3-Day Detox Diet

May 3, 2023May 7, 2023

Detoxification: Liver And Scalp Detoxification, Detox With Epsom Salt, 3-Day Detox Diet

Detoxification, commonly known as detox, is the process of removing harmful substances or toxins from the body. This process can occur naturally as the body filters toxins through organs like the liver, kidneys, and skin. However, detox can also refer to specific interventions or programs designed to support the body’s natural detoxification processes and eliminate harmful substances.

Detox programs may involve dietary changes, fasting, or the use of supplements, herbs, or other treatments to support liver and kidney function, promote sweating or bowel movements, and aid in the elimination of toxins. This is what cleanse the liver and other organs. Some people use detox programs to address specific health concerns or conditions, such as alcohol or drug addiction, while others may use them as a way to improve overall health and wellness. In this article, we will discuss the liver, scalp, and how to detox the liver naturally.

What is The Function Of The Liver

The liver is the second largest organ in the body that regulates the most chemical in the blood and produces a product called bile. This aids transport away waste products from the liver. Blood from the stomach and intestines passes via the liver (1). The liver processes break down and balance nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Another very important function of the liver is that it metabolizes drugs into the smallest forms which makes them easy and nontoxic to use. There are over 500 vital functions the liver Carries out in the body. Here are some of the common functions you should know about, they include;

– Converting excess glucose into glycogen for storage (when energy is low, the stored glycogen is later converted to glucose for energy) and making glucose as needed
– Production of bile, which aids in transporting waste products away from the liver. During digestion, it aids in the breaking down of ingested fats in the small intestine.
– Responsible for processing hemoglobin for its iron content use.
– Production of special proteins and cholesterol to help carry fats in the body.
– The liver helps regulate amino acids in the blood that forms a building block of proteins.
– Production of some proteins for blood plasma
– It helps convert poisonous ammonia to urea, an end product of protein metabolism that is excreted in the urine.
– The liver helps in regulating blood clotting.
– Helps the blood by clearing out drugs and other poisonous substances.
– Clears bilirubin from red blood cells because the excess accumulation of bilirubin, causes the eyes and skin to turn yellow.
– The liver helps fight against infections by creating immune factors and eliminating bacteria from the bloodstream.

What Disorders and Conditions Affect The Liver?

Several conditions can affect the liver. Here are the most common ones;

– Diseases that occur due to the consumption of too many toxins, such as fatty liver disease and alcohol-related liver disease.
– Cancer of the liver, which occurs when abnormal cells grow too quickly.
– Inherited diseases like iron overload (hemochromatosis) and Wilson disease( excess copper in the body).
– Autoimmune diseases, whereby the immune system attacks the liver. Examples are primary biliary cholangitis and autoimmune hepatitis.
– Viral infections like hepatitis A, B, and C

Several of these conditions leads to scarring of the liver, also known as Cirrhosis. Diseases of the liver can cause severe symptoms and even become life-threatening. Sometimes, damaged liver tissue regenerates.

What is a Liver Detox?

A liver detox, or cleanse plus is a popular process that is said to eliminate harmful toxins from your body, promote weight loss, and enhance overall health. However, it’s important to understand that how detox liver naturally have limited benefits.

The liver is a vital organ that plays a crucial role in filtering toxins, processing nutrients, and metabolizing medications. While some people may turn to a liver cleanse after consuming alcohol or unhealthy foods, others may view it as a way to improve liver function or manage the liver disease. Detox One is a very common detox product used to flush toxins and aid in weight loss.

There is little evidence to support the effectiveness of liver detox programs. Rather than relying on a liver cleanse, it’s best to adopt healthy lifestyle habits such as eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption to support liver health.

Epsom Salt For Detoxification

Epsom salt, also known as magnesium sulfate, is a type of salt that has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for various health conditions, including muscle aches, stress, and constipation. How to detox liver naturally is what majority of people are searching for.

Some people also detox with Epsom salt as part of a detox program to help eliminate toxins from the body (2).

Dissolved Epsom salt in warm water releases magnesium and sulfate ions, which can be absorbed through the skin. Some people believe that this can help to improve circulation, promote relaxation, and aid in the elimination of toxins from the body.

To use Epsom salt as part of a how-to detox naturally, you can add it to a warm bath and soak it for 20-30 minutes. It’s important to drink plenty of water before and after the bath to stay hydrated and support the elimination of toxins from the body. Detox with Epsom salt baths may offer some benefits, but there is limited scientific evidence to support their effectiveness as a detox tool.

It’s important to remember that the liver and kidneys are the primary organs responsible for filtering toxins from the body. The Function of your kidneys is to filter blood and remove waste and water to make urine while the liver converts toxins into substances and ensures they are excreted from the body. These are exactly how the body removes toxins from the body and not whether you drink green tea for detoxification or not.

Side Effect of Epsom Salt

Generally, Epsom salts are safe but should be taken with caution in pregnancy, breastfeeding, with people with kidney disease, and with children. Overdosing is rare but serious side effects you may experience include blurry vision, dizziness, muscle weakness, and extreme fatigue.

Other Ways To Improve Liver Health

Some simple strategies that can reduce the risk of liver disease and help the liver rid the body of toxins include;

– Limit Your Alcohol Intake: Excessive consumption of alcohol is a major risk factor for developing liver disease.
– Always Rinse Your Greens and Fruits: This can ensure they are free of pesticides.
– Choose A Reputable Piercing salon: Ensure you choose a salon that sterilizes its equipment. Unsterilized instruments can be unsafe and transfer the hepatitis virus.
– Avoid Self Medicating With Over-the-counter Medications: Do not exceed the recommended dose for OTC medications like acetaminophen that can harm the liver. Also, do not combine alcohol and over-the-counter drugs.
– Get the appropriate and complete hepatitis A, and B vaccination, especially before traveling overseas.
– Practice Safe Sex: Practicing safe sex reduces your ability and risk of contracting diseases that affect your liver. Go for routine checkups for sexually transmitted diseases.
– Drinking plenty of water.
– Avoid Potentially Dangerous Chemicals: Always wear a face mask when using pesticides or painting and keep the area properly ventilated.

A 3-Day Detox Diet

In 3-day detox diet, antioxidant-rich foods are consumed more often while toxins and sugar are restricted. This includes regular consumption of smoothies made from fruits and vegetables which can be prepared quickly and in bulk. A 3-day detox diet should also include plenty of water to aid your body flush out toxins. Another important factor in 3-day detox diet is having plenty of sleep to strengthen the immune system and renewal process of your body (5).

Regular, light exercise improves health and lowers stress, but stay away from anything too demanding. It is sufficient to do yoga, swim or go for a brisk walk regularly. A 3-day detox diet is ideal since it gives the body just enough time to rest.

Even though these diets are high in vitamins, fiber, proteins, and minerals, they may not provide all the classes of food and so you should not continue for the long term. Nevertheless, there are some lifestyle modifications you can continue with, such as drinking lots of water, smoothies, and exercising.

A 3-Day Detox Diet Plan

Try out this mapped-out 3 days detox diet and you will notice significant changes in your body.

– Morning

Before anything else, begin your day with a slight exercise. Perform a short gentle yoga practice for about 5 to 10 minutes to help you feel energized and get your blood flowing throughout the day. Follow this with the morning smoothie above, which is rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein to help fill you up.

– Mid-Morning

Try a cup of green tea instead of reaching for a cup of coffee as you would usually do. This is because the strong antioxidant properties in green tea help the cleansing process even further. If you don’t like the flavor, add a few drops of lemon juice to make it more tolerable, and then consume as many cups as you need during the day.

– Lunch and Snacks

It’s crucial to eat during your lunch break and also important that you get up and move from your desk to help re-energize the body. Your light lunch smoothie should be packed with healthy fats and fiber. Prepare fresh snacks in advance to prevent any mid-afternoon hunger feelings. Cucumber, celery, and carrot sticks can be helpful, or you can choose another smoothie from the list above. A small snack will increase energy and concentration while helping to regulate your appetite.

– Dinner

To make sure your body gets everything it needs, this evening smoothie provides distinct nutrients from the morning and lunchtime smoothies. Additionally, they provide three extremely distinct flavors to prevent boredom.

– Sleep time

The body can fight against stress, weight gain, and low energy levels with the aid of a good night’s sleep. Avoid using technology for an hour before night so that you can rest your body and mind with a soothing bath or shower, or chamomile.

Scalp Detox

Scalp detox, often referred to as deep scalp cleanse, entails massaging your scalp while using an exfoliating oil or scrub to help to clear out clogged pores, and wash away built up product already formed in hair follicles. It is just like having a facial. Even if you wash your face twice daily, you should occasionally give it a deep clean. Your scalp is the same way. Even if you wash your hair every day, your scalp will occasionally require a deep cleaning treatment.

For healthy hair, it’s crucial to keep your scalp clean. It’s similar to building the groundwork for your hair’s overall health by taking care of the surroundings (4).

For healthy hair, it’s crucial to keep your scalp clean and detoxed. By taking care of the environment where your hair grows, you’re building the groundwork for its general health. Additionally, you’re avoiding several other major hair issues from developing, such as scalp itching and irritation brought on by dirt and product buildup.

The state of your scalp and hair, as well as your habits and lifestyle, are a few key criteria that will determine how frequently you should deep wash your scalp. If you’re hoping for a more broad response, the majority of specialists advise doing it every four to six weeks or at least once every month.

Conclusion

A liver detox is a crucial step towards attaining optimal health. A 3-day detox diet is an effective way to cleanse the liver and remove the buildup of toxins. In addition to this, there are various ways to detox the liver naturally, including the use of herbal tea, epsom salt, and fresh juice.

A typical detox plan includes a meal plan that consists of healthy, whole foods such as leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables. Drinking a glass of water with lemon first thing in the morning is also a great way to stimulate the liver’s detoxification process. Additionally, eating an avocado daily is an excellent source of healthy fats, which can help support the liver’s natural ability to detoxify. Incorporating the 3-day cleanse into your routine is one of the best ways to reset and restore the liver’s health while enhancing overall well-being.

In essence, detoxification is an important routine that should be performed often. The liver is not only the organ that needs to be detoxified. The skin and scalp form the largest organ in the body it requires massaging the scalp with a brush or an exfoliating scrub to remove dead skin cells, open up your scalp’s pores, and remove product accumulation from the hair follicles. There is more to a scalp cleanse than just shampoo. It is always a good idea to speak with a healthcare provider before starting any new detox program or making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.

References

1. https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/picture-of-the-liver
2. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321627#takeaway
3. https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/why-a-scalp-detox-is-the-key-to-a-good-hair-day

4.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/349333296_The_Impact_of_Shampoo_Wash_Frequency_on_Scalp_and_Hair_Conditions

5. https://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/fruit-flush-diet

Muscle Building For Beginners

April 28, 2023May 11, 2023

Muscle Building For Beginners: Proven Ways

Muscle building for beginners is both exciting and challenging. It requires careful planning and dedication towards a goal of building muscle mass whilst maintaining a healthy weight. A sensible build muscle and lose fat diet plan is essential for those interested in obtaining quick results. The build muscle lose weight process may be difficult, but it should not be achieved at the expense of one’s health.

Beginners will need the correct build muscle nutrition which includes the correct blend of carbs, proteins, and healthy fats. Balancing calorie intake is also important while trying to build muscle for beginners. A calculated build muscle diet plan can provide the body with the necessary nutrients to help build muscle while losing fat at the same time.

It is recommended that beginners incorporate a mix of resistance training and cardio into their workouts, as it can help achieve muscle building while losing fat. A steady approach to building muscle for beginners will prevent injury and create a sustainable routine for continued success.

Having a fit body is everyone’s goal. Whether you are trying to lose weight or gain weight, it’s all up to you. Let’s be honest, a well-built body makes you look admirable, and healthy and commands respect. This is why you hit the gym, adjust your meal plan, and lift more weight. Building muscle can be tricky and this is why we will discuss why you should build muscle while losing fat, your build muscle diet plan, and generally muscle building for beginners.

How Do Muscles Work?

Muscles are complex structures that allow your body to move and perform a wide range of activities. Muscles work by contracting and relaxing. They are made up of many individual muscle fibers, which are connected to the bones by tendons. When a muscle contracts, the fibers shorten and pull on the tendons, which in turn pull on the bones, causing movement (3).

Muscle contraction is triggered by the interaction of two proteins called actin and myosin. Myosin filaments slide over the actin filaments, causing the muscle fibers to shorten and contract. This process requires energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is produced by the body’s metabolic processes.

The nervous system plays a key role in muscle function. Nerve impulses travel from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, telling them when to contract and how much force to exert. The speed and strength of muscle contractions can be controlled by the nervous system (1).

Muscles can also work in concert with one another to produce coordinated movements. For example, when you bend your elbow, your biceps muscle contracts to lift the forearm, while the triceps muscle relaxes. When you straighten your arm, the opposite happens, with the triceps contracting and the biceps.

Muscle Building For Beginners: Three Powerful Methods

To be able to build muscle for beginners, your muscle cells need to grow. This is known as muscle hypertrophy, a process where muscle mass is gained is gained through focused exercise. Here are some of the ways you can build muscle and lose fat as muscle building for beginners:

1. Resistance Training

Resistance training is the primary and effective way to build muscle mass. It involves using your body weight, external weights, resistance bands, or machines to stress your muscles, pushing them beyond their limits by forcing them to work against external resistance. When you perform resistance exercises, your muscle fibers are broken down and then repaired and strengthened during the recovery period. Over time, you will notice results in an increase in muscle mass.

Strength training puts force on your muscles, causing metabolic stress, which gives your muscles the energy they require to acclimate to the stress of the weight so you can keep lifting. Pushing your muscles over their point of fatigue causes damage to your muscle fibers. This damaged muscle is what triggers the healing process that activates your muscle growth.

It is also important to know your one-repetition maximum (RM) if you want to grow your muscles. This is the heaviest weight you can lift without compromising properly. You are not at your RM if you can do three sets of 10 repetitions (reps) with ease. You can determine your one-repetition limit by talking to a personal trainer.

Here are some types of resistance exercises that can help you build muscle mass:

a) Weightlifting

A weightlifting is a popular form of muscle-building resistance training that involves lifting weights. It is an excellent way to build muscle mass, particularly when using heavy weights that challenge your muscles. A higher stimulation must be applied to the muscle to encourage muscular growth or hypertrophy. You will be able to significantly advance both your strength and muscular increases once you can achieve this mental paradigm shift.

b) Body-weight Exercises

Bodyweight exercises, such as push-ups and lunges, are excellent ways to build muscle lose weight without needing any equipment. These exercises can be modified to increase resistance and difficulty, such as by adding weight vests or using resistance bands. Adding squat and dumbbell to your gym regimen will only help with muscle gain. A full-body muscle and strength workout program is an excellent start to build muscle and strength while losing fat.

c) Resistance Band Exercises

Resistance bands are an affordable and portable option for resistance training. They come in a range of strengths and can be used for a variety of exercises to build muscle for beginners.

d) Calisthenics

Calisthenics is a form of bodyweight exercise that involves using your body weight as resistance. Calisthenics exercises, such as pull-ups, dips, and handstands, can help build muscle mass while also improving your overall strength and mobility.

Note that it is important to include a variety of exercises that target different muscle groups. Aim to incorporate compound exercises, which work for multiple muscle groups at once, as well as isolation exercises, which target specific muscle groups. Additionally, it’s important to progressively overload your muscles by gradually increasing the weight or resistance you use over time. Consistency is also essential for building muscle mass.

Another way to build muscle while losing fat is through yoga. Yoga is an amazing way to exercise as it increases endurance, flexibility, and strength, while on low maintenance. Since one of the ways people build and train muscles is through mechanical damage whilst lifting weights, you can also achieve the same effect with yoga.

According to a study carried out in 2014, it showed that you can use yoga to cause mechanical damage by holding your poses for longer (4). This concept involves lifting heavy weights which causes stress on muscle fibers, causing microscopic tears. When these tears heal, your muscle increases in size. In yoga, pushing your body towards fatigue, causes your muscle fibers to stretch and divide as they heal, causing muscle growth.

2. Nutrition

To be able to gain muscle mass, your diet must contain the right number of calories and nutrients, especially protein. Doing so will encourage the synthesis of new muscle proteins from the nutritional protein you consume, which is produced by your weight-training efforts.

There’s a phase called bulking and cutting phase. This is the period you consume more food than your body burns to support muscle growth, while on the other hand, cutting is done to reduce body fat by cutting down on calorie intake. All these are done while training and eating to avoid losing muscle. During a bulking phase, the major objective of your diet should be to give your body the nutrition it needs to grow without overfeeding it with calories that cause you to build more fat than muscle.

A sweet spot, when your body creates muscle without storing a lot of fat, usually occurs when you consume 300–500 extra calories. While some minor fat gains do seem to happen during bulking phases. Beyond the rate at which your body can create the most amount of muscle, extra calories will be very beneficial.

Compared to other life goals, building muscle to lose weight is surprisingly easy. This doesn’t mean it will come easily and quickly. It just means you are sure of getting results if you keep at it.

Gaining a lot of muscles takes several months and years of eating the right diet and weight training. The rate at which you build muscle nutrition and gain weight varies by individual even when the same routine is followed.

Generally, with a rich diet and consistent training, research has shown that you can gain about 0.25- 0.9kg weight per month, which is a good overall benchmark for optimum muscle growth (5). To some individuals, this may seem like little progress, but over time, the result could be mind-blowing. After a few years of consistent training, you can gain up to 9-18kg of muscle. This could be a total physique change for anyone starting a resistance training program.

How Much Protein Should You Consume?

Typically, you should consume at least 1g of per pound of your body weight. Proteins are important because amino acids serve as the building blocks of muscle protein, which are provided by the protein you consume.

Although the average person’s recommended daily protein intake is less than half a gram per pound of body weight, research indicates that athletes, particularly those concerned with muscle building and strength, require nearly twice that amount daily.

To get the most results from your workouts, beginners should aim to ingest 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight every day for the first six months of exercising.

Another important part of your diet is fat. Your daily caloric intake should contain 20%–30% of fat. Ensure that about 5%–10% of your fat calories is saturated, as opposed to the advice given to the sedentary general population, as higher-fat diets maintains testosterone levels better than when you consume low-fat diets. Don’t forget that maintaining adequate testosterone levels is essential for increasing muscle growth and strength and preventing fat accumulation.

Select lean meats like ground beef and steak for your saturated fats (these also contain high-quality protein); olive oil, olives, avocados, and peanut butter and fatty fish (trout, salmon, catfish), flaxseed oil, and walnuts for your essential, omega-3 polyunsaturated fats.

3. Rest

When gaining muscle, it’s crucial to give your body time to heal. Before exercising your muscles again, you should give them about 48 hours of recovery.

To gain muscle, you also need to get enough sleep. While you sleep, a number of things go into place, including muscle growth and restoration. Lack of sleep causes your body to release catabolic hormones like cortisol, which inhibits the creation of new muscles (6). Normally an average adult sleeps for 7-9 hours per night (7), but when trying to gain muscles, you should aim for at least eight hours of sleep. Getting enough sleep keeps anabolic hormone levels high, which helps with recuperation and muscle growth.

Muscle Building For Beginners: Useful Tips

1. Take Pre-workouts; Consuming Pre-workouts helps you optimize your workout routine and helps to prolong your workout duration. They are powdered substances mixed in water and consumed before carrying out an exercise. It is usually taken to boost energy, endurance, and focus during a workout. Pre-workouts are especially needed to increase blood flow, oxygen, and nutrient in the body.
2. Warm up for five to ten minutes with aerobic activity, such as brisk walking or stretching. By doing this, you’ll be able to exercise without damaging your muscles.
3. Start light with just 1- or 2-pound weights. Do not overwork yourself too early. Since you are still raising the weight of your arms and legs, you might even attempt performing strength training exercises without any weight at first.
4. Ease into your exercises. progressively increase your weight and avoid trying to lift too much too soon. It will only lead to injury. Having said that, you won’t see improvements if you don’t challenge your muscles. Lift weights that cause your muscles to weary after 12 to 15 repetitions.
5. Lift the weights slowly and deliberately. Avoid swinging too much weight to prevent jerky movements at your joints. This may cause joint dislocation if care is not taken.
6. Throughout your workout, keep breathing. As you lift or push a weight, exhale. Relax when you take a breath.
7. You will experience some muscle stiffness and exhaustion for a few days. That is normal as your body will eventually adjust. Note that if you’re extremely sore and worn out, it may mean that you’re doing too much.
8. Include cardio in your daily exercise regimen. Running and swimming are aerobic workouts that can aid in muscle growth if done at the proper intensity, duration, and regularity.

As earlier stated, Consume a balanced diet that contains enough protein. Through the use of specific amino acids like leucine, these foods will support your exercises and aid in muscle growth. The majority of protein comes from animal sources, but vegetable sources are equally enough.

References

6.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306987711001800?via%3Dihub

7. https://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/a-0905-3103

What Is Immune Defense

April 23, 2023May 11, 2023

Immunity: Immunity Types, Immune System Disorders, And How To Boost Your Immune Defense

Immune defense is the ability of the body to wade off microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi that are capable of causing infections in the body. Immunity in a sentence is the ability of the body to fight off foreign invaders either microbe or cancerous cells. The immune system is a complex system made of organs and cells that interact to subserve the defensive function. The immune system plays an indispensable role in maintaining healthy living. They are divided into two broad types of immunity based on the rapidity of their responses which are Innate and adaptive.

Types of immunity

There are two types of immunity, active immunity, and passive immunity.

– Active immunity

Active immunity is achieved when the immune system is exposed to a disease organism, it produces antibodies against that illness. This type of immunity can either be gotten naturally or from vaccination. Natural immunity is developed via exposure to the disease-causing agent and subsequent disease-related illness. Through vaccination, a weakened or dead form of the pathogenic microbe is introduced, resulting in the development of vaccine-induced immunity. (1)

In whatever circumstance, if an immune person later comes into touch with that disease, their immune system will instantly detect it and makes the antibodies required to combat it. Active immunity is persistent and occasionally lifelong. (1)

– Passive Immunity

Passive immunity is acquired when antibodies against disease are administered to a person rather than produced by the person’s system. Through the placenta, a newborn infant receives passive immunity from their mother while in the womb. Passive immunity can also be obtained by antibody-containing blood products such as immune globulin, that may be administered when rapid protection from a specific illness is required like tetanus antitoxin. (1)

Passive immunity gives instant protection since active immunity requires a long time (typically several weeks) to develop. Passive immunity, on the other hand, only lasts for some time unlike active immunity lasts a long time. (1) Furthermore, immune defense responses can further be classified as either innate or adaptive based on their response time and effectiveness.(1)

Innate vs Adaptive Immune Function

The innate immune response is unspecific and forms the initial line of protection against infections. The innate immune response includes physical, chemical, and cell-mediated protection against infections. The innate immune response aim is to stop the growth and spread of invading infections throughout the body quickly. (2)

Adaptive immune response forms the body’s second line of defense against pathologic microbes.

The adaptive immune response is customized to the pathogen in question and thus adapted to combat specific microorganisms is optimized for. Despite its effectiveness, it can occasionally make mistakes and attack itself. The adaptive immune response can lead to the development of autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks its own. lupus, myasthenia gravis, and rheumatoid arthritis are good examples of such conditions. (2)

Although the adaptive immune response is slower than the innate immune response, however, it is more effective. The adaptive immune response, on the other hand, has a long-lasting and highly specific impact that is sustained over an extended period by memory T cells. (2)

Where is the Immune System Located?

The immune system is located in several organs across the body. These organs include the adenoids which are two glands found behind the nasal passage. Another is the bone marrow, which is the soft, spongy tissue found within bone cavities. (3)

Lymph nodes are distributed throughout the body and take the shape of a bean. lymph nodes are connected by lymphatic vessels, which form a network of channels responsible for transporting lymphocytes to lymphoid organs and the bloodstream. (3)

Other sites where immune system located are Peyer patches, thymus, spleen, and tonsils. Peyer patches are a form of lymphoid tissue found in the small intestine, whereas the spleen is a fist-sized immune organ found in the abdomen. The thymus consists of two lobes and is situated in front of the windpipe and behind the breastbone. The tonsils are two oval masses located at the back of the throat. (3)

Also, the immune and lymphatic system are interconnected. The lymphatics system is the network of vessels that transports lymph across the body. Lymph is a fluid containing absorbed fat and also antibodies cells that are responsible for fighting off disease-causing microbes.

Immune System Disorders

The following are disorders that can result from the immune system:

(A) Diseases resulting from an overactive immune system

– Asthma: A respiratory disease characterized by coughing, wheezing, and difficulty with breathing that may arise from the reaction in your lungs. Asthma can be induced by common allergens such as dust or pollen, as well as irritants such as cigarette smoke.
– Eczema: (Atopic dermatitis): This is an itchy rash caused by a substance that triggers allergies(allergen).
– Allergic rhinitis: People who suffer from allergic rhinitis complain of frequent sneezing, and runny nose upon exposure to Indoor allergens like dust or outdoor allergens such as pollens. (4)

(B) Diseases that result from the body fighting itself (Autoimmune diseases)

The body produces antibodies to attack its normal, healthy tissues in autoimmune disorders. The exact reason is unknown(idiopathic). It is most likely a mix of an individual’s genetic makeup and anything in the environment that causes those genes to be activated. (4)

Examples of such disorders include:

– Diabetes Arthritis type one: The immune system targets pancreatic insulin-producing cells. Insulin is a hormone that eliminates glucose from the bloodstream to be converted to energy. (4)
– Rheumatoid arthritis: This kind of arthritis produces joint swelling and abnormalities. Some persons with rheumatoid arthritis have an auto-antibody known as rheumatoid factor, which is present in their blood. (4)
– Lupus: This condition affects bodily tissues such as the lungs, kidneys, and skin. Autoantibodies of various sorts are discovered in the bloodstreams of persons with lupus. (4)

(C) Immune insufficiency

Some conditions either inherited (from birth) or acquired might cause the immune system to become incompetent in fighting off invading microorganisms.

Examples of such conditions can be further classified into primary (from birth) and secondary(acquired):

– Primary Immunodeficiency: Severe Combined Immune Disorder, common variable immunodeficiency, and chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Such children are always at risk for bacterial, viral, and fungal illnesses. (11)
– Secondary immunodeficiency: These are caused by factors not present at birth but acquired as one grows up. (11)

Examples are:

– Poor nutrition
– Smoking
– Alcohol
– Diabetes
– Steroids Use
– Chemotherapy
– Measles
– Mononucleosis
– HIV. (11)

How To Boost Your Immune Defense For Wellness

– Adequate Sleep

Immunity and sleep are closely linked. An increased vulnerability to illness has been related to little or poor quality of sleep. A result of study on sleep duration that was published in 2015 revealed that those who get less than 6 hours of sleep have more probability of coming down with a cold compared to persons who get more than 6 or more hours of sleep every day. Thus, it is safe to conclude that persistent periods of insufficient sleep can weaken the immune defense. (4)

– Smoking cessation

Smoking harms one’s immunity. Quitting smoking is an important step towards achieving good immunity. (6)

– Consumption of whole plant food

Taking vegetables, legumes, and fruits that are high in minerals and antioxidants, giving you an advantage against dangerous microorganisms. The antioxidants in such foods help to reduce inflammation by neutralizing unstable chemicals known as free radicals, which can lead to inflammation when they accumulate in high quantities in your body. Antioxidant-containing fruit or supplements like oranges, and immunity elderberry are rich in Vitamin C which is an important antioxidant, which is and important immunity aid to bolster the function of the immune system. (5)

– Cut added sugar consumption

Based to new studies, added sugars and processed carbohydrates may contribute significantly to overweight and obesity. Supporting evidence can be seen in the result of an observational study of roughly 1000 participants vaccinated with the flu vaccine. The results showed that those with obesity are 2 times more likely to contract the flu compared to persons without obesity. (5)

– Moderate exercise

While excessive exercise might depress your immune system, moderate exercise can increase it. According to research, just a single session of light physical activity can improve the efficacy of vaccinations in adults with impaired immune systems. Regular exercise is an immunity aid that can help strengthen the immune system.

Moderate exercise can lessen inflammation and help regenerate immune cells. Brisk walking, jogging, running, swimming, and gentle trekking are all examples of moderate exercise. The average person should target getting 150 minutes every week of moderate exercise. (5)

– Role of Supplements
- - – Zinc

Zinc is required for immune cell growth and communication, as well as for the inflammatory response. Zinc also supports barrier protection of our bodies and aids in the prevention of external infections from entering. Numerous studies support the claim that zinc supplementation helps protect against respiratory infections such as common colds. (7)

A lack of this vitamin has a substantial impact on your immune system’s capacity to operate effectively, increasing your likelihood of contracting infections and illness, including pneumonia. (7)

- – Vitamin D

This is a lipid-soluble substance that is vital for immune system health and function. Vitamin D formula boosts the pathogen-fighting abilities of monocytes as well as macrophages, these immune cells play an essential role in immune defense — and reduce inflammation, which promotes immunological response. (7)

Many people are lacking in this vital vitamin, and its lack can impair their immune defense. Furthermore, low vitamin D levels have been linked to a higher chance of having an infection of the upper respiratory tract such as influenza and allergic asthma. Vitamin D supplementation may boost immunological response based on certain research findings. In fact, new evidence shows that consuming this vitamin may help prevent respiratory tract infections. (7)

Other research suggests that vitamin D supplementation may increase antiviral therapy response in persons with specific diseases, such as hepatitis C and HIV. (7)

- – Vitamin C supplement

Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a water-soluble nutrient that has become the most widely recognized supplement used to fight against infection. (7)

This vitamin helps immune cells operate properly and increases their ability to fight illness, therefore boosting immune defense. It is also required for cellular death, helping in the maintenance of your immune system by cleaning away old cells and substituting them with new ones. (7)

Vitamin C also acts as a potent antioxidant, preventing damage caused by oxidative stress, which happens when reactive molecules called free radicals to accumulate. Oxidative stress has been related to a variety of illnesses and has a detrimental impact on immunological function. Vitamin C supplementation has been demonstrated to shorten the duration as well as the extent of upper respiratory tract infections, particularly the common cold. (7)

- – Elderberry

Elderberry is a fruit produced by the Sambucus tree. The most prevalent kind is Sambucus nigra. Elderberry, which has been utilized for years for treating illnesses, is being studied for its immune-boosting properties. (7)

A combination of other nutritional supplements and elderberry can be used to prepare immunity elderberry. Elderberry extract exhibits substantial antibacterial and antiviral properties in test-tube tests against pathogenic bacteria causing upper respiratory tract illnesses and influenza virus strains. It has also been demonstrated to improve the reaction of the immune system and may help lessen the length and intensity of colds, as well as symptoms associated with viral infections. (7,10)

A 2004 study found that persons with the flu who took one tablespoon of syrup made with elderberries 4 times daily saw symptom alleviation 4 days faster than those who didn’t and were less dependent on the medicine. Immunity elderberry supplements significantly improved symptoms of upper respiratory infection caused by viral infections according to the study. Though elderberry has been proposed to help reduce symptoms of some illnesses including the influenza virus, one must also be cautious of the hazards. (7)

- – Immunity Mushrooms
- A wide range of immunity mushroom species have been found to aid immune function in a number of ways. Shiitake, Lion’s Mane, Maitake, and Reishi are some therapeutic mushrooms. (12)
- – Immunity juice
- Extracts of multiple fruits can be used to prepare a nutrient-fortified immunity juice boost. Fruits can also be blended to make smoothies that provide natural nutrient supplementation. Immunity juice recipes are a combination of oranges + grapefruit + other citrus or a combination of carrots + apples + oranges. Many other fruits can be extracted or blended to make immunity juice shots. These blends are rich in vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, and folate (8,9). Immune defense-boosting preparations apart from immunity juice or smoothies are immunity soup, immunity essential oil, immunity herbal drinks, and immunity pills.
- – Immunity essential oil
- A number of essentials have been in use for boosting immunity. A good example of immunity essential oil is Eucalyptus oil. It possesses both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. (13)
- – Immune therapy center

The evolution of immune-based therapies to a more specialized immune therapy center is a testament to medical technology’s contributions to preventive and curative medicine.(13)

Summary

Maintaining a healthy immune system is essential for overall health and wellbeing. Immune health can be supported through a variety of means, including proper nutrition and the use of supplements like vitamin D3 and echinacea. An adequate intake of key vitamins and minerals is necessary for immune system function, with daily doses of 1000 mg of vitamin C and 1000-2000 IU of vitamin D3 recommended. Supplement facts should be carefully reviewed to ensure that the desired amount of nutrients are being consumed.

Echinacea is a popular herb that has been shown to support overall immune health and boost immune function. Amla or Indian Gooseberry is widely in India’s ancient Ayurvedic medicinal system for its high vitamin C content that helps boost body’s immune defense. It is important to remember that the immune system needs to be nurtured and protected on a daily basis to maintain optimal function. Ancient medicine system Ayurveda in India has extensively used ginger as a natural immunity boosting ingredient.

Organic turmeric also plays an important role to support a healthy immune system to fight against inflammation. A balanced diet with a powerful blend of natural and organic ingredients helps boost your natural defenses. By making conscious choices regarding diet and supplements, we can select to empower our immune defense to function at its best and support overall health. In addition, consult your healthcare professional and wellness consultants to learn about natural ways to boost your immune defense.

References:

How Digestion System Works

April 21, 2023May 11, 2023

How Digestion System Works

To stay healthy, one very important factor that determines this is your digestive system. Without a properly functioning digestive system, we will not get the proper nourishment from the food and drinks we consume. Digestion helps breaks nutrients and supplements into smaller chunks to enable your body to absorb and use them for growth, energy, and cell repair. It is important to understand how digestion system works to adopt a healthy diet and lifestyle. In this article, we will discuss why digestive system is important, what digestion medical term is, and how digestion system works.

The human digestive system is comprised of the gastrointestinal tract, also known as the digestive tract. This is a series of organs and structures that include hollow and solid organs. Solid organs are the pancreas, liver, and gall bladder. The gastrointestinal tract consists of hollow organs that join as a long tube from your mouth to your anus. The hollow organs are the mouth, esophagus, small intestine, stomach, large intestine, and anus.

The GI tract starts at the lips till it reaches the anus. It consists of the oral cavity that houses the teeth for chewing and the tongue for mixing and kneading food with saliva. From there it leads to the pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and finally terminates at the rectum (6). Digestive juices that aid in the physical and chemical breakdown of ingested food and are produced by glands in the body include the salivary glands and gastric glands. Digestive juices also contribute to the eventual elimination of non-digestible wastes.

How Digestion System Works: Digestion vs Ingestion

The major distinction between ingestion and digestion is that one involves putting food into the body while the other involves breaking down the meal into smaller molecules that the body can absorb. Ingestion occurs first before digestion can take place. You can either ingest food, water, medicine, or fluids.

Digestive Process

The process by which our food Digests involves both mechanical and chemical processes, causing the food to be broken down into smaller pieces. Digestion begins with the enzymes present in saliva in the mouth. Your swallowing reflex aids the food you eat move from your mouth into the esophagus. Here, muscular contractions known as peristalsis causes the food to move down the tube into a muscular bag called the stomach (7). Both chemical and physical digestion occurs in the stomach. The constant churning movements of the tubular walls of the stomach mix the ingested food with a digestive fluid called gastric juice.

The cells that line the stomach produce highly acidic fluid, causing the enzymes present to start the chemical breakdown of the food. After some time, the food is churned into a creamy paste also known as chyme.

The end of the stomach called the pyloric sphincter controls the exit of chyme into the duodenum, the first part of the small intestine. Ducts from the pancreas and gall bladder secrete fluids rich in digestive enzymes and bile salts into the duodenum.

Subsequently, certain cells lining the small intestine produce succus entericus, a fluid made up mostly of mucus, water, and sodium bicarbonate. All these fluids help to lubricate the partly digested food as it moves through the gut, emulsify fats and oils, neutralize the acidic chyme, and enzymatically digest the carbohydrate, proteins, and fatty acids included. This whole process of breaking larger molecules into smaller molecules enables the absorption of the smaller molecules into the bloodstream where they can be utilized in various parts of the body.

How Is Food Absorbed Into The Body?

The small intestine is 5–6m long in which the majority of the chemical digestion occurs in the first meter. Absorption takes place once the smaller molecules are digested. There are millions of tiny finger-like structures called villi that project from the lining surrounding the small intestine. These tiny structures increase the surface area of the small intestine and contact with the products of digestion, allowing for rapid absorption into the bloodstream. As soon as absorption takes place, they are transported to the liver through the hepatic portal vein.

How is Food Ejected From The Body

By the time all of the digested food components, together with the vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the body, have been separated from the watery contents by the small intestine, what is left over consists of indigestible dietary products like cellulose gotten from the ingestion of plant-based foods. As undigested products accumulate in the rectum, a response is stimulated in the rectum that ultimately leads to the evacuation of waste products through the anus.

How To Keep Your Digestive System Healthy

You do not have to wait till you feel unwell to take extra care of your digestive system. Here are some of the natural ways to keep your digestive health.

1. Consume a Diet Rich In Fiber.

A high-fiber diet full of fruits, whole grains, veggies, and legumes has been shown to promote the health of your digestive system. You are less likely to get constipation if you consume a high-fiber diet, which helps keep food moving through your digestive system. A high-fiber diet can also assist you in preventing or treating several digestive disorders, such as diverticulosis, hemorrhoids, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). You may use it to reach or keep a healthy weight.

2. Avoid Caffeinated Drinks

Caffeine-containing beverages, such as coffee, tea, colas, and some fizzy drinks increase stomach acid in some people, causing heartburn. Caffeinated drinks should also be avoided by people who have ulcers. Fizzy drinks in general tend to make people feel bloated, which can also cause heartburn. Choose non-carbonated, caffeine-free beverages to reduce your risk of experiencing digestive issues, such as water, herbal teas, and milk. If you can’t live without your coffee or tea, try to stick to only one or two cups per day.

3. Increase Intake of Prebiotics and Probiotics.

Probiotics are the same as yeast and beneficial bacteria that are already present in your digestive system. They work to counteract the negative effects of antibiotic use, poor diet, and stress on the body. Probiotics also can boost immunity, help absorbs nutrients, aid in the breakdown of lactose, and even aid in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Examples of probiotic-rich food include yogurt, kefir, miso soup, and cheese. You can also take a probiotic supplement to augment your diet. There is also concentrated probiotic juice called digestion shots. The digestion shot aims to aid digestion and absorption of food and boost gut health (4)

4. Drink Water Often

Water aids proper digestion by allowing the food you eat to flow easily through your digestive system. Dehydration is a common cause of constipation and you want to avoid that.

5. Avoid Excessive Alcohol Intake and Smoking

Alcohol can raise your stomach’s acidity, leading to stomach ulcers, heartburn, and acid reflux. Smoking increases your chances of gastrointestinal disorders including cancer and nearly doubles your likelihood of experiencing acid reflux. According to research, those with digestive problems who stop smoking have an improvement in their symptoms.

Signs of Digestive Problem

Digestive problems can happen to anyone. Here are some of the Common symptoms you may experience before choosing to visit a digestive care consultants, they include bloating, cramps, nausea and vomiting, swallowing problems, diarrhea, or constipation. Although these may not always seem like a sign of something serious, certain conditions like Diverticulitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, and ulcer can put you at a greater risk for these symptoms.

Other digestive diseases include:

1. Rectal problems like hemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, and proctitis.
2. Cholecystitis, gallstones
3. Stomach issues like gastritis, and ulcers caused by H.pylori(Helicobacter pylori)
4. Liver diseases such as cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatitis B and C.
5. GERD (Gastrointestinal esophageal reflux disease)
6. Esophagitis
7. Pancreatitis
8. Intestinal problems such as malabsorption, celiac disease, and Crohn’s disease.

Your digestive health consultants may do a number of tests to diagnose your digestive issues, including endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), colonoscopy, upper GI endoscopy, and endoscopic ultrasonography.

The digestive tract is the subject of numerous surgical procedures. They include endoscopic, open surgery, and laparoscopy treatments. The liver, pancreas, and small intestine can all be transplanted. Several digestion doctors can aid in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive issues. A physician specialist with further training in the diagnosis and management of digestive diseases is known as a gastroenterologist.

How to Enhance Digestive System with Digestion Herb

As commonly said, herbs and spices are the spice of life. They help enhance nutrient absorption and digestion while assisting the gut in breaking down meals efficiently. From the Mediterranean to the Middle East and elsewhere, there are a plethora of medicinal plants that people have used to enhance their digestive health. Each of the digestive herbs possesses a unique bioactive ingredient that can ease digestive discomfort and bring relief to your entire system.

Your immunity, toxin eradication, energy levels, mental clarity, mood, and other factors can all be boosted when your digestive system is operating at its peak. That’s why it’s crucial to consume a balanced diet, get lots of exercise, maintain an active lifestyle, and use herbal supplements daily.

Here are examples of digestion herbs commonly used to treat digestion problems (2).

1. Psyllium

Among the best herbs known to have digestive properties is psyllium without any doubt. Psyllium fiber is a fantastic way to quickly and easily increase daily your fiber consumption. Fiber is believed to assist regularity, healthy excretion, and gastrointestinal health.

2. Turmeric

Turmeric is best known for its favorable impact on gastrointestinal health and function as well as its capacity to support a balanced inflammatory response. The potential of this golden root to promote digestion, respiratory function, liver and pancreas function, joint health, and other functions has made a considerable impact on modern medicine.

3. Cloves

The digestive system benefits greatly from clove because it boosts gut immunity. Cloves can also be used to relieve the discomfort associated with diarrhea. This can be taken in form of the digestion of essential oils.

4. Cardamom

Eliche, also known as cardamom, is a preferred spice for improving digestive health. It has antispasmodic, antioxidant, diuretic, and anti-inflammatory properties which help relieve gas, cramps, and nausea.

5. Bael

Bael Leaf is the herb for you if you’re looking for a mild herbal laxative that works and is safe for daily and long-term use as needed. This herb aids in loosening the stool, acting as a moderate laxative to aid in healthy evacuation while preventing occasional constipation.

6. Licorice

Licorice is a common dietary supplement used today to assist digestion and calm the stomach. This is because licorice contains glycyrrhizin, a substance that may support a healthy inflammatory response and maintain a balanced acidity level in the stomach.

7. Oil of peppermint

One of the digestion essential oils named peppermint oil first became popular as a digestive herb in Ancient Greece. Many thousand years later, a growing body of scientific evidence supports the use of peppermint oil for symptomatic alleviation of irritable bowel syndrome, particularly in the form of delayed-release, enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules. Research has shown that peppermint oil has the effect of a mild smooth-muscle relaxant, calms and inhibit GI contraction, digestive spasms, relieve gas, and reduce discomfort.

Acupuncture Points That Relieve Digestive Discomfort

Acupuncture points increase the movement of energy (qi) throughout the body and communicate with the nervous system to improve essential bodily processes like digestion and sleep and return us to balance.

There are digestion pressure points all over the body that can help the digestive system get back into balance. Many of these digestion pressure point influence the gut, and other abdominal organs to aid digestive health. In addition to acid reflux, constipation, indigestion, bloating, and pain and discomfort, acupressure along these channels can aid. Doing a digestion massage on those digestion pressure points causes relief of abdominal discomfort.

Another way to keep your digestive system up and running is through digestion exercises. The muscles in the digestive system receive more blood when you exercise, which aids in moving food through the digestive system. Digestion exercises also help reduce inflammation that may occur in the digestive system. Examples of such exercises include kegel exercises, body twisting, sit-ups, deep breathing, brisk walking, etc. (5)A slow walk around the block, for instance, can help with bloating and reduce feelings of fullness.

Digestive System Summary

Various organs of the digestive system work together to break down food into liquid and waste products. The digestive process begins as food passes through the mouth and continues as it travels through the digestive tract, including the stomach, small intestine, colon, jejunum, and ileum. Digestive juices from the pancreas aid in this process.

Food is broken down by chemical and physical means and nutrients are absorbed by the body. The colon absorbs more fluid and creates waste products of digestion, which are stored in the rectum before being eliminated from the body. The gallbladder plays a critical role in the digestive process by secreting bile, which helps to break down fats. In summary, the digestive system is made up of various processes that work together to efficiently break down food and extract nutrients using its acid and enzymes, while eliminating waste products from the body.

References

1. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/digestive-health/good-foods-to-help-your-digestion/
2. https://www.healthshots.com/healthy-eating/nutrition/trust-these-9-herbs-and-spices-to-keep-your-gut-health-in-check/amp
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/pressure-points-for-nausea#list-of-pressure-points
4. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Suja-Organic-Digestion-Shot-with-Ginger-Probiotics-1-7-FL-OZ/457819289
5. https://www.wikihow.com/Exercise-to-Improve-Digestion
6. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestion
7. https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/digestive-system

Women’s Health Issues

April 20, 2023May 11, 2023

Women’s Health Issues: Factors Affecting Women’s Health, And How To Improve Women’s Health

Women’s health issues are diverse, ranging from reproductive health to mental health. The physical needs of women vary throughout their lifecycle, from menstruation and pregnancy to menopause. Issues such as pelvic pain, urinary tract infections, cervical cancer, and breast cancer are prevalent among women. Women are also more prone to depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders than men.

The lack of access to healthcare services and information impedes the timely diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of these health needs. The societal and cultural stigma attached to women’s health also dissuades them from seeking medical help. It is essential to improve education and awareness, provide affordable and accessible healthcare services, and eliminate the stigma surrounding women’s health issues to ensure the well-being and empowerment of women.

Both biological makeup and gender differences have an impact on a person’s health in various ways that have ramifications for both men’s and women’s health and well-being. Due to the difficulties that have been noted to affect women in various societies, the health of women and the feminine gender as a whole is given special emphasis.

For instance, women are highly vulnerable to infectious infections, whether they are aware of it or not. HIV/AIDS, a sexually transmitted disease, is a prime example of this (1).

In terms of diagnosis, inspection, study, and treatment of diseases affecting women’s health and well-being, women’s health topics simply refers to the area of medicine that focuses on the total health of women. Many health issues affect women differently, such as pregnancy and childbirth. Female patients are also at higher risk of developing high blood pressure and other health conditions. Many of these health concerns have to do with healthy lifestyle choices, which are limited by inadequate education and nutrition factors identified above. Health care providers for women may keep these factors in consideration when prescribing medication to women or fulfill their gynecological needs.

One of the major goals of the world health organization (WHO) is to promote and improve the health of women all over the world. This includes both gynecology and obstetrics health as in menstruation, women’s cancer, mental health, pregnancy, and old age care for women.

The physicians for women’s health who specializes in taking care of the women’s reproductive system, fertility, and conception are referred to as obstetrics and gynecologists. They can be seen at different specialist hospitals and the women’s health center (2).

Women’s Health Issues: Factors Affecting Women’s Health

The following factors have been highlighted to impact the health of women both physically and mentally, hence, a thorough understanding of these factors will help women’s health dr to help their clients better. Some of the factors are:

Inadequate education and ignorance

Several factors impact the health of women, but of them all, education takes the lead. Although, every girl and woman is getting more access to education than before there are still lots of women out there who need to be enlightened on the importance of caring for their health.

Studies revealed that daily, an estimated 70 million girls are out of school, and close to 500 million females all over the world are fully illiterate with no knowledge of the importance and how to improve their health.

The ratio of illiteracy of men to women is 1:2. lack of proper education in these women put them at high risk of morbidity, predisposition to abuses, trafficking, and mortality.

A lot of women who die in the homes of quack birth attendants are uneducated women and women who lack knowledge of deciding or making a good decision to save their own lives (3).

Research carried out shows that close to 16% of women residing in rural areas are far from medical facilities and lack access to the women’s health centers, hence the majority of them cannot access quality health care.

The practice of poor hygiene which many of these women see as norms also predisposes them to diseases, such as enteric fever, which if not well taken care of can result in their death.

Unlike women who are knowledgeable and digitalized who have full access to health care and are digitalize, aside from being able to access the proper physicians for women’s health, they also have access to the women’s health portal online where they get consultations and education that will help promote their health (4).

Inadequate nutrition

Some women lack adequate knowledge of the proper food and diet they should be on to improve their health, especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Also, another contributory factor is the absence of decent women’s health and wellness center that is supposed to set the right standards and guidance to help women to improve their health.

Studies carried out also show that women eat the least quantity of food in families because of their quest to ensure that everyone else feeds well, hence, they suffer from malnutrition, anemia during pregnancy, and other life-threatening conditions.

Multiple, frequent, and unsafe pregnancies

Certain cultures believe that a woman must birth a male child to remain relevant in society, and to secure their place in the family. Hence, women who have female children are forced to have frequent pregnancies either against their will or not in the quest to birth a male child.

A nursing mother is supposed to heal adequately before another pregnancy exposure so their body is physiologically ready and fit for the next pregnancy phase and journey.

After multiple gestation such as twin pregnancy, there is over-stretching of the uterine muscles which are supposed to be given time to heal after delivery to prevent a rupture of the uterus in the next pregnancy.

Poverty

Poverty has led to the death of so many women directly or indirectly. So many women’s mortality has been linked to a lack of funds to access the women’s health center when they are ill or need help, and by so doing, most women opt for traditional treatment of their ailments which has led to the death of so many women.

Violence against women

Gender-based violence against women is another silent factor that is capable of impaction the health of women. Studies reveal that in some parts of the world, gender-based violence against women is being reported every five minutes.

And sadly, most of the underdeveloped and developing countries do not have rehabilitation centered in women’s health and wellness centers where they can care for such women. Such women are left devastated, broken, and depressed, and some of them end up being victims of suicidal attempts, and some even commit suicide (4).

Common Women’s Health Issues

There are several health challenges and diseases that both genders can suffer from, however, there are certain diseases that are peculiar to just women such as breast cancer, and cervical cancer, and issues surrounding pregnancy and delivery.

Interestingly, studies have also revealed that women suffer from more heart attacks compared to the opposite gender. Urinary tract infection is commoner among women because of the short length of their urethral, and women are more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS (5).

This section is aimed at highlighting and discussing some of the diseases. These are:

Breast cancer

Breast cancer is the commonest cancer in women and one of the leading causes of death in them as well. Medical experts revealed that a lot of women have a phobia of the diagnosis of breast cancer hence most of them present late to the clinic out of such fear.

However, not all lumps or breast changes automatically mean breast cancer as other benign breast diseases could start with a lump such as a fibroadenoma, and are not life-threatening.

Breast cancer is a malignant breast disease that originates from the milk ducts and if not diagnosed and treated early enough is capable of spreading to other places in the body such as the lungs, the liver, and the kidneys this metastasis results in the death of the patient.

Therefore, it is important that women’s health dr talk to women during every clinic visit about the importance of self-breast examination and reporting to the hospital if they notice any funny changes in their breasts (5,6).

Uterine fibroids

The common benign, non-cancerous tumor that affects women are uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are stromal changes of the uterine muscles that mostly affect women of reproductive age groups.

The actual etiology of uterine fibroids is not known, however, there are risk factors that can predispose a woman to fibroids. Examples are:

– Black race
– Nulliparity
– Obesity
– Use of combined oral contraceptive pills (COCPs)
– Family history of uterine fibroids
– High levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body.
– However, women with fibroids manifest signs and symptoms such as;
– Asymptomatic in 60% of women
– Abdominal swelling
– Abnormal uterine bleeding called menorrhagia
– Abdominal pain
– Urinary symptoms such as frequency, urgency, and dysuria
– Constipation

Reproductive issues such as infertility may be the first sign in asymptomatic women. Others are hydronephrosis on ultrasound, leg swelling, and varicose veins (7).

The physicians for women’s health who are specialists called the gynecologist at the women’s health center are responsible for the management of women with uterine fibroids, and the treatment can be medical or surgical. But, most often than not, the surgical approach is often employed especially in women already presenting with infertility.

Heart disease

Research has proven that 25% of women’s death recorded in the united states is a result of heart disease. And unfortunately, not all women are enlightened about this silent killer.

On average, 49% of female consumers in the united states suffers from elevated blood pressure, and hypertension has been recorded as the leading cause of heart diseases in both gender, alongside other risk factors like being black, having high cholesterol level, and smoking.

It is therefore important that women’s health dr educate their clients about how to avoid these risk factors especially women with a family history of heart diseases.

Cervical cancer

A lot of women cannot differentiate cervical cancer from ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancers affect the ovaries and originate from the fallopian tubes while cervical cancers have to do with cancer of the cervix in the lowermost part of the uterus.

While both manifest similar symptoms, cervical cancer causes contact bleeding during sexual intercourse, and patient with late-stage ovarian cancer has a characteristic foul-smelling odor from their vagina.

With the use of a pap smear, and a cancer screening test, patient at risk of cervical cancer can be picked early and treatment initiated early for the ones who are already diagnosed but still asymptomatic (5).

Sexual abuse/violence

In the united states, sexual violence is a very important topic of discussion and a crime. Sexual violence occurs when a woman doesn’t consent to sexual activity, which occurs under force or coercion. This has led to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues in women.

Sexual violence however is not limited to just gender, both men and women can be violated sexually, but, women are mostly at the receiving end of sexual abuse or violence. And the abuser is not always a stranger, the abuser can be a family, coworker, or neighbor.

Women’s Health Issues: How To Improve Women’s Health

It is therefore encouraged that every women’s health and wellness center should provide a unit to help women in this category both medically and legally. A page can also be dedicated to sexual abuse on the women’s health portal to help women report cases of sexual abuse for women who are shy of coming out to speak physically or women afraid of being stigmatized due to ignorance (7).

Steps To Improve The Health Of Women

The following are steps women can take to improve to promote healthy living and improve their health:

– Regular exercise and physical activities
– Adequate sleep
– Routine health screening and check-ups
– Avoid smoking
– Healthy diet and nutrition
– Effective stress management (12).

Screening Tests For Women’s Health

Due to the more complex nature of women’s anatomy, there are several and more screening tests available to help in the early detection of certain diseases in women. Health screening aid in the early diagnosis of diseases in women which will stimulate early treatment and cure where possible.

The following are some of the health screening tests available for women:

– Blood pressure

Regular checking of blood pressure will help to detect women with elevated blood pressure, and hypertension. Hypertension is a risk factor for several heart diseases, and early diagnosis and treatment of hypertension will help to prevent such complications.

– Pap smear

A pap smear is a screening test that requires sample collection from the cervix to check for epithelial cell changes in the cervix which can be the first signal of cervical cancer in women. And it is encouraged that women with a family history of cervical cancer and other high-risk women should get a pap smear done regularly when due.

– Mammography

A mammogram is used to check the breast of women for any epithelial changes that may be worrisome to rule out breast cancer in such women. Mammogram is usually used for women above 35 years ago because of the breast density.

However, the American cancer society recommends that women from 45 years of age should start annual screening with mammograms because of the high risk of breast cancer in the age group. Women with a family history of breast cancer will however be scheduled appropriately by their women’s health doctor.

– Dual-energy x-ray absorption or absorptiometry

This is also referred to as DEXA, it is used to check bone density in women because of the high risk of osteoporosis, especially in women from 65 years of age.

Osteoporosis can lead to pathological fracture in women if not diagnosed early and studies have revealed that this occurs as a result of low levels of estrogen in women, especially women with a family history (10).

Other screening tests for women are:

– Cholesterol screening
– Colorectal cancer screening
– A rapid diagnostic test to screen for HIV/AIDS
– Fasting or random blood glucose to rule out diabetes mellitus
– Eye test for cataracts or glaucoma (11).

The Women’s Health Center

The women’s health and wellness center is a specialized clinic/hospital focused on caring for the health of women. It is usually a specialized obstetrics and specialized clinic, with well-trained physicians for women’s health. The physicians for women’s health are dedicated to supporting women and providing the best care as needed by the individual patient.

The services offered by the women’s health center include:

– Obstetrics
– Gynecology
– Aesthetics
– Minor and major surgical procedures (8).

To locate the best women’s health center, google search online for the closest to your location, sign in on their women’s health portal to get registered, and schedule yourself for a physical or an online consultation.

The online women’s health portal also provides every woman with the required resources to promote healthy living and prevent some of the diseases that affect women. Some of the resources available on the women’s health portal include a nutritional guide, a fitness guide, activities, and guide for a positive lifestyle modification (9).

References:

1. https://www.who.int/health-topics/women-s-health

2. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/womenshealth

3. https://globalhealthsciences.ucsf.edu/blog/what-factor-influences-womens-health-and-success-most

4. https://pharmeasy.in/blog/what-is-killing-our-womens-health/

5. https://online.regiscollege.edu/online-masters-degrees/online-master-science-nursing/womens-health-nurse-practitioner/resources/health-issues-specific-womens-health/

6. https://www.webmd.com/women/features/5-top-female-health-concern

7. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/womensrh/healthconcerns.html

8. https://www.thewomenshealthcenter.com/

9. https://www.army.mil/standto/archive/2017/06/21/

10. https://www.everydayhealth.com/womens-health/10-screenings-all-women-should-have.aspx

11. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007462.htm

12. https://www.princetongyn.com/blog/six-steps-women-can-take-to-improve-their-health-at-any-age

7 Collagen Peptides Powder Benefits

April 3, 2023May 11, 2023

7 Collagen Peptides Powder Benefits

When it comes to starting a collagen peptides routine, there are never too many questions to ask. Questions range from collagen peptides powder benefits, collagen peptides for men, collagen peptides for Arthritis treatment, collagen peptides for joints pain, collagen peptides side effects, and so on. In this article, we’ll discuss all there is to know about collagen peptides.

What Are Collagen Peptides?

The most abundant protein in the human body is collagen. It is the main content in connective tissues, which include ligaments, skin, tendons, and muscles (6). Studies have shown that collagen supplements may help with skin, joints, bones, and hair. The sections below described in details various benefits of collagen powder for your health.

Health Benefits Of Collagen Peptides

Collagen serves numerous functions and plays vital roles in providing structure to your skin and strengthening your bones and joints. Collagen peptides are fragments of protein derived from animal collagen. They are proteins found in the skin, cartilage, and bone (1).

Collagen peptides are manufactured usually by dissolving collagen proteins into bits and pieces. Collagen peptides accumulates in the skin and cartilage when taken orally. Collagen peptides are used for the treatment of osteoarthritis and for slowing down the aging process. Other collagen peptides benefits are the treatment of brittle nails, osteoporosis, muscle strength, and many other purposes.

As you age, the level of collagen in your body begins to reduce. By the age of 40, there’s a possibility of losing 1% of body collagen every year and when menopause occurs, it speeds up the loss, causing stiff joints, wrinkles, decreased muscle mass, and worn-out cartilage. This is why taking collagen supplements will help you replenish your lost collagen.

You might be wondering, where does Collagen peptides come from? Naturally, collagen is produced in our body by merging the amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins found in the food we consume. To produce collagen, your body needs:

– Glycine: found in chicken skin, pork skin, gelatin, and other protein-rich foods
– Zinc: found in shellfish, lentils, beans, beef, lamb, pork, cheese, and various types of nuts and seeds.
– Proline: found in cabbage, mushrooms, egg whites, dairy, and asparagus.
– Vitamin C: found in bell peppers and citrus fruits.
– Copper: found in cashews, sesame seeds, organ meats, cocoa powder, and lentils

What Are The Types Of Collagen Powder?

The body contains various types of collagen. Research has shown that there are 29 varieties, but here are the 5 main types

1. Type I- Gives strength to your bones, skin, ligaments, and tendons
2. Type II – This type of collagen makes up the cartilage that helps give support to the joints.
3. Type III – These types of collagen are found in blood vessels, internal organs (liver, bone marrow), and muscles.
4. Type IV – found in some layers of your skin
5. Type V, present in corneas as well as layers of skin and hair

Collagen Supplement

Most collagen supplements available mostly contain types I, II, and III, accounting for the majority of the collagen found in the body. They contain a digestible type of collagen called hydrolyzed collagen or collagen peptides.

So you might be wondering about collagen peptides versus hydrolyzed collagen. What is the difference between both of them? Well, there are no differences between them. Hydrolyzed collagen is another name for collagen peptides. They are interchangeable terms for the same thing. It’s merely a language issue. The term “collagen peptides” refers to the final product, which are peptides produced from collagen, whereas the term “hydrolyzed collagen” refers to the process used to make collagen peptides.

Collagen that has undergone the hydrolysis process and been reduced to nanoparticle size is known as collagen hydrolyzed or collagen hydrolysate. The outcome is collagen peptides that have been hydrolyzed and are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. The most popular and efficient type of collagen supplement is this one.

As peptides enter the bloodstream, they cause cells all over the body to produce more collagen, which can be beneficial for many of your Collagen that has undergone the hydrolysis process and been reduced to nanoparticle size is known as collagen hydrolyzed or collagen hydrolysate. The outcome is collagen peptides that have been hydrolyzed and are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. The most popular and efficient type of collagen supplement is this one.

7 Collagen Peptides Powder Benefits

1. Maintains skin elasticity

It is no longer news that as we age, our skin gets wrinkled and duller. But collagen peptides slow down this aging process and help give the skin a firm look. It helps plump it up to make you look younger. Take collagen peptides to improve skin health.

2. Joint Pain

One of the most prevalent types of chronic pain is joint pain. The two most common causes of joint pain are osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), neither of which has a preventive or curative treatment. It has been suggested that taking oral collagen may be able to treat arthritis.

Collagen peptides for joints have been found in numerous scientific studies to aid enhance joint health by preventing cartilage deterioration and assisting in the reduction of inflammation around the joint. Those who have joint issues can benefit from this since it can increase mobility and lessen pain.

3. Collagen Peptides For Weight Loss

One of the most important advantages of using collagen peptides for weight loss is that it is naturally high in protein and low in calories. When it comes to losing weight, lean proteins are your best bet. A meal or snack high in lean protein can help you feel fuller for longer, providing your body with energy without you having to pack the pounds.

Consuming collagen, specifically gelatin, has also been shown in studies to increase ghrelin levels in the body. Ghrelin is the hormone that makes you feel full, so having more of it will help you resist the urge to eat more and keep your calorie count low.

Another method in which collagen for weight loss occurs is that it can help relieve joint pain and inflammation. This may not appear to be an obvious benefit when it comes to weight loss, but it can certainly go a long way.

Joint pain can seriously impede a workout and even daily activities, reducing your ability to burn calories. Collagen may help boost your exercise routine and make it easier to lose weight by reducing joint pain and improving mobility.

4. Bone Health

Peptides from collagen can help bone health. Collagen and calcium ions make up the majority of the material in your bones. Throughout one’s life, bones are constantly regenerating and repaired in a process known as bone remodeling.

Collagen peptides can be used as a health supplement to promote bone remodeling and support excellent bone health. Researchers discovered in a recent study that collagen peptide supplementation can affect bone cells’ metabolism at various levels, encouraging remodeling and aiding the body in maintaining the strength of its bones. In another clinical trial research, they discovered that collagen type II helped improve joint mobility and comfort and also support their physical function. (3)

5. Gut Health

Although there is little data on collagen supplements, studies have shown that people with digestive problems have lower levels of some forms of collagen. As a primary fuel source for the cells in the intestine, L-glutamate, one of the major amino acids in collagen, maintains the health of the digestive system.

Proline and glycine, two other amino acids present in collagen, are also used as fuel by the cells that line our stomach. Collagen supplementation facilitates digestion, supports gut lining repair, and can treat IBS and leaky gut syndrome (4).

6. Collagen Peptides For Hair Growth

Collagen makes up more than half of your dermis, the layer of your skin in which the root of each hair grows (5). It contributes to the elasticity and strength of your dermis as old age loses the body’s ability to produce collagen. This is why hair gets thinner over time.

Collagen helps the hair bulb with the optimum nutrition throughout the growth stage of your hair, thereby generating the ideal conditions for the formation of strong hairs. Another way collagen peptides for hair occurs via hydration. The main benefits of collagen peptide-infused conditioners, shampoos, and serums are hydration and the advantages of amino acids for safeguarding and protecting hair and scalp.

7. Collagen Peptides For Arthritis

Collagen peptides supplements may help with the pain and inflammation associated with Osteoarthritis. Arthritis occurs as a result of cartilage damage at the joints. This condition worsens over time and can be excruciatingly painful, affecting your mobility and overall quality of life. The cartilage acts as a smooth layering between the ball (the end of the femoral head) and the socket (the acetabulum of the pelvis), allowing the ball to slide and rotate with ease when the leg moves. The Labrum is the cartilage that lines the outer rim of the socket and provides stability.

When the cartilage in your joint is damaged, it becomes rough and abrasive (2). The space between the joints narrows due to cartilage thinning. In severe cases, the bones start rubbing against each other, causing pain and stiffness. Collagen peptides for Arthritis help rebuild and protect the cartilage to prevent friction.

Side Effects of Collagen Peptides

The Side effects of collagen vary depending on which collagen supplement you take. Whichever one you take, the side effects are generally mild. The possible side effects you experience include;

1. Diarrhea
2. Upset stomach
3. Rashes, or skin reactions
4. Heartburn
5. Headache
6. Nausea
7. Constipation

People who are allergic to fish, chicken, shellfish, or egg should avoid ingesting collagen supplements since they may contain these ingredients. Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers should avoid taking this supplement as the safety has not been ascertained.

How Much Collagen Peptides Per Day?

Depending on the collagen supplement you are taking and the reason for taking it, the doses vary for each day.

Typically, 2.5-10 grams of collagen peptides in divided doses can be taken by mouth daily for 8–12 weeks to improve the health of your skin and hair. 10 grams of collagen peptides can be given every day in 1-2 divided dosages for roughly 5 months to treat arthritis.

The various varieties of collagen that are readily available also have different doses and this is how many collagen peptides per day are used.

1. Hydrolyzed collagen derived from shellfish, cattle, pigs, poultry, and other sources. It is possible to purchase hydrolyzed collagen in powder or capsule form, and research suggests that consuming 2.5–15 grams of it daily may be beneficial for the health of your skin, bones, and hair.
2. Undenatured Collagen: Gotten from chicken cartilage. According to some research, consuming 10mg to 40 mg of undenatured collagen every day can considerably reduce your joint discomfort and inflammation.
3. Gelatin- gotten from animal sources is used to augment the collagen proteins in smoothies, sauces, soups, and other dishes.

Note that the directions for use on each package of the supplements will often advise taking 1-2 scoops of a powdered supplement, or 1-2 pieces of a pill or gummy supplement, every day. Be sure to read the nutrition facts label for precise dosing instructions on the different packs because the quantity of collagen in a supplement will depend on how it is made.

Collagen peptides powder benefits are numerous. Powders are the most effective as they deliver the most collagen into the body and are also a convenient way to incorporate a significant amount of collagen into your diet. You could blend it into a sweet smoothie with colorful fruits or mixed with your morning coffee or latte. If you prefer other delivery methods like capsules, drinks, tonics, or gummies that’s fine. Just keep in mind that these products are unlikely to contain as much collagen.

The benefits of collagen peptides go beyond the ones listed above. Collagen supplement may also improve skin health. You may want to take collagen to improve skin health.

Conclusion

In conclusion, People from all walks of life have used natural products from a variety of sources to enhance their beauty, maintain a youthful appearance, alleviate pain, and, in general, maintain their health since time immemorial (1). This is due to the increased interest in the health benefits of antioxidants derived from natural products as a result of their applicability and safety in these supplement production.

When you start using collagen supplements for your body, you will notice that your physical appearance begins to improve. Your bone gets stronger, arthritis pain reduces, and your hair and nails may begin to grow longer and stronger.

References

1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collagen
2. https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/basics/osteoarthritis.htm
3. https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-016-0130-8
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14600124/
5. https://www.derm101.com/inflammatory/embryologic-histologic-and-anatomic-aspects/collagen/
6. https://www.webmd.com/diet/collagen-health-benefits

14 Chondroitin Benefits

March 31, 2023May 11, 2023

Glucosamine And Chondroitin Benefits

A common dietary supplement and an essential component of the body’s cartilage is chondroitin. Because of its structural composition, taking chondroitin will help to prevent cartilage from being broken down, and in cartilage destruction, chondroitin will enhance quick repair. Chondroitin is a nutritional supplement scientifically called chondroitin sulfate.

Several studies have been done to research the importance and chondroitin benefits to health in different parts of the world, especially its benefits for osteoarthritis and other inflammatory health diseases. Clinical evidence has proven that is good for reducing pain (1).

Chondroitin sulfate is a very good compound for joints, hence, the use of chondroitin sulfate for osteoarthritis is one of the major health benefits it supplies to the human body. Chondroitin sulfate is also useful in the treatment of cataracts.

It can be used in combination with other chemical agents such as hyaluronic acid and manganese ascorbate. Other compounds that can be combined with chondroitin effectively are glucosamine and collagen peptides.

Aside from the use of chondroitin sulfate for joint diseases. It is also useful in the management of other disease entities in the body. The health benefits of chondroitin and many more will be discussed in this article (2).

Chondroitin Benefits: With And Without Glucosamine

The combination of chondroitin with glucosamine has given better and synergistic benefits to health than when either of them is used isolatedly.

Glucosamine is a compound naturally produced and secreted by the human body, and like chondroitin, glucosamine also exists in cartilage, hence, they aid cartilage production and cartilages repair when destroyed by stimulating the secretion of fats and protein component required for the repair to take place.

Glucosamine is not a common nutrient seen in foods, but it is always available as a supplement in form of tablets, capsules, and even in topical forms. The use of glucosamine benefits confers a lot of health benefits, especially a combination of chondroitin with glucosamine, which helps in the management of joint diseases such as osteoarthritis (3).

How Chondroitin With Glucosamine Works

One popular thing about chondroitin and glucosamine is the fact that they are chondroprotective. This simply means they ease every pain that has to do with cartilage and joints generally.

One of the other many chondroitin glucosamine benefits is that they possess anti-inflammatory properties which help in pain reduction and in the prevention of cartilage degeneration at joints in other to keep the structure of the cartilage in proper check.

Also, chondroitin with glucosamine helps to enhance water absorption of the cartilage in other to maintain and retain its elasticity (4).

Glucosamine And Chondroitin Benefits For Health

The are several chondroitin glucosamine benefits to health according to a lot of research. Below are some of the health benefits of combining chondroitin with glucosamine:

1. Joint pain

Studies done in several regions of the world, including the united states have revealed that glucosamine is a very good compound in reducing joint pain. In like manner, studies have also backed up the advantages of using chondroitin sulfate for joint pain as well.

This claim of the effectiveness of glucosamine as an agent to relieve joint pain necessitated its availability not just as a supplement but also in form of medicinal substances in the united kingdom and other places in Europe.

The combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in supplements has also proven to be useful in relieving pain in patients presenting with osteoarthritis.

Patients who are reactive or allergic to other pain relievers such as NSAIDs as celecoxib can get recommendations of chondroitin and glucosamine supplements, and has worked fine for such people in relieving the symptoms as a result of arthritis or other inflammatory knee diseases.

2. Inflammation

Aside from joint inflammation, other people who suffer from chronic inflammation in other areas of the body will also benefit from chondroitin glucosamine benefits. Inflammatory diseases linked to health conditions such as diabetes mellitus, arthritis, and chronic heart diseases have been managed using chondroitin and glucosamine supplements.

Studies reveal that people who regularly use glucosamine supplements record mild levels of inflammation, and may never go into chronic inflammation.

3. Bone health

Studies have revealed that the use of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements have helped to reduce the incidence rate of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, and in women with osteoporosis, the use of glucosamine has also helped to slow down the progress rate of osteoporosis and prevent early complications.

Glucosamine also helps to strengthen the bone by reducing bone weakness, hence, the reason for its recommendation to patients at risk of osteoporosis such as post-menopausal women, patients on steroids, and other high-risk patients (3).

4. Osteoarthritis

In osteoarthritis, there is cartilage tissue degeneration at the joints which manifests majorly as pain and swelling. Chondroitin and glucosamine, on the other hand, have cartilage-protecting properties which help to avert the effects of osteoarthritis on the joints.

They also possess anti-inflammatory properties that help to reduce inflammatory symptoms such as pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function. When chondroitin and glucosamine supplements are being used, they aid in the protection and preservation of chondrocytes which helps to sustain cartilage tissue.

In the osteoarthritis treatment guidelines released in 2019, chondroitin sulfate was recommended for hand osteoarthritis by the American college of rheumatology. Although the national center for complementary health says the use of chondroitin and glucosamine is like using a placebo, it isn’t harmful but there are no clear benefits of it to the treatment of osteoarthritis, and the supplements are not harmful too.

However, several other studies have been done which reveal that chondroitin and glucosamine supplements are useful in relieving pain in osteoarthritis which has in a way rule out the claim by the national center for complementary health.

5. Rheumatoid arthritis

Research done helped to reveal that patients who use glucosamine hydrochloride in rheumatoid arthritis were relieved of their joint pains, however, studies are yet to prove if chondroitin sulfate lead to a reduction in the associated joint edema (5).

Other Health Effects Of Chondroitin Sulfate

From past and recent studies on the health benefits of chondroitin sulfate, results have shown that there are potential chondroitin benefits to human health. Some of the health benefits of chondroitin sulfate are:

6. Cataract

According to research, the eye is shielded during cataract surgery by injecting a solution containing sodium hyaluronate and chondroitin sulfate into the eye. The united states Food and Drug Administration has examined a wide range of products combining sodium hyaluronate and chondroitin sulfate to be utilized following cataract surgery.

Contrary to other similar therapies, it is unclear if combining chondroitin sulfate with sodium hyaluronic acid solutions assists relieve pressure inside the eye following cataract surgery. Early research suggests that when a cataract is removed, a particular eye solution with chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid can lower eye pressure and enhance general eye health.

The drops don’t seem to be much better than those that only include hyaluronic acid or another substance called hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, though. It is unknown how chondroitin sulfate-only treatments would affect cataract surgery.

7. Bladder inflammation

Some low-quality studies have suggested that bladder inflammation symptoms can be reduced by injecting a chondroitin sulfate mixture into the bladder, alongside or without hyaluronate.

Moreover, a preliminary study suggests that oral administration of the combination drug CystoProtek, which contains chondroitin sulfate, can reduce bladder irritation. Nonetheless, other more reliable studies reveal that putting chondroitin sulfate further into the bladder does not alleviate symptoms.

8. Dry eyes

There is conflicting evidence on chondroitin sulfate’s ability to treat dry eyes. The early study points to a reduction in dry eyes while using the chondroitin sulfate eye drops.

Yet, additional data indicate that chondroitin sulfate-containing eye drops perform less well than tear substitutes. According to additional studies, using a particular eye drop combining chondroitin sulfate and xanthan gum 4 times per day for 60 days did not increase tears but may decrease the intensity of dry eye symptoms.

9. Psoriasis skin disease

According to a preliminary study, consuming chondroitin sulfate for two to three months helps psoriasis sufferers feel less pain and has a positive impact on their skin.

However, other research indicates that in persons with psoriasis and joint osteoarthritis, taking chondroitin sulfate every day for three months does not lessen the severity of psoriasis.

10. Metastatic joint pain

According to a preliminary study, consuming chondroitin and glucosamine in up to three divided dosages daily for twenty-four weeks reduces joint pain and other side effects brought on by medications used in the treatment of breast cancer.

11. Acid reflux

Hyaluronate and chondroitin sulfate syrup appear to lessen the severity of acid reflux complaints when used in conjunction with traditional therapies like antacids.

12. Urinary tract infections

According to preliminary studies, women with a history of Urinary tract infections may have a reduction in urinary tract infections after receiving a specific chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronate solution through a urethral catheter every week for four weeks, followed by a monthly infusion for roughly 5 months.

13. Bone and joint disease

This is also referred to as Kashin-Beck disease. Glucosamine solution and Chondroitin may help persons with Kashin-Beck illness feel less discomfort, according to preliminary studies.

Moreover, glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate are taken together to help prevent the narrowing of the joint space in those with this degenerative disease. However, it is uncertain if consuming chondroitin sulfate alone decreases joint space narrowing.

14. Overactive bladder

According to preliminary studies, administering sodium chondroitin sulfate via a urinary catheter toward the bladder enhances the quality of life for persons with hyperactive bladders (6).

Chondroitin And Glucosamine Dosage: Side Effects

According to the majority of research, chondroitin, and glucosamine are both safe for usage by the majority of people and have not been associated with any negative side effects. There have only been minor adverse effects reported, such as headache, nausea, and upset stomach.

However take into consideration that glucosamine is frequently made from chitin, a substance that can be found in shellfish. As a result, those who are allergic to shellfish should carefully read the label and choose products derived from cows or pigs.

Furthermore, a fungus can be used to make glucosamine. Also, the supplements might not be ideal for people who follow a vegetarian diet because some of the ingredients are derived from animals.

The supplementation of chondroitin with glucosamine may also interact with anticoagulant drugs like Warfarin, lower insulin sensitivity, and impact blood sugar levels. Because of this, you ought to seek medical advice before using them.

Other highlighted chondroitin glucosamine side effects are:

– Nausea
– Vomiting
– Skin rashes and itching
– Constipation
– Abdominal discomfort
– Diarrhea

Side effects pointing to allergic reactions such as rashes on the skin, itching of the body, and swelling in certain parts of the body such as the lips, should be reported to the medical personnel as soon as possible and the medication stopped immediately (7).

Chondroitin And Glucosamine Supplement: Can they reduce pain for osteoarthritis?

Some people assert that the dietary supplement glucosamine chondroitin will lessen knee osteoarthritis symptoms. It functions by keeping the cartilage in the joints in good condition. The tissue that connects the bones is called cartilage. The united states food and drugs association is yet to approve the use of chondroitin and glucosamine supplements for use.

The chondroitin glucosamine supplement is generally available in different processed forms, tablets, capsules, and in granulated forms.

However, the united states FDA suggests that citizens follow the guidelines below while using such supplements:

– Carefully read the directions on the package’s label.
– Natural does not guarantee a product is secure for consumption by people.
– Be on the lookout for items with USP following the component name. This indicates that the maker complied with US Pharmacopoeia criteria.
– A nationally recognized food or drug company is more likely to manufacture and sell supplements that are subject to stringent regulations. To learn more about the procedure by which the product was created, you can email the company.

The chondroitin and glucosamine supplements should be carefully kept out of the reach of children and should be stored at room temperature of less than or equal to 30 degrees C (7).

Chondroitin Versus MSM for Arthritis

MSM is an acronym for Methylsulfonylmethane. Every cell in the body stores this sulfur molecule. It may come from sources such as animals and plants or be created in a lab. MSM, a superior source of sulfur, enhances joint health by enhancing the body’s ability to generate collagen for collagenous health and membrane-bound flexibility. It also fosters the development of hair, skin, and nails (8).

Natural substances that are found in the joints include MSM and chondroitin. They are used to treat joint inflammation and relieve joint discomfort. Aspirin and ibuprofen are two prominent anti-inflammatory and non-steroidal medications recommended for joint pain and arthritic problems. Arthritis is a prevalent ailment associated with aging nowadays.

Three naturally occurring substances, MSM, Chondroitin, and Glucosamine, are typically prescribed for reducing pain and decreasing the course of arthritis without producing the negative effects caused by other medications because these medications have several side effects. Osteoarthritis is the name for this form of “wear and tear” arthritis. The very potent anti-inflammatory action of MSM explains why it is highly recommended in cases of rheumatoid arthritis.

In summary:

– MSM is an acronym for methylsulfonylmethane, while chondroitin sulfate is seen in the collages in joints
– MSM is best used in the management of rheumatoid arthritis, while chondroitin sulfate is known for its action against osteoarthritis
– It is recommended that 2000mg of MSM should be used every eight hours, that is, three times a day, while chondroitin sulfate is best used at 1200mg in three divided doses daily (9).

References:

12 Health Benefits of Bromelain

October 15, 2022May 11, 2023

12 Health Benefits of Bromelain

Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme found in the pineapple plant. It belongs to the group of enzymes known to the aid digestion of foods, the proteinous foods. The bromelain can be seen in the juice as well as the stem of pineapple. Health Benefits of Bromelain include the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions, such as osteoarthritis, sinusitis, and inflammation of the colon.

It is also useful for the treatment of allergic conditions, and the prevention of cancer and chronic heart diseases (2). it is widely known in central and south America. Bromelain can be used alone or in combination with quercetin. Bromelain and quercetin also aid in the balance of the natural inflammatory response in the body.

Bromelain is useful both in traditional and orthodox medicine to aid digestion and in the management of inflammatory conditions. It was discovered far back in the late 1800 but its medical use didn’t start till the year 1957. the scientists have since then been working on the therapeutic uses of bromelain, especially as a supplement (3).

Sources Of Bromelain

Bromelain can be seen in fruits such as pineapple, and other yellow fruits. It can be seen after manufacturing in the form of tablets or capsules. It is also available as cream or powder.

Most times, bromelain and quercetin can be packaged together as a single supplement as a capsule or as tablets to be used for an anti-inflammatory purpose. Bromelain can also be packaged alongside linoleic acid which is required for weight loss (1). Interestingly, even though bromelain is gotten from pineapple fruit and juice, eating pineapple does not guarantee the required quantity needed by the body (4).

The 12 Health Benefits Of Bromelain

Bromelain supplements are used by people as a remedy for several health conditions. The following are some of the health benefits of bromelain:

1. Inflammation

The proteolytic enzyme bromelain from the gotten pineapple plant, particularly the stem has proven to be useful in the treatment of several medical conditions, one of which is inflammatory diseases. It is useful in the treatment of post-surgical inflammations, dental surgeries, and treatment of chronic inflammation of the sinuses and the nose.

Bromelain is also useful in the treatment of other inflammations like joint inflammation, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and skin diseases such as psoriasis and rosacea. Studies revealed that when bromelain is combined with quercetin, it produces a greater anti-inflammatory action for both acute state and chronic state inflammatory diseases.

Bromelain and quercetin are not uncommon and even though bromelain in food and quercetin in food is good, both are sold as a supplement alongside other enzymes such as amylase, and papain or with vitamin C to aid their action (3).

2. Osteoarthritis

Studies revealed that the anti-pain and anti-swelling properties of bromelain make it one of the best supplements required for the treatment of osteoarthritis to ease the pain and edema frequently experienced by patients. Particularly, the patient with arthritis affecting their knee joints or shoulders will benefit more from bromelain supplements. Research conducted revealed that patients treated with 400mg of bromelain daily improved than those given placebo as treatment (4).

3. Sinusitis

Particularly, bromelain is useful in relieving the symptoms of sinusitis and similar conditions affecting the respiratory system. In a study conducted in 2016, it was discovered that bromelain is useful in relieving the symptoms of sinusitis which helps to relieve difficulty with breathing in the patients as well as reducing the inflammation.

Another 2006 survey reported that when bromelain is used as adjuvants with other drugs in the treatment of inflammation, it has better health benefits compared to when only medications are used without the supplement (1).

4. Bowel Inflammatory Diseases

Bromelain has proven to also be useful in the treatment of inflammatory conditions of the bowel. In a 2008 study, they found out that bromelain when used for patients with ulcerative colitis, it helps to suppress the inflammatory symptoms in the patients and it also revealed that the pro-inflammatory chemicals like cytokines and chemokines were reduced in patients taking bromelain (2).

5. Food Digestion

Bromelain helps to aid digestion although studies are yet to discover the mechanism of action behind this. It also helps to relieve abdominal cramps associated with food indigestion. It is also known to reduce some of the actions bacteria have on the bowel that irritates resulting in diarrhea or dysentery such as Vibro cholera (1).

6. Heart Diseases

A study reveals that bromelain is useful in the management of cardiovascular pathologies such as heart failure, stroke, arterial diseases, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and lots more. Bromelain helps to prevent the formation of clots in the vessels thereby preventing the occurrences of heart events that can lead to death such as stroke (4).

7. Asthma

Bromelain has shown its importance in the management of airway inflammation in asthmatic patients. This was discovered in a study carried out on animals that bromelain helps to reduce the severity o symptoms as well as reduce the frequency of the symptoms. Also, it is safe to say that it may also be of benefit to patients with other atopy conditions (4).

8. Cancer

Research has shown that bromelain has some components which are anti-neoplastic and hence can help to prevent and treat the cancerous cells in cancer patients. Unfortunately, this has not been confirmed in humans as they are still in the preliminary phase.

In 2012, research conducted showed that bromelain is important in the treatment of breast cancer, and this is because of its ability to induce programmed cell death in the cancerous cells, otherwise called apoptosis.

In research conducted in 2007, bromelain was used in the treatment of animals with certain cancers, like sarcoma and leukemia. The result revealed that bromelain increased the quality of life of the animals. Hence, the conclusion is that bromelain supplements will be good adjuvants in cancer therapies (2).

9. Weight Loss

Producers of bromelain supplement explained that it is useful in those desiring weight reduction as it contains enzymes that help to increase the rate at which the body digests fat. However, there has not been enough study to support this claim (1).

10. Wound Healing

Bromelain has been known for his positive impact on wound healing, especially burns. The topical form of bromelain when applied to the surface of burn wounds, it helps to eliminate the gangrenous skin parts, that is, the dead parts. But there has been no evidence to prove if it helps in the treatment of wounds aside from the function above (2).

11. Knee Pain

The studies conducted on the effects of bromelain on knee pain have been unstable. In a study conducted in 2006 and published in the ‘monthly journal of the association of physicians, there was no seen positive effect of bromelain on knee pain other than acting as a placebo for patients with knee pain, edema, and stiffness. The study was carried out on 47 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee joint.

Conversely, in another study conducted in 2006 and published in the Journal of Arthritis Research and Therapy, it was discovered that in some of the patients, bromelain was very useful in the treatment of their knee pain and it was as effective as diclofenac in the patients. Only a few of the subjects, two out of seven, found bromelain as a mere placebo. Also, another study conducted showed that bromelain can ease knee pain in individuals without osteoarthritis (2).

12. Surgical Pain

For post-surgical pain, oral bromelain has been known to help in relieving pain and swelling in patients. However, it acts differently with different people and in different tissue in the same individual. In a study conducted on 40 patients, 70 percent of the patients had reduced pain and swelling compared to those given a placebo. 750 to 100mg per day is the recommended dose and should be taken before eating in divided doses per day (2).

Bromelain And Quercetin Combination

There has been research confirming that the combination of the proteolytic enzyme bromelain with quercetin produces the best anti-inflammatory result. Thus, bromelain and quercetin when combined can help to relieve and manage inflammation in both the acute and chronic states.

The majority of brands producing bromelain supplements do not provide enough dosage required to serve the anti-inflammatory purpose or they miss the idea of bromelain and quercetin combination, hence the reason why most formulations don’t serve the anti-inflammatory purpose. Bromelain and quercetin can also be combined with other enzymes and antioxidants to improve their functions.

Bromelain and quercetin combined in a supplement help to reduce the dosage and number of times required to use the supplement (3). The dosing for quercetin ranges from 500 to 2500mg per day in divided doses. The recommended dose will depend on the condition for which it is being used. The combination can be taken three days before the surgery and should continue till a week after the surgery. If used in case of traumatic injury, it can be used for up to ten days. Bromelain and quercetin supplements are the best in aiding fast recovery (3).

Side Effects Of Bromelain

Just like every other supplement, it is important to know the medical history of a patient before prescribing bromelain supplements for such. It can result in mild risk in some patients, especially in cases of overdose. Such effects are:

– Nausea
– Vomiting
– Diarrhea
– Others are menorrhagia, that is, the heavy menstrual flow which can be due to thinning of blood, especially when used with anticoagulants such as aspirin, and warfarin. Hence, the need to avoid or stop the use of anticoagulants when on bromelain.

Bromelain with quercetin side effects includes all stated above too (4). in some persons, bromelain with quercetin side effects can trigger allergic reactions, especially in those with personal or family history of atopy. Such reactions include skin rashes, difficulty with breathing, itchy skin, and eyes. These supplements should be avoided in persons with an allergy to bromelain (2).

Interaction

Bromelin interact with the following drugs when used together:

– Anticoagulants

Bromelain normally will cause a decrease in the blood clotting time, so a patient on blood thinners, that is, anticoagulants should be advised to stop the anticoagulants before using bromelain supplements. When used together, this can cause excessive bleeding and an increase in blood flow in women. Some examples of blood thinners are aspirin, warfarin, and clopidogrel.

– Antibiotics

Bromelain when used together with certain antibiotics, it increases the rate of absorption of such drugs, thereby increasing the predisposition to the side effects of such drugs. Examples of such drugs are tetracycline and amoxicillin (4).

– Sedatives

A combination of bromelain and sedatives makes the effect of sedative drugs stronger. Examples of such are:

– Benzodiazepines: examples are diazepam and alprazolam. When used together it increases the duration of action.
– Anticonvulsants: when bromelain is combined with sodium valproate or phenytoin, it increases the duration of action as well as side effects.
– Antidepressants: bromelain increases the action of tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline.
– Alcohol
– Herbal concoctions with alcohol base (4).

Contraindications

Allergy to bromelain is a major contraindication to the use of bromelain supplements. Other allergies include allergies to pineapple as bromelain is an enzyme seen in pineapple, and allergies to carrot, rye, and wheat. Patients with allergy to cypress pollens should also avoid the use of bromelain.

Bromelain is also contraindicated in pregnancy and patients with peptic ulcer disease. There has been no research to ascertain if bromelain and quercetin are safe in pregnancy. Other gastrointestinal diseases should be well evaluated before placing a patient on bromelain.

It is contraindicated in patients with bleeding disorders and patients on anticoagulant medications or anti-platelet drugs. Patients on supplements such as ginkgo Biloba should also avoid taking bromelain (2).

Conclusion

Bromelain is obtained from pineapple fruit or the stem. It is also a mixture of enzymes known to have health benefits. This includes inflammation treatment, wound healing, treatment of asthma, and a lot more when used as a supplement or as a treatment adjuvant as in cancer therapy. However, lot of works is currently ongoing to ascertain the effectiveness of the bromelain supplements.

Several studies suggests that Bromelain, extracted from pineapple, exerts anti-inflammatory effects in people with joints pain or knee pain. Research suggests that Bromelain may also help with several digestive, respiratory and heart disorders.

References:

Body Types in Ayurveda

November 9, 2020May 8, 2023

What are the Body Types in Ayurveda or Ayurvedic Body Types?

As a part of the universe, the human body follows the Pancha-Mahabhuta Principle. Comprised of five elements Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth element (the building blocks) our body has a unique constitution of Dosha, Dhatu, and mala. Fundamentally, Tridoshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) also known as life force or energy, control our entire mind and bodily activities.

According to Ayurveda, every other person possesses a different type of Prakriti (Body Nature) depending on their unique Tridosha constitution (body types in Ayurveda). Though no human being has the body constitution comprised of a single or dual dosha but all three, however, there is always one dosha that dominates over the other two. That one dosha decides one’s Prakriti (Ayurvedic body type). Depending on this dominant guy your body has different physiological and psychological functioning.

Let us dive into the sea of doshas and figure out which one is dominating your Ayurvedic body type. Here, I am going to tell you about the nature of Tridosha, and peculiarity and characters of different body types. But first, you must know about, “How your Prakriti was determined in the first place?”

The determination of Deha Prakriti (Physical constitution/Body Type)

According to Ayurveda Acharyas, body constitution is determined at the time of conception. The escalated doshas in Sperm (Shukra) and Ovum (Artava) together with the factors influenced by parents’ unique body type, at the time of conception have the authority to call the shots and nail down the zygote’s dosha-constitution.

Body Types in Ayurveda – Vata Prakriti (Vata Body Type)

Vata Dosha, constituted by the Space and Air element, is perceived as Heena Prakriti (Poor body type). Vata is a wildly dynamic element. Although its vital property being movement and circulation, it is the most important among Tridoshas, yet its slight provocation can wreak havoc with major drawback being the emaciation (Apatarpana) of the body.

Body Types in Ayurveda – Pitta Prakriti (Pitta Body Type)

Pitta dosha, constituted by the Fire and Water element is a unique and mighty combination. Pitta body type is perceived as a moderate one. Complementing different sense organs function like vision, memory, intellect, and refined perception, its vital functions are digestion and assimilation. Pitta body type has beautiful complexion and the great courage.

Body Types in Ayurveda – Kapha Prakriti (Kapha Body type)

Kapha dosha, a blend of the water and Earth element is well known for a sturdy built. Kapha body type is perceived as the best Prakriti. Its vital function is anabolism hence a compact and muscular body. Kapha Purusha (Person of Kapha body type) is full of vigor, courage, calmness, and convincing might. Most importantly their immune system is insanely top-notch.

Balanced or Dual Nature Body Constitution

People with only one dominant dosha (Ekdoshaja) outnumbering the other two are very few. Generally, there is one super dominant dosha with the second one slightly lower dominant and the remaining one being recessive to both of them. Dwandaj (Dual Nature Body type) Prakriti are:

- – Vata Pittaja (Kapha being the lowest)
- – Pitta-Kaphaja (Vata being the lowest)
- – Vata-Kaphaja (Pitta being the lowest)

And in the rare case, all three of them (Vata Pitta Kapha) might be at equal levels and people with this type of Deha Prakriti are referred to as “The Perfect Blend”- Vata-Pitta-Kaphaja (Sannipatika Prakriti).

Therefore, there are 7 types of Prakriti (Body constitution) with three Ekdoshaja (One dominating dosha), Three Dwandaj dosha (Dual dosha), and Sannipataja (All three in balance).

Now, let us have a peek at the characteristics of people with these three different body types in Ayurveda so that you can be clear about which Deha Prakriti you possess.

Characteristics	Vata Body Type	Pitta Body Type	Kapha body Type
Body Frame	Thin, flat chest, prominent veins and bones, taller or shorter than an average person.	Moderate body frame, medium muscle development, slender, and delicate frame.	Large body frame, broad chest, thick skin, attractive and bones not prominent.
Body Weight	Lean and slender	Moderate or medium weight	Obese or rapid tendency for weight gain
Skin Type	Thin, cool, dry, rough, and cracked.	Soft, warm, moist, prone to wrinkles and acne.	Thick, cold, oily, and pale
Complexion	Brown or intermediate	Reddish, yellowish or copperish	Fair and Bright
Hair	Dry, course, curly, and scanty	Thin, fine, silky, and oily	Thick, soft, dark, and wavy
Eyes	Dry, small, and sunken	Sharp, medium size, and penetrating gaze	Dense, Wide and big, prominent
Disease Tendency	Majorly nervous disease	Fever and Inflammation	Congestion
Strengths	Quick-witted, creative, fast grasping, short term excellent but long term weak memory, imaginative, and understanding	Sharp, leaders, and ambitious, quick grasp, and powerful memory	Calm, content, forgiving, loyal, and tolerant, slow grasp, short term weak but long term good memory
Weaknesses	Anxious, nervous, fearful, low will-power	Irritability, jealous, and anger	Greed, possessiveness, attachment, and self-centered
Physiological Traits	Crave for salty and sweet food, cold hands and feet, less sleeping hours, speaks fast, and irritatingly loud voice, walk faster	Strong appetite, good digestion and metabolism, slightly higher body temperature than average, sharp voice	Crave pungent and bitter food, Slow digestion, good stamina, moderate body temperature and sound sleep, soft voice, slow and steady walks
Miscellaneous Qualities	Lively, enthusiastic, and joyful	Passionate, competitive, focused and assertive	Loving, faithful, relaxed

Do an honest self-diagnosis of these traits. Calculate the matched traits and see which doshas are dominating your body.

Benefits of Knowing Your Prakriti

- – Knowing your Prakriti or body types in Ayurveda will help you know your body’s requirements better.
- – You can make different food preferences to balance your dosha.
- – You will know your mental health better and manage your lifestyle accordingly by ignoring the facts you are prone to by nature.
- – When your body is in imbalanced state you know which dosha is creating trouble and manage your health accordingly.

What are Ayurveda Vata, Pitta and Kapha Doshas?

November 1, 2020May 8, 2023

Ayurveda Vata, Pitta and Kapha Doshas – A deep dive into the three bio-energies responsible for the existence of life!

Vata, Pitta, and Kapha Doshas– These energies are needed to be balanced to maintain a healthy body and mind constitution. Natural regulation leads to a healthy state whereas an unnatural regulation leads to discomfort. One must be conscious of the fact that whatever is happening in our mind and body is the consequence of the continuous grind of Tridoshas.

Sanskrit Shloka:

“Vayuh: pittam kaphashcheti trayo dosha: samaasata:

Vikritavikrita deham ghnanti te varttayanti ca”

[Ashtang Hridayam 11/1]

Their poise is essential for a flourishing mind and body whereas disturbance of natural function can be destructive. One must learn their body constitution to live a sophisticated and healthier life.

Ayurveda Vata, Pitta and Kapha Doshas – Tridoshas

Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, each of them have a different set of constitutions, properties, and functions for operating different physiological roles.

Vata manages the nervous system; Pitta with its fire element controls the metabolism and hormonal flow whereas Kapha works as the support system of our body.

Constitution of Tridoshas

Ayurveda follows the principle of Pancha-Mahabhuta which says, the whole universe is comprised of Pancha-Mahabhuta (Five fundamental elements) i.e. Aakash (space), Vayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Jala (Water), and Prithvi (Earth). There is no existence of any living or non-living entity which are devoid of these elements.

Mahabhuta (Element)	Characteristics
Aakash	Aparighata (Free flow without any obstruction)
Vayu	Chalatva (Mobility)
Agni	Ushnatva (Heat or Fire)
Jala	Dravata (Liquidity)
Prithvi	Kharatva (Rough or solid)

Vata, Pitta, and Kapha have a unique constitution of these elements for their peculiar characteristics.

Doshas	Mahabhuta (Elements)	Qualities
Vata	Air + Space	Dryness, lightness, coldness, roughness, minuteness, and movement.
Pitta	Fire + Water	Unctuous, piercingly enters deep tissues, hot, light, foul odor, fluidity or mobile, and liquid in nature.
Kapha	Water + Earth	Unctuous, cold, heavy, mild, viscous, smooth, slimy or jelly type, stable or immobile.

Sanskrit Shloka:

Guru manda hima snigdha ślakṣṇa sāndra mṛdu sthirā: | guṇā: sasūkṣma viśadā: viṃśati: saviparyayā: ||

(Ashtanga Hridayam 1/19)

According to Acharya Vagbhatta and Charak, there are in total 20 types of basic characteristic qualities in the universe. 10 of them are mentioned in the first verse of the above given shloka and the rest are their complete opposites. They are:

Guru (Heavy)	Laghu (Light)
Manda (Slow)	Tikshna (Fast)
Hima (Cold)	Ushna (Hot)
Snigdha (Unctuous)	Ruksha (Dry)
Slakshna (Smooth)	Khara (Rough)
Sandra (Solid)	Drava (Liquid)
Mridu (Soft)	Kathina (Hard)
Sthira (Stable)	Chala (Unstable)
Sukshma (small)	Sthula (Huge)
Vishada (Non-slimy)	Picchila (Slimy)

Primary Functions of Tridoshas

Doshas	Primary functions
Vata	Movement and communication
Pitta	Digestion and metabolism
Kapha	Lubrication, and structure

Location of Doshas in the Body

Although Tridoshas occupy the whole of our body yet there are some specific organs where the majority resides.

Doshas	Location
Vata	Waist and hip region, ear, bones, skin, and large intestine is the primary location.
Pitta	Stomach, sweat, blood, lymph, plasma, eye, skin. The umbilicus is the primary location of Pitta dosha.
Kapha	Head, throat, stomach, small intestine, plasma, fat, nose, and tongue. The chest is the primary seat of Kapha dosha.

Vata Dosha

Though every dosha has its different peculiar importance, balanced Vata dosha is the significant most among Tridoshas. In its presence of an unbalanced state, no dosha would be able to perform their function because they need its movement and communication feature to travel and act throughout the whole body.

Responsible for all the movements in the body, it helps in the circulation of nutrients through blood flow throughout the body. It regulates respiration and locomotion.

In its balanced state Vata fills the body with enthusiasm and regulates all the mind and speech activities. Vata dosha is responsible for the initiation of natural urges (urine, feces, tears, sneezing, etc.) while maintaining the decent functioning of sense organs.

With respect to its distinct functions, Vata is of five types:

Types of Vata	Location	Movement	Function
Prana Vayu	Head	Moves in the chest and throat	Regulates respiration, will power, intellect, and vision.
Udana Vata	Chest	Nose, throat, and umbilicus	Initiation of speech, effort, enthusiasm, memory, and complexion.
Vyana Vayu	Heart	Whole body	All the locomotory actions.
Samana Vayu	Stomach	Alimentary canal	Digestion and assimilation
Apana Vayu	Large Intestine	Bladder and genitals.	Urination, defecation, menstruation, and labor during childbirth.

Pitta Dosha

Pitta represents the fire element energy controlling our body’s metabolic system. The peculiarity of this fire is its liquid nature due to water being its secondary element.

Its primary function is the digestion of food and vision. It maintains the body temperature by spreading enough warmth throughout the body while maintaining skin complexion and suppleness; it is closely related to intelligence and valor.

Types of Pitta	Location	Functions
Pachaka Pitta (Anala)	Stomach and Large Intestine	Digestion and transformation of food.
Ranjaka Pitta	Stomach	Assimilation of food into blood.
Sadhaka Pitta	Heart	Intelligence, knowledge, and self-consciousness.
Alochaka Pitta	Eyes	Vision
Bhrajaka Pitta	Skin	Exhibition of color and complexions.

Kapha Dosha

Kapha dosha confers stability, firmness, compactness, and lubrication of joints due to the dominance of water and earth element. It offers the mental capacity to withstand emotional stress.

Types of Kapha	Location	Functions
Avalambaka Kapha	Chest	Lubrication and nourishment
Kledaka Kapha	Stomach	Helps in digestion of food by moistening
Bodhaka Kapha	Tongue	Taste perception
Tarpaka Kapha	Head	Sense organ nourishment
Shleshaka Kapha	Bone joints	Strengthens and lubricates joints

Tridosha Imbalance

An increase or decrease of individual doshas is termed as Sansarg whereas imbalanced altogether is termed as Sannipata.

Causes of Imbalance of Doshas

The increase of Doshas is perceived to be usually due to excess nutrition (Tarpana), which later on increases Kapha. However, the decrease of Doshas is due to loss of nutrition which is followed by an increase in Vayu (Vata dosha).

Hence, the diseases arising due to the increase of Dosha should be treated by adopting Langhana (therapy causing thinning of the body, reducing the Kapha dosha). The diseases arising from the decrease of Dosha should be treated with Brimhana therapy (causes stoutening of the body, increasing the quantity, etc.)

But in the case of Vata, the order is complete opposite. If Vata is increased, then Brihmana therapy (nourishing therapy for the tissues) should be adopted and if Vata decreases then Langhana therapy should be adopted as it lightens the body with laghu (light) guna.

Tridosha	Increase	Decrease
Vata	Emaciation, black discoloration, tremors, constipation, loss of strength and senses, and irrelevant speech.	Debility of body, decreased speech and loss of sensation
Pitta	Yellow discoloration of feces, urine, eyes, and skin; excess thirst and hunger with a burning sensation.	Weak digestion, cold feel, loss of luster
Kapha	Weak digestion, excess salivation, laziness, feels sleepy, cold, and respiratory disorders.	Delusion, dizziness, palpitations, and loose joints.

Food Preferences

The increase of Doshas should be controlled by avoidance of foods that are disliked by the body as body itself knows its requirements better than we do. The decrease of Doshas should be managed by the indulgence of food that is desired for the very same reason.

The Doshas which have undergone increase and decrease generally produce the desire for foods that are distinct and similar (in properties to those of the Doshas) respectively; but not every person can recognize his body’s call due to non-familiarity and devoid of knowledge factor.

Levels of Dosha Increase and Decrease

Three states of dosha are described by the Acharyas according to the levels of their dushti (vitiation) due to improper food consumption or seasonal changes.

Chaya

Chaya means increase of an individual dosha slightly on its original seat or location. Generally, it initiates the self-defense mechanism of our body (like increase of body temperature) to aware us of these slight changes in our body. Its ignorance may lead to various diseases.

Kopa

When dosha is not balanced in its chaya avastha, it later on, leads to Kopa avastha. Dosha starts overflowing in other channels of the body and hampers the physiological processes by blocking those channels. In this state, symptoms of discomfort or diseases start to show up clearly leading to disease onset.

Sama

Sama avastha is the state of normalcy. When doshas are restored to their balanced state and levels all the previous symptoms disappear and the body again restores the damages from previous diseases or discomfort.

The Seasonal State of Doshas

Doshas in our body when exposed to different seasons respond differently. We should keep this in mind and take necessary precautions according to Dosha-Avastha (State of dosha).

Doshas	Chaya	Prakopa	Prasamna
Vata	Summer	Rainy	Late winter
Pitta	Rainy	Autumn	Spring
Kapha	Late winter	Early winter	Summer

Befriend Doshas in your Life

To live a meaningful life, you need to understand your body constitution first. Before knowing about a machine you cannot gain complete access to its benefits and functions. Only when you get to the depths of the situation will you be able to handle it more accurately. The same goes for your body.

Tridoshas are the fundamentals of our body and understanding the fundamentals is the first step towards learning about your mind and body. This way you can support your body most of the time without any external help because no-one knows your body more than you do. Listen to your body and it will give you a life full of contentment and prosperity.

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