Sunday, April 22, 2012
How to Manage Gout
Gout is a type of arthritis that results from the deposit and buildup of glass-like crystals of uric acid in your joints. Uric acid is a by-product of the breakdown of certain proteins. Normally, uric acid is broken down in the bloodstream and then eliminated in the urine.
It is estimated that over 2 million Americans have gout. A severe gout attack is extremely painful and, if left untreated, can cause permanent and severe joint damage. Fortunately, gout can be managed or controlled.
First things first: risk factors
Are you at risk for gout? Although gout can occur in men and women of any age, it most often occurs in men over age 40. Gout usually does not affect women until after menopause. Lifestyle factors increase the risk of gout, including being overweight, fasting or crash dieting, drinking alcohol in excess and eating a diet that includes foods high in purines (proteins which make up uric acid):
Organ meats (e.g., liver, kidney, brain, sweetbread, heart)
Fish roe
Mussels
Anchovies
Herring
Sardines
Legumes (e.g., dried beans, peas, soybeans)
Meat extracts
Consommé
Gravies
Mushrooms
Spinach
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Poultry
Drinking high-fructose beverages, like sugar-sweetened sodas and orange juice can dramatically increase your risk of gout. There appears to be a genetic component as well, but not a large one. Six percent to 18% of people who have gout have relatives who also have gout. (In a small number of people, the risk of gout is increased by an enzyme defect that interferes with the way the body breaks down purines.) That means that 82% to 94% of the people with gout do not have a genetic link to the disease; it is primarily a lifestyle issue.
Certain medications can increase the risk of gout. These include:
Diuretics
Salicylates and medicines made from salicylic acid (such as aspirin)
Caffeine, including medicines containing caffeine
Levodopa (used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease)
Aminophylline
Withdrawal of corticosteroid medications
Cyclosporine (used to help control rejection of transplanted organs)
Niacin in doses of 1000 mg per day may trigger an attack in someone with gout
In addition, surgery, trauma, and cancer treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy may also increase your risk of developing gout.
It is possible to develop gout with or without the risk factors listed above. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing gout. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your doctor what you can do to reduce your risk.
Reducing uric acid
It is known that Vitamin C reduces uric acid in people with gout – and there is simply no better form than Dr. Libby’s Vital C™. As little as 500 mg of Vitamin C daily can help the body reduce uric acid levels over time and a Vital C flush is a common solution recommended by Dr. Libby for people with gout. Folic acid is also a time-honored solution for the symptoms of high uric acid. And, according to legendary naturopaths Dr. Murray and Dr. Pizzorno, essential fatty acids like those found in OmegaPrime® can also be very useful.
Check out Trivita Products for relief of many ailments.
It is estimated that over 2 million Americans have gout. A severe gout attack is extremely painful and, if left untreated, can cause permanent and severe joint damage. Fortunately, gout can be managed or controlled.
First things first: risk factors
Are you at risk for gout? Although gout can occur in men and women of any age, it most often occurs in men over age 40. Gout usually does not affect women until after menopause. Lifestyle factors increase the risk of gout, including being overweight, fasting or crash dieting, drinking alcohol in excess and eating a diet that includes foods high in purines (proteins which make up uric acid):
Organ meats (e.g., liver, kidney, brain, sweetbread, heart)
Fish roe
Mussels
Anchovies
Herring
Sardines
Legumes (e.g., dried beans, peas, soybeans)
Meat extracts
Consommé
Gravies
Mushrooms
Spinach
Asparagus
Cauliflower
Poultry
Drinking high-fructose beverages, like sugar-sweetened sodas and orange juice can dramatically increase your risk of gout. There appears to be a genetic component as well, but not a large one. Six percent to 18% of people who have gout have relatives who also have gout. (In a small number of people, the risk of gout is increased by an enzyme defect that interferes with the way the body breaks down purines.) That means that 82% to 94% of the people with gout do not have a genetic link to the disease; it is primarily a lifestyle issue.
Certain medications can increase the risk of gout. These include:
Diuretics
Salicylates and medicines made from salicylic acid (such as aspirin)
Caffeine, including medicines containing caffeine
Levodopa (used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease)
Aminophylline
Withdrawal of corticosteroid medications
Cyclosporine (used to help control rejection of transplanted organs)
Niacin in doses of 1000 mg per day may trigger an attack in someone with gout
In addition, surgery, trauma, and cancer treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy may also increase your risk of developing gout.
It is possible to develop gout with or without the risk factors listed above. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing gout. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your doctor what you can do to reduce your risk.
Reducing uric acid
It is known that Vitamin C reduces uric acid in people with gout – and there is simply no better form than Dr. Libby’s Vital C™. As little as 500 mg of Vitamin C daily can help the body reduce uric acid levels over time and a Vital C flush is a common solution recommended by Dr. Libby for people with gout. Folic acid is also a time-honored solution for the symptoms of high uric acid. And, according to legendary naturopaths Dr. Murray and Dr. Pizzorno, essential fatty acids like those found in OmegaPrime® can also be very useful.
Check out Trivita Products for relief of many ailments.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
How to Reduce Allergy Symptoms
Allergic rhinitis is the set of symptoms that occurs when you breathe in substances you are allergic to. These substances are called allergens and are small proteins.
Seasonal allergy (sometimes called hay fever) occurs during times of the year when allergens are in the air, like spring, summer and fall. The most common allergens are tree, grass or weed pollens.
Perennial or persistent allergic rhinitis is caused by allergens that may be present year-round. These may include chemicals, dust, dust mites, cockroaches, animal dander or mold spores.
Causes
An allergic reaction occurs when your body's immune system overreacts to an allergen. People at highest risk are those who already exhibit some signs of other immune system irregularities, such as food allergies, eczema or asthma.
When you breathe in an allergen, mast cells in your nasal passages release a chemical called histamine. Histamine causes your nose to feel itchy and also causes swelling and mucus production in the nasal passages, runny nose, nasal congestion, sinus pressure, postnasal drip and cough, headache and dark circles under your eyes.
Diagnosis
The two most common tests for airborne allergies are:
Skin prick test
A tiny bit of an allergen is placed under the skin with a needle. The doctor watches to see if the skin in that area becomes red, raised and itchy. This can be done for multiple allergens at the same time.
RAST testing
A small sample of blood is taken and tested for different allergens.
Help reduce symptoms
Four studies in the medical literature have shown us ways to stabilize these mast cells and reduce the symptoms of allergies.
The first study was conducted in Korea on the Nopal fruit (Opuntia ficus indica). It showed significant benefit of Nopal fruit against allergies.
The second study was from Japan. This was an animal study that showed Vitamin B-12 reduced the allergic response in those with allergy to the same levels as those without allergy.
One group of physicians in Dallas, Texas used this information to treat humans by giving them 3 milligrams of Vitamin B-12 sublingually. They report in Men’s Health that allergy symptoms decreased by 50% the first year and by 50% more the second year of sublingual B-12 use.
The third study in Helsinki, Finland used probiotics to stabilize mast cells and reduce allergy symptoms.
One of my best, time-tested approaches for allergy came from an older article out of Brussels, Belgium. It shows the absolute necessity of essential fatty acids (EFA) for allergy. A more recent article from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil also commented that EFA and probiotics together are even more effective.
Conclusion
So, what is your opinion: In recent years, have people become more allergic or less? Likely, you will notice more people suffering with allergies. As our world becomes more toxic, we become more sensitive. And as we become more deficient – especially in bioflavonoids, Vitamin B-12, probiotics and essential fatty acids – we are more prone to allergy.
Read more at Trivita Wellness
Seasonal allergy (sometimes called hay fever) occurs during times of the year when allergens are in the air, like spring, summer and fall. The most common allergens are tree, grass or weed pollens.
Perennial or persistent allergic rhinitis is caused by allergens that may be present year-round. These may include chemicals, dust, dust mites, cockroaches, animal dander or mold spores.
Causes
An allergic reaction occurs when your body's immune system overreacts to an allergen. People at highest risk are those who already exhibit some signs of other immune system irregularities, such as food allergies, eczema or asthma.
When you breathe in an allergen, mast cells in your nasal passages release a chemical called histamine. Histamine causes your nose to feel itchy and also causes swelling and mucus production in the nasal passages, runny nose, nasal congestion, sinus pressure, postnasal drip and cough, headache and dark circles under your eyes.
Diagnosis
The two most common tests for airborne allergies are:
Skin prick test
A tiny bit of an allergen is placed under the skin with a needle. The doctor watches to see if the skin in that area becomes red, raised and itchy. This can be done for multiple allergens at the same time.
RAST testing
A small sample of blood is taken and tested for different allergens.
Help reduce symptoms
Four studies in the medical literature have shown us ways to stabilize these mast cells and reduce the symptoms of allergies.
The first study was conducted in Korea on the Nopal fruit (Opuntia ficus indica). It showed significant benefit of Nopal fruit against allergies.
The second study was from Japan. This was an animal study that showed Vitamin B-12 reduced the allergic response in those with allergy to the same levels as those without allergy.
One group of physicians in Dallas, Texas used this information to treat humans by giving them 3 milligrams of Vitamin B-12 sublingually. They report in Men’s Health that allergy symptoms decreased by 50% the first year and by 50% more the second year of sublingual B-12 use.
The third study in Helsinki, Finland used probiotics to stabilize mast cells and reduce allergy symptoms.
One of my best, time-tested approaches for allergy came from an older article out of Brussels, Belgium. It shows the absolute necessity of essential fatty acids (EFA) for allergy. A more recent article from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil also commented that EFA and probiotics together are even more effective.
Conclusion
So, what is your opinion: In recent years, have people become more allergic or less? Likely, you will notice more people suffering with allergies. As our world becomes more toxic, we become more sensitive. And as we become more deficient – especially in bioflavonoids, Vitamin B-12, probiotics and essential fatty acids – we are more prone to allergy.
Read more at Trivita Wellness
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