Diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions. Nearly twenty-five percent of the population of the United States is either already diagnosed with diabetes, or has pre-diabetes or Syndrome X. Two out of three Type 2 diabetics do not have adequate control of their blood sugar level even while taking medications. For the first couple of years a person has diabetes, almost no symptoms are noted. By the time symptoms are noted, when complications set in, it is even harder to control blood sugar levels and take the necessary steps to remain healthy.
Most diabetics do not regularly check blood levels after the first six months following diagnosis. Many more are not keeping to healthy diet plans or getting requisite exercise. Most patients diagnosed with prediabetes or those diagnosed with the disease find their levels are not under control at their yearly check up. Only when they find themselves taking insulin as well as several medications for insulin sensitivity do they realize the importance of exercise and eating healthy.
Despite all the warnings warning of potentially life-threatening problems resulting from diabetes, most Type 2 diabetics are resigned to their disease and are not controlling it. The medical community is concerned about the seemingly unconcerned response are met with by diabetics who are not managing their disease. There are physical, emotional, and behavioral problems that put people more at risk of diabetes. The profiles of patients with Type 2 diabetes include excess fat around the middle, chronic stress, poor self-esteem, negative emotions, and unhealthy lifestyles. If the patient is not in the habit of taking care of their body, it is difficult to get across the importance of doing so after a diabetes diagnosis. Self-care is not one of the priorities for the average Type 2 diabetic. Most are focused on pleasing those around them and refuse to put their health first. Some don’t feel enough self-worth to work on controlling their diabetes despite the fear of life- threatening complications. They find it easier to go into denial or just resign themselves to the disease than to make the effort to manage it. If they do begin down the path to a healthier lifestyle, they often don’t stick with it because they don’t have the necessary support system. If they have had trouble controlling their blood sugar levels, they get discouraged, which leads to acceptance of the disease, and they quit trying to control it.
The most effective approach is a gradual lifestyle change. Behavioral changes are crucial for the newly diagnosed diabetic to succeed in taking control of their disease. The changes don’t always have to be strict or drastic. There can be a gradual change in eating healthier meals, decreasing refined sugar consumption, adding exercise, and getting more sleep. The goal is to empower the patient to make choices that are fun, healthy, and personally motivating. It is important to have a support structure in place to encourage and recognize the diabetic’s success.
The bottom line is, the patient has to desire better health. You can’t impose good health on anyone. Many who already have diabetes or are predisposed to the disease are struggling with other symptoms of low self-esteem. A group of supporters that understand their issues and suggest better ways to take care of their health may be all that a diabetic needs to aid them taking care of themselves before it is too late.
Barbara Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/type-2-diabetes-a-new-approach-93524.html
Vitamin B-3, also called niacin, is one of the eight water-soluble B complex vitamins. Niacin is required by all living cells, as it helps in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Niacin is also required for the synthesis of amino acids and fat needed for nucleic acid formation.
This vitamin is different from the other vitamins of the B-complex group, because an essential amino acid, tryptophan serves as its precursor.
Niacin is a major component of the coenzymes – nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP). These compounds help remove hydrogen atoms during organic reactions in the body.
Since it is a water-soluble vitamin, niacin is absorbed by the intestine; but very little is stored in the body and any excess of the vitamin which is not used by the body is excreted in the urine. Therefore,
it becomes very important to include a regular source of Vitamin B3 through daily dietary sources.
Benefits of Vitamin B-3:
* Niacin plays an important role in helping the body get rid of toxic and harmful chemicals.
* Niacin promotes insulin secretion and increases insulin sensitivity. This is found to be quite effective
in stabilizing blood sugar levels and preventing the advance of type I diabetes in some patients, if niacin supplements are given early enough at the onset of diabetes.
* Vitamin B3 required for the production of genetic material in our cells, called deoxyribo nucleic acid (DNA). Deficiency of vitamin B3 has been directly linked to genetic harm.
* It also assists the body manufacture various sex and stress-related hormones in the adrenal glands and other related parts of the body.
* Vitamin B3 is useful in improving blood circulation, and helps reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
* Vitamin B3 is important for converting protein, fat and carbohydrates into energy.
* It helps the proper functioning of the digestive system and promotes healthy skin, hair and nerves.
Vitamin B3 deficiency symptoms –
Early symptoms of deficiency include:
· Muscular pain
· Skin eruptions, including wrinkles, rashes, dry and coarse scaly skin in areas exposed to sunlight
· Indigestion
· Anorexia – loss of hunger
· Headaches and body aches
· Swollen, red tongue
· General tiredness
· Mood swings along with irritability
· Dizziness
· Nausea and vomiting
· Dementia
· Death in very severe cases
Consequences of Vitamin B3 deficiency –
Severe deficiency of niacin commonly leads to pellagra – typical symptoms include dermatitis, old age dementia, fits, sore tongue and diarrohea. In some people, the skin becomes scaly, cracked and pigmented in those parts exposed to sunlight. Eruptions can appear in the skin leading to mental confusion and stupefaction. Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth and digestive abnormalities also develop in niacin deficiency.
Inadequate intake of iron and vitamins B2 and B6 increase the risk of niacin deficiency.
Dosage of Vitamin B3 –
Vitamin B3 requirements are affected by many factors such as age, body size, level of physical activity, any major illness, pregnancy and lactation. The daily allowance of vitamin B3 should be based on caloric intake. Tryptophan is an amino acid that serves as a Vitamin B3 equivalent.
The Recommended Daily Allowance for women is around 15 milligrams each day and for men, it is around 15 to 19 milligrams each day. RDA for children – 13 mg and RDA for infants – 6 mg.
Extreme high doses of niacin can cause niacin maculopathy, a thickening of the macula and the retina, which leads to blurred vision and blindness.
What foods are high in vitamin B3?
The body’s niacin requirement can be met to a large extent by eating protein rich foods because the human body can easily convert tryptophan, an amino acid, into niacin.
Dietary sources which are rich in Vitamin B3 include -
· Meat, poultry, fish
· Peanuts, dried nuts
· Milk and eggs contain small amounts, but are excellent sources of tryptophan, which is converted in
the body into niacin.
· Sunflower seeds
· Dairy products including cottage cheese
· Vegetable sources include the husk of cereals, green vegetables, peas, beans, tomatoes etc.
Storage of Vitamin B3 –
Vitamin B3 is one of the more stable water-soluble vitamins and is minimally prone to damage by air, light, and heat.
However, it is better to keep the vitamin away from strong light. If on vitamin B3 supplements, store them at room temperature in a dry place that is free of moisture.
Who are more vulnerable to Vitamin B3 deficiency?
People with chronic intestinal problems, including diarrohea, inflammatory/irritable bowel disease, alcoholics, people with poor protein intake – in these group of people Vitamin B3 deficiency can be triggered very easily.
A word of caution for people planning to take Vitamin B3 supplement –
Do not take B3 supplements on your own if you:
· Are allergic to niacin or any other niacin containing vitamin supplement.
· Suffering from restricted liver function.
· People with peptic ulcer.
· Diabetes.
· Gallbladder malfunctioning
Tom alter
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/vitamin-b3-sources-benefits-and-deficiency-104065.html
Impotence is medically called as erectile dysfunction. It is the term given to the condition in which a person does not get a proper erection, i.e. the erection is not hard enough to carry out proper penetrative sex. Impotence is an issue with an alarmingly large number of men in the world today. A major responsible factor is the hectic lifestyle that we lead today.
There can be two different cases of erectile dysfunction. One is the case in which the person has never had an erection; while the other is in which the person does sometimes have erections, but not all the time. The former case is due to a biological problem which can be treated by medication or surgery. But the latter case stems out of psychological or lifestyle factors.
Erection is the hardening of the penis when it is aroused. The penis can be aroused by any kind of sexual stimulation, which could be physical (touch), visual (watching porn) or even psychological (thinking about sex). The penis is made erect by the filling of its spongy tissues with blood. This engorgement is very important to increase the size and the hardness of the penis which is an important necessity for penetrative sex. Surely without a hard penis, it would become impossible to ejaculate and thus impregnate a woman.
Weak erections occur due to many factors. As already mentioned above, the modern lifestyle is a major contributing factor. This is because stresses and tensions can reduce the male libido, and also the capacity to achieve an erection. When a person is under stress, blood circulates more in the head region, and hence it is insufficient to engorge the penis. Added to this, the cases of diabetes and prostate gland diseases are rising – such diseases are directly linked to erectile dysfunction. The busy lifestyle of today is making people cope up with a host of drugs such as antidepressants, painkillers, antihistamines, etc; all of which can cause the man to lose his ability to achieve a sustained erection.
Erectile dysfunction is rampant in people who smoke and consume drugs. In the early stages these kinds of addictions may cause a high in the sexual act, but as time wears on and the addiction increases, there is irreparable damage to the reproductive system, which plays havoc with the ability to achieve an erection.
There are several men who can get erections when they masturbate or watch porn, but they do not get erections when they are in the actual sexual act. This issue needs to be looked into seriously, because it can be treated with proper counseling. Men such as those described here – assuming they are heterosexual – are perhaps so much overwhelmed of the female sex that they cannot carry out the sexual act. Their brain does not respond to the stimuli of their body, because it is too busy with the mental channels of the man’s mind. Perhaps the person is suffering from the Oedipus complex and is in awe of women. All these issues need to be discussed with a therapist.
Achieving an erection is as much a mental condition as biological. It is not necessary to say that men cannot have sex when their minds are preoccupied with something else. Sometimes, problems of erectile dysfunction can be solved just by keeping the mind free during the sexual act.
Recently there has been a surge of medicinal advancement in the field of penile erections. With the discovery of the powers of sildenafil citrate in guaranteeing male erections, there was a spurt of other chemical discoveries with the same effects. However none of the later drugs managed to capture the power of Viagra, which is the market name of sildenafil citrate. Some other drugs that have the powers of creating and maintaining erections are Levitra and Cialis, though they are not as popular. Furthermore, all these drugs come with several side effects, which are still being studied.
One of the best (and the safest) resorts in the case of impotence is herbal remedies. Indian traditions are using several herbs since ancient times in order to cure the disease. Saw palmetto, ginseng, kawa kawa, oat, caltrop, etc. are used in different preparations in order to cure impotence. Some of them have really been found to be beneficial by the western world also, but their effects are still a matter of research.
At the same time, it must be remembered that the human penis is not an organ that will function for the entire life of a person. Most men lose their capacity to get erections during or after their forties, and that is because of age reasons, which cannot be avoided. With some techniques like yoga, the age limit of getting erections can be increased, but it cannot be made to last forever. Hence, a time comes in every man’s life when he has to accept the condition of erectile dysfunction.
Read more about Impotence Treatment and other Secret Sexual Issues at http://www.mysecrethealth.com
Dr.Anna Hardy
http://www.articlesbase.com/men’s-issues-articles/secret-facts-on-impotence-101105.html
Gestational diabetes is one of the diabetes which is found during the pregnancy. It is during the pregnancy that the insulin becomes higher and causes difficulty for deliveries. During the pregnancy it is done as it will be helpful to both the mother and the child.
For more information meet : dr jack
Gestational diabetes is the diabetes that is found for the first time during pregnancy. It can be defined as carbohydrate intolerance of variable severity with onset during pregnancy. Diabetes means the blood sugar is too high. Among 1000 pregnant women three to eight are affected with this disease. The body produces the glucose which is good for your body but too much of glucose production is not good or it is harmful to body. When it occurs during the pregnancy then it harms the baby which is growing in the uterus.
This gestational diabetes occurs mainly during the pregnancy and disappears after delivery. The test of this gestational diabetes is done during the 24th or 28th week of pregnancy. This disease does not occur to all the pregnant women and it also does not cause any life threatening as the symptoms are mild. The increase in the maternal glucose makes the risk for the baby that includes size at birth, birth trauma, low blood sugar, jaundice and sometimes the fetus also dies with in the womb. This can be control and completely cured with the treatment of herbal and natural supplements
The causes for this diabetes are the changes that take place in the women body during pregnancy. There is a change in the hormones and weight gain which are the part of healthy pregnancy. But when this change takes place then it makes difficult for the body to take up the hormones called insulin.
It can be controlled if the woman maintains the blood sugar levels during her pregnancy and it reduces the risk to the baby during the delivery. The risk factors are if you are:
older enough for pregnant
unexplained death of your fetus in the past
previous baby weighing less than 9 pounds
birth defect in previous child and recurred infections
if a family background of diabetes
if an African American, America Indian, Asian American
if you are overweight
if your previous baby weighed only 9 pounds
if you are referred to be as predicaments before you got pregnant.
The gestational check up is done by the physician according to the need. The physician or the health care taker will recommend for the gestational diabetes test to check the glucose level in the blood. The blood glucose level may be checked at your first visit after your conformation as pregnant. If it is normal then it will be checked sometimes during the 24th or 28th week of pregnancy.
Some of the symptoms that are founded for this gestational diabetes are:
Increased thirst
Increased urination
Weight loss in spite of weight gain
Fatigue
Nausea and vomit
Frequent infection including those of bladder, vaginal or skin.
Blurred vision
So it is an urge need to control the glucose level during the pregnancy is to keep the fetus healthy and have a healthy safe delivery. There should be frequent check ups during pregnancy as it would be helpful for the close monitoring of the fetus and the mother. The self check or self monitoring helps the women to keep her fit and away from this gestational diabetes. There should be frequent tests of the fetus its growth and well being so that there is no problem in the delivery. The health care provider checks the heart beat of your baby and the moment so that whether the baby is well doing or not.
During pregnancy it’s an urge need to maintain dietary management provided by the health care provider to have adequate nutrients, proteins, and calories in the diet you daily intake. So to have a control of this gestational diabetes it is an urge need that there should be planned meal, physical activities and insulin’s or medications if needed.
The planned meal consists of limited sweets, three small meals and three snacks per day, have a care about the intake of the carbohydrates that is when it is needed, should include fiber in the meals that is fresh vegetables or fruits, grains, cereals and other healthy food. Physical activity consists of swimming, walking, some easy asanas which are good at pregnancy and the exercises suggested by your health care provider. Some women need insulin though there meal is planned or have a physical activity. So this will be provided by the health care provider.
For most of the women this gestational diabetes goes away after delivery. This can be checked after 6 to 12 weeks of the delivery. But you should be careful enough when your gestational diabetes disappears after your delivery. But it has a chance to occur when your get second pregnancy or this can also turn to diabetes type 2 in the future.
Drrao
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/gestational-diabetes-diet-plan-61611.html
The mangosteen is a fruit grown primarily in Southeast Asia and is often called the “Queen of All Fruits”. The scientific name is Garcinia mangostana and it is mostly known for its intriguing flavor and many folk mangosteen fruit benefits.
The dark purple rind was dried and ground and used to fight off infection. Ancient healers created an extract of the fruit to reduce fever. Poultices were made to treat parasitic skin infections. It has been used for centuries to treat dysentery, diarrhea, urinary tract infections, and eczema.
Researchers have identified dozens of biologically active compounds called “Xanthones” in the rind of the mangosteen fruit. There are litterally stacks of existing mangosteen research in dozens of countries talking about the benefits of mangosteen.
Xanthones, the active compounds in the mangosteen fruit, have been proven in many scientific studies to promote healthy bodily function.
Actually, countless people with Diabetes have reported more energy, wieghtloss, increased blood circulation, and lower blood sugar.
In fact, I have seen people’s blood sugar drop as much as 50 points in their first week on the mangosteen supplement.
A select few have reported their blood sugar lowering as much as 100 points when sugar was high -just after a single dose!
Many people, including those with Diabetes 1, Diabetes 2, and chronic inflammation, have been very pleased with the mangosteen supplement.
But the mangosteen fruit benefits were a mystery for ever so long. It wasn’t until about 40 years ago when scientists first put Mangosteen fruit under the microscope that they discovered these “xanthones”.
Xanthones, according to researchers, are some of the most powerful antioxidants found in nature and have also demonstrated incredible healing properties in reviewed scientific studies all around the world.
Xanthones are found more in the rind of the mangosteen fruit than any other food source on earth. The mangosteen fruit benefits have been shown to include/help the following:
Anti-aging, Anti-biotic, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Anxiety, Antioxidants, Anti-Allergy, Anti-depressant, Periodontal (gum health), Eye health, Migraines, Skin rashes, Hypertension, Pan systemic, Energizer (Energy booster), Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Tumor, Analgesic (Pain reducer), Nerve pain, Anti-pyretic (Lowers fevers), Anti-viral, Stimulates red blood cell growth, Ulcers, Osteoporosis, Immune Modulator (help immune system), Cardio protective (helps protect heart), Cataracts, Irritable bowel syndrome, Anti-fungal, Anti-pathogenic (reduce pathogens), Anti-parasitic, Supports weight loss, Hardening of the arteries, Anti-lipidemic (lowers blood fat), and Anti-diabetic (lowers blood sugar).
Six Xanthones were even found to KILL CANCER CELLS.
Although the mangosteen is only one food source, its the many xanthones and antioxidant properties that allow it to provide such a wide range of health benefits.
It’s most recognized benefit is its anti-inflammatory properties.
Still, Diabetics around the world are finding not just hope, but results in the mangosteen supplement.
With the number of prescriptions increasing and diabetes continuing to spiral upward, the mangosteen has proven to be a valuable and a blessing to those willing to give it a try.
David Schwind
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/does-mangosteen-normalize-blood-sugar-in-diabetics-99580.html
