Dr. K. Padmanaban's Knowledge Centre

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 7. Protection from viral infections

2011-05-31T14:01:00.001+02:00

I’m 32 years old and have high blood pressure. I think I’m too young to get this: what is the relationship between age and high BP?

2011-04-22T10:25:00.001+02:00

It is a good question. I’m getting more enquiries about this at present and it is mostly from young people. There is no relationship between age and high blood pressure. I have seen persons who have the history of high blood pressure in their family have even mastered to live with normal blood pressure in old ages too. Unfortunately very young people do get high blood pressure now-a-days.

You must avoid these risks to avoid high blood pressure and they include:

• Overweight
• Smoking and other tobacco products
• Excess alcohol
• Stress

If you have these risks you can have high blood pressure even in your twenties. It is in your hands to manage this properly.

High blood pressure has no symptoms and that is why the heart attack age is coming down and down. A good lifestyle can give you long, healthy and happy life.

What should I do is the question from many young people. It is not necessary to run every month to your doctor to control your blood pressure. Buy a standard blood pressure measuring instrument and use it according to manufacturers’ instruction. Your blood pressure value must be below 140/90 mm Hg. Today’s instruments are so handy and you can measure at anytime and everywhere.

After 30 you can go to your doctor once in a year to check the blood levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and sugar values. Prevention is better than cure and costs less.

What to do if you have high blood pressure? Avoid the risk factors and reduce the weight. Beta blockers, ACE inhibitors and diuretics are good medicines to control the high blood pressure. If used properly you can live decades without any problems.

Right food and physical activity is important to be healthy.

The importance of iodine tablets and the present questions...

2011-03-25T08:05:00.001+01:00

Thyroid gland is producing hormones which are important for the functioning of our body. Iodine is needed to produce the hormones. Thyroid gland filters the iodine which we get from our food to produce these hormones. Unfortunately it can’t distinguish between stable and radioactive iodine.

The radioactive problems in Japan make this actual and many have several unanswered questions. I try to answer some of them here.

Can iodine tablets prevent the entrance of radioactive iodine into our body?

No, it can’t.

What is the right time to take the iodine tablets?

We must take it before the radioactive iodine reaches our body. After that there is no big use.

Is the iodine present in the food enough to make the thyroid glands full?

No, in food iodine is present in microgram amount, but we need in milligram amount to fill the thyroid gland completely. Microgram x 1000 = milligram

I’m using iodized salt: is it enough?

No, here also the amount of iodine is very small to do this job. Only special tablets or fluids are good for this purpose.

What are the amounts needed?

Newborns from birth to one month – 16 mg
Infants and children from 1 month to 3 years – 32 mg
Pregnant women – 65 mg
Breastfeeding women – 130 mg
Adults – 130 mg

This is for 24 hours.

Are there side effects?

Yes, there are few side effects, but the advantage is more than the side effects. If there is a nuclear accident it is an emergency and we must take it.

I have heard adults above 40 years need not take iodine tablets: is it right?

In many countries the health authorities say this. But, from our experiences from Chernobyl we know well that radioactive iodine attacks children as well as adults and causes cancer. Adults must also take iodine tablets.

The hidden dangers of radioactivity…

2011-03-22T10:35:00.001+01:00

We know now the problems of radioactivity better because of the Fukushima accident in Japan. We have enough scientific information after 25 years of Chernobyl accident. Based on that, we could predict the hidden dangers of radioactivity.

The hidden dangers include:

• Thyroid tumors
• Leukemia
• Bladder caner
• Liver cancer
• Breast cancer
• Testicular cancer

The risk for tumor developing is far higher in children than adults.

The psychological, social and health problems are also very high.

The reproductive organs of men and women are also seriously affected and the dangers include:

• Reduced fertility in men
• Reduced fertility in women
• Increased stillbirths
• Increased birth defects – heart malformation, neural tube defects etc.
• Negative influence on children’s intelligence
• Negative influence on children’s general health

Adults had more heart attack and stroke. Fear and resettlement ruined many too.

Yes, the hidden dangers are very serious. This is happening in Japan now. Shall we learn something from this accident?

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 6. Other radiations…

2011-03-11T15:59:00.001+01:00

The uncontrolled growth of cells in any part of the body is cancer. It is a group of disease. Cancer kills millions of people every year in our world. Few can be curable if diagnosed in the early stages. We can do a lot to minimize the risk of cancer. The hereditary risk factor is only about 5% to 10%. The rest comes from our lifestyle, diet and environment. We see here the many ways to reduce the cancer risks.
Apart from the ultraviolet rays from the sun there are many other radiations that can affect our health and can cause cancers. Here we have to differentiate between ionizing and non-ionizing radiations.

Ionizing radiation is high-frequency radiation. It has energy to remove an electron from an atom or molecule. Thus it can damage the DNA and this may lead to cancer. The ionizing radiations include:

• X-rays
• Gamma rays
• High energy ultraviolet rays
• Protons
• Alpha particles

Non-ionizing radiation is low-frequency radiation. It cannot damage DNA as the energy is not enough to remove electrons.

The non-ionizing radiations include:

• Low energy ultraviolet rays
• Infrared rays
• Visible light
• Radio waves
• Microwaves

Low energy ultraviolet radiation is a known risk factor for cancers. In other cases the cumulative effect must also be considered. Lot of neutral research is still needed in these fields.

Radiations from atomic bombs or atomic power plants are ionizing radiations and therefore sure risk for cancers. Workplace ionizing radiation is also risky. It is know that even small doses of ionizing radiation can increase cancer risk. The cancers caused by ionizing radiation include:

• Leukemia
• Thyroid cancer
• Lung cancer
• Skin cancer
• Breast cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Multiple myeloma

Leukemia can occur few years after radiation exposure and the other cancers can result after 10 to 15 years. Moreover, the radiation exposure to a particular part of the body or organ can cause cancer there.

Children are more sensitive and vulnerable than adults as they are growing.

The sources of ionizing radiation include:

• Natural radiation – cosmic rays, radiation in the earth and radon
• Radiation from medicine – CT scans, x-rays, radiation therapy, nuclear medicine tests. Radiation therapy doses are thousands of times higher than the x-rays
• Man-made radiation – Uranium mining, workplace radiations, from the already conducted atomic tests, accidents in the atomic power plants and the atomic waste depots

Tobacco products contain low levels of ionizing radiation. Smoke detectors and some building materials can also have low levels of ionizing radiation.

The whole body scanner in the airport uses very weak x-rays.

The non-ionizing radiation types include:

• Few ultraviolet rays
• Visible light
• Infrared rays
• Radio waves
• Microwaves
• Electromagnetic fields

Cell phones, heaters and all electrical devices emit non-ionizing radiation. Very little is known about the non-ionizing radiation and cancer risk. The non-ionizing radiation cannot damage DNA, but may affect the cells in other ways. Lot of long-term research is needed.

Cell phones and cell phone towers are not good to children below 12 years old. There are many studies to prove this. More long-term research is needed for adults.

Electromagnetic fields from the power lines and electrical devises may be the reason for increased leukemia and brain tumor in children. More studies are required for adults.

Television and computer screens produce many radiations. Here also more long-term research is needed.

Very high levels of microwaves are used to heat foods through microwave ovens. As long as it is used according to instruction there is no problem. High levels of microwaves can lead burns and it is dangerous to eyes too.

More research can only bring more light in this difficult field. It is better to avoid radiations if it is possible. It is always important to understand the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 6. Avoid excess sun…

2011-03-08T07:01:00.001+01:00

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 5. Enough physical activity…

2011-03-05T09:14:00.001+01:00

The uncontrolled growth of cells in any part of the body is cancer. It is a group of disease. Cancer kills millions of people every year in our world. Few can be curable if diagnosed in the early stages. We can do a lot to minimize the risk of cancer. The hereditary risk factor is only about 5% to 10%. The rest comes from our lifestyle, diet and environment. We see here the many ways to reduce the cancer risks.

Physical activity is the key to our health. We all know this. But, we have several excuses why don’t we do it regularly.

Last week a patient of mine came to me. She had 30 kg overweight. I tried to persuade her to do some physical activities. For each of my suggestions she had an argument why she didn’t do that. Uncontrolled food intake and a sedentary life are the reasons for overweight.

Physical activity helps us in many ways. The advantages include:

• Helps to protect you from developing certain cancers, e.g. breast, lung, colon and endometrial cancers
• Reduce the risk factors for high blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides, heart disease and stroke
• Helps to prevent type 2 diabetes
• Reduces bone loss and thus prevents osteoporosis
• Improves mood and relieves the symptoms of anxiety and depression
• More calories are burnt and this means maintaining the weight or for many enjoying their food
• Very good to improve the mental fitness of seniors
• Improves sleep
• Improves general fitness
• Improves quality of life
• Makes healthy to live longer

It is never too late to start the physical activity. Physical activity is important for all, but how much one needs varies from individual to individual. 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity for 5 days in a week is considered optimum. You can do it continuously or with breaks. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommend the following for exercise:
• To reduce disease risk, at least 30 minutes daily of moderate-intensity physical activity, beyond your usual activities at home and work.
• To lose weight and prevent gradual weight gain, 60 minutes of moderate-to vigorous-intensity activity on most days.
• To keep of lost weight, 60 to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.

The moderate-intensity physical activities include:

• Brisk walking for 35 min
• Gardening for 30 to 45 min
• Basketball (shooting baskets) for 30 min
• Playing volleyball for 45 min
• Bicycling 8 km in 30 min
• Fast dancing for 30 min
• Water aerobics for 30 min
• Swimming, 20 min
• Rope jumping, 15 min
• Self using of wheelchair, 30 to 40 min, personal experience
• Stair-climbing, 15 min

In vigorous-intensity physical activity one breaths rapidly and is able to speak in short phrases. The heart rate is increased and mostly results sweating. If possible the moderate-intensity physical activity and vigorous-intensity physical activity can be done alternatively. The vigorous-intensity physical activities include:

• Aerobic dancing
• Fast dancing
• Fast cycling
• Fast swimming
• Jogging
• Playing basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis etc.
• Race walking
• Hiking uphill

If you have not done more than a year any physical activity consult your doctor first. This is the case if you suffer from diseases too. Pregnant woman must also consult her doctor before starting her exercises.

Select the right physical activity, stay healthy and enjoy life…

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 4. Healthy weight…

2011-03-03T07:40:00.001+01:00

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 3. Alcohol in moderation…

2011-03-02T07:28:00.001+01:00

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 2. No tobacco products…

2011-03-01T09:40:00.001+01:00

How to minimize the risks for cancer? 1. The right food…

2011-02-28T11:17:00.001+01:00

The uncontrolled growth of cells in any part of the body is cancer. It is a group of disease. Cancer kills millions of people every year in our world. Few can be curable if diagnosed in the early stages. We can do a lot to minimize the risk of cancer. The hereditary risk factor is only about 5% to 10%. The rest comes from our lifestyle, diet and environment. We see here the many ways to reduce the cancer risks.

Food plays a vital role in the prevention of many cancers and they include the cancer of:

• Colon
• Esophagus
• Larynx
• Lung
• Oral cavity
• Prostate
• Rectum

There are many studies, but more research is still needed to know more about the exact mechanism of cancer prevention with right foods.

Fruits, vegetables and whole grains have so many phytochemicals that are useful in the prevention of cancer. We don’t know exactly what substances or which food is good since the fruits, vegetables and whole grains contain several hundred phytochemicals that can be helpful to prevent cancer. The important groups of substances that are useful include:

• Antioxidants
• Phytochemicals
• Polyunsaturated fatty acids e.g. Omega 3-fattyacids

Antioxidants – these are substances that prevent or inhibit oxidation process in the body to protect cells. The aggressive free radicals can attack the healthy cells and can change their DNA. The result is tumor growth. More research is necessary to understand the role of cancer prevention of antioxidants from the food.

The important antioxidants include:

• Vitamin C
• Beta-carotene
• Vitamin E

The food rich in these antioxidants, particularly fruits, vegetables and nuts are very important food to minimize the risk of cancer.

Phytochemicals – these are chemicals present in plants to protect them from bacteria, viruses and fungi. Phytochemicals can act as antioxidants or food protectors or prevent cancer forming substances n the body. Brightly colored fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds contain many phytochemicals. Red, yellow, green, orange, blue, purple and white color fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals.

The important phytochemicals include:
• Allicin – found in onions and garlic
• Anthocyanins – found in red and blue fruits and in vegetables
• Biflavonoids – found in citrus fruits
• Carotenoids – found in dark yellow, orange and deep green fruits and vegetables
• Flavonoids – found in fruits and vegetables
• Indoles – found in cruciferous vegetables
• Isoflavones – found in soybeans
• Lignins found in flaxseed and whole grains
• Lutein – found in leafy green vegetables
• Lycopene – found in tomato products and water melon
• Polyphenols – found in fruits, legumes, seeds and tea

It is important to eat the food containing these phytochemicals. We get phytochemicals only from our food. There are no supplements for phytochemicals.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids e.g. Omega 3-fattyacids – Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids belong to the group of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The Omega 3 fatty acids are:

• Alpha-linolenic acid – present in flaxseed and in walnuts
• Eicosapentaenoic acid
• Docosahexaenoic acid

The last two are present in cold water fatty fishes like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, halibut, striped bass and tuna. The body cannot produce these fatty acids and so must be taken from the food or from good supplements. Consult your dietician or doctor before you tank any food supplements.

Omega 3-fatty acids may reduce or prevent the risk of tumor production in the breast and prostate glands.

There are no recommended daily dietary allowance for antioxidants, phytochemicals and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Excess antioxidants can become pro-oxidants and this is bad for the health.

It is better to avoid processed food, fast food and junk food. If you can’t avoid it you must minimize the intake of these foods. As you know more than 3000 chemicals are used in the food processing industry. If an animal is butchered there is no waste. Almost everything is coming to our plate with the help of chemicals.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best. Frozen fruits and vegetables are equally good.

The above mentioned food is good not only to prevent or minimize the risk for cancer but also to prevent or minimize the risk for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and overweight and obesity.

How to minimize the risks for cancer?

2011-02-27T10:22:00.002+01:00

Long working hours and the health risks…

2011-02-26T07:43:00.001+01:00

Long working hours means you work more than 60 hours in a week. It can be a normal work time or normal work time plus overtime. Unfortunately this a reality in many countries, developed, developing or emerging. In Germany the normal weekly working hours are between 32 to 38.5 days. At the same time billions of hours of overtime is done every year. The European Union gives a maximum limit of 48 hours work in a week.

There are two risk factors in long working hours. At first the long working hours can be a problem itself. This means in these extra hours many accidents are happening. During the overtime at least 60% get hurt according to studies. Working more than 12 hours a day increases this risk more than 35%. A 60-hour week brought a 23% greater risk, the study of US records from 110,236 employment periods found. These risks were not necessarily associated with hazardous works. All are affected.

The work-related injuries are mostly cuts, burns and muscle injuries. More than half of these injuries have occurred during overtime or in the extended working hours.

There is also increased risk for health problems due to long working hours and they include:

• Depression
• Burnout syndrome
• Sleeplessness
• Back pain
• Heart problems

Long working hours are not only risky for you but also for others too. If you are too tired and make a car accident the others must also suffer. Your family suffers first. Is this the reason that the number of singles drastically increases in many countries?

We miss the social responsibility of the employers here. Interestingly the major reason for overtime is the bad organization in the working place. It is a big duty of the law-makers, trade unions and employers to find solution to this increasing problem.

One side there is millions or billions of hours overtime and the other side millions of unemployed people. This is difficult to understand for a normal person. Profit is the magic word which makes this problem. Hope bad employers get the depression first…

Is preventive medical checkup important?

2011-02-23T00:36:00.001+01:00

People, over 40 years who go regularly to their doctor for preventive check up, live longer than the persons of the same age, who don’t do these tests.

This is the result of a study from Japan, which was published in the journal Preventive Medicine. The researchers observed eleven years the preventive check up of 50000 health insurance members.

In the group that took no heed of medical prevention, the death rate during this period is 5.5% of the participants. In the preventive check-active group, there were only about half as many deaths, 2.7%. The positive effect of preventive check up is established.

People, who go to regular preventive check up, usually have generally a healthier lifestyle. This plays a vital role in their health.

Go for the preventive medical checkup and this helps you to live longer and healthy.

I have little elevated blood sugar value? Is this a risk factor for heart diseases?

2011-02-22T01:26:00.001+01:00

Diabetes or pre-diabetes increases the risk for heart diseases and stroke. In pre-diabetes one have slightly increased blood sugar levels. Normally people who have pre-diabetes can develop type 2 diabetes within 10 years. Moreover, both with diabetes or pre-diabetes are at risk for cardiovascular diseases and stroke. With right food, weight loss and physical activity it is possible to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes and thus lower the risk of heart diseases and stroke. If necessary, the medications must also be taken.

What are the ways to minimize this risk for heart diseases and stroke? The best way is reduce the risks. The risk factors for heart diseases and stroke in people with diabetes include:

• Overweight or obesity
• Increased LDL-cholesterol
• Increased Homocysteine
• Increased Triglycerides
• High blood pressure
• Excess alcohol
• Smoking
• Family history of heart disease or stroke

We cannot change the hereditary risk. The other risks can be reduced without any problem.

The diabetes treatment is very important. It can be easily controlled with the following blood parameters. They include:

• Fasting blood sugar – less than 120 mg/dl
• Two hours after a meal – below 170 mg/dl
• HbA1c – must be below 7%
• The bad LDL-cholesterol – below 100 mg/dl
• The good HDL-cholesterol; men – above 40 mg/dl; women – above 50 mg/dl
• Triglycerides – below 150 mg/dl
• Blood pressure – below 130/80 mm Hg

This can be achieved with the right food and enough physical activities. If not, your doctor must give you medications. If the above parameters are kept in this levels people with diabetes can reduce the risk for heart diseases and stroke.

What about minerals? Where must I be careful?

2011-02-19T05:16:00.002+01:00

It is really a good question. Minerals are part of the body’s composition. Every day the body produces 200 billion red blood cells and the whole blood is totally replaced in every 120 days. Every 90 days the bone structures are renewed. The skin regenerates every 2 to 3 months. Acid-base balance and water content of the body are regulated by minerals. Minerals are also part of the enzymes which help our metabolism function properly. As we know magnesium is present in 300 enzymes and zinc is present in more than 350 enzymes. We know the importance of calcium very much. Iron is important but, very problematic. Selenium is necessary to scavenge the free radicals and to remove poisonous metals like mercury from the body.

If you have to take a mineral supplement it is better to take an organic compound as inorganic compounds are mostly useless.

Calcium must be taken very carefully. Calcium should not be taken after meals. It can disturb the absorption of iron. Calcium also should not be taken with magnesium. Calcium should be taken between two meals. Remember too much of calcium even from the food makes more calcium to excrete. Too much of protein intake influences more excretion of calcium. It is same with the excess sodium. Excess sodium intake makes more calcium excreted from the body. Calcium supplements need not have vitamin D. If you eat normal you get enough vitamin D from your food.

Aluminium can also disturb the absorption of iron as calcium. Moreover excess iron is poisonous. Too much of iron can be stored in organs like liver and heart and produce many hydroxyl free radicals which are very dangerous for our health. If it is necessary we can take iron supplements only few weeks under the supervision of your doctor.
Zinc and selenium should not be taken together. If zinc is taken in the morning selenium must be taken in the evening.

Excess calcium supplements can cause gas, bloating or constipation. For each mineral there are recommendations for daily intake. This must be followed very strictly.

When do you need mineral supplements? Women over the age of 50 need calcium. This is well studied. Here not only calcium is important but also the enough physical activity to make the bones strong. Moreover, from your food intake it is easy for your dietician to tell whether you take enough minerals.

The minerals are also excreted continuously from the body through kidneys. Uncontrolled intake of minerals may spoil the kidneys too. Therefore, before you take supplements you consult your doctor or dietician.

Change your food habits with the help of your dietician and mostly this makes wonders.

Do we need vitamin supplements?

2011-02-17T00:52:00.002+01:00

Look at the television advertisements. Calcium and vitamin D is the must for women. Is it right? Think of your teeth and bones. Take calcium and vitamin D. I know many women who take it. They are afraid of osteoporosis. We need most of the vitamins in very small quantities. Vitamins are like pesticides. They are not dangerous in small amounts, but very dangerous in high amounts.

Take for example vitamin D. You can get enough from milk, dairy products, fish and sunlight. In small quantities vitamin D protects from cancer. If we take too much it is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. Very high amounts of vitamin D can damage kidneys.

This is the reason why I tell you to be careful with vitamin supplements. We know about pure synthetic beta carotene. In smokers beta-carotene increases the risk of lung cancer.

Excess vitamin A can cause jaundice.

Excess vitamin C can cause kidney stones. It cannot be an antioxidant it can be a pro-oxidant. Never forget in nature in fruits we have not only the vitamins but also several other phytochemicals that are very important for our health.

Excess vitamin E can make problems with blood clotting.

What is my advice then? Vitamins are very important for our health. But they must come from our food and not as supplements.

Consult with your dietician and he could tell you whether you need a vitamin supplement or not. Even if you need a vitamin supplement you must take it only for a particular time. Slowly you must change your food habits so that you get yyou get your vitamins from your food.

If you need counseling come to me and we see what do you need and what not. It is very bad if the industry makes its billions and you have health problems.

I have estimated thousands of blood samples. Mostly we have seen deficits in vitamin B1, B6, B12 and folic acid. We have never seen deficits in vitamin A or vitamin E or vitamin C.

The youth have problem with their weight; what is right and what is not about food and weight reduction? 8. Late-night meal…

2011-02-15T08:04:00.001+01:00

Overweight and obesity is a big health problem at present. In all the countries the youth have problem with their weight. Young women have eating disorders or overweight. Young men have problem with his T-Shirt when the weather becomes mild. The health insurances say that almost 30% of the persons treated for weight problems are below 18 years old. The youth must be given the right information so that they know what they do and what is right. I try to explain some of the important general points from today onwards.

What about the food we do eat after 7 p.m. Can they support the weight gain? Many believe this. But, as we know the total calories taken are the deciding one. The metabolism plays no role here. You can eat during day or night. If you take 1500 or 1800 calories they are always the same. It has no direct effect on weight loss or gain.

What really matters is the total calories from the food and drinks you have over the period of a day or a week or a month or longer and how much energy you spend during that period. Excess calories are stored as fat, regardless of whether they are taken before or after 7 p.m. During night we must sleep and during day we work or go to school or do many physical activities. Even if you sleep the body does not stop working. The heart is beating, blood is circulating, lungs are functioning and even the brain is working. Therefore, talking of fast or slow metabolism does not help us here to reduce weight.

But, there are dangers for weight gain if you take the following foods during the night and they include:

• Avoid larger portions in the night
• Avoid fast food. Many feel well to eat fast food such as pizza or burger than steamed vegetables or other usual food.
• A meal in the night is good, but too much of snacks are very bad. The chips and other snacks taking in the night during TV time is the worst and increase the fat content in the body.
• Never avoid meals during day and this makes you to eat unlimited amounts in the night and you take more calories than usual.

Late-night meal has no effect on metabolism and weight gain or loss. However, avoiding big meal and excess snacks is the right strategy to reduce or maintain the weight.

The youth have problem with their weight; what is right and what is not about food and weight reduction? 7. 3 or 5 meals a day?

2011-02-13T13:25:00.001+01:00

Overweight and obesity is a big health problem at present. In all the countries the youth have problem with their weight. Young women have eating disorders or overweight. Young men have problem with his T-Shirt when the weather becomes mild. The health insurances say that almost 30% of the persons treated for weight problems are below 18 years old. The youth must be given the right information so that they know what they do and what is right. I try to explain some of the important general points from today onwards.

What is right? Three big or five small meals in a day are good to reduce weight. Many believe that frequent small meal can speed up their metabolism. Three big meals may slow up the metabolism or cause fat gain. Is it true? Is it so easy to reduce weight?

There are many studies to understand the 5 meals advantages. The results are entirely different than the popular belief. 3 meals or 5 meals, it is the amount you eat and the total calories you have taken at the end of the day only play the important role. It is not possible to speed up or slow down the metabolism with food.

Weight loss or weight gain is based on your height, weight, physical activity, genetics and the amount of food you take. With 5 or more meals in a day you have to eat every two to three hours. Moreover, a woman may take 200 to 300 calories every meal. It will make you never full and so it can make you to eat more. The result can be weight increase than weight loss. We need 500 to 600 calories to satisfy our hunger and have the feeling of fullness.

Three main meals and two or three in between snacks are the best. In between snacks can be fruits or carrot or cucumber or tomato.

Nobody is against if you take 5 or more meals. You have to decide whether it is good for you or not. At the end of the day the total calories taken are the only important factor to weight increase or weight loss.

Your dietician can advise you for the right food. Enjoy your food…

The youth have problem with their weight; what is right and what is not about food and weight reduction? 6. Must I sacrifice meat?

2011-02-11T07:49:00.001+01:00

Overweight and obesity is a big health problem at present. In all the countries the youth have problem with their weight. Young women have eating disorders or overweight. Young men have problem with his T-Shirt when the weather becomes mild. The health insurances say that almost 30% of the persons treated for weight problems are below 18 years old. The youth must be given the right information so that they know what they do and what is right. I try to explain some of the important general points from today onwards.

Meat and meat products have saturated fats and cholesterol. We must be always careful about the amount what we eat. The saturated fats and cholesterol are also very important to our health. They are not the villains as many think.

Meat is a good food. It has many essential nutrients like protein, iron, zinc and many vitamins. No plant food has vitamin B12 and only meat has it. The quality of the meat must be good. This means fresh meat is the best. We must be careful with processed meat which can have many chemicals which can affect our health.

If it is allowed in your country to use hormones in animal feed you must be very careful. In many countries hormones are not allowed in animal feed.

Be careful to buy the meat in big supermarkets. There are many tricks to keep the meat fresh up to ten days. The meat can look very fresh, but it is not. The butcher in the corner may be little costly, but the meat is good and fresh there.

The meat products like sausages contain excess fat and so must be careful about the amount you eat. Fresh meat is the healthiest.

You can eat meat, poultry, eggs, fish and sea food. 100 to 150 g is more than enough per day. You can take two days meat and one day fish in a week. Organ meat like liver or kidney can be eaten only once in a month. Avoid brain to eat. It makes you healthy and at the same time help to reduce your weight too.

It is important to know that you need not sacrifice anything even if you want to reduce your weight. Select the right foods for you with the help of your dietician and the success is mostly yours.

Enjoy your food and reduce or maintain your weight.

The youth have problem with their weight; what is right and what is not about food and weight reduction? 5. Separation Diet; carbs and protein…

2011-02-10T08:28:00.001+01:00

Overweight and obesity is a big health problem at present. In all the countries the youth have problem with their weight. Young women have eating disorders or overweight. Young men have problem with his T-Shirt when the weather becomes mild. The health insurances say that almost 30% of the persons treated for weight problems are below 18 years old. The youth must be given the right information so that they know what they do and what is right. I try to explain some of the important general points from today onwards.

The Separation Diet is said to be a balancing diet, meaning persons who are overweight lose weight and persons who are underweight gain weight. Most people lose weight. You may say wonderful. Is it really wonderful?

During this diet protein containing foods and carbohydrates containing foods should be kept strictly separate from one another.

Acid forming foods such as meat, fish, cheese etc. and alkaline forming foods such as fruits and vegetables should not be eaten at the same time. Neutral foods like yoghurt, milk etc. could be mixed with carbohydrates and protein.

The recommended protein foods are meat, poultry, fish and cheese and carbohydrate foods are whole grains, cereals, bread, rice, potatoes and sugars.

Sounds wonderful and where the problem is, you may ask. There are few serious problems. You gain weight if you mix carbohydrates and protein once again. It works only as long as you separate the foods strictly. Another big problem is the quantity plays always a major role. You can separate your food, but when excess amount is consumed there will be no weight reduction and the weight can go up. The total calories what you take is always important.

The positive effect I have seen is people are giving more care to select their food. Therefore, many eat regularly their fruits and vegetables portions too.

Consult with your dietician to know the best food for you to reduce weight. It is always individual. Enjoy your food and reduce and maintain your weight…

The youth have problem with their weight; what is right and what is not about food and weight reduction? 4. Carbs or fats and protein?

2011-02-09T10:32:00.001+01:00

Overweight and obesity is a big health problem at present. In all the countries the youth have problem with their weight. Young women have eating disorders or overweight. Young men have problem with his T-Shirt when the weather becomes mild. The health insurances say that almost 30% of the persons treated for weight problems are below 18 years old. The youth must be given the right information so that they know what they do and what is right. I try to explain some of the important general points from today onwards.

There are persons who take excess carbohydrates and there are others who say excess protein and fat is good for weight loss. As we all know fats have more than double the amount of calories than carbohydrates or protein.

If you consume less fats and protein excess sugar is converted into triglycerides, the blood fat. This blood fat is a risk factor for vascular and heart diseases. Moreover, for our health we need fats and proteins.

If you eat less carbohydrates fats and the sugar produced from the protein by the liver can give you the necessary energy. We need all the three regularly to be healthy. Not enough quantities of carbohydrates, fats or proteins are very bad for our health.

Good carbohydrates are necessary for a good brain function. Moreover, wholegrain products give us valuable fibers, vitamins, mineral and other phytochemicals. These are very important for our metabolism.

Protein is necessary for our muscles, but excess protein brings health problems. It is same with fats too.

Therefore to reduce weight we need good carbohydrates, fats and protein. Consult with a dietician and it is easy to find the right food for your type.

We can eat rice, noodles, potatoes, ice creams, cakes and sweets. Only the amount makes the problem.

Healthy lifestyle and physical activities are also very important always to reduce or maintain weight.

The youth have problem with their weight; what is right and what is not about food and weight reduction? 3. Fats…

2011-02-08T10:44:00.001+01:00

Overweight and obesity is a big health problem at present. In all the countries the youth have problem with their weight. Young women have eating disorders or overweight. Young men have problem with his T-Shirt when the weather becomes mild. The health insurances say that almost 30% of the persons treated for weight problems are below 18 years old. The youth must be given the right information so that they know what they do and what is right. I try to explain some of the important general points from today onwards.

Today’s theme is fats: as you know there are saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. These are groups of substances. Animal fats are different than plant fats, but we need all fats. The saturated fats intake should not be too much. Plant fats are good as most of them are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. One gram of fat has 9 calories and this is more than double the calories of protein or carbohydrates. That is why it is better to avoid excess intake of fats. Do not avoid fat completely and this is bad for our health.

Monounsaturated fats are very healthy and this makes olive oil healthy. All plant oils are healthy. Mostly the omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio must be right.

Saturated fatty acids have short, middle and long chain saturated fatty acids. Short and middle long chain fatty acids are very healthy. This makes coconut very healthy because 80% of the fatty acids present are short and middle chain fatty acids.

Fats are our reserve energy. They also protect the important organs like heart and reproductive organs. Excess carbohydrate increases the fat in our body as sugar is converted into fat in the liver. It is the case with excess protein intake also. A part of protein is converted into sugar and excess sugar is once again converted to fat.

Never avoid nuts and seeds and these have not only good fats but also the essential minerals what our body needs.

Avoiding fat totally causes constipation.

The fat soluble vitamins need fats; otherwise they could not be absorbed in our intestine.

Plant food has no cholesterol. All animal food has cholesterol.

Enjoy your food and fat gives taste to your food.

The youth have problem with their weight; what is right and what is not about food and weight reduction? 2. Have light food products really low cal

2011-02-07T04:38:00.001+01:00

The youth have problem with their weight; what is right and what is not about food and weight reduction? 1. Low calories food…

2011-02-06T08:43:00.001+01:00

Overweight and obesity is a big health problem at present. In all the countries the youth have problem with their weight. Young women have eating disorders or overweight. Young men have problem with his T-Shirt when the weather becomes mild. The health insurances say that almost 30% of the persons treated for weight problems are below 18 years old. The youth must be given the right information so that they know what they do and what is right. I try to explain some of the important general points from today onwards.

1000 calories food or eating the half of the usual food is the mostly used method to reduce weight by many including the youth. The body gets few calories and so it uses the fat reserves of the body. The weight comes down quickly. You may ask where the problem is. There are two important problems here that you must understand well.

The body gets not enough calories and so it slows down the metabolism. This means that you need less energy to do things than before. The body burns few calories compared to the time when you eat normal. Therefore, the weight reduction is not there always. In course of time you may even gain weight.

Secondly, when you start eat normal the empty fat reserve cells are filled very quickly. You gain weight and it goes more than the weight you had before you started your diet. This is the so called Yo Yo effect. Yo Yo effect is a process in which the dieter is initially successful in achieving weight loss but is unsuccessful in maintaining the weight loss long-term. The dieter begins to gain the weight back when they eat normal. The dieter tries to lose weight once again and the cycle begins once again.

Try to understand our food well and plan well to reduce your weight. Slow weight loss is the best. Here the exercises and physical activities play a vital role. Our children learn so many complicated things without problem, but they don’t learn about food when they are young because we do not teach them. We must teach them properly and that is worth doing. Children will not have any problem to understand and once understood they do always right. Start in your family today to teach the children about food and diet!!!

Why do aged people, especially after 70, not have sound sleep at night?

2011-02-04T08:50:00.001+01:00

All human beings follow similar sleeping patterns. One sleep cycle is 90 to 110 minutes. A typical night’s sleep is the repetition of this cycle. There are four stages of sleep.

Stage 1 – Stage one sleep is the lightest of the four stages where the brain wave patterns are similar when we are awake. The body is very active during this stage. The brain temperature rises, blood pressure and pulse rate fluctuates, breathing is irregular and the brain consumes more oxygen. We have several stage 1 sleep periods during a night.

Stage 2 – Stage 2 sleep begins usually within the first 5 to 10 minutes. This is the period where sleep-talking takes place. Stage 2 sleep becomes shorter and shorter with each sleep cycle.

Stage 3 – In stage 3 sleep the breathing is slow and even, the pulse rate has slowed down and the body temperature has dropped. During this period the brain produces five times more electricity as when we are awake. During this stage it is difficult to awake a person. This is the time when most dreaming happens. During this period the body has almost shut down and the brain sends messages to the spinal cord to suppress muscle activity. This is the reason why people cannot run or cry out during a nightmare. In the beginning stage 3 sleep lasts 10 to 15 minutes, but at the end of the night it can last 40 to 60 minutes in a cycle. With each cycle stage 3 sleep time increases.

Stage 4 – Stage 4 sleep is the deepest level of sleep. In the first cycle this will be usually 20 minutes or more. Stage 4 becomes shorter and shorter during the sleep and before the end of the sleep there is no stage 4 sleep in the cycle.

In stage 4 sleep only the growth hormones are released into the body and so teenagers need more of this than adults.

People over 70 may have almost no stage 4 sleep in their sleep cycle. This is the reason why they do not have sound sleep. This makes them sick.

Can you give me some tips for a good sleep?

2011-02-03T05:46:00.001+01:00

We can do many things to have good sleep. Every individual is different and so everybody must find their right way for this. The general information gives you what to d and what not. In this changed and quick world a good sleep becomes more and more important.

The tips for a good night sleep include:

• No long afternoon sleep. If you sleep it should not be more than 20 min
• Go to bed at the same time every night
• Avoid excess coffee after dinner. You may not have problems with coffee for many decades, but the problem can start from a day to the other. In many cases a strong coffee in the afternoon can affect the sleep.
• Avoid excess alcohol
• Avoid smoking as nicotine is a stimulant
• Do your exercises in the morning, not before you go to bed
• Your bedroom must be dark, external lights can also disturb your sleep
• Mattress and pillows must be comfortable. The bedroom must be clean and ventilated good. You must also know which temperature is good for your sleep.
• Don’t work till you go to bed. Relax with good music and warm bath.
• Don’t eat much before you go to bed. You need 2 to 3 hours gap between dinner and sleep.
• Don’t drink too much water before you go to sleep
• If you are hungry groundnuts are the best. But, don’t eat much. If you want to drink milk, take warm milk, but always with a piece of bread or toast. Only milk can increase the production of the acid in the stomach and bad for your sleep.
• About your tomorrow’s work you can think in the morning and not before sleep
• If you have health problems consult with your doctor and don’t wait for weeks.
• Low hemoglobin and iron values in the blood can also be a reason for sleeplessness. If necessary to control this talk to your doctor.
• Turn off your television

We all know we can sleep well if we are happy. Try to reduce your stress and this also you can learn.

Wish you a good sleep every night!

Can you tell me the reasons for sleeplessness (insomnia)?

2011-02-02T05:41:00.001+01:00

The sleeping difficulties are called insomnia. The definition of insomnia is the difficulties in initiating and/or maintaining sleep or a poor quality of sleep associated with impairment of daytime functioning. People of all ages including children are affected by insomnia. Approximately 10% are suffering continuously with this problem. Almost every second person experiences this problem sometimes in his life.

The three classes of insomnia are:

• Lasting one week or less
• Lasting more than a week but less than three weeks
• Lasting more than three weeks

Insomnia can be a sign or a symptom. The factors that cause this problem include:

• Stress
• Excess heat or cold or noise or lighting
• Unfamiliar surroundings including a different bed
• Jet lag
• Working in shifts
• Excess alcohol
• Smoking
• Abuse of illegal drugs
• Strong coffee in the late evening
• Side effects of certain medicines
• Symptom of some diseases

The sleep disorders that cause insomnia include:

• Sleep apnea – abnormal pauses in breathing
• Restless leg syndrome – burning, itching or tickling sensations in the leg during sleep
• Periodic limp movement disorder – repetitive cramping or jerking of the legs during sleep
• Circadian sleep disturbance – have changed biological rhythms
• Sleep walking

The other important conditions that can cause insomnia are medical, psychiatric and physiologic and they include:

The medical causes include:

• Breathing problems from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Acid reflux
• Obesity
• Frequent urination or urinary incontinence
• Chronic pain
• Heart diseases
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Hyperthyroidism
• Diseases like dementia, fibromyalgia and Parkinson’s disease

The psychiatric problems that can cause insomnia include:

• Depression
• Mania
• Anxiety
• Psychosis
• Posttraumatic stress disorder

The common physiologic conditions that can cause insomnia include:

• Menstruation
• pregnancy
• Menopause
• Midlife crisis
• pain

It is important to consult with your doctor to find the causes of insomnia. There are many treatments to help you and your doctor can suggest the right one for you. Sometimes you need the help of a neurologist or a psychologist.

Can you tell me the health benefits and risks of black pepper?

2011-01-31T07:57:00.001+01:00

Black pepper belongs to the family Piperaceae. It is a native of tropical India and is cultivated in many tropical regions. Vietnam is the world’s largest producer and exporter of black pepper. Black pepper is dried and used as a spice. Table salt and the black pepper are the most commonly seen things in every dinner table in our world. A spice is a spice and it must be used in small quantities. It is not there to use in excess. Pepper chicken or pepper steak is prepared with the immature black peppercorns, the green peppercorns.

The health benefits include:

• Improves digestion by increasing the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach
• Gives relief in gas problems
• Alleviates constipation
• Increases appetite
• Anti-bacterial effect
• Has powerful antioxidant effect
• Helps free radical scavenging, thus can have anticancer effects
• Helps to treat vitiligo, a skin disease that cause areas of the skin to lose their pigment
• Improves the absorption of nutrients
• Has antidepressant properties
• Gives relief from cold and cough, used in Ayurveda to treat these health problems

With all the above mentioned positive health effects, black pepper is still a spice and should be used in small quantities to achieve these benefits. The dose makes the poison and so excess black pepper can have risks to our health.

The possible health risks include:

• Production of excess hydrochloric acid
• Production of excess pepsin
• Loss of potassium
• Mucosal micro bleeding in the intestine
• There are contradictory reports about piperine, the alkaloid present in black pepper. It may be anticancer or cancer promoter. More research must be done on this.

Patients who had abdominal surgery must avoid black pepper in food because of the irritating effects of it on the intestines. People who have ulcer must also avoid black pepper.

As a spice, in small quantities, it is good for all. Avoid excess use. I like pepper very much and use it regularly without any problem.

I’m 33 years old, have high cholesterol and overweight and live in Dubai. Can you suggest me the right food?

2011-01-30T07:02:00.001+01:00

Yes, your cholesterol is high and you have 13 kg overweight. Your cholesterol must be brought below 200 mg and you must reduce your weight, 15 to 17 kg within a period of one year. This can be achieved with proper food and enough physical activity. Overweight and high cholesterol can lead to heart diseases and type-2 Diabetes.

The food recommendations include:

• Reduce the intake of rice, wheat and other carbohydrates
• Reduce the amount of meat or chicken (without skin), twice in a week, 150 g each time is enough
• Eat twice in a week fish, 150 g
• Eat more vegetables, leafy vegetables are very good. Avoid excess root-vegetables
• Eat fruits everyday
• Pulses, beans, nuts and seeds must be eaten regularly
• Reduce the intake of local sweets and chocolates

The risk factors that must be avoided include:
• Excess alcohol
• Smoking
• Overweight
• Stress

Daily physical activity – one hour quick walking or any other exercises you like

Excess carbohydrates and excess protein are finally converted into fat in the liver. This blood fat is also dangerous.

Homocysteine is another risk factor for heart diseases. If it is not possible to estimate homocysteine, vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin B12 in blood you can take every day one vitamin B complex to keep the homocysteine in the reference level. Note that all the 8 B vitamins are present in your B complex tablet.

Above all the genes play a vital role here. Be very careful when known heart and sugar problems are there in the family.

Cholesterol is very important to the body. If you avoid it totally the liver produces the necessary amount.

What are the health benefits of lycopene?

2011-01-29T06:12:00.001+01:00

Lycopene is a phytochemical and comes under the group of carotenoids. Although chemically it is a carotene, it has no vitamin A activity. It is a safe food coloring agent. The eleven conjugated double bonds present in lycopene are responsible for its antioxidant activity. Lycopene is the most powerful quencher of singlet oxygen free radical. It is 100 times more powerful than vitamin E in experiments.

The health benefits of lycopene include:

• Heart protective
• Good antioxidant to control free radicals
• Supports bone health
• Important for eye health
• Reduces the risk of prostate, lung, stomach and breast cancer
• Good for anti aging
• Good antioxidant to treat male infertility

More research is needed to understand the value of lycopene for human health.

Tomato is the rich source for lycopene. Lycopene is present in tomato skin and so the bioavailability is bad from fresh tomato. Tomato juice and processed tomato have the highest amount of lycopene.

Foods rich in lycopene include:

• Tomatoes
• Processed tomato products such as tomato juice, tomato soup, tolmato sauce, tomato paste, tomato ketchup
• Watermelons
• Pink grapefruits
• Pink guavas
• Apricots
• Papaya

Lycopene is useful with other micronutrients and plant chemicals present in the food. Therefore, as a food supplement it may not have all the benefits that you get from tomato or other fruits.

My tour to India and the changes there from December 2009….

2011-01-28T03:36:00.001+01:00

In 2009 I was in Tamil Nadu, India for more than 4 months. That was my last long stay there. The present journey was only for three weeks and was packed full to visit places, family members, relatives and friends. I could meet many friends there and unfortunately I couldn’t also meet many. It is difficult to predict there what will and will not happen there and we have to accept that as we have to accept our fate.

Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Sattur (my native place), Sivakasi, Thirunelveli, Thiruchendur, Kanyakumari, Thanjavur, Kumbakonam and Vaitheeswarankoil are the places visited by me.

The economical changes are great. The roads are full. The prices are shooting up. Many earn well, but nobody has time. Many have no time for themselves, to their families and friends. This quick life brings also many problems. The standard of life is increased and for many it means more food and alcohol. Heart attack reached the people in their thirties. All want to be healthy and do a lot, but without a solid basis.

I had the chance to talk to people who are known to me for a long time. Most of them eat 70% to 90% only carbohydrates. Meat is consumed in large quantities. Many take the advice of the dieticians. But, an individual advice is rare to get. Vegetables and fruits are consumed less because of the high prices. It is applicable to pulses and beans too. Local groundnuts are cheap and many don’t eat because of the high fat in them. Almonds are almost 80% costlier than in Germany.

Local sweets and chocolates are taken in huge quantities. Many are addicted to this.

To conclude, many have deficits in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. It is easy to get these with a right mix of available foods there. I hope they get the right information and above all, they must be in a position to change their food habits.

“You are what you eat”. It is only in your hands to give all the necessary nutrients to your body to be healthy.

The positive changes that I expected there are not taking place quickly. They need time, more time.

Are energy-saving bulbs safe?

2010-12-23T04:50:00.001+01:00

Energy-saving and money-saving bulbs, the compact fluorescent bulbs are not safe to incandescent light bulbs which we used for decades. The fused incandescent bulbs can be thrown to the waste and it is not dangerous to the environment or persons dealing with these wastes. On the other hand, the energy-saving and money-saving compact fluorescent bulbs are not safe for the environment and to humans. The reason is this energy-saving bulb contains mercury, a toxic metal.

Why do the energy-saving bulbs need mercury? Compact fluorescent light bulbs are tubes containing mercury and noble gases, mostly argon. When the bulb is switched on, electrons stream from a tungsten-coated coil. They collide with mercury atoms, exciting their electrons and creating flashes of ultraviolet light. A phosphor coating, mostly composed of metal oxides or phosphates, on the inside of the tube absorbs this light and re-emits it at visible wavelengths. That is why without mercury there are no energy-saving bulbs. The new generation bulb has 5 mg mercury. The first-generation CFL bulbs had 100 mg mercury.

If an energy-saving bulb is broken in a room the whole room will be contaminated with mercury. You cannot clean this room by yourself. You need special companies who decontaminate the whole room that costs you a fortune, around $ 2000. If you cannot afford this, the contaminated room can only be sealed.

If we throw the used bulbs in the garbage the broken bulbs can release mercury. This can contaminate the environment, soil and even the ground water. Persons who collect the garbage or sort them out are also in danger with mercury.

There are already studies that prove the adverse effects of these energy-saving and money-saving bulbs. We must save energy, but not at the cost of our health. These bulbs must be treated as special wastes, collected and recycled. Unfortunately, the available recycling facilities and capacities are not worth to mention.

The industry must produce only safe products. If profit is the only aim then such things happens quickly in the name of energy-saving. The consumers must be careful and the law-makers should not forget their responsibilities.

What do you say about crash diets before Christmas and New Year to enjoy the parties?

2010-12-20T06:07:00.001+01:00

It is a problem every year for many women. The parties are coming. The beautiful dress must sit well. Parties with alcohol, snacks and good food are in plenty to attend. Parties are good for the Christmas and New Year. During this time more alcohol is consumed even after the parties and more junk foods are also eaten. Many try with crash diets to manage this problem before Christmas.

Is it normal and healthy? No, it is not healthy. If you eat very little the body gets not enough nutrients to run the metabolism properly. The metabolism slows down very much. This means that you put on weight even with minimum intake of normal food. That means it takes long time for the metabolism to be normal once again. In this dangerous period many put on too much weight.

Eat healthy throughout the year and regular physical activities help you to keep your weight under control.

You need not sacrifice the Christmas Turkey or the New Year parties. Move enough after these and this helps you to be fit.

Crash dieting can cause many health problems. If it is practiced very often the life expectancy is also reduced.

You can plan everything in a good way. You know your body very well. Alcohol, food or whatever it may be, excess is always bad for our health. It is a process to learn how to eat well without suffering. If the will is there it is easy to lose the few kilos weight put on during Christmas and New Year very easily.

We all enjoy the Christmas and New Year Eve with wonderful food with our families and friends…

Is plastic surgery safe? What are the dangers and risks?

2010-12-19T05:55:00.001+01:00

The desire to look beautiful made plastic surgery very common not only among the rich. Today many teenagers get plastic surgery gifts from their parents’. The single largest plastic surgery made is breast enlargement in our world. Only 4% are the essential after breast cancer. The rest is to enhance the beauty only. The average age is coming down and down for breast enlargement and it is at present just above 30 years. Even 18 years old teenagers are allowed to have saline breast enlargements.

The usual beauty corrections include:

• Breasts enlargement
• Removal of wrinkles with Botox
• Liposuction on waist, thighs and even on neck
• Mini brow lift
• Nose correction
• Ears pinned back
• Chin reduction
• Fat injection in lips and cheeks
• Buttocks augmentation

Plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons has its own advantages and disadvantages. A corrected nose or ears have made many very happy. The other extreme case is breasts enlargement. Here many women suffer a lot because of different health problems. Many must understand that the fault lies not in their breasts, but only in their brains. This can solve many problems. It is not only the large sum of the money spent but also the risks must be weighed before a plastic surgery.

It is very important to find a good plastic surgeon for your operation. There are many who are very costly, but very bad too. The common dangers and risks from the plastic surgery include:

• Pain and discomfort
• Bleeding – accumulation of clotted blood under the skin
• Seromas – accumulation of tissue fluids under the skin
• Infection
• Scarring
• Necrosis – death of tissues
• Nerve damage
• Risks due to anesthesia
• Death – excessive and repeated plastic surgery can change the structure of the body and there are death cases too

The problems associated with breast enlargement are many although the procedures have relatively improved in safety. But, the serious short- and long-term dangers and risks are always there. There are many mega studies on this subject and the problems include:

• Bleeding
• Chronic pain
• Infection
• Nipple and breast numbness
• Painfully sensitive nipples
• Scars
• Breakage of implants
• Leakage of implants
• Necrosis – the skin death
• More surgeries
• Patients dissatisfaction with her new breasts
• Physical and emotional disturbances

Studies show that women undergone breast enlargement surgery has more suicide risk than the average women. Other studies point out the increased risks for arthritis, rheumatic arthritis and joint stiffness in later life. The other health problems reported are numbness and stiffness in the hands, arms and feet, headaches and muscle pains.

There are no studies available on the negative effects on breastfeeding. Therefore, young women who want to have babies later must be very careful in their decisions to have a breast enlargement surgery.

Plastic surgery is also a surgery and so the necessary blood and physical tests must be done by your doctor to confirm whether you are fit for an operation or not. Have at least two opinions before you decide for a plastic surgery.

Can I drink alcohol when taking common painkillers?

2010-12-13T05:45:00.001+01:00

Before I answer this question I would like to say that the pharmaceutical industry and alcohol industry have highly influential lobbies. This can be seen if you go through the literature and even many medical scientists say that a particular amount of alcohol is not a problem. But, we should not forget alcohol is always a problem and excess intake of painkillers is also a big problem. You can give many reasons to say it is harmless; but, it is a bad combination is the truth. Alcohol can increase the side effects of the painkillers or it can increase the drowsiness which can lead to accidents on the road or in the factory.

Overdose of painkillers are possible if you drink alcohol. With the negative influence of the alcohol many tend to take overdose and this can be fatal.

There are two different groups of painkillers; the over the counter painkillers from the pharmacies and the prescription painkillers. Prescription painkillers are very strong painkillers. We can see here the effect of alcohol on some of the mostly used painkillers in our world. These include:

• Aspirin and ibuprofen – these are over the counter painkillers. The common side effects of aspirin include heartburn, nausea, upset stomach, bloody stools, confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, severe or persistent stomach pain and vomiting. In the case of ibuprofen the side effects include dizziness, headache, nausea, gas, stomach pain or upset, bloody stools, chest pain, confusion, depression, fainting, fast or irregular heartbeat, seizures, shortness of breath, yellowing of the skin or eyes and vomiting. With these side effects alcohol has no place with aspirin and ibuprofen. The recommendation of 3 to 4 drinks for men and 2 to 3 drinks for women is only industry friendly and can do much harm to the patient who really needs a painkiller. Alcohol may increase the side effects, such as bleeding in the stomach or intestine by irritating the stomach. Stomach inflammation or ulceration can be made worse with alcohol.
• Paracetamol or Acetaminophen – this is also an over the counter painkiller. It is relatively safe in therapeutic doses. The overdose can cause side effects and these include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, sweating, extreme tiredness, unusual bleeding or bruising, pain in the upper right part of the stomach, yellowing of the skin or eyes and flu-like symptoms. Excess paracetamol can damage liver and here also the alcohol can only increase the side effects. Therefore, painkillers and alcohol cannot go together.

The side effects can be experienced only up to 10% of the persons taking the painkillers are not an argument to drink alcohol. If you take over the counter or prescription drugs you must avoid alcohol completely.

Strong pain killers like codeine, dihydrocodeine, tramadol, morphine, meperidine or others need prescription from the doctors. Considering the side effects of the above strong painkillers, particularly drowsiness, your doctor advises you normally not to take alcohol.

Can you explain me infant jaundice?

2010-12-11T11:03:00.001+01:00

Infant jaundice is a yellow discoloration in a newborn baby’s eyes and skin. It occurs because the baby’s blood contains excess bilirubin, a yellow-colored pigment that is released when the red blood cells dies. It is a common condition in babies born before 36 weeks of gestation. The baby’s liver is not mature enough to remove the excess bilirubin from the blood. In few cases an underlying disease may cause jaundice.

Signs of infant jaundice normally appear between the second to fourth days of life. They include:

• Yellowing of the skin
• Yellowing of the eyes

The yellow coloration starts first in the baby’s face and later it can be seen in the eyes, chest, abdomen, arms and legs. The easy check is to find whether the infant has jaundice or not is to press the baby’s forehead or tip of the nose. If the baby has jaundice the pressed areas become yellow. This should be done in day light only.

Bilirubin is a waste when aged red blood cells are broken down. Mother’s liver filters the bilirubin before birth. The newborn infant has high amount of red blood cells and mostly the liver is not mature enough to remove all the bilirubin formed quickly to the intestinal tract. It is normal in infants and that is why it is called physiologic jaundice. Bilirubin is removed mostly in the stool.

There may be other causes for the infant jaundice. In this case it will be much earlier or much later than the physiologic jaundice. Infection of the blood or bacterial, viral infections, liver malfunction, abnormal red blood cells, internal bleeding or enzyme deficiency can be other causes. Sometimes, the incompatibility of baby’s and mother’s blood can cause jaundice.

The risk factors for infant jaundice include premature birth, bruising during birth and different blood group of the mother and baby. Poor breastfeeding is also an important risk factor for infantile jaundice. It is because of low calories received and dehydration.

The symptoms of excess bilirubin in the blood include fever, high-pitched crying, difficult to wake, poor sucking or feeding and backward arching of the neck and body. Bilirubin is toxic to brain cells. If not treated quickly they can cause permanent brain damages.

The peak level of bilirubin is normally when the baby is three to five days old. In the hospital during these days bilirubin are often monitored in the blood. If you delivery your baby in the home then the attending nurse or doctor must take care of this. Mild infant jaundice mostly disappears without any treatment in two to three weeks. If it is moderate or severe the baby must be treated immediately in the home or must be admitted in a hospital. Necessary treatments as well as the right feeding are necessary to bring down the bilirubin level.

Chinese toy

2010-12-10T09:47:00.001+01:00

During my last visit to India I was staying with my niece at Karaikudi, Sivagangai District, Tamil Nadu. In the morning I was sitting on the compound wall and her son was playing there. After ten minutes I noticed that he was taking something which was pink in colour from his pocket, smelling it and putting it back in his pocket. At first it did not draw my attention. Since he was repeating this several times, I asked him to show it. It was a broad tree shaped synthetic toy, very soft and smelt heavily on some organic solvent. I called my niece and advised her to throw it immediately and not to buy any cheap toy made in China. Her son can become easily addicted to organic solvent without knowing it.

It is the duty of the parents to learn and know more about these kinds of dangers which could be avoided completely. Do our parents have enough knowledge? To know more about the adverse effects of abusing solvents or inhalants read my article in http://drkpadmanaban.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-are-effects-of-inhalants-abuse.html

The important message is that poisons are everywhere in the environment. If we know this we can avoid much hidden poisons. When you confront with these poisons, if possible, it is better to remove it. Be happy to have this chance to do this as many environmental contaminations could not be traced or it is impossible to remove them.

Are you against Chinese toys or other products? I hear this very often. My clear answer is no, certainly not.

The German market is also full of Chinese products, from toys to electronic goods. But there is a big difference in the method of procuring the products from China by Germany and India. We, in Germany stipulate all the technical specifications to the Chinese companies and they produce accordingly products for us. This means which raw materials they must use or which they must not use since they are banned by German laws. For example, 200 standard companies are producing toys to the Western markets according to specifications, but, at the same time, 2000 companies are producing cheap and dangerous toys for the rest of the world. We all want to cheap things and this is the biggest mistake. If the consumers look at the good quality these cheap toys have no chance in the market.

It could also be done in India and in other countries too; it is the duty of the concerned authorities to enforce the right guidelines or laws. It is the duty of the consumers till then to avoid buying such poisonous toys or other products.

Can you tell me about alkaline foods?

2010-12-08T09:50:00.001+01:00

Acid – alkaline balance in the blood is important for our health. Too much of acidic diet can decrease the body’s ability to absorb enough essential nutrients and minerals. This makes you more susceptible to various diseases. Foods which release bicarbonate into blood and tissues after digestion are alkaline foods and foods which release acid after digestion into blood and tissues are acidic foods. Acid producing foods are responsible for the deficiencies of the essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium. Our food must contain 80% alkaline and 20% acidic foods and this combination is very good to reduce weight easily. Moreover, the advantages are increased stamina and strength and stronger immune system.

We can classify the alkaline foods in three groups. It depends upon the amount of bicarbonates produced and thus the pH.

The very good alkaline foods include:

• Lemons
• Agar-agar
• Cayenne pepper and all chillies
• Figs
• Limes
• Watermelon and other melons
• Papaya
• Seaweeds
• Watercress
• Kiwifruit
• Pears
• Raisins
• Plums
• Cantaloupe
• Dried dates
• Kelp
• Mango
• Parsley
• Grapes
• Asparagus
• Passion fruit
• Pineapple
• Fruit juices
• Vegetable juices

These foods can produce a pH of 8.5 to 9.0

The good alkaline foods include:

• Apple
• Apricot
• Alfalfa sprouts
• Arrowroot
• Avocado
• Banana
• Berries
• Carrot
• Celery
• Currant
• Grapefruit
• Guava
• Green leafy herbs
• Nectarine
• Peach
• Peas
• Pumpkin
• Spinach

• Bamboo shoots
• Beans
• Beets
• Bell pepper
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Carob
• Ginger
• Kohlrabi
• Lettuce
• Okra
• Orange
• Parsnip
• Potato
• Strawberry
• Squash
• Sweet corn
• Apple cider vinegar

These foods can produce a pH of 7.5 to 8.0

The slightly alkaline foods include:

• Almond
• Artichoke
• Barley
• Brown rice
• Brussels sprouts
• Cherries
• Coconut
• Cucumber
• Egg plant
• Mushrooms
• Olives
• Onion
• Radish
• Tomato
• Chestnut
• Amaranth
• Chestnut
• Millet
• Sesame seeds
• Soy bean and soy products
• Sprouted grains
• Yeast

These foods can produce a pH of 7.0

It is important to eat vegetables every day. If you eat meat and meat products vegetables are must to eat. Here also eat more vegetables than fruits. 4 to 5 servings of vegetables a day is very healthy. It is in your hands to be healthy and happy. You can start today to do something for that…

Organochlorines - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

2010-12-07T12:40:00.001+01:00

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are organic compounds with two to ten chlorine atoms. Thus there are 209 substances of high toxicity. These are used as coolant, insulating fluid in transformers, additive in PVC coated electrical wires and electronic components. These are also present in carbonless copy paper, adhesives and in paints. Most PCBs are toxic and so these were banned in 1970. But these groups are classified as persistent organic pollutants which bio accumulates in humans and animals even today.

PCBs are persistent organic pollutants and these were in the environment through use and waste. These were banned almost 40 years ago but we still found everywhere. Unfortunately these are still used in transformers. The very bad thing in our world is even if a toxic substance is banned in one country they produce this and sell to other countries, particularly to developing countries which may not have strict environmental laws and enough supervision in handling and disposal. But the wastes formed during production of organochlorines would be disposed in some poor countries. Tourism with industrial chemical wastes should not be allowed and the persons organizing this dirty business must be punished seriously.

PCBs have many negative adverse effects on our health. They include:

• Chloracne
• Rashes
• Yusho disease. PCBs contamination in rice bran oil caused a mass poisoning in Japan
• Irregular menstrual cycles
• Lowered immune response
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Cough
• Skin sores

The PCBs exposure could come from workplace contamination and consumption of contaminated fish or food. The exposed pregnant gave birth to babies who weighed less than babies born to the unexposed mothers. But problems with motor skills and a decrease in short-term memory lasted for several years. Immune system was affected also in children born to mothers exposed to PCBs. Infants are exposed through mother’s milk.

PCBs can alter estrogens level and the result may be reproduction problems. Intersex and feminization in the womb are reported. This pollution is so strong that polar bears and whales are there with both male and female sex organs and males incapable for reproduction.

There are cancer risks due to PCBs. These are associated with liver and biliary tract cancer.

PCBs are chemically inert compounds and they have a high thermal stability. They are resistant to chemical oxidation, photodegradation, acid-base reactions and hydrolysis. Therefore, it is difficult for natural systems to metabolize PCBs. The estimated half life period of PCBs is approximately 8 to 15 years.

It is not advisable to eat fishes from unknown waters. However, fish from the commercial food supply may be eaten. Never burn painted or treated wood. Burning materials that contain PCBs produce dioxins and furans which are more toxic.

Appropriate safety measures must be available in workplace.

Organochlorines - Dioxin, 2,3,7,8 -TCDD (tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin)

2010-12-06T06:57:00.002+01:00

Dioxin is possibly the strongest poison which human beings produced. It causes the cancer of lungs and liver and influences the immune system resulting in a number of infectious diseases and misgrowth of embryos. It is known from the accidental explosion of a chemical plant in Seveso in Italy. There are 210 substances in the groups. In both dioxins and furans only 17 compounds are highly toxic. The most poisoning dioxin is 2,3,7,8 -TCDD (tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin).

Actually we do not need dioxin and we never wanted to produce it too. But without our knowledge as an unwanted by product it was produced during the manufacture of chlorinated substances such as pesticides, plastics such as PVC. Other sources include chlorine bleaching of paper. When these chlorinated products are burnt as waste, dioxin is produced and comes back to the soil along with the next rain. Motor oil is a major source. It is produced from herbicides also.

In several countries, there are strict rules about the daily intake of dioxin. The daily intake is around one pico gram per day. That means not in parts per billion but parts per trillion ranges. This also shows how poisonous dioxin is. That is why burning plastics and many related products are very harmful. In many countries such open burnings are totally banned.

The half life period gives us an idea how a substance is dangerous in the environment as well as in the body. Half life period of a substance is defined according to the matrix; the matrix may be soil, water, blood or tissues. The time needed to reduce the amount to half is called half life period for the substance in a particular matrix such as blood or soil. 2,3,7,8 -TCDD has the longest half life in blood, it is 11 years and it is stored in liver and fat. The persistence half-life of 2,3,7,8-TCDD on soil surfaces may vary from less than 1 year to 3 years, but half-lives in soil interiors may be as long as 12 years.

There are many scandals with dioxin. It happened in Belgium and a long-time scandal came to limelight. The industry has been trying to save money by mixing the chemical or oil waste with the animal feed and marketing these products. They mixed old, highly contaminated engine oil with the animal feed. The result is contaminated milk, poultry, eggs, pork and beef with dioxin. The worst thing is that the Belgians exported this contaminated animal feed to other countries in Europe.

Swiss animal feed was also contaminated because they used German Kaolinite which has a high amount of dioxin. It is also used in animal feed in Austria and Germany. This is not different in France. In Germany huge amount of milk was destroyed because of this contamination.

What is happening in India and other countries? We have to see everything with open eyes and ask correct questions everywhere. Even sewage sludge was mixed with animal feed which contained high concentration of heavy metals, dioxin, antibiotics and resistant bacteria.

Low levels of dioxin from environment are present in vegetables and all other foods. If contaminated animal feed is used, then eggs, milk, beef, pork and fish contain dioxin. Dioxin accumulates in fat and so fatty food must be avoided. Wherever it is possible it is controlled and so the value of dioxin in human beings is decreased. Vegetarians have better cards here.

There were two known accidental exposures, one is Soveto and the other one is animal feed in Belgium. Agent Orange T (TCDD) was also used in Vietnam War by American forces to destroy the forests. Not only the inhabitants of Vietnam but also the American air force personnel are contaminated. The factory which produced Agent Orange T was closed in Germany decades ago but the workers lived or still living is highly contaminated.

The former President of Ukraine, right or not right, poisoned or not, nobody knows the truth, had the symptoms of dioxin poisoning.

We need many chemicals, but we should not forget that chemicals are also poisons. The dose makes the poison.

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)

2010-12-05T07:15:00.001+01:00

DDT is the well known synthetic pesticide in the world. It was used with unique success in the control of mosquitoes which spread malaria and typhoid. Later it was also used in agriculture and its production was enormous. The environmental effects may not be known at that time or the industry was so mighty that only very few people opposed the uncontrolled spraying of DDT everywhere.

Nobody thought at that time about the toxicity of a chemical except its use. Ms. Rachel Carson, a biologist in 1962 questioned the indiscriminate use of DDT in her book. She was the first person who suggested that DDT and other pesticides may cause cancer. It is now banned in agriculture throughout the world. But it is still used in some tropical countries for other purposes or selectively against mosquitoes. In India lakhs of tons of DDT was used for Malaria eradication Programme from World Health Organization (WHO).

DDT is a permanent organic pollutant and its half life period is 2 to 30 years. The process of biodegradation occurs very slowly. Breakdown products in the soil are DDE and DDD which are also persistent and have same physical as well as chemical properties. DDT and its metabolites DDE and DDD could enter our bodies through the food chain. It is fat soluble and stored in fat in humans and animals. In the nineteen seventies almost everybody in the world had detectable DDT in their blood. Even now many people have DDT in their blood whether they come from developed or developing countries. According to the WHO survey the Indian mother’s milk contains DDT in higher concentration than any other country in the world. Without exception all the mothers in the world have DDT metabolites in their milk.

DDT and its metabolites are classified as moderately hazardous by World Health Organization. It is not acute toxic. In chronic exposition, liver may be damaged and farmers have an increased incidence of non-allergic asthma. Organochlorine compounds, particularly DDE are linked with diabetes. Fish is a major contaminant in the world. Liver, biliary tract and pancreas cancer may be possible for persons who are working with DDT for a long time. There are meagre studies to establish that DDT or DDE may cause breast cancer. It is very interesting to know about the reproductive toxicology where it is told that DDT, DDE and other organochlorines have xenoestrogenic activity which means that these are chemically similar to estrogens, the female sexual hormone. This may affect the semen quality in men.

There are many cases of DDT victim in the world and I could remember few. A woman between 35 and 40 years came to me and told that she was not doing well and we had to find out what it was. She was not feeling well, very tired and had problems of memory. I asked her to tell what happened in the previous days and weeks so that I could get a picture of what had happened. Five weeks before she had flown to Africa for two weeks holidays. She enjoyed her holidays well and had enough rest and relaxation for her body as well as for her soul. When she returned after the completion of her holidays she had several health problems. We talked about her holidays, she told me how happy she was there and finally I asked her about her food in Africa. She has eaten fish and fish only all the fourteen days because the fish items was highly delicious. I asked her the source of the fish and she replied that it was fished from a big lake. The lake water was very clean, she added. After this it was an easy work for me. We took a blood sample from her and she had very high amounts of DDT, DDE and other organochlorines in her blood. This was the reason for her sickness.

The farmers in the nearby fields sprayed so much of pesticides including DDT and in course of time the whole lake water and the soil became contaminated. DDT is insoluble in water but soluble in fat. Hence, it is stored in the fat tissues. Thus DDT accumulated in the fat of the fish. Fourteen days, two to three times, approximately 500 to 700 gram of fish every time brought so much of DDT and its metabolites in her body and the result is this environmental sickness.

A lady professor, who did research on the impact of DDT, came to our Institute to deliver a lecture. I was out of station on the day. Everybody applauded that the lecture was very good and I also got the copies of her scientific publications. It was about the estrogenic activity of DDT and its metabolites. I read all, it was interesting and her conclusion was that on account of the continuous exposure to DDT, DDE and other organochlorines, the reproductive capacity of the man is strongly reduced and he may not have children. Six months later, she delivered a lecture with seminar organized by the Heidelberg University and I attended that. In the interval I asked her whether she knew India and Malaria Eradication Programme. If her research findings were correct, India’s population should have been dwindling down to 50% by this time. She laughed and she had no answer. She had her data obtained only from white patients. Are white men different from other men in this particular problem?

Most of the mothers prefer to breastfeed their children and breast milk is the healthiest food for the infants. Mothers, who think and know about the environment, are afraid to breastfeed their children. One would be mother met me and wanted help. We had analysed several breast milks and knew the situation. Almost, every breast milk is found to be contaminated with traces or detectable amount of pesticides. In our body fat, the pesticides are stored, if a woman is very slim, she has very less fat in her body. That means all her fat is needed for the production of the milk, accordingly she has more pesticide residue in her mother’s milk. If there is more fat in the body, then only a part is needed for the production of the mother’s milk, correspondingly fewer pesticides in her milk. So it is advisable to increase ten to fifteen kilos that means eating heavily what a modern woman normally does not eat. Only two groups must be careful, the women who have problem with cholesterol and high blood pressure and women who are having high blood sugar. They have to consult their doctor.

Pesticides are sometimes useful, but they are always poisons. We must be careful to save us and our environment…

Unforgettable incidents during my profession: Chloroform…

2010-12-02T05:14:00.002+01:00

Modern clinical toxicology deals with a lot about environmental poisons and illness. I have experienced thousands of these problems from my patients. Here I like to inform you a few case studies to show that it can play a vital role in your health. Today, it is about Chloroform as an environmental poison.

A worried wife telephoned me and told that her husband had become an alcoholic. He drank the whole weekend although he never drank so much earlier. Moreover, Monday to Friday he was not at all drinking. I asked her where he was working and told that it would be better her husband talked to me personally. I talked to him over the phone and he came to my institute next day. We took blood sample from him for analysis. We analysed also the oil with which he was working from Monday to Friday. We detected an unknown solvent from his blood as well as from the oil.

When I talked to his Company Doctor he wanted me to drop the whole matter because even his wife was telling that he was an alcoholic. Moreover, the doctor told me,” you say some volatile substances, but as long as you could not say the correct substance, my company has no fault”.

I needed one small additional analytical instrument for that specific purpose and we bought it immediately. The unknown substance was confirmed as chloroform and the whole riddle was cleared. They heated the chloroform 60 degrees Celsius and now and then the worker had to open a small window to control. The worker breathed the vapours eight hours a day, Monday to Friday and these had influenced his central nervous system.

On Saturday morning he could not inhale the vapour but his body needed it. He took the alternative, alcohol to sedate his nerves. The multinational company had problems with the Health Department. These analyses brought me few hundred Euros but the instrument that was bought costed my institute more than 5000 Euros and it shows how difficult it is to deal with for a single person to fight against a multinational company. With the unlimited support from my boss I had the chance to prove this truth.

It was very much interesting to find this organic solvent even in the blood of administrative staffs who were away from the production area.

Chloroform is an anaesthetic agent. Inhalation of chloroform vapours depresses the central nervous system. It is also a carcinogen and higher incidence of birth defect may be possible. It is immediately dangerous to health and life even if 500 ppm is taken. If we breathe for a short time taking about 900 ppm dizziness, fatigue and headache are the symptoms. Liver damage may be caused by chronic chloroform exposure.

Unforgettable incidents during my profession: Permethrin…

2010-12-01T02:57:00.001+01:00

Unforgettable incidents during my profession: Pentachlorophenol

2010-11-30T06:20:00.001+01:00

Modern clinical toxicology deals with a lot about environmental poisons and illness. I have experienced thousands of these problems from my patients. Here I like to inform you a few case studies to show that it can play a vital role in your health.

I got a blood sample from a child and the doctor told me that he could not understand the perplexing symptoms and requested me to find out some clue from the blood. We conducted all the analytical studies in blood and urine qualitatively and quantitatively in the lab of clinical Toxicology and found that the amount of one poisonous chemical was increased tenfold compared to the reference values of an adult.

I talked to the mother about the possibility of exposure to this poisonous chemical. There was no chance for exposure and the parents were very much worried. Finally I asked the mother to send her child to the Kindergarten Monday to Friday, go to the doctor, take blood sample from the child and go for holidays with the child for a week to a North Sea Island where even cars are banned and there were no chances of any exposition.

Returning back she had to go to a doctor and take blood sample from her child once again. She did exactly what we told. In Friday’s sample the child had this poisonous chemical, about ten times higher than the reference value of adults. When they returned from the island, the poison level was in the lower part of the reference value. We made a guess and we gathered the details about the Kindergarten. In the kindergarten there are wooden benches and wooden play equipments of children, such as, ship, slide, swing and seesaw. All are very clean and in very good condition. We gave the blood values to the doctor and he forwarded to the government departments, nobody wants to believe. Somebody from the Government rang my boss and asked him whether I am a reliable chemist and his answer was, “leave this as my problem and as long our toxicologist is doing good to the public we inform all the people concerned about this”. Such a trusting boss must everybody have to do good to the patients.

Finally the concerned authorities decided to send the blood to a high security toxicological lab belonging to the Central Government. After two days my values were confirmed and the two Kindergartens were closed. We checked further the city’s other Kindergartens and everywhere the problem was the same. All these wooden things were removed and the contamination was also controlled.

The important chemical was at that time used as a wood preservative, the notorious pentachlorophenol. This was also by-product from orange T production. Orange T was used in Vietnam War to destroy the forests in Vietnam. The chemical waste from the company contained high amount of pentachlorophenol. Instead of disposing it properly it was mixed with the paints which have been used for the benches and other wooden articles in the kindergarten. This sort of poison tourism was a cheap disposal of the deadly wastes in poor countries at the cost of the population there.

During the second half of the 1980s, this chemical was found in all the human beings in the world including Eskimos and persons living in the Amazon regions of South America.

Fortunately the half-life period of pentachlorophenol is 30 hours and it could be excreted from the body without much problem.

It was banned in Germany in the 1990s.

Long-time exposition could be detected in hair and nail.

Keep your environment clean and the environmental poisons cause more sickness than we all think. The problem is the right diagnosis, as there are no separate symptoms for environmental illness.

Can you inform me about endosulfan and its toxicity?

2010-11-29T06:12:00.001+01:00

Endosulfan, 6,7,8,9,10,10-hexachloro-1,5,5a,6,9,9a-hexahydro-
6,9-methano-2,4,3-benzodioxathiepine-3-oxide, is an organochlorine compound. Almost all organochlorine compounds are poisons. Endosulfan is mostly used as an insecticide and acaricide. It can also be used as a wood preservative. It is uses mostly on food crops like grains, tea, fruits and on vegetables. It acts as a contact poison. It can accumulate in the body and can create health problems. It is banned in more than 65 countries and is unfortunately used in countries like India and Brazil. Because of its threats to human health and the environment, a global ban on the manufacture and use of endosulfan is being considered under the Stockholm Convention.

I have seen many patients with organochlorine chemical poisoning as a clinical toxicologist. If we come in contact with small amount of Endosulfan, the body has no problem to excrete them with its genes and enzymes. Since these pesticides are fat soluble they are deposited in our fat tissues. If a person has problems with his detoxification genes or enzymes he is going to suffer a lot or even it can be fatal to him. During the detoxification uncontrolled amount of free radicals are produced and so the free radical scavenging system must be well functioning. The antioxidants from the food are very important as well as the minerals, copper, zinc, manganese and selenium. These minerals are part of the free radical scavenging enzymes.

How toxic is endosulfan? Undiluted endosulfan is slowly absorbed into the body. The absorption is rapid if it is dissolved in alcohols, oils and emulsifiers.

Endosulfan poisoning affects the Central Nervous System. The symptoms include:

• Incoordination including a loss of the ability to stand
• Gagging
• Vomiting
• Agitation
• Diarrhea
• Convulsions
• Loss of conscience
• Blindness is noted in animals, cow, sheep and pigs, grazing the grass sprayed with endosulfan

Lot of research is done to find the lethal dose of endosulfan and the oral LD50 in different animals include:

• Rat 18 to 220 mg/kg
• Mice 7.36 mg/kg
• Hamster 118 mg/kg
• Cat 2 mg/kg
• Dog 76.7 mg/kg
• Young ducks 33 mg/kg

The dermal LD50 include:

• Rat 74 mg/kg
• Rabbit 200 to 359 mg/kg

The solvents used to dissolve endosulfan influence its toxicity. Many chronic effects have been noted in animals exposed to endosulfan. Kidneys, liver, parathyroid gland and blood chemistry are mostly affected. In rats skeletal deformities in the fetus are noted. Although there are no evidences, chronic exposure to humans may cause reproductive and/or developmental problems in humans.

It has mutagenic effects at least in two mammalian spices and this means it can also change human DNA.

In the environment the surface water is mostly contaminated with endosulfan. The half-life of alpha-endosulfan is 35 days and the beta-endosulfan is 150 days under neutral conditions. If the soil is acidic the half-life is long for both the isomers.

Endosulfan is also toxic for birds and fishes.

The breakdown product of endosulfan is the endosulfan sulfate. It is as poisonous as endosulfan and is present longer in the environment.

Endosulfan and its breakdown products are detected in vegetables, milk, sea foods and in tobacco. The right decision is to ban all the organochlorine pesticides for the whole world. This is healthy for all living beings and to our environment too.

India is the largest user of endosulfan and the problems in Kerala is well known. We must have the courage to ban this.

Is it male menopause or mid-life crisis or both?

2010-11-27T10:08:00.001+01:00

Female menopause is a well defined condition and all the women experience this. Male menopause is called andropause and it is not well defined. Some doctors and scientists say that many men experience this, but not all. Others argue that there no such condition and this is the part of the mid-life crisis. Not all men experience mid-life crisis too. In this article I try to give you the important points regarding male menopause and mid-life crisis.

Andropause is characterized by the low production of testosterone, the male sex hormone. Loss of testosterone starts when a man is 35 years old. It may be around 1% to 1.5% per year. Mostly men experience andropause between the ages of 40 and 55. In post menopause there is no production of estrogen, the female sex hormone in women. On the contrary, the testosterone production is low with increasing age, but it is there even in one’s eighties and nineties. In these ages also a man has healthy sperm and this is the reason why andropause is not accepted as a medical condition.

The symptoms of andropause include:

• Irritability
• Reduced libido (reduced sexual desire)
• Impotence
• Tiredness
• Depression

Some men have other symptoms too and they include:

• Weight gain
• Night sweats
• Hair loss
• Dry skin
• Stiffness in the joints and muscles

Several of these symptoms can occur at the same time.

Interestingly, each of these symptoms is mostly treated alone and this makes the situation more serious. If the depression is only treated with antidepressant medicines the result is loss of libido. A good doctor considers all these symptoms and selects the treatments.

Approximately 10% of the middle aged men go through an age-related midlife crisis. Mid-life crisis is experienced by men from the ages mostly between 40 and 60 and it lasts about 3 to 10. Aging itself is one of the main causes of mid-life crisis. The other causes include:

• Physical changes with aging
• Workload or unemployment
• Relationship of family problems
• Children left home
• Sickness or death of parents

Mid-life crisis can change the life of a man drastically and the noticed changes include:

• Desire to achieve a feeling of youthfulness – lifestyle change, an affair with a young woman
• Spends more time alone
• Thinks that he has missed many good things in life
• Thinks deeply the missed chances in life
• Wants to achieve a lot, but don’t know what
• Buys costly car or motorbike
• Goes for a world tour
• Leaves job and family

These thoughts can change one’s whole life. This can have negative impacts in their work place and in the family. They can abuse alcohol or illegal drugs. They can take a young girl friend or a sex partner. They spend more time in front of the mirror and give more money for cosmetics and perfumes. They try to cover their baldness and suddenly interested to have designer clothes from young fashion. They used to blame themselves for their failures in many things. They apply pressure on their children for better performance in arts, academics and sports. Above all, the worst is the depression with all its negative symptoms.

The possible therapy for andropause is a combined therapy with testosterone replacement therapy, psychotherapy, diet, exercises and use of herbs. Testosterone replacement therapy does not give always the expected relief and the side effects must also be considered. It can bring the prostate in problem and so your doctor must be careful to decide for the right treatment. Normally in short intervals testosterone concentration and PSA the marker for prostate cancer must be controlled in the blood if it is decided for the hormone therapy.

The supporters of testosterone replacement therapy argue that in the case of bone density loss, erectile dysfunction where other remedies don’t work and loss of height it is the treatment of choice.

The problems of mid-life crisis and andropause can go hand in hand and many symptoms are common. Of course, your doctor can help you, but your spouse is very important to master this difficult period. The spouse can help a lot and they include:

• Make him to do new activities and hobbies; take part in them
• Make him to think positive
• Watch for his mood swings and try to react correctly
• Tell him always that you love him
• Stress the need for relaxation
• Try to understand and know him more. This is important for the time after mid-life crisis
• Pay close attention to his mood and behavior
• Bring him with persons who take life easy
• Avoid “why” in many situations. This can increase the fear
• Never start with a question. Share with him that you want to support him
• Listen to him and try to understand his feelings, values and fears

Men who have andropause and mid-life crisis problems must avoid grape fruit as it can convert testosterone into estrogen, the female sex hormone.

Sex; is it healthy? What are the benefits?

2010-11-25T07:23:00.001+01:00

Sex is a taboo theme in many parts of our world. Many still think it is dirty and is mostly done when the light is off. Is it really so bad? Scientists prove that sex is extremely beneficial for our health. Here you get more information about this mostly thought, but less spoken theme.

The benefits of sex include:

• Beneficial for the heart and blood circulation, thus good oxygen supply to brain and other cells
• Balances the ratio of HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol
• Lowers the risk of prostate cancer
• Lower the risk of breast cancer
• Good for mental and emotional health. Abstinence increases the feelings of anger, frustration, self-doubt, depression etc. Endorphins and semen play here a vital role in enhancing mood after sex
• Eliminates stress. Good sex gives total relaxation and good sleep
• Increases the estrogen levels in women and this is vital for skin and hair health
• Increases the humans’ lifespan 3 to 8 years and 50% reduction of death risk
• Sweating cleanse the skin pores and improve the skin health
• Good to burn calories. Comparable of 15 minutes on a treadmill
• Strengthen pelvic, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, chest and arm muscles
• More sex means more production of pheromones that are chemicals to attract the opposite sex
• Increases intimacy to partner
• A good pain reliever than many painkillers. Oxytocin and endorphins are responsible for this. These calm pain from headaches, migraines to arthritis. Increased estrogen levels reduce premenstrual pains. Mostly the excuse not to want is headache!!!!
• Kissing lowers the acidity in the mouth and good for mouth hygiene; thus tooth decay and bad breath is prevented
• Decreases the risk to get colds, flu and other infections. The reason is the production of more immunoglobin A, an antibody which strengthens the immune system
• Helps for a better control of bladder with strong pelvic muscles and thus minimize the risk of incontinence

Children are our wealth and it is the main purpose of sex. This is accepted by all. You can see the other benefits as extra bonus.

What is normal to achieve these benefits? Twice in a week or more can give you these benefits.

Oxygen free radicals; can you explain me the free radical scavenging in the body?

2010-11-23T03:45:00.001+01:00

Free radicals are atomic or molecular species with unpaired electrons in the outermost orbital and are unstable and very reactive. Free radicals need one more electron to become stable and try to take an electron from the other atom. This atom in turn now becomes a free radical and the dangerous chain reaction starts. Free radicals can damage our cells, particularly DNA and can do harm to our health. The well known oxygen free radicals or reactive oxygen species are superoxide ion, hydroxyl radical, singlet oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is not a free radical but it is involved in the formation of many reactive oxygen species.

What are the sources of oxygen free radicals? The body uses oxygen to convert sugar and fat into energy. In this process oxygen is converted to water. However, about 2% of the oxygen may escape before the conversion is complete. These become the different oxygen free radicals. There are many other enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions in the cells which also produce continuously free radicals.

The external sources of free radical production include cigarette smoke, radiation, environmental pollutants, ultraviolet light, chemicals including pesticides and drugs and ozone. Excess exercises or physical activities can also produce more free radicals.

Free radicals are responsible for aging. Cancer and cardiovascular problems are the very important diseases caused by free radicals. The damage of DNA in the cells and the oxidation of the LDL-cholesterol are the main reason for these diseases. Cataracts, maculopathy, the age-related disorder of the retina, auto immune diseases like arthritis or fibromyalgia, neurodegenerative diseases, aging and many other diseases go to the account of free radicals.

Does the body need oxygen free radicals? Phagocytes produce excess free radicals to destroy invading pathogenic micro-organisms and this is part of the body’s defense mechanism against many diseases. Complete elimination of free radicals is not possible, but it is possible to control the production of free radicals. This is also very important for anti aging.

The body needs mechanisms to control the amount of oxygen free radicals and the excess must be scavenged continuously. If the free radical production is high and there are not enough antioxidants to neutralize them the condition, oxidative stress is developed and this is bad for the health. The two possibilities to control free radicals are antioxidants to limit oxidation and the enzymes which can neutralize the free radicals. The important body’s own antioxidants include ubiquinol, glutathione, uric acid bilirubin and even cholesterol.

The enzymes include glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutases and catalase. These enzymes need copper, manganese, selenium and zinc and these must be taken from the food.

There are more than 4000 identified nutritive and non-nutritive antioxidants present in fruits and vegetables. The important antioxidants from the foods include vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, natural beta-carotene, lycopene and many others including the polyphenols. This is an important reason to take several servings of fruits and vegetables in a day.

We all can do a lot for anti aging and start from today to think and do something for this. It is easy and worth doing.

Type 2 Diabetes; can you tell me the dos and don‘ts?

2010-11-22T06:27:00.001+01:00

As we know knowledge and experience help us in every circumstance to master a problem or a challenge. It is applicable to diabetes too. With the right food, lifestyle and exercises you can prevent diabetes as well as control them without taking tablets or injecting insulin. Here, your knowledge and will power can decide a lot. If you follow this regularly there will be no problem to eat normal now and then. Dos and don’ts give you a clear picture what should be done to have a normal life with type 2 diabetes.

The dos include:

• Increase the intake of mono- and polyunsaturated fats – avoid butter and use plant oils and bread spreads. Mayonnaise can be substituted with avocadoes in salads.
• Nuts are good – can be eaten everyday by decreasing the amount of carbohydrates.
• Eat fatty fish regularly – omega-3 fatty acids are very important for your health including heart health. Two to three time fish in a week is good.
• Consume more protein from lean meat, poultry without skin and low fat milk and dairy products. Protein can be converted into sugar in the liver.
• Eat high fiber foods – wholegrain products, brown rice, vegetables and fruits are good.
• Look for low sugar foods – it is applicable to milk products, canned fruits and fruit juices. The food labels may contain sugar or honey or high-fructose corn syrup or only syrup or other sugars such as lactose or maltose and in this case go for products where there are very little or no sugar.
• Select cereals with more than 3 g fiber in one serving. It must be sugar-free and should not contain too much of carbohydrates.
• Fresh or frozen vegetables are good. Except carrots avoid all the root vegetables.
• Fresh fruits are good or canned fruits without added sugar. Fruits are better than fruit juices. Dry fruits in small quantities without added sugar are also good.
• Drink enough fluids and 70% of this must be pure drinking water.
• Reduce your weight.
• Regular exercise.
• Write down whatever you eat and drink daily so that it is easy to control your food intake.

The don’ts include:

• Too much saturated fats – high fat milk and dairy products, fatty meat, inner organs of animals, except fish all other seafood, turkey or chicken with skin. These foods contain high amount of cholesterol too.
• Trans fat.
• Carbohydrates – you can get the sugar from the protein and so the amount of carbohydrate taken can be reduced.
• Foods with lot of sugar – candies, cakes, biscuits and many other sweets including local sweets and chocolates.
• Canned fruits and dried fruits with preservatives or sugar.
• Soft drinks with lot of sugar or fructose or artificial sweeteners.
• Processed foods, fast foods and junk foods.
• Chips and other snacks.
• Replace coffee with green or black tea.
• Alcohol – one glass of wine or one beer or one drink normally increases blood sugar. More alcohol can reduce the sugar, but the blood pressure increases because of narrowed blood vessels. A healthy liver can metabolize only a maximum of 60 g alcohol. If it is more it is very dangerous for liver’s health.
• Smoking – increases the free radicals and free radicals are not good for our health.
• Stress is bad for diabetes.

This information is good to prevent type 2 diabetes as well as to manage it. If you suffer from type 2 diabetes an individual counseling is the best to optimize your food and lifestyle. Contact me if you need one…

I want to buy a microwave oven; what are the advantages, disadvantages and dangers?

2010-11-20T11:03:00.001+01:00

Today microwave ovens are the part of all modern kitchens. Many can’t live without microwave ovens. Many have good knowledge to use the microwave properly and many use just like that without thinking too much. There are advantages, disadvantages as well as dangers. If we consider these points it can be a good help to us. If we use a kitchen instrument it is always important to know about them very well. Read the manufacturer’s instructions very carefully. Ask your family members and friends about their experiences with microwave ovens.

The principle of working microwave oven is very simple. Microwaves are energy that can be absorbed by the food particles inside an oven. Microwaves make the water content inside the food particles to vibrate and this causes the food particles to rub against each other. This produces heat energy that is used to cook the food. The variable factors for faster cooking of foods are the increase of the power supply and the cooking time.
The advantages of the microwaves oven include:

• Good retain of flavor and taste of some foods
• Short cooking time and so less nutrients loss
• Stays only very shortly between 5°C to 60°C and so less chances to be infected
• Cheap running costs as only electricity is needed
• Pre-heating is not necessary
• Can be used immediately, switching on is enough
• Doesn’t heat the kitchen unnecessarily
• No cooking odor in the kitchen and in the house
• Kitchen is clean as less or no food is spilled
• Needn’t be cleaned often, mostly simple wiping is enough
• Can be combine with conventional ovens
• Some foods cannot be cooked. You must note the manufacturer’s instructions

Where there are many advantages, there can be disadvantages too surely. These disadvantages include:

• Can cause over cooking of the food as it is very fast
• Uneven cooking, food on the top can be very hot and on the bottom cold, thus uncooked. During cooking stirring is necessary at regular intervals
• You must use special utensils. Metal vessels must be avoided
• Few types of foods cannot be cooked; note manufacturer’s instructions

There are many advantages and few disadvantages and it seems wonderful. But, there are some dangers and you must know about these very well. The dangers include:

• Radiation leaks - exposure to high levels of microwave radiation can cause health problems including cataracts and burns. Damaged oven door or not properly sealed door is the source of radiation leaks. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions always. Keep it clean and do not run it if it is empty
• Avoid burns – the cooked food in the plastic container can be very hot or lot of steam can escape quickly. Don’t heat baby milk bottles in the microwave. The milk inside can be dangerously hot although the bottles have safe temperature. Use the microwave-safe plastic wrap loosely so that the steam can escape. If the food has many layers the out layer is warm, but the inner layer can be dangerously hot.
• A microwave oven is not a sterilizer – it cannot sterilize bottles or jars. Boiling in water for 10 minutes or chemical sterilization is the best way to sterilize

The manufacturer’s instruction booklet mostly gives all the information needed. If you don’t find the information you needed you must be very careful.

What are gallstones? Can you tell me the foods preventing them?

2010-11-19T06:23:00.002+01:00

Bile, made in the liver, is stored in gallbladder and it contains water, cholesterol, fat, bilirubin and bile salts. Bile is released from the gallbladder into the small intestine to digest fat. If the bile has too much of bile salts, fats, bilirubin and cholesterol, it can harden into stones.

There are two types of stones, one is cholesterol stones which accounts for about 80% and the rest is bilirubin stones. The stones can be very tiny or as big as a plum and there may be one big stone or hundreds of tiny stones and almost in each possible combination. About 80% of the stones are harmless and not at all detected. Gallstones come with age; obese women get it three times more often than men and are also hereditary.

Gallstones can prevent the flow of bile in the small intestine by blocking the ducts. Other ducts like pancreatic duct, opens in the common bile duct to bring its enzymes to the small intestine. The problem here is the trapped digestive enzymes of the pancreas cause an extremely painful inflammation. If it is blocked for a considerable time, severe damage is possible for liver, gallbladder or pancreas.

The symptoms of this serious problem include:

• Fever
• Jaundice
• Continuous heavy pain.

Diet plays a vital role here because it can influence the amount of cholesterol in the bile, thus preventing the formation of the gallstones. Certain foods can keep cholesterol in solution at the same time they can expel stones into the duct, causing a very painful gallbladder attack.

Increase the intake of water soluble fibre by eating fruits and vegetables. The recommended foods are apples, artichokes, grapefruit, lemon, watermelon, beet roots, broccoli, spinach, celery, carrots, fennel, radish, garlic, barley and olive oil. The non-vegetarian can take fish, turkey without skin and chicken without skin in very small quantities, but they should not forget to take enough fruits and vegetables. This is the best way to treat gallstones is to prevent them.

Whole grains and products and healthy plant oils must also be the part of the food.

The foods to avoid include:

• Meat or meat products,
• Red meat
• Pork
• Egg
• Milk
• Oily or fatty foods
• Spicy foods
• Fast foods
• Junk foods
• Processed foods
• Corn
• Beans
• Nuts
• Onions

If we take less fibre but a lot of sugar, then it is a risk factor. You need not avoid sugar but eat very moderately and take more fruits and vegetables to get enough fibres.

Coffee directly, with no milk or sugar and with or without caffeine, can stimulate the gallbladder to contract, probably bringing a gallbladder attack. It is better to avoid coffee if you are prone to gallstone attacks.

Avoid smoking and tobacco products.

The skipping of breakfast or not eating for a long time may lead to gallstones. We need food so that bile acids keep cholesterol in solution to prevent the formation of gallstone.

Overweight is a risk in women for gallstones and it is better to reduce the weight. But, do not forget, losing weight very quickly gives only the adverse result. It is better to reduce less than three kilos per month.

Physical activities are important. Select according to your time and health. It is better to consult with your doctor before you start.

Can you tell me about erectile dysfunction?

2010-11-18T01:15:00.001+01:00

Erectile dysfunction is the repeated inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. Impotence is used as a general term for erectile dysfunction, lack of sexual desire, problems with ejaculation and orgasm. Erectile dysfunction is a taboo theme in our world. Several hundred million men have this problem. Erectile dysfunction can be a sign of a health condition which needs treatment and it may be heart disease or poorly controlled or not yet diagnosed diabetes. There may be psychological factors also for this problem.

The brain, nerves, muscles, blood vessels, hormones and emotions play a vital role in male’s sexual arousal and this process is very complex. Problems with any of these can cause erectile dysfunction. Physical and psychological problems can also cause erectile dysfunction or even worsen it.

The physical causes include:

• Low testosterone
• High blood pressure
• Clogged blood vessels
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Overweight and obesity
• Excess alcohol
• Smoking or other tobacco use
• Drugs abuse
• Many prescription medications
• Damage to nerves, arteries, smooth muscles and fibrous tissues
• Diseases like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, prostate cancer, Peyronie’s disease etc.
• Injuries or surgeries which affect the pelvic area and the spinal cord
• Prolonged bicycling

The psychological causes of erectile dysfunction include:

• Stress
• Fatigue
• Depression, anxiety or other mental diseases
• Relationship problems
• Poor communication with partner leading to misunderstandings and problems

Side effects of prescribed medicines can cause erectile dysfunction. More than 100 mostly used drugs have this side effect. These prescribed medicines include antidepressants, antihistamines, medicines to treat high blood pressure, pain killers or medicines to treat prostate cancer.

The illegal drugs like, amphetamines, party drugs, barbiturates, cocaine, cannabis, heroin and others can cause erectile dysfunction.

Erectile dysfunction is a serious problem which can cause an unsatisfactory sex life for the couple, marital or relationship problems, stress, anxiety and low self-esteem. Another big problem is the inability to get his wife pregnant.

Erectile Dysfunction is treatable at all ages.

If you have problems it is better to contact your family doctor and he can send you to a urology specialist. Physical examination, blood test, urine analysis, ultrasound and overnight erection test are the usual procedures to begin with.

The treatments must proceed from least to most invasive. Quitting smoking, avoiding excess alcohol, losing excess weight and increasing physical activity may help some men to regain sexual function. If erectile dysfunction is a side effect from your medicine consult with your doctor to change that medicine. This is possible with high blood pressure drugs.

The treatments include:

• Psychotherapy – is used to decrease or remove the anxiety associated with love making. Here the patient’s wife can help for the gradual development of intimacy and stimulation.
• Drug therapy – the drugs can be taken orally, injected directly into the penis or inserted into the urethra at the tip of the penis. We all know well about Viagra, Levitra and Cialis. The tablet can be taken an hour before sexual activity. These drugs enhance the effects of nitric oxide, a chemical which relaxes smooth muscles in the penis during sexual stimulation and allows increased blood flow. Only one tablet should be used in a day. All these have side effects and so the doctor must be consulted before taking. Persons using medicines to decrease blood pressure must be very careful, otherwise it can cause sudden drop in blood pressure which can be fatal. Testosterone, the male sex hormone is often ineffective and may cause liver damage. Many men achieve stronger erections by injecting drugs into the penis. These drugs widen the blood vessels, thus a good blood supply to penis. There is a system available to insert a pellet of alprostadil into the urethra and the erection begins within 8 to 10 minutes and may last 30 to 60 minutes. Intensive research is going on in this sector to develop better medicines.
• Vacuum Devices – mechanical vacuum devises can cause erection by creating a partial vacuum which draws more blood into the penis and expanding it.
• Surgery – very invasive, consult with your doctor.

Have more fun in your life with good knowledge in everything…

Can you tell me the foods rich in magnesium?

2010-11-16T05:14:00.001+01:00

Magnesium is an essential mineral for human health. More than 300 enzymes in the body contain magnesium and thus it is important for several metabolic functions. It is vital for the contraction and relaxation of muscles, involved in the synthesis of protein, supports calcium in bone formation and plays a role in regulating the blood pressure are the few from many to mention. The recommended daily requirements of magnesium for adult women and men are 310 and 400 mg respectively. Pregnant women and breastfeeding women need 360 to 400 mg daily. But, only few get their required magnesium from their food. Almost no one takes so much of magnesium from the diet. Therefore, it is important to know the foods rich in magnesium.

Try to include magnesium rich foods daily in your diet. The foods rich in magnesium include:

• Halibut
• Tuna
• Pumpkin and squash seeds
• Beans, black
• Beans, kidney
• Beans, Lima
• Beans, navy
• Beans, Pinto
• Soy beans
• Okra
• Groundnuts
• Almonds
• Brazil nuts
• Cashew nuts
• Pine nuts
• Walnut
• Coconut
• Banana
• Rockfish
• Scallop
• Oysters
• Soy milk
• Tofu
• Barley
• Brown rice
• Oat bran
• Buckwheat
• Wholegrain wheat
• Corn meal
• Broccoli
• Artichokes
• Beet, green
• Chickpeas
• Cowpeas
• Peas, frozen
• Lentils
• Figs, dried
• Prunes
• Yogurt, low fat
• Sweet potatoes
• Potatoes
• Tomato paste

Meat, egg and milk contain only less magnesium.
If you think you are not getting enough magnesium from food you can go for supplements. You must consult with your doctor before taking it because the following points must be considered:

• Excess magnesium has side effects
• Interferes with many medicines, can decrease or increase their effects

People with heart or kidney disease should not take magnesium supplements except under their doctor’s supervision. Be careful with children and do not give them magnesium supplements without doctor’s prescription.

If you have muscle cramps it is not always the magnesium deficiency. Low dehydration can also cause muscle cramps. It is better to drink a glass of water and wait for few minutes. 90% get immediate relief.

If you want to test your magnesium status in your blood ask your clinical laboratory to estimate the magnesium level in the red blood cells. The blood plasma has always the normal level as it is compensated regularly from the red blood cells if there is loss or deficiency. Thus the plasma level is useless.

Red wine; is resveratrol really healthy?

2010-11-15T03:51:00.002+01:00

As we all know “French Paradox” is no more a riddle. Although the French eat more fatty foods than the Americans and the others they have lower incidence of coronary heart diseases. Lot of research has been done on this subject and the answer to this puzzle is resveratrol, polyphenol which limits the bad effects of fatty foods and even smoking. Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant present in the red wine. The French consume regularly wine mixed with drinking water.

Red wine contains a complex mixture of bioactive plant-chemicals and they include:

• Resveratrol, the stilbene polyphenol
• Anthacyanins
• Phenolic acids
• Flavonols
• Monomeric and polymeric flavan-3-ols

Resveratrol is the most studied substance and it and some of the above plant-chemicals appear to have health benefits. It is a good antioxidant.

The health benefits of resveratrol and other plant-chemicals include:

• To prevent and treat cancer
• To protect the heart from cardiovascular diseases
• To prevent stroke
• To prevent diabetes
• To prevent inflammation
• To prevent neurodegenerative disorders
• Has antiviral effects
• May help to reduce weight in obese persons

If you have a glass of red wine the alcohol present can enlarge the blood vessels and this helps heart’s health by decreasing the blood pressure. But if you drink more the blood vessels are narrowed and the heart has to pump hard that results the increase of blood pressure.

Pregnant women and breast-feeding mothers must avoid alcohol including red wine. Dry alcoholics may go for the resveratrol supplements. It is better to consult your doctor before taking the supplement.

Can you tell me about the hereditary diseases?

2010-11-14T19:25:00.001+01:00

A hereditary disease is a disease that is passed from one generation to the next through genes. Genes are part of DNA. That is why it can also be called a genetic disease. We know well the hereditary risk in diabetes, coronary heart diseases, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and colon cancer very clearly. The corresponding genes can be identified and estimated to calculate the increased risk. At the same time we should not forget that lifestyle, overweight or obesity, alcohol and tobacco use and no or little physical activity play a vital role in many diseases. Along with these the environmental and occupational exposure to toxins, poisons and chemicals increase also the total risk of many diseases.

Thousands of genetic disorders are already known and it is sure the research will find more in the future too. Few important hereditary diseases are given below and they include:

• Achromatopsia - the inability to perceive color and to achieve satisfactory visual acuity at high light levels
• Adrenal Hypoplasia Congenita - reduced function of adrenal gland; mainly males are affected
• Adrenoleukodystrophy or Siemerling-Creutzfeldt Disease or Schilder's disease - progressive brain damage
• Aicardi Syndrome - partial or complete absence of a key structure in brain, the corpus callosum
• Albinism/Hypopigmentation - little or no melanin pigment in eyes, skin and hair
• Alexander Disease - neurodegenerative disease which destroys myelin
• Alpers' Disease or progressive neuronal degeneration of childhood with liver disease (PNDC) or Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome - progressive neurological degenerative disease that severely affects the brain and liver
• Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency - decreased A1AT activity in blood & lungs; most common among whites
• Alzheimer's disease – a degenerative brain disease that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior
• Amblyopia or lazy eye (poor or indistinct vision or out of proportion to associated structural abnormalities in an eye that is otherwise physically normal)
• Angelman Syndrome - primarily affects the nervous system; this condition include developmental delay, intellectual disability, severe speech impairment, and problems with movement and balance. Most affected children also have recurrent epilepsy seizures and a small head size
• Anencephaly - a condition present at birth that affects the formation of the brain and the skull bones that surround the head
• Aniridia - underdevelopment or absence of the eye's iris
• Anophthalmia - congenital absence of the globe and eye tissue from the orbit in one or both eyes
• Ataxia Telangiectasia - affects the nervous system, immune system, and other body systems; characterized by progressive difficulty with coordinating movements beginning in early childhood, usually before age 5
• Autism - usually first diagnosed in early childhood; brain development disorder with symptoms that involve communication, social interactions and repetitive behaviors
• Bardet-Biedl Syndrome - affects the brain and can cause multiple physical problems including a deterioration of the intellect and neurological functions. It sometimes affects eyesight, a degeneration of light-sensitive cells in the periphery of the retina and causes night blindness, tunnel vision, decreased visual acuity, and extreme sensitivity of the eyes to light. Other symptoms of Bardet-Biedl syndrome may include extra toes and/or fingers, mental retardation, kidney disease and obesity
• Barth Syndrome - a serious X-linked genetic disorder, primarily affecting males. It is caused by a mutation in the tafazzin gene resulting in an inborn error of lipid metabolism
• Batten Disease - a fatal, inherited disorder of the nervous system that begins in childhood
• Best's Disease - a genetic disease that causes blindness by destroying the macula in the center of the retina
• Bipolar Disorder or manic depression - psychiatric mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or more depressive episodes. The elevated moods are clinically referred to as mania or, if milder, hypomania
• Bloom Syndrome - characterized by a high frequency of breaks and rearrangements chromosomes. People with Bloom syndrome are much smaller than average, and often have a high-pitched voice and characteristic facial features including a long, narrow face; small lower jaw; and prominent nose and ears. They tend to develop pigmentation changes and dilated blood vessels in the skin, particularly in response to sun exposure
• Branchio-Oto-Renal Syndrome - an autosomal dominant condition characterized by ear abnormalities, hearing loss, cysts in the neck, and kidney problems
• Canavan Syndrome - an inherited disorder that causes progressive damage to nerve cells in the brain
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease or hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy - affects the nerves in your arms and legs; loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation
• Cleft Lip/Cleft Palate - birth defects in which the tissues of the mouth or lip don't form properly during fetal development
• Coffin Lowry Syndrome - head/facial and skeletal abnormalities, mental retardation and delayed development
• Coloboma - a hole in one of the structures of the eye, such as the iris, retina, choroid or optic disc
• Color Blindness - major types are red-green color vision defects, blue-yellow color vision defects and a complete absence of color vision.
• Congenital Heart Defects - a defect in the structure of the heart and great vessels which is present at birth
• Congenital Hip Dysplasia - an abnormal formation of the hip joint in which the ball at the top of the thighbone is not stable in the socket, dislocated
• Connective Tissue Disorders – a disorder that change the look and growth of skin, bones, joints, heart, blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and ears. Can change how these tissues work
• Cooley's Anemia/ Thalassemia - caused by mutations in the beta chain of the hemoglobin molecule
• Corneal Dystrophy - one or more parts of the cornea lose their normal clarity due to a buildup of cloudy material
• Cornelia de Lange Syndrome - can lead to severe developmental anomalies. It affects both the physical and mental development of a child
• Cystic Fibrosis or mucoviscidosis - a common disease which affects the entire body, causing progressive disability and often early death
• Cystinosis - a metabolic disease in which the amino acid cystine gets into the cells, but has no transporter to bring it out and the cell crystallizes causing early cell death
• Developmental Disabilities - birth defects that cause lifelong problems
• Diabetes - metabolic diseases in with high blood sugar
• Down Syndrome - a chromosomal disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome; impairment of cognitive ability, physical growth and facial appearance
• Duane Syndrome - a rare, congenital eye movement disorder most commonly characterized by the inability of the eye to move outwards
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome - inherited disorders that weaken connective tissues
• Epidermolysis Bullosa - an inherited connective tissue disease causing blisters in the skin and mucosal membranes
• Familial Dysautonomia - affects the development and survival of certain nerve cells
• Familial Mediterranean Fever - recurrent attacks of fever, inflammation of the abdominal lining, the lining surrounding the lungs, painful, swollen joints and a characteristic ankle rash
• Fanconi Anemia - aninherited blood disorder that leads to bone marrow failure and can affect many of the body's organs, tissues, and systems
• Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva - disorder in which muscle tissue and connective tissue such as tendons and ligaments are gradually replaced by bone, forming bone outside the skeleton
• Fragile X Syndrome – an inherited mental impairment; can range from learning disabilities to more severe cognitive or intellectual disabilities. It is the most common known cause of autism or "autistic-like" behaviors
• G6PD (Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase) Deficiency Anemia - the most common human enzyme defect
• Galactosemia - a metabolic disorder that affects the ability to metabolize the sugar galactose
• Gaucher Disease - a genetic disease in which a lipids (fats) accumulates in cells and certain organs; deficiency of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase
• Gilbert's Syndrome - a common, mild liver disorder in which the liver doesn't properly process bilirubin. Bilirubin is the breakdown product of red blood cells
• Glaucoma - leads to blindness by damaging the optic nerve
• Hemochromatosis - excessive absorption of dietary iron with deposits of iron in the body
• Hemoglobin C Disease - an autosomal recessive disorder that causes mild hemolytic anemia
• Hemophilia/Bleeding Disorders - inefficient control over blood clotting or coagulation
• Hirschsprung's Disease - a disease of the large intestine that causes severe constipation or intestinal obstruction
• Homocystinuria - disorder of the metabolism of the amino acid methionine
• Huntington's Disease - a disorder passed down through families in which certain nerve cells in the brain waste away, or degenerate
• Hurler Syndrome - disorder of metabolism; deficiency of alpha-L iduronidase
• Klinefelter Syndrome - a term used to describe males who have an extra X chromosome in most of their cells, XXY instead of XY
• Krabbe Disease - fatal degenerative disorder of nervous system
• Leber Congenital Amaurosis - a degenerative disease that results in a severe loss of vision
• Leukodystrophies - are rare diseases that affect the cells of the brain, specifically the myelin sheath that surrounds and protects nerve cells
• Long Q-T Syndrome - a heart rhythm disorder that can cause fast, chaotic heartbeats
• Marfan Syndrome - disorder of the connective tissue
• Marshall-Smith Syndrome - disorder characterized by advanced bone age at birth, broad forehead, prominent eyes, and small chin
• McCune-Albright Syndrome - affects the bones and color (pigmentation) of the skin
• Menkes Disease - is an inborn error of metabolism that markedly decreases the cells' ability to absorb copper
• Metabolic Disorders - metabolic disorder occurs when abnormal chemical reactions in the body disrupt metabolism
• Mitochondrial Disease - group of neuromuscular diseases caused by damage to the mitochondria-small, energy-producing structures that serve as the cells' power house
• Mucolipidoses - a group of inherited metabolic diseases that affect the body’s ability to carry out the normal turnover of various materials within cells
• Mucopolysaccharide Disorders - are a group of metabolic disorders caused by the absence or malfunctioning of lysosomal enzymes needed to break down molecules called glycosaminoglycans, the long chain carbohydrates
• Muscular Dystrophy - refers to hereditary muscle diseases that weaken the muscles that move the human body
• Neonatal Onset Multisystem Inflammatory Disease - a disorder that causes persistent inflammation and tissue damage primarily affecting the nervous system, skin, and joints
• Neurofibromatosis - growth of tumors in nerve tissues
• Niemann-Pick Disease - fatal inherited metabolic disorders
• Noonan Syndrome - a developmental disorder with unusual facial characteristics, short stature, heart defects, bleeding problems, and skeletal malformations, eye abnormalities occur and problems with language and speech
• Optic Atrophy - loss of some or most of the fibers of the optic nerve
• Osteogenesis Imperfecta - a genetic bone disorder
• Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome - development of growths called hamartomatous polyps in the gastrointestinal tract; particularly in the stomach
• Phenylketonuria (PKU) - deficiency in enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase
• Polycystic Kidney Disease - multiple cysts in both kidneys
• Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum - deposits of calcium and other minerals in elastic fibers, which are a component of connective tissue. Connective tissue provides strength and flexibility to structures throughout the body
• Progeria - accelerated aging at an early age
• Ptosis - "drooping eyelid” is caused by weakness of the muscle responsible for raising the eyelid, damage to the nerves that control those muscles, or looseness of the skin of the upper eyelids
• Rentinitis Pigmentosa - a degenerative, inherited eye condition which affects the retina, resulting in progressive vision loss
• Scheie Syndrome - an inherited disease of metabolism in which the body cannot properly break down long chains of sugar molecules called glycosaminoglycans
• Schizophrenia - a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder
• Severe Combined Immunodeficiency - rare, sometimes fatal, congenital disorders characterized by little or no immune response
• Sickle Cell Anemia - abnormal, rigid, sickle shape of red blood cells
• Skeletal Dysplasias - a group of congenital abnormalities of the bone and cartilage that are characterized by short stature
• Smith-Magenis Syndrome - developmental disorder with a broad, square-shaped face with deep-set eyes, full cheeks, and a prominent lower jaw
• Spherocytosis - a genetic disorder of the red blood cell membrane clinically characterized by anemia, jaundice and enlargement of the spleen
• Spina Bifida - a developmental birth defect caused by the incomplete closure of the embryonic neural tube
• Spinocerebellar Ataxia - a degeneration of the spinal cord and the cerebellum, the small fissured mass at the base of the brain
• Stargardt Disease - inherited diseases causing light-sensitive cells in the inner back of the eye (retina) to deteriorate, particularly in the area of the macula where fine focusing occurs
• Stickler Syndrome - hereditary conditions characterized by a distinctive facial appearance, eye abnormalities, hearing loss and joint problems
• Tay-Sachs Disease - born without one of those important enzymes, Hexosaminidase A; then fatty proteins build up in the brain, they hurt the baby's sight, hearing, movement, and mental development
• Treacher Collins Syndrome - a condition that affects the development of bones and other tissues in the face
• Tuberous Sclerosis - two genetic disorders that affect the skin, brain/nervous system, kidneys, and heart, and cause tumors to grow
• Turner's Syndrome - a genetic disorder that affects a girl's development; only one X chromosome in each cell of a female
• Urea Cycle Disorder - a genetic disorder caused by a deficiency of one of the enzymes in the urea cycle which is responsible for removing ammonia from the blood stream
• Usher's Syndrome - an autosomal recessive condition that affects both hearing and vision
• Velocardiofacial Syndrome - characterized by cleft palate, heart abnormalities, learning disabilities, and over 180 other clinical findings
• von Hippel-Lindau Disease - an inherited disorder characterized by the formation of tumors and fluid-filled sacs (cysts) in many different parts of the body
• Werner Syndrome - a premature aging disease that begins in adolescence or early adulthood and results in the appearance of old age by 30-40 years of age
• Williams Syndrome - a rare neurodevelopmental disorder with "elfin" facial appearance, along with a low nasal bridge
• Xeroderma Pigmentosum - deficient ability to repair damage caused by ultraviolet (UV) light
• Triple X Syndrome - an extra X chromosome in each cell of a female with an increased risk of learning disabilities and delayed development of speech and language skills. Delayed development of motor skills (such as sitting and walking), weak muscle tone, and behavioral and emotional difficulties
• XYY Syndrome - an extra Y chromosome in each cell of a male with Learning disabilities, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, and minor behavioral disorders

The genes decide what we are…

Suspend manufacture, import of anti-obesity drug: DCGI. Sibutramine was found to have serious side effects…

2010-11-13T02:35:00.002+01:00

NEW DELHI: The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Friday ordered the “suspension” of the manufacture and import of anti-obesity drug Sibutramine after the medicine showed serious side effects, including heart attack, among some users. The DCGI also recommended to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare a total ban on the sale of the drug.

It proposes the setting up of various committees to oversee the safety of drugs and also the feasibility of introducing new drugs in India.

The suspension order was issued under Section 26 (A) of Drugs and Cosmetic Act, with immediate effect, with the DCGI also seeking a total prohibition on its manufacture and sale in the open market. The ban has to be formally notified by the Health Ministry on the recommendation of the DCGI.

The decision was taken following recommendations of an expert committee comprising pharmacologist Y.K. Gupta (All-India Institute of Medical Sciences), endocrinologist A.C. Ammini (AIIMS) and S.D. Seth (Institute of Clinical Research) and Anoop Misra (Fortis Hospital).

Orlistate is now the only drug in the market for obesity-management and weight loss, though many new drugs are expected to be in the market shortly.
The decision to ban Sibutramine, sold under different brand names, was taken after studies found it increased the risk of heart attack, stroke and death. The drug has already been banned in the United States, Canada and Australia and was withdrawn in China on Tuesday. The European Medicine Agency (EMA) too has recommended complete withdrawal of this drug.

The preliminary reports of the “scout trials” on Sibutramine showed increase in heart rate and blood pressure among users. This was further confirmed in the final finding of the trial, promoting the government to take prohibitory action.
This is the third drug relating to diabetes and obesity that has been banned in India in the last one-and-half years.

Last month, the government banned the import and manufacture Rosiglitazone, an anti-diabetic drug. Rosiglitazone is already banned in Europe after users experienced serious side effects, including cardiovascular events and adverse effects on lipid profile.

Prior to that, anti-obesity pill Rimonabant was banned in March 2009 after it was found to cause depression and suicidal tendencies.

One of the most commonly prescribed medicines for weight loss and obesity management, Sibutramine has been available in India since 1999. It is manufactured and marketed by over 20 generic companies under various brand names.

Special Correspondent, The Hindu
© Copyright 2000 - 2009
Date:13/11/2010

URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2010/11/13/stories/2010111368382400.htm

Stop taking this drug…

This is a very good and wise decision…Thanks to the authorities and to The Hindu…

Dr. K. Padmanaban, Clinical Toxicologist

Must I eat the costly fruits or fruit products to be healthy?

2010-11-10T05:57:00.002+01:00

This is a very good question. Fruits are very important for our health. 4 to 5 servings a day can reduce the risk of many diseases which kills hundreds of millions persons in our world. The examples are coronary heart diseases and cancer. The antioxidants present in the fruits are necessary for the detoxification of the body. Fruits play a vital role in scavenging the aggressive and dangerous oxygen and other free radicals. Many of us know this and even then not enough fruits are eaten. Others buy the costly frozen berries from a foreign country or spend huge amount of money to buy fruit powders or juices. Are they worthy for these high prices?

In our modern time we all have no time. We run the whole day and have no time even to think. The money is not the problem for many. These persons think in a different way. The advertisements in the modern media and the personal approach of persons who sell these costly products make them to think that costly products are good for their health. They buy these and regularly take them. Are they really as healthy as praised always?

Fruits are healthy not only because they have vitamin C and other antioxidants. There are more than 10000 phytochemicals are already identified from the fruits and every day new substances are identified. Fruits have good fiber. Therefore, eating the ripe fruits is the best for our health. There are tens of thousands of fruits in our world if we consider the different varieties too. Only the rainforests of South America has more than 3000 fruits. The Indians who live there eat more than 2000 fruits. But, the Western world eats only 200 fruits from there. All the fruits available in our world are not analyzed completely for their nutrients and non-nutrients as few of the fruits which are marketed for high prices.

Fruits are grown throughout the world. According to the climate we get different fruits. In the same country the tropical plains have different fruits than the high mountains with their mild or cold climate. It is possible to get everywhere fruits and it is better to eat these fruits. Some of these fruits are far better than the costly fruits and fruit products. If you eat fruit you can select according to their color. They are:

• Red fruits – have nutrients such as ellagic acid, lycopene, quercetin and many others. These are good to lower blood pressure, reduce LDL-cholesterol levels, can scavenge free radicals and reduce the risk of prostate cancer. They have the power to reduce tumor growth.

• Orange / yellow fruits – contain beta-carotene, flavonoids, lycopene, vitamin C, zeaxanthin and many others. These are good to lower blood pressure, reduce LDL-cholesterol levels, can scavenge free radicals, have anti aging properties and reduce the risk of prostate cancer. They help in the formation of collagen and healthy joints. It is useful to keep the body alkaline.

• Green fruits – contain fiber, folic acid, vitamin C, lutein, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin and many others. These can reduce cancer risk, can lower blood pressure, reduce LDL-cholesterol and support digestion. They can boost immune system and good free radical scavengers.

• Blue and purple fruits – contain resveratrol, lutein, fiber, flavonoids, ellagic acid, quercetin, zeaxanthin and many others. These help to lower blood pressure, lower LDL-cholesterol, can boost immune system, support digestion, can limit the activity of cancer cells and as such act as an anticarcinogens.

• White fruits – contain betaglucans, epigallocatechin gallate, ligans that boost immune system and many others. These nutrients can also activate natural killer cells and thus reduce the risk of breast, colon and prostate cancer. These balance the hormone levels and thus reducing the risk of hormone- related cancers. Banana, brown pears, white nectarines and white peaches are few in this group.

When you go to the market you can notice the different could fruits and buy and eat them.

The healthy fruits in the Western countries include:

• Apple
• Banana
• Blackberry
• Blueberry
• Cantaloupe
• Cherry
• Cranberry
• Dried fig
• Gojiberry
• Grape
• Pink grapefruit
• Kiwi
• Mango
• Orange
• Papaya
• Peach
• Pear
• Plum
• Pineapple
• Pomegranate
• Prune
• Raspberry
• Strawberry
• Tomato
• Watermelon
It is better to eat fresh fruits. If the above fruits are not available in your place eat the local fruits and these are as good as the above.

Another important thing is the influence on our environment. If the fruits are produced in one corner of the world, processed and transported to another corner of the world the negative impact on environment is great. Use the ripe local fruits, be happy and be healthy.

Good fruits have no use if you have a bad lifestyle and take only processed, fast and junk foods. Change your lifestyle and food and the fruits can make wonder. Never forget the physical activities.

It is difficult for me to understand women; can you tell me the difference between men and women?

2010-11-08T03:52:00.002+01:00

It is an interesting question. Let us try to find some answer for this. A woman/man has the same nature that a man/woman has, the same human rights to life, job, liberty and of course, the pursuit of happiness. At the same time both has the same human duties in all the fields starting from childhood to old age. Even then, a woman is different than man in many respects, not only in their anatomy. Are women and men really different? What are the evidences on the psychological level that women and men are the same or different?

Many think that women and men are entirely different. But if you see many psychological studies they reveal that 80% men and women are same in their thoughts. In the other qualities they are different, you could say almost entirely. These qualities include:

• Men think broadly, today you can say globally but women fix or focus on deep details or they are subtle.
• Men take risk in all their activities but women want to guard their knowledge they find and pass it on others too.
• Men want to be independent where mostly the women co-operate.
• Men get satisfaction from career and wealth, but women value the families more.
• Women usually make lower self-judgment than men.
• Men give priority to their personal goals and women show priority to their relationship.
• Men get more sickness than women, but women concern more about their health than men.
• Women handle individually and ready to suffer hardship and pain better than men.
• Men tend to prioritize their personal goals, while women tend to prioritize relationships.
• Men tend to get sick more than women, but women tend to be more concerned with their health than men.
• Women tend to handle monotony and endure hardship and pain better than men.

These are some of the recent findings with respect to the psychological nature and functioning of both sexes. I would like to warn you that infancy, culture and genetic factors play a major role which we cannot simply ignore. That is why it is more difficult to say whether they are same or different but we must accept that they are individuals irrespective of women or men.
There are differences in daily life also and it may be different in different countries, cultures and in races. Surprisingly, here also men act or do differently than women. Here I could tell you some of these points which include:

• Maturity – Women mature much faster than men. In Western countries most of the 19 year old women have already well paid jobs, own rental apartments, own car, go for holidays and her boy friend, may be 25 or 26 still studying and completely immature for life.
• When men and women see television each reacts very differently.
• If they have to write something the men scratch quickly and women decorate their writings.
• Most of the men have only few items in their bathroom and there are enough women in the world who have more than 400 items in their bathroom. This is applicable to shoes also.
• Mostly women make a list of things she needs and buys. But, men wait till his fridge is empty, goes to the shop and buys everything which he finds or looks good. Usually there are more unnecessary things also.
• Men see telephone or cell phone as a communication instrument and talk shortly or send short sms. Women come back from her girlfriend’s house and upon returning home she will call the same friend and talk to her several hours.
• The women sometimes admit making a mistake, but the men almost never admit their mistake.
• Women like film stars like Richard Gere and others, but men do not like them because they remind them only cheap persons who dates only married or older woman.
• A woman knows all about her children – their favorite friends, foods, dreams, sport-, music-, and doctor- appointments. Normally, a man is not aware of these things.
• Whatever women do or go out they will dress up good, but the men will dress up for his office, weddings or to funerals in the same way.
• Men love to talk about politics, but many do not go for voting. Women are interested in politics if they like the politician or the politician is a woman. Mostly, they go regularly for voting.
• Women wash their clothes very often and men do not do.
• Little girl children love to play with toys and mostly at the age of 11 or 12 they lose interest except their doll and Teddy Bear. But men lose this interest never, only with age the toy is different, mini cars to video games or more expensive things.
• Women are good to water plants in the rooms. If the man does this work when his wife or girlfriend is not there after a weak most of the plants are dead. Usually he over waters the plants.
• Women love cats and dogs and men say they also love cats and dogs. But when the women are not looking the men kick these animals.
• A man does not call a relationship a relationship. If a relationship breaks the man suffers a lot because his property is gone. The sufferings sometimes last lifelong. The woman will cry, pour her heart out to her girl or homosexual men friends, and think that all men are idiots. Then she makes a full stop and get on with her life.
• Women prefer more closeness and at least 30 – 45 minutes foreplay and men prefer 30 to 45 seconds.
• During menopause a woman goes through a variety of complicated biological, emotional and psychological changes. These changes are different in different women. The men have the same during menopause – buying modern things which normally young men buy, take a girl friend in her early twenties and buy Porsche or big BMW or big Mercedes Benz.

One more theme which is discussed very hot is who is better, men or women? If you see the education, social and demographic trends in our world here the women lead. But whether they get their share or not, is entirely a different thing.

A recent study in USA says the women are leading in the following points:
Women are better because they are

• Honest
• Intelligent
• Compassionate
• Outgoing
• Creative

Men are better because they are

• Decisive

Both are equal in

• Hard working
• Ambitious

Women make lot of progress in all the countries but they seldom come to the top in political or corporate leadership. The reasons are gender discrimination, not willing to change and the “male unity” in this particular question. Others say diplomatically that the women lack experience and their family responsibility is the reason for this.

If we take men and women in Public Office the results are very interesting. The women have better performance skills in

• Working out compromises
• Keeping government honest
• Representing public interests
• Standing up what they believe

In Policy matters

• Dealing with social issues

The men are better in Policy matters and they include:

• Dealing with crime and public safety
• Dealing with national security and defense

These are very important points which decide much in the future. At the same time I find the discussions who is the best cook or best driver are only there to talk and to have fun among men and women.

But we could not deny the facts that in schools and colleges or universities more women are studying than men. If you see the results the women are always on the top and this will have a strong impact in the future in social, political, economical, financial and industrial fields. Nobody could deny this.

The difference in thinking about sex is not dealt here.

Is it clear for you now? If not read it once again…

I’m a Malayali and working in Dubai; rice, chapathi and chicken always; can you recommend me more to be healthy?

2010-11-07T07:49:00.003+01:00

I know the food habit of many Malayalis working in UAE. Rice, chapathi and chicken are good foods, but they do not give you all the nutrients necessary for our metabolism. Too much of carbohydrates and protein can increase the blood sugar and thus the blood fat, triglycerides. This is a risk factor for heart diseases. They are also the reason for weight gain and type-2 diabetes. Too much of chicken has other saturated fats and this increases the risk. Moreover, the body becomes acidic and loses the valuable calcium from your bones. That is why we need vegetables and fruits every day.

I will try to help you and many others who also eat like you to do the best in your / their situation. They include:

• Reduce the amount of rice, chapathi and chicken so that the weight and blood sugar are under control. Eat daily a handful of nuts.

• Poly saturated fats like omega-3 fats are very important for our health. Try to eat twice in a week fatty fish. If not possible, buy fish oil capsules and take one in the morning, midday and in the evening after your meals.

• Surely you will get frozen vegetables there. These are as good as or better than fresh vegetables. No cleaning or cutting is necessary and you can make your vegetable curry in 10 minutes. If it is not possible there are natural food supplements that you can take.

• If fruits are costly or not available try to get dry fruits and you can take this, 20 to 30 g twice in a day.

• Take one vitamin B complex tablet everyday if you are a pure vegetarian to get the vitamin B12.

• Take one 500 mg vitamin C tablet in a day as magnesium and vitamin C keep the blood vessels clean. Moreover, vitamin C is an important antioxidant.

• Use milk and dairy products, but not in excess. The minimum amount needed is enough.

• Women in child bearing age must take one vitamin B complex tablet every day. If they plan for a baby this must be taken before pregnancy so that the folic acid in the vitamin B complex helps to produce normal cell division in the embryo. It is of no use and late if you take after you know that you are pregnant.

• If you have iron deficiency and low hemoglobin level take one vitamin C tablet after every meal. During this period black or green tea must be avoided after the meals. Cucumber must also be avoided. If you are very particular to drink tea or eat cucumber take them in between meals. Eggs and red meat are very good sources of iron. Do not eat too much cheese or drink too much of milk during your meal. Excess calcium disturbs the absorption of iron from our small intestine. Avoid iron tablets. This will bring more problems only.

• Premenopausal and menopausal women can take calcium and vitamin D tablets in between two meals. Two hours after the intake of the tablets only you can take your meals.

• Do not smoke.

• Avoid alcohol; social drinking is two drinks for a man and one drink for a woman, that also only 3 to 4 times in a week. It is better to avoid if you cannot control the amount. Dry alcoholics should not touch alcohol. Never believe your husband when he says that his doctor told him that brandy is good for his health. No doctor will give this recommendation.

• Have enough physical activities. Walking quickly, jogging, riding bicycle and swimming are good. Select according to your convenience and do it for 30 minutes 5 to 6 days in a week.

Have you more questions? Feel free to ask me and you get always an answer from me. It is in your hands to be healthy. Be healthy and be happy….

Can you tell me what causes gallstones?

2010-11-06T07:21:00.002+01:00

The gallbladder is a small pear shaped organ located just below the liver in the upper right part of the abdomen. The bile produced in the liver is stored in the gallbladder until the body needs it. Bile is secreted from the gallbladder into the small intestine during the process of fat digestion and absorption from the food. Bile has water, bile salts, fats, cholesterol, protein and bilirubin. We all produce small gallbladder stones which we never notice. When bile crystallizes into big stones the problem starts. Bile can harden if there is too much of bile salts, cholesterol or bilirubin in it. Gallstones are stones that form in the gallbladder or bile ducts.

There are two main types of gallstone and they are:

• Cholesterol stones – 80% are cholesterol stones. They are made mostly of hardened cholesterol and are usually yellowish – green in color.

• Bilirubin stones – 20% are bilirubin stones and are also called as pigment stones. They are made of biliruben, usually small and have a dark color.

Very rarely calcium is also present in bilirubin stones.

Gallstones can be very small or can be as big as a golf ball. Many people who have gallstones do not have any symptoms. The ducts can be blocked and this can cause excess pain and inflammation. Liver, gallbladder and pancreas can be affected.

The causes or risk factors for gallstones include:

• Diabetes – the increased triglycerides are the risk factor here.

• Crohn’s disease – the patients have less bile acids to keep the cholesterol in the solution and these results gallstones.

• Other diseases - cirrhosis of the liver, sickle cell disease and thalassemia are also risk factors of bilirubin gallstones.

• Cholesterol-lowering drugs – these can reduce the cholesterol level in the blood. But, actually it increases the amount of cholesterol in bile.

• Age – people above 60 years are more likely to develop gallstones.

• Obesity – it is a main risk factor in women. Overweight is also a risk factor.

• Rapid weight loss – crash diet to weight loss can produce more cholesterol.

• Estrogen – excess estrogen is a risk factor. Oral contraceptives, pregnancy and hormone replacement therapy can be the reason.

• Ethnicity – for example, the American Indians have higher risk because of the higher levels of cholesterol in their bile. Scandinavians and Mexico-Americans are also in this group.

• Hereditary – can run in the families

• Gender – women has double the risk than men.

There are surgical as well as non-surgical methods of treatment and you doctor can decide which is right for your problem.

Can you tell me the causes of dry and itchy skin?

2010-11-04T04:48:00.001+01:00

Many people suffer from dry skin. Lower legs, elbows, forearms and buttocks are the normally affected parts of the body. It is a big problem to many as it can spoil the quality of one’s life. The irritants can attack very easily on dry skin as there is no protective layer of natural lipids. The result is itching. Scratching gives pleasure for few seconds, but the after effects, bloody scratches and infections, can give further problems. If your skin is very dry and itchy your sleep can be affected. Another reason for dry skin may be some diseases such as diabetes and kidney diseases. Many medicines make itching worse. Therefore, it is advisable to consult with your doctor to find out the reason for this dry and itchy skin. If untreated, dry skin may lead to dermatitis which is inflammation of the skin with swelling and infection. Fortunately most of the causes are external.

There are many causes for dry and itchy skin and they include:

• Dry air – It is the most common cause. Winter, indoor air whether with heating or with air conditioners can make dry skin. You have to use a moisturizer. Do not heat the rooms in winter too hot. It is advisable to use humidifier in the rooms. Water in an open vessel can help. If you go outside in winter close your skin very carefully with hats, scarves, gloves and long socks.

• Exposure to water – prolonged exposure to hot water can remove the natural fats that protect your skin. The morning or evening shower can be few minutes with cold or lukewarm water and it is better to skip the hot water. Gently pat and dry your body with a towel. Immediately apply the moisturizer. Avoid hot and long baths.

• Soap - it is the number 1 enemy if you have dry skin. It removes the skin protective layer very quickly. Average persons need soap for the face, hands, feet, underarms and groin. The other parts of the body do not need soap and water is enough to keep them hygiene. Of course, playing children or workers need a mild soap for the whole body. Washing the hands and faces often must be avoided. Buy fragrance free soaps always. Treat your skin gently so that the fats remain there. Sponges or brushes or napkins are not necessary to scrub your skin.

• Clothes that itch – avoid clothes that brings you itching or that makes your itching more. If the irritant comes from your clothing then it is a continuous exposure. To wash your clothes use detergents without perfumes or other additives. Never use a cloth that brings or increases itching.

• Medicines and drugs - Many medicines and drugs have itching as side effects. Read carefully about the side effects. If you get dry skin or itching after taking the medicine for the first time contact your doctor immediately. He may prescribe another medicine with equal effect.

• Diseases – Diabetes, kidney problems, thyroid problems, particularly hypothyroidism, psoriasis, eczema, neurodermitis and other skin diseases can cause dry skin and itching. Approach your doctor for treatment.

• Old age - Getting older can bring dry skin and especially more women suffer from this. The levels of estrogens and menopause play a role here. The majority of old people above 65 suffer from dry skin.

• Malnutrition – it can be a good reason. Consult with your doctor or dietician to have diet with all necessary nutrients to your body. Eating disorders can also cause dry skin.

• Hereditary – your genes may be the culprit for dry skin and this is irrespective of your age.

Consult with your doctor. It may be mostly only a problem of skin care that could be rectified easily. Other diseases must be well diagnosed and treated properly.

Can you tell me how to prevent osteoporosis?

2010-11-02T07:03:00.002+01:00

Osteoporosis or porous bone is a known word to many now as the advertisements for the calcium supplements with vitamin D reaches all television watchers in our world. Bone is a living tissue and the disease caused by low bone mass and loss of bone tissue is osteoporosis. With osteoporosis you have increased risk for hip, spine and wrist fracture. It is because osteoporosis makes the bone fragile. The peak bone density is reached at approximately 30 years of age and so the damage begins much earlier.

It is not only a old women’s disease as many think. Men suffer also from osteoporosis. There are two million men suffer osteoporosis in the United States of America. Enough calcium intakes from food and an optimum calcium metabolism can prevent osteoporosis. It is important to build strong bones in young ages so that osteoporosis has no chance in later life. Young ages mean during childhood and adolescence are the best time to build strong bones. This is the best osteoporosis prevention method later in life.

The important steps to prevent osteoporosis include:

• Eat the right diet for you. It must be rich in calcium and vitamin D. Consult your dietician to take the optimum food. Maintain your normal weight. It is dangerous to have below your ideal weight.

• Physical activity like walking, jogging, running, climbing stairs, playing tennis and other similar sports, dancing and jumping rope is good. If you do this for the first time consult with your doctor.

• Weight lifting and weight machines in gym clubs. If you do this for the first time consult with your doctor.

• No smoking and other tobacco products – nicotine inhibits the bone protective effect of estrogen in women. The menopause sets earlier and thus the risk for osteoporosis. Disturbs the calcium absorption from the food.

• No excessive alcohol intake

• Take calcium and vitamin D supplements, if necessary

All these precautions are important and there is no compromise. Parents must inform the children and adolescents the importance of good food and exercise. Once understood properly they have no problem to follow that. This is my personal experience.

Prevention is better than cure. It is in your hands to be healthy. It is not advisable to consume too much processed foods, fast foods and junk foods.

Drinking water; how much must I drink in a day?

2010-11-01T06:22:00.001+01:00

This is a very good question. Everybody knows water is important, but many drink less due to many reasons. We should not forget pure drinking water is the number 1 food for us. 60% of our body consists of water. Without water, there is no cell function and the body has no chance to live. The loss of water from your body is called dehydration. If 5% of the body water is lost we are totally tired and 15% water loss means sure death. Many have cramps in their leg muscles. Tons of Magnesium tablets are sold to relieve this. Do you know the easy way to come out from this difficult situation of muscle cramps? Drink immediately two glasses water and you can see how quickly the muscle cramps vanish.

The toxins and other wastes from your body must be removed continuously. The nutrients must be sent to all cells in your body and all these cannot function without water. Human body is not a closed system where there is no loss of water. There are continuous loss of water from our body due to breath, sweat, urine and bowel movements. The loss depends upon your work, the temperature and your health condition. Therefore, the water requirement of a person is individual. It is easy to understand that a person who sits in an air conditioned room loses less water than a person who is working in the building industry in the hot sun.

The skin needs moisture. Ear, nose, throat tissues and vagina need a moist environment to be healthy. Water is the most important for this moistening function.

You have to drink water regularly. Thirst means the dehydration has started already. The average persons must drink 2 to 3 liters of fluid everyday and 70% of that must be pure drinking water. It is told that 20% of the fluid intake comes from the food. It is correct when the meal contains enough vegetables and fruits. If you mostly eat processed or fast or junk food it is not the case.

More exercises, more physical activities and more sweating means, the body needs more water and this must be drunk. It is easy to find out from your dietician the required amount of water to you.

If you have kidney or other health problems consult with your doctor for the amount to drink. Pregnant women and breast feeding women need more water than others. The recommendations are:

• Healthy persons – 2.4 liters (8 cups)
• Pregnant – 2.7 liters (9 cups)
• Breast feeding women – 3.9 liters (13 cups)
• Others, according to their needs

If you drink enough the urine amount in a day may be approximately 1.5 liters and the color of the urine must be colorless to very light yellow. If you take vitamin B complex or other food supplements the vitamin B2 gives an intensive yellow color to the urine. This should not be mistaken as dehydration. I have seen persons who drank 6 or 7 liters and came to me afterwards and the villain was vitamin B2.

Too much of water is not healthy and it is important to consult your dietician at least once to find the optimum requirement.

Coffee and tea can be drunk, but not excessively. Fresh or packed fruit juices without additives and sugar are very good. Now and then you can have some soft drink. Soft drinks with artificial sweeteners must be avoided completely.

Now, I have given you all the information. Tell me how much fluid intake is optimum for you…

Different rice; are all the same to eat?

2010-10-31T03:38:00.001+01:00

Rice is the most important food for the majority in our world. It is the first-highest produced grain in our world. It is the seed of the plant Oryza sativa. It is the main food in East and South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the West Indies. Even in the developed countries the consumption of rice has increased considerably. There are hundreds of food preparations based on rice and you can have it according to your taste.

There are three kinds of rice available and all are from the same rice. The processing gives them the different qualities. The three varieties include:

• White rice
• Brown rice
• Boiled or parboiled rice

When the whole husk and the germ are during milling it is the white rice. The outer husk, the chaff is removed only with a rice huller it is the brown rice. Brown rice has the bran and the germ and thus many nutrients than white rice. The whole rice grain with husk is steamed or boiled and during this process the nutrients including vitamin B1 enters inside the rice. It is dried and milled later. This boiled or parboiled rice has 80% of the nutritional value of the brown rice.

Brown rice and white rice have the same amounts of carbohydrates, protein and calories. Here only the processing is different and it has an enormous influence of the nutrients. Several vitamins and minerals are lost during milling and polishing. In United States of America white rice is enriched with most of the lost nutrients. But, in the other parts of the world it is eaten as such after milling and polishing. People who eat mainly white rice, therefore, must include pulses, beans, milk products or meat in their food to get all the nutrients the body needs.

The starches in the boiled or parboiled rice become gelatinized, making it glassier and harder. The cooked boiled or parboiled rice is firmer and less sticky compared to other rice. We can remember the famous Uncle Ben’s fork test. Parboiled is the short for of partially boiled.

In some countries rice is milled extremely and then coated with talcum or glucose to have a shining appearance. This must be avoided as talc may bring health risks like cancer.

Eating excess rise increase the blood fat level of triglycerides and this is a risk factor to stroke and heart attack. Rice in normal amount is a very healthy food. 150 to 200 g cooked rice with enough vegetables, fruits, pulses, beans, nuts, seeds, milk products and meat is the good combination.

Main rice eaters must not forget the daily exercise.

My wife has no interest in sex; what can be done to have a good married life?

2010-10-30T06:23:00.001+02:00

At first it is important to know that your wife is not a sex machine. You press the ON button and she is ready for sex. You have your normal sexual desire although you work during the day. What do you do other than your office work? You may be meeting friends, visiting bars, watching sports in television or reading news paper. It is evening, the children have slept and you want to have your fun. You expect that it is her duty to make you happy.

Have you ever thought of her work during the day? She gets up before you, prepare for the breakfast. She has to make the children ready for the school before the school bus comes. In between you want your coffee and may miss many things which you need every day. You ask her only where they are. You have gone, children have gone and she makes her ready and rushes to her office. The work is heavy in her office. Back home she has to take care of the children and their needs and even the home work. The preparation of the dinner and finally cleaning the kitchen too involves lot of work. The desire for sex is different in women when the workload increases. It decreases with increase of workload.

You need every morning fresh clothes and it she who organizes washing and ironing. Her work is over and it may be 10 p.m. You are relaxed and wait with full expectation of your wife. She is tired and almost burnt out. Her thoughts are already at 5 a.m., next morning, the time she must get up. This kind of problems is normal in many families around the world. The frustrated men masturbate or go somewhere to get sex. Many spoil their health too in this process.

If you are intelligent you can find a way for this problem. You put yourself in your wife’s role and then you know at least she is doing three times more work than you. You will never dare to do so much.

The first thing is share her work and help her wherever it is possible. Several things can be done by you with proper instructions from your wife. If both are working clothes can be given for washing outside or have a help in the home. You can take care of the home work of your children. You can play with your children which is good for both sides.

Flowers or other small things are the gifts you must think of often and every woman likes this. Tell her often that you love her and during the day you can call her and tell her that you are eagerly waiting for the evening. The romantic flame must always burn in her mind. This is only possible if she has time to think and relax. Family life is a team work and both the partners must know what to do and when. These are learnt in course of time. After you both wait when the children go to bed.

You can ask your or her parents to take care of the children and have a day or two for you both only. This is the best way to relax and enjoy too.

If there are health problems you must take her to your doctor. A light depression can kill the desire to sex. The same is with headache and migraine. Child birth is normally a problem too because the mother is fixed on her child now. You must talk with her about everything and communication can solve many problems. Make her first happy and then you get at least ten times more from her. Unfortunately, many men do not understand this simple trick.

Above all love must be the reason for sexual enjoyment. You try this and I’m sure your sexual life will be happy.

Weight loss; can slow-eating lead to weight loss?

2010-10-28T03:08:00.001+02:00

What is the difference in eating habits between thin people and others with excess weight? If you notice – in family members or friends – thin people take long time to eat their food and the others gobble it down. Eating slowly is one of the important methods to reduce weight. The reason is that from the time you start eating it takes your brain 20 minutes to send signaling feeling of fullness. It is normal that quick eaters can consume during these 20 minutes much more than they need and the fat accumulates in the body. Slow-eating is a powerful tool to reduce weight.

There are many other positive effects in slow-eating and they include:

• Helps to lose weight
• You enjoy your food far better
• Leads to better digestion
• Reduces stress
• Makes an end to fast life and fast food

Take time for you and try it for few days and surely you know the changes happening in your body and mind. It costs you nothing and the time you can arrange at any situation if there is a will.

There are enough studies to prove this.

Exercise is a must in our daily life. Eat enough vegetables and fruits with other good and healthy food.

Write me your experiences…

What are the effects of low and high potassium levels in the body?

2010-10-25T06:01:00.001+02:00

Potassium is an essential element that we need for the functioning of the body. It works with sodium to maintain the body’s water balance. Increased intake of potassium may increase the amount of sodium excreted from the body and this is a protective effect against high blood pressure. The kidneys regulate the level of potassium in the body.

The functions of potassium in the body include:

• Reduces blood pressure
• Regulates heart function
• Play vital role in kidney function
• Important for normal muscle function
• Important for normal nerve function
• Important for fluid balance
• Necessary to maintain acid / alkali balance
• Needed for protein synthesis
• Required to convert glucose into glycogen

To put it very precise the cell functions need potassium.

Low level of potassium in the body brings many health problems. The symptoms of low potassium level include:

• Muscle weakness
• Muscle aches
• Low blood pressure
• Cramps in the leg and arm muscles
• Irregular heart beats
• Disturbances in heart rhythm
• Abdominal cramping and bloating
• Numbness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Large amount of urination
• Thirst
• Constipation
• Paralysis

Potassium deficiency, hypokalemia is very dangerous for our health and should be treated with foods rich in potassium. Supplements can be used, but the blood level of potassium must be monitored regularly. Here your dietician and doctor recommend you the necessary actions.

On the other hand, the symptoms of high potassium are very vague. Nausea, fatigue, muscle weakness and tingling sensations are the normal vague symptoms. That is why your doctor controls the blood levels of it always. The kidney function must also be monitored regularly.

Hyperkalemia is one of the dangers of high potassium levels and can be life threatening if not treated immediately. The other dangers are irregular heartbeat, slow and weak pulse rate, difficulty in breathing and paralysis. In this case your doctor recommend appropriate treatments to reduce potassium.

The food rich in potassium include fruits, vegetables, milk and meat. If supplements are given the blood level must be monitored regularly. Several medicines can affect the potassium levels in both ways. Your doctor must know all the medicines you take.

Alcohol and tobacco; are the use of these social drugs risk factors for type 2-diabetes?

2010-10-24T02:56:00.000+02:00

Alcohol and tobacco abuse are two risk factors among many for type 2-diabetes. Most scientists agree that these two increase the risk of type 2-diabetes. As we know, there are many other risk factors which can influence type 2-diabetes. Normally you are not having all the risk factors. Some risk factors may apply to you and the others may not. Therefore, it is always good to know all the risk factors before we deeply go to alcohol and tobacco.

The type 2-diabetes risk factors include:

• Race and ethnicity
• Hereditary
• Personal history
• Age, above 40 years
• Overweight or obesity
• Waist circumference above 88 cm for women and 103 cm for men
• Diabetes during pregnancy
• Excess food intake
• Less physical activity
• Alcohol
• Tobacco smoke

Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol – two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women – may lower the risk of diabetes. But, if you drink more it is a risk factor for type 2-diabetes. Too much alcohol can affect the pancreas and disturbs the ability to secrete insulin. In course of time this leads to type 2-diabetes.

Tobacco or tobacco smoke is as harmful as excess alcohol. Use of tobacco and tobacco products can increase the blood sugar levels and this leads to insulin resistance. The smokers have double the risk of developing type 2-diabetes when compared to nonsmokers. Passive smoking must also be completely avoided and is more dangerous than smoking.

Alcohol need not be a must every day. Never offer to persons who do not want to drink alcohol. Now and then one or two drinks or one glass beer or one glass red wine or one glass champagne is allowed. Remember always consuming more than this can make you an addict. That is why your doctor does not recommend alcohol.

Increased risk of type 2-diabetes is another important reason to stop smoking completely. It is advisable not to use any tobacco products. There is no compromise like in alcohol.

Too much of sodium (salt) is in our food; where does it come?

2010-10-22T14:51:00.000+02:00

It is well known that there are convincing evidences that sodium intake correlates with blood pressure. 1500 mg is the advised intake per day for persons who have high blood pressure. 1300 mg/day for persons 50 to 70 years old and 1200 mg/day for those above 70 years and old are recommended. For all the others a maximum of 2300 mg/day is the right amount. Many take in our world more sodium than they have to take. Many ask me we use very carefully salt and where the possibility to cut more is. The processed foods contain more sodium than we think. Almost many of the sweets have more salt than you think.

In many countries we do not know how much salt is there in the processed food and there are no data available. On the other hand you must know that all the processed food has salt in high amount. Are we addicted to salt or are the food companies responsible? Both are right. If we could reduce the amount of salt intake hundreds of thousands of deaths can be avoided every year in our world that occurs because of heart diseases and high blood pressure.

We see some of the examples from USA here and they include:

• White bread .....................................130 to 230 mg sodium per slice
• Spaghetti rings .................................850 to 1070 mg sodium per cup
• Spaghetti sauce .................................310 to 770 mg per half-cup
• Tomato soup .....................................380 to 1900 mg per cup
• Soy sauce .......................................920 to 1260 mg per tablespoon
• Cheese ..........................................270 to 390 mg per slice
• Cheese pizza ....................................1080 to 2340 mg per pizza
• Pepperoni pizza .................................1740 to 2700 mg per piece
• French fries ....................................220 to 640 mg, medium size
• Fried chicken dinners ...........................1010 mg to 2160 mg per pack
• Potato chips ....................................160 mg to 370 mg per ounce
• Breakfast sandwiches ............................730 mg to 1290 mg
• Chicken nuggets .................................450 to 1590 mg
• Caesar salad with grilled chicken ...............1320 to 1610 mg

All the sweets, cakes, biscuits and others have high amount of sugar. We see few examples here and they include:

• Corn flakes .....................................1170 mg per 100 g
• Fruit cake ......................................250 mg per 100 g
• Cake, plain .....................................380 mg per 100 g
• Fruit pie .......................................210 mg per 100 g
• Jam tart ........................................230 mg per 100 g
• Muesli ..........................................270 mg per 100 g
• Margarine .......................................840 mg per 100 g
• Bacon, rashers, fried ...........................1870 mg per 100 g
• Ham canned ......................................1250 mg per 100 g
• Luncheon meant, canned ..........................1050 mg per 100 g
• Salami, slices ..................................1850 mg per 100 g
• Cheese, camembert ...............................1410 mg per 100 g
• Danish blue .....................................1420 mg per 100 g
• Parmesan .........................................760 mg per 100 g

Processed foods throughout the world contain too much sodium.

Think of the salted fish or salted dry meat or the different pickles used in Asia or the spices. These have also excess salt and thus sodium.

We need sodium and without sodium we cannot live. But, the dose makes the poison. Cook your food freshly or take lot of fruits and vegetables. Raw food is also very good; this is a best reason to eat salad every day.

Teach your children from the beginning that too much of sodium is bad for health. Once they come in contact with the taste of sodium, they can become addict to salt.

Butter or margarine; which is healthy?

2010-10-21T07:23:00.000+02:00

This is an interesting question and at the same time very difficult to answer too. You may say butter is butter and margarine is margarine. Butter is butter; this is easy to believe than margarine is margarine. Do not forget our food industry and the profit they want to make. It is better to be careful to be with margarine too.

The benefits of margarine include:

• Made from vegetable oils and so contains no cholesterol
• Rich in good fatty acids – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. This combination helps to reduce the bad LDL-cholesterol and increase the good HDL-cholesterol. We know well the importance of these oils in our body functions.

The nutrients in Butter include:

• Cholesterol – it is of animal origin
• Saturated fatty acids which can increase the bad LDL-cholesterol. But, we should not forget our body needs saturated fatty acids too to function properly.

Does this means that margarine is better than Butter? It can be, but may not be always and depends the way of production of margarine. Yes, margarine can contain large amount of trans-fat which can increase the bad LDL-cholesterol and lower the good HDL-cholesterol. Plant oils have no trans-fat. What is the source of trans-fat? Plant oil cannot be spread on bread and they must be made to a solid form. The classical way is hydrogenation or partial hydrogenation to make the margarine solid to use as spreads and also to improve the shelf-life. During this process huge amount of trans-fat is produced. If the margarine is very hard it means that it contains lot of bad trans-fat. It is better not to use it.

In developed countries different processing techniques are used in some of the margarines so that the amount of trans-fat is reduced. Water or other oils are used to make the plant oils as bread spreads. Only the industry knows what chemicals are used in these processes.

Select always soft margarines and these contain less trans-fat.

One tablespoon of butter weighs 11 g and out of that 7 g are saturated fats and contains 33 mg cholesterol. Healthy persons till 49 years old can use butter without any problem. If you are above 50 and have some problems with blood pressure or cholesterol the recommended amount of daily intake of saturated fats are 16 g. Then one tablespoon butter can be used.

Direct recommendations are not very useful as we have three or more meals in a day which also contain all these fats. Moreover, your job – office or physical work – and lifestyle play a vital role here. Consult with your dietician once to have a clear idea before using butter and margarine.

Everything in excess is bad for our health and this is applicable not only to saturated fatty acids, but also to unsaturated fatty acids. Man-made trans-fat is very bad.

Mediterranean diet is heart-healthy; when to choose this?

2010-10-20T05:26:00.000+02:00

Many persons ask me about the Mediterranean diet when they have high blood pressure or cholesterol. I used to tell them that Mediterranean diet is more than a diet and it is a lifelong living style. If we understand this it is easy to plan to have a good health. The modern Mediterranean diet recommendation is from the traditional dietary habits of poor coastal regions of Crete, Greece, southern Italy and Spain around the Mediterranean Basin. The basis for this lifestyle was high physical activity, typical Mediterranean foods, stress-free life and low income. Things are changed now in these areas and people eat differently too. But many are still keeping or returning to this healthy diet.

The benefits of Mediterranean diet include:

• Low risk of heart disease
• Reduced cancer risk
• Low risk of Parkinson’s disease
• Low risk of Alzheimer’s disease
• Better health in all respects

This means we need not wait till we get our health problems. Everybody, including healthy persons, must follow this to have a healthy life even in their old age.

The important recommendations of the Mediterranean diet include:

• Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices and olive oil are the foods for daily use
• Fish and seafood can be eaten daily, but they must be eaten at least twice in a week
• Cheese, yogurt, eggs and poultry can be eaten daily or few times a week
• Meats are eaten occasionally
• Sweets are eaten occasionally

Mediterranean diet gives you all the nutrients what your body needs. It is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids, good proteins, carbohydrates, fibers, vitamins, minerals and other important phytochemicals.

Red wine in small quantities is also allowed. Alcohol in small quantities is healthy, but more alcohol is dangerous and can lead to serious health problems and addiction. A glass of red wine is allowed during meals. It is not a must and so if you do not drink alcohol you need not start to drink. If you are a dry alcoholic never touch red wine.

Exercises are very important daily. Select your exercises according to your wish and time. This is a good way to be healthy and health is our big wealth.

Are the functional foods sold in the market to reduce the absorption of cholesterol good or dangerous or useless?

2010-10-15T18:21:00.000+02:00

Cholesterol is high in hundreds of millions of persons in our world. Everybody wants to reduce cholesterol. It is a big market not only for the pharmaceutical industry but also for the food industry. There are medicines with very high turnover and the food industry follows now. Functional food is the wonder word now. Yogurts and bread spreads are available to reduce 10% cholesterol. Do we all know what is happening to reduce cholesterol or are there any risks from these foods? Let us discuss about this here.

In these functional foods like yogurts and bread spreads foods plant substances called phytosterols are used which have the same function in the plants as cholesterol in human beings. Both have almost similar structure and phytosterols are better absorbed in our intestine than cholesterol. Thus the cholesterol is reduced, a maximum of10%. There are no clinical studies which prove the reduction of risk for heart diseases.

Normally phytosterols are recognized as an enemy by the intestine cells and excreted quickly. If this is not happening because of gene defects they are present in high concentration in the body which can result heart attack, stroke and yellow skin pigmentation even in young persons. The recent experiments with mouse show that phytosterols in high amount can make the blood vessels hard.

The normal intake of phytosterols in Europe is 300 mg per day, but to reduce the cholesterol the recommended amount in these functional foods are 2000 mg to 3000 mg per day. To reduce 10% cholesterol the amount of phytosterols is increased to 200% to 300% in our blood. A recent study says it may be bad for persons who have artificial heart valves because of sedimentation. There is no clear cut recommendation, but the doctors think that people who have high risk to get cardiovascular diseases should not take too much of phytosterols. Here, clinical studies like for the medicines, are absolutely necessary.

Side effects like depression or fatigue are reported in the literature by individuals. It is worth to do further research as these phytosterols can reduce cholesterol and LDL, but increase HDL.

Children below 10 years, pregnant women and breast feeding mothers must avoid functional foods containing phytosterols.

Whatever we do to reduce cholesterol we should not forget that our liver and other organs produce 1500 mg to 2000 mg cholesterol per day. If we totally avoid cholesterol in our foods the body will produce more as it is needed for the functioning of the body. So healthy food, enough exercise must be always there to reduce the risks.

There are many applications pending in Europe for many functional foods which contain phytosterols. The consumers must be very careful.

Mineral Absorption and vegetarian food; where is the problem?

2010-10-12T14:22:00.000+02:00

Minerals are very important for human beings. They are present in our bones, teeth, muscles, soft tissues, blood and nerves. They are not only important for our skeletal structure but also help in all vital physiological processes in the body. Without minerals there is no life.

Minerals are present in all the foods. But, mineral absorption is more complicated. Vegetarians eat more vegetables and cereals and some of the acids present in them can disturb the absorption of the mineral. We look here the three important acids which have an influence of mineral absorption. They are:

• Tannic acid
• Oxalic acid
• Phytic acid

Tannic acid and tannins can disturb and reduce the absorption of iron. Food rich in tannic acid/tannins include:

• Coffee
• Tea
• Berries
• Legumes
• Nuts
• Chocolate
• Spices
• Wine, beer…

Oxalic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium or iron and can reduce the absorption. It forms oxalates of the corresponding metal and the absorption of the salt is difficult. This can cause mineral deficiencies. Moreover calcium oxalate can cause kidney stones. The foods rich in oxalic acid include:

• Coffee
• Tea
• Cocoa
• Strawberries
• Cranberries
• Beans
• Parsley
• Spinach
• Sweet potatoes,
• Banana
• Soy beans
• Beets and beet greens
• Pumpkin
• Cabbage
• Green beans
• Brinjal
• Lentils
• Parsnips
• Mango
• Tomatoes
• Rbubarb
• Oats
• Buck wheat

Phytic acid can combine with calcium, iron and zinc to form phytates and phytates are difficult to absorb for the body. All the three minerals are very important for many functions in the body and the deficiency can cause several health problems. The foods rich in phytic acid include:

• Whole grain cereals, e. g. rice, oats, wheat, corn
• Peas
• Beans
• lentils
• Nuts
• Seeds

Although tannins, oxalic acid and phytic acid give problems with mineral absorption they do well to the health.

Tannic acid/ Tannins are naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. They have also anticarcinogenic effects.

Oxalic acid is not believed to be a health concern for many. If you suffer from kidney stones it is better to avoid foods which are very rich in oxalic acid.

Phytic acid has antioxidant and anticancer effects. Moreover, it can reduce cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol.

There are many important things to be considered before writing a diet plan. Your doctor or dietician must know everything about you before make the suggestions. Detail knowledge is also necessary to recommend food supplements.

What should I know about my food if I’m a vegan?

2010-10-11T00:27:00.000+02:00

No single food can provide all the macro- and micronutrients your body needs. The vegan diet is a more restrictive diet as eggs and dairy products are avoided. Therefore, we must know which nutrients can be a problem from the normal vegan diet. We must be careful to get these from our foods or if necessary the right supplements must be considered.

These nutrients include:

• Calcium
• Iron
• Iodine
• Zinc
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D
• Protein
• Omega-3 fatty acids

Calcium – It is difficult to get enough calcium if we avoid milk and dairy products. The dark green vegetables are the good sources of calcium. But, these vegetables must be eaten in sufficient quantities. 400g to 500g vegetables are to be eaten daily. Calcium enriched and fortified juices, cereals and soy products can also be taken. Remember calcium is very important for your bone health. Supplements must be organic salts.

Iron – the role of red blood cells in transporting oxygen to all our cells are well known. From plant foods it is difficult to absorb iron and so almost double the amount of iron must be taken compared to non-vegetarians. Dried peas and beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grain products, dried fruits and dark leafy green vegetables are good sources of iron. Vitamin C is needed to absorb iron and so with every meal vitamin C rich foods must also be taken. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and strawberries are rich in vitamin C. Consult with your doctor before you use iron supplements. These should not be takes for longer periods.

Iodine – it is important for thyroid hormones which help to regulate growth, metabolism and the function of important organs such as the heart, brain, thyroid and kidney. The best way to get iodine is to use iodized salts in everyday cooking. It is advisable to keep the iodized salts on the table.

Zinc – it is an essential element in more than 350 enzymes and plays a vital role in cell division and protein synthesis. It is important for our immune system and free radical scavenging system. It plays a vital role in the reproduction. Whole grain products, soy products, nuts, seeds, lentils, beans and wheat germ are good sources of zinc. Zinc is not easily absorbed from the plant food. Organic salts of zinc can be considered as food supplement.

Vitamin B12 – it is important to prevent anemia, to produce red blood cells and in the regulation of homocysteine. It is found exclusively in animal food. Vitamin B12 supplements enriched cereals and fortified soy products are recommended for regular intake.

Vitamin D – it is important for calcium absorption and thus is essential for bone health. Sun light produces in our skin vitamin D from cholesterol. If there is not enough sun light it is better to take supplements from plants.

Protein – it is important for muscles, organs, bones and skin. It is possible to get enough protein from the vegetarian food. Legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grain products and soy products are rich in protein.

Omega-3 fatty acids – these are important for cardiovascular health and in the development of eyes and brain. They reduce inflammation and very important for cell health also. The foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, soy products and dark green vegetables.

A vegetarian food is very healthy if we limit the amount of carbohydrates intake. Vegetarians consume too many carbohydrates than non-vegetarians.

Could you explain me what exactly vegetarianism is?

2010-10-10T03:23:00.000+02:00

Vegetarianism is the practice of following a plant-based diet with or without eggs and dairy products. The main foods taken include:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Cereal grains
• Beans and legumes
• Mushrooms
• Nuts
• Seeds

There are different forms of vegetarianism based on their diet and they include:

• Vegan diet – meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, honey and foods that contain these products are strictly avoided. Rennet and gelatin are also avoided.
• Lacto-vegetarian diet – meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products and foods that contain these products are strictly avoided. But, dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, butter and buttermilk are allowed.
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet – here meat, fish and poultry are avoided. But, eggs and dairy products are eaten.
• Flexitarian or semivegetarian diet – here also the main food is plant-based. But, meant, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products are taken occasionally or in small quantities.
• Pescetarian diet – plant-based foods, eggs, dairy products and fish and/or shellfish are taken.

You can have your personal reasons to be a vegetarian, but, it is important to select foods so that your body gets all the necessary nutrients to run your metabolism. Great care is needed to achieve this.

Hair Mineral Analysis

2010-10-05T05:12:00.000+02:00

Minerals and trace elements

"Our daily bread" is composed of two nutritional groups: the macro nutrients such as Carbohydrates, fat, protein, fiber and micronutrients such as vitamins, phytonutrients, and minerals, including the trace elements.

Minerals play a vital role in our metabolism. They are necessary for our healthy growth and are the building material for bones and teeth. Minerals are important constituents of enzymes and hormones. They act in the blood, tissues and cells. Children, pregnant women and the elderly need more minerals.

Macro elements are sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and chlorine. These are needed in grams or milligrams per day and are supplied from our food. Trace elements, however, are virtually all metals in low amounts. They are needed to our body in milligrams or micrograms and the source of them are our food. While all the major elements are essential for specific physiological functions, only few trace elements such as Iron, fluorine, chromium, iodine, cobalt, copper, manganese, selenium, zinc, nickel, etc. are essential.

Several trace elements are not necessary for the body. Others are toxic in high amount and they include: aluminum, lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic. These may be often found in high concentrations in vegetables, fruits, seafood, and in the organ meats of cattle and wild animals. If we want to protect us from the toxic metals it is advisable to eat minimum amount of organ meat.

The requirement for minerals is dependent on its association with the overall metabolism, the various life processes and the nature of the food taken. In general, a healthy body is adequately supplied with minerals and trace elements by a good diet with mixed vegetable and animal foods. The 4000 biochemical reactions in our body need the essential macro and trace elements.

Incorrect or poor diet upsets the metabolism and thus brings forth a number of health complaints also.

ICP-MS technique was used for the determination of the elements and this is the best available method for multielement analysis.

The following elements are determined:

The toxic elements are:

• Aluminium
• Antimony
• Arsenic
• Barium
• Beryllium
• Bismuth
• Cadmium
• Lead
• Mercury
• Platinum
• Thallium
• Thorium
• Uranium
• Nickel
• Silver
• Tin
• Titanium

The essential elements are:

• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Sodium
• Potassium
• Copper
• Zinc
• Manganese
• Chromium
• Vanadium
• Molybdenum
• Boron
• Iodine
• Lithium
• phosphorus
• Selenium
• Strontium
• Sulphur
• Cobalt
• Iron
• Germanium
• Rubidium
• Zirconium
• Nickel

The blood tests indicate the current situation of the elements present in the blood or blood plasma. The levels are low in blood usually when the entire reserve is used up. The hair values, however, give much more information about the situation in the past few weeks or months.

The important reasons for hair mineral analysis include:

• Heavy metals - such as mercury, cadmium, lead etc.
• An unbalanced supply of essential elements of industrially produced food
• An unbalanced diet or malnutrition ...
• Illness-related shifts ...

A proper analysis and interpretation can provide many information about the health and metabolism. A personalized diet plan can put your metabolism back in order.

It can also be precisely used to recommend the right food supplements if necessary.

If you order for a hair mineral analysis and individual diet plan after payment a sampling kit with instructions and the questionnaire are sent. According to that cut your hair and send to us along with the filled questionnaire.

Price: On request
__________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Padmanaban Kaniappan Ph.D.
Mützendorpsteed 46
D-22179 Hamburg
Tel: 49 40 64202836 49 40 64202836
Mobile: 49 170 7166 264 49 170 7166 264
Mail: drkpadmanaban@gmail.com
Blog: www.drkpadmanaban.blogspot.com

Jurisdiction: Hamburg, Germany

Bank
German Bank in Hamburg
Account number: 921688800
BLZ 200 700 24
BIC (SWIFT) - GERMANY DE DBHAM
IBAN - DE03 200 700 240 9216 888 00

Mental Illness - An Introduction

2010-10-03T14:21:00.000+02:00

Mental illness is any disease or condition affecting the brain that influences the way a person thinks, feels, behaves and/or relates to others and to his or her surroundings. Although the symptoms of mental illness can range from mild to severe and are different depending on the type of mental illness, a person with an untreated mental illness often is unable to cope with life's daily routines and demands.

The term "mental illness" actually encompasses numerous psychiatric disorders, and just like illnesses that affect other parts of the body, they can vary in severity. As the term “mental illness” has acquired a pejorative connotation for many people, it is better to use the term “psychiatric illness/disorder”

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual – IV (DSM-IV) has categorized the disorder in the following categories.

o Anxiety Disorder
o Adjustment Disorder
o Eating Disorder
o Personality Disorder
o Mood Disorder
o Somatoform Disorder
o Psychotic Disorder
o Dissociative Disorder
o Sexual Disorder
o Impulse-Control Disorder
o Sleep Disorder

Mental Disorders are categorized according to their predominant features. This broad categorization encompasses a range of disorders. For e.g.,

o Anxiety Disorder includes
o Acute Stress Disorder
o Agoraphobia
o Generalized Anxiety Disorder [GAD]
o Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder [OCD]
o Panic Disorder (with or without Agoraphobia)
o Phobias (including Social Phobia)
o Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD]

There are over 300 different psychiatric disorders listed in the DSM-IV. With continued research, more are named every year and some disorders are removed or re-categorized. It covers all mental health disorders for both children and adults.

Childhood disorders, often labeled as developmental disorders or learning disorders, most often occur and are diagnosed when the child is of school-age. Although some adults may also relate to some of the symptoms of these disorders, typically the disorder's symptoms need to have first appeared at some point in the person's childhood.

Based on symptoms and treatments, the disorders are broadly classified as adult, childhood, and personality disorders; some disorders may fall under more than one category.

Mental disorders can arise from a combination of sources. In many cases there is no single accepted or consistent cause currently established. A common belief even to this day is that disorders result from genetic vulnerabilities exposed by environmental stressors. However, it is clear enough from a simple statistical analysis across the whole spectrum of mental health disorders at least in western cultures that there is a strong relationship between the various forms of severe and complex mental disorder in adulthood and the abuse (physical, sexual or emotional) or neglect of children during the developmental years. Child sexual abuse alone plays a significant role in the causation of a significant percentage of all mental disorders in adult females, most notable examples being eating disorders and borderline personality disorder.

Studies have indicated that genes often play an important role in the development of mental disorders. Social influences have been found to be important, including abuse, bullying and other negative or stressful life experiences.

Diagnoses are made by psychiatrists or clinical psychologists using various methods, often relying on observation and questioning in interviews. Treatments are provided by various mental health professionals. Psychotherapy, Psychiatric medication, social interventions, peer support and self-help are the widely used methods for treatment.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is sometimes used in severe cases when other interventions for severe intractable depression have failed. Psychosurgery is considered experimental but is advocated by certain neurologists in certain rare cases.

Counseling (professional) and co-counseling (between peers) may be used. Psycho-education programs may provide people with the information to understand and manage their problems. Creative therapies are sometimes used, including music therapy, art therapy or drama therapy. Lifestyle adjustments and supportive measures are often used, including peer support, self-help groups for mental health and supported housing or supported employment (including social firms). Some advocate dietary supplements.

Psychiatric Medication is one of the major options. They include Antidepressants, Anxiolytics, Mood stabilizers, Antipsychotics and Stimulants.

World-wide more than one in three people in most countries report sufficient criteria for at least one mental illness at some point in their life. Women are found to have twice the rate of depression than men. Each year 73 million women are afflicted with major depression, and suicide is ranked 7th as the cause of death for women between the ages of 20-59.

Approximately 7% of a preschool pediatric sample was given a psychiatric diagnosis in one clinical study, and approximately 10% of 1 and 2 year olds receiving developmental screening have been assessed as having significant emotional/behavioral problems based on parent and pediatrician reports.

Haarmineralanalyse

2010-10-02T06:55:00.000+02:00

Mineralstoffe und Spurenelemente

"Unser täglich Brot" besteht aus zwei Nährstoffgruppen: den Makronährstoffen wie z.B. Kohlenhydrate, Fett, Eiweiß, Ballaststoffe und den Mikronährstoffen wie Vitamine, Phytonährstoffe und Mineralstoffe, zu denen auch die Spurenelemente zählen.

Mineralstoffe sorgen dafür, dass unser Stoffwechsel funktioniert. Außerdem brauchen wir sie für ein gesundes Wachstum und als Baustoff für Knochen und Zähne. Mineralstoffe sind Bestandteile von Enzymen und Hormonen. Sie wirken im Blut, im Gewebe und in den Zellen. Erhöhten Bedarf haben Kinder, Schwangere und ältere Menschen.

Mengen- oder Makroelemente sind Natrium, Kalium, Calcium, Phosphor, Magnesium und Chlor. Sie werden in Gramm- oder Milligramm-Mengen pro Tag benötigt und aufgenommen. Spurenelemente hingegen sind praktisch alle Metalle, die in winzigen, in Milligramm oder Mikrogramm gemessenen Mengen (Spuren) vom Körper aufgenommen werden. Während alle Mengenelemente essentiell, das heißt lebenswichtig für konkrete physiologische Funktionen sind, gilt das nur für bestimmte Spurenelemente wie z.B. Eisen, Fluor, Chrom, Jod, Kobalt, Kupfer, Mangan, Selen, Zink, Nickel usw..

Etliche Spurenelemente sind für den Körper entbehrlich, andere haben bei hoher Aufnahme eine toxische Wirkung; ganz besonders Aluminium, Blei, Cadmium, Quecksilber und Arsen, die in oft hoher Konzentration in Gemüse, Obst, Meeresfrüchten und in den Innereien von Schlachtvieh und Wild auftreten. Beim Verzehr von Innereien kann man sich nur durch zurückhaltenden Genuss "schützen".

Der Bedarf an Mineralien ist durch seine Verknüpfung mit dem Gesamtstoffwechsel von den verschiedenen Lebensvorgängen und von der Art der zugeführten Nahrung abhängig. Im Allgemeinen wird ein gesunder Körper durch eine abwechslungsreiche Ernährung mit pflanzlicher und tierischer Mischkost ausreichend versorgt. Die 4000 biochemischen Reaktionen brauchen die essentiellen Elemente.

Falsche oder einseitige Ernährung bringt den Stoffwechsel durcheinander und ruft damit auch etliche Beschwerden hervor.

Für die Bestimmungen der modernen ICP-MS Technik verwendet.

Die folgenden Elementen werden bestimmt: die Toxische Elemente sind:

• Aluminium
• Antimon
• Arsen
• Barium
• Beryllium
• Wismut
• Cadmium
• Blei
• Quecksilber
• Platin,
• Thallium
• Thorium
• Uran
• Nickel
• Silber
• Zinn
• Titan

Die Essentiellen Elemente sind:

• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Natrium
• Kalium
• Kupfer
• Zink
• Mangan
• Chrom
• Vanadium
• Molybdän
• Bor
• Jod
• Lithium
• Phosphor
• Selen
• Strontium
• Schwefel
• Kobalt
• Eisen
• Germanium
• Rubidium
• Zirkonium
• Nickel

Die Blutwerte geben die momentane Situation und meistens niedrig wenn das ganze Reserve verbraucht ist. Die Haarwerte dagegen geben viel mehr Informationen über die Lage in den vergangenen Wochen oder Monaten.

Die wichtigen Punkte für die Haarmineralanalyse sind:

• Schwermetalle – z. B. Quecksilber, Cadmium, Blei...
• Unausgewogene Versorgung von essentiellen Elementen von industriell erzeugten Nahrungsmitteln...
• Einseitige Ernährung oder Mangel Ernährung...
• Krankheit bedingter Verschiebungen...

Eine richtige Interpretation und Auswertung kann sehr viele Informationen über die Gesundheit und Stoffwechsel geben. Ein individueller Ernährungsplan kann den Stoffwechsel wieder in Ordnung bringen.

Es ist auch genau voraussagen welche Ernährungszusatzstoffe notwendig sind und können vorgeschlagen werden.

Sie bekommen nach der Bezahlung und Bestellung ein Entnahme-Set mit Anleitung zugeschickt.

Preis: Auf Anfrage
__________________________________________________________________________
Dr. Kaniappan Padmanaban Ph.D.
Mützendorpsteed 46
D-22179 Hamburg
Tel.: +49 40 64202836
Handy: +49 170 7166264
Mail: drkpadmanaban@gmail.com
Blog: www.drkpadmanaban.blogspot.com

Gerichtsstand und
Erfüllungsort
Hamburg

Bankverbindung
Deutsche Bank in Hamburg
Konto Nr.: 921688800
BLZ: 200 700 24
BIC (SWIFT) – DEUT DE DBHAM
IBAN – DE03 200 700 240 9216888 00

What are the sources of too much of aluminium?

2010-10-01T06:18:00.000+02:00

Aluminium is everywhere – it is found in food, water, air and many other things which we use every day. A small amount of aluminium is not toxic and most of it is excreted directly. It is toxic if we take too much of aluminium.

The main sources of aluminium include:

• Food – most of the foods contain small amount of aluminium. Tea, cucumber, spices and herbs contain high amounts of aluminium. Aluminium is bound with many substances present in food and thus the absorption is not very high. The common food sources of aluminium are tea, coffee, cereals and soft drinks. Processed food also contains too much of aluminium. The food additives with E-Numbers, E173, E541, E554 and E556 have aluminium or aluminium salts. Compared to breast milk most cow milk formulas have 10 to 20 times more aluminium. Soya based formulas have 100 times more aluminium. Baking powders also contain aluminium in large amounts.
• Water – drinking water has very low amount of aluminium. But this could be absorbed easily. In some countries to remove the turbidity in the drinking water aluminium salts are used and here the levels can be very high. Not all water filters can remove aluminium from drinking water.
• Aluminium cooking vessels – normally aluminium pans and pots are not bad. The problem starts if you cook foods which contain more acids. These foods have very high levels of aluminium. It is better to avoid aluminium cooking vessels. There are many good alternatives available today.
• Packing materials – most of the foil-lined cartons or aluminium cans have little aluminium as they have a lacquer, cardboard or plastic coating. The food can be contaminated with aluminium when food containing acids are packed or cooked in aluminium foils or aluminium trays. Do not store food in aluminium foils.
• Medicines – Many antacids for treating ulcers or indigestion contain large amount of aluminium salts. Normally very little is absorbed. Do not take vitamin C supplement or food rich in vitamin C during you take this medicine and vitamin C makes more aluminium to enter in the blood. Most of the deodorants contain aluminium salts or even aluminiun crystals are directly used as deodorants. Some of the shampoos contain also too much of aluminium.

If you take food rich in aluminium like tea or cucumber vitamin C must be avoided completely. This means tea with a fresh slice of lemon is very bad and you must avoid this completely. These foods must also be avoided during the major meals so that more iron is absorbed. Here vitamin C supplement or fruits containing vitamin C are very useful.

Do not cook acid containing foods like tomatoes or tarmarind in aluminium cooking vessels. These release more aluminum from the vessels to food.

If we know the sources it is easy to avoid aluminium.

What is the relationship between iron and aluminium in our food?

2010-09-29T21:59:00.000+02:00

Iron is an essential element. We need enough iron to produce red blood corpuscles. Red blood corpuscles are important to transport oxygen to all our cells to produce energy. Aluminium is not an essential element. For decades we thought that aluminum will not be absorbed in our intestine and will not reach our blood. It is because we had no standard analytical methods to estimate low amount of aluminium in the blood. Standard methods are now available to estimate aluminium in blood with advanced instruments like AAS or ICP-MS.

If there is no relation between iron and aluminium where does the problem lie? There is a very big problem because both have the same transport mechanism from our intestine to blood. Vitamin C is needed for iron absorption and it is also needed for the absorption of aluminium. To put it in simple words, if the amount of aluminium in our food is high then vitamin C and the transport proteins support the absorption of aluminium than iron. The result can be iron deficiency.

We know the problem of iron deficiency very well. So it is better to avoid food rich in aluminium. The contamination of aluminum is another big problem. If we could avoid both we can achieve very good iron absorption to be healthy.

I take daily one iron tablet; still feeling not well. Is iron tablet good to improve my hemoglobin status?

2010-09-10T02:25:00.000+02:00

Theoretically you are right, but practically there are problems. All the metals are poisons in high amounts. The essential element iron is also a poison if we have it excess in our body. Iron can improve the level of hemoglobin if taken properly through right foods.

If you take iron supplement all the iron absorbed cannot be converted into hemoglobin. The excess iron can deposit in the muscles of heart, kidney, liver and other organs. Our body has enough water and 37°C and this is optimum to rust the deposited iron in the muscles. This process produces too many dangerous hydroxyl free radicals through Fenton’s reaction. As we all know free radicals are way very important for your health, but on the other hand very dangerous for our health in excess.

Iron tablets could be taken for 14 days without any problems. If you want to take longer consult with your doctor and you must be under his strict supervision.

A good dietician can tell you how easy it is to increase the iron value, thus the hemoglobin, with right food. This is the best way for our health. Tablets are there to help quickly for a short time in emergency cases.

Keep in mind the role of vitamin C and aluminium in iron absorption.

Iron tablets are poisonous for children and could be fatal. Lock them in a safe and secure place.

Ich verzichte meistens auf das Frühstück: Ist das Frühstück so wichtig?

2010-09-09T18:52:00.000+02:00

Ja, das Frühstück sehr wichtig. Bei meinem letzten Besuch in Indien traf ich meinen Neffen in meiner Heimatstadt, er sah sehr krank aus. Sein Blutdruck war so hoch, dass ihm sein Arzt Medikamente gab. Er aß sehr wenig. Alle waren sehr über seine Gesundheit besorgt.

Ich bat meine Schwester, etwas zum Essen zu organisieren. Er sollte das Essen zu sich nehmen. Davor habe ich seinen Blutdruck gemessen, dieser war hoch. Er aß das Essen. Ich maß seinen Blutdruck nach 5, 10 und 15 Minuten und es gab keine große Veränderung. Als ich seinen Blutdruck nach 20 Minuten gemessen habe, haben wir einen plötzlichen Abfall des Blutdrucks beobachtet. Dieses Mal war er normal.

Ich sagte ihm nach Hause zu gehen und dasselbe Verfahren am nächsten Morgen durchzuführen. Er maß seinen Blutdruck, wieder war dieser hoch. Er nahm sein Frühstück ein und es wurde erneut gemessen. Sein Blutdruck war normal. Seit diesem Tag nimmt er regelmäßig seine Mahlzeiten ein und ist sehr glücklich. Er brauchte auch keine Medikamenten mehr.
Der zeitliche Abstand zwischen Abendessen und dem Frühstück sollte nicht zu lange sein. Dies ist auch einer der Gründe, warum viele Herzinfarkte in den frühen Morgenstunden passieren.

Gönnen Sie sich jeden Morgen ein gutes Frühstück und starten Sie erfolgreich in den Tag.

Blood fat or Triglycerides; can you explain me this?

2010-09-09T03:29:00.000+02:00

Triglycerides are a type of blood fat which is usually called blood fat. In this way it is also differentiated from the cholesterol mostly. Along with heredity, LDL-cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and obesity it is also a risk factor for the cardiovascular diseases. It is also considered an independent risk factor for stroke.

I know you are a rice eater and this excess rice eating is a risk factor which increases the triglycerides levels in the blood. Any excessive intake of carbohydrates can increase this. It can be chocolates, other sweets, cakes, bread, noodle or chips. Insulin sends the sugar to all our cells to produce energy. If too much of sugar is still in the blood they are sent to the liver where it is converted into triglycerides. Excess fructose, the fruit sugar is also converted in the liver to triglycerides. Even if the level of cholesterol is normal triglycerides increase the stroke risk to 30%.

High level triglycerides in the blood increases to types of fat particles, one is LDL-cholesterol and the other is chylomicrons. These may cause fatty deposits on the walls of the blood vessels.

Whenever you control your cholesterol, triglycerides must also be controlled. The American Heart Association recommends the following triglycerides levels:
• Normal range …………………less than 150 mg/dl
• Borderline-high……………150 to 199 mg/dl
• High………………………………....200 to 499 mg/dl
• Very high………………………….500 mg/dl and above

It is easy to reduce the level of triglycerides in the blood. Eat less carbohydrate and more fruits and vegetables. Fat intake must also be controlled. A good lifestyle and exercises are very important.

I take calcium supplement after my meals; is it right?

2010-09-08T00:51:00.000+02:00

At first you must consult with your doctor whether you need calcium supplement. It is important for two groups:

1. Persons who do not get enough calcium from their food.

2. Women in menopause.

The role of calcium in bone health is indisputable. The amount of calcium absorbed is dependent on estrogen level, vitamin D level and the type of calcium supplement. The acidic condition in the intestine plays a role in calcium absorption.

The available different types of calcium supplements include:

• Calcium Citrate
• Calcium Gluconate
• Calcium Lactate
• Calcium Carbonate
• Bone meal
• Oyster Shell
• Coral Calcium

Calcium Citrate, Calcium Gluconate and Calcium Lactate are very good, but the elemental calcium is low and enough tablets must be taken. These tablets can be taken at any time of the day. Calcium Carbonate supplement must be taken after the meal. This brings a problem that excess calcium may disturb the absorption of iron which very important to form the hemoglobin.

The natural supplements like bone meal, oyster shell and coral calcium can contain poisonous heavy metals and so these must be avoided.

How to take the calcium supplement? Calcium Citrate, Calcium Gluconate and Calcium Lactate can be taken in-between two meals so that they do not disturb iron absorption. During perimenopause and post menopause it is better to take with vitamin D to support the absorption. Others must not need vitamin D with calcium. But if you live in a place where the sun is rare then it is better to take with vitamin D.

Another important point you must keep in your mind is that calcium supplement and magnesium supplement should not be taken together. Do not buy supplements where calcium and magnesium are present.

Cannabis (Haschisch, Marihuana oder THC)

2010-09-07T14:45:00.000+02:00

Was ist Cannabis?

Die psychoaktive Substanz der Pflanze Cannabis sativa ist auch als Marihuana bekannt. Der Stoff, der für diesen euphorischen Effekt verantwortlich ist, heißt delta -9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Die gereiften Blumen und die Blätter sind die pflanzliche Form von Cannabis und das Harz aus der Pflanze ist Haschisch.

Mehr als 250 Millionen Menschen weltweit benutzen Cannabis und die Tendenz ist steigend. In den meisten Ländern ist es verboten. In anderen, wie z.B. in Holland, ist es legalisiert. In einigen anderen Ländern wie z.B. Deutschland sind Sie bis zu einer Menge von wenigen Gramm für den persönlichen Gebrauch erlaubt, aber damit zu handeln ist ein Verbrechen. Besitzen oder Handeltreiben wird in einigen Ländern sehr hart bestraft werden. Es gibt mehrere Produkte in einigen Ländern, von Süßigkeiten, Kekse bis zum Salatöl, in denen auch Delta-9- tertrahydrocannabinol (THC) in niedriger Konzentration, erlaubt sind.

Es ist seit je her von uns verwendet worden.

Gibt es eine medizinische Verwendung von Cannabis?

Ja, es gibt medizinische Anwendungen von Cannabis, in der Literatur sind viele Beispiele zu finden. Nach meiner Erfahrung wird es als Schmerzmittel für Patienten, die unter unerträglichen Schmerzen leiden, z. B. in der Endphase von Krebs oder bei AIDS – Patienten eingesetzt. Es gibt auch andere Forschungsergebnisse aus den bisherigen Forschung in den USA mit Cannabidiol , die nicht psychoaktiven Substanz aus Cannabis . Es ist ein starkes Antioxidans. Ich werde einen gesonderten Artikel über die medizinische Verwendung von Cannabis schreiben.

Was sind die unmittelbaren Wirkungen von Cannabis?

Die unmittelbaren Auswirkungen von Cannabis sind:

• Euphorie
• Entspannung, Wohlbehagen
• Halluzination
• Müdigkeit
• Angstdämpfend
• Schweben
• Lachzwang
• Redseligkeit
• Kontaktverbesserung
• Intensiver Farbwahrnehmung
• Sozialer Rückzug
• Denken und Konzentration verbessert
• Gefühlserleben gesteigert
• Pulsfrequenz Steigerung

Die Auswirkungen sind nicht bei allen Personen die gleichen, und es hängt von der Konzentration des THC und die Art und Weise es eingenommen wird ab, z. B. oral oder rauchen. Es spielen die Gesundheit , das Gewicht, die Stimmung und anderen Stoffe die eingenommen werden , wie Tabletten oder Alkohol und auch die Umwelteinflüsse eine Rolle. Wir haben in der Regel mehr als 20 anderen Substanzen im Urin von Drogenabhängigen nachgewiesen.

Was sind die Nebenwirkungen von Cannabis?

Die Nebenwirkungen sind:

• Depression
• Übelkeit
• Angst
• Schwindel
• Antriebsschwäche
• Kopfschmerzen

Was sind die langzeit Wirkungen von Cannabis ?

Die Langzeit Wirkungen von Cannabis sind:

• Erkrankung der Atemwege
• Reduzierte Motivation
• Gehirnfunktion, Lernfähigkeit, Gedächtnis und Konzentration Reduktion
• THC kann die Produktion von Sexualhormonen stören, unregelmäßige Monatsblutung, verminderten Sexualtrieb und eine niedrige Spermienkonzentration verursachen
• Nutzung aller Drogen können Auswirkungen auf die Funktion unseres Immunsystems haben

Was ist die Beziehung zwischen Cannabis-Konsum und Psychose?

Cannabis kann eine Psychose verursachen, die für ein paar Tage andauern und von Halluzinationen, Wahnvorstellungen, Verwirrtheit und Gedächtnisverlust begleitet werden kann.

Wird man von Cannabis süchtig?

Normalerweise nein, es gibt viele Leute, die es selten oder nur an Wochenenden oder mit Freunden bei einer Party benutzen. Die Abhängigkeit ist vergleichbar oder etwas geringer als bei Alkohol. Viele Süchtige beschäftigen sich die meiste Zeit mit dieser Droge und gehen den einsamen Weg. Das heißt, es ist möglich, psychisch abhängig zu werden, wenn Sie es regelmäßig benutzen. Für sie wird Cannabis zu einem wichtigen Teil ihres Lebens und kommen dann in Schwierigkeiten.

Aber das eigentliche Problem von Cannabis ist dass es vor allem für junge Menschen ein Einstiegsdroge sein kann. Im Laufe der Zeit wollen sie mehr Kick und dadurch wird die Gefahren des Missbrauchs von harten Drogen wie Heroin oder Kokain erhöht.

Ist Cannabis giftig?

Es ist kein Gift, aber laut einer kanadischen Studie hat Cannabisrauch 20 mal mehr Ammoniak als Tabakrauch und hat auch fünfmal mehr Blausäure und Lachgas. Außerdem nicht zu vergessen, die Joints sind auch in normalen Zigaretten mit Tabak gemischt, wodurch sich die Gefahr für Ihre Gesundheit erhöht.

Wenn Sie unter Depressionen oder anderen Erkrankungen leiden, können die Symptome drastisch erhöht sein. Aber es gibt Menschen, einige Künstler oder Dichter, die für eine lange Zeit ohne Probleme Cannabis missbrauchen; der Grund ist ihre mentale Stärke, um das überschüssige oder auch die häufige Verwendung zu kontrollieren.

Ist es einfach, Cannabis zu bekommen?

Leider ist es billig im Vergleich zu Heroin oder Kokain. Außerdem kann Cannabis überall auf der Welt angebaut werden, sogar in Ihrem Wohnzimmer auch. Dies macht es schwierig für die Polizei den Anbau zu finden und diese Personen zu fangen.

In Holland kann man Cannabis frei kaufen. In vielen Ländern nur für den persönlichen Gebrauch, ist es kein Verbrechen. Es ist aber wichtig zu wissen, dass die Beeinträchtigung der Konzentration Unfälle verursachen kann z.B. während des Autofahrens oder beim Betrieb einer Maschine. In vielen Ländern sind die Führerscheine dieser Personen von der Polizei für eine begrenzte Zeit abgezogen und die Gerichte können auch mit geltenden Gesetzen bestrafen.

Ist es einfach, herauszufinden, ob Sie geraucht haben Cannabis zu finden?

Wenn der Rauch frisch ist, kann man es riechen und im Urin von Benutzern ist es leicht zu finden. Mit modernen Methoden, dauert die THC-Bestimmung im Urin nur wenige Minuten. Aber das Problem ist, THC reichert sich in unserem Gewebe und es dauert 10 bis 12 Wochen, um vom Körper vollständig ausgeschieden zu werden. Deshalb gibt es die Möglichkeiten der falsch positiven Ergebnisse. Wir empfehlen Patienten drei Monate zu warten, um zu beweisen, dass sie sauber sind.

Gibt es keine Methode, um die frische Missbrauch zu finden?

Die frischen Missbräuche können durch ein sehr kompliziertes Verfahren bestimmt und bestätigt werden da die Methoden zur Messung der Konzentration von etwa 1 Mikrogramm pro Liter Blut bereits bestehen. Aber die moderne Technologie ermöglicht uns, diese Analyse sehr effizient durchzuführen.

Könnten Screening -Methoden manipuliert werden, um positive Ergebnisse zu negativen Ergebnissen zu machen?

Viele Drogen süchtige sind sehr intelligent und sie haben das Wissen aller verfügbaren Methoden auf dem Markt das Drug-Screening durch Zusätze im Urin zu manipulieren. Aber wir sind Profis und kennen alle diese Tricks. Notfalls kann man eine Haaranalyse für Cannabis machen.

Verraten Sie diese Tipps?

Nein, aber Im Internet gibt es viele Information. Wir sind vorsichtig, die Manipulationen sind mit einfachen Methoden zu finden. Unsere Pflicht ist es den Patienten zu helfen, damit sie von der Sucht loskommen.

Könnten Sie nicht so streng sein, Sie sind doch immer so hilfreich?

Es gibt Situationen, wo ich sehr streng bin. Hier bin ich sehr streng.

Was sind die Straßennamen von Cannabis?

Einige der Straßennamen von Cannabis sind:

• Grass
• Pot
• Weed
• Reefer
• Mary Jane
• Dope
• Indo
• Hydro
• Bud
• Hash
• Mull
• Joint
• Stick
• Buckets
• Cones
• Skunk

I don’t take breakfast. Is it so important?

2010-09-07T07:09:00.000+02:00

Yes, breakfast is very important. In my last visit to India I met my nephew in my native place. He was looking very sick. His blood pressure was very high. His doctor gave him medicines. He was not eating properly. All were worried.

I asked my sister to bring the food available in the house and asked him to eat. Before that I have measured his blood pressure and it was high. He ate the food served. I measured his blood pressure after 5, 10 and 15 minutes and there was no big change. As I measured his blood pressure after 20 minutes we have seen a sudden drop in his blood pressure and this time it was normal.

I asked him to go home and do this same procedure next morning. He measured his blood pressure; it was high, had his breakfast and measured once again. His blood was normal. From that day onwards he is taking his food in regular time and is happy without taking medicines.

The time interval between dinner and the breakfast should not be very long. This is also one of the reasons why many heart attacks are happening in the early morning.

Have a good breakfast in the mornings and the days start successfully.

I drink milk, and after few minutes, my stomach is so sick. Diarrhea symptoms are increased, loose stools full of sour or foam. All kind of milk, such as, 2% reduced fat, fat free, vitamin D, or whole milk hurt me.....Can you help me?

2010-09-06T05:09:00.000+02:00

The symptoms show that you may be having lactose intolerance. That means you have no or very little lactase to metabolize lactose. Undigested lactose stays in your stomach and intestine to give problems and this also results diarrhea.

60% of the world population has lactose intolerance or milk protein allergy. If you avoid milk completely the symptoms disappear very quickly. After that, try with very small quantities of milk or dairy products to find out the amount that may be acceptable for your body. If there is no lactase present in your body look for soy milk.

You must be careful in taking processed food as most of these contain milk powder or dairy products. In extreme cases all the food must be avoided with milk or dairy products. This is applicable to ice cream too.

If you have further problems after avoiding milk and dairy products go to your doctor for a complete check up.