Super foods that fight against cancer

Cancer is a dreaded disease where prevention is better than cure.One of the major culprit in cancer is your unhealthy and faulty food habits.There are food substance that enable you to fight against cancer.They act by boosting our immune system and supporting our body.They help you to stay a head of cancer and improve your health.

Super foods that prevent cancer

We usually neglet those powerful foods that prevent cancer, they have powerful action on your health and immune system.

1.Vegetables and fruits
You should consume more variety of fruits and to prevent cancer.Vegetables that act against cancer are Broccoli, brusselsprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, green beans, kale, onions(red), peppers, radishes ,soy, squash, sweetpotatoes, tomatoes,yams

Anti-cancer fruits include the following

Apricots,blueberries, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, mangoes, oranges, papayas, peaches, persimmons, strawberries, organic, tangerines

Include atleast five sevings of vegetables and fruits in your daily food

2.Fiber rich food 
Eat fiber rich food as they will reduce the cancer risk , which include whole grains,beans, fruits and vegetables.

3.Plant based foods,
Eat predominantly plant based foods, foods of plant origin are low in their caloric and fat content.They are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants which are strong anticancer agents.Apart from the anticancer effect of fibers the legumes (such as seeds, rice, beans, and chick peas soy beans) have anti cancer properties due to their protease inhibitor function.So they reduce the growth of colon, breast and skin cancers. 

4.Green tea 
Consumption of green tea is useful in cancer prevention.

5.Peanuts and Peanut butter
Consume more Peanuts and Peanut butter.Consumption of vitmin E rich foods helps to reduce the risk of colon, stomach liver and lung cancer.Peanuts, peanut butter, sunflower seeds almond, almond butter are rich source of vitamin E they make your cells strong enough to fight agaist cancer.

6.Vitamin D rich food
Eat vitamin D rich food,as low vitamin D have been associated with the cancer especially breast, prostate and colon cancer.Wild salmon, vitamin D fortified dairy product such as yogurt and milk increases your vitamin D level.Vitamin D inhibit the blood vessel formation that feeds the tumor cell,thus helps to arrest the cell growth.

8.Foods rich in calcium
Consume foods rich in calcium.High calcium intake is associated with decreased incidence of colorectal cancer.Calcium acts in the following ways to prevent cancer

a.It can control the multiplication of cells that line the colon.As uncontrolled growth is the basic pathology in cancer it help to reduce cancer.

b.Calcium can bind with bile acid and protect the colon from the irritating effect of bile which is a carcinogen.

If you want to reduce the cancer risk consume 500 to 1000 mg of calcium daily along with dietary source of calcium.Dose required is 2000mg to suppress uncontrolled proliferation.Dairy products bony fish and yogurt are rich source of calcium.

9.Food rich in selenium
Consume food rich in selenium.Selenium has strong antioxidant property, thus helps to scavenge the free radicals that produce cancer.They are shown to reduce the colonic cancer.To get the maximum benefit of selenium consume it with vitaminE rich foods.Fish particularly redsnapper, shrimp, lobster, whole grain, vegetables are rich in selenium.

10.Acidophilus and cancer prevention.

Acidophilus are intestine friendly bacteria that can act as anti cancer agent and prevent colonic cancer

How it prevent cancer?

The growth of other intestine friendly bacterias is stimulated by them. They reduce bile acid to carcinogen conversion.
Lacto bacillus acidophilus reduces the colonic enzyme that produce carcinogen formation in the intestine.

Consume yogurt with the L.A.C. (live active cultures) seal 

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Drink green tea to reduce skin wrinkles and premature ageing

Wrinkles are creases produced in the skin,as a part of skin ageing. As age advances your skin will get thinner and less elastic,it fails to protect itself from damage, exposure to sunlight will intensify premature wrinkling of skin. To protect your skin drink green tea.

Green tea is regarded as a storehouse of antioxidants that benefits for your skin. These antioxidants are effective against free radicals. These free radicals are formed when your skin is exposed to the UV rays of the sun, they are accountable for premature ageing.

Green tea is the most beneficial food for your skin.

Green tea contains the following nutrients  
Vitamins-Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, Riboflavin.

Minerals-Zinc, Calcium, Magnesium, Iron.

If you drink green tea daily it will defenitely help to keep your skin glowing and healthy. Green tea is also an ingradient in certain beauty creams.

Why green tea is effective in preventing wrinkles?

Green tea has cell renewal property. It contains polyphenol compounds, these compounds will energize the aged keratinocytes cells. Thus it stimulate the DNA synthesis and prevent the premature ageing of the cells.

Other skin benefits of green tea are the following

1. If applied locally green tea is very effective in protecting your skin against sunburn and tanning.

2. Prevent skin cancer by fighting against the enzyme that produce skin cancer.

3. Green tea act as soother in certain inflammatory skin disease such as psoriasis.

4. Helps to reduce acne and pimples.

5. Improve the skin complexion.

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Food triggers of migraine and their control

Migraine attack in a particular patient is precipitated by certain triggers.One of the important trigger is food that you eat.Food trigger vary from person to person.The intensity of attack of headache produced by particular food also vary.If you have another trigger apart from food on the particular day there is increased chance of getting migraine.

Food related triggers is seen in approximately 10 percentage of people with migraine.It can be due to intake of certain food substances or food additives and preservatives or lack of food.Sometime there may be craving for particular food before an attack of migraine.

Missing meals and insufficient food intake is one of the most common and important trigger for your migraine attack.This is because decreased food intake lead to decrease in blood glucose level which is strong migraine trigger.If you are a migriane sufferer avoid skipping meals.Donot eat sugary snacks instead you should take care to eat a balanced diet.If you want to control your attacks consume nutritious snacks at regular interval. 

Food substance that act as migraine trigger are the following

According to national headache foundation following are the foods commonly associated with migraine (list is partial).Food agents that are frequently associated are aged cheese,processed food,salted foods.

1. Ripened cheeses (such as cheddar, Emmentaler, Brie ,Camembert and Stilton)

As the cheese ripenes or ages the proteins in it break down to a substance called Tyramine.Tyramin is the culprit substance for headache aggrevation.Longer the cheese ages the higher the tyramin contents it has.This tyramin content is high especially in  soft cheeses like brie and camembert blue cheese,Swiss cheese,all hard cheeses and  moldy  cheeses.If you want to avoid a migraine attack avoid these aged cheese.

2. Chocolate 

Many people experience food craving and increased appetite just before a migraine attack.So just before the migraine you may have a tendency to eat chocolate, so reaching for chocolate seems to be a result of migraine attack than its cause.Studies have showed that cocoa in chocolate may protect the nerves that is involved in migraine attack about 22 percentage of people experience it as a migraine trigger.

3. Ice Cream

Some migraine sufferes experience migraine aggrevation following intake of ice cream and other cold foods.This is especially when you eat cold ice cream too fast.If you are overheated there is increased chance of headache.This headache rapidly subsides.If you want to eat icecream and cold food drink or eat slowly.

4. Certain fruits especially banana.

Banana contains tyramin and the concentration of tyramin is 10 times higher in banana peel than banana pulp.So if you have identified it as your trigger while eating banana avoid the delicate inner peel that might stick on to it.

Other fruits such as citrus fruits,figs,papaya,avocado,red plums are all migraine triggers.

5. Caffeine

Excessive amounts that is more than 2 cups of caffeinated beverages such as tea, coffee or cola.

Effect of caffeine on migraine depends on its dose so it is included in headache medications.At lower doses caffeine actually reduces headache,but it act as a trigger when your daily intake is high.To experience the withdrawal headache you need to take about 200 mg that is about 2 to 3 cup daily.

6. Tannins

Tannins are that agent which give the astringent taste to food, and  act as a strong migraine trigger in some people.Food that contain tannins are tea, apple juice and cider,red-skinned apples and pears, and red wine.

7. Alcohol

Alcohol precipitate migraine headache through different mechanism. 

a. Beer, red wine vermouth  and sherry, all have high tyramine content.Tyramine is the agent that produce migraine trigger.

b. Alcohol also produce headache by decreasing the hydration.If  you have migraine better avoid alcohol.

c. Alcohol dilate the blood vessels in brain and increases the blood flow resulting in migraine. 

Among alcohol redwine is strongly related to migraine because of it high tyramine content and sulfite in redwine which is used as a preservative.

Other migraine triggers are

• Marinated, pickled, or fermented food

• Sour cream

• Nuts, peanut butter

• Sourdough bread

• Broad beans, lima beans, fava beans, snow peas

Leftovers

If the food is improperly stored the levels of tyramine increases and migraine sufferers experience headache following intake of such food.

Dehydration can produce migraine attack ,so drink atleast 10 to 12 glasses of water daily.

Food additives are commonly associated with migraine.

What you should do to avoid food trigger for migraine?

1.To identify your food trigger make  a list of food substance that you have consumed daily.Identify what all food that you have consumed on the day of migraine exacerbation.Avoid those foods.

2.There are certain foodsubstances that helps to reduce the migraine headache such as gingerjuice,ghee,butter and green tea.Antioxidants in green tea helps to reduce the headche.It is better to use green tea mixed with lemon juice.

3.Take food at regular time. 

4.Avoid fasting and skipping meals which  reduce the blood glucose level and  produces headache.

5.Adequate hydration helps to reduce headche, so drink plenty of water.

6.If you have migraine avoid alcohol especially redwine and whisky.

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Bittergourd juice for weightloss

Overweight is a pre runner of many disease, so everyone want to reduce body weight and desire is to achieve a slim and fit body.Many people wont get enough time to spend for weight reduction because of their busy schedule, this home made remedy for weight reduction does not need too much time.It is an healthy way to become slim and fit.It works from within your body.

Bittergourd

It is a green vegetable which is also called as bitter melon.This is first cultivated in Amazon rain forest by the tribes, later in Asia, Southamerica, South Africa.This is used as food and has medicinal effect.

How bittergourd juice help to reduce weight?

1.Bittergourd help to reduce blood glucose.

2.Prevent extra sugar absorption.

3.Bittergourd has high fiber content that reduces the absorption of fat and sugar.

4.It has low carbohydrate and calorie content.

How to make bittergourd juice? 

Here are 2 recepies  

1.Take a bittergourd, peel off it with knife, thoroughly wash it under the running water.

2.Slice it into 2 pieces at its center,scoop out the seeds and white flesh.

3.Cut it into small pieces and soak it in a bowl full of water for half an hour.

4.Add half teaspoon lemon juice or salt into the bowl.

5.Put bittergourd pieces into the juicer, and take the juice

6.To overcome bitter taste you can use the following

    Lemon juice

    Apple juice 

    Honey and black pepper

7.With a strainer filter out the  vegetable pieces.

8.Refrigerate the juice for 1 or 2 hour. 

This healthy juice will help to remove some calories from your body and and help you to get slim and fit body.

Mixed vegetable and fruit juice containing bitter gourd

You need the following

1.Bitter gourd

2.Sticks of celery

3.Cucumber

4.2-3 apples

5.1 peeled lemon

Prepare bittergourd as mentioned above,then add all the vegetables and fruits.

You can add any vegetables and fruits of your choice.

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Stem cell transplantation, the future treatment of multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic degenerative disease.The major fraction of people treated with disease modifying agents experience flare up of disease. The course of disease is unpredictable, it may progress rapidly or slowly. According to the clinical features there are four different types of MS.Relapsing/remitting MS (RRMS) forms 85% of cases, here  patients are stable in between the bouts and often may recover completely however there is risk of RRMS transforming into secondary progressive MS (SPMS).In SPMS neurological function may steadily deteriorates without clear relapses.

Why treatment is difficult in multiple sclerosis?

clinical manifestation vary from person to person.Treatment is also like this, the drug that works well in one person may not be effective in other person. As the best treatment vary from one person to other treatment need to be individualized.The key to finding the treatment and cure of this disease is through trial and error and research.

Stem cell transplantation in multiple sclerosis

As MS is a complex disease, its successful treatment requires a combination of treatments that control each of the disease mechanisms

1.Autoimmunity

2.Loss of nervous system cells

3.Lack of regenerative capacity of particular cell in the central nervous system.

Why stem cells are used?

1.Stem cells have unparalleled regenerative capacity thus offer the promise of filling this therapeutic goal. 

2.They have flexibility to grow into different type of cells and can differentiate into cells that produce the covering of neuron (myelin). 

3.Stem cells are capable of modulating the immune system and able to produce factors that protect the neuron.

Different type of stem cell that are used.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the main type of cells investigated.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)

Neural stem cells (NSCs) 

Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OLPs) .

What is done in stem cell transplantation.

First patient with multiple sclerosis is treated with high-dose immunosuppressive therapy, then their own hematopoietic stem cells, are transplanted .This type of transplantation is called autologous transplantation as it is done with patients own cell.

Stem cells are harvested from patients bone marrow and then injected into the Cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the spinal cord of the patient.Injections are repeated at 3 month intervals frequent monitoring of safety and efficacy is monitored through follow up.After the final injection patient needs monitoring upto 27 months.

How does stem cell transplantation work?

RRMS the most common form of Multiplesclerosis, is a progressive autoimmune disease where the exaggerated immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord. Stem cell transplantation will remove abnormal immune cells that cause disease and reset the immune system.

Result of stem cell transplantation  

There were sustained remission of active relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS in most of the patients and majority experienced improvement in neurologic symptoms). Useful in patients with aggressive disease.

Variables that determines the benefits of stem cell transplantation are the following

1.Maximum benefit is seen in patients with active inflammatory disease which is determined by frequent active relapses and  or gadolinium enhancement on MRI 

2.Better to start the treatment as early as possible before irreversible disability.

3.Use of safe conditioning regimen for immunosuppression.

Early side effects 

Seen on blood and gastro intestinal system and are reversible. 

Success rate in recent trials

Various clinical trials are going on based on stem cell transplantation.There are encouraging and promising results in various studies, upto 80 percentage of trial participants survived  without experiencing an increase in disability, relapse of MultipleSclerosis manifestations or new brain lesions .

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Drugs used for treatment of obesity

Drugs may be used in the short term that is up to 3 months for obesity treatment as an adjunct to the dietary regimen, but they are not substitute for strict dieting.

Indication for anti obesity drugs.

Adjuvant treatment with drugs are indicated  in

1.Patients with a BMI >30 kg/m 2.

2.Patients with BMI >27 kg/m 2 with concomitant obesity related diseases.

3.Patients with BMI >27 kg/m 2 who do not get satisfactory weight reduction with dietary and physical activity therapy.

Significance of lifestyle program with drugs. 

Patients should be engaged in a lifestyle program when an antiobesity drug is prescribed. The life style program will provides them the strategies and skills which are needed to use these antiobesity drug efficiently because this support increases total weight loss.

Targets of drug therapy for obesity.

Suppression of appetite via centrally active drugs which alter monoamine neurotransmitters is the most thoroughly explored treatment.

A second strategy is to decrease the absorption of selective macronutrients from the gut such a fat.

Type of antiobesity drugs.

Centrally acting drugs

They are appetite-suppressing drugs, or anorexiants, affect satiety and hunger.

Satiety is the absence of hunger after eating.

Hunger is a sensation which initiates eating.

These agents increase the satiety and decrease hunger, thus help to reduce the intake of calories without a feeling of deprivation of food.

Example of centrally acting drug is sibutramine (Meridia).

Peripherally acting drugs 

Example of peripherally acting drugs is Orlistat.

It is a lipase inhibitor, inhibit the hydrolysis of dietary fat the essential step required for their absorption. Thus Orlistat blocks the digestion and absorption of 30% of dietary fat and help to achieve weight loss. Weight regain will occurs once the drug is stopped. Studies have shown that Orlistat produces a weight loss of about 9 - 10% at the end of one year. Orlistat has minimal gut absorption so it is devoid of systemic side effects. Tolerability to Orlistat is related to the malabsorption of dietary fat and passage of fat in the feces. About 10 percentage of people treated with  this drug experience gut side effect. They are flatus with discharge, fecal urgency, increased defecation and oily stool. These side effects of Orlistat is seen early in the course of treatment. The side effect can be reduced if the patient controls the dietary fat intake.Psyllium mucilloid if taken along with orlistat will helps to reduce the gut side effects. There is decreased concentration of fat-soluble vitamins D, E and ß-carotene is seen in patients treated with Orlistat.Vitamin supplements are necessary to prevent deficiency disease.

The Endocannabinoid System 

Rimonabant is the first selective cannabinoid CB 1 receptor antagonist, used for treatment of obesity. This drug antagonizes the orexigenic effect of endocannabinoid system and suppresses appetite. Rimonabant is a weight-loss agent which shows improvement in waist circumference and reduce the heart problems. However increased risk of certain side effect such as seizures, depression, aggressiveness and suicidal thoughts anxiety, insomnia are seen. Even though the drug was available in 56 countries in 2008, European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has officially withdrawn this drug in January 2009, due to increased side effect compared to its benefits.

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