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Can You Replace Healthy Food with Supplements

Can Vitamins replace food for good health? — Photo by fikmik – yayimages.com

Most Americans have a busy schedule and don’t have time to eat a well-balanced diet. In scenarios like this, popping a multivitamin can seem to be an easy way out to meet the nutrition requirements.

Statistics show that around 68 percent of US adults take dietary supplements. What’s more, around 84 percent of the consumers show confidence in the effectiveness and safety of the supplements. Vitamin supplements seem to be the perfect solution to get the required nutrients and continue with the daily routine or are they?

However, the fact is that supplements can never compare to wholesome food.

According to a spokesperson for American Dietetic Association, D. Milton Stokes, a supplement cannot provide all the benefits of consuming food items. They simply are not food substitutes.

Dangers of Relying on Supplements

Supplements can’t replace whole food. You should not replace meals by taking vitamin supplements. While supplements can be taken to meet vitamin deficiency, they should not be considered an alternative to whole food.

Furthermore, contrary to what some people believe, supplements are not 100 percent natural. Side effects can occur if you try to meet the daily vitamins and minerals requirement by taking the pills. They are particularly harmful to children who can experience dangerous side effects.

In order to fulfill the vitamin and nutrition requirements, it is important that you implement a well-balanced diet plan. Consider following these five simple tips to stay healthy:

Include lots of vegetables and fruits in the diet.
Consume rice, bread, and other food items high in starch. Prefer bread made of whole grain flour instead of white bread.
Avoid or limit intake of refined starch foods. Also, limit intake of food items high in sugar and fat.
Eat dairy food items such as yogurt and milk.
Include fish, beans, and eggs, in your daily diet.

Vitamin supplements should be treated as nothing more than supplements. They should complement your diet instead of replacing wholesome food items. For instance, vitamin D supplement should be taken by all breastfeeding and pregnant women, senior individuals, and children. Also, taking folic acid supplement is recommended for pregnant women in order to prevent issues with the neural tube.

Conclusion

You should adopt healthy eating habits to remain in good mental and physical shape. The diet should include healthy whole food items. A healthy diet and exercise are essential for a healthy body and mind. You should always cut down on salt, sugar and saturated fat. In addition, drinking about 8 glasses a day is essential. Other than that, you should take vitamins and minerals supplement only to meet the deficiency that is not fulfilled with the daily diet. Relying on the supplements alone is not a wise choice.

The Risk of Bad Sleep Habits on Your Health

Humans require sleep just as they require oxygen, water, and food to survive. Adequate hours of sleep are vital for the health. However, the demands of the fast-paced city life make it difficult for many of us to get adequate sleep at night.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that an adult individual should get at least seven hours of sleep every night. Not getting enough sleep at night does not just result in drowsiness and fatigue. Various studies have shown that lack of sleep leads to increased risk of various health disorders.

Sleep Deprivation and Health Risks

Our sleep needs vary as we age. We require fewer hours of sleep as we age. However, the demands of the daily life make it difficult for most people to get the required hours of sleep at night. Sleep deprivation leads to increased risk of various health disorders some of which are briefly discussed below.

1. Diminished Cognitive Process

Sleep plays an important role in improved cognitive process. Inadequate sleep at night impairs mental processes. This leads to reduced alertness, focus, and decreased problem-solving and reasoning skills. As a result, a person’s productivity is adversely affected while performing tasks during the day. Also, impaired mental functioning increases the risk of accidents when driving or operating heavy machinery.

2. Increased Risk of Health Disorders

Lack of sleep puts a person at increased risk of heart attack, heart failure, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), stroke, and diabetes. Around 90 percent of the people that have been diagnosed with insomnia, or chronic inability to sleep at night, also suffer from one of these health complications.

3. Reduced Libido

Lack of sleep also has been linked to reduced libido in both men and women. Sleep-deprived people show less interest in sex due to sleepiness, stress, and depleted energy. Studies have shown that men with sleeping problems also may have low testosterone levels that lead to reduced interests in sex with the partner.

4. Depression and Anxiety

A survey conducted in 2007 of 10,000 individuals found that sleep-deprived people were five times more likely to develop depression. People with sleep problems are more likely to develop depression and anxiety disorders as compared to those that have adequate hours of sleep at night.

5. Premature Aging

Lack of sleep can also lead to premature aging of the skin. People that do not get adequate sleep at night develop fine lines and dark circles under the eyes. When persons do not get adequate sleep at night, it results in the release of the stress hormones. This hormone contributes to aging of the skin.

In conclusion, you should make sure to get 7 to 9 hours sleep every night. Consider consulting with a general physician for sleep therapies or medications for getting oversleep troubles. However, most of the people would benefit by making slight changes in the daily habits that result in getting adequate hours of sleep during the night.

COPD: The Disease Leonard Nimoy Lived With

Less than a month after taking to Twitter to urge fans to quit smoking, Leonard Nimoy died at the age of 83 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a lung disease that makes breathing difficult.

Best known for playing Spock on Star Trek, Nimoy spent his last weeks reminding fans of the dangers of smoking through Twitter. The actor had quit smoking 30 years earlier, but not soon enough, he tweeted. Nimoy had announced last year that he had been diagnosed with the disease.

COPD is almost always caused by smoking, which accounts for as many as 9 out of 10 COPD-related deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Continuing to smoke after being diagnosed will only escalate the damage of COPD.

In the early stages of the disease, patients experience a nagging cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, and tightness in the chest. Nimoy passed away from end-stage COPD, which includes severe airflow limitation and exacerbations.

After he died, his wife confirmed that end-stage COPD was the cause of death. However, this is not the cause with everyone at this stage of the disease. A study in 2008 found that more COPD patients die with their disease rather than from it.

COPD most commonly occurs in people age 40 years and older who have a history of smoking. The disease restricts airflow for a number of reasons: the airways in the lungs lose their ability to stretch and shrink; the walls between many air sacs are destroyed; the walls of the airways become irritated and swollen; the airways make more mucus, which clogs them and blocks airflow.

People with COPD are told to stop smoking, plan special activities that strengthen the muscles used for breathing, use medicines such as a bronchodilator or inhaled steroid, or in serious cases surgery can be recommended.

Drug Usage Continues to Climb Amongst Teenagers

Although not a disease, we thought it important to talk about this subject, since is is so prevalent in our society. The use of drugs has increased over all in our society, but the prevalence among teenagers is alarming. The teenagers have no need to indulge in these activities, yet they somehow end up being a part of this act and often get addicted to drugs at a very young age. The most common reasons why teenagers use drugs include:

Peer Pressure

One of the most common reasons why teenagers firstly try and then get hooked to drugs is due to peer pressure. The constant pressure from their friends, seniors, and other people of their age often leads many teenagers to try drugs just so that they can feel included. Many times bullies involve younger teenagers at schools to try out drugs as a challenge. Out of the fear of being left out and ridiculed, teenagers try drugs out. And this develops into a continuous habit in many cases.

Seeing Others

Teenagers often see other adults trying out a drug which gives them a feeling of thrill or excitement and they want to try it on their own. Many times, this is done out of curiosity as well. If parents openly smoke, drink alcohol, or abuse other drugs in front of their children, the children eventually follow the footsteps as observed in many research studies as well. The influence of the social circle and neighborhood that the teenagers are a part of also plays a very important role.

To End Boredom or To Express Rebellion

Many teenagers adopt drugs as a sign of rebellion against their lifestyle, family life, social norms, or environment in general. Being considered a taboo, drugs are prohibited in such a young age. As they say that “forbidden fruit is the sweetest”, hence, teenagers often try drugs to stand against the general norms. In some cases, teenage try drugs out of boredom or just for the sake of trying. This turns into drug abuse in most of the cases.

Repetitive Promotion in Media

Drugs are portrayed as attractive substances and often deemed to be cool in various media channels, especially music. Many Rap songs are actually promoting the use of drugs, and this is establishing a drug culture in a way. Young minds, without understanding the consequences and only blinded by the pseudo attractions, end up using drugs.

To Boost Self-Esteem

As we just mentioned, drugs are often perceived to be ‘cool’ by many teenagers. The ones who have low self esteem or do not have much confidence, they use drugs to feel good and improve their perception about themselves. This also gives them an excuse or safe way out in case they do something to embarrass themselves.

There are many more reasons that add up to the list. Many of them can be addressed through better research and proper educative awareness programs, especially in school.

Assuring Patients Can Receive Timely Quality Care

New York physicians continue to pay liability premiums that far exceed those in any other state. After liability premiums for New York physicians shot up 55-80% between 2003 to 2008 before the Legislature intervened to impose rate freezes in 2008 and 2009, medical liability premiums have continued to steadily rise. Many New York physicians continue to pay outrageous liability premiums that far exceed $100,000, and some even exceed $300,000! The cost of medical liability coverage for the 2014-15 policy year was:

• $338,252 for a neurosurgeon in Nassau and Suffolk counties;
• $186,639 for an OB/GYN in Bronx and Richmond counties;
• $132,704 for a general surgeon in Kings and Queens counties; and
• $134,902 for an vascular surgeon or cardiac surgeon in Bronx and Richmond counties.

Malpractice payouts in New York State continue to be far out of proportion to the rest of country. For example, in 2013, according to a report by Diederich Healthcare and reported in the March 15, 2014 Washington Post, New York State had by far and away the highest number cumulative medical liability payouts ($689,800,300), nearly two times greater than the state with the next highest amounts, Pennsylvania ($356,855,500), and far exceeding states such as California ($274,590,800) and Florida ($199,442,450). Additionally, New York State had by far and away the highest per-capita medical liability payments in the country, far exceeding the second highest state Pennsylvania by 57%, the third highest state New Jersey by 67%, and the fourth highest state Massachusetts by 74%.

We can no longer sustain such an expensive, inequitable, and fatally flawed medical liability adjudication system if we wish to assure that our healthcare system will be able to accommodate the demand that will inevitably come as our population ages and becomes more resource-dependent, as well as the nearly 1,000,000 newly insured patients who are starting to receive coverage through New York’s new health insurance Exchange. We need comprehensive reform of our flawed civil justice system and reduction in our medical liability costs, not legislation that increases costs and exacerbates existing problems.

We support legislation to create alternative systems for resolving medical liability cases, such as medical court or a Neurologically Impaired Infants No-Fault fund. We also strongly support legislation to enact medical liability tort reforms enacted in other states which would: place reasonable limits on non-economic damages; identify and assure qualified expert witnesses; eliminate joint and several liability; identify a physician supplying a Certificate of Merit; immunize statements of apology or regret; and provide immunity for physicians providing pro bono care.

Preventing Untenable Expansions of Liability MSSNY will continue to strenuously oppose any measure to expand the damages recoverable in medical liability actions, including legislation that would: • Create a “date of discovery” rule for New York’s statute of limitations for medical liability actions – Estimated to increase premiums by 15%;

• Expand “wrongful death” damages to permit “pain and suffering” – Estimated to increase premiums by 53%;
• Permit the awarding of pre-judgment interest – Estimated to increase premiums by 27%;
• Eliminate the current statutory limitations on attorney contingency fees in medical liability cases – Estimated to
increase premiums by over 10%;
• Prohibit ex-parte interview by defense counsel of the plaintiff’s treating physician;
• Change loss-share rules regarding non-settling defendants.
Enactment of any of these measures would have calamitous consequences on our health care system. Efforts to reform our medical liability adjudication system must be comprehensive!

Muhammad Ali and Parkinson’s Disease

Doctors think the head trauma Muhammad Ali suffered during his boxing career might have contributed to his Parkinson’s disease. Approximately 1.5 million Americans have Parkinson’s disease and 60,000 more are diagnosed with it each year. Boxing may have influenced Ali’s disease, but the data are far from conclusive. His family has suggested that his disease was due to the exposure to pesticides he had experienced earlier in life. But the truth is that we may never know what caused his Parkinson’s—or that of the vast majority of those diagnosed.

Parkinson’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disorder in which cells in a part of the brain that controls movement begin to die. As a result, patients slow down, lose coordination, and tremble.

Ali referred to his condition as a “trial” from God and spoke of preparing for death. He said he thought about it during each of his five daily prayers, but he did not give the impression it prayed on his mind. If anything he seemed at peace with the idea.

He would say that speaking in public was something he had to strive to overcome: “I realize my pride would make me say no, but it scares me to think I’m too proud to appear in public because of my condition.”

Ali never complained. He would wake, shower and sit in his arm chair watching old boxing reels. There were no complaints. No time blaming others for his fate. “He would always say to his family, ‘These are the cards I was dealt, so don’t be sad.”

How did Ali stay so positive? “He would say, ‘I’ve got the best-known face on the planet. I’m the three-time heavyweight champion of the world. I’ve got no reason to be down.”

Ali will be remembered as more than just “the greatest”. He was a powerful force on humanitarian missions. He spoke out against racism, war and religious intolerance, while projecting an unshakable confidence that became a model for African-Americans at the height of the civil rights era and beyond.

Ali was known to be a friend of the Jewish people. Although he railed against Jewish promoters at times and slammed ‘Zionist control of the world’, he also attended his grandson’s bar-mitzvah and appealed to Muslim extremists to release Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl. In an article in USA Today, written by Ali’s good friend, Billy Crystal, boycotted a country club after being told they did not allow Jews. Ali never attended that club again.

Through expert care, research and grants, it is the goal of the Parkinson’s Foundation and patients everywhere to make the world a better place for people suffering with Parkinson’s until there is a tomorrow without this dreadful disease.

157 Pregnant Women in the US Being Monitored for Zika Virus Infections

The number of pregnant women in the US with the Zika virus is going up as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reevaluates how it reports cases.

Previously, pregnant women with an asymptomatic Zika virus infection who do not have known pregnancy complications were not reportable. However, the CDC established new surveillance systems to monitor pregnancies and congenital outcomes among women with laboratory evidence of Zika infections but no symptoms.

As of May 12, 157 pregnant women in US states and 122 pregnant women in US territories were being monitored for evidence of possible Zika virus infection. These systems are monitoring clinical presentation of the infection, all prenatal testing, and adverse consequences of the virus during pregnancy in order to better understand the risk for congenital infection and the spectrum of adverse congenital outcomes.

“These data will improve clinical guidance, inform counseling messages for pregnant women, and facilitate planning for clinical and public health services for affected families,” according to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The criteria for the Zika virus among asymptomatic or symptomatic pregnant women include the presence of fever, rash, arthralgia, or conjunctivitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, or an adverse pregnancy outcome, such as fetal loss or in utero findings of microcephaly. The clinical criteria for Zika virus congenital infection in infants include microcephaly, intracranial calcifications, or other central nervous system abnormalities.

Among the 157 women in the states being monitored, only 49% reported clinical symptoms consistent with Zika virus and among the 122 pregnant women in the US territories, 66% reported clinical symptoms.

“Limiting surveillance to symptomatic women with confirmed or probable Zika virus disease or to women already affected by an adverse pregnancy outcome excludes a substantial proportion of women with asymptomatic and possible Zika virus infection during pregnancy,” according to the report.

However, the expanded definition being used can also overestimate Zika virus infection among pregnant women being screened because of crossreactivity with dengue and other, similar viruses.

“Findings from these U.S. surveillance systems are expected to improve understanding of Zika virus infection during pregnancy, enhance risk assessment and counseling of pregnant women and families, advance clinical care, and assist states and territories to anticipate and plan needed resources and increase prevention efforts,” the report concluded.

Gene Mutations and Cancer Risk

Image of woman holding her chest with pink banner next to her — Pixabay

Since Angelina Jolie opened up about her BRCA1 gene mutation, more awareness about this mutation is spreading. Due to her announcement, public awareness skyrocketed and more women were getting tested. So much so that it became a phenomenon known as the Angla Joli Effect.

What Are the Chances of Getting Breast Cancer if You Have the BRCA1 Gene?

Those who test positive for an abnormal BRCA1, BRCA2, or PALB2 gene are learning their chance for breast cancer is higher than that of the average woman. An average woman without the mutation only has a 12% chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime according to the National Cancer Institute, whereas a woman with BRCA1 or BRCA2 has up to an 85% chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime. The chance for ovarian cancer also increases with the gene mutations to about 16-44% chance compared to just under 2% for the average woman without the mutation. Women with BRCA1 are also more likely to develop estrogen-negative cancers, meaning that a cancer’s growth is not caused by the hormone estrogen. Anti-estrogen hormone therapy is not a viable treatment option and since these cancers tend to be more aggressive it’s important they are caught early. BRCA2 mutation-caused cancers however can benefit from hormonal therapy according to the American Cancer Society.

BRCA1, BRCA2 Prevention

This information is incredibly important because it gives women a chance to lower their risk through a variety of methods starting with an annual breast MRI at age 25. This is of great significance as BRCA1 and BRCA2 cancers tend to be aggressive and it is important to catch them early. Other risk-lowering methods include prophylactic surgery such as a double mastectomy and oophorectomy.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 not only affect women, but men are also at risk. Men with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have an increased chance of developing prostate cancer and a higher lifetime risk of developing male breast cancer. Both women and men with the mutation are also at an elevated risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Those with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer should consider being tested for these mutations. Those with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry are also more likely to have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation.

The PALB2 gene mutation increases the chance of breast cancer to about 58% percent. Research about this gene is ongoing to find out how it affects the likelihood of developing other cancers such as ovarian and pancreatic.

Four-Fold Increase In Worldwide Cases of Diabetes Over Past 25 Years – WHO

Approximately 18.2 million Americans have diabetes and almost approximately 5.2 million people are unaware that they have it. Worldwide, a person is actually diagnosed with the disease every 23 seconds. As yet, there is no cure, so it is important that you visit your doctor regularly as people with diabetes need to manage their disease to stay healthy.

The disease consists of problems with the insulin hormone. Normally, the pancreas releases insulin to help your body store and use the sugar and fat from the food you eat. When this normal process does not function properly diabetes. More specifically, diabetes occurs:

When the pancreas does not produce any insulin
When the pancreas produces very little insulin
When the body does not respond appropriately to insulin

Over the period from 1980 to 2014, “diabetes rates nearly doubled.” Currently, “one in 12 people living in the world today have the disease.” The Washington Post has reported that diabetes, “once predominantly a rich-country problem, has become one that disproportionately affects poorer countries,” the findings of a World Health Organization’s “first global report” on diabetes suggest. USA Today points out that around the globe, “diabetes killed 1.5 million people in 2012, according to the WHO report.”

According to the AP, the WHO report attributed “excess weight, obesity, aging and population growth” to the “nearly four-fold increase in worldwide cases of diabetes over the last quarter-century.”.

It is interesting to note that People Who Consume Full-Fat Dairy May Weigh Less, May Be Less Likely To Develop Diabetes Than Those Who Eat Low-Fat Dairy Products. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “people who consume full-fat dairy weigh less and are less likely to develop diabetes than those who eat low-fat dairy products,” the findings of a 3,333-adult, 15-year study published in the journal Circulation suggest. The study revealed that “people with higher levels of three different byproducts of full-fat dairy had, on average, a 46 percent lower risk of getting diabetes than those with lower levels.”

There are many organizations working on a cure for diabetes and donations can be made to American Diabetes Association, as well as many others.

What is the Zika Virus?

The Zika virus is a disease that spreads to people primarily through the sting of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis. However, many people might not even know if they have been infected, as most people who contract the Zika virus won’t know they have the disease because they won’t have symptoms, according to the CDC. In addition, most people who have the virus, don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika.

Transferring the Disease

Zika is mainly spread by mosquitoes, but there have been reported cases of the virus being spread through sexual intercourse. In addition, the Zika virus may be spread through blood transfusions.

Active Locations of the Virus

Currently, there are 39 countries and territories with reported active local transmission of the virus, including Puerto Rico. While there has yet to be any local transmission of the virus in the continental United States, experts expect that to change as the weather warms up.

The virus has been around for many decades, but suddenly, it is now increasing in the human population at an alarming rate. In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil and on Feb 1, 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Zika virus a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

The following video illustrates the the sudden increase of the Zika virus

As Zika virus continues to spread worldwide, the urgent need for assistance in the countries affected grows. The International Atomic Energy Agency has recently announced a plan to help the 26 countries and territories reporting Zika virus infections.

Zike Virus World Map — The map above depicts the probability of occurrence (blue=none, red=highest occurrence).

Zika Risks to Humans

While the spread Zika virus is not on par with the deadly Ebola outbreak from 2014 that began in West Africa, the reason why Zika is causing such concern is because of the potential link to microcephaly. Women who are pregnant and develop a fever, rash, joint pain, or red eyes within 2 weeks of traveling to a country where Zika has been reported should see a doctor.

There has been a link between women infected with Zika and babies born with microcephaly, a birth defect that affects brain development, resulting in babies being born with much smaller heads than expected. Typically, microcephaly is not a common condition, and normally affects between 2 and 12 babies per 10,000.

Additional information can be found in Five Facts About the Zika Virus.

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