Truth about Painkillers (Aspirin & Paracetamol) and Antibiotics

I came across this information while reading a book over the weekend. I find it interesting and like to share with my readers. If you ever taken Painkillers, you must read this Article.

" In UK alone 650 millions prescriptions are written every years, and the total cost has doubled in the last ten years to 7 Billion Sterling pound. The US annual drug bill is a staggering $200 billion.

In UK $260 million sterling pound is spent each year on painkillers such as aspirin and paracetamol.

Salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin and other painkillers, is a gastrointestinal irritant, increasing the permeability of the gut wall. This in turn upsets the absorption of nutrients, allowing incompletely digested foods to pass into the bloodstream, alerting the immune system and triggering allergy responses to common food. In the long term, this weakens the immune system, encourages inflammation and burns up vital vitamins and minerals needed for healthy immunity, as well as triggering intestinal bleeding.

The alternative is Paracetamol, of which 4 billion tablets are taken worldwide every year. While Paracetamol does not irritate the gut like aspirin, it is bad news for the Liver. As a result, in UK alone, 30,000 people a year end up in hospital as a result of taking paracetamol.

In 1994 in UK, 115 paracetamol-related deaths were reported. According to Professor Sir David Carter of Edinburgh University, 1 in 10 liver transplants is made necessary because of damage caused by paracetamol overdose. While 20 paracetamol can kill you, even one is extra work for liver. If a person takes 6 a day and lacks the nutrients that help the liver to detoxify, this can reduce their ability to deal with other toxins such as alcohol. The combination of alcohol and paracetamol is very dangerous; Paracetamol produces a toxic by-product that can be broken down by the liver only if the body contains sufficient stores of the amino acid glutathione. If you run out, the result is trouble.

Many common drugs have direct or knock-on effects on your nutritional status. Antibiotics, for example, wipe out the healthy gut bacteria that manufacture significant amount of B vitamins. They also pave the way for unfriendly bacteria to multiply, which increases the risk of infection, thereby stressing the immune system. This can then lead to nutrient deficiency. Meanwhile the US national Institutes of Health estimated that more than 50,000 tons of antibiotics are used every year worldwide."

Think about it , have a second thought the next time you want to take a paracetamol or an antibiotics.

Source - "NEW Optimum Nutrition Bible - Patrick Holford's"

Nutrition & Food that increase your immue system

Carotenoids
The carotenoid vegetables are those which are yellow, orange, or red in color and contain carotenes, such as beta-carotene. Beta carotene increases the number of infection-fighting cells. Beta carotene is only one member of a large family. Researchers believe that it is not just beta carotene that produces all these good effects, but all the carotenoids working together. This is why getting carotenoids in food may be more cancer-protective than taking beta carotene supplements. You should eat at least five servings of fruit and vegetables each day.

Vitamin C
Sources: bell pepper, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, fruit juices, lemon juice, mustard greens, oranges, papaya, strawberries

Foods with vitamin C increase the production of infection-fighting white blood cells and increase levels of interferon, the antibody that coats cell surfaces preventing the entry of viruses.

Vitamin E
Sources: almonds, broccoli, chard, mustard greens, olives, papaya, sunflower seeds, turnip greens

Vitamin E stimulates the production of natural "killer" cells (cells that seek out and destroy germs and cancer cells). Vitamin E enhances the production of B-cells, the immune cells that produce antibodies that destroy bacteria. Vitamin E may also reverse some of the decline in immune response commonly seen in aging.

Vitamin B12
Sources: beef, halibut, lamb, milk, salmon, scallops, shrimp, snapper

Vitamin B12 is central to immune processes because, without adequate B12, white blood cells can't mature and multiply. Folic acid also plays a key role in immune system development and maintenance.

Thiamine (B1)
Sources: asparagus, cereals, pork, sunflower seeds, tuna

Riboflavin (B2)
Sources: asparagus, calf's liver, cereals, cranberries, mushrooms, romaine lettuce

Niacin (B3)
Sources: asparagus, chicken breast, cranberries, halibut, mushrooms, pork, salmon, tomato, tuna

Pyridoxine (B6)
Sources: bell peppers, cauliflower, cranberries, mustard greens, tuna, turnips

Folate
Sources: asparagus, beets, broccoli, calf's liver, lentils, parsley, romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip greens

Zinc
Sources: oysters, mushrooms, meat, legumes

This valuable mineral increases the production and effectiveness of white blood cells that fight infection. Zinc also increases killer cells that fight against cancer and it helps white cells release more antibodies. Zinc also increases the number of infection-fighting T-cells, especially in elderly people, who are often deficient in zinc and whose immune system often weakens with age. The anti-infection hype around zinc is controversial. While some studies claim that zinc supplements in the form of lozenges can lower the incidence and severity of infections, other studies have failed to show this correlation. A word of caution: too much zinc (more than 75 milligrams a day) in the form of supplements
can inhibit immune function.

Chromium
Sources: brewer's yeast, oysters, liver, onions, whole grains, bran cereals, tomatoes, potatoes

Many people do not get enough chromium in their diet due to food processing methods that remove the naturally occurring chromium in commonly consumed foods. Recent research in animal models shows that chromium can enhance the ability of white blood cells to respond to infection.

Selenium
Sources: Brazil nuts, brown rice, cottage cheese, chicken (white meat), egg yolks, garlic, halibut, lobster, mushrooms, pork, salmon, shrimp, snapper, sunflower seeds, tuna, whole grains

This mineral increases natural killer cells and mobilizes cancer-fighting cells

Nutrition to prevent Swine Flu - H1N1 Flu Virus

What is Swine Flu ( H1N1 Flu Virus ) ?
Swine influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by the influenza A virus.

Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. From time to time, human infections do occur, resulting in H1N1 flu virus (human swine flu). H1N1 flu virus (human swine flu) is a respiratory illness that causes symptoms similar to those of the regular human seasonal flu.

Transmission
Sometimes, humans and animals can pass strains of flu back and forth to one another
through direct close contact. When a swine influenza virus does affect a human, there is
also a risk that the animal influenza can mutate and then spread directly between
humans.
More investigation is needed on how easily the virus spreads between people, but it is
believed that it is spread the same way as regular seasonal influenza. Influenza and other respiratory infections are transmitted from person to person when germs enter the nose and/or throat.

Symptoms
Symptoms include fever, fatigue, lack of appetite, coughing, and sore throat. Some
people with H1N1 flu virus (human swine flu) have also reported vomiting and diarrhea.

Nutrition that helps to prevent
As the flu virus is a respiratory disease, the first main organ that contact with the virus is our lung. Therefore not only it is important to increase our overall immune system, we should also pay more attention on how to increase the immune system of your lung.

Here's are the nutrition supplement that helps to fight the disease.

Main Nutrition
Multi-Carotenoids (Vitamin A) - It helps to strengthens the immune system for the nose, airways , throat & lung.

Vitamin C - It is a strong antioxidant that helps to boost the immune system to fight virus.

Lecithin Vitamin E - Vitamin E help to protect the lung and strengthens its function.

Vitamin B Complex - Help the blood circulation thus enhances the function of the immune system and lung. - It also help to calm nerves to reduce stress. ( Depression & Stress can weaken the immune system. )

Supporting Nutrition
Protein - To supply needed amino acids for healing

Garlic - A Natural antibiotic and immune system enhance which helps to fight flu infection.

Echinacea - Helps to boost the immune system.


Other Related Articles
Protection from Swine Virus ( H1N1 Flu Virus)

Nutrition for Marathon Runners

I notice that there are more and more marathon events organized by Adidas, Nike, Standard Charter, etc... but there are lots of inexperience runners.
They do not have any professional coach nor a nutritionist to guide them. It is still ok if you do not have a coach but it is very dangerous without a nutritionist or not knowing what kind of diet to undergo before the run.

So i decided to write this article to share some nutrition advice to all.

A training marathon runner should be consuming a diet that is composed of between 65% carbohydrates - 25% protein – 10% fat. So what type of carbohydrates should we take, the truth about it is that they are all different. Some supply energy very quickly while others provide a slow, steady stream of energy. Therefore carbohydrates are classified by numbers between 1 and 100. This is called the glycemic index (GI). Simple carbohydrate is high on the GI and gets into you system very quickly. Complex carbohydrate are generally lower on the GI and filter into your system more slowly. Foods that are low on the GI list tend to keep your blood glucose level and give you a steady supply of energy. When your blood glucose is stable, you can run for a longer period of time.
You may visit here to find out the GI of the food that you consume.

High GI foods on the other hand give your blood glucose a boast. This causes your body to release insulin which pulls the carbohydrate out of your bloodstream and your blood glucose dropped. For that reason, you should be eating low GI carbohydrate during your training periods. Low GI carbohydrate are also best for general health and weight maintenance.

A training marathon runner should be consuming a diet that is composed of about 65% carbohydrates - 25% protein – 10% fat. So what type of carbohydrates should we take? The fact about it is that they are different type of carbohydrates. Some supply energy very quickly while others provide a slow, steady stream of energy. Therefore carbohydrates are classified by numbers between 1 and 100. This is called the glycemic index (GI). Simple carbohydrate is high on the GI and gets into you system very quickly. Complex carbohydrate are generally lower on the GI and filter into your system more slowly. Foods that are low on the GI list tend to keep your blood glucose level and give you a steady supply of energy. When your blood glucose is stable, you can run for a longer period of time.
You may visit here to find out the GI of the food that you consume.

High GI foods on the other hand give your blood glucose a boast. This causes your body to release insulin which pulls the carbohydrate out of your bloodstream and your blood glucose dropped. For that reason, you should be eating low GI carbohydrate during your training periods. Low GI carbohydrate are also best for general health and weight maintenance.

Recommended Diet Plan
You should start your diet plan 2-3 weeks before your run. Up until the final week, you should maintain a diet that is similar to your training diet - about 65 to 70% carbohydrates

During the week before your race, you need to change your diet plan to the following :

Decrease carbohydrate intake gradually from 60% to 40% of your total calories on days 1 through 3. Decrease your running duration from 60 minutes to 30 minutes during that period.

On the following three days increase your carbohydrate intake to 70% of total calories and decrease your running duration from 20 minutes to total rest.

This is to help to increase your muscles' carbohydrate storing ability. The best types of carbohydrate to eat during this period are low GI carbohydrate so that your blood glucose levels maintain a steady state.

Day 1 – Exercise Duration – 60 inutes, Carb intake – 60%
Day 2 – Exercise Duration – 40 minutes, Carb intake – 50%
Day 3 – Exercise Duration - 30 minutes, Carb intake – 40%
Day 4 – Exercise Duration – 20 minutes, Carb intake – 70%
Day 5 – Exercise Duration – Rest, Carb intake – 70%?
Day 6 – Exercise Duration – Rest, Carb intake – 70%
Day 7 – Race Day

During the Race Day
Wake up early in the morning and eat a light meal of low GI foods. Do not fast. You will need to replenish liver glycogen stores before your race. Some fats along with some low GI foods will also help keep your blood glucose stable. An example would be two pieces of whole grain toast with butter and a banana. Avoid high GI foods on race morning because it can cause your blood glucose to fall and you will end up using a very high percentage of liver glucose for energy early in the race.

During your race, you need to take in high GI foods, it will give you a fast energy boost. Good high GI foods that are convenient foods on the run are energy bars, energy gels and sports drinks

Summary
During training, eat a high carbohydrate diet composed of low GI foods.

During your last week, decrease your carbohydrate intake briefly before increasing it back to 70% of total calories in conjunction with decrease training volume.

Eat a light pre-race meal of a combination of low GI foods and fat.

While running, start taking in high GI foods for fast energy replacement.

How to recover from Dark Eye Circle?

Dark eye circles have been a very stressful for many ladies. People with dark eye circles end up looking older than you probably are. What causes dark eye circles ?

Dark Eye Circle
The skin below our eyes is thin and is not as well endowed with oil glands as the rest of the body. Consequently as we age, the skin gets dry and wrinkled. As a result, the veins in the lower eye area appear more prominent. This results in dark circles under the eyes. There are many factors that lead to dark circles.

1) Heredity
2) Lack of Sleep
3) Bone Structure – Deep set eyes may have a tendency to develop dark shadows under them. In fair-skinned persons, dark eyes become more obvious.
4) Sun Exposure – Increased exposure to the sun can draw pigmentation the skin’s surface and create dark circles.
5) Medication
6) Nutrition
7) Hormonal Changes – Since the skin undergoes changes during pregnancy and menstruation, you may notice darkening of the circles under the eyes.

How to recover/ prevent it?

1. Drink plenty of water - 2 Litres / day.
2. Ensure that you get good rest and adequate sleep.
3. Eat vegetables and fruits rich in vitamin A.
4. Consume a nutritionally balanced diet

Supplement that helps :-
1. Multi-vitamins
2. Multi-carotene
3. Iron Folic
4. Vitamin B
5. Vitamin C