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Archive for January, 2010

Prenatal vitamins are an important source of folate and other vital nutrients during pregnancy. And many women, with the popularity of herbal medicine, take other herbs during pregnancy. Some of these herbs they may have been taking before, for an existing condition. Others, they may take to help cope with some of the physical difficulties that go with pregnancy. The following supplements and food additives should be avoided during pregnancy to avoid potential problems with the health of the baby.

• Quinine – Quinine is found in many drinks like tonic water, and these are popular as a result of their slightly bitter taste. But it was found that one woman who drunk more than 1 liter of tonic water a day whilst she was pregnant had a baby that was suffering withdrawal symptoms when it was born. It had nervous tremors within a day of being born, which disappeared two months later. Germany’s BfR (Federal Institute for Risk Assessment) recommends that pregnant women treat quinine drinks, no matter how small the amount of quinine in them, as a medicinal product, and avoid them as a precaution during pregnancy.
• Ginseng – One of the more than 20 active constituents of ginseng was found by researchers at the Chinese University of the Hong Kong Prince of Wales Hospital to be a possible cause for concern for pregnant women. These researchers were measuring the effect of this active principle on fetal development in rats. And they found that, relating to the dose, rat embryonic development was affected. Higher doses meant a higher level of abnormalities, according to the markers of development their study used.Now, this study was one done on rat embryos, and so may not translate into similar effects on humans. And it only studied the effects of one of ginseng’s active constituents, which was a ginsenoside called Rb1. Ginseng actually has over 20 ginsenosides, and other studies have found that these each have different actions.One of the difficulties with studying active constituents in herbal medicine is that the whole herbal extract may have a very different overall effect than a single constituent. This is because of the way active principles both work together and counteract each other. These two aspects, the fact that the study was not done on humans, and does not measure the overall effect of the whole ginseng extract, mean that its results should be treated cautiously. As a safety precaution, at this time it is best to at least avoid ginseng supplements during the first trimester, as the authors of the study suggest, and probably for the whole of the pregnancy. But ginseng should certainly not be branded dangerous as a result of this research as it is only a very preliminary finding in the overall picture, and more points the way as to where further research needs to be done.
• Ginkgo Biloba – Ginkgo biloba is another supplement that is best avoided whilst pregnant. Researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit found one of the constituents of ginkgo biloba in the placenta of women who had taken ginkgo supplements. This particular constituent, an alkaloid called colchicine, can be fatal in high doses, though medicinally, it has great anti-inflammatory effects. Other research has found that cochicine can harm a growing fetus. The potential problem with taking ginkgo supplements regularly whilst pregnant is that colchicine can build up in the womb, like caffeine when taken in excess of the recommended maximum amounts. The researchers did stress that there was no link established in the study between ginkgo and complications in the pregnancy, the study only looked at levels of colchicine in the womb.

Pregnancy is a gift almost every family is waiting for. For the expectant parents, it is the time when they feel that they are truly accomplished. For new mothers, excitement and ecstacy overwhelm them as this event will fulfill their power as a bringer of life. However, with this gift comes a multitude of symptoms that aren’t exactly a walk through the park.

Pregnancy is usually signaled by a missed menstrual period. During this time, the woman’s body I already changing – hormone levels spike up and down, causing a multitude of conditions that may burden the expectant mother during the duration of her pregnancy.

During the first trimester, the new mother experiences more signs that she is already pregnant. These symptoms include:
l Extreme fatigue. This is due to the increase in progesterone production in the woman’s body.
l Food cravings. This is body’s means of dictating the mother what the baby needs.
l Increased urination. As the woman’s womb is continually increasing to accommodate the growing child, it exerts more pressure on the urine bladder.
l Breast tenderness. The breasts start to change in preparation for feeding the coming baby.
l Abdominal cramps. This follows implantation of the embryo on the uterus.
l Nausea or “Morning sickness”. This is because an increase in the hormone progesterone relaxes the uterine muscles, which prevents early labor. But it may also relax the stomach and intestines, leading to excess stomach acids.
l Mood swings. Most people confuse this with postpartum depression. This differs from the latter in the sense that this passes in a matter of days or weeks.

During the second trimester, which comes three and a half months after conceiving the baby, the baby extensively develops. This is also the stage where pregnancy becomes physically obvious. Below are a list of symptoms manifested by women on their second trimester:
l Swelling. This is because during pregnancy, body fluids are increased.
l Varicose veins. During pregnancy, increased pressure is experienced by veins, causing blood to pool.
l Fetal kick. Sometime during the second trimester, the mother can feel the baby start kicking.
l Confusion and clumsiness. Due to the woman’s ever changing hormonal level, it makes concertrating a bit more difficult.
l Backache. The added weight of the baby plus the increased body fluid increases pressure on the spine.

At the third trimester, the stomach now protrudes more prominently, causing the following symptoms:
l Increased back pain.
l Increased moodiness.

Among all the symptoms mentioned above, coping with lower back ache seem to be the most persistent. It starts from the second trimester and ends after giving birth. How does a pregnant woman get through this hurdle? Here are some tips for pain relief during pregnancy:
l Always practice good posture. This is to ensure that muscle strain due to the increasing weight and the shifted center of gravity while standing up is lessened.
l Always sit and stand with care. Sit with feet slightly elevated. Choose a ergonomically correct chair that provides support to your back. Shift positions often, and avoid standing for a long time.
l Always sleep on your side. Sleep on one side, not your back, keeping one of both knees bent.
l Always perform proper lifting techniques. Squat down when lifting a small object, instead of bending over. Avoid sudden reaching movements.
l Exercise. Regular exercise may help strengthen the back muscles.
l Medications. Certain pain relief medications may cause complications to a pregnant woman and her unborn child. For these cases where medication is clearly required, doctors look for safe drug alternatives that have the same effect of pain relief during pregnancy.

Back pain during pregnancy may just be a passing discomfort, however it should never be taken from granted. Back pain may already be a signal that your pregnancy is experiencing some sort of complication. Be in tuned with your body and what it is feelings. Immediately consult your doctor for any discomfort your experience, however normal everybody says it is.

Ice cream or yogurt? Regular or diet soda? These may not be critical decisions at your dinner table – unless you’re one of nearly 18 million Americans living with diabetes today.

People with diabetes face daily challenges. To remain healthy, they must monitor their blood sugar levels, eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Some people also need to take insulin to stay alive.

In an effort to recognize champions of these challenges, Eli Lilly and Co. established the LillyforLife Achievement Award in 2002. The award celebrates the inspiring achievements of people of all ages who live with diabetes.

Those recognized do not have to be well known or famous for their achievements but can be everyday people who have accomplished or are working toward exceptional personal success.

This year, Lilly has expanded the award program to include not only people with diabetes but also anyone impacted by the condition or involved with the diabetes community.

Categories of submission include: patients age 18 or over; patients age 17 or under; professionals; caretakers or spouses; and journalists.

One person from each category will be selected by a panel of judges to receive this special award. Applicants are eligible to apply for one category. Peer or self-nominations are accepted from the public through Aug. 30, 2004.

Last year, Rick Largent was honored with the first ever LillyforLife Achievement Award. Largent has been living with type 1, or insulin-dependent, diabetes for 25 years. He has faced extraordinary challenges during his life beyond diabetes. An unfortunate accident left him quadriplegic, and he later lost his 19-year-old daughter to cancer.

Largent neglected to control his blood sugar, putting himself at risk for diabetes-related complications. It was not until he began using an insulin pump that he started taking control of his health again.

Largent began traveling cross-country sharing his story and teaching others that anything is possible when diabetes is managed well. He also visited Capitol Hill in an effort to educate policymakers on the dual dilemma of diabetes and disabilities.

Largent’s resilience to conquer diabetes and quadriplegia represents the kind of spirit the LillyforLife Achievement Award stands for. As many who live with diabetes know, if the disease is managed, there’s no reason you can’t achieve your goals.

Obesity has become such an important topic in health and self-improvement circles that it deserves its own “News and Views” column. Here is the February, 2006 issue.

**Book claims obesity “epidemic” is a big lie

In his new book, “Fat Politics: The Real Story Behind America’s Obesity Epidemic”, writer Eric Oliver claims that the ramped up concern over obesity in the last ten years has been driven by the weight loss industry.

According to Oliver his research led him to conclude that, “Based on the statistics most of the charges saying that obesity caused various diseases or that obesity caused thousands of deaths were simply not supported.”

The writer does not dispute that the average American adult is between 8 and 12 pounds heavier today than in 1975. But he does dispute the significance of this weight gain to average health.

He claims that pharmaceutical companies and the diet industry have funded groups like the International Obesity Task Force whose objective has been to promote the dangers of obesity. According to Oliver, “nearly every prominent obesity ‘expert’ has been financed or supported in some way by the weight-loss industry.”

One important outcome of this effort was the successful lowering of the obesity standard in 1998. As Oliver says, “Suddenly tens of millions of Americans became ‘obese’ even though they hadn’t gained a pound.”

Oliver’s main contention is that “the scientific evidence is simply not there that most people who are either ‘overweight’ or ‘obese’ are in any danger directly from their weight.”

This flies directly in the face of current orthodoxy on the impact of obesity on health. Those who warn us about obesity say it greatly increases the likelihood of conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers.

**Obesity in Children linked to lack of exercise facilities

In a study published in the February issue of Pediatrics, researcher Penny Gordon-Larsen of the University of North Carolina’s School of Public Health and Medicine looked at the correlation between overweight and availability of exercise facilities.

The researchers gathered statistics on the number of physical-activity facilities, the rate of overweight children, and the average physical activity levels for each area. Facilities included were schools, public recreation facilities, parks and YMCAs, as well as dance studios and private gyms.

Not surprisingly, the study concluded that “more disadvantaged communities have a great deficiency in terms of the number and types of exercise facilities available.”

**Link between “food insecurity” and obesity challenged

In another study conducted by researchers at Tulane University, the link between “food insecurity status” and obesity has been challenged.

Prior studies suggested that people not sure where their next meal was coming from might overeat when they got food, or possibly eat less-nutritious, higher calorie foods.

But in the study of nearly 17,0000 kindergarten children, kids in “food insecure houselholds” were found to be 20% less likely to be overweight.

The researchers concluded that some risk factors did contribute to overweight. These were low physical activity, watching TV more than two hours a day, high birth weight, being from a low-income family, and being either black or Latino.