Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Healthy gut microbiota and bacteria helps digest food, fight infection, and plays an important role in keeping the immune system healthy. It is influenced by genetics, but more so by diet, stress and other environmental factors. Numerous studies have investigated the claim that intestinal bacteria …
You have probably know or have seen someone whose skin looks very discolored – whiter patches of skin in some areas than their normal skin tone. This a non-contagious skin condition called vitiligo that affects about 2 million people in the United States. What is …
As recently reported by our very own Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND, in the United States, many develop serious eye conditions, one of the most common being cataracts. Cataracts are a “clouding” of the lens of the eye that develops into a white area that can be impossible to see through. Brought on by factors such as age, trauma to the eye, illness such as diabetes, congenital formation (at birth) or by radiation, a cataract can be different to fully understand. Currently, the only treatment available for this vision problem is surgery from a trained eye surgeon. However, a recent study has given hope and promise to the treatment and cure of cataracts.
“A naturally-occurring molecule called lanosterol, administered with an eye dropper, shrank canine cataract,” a team of scientists have reported in the journal Nature. Primarily tested on two patients (both children) by lead researcher Kang Zhang of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, researchers discovered that his patients “shared a mutation in a gene critical for producing lanosterol, which the researchers suspected might impede cataract-forming proteins from clumping in normal eyes.” After six weeks scientists discovered, the size and cloudiness of the cataracts decreased.
The authors concluded, “Our study identifies lanosterol as a key molecule in the prevention of lens protein aggregation and points to a novel strategy for cataract prevention and treatment.” Thought researchers and scientists say their findings need further studies and research, they are hopeful to find more efficient compounds that may even have a greater effect than lanosterol.
For now, the primary treatment of cataracts will continue to be surgery. This surgery is known to many to be very simple and safe, however, the number of people who need it is set to double in the next 20 years as population’s age, according to MSN.com.
Prevention is key. It is much easier to create a healthy lifestyle for yourself than to treat a condition once it develops in an unhealthy body. The first method to prevent cataracts is to quit smoking. Another very important method is to control your blood sugar. Uncontrolled diabetes causes serious negative effects in your body, commonly in the eyes. Diabetes is a major cause of cataract formation and of macular degeneration (a major cause of blindness in the elderly). Other ways to help prevent cataracts include consuming antioxidants such as astaxanthin (found in supplements such as krill oil), L-Carnosine, beta-carotene, zinc, vitamin C and E (6). Other antioxidants found to be very beneficial for eye health include lutein and the northern European berry known as bilberry, a concentrated extract.
Researchers from Qingdao University performed a meta-analysis of existing studies to clarify if Vitamin A and its precursor, Beta-Carotene have any ability to lower the risk of age-related cataracts. Twenty-two studies met their inclusion criteria. People with the highest levels of beta-carotene in their blood serum were 17% less likely to develop a cataract compared to those in the lowest category and this association was deemed significant. Vitamin A reduced cataract risk by 23%. The study is published in the journal Nutrition, 2014;30(10), pages 1113 through 1121.
According to the article ‘Cataracts by Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND‘, Lutein is an orange-red pigment in green leafy vegetables and is a relative of beta-carotene. Many studies show the lutein influences vision (macular caroteniod). The level of Lutein in the body decreases with age and some research also indicated that the cholesterol lowering statin drugs further reduce its levels. In some studies, lutein has been found to lower the risk of a cataract by over forty percent and frequently has been shown to protect against age-related macular degeneration. (7)
A rather new antioxidant, named cassis berry, has been found to be very beneficial in protecting the eye. Cassis berry an also be found in high quality eye health formulas.
As common as a cataract is, it is also very preventable. Understanding and listening your body is the key to preventing this condition. At the first sign of an abnormality in your body, visit your primary physician for advice and testing. Developing cataracts can be scary and will be just the first stage of a long struggle with the condition. Preventing cataracts by leading an overall healthy lifestyle is not only beneficial for eye health, but for most health issues that plague many people all over the world.
Source: http://www.msn.com
Processed foods are all around us – from our very own kitchens to our favorite supermarkets. Many processed foods have a high level of sugar and contain many different artificial ingredients. You’ve seen their convenient packaging and tried to pronounce the ingredients that they are …
The answer to the age old question of, “Can I use my prescription drugs past their expiration dates?”, has usually been answered by healthcare professionals with a stern “No.” To figure out why you can’t use your old drugs after they are said to expire, …
For as long as many can remember, three was the magic number when it came to answering the question of, “How many meals should I eat in one day?” The common thinking was to eat breakfast right after you woke up, eat another meal around 12pm and eat your last meal around 6pm for dinner. Then, all of a sudden, nutritionists and medical news sites everywhere were claiming that the optimal amount of meals per day was six small meals, not three big meals. However, the claim, eating six meals a day can help accelerate your metabolism and make you lose weight, is not entirely true, according to new dieting advice.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture explains that people who consume six meals a day will experience less cravings because they are eating meals about every two to three hours in a day. Each meal must contain about 300 to 400 calories in order to average the suggested 1,800 to 2,400 calories an adult must consume per day. These calories are used to balance and replenish the body with the energy it loses throughout the day through physical exertion and metabolic reactions. A metabolic reaction is the process your body performs to break down the nutrients in the food you have consumed. These calories then “combine with oxygen and release the energy your body needs to function based on height, weight, age and gender. You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn, or burn fewer calories than you eat from either over consuming or lacking physical activity.”
How Metabolism Works
The first step in understanding how many meals your body needs per day, is first understanding how your metabolism works. Your metabolism is the rate in which your body processes and burns calories. According to the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, each piece of food that you swallow has a thermogenic effect of food that increases your metabolism to a certain degree. “It measures the amount of calories needed to process the food you ate by 10 percent of total calories. If during breakfast you ate 400 calories, it took your body about 40 calories to process the entire meal.” In 2012, Harvard Medical School led a study that compared foods with different glycemic levels. They found that diets reduce the surge in blood sugar after a meal (especially a low carb diet) and are optimal for those that are attempting to lose weight. Lead study author, Dr. David Ludwig explained, “Total calories burned plummeted by 300 calories on the low-fat diet compared to the low-carb diet, which would equal the number of calories typically burned in an hour of moderate-intensity physical activity.”
Three Meals A Day
Consuming three meals per day is the timeline that Americans have been following since European settlers arrived in the New World, according to MedicalDaily.com. Keeping up that tradition would mean you must consume about 600 to 800 calories per meal, which would add up to the 1,800 to 2,400 calories needed per day. If you are choosing to stay traditional and follow the “3 Meal a Day” plan, you must eat a hearty breakfast, eat lots of protein for lunch and consume something very filling for dinner like pasta with a protein. On this meal plan, it is very common to continue being hungry between meals so you will need to snack on healthy alternatives like nuts. Timing is key following this meal plan – “If you eat dinner too late, you’ll wake up feeling sluggish and it dramatically increases your risk of developing acid reflux disease”, explains digestive expert Dr. Jaime Koufman.
Six Meals A Day
Eating six meals a day means you are constantly eating. You’ll want to start your breakfast very early because by the time you get to work or class, you’ll be hungry again. The key to eating 6 meals a day, means packing lots of food if you are always on-the-go. You’ll most likely eat lunch earlier than normal because you need to make time for a second lunch (yes, a second lunch!) By the time 4pm rolls around, you will be hungry again. Eat lots of protein but always be sure to balance the calories consumed with the calories burned.
Deciding on whether to follow a three or six meal a day routine is completely up to you. Always be sure to follow a regimen that works best for your body; speak to a nutritionists for a balanced and healthy meal plan. And, when choosing an eating routine, realize that not all calories are the same, be selective when it comes to your food choices and remember -portions always matter.
Source: http://www.medicaldaily.com
How many meals do you consume throughout the day? Have you noticed a difference in your weight or your metabolism?