Tag: Vitamin And Mineral

Diagnosing Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is a known disease of the small intestine. With celiac disease, the intestine experiences an immunological or allergic reaction. The small intestine does not absorb the nutrients of the food digested. This leads to nutritional, vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Diagnosing celiac disease early is very important to prevent any critical illness.

Celiac disease is common in European countries, particularly in Ireland, Italy, Sweden and Austria. In Finland, the prevalence may be as high as one in every 100 persons. While in North America, its prevalence is one in every 3000 people. Worldwide, its occurrence would be one in every 250 people.

Its exact cause is unknown but it is often inherited. If someone in the immediate family has it, chances are 5 percent to 15 percent that the member of the family may have it as well. It can occur at any age, although problems dont appear until gluten is introduced into the diet.

There are also times, for unclear reasons, that the disease appear or was experienced after some form of trauma. It can happen or emerge after an infection, a physical injury, the stress of pregnancy, severe stress or surgery.

There are no typical signs and symptoms of celiac disease and there are even patients that have no symptoms. They only show the symptoms after inducing or introducing gluten into their diet. There are cases that celiac disease is misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. The symptoms are often confused with other conditions, like irritable bowel syndrome, gastric ulcers, or nervous conditions.

Blood tests are conducted such as anti-tissue translutaminase and anti-endomysial antibodies. Blood tests are used to find the elevated antibody levels. These elevated levels are a sign of celiac disease, since the persons immune system recognizes gluten as a foreign substance and increases the number of antibodies to fight it.

After confirming or getting elevated antibody levels in the blood tests, the doctor or attending physician perform intestinal tissue checks. This is to microscopically examine a small portion of intestinal tissue to check for damage to the villi.

A thin, flexible tube is inserted through the mouth, esophagus and stomach and into the small intestine to take a small tissue sample. The tiny, hairlike projections from the small intestine that absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients will provide the necessary information if the villi is damaged.

Also, patients with celiac disease show other clues. Patients may have the presence of a blistering, itchy skin rash known as dermatitis herpetiformis. An estimated 10 percent of patients with celiac disease also have this skin disorder. Dermatitis herpetiformis is a skin disease that can be found on the extremities, buttocks, neck, trunk, and scalp.

After undergoing medical examinations, a trial of a gluten-free diet can confirm the diagnosis. But before undergoing the gluten-free diet, medical evaluation is required. Undergoing the diet may have an impact on the results of the blood test and biopsies. They may appear normal and without any complications even if the patient is positive with celiac disease.

Dennis Lee, M.D, the author of the article Celiac Disease(Gluten Enteropathy) states that it is necessary to firmly establish the diagnosis of celiac disease before commencing to gluten free diet for three main reasons:

(1) to identify the gluten-free diet should be followed which is a life-long and tedious commitment;

(2) to avoid patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to unnecessarily commit to life-long gluten restriction; and

(3) a gluten free diet can lower the blood antibody levels and allow the small intestine to lose the typical appearance of celiac disease, complicating subsequent efforts at making a firm diagnosis of celiac disease.

Achieving Healthy Pregnancy Despite Diabetes

Among diabetic pregnant women, the most common problem when it comes to their babys health is the condition called macrosomia or having a baby with large body. This is because the blood of the mother with diabetes is interchanged with that of the baby inside the womb. As a result, the baby will produce insulin to be able to glucose and this will lead to fat deposits, which causes the baby to grown larger compared to the regular ones.

What you can do

For a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy, it is ideal to maintain an appropriate weight gain, average consumption of various foods from different food groups, timely and prescribed vitamin and mineral supplementation, and lots of fluid intake. Sweets and fats should also be kept to a minimum level of consumption. The following are just some of the guidelines that pregnant women with diabetes can use to achieve healthy pregnancy despite the chronic disease:

1. Follow the appropriate meal plan religiously. More than ever, pregnant women should pay attention to what they eat and their eating patterns in general. This is very important because this stagepregnancy itselfrequires strict control of blood glucose levels in order to ensure that both the mother and baby are getting the right amount of key nutrients needed. In coming up with the right diet plan, it is best to seek the help of diabetes educator or a licensed dietitian to create the necessary adjustments needed to accommodate the needs not only of the fetus inside the womb but of the mother as well. In your meal plan, take note of calorie, carbohydrates and protein requirements every day because these will help you maintain normal blood glucose levels.

2. Regular Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose or SMBG. Experts say that the only way to tell if the woman is successful in controlling her blood glucose is by monitor their levels by themselves regularly. Since being pregnant is a sensitive condition, soon to be mothers should monitor their blood glucose levels more frequently. Ideally, SMBG should be monitored four to 10 times a day.

3. Knowledge in administering insulin injections and adjusting the doses based on the results of SMBG. Sufficient supply of insulin is very crucial for pregnant women so they must know how to administer insulin injections by themselves in case no one is around when they need it. They should also ask from their physician how to adjust the doses of insulin after they are through with the SBMG. Knowing how to adjust the doses of insulin needed is very important to ensure that the bodys supply of insulin is stable.

4. Treating or controlling hypoglycemia. Pregnant women who are diabetics are more prone to hypoglycemia because of the hormonal changes in their body. Although studies show that there are no know effects of hypoglycemia in the baby, it is best to control or treat it as soon as possible so the soon to be mom wont be having troubles during the course of conception.

5. Maintaining regular set of exercise or physical activities. This is also very important for pregnant women with diabetes because through this they can reduce the risk of hypoglycemia as well as being overweight. Since it is hard for pregnant women to do strenuous workouts, it is best to maintain the hobby of having light exercises that will keep the body moving.

How Can One Benefit from Fish Oil Supplements?

How can one benefit from fish oil supplements and there are actually a hundred and one reasons why people resort to taking fish oil supplements, whether it be the result of aggressive marketing and commercial campaigns or simply because it was proven effective by one and word spread like wildfire about its therapeutic or healing wonders.

Generally, a common view about fish oil supplements is that it gives the public a sense of security knowing that a particular ‘alternative’ or ‘natural’ health supplement is sourced from a commonly recognized raw material, for example, an herb possessing healing properties or plant life known for vitamin and nutrient qualities.

Psychologically, the public is much more at ease knowing that fish oil supplements are sourced from commonly known raw materials found in the environment, rather than medication or supplements synthetically or chemically-generated in pharmaceutical laboratories.

Among the most common popular – yet sometimes debatable – benefits one can get from fish oil supplements are the following;

An all-natural approach to healing and therapy. People are more comfortable knowing that alternative approaches to healing and therapy promotes the human body’s ability to heal itself, and with the introduction of fish oil supplements could enhance the body’s resistance to disease and illnesses.

Fish oil supplements are good sources of vitamins and minerals needed by the body. Many experts believe that natural resources of vitamins and minerals that are commonly found in the environment are more likely to supplement the body under ‘natural’ conditions.

A cheaper alternative than conventional prescription synthetic health medicines. Although this claim is a highly debated issue by health buffs and pharmaceutical hardliners, economics play a key role in determining this issue. While millions of dollars go into the research and development of vitamin and mineral substitutes for mass production, cultural and traditional forces are at play in rallying the cause of alternative supplements to boost one’s health.

All-natural supplements are safer than conventional medicines. Sometimes true and sometimes not, researches are still being conducted regarding the adverse effects of some ‘natural’ remedies and supplements, aside from promoting healing or therapeutic capabilities.

There is a wide array of choices in the long list of alternative health supplements, depending on one’s needs for supplementation and therapeutic needs. From seed to fruit extracts, depending on one’s preference for taste, health effects or supplementation needs, there are hundreds of options one can have in the choice for the best fish oil supplements in the market.

Natural and fish oil supplements are less-likely to create allergic or adverse reactions for the user. This again is another debatable topic, however, the public should take caution as to determining what is good or bad for their health.

Many fish oil supplements provide treatment for a wide range of major and minor health conditions, compared to the limited efficacy of their synthetic counterparts that only target a particular illness or disorder.

Almost all fish oil supplements are used for the prevention of illnesses by strengthening the immune system, rather than as a palliative measure at the onset or during the affliction of a disease.

Fish oil supplements can be taken to augment good nutrition and cater to the body’s need for the recommended standard dosage of vitamins and minerals. If one particular mineral or nutrient is not found in a standard diet, supplements can be taken to address the deficit.

Finally, fish oil supplements are good sources of fortified vitamins and minerals. Depending on our individual needs for vitamins and minerals, it can add to the body’s need for specific nutrients, for example, breast-feeding or pregnant women need more calcium, folic acid and every other essential nutrients for fetal development, compared to teens and men.

Whether these benefits bear truth or not, it is still essential to seek expert opinion about the medicines or supplements we take- be it synthetic or natural- since what may be good for one may be bad for another. It would still be good to know and understand what is best for us.