Tag: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

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Health & Fitness

Eat Fish, Be Fit

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With age, who would not prefer to avoid poor eyesight, cognitive decline, dementia, cancer, diabetes, or death from a sudden heart attack? People would also prefer to have strong bones resistant to fracture and be looked after by healthy children.
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The Inuits of Greenland (Eskimos), the Alaskans and the Japanese seem to enjoy all these benefits. Scientific research has zeroed in on the one thing these populations have in common: their staple diet protein was obtained from fish.

The benefits came from the relatively higher consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are a heterogeneous group of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids — the “essential fatty acids” (EFAs) composed of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The recommended intake of ALA is 1.5 grams a day and DHA 0.5-1.0gm a day. EFAs are essential for the healthy development and functioning of the brain. They make up 20 per cent of the brain’s dry weight.

The human body cannot synthesise EFAs. They have to be obtained from dietary sources. Vegetarians get their quota of EFA in the form of omega-6 fatty acids from whole grains, sprouts, flaxseeds, soyabeans, walnuts, leafy green vegetables and legumes like beans. But this is slightly different in chemical composition from the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish.

The benefits of eating fish begin to appear when 60gm of fish are taken at least once a week. The benefits plateau if the consumption is more.

Combined with soya nuggets, nuts and legumes, when both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are obtained, the benefits increase. The optimal ratio for maximal health benefits is 4:1 (omega-6:omega-3).

Fish are also an excellent source of protein. A hundred grams of cooked fish provide 20gm of protein, which is a third of the daily requirement. Fish protein, which is of high quality, is lower in fat content than mutton or chicken, and contains minerals like iron, zinc and calcium.

In pregnant women, seafood provides DHA which decreases the chances of preterm birth, improves visual acuity and helps optimise the development of the nervous system in the unborn child. During lactation, it reduces the incidence of post partum depression and provides DHA to the baby.

We have polluted our earth and the seabeds are contaminated with mercury. This liquid metal is present in fish too. Excess exposure to mercury can harm the development of the nervous system of a baby. Pregnant and lactating mothers should, therefore, limit their intake of fish to 400gm a week.

Not everyone can eat fish. While some are vegetarians, others may be allergic. Or fish may just not be available. The pharmaceutical industry markets supplements of cod liver oil, fish oil and omega-3 fatty acid as capsules and tonics. These, along with other lipid lowering medicines like statins, can be taken to potentiate (enhance) their effect. DHA has also been added to health drinks and to fortified infant formulae. The claim is that the benefits are provided without the toxins, to improve outcome in heart disease, lower blood pressure, optimise lipid levels, reduce inflammation and improve immunity. The claim extends to helping in chronic diseases like diabetes, epilepsy and rheumatoid arthritis, fighting depression, relieving asthma, preventing eczema and producing intelligent children with good visual acuity.

Capsulated EFAs are processed and bottled basically for convenience and commercial advantage. The purity, strength or safety of the products and their effects may vary. Product labels therefore must be read carefully. Prescribed medication should not be discontinued in favour of these supplements. People who are allergic to fish or nuts should exercise caution if they are planning to take these products.

Omega-3 fatty acids should be used only as an adjunct and not as a substitute for a healthy diet and regular exercise. Their actions in the prevention of cardiovascular disease are still controversial. Their superiority to current drugs is also disputed. Despite all the hype about these capsules and supplements, studies have not yet conclusively proven that they are superior to natural sources of EFAs. The superiority of breast milk is undisputed and it remains the best for the baby.

An overdose of these supplements can be dangerous, as it can produce vitamin D toxicity, bleeding, diarrhoea and leg cramps. This can also potentiate the effects of diabetic medications and insulin, causing blood sugar levels to drop.
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Fish do make a difference. Research has proved that even if you don’t eat fish, keeping an aquarium reduces stress and blood pressure, helps in Alzheimer’s and calms hyperactive children with attention deficit disorder. It does not even have to be a real aquarium. Watching a virtual one, a DVD with moving fish or even having a screen saver with fish has equal benefits at home and in the work place.

There is a clear medical benefit to association with fish, whether you are a “fish eater” or a “fish watcher”.

Sources:The Telegraph (Kolkata, India)

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Featured

10 Reasons Not to Skimp on Sleep

You may literally have to add it to your to-do list, but scheduling a good night’s sleep could be one of the smartest health priorities you set. It’s not just daytime drowsiness you risk when shortchanging yourself on your seven to eight hours. Possible health consequences of getting too little or poor sleep can involve the cardiovascular, endocrine, immune and nervous systems. In addition to letting life get in the way of good sleep, between 50 and 70 million Americans suffer from a chronic sleep disorder—insomnia or sleep apnea, say—that affects daily functioning and impinges on health. Consider the research:

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1) Less may mean more. For people who sleep under seven hours a night, the fewer zzzz’s they get, the more obese they tend to be, according to a 2006 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report. This may relate to the discovery that insufficient sleep appears to tip hunger hormones out of whack. Leptin, which suppresses appetite, is lowered; ghrelin, which stimulates appetite, gets a boost.

2) You’re more apt to make bad food choices. A study published in the October 15, 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that people with obstructive sleep apnea or other severely disordered breathing while asleep ate a diet higher in cholesterol, protein, total fat, and total saturated fat. Women were especially affected.

3) Diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance, its precursor, may become more likely. A 2005 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people getting five or fewer hours of sleep each night were 2.5 times more likely to be diabetic, while those with six hours or fewer were 1.7 times more likely.

4) The ticker is put at risk. A 2003 study found that heart attacks were 45 percent more likely in women who slept for five or fewer hours per night than in those who got more.

5) Blood pressure may increase. Obstructive sleep apnea, for example, has been associated with chronically elevated daytime blood pressure, and the more severe the disorder, the more significant the hypertension, suggests the 2006 IOM report. Obesity plays a role in both disorders, so losing weight can ease associated health risks.

6) Auto accidents rise. As stated in a 2007 report in the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly 20 percent of serious car crash injuries involve a sleepy driver—and that’s independent of alcohol use.

7) Balance is off. Older folks who have trouble getting to sleep, who wake up at night, or are drowsy during the day could be 2 to 4.5 times more likely to sustain a fall, found a 2007 study in the Journal of Gerontology.

8) You may be more prone to depression. Adults who chronically operate on fumes report more mental distress, depression, and alcohol use. Adolescents suffer, too: One survey of high school students found similarly high rates of these issues. Middle schoolers, too, report more symptoms of depression and lower self-esteem.

9) Kids may suffer more behavior problems. Research from an April issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that children who are plagued by insomnia, short duration of sleeping, or disordered breathing with obesity, for example, are more likely to have behavioral issues like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

10) Death’s doorstep may be nearer. According to three large studies published in the journals Sleep and the Archives of General Psychiatry, people over age 30 who slept five hours or less per night had approximately a 15 percent greater risk of dying—regardless of the cause—over the periods studied, which ranged from six to 14 years.

You may click to see:->
Finding Dreamland: 13 Insomnia Remedies
What’s the Cause of My Sleep Disorder?
Is Sleep Really Necessary?

Sources: MSN Health

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Health Quaries

Some Health Quaries & Answers

Q: Once there was only one Robitussin cough medicine. Now there are lots. The one with dextromethorphan almost killed me. I had such a hard time breathing, I thought I was going to die.

I reported this to my pharmacist and was told that I might be allergic to the DM in Robitussin. He warned me to read all labels on cough medicines from now on.

People need to be warned, especially parents who might give this to their children.

A: Dextromethorphan, or DM, is the leading ingredient in most over-the-counter cough medicines. Its effectiveness has been controversial, particularly in children. Parents have been warned to avoid cough and cold medicines for kids 4 years and younger.

Although allergic reactions to DM seem uncommon, there are reports in the medical literature of serious breathing difficulties triggered by this cough medicine (Allergy, August 2004). Follow your pharmacist’s advice to read labels.

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Q: My boyfriend was recently released from prison and believes saltpeter was put in the food. How do you remove the effects after numerous years?

A:  Saltpeter: (potassium nitrate) is falsely believed to lower libido. Youngsters in boarding schools and summer camps, as well as men in the military or in prison, have perpetuated the myth that they are being fed saltpeter.

If time and support don’t overcome your boyfriend’s sexual difficulties, counseling may help. Hormonal assessment also may be needed.

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Q:Is there anything to help with pediatric eczema? Topical steroids helped my granddaughter for a while, but I worry about long-term side effects. Probiotics were suggested; I don’t know anything about them.

A:Research suggests that good bacteria (probiotics) may prevent or reduce eczema severity in children (Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology online, Sept. 2). American health professionals are less familiar than those in Europe with using probiotics to treat eczema, food allergies, irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea.

Q:I have several little skin tags in my armpits. I do not want to pay a doctor to cut them off.

A:Dermatologists can easily remove skin tags (small, benign fleshy skin growths), but it will cost you. Readers have offered suggestions: “Band-Aid makes a product called Clear Spots — 50 tiny square pads with adhesive around all four sides. I cover the skin tag tightly with a Clear Spot, and after a week to 10 days, it shrivels up and falls off.”

“I have skin tags on my neck and chest. The smallest shriveled and fell off after a couple of days of applying New-Skin [liquid bandage] twice a day.”

“I am a nurse, and for years I have tied a piece of thread around the tag at the base, pulled it tight, made a tight knot and cut off the long ends. (It stings at first.) After three or four days, the tag turns black and falls off. It works every time. It helps to have someone do it for you.”

Reach Joe Graedon, a pharmacologist, and Teresa Graedon, an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition, at www.peoplespharmacy.com or in care of this newspaper.

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Q:I appreciate you writing about home remedies for children when they come down with colds, but I am alarmed that you suggested lemon and honey for coughs. I feel this needs an urgent disclaimer.

A.Honey can be dangerous for a child under age 2. A friend’s 6-month-old baby nearly died of infant botulism. Honey can cause this in infants. Even honey jars have a warning that it is not for small children.

Children 1 year old and younger should never be given honey. You are correct that this warning is designed to reduce the risk of infant botulism. Honey is occasionally contaminated with spores of the bacteria that cause botulism. Honey poses little risk for adults or children older than 1, but babies may not be able to fend off the bacteria.

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Q. Someone asked about natural migraine remedies and you mentioned spicy hot and sour soup, among other things. I’ve had migraines since before I was in kindergarten (I’m 58 now), and the best thing I’ve found is ginger.

A.Jamaican-style ginger beer is good, though rather sweet. The pickled ginger sold with sushi is a godsend. It also helps with the nausea.

Ginger has been documented as a migraine treatment for decades (Journal of Ethnopharmacology, July 1990). A small study testing a combination product (GelStat Migraine) containing ginger and the herb feverfew found that it could help alleviate migraines (Medical Science Monitor, September 2005).

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Q.My life is so much better since I read your column about rinsing my hair with vinegar. I am 56 years old, and for the previous 30 years my scalp has itched intensely whenever I sweat. No anti-itching shampoo or skin specialist could cure me, but rinsing with vinegar did.

A.Itching and flaking can be caused by dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis. Dermatologists believe that these conditions are caused by the yeast malassezia that grows on the scalp. A vinegar rinse apparently makes conditions unfavorable for this fungus. One woman has used a solution of 4 parts warm water to 1 part apple cider vinegar for more than 50 years. Others prefer a 1-to-1 water/vinegar mixture.

In India, we offer fennel seeds after meals. This helps avoid flatulence. Fennel is also good for sore throat and sinus problems.

I use the following recipe for my sinus trouble: Combine 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger, 1 clove, a 1/2 -inch piece of stick cinnamon and 1 teaspoon brown sugar in 2 cups of water. Boil it until there are 1 1/2 cups of liquid left, strain it and drink it hot with a little milk. You can substitute honey for the brown sugar.

I also rinse my nasal passages with a homemade saline solution and find it helpful.

Your recipe sounds delicious. Traditional uses for fennel include preventing flatulence and treating upper respiratory infections. Whether that extends to sinus congestion, we don’t know.

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Q.I am having trouble leveling out my Coumadin. Cranberries are a puzzle: The nurse says eat them; the doctor says don’t.

A.Maintaining a steady anticoagulant effect from Coumadin (warfarin) can be like walking a tightrope. Too much can lead to bleeding, while too little may permit blood clots to form.

British health authorities warned against combining cranberries or cranberry juice with Coumadin after some people on a stable dose of Coumadin had serious bleeding after drinking cranberry juice or eating cranberries. Australian scientists have reported that cranberry significantly increases warfarin’s anticoagulant effect. We suggest you avoid cranberries and cranberry juice while on Coumadin.

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Q.I have a 17-year-old son. For years, I have suspected that he has a mild form of ADD. He’s willing to try medicine but I’d like to try a more natural approach.

A.Diagnosing attention-deficit disorder (ADD) is not simple. There’s no definitive blood test or questionnaire.

Medications that can help focus attention don’t work for everyone and they have some side effects. Ritalin, for example, can cause nausea, insomnia, weight loss, anxiety, heart palpitations, headaches and increases in blood pressure.

Dr. Edward Hallowell, one of the world’s leading experts on ADD, suggests dietary supplements such as fish oil, grape seed extract and pine bark extract (Pycnogenol), as well as exercise, adequate sleep and a structured environment.

Sources: Los Angles Time

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News on Health & Science

Doctors Told to Curb Use of Ritalin in Hyperactive Children

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According to new British health guidelines, children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) should be treated with drugs such as Ritalin only in severe cases and never when they are younger than 5.

There is widespread concern that such medication is used too freely to calm hyperactive children. The new policy is that most children with ADHD should instead be offered psychological therapy to improve their behavior, backed up by training to support their parents and teachers.

Up to 3 percent of school-age children in Britain may be affected by ADHD, but only about a third to a quarter of these would qualify as severe cases. The symptoms of ADHD include an inability to concentrate for long periods, hyperactive and restless behavior, and impulsive actions.

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Suppliments our body needs

Fucoxanthin

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Definition:Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid, with formula C42H58O6. It is found as an accessory pigment in the chloroplasts of brown algae and most other heterokonts, giving them a brown or olive-green color. Fucoxanthin absorbs light primarily in the blue-green to yellow-green part of the visible spectrum, peaking at around 510-525 nm by various estimates and absorbing significantly in the range of 450 to 540 nm. Some metabolic and nutritional studies carried at Hokkaido University indicate that fucoxanthin promotes fat burning within fat cells in white adipose tissue by increasing the expression of thermogeniIt is a type of carotenoid found naturally in edible brown seaweed such as wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) and hijiki (Hijikia fusiformis), which are used widely in Asian cuisine. Wakame is the seaweed used in miso soup….CLICK & SEE THE PICTURES

Fucoxanthin is also found in much smaller amounts in red seaweed (the kind typically used in Japanese sushi rolls) and green seaweed.

Both wakame and hijiki are available at Japanese specialty food stores, some health food stores and online. Although brown seaweed is the richest source of fucoxanthin, you would have to eat an unrealistic amount of it daily to get fucoxanthin levels close to those used in research studies.

Fucoxanthin is also available as a nutritional supplement in capsule form and can be found in some health food stores and online.

Medicinal Uses:

Weight Loss
Fucoxanthin is being explored for weight loss. So far, only animal studies have been done. Japanese researchers have found that fucoxanthin (isolated from wakame) promotes the loss of abdominal fat in obese mice and rats. Animals lost five to 10% of their body weight.

Although it’s not fully understood how fucoxanthin works, it appears to target a protein called UCP1 that increases the rate at which abdominal fat is burned. Abdominal fat, also called white adipose tissue, is the kind of fat that surrounds our organs and is linked to heart disease and diabetes. Fucoxanthin also appears to stimulate the production of DHA, one of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish such as salmon.

Although it’s promising and already a popular nutritional supplement, more research is needed to determine if fucoxanthin will work in the same way in humans. If it does prove to be effective, fucoxanthin could be developed into a diet pill for obesity.

You may click to see:->Brown Seaweed that may Help Fight Obesity

Diabetes
Fucoxanthin has also been found in animal studies to decrease insulin and blood glucose levels. Researchers hypothesize that fucoxanthin anti-diabetes effect may be because fucoxanthin appears to promote the formation of DHA (the omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil). DHA is thought to increase insulin sensitivity, improve triglycerides and reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.

Cancer
Preliminary research in test tubes suggests that fucoxanthin may have anti-tumor effects. No studies have looked at whether this holds true in humans or if taken orally. It’s far too early for fucoxanthin to be used as a complementary treatment for cancer.

Side Effects
Because there hasn’t been research on fucoxanthin in humans, the possible side effects aren’t known.

People shouldn’t consume large amounts of wakame or other types of seaweed as a source of fucoxanthin. Seaweed is rich in iodine and excessive consumption may result in iodine poisoning. High levels of iodine can interfere with the function of the thyroid gland. Also, consuming excess amounts of iodine-rich foods isn’t recommended if there is a known allergy or hypersensitivity to iodine.

Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucoxanthin
http://altmedicine.about.com/od/herbsupplementguide/a/fucoxanthin.htm

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