07.31.08
Glandular Body Types
Everyone is shaped a little differently. There are groups of similar shapes in certain people – long ones, tall ones, short ones, big ones. Usually a practitioner will classify a persons body into particular types and then adhere to that type’s best supplements and diet. One of the common systems used for this is the glandular system.
Here’s a brief look at each type. There are many different methods and uses for this system but just for fun, look at the categories and see if you can pinpoint your type and the herb that would work for you:
|
Glandular Type |
Where Fat Is Gained Predominately |
Best Herb |
|
Pituitary |
Gains fat evenly all over the body |
Slippery Elm |
|
Adrenal |
Gains fat mostly in upper body; small on bottom; thin legs; large on top and in bust and back area |
Peppermint |
|
Gonadal |
Gains weight on bottom; pear shape; thinner on top; larger butt, hips, and thighs |
Dandelion |
|
Thyroid |
Tall and mostly thin, but gains weight around middle (like wearing an inflated rubber tire tube around waist), prone to “beer” belly |
Bayberry |
|
Thymus |
Mixture between adrenal and thyroid; balanced body; depends on which type is most resembled – se herbs for that type |
See Thyroid and Adrenal |
|
Pancreatic |
Usually obese; very large frame; large bust, belly, and butt |
Gentian |
|
Pineal |
Small in stature with large head; usually not overweight; doesn’t apply to weight loss, but may need weight-gaining therapies |
N/A |
07.30.08
Understanding Vitamin B3 – Niacin
Background
At the ordinary FDA level, niacin doesn’t do anything very dramatic. Except that we do need it for some of the most important functions in our body, like releasing energy in our cells, making hormones, and working with the other members of the B team to keep the body running smoothly.
The Role It Plays
Niacin is essential for more than 50 different processes in our body. Most of these processes boil down to helping the body produce energy from the foods we eat.
Niacin make enzymes that help our cells turn carbohydrates into energy. As part of the energy end of things, niacin also helps control how much glucose (sugar) is in our blood, which in turn helps give us energy when we need it.
Niacin also acts as an antioxidant within our cells – every bit helps when it comes to fighting free radicals. However, niacin only works as an on the spot antioxidant for mopping up the free radicals made when it’s being used to release energy. (It’s nowhere near as powerful as some other vitamins for battling free radicals).
Niacin works closely with all its B relatives, but it’s especially close to riboflavin and pyridoxine. All three work together to keep us in overall good health. They’re especially important for skin, nervous system, and digestion.
In very large amounts, niacin can be a valuable treatment for lowering high cholesterol but it doesn’t keep you from getting high cholesterol.
Another interesting role for niacin may be in helping people with the severe form of diabetes called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, or IDDM.
Types Of Niacin
Niacin, a water-soluble B vitamin, comes in two forms: nicotinic acid and niacinamide (also sometimes called nicotinamide). To avoid confusion with nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, the name nicotinamide isn’t used very often (niacin has nothing to do with nicotine). The word niacin is generally used to mean both forms. Niacinamide is the form usually found in supplements.
RDA
The RDA for niacin is based mostly on how many calories you eat – but which foods those calories come from is also part of the picture. The calorie part is easy: At a bare minimum, you need 6.6 mg of niacin for every 1,000 calories you eat. This ratio assumes that you eat 2,000 calories a day and get at least 13 mg of niacin a day. If you don’t eat that much, you still need the same amount of niacin.
The food part: About half of the niacin comes straight from the food we eat, but the other half is made in the body from the proteins we eat. When we eat protein (animal or plant), the body breaks the proteins down into their building blocks – amino acids. One of those building blocks is the amino acid tryptophan. The body uses about half the tryptophan for making 50,000-plus proteins we need. The other half gets converted to niacin.
The RDA ignores the tryptophan and only counts the niacin we get from food. That’s why even though average Americans only get about 11 mg a day of niacin from their diet, very few people are deficient – they make the rest from tryptophan.
| Age | Niacin |
| 0 – 0.5 year | 5.0 mg |
| 0.5 – 1 year | 6.0 mg |
| 1-3 years | 9.0 mg |
| 4-6 years | 12.0 mg |
| 7-10 years | 13.0 mg |
| Men 11-14 | 17.0 mg |
| Men 15 – 18 | 20.0 mg |
| Men 19 – 50 | 19.0 mg |
| Men 50+ | 15.0 mg |
| Women 11-18 | 15.0 mg |
| Women 19-50 | 15.0 mg |
| Women 50+ | 13.0 mg |
| Pregnant Women | 17.0 mg |
| Nursing Women | 20.0 mg |
Safe Dosage
Not too many people need supplements of niacin alone – if you’re low on niacin, you’re almost certainly low on the other B vitamins and should take a complete B supplement.
If you really feel you need a niacin supplement due to an inadequates diet, you can buy tablets or capsules containing 100 mg, 250 mg, or 500 mg. You’ll have a choice of niacinamide or nicotinic acid. If you just want to supplement your niacin level, choose niacinamide in the smallest dose. Don’t overdo – even 100 mg of niacinamide can cause heartburn, nausea, and headaches for some people.
The only real reason to take nicotinic acid at all is to treat high blood cholesterol under a doctor’s supervision. There are some nasty side effects from the large doses you need to take – and some very good reasons why some people shouldn’t take them at all.
Doctor’s have known for many years that large doses of nicotinic acid – between 2 and 3 grams a day – lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides and raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Niacin works on high cholesterol pretty well bu itself. Many people need a combination of drugs to really make a dent in their high cholesterol, though. Niacin can work well here too, especially when it’s combined with drugs such as lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), or simvastatin ( Zocor). The one-two punch can bring your cholesterol way down. Do not try niacin supplements on your own to lower your cholesterol. The doses needed are so high that the niacin stops being a supplement and becomes a drug. You must work with your doctor and have your cholesterol and liver functions checked often. Also, if you are already on cholesterol drugs – do not stop taking them and switch to niacin. And do not keep taking your cholesterol drugs and start taking niacin. Discuss this with your doctor first.
Not everyone with high cholesterol should take niacin. If you have diabetes, extra niacin could cause your blood sugar to go up. If you have gout, niacin could trigger an attack. If you take medicine for high blood pressure, niacin could make your blood pressure drop too low. And if you have liver disease or ulcers, niacin could make these problems worse.
Large doses (and even not so large doses) of nictotinic acid cause a nasty side effect called the niacin flush. About 15 to 30 minutes after you take it, your face and neck get really red and hot. The flush can go on for half an hour or longer and then it wears off. You can build up a tolerance to niacin flushing by starting with smaller doses and gradually taking bigger ones. Taking the niacin on a full stomach also seems to help.
Another way to avoid flushing is to use the sustained-release (SR) form of nicotinic acid but don’t take it. It’s good at lowering your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, but it doesn’t do much to raise your HDL level and it can also cause serious liver problems.
The best way to avoid flushing is to avoid nicotinic acid and take niacin in the form of inositol hexaniacinate (IHN). IHN works on cholesterol just as well as nicotinic acid, but without the side effects. You still need to talk to your doctor before taking it though.
Make It Work Better
Not too many people need supplements of niacin alone – if you’re low on niacin, you’re almost certainly low on the other B vitamins and should take a complete B supplement.
Good Sources
Niacin Rich Foods:
Almonds, asparagus, avocado, whole wheat bread, chick peas, corn, cottage cheese, cream of wheat, kidney beans, mushrooms, navy beans, nectarine, peanut butter, peanuts, peas, potato, brown rice, wild rice, spinach, sunflower seeds, sweet potato, tomato, and wheat germ
Tryptophan Rich Foods:
avocado, banana, black beans, chicken breast, corn cottage cheese, dates, egg, flounder, oatmeal, peanuts, pear, and turkey.
Deficiency
Because you don’t really need all that much niacin to begin with, and because you make niacin from the tryptophan in protein, real niacin deficiency is very rare in the developed world. However, pellagra, the deficiency disease caused by lack of niacin was a problem for poor people in Europe, Africa and North America back in the 1930’sand is still a problem in impoverished areas of Asia and Africa.
You could be likely to get pellagra or even be slightly deficient in niacin if you abuse alcohol. Alcohol blocks your uptake of all the B vitamins. Also if you’re a strict vegetarian or a vegan. You may not get enough protein.
Anyone who is low on niacin is low on all the B vitamins. The reason is always poor diet.
07.28.08
How Changes In Eating Effect Your Health
When a person first starts eating whole grains, they will be amazed at how full they are on smaller amounts compared to bigger amounts of processed refined grains. There is a scientific explanation for this. The mechanisms in the body that regulate appetite are blood-sugar levels, a satiety system in the brain (also called “appestat”), and the state of fullness in the stomach.
Studies have shown that chewing and swallowing, and taking a long time to eat, are factors in setting the satiety system in the brain to make a person feel full and make that satiety last for a longer period of time. The reasons why this is so aren’t completely clear. Studies have shown that the activities of chewing and swallowing in themselves increase electrical activity in the part of the brain connected with satiety. It appears to take about 5 minutes after food first enters the mouth for any feeling of satiety to begin to register, and around 20 minutes before all mechanisms coordinate to communicate that the stomach is full, no matter how much food is eaten.
Eating very quickly means large quantities of calories can be gulped down before the body even gets a chance to turn its satiety signals on. Even though we may not all be fast eaters, we can all recall having at least once hungrily and quickly gulped down a meal in 10 to 15 minutes, only to suddenly feel uncomfortably stuffed five to 10 minutes later (as the body’s satiety mechanisms caught up with us).
Chewing well and eating slowly gives the body satiety system a chance to begin sending out signals before consuming too much food.
Eating foods in high dietary fiber focuses us to chew well to break down cell walls, thus automatically slowing down eating time.
How dietary fiber makes the stomach feel full, thus cutting down on calorie intake, is more obvious. The stomach feels full because it is! Dietary fiber is bulk, so it takes up a lot of room and stays in the stomach longer than processed foods do. The cell walls of fiber contain no calories.
Filling up on food high in dietary fiber naturally limits calorie intake and actually removes calories from the system at the other end. Fiber keeps a lot of fat and cholesterol from being digested and absorbs cholesterol and fat (as well as chemical toxins) from the bloodstream and removes them from the body. Cholesterol output in stool on a diet high in dietary fiber can be three times greater than on a diet low in dietary fiber.
This helps to keep the body slim while performing some life-saving work at the same time. Dietary fiber has been scientifically proven to prevent and reverse the major killers like heart disease, cancer of the colon, and diabetes.
Lack of dietary fiber has even been linked to diverticular disease, varicose veins, constipation, and hemorrhoids, ulcers, and appendicitis. Unfortunately, the process of refining strips essential fiber from whole grains along with the extremely nutritious germ.
People have gotten used to the appearance of food made with refined grains and actually prefer it whole grain – changes are always met with objections. . And the economics of it – that’s processed food is actually cheaper (ounce per ounce) than natural food – it is a first choice for people who are on a tight budget. However, cutting everything refined off of your grocery list will eliminate ¾ of the supermarket shelves. You will actually buy less, eat less, feel more satisfied, have more energy, and spend less money. This all adds up to a better sense of well-being and is the reason why it is often referred to a lifestyle change rather than a diet.
Do you have anything to add? Make a comment and tell the world how you feel.
07.27.08
Easing Heartburn With Essential Oils
Add 1 drop of peppermint essential oil to a teaspoon of honey and dissolve in a cup of warm water, sip slowly. Also rub the upper abdominal area with the following:
2 drops Eucalyptus essential oil
3 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
Dilute in 1 teaspoon olive oil
Do you plan or trying these remedies? have you tried these remedies? Let me know how they work for you.
07.26.08
Dried Fruits and Sulfur Dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is what forms when sulfur is burned; it is commonly used to treat dried fruit to keep them from browning.
Like many elements on the FDA’s GRAS list (Generally Regarded As Safe), the actual safety of the element for human consumption is debatable and the FDA has asked for further studies. At the same time, the FDA has no regulating figure on the maximum amount of sulfur dioxide that can be used.
Sulfur dioxide itself is very poisonous; inhalation of the gas can be highly irritating to the lungs and can even cause death (in concentrated amounts).
Although sulfur dioxide fumes aren’t inhaled by the consumer of dried fruits treated with the gas, the residues left on the fruit alter its nutritional value and can effect the body.
Beside destroying part of the B vitamin complex contained in food treated with sulfur dioxide, a 1933 report (called “100,000,000 Guinea Pigs; Dangers in Everyday Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics”) found that daily portions of 3/10 to 1 gram (about as much as is found in 6 ounces of dried fruit) over a period of months caused different problems in individuals, including “destruction of corpuscles in the blood, anemia, belching of sulfur dioxide gas, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the mouth, symptoms of malaise, headache, backache, nausea, albumin in the urine, sensation of cold, etc.)”.
Sure you may not eat that amount of dried fruit everyday for months straight but here’s where the controversy comes in. Since there’s proof that sulfur dioxide builds up in our body, if we eat the occasional dried fruit treated with sulfur dioxide – how many years would it take for the effects to show up? Is it all just a coincidence that an overwhelming number of elderly are low in B vitamins, suffer from anemia, experience the effects of destructed corpuscles in the blood, suffer from malaise, experience “unexplained” headaches, backaches, nausea, etc.
When you need the occasional prune treatment or buy a whole grain cereal with fruit added, it may be worth the little bit of extra effort and expense to get unsulfured dried fruit.
Do you have words of wisdom on this matter? Let us know.
07.25.08
Papaya Ice Cream
You can combine fruits by running varying chunks through a blender, or by pre-blending the fruits and freezing in ice cube trays as in the following recipe:
3 papayas
3 bananas
Juice of three lemons
Blend all 3 ingredients together in a blender and pour into ice cube trays. Freeze until solid. Remove frozen cubes and run through a juicer or food processor with chopping blade until fruit becomes fully whipped and creamy.
Do you make homemade ice cream without all the added sugar? Tell us about it.
07.23.08
Understanding Vitamin B2 – Riboflavin
Background
Riboflavin was discovered in milk in 1879. Nobody realized it was a vitamin, mostly because back then nobody knew what a vitamin was. The discoverers just saw it as an interesting yellow-green pigment in the milk. The name riboflavin is a combination of two words: ribose, a type of sugar found in milk, and flavin, from the Latin word flavus, which means yellow.
Our cells need riboflavin to make energy, so we need to be sure we’re getting enough of this vital member of the B family.
Riboflavin does lots of other good things for us as well, mostly by working with the other B’s to keep our body’s systems, like the immune system, running smoothly. Riboflavin works especially closely with niacin and pyridoxine – in fact, without riboflavin, these two B siblings can’t do their main jobs at all.
The Role It Plays
Riboflavin gives us energy at the most basic level – inside our cells. We need it to make two of the enzymes that are absolutely vital for releasing energy from the fats, carbohydrates, and proteins we eat. To make a complicated story short, riboflavin keeps us alive.
Aside from that little chore, riboflavin also does a bunch of other little things in our body, either by itself or along with the other members of the B team (especially pyridoxine and niacin). Riboflavin regulates cell growth and reproduction and helps us make healthy red blood cells. It helps our immune system by keeping the mucous membranes that line the respiratory and digestive systems in good shape. If invading germs still sneak in, riboflavin helps make antibodies for fighting them off. Our eyes, nerves, skin, nails, and hair all need riboflavin to stay healthy. It might even help with memory – older people with high levels of riboflavin do better in memory tests.
By itself, riboflavin’s most important role is in cell respiration. Just as you breathe in oxygen and exhale the waste product carbon dioxide from your lungs, so does each and every cell in your body. Molecules of oxygen and food enter a cell and are carried into the mitochondria, tiny structures within the cell that act like little power plants. Enzymes in the mitochondria release the energy from the oxygen and food. Two of those enzymes must work together as part of the process. These enzymes contain riboflavin and if there’s not enough riboflavin then there’s not enough enzymes and therefore not enough energy.
The faster you use up energy, the more riboflavin you need. Most people have enough to meet their energy needs, but most people don’t really exercise very much. Anyone who exercises even moderately on a regular basis probably needs some extra riboflavin beyond the RDA. Women seem to need the riboflavin boost more than men.
Types Of Riboflavin
Riboflavin like all the B vitamins is water soluble. But riboflavin is an exception to the water-soluble rule. You store small amounts of it in your kidneys and liver. Riboflavin supplements come as tablets or capsules. They usually contain 50 mg or 100 mg – either amount is well over the RDA. You absorb about 15% of the riboflavin from supplements, especially if you take them on an empty stomach. To get the most from your riboflavin, take the supplements with meals.
RDA
|
Age |
Riboflavin |
|
1-3 years |
0.8 mg |
|
4-6 years |
1.1 mg |
|
7-10 years |
1.2 mg |
|
Men 11-14 years |
1.5 mg |
|
Men 15-18 years |
1.8 mg |
|
Men 19-50 years |
1.7 mg |
|
Men 50+ |
1.4 mg |
|
Women 11-50 years |
1.3 mg |
|
Women 50+ |
1.2 mg |
|
Pregnant Women |
1.6 mg |
|
Nursing Women |
1.8 mg |
Safe Dosage
The RDA for riboflavin is based on your calorie intake – the more you eat, the more you need. Important as riboflavin is, you really don’t need a lot of it for good health – just under 2 mg a day is enough.
You can’t really overdose on riboflavin, because even very large doses (over 1,000 mg) are safe. There is one side effect from large doses though: Your urine will turn a bright fluorescent yellow. It may be a little startling, but it’s harmless.
Make It Work Better
Most people get all the riboflavin they need from their food. Riboflavin is added to so many common foods, like bread and pasta, that even someone with lousy eating habits will probably get enough.
Most daily multivitamins contain the full RDA for riboflavin. If you think you need more, consider taking a complete B supplement. You need all the B vitamins for riboflavin to work well – and vice versa.
Good Sources
Riboflavin is found naturally in many foods, especially meat, milk products, and dark-green leafy vegetables. It’s also added to flour, bread, and most breakfast cereals.
Good choices include Broccoli, chick peas, cottage cheese, kidney beans, mushrooms, peas, spinach, sweet potato (with skin on), wheat germ and yogurt.
Deficiency
If you’re s strict vegetarian or if you exercise a lot (or both), you might need extra riboflavin.
Because small amounts of riboflavin are stored in the kidney and liver, a deficiency can take as long as three or four months to show up.
True riboflavin deficiency is rare. Most people get plenty of riboflavin in their food. When deficiency symptoms do occur, they’re usually related to a shortage of all the B’s. You need riboflavin to help niacin and pyridoxine work right. In fact, if you’re short on riboflavin you might have deficiency symptoms for one of the other vitamins. Usually, though, riboflavin deficiency shows up as problems with the mucous membranes, skin, eyes, and blood. An early and clear sign is sores and cracks on the lips, especially at the corners. Scaly skin, reddened eyes, and anemia are other deficiency signs.
Some people are at risk for riboflavin deficiency:
Athletes. You need extra riboflavin if you exercise a lot.
Diabetics, You may be excreting a lot of your riboflavin in your urine. Talk to your doctor about vitamin supplements before you use them.
Pregnant and Nursing women. You’re passing a lot of your riboflavin on to your baby, so you need about 0.5 mg more a day.
Elderly people. About a third of all elderly people have a riboflavin deficiency, mostly from poor absorption or poor diet.
People who can’t digest milk. Milk and dairy products such as cottage cheese are important sources of riboflavin. If you can’t digest these foods, you might not be getting enough riboflavin.
People who take tricyclic antidepressants. Drugs such as amitriptyline (Elavil) can interfere with riboflavin. Talk to your doctor about supplements before you take them.
Did you find this information helpful. Send a comment and let me know.
07.22.08
Herbal Tea For Tension Headache
Ginger decreases the production of pain-causing chemicals in the body. Chamomile and linden are mild relaxants that help ease emotional and physical tension
1 cup water
1 teaspoon fresh chopped ginger root
1 teaspoon dried chamomile
1 teaspoon dried linden
Simmer the ginger in water in a covered pot for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add chamomile and linden. Steep for 10 minutes. Strain and drink it hot.
