common in older people because they have been using their joints longer. Using the joints to do the same task over and over or simply using them over time can make osteoarthritis worse. Younger people can also get osteoarthritis. Athletes are at risk because they use their joints so much. People who have jobs that require the same movement over and over are also at risk. Injuries to a joint increase the risk of arthritis in the joint later on. Excess weight can accelerate arthritis in the knees, hips and spine. The most common symptom of Osteoarthritis is pain in the affected joint(s) after repetitive use. Joint pain is usually worse later in the day. There can be swelling, warmth, and creaking of the affected joints. Symptoms of OA may greatly vary. Some patients can be debilitated by their symptoms. On the other hand, others may have remarkably few symptoms in spite of dramatic degeneration of the joints apparent on x-rays. Symptoms also can be intermittent.

These 2 forms have very different causes, risk factors, and effects on the body, yet they often share a common symptom - persistent joint pain.

What are the causes of arthritis?

Primary OA is mostly related to aging. With aging, the water content of the cartilage increases and the protein makeup of cartilage degenerates. Repetitive use of the joints over the years irritates and inflames the cartilage, causing joint pain and swelling. Eventually, cartilage begins to degenerate by flaking or forming tiny crevasses. Inflammation of the cartilage can also stimulate new bone outgrowths (spurs) to form around the joints. Sometimes osteoarthritis follows an injury to a joint. For example, a young person might hurt his knee badly playing soccer. Then, years after the knee has apparently healed, he might get arthritis in his knee joint.

RA is an autoimmune disease. This means the body's natural immune system does not operate as it should; it attacks healthy joint tissue, initiating a process of inflammation and joint damage. RA is a type of chronic arthritis that occurs in joints on both sides of the body (such as hands, wrists or knees). This symmetry helps distinguish RA from other types of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs most frequently in the 30-50 age group, although can start at any age. It is strongly associated with the HLA marker DR4 - hence Family history is an important risk factor. The disease affects Females:Males in a 4:1 ratio.

Other conditions can also cause arthritis. Some include:

  • Gout, in which crystals build up in the joints. It usually affects the big toe.
  • Lupus , in which the body's defense system can harm the joints, the heart, the skin, the kidneys, and other organs.
  • Viral hepatitis ,in which an infection of the liver can cause arthritis.

What can you do about it?

Some people may worry that arthritis means they won't be able to work or take care of their children and their family. Others think that you just have to accept things like arthritis.

While there is not yet a cure for arthritis, much can be done today to reduce pain and boost joint function. Learning how to manage pain over the long term is essential to maintaining a good quality of life. There are things you can do to keep the damage from getting worse. They might also make you feel better.Here are some simple things to do:

  • Lose weight if you're overweight
  • Exercise regularly for short periods. Going for a walk every day will help, too.
  • Use canes and other special devices to protect your joints.
  • Avoid lifting heavy things.
  • Don't pull on objects to move them-push them instead
  • Use heat or cold to reduce pain or stiffness.

The pain and disability that accompany arthritis can be decreased through early diagnosis and appropriate management.So if you have persistent symptoms lasting more than several days - go see your doctor. The doctor will examine you and may take x rays (pictures) of your bones or joints to decide if you have arthritis and what kind you have.

After the doctor knows what kind of arthritis you have, he or she will talk with you about the best way to treat it. The doctor may give you a prescription for medicine that will help with the pain, stiffness, and inflammation.

The good news is that now there is a way to stop your pain with a medication. Celebrex is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), specifically a COX-2 inhibitor, which relieves pain and swelling (inflammation). It represents a huge breakthrough in the treatment of pain, inflammation, and stiffness of arthritis. Celebrex is believed to fight pain and inflammation by inhibiting the effect of a natural enzyme called COX-2. Unlike the older medications, however, it does not interfere with a similar substance, called COX-1, which exerts a protective effect on the lining of the stomach.Celebrex doesn't cause the stomach bleeding and ulcers that traditional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) might.

You always can visit my site, www.e-drugstore.ws/arthritis.html to find all the information about coping with arthritis burden.

 

Author Bio
Richard Clement is an online publisher dedicated in helping online users getting appropriate and effective medical care. Visit my site www.e-drugstore.ws/arthritis.html for more info.

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Careful With That Night Light ! Bright Lights At Night May Cause You To Gain Weight

by

Joseph

Keeping the lights on at night may add inches to your waist, new evidence suggests. According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, people who use night lights tend to be heavier than people who aren't exposed to artificial light during bedtime. Surprised? Brace yourselves, you're about to learn something about how light affects weight.

For some time, biologists have known that artificial light-at-night (ALAN) can cause the body's internal clocks to go haywire. Melatonin, the sleep hormone, is at its highest levels when you are sleeping; darkness stimulates melatonin production. But ALAN causes the body to suppress melatonin production which can cause adverse physiological changes resulting in weight gain.

Research scientists Rybnikova, Haim and Portnov utilized this knowledge to identify and measure how strong the associations between ALAN and country-wide overweight and obesity rates happen to be.

To find out, they analyzed recent satellite images of night lights from the US Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP).

Controlling for per capita GDP, level of urbanization, birth rate, food consumption and regional differences, Rybnikova et al hoped the satellite images would help them learn more about this problem.

They learned that ALAN along with other factors explained 70 % of the observed variations in the prevalence of obesity and overweight in more than eighty observed countries. In other words, satellite images helped confirm what scientists had come to know long ago - artificial light at night makes people fat.

We know that light affects human mood and reproduction. Animal models show a relationship between light at night and accelerated aging and cancer. Now data from Rybnikova et al tells us that artificial light at night can stimulate weight gain.

Rybnikova et al pointed out that the nearly 2.5 billion people meet the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of overweight and obese, and that the problem is rapidly on track to become a global pandemic. What can be done to reverse this trend?

 

Your Third Eye Is Open Even When You're Sleeping

People maybe surprised to know that we have been created with a "third eye". God created us with two external eyes and another photosensitive organ deep within the brain. This light sensing organ is the pineal gland and it produces the melatonin that helps us sleep at night.

Even after we close our external eyes, the pineal gland is able to sense light - whether that light be natural or artificial. When the organ detects light, it won't produce melatonin.

Eventually the pineal gland will become confused, prolonged exposure to light stimuli (artificial in this case) will cause the organ to think that the body should remain awake. As a result, the pineal gland will erroneously decrease melatonin production and throw the natural day/night rhythm out of whack.

A method that could reverse the global obesity trend may simply be turning off every artificial light source in the bedroom before going to sleep at night. Since the pineal gland detects light, keeping the room dark during sleep time may prevent the gland from suppressing melatonin production thereby possibly preventing eventual weight gain.

Regardless of whether people accept the mounting evidence linking circadian rhythm to health, if steps are not taken to curtail epidemic obesity, our planet may be dealing with the health consequences e.g. type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and arthritic joint pain for many decades to come.

 

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Article References

Rybnikova NA, Haim A, & Portnov BA (2016). Does artificial light-at-night exposure contribute to the worldwide obesity pandemic? International journal of obesity (2005) PMID: 26795746

Vinogradova IA, Anisimov VN, Bukalev AV, Ilyukha VA, Khizhkin EA, Lotosh TA, Semenchenko AV, & Zabezhinski MA (2010). Circadian disruption induced by light-at-night accelerates aging and promotes tumorigenesis in young but not in old rats. Aging, 2 (2), 82-92 PMID: 20354269

 

"Careful With That Night Light ! Bright Lights At Night May Cause You To Gain Weight" copyright © 2016 Living Fit, Healthy and Happy(SM). All Rights Reserved.

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Importance of weight training

by

Praveen Pandey

Weight training is an exercise technique which uses external weights, the body's resistance, or other devices to exercise and strengthen a body muscle. Most people, especially men, opt for such training to get an attractive physique with big muscles. However, its benefits go way beyond. Weight training, also known 'strength' or 'resistance' training, enables you to do everyday tasks like lifting, carrying, and walking up stairs with greater ease.

Strength training helps protect against diseases like arthritis, osteoporosis, sarcopenia (loss of body mass), lower-back pain, and other disabilities. It protects the joints, enhances joint stability, improves bone density, and reduces bone deterioration. More muscle power puts less strain on the joints and connective tissue when lifting or exerting. Strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments are less prone to injury.

Working against the body's resistance or exercising with light weights also assists in managing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. When you are active, the heart muscles can perform better even with less oxygen. Lifting weights can normalize the blood pressure and decrease the levels of blood sugar and cholesterol. A combination of regular weight training, a protein-rich diet, and some cardiovascular exercises can help to achieve a healthy weight and a fitter body.

Such a combination not only tones up the muscles and shapes the body along with weight loss but also improves anaerobic endurance. It improves the composition of the body and increases the lean body mass. Weight training mainly stimulates the development of muscle tissues and also strengthens them. Muscle tissue, being more active than fat tissue, helps to burn more calories. Increase in muscle mass normalizes and even increases the basal metabolic rate, as a result of which one can burn more calories at rest.

By working out the muscles through their full range of movements, weight training increases flexibility and reduces the risk of suffering from a muscle pull. Weight training has enormous advantages. If a person follows a proper diet, has precise control over his movements, and maintains correct posture, he or she stands to gain the most from such an exercise program. It is advisable for all adults to weight train their major muscle groups at least twice weekly.

Are you a fitness freak? Read articles on Diet Plan, Fitness, Weight Loss, and Health Care at Healthizen.com.


Why Cat’s Claw May Be One Of Nature’s Most Powerful Healers

Why Cat’s Claw May Be One Of Nature’s Most Powerful Healers

Submitted by: Steve P Smith

Cat’s claw, known as una de gato in Spanish, is a herb derived from a vine-type plant which grows widely in the countries of Central and South America, and is particularly common in the Amazon rainforests and Peru. So vast and botanically rich are the wilds of the Amazon rain forest that many herbal practitioners still look to it as a potential source of powerful, but as yet undiscovered, herbal remedies. Although this hope might seem to some like wishful thinking, the example of cat’s claw suggests that it may not be entirely fanciful; because although the herb has only very recently become known in the West, it has been used as health tonic and treatment by the indigenous peoples of the region for many centuries.

But the claims made for the benefits of cat’s claw need to be treated with some caution, because there are those who would have you regard it as something akin to a miracle herb or universal panacea; and orthodox medicine, as always, is rightly sceptical of the wilder claims of the herbal or “natural” remedy lobby.

Rendered into liquid form, however, extracts of cat’s claw have been found to have potent adaptogenic, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, and these are therefore used by herbal therapists to tackle a wide variety of common ailments. The anti-inflammatory qualities of the herb indicate potential benefits in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism and bursitis; as well as digestive problems and ulcers, whilst as an adaptogen and anti-oxidant cat’s claw is believed to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and even help in the fight against cancer.

Serious research into the benefits of cat’s claw has been underway in Europe since the 1970s, and although, as noted above, conventional medicine remains reluctant to confirm the herb’s therapeutic value, the fact that cat’s claw is only available on prescription in certain countries is a clear indication of its biochemical potency.

Cat’s claw’s power as an immune system booster appears to be related to unique properties in the alkaloids derived from it, certain of which appear directly to enhance the ability of the body’s white blood cells to destroy potentially harmful foreign matter. These alkaloids also seem to stimulate the production of the vital T4 lymphocyte and leucocyte immune system cells which are crucial in fighting viral infections.

One particular such alkaloid, rynchophylline, is also believed to be of great benefit to the cardio-vascular system in preventing blood “stickiness”, or the potentially catastrophic formation of clots in circulating blood in the heart and brain. Like other anti-oxidants, cat’s claw may also help to prevent the oxidation of low density lipids (LDL), or “bad cholesterol”, and the consequent build up of deposits inside the arteries leading to atherosclerosis. Recent research also suggests that the anti-oxidant action of cat’s claw may also help to prevent the deposit of the plaques within brain tissue which are implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

The many potential benefits of cat’s claw make it a hugely exciting prospect for advocates of herbal remedies. But there is an important caveat in that most of the research so far has been conducted in the laboratory rather than on live human subjects. Against that, however, must be set the many centuries of use of the herb amongst older civilisations.

Orthodox medicine, moreover, is always keen to stress, quite correctly, that the mere fact that a remedy is described as “natural” or “herbal” does not mean it is necessarily free of potential side effects. Herbal remedies, after all, often provide the raw materials for the manufacture of conventional drugs, and are highly active biochemical compounds in their own right. They could not be of any benefit if they were not.
But in the case of cat’s claw the only contraindications for its use appear to for pregnant women and those suffering from disorders of the immune system. For all others, the herb appears to be completely safe, although very rare cases of minor gastric upsets and headaches have been reported.

The inner bark of the plant is the source of cat’s claw’s active alkaloid compounds, but the bark itself is indigestible and poorly absorbed, if at all, by the human digestive system. Fortunately, however, cat’s claw is now readily available in the form of easily absorbed teas, tinctures and capsules, but it’s probably best to start with low doses to ensure freedom from any possible side effects.

And as recommended therapeutic doses vary between 750 and 3,000 mg per day, it’s always worth talking things over with your physician or a reputable herbal practitioner before beginning any program of supplementation. But the potential benefits of cat’s claw appear so promising that this is not a herb you should ignore.

About the Author: Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in direct marketing and with a particular interest in health products. Find out more at http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/Cat'sClaw.htm

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How to Stay Fit in your 50s

by

Kya Grace

At the age of 50, staying fit becomes increasingly tougher. At this stage, nature too conspires against you. You start hearing warning bells when that slight middle age paunch appears. This is the forerunner to the silent killers like heart diseases, diabetes and hypertension. So what do you do?

First of all you have to be mentally fit. Think young, think fit. This will have a significant positive impact on your ageing process. But thinking alone will not help. You have to take steps to slow down your cells from ageing. You have to work to prevent your brain cells from ageing quickly too.

Your diet is an important factor. Eat as much vegetables, fruits and nuts as possible and reduce the intake of sweets, fried food and processed food. Stay away from meat as much as you can. Avoid junk food at all costs. Food rich in omega-3 fatty acids is one thing that can stem the rapidity of the ageing process of your cells. Supplement your daily nutrition with items like cold water fish, especially salmons, the richest source of omega-3. This nutrient also helps in unclogging your arteries much like the flushing agents that unclog a sink, and reduces the risk of age related maladies like arthritis and cardiac diseases.

Increase your intake of water, as at this age the fluid retention capacity of the body decreases. Drinking the right fluids in proper quantities is very vital. Try and stay away from caffeinated or alcoholic drinks.

A balanced diet definitely helps you to stay healthy, but you have to exercise in order to stay fit. With age, the body requires some time to get used to changes. Hence you should not start off immediately with rigorous exercises. At this stage in life, most people are way too busy to spend time in gyms. Therefore the best way to start would be to take the help of a trained Personal Trainers Double Bay. Get him to draw out a proper schedule that will suit you.

Warming up at the beginning of a session is a must for all. Start off with some aerobics or yoga. These will help you relax mentally while your body muscles get relaxed too. Warming up, basically increases your heart rate thereby the flow of blood in the body. This in turn stirs up the blood vessels and helps to produce nitric oxide, which again dilates your arteries and protects them from blockages and other problems.

After 50, not only does the growth of body cells stop, but degeneration sets in. To keep your muscles and joints in order is a tough ask. You will have to work harder, as normally people at this age become more sedentary. To overcome this problem, you have to exercise the muscles. After the aerobics or yoga, go in for some strength training. This is done, using weights. Any wrong movements or use of excessive weights might lead to serious injury. Your Personal Trainers Double Bay should be helping you out when you are going through this routine. Also, do sufficient balancing and stretching moves to strengthen your limbs. After exercising your muscles, cool down.

Your body needs adequate rest to stay fit. Sleep well. You need from 7 to 8 hours of sleep a day. Above all always stay positive and happy.

Kya Grace is a personal trainer at Dangerously Fit Personal Training. If you would like to hire Personal Trainers Double Bay or to register for a Boot Camp session, visit Sydney Boot Camp.


Are you at Risk for Type-2 Diabetes? If So, What Can You Do About It?

by

James K. Robinson

It's the American way of life

The United States Department of Health's Weight-control Information Network, ironically that's WIN for short, and other health authorities, report that more than two-thirds of adults in the United States are either overweight or obese, with more than one-third obese for sure. Our population is unhealthy and it is getting worse.

And how about you?

If you are overweight, now reaching age 40 years or older and follow a diet that includes all the wrong foods -- sugary, sweet foods and beverages and too much saturated fatty food -- then it does not take a fortune teller or a crystal ball to predict that your future includes the likelihood of developing type-2 diabetes, a disease defined by higher than normal blood sugars.

And if you don't know anything about diabetes, be warned, left untreated it's a killer, and even with treatment, the quality of life is much impaired unless the condition can really be brought under tight control - there is no cure, life will never be the same again.

What causes type-2 diabetes is uncertain, there may be heredity or other unknown factors involved but what is known is that there is a definite association and link to being overweight or obese. And there is also a pre-diabetic condition that predisposes those diagnosed as such to the same complications of heart disease, stroke and other typical diabetic complications. And pre-diabetes often leads to the full type-2 diabetes anyway unless treated and reversed.

Risk factors

At the top of WIN's list of risk factors related to being overweight and obese is type-2 diabetes, the rest of the WIN's risk factors are shown below:

 

  • type 2 diabetes
  • coronary heart disease
  • high LDL ("bad") cholesterol
  • stroke
  • hypertension
  • nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
  • gallbladder disease
  • osteoarthritis (degeneration of cartilage and bone of joints)
  • sleep apnea and other breathing problems
  • some forms of cancer (breast, colorectal, endometrial, and kidney)
  • complications of pregnancy
  • menstrual irregularities

Those are just some of the alarming complications and to that list, especially related to type-2 diabetes, can be added such serious conditions as kidney disease and kidney failure, eye disease and blindness, gangrene and lower limb amputations.

The foregoing is the scary stuff but what can be done?

See a doctor

Serious conditions such are described above need that attention of a doctor and health support team to direct treatment and provide qualified medical and dietary advice.

But here is some advice given by the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC)

The NDIC states that a lot can be done to lower the chances of developing diabetes. It is necessary to exercise regularly, reduce fat and calorie intake, and lose some weight in order to help reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes. And in doing so it can also help achieve a lowering of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, necessary for better health.

It is often said that "You are what you eat", and certainly, what you eat has a big impact on health. Body weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol can be controlled by making wise food choices.

The goals for an overweight person are to:

 

 

  • Reach and maintain a reasonable body weight, a Body Mass Index (BMI) of no greater than 25. Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body weight in relation to height.
  • Make wise food choices most of the time, avoid high glycemic index foods where possible. The Glycemic Index numerically ranks food items according to the speed in which they are reduced by the body's digestive system to the simple sugar called glucose. The higher the ranking, the faster glucose enters the bloodstream - and that causes the higher than normal blood sugars that are characteristic of type-2 diabetes.
  • Be physically active every day, subject to physical condition, age, health and infirmities.

 

It is not easy to make big changes to lifestyle but it is really worthwhile and rewarding to do so.

As a diabetic myself I face the problems and risks listed here. For more information on many diabetes topics please visit Normal Blood Sugars & Diabetes and for diabetic menu planning suggestions: Diabetic Menu Guide.


Are You Getting Enough Folic Acid?

Are You Getting Enough Folic Acid?

Are You Getting Enough Folic Acid?

By: Lee Dobbins

Chances are you are taking supplements for vitamins A, C, and E but what about folic acid? If you don't eat a lot of leafy greens, liver or brewers yeast, then chances are that you are not getting enough of this important vitamin.

Folic Acid, otherwise known as vitamin B9 is essential to cell production and plays a vital role in the development of the fetus. In fact, studies have shown that supplementing with folic acid can reduce birth defects by 72% to 100%! Folic acid also plays a role in the metabolism of protein and formation of amino acids. This vitamin is also been shown to help with mental health, and the digestive and nervous systems.

Since most foods besides liver are poor source of folic acid, you may have a deficiency unless you happen to eat quite a bit of liver and leafy greens. Signs of a deficiency include an inflamed tongue shortness of breath, loss of appetite, forgetfulness and mental sluggishness. These can also be signs of many other problems and it is best to seek the advice of a physician if you have any of these symptoms.

In addition to your diet, there are forms and lifestyles that might deplete your body or block absorption of B vitamins such as folic acid. Celiac disease, alcoholism and irritable bowel syndrome are three things that can contribute to a deficiency.

Folate may also play a role in depression as studies in eldery people have shown. The three vitamins B6 B12 and B9 must work together to improve depression and should be taken in a multi supplement or administered by a doctor. These vitamins decrease the amount of homocysteine in your body. Homocysteine is thought to play an role in causing depression.

Some studies also have shown that taking high levels of folic acid in addition to beta carotene, vitamin C and fiber, may reduce the risk of some cancers. One study of 50,000 women claims to have shown that taking adequate amounts of folate reduced the risk of breast cancer. In addition, deficiency of folate (folic acid) has also been linked to heart disease and male infertility.

The Minimum USRDA for folic acid is 400 micrograms per day for men as well as women. Bear in mind that this is the bare minimum you need to survive and supplements usually contain more than this amount. Besides liver, dark leafy greens, and brewers yeast folic acid can be found in some seafoods, milk and orange juice. In small amounts you can find folic acid in whole grains and some root vegetables.

When taking folic acid supplements (or any supplements for that matter), it is important not to overdo it. Adverse Side effects from folic acid supplements are rare, but can occur if the dose exceeds 15000 mcg. It is interesting to not that since the B vitamins work together, taking any one of the alone alone can cause a deficiency in the others.

If you think you need to take a folic acid supplement talk a health care professional to see if it is right for you. Some medicines like antibiotics and warfarin can react adversely to supplementing with folic acid and ibuprofen and aspirin can cause a deficiency. Methotrexate, which is used to treat some cancers as well as rheumatoid arthritis increases the body's need for folic acid, adding this vitamin to your supplement list can greatly reduce its side-effects while still keeping the effectiveness, so if you must take this drug, be sure see your health care professional about adding folic acid to your diet.

 

Author Bio
Lee Dobbins writes for the A2Z Vitamin And Herbs Guide For Natural Healing where you can find out more about vitamins and herbs as well as natural healing methods.

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Food Addiction Can Lead to Death

Food Addiction Can Lead to Death

Food Addiction Can Lead to Death

By: Paul Wilson

Food has been described as ambrosia and the elixir if life. For some, eating is a biological necessity for others it is a passion that can turn into an obsession. Experts define food addiction to be a disorder where the addict is preoccupied with food, the availability of food, and the pleasure of eating. There are three recognized addictions:

  • Overeating, where the addict has no control over the amount or the number of times he eats. The person has no concept of being overweight or the servings a person must eat normally. Being an overeater, the addict will indulge in uncontrolled eating binges. Being obese, the addict will be prone to hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, arthritis, and cancer.

     

  • Bulimisa Nervosa, where the addict binges and then tries to maintain weight by vomiting, using laxatives, excessive exercise, or even fasting. Such addicts will develop dental problems like thinning of enamel, excessive number of cavities, swollen salivary glands, fluid and electrolyte disturbances, as well as calluses and scars.

     

  • Anorexia Nervosa, where the addict fears weight gain and so starves himself. Obsessed with weight gain and body shape anorexics will exhibit obsessive behaviors in maintaining themselves. In the process, they develop problems like disruption of menstrual cycle, emancipation, hair loss, unhealthy skin pallor, and a lack or fluids.

     

The most common health problems are obesity, alcoholism, diabetes, bulimia, food allergies, and food intolerance.

The signs that you are addicted to food are:

  • Uncontrolled cravings for particular foods. Some are addicted to sweets, others to soft drinks, yet others to coffee.
  • Continuous or frequent eating. No fixed meal times an addict will eat throughout the day.
  • Sharpened hunger on consumption of specific foods.
  • Anxiety attacks, feelings of nervousness, low sugar, a headache, stomach gripes and grumbles.
  • Withdrawal symptoms.
  • Fatigue.
  • Extreme irritations.
  • Intolerance to foods.
  • Feelings of guilt at having eaten.

The very cornerstones to curing the addiction are to:

  • Identify and avoid what are known to be trigger foods or drinks.
  • Put into practice a diet that is nutrient rich, healthy, and helps maintain or loose weight.
  • Make lifestyle changes. Adopt a healthier lifestyle and include plenty of fresh air as well as exercise.
  • Focus on personal and spiritual development. Seek inner peace, calm, and joy. Practice meditation and deep breathing.
  • Plan to have activity filled days to distract the mind from food.

Even if you have a niggling doubt that you may be a food addict you must seek help. Nip the problem in the bud before it grows into something unmanageable and serious. You must consult a nutritionist, doctor, psychologist, or an eating addiction center or specialist. There are programs run by groups like Overeaters Anonymous that run 12-step programs which are extremely beneficial.

 

Author Bio
Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for www.1888Discuss.com/food/, the premier REVENUE SHARING discussion forum for Food Forum, including topics on all about food, food network, food recipe, health food, food gift, different food and more. His article profile can be found at the premier Food Article Submission Directory www.1888Articles.com/food-and-drink-articles-13.html

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Top 7 Benefits Of Exercise To Good Health

Top 7 Benefits Of Exercise To Good Health

Submitted by: Raymond Geok Seng Lee

You are always busy. You do not have the time to exercise. Your life is a hectic whirl. By the end of the day, you do not have the energy to exercise. Of course, you have tried to exercise, but you have never been able to stick with it. You do not like to perspire. The local health club is expensive and snobby. And with your less-than-perfect body, you feel embarrassed to be seen there. Your home is too small for fancy equipment. You already have a cross-country ski machine gathering dust in your basement. Whenever you look at it, you do not feel motivated, you feel guilty. Instead of working out, you rather just curl up with a good book and not even think about exercise. The fact is, that you do not have to spend half of your life sweating buckets at fancy health clubs to reap major physical and emotional benefits from exercise. All it takes to improve health and fitness and look and feel a whole lot better is to incorporate just a little more physical activity into your daily life. You hardly have to break into a sweat. Here are some of the benefits from exercise.

1. Improves Sleep And Minimizes Insomnia

Exercise feels invigorating, but several hours later it helps the body wind down to sleep. It is recommended to have low- to moderate- intensity exercise to improve sleep and treat insomnia. Just do not exercise shortly before bed or you may wind up feeling more invigorated than sleepy.

2. Builds Strength, Flexibility And Stamina

As you exercise, your muscles become stronger, your joints become more supple, and you can remain active longer without tiring. In other words, the more you exercise, the less taxing it feels, and the more likely you are to enjoy it and stick with it.

3. Help Control Weight

In addition to burning extra calories while you are exercising, physical activity boosts basal metabolic rate – the rate at which the body burns calories while at rest. When you are physically active, you continue to burn extra calories even after you stop exercising. You may not lose 20 pounds taking leisurely strolls, but you will be better able to maintain your current weight. With low-intensity exercise and a low-fat diet, you will probably lose a few pounds.

4. Reduces Risk Of Heart Disease

Heart disease is the nation’s leading cause of death. Low-intensity exercise helps prevent it by strengthening the heart, reducing blood pressure, lowering cholesterol and combating obesity and diabetes.

5. Take Helps Manage Arthritis

Exercise moves the major joints through their full range of motion, which helps to keep them pain-free. Exercise also releases endorphins, the body’s pain relieving chemicals.

6. Mood Elevation

In addition to relieving pain, endorphins released by exercise also have an anti-depressant effect. Many mental health professionals encourage exercise as a natural complement to other treatments for depression.

7. Helps Preserve Bone

Regular, moderate, weight-bearing exercise such as walking, gardening, dancing and so forth helps maintain bone density and prevent bone-thinning osteoporosis – a major health problem for women over 50.

About the Author: Raymond Lee is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.

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