Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Written by Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND As we age, the need to keep up with the constant changes in our bodies can prove to be difficult. The aging process gives way to deficiencies as our bodies become less able to process many vitamins and nutrients. …
There have been many small studies in the past that have associated sitting, or being sedentary, with metabolic health outcomes. Recently, a large-scale study measured sedentary behavior among people with type 2 diabetes. Researchers used data from an extensive, population-based study, the Maastricht study, that …
Bacteria is often thought of as an unhealthy and unwanted element in the body. But certain strains of bacteria are actually considered “good bacteria”, as they aid in proper digestion and overall health. Probiotics are live microbes that “help to process indigestible fibers and help keep bowel function regular. They produce a number of vitamins, including B6, B12, and K2, and aid in the absorption of minerals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium. Equally important, they help fend off bad bacteria, which can cause diarrhea and, in extreme cases, severe anemia, kidney failure, and death.”[1] Probiotics may even help to tame an overactive immune system – producing their own form of antibiotics, blocking pathogens from adhering to the gut, and spurring production of chemical messengers called cytokines, which communicate with the immune system throughout the body.[2]
In an early Swedish study, researchers set out to examine the effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri protectis (a probiotic bacteria that naturally inhabits the gut) on its ability to improve work-place healthiness by “reducing short term sick-leave caused by respiratory or gastrointestinal infections”. Of 262 employees at TetraPak in Sweden, those who took probiotics for 80 days (compared to those who were given a placebo) only 10.6% of workers reported sick-leave for a respiratory or gastrointestinal issue, in comparison to 26.4% who were in the placebo group. The study also reported that the frequency of sick-days was 0.9% in the placebo group and only 0.4% in the probiotic group. Further, among 53 shift-workers, 33% in the placebo group reported being sick during the study period, compared with no reports at all from those in the probiotic group.
Harvard Medical School’s website, Harvard Health Publications, further explains that probiotics may also be useful in maintaining urogenital health – “The dominant Lactobacilli strains normally made it too acidic for harmful microorganisms to survive. But the system can be thrown out of balance by a number of factors, including antibiotics, spermicides, and birth control pills. Probiotic treatment that restores the balance of microflora may be helpful for such common female urogenital problems as bacterial vaginosis, yeast infection, and urinary tract infection.”
Lisa Ganjhu, D.O., a gastroenterologist at the Miller Practice at New York University Langone Medical Center says, “Many experts feel they’re especially useful when your body’s normal bacterial balance in interrupted – which can happen when you’re stressed, ill, traveling, or taking antibiotics.” If you are not sure you are getting enough probiotics in your current diet, speak to your primary physician, a nutritionist, or a healthcare professional.
Source:
[1] http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/how-probiotics-and-prebiotics-can-help-your-health
[2] http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/how-probiotics-and-prebiotics-can-help-your-health
If you have pledged that 2016 will be the year you lose weight and get healthy, we have some tips for you! Though it can be a difficult lifestyle change, losing weight does not have to be a stressful and dull time in your life. …
[sgmb id=”1″] While it is true that your body needs different vitamins and nutrients as you age, it is also true that your body needs essential vitamins and nutrients no matter if you are 25 or 65. As you get older and find gray hairs …
When you think of a chiropractor, it’s easy to assume that you only make an appointment when you have a back or neck issue. But there are plenty of other problems chiropractors may be able to help with. Gregory D. Fox, a chiropractor and president of Maine Chiropractic Association and director and founder of Heritage Integrative Healthcare explains, “Many people don’t know that most chiropractors have postgraduate training and board certification in areas such as pediatrics, clinical nutrition, neurology, orthopedics, physical rehabilitation, sports/athletic injury, and acupuncture.”
Generally, chiropractors are trained health professionals that diagnose and treat patients with health issues of the musculoskeletal system, nervous system and overall general health. It is because of this all-encompassing training that chiropractors are knowledgeable about the entire body, but especially with injuries to the musculoskeletal system, a term that combines the muscular and skeletal systems.
One of the leading reasons one visits the chiropractor is for relief of lower back pain. In 2002, national data from the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington was analyzed to conclude that about one fourth of U.S. adults reported l
ower back pain within 3 months of the study.
Aches and pains are common in pregnancy. Earlier this year, the Institute of Nursing and Health Research at Ulster University in Ireland released a study that was based on the fact that more than two-thirds of pregnant women experience low-back pain and almost one-fifth experience pelvic pain. Evidence from acupuncture and craniosacral therapy (a noninvasive therapy that involves massaging the affected areas) performed during the study showed an improvement of pregnancy-related pelvic pain. Jeffrey Langmaid, a chiropractor at the Laser Spine Institute in Florida explains, “The options expecting mothers have to alleviate pain are extremely limited. Many treatments, such as pain medications or surgery, have the potential to affect the fetus, so pregnant women often turn to chiropractic care (or make use of things like physical therapy). The Webster Technique addresses the sacrum and sacroiliac joint, which assists with balancing the pelvis.”
In a study published in the journal International Surgery, researchers studied a group of 27 people who had chronic abdominal pain and found that 66% of them showed evidence of thoracic disc herniation (a problem in the area between the spinal bones). Erik Schutt, a chiropractor and physiotherapist in Arizona explains, “If the thoracic vertebrae are out of alignment, these nerves begin sending erratic impulses to the stomach and intestines, which may lead to digestive problems such as heartburn, bloating, and gas.”
Published online in the Journal of Human Hypertension in 2007, researchers from the University of Chicago Medical Center, preformed a Chicago-area study of 50 individuals with “misaligned Atlas vertebra (located high in the neck) and high blood pressure.” The study concluded that after a one-time specialized chiropractic adjustment, blood pressure decreased significantly. The decrease was equal to taking two blood pressure drugs at once.*
So, whether you have a headache, high blood pressure or lower back pain, visiting your chiropractor first wouldn’t hurt!
*Speak to your doctor before ending or starting any medical regimen. This article is not intended to cure, treat, prevent or diagnose any disease or condition.
Questions for InVite® Health’s Chiropractor, Dr. Alan Pressman? Comment below!
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/health/6-things-chiropractors-can-help-with-1314294679601206.html