Showing posts with label Nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nutrition. Show all posts

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Vitamin A & Acne

Vitamin A & Acne

Have you heard of (or tried) the popular prescription acne medications Accutane or Retin-A?  Accutane is a powerful oral medication that is prescribed for mild to moderate acne cases, and Retin-A is the same kind of medication, just in topical form.
So what is about these two medications that work so well to heal acne??  Its vitamin A!
Plain and simply - Accutane is nearly identical to an EXTREMELY high dose of vitamin A. I'm talking more than double, triple, and quadruple times the amount of suggested vitamin A daily intake.  Suggested IU for vitamin A is 4,000 - but to take enough to equal the amount that is in Accutane would be 250,000 IU.
The topical medication Retin-A works the same way, except in a cream.  The main active ingredient is vitamin A! Hence the Retin "A."
So how does vitamin A work to treat acne? Well, it heals the skin. Acne is like a sore, it needs lots of vitamins in order to heal itself. Many people claim that high doses of vitamin-a (100,000 IU or more) taken daily for just ONE week will show dramatic results. Reduced redness and break-outs are common within the first month of taking it, and clear, healthy skin is usually achieved by the second month.
Side effects of high doses of the vitamin include dry skin (very common), headache, and occasionally hair loss.
Danger: Vitamin A is not water soluble. This means that when taken in excess, the extra vitamin is not excreted but rather is stored in fat tissues. An immense build-up can be dangerous, if high doses are taken for a year or more. More importantly, too much vitamin A can cause birth defects. Women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant should NEVER take vitamin A supplements over 4,000 IU.
Be very careful if you choose to take the Vitamin-A route to clear skin! It's best to consult with your doctor before taking large amounts of any kind of supplement.

Vitamin E,What it Does and Why it is So Important to Get an Adequate Supply

Vitamin E; What it Does? and Why it is So Important to Get an Adequate Supply?


If you want to remain in healthy condition, then you need to be in the habit of eating proper foods. Further to this, you also need to get the proper amount of vitamins and minerals. If for some reason, you are not getting enough of these nutrients, you may require vitamin supplements in order to function at an optimal level. You should not overlook the importance of vitamins. Vitamin E is one of the 13 vitamins which our body absolutely requires so it will be helpful if we understand exactly what it does to our body. Basically, if we know how a particular supplement affects our body from a physiological point of view, we are more likely to take that supplement when it is needed.
A few of the vitamins which are required by our body cells are known as fat soluble and vitamin E falls into this class. Now any fat soluble vitamin will stay in the body for an extended period of time, whereas water soluble vitamins cannot be stored within. Since vitamin E has the ability to be stored within our body, we do not have to consume it every day. In spite of this, we still need to get an adequate supply over the course of time, either from the food we eat or by taking extra supplements.
Vitamin E more than anything else acts as an antioxidant. Antioxidants act as caretakers for the inner workings of our body. More specifically, antioxidants protect our body cells from the damage which would otherwise occur as a result of free radicals. These free radicals originate from toxins or pollution and once they enter our body, they are very unstable and dangerous to our health. Because cells are the building blocks for our organs, it is important to have an adequate supply of the right antioxidants in order to remain in top health. These antioxidants are also known to slow down the aging process. Vitamin E also has another very important function in that it allows the body cells to utilize vitamin K. Since vitamin K helps with blood clotting, this is a very important feature.
Generally speaking if you are eating a healthy diet, you should be getting enough vitamin E from this alone. Some of the foods which contain a lot of vitamin E are: olives, vegetable oil, margarine, corn, wheat germ, asparagus, mixed nuts, spinach and other leafy green vegetables. Make sure that you scrutinize the labels on any packaged or canned foods which you eat: These labels will list the nutritional ingredients contained within. Another name for vitamin E is tocopherol, so keep an eye out for this when you are reading labels.
Having a slight deficiency in E vitamins is usually not that big of a problem, but you will not get the benefits of the antioxidant features. Even taking too much is generally not too problematic as long as it is not for too long of an extended time period. In a few isolated cases, individuals have reported getting headaches from extended overuse of vitamin E. Be cautious if you are using a multi-vitamin supplement as too many of some of the other vitamins can be bad for you over the long term. If you are planning to take some vitamin supplements, you should really check in with your family doctor first and he or she can give you some sound advice on how much you should actually be taking.

How Fish Oil Supplements Benifits The Skin

How Fish Oil Supplements Benifits The Skin



The primary benefits of fish oil encompasses its ability to help in treating heart diseases, high cholesterol, AHDH, poor immunity, depression, arthritis, eye problems, diabetes and ulcers. It is also helpful in weight loss, fertility and skin care (specifically for disorders like as psoriasis, acne).
Fish oil vitamins skin and is beneficial for acne also. EPA is considered to suppress androgen generation. Androgen can influence the origination of sebum in hair sac. A great way of getting sufficient of the necessary fatty acids in the daily diet to treat acne is to supplement the food with good quality fish oil pills for acne, rich in high levels of EPA.
Fish oil remedies skin also by improving the condition of poor and dry skin texture by transforming it glowing. It is useful in treating several skin issues such as eczema, itching, redness of skin, psoriasis, and rashes. In case of psoriasis, the EPA found in this oil inhibits the progression of pro-inflammatory components by generating arachidonic acid.
Fish oil supplements body and can also be administered to alleviate the severeness of psoriasis. Daily consumption of this oil capsules assists in bringing down the loss of moisture from the skin. It is also claimed that it helps in preventing sunburns as well.
Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. They balance healthy cell membranes and ensure the right flow of nutrients into cells. For these reasons omega-3 fat is considered to be one of the most prominent nutrients for acne.
Cod liver oil is also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. These acids are found in this oils and scientific researchers have reported that it is pretty beneficial to great health and skin. Cod liver oil for skin also works wonders. Its supplement, added with vitamin E, retains the natural vitamin A in the supplement, enabling the skin to hold back moisture and fight dry skin troubles.
So, it is quite obvious that fish oil is beneficial in myriads of ways in maintaining a healthy skin and life

Contributed By
Khaleeq Shujrah
Batch 36
Chandka Medicall College Larkana

The Ugly truth About Vitamin D Deficiency

The Ugly truth About Vitamin D Deficiency 
 


Vitamin D deficiency is the newest of many problems that are being pointed out as the reason for numerous maladies like heart condition to diabetes and even depression. There are numerous medical references and speculation in the medical community about the nature of the deficiency but only one thing is clear, Vitamin D deficiency is a problem that is still not fully clear even in the medical community.
Undoubtedly, a lot have been learned about vitamin D and its numerous variations. The medical community has learned that it may play a more vital role more than the health of the musculoskeletal health for which it has been widely known. Vitamin D has long been considered as an essential component for calcium metabolism. A comparison of low Vitamin D levels with various conditions has been recently cited but the association does not mean that Vitamin D is the root cause of the problem. There are numerous factors and their connection that play a major role in the whole disease process while some other factors may only be coincidences.
Even though experts are pushing for examining vitamin D levels and start treating low levels, they say that what is really important are a controlled study of large groups of individuals in the long term to see if the lack vitamin D really cause heart disease or any other condition which it is being blamed into. This is just a classic case of guilt by association without any solid proof. There are different examples in real life and the field of medicine where we immediately believe on recommendations that seemed believable only to find out later that is ineffective and lack substance.
Nutrient and vitamin supplements are one of the more vague divisions of science in terms of enough proof to justify the use of the product to customers. Vitamins are usually use for prevention of colds which sometimes do not work for some individuals. A lot of supposed vitamin deficiencies that can be solved by supplements, not by a balanced diet, have been unsuccessful for numerous reasons that people do not really understand.
Like the use of estrogen supplementation for women that are already in the postmenopausal stage as a protection for cardiovascular related diseases was an accepted promise for years. But when a thorough study was done, using estrogen supplements lacked any protective benefits and had some disadvantageous effects in some cases.
It is really difficult to take vitamin D from a diet consists of oily fish like a salmon because it have to be consumed in bulk. Constant exposure to sunlight also gives you vitamin D. But this effect is diminished on a person that has a heavily pigmented skin, on the elderly or in people who do not spend a lot of time outdoors.
Some foods also contain vitamin D like milk and cheese but the amounts that are present in these foods are not enough to satisfy the needs of an average person. The risk of toxicity is low but possible so it is very important for people to follow the recommended dosage for vitamin D that have been recommended by experts on this field.
Symptoms for vitamin D toxicity include weakness, thirst, excessive urination and itching. Keeping an eye on your vitamin D intake is simple enough aside from supplementation. But one has to think about the bigger picture: do you really benefit from it? Is it advisable to follow all of these things for something that may be good or bad for your body? You should always consult your doctor in order to monitor your Vitamin D intake.

What Do You Need To Know About Probiotic Supplements

What Do You Need To Know About Probiotic Supplements 

Fast food. Antibiotics. The flu. These are all things that happen to people regularly. In addition, they are all things that can upset the balance of good and bad bacteria in your digestive system. Most people do not realize that there are bacteria that are actually helpful, and that you need certain levels of them in your digestive system in order for it to work properly. Things like antibiotics or the flu can kill off good bacteria in your system and allow the harmful bacteria to grow more than they should. This can cause a wide variety of problems that people often attribute to other causes. If you are experiencing digestive issues like indigestion, gas, or bloating, then a probiotic supplement may help to set things right again.
In our modern everyday life with our highly processed diet, there are many things that can upset the balance of good and bad bacteria in your digestive system. If you have been ill recently and taken a round of antibiotics then it is likely that your bacterial balance is upset. Antibiotics kill off the harmful bacteria that are making you sick, but they also kill off the helpful bacteria that break down your food.  This is why antibiotics upset people's stomachs or cause other unpleasant side effects. In addition, our highly processed American diet does not contain a great deal of helpful bacteria. This means that it does not help your body to replenish what should be in your digestive system naturally.
Not having enough good bacteria in your system can cause a wide variety of stomach issues. Gas, bloating, and indigestion are just a few of the most common ones. Since helpful bacteria work to break down the food that you eat, an imbalance here affects your digestion and the nutrients that you are extracting from your food. This upset of bacteria is common for all of the reasons that were discussed above. Fortunately, a probiotic supplement is an effective way to fix this delicate balance.
Many people who find that they are experiencing digestive issues like gas, bloating, or indigestion find that taking a probiotic supplement helps to correct these issues. What a probiotic supplement does is to put the helpful bacteria back into your body. It is also possible to do this by eating yogurt and other products containing helpful bacteria, but it is often easier to take a probiotic supplement. People who decide to take a probiotic supplement should start with small amounts as sudden intakes of large amounts of bacteria can cause additional digestive issues.
One advantage of probiotic supplements is that they are safe for almost everyone. A probiotic supplement makes it easy for people to take as much as they need and they can be taken regularly and consistently without any known side effects. People who are immune-suppressed should talk with their doctors before taking probiotic supplements. The large infusion of helpful bacteria can cause problems for people with weakened immune systems. Other than this, most people react very well to probiotic and can take them without any problems.

Contributed By
Shahnawaz Mugheri 
Batch 36
Chandka Medical College Larkana

Fish Oil Benifits


Fish Oil Benifits 




Many people have asked us how long it takes before supplements, particularly molecularly distilled fish oil capsules, high in DHA and EPA, take to have their positive effect on our bodies. The simple answer is that it depends on your ailment.
For serious degenerative diseases, like atherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, it usually takes a minimum of three months to get positive results. This is because these diseases are long-term processes that have been created over years and years of misuse of our bodies, through bad dietary choices, diets high in omega 6 fatty acids and low in EPA and DHA, the polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fatty fish. We can't clean up the mess that has been building for so many years in one week. It's impossible!
For blood parameters, such as cholesterol, triglycerides and fibrinogen, the benefits of omega 3 supplementation generally show up within two or three weeks and can be confirmed by blood tests. The EPA and DHA found in pure, pharmaceutical grade omega 3 capsules can re-balance your blood lipids quickly, effectively, and cost-effectively.
For depression, molecularly distilled fish oil capsules can work very quickly, or can take a few weeks, depending on the person. Some studies have shown that high doses of EPA and DHA can help alleviate the symptoms of depression within just a few days. Researchers theorize that this is because in certain people, depression is caused by a deficiency of DHA in the brain. So, supplementing with a high-quality molecularly distilled fish oil can help people suffering from depression almost immediately.
In summary, how quickly the benefits of omega 3 capsules appear will depend on the ailments one is taking them for. For some ailments, they work very quickly, for others, consistency is necessary. And this is the main point. In order to get the incredible benefits of fish oil supplementation, we have to take them consistently, every day, just as nature intended us to eat a diet high in fresh, fatty fish.
Bonus tip: There are so many fish oil supplements on the market today. How is one to choose wisely? There is one very unique fish oil with a far superior level of DHA than conventional oils.