Health News. Lots of resources and information

FOLIC ACID

Folic acid is a member of the B family of vitamins. Functions: vital for a healthy immune system • important for metabolism of RNA and DNA, protein synthesis and formation or red blood cells • many of folic acid’s functions are associated with vitamin B12.

Deficiency signs and symptoms: irritability • forgetfulness • dementia • mental retardation • anemia • inflammation of nerves

• spinal cord damage • loss of energy • loss of appetite and weight

• diarrhea • vomiting • indigestion • sore mouth and tongue

• weakness • cervical abnormalities • poor growth in children

• congenital malformations in babies.

Folic Acid’s enemies: excessive boiling of food • food processing

• heat • alcohol.

INOSITOL

Inositol is an unofficial member of the B family of vitamins. It is not generally regarded as a true vitamin because it can be manufactured in the body.

Functions: important for nourishment of the brain • helps prevent build-up of fats in liver and other organs • has mild antianxiety effects • helps control blood-cholesterol levels • helps maintain healthy hair.

Deficiency signs and symptoms: insuffcient data available. Inositol’s enemies: excessive boiling of food • food processing • alcohol • coffee.

PABA (para aminobenzoic acid)

PABA is an unofficial member of the B family of vitamins. It not considered a true vitamin for humans. Functions: has a certain value as an antioxidant (protects cells against damage caused by inappropriate combining with oxygen). Deficiency signs and symptoms: deficiency in animals can lead to anemia, as well as premature graying of the hair.

PABA’s enemies: excessive boiling of food • food processing • alcohol.

*165\80\8*

I’ve found Meditative Relaxation to be especially helpful for my arthritic patients. I have them spend extra time relaxing their painful and/or swollen joints. A person with arthritis in the knuckles and fingers of the right hand, for example, adds this to the second part x»f the Meditative Relaxation: eyes closed, breathing slowly through your nose, picture your right hand with your mind’s eye. Focus on the five knuckles … and the thumb and fingers … of your right hand. Now, with your mind’s eye, see your right little finger. See your little finger and little-finger knuckle. Concentrate on your little finger and knuckle as the feeling of relaxation enters the knuckle … spreads up through your finger … from your knuckle … through your little finger … front, back and sides … to the tip of your little finger. Now, with your mind’s eye, see your right ring finger and ring-finger knuckle. Concentrate on your ring finger and knuckle as the soothing feeling of relaxation enters your ring-finger knuckle. From the knuckle the relaxation moves up to your ring finger … all the way up your ring finger … front, back and sides … to the tip. Now, with your mind’s eye, see your right middle finger and middle-finger knuckle. Concentrate on your middle finger and middle-finger knuckle. Concentrate as you feel the cooling, soothing relaxation enter your middle-finger knuckle. From the knuckle the relaxation moves slowly up your middle finger … from your knuckle … through your middle finger .. . front, back and sides … all the way to the tip of your finger. Next is your index finger and index-finger knuckle. See your index finger and index-finger knuckle with your mind’s eye. Concentrate on your index finger and knuckle as the great feeling of relaxation and loosening enters the knuckle. From the knuckle it slowly spreads to your index finger … up your finger . .. front, back and sides … all the way up your finger to the tip. Now concentrate on your right thumb and thumb knuckle. Focus on your right thumb and thumb knuckle. Feel the relief as the relaxation moves into the knuckle … from your knuckle into your thumb … up the thumb … front, back and sides … all the way up your thumb to the tip.

See your entire right hand with your mind’s eyes. Hold that picture in your mind. Feel how relaxed your fingers and knuckles are. Keep your mind focused on that great feeling. Silently tell yourself that the fingers and knuckles on your right hand are relaxed.

Meditative Relaxation can be adapted to suit your specific needs. Do the complete session for the entire body, then adapt Part Two, as I’ve just done, to cover your special problem areas. You can focus in on muscles, joints or any part of your body you desire. One of my patients, an office worker, spends extra time relaxing her neck, shoulders, upper and lower back. These are the muscles that tighten up and hurt when she becomes stressed at work.

*122\80\8*

BROWN RICE, BARLEY AND OTHER GRAINS

Alone, mixed or added to other foods, whole grains make a tasty, nutritious meal. A bowl of grain can be the basis for a meal. Just add a little bit of chicken or fish, along with your favorite seasonings. Mixed grains with steamed vegetables is a great high-fiber, low-fat, no-cholesterol meal.

To cook grains, bring water to a boil and stir in grain. Let water boil again, then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Check water level occasionally, adding more if necessary.

One of my favorite dishes is a mixture of brown rice, barley and couscous with pressed garlic and a few sesame seeds. It’s a nutritious, high-fiber, low-fat taste treat.

SPROUT AND RICE SALAD

1 sweet red pepper

1 scallion

1 carrot

2 cups brown rice, cooked, cooled 1/2 cup lentil sprouts

1/2 cup mung bean sprouts

1/2 cup azuki bean sprouts

1/4 cup sunflower seeds, raw, unsalted 1/4 cup raisins

several sprigs parsley

Clean vegetables. Chop red pepper and scallions, and grate carrot. Spread cooked rice evenly on a dish. Mix the sprouts, sunflower seeds and vegetables in a bowl, then spoon over rice. Sprinkle with raisins, and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4.

SAUTEED CARROTS AND ONION IN BARLEY AND MILLET

1 onion 1/2 carrot

2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup barley, cooked

1 cup millet, cooked 1/4 cup raisins

dash of cayenne pepper

Wash vegetables. Chop onion and shred carrot. Saute onions and garlic in water. Mix barley, millet and raisins in a bowl; add onions, garlic and carrot. Season with cayenne pepper, or other spices, to taste.

Serves 2.

*79\80\8*

Beta carotene and the other carotenes are called “provitamin A,” because they can be converted to vitamin A inside your body. Provitamin A is the plant form of vitamin A. When you eat meat, fish, dairy and poultry products, however, you take in preformed vitamin A.

I tell my patients to get most of their vitamin A from beta carotene, rather than preformed vitamin A. Why? Because to get preformed vitamin A from, let’s say, meat, you’re forced to swallow a lot of fat, cholesterol and who knows what chemical additives.

When you obtain beta carotene from carrots, broccoli, cantaloupes and other fruits and vegetables, however, you’re eating a lot of vitamins and minerals, with only small amounts of fat and absolutely no cholesterol. Besides, the beta carotene in foods is not toxic, but large doses of vitamin A (preformed vitamin A) may be toxic.

Bugs Bunny isn’t the only American hero who knows the value of Super Foods. Popeye is always eating spinach, which contains large amounts of beta carotene. I don’t know if spinach will make your muscles grow, but I can guarantee that the beta carotene in spinach will give your “doctor within” a boost. We don’t have a cartoon hero who eats sweet potatoes, but perhaps we should, because sweet potatoes are also high in beta carotene. (Sweet Potato Man?)

Beta Carotene Against Cancer

Beta carotene is a new part of cancer prevention and treatment programs. Exciting research conducted in this country and abroad indicates that beta carotene reduces the general risk of cancer in humans, especially cancer of the lungs, larynx, esophagus, stomach, colon, rectum, prostate and urinary bladder. Even if you smoke, beta carotene can help protect you against lung cancer. But please, do not use this as an excuse to smoke. There is no good reason to smoke.

*36\80\8*

If we want to to have a suitable drink with our vegetable dishes, we should choose something that contains lactic acid, for example diluted Molkosan, or juices, such as beetroot and carrot juices. However, it should be remembered never to make a practice of drinking while there is food in the mouth as this prevents proper mastication and hinders the pre-digestive process.

When suffering from high blood pressure it is important to consider the type of condiments used. Since too much salt can increase the blood pressure, the diet should be very low in salt, just as is necessary in the case of kidney trouble. Instead of using salt without thinking, you must learn the art of proper seasoning. This is something that every cook should know, especially if diet meals have to be prepared. Food should never taste dull or else it will be unappetising. Instead of salt, the following spices and herbs, if used moderately, are better for your health: horseradish, parsley, marjoram, thyme, and if you like, also chillies, paprika, and curry. Garlic adds a pleasant flavour to rice dishes too. The popular herbal salt Herbamare makes seasoning easier and economical to use.

*227/28/1*

After a routine exam, a 55-year-old patient cleared her throat as she was getting ready to leave. “Doctor,” she said, “one more thing.”

I motioned to het to sit down. She did, seeming almost embarrassed to bring up what was bothering her.

“My mouth has seemed rather dry lately,” she said. “I find that it’s harder for me to eat, especially foods like toast and crackers.” She added that she had begun to drink water with her meals to help her swallow, which she had never done before.

Dry mouth, or xerostomia, may be due to illness, a change in medication, or a problem with the salivary glands. A stone in the salivary duct can also cause your mouth to become dry. In this case, you’ll definitely know the cause because, in most cases, a salivary duct stone causes a section of the temple or upper neck to swell up. You may also feel a sharp pain in your mouth. A stone is formed by certain chemicals in the duct which then harden and block the duct.

Though doctors once believed that a decrease in saliva production was a natural sign of aging, they now dismiss it. More often, it is something else that affects the salivary glands, although sometimes a patient will complain of the sensation of a dry mouth, or xerostomia, when salivary output is normal.

Though most people might think that having a dry mouth is just an inconvenience, it can lead to other health problems, including an increase in tooth decay.

If you’ve recently developed dry mouth, or if it’s plagued you on and off for years, it’s important to determine the cause, since it can also be a symptom of some serious diseases.

*237\167\8*

Description and Possible Medical Problems

Sometimes when a midlife adult complains of hearing loss or a low, constant buzzing and his physician comes up empty-handed, the diagnosis is simpler than either one may have thought.

It’s ironic, but sometimes a drug that is used to treat an ear infection can actually contribute to heating loss. Several kinds of drugs are notorious for inducing a temporary hearing loss that’s usually accompanied by buzzing.

To determine if your hearing loss is due to medication, go through the following checklist:

1. Do I take a lot of aspirin?

2. Has my doctor recently prescribed an antibiotic to treat another illness?

3. Do I frequently take diuretics to control my weight?

If you answered yes to any of these questions and you’ve recently had a noticeable loss of hearing, it’s possible that the medications—both over the counter and prescription—are responsible.

Treatment

Though three classes of dtugs—diuretics, antibiotics, and aspirin—are among the most commonly used and prescribed, they can be exttemely toxic to the eat, or ototoxic. The inner ear is affected since these drugs can damage the tiny hairs and other parts of the inner ear. The ensuing hearing loss, especially in the elderly, may be irreversible. And patients who already have substantial hearing loss shouldn’t be prescribed these ototoxic drugs at all.

Fortunately, less toxic formulations of these drugs are available, so if you’ve had any problems with your hearing in the past, be sure to alert your doctor before he prescribes these medications.

Special Mention for the Elderly

Elderly people with chronic health problems frequently visit several different doctors, who may not always be aware of the medications their colleagues are prescribing. Even though one may prescribe a low-toxicity antibiotic, if another doctor prescribes a similar medication for a separate condition, the combination might be enough to permanently damage an adult’s hearing.

Make sure that each doctor you or an elderly family member sees knows about all the medications that are being taken.

*222\167\8*

Description and Possible Medical Problems

It’s not unusual to suddenly lose part or all of your vision for a few seconds as a result of a physical injury—for instance, when you see stars during the impact of a car accident. Your sight will usually be fully restored within a few days.

But what happens when you suddenly become unable to see within a small area or visual field or can see only some of the objects located within that area?

Partial loss of a visual field is commonly known as a scotoma, and it affects people in a variety of ways. A scotoma may result in total blindness to all objects within the affected field, or the affected person may be able to pick out certain large objects but not smaller ones. Sometimes the scotoma will be visible as flashes of light that occur only within a partial visual field; this is called a scintillating scotoma.

A number of health problems can cause a scotoma. Certain eye diseases, such as glaucoma, the inflammation of the optic nerve called optic neuritis, and a retinal disorder called macular degeneration, can cause a scotoma. A scintillating scotoma frequently occurs in people who suffer from migraine headaches. Prompt treatment is necessary in order to prevent permanent damage to your vision.

Treatment

To treat a scotoma, your doctor will first have to address the underlying condition that is causing the partial loss of a visual field. Scotomas that are caused by glaucoma or macular degeneration lessen or disappear when these conditions are treated. A scintillating scotoma will disappear when a migraine subsides. However, with optic neuritis, the vision loss will last until the inflammation of the optic nerve subsides, which can take up to three weeks or more. Since optic neuritis can sometimes be painful, your doctor may recommend that you remain still and quiet and try to restrict your eye movement to hasten your recovery. Optic neuritis can also be an early symptom of multiple sclerosis, so your doctor will want to monitor your health closely to check the progress of the disease.

*204\167\8*

You know how it is when you look through a telescope—even though you are focusing on an image, you’re still aware that you’re looking through a tube.

But what if you have this sensation without looking through a telescope? If you notice that you are gradually losing your field of vision in one eye, you may have glaucoma, which is one of the most common eye problems today and one of the leading causes of blindness. In addition to your monocular field loss, other symptoms of glaucoma may include eye pain, blurred vision, and redness. Though glaucoma usually begins in one eye, it will eventually affect the vision in both eyes. As a result, both eyes will have to undergo treatment at the same time, even if only one eye shows symptoms of the disease.

Glaucoma is a condition in which the aqueous humor, the fluid that lubricates the outside of the eyeball, is unable to drain out of the eye normally. This usually occurs because of a blockage in the drainage channel that allows the fluid to drain out of the eye and into the veins that surround the eye.

When the drainage channel is blocked, the fluid drains away more slowly than usual or may become totally blocked. When this happens, the fluid builds up in the eye, creating pressure on the vitreous humor, the gel-like substance that makes up the internal part of the eyeball. This, in turn, presses on the vessels that provide the optic nerve with a steady flow of blood, slowing it down or stopping it completely. And when the blood flow ceases, the nerve begins to die, resulting in a gradual decline of vision.

Glaucoma usually begins to show up in people around the age of 40. There is also a genetic tendency to glaucoma; if a relative had the condition, you should be alert to changes in your eyesight and get medical attention promptly if you notice a one-eye field loss or develop a feeling of looking through a tube.

*188\167\8*

Description and Possible Medical Problems

If the upper eyelid of one of your eyes appears to droop a little lower than the other, and if it seems to have sagged more with age, you have a condition known as ptosis.

Ptosis occurs when the muscle responsible for raising the upper eyelid becomes weak over time or when the nerve that controls the muscle is damaged in some way. Ptosis is usually hereditary, and both diabetes and myasthenia gravis—a rare condition in which the nerves of the muscles weaken progressively over a period of time—can aggravate the condition. The degree of droopiness can also vary widely over the course of the day; it may hardly be noticeable in the morning, but by nightfall the eyelid may droop considerably.

Treatment

The good news is that, by itself, ptosis is not a serious problem unless the drooping lid begins to interfere with your vision, or if you believe it is aesthetically unattractive. If this is the case, you should opt for cosmetic surgery that will stop the lid from sagging by removing excess skin from the upper lid.

It’s important for you to determine if the eyelid began to droop suddenly or if the deterioration was gradual, which is a normal sign of aging. If, however, your ptosis is caused by either diabetes or myasthenia gravis, a very rare neurological disease (see “Eyelids That Droop as the Day Progresses” below), you and your doctor need to first address and treat the disease. The drooping lid should return to its previous state after proper treatment of the disease.

*173\167\8*