ARTHRITIS - HOW CHANGING YOUR DIET COULD HELP REDUCE PAIN

According to Arthritis Care Northern Ireland nearly 230,000 people live there with the debilitating disease. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form, followed by rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

As the drugs used to treat arthritis often work through action on the immune system or reduction of inflammation, the role for diet in arthritis is targeted at these functions also. Unfortunately some medications can come with negative side-effects. Nutritional interventions, although perhaps not as consistent and sometimes not as effective as medications, will more often than not help with a condition, without consequences to health.

Additionally tailored dietary intervention will offer other health benefits alongside its expected therapeutic aid. This is why many people use dietary manipulation - alongside medications or in some incidences instead of medications - when tackling a health complaint.

A dietitian's role goes beyond treatment and prevention of arthritis. A dietitian must also help combat the side effects caused by the medications such as taste changes, mouth sores, abdominal pain, ulcers, loss of appetite, nausea, thinning of the bones, weight loss and weight gain.

In addition to nutrition-related side effects of the medications, dietitians also help with drug-nutrient interactions. For example certain medications interact with folic acid, calcium and potassium within the body.


Related: Managing Pain While Avoiding Opiod  Abuse

Osteoarthritis

When it comes to osteoarthritis (OA), obesity is a strong risk factor. Obesity is the greatest modifiable risk factor for OA. People with a BMI>30 kg/m2 are nearly seven times more likely to develop knee OA than people with a healthy weight. The reason for this is twofold.

OMEGA 3'S FROM ALGAL OIL?

Q: Are algal oil supplements a good alternative to standard omega-3 (fish oil) supplements?

A: They seem to be. Derived from various types of micro-algae, algal oil is gaining popularity among vegans and other people who want a source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) but don’t want to get them from fish or fish-oil supplements. But it’s also gaining buzz because it’s a more sustainable alternative to deriving oil from fish (due to declines in certain fish populations) and doesn’t pose the risk of contamination with pollutants, such as PCBs, that are found to some degree in many fatty fish.

Algal oil is largely composed of DHA, along with smaller amounts of EPAand alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which the body can be convert to DHA and EPA to a limited extent. Both DHA and EPA have known heart benefits, as well as helping to reduce blood clots, arrhythmias, inflammation, high blood pressure, and triglycerides (fats in the blood), though clinical trials on supplements containing them have largely had disappointing results.

OMEGA 3 SUPPLEMENTS CAN HELP REDUCE LEVELS OF DEPRESSION

Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in hemp, fish, and flaxseed, yield a number of health benefits including prevention of heart disease. But recent research found that a high dose of omega-3 supplements is not only great for one's physical health but can reduce symptoms of major depression.

Published in Translational Psychiatry, the analysis featured 13 studies with 1,233 participants with depression. Researchers looked at the effects of omega-3 supplements on their symptoms as well as how eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) — acids found in fish — had an effect in different doses. The former has been known to decrease levels of the disorder, and results showed that higher doses of EPA greatly reduced symptoms, especially for patients already on antidepressants.

"Omega-3 supplements may be specifically effective in the form of EPA in depressed patients using antidepressants," said the study's lead author Dr. Roel JT Mocking, researcher at the Program For Mood Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in a released statement. "This could be a next step to personalizing the treatment for depression and other disorders."

Related: Can Probiotics Help With Treating Depression

Although the addition of omega-3 supplements isn't a definitive treatment for depression, the study supports the correlation as well as the health benefits of both EPA and DHA omega-3s overall.

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EAT THESE FOODS TO LIVE TO 100

                                


Check out this video with some great examples of foods that boost your immune system, fight off disease and have anti ageing properties. Let us know what you think?

10 TOP CANCER EXPERTS REVEAL WHAT THEY DO TO AVOID THE DEADLY DISEASE.

Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. And while there have been lots of medical advancements towards treating some kinds and boosting survival, there is still lots of work to be done.

That's why your best bet is to play the preventive game: Work on ways to reduce your risk of getting cancer in the first place.

We asked physicians and researchers how they dodge this deadly disease. One answer is obvious: don't smoke. Here are 10 more ways these experts protect themselves from cancer.

CANCER PREVENTION TIP #1: MIST YOUR MUG

Your skin wins your body's prize for "most likely to get cancer." Every morning, dermatologist Joseph Sobanko, M.D., of the University of Pennsylvania, uses generic broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen with either zinc or titanium dioxide. He shuts his eyes and sprays an even coat on his face after he brushes his teeth and combs his hair.

HOW MUCH FISH IS SAFE TO EAT PER WEEK?

Quick, guess what major food source Americans still fall way short on in their diets? If you said fish, winner, winner, seafood dinner. The average American eats only a third of the recommended eight ounces of seafood per week, according to the USDA. And that means we’re missing out on all the nutritious stuff seafood has on offer: lean protein, vitamin D, selenium, and brain-boosting, heart-healthy omega-3s.

“Personally I don’t think people eat enough fish simply because they don’t know how to cook it,” says Keri Gans, R.D., author of The Small Change Diet. 

But there could be another culprit: concerns about mercury. This naturally-occurring mineral can be toxic in high levels, and it tends to hang around in your body, so pros recommend limiting consumption of fish that contain a lot of it. Pregnant or breastfeeding women are warned to watch their intake because high levels of mercury can damage the developing brain and nervous system of a fetus or baby, but small children and any woman of childbearing age should be concerned as well.

11 FOODS THAT HELP TO LOWER CHOLESTEROL NATURALLY

If you're already eating plenty of the following foods that lower cholesterol naturally, keep up the good work!  

But if your idea of eating well is to opt for the buttered popcorn instead of the extra buttered popcorn, consider adding these healthy choices to your diet, and learn how to lose weight fast.

Oats

If you're looking to lower your cholesterol, the key may be simply changing your morning meal. Switching up your breakfast to contain two servings of oats can lower LDL—bad—cholesterol by 5.3 percent in only six weeks. The key to this cholesterol buster is beta-glucan, a substance in oats that absorbs LDL, which your body then excretes.  

DIABETES AND EYESIGHT. 7 SIGHT SAVING STRATEGIES TO KNOW.

Diabetes steals the sight of 12,000 to 24,000 people each year and is responsible for 8 percent of blindness in the United States, making it the leading cause of new blindness in people ages 20 to 74, according to the American Diabetes Association.

One problem even reflects in its name the close relationship between diabetes and the eyes: diabetic retinopathy, a catchall term that refers to diabetes-related damage to the retina.  

11 Supplements That Could Help You Live Longer.

Stay stronger, longer

The recipe for awesome aging? Healthy whole foods and enough exercise, of course, but a few strategically selected supplements can help keep that youthful pep in your step too, says Andrew Weil, MD, director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine. Here are his recommendations for six age-related maladies. Just be sure to get the green light from your doctor before adding anything new to your current supplement lineup. 

*Dosage may vary depending on specific needs or supplement brand, so consult your doctor.

7 Anti Inflammatory Foods You Should Increase In Your Diet.

Some kinds of inflammation in the body helps us heal, but chronic inflammation is the root of many modern day ailments and issues – among them, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease, according to Dr. Andrew Weil. A diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods is a simple and powerful way to help the body stay balanced, calm and in vibrant health.

We loved sharing this advice from The Beauty Chef a while back and thought we’d revisit the topic with this useful list of foods that will encourage great skin, daily detoxification and better overall health. Most anti-inflammatory foods are also rich in antioxidants – think leafy greens and bright berries. Many are also high fiber and and full of omega 3s. Find a few favorites and make them a bigger part of your daily diet…

Seven Superfoods To Help Boost Your Health.

While there is no strict scientific definition out there, superfoods are usually packed with essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals, a hefty dose of fiber, or lean protein. Superfoods also typically have anti-inflammatory properties from healthy omega-3 fats and anti-aging benefits from antioxidants. 

If you want to upgrade your health and well being while lowering your risk for disease, these seven superfoods are excellent places to start!

1.Berries

Raspberries, blueberries and açaí berries are all rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, which help slow aging and lower your risk of cancer and heart disease. High levels of omega-3s fight inflammation, while the fiber in berries balances blood sugar levels.

3 Foods That Could Be Making Your Joints Hurt.

When joints stiffen and swell, the pain can make everything—from picking up a pen to taking a walk to cooking dinner—completely and utterly miserable. If you don't know the feeling, chances are you know someone who does—about 1 in 5 adults in the United States have doctor-diagnosed arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While there's no way to make sure your painful joints disappear forever, research shows that certain foods—those dubbed "anti-inflammatory" like olive oil, nuts, and fatty fish—can help. And others can hurt.

If you're eating these culprits day in and day out, you could be increasing the odds of a flare-up.

7 Anti Ageing Nutrients You Need Of.

Whether it's a glint of gray hair in the mirror or the crow's-feet nesting around your eyes, the realization that you're aging can be jarring. Many people start spending big money on hair salon visits and wrinkle creams, but if you're looking for something that can really make a difference, consider the anti-aging nutrients we get from food and supplements, says Judith Hellman, MD, a dermatologist in New York City.

"Certain nutrients are proven to increase telomere length—the little caps on the end of DNA strands that correlate to aging," says Hellman. Here's how it works: As we get older, the protective telomeres shorten and DNA stops regenerating as well as it once did. That process leads to cell breakdown, which is essentially aging. Another process that shortens telomeres is oxidative stress, in which unstable molecules cause damage to cell structures such as telomeres. As we age, the body loses its ability to neutralize these unstable molecules. 

Your telomere length serves as a marker for your lifespan: The shorter telomeres get, the less time you have left. Ugh—ready for the good news? Hellman says these nutrients and antioxidants help counteract these aging processes and may even lengthen your telomeres:

Omega Fatty Acids - 7 Myths Debunked.

When it comes to brain health few nutrients can compare to fatty acids. That's because the brain is sixty percent fat and needs healthy fats to replenish brain cells. 

Considering all the talk of Omega 3, 6, 7, and 9 fatty acids, you may be left a bit confused as to which ones you should be eating and which ones to avoid. To help you decipher the truth from the myth, here are the 7 most common myths about Omega fatty acids.

Myth #1: All Omega fatty acids are equal.  

Fact: There is a big difference between the different types of Omega fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory, for example, while Omega-6s are pro-inflammatory when eaten in quantities typical of the Standard American Diet.