Tag Archives: lifestyle

The Role of Vitamin D and the Deficiency of Vitamin D

Posted on February 5, 2018 by | 1 comment

Health issues are one of major concerns of us in present days. As our lives become urbanized and modernized, we take less care of our body. Subsequently, our nutrition balances are getting worse. Unfortunately, it is undeniable fact.

One of crucially important nutrition that we are usually missing these days is Vitamin D. Many of us may have heard about vitamin D at least once.

But, it is just without knowledge of its important role in our body when it is deficient.

Vitamin D, in simple description, is a key nutrition that regulates our feelings and health (preventing depression and strengthens bones). Therefore, it causes several problems without sufficient amount of vitamin D intake.

Vitamin D is synthesized in our cell tissues under the skin with exposure of sunlight, specifically ultraviolet rays:

  • In human, when 7-dehydrocholestrelol in our skin is exposed to sunlight, it is converted into cholecalciferol which is vitamin D3.
  • In plants, when sterol meets sunlight, it is converted into calciferol which is known as vitamin D2; regulates calcium and phosphorus in our body.

Source: wordpress vitaminsaandd

We are only able to treat vitamin D in form of D2 and D3 in our body and they both work the same thing during the metabolic process.

Vitamin D is easily absorbed through the skin into our body within the wavelength of 290 nm to 315 nm. People who spend more than 20 minutes a day outside between 10 am to 2 pm would have no worries of vitamin D deficiency.

However, due to the location of Canada (cloud-covered sunlight during winter in the norther hemisphere region) and long rainy seasons, we are not freely able to enjoy the sunlight well to absorb the enough amount of vitamin D.

So, vitamin D deficiency is very common to people in Canada during the winter season since we have much less exposure to sunlight.

source: nutritionaction

As a result, vitamin D deficiency may causes several serious problems:

1) Weaken the immune system

Vitamin D enhances T-cell; cells that destroy microbes causing diseases. In case of vitamin D deficiency, T-cell may be weakened.

2) Diabetes

Risk of type-2 diabetes increases by up to 80 % – Vitamin D helps with insulin (hormone that regulates blood sugar level) secretion and conversion to glucose (a type of sugar from food we eat) energy. Low levels increase insulin resistance and damage glucose metabolism

3) Cardiovascular diseases (hear and blood vessel diseases)

Vitamin D inhibits renin which is a hormone increases the blood pressure of the systolic period. Vitamin D deficiency increases risk of several cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension (high blood pressure), heart attacks, and heart failure.

4) Depression

Vitamin D deficiency causes low serotonin levels and high cortisol hormone. Cortisol is stress hormone and serotonin is brain hormone that regulates happiness. The level of serotonin is increased when the body is exposed to sunlight.

source: department of nutrition, Harvard school of Public Health

 

To prevent vitamin D deficiency, it is best to expose oneself to sunlight 15~20 minutes a day without sunscreen. When it is not possible to spend time under the sun, however, intake of vitamin D with foods are another good option.

 

source: asianetindia

 

Sources of vitamin D from foods:

  • salmon&tuna
  • whole grains
  • egg yolk
  • mushroom
  • milk
  • cheese

source: BC Medical Journal

 

Even we intake vitamin D with foods, the content is too small for suggested daily dose. Therefore, the intake of vitamin D supplements are considered as the second-best option. However, supplements may cause the overdose problem so that it is crucial to follow the recommended dosage.

 

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Issues in Science

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Having a large sweet tooth may lead to Alzheimer’s

Posted on February 5, 2018 by | 3 comments

Source: Pixabay

A high-sugar diet has developed a negative connotation over the past few decades. This can be attributed to the countless studies showing the adverse effects sugar can have on the body physically.

To further fuel the negativity associated with sugar, a recent study has found that high blood sugar levels are linked to negative cognitive effects in their participants.

The study, published in Diabetologia, observed 5,189 participants over a period of about 8 years. Their results concluded that all participants demonstrated a cognitive decline over this time span. Interestingly, however, those patients with observed high sugar levels demonstrated a much faster rate of cognitive decline than those with healthy sugar levels.

The study above exposes a clear relation between high sugar levels and cognitive decline, but this revelation is far from ground-breaking. Some scientists have long been referring to Alzheimer’s as ‘type-3 diabetes’. This name came about due to the fact that individuals with diabetes have a higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s.

For me, this is a scary prospect. As a woman with a genetic disposition to diabetes and a sweet tooth propelled by the overwhelming amount of sugar in the South Asian diet, I am a clear candidate for developing Alzheimer’s.

How exactly does this development occur, though?

Dr. Eric Berg, from his YouTube channel Dr. Eric Berg DC, explains the mechanism behind the phenomenon in the video below.

In the video, Dr. Berg states that those with high sugar levels develop insulin-resistance in the body, which results in low sugar metabolism. This ‘starves’ the brain and creates significant memory failures, leading to Alzheimer’s. In the end, he mentions cutting out sugar from our diets entirely, to help prevent the development of the disease.

Cutting sugar out of our diets is no simple thing, however. The Keto Diet Podcast touches on some societal barriers when it comes to switching over into diets that involve less sugar. In her interview with Amy Berger regarding her book, The Alzheimer’s Antidote, Leanne Vogel mentions that even after a run fundraising for Alzheimer’s the meals offered included many dishes with carbohydrates, with few alternative options. She also mentions the candies being ever-present in her grandfather’s care home, despite him having developed the disease already.

Listen to the full podcast by clicking below.

Excess sugar leading to Alzheimer’s disease is a link that may now be considered a fact due to the overwhelming amount of evidence. In order to ensure a future of all round health, we should take care of avoiding extra sugar in our diet. Personally, I plan to replace the chocolate bar with an apple, skip the mid-day Frappuccino, and have the medicine go down without a spoonful of sugar.

-Pravnit Kooner

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Science in News

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Rhinitis-small problem, big risk!

Posted on January 29, 2018 by | 1 comment

Have you ever been disturbed by a runny nose, endless sneezing, or nasal congestion? If you have these symptoms more than one week, be careful you may have rhinitis! Rhinitis is a nasal disease that inside nose gets inflammation after irritated by environmental conditions.  Not only outside conditions, such as pollen, smoke or chemicals, but also inside conditions, like hormonal changes, may provoke the disease. There are three kinds of rhinitis: allergic, nonallergic, and mixed.  Generally, rhinitis just lasts a few days but allergic rhinitis can reoccur frequently.

A short animation of allergic rhinitis.

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Rhinitis is not new to us. World Health Organization declared that between 10% and 30% population have allergic rhinitis in the worldwide. According to Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, approximately 7.8% teenagers in U.S. have hay fever – allergic rhinitis. It seems that rhinitis has similar symptoms as cold; people dislike it, but also ignore it. However, untreated rhinitis can cause many serious consequences!

          

 

Being careless to rhinitis may lead to poor quality of life. Uncontrolled rhinitis may contribute to sleep loss, learning impairment, and decreased long-term productivity. Additionally, poorly controlled allergic rhinitis may also contribute to the development of other related diseases including acute and chronic sinusitis, recurrence of nasal polyps, hearing impairment, abnormal craniofacial development, sleep disorder and asthma.

Apart from above consequent diseases, what’s worse is that chronic rhinitis is discovered to be associated with atrophic rhinitis! Atrophic rhinitis is a disease where the nose tissues, especially nasal mucosa, permanently atrophy. Nasal mucosa, also called mucous membrane, lines over the nasal cavity. Mucosa consists of tiny blood veins, glands, and nerves. The major functionality of mucosa includes secreting mucus to trap external particles, humidifying the entire cavity, and warming air entering the respiratory passage.

Here is a video explaining the functionality of nasal mucosa.

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Because of the loss of mucosa, patients lose the primary barrier between the external world and the interior of the body. Atrophic rhinitis can be a crippling disease. Without the protection, patients will suffer unrelenting dryness, loss of sense of airflow, and even pain breathiness. Furthermore, the disease is irreversible; patients have to suffer the pain throughout their lives.

Fortunately, there are some measurements that people can take to prevent atrophic rhinitis.

  • Nasal irrigation with saline solution – recurrent inflammation is one of the most triggers. Rinsing nose daily with salt water can kill bacteria and avoid infection.
  • Ingesting food that riches in iron and vitamin A/D – Bernat I. stated in “Ozaena and iron deficiency” that many patients showed a nutritional deficiency, especially of iron, fat-soluble vitamins and proteins.
  • Exercise! – cliché, but always the most effective. For many people who have allergic rhinitis, it is impossible to eliminate the problem. However, doing exercise can improve the immune system and reduce the frequency of rhinitis.
  • See a doctor when the disease is at the early stage!

Overall, even though rhinitis is not life-threatening at the early stage, we need to be aware of its risk and take it carefully. Don’t risk our health!

By Xinyue Tang

 

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Posted in Biological Sciences

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4 Health-Boosting Hobbies

Posted on January 29, 2018 by | 1 comment

In an age of pills, prescriptions, and fad diets, it’s good to know that there are more natural ways to maintain our health. These are four great hobbies for boosting your personal wellbeing:

  1. Dancing 

    source: flickr

    While dancing may not be everyone’s strong suit (me and my ‘dad-like’ dancing included), it’s hard to deny that nearly everyone enjoys busting loose to some funky tunes. Besides dancing’s ability to improve cardio and strengthen bones and muscle, one of dancing’s most noteworthy benefits is its capacity to considerably improve balance in the elderly. A 2011 Cochrane Review demonstrated that elderly subjects who danced at least three times a week significantly enhanced their balance. This is valuable research because, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2.8 million elderly people are hospitalized due to unintentional falls each year, and this number is steadily growing. Maybe getting old folks to implement some jive into their daily routine will help reduce this statistic (assuming no one breaks a hip).

  2. Writing about Traumas/Difficulties

    source: flickr

    Researchers are now telling us that sitting at a desk all day with a pen and paper can actually enrich our personal health. Writing about personal experiences/difficulties has been shown to improve the mental health of cancer patients by encouraging them to view their situation in a more positive light. In addition to boosting mental health, the act of writing has also been linked with improvements in physical health. An Australian study demonstrated that patients who wrote about distressing life events (Expressive Writing group) had a significantly faster wound-healing rate than patients who wrote about simple daily tasks (Time Management group); by day 11 post-injury, 76% of the Expressive Writing patients were fully healed, while only 42% of the Time Management patients were fully healed.


  3. Listening to Music

    source: flickr

    In case dancing just really isn’t your forte, it’s good to know that the simple act of listening to some tunes benefits your health as well. A meta-analysis conducted by Medical News Today investigated how listening to music influences our neurochemistry. The main conclusion stated that music boosts the immune system, lowers stress and anxiety, and dampens symptoms of depression. In some cases, music was even found to be more effective at reducing anxiety than certain prescription drugs!

  4. Owning a Pet

    source: flickr

    Apparently, the relationship between you and your pet is a little more ‘give’ than ‘take’ from your pet’s perspective. According to the CDC, owning a pet not only improves your lifestyle by creating more opportunities for outdoor activities, exercise, and socialization, but it can also improve your physical health by decreasing blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and fat levels in your blood (all of which are risk factors for heart disease). Cleaning out litter boxes and filling up water bowls seems like a small price to pay for the health benefits that accompany living with pets.

 

 

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Posted in Biological Sciences

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“Gluten-Free” – Is it as Healthy as We Think?

Posted on January 22, 2018 by | Leave a comment

I’m guessing that the majority of you have seen the increasingly popular “gluten-free” diet trend displayed in many health-related magazines, books or even talk shows. But why is everybody so obsessed with this new diet fad? Well, apparently, it’s supposed to be one of the healthiest changes that you can make to your lifestyle. One scientific study even suggests that a gluten-free diet can reduce the level of “bad” fats in your blood that lead to heart disease, but is gluten-free really as healthy as it’s claimed to be?

Gluten-Free Bread; photo courtesy of Pixabay user Aline Ponce

Being “gluten-free” first arose as a treatment for individuals with celiac disease, a disorder that causes damage to the small intestine from ingesting gluten. Celiacs experience many symptoms, ranging from severe gastrointestinal issues to even developing anemia and behavioural changes. Unfortunately, the only real way to combat this is through the complete elimination of gluten from one’s diet.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. As awareness of celiac disease has increased, so have gluten-free alternatives to popular foods. As a response, many non-celiacs have been transitioning to this diet as well, assuming that it is a healthier lifestyle. However, relatively new evidence suggests that being “gluten-free” isn’t as beneficial to your health as you may believe.

Dr. Travis speaks about the gluten-free diet industry.

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In Digestive Diseases and Sciences, a study observed the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease among non-celiac individuals following a gluten-free diet. The study concluded that there was an association between being gluten-free and weight management, but this is likely because gluten-free individuals do not consume refined wheat products, which are harmful to your health. Interestingly, there was no difference in the risk of metabolic disease or heart disease between gluten-free and non-gluten-free individuals.

Additionally, the Mayo Clinic suggests that those who are adopting a gluten-free diet should be wary of losing some essential vitamins and nutrients, like iron, calcium, and fiber. Whole grains are usually enriched in these, so you would have to be diligent in finding them in other sources.

Gluten-Free Mix; photo courtesy of Flickr user, ‘theimpulsivebuy’

Gluten-free individuals should also be mindful of the fact that many store-bought, gluten-free foods are no better for you than the versions made with gluten. This is because many of these foods actually contain more sugar, fat, and calories than the original versions, leading to weight-gain rather than weight-loss. It is a common misconception that just because something is “gluten-free,” it is also healthier.

Overall, the stance on whether or not a gluten-free diet is beneficial to non-celiacs is very controversial. As long as one is aware of what is actually inside the gluten-free foods that they are consuming, as well as of all the daily nutrients that they should be obtaining, then this diet is potentially beneficial. Although, it may not be worth it if whole grains, in moderation, have shown no detrimental effect on health. The most important thing for non-celiacs to remember is that a “gluten-free” label does not automatically equal “healthy.”

By Silvana Jakupovic

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