vitamins deficiency symptoms

Good and bad cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced in our body and found in certain foods that we eat.
Practically everyone knows that cholesterol can be responsible for arteriosclerosis, heart attacks, a variety of illnesses, but very few are aware of the ways that it is essential to health.

Like everything else, there’s a good and bad side to cholesterol.
At least two-thirds of your body cholesterol is produced by the liver or in the intestine. It is found there as well as in the brain, the adrenals, and nerve fiber sheaths. And when it’s good, it’s very, very good:

  • Cholesterol in the skin is converted to essential vitamin D by the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
  • Cholesterol assists in the metabolism of carbohydrates. The more carbohydrates ingested, the more cholesterol produced.
  • Cholesterol is a prime supplier of life-essential adrenal steroid hormones, such as cortisone.
  • Cholesterol is a component of every membrane and necessary for the production of male and female sex hormones.

Differences in the behavior of cholesterol depend upon the protein to which it is bound. Lipoproteins are the factors in our blood which transport cholesterol.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) carry about 65 percent of blood cholesterol and are the bad guys who deposit it in the arteries where, joined by other substances, it becomes artery-blocking plaque.

Very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) carry only about 15 percent of blood cholesterol but are the substances the liver needs and uses to produce LDL.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) carry about 20 percent of blood cholesterol and, composed principally of lecithin, are the good guys whose detergent action breaks up plaque and can transport cholesterol through the blood without clogging arteries.

A recent study found that people with big hips and trim waists have higher HDL cholesterol levels than do those with potbellies, which might explain why females, on the average, live eight years longer than males.

The higher your HDL the lower your chances of developing heart disease.
To increase HDL and decrease LDL in your body you can follow things:

  • Include foods and oils high in HDL in your diet. It will help to decrease LDL levels in your body.
  • Avoid the amount of saturated fats in your diet. In fact, no more than ten percent of your daily calories should be saturated fats. Reducing your daily intake of meat might be a good place to start.
  • Eating five ½ cup servings a day of fresh fruits and vegetables will help.
  • Increase consumption of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, and green vegetables in your diet. They raise HDL levels in the body.
  • Avoid refined carbohydrates like sugar and refined flours. They raise unhealthy blood cholesterol levels in the body.
  • Do exercise every day. Even going for a walk and increasing your heart rate for 15 minutes a day will help to boost your HDL levels.

It is difficult to make major lifestyle and dietary changes overnight. However, trying to implement some of these suggestions will greatly reduce your risk for heart disease. And living without the fear of a heart disease will allow you to enjoy life all the more.

Cholesterol Support Formulas support and maintain your normal body functions to help maintain optimum health.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

April 23, 2010 | Filed Under Cardiovascular system | Leave a Comment 

Pro and con of soy estrogen

The estrogen hormones contained within soy products have been the subject of an ongoing scientific debate for years.

Soybean foods such as tempeh, soybeans, soy milk, and miso may be the best foods around for relieving the symptoms of menopause and protecting women against breast cancer. They may also help protect men against prostate cancer.
Some research suggests the isoflavones (genistein and daidzein) a class of plant estrogens contained within soybeans, are beneficial for health.
The soy isoflavone genistein and daidzein are similar to 17 beta-estradiols, but are 100,000 times weaker in estrogenic activity and are therefore weak estrogens.
Although these isoflavones are weak estrogens, people who eat a lot of it can have their blood level of isoflavones as mush as 10,000 times higher than those who do not consume soy.

What are the bad components in soy?

The isoflavones from soy is used in the manufacture of insecticides. This should leave us wondering whether it can be very healthy to the human body when it does the exact opposite to bugs and insects.

Cancer comes from having too much estrogen, a condition medically referred to as estrogen dominance.

Unfortunately clinical trials have been ambiguous, and in some cases extremely contradictory. Opposing studies imply that isoflavones could be harmful and produce negative effects on the human body.

They say that high concentrations of isoflavones in the body can have a significant cumulative estrogenic and toxic effect, especially when they are exposed to organs that have sensitive estrogen receptors sites such as the breast, uterus, and thyroid.

Estrogen dominance is associated to irritability and mood swings, fat gain from the waist down, fibrocystic breast disease and uterine (fibromas).
Pros and cons are continuing to arise over soy products.

With all this controversy, we can only hope the ongoing research of soy estrogen within the medical community will produce encouraging conclusions.

Menozac Menopause Relief

Menozac is a effective botanical formulation which contains a blend of all natural herbal extracts. It  developed to ease the transition and provide effective Menopause Symptoms Relief.

Menozac has been developed as a natural alternative support product, formulated with the best-known combination of high-potency phytoestrogen botanicals which have a long empirical history of relieving menopausal symptoms, and supporting the body’s hormonal balance.

FACTS ON SOY ESTROGEN:

Soybeans contain isoflavones (daidzein and genistein), which help reduce cholesterol levels, fight cancer, increase bone density, and reduce menopausal symptoms.


Related articles by Zemanta
Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

January 16, 2010 | Filed Under Cancer, Cardiovascular system | 1 Comment 

Vitamin B1(Thiamin) deficiency

Why we need Thiamin

Thiamin helps regulate nerve growth, stimulates brain action, and memory. Helps convert food to energy. It required for nerve and muscle function, enzyme reactions, and fatty acid production.

Thiamin also keeps our brain and nervous system fueled up. Human brain runs on glucose, a type of sugar that’s made from the carbohydrates you eat. Thiamin helps our brain and nervous system absorb enough glucose. Without it, they take in only half of what they really need.

And when your brain doesn’t get enough fuel, you start to get forgetful, depressed, tired, and apathetic.
Thiamin also helps keep heart muscles elastic and working smoothly, which help heart pumping strongly and evenly, with just the right number of beats.

Vitamin B1 is indispensable for the health of the entire nervous system; prevents fatigue and increases stamina; prevents edema and fluid retention, also aids in digestion and metabolism.

Causes of Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) deficiency and symptoms

Vitamin B1 deficiency can result from inadequate food intake.
Deficiency causes beriberi, a disease that affects cardiovascular, nervous, muscular, and gastrointestinal systems.

Thiamin deficiency is common among alcoholics, who often have inadequate food intakes. Alcohol provides energy without providing many of the necessary nutrients. Alcohol also impairs the absorption of thiamin, while increasing excretion of thiamin.
Extreme thiamin deficiency can lead to an enlarged heart, weight loss, muscular weakness, poor short-term memory, and cardiac failure.

Some people are at high risk of Vitamin B1 deficiency: elderly who don’t eat well and don’t get enough thiamin in their diets; pregnant or breastfeeding women; diabetics.

How to avoid Vitamin B2 deficiency

But in fact most people, even the ones with the health issues listed here, do get enough thiamin. A real deficiency is pretty rate.

Wheat germ, liver, pork, whole & enriched grains, dried beans
Good sources of thiamin are pork, liver, fish, oranges, peas, peanut butter, wheat germ, beans, and whole grains.

Enzymes present in raw fish and shellfish destroy thiamin. Also, tannins in tea and coffee can oxidize thiamin, reducing the availability of thiamin in the diet.


November 25, 2009 | Filed Under Cardiovascular system, Hair loss, Minerals are essential elements of health, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamins deficiency and diseases | Leave a Comment 

Vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms, cobalamin deficiency, signs of vitamin b12 deficiencies, causes of vitamin b12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 is unusual for a vitamin in that it contains cobalt. The other name of Vitamin B12, cobalamin, derives from “cobal”.

Why vitamin B12 is so important

You need Vitamin B12 to process the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in food we eat into energy. Vitamin B12 plays great role for nerve function, synthesis of DNA and RNA, metabolism of energy, enzyme reactions, and production of red blood cells.
It also forms the protective covering of nerve cells and keeps red blood cells healthy, and helps prevent heart disease.
It is also important for heart, male infertility, and prevention of neural tube defects, asthma, and cancer prevention.

Causes of vitamin B12 deficiency

Deficiency of vitamin B12 is not usually from lack of intake, but rather from lack of absorption.
It is common among the elderly and those with poor diets, pernicious anemia, depression, Alzheimer’s, or malabsorption conditions (celiac disease). Vitamin B12 and other B vitamins may be deficient in older people depending on medical conditions, and prescription drug use.
Inadequate hydrochloric acid in the stomach will prevent vitamin B12 from being released from dietary proteins so it cannot be utilized. Lack of intrinsic factor can also prevent absorption.
Pernicious anemia results from inadequate absorption of vitamin B12, which can be caused by damaged stomach cells. It is most common in those over 60 years of age.

Pregnant women with deficiency of Vitamin B12 have increased risk of giving birth to a child with neural tube defects.
Vegetarians who eat no animal products are often at risk of cobalamin deficiency.

Vitamin B12 supplements are recommended for those over age 50, vegetarians, women planning to become pregnant, those with poor diets, and those at risk of heart disease

Signs of vitamin B12 deficiency

The main symptom of classic vitamin B12 deficiency is anemia. Long before anemia sets in, though, marginal vitamin B12 deficiency leads to depression, confused thinking, and other mental symptoms that look a lot like senility.
Deficiency of vitamin B12 first shows as a paralysis that begins in the extremities and moves inward.

Correct identification of vitamin B12 deficiency can prevent permanent paralysis and nerve damage. Remember that there are no symptoms of anemia when folate levels are high and only the vitamin B12 levels are low.

Common signs of B12 deficiency are anemia, appetite loss, constipation, numbness and tingling in the extremities, and confusion.

It may take several years to develop deficiency symptoms as vitamin B12 is efficiently recycled.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

November 25, 2009 | Filed Under Anemia, Cardiovascular system, Vitamin B, Vitamins deficiency and diseases | Leave a Comment 

Next Page »

  • Vitamins for hair growth

  • Minerals benefits

    Subscribe to RSS headline updates from:
    Powered by FeedBurner

  • Vitamins deficiency symptoms

    Subscribe to RSS headline updates from:
    Powered by FeedBurner