LOW CHOLESTEROL DIETS

Low Cholesterol Meal

2010-06-13T03:33:00.000-07:00

More and more people are returning from a visit to the doctors after being given the news that they need to change their diet to one that is low in cholesterol. Many people after receiving such news feel disheartened not only because they have been told that they have high cholesterol but because they feel they are destined to live a life of dull bland foods. Low cholesterol recipes seem to have this rather unjustified description applied to them a little too often, the truth is low cholesterol recipes can be extremely tasty.

A low cholesterol diet will contain foods that you will not often find in the usual brown paper bag style lunch but meals prepared with foods that are naturally low in cholesterol can be great tasting and seriously good for you. Low cholesterol foods are often much higher in taste than their greasy, high cholesterol counterparts.

A good diet that is low in cholesterol will be rich in:

-Different oils. I'm afraid deep frying is best avoided but that is not to say you cannot use vegetable based oils such as olive oil in your cooking.

-Low fat foods. You will need to alter your food purchases a touch. This needs to be no more complicated than reaching for skimmed milk instead of your more usual, whole milk. You will also need to find low fat alternatives for butter and the like but these are readily available and rather tasty.

-Lean meats. Unfortunately a diet that contains a lot of red meat will also contain a lot of cholesterol. Try to limit the intake of red meats to special occasions and replace with fish, turkey, chicken and even pork. Basically the lower fat the meat has then the less cholesterol it contains.

-Vegetables. Ah the humble vegetable, how often do we see the phrase “eat more vegetables” splattered all over the TV and in the press? OK so there is good reason for this, namely the fact that they can seriously lower cholesterol in the body. Vegetables need not be as dull and uninteresting as people often perceive them, the humble vegetable can form an incredibly tasty addition to a low cholesterol recipe.

-High fibre foods. Foods that have a naturally high amount of fibre contained within are great, natural cholesterol reducers. Bran, whole grain wheat and whole grain rice are a great way to add flavour to a low cholesterol recipes and they have the added benefit of cutting down the amount of bad cholesterol present in the body.

Of course, if you are suffering from high cholesterol then it pays to have a word with your doctor as they can provide the best advice based on your particular situation but these guidelines to include in low cholesterol recipes will help you get started on the way to a healthier lifestyle.

Hidden Food Allergy

2010-05-13T21:18:00.001-07:00

Your Hidden Food Allergy or Allergies are Making You Fat

Was there an instance when you ate something like an ice cream, cake, cheese, or a piece of fruit – and you felt even hungrier? Have you experienced any food urges wherein you can't satisfy such cravings except eating the same food?

If your answer to the questions above is 'yes', then you have food allergies and you're probably fat by now. Food allergy can make you fat, and that is already a proven fact.

Allergic people crave for foods that they're allergic to and this is caused by food sensitivities. Take note of drug addicts that exhibit withdrawal symptoms. The same thing also happens to people with food allergies; when they are not able to eat certain foods, they experience discomfort.

A number of obese individuals can attest to the irresistible power of their food allergy. Compulsive eaters are craving and continuously eating allergenic foods that they're addicted to every day. They have no idea that their eating habits and food cravings have something to do with a physiological need. The withdrawal symptoms should be stopped.

Specialized doctors who diagnose and treat allergies are now accepting the simultaneous phenomenon of addiction and allergy to both chemicals and food. These doctors are called clinical ecologists, and they greatly believe that almost all persistent health problems like depression, migraine, arthritis, and fatigue are all caused by chemicals and food allergies. A great number of people are affected by food allergies even in the industrialized countries.

The same kind of food can actually cause dissimilar reactions among people. The genetic predisposition of each individual is said to be the determining factor if the person is vulnerable to such condition.

When a person has edema and/or vasculitis, the body organ that is targeted are blood vessels. If you constantly eat the food to which you're allergic at. Edema or water retention is a very common condition among individuals with food allergies, and this is one factor that contributes to obesity. If you quit intake of the food that you're allergic to, you can lose an approximate of 10 pounds in just a week and without using any diuretic.

Fat persons can lose weight without undergoing any diet plan. Food sensitivities cause your body to keep hold of fats and water, and if you remove these foods, your body will not hold excess water or fat. Therefore, you can lose weight already. You can seek professional help so that you can be provided with a diet that's low in allergen. Many doctors believe that losing weight has nothing to do with the calories in your diet.

The brain's limbic portion is affected by food sensitivity probably because this is known as the control center. All your emotions, memory functions, vegetative functions, body temperature, blood pressure, sexuality, sleep, thirst, and hunger are controlled by this portion. There have been conclusive studies showing that the vital functions are greatly affected by your food allergies.

According to a neurophysiologic analysis, allergenic foods can trigger opioid enkephalin in the brain. The body produces this narcotic, and if you frequently eat allergenic foods, the narcotic will increase or rise.

Major food allergens include coffee, wheat, dairy products, corn, and eggs. Before, medical doctors ignore food allergies because there is no specific drug that can be used to treat such condition. Most of today's doctors rely on certain supplements and avoidance of such allergenic foods.

What Foods allergies symptoms?

2010-05-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

As you may have known already, food allergy is an unusual reaction to food that is elicited by an exposure to certain food types which then creates a response from the immune system. The reaction that the immune system eventually generates will then cause discomfiting symptoms.

Looking more closely, food allergens (the ones that causes allergic reactions) are proteins that unfortunately withstood the high temperatures of cooking as well as the acidic substances and enzymes of the gastrointestinal system. These allergens consequently live on to pass through the linings of the gastrointestinal tract, disperse into the blood circulatory system, and travel to organs of target, which results to different allergic symptoms all over the body.

Food allergy symptoms are commonly noted as irritation of the skin which may involve hives, eczema, and a simple rash. Other symptoms may also include irritations in the gastrointestinal organs like vomiting, indigestion, diarrhea, stomach aches, and nausea. Through the years, there have been numerous documented allergic reactions seen in a lot of people, the following is additional information about other allergic symptoms that even you have experienced but have failed to take notice:

- insomniac tendencies or sleeping difficulties
- moodiness
- fatigue
- heartburn
- constipation
- symptoms that resemble arthritis
- canker sores
- nocturnal enuresis or bed wetting
- inflammation of the face and lips
- rhinitis
- migraine
- wheezing

Furthermore, allergic reactions to a specific kind of food can also generate a specific symptom. Therefore there are symptoms that can pinpoint to a certain type of food allergy which can then be quite useful in figuring out what medications to administer and the formulation of a management plan. In other words, it is possible to determine the source of the allergy by evaluating the symptoms.

Simple headaches are usually symptoms of an allergic reaction to chocolates and wheat. Migraines, on the other hand, are typically caused by an allergy to cheese, nuts, citrus fruits, tomatoes, milk, eggs, and MSG or monosodium glutamate. Monosodium glutamate is a chemical used for seasonings in a lot of foods but only those which have excessive amounts can cause allergic reactions.

Eczema or atopic dermatitis, which is a swelling and drying of the skin, can be seen in allergies to citrus fruits, eggs, and tomatoes. Hives or urticaria is also a form of skin irritation which is represented by elevated skin welts that are reddish. Hives can be very itchy, this allergic reaction is common among tomatoes, eggs, shellfish, mangoes, pork meat, nuts, and strawberries.

Asthma is commonly seen in wheat and egg allergies.

There are also allergy manifestations that affect the physical energy, consciousness, and emotions of a person. These reactions can be regularly seen in allergies to wheat, soybeans, corn, and milk.

As you may have observed, many types of foods share the same symptoms most of the time. A careful assessment and physical evaluation is needed to at least determine the source of the allergy. It is not only in the symptoms that medical professionals can determine what the source of allergy is but also through blood tests, diet eliminations, and food challenges. Careful assessment of daily food intake by the patient can be of great help in pinpointing the culprit and as well as a comprehensive analysis of the symptoms observed.

Furthermore, a consultation with a reputable allergist who will be part of the medical team can assist you in fighting your allergy that may have caused you great discomfort in your daily life.

Food Allergy Reactions

2010-05-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

Fighting Off Food Allergy Reactions

Allergies to food are commonly dealt with by the avoidance of the allergy-causing food. When the allergen (the one that causes allergic reactions) has been recognized, the patient is then advised to eliminate it from his or her diet. This is achieved by revolutionizing the food prepared and reading carefully food labels on food products. A specific instruction when ordering food also helps avoid allergic mishaps when eating out.

All this cautiousness is due to the fact that there are individuals out there that are highly allergic in which even a tiny amount of allergens can cause major symptoms. Plus, there are also food preparations that contain some common food allergens which the average person would not usually link together.

To prevent exposure to foods that you may be allergic with, self-awareness is very important. You should know the food culprits that are causing these uncomfortable reactions. Knowledge can help you and your physician in formulating a management plan for your allergy. You should also make it a routine to scrutinize food labels when checking for possible food allergens included in the ingredients. During eat outs, do not hesitate inquiring about the ingredients of the meal you are planning to order.

Another precautionary measure, especially for those who manifest severe allergic symptoms when exposed to a food allergen, is the wearing of necklaces or bracelets provided by a medical institution to alert other people about your allergies in case of an accident, for example, to a state of unconsciousness.

Patients are also advised to constantly bring with them epinephrine self-injectibles which are prescribed by their physicians. Their physicians will instruct them how to self-administer the medication during an episode of allergic reaction.

If symptoms seem to be getting intense, emergency medics should be called to help transport the individual to the nearest hospital. Severe and sudden allergic reactions are also called anaphylactic reactions. Anaphylaxis may be fatal if not treated quickly.

Other than epinephrine injections, there are still other medications that can be prescribed by the physician to deal with allergic reactions to food. These medications would include bronchodilators, antihistamines, corticosteroids, and adrenergic agonists.

Bronchodilators relieve symptoms that are associated with difficulty of breathing. It basically dilates the bronchial air passageways of the respiratory tract that have become inflamed due to the allergic reaction which eventually helps the patient breathe normally. Highly allergy-sensitive individuals should carry with them fast-acting bronchodilators if they also experience asthmatic attacks from time to time that may be triggered by the allergic reaction.

Antihistamines alleviate symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, hives, rashes, and gastrointestinal discomforts. And corticosteroids lessen the severity of skin irritations and other inflammation caused by the allergic reaction. Antihistamines can be available in syrup or chewable tablet for easy access when a sudden allergic episode occurs.

Adrenergic agonists are utilized during emergency treatment for anaphylactic reactions. Results are immediate and highly effective. Adrenergic agonists typically alleviate symptoms of angioedema, cardiovascular collapse, bronchospasm, and hives.

In addition to medications that fight off symptoms of food allergies, there are treatments that are causing quite a stir in the medical world although there are not enough studies that have been conducted to prove that these treatments are effective.

One these revolutionary treatments includes the desensitization of the patient by administering injections of small amounts of the food allergen on a regular basis. This treatment claims that it can eventually make the patient endure the food allergen in the long run. Another is the introduction of a diluted substance that contains the food allergen underneath the tongue thirty minutes before the actual food intake. This treatment works in a way that it will defuse the symptomatic manifestations of the consumed food allergen.

Lastly, bear in mind that there is no cure to food allergies. All the aforementioned are only there to help alleviate the symptoms of allergic reactions.

Food Allergy with Psychological

2010-05-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

Cure For Food Allergy with Psychological Origin

Food allergy is one of the easiest conditions to cure when talking about psychological methods. However, it is recommended to use other methods that are widely available. It is because one treatment may be effective for one person but not to others. From the point of view of some psychologists, food allergy has something to do with emotional experiences or illnesses from years ago. However, most people are unconscious about it.

Take for instance; when you were a child, you have developed headaches or nausea from bugs that you have picked up and have associated it with the food you have eaten recently. If you experience the same thing in the days to come, it could bring back the same emotional upset and symptoms of the disease.

To eliminate food allergy in relation to psychological origins, you need to successfully send the message to your subconscious mind for breaking that association. You can get the help of a hypnotist or a knowledgeable friend about the process.

You need to dig deeper to find out the origin of your food allergy. It is necessary to determine the first incident that connects food allergy into your life. Your subconscious state definitely know what had happened that time and for sure that would be likely traumatic. But you don't need to be upset again, you were young before and as you are getting more mature, your way of thinking also changes. Take away all your negative emotions that you have felt before because of food allergy, and start to think recovery from that distressful situation.

More often it can be caused by what somebody said (it can include your parent, doctor, teacher, or another child) or something you witnessed in connection with food allergy. Whatever it is, there is something that was imprinted subconsciously and still operates presently. Thus you don't want to have such a condition. If you know the origin of food allergy, then it is easy to find the cure.

Talking to the subconscious mind and letting it do what the therapist say needs a trigger and a command. Your therapist can tell it to disconnect all the things that are associated to your food allergy in all the levels of your subconscious mind so that the condition will never bother you again.

A friend can do it for you. Take for instance; let your friend start the procedure by snapping his/her fingers or clapping his/her hands. You can close your eyes and begin to imagine eating the food that caused your food allergy. See how you feel. This may sound ridiculous for people who are not a therapist but can work for many sufferers of food allergy.

Your subconscious mind is not considered a reasonable mind but a mind which follows order. Again try to imagine eating the foods you are allergic to, extend your imagination until the food allergy symptoms appear, and then observe your feelings. If you feel the symptoms, then it shows that it is in your mind. This procedure can be done repeatedly until the results become positive.

This method provides no guarantees, however it can make a difference. Food allergies can be recurrent during an emotional upset. Just do the procedure all over again until your upsetting episode is over. Food allergies with psychological origin can be treated in this way. But still, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis

2010-05-13T21:13:00.001-07:00

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis in an Irritating Nutshell

A person will never know if they are allergic to a certain type of food unless they have eaten the food allergen itself. It takes a certain amount of food for the reaction to take place and trigger a symptom.

Food allergy and anaphylaxis are closely related, but they have their own defining differences that will be discussed as you read on.

Plus, a person can also develop allergic reactions to foods that are closely related to the original food allergy he or she has. Say, an allergy to oysters can also lead to an allergic reaction when the person eats shrimp, crabs, or fish.

In food allergy, the individual’s immune system reacts in two ways. The body may respond through the use of mast cells. These mast cells can come about at just any part of the human body but its favorite spots make itself known to the world is in the throat, lungs, eyes, skin, and especially the organs of the gastrointestinal system. The other type of response is through the body’s release of immunoglobulin E antibodies that travel through the blood system. It then eventually causes the discharge of the body chemical histamine which then causes the activation of allergic reactions in the common body sites previously mentioned.

On the other hand, anaphylaxis is derived form the Greek words ana and phylaxis, which subsequently means back and protection. It is the abrupt allergic response that is much more intense than the common allergy which can be lethal to the sufferer. Chief causes of anaphylaxis include insect stings, skin contact to latex, medications, and food. Anaphylaxis may also be idiopathically caused or, in lay man’s terms, unknown causes.

Like in food allergy, anaphylaxis involves the reaction of the different body sites; the only difference is the intensity of the response and only a small amount of the allergen is needed for the reaction to take place. The time span before signs and symptoms become evident ranges from within a few seconds up to a few hours after allergen exposure.

Anaphylaxis can come about following the intake of food, skin contact, or even as simple as inhalation of the food aroma. The life threatening type of anaphylaxis is called anaphylactic shock. In anaphylactic shock, only a tiny amount of the food allergen is needed to cause death to the sufferer within moments of exposure.

Individuals who are in danger of undergoing an anaphylactic reaction are those who have a history of allergy to food, asthma, and eczema. They are more likely to experience an anaphylactic response that can be fatal. Another population group who are also at risk of anaphylaxis, through the evidences of current studies that have been conducted, is teenagers who are afflicted with a certain type of food allergy. This is due to the fact that teenagers have frequent tendencies to eat out, are daring and experimental in their endeavors, and are more likely to fail to identify symptoms of anaphylactic reaction. Moreover, teenagers have tendencies to forget to carry with them essential medications which can either be caused by self-consciousness common to their age group.

Symptoms of anaphylaxis may be similar to that of food allergies. Basically, an incident of anaphylaxis initially starts with an itchy or irritating sensation, and some individuals experience a metallic after-taste. Anaphylactic symptoms may also include hot flashes or sudden warm feeling, inflammation of the throat and oral cavity, hives, dyspnea or labored breathing, low blood pressure, diarrhea, gastric irritations, and fainting or loss of consciousness.

Furthermore, there are cases wherein the symptoms fade away for a moment but then come back within a few hours; this incidence is known as biphasic reaction.

To prevent food allergy and anaphylactic reactions, careful scrutiny of food labels, diet modifications, specific instructions in food orders in restaurants, and certain medications can be of great help in reducing the incidence of any type of reaction. Moreover, a consultation to the physician is advisable for an efficient management plan and if allergies seem to run in families because it can also be hereditarily caused.

Discussion and Describe Your's Allergies

2010-05-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

Allergies - Describe Your Experience

Please describe your experience with allergies.
Submit your allergies and give comments. Patient Discussions FAQs

Common Food Allergy

2010-05-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

Common Food Allergy: Effectively Managing Food Allergies

It is a fact that you have to eat food everyday in order to give your body the nourishment it needs in order for it to function on its daily tasks. Obviously, food is what fuels your body to go on living. However, there are cases where food can also cause illness that you have to avoid.

Today, there are cases where people are allergic to certain kinds of food. In order to properly manage it, you have to consider that you will need to be aware of the food that you are allergic from and also to avoid food that contains certain kinds of allergens that your body will react to.

It is very important that you should know how to effectively manage your diet especially if you are allergic to certain kinds of food as allergy attacks can be very uncomfortable and can affect the normal functions in your daily life. In severe cases, allergy attacks may need you to be hospitalized as it can cause swelling in your air passages that will not allow you get any oxygen in your lungs and suffocate to death.

First of all, allergy attacks are triggered by the allergens found in allergen-containing foods. Normally, these allergens are considered to be harmless. However, once it enters the body of a person with allergic reaction to specific allergens, the immune system overreacts and tries to destroy the foreign object that made its way to the body. During this process, the body reacts by showing signs of swelling to different parts of the body, skin rashes, redness and increase in temperature, itching, shortness of breath and wheezing,

As you can see, allergic reactions of your body can be very uncomfortable and will severely affect your daily activities. This is why you have to be aware of the foods you eat and know what kind of food you are allergic from.

Usually, the most common food allergies that the body reacts to are peanuts, shellfish, milk, fish, wheat and soy. If you are not sure what food allergens you are allergic to, you have to visit your physician or an allergist. They will give you a series of tests that will enable you to identify what kind of food you are allergic from. With this kind of information, you will be able to manage your allergy effectively and prevent any future attacks.

Here are some ways you can prevent allergy attacks. Firstly and obviously, you have to avoid foods that contain food allergens that your body reacts to. This means that you should never eat food that you are allergic to and never cook food with an ingredient that contains the food allergens.

If you are out dining in a restaurant, you should inform the waiter or waitress about your food allergy and ask him or her which food contains the food allergen you are allergic from. If you really want to eat foods that contain the allergens, you have to inform the waiter or waitress to not include the ingredient (milk, peanuts, tree nuts, egg) that you are allergic from.

If you accidentally ingested the food-containing allergen, it is very important that you should immediately take anti-histamine medications. This is why you have to take anti-histamine medication wherever you go in case you accidentally ate food that contains an ingredient that you are allergic from.

These are some of the common food allergens that you should know about in order to properly manage it and minimize the risk of future allergy attacks that can lead to severe discomfort and in severe cases, death.

Child's Food Allergies

2010-05-13T20:55:00.001-07:00

Managing Your Child's Food Allergies Effectively

Allergy is one of the most common diseases existing in society today. There are millions of people suffering from allergies and about 6 percent of the population suffering from allergy is children and infants. You have to consider that this kind of disease can affect anyone at anytime. Once your immune system overreacts to a foreign object that is usually harmless and releases histamines, allergy symptoms can occur.

You have to consider that as a parent, your baby is one of the most important persons in the world. You feed them, you give them clothes and you provide them with shelter and care. This is why you should be aware if your baby has food allergies as it can cause severe discomfort to them and in severe cases, it can cause death.

As a parent, you have to be aware of your child's health and because allergies are very common nowadays, you have to take the necessary measures in order to properly manage it and prevent your child from experiencing discomfort because of allergy attacks. Some foods are the main causes of allergies. If you are giving your child solid foods for the first time, you have to be absolutely certain that the food you are giving them will not cause an allergic reaction.

First of all, you have to know how allergy works in order for you to properly manage it and detect it as early as possible in order for you to manage it properly. When your child ate food that his or her body is allergic to, the body will first produce antibodies called IgE. After your child ingested the same food again, the IgE will tell the immune system to produce histamines to fight of the allergens. You have to consider that the allergens are usually harmless but the immune system of your child will mistake it as being harmful and attacks it. Because of the attack on the invader, the body will produce signs and symptoms of allergy after a few minutes of ingesting the food or after about two hours of ingesting the food.

The symptoms of allergy can be mild or severe. On the mild symptoms, your child will experience mild discomfort as swelling of the skin, mouth, ears and tongue. You will also see rashes on the skin that can be itchy. The child may also experience difficulty in breathing as well. In severe cases, your baby may vomit or can have diarrhea. It is very important for you to know that severe allergic reaction can be life threatening.

If a member of your family is allergic to specific kinds of food, your child may also inherit the allergy. Although there are cases where your child can eat the food with no problem at all, you will soon notice that your baby may develop the signs and symptoms after a few times of eating the same food. Here are some of the foods that your child may likely develop allergies to:

• Fish
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Shellfish
• Eggs
• Milk

If your baby is showing signs and symptoms of allergy, you should immediately call your local emergency number as soon as you notice the signs and symptoms. You have to consider the fact that this situation can be life threatening and can cause severe discomfort for your child.

Always remember that early detection leads to proper management and care. The baby's pediatrician will prepare an action plan for properly managing the allergy attack and will also provide medications to treat allergies.

Food Allergy and Asthma

2010-05-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

There have been a lot of studies about food allergy that involves patients having asthma. You can easily see the symptoms after a couple of hours after eating a certain kind of food. Asthma and eczema are associated with atopic patients with allergies in food.

Atopy has three manifestations including asthma. It is an allergy pattern unknown to most patients. It is usually associated with disorders such as hay fever and eczema. Food allergy causes delayed or immediate asthma patterns. The delayed pattern can bring about bronchitis and/or chronic asthma. The immediate reactions are life threatening, dramatic, and sudden that is a consequence of an anaphylactic reaction to food.

Asthma basic ideas, causes, treatment:

- asthma is considered an allergy unless proven otherwise
- allergies come from food sources and airborne
- solve asthma through diet revision and improved air quality

There are three basic choices for the treatment of asthma including removing the cause, treating the symptoms, and altering the patient to tolerate such causes.

Oftentimes, asthma is known as an allergy that's airborne, and food allergy is greatly neglected. Most doctors overlook this fact and despite the improvements with drug therapies, asthma is a leading cause of death. Most of the skin tests conducted to patients with asthma are negative, and the symptoms don’t appear immediately. For some, it can take hours or even days.

How does this happen? If the person eats a type of food that he or she is allergic to, the food allergens are then incorporated into the bloodstream and it triggers the immune mediators' release. These chemicals can cause different symptoms like bronchial muscle constriction; and this is an episode of an asthma attack. You will slowly feel the reduction of airflow in your bronchial tubes. You're already having a noisy and prolonged expiration. This obstructive, inflammatory phase is an important mechanism associated with chronic asthma.

Patients with food allergy are usually given antibiotics over and over again because the infection and allergic symptoms are very similar. But the truth is antibiotics can actually increase your risk of advance allergic reactions. There have been reports about patients with long-standing deterioration after prolonged or repeated antibiotic use. This is one of the reasons why many asthmatic patients are quite hesitant to undergo medication.

Here's good news to asthma sufferers, with a complete revision in your diet, you can remove the chronic symptoms. You must have a broad management plan that includes solving your food allergy, toxicity, airborne allergy, and providing appropriate medication when certain preventive efforts are unsuccessful.

There are specialized doctors that can help you with your diet plan. If your asthma is indeed caused by certain food allergies, your doctor can help you in identifying which foods you're allergic to. Once the foods are identified, your doctor can now recommend a new diet plan that is designed to stay away from certain foods. This may take time and you need to visit your doctor periodically. But the results are quite effective according to come patients.

If you're not that sure, you can do a valuable research online and check if the there are doctors in your place that can help you with your food allergy. You can also ask your friends and co-workers if they know a reputable doctor who can help you out.

Don’t start any treatment or diet without proper diagnosis and approval of your doctor to avoid any complications.

Eczema and Food Allergy

2010-05-13T20:51:00.000-07:00

Eczema and Food Allergy; are They Really related to Each Other

Eczema is a type of skin ailment that usually comes with itching, skin thickening and scaling. Most often, eczema appears on the knees, arms, elbows and even on the face.

When this type of skin ailment affects children, especially those who have a clear skin, parents are not able to distinguish its cause at once.

Usually, parents perceived that food allergies are the source of their child's eczema. However, there are numerous experts who find this belief to be untrue. Instead, these experts advise parents not to limit the diet of their child without consulting with a pediatrician first.

An example of eczema relating to food allergy was the case of a five month old baby who suffers from severe eczema.

According to the mother, the baby is intolerant to lactose early on, even the formulas of lactose free appear to be incompatible to her baby. Hence, she decided to shift to soy.

The soy shows a good reaction on the baby's skin. However, after sometime, the eczema appeared again.

If you are in the position of the mother, would you think that the soy caused the eczema to the baby? Would you prefer to use again the lactose free formula?

As what has been mentioned in the previous paragraph, eczema usually appears and vanishes, leaving the child with clear eczema free skin for a couple of weeks. That makes the triggering factor of eczema hard to be determined.

This is the exact thing experienced by the mother in the presented case.

Though it is true that the controversy about food allergies as a triggering factor of eczema do not die away until now, the relationship of a lactose free formula to the baby's eczema do not show a good reason.

According to the experts, the baby might catch the allergy from milk proteins, or if not from the soy proteins. They reject lactose, a sugar, to be the reason.

Shifting to lactose free formula can be her option. But experts affirmed that lactose do not include a formula that would cure the baby's eczema. If ever it does, it is certainly a coincidence.

Lactose may develop other symptoms, like or instance fussiness, diarrhea or gas.

If you have the same case, it is suggested that you visit your baby's pediatrician rather than rely on hearsay. You can cite to your baby's pediatrician that you are suspecting the baby to be allergic on soy formula including those that are milk based.

Your pediatrician will tell you whether these formulas really worsen the eczema. Hypoallergenic formula like Alomentum or Nutramigen can be prescribed.

The pediatrician might also advise allergy testing. This is done through blood testing.

Now, if you really observe that the food or even drinks your baby had taken has worsen his eczema, then you can just simply avoid them. But clarify it with your pediatrician; he is more knowledgeable about food allergies.

Note that there are also some children who both have eczema as well food allergies. But these two do not tend to affect one another.

The best thing about this case is to know the treatments for eczema. Follow the prescription of the pediatrician; this will assure you that you are applying the right medication for your baby.

Determine properly the triggering factor. Usually, pediatricians prescribe moisturizers, or topical steroids.

What Is Foods Allergies Signs?

2010-05-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

Allergies can develop at any age, possibly even in the womb. They commonly occur in children but may give rise to symptoms for the first time in adulthood. Asthma may persist in adults while nasal allergies tend to decline in old age.

Why, you may ask, are some people "sensitive" to certain allergens while most are not? Why do allergic persons produce more IgE than those who are non-allergic? The major distinguishing factor appears to be heredity. For some time, it has been known that allergic conditions tend to cluster in families. Your own risk of developing allergies is related to your parents' allergy history. If neither parent is allergic, the chance that you will have allergies is about 15%. If one parent is allergic, your risk increases to 30% and if both are allergic, your risk is greater than 60%.

Although you may inherit the tendency to develop allergies, you may never actually have symptoms. You also do not necessarily inherit the same allergies or the same diseases as your parents. It is unclear what determines which substances will trigger a reaction in an allergic person. Additionally, which diseases might develop or how severe the symptoms might be is unknown.

Another major piece of the allergy puzzle is the environment. It is clear that you must have a genetic tendency and be exposed to an allergen in order to develop an allergy. Additionally, the more intense and repetitive the exposure to an allergen and the earlier in life it occurs, the more likely it is that an allergy will develop.

There are other important influences that may conspire to cause allergic conditions. Some of these include smoking, pollution, infection, and hormones.

What are common allergic conditions and their symptoms and signs?

The parts of the body that are prone to react to allergies include the eyes, nose, lungs, skin, and stomach. Although the various allergic diseases may appear different, they all result from an exaggerated immune response to foreign substances in sensitive people. The following brief descriptions will serve as an overview of common allergic disorders.

Who is at risk an Allergies

2010-05-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

What causes allergies?

2010-05-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

To help answer this question, let's look at a common household example. A few months after the new cat arrives in the house, dad begins to have itchy eyes and episodes of sneezing. One of the three children develops coughing and wheezing, especially when the cat comes into her bedroom. The mom and the other two children experience no reaction whatsoever to the presence of the cat. How can we explain this?

The immune system is the body's organized defense mechanism against foreign invaders, particularly infections. Its job is to recognize and react to these foreign substances, which are called antigens. Antigens are substances that are capable of causing the production of antibodies. Antigens may or may not lead to an allergic reaction. Allergens are certain antigens that cause an allergic reaction and the production of IgE.

The aim of the immune system is to mobilize its forces at the site of invasion and destroy the enemy. One of the ways it does this is to create protective proteins called antibodies that are specifically targeted against particular foreign substances. These antibodies, or immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD), are protective and help destroy a foreign particle by attaching to its surface, thereby making it easier for other immune cells to destroy it. The allergic person however, develops a specific type of antibody called immunoglobulin E, or IgE, in response to certain normally harmless foreign substances, such as cat dander. To summarize, immunoglobulins are a group of protein molecules that act as antibodies. There are five different types; IgA, IgM, IgG, IgD, and IgE. IgE is the allergy antibody.

(In 1967, the husband and wife team of Kimishige and Teriko Ishizaka detected a previously unrecognized type of immunoglobulin in allergic people. They called it gamma E globulin or IgE.)

In the pet cat example, the dad and the youngest daughter developed IgE antibodies in large amounts that were targeted against the cat allergen, the cat dander. The dad and daughter are now sensitized or prone to develop allergic reactions on subsequent and repeated exposures to cat allergen. Typically, there is a period of "sensitization" ranging from months to years prior to an allergic reaction. Although it might occasionally appear that an allergic reaction has occurred on the first exposure to the allergen, there must have been a prior contact in order for the immune system to be poised to react in this way.

IgE is an antibody that all of us have in small amounts. Allergic persons, however, produce IgE in large quantities. Normally, this antibody is important in protecting us from parasites, but not from cat dander or other allergens. During the sensitization period, cat dander IgE is being overproduced and coats certain potentially explosive cells that contain chemicals. These cells are capable of causing an allergic reaction on subsequent exposures to the dander. This is because the reaction of the cat dander with the dander IgE irritates the cells and leads to the release of various chemicals, including histamine. These chemicals, in turn, cause inflammation and the typical allergic symptoms. This is how the immune system becomes exaggerated and primed to cause an allergic reaction when stimulated by an allergen.

On exposure to cat dander, the mom and the other two children produce other classes of antibodies, none of which cause allergic reactions. In these non-allergic members of the family, the dander particles are eliminated uneventfully by the immune system and the cat has no effect on them.

Figure 1
The Immune System
-
Foreign Substance
alt="-"
(cat dander, pollen, virus, bacteria)
**

Normal Immune Response

IgM, IgG, IgA, IgD and various immune cells respond to attack.

Exaggerated Immune Response

IgE is overproduced in response to cat dander, pollens, and other harmless allergens.

*

*

Foreign substance is eliminated.

Subsequent exposure results in an allergic reaction.

*

*

Non-Allergic Individual

Allergic Individual

What does an allergy mean?

2010-05-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

An allergy refers to an exaggerated reaction by our immune system in response to bodily contact with certain foreign substances. It is exaggerated because these foreign substances are usually seen by the body as harmless and no response occurs in non- allergic people. Allergic people's bodies recognize the foreign substance and one part of the immune system is turned on. Allergy-producing substances are called "allergens." Examples of allergens include pollens, dust mite, molds, danders, and foods. To understand the language of allergy it is important to remember that allergens are substances that are foreign to the body and can cause an allergic reaction in certain people.

When an allergen comes in contact with the body, it causes the immune system to develop an allergic reaction in persons who are allergic to it. When you inappropriately react to allergens that are normally harmless to other people, you are having an allergic reaction and can be referred to as allergic or atopic. Therefore, people who are prone to allergies are said to be allergic or "atopic."

Austrian pediatrician Clemens Pirquet (1874-1929) first used the term allergy. He referred to both immunity that was beneficial and to the harmful hypersensitivity as "allergy." The word allergy is derived from the Greek words "allos," meaning different or changed and "ergos," meaning work or action. Allergy roughly refers to an "altered reaction." The word allergy was first used in 1905 to describe the adverse reactions of children who were given repeated shots of horse serum to fight infection. The following year, the term allergy was proposed to explain this unexpected "changed reactivity."

Allergy Fact

* It is estimated that 50 million North Americans are affected by allergic conditions.
* The cost of allergies in the United States is more than $10 billion dollars yearly.
* Allergic rhinitis (nasal allergies) affects about 35 million Americans, 6 million of whom are children.
* Asthma affects 15 million Americans, 5 million of whom are children.
* The number of cases of asthma has doubled over the last 20 years.

Allergies Site Map

2010-05-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

What Foods Allergies Symptom
Common Foods Allergy
What is Food Allergy Reaction
What does an allergy mean?
What causes allergies?
Who is at risk and why?
What is foods allergies signs?
Foods Allergy With Psychological
Child's Foods Allergies
Asthma
Allergic Eyes
Allergic Eczema
Hidden Food Allergy
Allergic Shock
Food Allergy Anaphylaxis
In the air we breathe
In what we ingest
Touching our skin
Injected into our body
Allergy At A Glance
Patient Discussions: Allergies - Describe Your Experience

Healthy and Natural Foods Conception

2010-05-13T19:28:00.000-07:00

In both the female and male body, the balance of hormones has to be just right for conception to occur and for pregnancy to proceed. Nutrients that are in excess or that are in depletion can throw off balance and disrupt the pregnancy process. When we can choose whole foods for our diet, we are increasing our chances of obtaining the most nutrients we need. Whole foods include fruits, fresh vegetables, unrefined grains, beans, nuts, seeds, eggs, and small whole fish. It’s important to make sure you’re choosing healthy whole superfoods that have an abundant supply of each of the following vitamins and minerals.

B-complex vitamins need to be replenished all the time, as they are water soluble and passed out of the body with urination. Vitamins B6 and B12 are particularly important for fertility and hormonal function. Fortified cereals, fortified soy-based meat substitutes, baked potatoes with skin, bananas, light-meat chicken and turkey, eggs, and spinach are all great sources of B6 and beef, clams, mussels, crabs, salmon, poultry, soybeans, and fortified foods have healthy amounts of B12.
Folic Acid, also known as folate, is essential for the production of genetic material in conjunction with vitamin B12. The body cannot store Folic Acid so it must be replenished regularly. It is found naturally in dark green leafy vegetables, apricots, avocados, carrots, egg yolks, liver, melons, whole grains, and yeast's.

Zinc is an essential component of genetic material and plays an important role in the fertility of men (affecting sperm count) and women. Zinc is vital to healthy cell division, so healthy zinc levels are essential at conception. Zinc occurs naturally in oats, rye, almonds, pumpkin seeds and peas.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) work on every system of the body and are essential for healthy hormone production. EFA's can prevent blood from clotting inappropriately which can be helpful to women who have suffered from recurrent miscarriages (if clotting was an issue). They are primarily found in fish oils.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant. Low vitamin E levels can be a cause for subfertility in men and women. Found in wheat germ cereal, sunflower seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, brown rice, eggs, milk, organ meats, soy beans and sweet potatoes.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, helpful to sperm production and may play a role in healthy ovulation. Vitamin C is essential to the normal healthy functioning of many systems in the human body. Excellent sources include blackcurrants, raw red peppers, guavas and citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruits. Other good sources include strawberries, kiwifruit, broccoli and Brussel sprouts.

Iron aids in the production of red blood cells and carries oxygen around our bodies. The body can lose iron through periods, childbirth or blood loss (including blood donation). Leafy green vegetables, beans, shellfish, red meat, poultry, and soy food products are all good sources of iron.
Vitamin A is an antioxidant essential at conception for the developing embryo. Natural sources include carrots, tomatoes, cabbage, and spinach.

Superfoods for Super Skin

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It’s been said we are what we eat, and that sentiment definitely holds true when it comes to our skin. It’s our body’s biggest organ, and it deserves all the nutritional TLC we can give it. So take a look at what you’ve been feeding yourself, and therefore feeding your skin.

One the most important components of skin health is vitamin A, and probably one of the best sources of it is low-fat dairy products. It could be said the health of our skin depends on vitamin A. Low-fat yogurt is not only high in vitamin A, but also acidophilus, the "live" bacteria that is good for intestinal health. Turns out, it may also have an impact on the skin, since it aids in digestion. Other good sources of vitamin A include cod liver oil, sweet potatoes, carrots, leafy vegetables, and fortified breakfast cereals.

It’s important to also make sure you’re eating foods rich in antioxidants, such as blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and plums. The benefits of these foods for healthy skin are plentiful. The antioxidants and other phytochemicals in these fruits can protect the skin cells, so there is less chance for damage. This in turn guards against premature aging, and keeps skin looking younger longer. Other fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants include artichokes, black, red, and pinto beans, prunes, and pecans.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are essential to your skin. Include salmon, walnuts, canola oil, and flax seed. EFAs keep cell membranes healthy, and allow nutrients to pass through.

We also need healthy oils, which contain more than essential fatty acids. Eating good-quality oils helps keep skin lubricated and keeps it looking and feeling healthier overall. Look for oils that are cold pressed, such as olive or extra virgin oil. We only need about two tablespoons a day of healthy oils, so use wisely.

Selenium plays an important role in the health of skin cells. Turn to foods like Whole-wheat bread, muffins, and cereals; turkey, tuna and brazil nuts for this important nutrient. Recent studies show that if selenium levels are high, even skin damaged by the sun may only suffer minimal, if any, damage.

Choosing the whole grain versions of complex carbohydrates can have a significant effect on insulin levels. Processed and refined sugars can cause inflammation that may ultimately be linked to skin break outs.

Green tea has anti-inflammatory properties, and it protects the membrane of the cell. It may even help prevent or reduce skin cancer risks.

Water plays such an important role in your overall health, and it has a profound effect on your skin’s health as well. Well-hydrated skin is healthy and young-looking. It also helps move the toxins out of your system so they have less chance to do damage.

Kids Eating Healthy

2010-05-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

Fast food is a big part of modern life these days, making it very hard to teach a child how he or she should eat healthy. The cheapest and easiest foods are those that are normally the least healthy. If you give your child the choice between healthy food and junk food, you normally won't like the results.

Even though it isn't possible to get a child to like all healthy foods, there are some ways to get your child to try and hopefully like at least a few of them. You can be as creative as you like, as getting kids to eat healthy foods can be a little harder than you may think.

- Sneak the healthy food in. Even though it would be great if your kid understood the importance of fruits and vegetables, this isn't always possible. If you can't get them to eat good food willingly, there are ways to sneak them in, such as making muffins out of bananas or apples, or pizza with spinach on it.

- Call fruits and vegetables by funny names. You can refer to broccoli as "trees", making them more fun to eat. There are many different names you can call fruits and vegetables, even making up your own if you prefer. Most kids prefer to eat foods that sound fun.

- Make the foods taste better. Ranch dressing is great for broccoli, while peanut butter is a great topping for celery. There are several combinations for vegetables that can make them taste much better. You can let your child pick a topping for a vegetable, even if it's something you wouldn't normally like yourself.

- Dress the vegetables up. Just as much as calling them names help kids eat healthy foods, making them look funny also helps. You can do this by making funny designs on the plate, or setting them up to look like people. Although some parents don't like their kids playing with their food, sometimes it helps to get them to eat healthier.

There are several ways to make your kids eat healthier, but to make them enjoy it also has to be fun as well. This isn't always an easy task, because kids normally don't like foods that are good for them. It can however, be done with a bit of creativity. Hopefully, doing this will help your child develop a love of healthy foods for the rest of their lives.

Healthy Grocery Shopping

2010-05-13T19:07:00.001-07:00

Grocery shopping is something we all have to do, even though choosing the right foods can be very hard indeed. To assist you with your healthy grocery shopping, the tips below can indeed help make things easier than ever before:

1. Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.

2. Select canned fruits and tuna that are packed in water, not oil or syrup.

3. Look at the labels for the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated". The earlier you see them appear on the list, the higher the amount of unhealthy trans fatty acids the food will contain.

4. Don't buy turkey with the skin on it, and if you plan to buy chicken - buy a chicken breast meal.

5. When you select frozen dinners, select those that are not only low in fat, but low in sodium and cholesterol as well.

6. If you aren't consuming enough dairy products, go with calcium fortified orange juice instead.

7. Go for whole grain breads, cereals, and rolls.

8. Give cantaloupe a try. With just 95 calories, half of the melon will provide more than a day's
supply of Vitamin C and beta carotene.

9. Don't be tricked into buying yogurt covered by nuts or raisins, as the coating is normally made of sugar and partially hydrogenated oils.

10. Get some of the low fat treats, such as pretzels, ginger snaps, and angel food cake.

By following the above tips when grocery shopping, you'll avoid the bad foods and get those that you need. There are many different healthy foods at the grocery store, all it takes is the will power to go past the bad foods and on to the good ones.

Nutrition For The Elderly

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Healthy eating and nutrition for the elderly is greatly impacted by several factors, one of them
being a change in body composition. During the later years in life, the body will lose bone and muscle and gain fat because the hormones aren't very active anymore.

There are many factors which hinder an elderly person's health. The information below will help you to lead a healthy life - no matter how old you may be.

Water

Water in the body decreases with age, so many older folks will become dehydrated very easily. Sometimes they won't feel thirsty, while other times it's too much work to pour a glass a water. With this in mind, it's recommended that they drink at least 1 ounce of water for every 2.2 pounds of weight.

Protein

At this stage in life, protein is very important. Protein is needed to support a healthy immune system and prevent the wasting of muscle. Since energy needs are less, older folks should eat high quality protein such as eggs, lean meats, poulty, and fish.

Carbs and fiber

Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the entire body. You can find carbs in bread,
cereals, pasta, and other grain products. A diet that's high in fiber and water will help to prevent constipation as well.

Fat

Fat intake for the elderly should be limited, not eliminated. You can limit fat by choosing lean meats, low fat dairy products, and food preperation methods that don't include frying.

Iron

For the elderly, iron deficiency can be seen with those who aren't eating much. Good sources for iron include lean red meats or breakfast cereals.

Zinc

Zinc intake is normally with the elderly, and to make matters worse, it's not absorbed very well either. Meat, poultry, and fish should be a part of your diet to help you meet the requirements for zinc.

Calcium

Calcium is one ingredient that most elderly folks simply aren't getting enough of. Most believe that milk upsets their stomach, and therefore they will avoid it. They should be getting around 1,500 mg of calcium a day, and nonfat powdered milk can be used in recipes as a substitute for milk. Other foods such as yogurt, low fat cheese, and broccoli can also help you meet the requirements for calcium.

Vitamin B12

In order to absorb the benefits of B12, the intrinsic facotr must be produced by the stomach. Most elderly people suffer from a deficiency in B12 because they have a condition known as atrophic gastritis. This condition causes inflammation of the stomach, bacterial overgrowth, and the intrinsic factor. Without the intrinsic factor, this vitamin can be absorbed.

Each one of the above nutrients are needed to keep an aged body in good health. Elderly individuals should try to stay active and strive for a well balanced diet. Even though the aged body isn't the same as it used to be, proper care and the right nutrients can help the elderly enjoy a healthy and long life.

Cholesterol Formula

2010-05-13T03:59:00.000-07:00

What is a Molecular Formula?

A molecular forumla is a series of letters and numbers that indicate which atoms, and how many of them, are in a molecule.

The letters are the symbol of an element, and indicate which atom(s) are in the molecule. The numbers are shown in subscript, and represent how many of that atom are in the molecule.

What Is an Atomic Symbol?

A symbol is an abbreviation for an element (you could think of the word "element" as meaning a specific type of atom). Symbols are one or two letters, and always have the first letter capitalized, and the second letter, if present, lower-case.

Some common atomic symbols are C for carbon, H for hydrogen, O for oxygen, and N for nitrogen. Two examples of symbols that are more than one letter are Na for sodium and Cl for chlorine.

The Molecular Formula of Water

An example of a molecular formula would be the one for water, which is H₂O. The "2" that is subscripted immediately after the H indicates that there are two hydrogens. The fact that no number is subscriped after the O indicates that there is only one oxygen.

Note that the number indicating how many of an atom are in a molecule must always be subscripted. A number that is not subscripted indicates the number of molecules. For example, 3H₂O would mean three molecules of water, each having two hydrogens and one oxygen.

The Molecular Formula of Cholesterol

Sometimes certain functional groups — a small group of atoms within the molecule that gives the molecule a certain function or classification — are shown separately in larger molecules to give more information about the molecule's structure.

For example, the molecular formula of cholesterol could be written as C₂₇H₄₅OH, which gives us more information than writing it as C₂₇H₄₆O.

In both cases, there are 46 hydrogens, but the first way of writing the formula shows us that there is an OH, or "hydroxyl" group, which makes cholesterol an alcohol. The OH group also has other important properties that are discussed in later lessons.

Cholesterol Molecule

2010-05-13T03:52:00.000-07:00

Atoms and Molecules

Cholesterol is a molecule. All molecules are made of atoms. From the structure of an atom to the covalent bonds of a water molecule, if it's all Greek to you, keep reading! Sit tight... you are about to quickly master the basic concepts of chemistry...

The Atom

Atoms are considered to be the most basic and fundamental particle of matter. They are made of positive, negative, and neutral charges. The positive charges are called protons. The negative charges are called electrons. Finally, the neutral charges are called neutrons.

One of the basic tendencies of nature is the tendency toward electric neutrality. That's a fancy way of saying that nature prevents the building up of positive and negative charges in one spot by balancing them out. In order for this balancing to occur, there are two laws:

like charges repel each other.
opposite charges attract.

The result? Atoms! Atoms contain equal numbers of positive and negative charges. So the number of protons in an atom is equal to the number of electrons. Since neutrons are not charged, the number of neutrons can vary.

The picture below is a model of oxygen, which shows how these particles are arranged in the structure of an atom.

In the figure shown above, the protons and neutrons are clustered together in the center of the atom, the nucleus. The electrons are shown orbiting around the nucleus. Electrons behave more like a cloud surrounding the atom, but the picture shows individual particles to make the concepts easier to understand.

Oxygen has eight protons and eight electrons. Electric neutrality! Its number of neutrons doesn't affect the charge, so it will vary.

Remember that one oxygen in the cholesterol molecule? Keep it in mind as we move along...

Notice that the electrons are arranged in different shells. The inner shell contains two, and the outer shell contains six. Most shells are considered to be full when they contain eight electrons, but the first shell always fills up with only two.

So, an atom like sodium that has 11 electrons will have a third shell. The first would contain two, the second eight, and the third one. An atom like hydrogen, which contains only 1 electron, would have only the first shell.

Regardless of how many shells there are, the outer shell of each atom is called the valence shell. Keep this in mind when we discuss covalent bonds!

Nature Always Fills the Valence Shell

Do you remember what the first tendency of nature was that we discussed?

Right... a tendency toward electric neutrality.

Let's add one more: the tendency toward a full valence shell. Some atoms naturally have a full valence shell. Most atoms do not. For those atoms that do not have a full valence shell (which usually would contain eight electrons, except for hydrogen and helium, where it would contain two), something has to change.

So nature's tendency toward a full valence shell will lead to one of two things:

The gain or loss of electrons
Covalent bonding

We'll discuss covalent bonds first.

Covalent Bonds Make Molecules

The cholesterol molecule is made of covalent bonds. All molecules are made of covalent bonds. Since the cholesterol molecule is so large and complicated, we'll use the water molecule as our example.

Do you recognize any terms you just learned within the word "covalent"?

Covalent = Co - valent

A covalent bond is a bond where two atoms share part of their valence shell. This is one of nature's ways of satisfying the tendency toward a full valence shell.

Consider the picture below, which shows an oxygen and two hydrogens, which are the atoms that make up the water molecule.

Notice that none of the three atoms above have full valence shells. How many electrons does the oxygen need to make its outer shell full? Each hydrogen?

The oxygen needs eight electrons total in its outer shell, and it has six, so it needs:

8-6= 2 electrons.

The hydrogen needs two total in its outer (only) shell, and it has one, so it needs:

2-1= 1 electron.

Say you and a friend both wanted to start a similar type of business, but neither could raise the startup cash on your own. What would you do? Pool your resources together! Your friend gets to go in business despite only having part of the money she needed to start, and you do as well.

This is exactly what the two hydrogens and the oxygen do. If the first hydrogen shares one of its electrons with the oxygen, in exchange for the oxygen sharing one of its electrons with the same hydrogen, the hydrogen's valence shell will be full (with two), and the oxygen's will be one step closer to being full (with seven.)

A second hydrogen sharing in the same way will fill its own valence shell (with two), and will complete oxygen's (with eight.) Thus, a water molecule is born!

The picture of a water molecule below hits this lesson home:

In the figure above, the hydrogen on the left and oxygen share two electrons together. One came from the hydrogen, one from the oxygen. The hydrogen on the right does the same. The other six electrons on the oxygen belong to the oxygen alone.

Since water is made of covalent bonds, it is a molecule. Not all chemical bonds make molecules though. Keep on reading to find out why...

But first, let's quickly recap:

There are two tendencies in nature:

the tendency toward electric neutrality
the tendency toward a full valence shell

The tendency toward electric neutrality results in atoms, which contain an equal balance of positive and negative charges.

The tendency toward a full valence shell results in covalent bonds, in which two atoms pool their electrons together and share part of their valence shells so they both end up with full outer electron shells.

But there is one other way that atoms can achieve a full valence shell...

Ionic Bonding

When two atoms pool their electrons together in a covalent bond, they both wind up with more electrons in their valence shell. But take a look at the structure of the sodium atom below.

Sodium has 11 electrons: two in its inner shell, eight in its second shell, and one in its valence shell. Unlike the oxygen, which was able to fill its valence shell with only two electrons, sodium would have to gain seven! That's a lot of work!

Take a closer look. Do you see an easier way to gain a full valence shell? Remember, any of the shells can be the valence shell, as long as it is the outmost shell.

It would be much easier to just lose one electron than to gain seven. So the easiest way is to just get rid of the one electron on the outside, and the already-full shell underneath it becomes the valence shell!

But where would the electron go?

...Simple. It would have to find an atom that wanted to gain one electron. The picture below shows the structure of the sodium and chlorine atoms, and the transfer of the lone electron. This is a special type of reaction called an oxidation-reduction reaction.

Oxidation is the loss of an electron. Reduction is the gain of an electron. The picture above shows the sodium atom becoming oxidized and the chlorine atom becoming reduced. Another way to say this is that sodium reduces chlorine and chlorine oxidizes sodium.

Uh-oh.

Now that we've satisfied nature's tendency toward a full valence shell, do you see what's happened? Now sodium and chlorine both have different numbers of electrons and protons! We've disturbed nature's first rule:

the tendency toward electric neutrality

Remember, the atoms were made in the first place to balance the positive and negative charges. Now that sodium has lost an electron, it has a positive charge. Now that chlorine has gained an electron, it has a negative charge. Neither are neutral any more.

Something must change.

An atom with a different number of protons and electrons is called an ion. If the atom has more electrons than protons, it is a negative ion,. If it has more protons than electrons, it is a positive ion.

Ions disturb nature's tendency toward electric neutrality. In response, nature forms the ionic bond.

Remember that opposite charges attract? Since the sodium is now positive, and the chloride (the name for ionic chlorine) is now negative, they become attracted to each other. They stick together tightly, but each has its own electrons. There is no valence sharing.

Sodium and chlorine now become sodium chloride... table salt!

Since there is no valence sharing, there is no covalent bond. Since there is no covalent bond, there is no molecule. There is no such thing as a "molecule of salt"! Instead, ionic bonds like those within salt form crystals...

What Makes a Molecule a Molecule

The picture of water molecules below shows how the molecules would be arranged in, say, a glass of water.

The solid black lines above indicate a covalent bond. The dotted lines show weak bonds between the hydrogen (red) of one water molecule and the oxygen (blue) of another. These bonds are very different from covalent bonds and are fleeting. They are constantly being broken by the movement of water molecules. For a further explanation, see the lesson on the

hydroxyl group.

Notice that every single water molecule has the exact same number of hydrogens, and the exact same number of oxygens. Each molecule has one oxygen and two hydrogens. We designate this "molecular formula" as H₂O.

While the water molecules are attracted to each other, the attraction is an entirely different kind of bond from the bonds within the water molecule. Each molecule is a distinct entity.

Now look at the next picture, which shows the structure of a salt crystal. Notice that the bonds between all of the atoms are the same kind.

In the salt crystal, sodium chloride, or NaCl, has one atom of sodium (Na+) for every atom of chlorine (Cl-). But as long as this ratio stays constant, you can have as many or as little atoms as you like, and you still have sodium chloride — you still have table salt.

This is why we don't call ionic compounds "molecules." There is no distinct unit. A crystal can be big or small.

A molecule is defined by the precise number of each atom within it. H₄O₂ is not water. The bonds within a molecule never occur between molecules.

An ionic compound is defined by the ratio of atoms within it. The precise number doesn't matter. NaCl is sodium chloride and Na₁₀₀Cl₁₀₀ is sodium chloride. A whole crystal has the same type of bond between every atom, so the type of bond can't distinguish any sub-unit as a "molecule."

Cholesterol is a Molecule

Cholesterol is a molecule. Each atom within it is covalently bound to another. It does not contain ionic bonds. Cholesterol does, however, contain a special type of covalent bond called a polar covalent bond. So does water.

Site Map

2010-05-13T03:36:00.000-07:00

LDL Cholesterol | LDL Cholesterol level

What is LDL cholesterol and how does it affect your risk of suffering heart disease?

Diet For High Cholesterol | Diet to Lower Cholesterol

If you want to adopt a diet to lower cholesterol ensure you know which foods need to be included and which excluded.

Low Cholesterol Foods

How can low cholesterol foods help lower your overal cholesterol levels?

List Of Low Cholesterol Foods

Here is a really useful list of low cholesterol foods. Include these in your diet and you're sure to reduce your cholesterol levels.

Free Cholesterol Guide

A free 56 page guide to lowering your cholesterol in the next 30 days.

What Is Cholesterol | Good Cholesterol

What is cholesterol? Find out about good and bad cholesterol, what levels are acceptable and when you need to start worrying.

Good Cholesterol | Cholesterol Levels

What is the difference between good and bad cholesterol and how much of each type should you have in your body?

Cholesterol Ratio | Cholesterol HDL Ratio

What is your cholesterol ratio, and what does this number tell you about your risk of cholesterol related heart disease?

HDL Cholesterol | HDL Cholesterol Level

What is HDL cholesterol and how does it affect your risk of suffering heart disease?

Cholesterol Test | Cholesterol Test Kit | Cholesterol Testing

Perform a cholesterol test at home and interpret the cholesterol test results quickly and effectively, in order to assess your risk to heart disease.

Latest Cholesterol Studies | Cholesterol study

What do the latest cholesterol studies (study) suggest you do about your high levels of cholesterol?

Cholesterol Medications | High Cholesterol Medication

What are you cholesterol medication options? Which cholesterol medications are most effective?

Reducing Cholesterol | Reduce Cholesterol

If you are determined to reducing cholesterol levels, here is all the advice you'll need to follow.

Lower Cholesterol Naturally

Do you want to know how to lower cholesterol naturally? If yes read on.

High Cholesterol Foods | Foods High In Cholesterol

Do you know which foods are high cholesterol foods? Find out here.

Low Cholesterol Recipes

Here are some low cholesterol recipes that are ideal for reducing your cholesterol levels.

List Of High Cholesterol Foods

It is important to know which foods are high cholesterol foods that should be avoided. Here's how you should go about making a list.

High Cholesterol Meals

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For those of you who have been told that your cholesterol is a touch on the high side you will want to build a list of high cholesterol foods so you know what foods you need to avoid. Doing this will help keep such foods in your mind so you do not forget when you are out and about.

To compose your list of high cholesterol foods to avoid the best way to start off is to get a pen and write down all the foods that you have been advised to cut down on or eliminate from your diet by your doctor. When you read the list back to yourself chances are that you will find a fair few of the foods listed are those that you consume on a regular basis. It is helpful to prioritize your list into three categories with the first category being your favourite foods that you have been told to cut down on.

For example my first category would look like this:
Beef burgers
Spaghetti bolognaise
Meatballs
Meat loaf
etc.

For the second category include foods that you only have a few times a week and can do without if you really have to. A good example is if you eat a few candy bars a week (not a good idea if you have high cholesterol) then these need to go into the second category.

In my third category I list the items that I rarely eat that the doctor has advised me to cut down on, sure I may hardly ever eat things like liver, kidneys etc but these things still need to be on my list of high cholesterol foods just in case I forget that I'm not supposed to have them.

By writing a list in this way you can easily remind yourself that a certain food is not exactly in your best interests to eat. Now this may come across as a rather huge self sacrifice to many of you, so why not write a low cholesterol alternative next to the foods you can not have?

OK so it may not be a good idea to have a triple decker cheese and bacon burger but instead you could have something equally as tasty but not so bad for you like lets say, a chicken breast in a wheat bread bun with lettuce and tomato, supplemented with a large jacket potato with a dollop of low fat soured cream. Doing this will make the necessary change in your eating habits a touch more bearable.

It is much better to create a personalized list of high cholesterol foods as it will have more meaning to your personally unlike a generic list you can find in a book or on the internet and this will ultimately help you in your goal.

High Cholesterol Foods

2010-05-13T03:32:00.001-07:00

Many of us enjoy greasy, heavy foods on a day to day basis. The problem is that these type of foods are most likely high cholesterol foods and as such are not particularly good for you. What makes certain foods high cholesterol foods is the amount of saturated fat they contain. Saturated fat has the rather undesired effect of raising the levels of LDL cholesterol found in your bloodstream and as such increases the risk of heart disease and many other health problems. LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol that you have probably heard about on the news and in a great many adverts promoting low cholesterol products.

It is important to realise that any food that is high in saturated fat is a high cholesterol food. Saturated fat causes the liver to produce LDL cholesterol which once in high enough concentration, will start to be deposited on the arterial walls as plaque. Over time the arteries narrow and harden thus causing heart disease.

The definition of a high cholesterol food therefore, is a food that has a high level of saturated fat contained within and not the amount of cholesterol contained in the food itself.

For example, take the great Full English Breakfast, this consists of bacon, sausage and eggs amongst other things. It is widely known that eggs are particularly high in cholesterol but in truth, the cholesterol in the eggs has little if any effect on the amount of cholesterol found in the blood stream. It is the saturated fat in the sausages and bacon that has a far more profound effect on the levels of LDL cholesterol found in the bloodstream.

It is also important to think about the way in which the food has been prepared and its effect on the foods saturated fat levels. Let us take the humble fish dinner for example. It is widely known that fish can be very good for you as it contains omega 3 fatty acids and these have many health related benefits. The problem lies in the way the fish is often prepared, being battered and then deep fried which then makes what was a healthy, low fat meal full of unwanted saturated fat.

It is not a hard and fast rule that high cholesterol foods are bad for us, in fact some foods with high levels of cholesterol are considered to be rather good for us and, if eaten in moderation can form part of a healthy diet. The problem occurs when these foods are combined with high levels of saturated fat.

Thankfully many processed food producers are beginning to move away from the use of saturated fats as an ingredient and are looking more towards the inclusion of polyunsaturated fats which are much better for us.

How To Lower Cholesterol?

2010-05-13T03:31:00.000-07:00

It is a well known fact that high cholesterol is bad for your health so many people are looking for ways to lower cholesterol in their body's. Keeping cholesterol within prescribed limits carries many health benefits but one of the most important is to help lower the chance of developing heart disease. The good news is that it is relatively easy to lower your cholesterol with a simple diet change. There are a number of herbs that have the effect of lowering cholesterol and their use is becoming a popular way to fight this problem.

Garlic, (often confused as a plant when the actual bit you eat is a bulb) happens to be very good for you and in particular, your heart. Garlic has the effect of regulating the Omega 3 fatty acids present in the human body which has the positive effect of lowering the levels of the undesirable LDL cholesterol in the body and increasing the levels of the rather desirable HDL cholesterol that is essential for good health.

Green tea has many related health benefits not least its effect on reducing cholesterol in the body. It does this by promoting the growth of lipids and by helping the blood platelets move with east throughout the body. This is very important in helping the body deal with the cholesterol levels. Green tea is also known to help control blood sugar levels which has other related health benefits.

Research shows that red yeast rice is particularly good at lowering blood born lipids such as cholesterol and triglyceride's. This has a positive effect on the reduction of cholesterol levels.

Leaf extract from the artichoke has been found to help lower cholesterol. This is thought to be due to its tendency to help the liver produce bile and help the gallbladder to flow bile faster. This has not been conclusively proven at the time of writing but it is thought that this is the case.

Turmeric root, or cumin happens to be an excellent antioxidant and as such is rather good at lowering the body's levels of cholesterol.

Gugilipid is produced from the resin of the mukul tree, which calls India's semi arid plains its home. This extract has been proven to reduce the levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the body with great effect. The people of India have been using this extract for centuries to help keep cholesterol low and it is now starting to be prescribed by doctors in the western world.

Most of these herbs and extracts are available in health food stores and the like in tablet or supplement form so if you are put off by the thought of having to eat them don't be.

Reduce Cholesterol

2010-05-13T03:21:00.000-07:00

There has been somewhat of a surge of interest in the subject of cholesterol in recent years and this has led to a wider understanding with regards to the effects it has on our health. The American Heart Foundation along with other such organizations have been integral in recent research into the problems an increased level of cholesterol can cause. It is now common knowledge that eating foods that increase the levels of cholesterol in the blood also increase the risk of heart disease and strokes in later life.

There are many methods of reducing cholesterol in the bloodstream and this can be as simple as exercising more, through to going on a diet and loosing some weight. Recently, there have been a number of prescription drugs released onto the market that have the effect of lowering cholesterol, these are now widely available. These drugs are not without their side effects however, some can even increase the risk of developing heart disease so it is not recommended to opt for medication unless told to do so by a doctor.

There are a great many foods that have the effect of reducing cholesterol and these represent an easy way to reduce cholesterol naturally. Some foods of note are: Fresh fruits and vegetables. These need to be consumed in the quantity of at least five servings a day. The reason fruit and veg is so effective at reducing cholesterol is the fact that they are high in soluble fibre which lowers the level of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream, this is the particular cholesterol that causes all the problems.

Foods to avoid are pretty much anything with high levels of saturated fats used in their production as saturated fat is the main cause of high levels of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Cholesterol is necessary for the body to function correctly and can be found in every cell in the body. This is rather contrary to the general thinking that cholesterol is all bad. The body uses cholesterol to insulate nerves, digest fats, make hormones and to strengthen cell membranes. As you can see the body could not function correctly without it.

Since cholesterol is made in the liver, our body's make all the cholesterol we will ever need, it is the intake of extra cholesterol that causes a problem. An excess of cholesterol in the bloodstream can be very detrimental to your health. The risk of developing heart disease is greatly increased if you have high levels of cholesterol in your blood. This is brought on by the build-up of a plaque on the arterial walls, this can reduce the internal diameter of the arteries significantly often resulting in a heart attack or a stroke.

Choleseterol Medications

2010-05-13T03:20:00.000-07:00

If you are concerned about having unhealthy cholesterol levels then the first two things you should look at are your lifestyle and your diet. This is important even if your doctor prescribes you a course of cholesterol medications. For some people a simple diet and lifestyle change will not be quite enough to get their cholesterol levels under control. In this case a doctor will often prescribe some cholesterol lowering medication.

While you are working on dietary and lifestyle changes, if you have a rather high blood cholesterol level and any other circumstances that can lead to heart disease, your doctor may well decide that you need to start having drug therapy.

The levels of cholesterol in your blood can be lowered by various common medications that can be taken alone or in conjunction with other such drugs. Nicotinic acid, gemfibrozil, clofibrate and various resins are some of the many, comonly used cholesterol lowering drugs.

Nicotinic acid is a cholesterol medication that works to lower cholesterol by lowering the levels of triglyceride and raising the levels of HDL cholesterol also known as “Good” cholesterol.

Gemfibrozil is a drug that simply raises the levels of HDL cholesterol in the bloodstream having the effect of purging the “bad” or LDL cholesterol.

Clofibrate is a cholesterol medication that has the effect of lowering the levels of triglyceride in the body whilst raising the levels of HDL cholesterol.

Resins used as cholesterol medications are also known as bile acid binding drugs. They have the effect of lowering the levels of cholesterol by working in the intestines to aid the disposal of cholesterol. In this group of medications there are three main medications, these are: Colestipol (Colestid), Cholestyramine (Questran, Prevalite, Lo Cholest) and Colesevelam (WelChol).

Statins are a cholesterol lowering medication that can be very effective in lowering the LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in the bloodstream but this group of medications has some rather unpleasant short term side effects. These include liver damage, impotency and some muscle aches. Prescribed statins are usually in the form of Atorvastatin (Lipitor), Fluvastatin (Lescol), Simvastatin (Zocor) and Pravastatin (Pravachol). The above medications may well treat the adverse symptoms of high cholesterol they do not offer a long term cure as they do not attack the root of the high cholesterol problem. Many of the above drugs and medication's carry various side effects so are best avoided unless there is no other option.

For lowering the levels of cholesterol it is important to look at ways to improve your diet first before seeking medication as the diet is the root cause of the problem and as such, can be the source of a cure. The first step is to try to limit foods that contain high levels of cholesterol, these are mainly foods with high levels of saturated fats.

Cholesterol Studies

2010-05-13T03:19:00.001-07:00

Green tea has a great many associated health benefits. It is one of the most simple health foods you can add to your diet and can be enjoyed often. What many people do not realise is that green tea is very effective at lowering cholesterol levels, which is now being demonstrated through cholesterol study after study.

There has been a great deal of research done to show the benefits of green tea and its inclusion into the diet. Recent research shows that green tea can also have a very positive effect on helping the body to lower cholesterol. This means that the sufferer of high cholesterol or indeed anyone can now enjoy a cup of green tea and lower cholesterol levels.

Green tea cannot be beaten for a simple, natural, drug free way of lowering cholesterol levels and it is becoming a daily ritual for many people. Doctors and nutritionists are now beginning to suggest green tea as an alternative to conventional treatments as an aid to lower cholesterol.

Cholesterol studies have shown green tea to be not only instrumental in lowering levels of LDL or “bad” cholesterol but that it also has a great effect on raising the levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol in the bloodstream.

More recent cholesterol studies conducted on animals have shown that the polyphenols found in green tea may go as far as preventing the body adsorbing cholesterol. This recent research also provided evidence to show that green tea polyphenols helps the body to excrete excess cholesterol from the body. This is how people who drink green tea generally have lower cholesterol levels than that of a person with the same diet who does not. If you needed a reason to drink green tea as part of your daily routine then I can not think of a better one.

Green tea has also been found to contain several very powerful antioxidants in the form of epicatechins, these are extremely powerful antioxidants that work to significantly lower high blood pressures and the symptoms thereof. It is also believed that green tea works to help prevent cancer although this has not been conclusively proven.

There has been a recent batch of cholesterol studies but one of particular note was performed on a group of men who were smokers. The study revealed that the men who were given green tea daily had much lower levels of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. The epicatechins that are present in green tea had reduced the levels of LDL cholesterol by almost a half.

The western world is only just realising what people in the eastern worlds have known for centuries, the fact that green tea can cure many ailments and reduce the symptoms of many more has been demonstrated by a large amount of research.

Cholesterol Test

2010-05-13T03:17:00.002-07:00

Cholesterol is a natural sterol that the body needs for proper function. Cholesterol is produced in the liver and is a structural component of various cell membranes and also enables the body to absorb various vitamins. The problem occurs when the body has an excess of cholesterol. The level of cholesterol in the body can easily be determined by a cholesterol test, which are now available for use at home.

This can be due to a hereditary issue but more often then not, it is caused by the persons diet. People who suffer with high cholesterol often have a diet consisting of mainly animal products and dairy produce that are high in fat.

The main problem with high cholesterol is that the person who has it rarely knows about it until it is in a rather advanced stage. For many people the first time they hear that they have high cholesterol is when they visit the doctors for a regular check-up. High cholesterol is the main cause of heart disease and obstruction of the arteries. These conditions are both life threatening and so need avoiding.

It is now the general opinion that anyone over 40 should be given a cholesterol test and this should take place every few years. The cholesterol test is usually done as part of a lipid profile. This basically measures the number and make-up of any lipids in the bloodstream.

Lipids are simply fats that attach themselves to lipoprotein's in the bloodstream. The lipids that will be measured in a cholesterol test are:

LDL (low density lipoprotein), often considered to be bad cholesterol because it has the undesired effect of clogging the arteries by accumulating on the arterial walls.

HDL (high density lipoprotein), is the “good” cholesterol that you may have been hearing about recently. It is considered to be good because it has the job of transporting the LDL cholesterol to the liver where it can be processed and removed.

Triglyceride's are simply fat molecules that the body uses for energy.

A cholesterol test will also include a test for total cholesterol and this should be below 200mg/dl to be considered normal.

In the typical cholesterol test a blood sample is taken and then sent off to a laboratory to be analysed. The report generated from the test will be sent on to your doctor who will then decide the best course of action, (if any) to be taken.

Recently a number of home testing kits have arrived on the market for the consumer who is curious about their cholesterol level. Of course these are not quite as accurate as a proper lab test but they give a good indication as to whether you have a high level of cholesterol or not. If the cholesterol test returns a potentially high result it is best to get a proper lab test done by a doctor as they can advise on the best course of action.

What Is HDL Cholesterol?

2010-05-13T03:17:00.001-07:00

A recent study conducted by the American Heart Association suggests that there are over 50% of Americans alive today that have cholesterol levels that are putting them at risk of heart disease. Put simply this means that one in two Americans are at risk of heart disease and other related illnesses and this is all due to elevated cholesterol levels.

There are two types of cholesterol you need to be aware of, these are HDL and LDL. HDL cholesterol is needed by the body to help to remove the unwanted or “bad cholesterol known as LDL. Seeing as HDL is the good cholesterol it needs to be in a certain concentration in our body's. This is recognised as being around 40mg/dl, anything less means you may be at risk of heard disease.

HDL (high density lipoproteins) cholesterol has the rather important job of carrying the “bad” cholesterol, or LDL cholesterol away from the heart and the main arteries so it can be filtered out by the liver. HDL cholesterol removes the LDL cholesterol from the plaque deposits in the arteries and also slows its deposition. This is why HDL cholesterol has acquired the name “good” cholesterol. Our body's need to have a good level of HDL cholesterol to help combat the negative effects LDL cholesterol has on our health.

As I have already mentioned, the ideal level for HDL cholesterol to be at within our body's is around 40 mg/dl. This figure can vary slightly between men and women but should never go above 60 mg/dl as this can put you at a greater risk of heart disease once again.

The level of HDL cholesterol in the bloodstream is usually outnumbered by around 3 to 1, which is why it is important to raise the HDL cholesterol levels as much as possible so to keep a check on the levels of bad cholesterol in the bloodstream.

The levels of HDL cholesterol can be raised by eating a low cholesterol diet. This means simply avoiding foods that are high in saturated fats and trans fatty acids as these can raise LDL cholesterol to undesirable levels. It is also important to exercise regularly as this can help the body remove excess LDL cholesterol.

In a low cholesterol diet you will want to include foods such as fish (grilled not fried), lean or skinless poultry, vegetables and fresh fruit. The foods you will want to avoid are processed foods as the often contain high levels of saturated fat, egg yolks, certain high fat dairy produce, fried or deep fried foods and fatty meats. This will improve your health at all levels and will work to ensure you have a low LDL cholesterol level.

Good or Bad Cholesterol

2010-05-13T03:13:00.000-07:00

Firstly it is important to look at your diet. Many peoples diets consist of around 70% carbohydrates and 30% saturated fats, this is well above the recommended 10% that heart specialists say we should limit our intake of saturated fats and trans fats to. Saturated fats are found in many foods but are found in especially high percentages in meats, poultry, and dairy products such as butter, whole milk, cheese and ice cream. Trans fats are still added to many off the shelf foods such as donuts, cup cakes, cookies and other such confectionery products. Deep fried foods also have a high percentage of saturated fats due to the way they are cooked.

To increase your good cholesterol levels you need to substitute saturated fats for good fats such as polyunsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats. These “good” fats are to be found in vegetable oils. Olive oil and canola are two very healthy oils that can be used for cooking or frying food. Nuts contain the good fats the body needs to help raise the levels of good cholesterol in the blood stream.

To further increase the levels of good cholesterol in your body try reducing your daily intake of carbohydrate by introducing foods containing lean proteins. Try to also include as many foods with a high fibre content and nutrient dense carbohydrates, particularly those found in fresh fruits and vegetables. Try to substitute snacks that contain trans fatty acids with fruits and whole grains as this will have the effect of raising your HDL (good cholesterol) levels.

There are many foods you can eat and methods you can employ to raise your HDL levels (good cholesterol). Some foods that you should try to include in your diet are: More soy derived products. To increase the levels of good or HDL cholesterol in your body try to substitute dairy milk with soy milk when the opportunity arises, you may also enjoy tofu as a meat substitute.

You may also want to try to include more beans in your diet and whole grain bread as these have a positive effect on the HDL cholesterol in the body. Try to limit your intake of fried foods, particularly deep fried. Lean more towards foods that have been baked or grilled rather than fried and make the transition from butter to margarine.

Aerobic exercise is a good way to lower the levels of bad cholesterol in your body so try to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day every two days and gradually build up as you get fitter.

High cholesterol is a simple dietary condition and as such can be controlled or eliminated by a change in diet and, or lifestyle.

What Is Best Cholesterol Ratio

2010-05-13T03:12:00.000-07:00

If a patient is to have their cholesterol levels determined it is often easier to put the results in the form of a cholesterol ratio (sometimes known as the cholesterol HDL ratio) . The reason behind this is that there are many different components that have various different roles in the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries. It is important to know their concentrations in relation to one another as this provides a much more accurate indication of the patients risk of related illnesses such as heart disease.

Before we look at the calculation of a cholesterol ratio we must first understand how we arrive at a cholesterol number.

Cholesterol blood tests are carried out to measure the concentrations of the three different types of cholesterol present in the bloodstream. These are: LDL (low density lipoprotein or often referred to as bad cholesterol), HDL (high density lipoprotein or good cholesterol) and VLDL (very low density lipoprotein).

To arrive at a number the concentration of these three types of cholesterol is measured in milligrams per decilitre. This then determines the cholesterol numbers and that of the total cholesterol which is the sum resulting from adding all three. The ratio therefore is often shown as LDL/HDL.

LDL cholesterol has strong links with the onset of heart or cardiovascular disease. Heightened levels of LDL and VLDL often lead to the deposition of plaque on the walls of the artery's. Over time this has the effect of narrowing the artery and causing it to become hard and less flexible.

HDL cholesterol has the rather desired effect of picking up any excess LDL and VLDL cholesterol before they have time to deposit themselves on the walls of the arteries, this is why HDL cholesterol is often referred to as “good” cholesterol. This means that you need to try to keep the number relating to the amount of HDL cholesterol in your blood high and your LDL/HDL ratio as low as you can. If you adhere to this guideline you will significantly lower your chances of developing heart disease.

Guidelines have been introduced to enable people to better understand and maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

It is recommended that the total cholesterol found in the bloodstream is less that 200mg/dl for optimum health and any higher than 240mg/dl represents an increased risk of developing heart disease. LDL should be lower than 100 mg/dl and the total level should not exceed 160 mg/dl.

A healthy level of HDL cholesterol is anything above 60 mg/dl. This needs to be kept above 40 mg/dl minimum for men and 50 mg/dl for women to lessen the risk of plaque build up on the arterial walls.

What Is Choleterol?

2010-05-13T02:49:00.000-07:00

I'm guessing that you have heard of cholesterol, it is hard to escape this latest buzz word with all the media hype surrounding it. The terms “good cholesterol” and “bad cholesterol” are also often thrown into the mix but few people understand exactly what cholesterol is.

In this article I intend to look at what cholesterol actually is and how it affects our body's.

Cholesterol is actually made in the liver, and almost every animal that is eaten for food uses the same method to produce cholesterol. Your own body produces cholesterol as it is necessary for the body to function correctly. Cholesterol can also be absorbed from the foods we eat and is then carried through the bloodstream via particles known as lipoprotein's.

Research has proven that your body produces around 75% of the overall cholesterol found in your blood stream and foods consumed as part of your diet account for around 25%.

Lipoprotein's are made up of protein and fat and can be either good for you or bad for you. Good lipoprotein's carry a high percentage of protein versus the percentage of fat. Lipoprotein's that have a higher percentage of fat as opposed to protein are considered bad, this is due to the fact that they have a tendency to stick to the walls of arteries as they pass through.

The problem with this is that, over time they will accumulate and form hardened plaque. This makes the arteries hard and restricts the flow of blood to your heart. The term used be doctors and scientists for this “bad” lipoprotein, is LDL or low density lipoprotein.

The lipoprotein's that have a higher percentage of protein as opposed to fat serve a very beneficial purpose with quite the opposite effect. The task of the “good” lipoprotein's is to remove cholesterol from the body and to keep it away from the heart and the arteries. These “good” lipoproteins are know as high density lipoprotein's or HDL. If you increase the percentage of HDL cholesterol in your bloodstream you greatly reduce your chances of having a heart attack and developing heart disease.

There are numerous foods that can help to increase your HDL cholesterol and these often carry many other health benefits. There are often no real symptoms of high cholesterol until things have gotten a touch out of hand so if you suspect that you may have high levels of LDL cholesterol then it pays to go see a doctor so they can run some tests to see if this is the case.

It is worth noting that high cholesterol does not just affect people who are overweight, it can affect people who are otherwise fit and healthy.

List Of Low Cholesterol Foods

2010-05-13T02:47:00.000-07:00

With the recent fascination with fast foods, cholesterol is becoming a problem for many people. This is because, in our modern lifestyle we consume more and more processed and high fat foods that are particularly rich in saturated fats. This includes foods like whole milk dairy produce, fatty meats, micro meals, some poultry and egg yolks.

There are more and more people resorting to a reliance on fast food chain stores and heavily processed foods as a result of a modern lifestyle that is to hectic to accommodate good old home cooking. If this sounds like you and your lifestyle then perhaps its time to go on a diet of low cholesterol foods.

For a diet that is low in cholesterol you will need to select only foods that are low in saturated fats, this will help to lower your cholesterol levels and help to protect you from developing heart disease.

What follows is a list of low cholesterol foods that you should be looking to include in your diet if you need to lower your cholesterol level.

Fat free dairy products
Lean Meats
Fish
Shellfish
Skinless poultry
Whole grain based foods
Fresh fruits
Fresh Vegetables

You should also try to cook any foods that need frying in olive oil and try to include olive oil in general into your diet. Fresh fruits and green vegetables need to be included because they contain many vitamins and minerals that are very good for your body and help to lower cholesterol. Try to include foods that contain plant sterols and plant stanols such as the many cholesterol reducing margarines, spreads and salad dressings that are appearing on the market.

Foods that are high in cholesterol need to be seriously limited and any foods that contain large amounts of saturated fats need to be seriously limited if not removed altogether from your diet. It is also important to avoid organ meats like liver kidney etc. Egg yolks, full fat dairy products, processed meats with a high fat content and fried foods, particularly if deep fried need to be limited as much as possible if not eliminated totally from your diet.

By limiting the intake of these types of foods you can significantly reduce the levels of LDL or bad cholesterol in your bloodstream which in turn will reduce your chances of developing heart disease in later life and as such, help to prevent heart attacks in later life. A simple to follow list of low cholesterol foods is a help to you but you must take action. Your health is your own responsibility with regards to high cholesterol induced illnesses.

There is no reason you can not enjoy the foods that you always have but please try to enjoy the fatty foods in moderation!

Low Cholesterol Foods

2010-05-13T02:44:00.000-07:00

There is a great deal of confusion surrounding so called low cholesterol foods. The information found on food labels is not always easy to understand unless you happen to be a skilled nutritionist. Many foods claim to contain “Zero Trans Fats” and people often think that this means they are low cholesterol, however this is not always the case.

If you look back a few years, trans fats were found in most foods in some form or other, sausages, milk, hash browns, ice cream, cookies, pasta bread and so on. The modern obsession with healthy eating has brought into light the dangers that are inherent of a diet high in trans fats. Trans fats have the detrimental effect of not only increasing the body's levels of LDL cholesterol which are bad for your health but they also decrease the levels of HDL cholesterol which the body needs. All in all a diet high in trans fats is very bad for us.

Fast forward to the present day and most food companies have stopped using trans fats in most products, many food producers decided it would be a good idea to label their products as having “Zero Trans Fats” and the like in an effort to push sales up. The problem is fats are necessary in many foods as they improve the taste. Most processed foods would taste awful without the introduction of some type of fat so food producers have had to look elsewhere to find the much needed fats.

This is where the problem comes in. The favourite fat to use in processed foods is now saturated fat which is also very bad for us. Until recently the media have missed the fact that saturated fats increase the levels of LDL cholesterol in the body which means consumers are for the most part, unaware of the detrimental effects of saturated fats.

Thankfully with the media's attention focusing on how bad saturated fats are for us, food producers are finally offering low cholesterol foods by replacing the saturated fats with unsaturated fat products that are derived from sources like sunflower, canola, avocado and olives. The only problem is reflected by the price. Unsaturated fats cost more to extract so the price of low cholesterol foods is often higher than the price of its saturated fat based counterpart.

If you truly want to eat low cholesterol foods then I'm afraid you are going to have to start reading labels. Try to avoid foods that are listed as containing saturated fats and also trans fats as these are the biggest cholesterol inducing foods. Many products contain saturated fats and it is unavoidable to have some present in your diet but do try to eat only foods that have a lower amount of saturated fats.

If you want a complete list of low cholesterol foods, take a look at our free guide accessible below. Within these 56 pages you'll find everything you need to lower your cholesterol levels in the next 30 days.

Diet To Lower Cholesterol

2010-05-13T02:43:00.000-07:00

What Is LDL Cholesterol?

2010-05-13T02:41:00.000-07:00

LDL cholesterol is the one that causes all the problems associated with a high cholesterol level. The good news is it can easily be lowered with the use of plant sterols, let me explain.

Plant sterols have similar cellular functions in plants to that of cholesterol in humans. To date more than 40 plant sterols have been discovered with stigmasterol, sitosterol, and campesterol being the most widely available.

Stanols are very simply saturated sterols and the major ones are sitostanol and campestanol, these are much harder to come by than sterols.

There are a number of foods on the shelves these days that have stanols or sterols added. There are a number of margarines on the market at the time of writing that can help lower the levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream by reducing the amount of cholesterol the intestines absorb.

The average person consumes around 200 to maybe 300 mg of plant sterols everyday as part of an average diet. However, research shows that it takes around 2 grams per day to achieve the desired cholesterol lowering effect.

The average person in the U.S consumes between 10-15 grams of spreads like margarine and butter each and every day. Therefore all a person need do is increase the level of margarine consumed to 25 grams a day, and as long as it is a margarine that is enriched with stanols and / or sterols the ideal amount of 2 grams a day is maintained.

If you can replace butter with ordinary polyunsaturated margarine then you can lower your blood LDL cholesterol level by around 12 mg/dl, but if you substitute butter for a margarine rich in plant stanols and /or sterols you can lower your LDL cholesterol levels by as much as 27 mg/dl! This will have the effect of reducing the chances of you developing heart disease by a fourth!

There are a fair few margarines on the market at the time of writing that contain the desired plant stanols and/ or sterols. A few of note are “Benecol” and “Take Control”, these have proven to be popular in the U.S There are also a number of yoghurt appearing on the market as are cream cheese spreads and even various cereal bars.

Most products containing the desired ingredients have a label stating this in plain view but if you are unsure just look at the ingredients and you will find the contents listed there.

There has been some research to suggest that the consumption of plant stanols / sterols may go some way to interfering with the absorption of the oil soluble vitamins A,D,E,K but this has yet to be conclusively proven. If this is the case the slight deficiency produced would be easily made up with the intake of some select fruits and vegetables.

Diet Guidelines

2010-05-12T01:14:00.000-07:00

DIETARY GUIDELINES AND THE
SUSTAINABILITY OF FOOD SYSTEMS
Malcolm Riley

Sustainable development is relevant to dietary guidelines because the production and consumption of food is a fundamental human activity guided by what we choose to eat. Human activity has affected all the major planetary processes and cycles, and the earth’s human population continues to grow, as does its appetite for resources. The immediate problems facing the world concern not limits to those resources but the increasing disturbances to global and natural systems.

Systemic changes have been recognised—climate change, ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, freshwater depletion and degraded food-producing systems.

1. All of these have important implications for activities such as food production. Although sustainable development is a global concern, solutions also need to be sought at national and local levels. If we are to deal comprehensively with the problems that have been identified, we need integrated policies across many sectors; these policies must be adequately resourced and have an effective legislative and administrative base.

2. The World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainable development as ‘the ability to meet the needs of the current generation without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their economic needs’. Common elements in more comprehensive definitions of sustainable agriculture and animal production are resource efficiency, profitability, productivity, environmental soundness, biodiversity, social viability, and other ethical aspects.

3. Important prerequisites for sustainable production are appropriate governmental policies, awareness of our way of thinking, and a more communal world view. The consensus on human impact is that every major planetary process—whether in the biosphere, the lithosphere, the hydrosphere or the atmosphere—is already dominated by our activity.

4. The dominant species on earth (domesticated animals and plants) are heavily selected for specific traits, and this has reduced genetic heterogeneity and adaptability. Maintaining the desirable traits in adverse environments, and in the face of mounting disease and pathogen attacks (predicted results of global climate change), requires ever-increasing energy
inputs and environmental modification.

5. It can be argued that the limits of sustainability have already been reached in the human population—with 6 billion humans alive today—since at least 20 per cent of the population suffers from hunger, our natural resources are overexploited, and biodiversity is threatened.

6. Demographers now believe that the world population will reach a peak of 8 to 10 billion during the 21st century, before beginning to slowly decline as fertility rates drop below the level necessary for replacement.

7. Problems relating to sustainable development will then be focused on managing for the peak world population, rather than for a continually rising population. This task will be difficult enough in its own right, and ecological

Diet Guidelines

2010-05-12T00:58:00.000-07:00

Maintain A Healthy Body Weight By Balancing 5 Food Intake With Regular Physical Activity Maintaining healthy body weight helps you prevent health problems and gives you a better body image. On the other hand, being too thin or too fat increases the risk of health problems.

HOW HEALTHY IS YOUR BODY WEIGHT?

(For adults aged 18 years and over)
1. Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) as follows:

2. Check your BMI against the table below to see what it indicates.

3. Being overweight or obese (having a high BMI) increases your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain types of cancers (particularly of the gallbladder, ovaries and breast). It also aggravates arthritis and breathing problems.

4. You can have a normal BMI but still be at high risk of chronic diseases if your waist measurement is much greater than your hip measurement. A waist-to-hip ratio more than 1.0 (for men) or more than 0.85 (for women) is unhealthy.

IF YOUR YOU ARE ... YOUR RISK OF BMI IS ... RELATED ILLNESSES IS ...

Less than 18.5 Underweight Low (but your risk of other clinical problems are increased)

From 18.5 to 24.9 In the normal Average range
From 25.0 to 29.9 Overweight Increased 30 or above Obese Moderate to severe
BMI = weight (kg) x height (m) x height (m)
high WHR,
high risk
low WHR,
low risk
Your WHR =
waist circumference
hip circumference
6 … Maintain A Healthy Body Weight

MANAGING EXCESSIVE BODY WEIGHT

Reducing your body weight by 5% to 10% significantly lowers your health risk. In most cases, overweight or obesity results from excessive intake of calories and lack of physical activity. You can lose weight by increasing your activity and reducing your food intake.

Following are the steps to take:
• Aim to lose no more than 0.5 to 1 kg per week.
• Exercise at least three times per week for 20-30 minutes each time.
– Go jogging, swimming, cycling or do brisk walking.
– Take up recreational sports.
– Play golf (minus the buggy).

• Lead a more active life
– Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
– Walk instead of driving for short distances.
– Wash your car, clean your house briskly, do gardening/farming or mow your lawn.

• Watch What You Eat
– Eat less high-fat, high-calorie foods and snacks.
– Avoid overeating, nibbling and eating at irregular times.
– Avoid weight-loss diets that severely restrict calories and other nutrients.
– Trying to lose weight with self-induced vomiting and the use of laxatives or diuretics can be dangerous.

Low Cholesterol Diet Plan

2010-04-12T00:04:00.000-07:00

Following a Low Cholesterol Diet Plan

For more articles related to this subject and others please visit All About Info

A high level of cholesterol has been linked with a variety of diseases. A high level of holesterol in the body can be brought about by a number of things. On of them is by following a diet that is high in saturated fat and LDL or "bad" cholesterol which is the type of diet that most people seem to keep nowadays.

Prolonged regular inactivity or lack of proper exercise, smoking and drinking habits can also contribute to the unhealthy increase of bad cholesterol levels that may lead to heart disease in the long term. Heart disease is known to be the number one killer in the US. It is important for people to realize that lowering their cholesterol levels can help reduce the risks of heart disease and stroke. This can be done in a variety of ways.

A healthy lifestyle can help a lot in trying to reduce high cholesterol levels and therefore reduce the risk of developing heart disease. The earlier an individual starts such a practice, the less likely he or she will be suffering from the effects of heart disease with age.

Following a healthy lifestyle will include taking part in a regular exercise routine as well as eating a low cholesterol diet. A healthy diet is very important for an individual trying to reduce facing the risks of having high cholesterol levels.

If you are trying to formulate a low cholesterol diet plan, you should be able to have a clear idea of what you will be doing and what it will take. Knowing and understanding your objectives of following a low cholesterol diet will make you more likely adhere to it more sincerely and in the long term and not just as a fad diet that can come and go. Before you begin indulging in any strict diet like a low cholesterol diet program, you should have some idea on why some foods are safe for you to eat and why some are not.

The basic idea behind every low cholesterol diet plan is to try to decrease the total intake of saturated fat, calories, and cholesterol in the body not only to reduce cholesterol and fat levels but also to lose some weight. The different types of foods that will be able to do this for you include mainly fruits and vegetables.

Foods belonging in this group have very high fiber content. Dietary fiber soaks cholesterol like sponge and helps get rid of it by disposing it out of the body. Fruits such as apples, oranges and pears are high in fiber content. This also includes oats and carrots that you can add to your diet.
Posted by XTRA INFO at 2:33 AM

The Perfect Diet Just for You

2010-04-11T00:02:00.000-07:00

by: Michael Fortomas
You decide to start a new diet plan. You shop around, get ideas, talk to friends, family, co-workers, forum friends, chat room buddies…then you choose the one that sounds best and works within your budget and sign up.

Next comes the fun part of learning a new system. You count calories, track servings, buy special foods, hit the treadmill, plan meals around special recipes, weigh in regularly and log everything.

What happens over time? Maybe some of these:

You lose some weight. You gain some weight. The food choices start to bore you. You'd rather count sheep than calories and put the little weighing gadgets back in the drawer. Everyone who thought you could stand to shed a few pounds, even recommending diets for you to choose from, are now saying things that trip you up like, "Oh, you don't need to loose any more weight." Or "It's OK to eat a Big Mac and French fries this time."

You've started skipping weigh-ins and meetings because of time, then "just because"…no reason. I mean, why go through that, right?? You KNOW what you should and shouldn't eat, so why go listen, weigh in, blah, blah, blah…

You quit - for now - fully intending to pick up the program next week. OK, next month in reality. Or next year. OK, next LIFETIME.

To begin, simply consider these facts…

A healthy diet goes hand-in-hand with healthy weight management. No pain, no gain, right? Wrong!

Individual activity and dietary goals depend upon each person's health and weight goals and issues. Depending upon individual health concerns and issues, food choices can affect body and mental health. Arriving at the Perfect Diet is no quick, simple task in today’s world of fast-paced living.

For example, there are a several different educational food pyramid plans. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a food guide pyramid. And the Mayo Clinic, in conjunction with the May Foundation for Medical Education and Research, has their Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid. (A list of pyramids are updated regularly at the USDA site: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pyramid.html

Then there are the lifestyle choices to go along with the dietary plans. Lives need to be balanced in order to make the perfect diet effective. For example, depending upon the body type, history, physical and mental make up and other factors, some dietary solutions are more perfectly suitable and / or adaptable than others when working in accordance with day-to-day activities; exercise, nutrition, health, etc.

You must learn about foods with respect to nutrition, dietary and body basics and common disorders. Then you can choose which areas of importance you would like to focus on from subscriber and other organizational programs available today for help with diet solutions, to weight products, to an assortment of food planning tips, and more.

All the above should be made under the guidance of your own medical practitioners.

About the author:
Michael Fortomas is a teacher of Biology and his E-book "The Perfect Diet Just for You" covers an overall look at what makes up a “perfect” diet, covering all the bases.
http://bodyhealth.ceint.com/perfectdiet.html

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The Low-Down On Diet Comparison

2009-02-11T00:02:00.001-08:00

by: Kirsten Hawkins
Low carbs and high protein is the way to lose weight, or so you'll hear from one diet guru, and he has the testimonials to back it up. Low fat, lots of carbs and fresh fruits and veggies, says another - and he's got the back up from satisfied users, too. A third swears that you need to count the amount of sugar; another tells you the enemy is white flour - if you want to lose real weight and keep it off, who do you listen to?

Take a look at the brief summaries below for a quick overview of the pros and cons of each of the popular types of diet plans.

Low Carb-Hi Protein Diets

Diets like the Atkins, the South Beach and the Zone Diet all recommend restricted carbohydrates and allow liberal amounts of protein, including protein derived from animal sources. Generally, they limit the overall amount of carbohydrates, or teach you to differentiate between "good" and "bad" carbohydrates. Bad carbohydrates, which are forbidden, include white flour, white bread, and white sugar.

Pros: The diets all encourage learning healthy eating as part of losing weight. Deriving most of your daily calories from high fiber sources of carbs like leafy green vegetables and grains is generally considered the best diet for nutrition by the established medical community. The popularity of the diets makes it easy to find low-carb foods.

Cons: The allowance of eating all the protein and fats you like flies in the face of conventional medical wisdom. A diet high in saturated fats could lead to heart disease, diabetes, gout and other chronic health conditions. Following the diets' cautions and advice to keep portions reasonable should mitigate that concern, though.

Weight Loss "Programs"

Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, Weight Watchers, SlimFast and a number of other weight loss programs rely heavily on pre-packaged 'diet' foods. They incorporate professional coaching, social structure and reinforcement.

Pros: The professional coaching and nutritional benefits are a big plus, as are the reinforcement and support aspect of the diets. Meals and supplements are prepackaged in the right proportions, and if you stick to the diets and exercise as directed you will lose weight.

Cons: The weekly fees and cost of meals can be expensive. In addition, if you rely completely on the packaged foods, you miss out on the re-education of your eating habits, which is important to maintaining any weight lost.

The Real Mayo Clinic Diet

This is not the diet that has circulated for the past thirty or more years and purported to have originated at the Mayo Clinic! The true Mayo Clinic's nutrition and diet center recommends a healthy eating weight loss plan based on limiting fats, proteins and carbohydrates, counting calories and deriving most of the daily nutrition from vegetables, grains and fruit.

Pros: There's no 'diet'. Instead, you're encouraged to take control of your eating. Portion control and sensible balance of nutrients are the cornerstones of a weight loss plan that takes weight off gradually, and helps you keep it off permanently.

Cons: It may be difficult to stay on the diet. Counting calories and portions can be difficult if you're eating out or on the run.

There are many diets that promise to take weight off quickly and painlessly, without exercise or changing your eating habits. The three major variations of diets above all will result in 1-2 pounds of loss per week, which most doctors believe is the optimum way to lose weight for long lasting results.

About the author:
Kirsten Hawkins is a nutrition and health expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.popular-diets.com/for more great nutrition, well-being, and vitamin tips as well as reviews and comments on popular diets.

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Dietary Guidelines Show Need For Supplements

2009-02-10T23:58:00.000-08:00

by: Loren Baker

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines emphasize getting all of your nutrients from conventional foods, if possible, but also flag the need for some supplemental nutrients."The fact is that many people do not get all the nutrients they need from diet alone, and there are clear health benefits from getting the full recommended amounts of all vitamins and minerals. A daily multivitamin can go a long way toward filling the gaps, and an additional supplement providing more calcium and vitamin D is advisable for most people," said Annette Dickinson, Ph.D., president of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), one of the dietary supplement industry’s leading trade associations.

"Additionally, supplements of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may be valuable for people who don’t eat at least two fish meals each week." According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines, children and adolescents as well as adults often fall short in vitamin E, adults frequently fail to get enough vitamin C, people over age 50 should get the supplemental form of vitamin B-12, women of childbearing age need synthetic folic acid (a B vitamin), and lots of people need extra vitamin D. According to Dr. Dickinson, "The good news is that all of these supplemental nutrients can be consumed conveniently and inexpensively in the form of a daily multivitamin, for less than a dime a day."

In addition, the Dietary Guidelines point out that calcium is a critical nutrient that is in short supply for practically everybody—children, teens, and adults. A multivitamin with minerals will provide some extra calcium, but to get the full amount of calcium that is recommended, people will need to use a separate supplement containing calcium (preferably with vitamin D) or consume lots of dairy products or calcium-fortified foods. While conventional foods and fortified foods and supplements are all effective ways to obtain additional nutrients, cost and calories are also factors to consider. The cost of 1,000 mg of calcium can range from 18 cents a day to $1.38 a day, depending on whether a person uses a calcium tablet, soft calcium chews, lowfat milk, a breakfast cereal with added calcium, or calcium-fortified orange juice (listed from lowest to highest cost). The number of calories that will come along with that amount of calcium ranges from negligible to over 300.

"Multivitamins and calcium supplements can provide consumers with a major boost in their attempts to meet their nutrient needs while controlling cost and avoiding excess calories," said Dr. Dickinson. "The 2005 Dietary Guidelines flag important nutrient shortfalls, and ideally the Food Guide Pyramid (when it comes out) should feature a flag on top to remind people to use appropriate supplements in addition to improving their diets and adopting a healthier lifestyle. Supplements can be an integral part of an optimal diet and should always be viewed in the context of a healthy lifestyle."

See below for a summary of the Dietary Guidelines comments on nutrient shortfalls. The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement industry ingredient suppliers and manufacturers. CRN members adhere to a strong code of ethics, comply with dosage limits and manufacture dietary supplements to high quality standards under good manufacturing practices. For more information on CRN, visit http://www.crnusa.org.

2005 Dietary Guidelines: Nutrient Shortfalls in the General Population Shortfalls for adults: calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids (as a source of vitamin A) Shortfalls for children and adolescents: calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin E 2005 Dietary Guidelines: Recommendations for Special Needs Vitamin B-12 for People Over 50 Although a substantial proportion of individuals over age 50 have reduced ability to absorb naturally occurring vitamin B-12, they are able to absorb the crystalline form. Thus, all individuals over the age of 50 should be encouraged to meet their Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA, 2.4 mcg/day) for vitamin B-12 by eating foods fortified with vitamin B-12 such as fortified cereals, or by taking the crystalline form of vitamin B-12 supplements.

Iron for Women Based on blood values, substantial numbers of adolescent females and women of childbearing age are iron deficient. Thus, these groups should eat foods high in heme-iron (e.g., meats) or iron-fortified foods with an enhancer of iron absorption, such as foods rich in vitamin C (e.g., orange juice). Folic Acid for Women of Childbearing Age Since folic acid reduces the risk of the neural tube defects, spina bifida and anencephaly, a daily intake of 400 mcg/day of synthetic folic acid (from fortified foods or supplements in addition to food forms of folate from a varied diet) is recommended for women of childbearing age who may become pregnant. Pregnant women should consume 600 mcg/day of synthetic folic acid (from fortified foods or supplements) in addition to food forms of folate from a varied diet. Vitamin D for the Elderly, People with Dark Skin, and People Who Avoid the Sun Adequate vitamin D status, which depends on dietary intake and cutaneous synthesis [synthesis in skin exposed to sunlight], is important for optimal calcium absorption, and it can reduce the risk for bone loss. The elderly and individuals with dark skin (because the ability to synthesize vitamin D from exposure to sunlight varies with degree of skin pigmentation) and people who get very little exposure to sunlight (e.g., housebound individuals) may need as much as 1,000 International Units per day to achieve protective blood levels of the vitamin.

Fish, EPA, and DHA Evidence suggests that consuming approximately two servings of fish per week (about 8 ounces total) may reduce the risk of mortality from coronary heart disease and that consuming EPA and DHA (two long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish) may reduce the risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease in people who have already experienced a cardiac event.

About the author:
Vitamin Herb University is the premier online course and informational resource for dietary supplements, supplement reviews, vitamin information, herb information and drug herb interaction.

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