Health Care

By: John McNett

The question I would like to bring to your attention today is can vitamins help to fight Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). I decided to do some studying on the subject and what I found was some interesting facts that helped me support this idea. Let me start out by telling you a little more about RA. More than a million people in the United States have RA. RA typically develops between the ages of 25 and 50. RA is a chronic inflammatory disease of the joints that affects an estimated 1.3 million Americans.

The disease occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the thin membrane that lines the joints. The results can be joint damage, ongoing pain, inflammation, loss function and disability. The joints most commonly affected by RA are those of the hands, feet, wrists, knees, elbows, and ankles. In RA, the primary site of the attack is in the thin layer of tissue that is around the joints.

Studies have shown that those Americans with RA have vitamins deficiencies. The most common vitamin deficiencies in RA is folic acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin E, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, and Selenium. Food of course is the preferred source for getting the vitamins and minerals. Vitamin Supplements will work in getting the vitamins and minerals that you don’t receive from food. I would like to discuss with you two particular vitamins that studies have shown to help fight RA.

Research has made a case that Vitamin D helps protect older women against RA. Recent Studies has also linked deficiencies of Vitamin D to other disorders such as certain cancers, heart disease, and diabetes. General population studies indicate that about one in three people are Vitamin D deficient especially during the winter months. The easiest way to make sure you are getting the proper amount of Vitamin D is through Vitamin Supplements.

Another Study used data from the Iowa’s Women Health Study, which followed almost 30,000 women, aged 55 to 69, for 11 years. Over the course of those 11 years, the women involved were questioned about their eating habits, their use of nutritional supplements and other health related issues.

During the test, 152 of the women developed RA. The investigators found that women whose diets were highest in Vitamin D had the lowest incidence of RA. Women who got less than 200 International Units (IU) of Vitamin D in their diets each day were 33% more likely to develop RA than women who got more. So how much is enough Vitamin D. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine says that older women should consume 400 to 600 IU per day in order to have an adequate Vitamin D intake.

Vitamin C can also be linked to lowering RA risks. In another study, researchers looked at the link between fruit and vegetable and dietary antioxidant intake and the development of inflammatory arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in a group of 23,000 men and women who entered a large cancer study in the U.K. between 1993 and 1997. As a part of that study, the participants kept track of what they ate in a weekly food diary.

Between 1993 and 2001, 73 people developed inflammatory arthritis affecting two or more painfully swollen joints for at least a month, and 40% of them met the criteria for having RA. Compared with those who did not develop the disease, researchers found that those with arthritis ate fewer fruits and vegetables. Specifically, people who ate the least amount of fruits and vegetables had double the risk of developing inflammatory arthritis.

The study also showed that people who got less than 40 mg of Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables had four times the risk of developing inflammatory arthritis. In the United States, the recommended dietary allowance for men is 90mg of Vitamin C a day and for women is 75mg. Now by taking a look at just those two certain vitamins, I find that vitamins do have added benefits in fighting RA. The vitamins do this by fighting the free radicals (unstable molecules that cause damage to cells) associated with the development of the disease.

Now to get the benefits of all vitamins, it would your best option to take a multi-vitamin. I would also like to say that the best multi-vitamin is a liquid vitamin instead of the standard capsule/pill. Not only will you get the full benefits of the vitamins but the liquid vitamin will work faster because it will absorb into your body quicker.
I know a 74 yr old lady that has been taking a liquid vitamin for the past 6 months and says that it has definitely helped to fight her RA. She takes 2 oz of this vitamin a day. This liquid vitamin has 410mg of Vitamin C per ounce, 1107 IU of Vitamin D3 per ounce and many more essential vitamins and minerals.

If you would like more information (testimonies/articles) then visit me at www.healthnutty.com. You can also contact me at www.john@nitemarketing.com

About the Author
My name is John McNett and I am 34 yrs old. I have been involved in the health and wellness industry for the past year. My website is http://www.healthnutty.com

By: David Cowley

If you are allergic to poison ivy then you suffer from allergies Type 4 or delayed allergies. Up to 90 percent of people are allergic to the urushiol oil that causes the poison ivy rash. Over half of the population will experience a rash with the first contact of the poison ivy plant and is considered the most common allergy in the country.

Symptoms of poison ivy allergy is a severe itching of the skin that later develop into an inflammation of the skin. Red oozing sores or blisters can develop in sever cases and the fluid will have a slight yellowish color.

Some of us can roll in poison ivy and come out without any problems, while others can merely brush up against a few leaves of the stuff and they are scratching for weeks. In most cases, allergies are more annoying that debilitating but to the extreme allergy suffers life can be pure misery or even death.

Just because you do not develop systems the first few times you come into contact with poison ivy does not mean that you are immune. It may take several exposures to poison ivy before symptoms develop. The more times you are exposed to the usushiol the more likely it is that you will break out in a rash. Symptoms usually occur within 2 to 3 days.

It only take 1 billionth of a gram to cause the rash. 1/4 of an ounce of urushiol is all that is needed to cause a rash in every person on earth.

The usushiol oil can still be found on dead poison ivy plants for up to five years. Direct contact is the most common way of catching poison ivy however, you can catch poison ivy by just being close to the plants if the urushiol oil becomes airborne due to the plants are being burned, like in a forest fire, or because of the actions of a lawnmower or weed trimmer.

Scratching or rubbing the rashes will not spread the poison ivy rash unless you still have the urushiol oil on your hands. This also means that poison ivy is not contagious and you will not be able to give it to another person. Scratching can lead to scaring and infection of the affected area so it is not recommended.

Over the years I have developed poison ivy rash numerous times and I have tried many different treatments and I have found only two treatments that work for me. The first is with my Doctor giving me a steroid shot of Prednisone. Symptoms usually start to improve within 24 hours.

The second treatment is one that I have never found documented anyplace else. Back in the early 60s an old country doctor told me of this treatment. Go to your pharmacy and get a solution of 5 percent carbolic acid in olive oil. Rub the solution on the rash. Within minutes you will see a yellowish fluid appearing on top of the red sores or blisters. Mop up the fluid and when no more fluid develops after several minutes reapply the carbolic acid in olive oil solution. This treatment will start to relieve the symptoms with an hour or two but will take 1 to 2 weeks to cure the poison ivy rash. The carbolic acid in olive oil solution seems to act as some type of drawing agent and I have successfully used it on bee stings and insect bites.

Avoidance is the best advice for Posion Ivy Allergy. Leave of three then let them be.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

About the Author
David Cowley has created numerous articles on allergies. He has also created a Web Site dedicated to allergies and how to treat them. Visit http://www.allergies-team.com

by Matt J. Ney

Many people in a whole host of countries around the world have a diet that is radically different than those from recent previous generations. With the increase of fast food options and the amount of preservatives in much of our food supply, the world has gotten fatter. In most countries, the citizens are anywhere from 10-30% heavier than two generations ago

This increase in heaviness is the result of an increase in food with a high fat content and a decrease in physical activity. Consequently, the quality of life has decreased across the board and we see many in their 40's to 50's suffering heart attacks and strokes. Cancer has also affected this age group of people moreso than their previous generations.

According to pubmed.com, the five major diseases that are the leading causes of death could be triggered by inflammation. But we do have options if we choose to take them to try and increase our quality of life.
1. Reduce consumption fast food options to once a week.
2. Reduce or eliminate the amount of processed foods we eat on a weekly basis.
3. Reduce the amount of fat we eat in a day to under 40 grams.
4. Reduce your intake of salt by 50%.
5. Increase the amount of water intake per day to over 80 oz. for an adult over 100 lbs.
6. Increase your intake of fruit and vegetable to at least 8 per day.
7. Reduce traditional redmeat consumption down to 3 oz. per day.
8. Increase your daily aerobic exercise to 30-45 minutes a day for at least 5 days a week.
9. See a registered nutritionist and have them prepare a plan for you to reduce your body fat percentage to the normal levels for both men(15%) and women(20%).
10.Research liquid natural health supplements that have maximum antioxidants and start taking them on a daily basis.

There you have it. Using these easy changes and some common sense can help you improve your quality of life.

About the Author

Matt Ney is married with 3 teenage girls. He has started home-based businesses to provided himself as well as his girls with their own opportunity to generate monthly cash flow. Taking advantage of US tax laws, he has also reduced his income taxes allowing his family to save more for the future. More info on how easy it is to do this; http://www.yourmaxhealth.com

By: Ricky Hussey

Psoriasis (IPA pronunciation: [sY'raj.Ysjs]) is a disease which affects the skin and joints. It commonly causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin. The scaly patches caused by psoriasis, called psoriatic plaques, are areas of inflammation and excessive skin production. Skin rapidly accumulates at these sites and takes a silvery-white appearance. Psoriasis Symptoms are no always that easy to identify and diagnose. For centuries it has commonly been inadvertently mistaken for leprosy, and for centuries people have been suffering the fall out of this wrong diagnosis. For a full and correct diagnosis you should visit your doctor so he can do the correct analysis and suggest the correct treatments to the patient.

There are five types of Psoriasis to look out for :-

. Plaque Psoriasis
. Guttate Psoriasis
. Inverse Psoriasis
. Erythrodermic Psoriasis
. Pustular Psoriasis

What causes psoriasis?

Research indicates that psoriasis may be a disorder of the immune system. The immune system includes a type of white blood cell, called a T cell, that normally helps protect the body against infection and disease. Scientists now think that psoriasis is related to an abnormal immune system that produces too many of the immune cells, called T cells, in the skin. These T cells trigger the inflammation and excessive skin cell reproduction seen in people with psoriasis. This leads to inflammation and flaking of skin.

What are the symptoms?

Psoriasis usually appears as red, scaly patches that reveal fine silvery scales when scraped or scratched. These patches may itch and feel uncomfortable.

Psoriasis is most common on the knees, elbows and scalp, but can appear anywhere on the body.

Some people with psoriasis become withdrawn and don't socialise or form relationships because of the way people react to the appearance of their skin.

Diagnosis

There are several forms of psoriasis, and each form has unique characteristics that allow dermatologists to visually identify psoriasis to determine what type, or types, of psoriasis is present. Sometimes a skin biopsy will be performed to confirm the diagnosis.

Is psoriasis contagious?

No. You can't catch psoriasis from another person or give it to someone by touching them, and you can't spread it to other parts of your body.

Treatment

Currently, there is no cure for psoriasis. However, there are many treatment options that can clear psoriasis for a period of time.Therapy for psoriasis ranges from conservative to aggressive treatment. Due to the chronic nature of the disease, many patients try several therapies over time. Guttate psoriasis usually is managed more easily and complete remission typically occurs. In addition to standard treatment, patients with guttate psoriasis are given a course of oral antibiotics to eradicate the strep infection.

Sunshine - Sunshine may help to clear psoriasis; in many people it improves dramatically during sunny holidays. Take care, as psoriasis may develop in areas of sunburn, and fair skin exposed to ultraviolet radiation becomes prematurely aged and may develop skin cancer.

Baths - Soaking in warm water with a bath oil or tar solution can soften the psoriasis and lift the scale. Bland soaps or soap substitutes are useful. Antiseptics are not necessary and may irritate.

Prevention

There is no known prevention. Keeping skin clean and moist and avoiding your specific psoriasis triggers may help reduce the number of flare-ups.

Doctors recommend daily baths or showers for persons with psoriasis. Avoid scrubbing too hard, because this can irritate the skin and trigger an attack.

Read out Plastic surgery. Also check out for family health and rosacea

How testing can help you:

C-reactive proteins are the major acute proteins produced by liver in response to tissue damage. Its name derives from its pattern recognition activity as they act as soluble receptors which can recognize receptor patterns on microbial surface and bind to these surfaces and promote their opsonization. Precisely, C-reactive proteins bind to the C-polysaccharide cell-wall components found on a variety of bacteria & fungi.

The release of C-reactive proteins is a part of the complex cascade of events involving a variety of chemical mediators required to initiate the inflammatory response. So, high levels of CRP in the blood indicate inflammation somewhere in the body.

Inflammation is the primary immunological response to tissue damage caused by a wound or by an invading pathological microbe. So, it acts as an important indicator of initiation and progression of many diseases. Some of the important scenarios where inflammation is used as a marker are:

• In the detection of cardiovascular diseases
• As a check for effectiveness of various anti-inflammatory treatments.
• To help diagnose rheumatoid arthritis, this is characterized by high levels of CRP.
• For early detection of various post-operative infections.


CRP levels can increase many thousand-folds with inflammation which makes CRP a very sensitive marker for diagnosis and prognosis using minimal amount of sample (that’s your precious blood boy!). Conditions that commonly lead to huge changes in CRP include fever, injury infection, trauma, surgery, burns, inflammatory conditions, and advanced cancer. Moderate changes occur after strenuous exercise, heatstroke, and childbirth. Small changes occur after psychological stress and in several psychiatric illnesses. Pregnancy may also increase CRP levels.

The most effective form of CRP tests available is High Sensitivity CRP tests (hs-CRP), which is optimized to detect CRP in healthy, asymptomatic individuals. This form can even detect low grade inflammation. Cardiologists use this test very often for risk assessment in individuals.

Since major infections or illness can result in alarmingly high, but temporary, levels of CRP, repeated testing may be required if CRP level crosses 10 mg/L.

CRP is therefore a test of value in medicine, reflecting the presence and intensity of inflammation, although an elevation in C-reactive protein is not the telltale diagnostic sign of any one condition because of the fact that inflammation in any part of the body will increase the CRP concentration in the blood stream. Other tests must be done in conjunction to find the root cause of inflammation. At last, to utter relief of some food lovers - unlike glucose test, you don’t need to fast before a CRP test because CRP levels are not affected by what you eat!

This Article is written by Tarun Gupta, the author of TestCountry Health Information Resources, a longer version of this article is located at CRP Tests: An Overview, and resources from other home health and wellness testing sources are used such as Health & Wellness Home Test Kits.

Article Source: http://www.eArticlesOnline.com

By: rolfie

Anti-inflammatory medications are, without a doubt, one of the biggest selling medication classifications in the Western world. According to the June 17, 1999 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, doctors wrote more than 70 million prescriptions for Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs or “NSAIDs.” On top of that, more than 30 billion over-the-counter NSAID tablets (aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, etc.) were sold in the United States in that year. But while these medications offer temporary relief for our everyday aches and pains, what exactly is their function? Are they healing or are they masking beneficial symptoms? Are their better alternatives? The answers to these questions may surprise you.

Inflammation can be a normal process designed to heal the body. Inflammation begins with the release of a fatty acid called arachidonic acid. Triggers for arachidonic acid release include chemical or environmental toxin exposure, bacterial or viral infection, or injury and trauma. Once released, arachidonic acid is converted to compounds called prostaglandins, specifically one called PGE2 which brings about the signs and symptoms of inflammation: redness, heat, swelling, and pain. Each of these symptoms, while uncomfortable, is a sign that the body is repairing itself and protecting itself from further injury.

NSAIDs and other anti-inflammatory medications stop the conversion of arachadonic acid to prostaglandins at various locations in the pathway. They can also have side effects on the body which include ulcers, intestinal bleeding, liver damage, kidney failure, headache, and more. Remember that the symptoms of inflammation indicate an attempt of the body to heal by increasing its metabolic processes. By suppressing the symptoms of inflammation, healing never actually occurs, the body can remain inflamed, and the cycle will begin again.

So how can we support the inflammation process, but reduce the symptoms that are so uncomfortable? One answer lies with essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids or EFAs are fats that come directly from our diet or from supplementation. They are called essential because our body cannot make them on its own and we must provide them through the diet. The most beneficial EFAs are the Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. The Omega 3 fatty acids are extremely powerful. In the body’s constant search for balance, it directly synthesizes an anti-inflammatory prostaglandin called PGE3 from Omega-3 fatty acids. Adequate amounts of PGE3 inhibit the inflammatory process and ensure that inflammation does not overwhelm the individual. In other words, omega-3 fatty acids decrease inflammation and bring balance to the body. This balance brings allows the body to heal and lessens uncomfortable inflammatory symptoms.

The best source of omega-3 fatty acids is cold-water fish like salmon, trout, halibut, sardines, and cod. These fish are rich in the omega-3 fatty acids. Another very beneficial source of EFAs is marine phytoplankton. Marine phytoplankton are microscopic single-celled plants which provide high levels of vitamins, minerals, and EFAs. They are the beginning of the food chain, the food for whales, and a great source of foundational nutrition. Marine phytoplankton is finally available for human supplementation and appears very promising at supporting optimal health. As with any nutritional supplement, finding a good product is very important. Knowing your source will ensure that you have a properly prepared and formulated product that will work effectively. Sources we have found to be reputable and beneficial can be found here.

Balancing the inflammatory response with omega-3 fatty acids is not typically done as a quick fix for an acute inflammatory response. For example, fish oils will not provide immediate relief for sports injuries, headaches, etc. Ice, hydrotherapy, homeopathy, and herbs are more effective in those situations. Instead, omega-3 fatty acids are most beneficial in supporting chronic inflammatory conditions like heart disease, diabetes, asthma, arthritis, eczema, colitis, and autoimmune conditions

Essential fatty acids play a key role in balancing the inflammatory response in the body. They do not suppress healing, but instead support the body’s own anti-inflammatory response. Doing this ensures that healing occurs effectively and efficiently. So the next time you reach for that bottle of aspirin for your chronic pain, remember the marine phytoplankton and the friendly fish and their oils. They may be what you need to live pain and inflammation free.

Article Source: http://www.kokkada.com

Learn more about Inflammation resolution through Marine Phytoplankton