Diabetes

10 Early Warning Signs Of Diabetes

1. Unexplained Weight Loss

High blood sugar levels can also cause rapid and unexpected weight loss because your body is not absorbing glucose properly. When the glucose (sugars) are excreted by excessive urinating, it is not stored in the cells for energy. This decreases the amount of calories and can lead to sudden unhealthy loss of weight. This constant excretion of sugar through urinating can also cause increased hunger. So if you are always hungry and eating, why do you lose weight? That’s because you can’t compensate for the calories that you lose.
Once you start controlling your blood sugar and making it more balanced, you could put weight back on. So it’s important if you lose 10 to 20 pounds unexpectantly over a few months that you should contact your doctor. A blood test can determine if you have diabetes and treatment can begin to balance your insulin levels.


2. Excessive Thirst and Frequent Urination - A warning sign of Type 2 diabetes is an overwhelming urge to urinate. So if you frequently need to empty your bladder, particularly during the night, it could be a red flag. When someone has diabetes, their body is less efficient at breaking food down into sugar and as a result they have extra sugar in their blood. This makes their kidneys work harder to rid the blood of that sugar.

The kidneys can’t keep up with filtering the sugar from the body and the extra sugar (glucose) is flushed out in the urine. The harder the kidneys have to work, the more a person will need to urinate. Excessive thirst goes hand in hand with this because as you urinate more, you lose more fluids and this leads to dehydration. The body will try to replace that lost fluid and you will want to drink more.

3. Increased Hunger

It’s estimated than an incredible one in four people in the world has diabetes and don’t know they do. Another subtle sign of the condition is feeling shaky or unsteady and craving carbs or sugar. This is because your high blood sugar makes it difficult for your body to regulate glucose. Your cells need glucose to provide fuel and energy for your body. Your body needs to use insulin, the pancreatic hormone, to get glucose into your cells to make them function.
If you don’t have enough insulin or your cells don’t respond to it, your body doesn’t get enough glucose and you crave it. Sharp peaks and lows in blood sugar levels lead to feeling excessively hungry all the time. Your cells lack essential energy and you still feel hungry even after eating a meal. If you have excessive hunger pangs over a prolonged period, it could be wise to make an appointment for a check up.

4. Tired All The Time

People can get sluggish and tired now and again. It’s only natural in today’s fast-paced world as we all try to pack so much in. But a feeling of excessive fatigue and weakness could be a subtle sign that you have Type 2 diabetes. Tiredness on its own may not seem significant but coupled with several of the other symptoms, it is definitely worth getting a medical check up. When your cells are robbed of glucose and don’t have the necessary fuel to energise the body as they’re supposed to do, exhaustion and weakness result.
This is because your body is forever expending itself to compensate for its glucose deficiency. Fatigue is caused by the extra work the kidneys have to do, also not being able to sleep because of a constant urge to urinate. It can also be due to your blood vessels being inflamed.

5. Vision Problems

Another early sign of diabetes is blurred vision because the eyes are sensitive to high blood sugar levels. When glucose levels spike, dehydration results as fluid is pulled from the tissues. Glucose builds up in the eye causing the lenses to swell and temporarily change shape resulting in distorted vision. People with undiagnosed diabetes may also see floaters or occasional flashes of light. If not controlled, diabetes can cause serious vision problems.
Regular eye exams are important because they can detect early signs of problems. If treatment is received, blood sugar levels can be stabalised in around eight weeks and the eyes can return to normal. But if sugar levels remain high for a long time, the damage could be irreversible and could result in partial vision or complete eyesight loss. It's also a fact that people with diabetes have a higher risk of other complications including glaucoma and cataracts.

6. More Prone to Infections

Diabetes has been branded “the silent killer” because symptoms that can lead to early diagnosis can be easily overlooked. Unchecked, diabetes can lead to serious complications. One of the common cues to early detection is developing frequent infections. This is because diabetes creates a slowed immune system, which affects the body’s ability to fight off infections. This means that someone with diabetes may be ill more often than a person with normal blood sugar levels.
Patients are at risk of a variety of infections. The most common are yeast (candida) and fungal infections. Sugary environments are a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria, so women with diabetes are likely to be more prone to suffer from infections such as urinary tract and vaginal infections. If you keep getting these infections, ask for a diabetes test.

7. Slow Healing Cuts and Bruises

Type 2 diabetes has lots of early signs, but they can seem to be minor medical annoyances rather than a huge alert that something serious is going on. If in doubt, it is best to ask your doctor to carry out a few tests. One of the symptoms that may go unheeded is the fact that cuts and bruises are taking longer to heal.
Kids are always falling down and their legs are covered in bright coloured plasters. Their wounds seem to heal up in no time. But if your sores are taking more than a few weeks to go away, it could be due to high glucose levels weakening your immune system. An excessive amount of glucose harms the veins and arteries making it hard for fresh blood, which is needed for skin healing, to move around the body. And if they go unhealed for a long time, serious infections can develop.

8. Tingling and Numbness

When a person has too much sugar in their blood, it causes complications, which could be an early warning sign that they are suffering from diabetes. One of these is a prickly tingling and numbness in the extremities, such as the feet and hands, a condition known as Diabetic Neuropathy. This happens because the elevated blood glucose levels interfere with signals transmitted by nerves. The walls of small blood vessels are weakened and the blood supply is cut off in the extremities. Another hallmark of possible nerve damage is a burning pain in the hands, fingers, arms, feet, toes and legs.
If someone suffers tingling, numbness and burning for extended periods, they should see a doctor because the nerve damage is not reversible and can become permanent causing muscle wasting and in some cases amputation if sugar levels are not brought down quickly. However, if the symptoms are recent, it may be reversible.

9. Skin Problems

We’ve already said that a good way to be diagnosed early is to look out for multiple symptoms that could prevent serious health complications developing. Type 2 diabetes has a wide reach and can affect every part of the body. Our bodies are made up of around 50% to 70% of water and the urge to empty our bladders frequently can lead to the skin drying out. Diabetes affects blood circulation and this can also lead to dehydration.
The result can leave skin feeling itchy. Other skin problems can include boils and blisters, infections around the nails and acanthosis nigricans, a darkening of the skin around the neck, groin or armpit area. That’s why unusual skin changes can be among the first indications that something is wrong. The good news is that the problems can clear up once caught and managed.

10. Irritability

Who doesn’t get moody or grumpy from time to time? However, prolonged irritability is another common sign of underlying health issues, which again can go unnoticed. If you have the urge to urinate a lot, are plagued by infections, are always hungry, are constantly tired, then you are bound to be short tempered or depressed. It’s all down to your blood sugar being out of balance and losing energy that should be stored in your cells.
It you are suffering from excessive irritability and there’s no issues in your life that you can attribute it to, like a nasty boss or feeling underpaid and overworked, then it could be the onset of Type 2 Diabetes. Go get yourself a health check. Once your blood sugar is normalised, your moodiness should improve.

Symptoms and Signs of Diabetes

Monday, August 04, 2014 By Clara Schneider MS, RD, RN, CDE, LDN

Read more: http://www.diabetescare.net/authors/clara-schneider/signs-and-symptoms-of-diabetes?utm_source=Outbrain#ixzz3hfwylpTe

Detecting diabetes early is essential to starting a person on the path to better health. Many of the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes are the same as type 2 diabetes even though the reasons the person develops the diabetes are different. 

This is due to the ultimate effect of having extra glucose or sugar in the blood stream. 

Both type one and type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed in all age groups. Type 1 diabetes is usually detected in children and young adults and type 2 diabetes usually is diagnosed at an older age. (1) This essay is to help you understand the signs and symptoms of diabetes and why they occur.

As mentioned above, many of the signs and symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the same but it is relevant to itemize them in two separate lists. Some of the entries will be duplicated due to the effect of extra glucose in the blood steam. 

In type 1 diabetes, in some people, extremely life threatening symptoms may be detected very early. This is due to the fact that it is an autoimmune disease and destroys the beta cells which produce insulin needed to keep blood glucose stabilized. 

Due to the lack of insulin, the person must learn the skills to replace insulin the rest of their life. The onset of type 2 diabetes usually takes more time and is insidious. It may sneak up slowly with a gradual elevation of blood glucose over a longer period of time.

What are the symptoms of type 1 diabetes?

The symptoms of diabetes that are learned by most professionals include polydipsia (increased extreme thirst), polyphagia (increased hunger), and polyuria (increased urination). 

Glucose or sugar in the blood stream needs insulin for uptake into many of the cells of the body. When insulin is not available, glucose builds up in the blood. 

The kidneys which usually function to prevent glucose from leaving the body through urination will not be able to work properly due to the increase concentration of glucose. 

Excess sugar or glucose draws fluid out from body tissues and is excreted in the urine. 

This causes a dramatic increase in urination (polyuria) which causes dehydration. The body tries to compensate with extreme thirst (polydipsia). 

The body’s cells also need to be fed which causes extreme hunger (polyphagia). This cycle is known by some as “starving in the land of plenty”. 

The glucose is in the body but it can’t get into the cells to be used for energy. This is an urgent dangerous situation!

It is important to know that approximately 90 percent of children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes do not have a family history of the disease. 

(2)
Signs and Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes for quick reference

According to the JDRF (formerly called the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund), the signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes must be taken very seriously. 

Many times the signs and symptoms are similar to having a severe cold or the flu. Call your doctor immediately if these are displayed. The signs and symptoms are referenced from the JDRF 

(3) If you do not have a doctor or can’t get ahold of yours, call an urgent care center or go to the hospital to get care.
Extreme thirst
Frequent urination
Sudden vision changes (increased blood glucose causes the lens of the eye to change in shape and swell. This causes vision changes) 

(4)
Glucose or sugar in the urine
An odor found on the breath that is sweet and fruity (this is a sign that the body is using fat as energy since the glucose is not available for the cells. The term for this is diabetes ketoacidosis and can be life threatening. 

(5)
Increased appetite with sudden weight loss
Sleepy, drowsy and lethargic (the body is not getting enough glucose in the cells which may lead to this symptom)

(6)
Breathing that is heavy and labored and going into a stupor, lethargic and perhaps unconsciousness (these are signs of ketoacidosis. See number 5). (3)

What are the symptoms of type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is different than type 1 diabetes. It is not an autoimmune disease and usually develops slowly. The body still produces insulin but the insulin may not be effectively used or is “resisted” by the cells of the body. This is why many people with Type 2 diabetes are told they’re “insulin resistant”. 

Medications may be needed to decrease this resistance. Over time in many people with type 2 diabetes, insulin may be needed. The body may not be able to make enough insulin or the insulin that is made by the body is not effective. 

As mentioned above, many of the signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes are the same as type 1 diabetes because the net result is having excessive glucose in the blood.

Signs and Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes for quick reference

As type 2 diabetes develops gradually, many people with type 2 diabetes do not have any symptoms. It is important to go to your physician on a regular basis to be evaluated for diabetes. 

The Canadian Diabetes Association lists the following symptoms for type 2 diabetes. 

(7)
If these occur, call your doctor for an evaluation. Refer to the type 1 diabetes list of signs and symptoms for the reasoning of some of the symptoms. In some cases, they are the same because of the net result of increased glucose in the blood.

• Extreme thirst
• Frequent Urination
• Weight change (for type 2 this could be a weight loss as in type 1 or a weight gain. People with type 2 diabetes increase their resistance to insulin when they gain weight. This will decrease the ability of cells in the body to use insulin and the result is an increased blood glucose.)
• Fatigue 
• Vision changes and blurring of vision
• Frequent infections (bacteria tends to thrive when blood glucose is high, this may include urinary tract infections and yeast infections)
• Wounds and cuts that take a long time to heal 
• Tingling and numbness in the extremities (fingers and feet) High blood glucose over time can lead to damage to the nerves. This is a type of neuropathy common in diabetes.
• In men, trouble with erections. See my past blogs on erectile dysfunction and diabetes. 

As you can see, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of diabetes. Do not delay in calling your physician if you think you may have diabetes. The only way to be sure is to be tested. Talk to your health care team and get further guidance about this very important issue. If there are signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes, treat this as a medical emergency. Get help immediately!
Read more: http://www.diabetescare.net/authors/clara-schneider/signs-and-symptoms-of-diabetes?utm_source=Outbrain#ixzz3hfdwaTLZ

Diabetes Drugs May Promote Heart Failure
Washington: A new study has examined that glucose or sugar-lowering medications prescribed to patients with diabetes may pose an increased risk for the development of heart failure in these patients.





Patients who manage type 2 diabetes with drugs that lower glucose or blood sugar may be at higher risk for heart failure.

The study conducted at American College of Cardiology examined clinical trials of more than 95,000 patients and found that for every one kilogram of weight gain attributed to a sugar-lowering diabetes medication or strategy, there was an associated seven per cent increased risk of heart failure directly linked to that medication or strategy.

Dr. Jacob Udell, the study’s principal investigator, and cardiologist at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network (UHN) and Women’s College Hospital (WCH), said that patients randomized to new or more intensive blood sugar-lowering drugs or strategies to manage diabetes showed an overall 14 per cent increased risk for heart failure and this increased risk was directly associated with the type of diabetes therapy that was chosen, with some drugs more likely to cause heart failure than others, compared with placebo or standard care.

Dr Barry Rubin, Medical Director, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network (UHN), asserted that the results of this study could prove to be the catalyst for how diabetes patients at risk for heart disease were managed moving forward and as the number one global killer, and the second leading cause of death in Canada, the growing burden of heart disease was in many respects impacting patients, families and the health-care system in ways that were unsustainable.

Heart failure is a common occurrence for patients with type 2 diabetes and has a major impact on one’s life expectancy and quality of life as well as representing a major driver of healthcare costs.

The study is published in the current issue of The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.
ANIhttp://www.tkbsen.in/2015/03/diabetes-drugs-may-promote-heart-failure/

Metformin causes vitamin B12 deficiency

Sunday, October 31, 2010 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Tags: Metformin, vitamin B12, health news

(NaturalNews) Long-term use of the popular diabetes drug metformin (originally marketed as Glucophage) may cause patients to develop a steadily worsening vitamin B12 deficiency, Dutch scientists have found.

"Our study shows that this decrease is not a transitory phenomenon, but persists and grows over time," wrote the Maastricht University Medical Center researchers in theBritish Medical Journal.

This is an issue of particular concern given the prevalence of diabetes and the popularity of metformin as a treatment.

"Metformin is considered a cornerstone in the treatment of diabetes and is the most frequently prescribed first line therapy for individuals with type 2 diabetes," the researchers wrote. "In addition, it is one of a few ... associated with improvements in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, which is a major cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes."

Earlier, short-term studies had found that use of the drug might lead to insufficient levels of the vitamin in the body. The new study confirmed this trend over the long term.

"Metformin does ... induce vitamin B12 malabsorption, which may increase the risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency -- a clinically important and treatable condition," the researchers wrote.

The researchers assigned 390 Type 2 diabetes patients at the outpatient clinics of three nonacademic hospitals to take either metformin or a placebo pill three times per day for more than four years. The average study participant had been diagnosed with diabetes 13 years prior and had been undergoing insulin treatment for seven years. Average participant age was 61.

Among those taking metformin, vitamin B12 levels began to steadily drop relative to those who were taking a placebo pill. The biggest drop occurred in the first few months, but the decrease continued over the course of the study.

After four years, participants in the metformin group had undergone a 19 percent relative reduction in their levels of the nutrient. They were 11.2 percent more likely than placebo participants to suffer from B12 insufficiency and 7.2 percent more likely to suffer from deficiency.

For every 8.9 patients treated with metformin, one would develop insufficient vitamin B12 levels. This increased risk remained after researchers adjusted for other risk factors including age, duration of diabetes, insulin dose, sex, smoking status and previous treatment with metformin.

"Our study shows that it is reasonable to assume harm will eventually occur in some patients with metformin-induced low vitamin B12 levels," the researchers wrote.

The researchers found that metformin seems to inhibit the intestine's absorption of vitamin B12. Fortunately, calcium supplements appear to reverse this effect.

Vitamin B12 is critical for maintaining nerve and red blood cell health. It can be found in animal products, nutritional yeast and fortified breakfast cereals. Symptoms of deficiency include anemia, fatigue, nerve damage and cognitive changes. Because similar symptoms often occur in diabetics and the elderly, deficiency may be hard to detect in such populations. Yet while B12 deficiency can carry severe consequences, it is relatively easy to correct with supplementation.

The researchers suggested that all patients taking metformin have their vitamin B12 levels tested regularly to avoid potentially severe consequences.

"Vitamin B-12 deficiency is preventable; therefore, our findings suggest that regular measurement of vitamin B-12 concentrations during long-term metformin treatment should be strongly considered." the researchers wrote.

Nearly 11 percent of the U.S. population, or 24 million people, suffer from diabetes. Of these 5.7 million are undiagnosed. In addition, 57 million people in the United States alone are estimated to be pre-diabetic, or at imminent risk of developing the disease.

Worldwide, an estimated 246 million people suffer from the disease. Prevalence is only expected to increase as the spreading Western diet and lifestyle lead to increasing rates of obesity.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030234_Metformin_vitamin_B12.html#ixzz43zNFh2os

Why Okra Is Good For You and How to Use It to Treat Diabetes

By Alex Jordon

Posted Friday, October 9, 2015 at 01:52pm EDT

Okra, this green vegetable is believed to possess lots of health benefits, and several studies have shown that okra can help treat diabetes.

One study found that the seeds and peel of okra have anti-diabetic properties which led the rats to stabilized blood glucose levels—the prime concern in all diabetic animals, including humans.

Another study found that okra extract had anti-diabetic effects on rabbits. Over a ten-day time span, the okra level gradually reduced blood glucose levels among the experimental group of rabbits, comparable to the reduction caused by the popular diabetes drug, Metformin.

How to use okra to treat diabetes

It has been confirmed that consumption of okra water daily can help stave off disease of diabetes and keep the blood sugar levels normal. Here is the direction to make okra water:

• Wash 4 medium size okra pods and clip off both ends of the pods.
• Poke the pods with a fork on opposite sides or split them in half
• Place the pods into a glass and cover them with clean, room-temperature water, leave it for a whole night.
• Give the pods a good squeeze before removing from the water.
• Discard the pods and gulp down the water.

Okra is used in many recipes as it is packed with nutrients and can give you many other amazing benefits:

• It’s super low in calories and contains a number of vitamins and minerals. Okra seeds and pulp are high in the antioxidants catechin, epicatechin, procyanidin B1 and B2, quercetin and rutin that can fight the damage caused to cells by stress and other environmental factors.
• Okra is rich in folate, which is considered as an important natural compound for the pregnant women to help grow and maintain new cells.
• A study found that regular consumption of okra can help prevent kidney disease. It has been proven that those who ate okra daily can reduce the medical signs of kidney damage.
• Okra contains a good amount of Vitamin C, which is a crucial compound for healthy skin. It promotes growing skin and rejuvenate damaged skin.
• Okra is high in fiber, so it’s a good choice to add this high fiber vegetable to your diet to promote a healthy digestion.
• Have dandruff problem? Okra helps! Okra improves the overall scalp condition by moisturizing your scalp and keeping dandruff away.
• Okra contains healthy amounts of Vitamin A, which is essential for maintaining a healthy vision.
• Okra helps prevent and improve constipation, this is the fiber absorbs water and ensures bulk in stools.

Honey and Cinnamon

Facts on Honey and Cinnamon:



It is found that a mix of honey and cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also note honey as very effective medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without side effects which is also a plus. Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, when it is taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm even diabetic patients. Researched by western scientists:

HEART DISEASES: Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, put it on toast instead of jelly and jam and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol and could potentially save one from heart attack. Also, even if you have already had an attack studies show you could be kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of cinnamon honey strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada, various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as one ages the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and the veins.

ARTHRITIS: Arthritis patients can benefit by taking one cup of hot water with two tablespoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. When taken daily even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week (out of the 200 people so treated) practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain -- and within a month, most all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis now started walking without pain.

BLADDER INFECTIONS: Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder....who knew?

CHOLESTEROL: Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water given to a cholesterol patient was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, when taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol-could be cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.

COLDS: Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and, clear the sinuses, and it's delicious too!

UPSET STOMACH: Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also is said to clear stomach ulcers from its root.

GAS: According to the studies done in India and Japan, it is revealed that when Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.

IMMUNE SYSTEM: Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacterial and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles (where DNA is contained) to fight bacterial and viral diseases.

INDIGESTION: Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food is eaten relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals

INFLUENZA: A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural 'Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu.

LONGEVITY: Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Use four teaspoons of honey, one teaspoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of boiling water to make a tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans increase and even a 100 year old will start performing the chores of a 20-year-old.

RASPY OR SORE THROAT: When throat has a tickle or is raspy, take one tablespoon of honey and sip until gone. Repeat every three hours until throat is without symptoms.

PIMPLES: Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it off the next morning with warm water. When done daily for two weeks, it removes all pimples from the root.

SKIN INFECTIONS:Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin Infections.

WEIGHT LOSS:Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast and on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. When taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.

FATIGUE: Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, even when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, when taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M., the vitality of the body increases within a week.

BAD BREATH: People of South America, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water first thing in the morning so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.

HEARING LOSS: Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing.

Maintaining the right pH

The body maintains a delicate acid-alkaline balance. Everything from healthy cells to cancer cells to soil quality and ocean life is affected by pH.

The term pH stands for “potential hydrogen” which is the measure of hydrogen ions in a particular solution. In the case of our bodies, that solution refers to our body’s fluids and tissues.

The pH scale measures how acidic or alkaline a substance is and ranges from 0 to 14. Seven is neutral. Below 7 becomes increasingly acidic, above 7 increasingly alkaline.

Proper pH varies throughout your body for many reasons. For example, your bowels, skin and vagina should be slightly acidic–this helps keep unfriendly bacteria away.

Saliva is more alkaline. While your urine is normally more acidic, especially in the morning.

In addition, your body regularly deals with naturally occurring acids that are the by-products of respiration, metabolism, cellular breakdown, and exercise.

By far the most important measurement is your blood. For optimal cellular health, your blood pH must be slightly alkaline with a pH between 7.365 and 7.4. A basic understanding of how our bodies maintain an alkaline blood range is important for good health. Your body doesn’t just find the balance it works extremely hard to create it.

Most people are bathing their cells in an inflammatory acid bath multiple times per day with tons of sugar, processed foods, and factory farmed animal products.

One of the biggest casualties of that type of diet is the toll it takes on the body, especially the digestive system, liver, and kidneys. Inflammation, allergies, arthritis, skin problems, constipation, bowel issues, stress (physical & mental) and chronic disease like cancer absolutely love this diet.

Excess acidity also sets the stage for bad bacteria (like yeast and fungus) and even viruses that wreak havoc on our health.

Therefore, maintaining pH balance  is one of the important tools to optimizing your health.

Gastritis - Stomach pain - Ayurvedic & Home remedies

Gastritis

Gastritis diet: Activites and diet for gastritis

Gastritis can be very well treated with medications. But since it is something which comes back to haunt repeatedly, a good diet for gastritis  is very important. It helps in avoiding recurrence of gastritis.  The disease has been explained in many Ayurvedic books, centuries before. Here is the gastritis diet.
Introduction: When we eat food, it goes down through the food pipe and stored in a bag called stomach for about 1.5 – 2 hours.  Here, the food undergoes disintegration into very small particles. Hydrochloric acid kills many of the micro organisms that we might ingest in food and a small portion of food is absorbed. After 1.5 hours, the food is pushed down to intestine for further digestion.

If the inner lining of stomach is damaged or irritated or inflamed due to causes like heavy alcohol consumption etc. the condition is called gastritis. (Gastrum = stomach, itis = inflammation).

Gastritis is sometimes hard to cure because, gastritis treatment involves

• correction of gastric enzymes
• healing of inflamed stomach inner lining (gastric mucosa)
• Correction of secretion of gastric juices and acid.
• Achieving overall balanced function of stomach.

Gastritis Symptoms:

• Nausea (Vomiting sensation)
• Vomiting
• Bloating, fullness of abdomen
• Loss of appetite
• Feeling as if stomach is full with a very little amount of food.
• Belching, sour belching.
• Feeling of burning in stomach

Though these are clear gastritis symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor rather than self-diagnosing gastritis. Because there are many other diseases which may mimic like gastritis.

Gastritis diet:

Activities for gastritis relief:

1. Avoiding heat and Sun light. According to Ayurveda, exposure to Sunlight increases Pitta and gastritis is a Pitta dominant disease. so avoid direct exposure to sunlight as much as possible. Use umbrella or hat.

2. Having food at right time: Having food at fixed intervals of time helps the biological clock of the body to release gastric juice, and enzymes at right times.

3. Avoiding fasting: Though Gastritis patients might have hunger disturbances, they should avoid fasting or delaying of meals.

Diet for gastritis:

Here is a list of food items that gastritis patients need to take regularly, according to Ayurveda.

Barley, Wheat and green gram.

Boiled and cooled water

Honey

Ash gourd – Many ash gourd recipes and herbal products are used in gastritis treatment. Regular use of Ash gourd is good.

Bitter vegetables like bitter gourd, asparagus, Indian Tinospora etc are good for stomach.

Asa foetida – Though it is not good to taste, it is used in many Indian dishes. Very good for stomach.

Cumin seeds / Jeera – Improves digestive power, increases hunger.

Coriander – coriander is a natural coolant.

Milk : Widely used in Panchakarma Gastritis treatment. Rich in calcium and good for gastritis.

Ghee: Calms Pitta and improves digestion.

Coconut water

Amla – Indian gooseberry – it will take one whole book to write about Amla benefits.

Ajowan: Improves digestive power, a  cure for pain abdomen due to gastritis.

Ginger: Ginger processed in milk is a good home remedy for gastritis.

Fruits for Gastritis: Pome granate, grapes, apple, and banana.

For effective gastritis treatment, medicine is important. But a right diet with the above listed food items will help for quick relief of gastritis.

Ayurvedic home remedies for  gastritis:
You may not try all of these, you can follow a few.

• Long pepper powder- half a gram with one spoon of honey – two times a day is one of the effective home remedies for gastritis.
• Lemon juice helps to relieve vomiting sensation and bloating.
• Boiled Ash gourd with jaggery relieves bloating and burning sensation in stomach associated with acidity and gastritis.
• One table-spoon of Triphala powder added with one glass of water, boiled and reduced to half a glass, filtered. This water decoction in hot condition,  along with one table-spoon of honey or ghee relieves gastritis.
• Regular chewing of half a teaspoon of  fennel seeds after food is good for digestion and gastritis.
• Half glass of buttermilk, added with a pinch of asa foetida, turmeric, half tea-spoon of fenugreek drunk at night, is good for effective treatment of gastritis.
• Crush cumin seeds into fine powder. add half tea-spoon of cumin seeds to one liter of water. boil the water for two minutes and filter. Drink this water, in place of normal water. But new water needs to be made everyday. This is a natural remedy for gastritis.
• Things that are included in gastritis diet aid in gastritis cure. 
• Ginger – 5 grams.
  Milk – 100 ml
  water – 100 ml.
  Boil this till there is only 80 – 100 ml remaining. (meaning water is emptied)
  Filter and drink. This is a good gastritis remedy.
  In the same way, garlic – drink is also a good home remedy for gastritis.

So, these home remedies for gastritis aid in early gastritis cure along with medication.

Things to avoid for gastritis cure

Gastritis cure is possible with timely treatment and dietary restrictions. Avoiding certain things also aids gastritis treatment and helps fasten gastritis cure. 
Things to avoid for gastritis cure:

• Do not go directly under afternoon sun: Direct bright Sun exposure increases Pitta and worsens gastritis. So, wear a hat or use an umbrella.
• Do not fast or skip meals: At regular intervals, gastric juice is produced inside the stomach, with enzymes and Hydrochloric acid.  If you fast or skip meal, the juice is left unused, leading to worsening of gastritis. So, it is important to have meals at right time. During unavoidable circumstances, have at least a couple of fibre rich biscuits or fruit juice.
• Avoid heavy meal: Since there is a problem with digestion, a heavy meal leads to vomiting or nausea (vomiting sensation). In stead, having small meals, for 4 – 5 times is good.
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, smoking.
• Avoid stress and anger – which imbalances Pitta and thereby worsens gastritis.

Foods to avoid in gastritis:

Spicy food stuff, chilly, sesame seeds, black gram, horse gram, mustard oil, goat milk, curds, and food stuffs that are heavy to digest are to be avoided for gastritis relief.

Avoid strong tea and coffee.

Gastritis tips: while taking any medicine, make sure you drink plenty of water. If not, the tablet may get struck at the food pipe and may start disintegrating there, leading to irritation of the inner mucosa lining and worsening gastritis.

You are when you eat

You are when you eat: Limiting flies to specific eating hours protects their hearts against aging, study finds

Date:

March 12, 2015

Source:

San Diego State University

Summary:

Limiting flies to specific eating hours protected their hearts against aging, a study has demonstrated. Previous research has found that people who tend to eat later in the day and into the night have a higher chance of developing heart disease than people who cut off their food consumption earlier. 

"So what's happening when people eat late?" asked a biologist whose research focuses on cardiovascular 

physiology. "They're not changing their diet, just the time."

"Humans don't consume the same food every day," an author said. "And our lifestyle is a major determinant of when we can and cannot eat. But at the very minimum, our studies offer some context in which we should be pursuing such questions in humans."

Credit: © Win Nondakowit / Fotolia

[Click to enlarge image]

If you're looking to improve your heart health by changing your diet, when you eat may be just as important as what you eat. In a new study published today in Science, researchers at San Diego State University and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies found that by limiting the time span during which fruit flies could eat, they could prevent aging- and diet-related heart problems. The researchers also discovered that genes responsible for the body's circadian rhythm are integral to this process, but they're not yet sure how.

Previous research has found that people who tend to eat later in the day and into the night have a higher chance of developing heart disease than people who cut off their food consumption earlier.

"So what's happening when people eat late?" asked Girish Melkani, a biologist at SDSU whose research focuses on cardiovascular physiology. "They're not changing their diet, just the time."

Melkani, one of the paper's senior authors, teamed up with Satchidananda Panda, a circadian rhythms expert at the Salk Institute, to address whether changing the daily eating patterns of fruit flies could affect their heart health. Fruit flies have long been used as model organisms to identify the genetic basis of human disease, including cardiovascular disease.

Shubhroz Gill, a postdoctoral researcher in Panda's lab and now at the Broad Institute in Boston, was the lead author on this study. Hiep D. Le of the Salk Institute also contributed to the study.

Time flies

In their experiments, one group of 2-week-old fruit flies was given a standard diet of cornmeal and allowed to feed all day long. Another group was allowed access to the food for only 12 hours a day. Over the course of several weeks, Melkani and Gill recorded how much food the flies were eating and tested a battery of health measures related to their sleep, body weight and heart physiology.

After three weeks, the results were clear: Flies on the 12-hour time-restricted feeding schedule slept better, didn't gain as much weight and had far healthier hearts than their "eat anytime" counterparts, even though they ate similar amounts of food. The researchers observed the same results after five weeks.

"In very early experiments, when we compared 5-week-old flies that were fed for either 24 hours or 12 hours, the hearts of the latter were in such good shape that we thought perhaps we had mistaken some young 3-week-old fruit flies for the older group," Gill said. "We had to repeat the experiments several times to become convinced that this improvement was truly due to the time-restricted feeding."

What's more, another set of experiments revealed that the benefits of a time-restricted diet weren't exclusive to young flies. When the researchers introduced these dietary time restrictions to older flies, their hearts became healthier, too. (The average lifespan of a fruit fly is about 60 days.)

"Even if you introduce time-restricted feeding very late, you still have some benefit," Melkani said.

Some degree of heart protection persisted even for flies that went back to eating whenever they wanted, he added.

Key genes

Next, the researchers sequenced the RNA of the flies at various points in the experiment to find which of their genes had changed as a result of time-restricted feeding. They identified three genetic pathways that appear to be involved: the TCP-1 ring complex chaperonin, which helps proteins fold; mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes (mETC); and a suite of genes responsible for the body's circadian rhythm.

Melkani and Gill repeated their experiments using mutant strains of flies with nonfunctional versions of the TCP-1 and circadian rhythm genes. In these flies, time-restricted feeding granted no health benefits, strengthening the case that these genetic pathways play key roles.

Conversely, in mutant flies with altered mETC genes, the flies showed increased protection against cardiac aging.

"If and how these three pathways all work together, we don't yet know entirely," Melkani said.

Nix the late-night snacks

The results complement earlier research from Panda's lab showing benefits of time-restricted feeding for obesity, metabolic diseases and type-2 diabetes in rodents.

"All together, these results reinforce the idea that the daily eating pattern has a profound impact on both the body and the brain," Panda said.

Gill noted that there are some hurdles to clear before extrapolating this research to humans.

"Humans don't consume the same food every day," he said. "And our lifestyle is a major determinant of when we can and cannot eat. But at the very minimum, our studies offer some context in which we should be pursuing such questions in humans."

Melkani is optimistic that the results could one day translate into cardiac- and obesity-related health benefits for humans. "Time-restricted feeding would not require people to drastically change their lifestyles, just the times of day they eat," Melkani said. "The take-home message then would be to cut down on the late-night snacks."

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Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by San Diego State University. The original article was written by Michael Price. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Satchidananda Panda et al. Time-restricted feeding attenuates age-related cardiac decline in Drosophila. Science, March 2015 DOI:10.1126/science.1256682

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San Diego State University. "You are when you eat: Limiting flies to specific eating hours protects their hearts against aging, study finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 March 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150312143024.htm>.

Pomegranate juice Heals The Cardiovascular System

Worried About Clogged Arteries? Drink This

Millions take toxic cholesterol and blood pressure lowering drugs that may do nothing to reduce heart disease specific mortality. Pomegranate juice, on the other hand, actually reverses underlying pathologies of the cardiovascular system that lead to bypass surgeries and heart attacks. 

One of the most amazing clinical studies ever performed has been hidden away behind a pay wall for over a decade. When I first stumbled upon this clinical pearl two years ago, in the form of the publicly indexed abstract on pubmed.gov, my jaw nearly dropped. I’ve finally acquired the full version of the study and am now excited to report on its implications in greater depth to help raise awareness about the power of pomegranate to heal the body, and I believe, save millions lives from premature death from heart disease.

The most eye-opening line in the abstract reveals why our original report on the study, How To Clean Your Arteries With One Simple Fruit, received over 500,000 social media shares

Published in Clinical Nutrition in 2014 and titled, “Pomegranate juice consumption for 3 years by patients with carotid artery stenosis reduces common carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure and LDL oxidation,” Israeli researchers discovered pomegranate, administered in juice form over the course of a year, reversed plaque accumulation in the carotid arteries of patients with severe, though symptomless, carotid artery stenosis (defined as 70–90% blockage in the internal carotid arteries).

The study consisted of nineteen patients, 5 women and 14 men, aged 65-75, non-smokers. They were randomized to receive either pomegranate juice or placebo. Ten patients were in the pomegranate juice treatment group and 9 patients that did not consume pomegranate juice were in the control group. Both groups were matched with similar blood lipid and glucose concentrations, blood pressure, and with similar medication regimens which consisted of blood-pressure lowering (e.g. ACE inhibitors, β-blockers, or calcium channel blockers) and lipid lowering drugs (e.g. statins).

The ten patients in the treatment group group received 1.69 ounces (50 ml) of pomegranate juice per day (about the volume of a shot glass), which contained .036 milligrams of total polyphenols (primarily tannins and anthocyanins), for a period of 1 year, and five out of them agreed to continue for up to 3 years.

The remarkable results were reported as follows:

“The mean intima media thickness the left and right common carotid arteries in severe carotid artery stenosis patients that consumed pomegranate juice for up to 1 year was reduced after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of pomegranate juice consumption by 13%, 22%, 26% and 35%, respectively, in comparison to baseline values.”

You can only imagine what would happen if a pharmaceutical drug was shown to reverse plaque build up in the carotid arteries by 13% in just 3 months! This drug would be lauded the life-saving miracle drug, and not only would be promoted and sold successfully as a multi-billion dollar blockbuster, but discussion would inevitably follow as to why it should be mandated.

While these results are impressive, if not altogether groundbreaking for the field of cardiology, they may be even better than revealed in the stated therapeutic outcomes above.  When one factors in that the carotid artery stenosis increased 9% within 1 year in the control group, the pomegranate intervention group may have seen even better results than indicated by the measured regression in intima media thickness alone.  That is, if we assume that the pomegranate group had received no treatment, the thickening of their carotid arteries would have continued to progress like the control group at a rate of 9% a year, i.e. 18% within 2 years, 27% within 3 years. This could be interpreted to mean that after 3 years of pomegranate treatment, for instance, the thickening of the arteries would have been reduced over 60% beyond what would have occurred had the natural progression of the disease been allowed to continue unabated.

3 Ways How Pomegranate Heals The Cardiovascular System

The researchers identified three likely mechanisms of action behind pomegranate’s observed anti-atherosclerotic activity:

• Antioxidant properties: Subjects receiving pomegranate saw significant reductions in oxidative stress, including decreases in autoantibodies formed against ox-LDL, a form of oxidized low density lipoprotein associated with the pathological process of atherosclerosis. Decreases in oxidative stress were measurable by an increase in the blood serum enzyme paraoxonase 1 (PON1) of up to 91% after 3 years; PON1 is an enzyme whose heightened activity is associated with lower oxidative stress. All of this is highly relevant to the question of pomegranate’s anti-atherosclerotic activity because of something called the lipid peroxidation hypothesis of atherosclerosis, which assumes that it is the quality of the blood lipids (i.e. whether they are oxidized/damaged or not), and not their quantity alone that determine their cardiotoxicity/atherogenicity. Essentially, pomegranate prevents the heart disease promoting effects of oxidative stress.
• Blood Pressure Lowering Properties: The intervention resulted in significant improvement in blood pressure: the patient’s systolic blood pressure was reduced 7%, 11% ,10%, 10% and 12% after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of pomegranate consumption, respectively, compared to values obtained before treatment. Pomegranate’s ability to reduce systolic blood pressure indicates it has a healing effect on the endothelium, or the inner lining of the artery which fails to relax fully in heart disease; a condition known as endothelial dysfunction.
• Plaque Lesion Stabilization: Because two of the ten patients on PJ (after 3 and 12 months) experienced clinical deterioration, carotid surgery was performed and the lesions were analyzed to determine the difference in their composition to those who did not receive pomegranate. The researchers noticed four distinct positive differences in the composition of the pomegranate-treated lesions:

1.     Reduced Cholesterol Content: “The cholesterol content in carotid lesions from the two patients that consumed PJ was lower by 58% and 20%, respectively, in comparison to lesions obtained from CAS patients that did not consume PJ (Fig. 3A).”

2.     Reduced Lipid Peroxides: “[T]he lipid peroxides content in lesions obtained from the patients after PJ consumption for 3 or 12 months was significantly reduced by 61% or 44%, respectively, as compared to lesions from patients that did not consume PJ (Fig. 3B).

3.     Increased Reduced Glutathione Content: “A substantial increase in the lesion reduced glutathione (GSH) content, (GSH is a major cellular antioxidant) by 2.5-fold, was observed after PJ consumption for 3 or 12 months, (Fig. 3C).

4.     Reduced LDL Oxidation: “LDL oxidation by lesions derived from the patients after PJ consumption for 3 or 12 months, was significantly (Po0.01) decreased by 43% or 32%, respectively, in comparison to LDL oxidation rates obtained by lesions from CAS patients that did not consume PJ (Fig. 3D).”

Essentially these results reveal that not only does pomegranate reduce the lesion size in the carotid arteries, but “the lesion itself may be considered less atherogenic after PJ consumption, as its cholesterol and oxidized lipid content decreased, and since its ability to oxidize LDL was significantly reduced.”

This finding is quite revolutionary, as presently, the dangers of carotid artery stenosis are understood primarily through the lesion size and not by assessing for the quality of that lesion. This dovetails with the concept that the sheer quantity of lipoproteins (i.e. “cholesterol”) in the blood can not accurately reveal whether those lipoproteins are actually harmful (atherogenic); rather, if lipoproteins are oxidized (e.g. ox-LDL) they can be harmful (or representative of a more systemic bodily imbalance), whereas non-oxidized low density lipoprotein may be considered entirely benign, if not indispensable for cardiovascular and body wide health. Indeed, in this study the researchers found the pomegranate group had increased levels of triglycerides and very low density lipoprotein, again, underscoring that the anti-atherosclerotic properties likely have more to do with the improved quality of the physiological milieu within which all our lipoproteins operate than the number of them, in and of itself.

Finally, it should be pointed out that all the patients in this study were undergoing conventional, drug-based care for cardiovascular disease, e.g. cholesterol- and blood pressure-lowering agents. Not only did the pomegranate treatment not appear to interfere with their drugs, making it a suitable complementary/adjunct therapy for those on pharmaceuticals, but it should be pointed out that the control group’s condition got progressively worse (e.g. the mean IMT increased 9% within 1 year), speaking to just how ineffective drugs are, or how they may even contribute to the acceleration of the disease process itself.

Pomegranate’s 100+ Health Benefits

Believe it or not, pomegranate has many other ways in which it can help to heal the cardiovascular system, as well as other organ systems. Our research project has identified over 100 distinct health benefits of pomegranate:View the Pomegranate Research Database. Learn more by reading some of our other articles on the topic: