LIVER HEALTH: to Maintain a Balanced Life for overall well-being

4 Foods That Protect Liver Health

 

4 Worst Damaging Habits- Thomas DeLauer

Liver Health: 4 Worst Damaging Habits- Thomas DeLauer… http://www.ThomasDeLauer.com for all your business, health, and fitness answers. The number one over the counter medication responsible for wrecking our livers is acetaminophen. Join Celebrity Trainer, Author & Organic Foods Expert, Thomas DeLauer to find out what other habits may be contributing to the health and function of our livers. Learn how the liver plays a big role in our metabolism, how we burn fat, how we get into shape, and detoxification.

1) Too much self-medication: 

One of the main functions of the liver is to break down substances that we take by mouth, including medications, herbs and supplements. This process usually takes place efficiently and without causing any harm. When new medications are developed, they are extensively tested to make sure they are safe before being approved for general use. Acetaminophen, when used as directed, is extremely safe even for people with liver disease. However, taking too much acetaminophen at once, or taking a high dose of acetaminophen continuously over several days can cause damage to the liver.

 

How it Damages the Liver: A dose of Tylenol is absorbed by the gastrointestinal system and released into the bloodstream, where it alleviates pain and symptoms of fever. The liver filters the blood, which is responsible for metabolizing Tylenol into compounds that can be excreted by the body. About 90% is metabolized into harmless substances and excreted in the urine by the kidneys. Another 2% is removed without being metabolized. Between 5-10% is metabolized into a toxic compound called N-acetyl-p-benzoquinoeimine (NAPQI). Normally, the liver can safely remove NAPQI by combining it with gluthathione and converting it into a water-soluble product that is excreted in bile. However, after an overdose, the liver does not have enough gluthathione to combine with the NAPQI. Excess amounts of the toxic chemical cause rapid cell death, necrosis, tissue damage, and potentially deadly acute liver failure. (1,2,3) 

 

2) Alcohol abuse: 

The liver can only handle a certain amount of alcohol at any given time, so if you drink more than the liver can deal with by drinking too quickly, or drinking too much, your liver cells struggle to process it. When alcohol reaches the liver, it produces a toxic enzyme called acetaldehyde, which can damage liver cells and cause permanent scarring.

 

 3) Smoking: 

Though cigarette smoke does not directly come into contact with the liver, it does indirectly affect the liver. The chemicals in cigarette smoke eventually make their way to the liver. These chemicals cause oxidative stress on the liver, which leads to damage to the liver cells and fibrosis. Oxidative stress is involved in the aging of all the organs of the body. Oxidation produces free radicals that damage the cells of the body.

 

 4) Lack of Sleep: 

If you want to keep your body — and particularly your liver ­– in good condition, it is important that you get enough sleep. During sleep, the body repairs and renews its cells, so lack of sleep will interfere with that. In turn, if the liver cannot repair and renew itself as you sleep, it can’t function properly when you’re awake. A study published in the Journal of Anatomy found that sleep deprivation can cause oxidative stress to the liver. It was found that livers weren’t processing fat efficiently and instead allowed fat to accumulate (which proves that the body cannot function well without a properly working liver) (8) 

 

References:

 1) Acetaminophen and Liver Injury: Q & A for Consumers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/Consu...

 

2) How Does Tylenol Cause Liver Damage? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.schmidtlaw.com/how-does-t...

 

3) How Does Tylenol Cause Liver Damage? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.schmidtlaw.com/how-does-t...

 

4) Maher, J. (1997). Exploring Alcohol’s Effects on Liver Function. Retrieved from https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publicatio...

 

5) Alcohol — Love Your Liver. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://loveyourliver.com.au/alcohol/

 

6) Heavy smoking and liver. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

 

7) 5 Common Habits That Damage Your Liver. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com...

 

8) Sleep deprivation predisposes liver to oxidative stress and phospholipid damage: a quantitative molecular imaging study. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

 

9) Liver Health: The Role of Turmeric in Fatty Liver Disease. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/na...

 

10) Turmeric Can Reduce Risk of Fatty Liver Disease. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://hepfree.nyc/turmeric-can-redu...

 

 Why Healthy Liver Function is Essential to Maintain a Balanced Life

 

The liver is extraordinary! Responsible for over 500 functions, it's important that the liver is needed for overall health and wellbeing.

The liver function is quite extraordinary. The liver is made up of 2 lobes and is located on top of the stomach. As the “Commanding General” of the body, it is also the largest solid organ with over 500 important functions. To name a few liver functions, it regulates chemical levels in the blood, excretes bile, promotes healthy absorption and digestion, and ensures good circulation of qi, our vital energy.

As we can see, it’s imperative that the liver functions properly for overall health and wellness in the body. We share more about liver functions, what happens when issues arise, and herbal remedies to help maintain optimal health.

What is the Function of the Liver?

One vital liver function is to regulate the distribution of our life force for organs nourishment.

Most people know the liver as one of our vital organs. While it’s true from the perspective of modern anatomy, the liver has a vast basis of functions that affect the other organs. Let’s take a look at the different liver functions based on Western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Liver function in Western medicine

There are many things that our liver does on the daily basis. It’s considered the largest organ and gland inside the human body. Interestingly, it’s the only organ that can regrow and replace its tissue.

Inside a liver, there are hundreds of tasks on progress every single day. But mostly, here are five major functions of the liver, based on its anatomical structure.

Production of bile

Made of mainly bilirubin, cholesterol, and bile acids, bile is essential for our digestion. It breaks down fats into fatty acids and turns ammonia, which is poisonous, into the urine.

Regulation of blood levels

The liver helps to regulate our blood of amino acids, regulates our blood for proper clotting and healing, helps to clear the body of drugs or harmful substances, and helps to store resist infections by removing bacteria from the bloodstream.

Conversion of excessive glucose

The liver converts excessive glucose (sugar) into glycogen. This is used for storage that can be converted back for energy and additional glucose.

Clearance of bilirubin

Our liver also works to ensure that we don’t have excessive bilirubin from our red blood cells. Having this condition makes our eyes and skin yellow.

Stores vitamins and minerals

The liver also stores vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12. The liver is also the storage center of iron and copper.

Liver function in TCM

In TCM, the liver is one of the five Zang organs with one primary function: to store and distribute jing (essence) and qi. Rather than referring to liver in anatomy, TCM regards liver as a part of a complex web connecting multiple systems and organs. TCM sees liver functions as essential in four main areas.

Beyond its anatomical concept, our liver is a part of a complex web connecting multiple systems and organs. According to TCM, the main liver function is to control the movement of qi that sustains the organs and tissues of the body.

TCM sees liver function as essential in four main areas:

• Distribution of qi
• Regulation of digestive system
• Management of emotional health
• Modulation of the female reproductive system

The balance of qi in our liver will ensure the proper functioning of other organs inside the body. Therefore, we all need a healthy liver to function and thrive.

Problems with Poor Liver Function

In today’s fast-paced society, people who struggle to achieve work-life balance may be more susceptible to poor liver function and imbalances. Here are some problems that can arise with liver issues.

Liver disease

Western perspective: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, liver disease, also called hepatic disease, affects 4.5 million Americans. The result of substance abuse, obesity, autoimmune diseases, cancer, or viruses such as hepatitis can lead to the disruption of the liver. This is very serious that can lead to a life-threatening condition called cirrhosis. Over time and if untreated can lead to hepatic encephalopathy, esophageal varices, abdominal ascites, liver failure, or liver cancer.

Issues with the liver can also be genetic such as Hemochromatosis, Wilson’s Disease, and Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency. Hemochromatosis is signified as an iron disorder where the body absorbs too much iron from the food you eat; whereas Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency is the lack of a certain enzyme, and Wilson’s Disease prevents the body from removing copper in the liver.

Early awareness and a healthy lifestyle — such as limiting alcohol intake, adapting to a healthy diet, and doing regular exercises — are essential to keep the liver functioning properly. Some symptoms to look out for include yellowish and/or itchy skin, swelling of the body, excessive tiredness, pale stool, dark urine, or a loss of appetite, to name a few symptoms. Seek guidance from your doctor who can further assess your symptoms.

TCM perspective: TCM regards the liver as an army general of our body that regulates the movement of ‘qi’ to all organ systems. That’s why any imbalances in the liver can affect the activities of other organs and cause many health issues.

Digestive system disorders

Stomach issues can be related to problems with the liver.

Western perspective: During the early onset of liver diseases like cirrhosis, a person may experience appetite loss. This can make them lose more weight. According to a 2014 study, around 80% of liver cirrhosis patients are having at least one symptom of gastrointestinal diseases (GI). The symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, belching, and constipation — leading to malnutrition. The causes could be raised toxin levels and insulin resistance due to problems in liver function.

TCM perspective: From a TCM perspective, a disrupted balance in the liver, spleen, stomach, and gall bladder causes digestive system disorders. As a result, people who are prone to qi imbalances are likely to present with various symptoms, such as belching, heartburn, a poor appetite, and a thin white- or yellow-colored tongue coating.

TCM uses a classical formula known as 柴胡舒肝散 (Chai Hu Shu Gan San) to treat imbalances in the stomach and liver. It consists of several ingredients that work in tandem to regulate stomach and liver imbalances. The most basic ingredients of this formula are licorice root, bupleurum, bitter orange, aged tangerine peel, nutgrass galingale rhizome, Sichuan lovage root, and peony root.

Combining Toosendan fruits and Corydalis rhizome with this formula can relieve pain by improving the effect on liver qi. Meanwhile, adding decocted inula flower and hematite — the natural mineral form of iron oxide — can promote better downward movement of qi and relieve the counterflow.

Physical and emotional disorders

Western perspective: Liver dysfunction can be hard to diagnose since there are almost no visible symptoms early on. However, as the liver function becomes more impaired, it will cause physiological changes like an electrolyte imbalance and portal hypertension. In turn, patients will start experiencing physical and emotional symptoms. These include muscle cramps, breathlessness, itchy skin, trouble sleeping, depression, andanxiety. 

TCM perspective: Our emotional and physical health are interconnected. For example, excessive anger or irritability is linked to various ailments. This includes dizziness, headaches, dry mouth, and redness of the face and eyes.

Similarly, TCM also believes that emotional imbalances can act as both the symptoms and causes of physical problems. Liver imbalances, specifically, link to anger, irritability, and mental health conditions such as sleeplessness, ddepression,and chronic stress.

A sleep formula known as Suan Zao Ren Tang is especially effective in treating insomnia. Sour jujube seeds — one of the ingredients of this classic formula — is particularly beneficial for improving sleep quality. It works by calming the mind, preventing excessive sweating, nourishing the liver, and soothing the nerves .

Women’s health disorders with the liver

A healthy liver means more energy, regulated periods, and less PMS symptoms. You are ready to face more adventures.

Western perspective: As a part of the endocrine system, liver dysfunction can impact hormonal balance. In women, chronic liver disease may cause amenorrhea (missing periods) and  infertility. This can be triggered by low testosterone along with high estrogen and prolactin levels.

TCM perspective: An unbalanced liver can cause irregular periods, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), mood disorders, fatigue, fever and/or chills, abdominal pain, growth of benign masses in the uterus called fibroids, and early menopause..

Another important role of the liver is the storing of blood as well as regulate blood volume in the body. During rest, blood requirement in organs and structures is less and excess blood is channeled to the liver for storage. When there is activity, demand for blood increases and the liver transports blood to the respective organs to meet these needs. In the case of liver blood deficiency, organs fail to receive adequate nourishment which can result in symptoms such as giddiness, weakness in limbs, insomnia, and scanty periods in women or even amenorrhea. When blood cannot be stored in the liver effectively, the circulation of blood becomes unpredictable, leading to either bleeding from the orifices or heavy menstruation in females.

Visual disorders

Western perspective: Eye and visual issues can also be connected to liver disorders. Conditions such as Xanthelasma signified by a yellowish bubble on the eyelid, jaundice, cataracts, or Wilson’s disease may suggest a disrupted liver function.

The liver is also responsible for the production and storage of vitamin A. Because of this, problems in the liver can cause nyctalopia — an inability to see clearly in dim light or at night — and dry eye disease.

TCM perspective: Every organ has an association with a sense organ. The liver is most closely linked to the health of our eyes. Any unpleasant signs of the eyes can therefore be used to assess the health status of the liver. TCM believes that liver blood can travel upwards to nourish eye structures and gives the eyes capacity to see. A deficiency in liver blood may lead to eye issues such as blurred vision, myopia and eye floaters. On the other hand, excess liver heat can manifest in symptoms like red and bloodshot eyes, painful eyes which may be accompanied by a burning sensation.

A herbal tonic prepared using goji berries can nourish the liver, thus help improve your vision. It also improves circulation and strengthens your immune system.

How to Maintain a Healthy Liver

 

Several cubes of dried poria mushrooms on a copper plate Poria mushroom is one of the many TCM ingredients that can boost liver health.

A healthy liver function is essential for your overall well-being. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for the body as well as the liver. This includes regular exercise, moderate-to-no drinking or drug use, practicing safe sex, and eating healthy foods. A diet rich in green tea, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, oats, fatty fish, and limited salt, sugar, saturated fats, and refined carbs is important for liver health.

A classic formula called ‘Free and Easy Wanderer (Xiao Yao San)‘ contains eight ingredients. They are bupleurum, peppermint, Chinese Angelica, ginger root, licorice root, Poria mushrooms, white atractylode, and white peony roots. Xiao Yao San is a classical TCM formula that soothes the liver, strengthens the spleen and nourishes blood. It clears “liver stagnation” which contribute to stress, mood swings, pain, irritability, constipation, abdominal upset, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and irregular periods.

Supplementation can help to enhance the healthy liver, such as  Wild Yunzhi Powder and LLiva Max, containing medicinal fungus, stout camphor fungus (niu chang chih). These formulations can also improve the body’s resistance to disease, promote vitality, and enhance the respiratory system. According to studies conducted on mice, antrodia cinnamomea, has been widely to treat diseases such as liver disease, drug and food intoxication, diarrhea, and certain cancers.

Many issues that arise with the liver are preventable or reversible. However, if you are experiencing any symptoms related to imbalances in the liver, you should seek the advice of a doctor or TCM practitioner. These professionals can assess your situation and prescribe remedies for your specific issues. 

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References

1. John Hopkins Medicine. 2021. Liver :Anatomy and Functions. [Accessed on December, 6 2021]  
2. Medline Plus. 2021. Bile. [Accessed on December, 6 2021]  
3. NCBI. 2001. Risk factors for primary biliary cirrhosis in a cohort of patients from the united states. [Accessed on December, 6 2021]  
4. NCBI. 2013. Liver Disease in Women: The Influence of Gender on Epidemiology, Natural History, and Patient Outcomes. [Accessed on December, 6 2021]  
5. Northwell Health. 2021. Understanding liver disease in women. [Accessed on December, 6 2021]  
6. American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. 2021. Clinical examination: Eyes. [Accessed on December, 6 2021]  
7. Medline Plus. 2021. Liver Diseases. [Accessed on December, 6 2021]  
8. NPR. 2021. Sharp, ‘Off The Charts’ Rise In Alcoholic Liver Disease Among Young Women. [Accessed on December, 6 2021]  
9. CDC. 2021. Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis. [Accessed on December, 6 2021]  
10. NIH. 1999. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism . [Accessed on December, 6 2021]  
11. Arizona Liver Health. 2021. What are genetic liver diseases?. [Accessed on December, 6 2021] 
12. Karger. 2017. Liver in the Chinese and Western Medicine. [Accessed on December, 15 2021]
13. Karger. 2017. The Brief Theory of Viscus and Its Manifestations in Traditional Chinese Medicine. [Accessed on December, 15 2021]
14. US National Library of Medicine. 2014. Gastrointestinal dysfunction in liver cirrhosis. [Accessed on December 15, 2021]
15. Wolters Kluwer. 2015. Impact of physical and psychological factors on health-related quality of life in adult patients with liver cirrhosis: a systematic review protocol. [Accessed on December 15, 2021]
16. National Library of Medicine. 2019. A Study of Hormonal Abnormalities in Chronic Liver Disease. [Accessed on December 15, 2021]
17. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms. 2018. Immunomodulatory Effects of the Stout Camphor Medicinal Mushroom, Taiwanofungus camphoratus (Agaricomycetes)–Based Health Food Product in Mice. [Accessed on January 25, 2022]

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EXTRA BOOST IN YOUR FOOD: Healthier eating for all, Benefits of salt substitutes

  Functional foods do more than just provide energy and nutrients; they also promote optimal health and help reduce the risk of lifestyle-...

EXTRA BOOST IN YOUR FOOD: Healthier eating for all, Benefits of salt substitutes

 

Functional foods do more than just provide energy and nutrients; they also promote optimal health and help reduce the risk of lifestyle-related chronic diseases.

EVERYONE needs to eat – some more than others.

There are so many food choices that picking something healthy may not always be on our mind.

“Let’s say you don’t have a nutritional background – it can be daunting to navigate what’s good and what’s not good.

“With this pandemic, I have noticed from friends, family and colleagues that the majority of us have become more health conscious. 

“Covid-19 has put a different perspective on our health and we’re definitely putting more thought into what we eat.

“Functional foods and ingredients are becoming popular,” says Goh Peen Ern, dietitian and Beneo Asia Pacific’s manager of nutrition communication. 

Functional foods are ingredients that offer health benefits that extend beyond their nutritional value (i.e. calories and nutrients).

The simplest examples include whole foods such as nuts, seeds, grains, fruits and vegetables. Foods that have been fortified, enriched or enhanced with nutrients, phytochemicals or botanicals, as well as dietary supplements, also fall within the realm of functional foods.

The concept was believed to have originated in Japan in the 1980s when Japanese government agencies started approving foods with proven benefits in an effort to better the health of its general population.

Advances in technology have helped to identify which ingredients would enhance the nutritional value of foods.

Nutritional ingredients are generally perceived as safe, and this assumption of safety has often been used for branding purposes.

Because consumers are aware of nutritional benefits and consider food safety important, food and beverage producers are positioning their products to reflect the health advantages that their ingredients offer.

Carbs: Good or bad?

While functional ingredients can help promote better health, there are still certain factors about us that are not modifiable, e.g. genetics, family history and age.

Goh says: “The good news is that nutrition is one of the most powerful tools that can modify and improve our health.

“In Asian cultures, food is also used as medicine.”

Healthier eating for all

 

Many think Carbohydrate as bad, but we should not forget that they are essential for brain functions such as thinking. memory and learning, among others.

She gives carbohydrates as an example: “Carbohydrates have been getting a lot of bad rap and people think it is the source of all ailments, but remember that the human body and brain’s main source of energy is from carbohydrates that have been broken down into glucose.

“All health bodies promote eating carbohydrates, which should comprise around 50% of our caloric intake.”

Just like fats, the quality of carbohydrates differs and not all are created the same.

With the number of diabetics in the country and region, choosing the right type of carbohydrate is important in achieving long-term metabolic health.

Fast-release carbohydrates, or high glycaemic index (GI) foods, release glucose into the bloodstream rapidly, causing a spike in blood sugar levels.

These include breads, cereals, sugars, fruits and some starchy vegetables.

A constant high blood glucose level will cause damage to organs such as the eyes, heart and kidneys.

However, fast-release carbohydrates are extremely beneficial when eaten after exercising, as the rapid rise in blood sugar is critical for restoring glycogen – i.e. the sugars stored for energy – in the muscles and liver.

Slow-release, or low GI, carbohydrates foods provide a slower and more sustained release of energy.

These include most vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, beans, peas and legumes.

If you choose foods with slow-release carbohydrates for your meals throughout the day, you’ll have energy for an extended period of time.

Asian body type

Sugar is not necessarily the culprit leading to diabetes.

“About 60% of diabetics live in Asia.

“We have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared to Caucasians due to our genetic makeup.

“Asians appear to have a distinct ‘thin-outside-fat-inside’ (TOFI) characteristic phenotype.

“We wear small or medium size clothes, but inside we are ‘fatty’.

“If we do a body scan, our belly fat is much higher compared to Caucasians with the same body mass index (BMI),” says Goh.

Even if our BMI is lower than our Caucasian counterparts, we actually have a higher risk of developing diabetes.

She adds: “Abdominal fat is the worst kind to have as high levels of it is associated with increased inflammation – if the fat is on your arms, it is fine.

“So, Asian waistlines are actually bigger.

“We can’t change that, but we can change our diets by eating slow-release carbohydrates to reduce the risk of getting diabetes.

“Instead of going on a rollercoaster ride, let the blood sugar climb up the hill gently.”

Goh used to work as a dietitian in a hospital, but realised she was only helping the sick.

So, to prevent a larger group of people from getting sick and filling up hospital beds, she moved on to the food industry.

“The food industry is like an ecosystem consisting of companies that manufacture the end product and companies that produce the ingredients.

“If you look at the finished product sold in supermarkets and read the ingredient list that says sugar, it doesn’t mean the manufacturer has its own sugar plantation.

“They may be sourcing it from elsewhere and adding it to the product,” she explains.

Sugar substitute

 

Extracted from the sugar beet plant, isomaltulose ia a low GI ingredient composed of glucose and fructose, which can be used as sugar substitute

A good slow-release alternative sweetener is isomaltulose, which is extracted from the sugar beet plant that is grown in the Palatinate region in Germany.

Goh says: “This is a functional ingredient that is a fully-digestible, slow-release carbohydrate, which comes in powder form and has been used to replace the sugar in food and beverage products.”

Isomaltulose is fully, yet slowly, digested and absorbed, resulting in a lower blood glucose rise and less insulin release in the body when consumed.

“Unlike high-intensity sweeteners such as saccharine, isomaltulose has half the sweetness of table sugar.

“If I’m using a lot of brain work or playing sports, I need carbohydrates, and drinks containing isomaltulose are an excellent choice.

“Food manufacturers can use this as an ingredient in their products,” she says.

This low GI ingredient is already the number one sugar substitute in hard-boiled candies worldwide.

It can also be used as a bulk sweetener in confectionery, baked goods, cereals, dairy products, sports nutrition products and special nutrition products and so on.

Goh cites the example of canned herbal tea – people want it to be both tasty and healthy, meaning that they don’t want sugar in it.

However, when the manufacturer takes out the sugar, the tea will become unpalatable.

“The manufacturer has to put back something to get a better-tasting tea, so they can put in isomaltulose, which tastes really nice and is not as sweet.

“Many people also don’t check the sugar content and think if the product is not so sweet, it is healthier!” says Goh.

Another functional ingredient with plenty of benefits is chicory root fibre (a prebiotic), which comes from the chicory plant.

Prebiotics are non-digestible dietary fibres that promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the intestine.

Unlike probiotics, prebiotics are non-living organisms and aid the intestinal bacteria to flourish.

Chicory root fibre is derived from the chicory plant, which belongs to the dandelion family (and looks like radish), and is primarily composed of inulin.

Inulin is extracted from chicory root through a gentle hot water diffusion process, similar to the process used to extract sugar from beets.

The first step consists of obtaining a liquid concentrate from the chicory root.

This juice will then be refined into fibre in liquid or powder form.

Goh explains: “Back then, companies making cereal and nut bars used sugar syrup to bind the bar together, but now, some manufacturers have started using the liquid version to bind the ingredients so that the product is healthier.

“The chicory root fibre has plenty of healthy benefits and has been linked to improved blood sugar control and digestive health as it selectively increases the good gut microbiome.

“With isomaltoluse, it is slowly broken down by the body, but chicory root fibre is considered a prebiotic, so it is not broken down in the body and doesn’t affect blood sugar.”

In food packaging, some manufacturers will list the item as “having prebiotics” or a “sustained energy product”.

“What you can do is look at the ingredient list to see if it contains any functional ingredients.

“Food companies will usually use generic names, e.g. oligofructose, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), plant sterols, isomaltulose, beta glucan, etc.

“These functional ingredients are not just for diabetics, but for everyone to keep themselves healthy.

“And no, these ingredients are not sold to individuals, but to food manufacturing companies,” she says.

Prioritise food intake

To lead a healthy life, Goh ranks nutrition as top of the priority list, followed by exercise, adequate sleep and controlling stress.

She points out: “If you do the first three things right, then the fourth is not a problem.”

When it comes to the affordability factor, Goh says not all foods with functional ingredients are expensive.

“Maintaining good health is not expensive.

“If you cannot afford these foods, go for home brands, cook your meals with lots of onion and garlic, choose lean meats for protein, and eat your fruit and veggies, but make sure they are rainbow-coloured.”

There are those who think eating healthy once in a while is good enough.

“Health eating is a daily thing!” Goh emphasises.

“It’s not only reserved for special occasions.

“You should be eating healthy 80% of the time and the 20% remaining, you can indulge in junk food, fast food, chocolates, etc – why not?

“In the end, it boils down to habit.

“If you’re eating healthy, it’s very hard to undo.

“If your habit is not so healthy, put your mind to it and consciously eat healthy again and again – you can change your habits.

“Just do one thing consistently until it becomes a habit two or three months later, then work on another thing,” she advises.

More importantly, you have to eat to feel good.

 She says: “You can try it yourself, eat junk food one day and healthy food the next, and observe the difference. 

Benefits of salt substitutes

Dietary salt substitutes can help lower the risk of heart attacks, stroke and death in those with high blood pressure.

DIETARY salt substitutes lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and death from all causes and cardiovascular (heart) disease, finds a pooled data analysis of the available evidence.

Published online in the journal Heart, the beneficial effects of these substitutes are likely to apply to people all around the world, say the researchers.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, and high blood pressure is a major risk for an early death.

A diet high in sodium and low in potassium is known to drive up blood pressure.

Around 1.28 billion people around the world have high blood pressure, although more than half of these are undiagnosed, say the researchers.

Salt substitutes, in which a proportion of sodium chloride (Nacl) is replaced with potassium chloride (KCL), are known to help lower blood pressure.

A recently published large study from China, called the Salt Substitute and Stroke Study (SSASS), found that salt substitutes cut the risk of heart attacks, stroke, and early death.

But it was unclear whether these benefits would apply to other parts of the world.

In a bid to shed light on this, the researchers trawled research databases looking for randomised clinical trials published up to the end of August 2021, which reported on the effects of a salt substitute on blood pressure, cardiovascular health and early death.

Blood pressure, which is measured in mmhg, is made up of two numbers: systolic, which is the higher number that indicates the force at which the heart pumps blood around the body, and diastolic, which is the lower number that indicates arterial pressure when the heart is filling with blood.

They pooled the results of 21 relevant international clinical trials involving nearly 30,000 people, carried out in Europe, the Western-pacific region, the Americas and South-east Asia.

The study periods lasted from one month to five years.

The proportion of sodium chloride in the salt substitutes varied from 33% to 75%; the proportion of potassium ranged from 25% to 65%.

The pooled data analysis showed that salt substitutes lowered blood pressure in all the participants.

The overall reduction in systolic blood pressure was 4.61mmhg and the overall reduction in diastolic blood pressure was 1.61mmhg.

Reductions in blood pressure seemed to be consistent, irrespective of geography, age, sex, history of high blood pressure, weight (body mass index or BMI), baseline blood pressure, and baseline levels of urinary sodium and potassium.

And each 10% lower proportion of sodium chloride in the salt substitute was associated with a 1.53mmhg greater fall in systolic blood pressure and a 0.95mmhg greater fall in diastolic blood pressure.

There was no evidence that higher dietary potassium was associated with any health harms.

A pooled data analysis of the results of five of these trials involving more than 24,000 participants showed that salt substitutes lowered the risks of early death from any cause by 11%, from cardiovascular disease by 13%, and the risks of heart attack or stroke by 11%.

The researchers acknowledge certain limitations to their findings, including that the studies in the pooled data analysis varied in design and that there were relatively few data for people who didn’t have high blood pressure.

But they nevertheless highlight that their findings echo those of the SSASS – the largest ever trial of a potassium-enriched salt substitute to date.

“Since blood pressure lowering is the mechanism by which salt substitutes confer their cardiovascular protection, the observed consistent blood pressure reductions make a strong case for generalisability of the cardiovascular protective effect observed in the SSASS, both outside of China and beyond,” they write.

“These findings are unlikely to reflect the play of chance and support the adoption of salt substitutes in clinical practice and public health policy as a strategy to reduce dietary sodium intake, increase dietary potassium intake, lower blood pressure and prevent major cardiovascular events,” they conclude. 

• By REVATHI MURUGAPPAN starhealth@thestar.com.my

 

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Why Take Enzymes? Enzyme may help dissolve blood clots in stroke patients?

 

 

We inherited an enzyme reserve at birth and this quantity is decreased as time goes by from an enzyme deficient diet. As we become enzyme deficient, we age faster. The more we store up our enzyme reserve, the healthier we'll be. 

 

A nursing mother provides her baby with all the enzymes he needs to digest her milk. Have you ever noticed that the stool of a breast-fed baby doesn't stink? It's only when a baby starts eating cooked, processed food that his stool begins to stink. 

 

This happens because the cooked food won't digest properly and travels, undigested, into the small intestine. (Once we cook food at high temperatures of 118 degrees F. or more, enzymes are destroyed and no longer work.) It's the beginning of the toxemia cycle (undigested food putrefying in the bowel tract that continues to poison the blood), which is the root of all disease. 

Do you understand what that means? It means we're poisoning our own bodies through undigested food! 

 

It's been estimated that 80% of diseases are caused by improperly digested foods and their by-products being absorbed into the body ("Survival into the 21st Century" by Viktoras Kulvinskas).

In my life, I have met three people who have cured themselves from cancer by eating everything raw. One of them had been given only six months to live, but thirty years later he was still around and had not been sick again since changing his food habits. At the time I met those people, I did not know that much about food, but now I know that their cure is largely related to the presence of enzymes in raw food. It is the lack of enzymes in processed and cooked foods that burdens our bodies and causes a variety of health problems. This article is an introduction to this very important health issue.

     Enzymes are the key to life. No enzymes, no life. We destroy all the digestive enzymes in our food by cooking and baking, and thus the body has to draw the necessary enzymes to digest this dead food from the body organs which in turn become unbalanced. All processed foods are also void of enzymes. Research has shown that this might be a cause of a lot of degenerative diseases. Fortunately eating raw food and/or taking enzyme supplements can help to restore our health.  

 

Human salivary amylase 

image from the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics (RCSB)

 

 Stroke Patient Recovery - Home Therapy & Rehabilitation

Enzyme may help dissolve blood clots in stroke patients

 

16 March 2016 - Cardiovascular scientists from KU Leuven Campus Kulak Kortrijk have shown that the ADAMTS13 enzyme can dissolve blood clots blocking the blood flow to the brain. Their discovery may open up new possibilities for the treatment of stroke patients. 

 

For proper functioning of our brain, a continuous blood supply to the brain is essential. When a blood clot blocks an artery that supplies blood to the brain, an ischemic stroke occurs. This type of stroke often causes permanent brain damage. Ischemic strokes are among the leading causes of death and permanent disability in Western society.

 

Only one treatment is currently available to dissolve blood clots in the brain: administering the substance t-PA in time. Unfortunately, this treatment only works in a fairly limited number of patients.

Professor Simon De Meyer and Frederik Denorme from the KU Leuven Laboratory for Thrombosis Research have now discovered that stroke-causing blood clots can be significantly different in terms of composition, which explains why the t-PA doesn’t always work. 

 

“The key is in the blood proteins”, Professor De Meyer explains. “Some blood clots are rich in fibrin, and these clots can be broken down with t-PA. Others clots, however, contain relatively large amounts of a protein called von Willebrand Factor (VWF). This protein is insusceptible to t-PA.”

 

With this knowledge, the researchers went one step further by using ADAMTS13, an enzyme that, unlike T-PA, has an impact on von Willebrand Factor. “We administered ADAMTS13 to mice with VWF-rich blood clots”, Professor De Meyer continues. “We noticed that it made the clot in the brain dissolve quickly. The rapid breakdown of a blood clot can restore the blood flow to the brain and limit brain damage.”

 

Given the current limitations in the treatment of stroke patients, new insights into breaking down blood clots are particularly valuable. Further research will have to show whether the study can help improve therapies for patients who’ve had ischemic stroke.

 

 Click here to read the study in Blood

 

诺希山。

卫生总监拿督诺希山说，一旦新冠肺炎病毒入侵人体血管，就会引起血管阻塞，导致心脏病或中风。

 

他今天（28日）针对有年轻人感染新冠肺炎而出现中风的现象解释，新冠肺炎病患会有两种阶段，第一个是可传染度，第二个阶段是发炎。

 

他说，一旦病毒进入血管，就会有三个因素影响血液循环。

 

“第一是血浓度，一旦发炎就引起血浓甚至血液凝固的情况，第二，病毒就会袭击血管壁，导致血管壁受损，以及第三

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View allPeople diagnosed with an enzyme insufficiency often need to take prescription digestive enzymes. These supplements help the body process food and absorb nutrients better. The most common and the only FDA-regulated enzyme replacement therapy is pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT).

Digestive Enzymes and Digestive Enzyme Supplements

Digestive Enzymes and Digestive Enzyme Supplements

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What Are Digestive Enzymes and How Do They Work?

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