Archive for the ‘Disease Prevention’ Category
Phytonutrients and Disease Prevention
Phytonutrients and disease prevention, is there any possible connection? These nutrients play a very important role in health but they are not vitamins or minerals; however they are critical in helping with the absorption of both in your body.
They are not essential for life like vitamins and minerals, but they can certainly improve both the quality of life as well as possibly extending life. They may also play an increasing important part of preventing cancer and other diseases from attacking your body. But what are they?
What are Phytonutrients?
The actual term photo is a Greek derivative that means plants. Phytonutrients are the organic various forms of plants and are rapidly being recognized as extremely important components that assist both vitamins and minerals in keeping our bodies healthy.
There is growing evidence that they may also help in fighting several diseases, especially cancer from attacking your cellular structure as they are huge cellular protectors.
The vitamin industry has been led by Liquid Vitamin manufactures in adding these critical plant components to their formulations and they have been so successful that most of the industry are following their lead and adding them as well.
To fully understand what they are, it helps to understand how they work. The next time you are in your garden, look at your various vegetables and plants and ask yourself how they are protected by ultraviolet light, infections, and pollution. The answer is very simple; they are protected by chemicals that are found in phytonutrients.
These chemical components are naturally found in a wide variety of plants and are also known as secondary plant metabolites, which are substances that are necessary for or take part in certain metabolic processes.
And just like the roles that they play in protecting plants and vegetables, they play that same role in something much more important; protecting the human body along with vitamins and minerals.
Classifications:
There are literally several thousands of chemicals that are present in the food that we eat and no one source will ever agree on the number of exact classifications. Vitamins have 13 major classifications, minerals 14, but minerals could be argued to have many more and the same will be true with Phytonutrients.
Some sources will suggest that there are two major classifications, while others will suggest as many as nine. Nonflavonoids and Flavonoids make up the most popular classes, and Nonflavonoids can be found in strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, as well as Tonka beans.
Flavonoids in various forms are found in fruits, citrus, vegetables, tea, soybeans, onions, and endive.
Cranberries, red grapes, grape juice and certain nuts are also excellent sources, as well as red wine. However, there are still other classifications that play very important roles in protecting your body against potential disease.
Health Benefits:
The following are other classifications that help your body every day.
Carotenoids help bring out the bright colors in fruits and vegetables, but they are also very stringent as antioxidants that help with the heart and its functions. Sources of these forms of phytonutrients are broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, and carrots. Isoflavones have shown in several tests to lower cholesterol and are found in beans, soybeans, kidney beans, and lentils.
Lignans team up with other nutrients to help in preventing diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. It is a natural form of estrogen so it naturally helps to lower the estrogen levels in your body that go bad and promote the growth of tumors. It is found primarily in flax seed and sesame seeds.
Indoles help to regulate your hormones and sources of this nutrient are found in broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Saponins help to bind and than excrete bile acids, which helps to lower cholesterol levels. This nutrient is found in potatoes, spinach, and herbs.
Organ sulfur compounds are found in both garlic and onions and help keep cholesterol levels low; and polyphenols are very potent antioxidants that produce cancer fighting enzymes. This nutrient is found primarily in green tea and strawberries. Monoterpenes is found in the peels of oranges and lemons, and is also virulent in attacking cancer cells.
Phytonutrients help with cellular function and regeneration of cells which is a critical part of controlling cancer. They fight the development of cancer from within your body. They help to shut down the precancerous cells that go bad and multiply in gang like styles of attack against the non affected cells.
Cancer is well documented to start with just one cell that losses control by either wearing out or is weakened by repeated attacks and can not be replaced in time by a new cell. Metastasis is the process where the cell weakens, is attacked, and than overcome by cancer. In most cases your immune system defeats this process but it needs all the help that it can get.
Summery:
Adding these micro nutrients daily in your diet along with vitamins and minerals is something that could improve your quality of life as well as possible extending it.
Is there any real wonder that countries that have diets high in these micro nutrients have a much longer lifespan and a much lower cancer rate then we have in United States? The liquid vitamin industry was the first to recognize the importance of phytonutrients but the rest of the industry is changing very rapidly to keep up with the many benefits of combining all three of them together.
Eating a Cholesterol Lowering Diet For Heart Disease Prevention
All of us know that for a healthy proper body, it is very important that the heart functions properly. We need to take care of the heart as one of the main causes for heart blockage and in severe cases; a heart attack is nothing but the substance cholesterol. We need to ensure that we take in a proper diet with the correct levels of cholesterol. This involves ensuring that there is a balance between Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol or LDL and High Density Lipoprotein cholesterol or HDL. This helps in reducing the chances of a coronary artery disease occurring in the individual.
LDL Cholesterol is also known as bad cholesterol because it transports cholesterol to the arteries. The risk here is that there is every chance that it will get stored there by the arterial protoglycans. This will lead to the formation of plaques causing the condition called atherosclerosis and finally to coronary artery disease. HDL or High Density Lipoprotein cholesterol is also called good cholesterol because it has found that it can remove cholesterol from the arteries and take it back to the liver to be excreted or to be re-utilized.
Therefore, having more of HDL than LDL can mean that you are protected from having a heart attack and any other coronary disease. This also means that we should learn to control our diet in such a way that the intake comprises more of HDL cholesterol and not LDL cholesterol.
One should learn to have soy protein, almonds, plant sterol-enriched margarines and oats, psyllium, okra, and eggplant as they help in reducing the levels of LDL Cholesterol.
Prevention is the Best Measure to Avoid Ferret Disease
On occasion, ferrets do develop a disease. There are a few diseases that seem to plague ferrets but most can be avoided by following a structured diet for your ferret that is compromised of quality ferret foods. A healthy lifestyle can also speak volumes when it comes to keeping your ferret healthy and free from ferret disease.
You have to remember that ferrets are a bit different than most other house pets and they have to be treated differently because of this. They need plenty of exercise in addition to a good diet and they also need for you to make sure that anything that could harm him is not accessible to him.
Adrenal disease is common for ferrets. This is simply a tumor in the adrenal gland that may or not be cancerous. Often, adrenal disease can be prevented in ferrets by allowing them access to as much natural light as possible and avoid artificial light. Another method of prevention is to wait until your ferret is six months old before you have him spayed or neutered, allowing him to first reach sexual maturity. Finally, stress can be triggers for adrenal disease so do not expose your ferret to these types of situations.
Cancer of the pancreas is another disease that ferrets seems to get more often than other animals although normally not until the ferret is beyond age three. About half of all ferrets will get this disease. Unfortunately, the cause of this disease is unknown but it is certain that the disease is linked to genetics and diet. It is impossible to take prevention measures for this disease. Ferrets with this usually require surgery to remove the tumor, if possible. Some vets opt to medicate the ferret for the rest of his life instead.
Lymphoma is cancer of the white blood cells and this is another disease that ferrets are prone to. This is usually a disease in aging ferrets but that is not always the case. There are no prevention measures that can be taken for this disease as it is feared that it is hereditary.
Cardiomyopathy is another disease that is found usually, but not always in ferrets over three years old. This is where the walls of the heart either thicken or thin out, neither of which is good because it constricts blood flow. Many believe that this is a genetic condition but prevention measures include offering your ferret a well balanced and quality diet and also not to breed ferrets that have this condition.
Aplastic Anemia is very often a cause of death for female ferrets that have not been spayed and are not being bred. When ferrets are in heat they generate a lot of estrogen that affects the red and white blood cells amongst other things resulting in anemia and accompanying bacterial infections. This can be prevented by spaying jills that are not going to be bred.
You can help save your ferret’s life if you know these diseases, the causes and the signs. It is well worth the time and effort to read up on these things if you are or plan to be a ferret owner. Odds are that you will be glad you did.
Parkinson’s Disease — Prevention & Alleviating the Symptoms
The compound below is showing great promise not only for the prevention of Parkinson’s disease, but also alleviating of the symptoms.
It’s cheap, naturally part of the food chain, and showing great promise with the treatment of a number of conditions in addition to Parkinson’s disease, from Depression to Alzheimer’s, as well as many others.
The compound is familiar to everyone and is:
Nicotine
Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of conditions that occur less among cigarette smokers than in non-smokers.
Smoking is of course harmful, no one should take it up to prevent or alleviate the disease; however the specific compound in cigarette smoking that is believed to prevent and also provide relief for suffers is – Nicotine.
Nicotine in Pure Form is safe & non toxic
Nicotine removed from cigarettes in its natural state is a safe, non toxic and is found in many common foods and vegetables.
Nicotine is now showing great promise in medical research in terms of both prevention of Parkinson’s disease, and also for the alleviation of the symptoms.
Nicotine & Parkinson’s Disease Research
Research has suggested that some of the movement difficulties experienced by Parkinson suffers are less severe after smoking cigarettes, taking nicotine gum or using nicotine patches.
Researchers have been aware for over 30 years that fewer smokers get Parkinson’s diseases than non-smokers.
The observation was first made in the 1970′s and similar results have been shown in all subsequent tests.
The protective effect is large, active smokers have a 60% reduction in risk compared with those who have never been smokers.
Nicotine is not only showing great promise in its preventive affect but also in alleviating the symptoms of suffers who have the disease already.
How Nicotine can help
Prevention
Researchers believe that the main reason underlying the protective action of nicotine maybe its ability to increase the expression of neurotrophic factors that are known to help the survival of dopaminergic neurons, as nicotine increases the number of “nicotinic” receptors in the brain.
These receptors influence the production and release of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Parkinson’s disease occurs when brain cells that produce dopamine, an important chemical messenger die.
People don’t get Parkinson’s disease until approximatley 80% to 90% of the dopamine-producing cells are dead.
Nicotine is believed to protect these cells against damage and as a consequence prevent the disease.
Alleviating the symptoms
Nicotine may help to lessen memory difficulties which occur in some people with Parkinson’s disease.
The number of nicotinic receptors are decreased in the brains of people who have Parkinson’s disease.
The nicotine in cigarette smoke, in the nicotine patch or in gum may lead to an extra stimulation of these remaining nicotinic receptors and thus alleviate the symptoms.
Products
Nicotine is available in patches and gum and several companies have looked at nicotine water as a safe delivery method for organic nicotine with no added chemicals.
Nicotine water is already being marketed and further products are being researched, all with the aim of delivering pure organic nicotine without harmful chemicals.
Nicotine natures wonder drug?
While nicotine has had an image problem due to its association with smoking.
There is however a lot of excitement about its potential to prevent and help with a number of medical conditions that include not only Parkinson’s disease, but also:
Alzheimer’s disease, Schizophrenia, obesity, depression and even some cancers.
Research is at an early stage with many conditions, but Nicotine could just be about to get public recognition for its significant health benefits.
Americans At Risk For Heart Disease – Prevention Is The Key To Cutting The Risk And Living Longer
The heart disease statistics for Americans at risk for heart disease are quite staggering. Approximately 14 million Americans suffer from coronary artery disease, which is the most widespread form of heart disease, not just in America, but throughout the world.
Every 34 seconds, an American dies from heart disease, and every 20 seconds, an American, somewhere in the United States, suffers a heart attack.
This is the harsh reality for Americans at risk for heart disease, but the good news is, that putting preventative measures in place, will give you massive protection against this deadly disease, and ensure you live long enough to enjoy quality time with your family.
There are a number of major risk factors for heart disease, and these are:
* Being A Regular Alcohol Drinker
* Being Diabetic
* Suffering From High Blood Pressure
* Being A Regular Smoker
* Carrying Extra Weight
* Being Inactive Physically
* Having A Family History Of Heart Disease
* Having High Blood Cholesterol
Tackling, controlling and managing each of these risk factors will, without doubt, maximize the protection for Americans at risk for heart disease.
The area you need to manage and stay on top of at all times, is high blood cholesterol and here’s why.
When your LDL cholesterol (bad) levels get too high, then a material called plaque will start developing in the walls of your arteries.
Over time, as more and more plaque starts accumulating there, clots will being forming. This will then cause blockages to occur in the coronary arteries that provide blood for your brain and heart.
The effect of this for you is a stroke or a heart attack.
Coronary artery disease is mainly caused by a build-up of hard cholesterol deposits in the arteries.
The good news is that you can prevent this, and in preventing it, you need to ensure that you raise your HDL cholesterol levels, as this is your heart protective good cholesterol.
The recommended ways to improve your cholesterol levels is through diet, exercise and supplements.
Reduce or eliminate any foods that are high in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol.
Get some regular exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.
Start taking a cholesterol supplement, but make sure the ingredients are completely natural.
You are probably wondering why a supplement instead of prescription cholesterol medication?
There are 2 reasons for this. The first is side effects. There are no side effects with the cholesterol supplement, but the prescription medication can cause a whole range of dangerous side effects, like nausea, memory loss, kidney damage, liver problems and heart failure.
The second thing is that prescription medications will only target LDL cholesterol, which is of no use, as it leaves your cholesterol levels imbalanced, keeping you at risk.
The right supplement will target the whole of cholesterol – LDL, HDL and triglycerides.
One thing to remember, it is not just Americans at risk for heart disease. Millions of people in the majority of countries around the world are also at risk.
If you are one of the Americans at risk for heart disease, or indeed any nationality at risk, then pop over to my website today and start protecting yourself.
Heart Disease
Heart disease, as the name implies, is an affliction of heart and its associated systems. Around 13 million people suffer from coronary heart disease, with 479,000 people dying from it each year. Congenital heart disease affects 8-10 out of 1,000 children every year in America.
Heart disease has branched into different types, each disease having its own causal factors, symptoms, treatment procedures, and prevention measures. However, still there are certain similarities in the symptoms and diagnoses among the numerous types of heart diseases.
Different types of heart diseases include coronary heart disease, congenital heart disease, heart valve disease, heart muscle disease, aorta disease, pericardial disease, heart failure, and many, many more.
Some common symptoms of heart disease include chest discomfort, pain in different parts of the body, shortness of breath, nausea, coldness, vomiting, unexplained severe headaches, sweating, anxiousness, heartburn, swelling in limbs and tissues, and many more.
Sometimes, there might not be any symptoms of heart disease. Hence, it is called a silent killer also.
Usually, diagnosis is possible through tests which are conducted especially for this purpose. Some tests include electrocardiography tests, which measures the electrical activity when the person is at rest; laboratory tests, which includes blood testing; nuclear imaging; ultrasound; radiological imaging; invasive tests, which involves the insertion of catheters into the heart’s blood vessels for closer examination; and many more.
Heart disease prevention lies in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and keeping a good diet. One should be particularly careful if high cholesterol, diabetes, and other problems run in the family. Some heart diseases are triggered by these factors.
Apart from this, medications are also available to keep blood pressure, diabetes, and other undesirable things in control. For those suffering from severe heart disease, surgery remains the ultimate remedy.
Heart disease is a dangerous disease which can slowly strengthen its hold on people without their being even aware of it. One has to be particularly careful and recognize its symptoms, besides taking good care to prevent from being a victim.





