Health and Diet Blog

Dr. Jonny Bowden, Ph.d., Cns asked:




Lately it seems I can’t pick up a health magazine without reading about the benefits of coconut. Coconut oil is everywhere. And it’s about time. I gave coconut and coconut oil a “star” in the new book, “The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth,” meaning even among that stellar group of foods it’s a standout.

How did this formally forbidden food (it contains a fair amount of saturated fat) redeem its reputation and become the latest darling of the superfood set?

Coconut actually contains a very healthy form of fat called medium-chain triglycerides (MCT). Although MCTs are indeed a form of saturated fat, they have some very unique properties. For example, MCTs are very digestible, which makes them ideal for people with digestive problems such as ulcerative colitis or irritable bowel syndrome.

MCTs also have antiviral and antimicrobal properties. Specifically, coconut and coconut oil contain a fatty acid called lauric acid, which has been found to be quite effective in fighting a number of bacteria. This makes coconut and coconut oil very effective for supporting the immune system.

Coconut has a reputation for fat burning, which, truth be told, is probably a bit exaggerated. There have been research studies showing that people who regularly incorporate coconut oil in their diets lose weight, but some of the studies suggest you have to eat practically 40 percent of your calories from MCTs to get the effect. But many people find that smaller amounts of MCTs, from coconut or from supplements, are very effective, if for no other reason than they help keep you full and thus less likely to overeat.

The other thing about coconut is that it’s incredibly stable. You can heat it to high temperatures and it doesn’t break down its chemical composition and create trans fats or other undesirable compounds.

As far as the supposed “dangers” of coconut fat, it’s worth pointing out that research has shown that populations such as the Polynesian Puka Puka and Tokelau islanders, who consume a very large percentage of their calories from coconut and coconut oil, have vanishingly low levels of heart disease.

And better still, not only is coconut amazingly healthy, but it is beyond delicious.

Coconut oil is now available in health food stores everywhere, but make sure to get a 100% cold-pressed organic brand. My favorite: Barlean’s.

Krystyna Pritschmann asked:




There was a time, not too long back, when it was not considered macho for men to be using skin care products. However, in modern times, it is quite acceptable by men as well as women to be using skin care products because men are equally aware about their skin requirements. Nowadays there is a plethora of beauty skin care products available for both men and women and for all possible skin types, soft, sensitive, rough, dry and even hypoallergenic products. So you will have no difficulty in finding a beauty skin care product which will suit your skin type, whether you are male or female and whatever your skin type may be.

What Kind Of Skin Type Do You Have?

If you do not know what type of skin type you have, you should find out. If your skin feels constantly oily, even a little while after you have washed it, you will know that you have oily skin and so you do not want to use a beauty skin care product which is oil based. If you do, you might just break out with pimples or acne. You will require something which will reduce the oiliness of your skin. On the other hand, if you have a dry skin, you will need a beauty skin care product which will replenish the moisture in your skin and help keep it supple and soft. If you have normal skin you should use a beauty skin care product for normal skin. There are also beauty skin care products which have herbs in them or those which are fragrance free for sensitive skins.

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Seek Help

If you are still confused as to what skin type you have you can check out at your nearest department store or supermarket which has a cosmetic counter. Most people manning these counters or sections know about beauty skin care products and they usually have a wide range of products to choose from. They can guide you after checking your skin type. Most beauty skin care products of good quality are not cheap, so you don’t want to buy something which will not suit your skin type. Alternatively, you can even check out at any beauty or skin care salon that you visit – the staff there will be able to help explain what your skin type is and what health and beauty skin care product you should use.

A Dermatologist Can Guide You

In case you have already been through the above steps are still not satisfied with the results, it would be best to seek the advice of a beauty skin care specialist, a dermatologist who is a medical expert. If you have never been to one then ask your doctor to refer you to one. It is worth spending the money on a dermatologist who will guide you as to your skin type and the best health beauty skin care product which will be ideal for your skin. Beauty may not just be skin deep, but it pays in the long run to take care of your skin and use a good beauty skin care product.

Juliet Cohen asked:




Edema formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is the increase of interstitial fluid in any organ swelling. Swollen feet and legs, referred to medically as edema. Edema can be caused by a serious condition of the kidney, heart, liver or blood vessels. The most likely explanation for edema is a constrictive wet or dry suit cuff. Prolonged or repeated exposure to a tight wet suit cuff can produce swelling at the end of the extremity, which in this case is the hand. Foot edema is a condition in which the body collects an abnormal amount of fluid in the tissues, which causes swelling and puffiness of the organ.

The extra water retention is caused by standing for overly lengthy, menstruation, pregnancy, hormone levels, obesity, old age, wound, and much. Swollen legs may be a signal of eye bankruptcy, kidney bankruptcy, or liver bankruptcy. In these conditions, there is overly more fluid in the system. Certain medications may too induce foot edema include a group of blood force lowering drugs called calcium line blockers (such as nifedipine, amlodipine, diltiazem, felodipine, and verapamil. Antidepressants, including MAO inhibitors (such as phenelzine and tranylcypromine) and tricyclics (such as nortriptyline, desipramine, and amitriptyline.

The better manner to cut stage and foot swelling is to promote your legs above the degree of the eye, which puts negligible force on knees, thighs and lower backwards. Elevate your legs above your eye while lying downward. Exercise helps pump fluid from your legs backwards to your eye. Wear support stockings. Try to come a low-salt diet, which may cut graceful retention and swelling. Avoid sitting or standing without moving for prolonged periods of moment. When flying, extend your legs frequently and have upward to walk when potential. When driving, stopover to extend and walk every minute or then.

Foot Edema Treatment and Prevention Tips

1. Eat cooked rice daily.

2. Exercise your legs helps pump fluid from your legs back to your heart.

3. Wear support stockings (sold at most drug and medical supply stores).

4. Try to follow a low-salt diet, which may reduce fluid retention and swelling

5. Avoid wearing restrictive clothing or garters around your thighs.

6. Put cucumbers strips on the foot, put potato slices on the cucumbers and bandage.

Bella Mclaine asked:


Abdominal pain can be termed as stomach ache or belly ache. Due to many organs originating from stomach to groin are linked in this abdominal region. And any organ in your midsection can cause pain, including your appendix, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, and intestines. Abdomen pain can be acute pain or chronic pain. People of any age can complain of abdominal pain. If you are unable to detect the symptoms and causes then it is advisable to consult doctor for the betterment of your health.

There could be various factors that can cause abdominal pain. Pay proper attention along with reasonable care to cure abdominal pain so as to avoid other health problems. The symptoms of abdominal pain include cramping, gastric problem, swelling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation problems.

Below mentioned is the list of symptoms that is directly or indirectly co-related to the causes of abdominal pain:

- Chronic abdominal pain in the upper right quadrant, along with throat problem and feeling extremely exhausted.

- Know whether abdominal pain is mild and severe or persistent and feeble.

- You abdomen part in your stomach may turn stiff or tender to touch.

- Is there any elimination of blood while vomiting (or coughing), or at times in stool. You can define in general as diarrhea problem.

- If you are a pregnant lady or about to be pregnant then they may need to face abdominal pain or pelvic pain problem which could turn out to be a serious situation such as Ectopic Pregnancy or Miscarriage.

- On the other hand in Pelvic inflammatory disease a woman may feel dreary, persistent pain in the lower abdomen along with vaginal discharge and fever.

- Sometimes you may notice sudden acute pain that onset in the back near the ribs which moves down toward the groin.

- You may feel the pain in the lower abdomen while urinating; often the burning sensation with dark and yellow discharge is noticed. In case of women, they may feel pain during ***********.

- You may also feel the bloating sensation after eating or drinking dairy products. It can be defined as Milk Intolerance or Lactose Intolerance.

- Are you undergoing the diarrhea problem, muscle strain, nausea or vomiting.

- Women may have persistent pain in the lower abdomen along with a vaginal discharge.

- The feeling of discomfort or mild pain acts as lower abdominal pain symptoms along with a burning sensation at the time of *********.

- Complains of heartburn with a pressure in the upper abdomen also you will come across.

Thus, knowing all these abdominal pain symptoms will guide you to nourish your health in the better way. Medications are an important part of relieving symptoms. Consult your doctor if running from any of the symptoms so that he can diagnose and treat you in the best possible way.

Darrell Miller asked:




Bromelain consists of two enzymes that digest proteins, otherwise known as proteases or proteolytic enzymes. These enzymes are obtained from different parts of the plant, one from the stem and the other from the fruit. It also includes protease inhibitors, acid phosphatase, peroxidase and calcium.

First used as a supplement in 1959, bromelain is particularly popular in Germany, where a lot of the recent research has been carried out. Because the stem enzyme is in the greatest amount, eating pineapple will not give a great deal of bromelain, and you will have to take the supplement which is extracted from the stem in order to get the greatest benefits.

Bromelain has several therapeutic effects on the body, and is a good aid to digestion. The enzyme can boost the digestive processes and so reduce the incidence of problems such as heartburn, acid reflux and any other condition caused by the incomplete digestion of foods. It does this by breaking down proteins so they are more easily digested.

In fact its potency is sometimes measured in GDUs (Gelatin Digesting Units), gelatin being a common protein that is easily used for the measurement of bromelain activity. It is also measured in MCU (Milk Clotting Units), since bromelain can also be used to clot milk, and a standardized dose should contain 2 MCU per milligram. The dosage to use depends a great deal on the condition being treated, but a good general average for digestive problems is 500 mg three times daily.

Bromelain works best at an optimum pH of 4.5 – 5.5 and can therefore help to balance the pH in its environment. It is extremely important to the immune system that the pH of the body is balanced and controlled to within certain limits, and bromelain can help to achieve that. In helping to reduce the excessive acidity caused by poor digestion, a balanced pH of the stomach is also maintained, helping to reduce the feeling of nausea, common with some digestive defects. The overall result of bromelain supplement is to help to maintain a better digestive system and ease the discomfort of many people for whom a meal is frequently not the pleasure it should be.

Bromelain is also an anti-inflammatory, and used for temporary relief of the inflammation caused by surgical procedures, arthritis and various injuries and forms of disease It is commonly used for the treatment of sports injuries and also immediately after surgery to reduce the risk of inflammation. It appears to have an inhibiting effect of the production of pro-inflammatory metabolites in the body, although the mechanism by which it works is not yet fully understood.

In fact many of the therapeutic benefits of bromelain have been show to be only partially due to its proteolytic activity, and it is now believed that there are also as yet unidentified non-protein factors present in bromelain that contribute to these forms of health benefit. The biochemistry of bromelain has yet to be fully characterized.

Notwithstanding that, the substance has been recommended for the treatment of a wide range of connected conditions, such as gout, arthritis, hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune disorders, hay fever and sinusitis. It is particularly useful where there is pain, where tissues have become swollen and when tissue repair is needed. It appears to inhibit pain-inducing prostaglandins and is also believed in some way to induce the biochemical production of other prostaglandins that have an anti-inflammatory effect.

All of this knowledge has come as a result of studies carried out on the biochemical activity of bromelain, but have not yet been proved and is indicative of the lack of biochemical knowledge on this substance and the chemicals it contains. What have been demonstrated, however, are its effects on platelets and blood clots in arteries.

It appears to do this by the inhibition of the formation of high levels of fibrinogen from which clots are made, and also inhibits the aggregation of blood platelets and their ability to stick to the endothelial cells of blood vessels, particularly the arteries. The fibrin that is produced from fibrinogen not only promotes blood clotting but is also associated wit the retention of fluid. It is a protein, and the proteolytic effect of bromelain also breaks this down.

Bromelain therefore works in a number ways to reduce fluid retention, prevent blood clotting and inhibit the aggregation of blood platelets on artery walls. The measurable effect of this is the thinning of the blood that such activity promotes. It is logical that if fibrin contributes to the viscosity of blood, then its destruction will result in thinner blood, and hence lower blood pressure.

It is also used in the treatment of burns, where it helps to remove the dead skin that can delay recovery after third degree burns. It also appears to promote the absorption of many antibiotics, which again helps in recovery.

Bromelain is relatively safe to use with few side effects, although, curiously, among the side effects are some conditions it is also used to treat. Among these are nausea and allergic reactions, along with diarrhea and excessive menstrual flow. One of its successes has been in the control of menstrual pain.

Bromelain has been proposed for cancer therapy, its potential use being recommended due to its effect of the adhesion of cells, its regulation of the immune function and its effect on the immunosuppressive cytokine TGF-beta that is involved in several types of cancer and their metastasis (spread to other parts of the body). However, a lot more work is needed on this for definite conclusions to be drawn.

On a more practical note, the effect of bromelain on proteins is put to use as a steak tenderizer. If the product is sprinkled in powdered form onto meat, and then forked into the tissue, the enzymes will break down the protein of the meat and make it tender when cooked. However, don’t overdo it or you will end up eating a meaty mush more akin to a soft meatloaf than a good steak!

All in all, bromelain is a useful supplement for many medical conditions, and does to food in your stomach what it does to steak on the plate. It is generally used in supplement form because the active enzyme is not in a high enough concentration in the fruit itself, but in the stem from which it is extracted after the fruit has been harvested. It is also easier to standardize a supplement than a fruit.