Now that you are pregnant, it is important to ensure that both you and your baby stay strong and healthy. Though it may be difficult, this is the time to give up all those bad habits, like smoking and alcohol consumption. It is also a good idea to give up food or beverages that contain caffeine. Though you may be hesitant to give up your morning cup of coffee, caffeine has been associated with a number of prenatal risks. When consumed in high doses, caffeine has even been linked with increased rates of miscarriage.
What is Caffeine?
Though many of us don�t realize it, caffeine is actually a drug, much like nicotine and alcohol. It is also addictive, which is why so many people crave their coffee and cola! Caffeine, also known as guareine and mateine, is a naturally-occurring substance found in a number of plants, beans, and seeds. It acts as a stimulant on our central nervous system, and is absorbed into our bloodstream just 15 minutes after intake. When absorbed in large quantities, caffeine can cause a number of adverse physical reactions.
Where is Caffeine Found?
Though most of us associate caffeine with tea and coffee, it is also found in a number of other foods and beverages, including:
* colas
* hot chocolate
* chocolate
* various nuts
Caffeine is also found in certain medications, particularly those for migraine headaches, and in some dietary supplements.
What are the Effects of Caffeine?
If you notice yourself feeling jittery after you have has a lot of coffee or tea, there�s a good reason for it. Caffeine can cause a number of physical side effects, including:
* increased heart rate
* increased blood pressure
* increased sweat production
Caffeine also acts as a diuretic. This means that it causes you to lose fluid from your body, which can leave you dehydrated and fatigued. If your body absorbs too much caffeine, it is possible to go into "caffeine overdose," which causes symptoms of nausea and lightheadedness, as well as respiratory problems.
Effects of Caffeine on Your Baby
Caffeine is thought to pose certain risks during pregnancy. Though researchers debate how much caffeine is acceptable during pregnancy, there is evidence to suggest than any amount will cause some physical effects on your little one. This is because caffeine passes through your placenta and is absorbed by your baby. Adults are able to break down caffeine fairly quickly, thanks to chemicals inside of our body. However, your developing baby can�t do this as efficiently. This means that caffeine will be stored inside of his blood for longer periods of time, and could reach dangerously high levels.
Caffeine also affects other aspects of your baby�s health. It is known to increase your baby�s heart rate and may affect how much he moves in utero. Because caffeine is a diuretic, it can also affect the nutrition your baby receives from you. Caffeine intake may cause you to absorb less iron and calcium from foods, a possible detriment to your baby�s overall fetal development.
Coffee and Miscarriage
Recent studies have focused on the effects of coffee intake during pregnancy. A large-scale Danish study polled more than 80,000 pregnant women regarding their coffee intake. This study found that women who drank large amounts of coffee during pregnancy were more likely to experience a miscarriage. Women who drank more than 2 cups of coffee a day had a slightly increased risk of miscarriage, while those that drank 8 or more cups experienced a 59% increase. This is why it is so important to watch your caffeine intake during pregnancy.
Interestingly, this Danish study found that this considerably greater risk of miscarriage was specific to coffee. Other caffeinated beverages and foods did not present the same significant increase, leading researchers to believe that other chemicals contained in coffee could possibly play a role in causing miscarriage.
How Much Caffeine is Too Much?
Most health care providers suggest eliminating all caffeinated foods and beverages from your pregnancy diet. Yet, some pregnant women find this especially difficult, particularly because so many food items contain small amounts of caffeine. If you are finding it hard to eliminate all caffeine from your diet, one caffeinated beverage or food item once in awhile probably won�t make much difference to your baby�s health. However, it is important to realize that caffeine does pose a risk to your little one, especially in large amounts, so work to reduce that caffeine intake.
Tips on Reducing Caffeine Intake
Just as quitting smoking and drinking can be difficult, it can also be hard to eliminate caffeine from your daily diet. After all, caffeine is an addictive drug. Here are some tips on how to reduce your caffeine intake and ensure that you and your baby stay healthy throughout your pregnancy.
* Cut back on your caffeine intake slowly. Going cold turkey can cause you to experience withdrawal symptoms, like headaches and nausea.
* Try replacing your caffeinated beverages with non-caffeinated ones, like decaf coffee.
* Exercise regularly to help combat any withdrawal symptoms and to stay energized.
* Stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water will help you manage cravings and fatigue.
Source: epigee.org
Caffeine and Pregnancy
People with Disability or Disorder - Myths and Facts
Myth: People with disabilities are brave and courageous.
Fact: Adjusting to a disability requires adapting to a lifestyle, not bravery and courage.
Myth: All persons with hearing disabilities can read lips.
Fact: Lip-reading skills vary among people who use them and are never entirely reliable.
Myth: All persons who use wheelchairs are chronically ill or sickly.
Fact: The association between wheelchair use and illness may have evolved through hospitals using wheelchairs to transport sick people. A person may use a wheelchair for a variety of reasons, none of which may have anything to do with lingering illness.
Myth: Wheelchair use is confining; people who use wheelchairs are "wheelchair-bound."
Fact: A wheelchair, like a bicycle or an automobile, is a personal assistive device that enables someone to get around.
Myth: People with disabilities always need help.
Fact: Many people with disabilities are independent and capable of giving help. If you would like to help someone with a disability, ask if he or she needs it before you act.
Myth: The lives of people with disabilities are totally different than the lives of people without disabilities.
Fact: People with disabilities go to school, get married, work, have families, do laundry, grocery shop, laugh, cry, pay taxes, get angry, have prejudices, vote, plan and dream like everyone else.
Myth: People who are blind acquire a "sixth sense."
Fact: Although most people who are blind develop their remaining senses more fully, they do not have a "sixth sense."
Myth: People with disabilities are more comfortable with "their own kind."
Fact: In the past, grouping people with disabilities in separate schools and institutions reinforced this misconception. Today, many people with disabilities take advantage of new opportunities to join mainstream society.
Myth: Non-disabled people are obligated to "take care of" people with disabilities.
Fact: Anyone may offer assistance, but most people with disabilities prefer to be responsible for themselves.
Myth: Curious children should never ask people about their disabilities.
Fact: Many children have a natural, uninhibited curiosity and may ask questions that some adults consider embarrassing. But scolding curious children may make them think having a disability is "wrong" or "bad." Most people with disabilities won't mind answering a child's question.
Myth: It is all right for people without disabilities to park in accessible parking spaces, if only for a few minutes.
Fact: Because accessible parking spaces are designed and situated to meet the needs of people who have disabilities, these spaces should only be used by people who need them.
Myth: Most people with disabilities cannot have sexual relationships.
Fact: Anyone can have a sexual relationship by adapting the sexual activity. People with disabilities can have children naturally or through adoption. People with disabilities, like other people, are sexual beings.
Myth: There is nothing one person can do to help eliminate the barriers confronting people with disabilities.
Fact: Everyone can contribute to change.
source: ryanshopeinc.org
Epilepsy - Myths and Facts
Myth: People with epilepsy are "epileptics."
Fact: The word "epileptic" should not be used to descrbe someone who has epilepsy, as it defines a person by one trait or problem. A label is powerful and can create a limiting and negative stereotype. It is better to refer to someone as "a person with epilepsy" or to a group of people as "people with epilepsy."
Myth: People with epilepsy are seldom brain-damaged.
Fact: Epilepsy is a disorder of brain and nerve-cell function that may or may not be associated with damage to brain structures. Brain function can be temporarily disturbed by many things, such as extreme fatigue; the use of sleeping pills, sedatives, or general anesthesia; or high fever or serious illness. "Brain damage" implies that something is permanently wrong with the brain's structure. This kind of damage may occur with severe head injury, cerebral palsy, Cerebral palsyA condition with various combinations of impaired muscle tone and strength, coordination, and intelligence.Close or stroke, or it may occur long before birth, with malformation or infection. Injuries to the brain are the cause of seizures in some people with epilepsy, but by no means all of them.
Brain injuries range from undetectable to disabling. Although brain cells usually do not regenerate, most people can make substantial recoveries. Brain damage, like epilepsy, carries a stigma, and some people may unjustly consider brain-injured patients "incompetent."
Myth: A seizure disorder is epilepsy.
Fact: Because some people fear the word "epilepsy," they use the term "seizure disorder" in an attempt to separate themselves from any association with it. However the term seizure disorder means the same thing as epilepsy. A person has epilepsy or a seizure disorder if he or she has had two or more seizures that "come out of the blue" and are not provoked—even if the problem first develops in adulthood or is known to be caused by something like a severe head injury or a tumor.
Myth: Seizures cause brain damage.
Fact: Single tonic-clonic seizures lasting less than 5-10 minutes are not known to cause brain damage or injury. However, there is evidence that more frequent and more prolonged tonic-clonic seizures may in some patients injure the brain. Prolonged or repetitive complex partial seizures (a type of seizure that occurs in clusters without an intervening return of consciousness) also can potentially cause long-lasting impairment of brain function.
Some people have difficulty with memory and other intellectual functions after a seizure. These problems may be caused by the aftereffects of the seizure on the brain, by the effects of seizure medicines, or both. Usually, however, these problems do not mean that the brain has been damaged by the seizure. There may be a cumulative, negative effect of many tonic-clonic or complex partial seizures on brain function, but this effect appears to be rare.
Myth: People with epilepsy are usually cognitively challenged.
Fact: People with epilepsy usually are not intellectually challenged. Many people mistakenly believe that people with epilepsy are also intellectually or developmentally challenged. In the large majority of situations, this is not true. Like any other group of people, people with epilepsy have different intellectual abilities. Some are brilliant and some score below average on intelligence tests, but most are somewhere in the middle. They have normal intelligence and lead productive lives. Some people, however, may have epilepsy associated with brain injuries that may cause other neurological difficulties that affects their thinking, remembering, or other cognitive CognitivePertaining to the mental processes of perceiving, thinking, and remembering; used loosely to refer to intellectual functions as opposed to physical functions.Closeabilities. The cognitive problems may be the only problem in most people. Less frequently, some people have other developmental problems that can affect the way they function and live.
Myth: People with epilepsy are violent or crazy.
Fact: The belief that people with epilepsy are violent is an unfortunate image that is both wrong and destructive. People with epilepsy have no greater tendency toward severe irritability and aggressive behaviors than do other people.
Many features of seizures and their immediate aftereffects can be easily misunderstood as "crazy" or "violent" behavior. Unfortunately, police officers and even medical personnel may confuse seizure-related behaviors with other problems. However, these behaviors merely represent semiconscious or confused actions resulting from the seizure. During seizures, some people may not respond to questions, may speak gibberish, undress, repeat a word or phrase, crumple important papers, or may appear frightened and scream. Some are confused immediately after a seizure, and if they are restrained or prevented from moving about, they can become agitated and combative. Some people are able to respond to questions and carry on a conversation fairly well, but several hours later they cannot remember the conversation at all.
Myth: People with epilepsy are mentally ill.
Fact: Epilepsy is not the same as mental illness and in fact, the majority of people with seizures do not develop mental health problems. Yet recent research is showing that problems with mood, such as anxiety and depression, may be seen more frequently than previously thought. The causes are not always known. In some people, the cause and location of the seizures may affect certain brain areas and contribute to mood problems. In others, side effects of treatments and the challenges of living with epilepsy may affect a person's feelings and behavior. If these problems occur, a variety of treatments are available.
Myth: Epilepsy is necessarily inherited.
Fact: Most cases of epilepsy are not inherited, although some types are genetically transmitted (that is, passed on through the family). Most of these types are easily controlled with seizure medicines.
Myth: Epilepsy is a life-long disorder.
Fact: Generally, people with epilepsy have seizures and require medication for only a small portion of their lives. About 60 % of people who develop seizures have epilepsy that can be easily controlled and is likely to remit or go away. However, about 25 % may develop difficult to control seizures and likely will require lifelong treatment. More than half of childhood forms of epilepsy are outgrown by adulthood. With many forms of epilepsy in children and adults, when the person has been free of seizures for 1 to 3 years, medications can often be slowly withdrawn and discontinued under a doctor's supervision.
Myth: Epilepsy is a curse.
Fact: Epilepsy has nothing to do with curses, possession, or other supernatural processes, such as punishment for past sins. Like asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure, epilepsy is a medical problem.
Myth: Epilepsy should be a barrier to success.
Fact: Epilepsy is perfectly compatible with a normal, happy, and full life. The person's quality of life, however, may be affected by the frequency and severity of the seizures, the effects of medications, reactions of onlookers to seizures, and other disorders that are often associated with or caused by epilepsy.
Some types of epilepsy are harder to control than others. Living successfully with epilepsy requires a positive outlook, a supportive environment, and good medical care. Coping with the reaction of other people to the disorder can be the most difficult part of living with epilepsy.
Acquiring a positive outlook may be easier said than done, especially for those who have grown up with insecurity and fear. Instilling a strong sense of self-esteem in children is important. Many children with long-term, ongoingic illnesses—not only epilepsy but also disorders such as asthma or diabetes—have low self-esteem. This may be caused in part by the reactions of others and in part by parental concern that fosters dependence and insecurity. Children develop strong self-esteem and independence through praise for their accomplishments and emphasis on their potential abilities.
Famous people with epilepsy include Julius Caesar, Socrates, Alexander the Great, Tchaikovsky, Van Gogh, Dostoyevski, Dickens, Dante, da Vinci, Mozart and Alfred Nobel.
source: epilepsy.com
Soya - Benefits and Products
Soya is one of the oldest and most nutritious foods in the world. In the 11th century BC it was primarily consumed in Northern China, spreading to the west and the U.S.A. in the middle of the 18th century and only more recently to Europe. Soya is mainly used in industry and for animal feed despite the fact that it is the third most important crop world-wide today and less than 3% is consumed by humans.
What has most interested scientists in recent years is the discovery of phytochemicals and the profound benefits of Soya on human health. Soya has many nutritional advantages as it contains protein, fibre and isoflavones which have positive effects on cholesterol, bone density, menstrual and menopausal symptoms as well as preventing certain cancers. It is thought to be a wonder food by the Chinese who believe it can cure kidney disease, water retention, common colds, anaemia and leg ulcers.
In China, the soya bean has been cultivated and used in different ways for thousands of years. Soya was considered as one of the 5 holy crops, besides rice, wheat, barley and millet.
Soya beans contain high amounts of protein, including all essential amino acids (the only such vegetable source). Soya beans are also a rich source of calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, B-vitamins,omega 3 fatty acids andfiber.
Heart health
The cholesterol lowering effect of Soya milk and its role of heart disease was widely recognized in the mid 90s when the results of a meta-analysis of 38 clinical studies were published. The results demonstrated that a diet with significant Soya protein reduces Total Cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (the "Bad" cholesterol) and Triglycerides.
The average consumption in these studies was 47 grams per day of Soya protein, which is a considerable amount. One way to include this is to try a Soya protein beverage or powder that may add 20 grams preserving. Soya protein was effective even in people who were already following the American Heart Association's 30 percent-fat diet. Soya protein appears to lower triglyceride levels while preserving HDL cholesterol.
Researchers Erdman & Potter in 1993 reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition a 12 percent drop in cholesterol when 20 to 25 grams of Soya protein and fiber were included in the diet. Soya beans contain soluble fiber, which is known to interfere with the absorption and metabolism of cholesterol.
As a result of these findings, in 1999, FDA authorized a health claim about the relationship between Soya protein and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) on labelling of foods containing Soya protein.
A heart health claim can be found on qualified Soya products.Health Claim:
Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 25 grams of Soya protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease. One serving of [name of produce] provides [amount]g of Soya protein.
A few recent studies released in 2005 found that Soya only had a modest effect on cholesterol levels. The American Heart Associationno longer recommends Soya for heart disease. FDA is currently reviewing its policy on Soya health claim. So what should you do? Enjoy your Soya foods like before. It may not lower cholesterol to an extent we originally thought, but it certainly does not harm our health!
Healthy bones
Many Soya foods are naturally high in calcium (some fortified with calcium because it is a good source of a particular coagulating agent). In addition, Soya also contains magnesium and boron, which are important co-factors of calcium for bone health.
Isoflavones in Soya foods may inhibit the breakdown of bones. Daidzein, a type of isoflavone, is actually very similar to the drug ipriflavone, which is used throughout Europe and Asia to treat osteoporosis. One compelling study completed by Erdman in 1993 focused on post-menopausal women who consumed 40 grams of isolated Soya protein daily for 6 months. Researchers found that these subjects significantly increased bone mineral density as compared to the controls.
Another study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in September 2005 also found that intake of Soya food was associated with a significantly lower risk of fracture, particularly among early post-menopausal women.
Alleviating menopausal symptoms
In Japan, where Soya foods are commonly consumed daily, women are only one-third as likely to report menopausal symptoms as in the United States or Canada. In fact, there is no word in the Japanese language for "hot flashes".
Current studies showed that Soya only helps some women alleviate menopausal symptoms. Indeed, Soya is more effective in preventing than alleviating hot flashes. Despite these findings, the North American Menopause Society in 2000 recommended that 40 - 80mg of isoflavones daily may help relieve menopausal symptoms.
Preventing cancer
Among all cancers, data on Soya and prostate cancer seems to be the most promising; many studies support its role in the prevention and possible treatment of prostate cancer.
While some studies showed Soya offers a protective effect against breast cancer, a few studies showed the estrogen-like effects in isoflavones may be harmful for women with breast cancer. American Institute for Cancer Research stresses that data on Soya and breast cancer are not conclusive, and more work is needed to be done before any dietary recommendations can be made.
What we know at this point is the phytoestrogens in Soya foods are "anti-estrogens". In other words, they may block estrogen from reaching the receptors - therefore potentially protecting women from developing breast cancer. Studies found that pre-menopausal women may benefit from eating Soya foods as their natural estrogen levels are high.
However, this may not be true to post-menopausal women. Studies found that Soya could become "pro-estrogen" in women with low levels of natural estrogen. In other words, concentrated Soya supplements may add estrogen to the body and hence increase breast cancer risk in post-menopausal women. Therefore, post-menopausal women should avoid taking concentrated Soya supplements until more is known. Eating Soya products, however, is not harmful.
Soya products
Soya beans are very versatile: soya beans can be used as whole soya beans, soya sprouts, or processed as soya milk (Calcium-fortified Soya milk), soya nuts, edamame, tofu, tempeh, soya sauce or miso. Other products such as Soya patties, Soya cheese, Soya yogurt and breakfast cereal.
Although it is still inconclusive that Soya can prevent any diseases, many studies have shown promising results. Include Soya products in your diet and enjoy the possible health benefits they may bring.
With increasing public concerns regarding genetically modified foods, look for Soya products which use non-genetically modified Soya crops in their production.
Soya is also used as ingredient for non-food products, such as candle wax and biodiesel. Soy candles are becoming more popular because they burn longer and healthier.
From Many Source
Caffeine - Myths and Facts
People throughout Asia have enjoyed foods and beverages containing caffeine for thousands of years. Whether green, black or oolong, tea has been savoured in Asia for almost 5,000 years. Coffee, a relative newcomer discovered some 1,000 years ago, continues to bring people together in the coffee houses and cybercafes springing up across the region. Over the last hundred years, cola drinks, ready-to-drink tea and coffee beverages and a new crop of "energy drinks" have steadily gained in popularity.
All these beverages have a common ingredient - caffeine. Although products containing caffeine have been enjoyed all over the world for centuries, there are still many misperceptions about this common food component. Food Facts Asia looks at some of the more common myths regarding caffeine.
MYTH: Caffeine's effects are addictive.
FACT: People often say they are "addicted" to caffeine in much the same way they say they are "addicted" to shopping, working or television. The term "addiction" actually refers to a strong dependence on a drug characterised by severe withdrawal symptoms, tolerance to a given dose and the loss of control or the need to consume more and more of the substance at any cost. Addicts tend to exhibit anti-social behaviour or even commit crimes to perpetuate the abuse. Consumers of caffeine-containing beverages do not fall into this category. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (1994), a document that characterises various addictions, does not list caffeine as a substance that causes addiction. According to the World Health Organization, "There is no evidence whatsoever that caffeine use has even remotely comparable physical and social consequences which are associated with serious drugs of abuse."
MYTH: Pregnant women should avoid caffeine.
FACT: Just as with nearly everything else they do, pregnant women can take caffeine in moderation. Many women find they experience taste changes during pregnancy and cannot drink tea or coffee. For those who continue to enjoy their tea and coffee, most physicians and researchers agree that moderate amounts of coffee daily will have no adverse effects on the outcome of the pregnancy or the infant's health.
MYTH: Caffeine is a risk factor for osteoporosis.
FACT: The established risk factors for osteoporosis are insufficient dietary calcium and vitamin D, high protein diets, smoking, the onset of menopause, low oestrogen levels, low body weight and a lack of physical activity. Several well-controlled studies have concluded that consuming moderate amounts of caffeine does not increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. A 1994 National Institute of Health Consensus Statement on optimal bone health does not list caffeine amongst the risk factors which modify calcium balance and influence bone mass. A study by Penn State Medical School found that lifetime consumption of caffeine (up to 800 mg daily or the equivalent of 6-7 cups of coffee a day) had no effect on bone density in 188 post-menopausal women.
Nevertheless, caffeine does cause a small amount of calcium to be lost in the urine about the amount in one to two tablespoons of milk per cup of tea or coffee. For this reason, nutritionists recommend that women take their coffee with added milk, drink one extra glass of milk daily or take a calcium supplement if they are heavy coffee drinkers (over 5 cups of coffee daily).
MYTH: Caffeine increases the risk of heart disease.
FACT: Despite previous controversy on the subject, scientists now agree that regular caffeine use has little or no effect on blood pressure, cholesterol levels or risk of heart disease.
Studies show that while first-time caffeine use can cause a slight increase in blood pressure (similar to that experienced when walking up stairs), the changes are minimal and disappear with regular use.
It has also been found that only boiled, unfiltered coffee, such as that taken in some Scandinavian countries, elevates cholesterol. It seems the oils in the coffee that are not filtered out are responsible for this effect, not the coffee or caffeine. Consumption of caffeine-containing beverages does not typically affect cholesterol levels.
MYTH: Caffeine causes cancer.
FACT: Substantial scientific evidence demonstrates that caffeine is not a risk factor for cancer. A number of human epidemiological studies have examined the risk of developing cancer at different locations in the body. Two studies of large numbers of people in Norway and Hawaii found no relationship between regular coffee consumption and cancer risk. Two projects conducted on caffeine - one in Japan and the other in Germany - demonstrated no link between caffeine consumption and the incidence of tumours in test animals. This confirms the position of the American Cancer Society, that states, "Available information does not suggest a recommendation against the moderate use of coffee. There is no indication that caffeine, a natural component of both coffee and tea, is a risk factor in human cancer."
MYTH: Caffeine adversely affects the health of children.
FACT: Children generally consume much less caffeine than adults do, since soft drinks and tea are their primary sources of caffeine. Children generally have the same ability to process caffeine as adults. Studies have shown that foods and drinks containing caffeine, when taken in moderate amounts, have no detectable effects on activity levels or attention spans in children.
MYTH: Caffeine has no health benefits.
FACT: Recent research has found some surprising health benefits associated with caffeine consumption. Many caffeine-containing beverages, most notably tea and more recently coffee, have been found to contain antioxidants. Antioxidants may have health benefits in terms of heart health and cancer prevention.
Caffeine is well recognised as increasing both alertness levels and attention spans. A cup of coffee or tea is often recommended to counter sleepiness, especially for those driving long distances and many people resort to an afternoon "cuppa" to get back on top of their workload.
Recent reports suggest that caffeine may be useful in treating allergic reactions due to its ability to reduce the concentration of histamines, the typical body response to an allergy-causing substance. More research is needed in this area before conclusions can be drawn. Caffeine has long been known to help many people suffering from asthma.
There is also evidence to suggest that caffeine may reduce the risk of kidney stones.
source: afic.org
Grapefruit Juice - Drug Interactions
Fenomenon Diet of the 80s
In 80s, we can say that if you wanted guaranteed weight loss, the grapefruit diet was the plan to follow. Providing no more than 800 calories a day, the grapefruit diet menu involved eating lots of 'fat-burning' grapefruit to kick-start your metabolism. It same as much black coffee as you liked, some daily protein (mainly boiled eggs) and the odd piece of dry toast.
At the time, nutrition experts dismissed it as another fad diet. They explaining that the 'fat-burning' properties of grapefruit were, in fact, a myth and any weight loss that occurred was due to the extremely low and potentially dangerous calorie intake.
The Warning
But two decades on, it seems these nutritionists may need to rethink their views on the popularity of grapefruit as a 'diet food' if the results of a study published earlier this year to be believed. The latest research, the simple act of adding grapefruit and grapefruit juice to your diet, really can aid weight loss. But unlike the seriously restricted diet of the 80s, you get these results without changing what else you eat.
While this research might tempt you to fill up on grapefruit to boost your weight loss campaign, if you’re taking any medications you might want to speak to your GP first or check the literature that comes with your medication.
This is because a wealth of research shows that grapefruit juice can interact with a number of medications, potentially causing serious side effects. It works by inhibiting an enzyme in the intestines that’s responsible for the natural breakdown and absorption of many medications. When the action of this enzyme is blocked, blood levels of these medications increase and this can lead to potentially toxic side effects.
Research suggests that flavonoids and/or furanocoumarin compounds are the substances in grapefruit juice that block the enzyme in the intestines. Many drugs appear to be affected by grapefruit juice so if you are taking any medication, it’s essential to check whether you can safely consume grapefruit juice. In the meantime, it’s likely that grapefruit segments may also interact with certain medications so you’d be wise to consult your GP before eating lots of grapefruit. Other citrus fruits don’t seem to have any effect.
The Research
Grapefruit juice provides many nutrients, such as vitamin C and lycopene. But chemicals in grapefruit interfere with the enzymes that break down (metabolize) certain drugs in your digestive system. This can result in excessively high levels of these drugs in your blood and an increased risk of serious side effects.
The exact chemicals in grapefruit juice that cause this interaction aren't known. But these chemicals are present in the pulp and peel of grapefruit as well as in the juice. For this reason, any grapefruit products can interact with certain medications. Include dietary supplements that contain grapefruit bioflavonoids. If you avoid grapefruit, you may also want to avoid tangelos, a hybrid grapefruit, and Seville oranges, a type of bitter orange often used to make marmalade and compotes. They may have a similar effect.
The study included 100 obese people who were divided into three groups. The first group ate half a grapefruit before each meal three times a day. The second group drank grapefruit juice before each meal. The third group received no grapefruit. No other changes were made to their diets.
After 12 weeks, those participants who ate grapefruit with each meal lost, on average 3.6lb. Only a third of a pound a week, but pretty good considering they didn't make any other changes to their diet. Meanwhile, those who drank grapefruit juice three times a day lost 3.3lb in the 12 weeks. By comparison, the grapefruit-free participants lost, on average, only 0.5lb.
But weight loss wasn't the only health benefit seen when grapefruit or the juice was consumed. The research also found the grapefruit-consuming participants had lower levels of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels and fat metabolism, which in turn might help to reduce the risk of diabetes or stroke.
The Theory
The researchers believe grapefruit contains unique plant compounds that reduce insulin levels, which in turn promotes weight loss.
The link between raised insulin levels and excess weight is complicated and multifaceted. To start with, high levels of insulin may indicate that sugar isn't efficiently utilised for energy with the result that it's more likely to be stored as fat. Secondly, high levels of insulin can make people feel hungry so that they eat more. And finally, high levels of insulin prevent the body from breaking down fat. Add these together, and it's easy to see why lower levels of insulin may promote weight loss. What exactly it is in grapefruit that has this insulin-lowering effect remains unclear.
Care needs to be taken when interpreting the results. It's the first study of it's kind and even the researchers believe more work needs to be carried out before recommendations are made regarding grapefruit intake. Fortunately, a larger study is already planned for later this year.
When it comes to reducing the risk of diabetes, experts also believe we should err on the side of caution before recommending vast amounts of grapefruit.
Nutrition experts also agree that more research is needed before rushing out to stock up on grapefruit. Most tend to agree with the nutritionalists of the 80s and say it's unlikely that grapefruit has any magical properties in terms of aiding weight loss in the absence of other diet or lifestyle changes. It's perhaps more likely that participant’s lost weight simply because they were taking part in a study and, as a result, were more focussed on their food intake and exercise habits.
From many source
Vitamin - Side Effects, Poisoning and Overdose
A vitamin is an organic compound required in tiny amounts for essential metabolic reactions in a living organism.The term vitamin does not include other essential nutrients such as dietary minerals, essential fatty acids, or essential amino acids, nor does it encompass the large number of other nutrients that promote health but that are not essential for life.
Vitamins are bio-molecules that act as catalysts and substrates in chemical reactions. When acting as a catalyst, vitamins are bound to enzymes and are called cofactors. For example, vitamin K is part of the proteases involved in blood clotting. Vitamins also act as coenzymes to carry chemical groups between enzymes. For example, folic acid carries various forms of carbon group – methyl, formyl and methylene - in the cell.
Until the 1900s, vitamins were obtained solely through food intake, and changes in diet (which, for example, could occur during a particular growing season) can alter the types and amounts of vitamins ingested. Vitamins have been produced as commodity chemicals and made widely available as inexpensive pills for several decades,allowing supplementation of the dietary intake.
Vitamin poisoning
Vitamin poisoning, or hypervitaminosis, refers to a condition of high storage levels of vitamins, which can lead to toxic symptoms. The medical names of the different conditions are derived from the vitamin involved: an excess of vitamin A, for example, is called "hypervitaminosis A".
High dosage vitamin A; high dosage, slow release vitamin B3; and very high dosage vitamin B6 alone (i.e. without vitamin B complex) are sometimes associated with vitamin side effects that usually rapidly cease with supplement reduction or cessation. Conversely, certain vitamins do not produce toxicity in excess levels. Vitamin C has been used in dosages over 100,000 mg for serious illness — over 1000 times the daily recommended intake — without ill effects.[citation needed] However, Vitamin C does have a pronounced laxative effect, typically when intake of vitamin C is in the range of 5-20 grams per day for a person in normal "good health".
Overdose
In large doses some vitamins have documented side effects, that tend to be more severe with larger dosage. The likelihood of consuming too much of any vitamin from food is remote, but overdosing from vitamin supplementation does occur. At high enough dosages some vitamins cause side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. When side effects emerge, recovery is often accomplished by reducing the dosage. The concentrations of vitamins an individual can tolerate vary widely, and appear to be related to age and state of health.
High doses of mineral supplements can also lead to side effects and toxicity. Mineral-supplement poisoning does occur occasionally due to excessive and unusual intake of iron-containing supplements, including some multivitamins, but is not common. The Dietary Reference Intake recommendations from the United States Department of Agriculture define a "tolerable upper intake level" for most vitamins.
Overdose of Vitamin A - Hypervitaminosis A
Hypervitaminosis A refers to the effects of excessive vitamin A (specifically retinoid) intake. Its occurs when the maximum limit for liver stores of retinoids is exceeded. The excess vitamin A enters the circulation causing systemic toxicity. Vitamin A in the form of betacarotene is only selectively converted into retinoids, and hence does not cause toxicity.
Although hypervitaminosis A can occur when large amounts of liver are regularly consumed, most cases of vitamin A toxicity result from an excess intake of vitamin A in the form of vitamin supplements. Toxic symptoms can also arise after consuming very large amounts of preformed vitamin A over a short period of time.
Presentation of effects include:
* birth defects
* liver problems,
* reduced bone mineral density that may result in osteoporosis
* coarse bone growths
* hair loss
* excessive skin dryness/peeling
Signs
Signs of acute toxicity include nausea and vomiting, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, and loss of muscular coordination.
Recommended supplement limits
The Institute of Medicine has established Daily Tolerable Upper Levels (UL) of intake for vitamin A from supplements that apply to healthy populations, in order to help prevent the risk of vitamin A toxicity. These levels for preformed vitamin A in micrograms (µg) and International Units (IU) are:
* 0-3 years: 600 µg or 2000 IU
* 4-8 years: 900 µg or 3000 IU
* 9-13 years: 1700 µg or 5665 IU
* 14-18 years: 2800 µg or 9335 IU
* 19+ years: 3000 µg or 10,000 IU
The dose over and above the RDA is among the narrowest of the vitamins and minerals. Possible pregnancy, liver disease, high alcohol consumption, and smoking are indications for close monitoring and limitation of vitamin A administration. However, vitamin A has also been repeatedly tested and used therapeutically over several decades in larger amounts, 100,000 - 400,000 IU total dosage, for treatment of severe pediatric measles in areas where vitamin A deficiency may be present, in order to reduce childhood mortality.
Polar-bear liver
The liver of the polar bear is unsafe to eat because it is extraordinarily high in vitamin A. This danger has been recognized since at least 1597 when Gerrit de Veer wrote in his diary that, while taking refuge in the winter in Nova Zembla, he and his men became gravely ill after eating polar-bear liver.
Overdose of Vitamin B6 - Impairment of proprioception
An overdose of pyridoxine can cause a temporary deadening of certain nerves such as the proprioceptory nerves; causing a feeling of disembodiment common with the loss of proprioception. This condition is reversible when supplementation is stopped.
Because adverse effects have only been documented from vitamin B6 supplements and never from food sources, only the supplemental form of vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is discussed with respect to safety. Although vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin and is excreted in the urine, very high doses of pyridoxine over long periods of time may result in painful neurological symptoms known as sensory neuropathy.
Symptoms include pain and numbness of the extremities, and in severe cases difficulty walking. Sensory neuropathy typically develops at doses of pyridoxine in excess of 1,000 mg per day.
However, there have been a few case reports of individuals who developed sensory neuropathies at doses of less than 500 mg daily over a period of months. None of the studies, in which an objective neurological examination was performed, found evidence of sensory nerve damage at intakes of pyridoxine below 200 mg/day.
In order to prevent sensory neuropathy in virtually all individuals, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine set the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for pyridoxine at 100 mg/day for adults. Because placebo-controlled studies have generally failed to show therapeutic benefits of high doses of pyridoxine, there is little reason to exceed the UL of 100 mg/day.
Overdose of Vitamin C - Vitamin C megadosage
Vitamin C megadosage is the consumption of vitamin C in doses which are well beyond the current Dietary Reference Intake. Proponents advocate that this dose is similar to the intake of other primates not producing vitamin C, and is required to attain concentrations reached by most other animals, who produce vitamin C.
High doses have been used in an attempt to obtain specific therapeutic effectsThere is a strong advocacy movement for such doses of vitamin C, despite a lack of conclusive scientific evidence of the purported benefits.There also exists some literature critical of governmental agency dose recommendations.
Although vitamin C can be well tolerated at doses well above the RDA recommendations, megadosing may cause side effects such as stomach upset, laxative effects, diarrhea, or kidney stones. The dose at which these effects may occur varies with the individual. Some test-tube experiments have also suggested that Vitamin C can induce production of DNA-damaging compounds, and by implication, cancer growth. However, some test-tube evidence has shown that Vitamin C is toxic to cancer cells, which has prompted new phase I toxicity trials of high doses of intravenous Vitamin C to determine its safety as a treatment modality.
Overdose of Vitamin D - Hypervitaminosis D
Hypervitaminosis D is a state of Vitamin D toxicity. Overdose occurs at more than 100 times the recommended daily allowance (roughly one bottle of vitamin D tablets per day), over a period of months. Acute overdose requires over 50mg (ten thousand times the RDA). Foods contain low levels, and have not been known to cause overdose. Overdose has occurred due to industrial accidents, for example when incorrectly formulated pills were sold or missing industrial concentrate cans misused as cans of milk.
Symptoms and presentation
Symptoms of vitamin D poisoning include:
* Dehydration
* Vomiting
* Decreased appetite (anorexia)
* Irritability
* Constipation
* Fatigue
An excess of vitamin D causes abnormally high blood concentrations of calcium (hypercalcemia) which can eventually cause severe damage to the bones, soft tissues, and kidneys. It can also damage the kidney and produce kidney stones. Ongoing research indicates antagonism with oil soluble menatetrenone, MK-4, an internally transported natural form of vitamin K2, which is associated with bone formation and calcium retention in the bones.
Note: Hypervitaminosis D symptoms appear several months after excessive doses of vitamin D are administered. In almost every case, a low calcium diet combined with corticosteroid drugs will allow for a full recovery within a month.
source: en.wikipedia.org
