Excess high protein diet may cause problems in kidney and liver etc.

      
 Yes, high intake of proteins may be dangerous for our health if not controlled regularly. This is a fact that protein is one of the most important nutrients. However, we normally have no awareness about the quantity that how much of proteins we should take on daily basis in our food. Many people have the opinion that having a lot of protein or high protein diet will help to lose weight, gain muscle mass and improve our health. Whereas, some people think that having it too much is not good.  Everybody knows that protein is essential for our health while deficiency of proteins in our body may affect our body negatively like loss in muscle mass, development of type 2 diabetes, can cause swelling, fatty lever and rise in the infections etc.

Why Proteins required :     

 Let us first understand the function of Proteins in our body. Protein is an important component of every cell in our body and hairs and nails etc. are made of protein. Also, our body uses protein to build and repair the tissues and muscles, cartilage, skin and blood etc. Proteins are also used by our body system to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals which are essentially required for functioning of all body parts. Our body needs relatively large amounts of it than vitamins and minerals. Also, unlike fat and carbohydrates, our body does not store protein, and therefore has no extra storage is there for using it when it needs a supply. Apart from above, the proteins keep our body structurally sound, controls urge of hunger. 

What is an ideal quantity for Proteins:  Let us discuss and understand that how much protein should we include in our diet per day. It is generally said that the protein should be taken every day as per our body weight. 

It means that 0.8 gm to 1 gm/kg body weight/day (1 gram per kg of body weight per day) must be considered as the ideal intake for a normal person without any medical complication. It is also said that the people who do physical exercise or trying to recover from some injury may need more quantity of protein in their daily diet.The fact is that every individual's body has different protein requirement based on his or her age, sex and daily physical activity levels. It means that almost everyone, even athletes and sports persons can easily meet daily protein requirements without dietary supplements. 

What if extra proteins is consumed: All of us might have heard that having daily extra protein builds more muscle. However, this may not be correct for all us as the only way to build muscle is to do systematic and regular physical exercise. Our bodies need a modest amount of protein to function well and extra protein doesn't give our body extra strength. Let us always remember that increasing the amount of protein that we eat by restricting carbohydrates and fats can cause health problems ranging from mild to serious, especially over an extended period of time. Say for example, we may experience gastrointestinal issues such as constipation or diverticulitis, stemming from nutrient deficiencies and reduced fiber in our diet. Also, over a period of time, eating more protein than we need can cause undue stress on our kidneys, resulting in kidney disease, kidney stones or osteoporosis. For instance- taking large quantity of processed meats like hot dogs, sausages and other processed meat may lead to risk of several health problems like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer. Therefore while taking protein we should choose carefully which kind of protein will be suitably required for our body. 

            Actually, high-protein foods are also high in fat, such as red meat and full-fat cheese and consuming the same may raise Cholesterol in our body and subsequent risk of heart disease or even cancer. When we consume lots of proteins and take less quantity of carbohydrates the metabolism of our body changes to a state which is called ketosis which means that our body converts from burning carbohydrates for fuel to burn its own fat. When fat is broken down, small bits of carbon called ketones are released into the bloodstream as energy sources. It is also important to know that Ketosis, which also occurs in diabetes, tends to supress appetite, causing us to eat less and it also increases the body's elimination of fluids through urine resulting in loss of water weight.

         Another fact is that when we eat high protein food, then we excrete excess calcium through urine i.e. our body releases more calcium into blood stream to counter act an increase in acids caused by protein consumption and too much loss of calcium may lead to osteoporosis. Moreover, it is not advisable to take over dodge of protein through powder or other forms as supplement because taking too much of protein can cause the above mentioned health complications. 

Quality is important than quantity: We must also keep in mind that whatever proteins we take, should be a high quality protein instead of high quantity of proteins. We all know that animal products like meats, milk and eggs are rich in high quality protein with essential amino acids. Vegetarians may also opt for various sources of protein available in nuts, seeds, milk and other dairy products, pulses and soya products, food including grains and legumes etc. Still, there is a need to know that which kind of protein we need for some specific purpose. 

From where to get good quality of proteins:

·         

Nuts: One ounce of almonds or nuts gives us 6 grams of protein. 

Beans: Beans contain more protein than any other vegetables and the beans contain fibre that helps our body in many ways as you already know.

Whole grains: It is always recommended to have whole grains which give sufficient quality of proteins and fibre.

Fish: Consuming fish gives healthy omega-3 fatty acids for healthy heart and also fish have less in fat than meat. 

Poultry: If the skinless chicken is consumed then most of the saturated fat can be avoided and it can be rich in good quality of protein. 

            Thus, the above discussions may be useful to keep up our health level to certain extent which may increase the health of mind and spirit which may result in longer and happy life. 

Rheumatoid Arthritis-An Autoimmune Disease

Rheumatoid Arthritis-An Autoimmune Disease with Joint Pain

     Do you experience joint pain, joint swelling, joint stiffness and loss of joint movement? If yes, then it is an alarming health issue which may cause more complications. These are an autoimmune disease symptoms in which the body’s defence system attacks your own body cells. This is the most common type of autoimmune arthritis that affects the lining of the joints and tissues around the joints, as well as tissues at other places in your body.

     The joint damaged by this disease usually happens on both sides of your body. For example-if a joint is affected in one of your arms or legs, the same joint in the other arm or leg will probably be affected. This symptom may help distinguihing the problem with other kinds of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis etc. Actually, the cells of the immune system present in the blood move towards your joints and their linings causing inflammation within the joints resulting pain, swelling and stiffness. If these symptoms are ignored then it can affact almost all the organ-system in the body that may result in premature heart attack, lung disorders, osteoporosis causing bone fractures, anaemia, eye disease, and other complications.

     Please be careful as the treatments may be easy when symptoms are diagnosed early, therefore try to learn everything you want to know about this disease from types and symptoms, to home remedies, diets, and other treatments. Since it is a long-term or chronic disease indicating by symptoms of inflammation and pain in the joints which may occur throughout the body and can vary from mild to severe. Kindly note that the symptoms come and go so be careful as diagnosing this disease may take time and may require multiple lab tests to confirm the problem. There are several types of blood tests that help to determine the issue. The blood test checks for a protein called rheumatoid factor. High levels of rheumatoid factor are associated with autoimmune diseases. Anticitrullinated protein antibody test looks for an antibody that’s associated with this disease.  Another type of test is Antinuclear antibody test which tests immune system to see if it’s producing antibodies or not. There are other tests also that helps Doctors to determine this disease. 

       Different types of Arthritis :  The word 'Arthritis' derives from "arth" a Latin word for "joint" and "itis" a Latin word for "disease" or "inflammation". There are several different kinds of  Arthritis including RA, osteoarthritis, gout and lupus. We can see that like in rheumatoid arthritis, the people suffering from osteoarthritis can experience painful and stiff joints that can make moving around difficult. They may also have joint swelling after extended activity, but osteoarthritis doesn’t cause any significant inflammatory reaction that typically results in redness of the affected joints. osteoarthritis isn’t an autoimmune disease and it is related to the natural wear and tear of the joints as age increases or it can develop as a result of trauma. Osteoarthritis is most often seen in older adults. Similarly, Gout is an intensely painful type of arthritis that occurs mainly in the joints of the big toe. It can also attack the top of the foot and ankle. Occasionally, it’s been known to attack other joints in the body. Gout can result due to an overabundance of rich food and drink. Symptoms of Gout is seen as redness, swelling, and intense pain which is caused by rich food and drink but the real cause is purine rich foods that include meats (especially organ meats), fish and shellfish, and even some vegetables. Wholegrain breads and cereals contain purines too. The body converts purines into uric acid and Gout can occur whenever there is too much uric acid in the blood. 

    Types of rheumatoid arthritis : There are several different types of rheumatoid arthritis - Seropositive RA (some people with seropositive RA can experience inflammation in the eyes, salivary glands, nerves, kidneys, lungs, heart, skin, and blood vessels), Seronegative RA and Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (in people younger than 17 years of age). Arthritis in the hands may start as a low-level burning sensation that can be felt at the end of the day. This pain can get quite severe if not treated. Patient may also feel swelling, redness, warmth, and stiffness and if the cartilage in joints wears away, patients may notice some deformities in hands. Also a grinding feeling in the joints of  hands, fingers, and large joints can be felt if the cartilage deteriorates completely. Gradually, fluid-filled sacs or synovial cysts may develop in the wrists and around the joints of the hands and there may knobby growths, called bone spurs, in the affected joints. There may be severe deformities in  hands and feet and the hands and fingers may cause a curved and claw-like appearance may occur. Toes can also take on a claw-like appearance. somtimes bending upward, and sometimes curling under the ball of the foot and ulcers, bunions, and calluses on feet may also appear. Lumps, called rheumatoid nodules, can also appear anywhere on body where joints are inflamed. Excess weight stresses the joints of the hips, knees, ankles, and feet, and can make this disease worse. It’s always recommended to keep body weight under control by eating a balanced, healthy diet and limiting  alcohol consumption. 

      Women are more likely than men to develop rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis can occur at any age, but in many cases it begins between the ages of 40 and 60. There is chance that if a member of your family has rheumatoid arthritis, you may have an increased risk of the disease. Smoking increases the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. People who are overweight or obese have risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. People who have rheumatoid arthritis are much more likely to experience Sjogren's syndrome, a disorder that decreases the amount of moisture in your eyes and mouth.

       Rheumatoid arthritis treatment : There’s no treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, but there are some treatments that can help you to manage it i.e. to manage the pain and control the inflammation. Such treatments may include medications, alternative or home remedies, dietary changes, specific types of exercise etc. that may help the patients live an active life and reduce the risk of long-term complications. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the problem. Such food include fatty fishes, including salmon, tuna, herring, and mackerel, chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts etc. Also, antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E, and selenium, may also help reduce inflammation. Foods high in antioxidants including berries, such as blueberries, cranberries, goji berries, and strawberries

dark chocolate, spinach, kidney beans, pecans, artichokes may also be consumed to reduce the risk. Eating lots of fiber is also important, because according to some researchers, fiber may help reduce inflammatory responses which can be seen as a decrease in C-reactive protein levels. It is also advisable to take whole grain foods, fresh vegetables, and fresh fruit. 

     So, be attentive and take care of your valuable health. Live long with happiness.

Are soft drinks and soda harmful for health?

       Many of us are worried while consuming soft drink or soda that drinking it can adversely affect our health. Consuming soft drink and soda can certainly cause health problems for certain people whereas some people are not affected by it at all. This depends on age, health condition, physical activities and other factors. Doctors often advice some people to stay away from the soft drinks during treatment of certain disease. Now, the question is whether soft drink or soda is always dangerous for health? Drinking occasionally soft drinks and soda does not harm but regular intake can cause health hazards. Let us discuss in details the issue. 

     We will discuss the contents of the soft drink and soda which can cause health problem

and then we will see the bad affects of the containers which are used in packaging and sale of soft drink and soda.  Unfortunately, sodas are often a substitute for water and other healthier fluids too. According to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, the Americans consume more than 13 billion gallons of soda a year.

     Soda and Carbonated Beverages have been the subject matter of the health debate for two decades as a major cancer causing food. Sodas typically contain carbonation, sugar or fructose, phosphoric acid, sodium and excess calories. These Soda and Carbonated Beverages, filled with High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), dyes, and a host of other chemicals, are very bad for every aspect of health. They provide zero nutritional value and rob the body of the nutrients received from other foods. The biggest cancer causing edible things are the High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and other refined sugars. The refined sugars (and foods made with them) are the source of major insulin spikes and feed the growth of cancer cells. Also, the HFCS may stress the pancreas and lead to fluctuating blood sugar levels and consuming sugary sodas day after day can contribute to the onset of non-insulin dependent diabetes, or type 2 diabetes. Since, Soda contains full of calories, sugar and artificial ingredients, it is also said that one Can of soda contains about ten packets of sugar and most popular diet and sugared sodas are nearly as corrosive to dental enamel as battery acid. Taking soda occasionally is not bad however, the Studies have shown that drinking two sodas per week nearly doubles the risk of pancreatic cancer. The Insulin allows the entry of glucose into cells, where it’s used as an energy source. Unfortunately, cancer cells need insulin too. In fact, many cancers have insulin receptors which transport glucose to cancerous cells, helping them to grow, divide, and multiply. Studies show that insulin encourages pancreatic cancer cells to grow in a dose-dependent manner. The Singapore scientists opined that this may be a reason why soft drinks are linked to pancreatic cancer. So if you’re concerned about cancer, it may be better to avoid soft drinks which can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and insulin levels. Also, if we drink soft drink, our blood sugar increases and our body produces insulin to balance that increase. Our blood sugar then crashes and we want more sugar-filled soda to compensate and over a period our body becomes resistant to insulin leaving us unable to metabolize sugar resulting in diabetes. According to Dr. Ochner, if we drink one to two soft drinks a day, we increase our risk of Type 2 diabetes by 26 percent. 

    Most Cans used as container of soft drinks and soda are lined with a product called bisphenol-A (BPA), which genetically altered the brain cells of rats during experiments. Many plastic container/goods, thermal paper also contain BPA. Thus, the Plastic Bottles and Food Containers containing soft drinks and food items have chemicals like Bisphenol A, which is used to harden plastic in products such as water bottles. Many studies have proved Bisphenol A to adverse health effects. 

      Saccharin, present in some of the soft drinks is proven to cause bladder cancer and is banned in some of foreign countries. It is said that the Soft Drinks can remove rust from a car bumper or other metal surfaces so imagine what it’s doing to our digestive tract as well as the rest of our body when we drink it. Also, soft drinks are extremely acidic, and they can eat through the liner of an Aluminum Can and leach Aluminum from the Can if it sits on the shelf too long. In many Alzheimer patients who have been autopsied, have high levels of Aluminum in their brains. 

     There are many other disadvantages of consuming soft drink or soda like dehydration, high-sugar intake, weight gain and calcium depletion. Sixty percent of our body weight is comprised of water. We lose water when we sweat, urinate and breathe. To continue functioning properly, our body must replace the lost water with ingested fluids. It is seen that Sodas are often consumed in place of water or other hydrating fluids to compensate water in our body. Often, sodas contain caffeine, which acts as a diuretic, increasing urination and leaving the body with less available fluid to carry out important functions. Also, some diet sodas contain significant amounts of sodium, which may draw water from the cells and promote dehydration.  

      Another, health affects due to consumption of soda and soft drinks is weight gain. If we consume more calories than our body burns then it can cause imbalance in our health system.  If these calories are not burned, our body may gain more than 12 pounds in one year. The Harvard University states that the increased consumption of sugary drinks, such as soda, is one of the major factors in the growing obesity epidemic. The excessive weight gain puts us at risk for diabetes, certain cancers, arthritis, heart disease and stroke. Dr. Mary Ann McLaughlin, medical director of the cardiac health program at Mount Sinai, told Fox News that the sodium and caffeine in soft drinks put our heart at risk. Sodium causes our body to retain fluid and caffeine elevates our heart rate and blood pressure. Also, an analysis published in 2012 in “Circulation” discovered that those who drank one sugary drink a day had an increased risk of heart attack compared to those who rarely or never drank sugary beverages. 

       The next disadvantage of soft drink and soda is bad dental health. The bacteria in our mouth thrive on sugar and they feed on it and produce an acid that wears away our teeth enamel causing cavities, dental decay and teeth loss. Similarly, the soft drinks and soda can cause Gout and this Gout is a condition in which our body has too much uric acid, causing our joints to become swollen and inflamed. An analysis of data from the Nurses' Health Study, published in 2010 in the “Journal of the American Medical Association,” reported that women who drank one sugary beverage a day had a significantly increased risk of gout compared to those who rarely drank sugary beverages.

      Our body needs Calcium as an essential mineral for strong bones and teeth and consuming high amounts of phosphoric acid, which is one of a common ingredients in sodas, can deplete the calcium from our bones and decrease calcium absorption. This can cause among women, poor bone development or osteoporosis, brittle and weak bones.

         Now let us discuss about some of the advantages of soft drinks and soda. In our daily lives, soft drink consumption has become an essential habit and we often serve soft drinks to our guests at home apart from serving other snacks and drinks. The children also like soft drinks very much. It is easy and handy to store the soft drinks in our Refrigerator and it can be consumed or served easily whenever needed. During Summer, one cannot resist to sip chilled soft drinks. In contrary to the above mentioned disadvantages, there are certain advantages of soft drinks and soda which are mentioned below: 

      The Caffeine is a stimulant that is found in soft drinks. Though, in large amounts of Caffeine can have detrimental effects on our health but it also has numerous benefits like the Caffeine stimulates your central nervous system, helps breakdown fatty acids in our liver, boost our mood and eliminate headaches. Also, the people who regularly ingest caffeine are less likely to develop Parkinson's disease, colon cancer, gallstones, and cirrhosis of the liver. The next advantage is that Carbonated water is a primary ingredient of soft drinks and Carbonated water has proven to have many benefits for the gastrointestinal tract. Carbonated water eases stomachaches, quells nausea and has been proven to alleviate constipation. Similarly, the Sodium is another product found in soft drinks and this Sodium is an important mineral found in almost all natural foods. Sodium helps our body retain water, helps avoid and treat muscle cramps, keeps electrolyte balance, prevents the effects of aging of our skin and prevents the drop of our blood pressure.

      Thus, the above discussion may enlighten some of us and remind us to be careful in consuming soft drinks and soda. It is better if we use alternate drinks or juices in place of soda and commercially produced soft drinks. The big companies invest huge money in soft drinks and soda industries and maintaining quality has been always a challenge so often the product coming out of factories and supplied to market in different climate and atmosphere have different affects. However, let us not be discouraged and take care in choosing right soft drinks and sodas, keep balance in consuming and always be regular in physical exercise so that a healthy body can be maintained in adverse situation also.