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How Does Celiac Disease Affect Your Body?

ben — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:13:28 +0000

by Liz Smith

Celiac disease is an auto immune disorder in which the small intestine reacts to the presence of protein found naturally in wheat, rye and barley. This protein is called gluten and, for unknown reasons, it causes allergic reactions in the small intestines, which – when left untreated – could lead to serious health problems.

When inside the body, the immune system views gluten as a threat thereby releasing antibodies to fight it, as its automatic reaction. Nevertheless, as the anti-bodies destroy gluten, it also damages the villi which are found in the intestine.

Villus is a small projection responsible for the absorption of nutrients and their delivery into the bloodstream for circulation. When the villi are damaged, the absorption of the essential nutrients from food eaten is compromised. Thus, celiac disease or gluten allergy can damage the small intestine and at the same time, wreaks havoc to the whole body.

Another condition that may arise from gluten-induced allergic reaction in the small intestine is ‘leaky gut’ syndrome. This is seriously dangerous because the intestines expand, which allows entry of not only the nutrients but toxic substances as well. As this happens, the body struggles to fight the toxins and most often ends up incurring damage to the body.

Strange it may seem, celiac disease is among the most common illnesses the world faces, but its early diagnosis remains evasive. Quite often, the symptoms are misunderstood to be another complication until such time that the damage to the body is already irreversible. For instance, a person who is supposedly allergic to gluten may consume foods containing gluten and yet not experience any allergic reactions for quite some time. However, in an abrupt turn of events, the person suffers from a chronic allergic reaction arising from auto immune response.

Medical experts suggest that environmental factors, besides genes and heredity, may play a critical role in the onset of celiac disease. There are two possible scenarios. One, a person may suffer from symptoms associated with celiac disease and yet, does not have it. The second situation is a person who experiences different symptoms and actually suffers from celiac disease, but is not diagnosed early.

There is no exemption to this disease. Anyone is vulnerable. No race, culture or nationality is immune from it. Nor is there a limit to the ages of people stricken. Further, the symptoms vary from one person to another and this is what makes the diagnosis difficult.

There are two classifications of the symptoms of this disease. These are the gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal symptoms. When it comes to children, they may show different set of symptoms which may include delayed puberty and failure to concentrate.

Dermatitis herpetiformis, a kind of skin infection, is closely linked to celiac disease, although the correlation between skin infection and allergic reaction in the small intestine is a mystery. As of now, the only effective cure is prevention. People who are allergic to gluten are admonished to eradicate it from their diet.

20 Worst Jobs for 2010

ben — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:50:04 +0000

Business News

CHOREOGRAPHER
MACHINIST
SEAMAN
REPORTER (NEWSPAPER)
STEVEDORE
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN
SHEET METAL WORKER
FIREFIGHTER
PHOTOJOURNALIST
BUTCHER
MAIL CARRIER
METER READER
CONSTRUCTION WORKER (LABORER)
TAXI DRIVER
GARBAGE COLLECTOR
WELDER
DAIRY FARMER
IRONWORKER
LUMBERJACK
ROUSTABOUT

Source:The Wall Street Journal Online

Eat Well Boosts Your Immunity

ben — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 06:52:25 +0000

With cold and flu season upon us, certain nutrients such as vitamin C, zinc and selenium are often touted by some to provide protection against seasonal illness. While it’s true that these nutrients do boost the immune system, more is not better! “Almost all vitamins and minerals play some role in ensuring an optimal immune response,” says Catherine Field, registered dietitian and spokesperson for DC, “but high doses do not help and may do harm.”

Here are the ’straight goods’ based on evidence provided by dietitians – your trusted source for food and nutrition advice:

Top 20 Best Jobs for 2010

ben — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 06:48:49 +0000

Business News

ACTUARY
SOFTWARE ENGINEER
COMPUTER SYSTEMS ANALYST
BIOLOGIST
HISTORIAN
MATHEMATICIAN
PARALEGAL ASSISTANT
STATISTICIAN
ACCOUNTANT
DENTAL HYGIENIST
PHILOSOPHER
METEOROLOGIST
TECHNICAL WRITER
BANK OFFICER
WEB DEVELOPER
INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER
FINANCIAL PLANNER
AEROSPACE ENGINEER
PHARMACIST
MEDICAL RECORDS TECHNICIAN

Source: The Wall Street Journal Online

Hops Compound May Prevent Prostate Cancer

ben — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:53:45 +0000

The natural compound xanthohumol blocks the effects of the male hormone testosterone, therefore aiding in the prevention of prostate cancer.

“We hope that one day we can demonstrate that xanthohumol prevents prostate cancer development, first in animal models and then in humans, but we are just at the beginning,” said Clarissa Gerhauser, Ph.D., group leader of cancer chemoprevention in the Division of Epigenomics and Cancer Risk Factors at the German Cancer Research Center, in Heidelberg, Germany.

What is St. Johns Wort?

ben — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:56:20 +0000

St. John’s wort, or Perforate St. John’s wart, Tipton’s Weed or Klamath weed, is a medication that comes from a flowering plant called Hypericum perforatum. For a long time it is believed to have medicinal qualities, especially for the treatment of depression. Recent studies appear to conclude more favorably than unfavorably regarding St. John’s Wort’s efficacy in treating depression.

St. John’s wort is also known as: Amber, Amber Touch-and-Heal, Demon Chaser, Fuga Daemonum, Goatweed, Hardhay, Hypereikon, Hyperici Herba, Klamath Weed, Millepertuis, Rosin Rose, Saynt Johannes Wort, and SJW.

Studies from reputable research centers report that St. John’s wort is more effective than a placebo and equally effective as tricyclic antidepressant drugs in the short-term (1 to 3 months) treatment of mild-to-moderate major depression. Experts continue to debate whether St. John’s wort is as effective as SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors).

Consumers Staying Organic Despite Economy

ben — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:35:49 +0000

Business News

Mintel.com
FoodProcessing.com
12/21/2009

By FoodProcessing.com staff

A recent survey from market research firm Mintel shows that nearly 40% of consumers claim they haven’t changed organic product purchasing habits because of the recession and only a mere 3% have stopped buying organic products altogether.

“Heavy users of natural and organic food and drink are most likely to indicate they’ve traded down to less expensive organic options,” notes David Browne, senior analyst at Mintel. “However, less-frequent consumers of organic products have shown that they haven’t shifted their behavior. This is good news for the organic food and drink market, as this group may begin to buy more once recession-related fears begin to fade.”

He’Brew The Chosen Beer

ben — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:42:58 +0000

The microbrew movement has brought a lot of shtick to beer, from the Bostonian use of “wicked” for Pete’s Wicked Ales to the Mormon-joshing of Wasatch Polygamy Porter.But only New York’s Shmaltz Brewing Co., maker of He’Brew, the Chosen Beer, really has shtick as part of its DNA.

Founded 13 years ago in San Francisco and now brewing in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Shmaltz has been getting mileage with the biblically-minded by bringing forth such beers as Genesis Ale and Messiah Bold.

Full story

Cooking With Beer

ben — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:38:50 +0000

Beer. The drink that plays an integral part in many Ocktoberfest, St. Patrick’s Day, sporting events, and other festive occasions is said to date back to 9000 BC and is the third most popular drink in the world according to The Barbarian’s Beverage: A History of Beer in Ancient Europe by Max Nelson.

Full story

Movie Popcorn Has Shocking Calories, Fat

ben — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:39:35 +0000

(CBS) Ordering a medium popcorn and soda combo from a major national movie theater chain is the equivalent of eating three McDonald’s Quarter Pounders with 12 pats of butter, according to a new study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

According to laboratory analysis conducted by the Center for Science and Public Interest (CSPI), the concessions from Regal, the country’s biggest movie chain, have 1,160 calories and three days worth – 60 grams – of fat. Regal said that the medium popcorn had 720 calories and the large had 960, but CSPI’s tests found those numbers to be understated. A small popcorn at Regal had 670 calories – the same as a Pizza Hut Personal Pepperoni Pan Pizza. Even if you share a small popcorn – it’s still about a day’s worth of saturated fat per person, according to CSPI.

“It’s hard enough for Americans to maintain a healthy weight even when limiting their eating to breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” said CSPI senior nutritionist Jayne Hurley. “Who realizes that they might be taking in a meal’s worth of calories during a movie? Splitting a medium popcorn with two other people sounds like a reasonable thing to do, but who would think they’re getting an entire day’s worth of saturated fat?”

The study is published in December’s Nutrition Action Healthletter, and updates research CSPI conducted 15 years ago.