the-psoriasis-treatment

You can’t swing a dead fish these days without hearing about its good fats. The term “omega-3” is now well known throughout the world of nutrition, but this wasn’t always so. Science writer Susan Allport accomplishes the task of chronicling the discovery and rise to stardom of omega-3 oils in The Queen of Fats: Why Omega-3s Were Removed from the Western Diet and What We can Do About Them . Omega-3s, specifically long-chain omega-3s DHA and EPA found naturally in fish, have overtaken the world of nutrition as one of the most exciting areas of research in the last few decades. They are now recognized as essential for cardiovascular health and guarding against heart disease; DHA for being the most abundant fat in our brains and a key nutrient for infant and brain development as well as long-term brain health in adults; and EPA because it acts to replace other fatty acids in eicosanoid pathways to reduce inflammation in joints and the body overall. No one would have predicted these facts h...

Grandma My grandma, 79, scored a 6 on the NSI Determine Checklist, which puts her at “high nutritional risk.” Her eating habits are affected by GERD and she tries to avoid any processed foods high in sodium because of hypertension. She also eats alone most of the time and eats fewer than two meals per day. Although she dislikes eating fruits and vegetables, she does manage to obtain some of them in her diet. She drinks plenty of milk and uses dairy products liberally. She doesn’t drink alcohol, has enough money for food she needs (although she said she could use more), and only takes one prescription medication. She has not gained or lost 10 pounds without wanting to in the last six months. She shops and cooks for herself and reports that she also picks at food throughout the day. Me I, 31, scored a 0 on the NSI Determine Checklist. I have no conditions that affect my diet, I eat balanced meals along with vegetables, fruits and milk products, and don’t drink more than one glass of wine...

When I was in high school, one of my best friends was a long-distance runner and a dancer. After only a few months of training, I knew something was wrong. She changed her diet to one of protein and almost no other calories. She was obsessed with exercise leading to a loss of many of her friends. Later on she lost a lot of weight and, to me, instead of becoming healthier she appeared to look pretty unhealthy. What I didn't know then was that my friend may have suffered from the "female athlete triad". It is a three-part syndrome that affects the health and performance of female athletes and includes osteoporosis, disordered eating and menstrual disorders. Each of these are inter-related and inter-play. Together they can cause serious illness or death. Writing in a review in British Medical Journal, Dr. Karen Birch explains that the syndrome can be caused by pressures psychological and physiological associated with a sports requirements to perform optimally, which can l...

My thoughts after reading "A Review of Family Meal Influence on Adolescents' Dietary Intake" by Sarah Woodruff and Rhona Hanning: It's pretty easy to imagine why having dinner with one's family would instill positive nutritional habits. Even the word family exudes in its meaning what goes further to credit an environment of caring and, above all, nurturing. When mother and father are at the table, they are naturally given to see to it that their children are eating well. At the same time, they must also set the right example. Thus, it's clear why the authors of the article found that the studies reviewed found that those adolescents who ate with their families had a higher intake dairy, fruits and vegetables. I would further suggest that family influence comes with wisdom as to healthy eating pattens. For example, when grandma or grandpa or mom or dad make a meal, they themselves are passing on food traidtions that may have well sustained generations with bet...

John and Susan are both prone to being overweight. They are concerned that their infant son, Steven will also have weight problems. They are referred to you when Steven is 5 months old. Steven's growth data are as follows Age Weight Length Birth 8lb 20inches 1 week 8lb 1oz 20 inches 1 month ll lb. 21.5 inches 2 month 12lb 8oz 23 inches 3 month 14lb 8oz 23.5 inches 4 month 16lb 25.5 inches 5 month 18lb 26.5 inches Steven breast feeds six times daily for about 20-25 minutes at each feeding. He is not presently receiving any other sources of nourishment. Answer the following questions for John and Susan: Their pediatrician told them that Steven's weight is above average. Is he gaining too much weight? When charted, Steven’s birth weight and weight gain for the next two months is at about the 50th percentile (1 p. 566). His weight gain afterward appears to be higher than average and he is at the 90th percentile by 5 months (1 p. 566). Steven’s birth length for four months is at abo...

Nutritional and energy needs for a child differs profoundly from that of an adult because of a child's continual growth and development. A child is in greater need of nutrient-dense foods--although not to the extent as infants--and requires more energy for basal metabolic rate, physical activity and thermic effect of food. Energy needs are highest during rapid growth and expansion of lean mass. Each individual child is best understood by first dividing stages of child growth and development into two periods: a preschool period and a school-age period: During the pre-school period, from 2-6 years of age, the child grows more slowly in comparison to infancy. A toddler will quadruple birth weight in a full year or so. The brain of the toddler also grows more slowly than as was expected as an infant so head circumference will only increase by a couple of centimeters. A toddler's weight increase can range from 2.5 kg per year for ages 2 and 3 to 2 kg per year for ages 4 and 5. She o...

The infant, despite whether healthy term or high-risk, will require energy for BMR, thermic effect of food, physical activity, maintenance, growth and for energy lost in feces and urine. There is also energy needed just to maintain body temperature until the early extrauterine period passes. The newborn requires approximately 108 kcal/kg for about six months followed by 98 kcal/kg for the next six. The high-risk newborn will have the same energy requirements, but Calorie needs will differ in whether or not the infant is enterally fed or parenterally fed. The enterally fed infant needs a greater amount of Calories, at 120/kg, than the healthy infant due to specific dynamic action and cold stress. The parentally fed will need fewer amount of Calories, at about 80-90 kcal/kg, than the healthy infant because of the infant won't use as many calories for activity, cold stress, specific dynamic action or stool losses. Caloric needs for both enterally and parenterally fed high-risk infants...

One interesting detail I came across while researching teratogens is that a protein-deficient diet may enhance the effects of xenobiotics in general. For example, dietary protein deficiency along with exposure to inorganic arsenic through injection in mice was found to increase risk of birth defects, possibly because of lack of methyl donors for arsenic methylation (1). Also, high-dose caffeine teratogenicity is increased when in combination with protein deficiency (2). Other xenobiotics such as tobacco carcinogens, anticonvulsants and sedatives appear to be teratogenic depending on the status of the cytochrome P450 system of the fetus (1). The effect may or may not be related to protein deficiency. The toxicity is thought to occur due to lack of anitoxidative enzymes such as GSH peroxidase and GSH reductase, which would increased endogenous oxidative stress and cumulative damage (3). Reference List 1. Lammon CA, Hood RD. Effects of protein deficient diets on the developmental toxi...

I was shocked to learn that FDA in 1980 had determined that caffeine in amounts exceeding 300 mg could potentially be teratogenic (1). Teratogens are agents that cause fetal malformations or birth defects. Good thing caffeine does not harm the fetus when taken in smaller amounts, despite evidence in rats to the contrary (1-2). However, after digging deeper, I found that the researchers did find that caffeine potentiated teratogenic effect of smoking and alcohol (2). The mechanism appears to be through inducing materno-fetal vasoconstrictions that lead to ischemia (2). If caffeine potentiates effects of other teratogens in amounts less than 300 mg, I imagine it's still wise of pregnant women to avoid caffeine altogether during pregnancy just in case they are exposed to teratogens of some kind and are unaware of it. Reference List 1. Mitchell MK. Nutrition Across The Life Span. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, 2003. 2. Nehlig A, Debry G. Potential teratogenic and neurodevelopmenta...

Cannabis sativa’s psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has not been established as a human teratogen (1), but there is a history of teratogenic effects linked to use by expectant mothers (2). The perinatal exposure is thought to interfere with neurodevelopment and affect neurobehavorial outcomes (1-2). Although the teratogenicity of marijuana is not as catastrophic as other illicit drugs such as cocaine, it’s harm can still lead to problems such as disturbed sleep and attention deficit disorder (2-3). Worth noting is that when cocaine exposure is accompanied by marijuana, the neurological effects can be pronounced (3). There is also indication that maternal marijuana use may increase risk of acute myeloid leukemia, however, more recent research has not been able to confirm this relationship (4). Reference List 1. Kozer E, Koren G. Effects of prenatal exposure to marijuana. Can Fam Physician 2001;47:263-4. 2. Reece AS. Chronic toxicology of cannabis. Clin Toxicol (Phila) 2009;47...

Nutritional needs soar when you have a multiple pregnancy. According to Barbara Luke from University of Miami, the mother has a “greater nutritional drain” on her body. Because of quicker glycogen depletion that might slow fetal growth rate, Luke suggests a diabetic regimen with caloric ratio of 40% carbs, 20% protein, and 40% fat. In addition, she suggests supplementation with iron, calcium, magnesium and selenium for preventing “complications and improvement of postnatal health”. Reference List Luke B. Nutrition and multiple gestation. Semin Perinatol 2005;29:349-54.

Eggs, considered a nutritional powerhouse, is an excellent food to recommend to these women during pregnancy. According to Niva Shapira of Tel-Aviv University in Israel, eggs can provide various nutrients, vitamins and minerals that are also found in human milk and that support peak brain development (1). If those eggs are also produced in such a way as to contain high levels of DHA, then they become even more supportive to the young one’s brain (2). Reference List 1. Shapira N. Modified egg as a nutritional supplement during peak brain development: a new target for fortification. Nutr Health 2009;20:107-18. 2. Carlson SE. Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in pregnancy and lactation. Am J Clin Nutr 2009;89:678S-84S.