Health benefits of carrots

                                

                           Health benefits of carrots

 

• Carrots are rich in poly-acetylene antioxidant falcarinol. Research study conducted by scientists at University of Newcastle on laboratory animals has found that falcarinol in carrots may help fight against cancers by destroying pre-cancerous cells in the tumors.
  
• Fresh roots are also good in vitamin C; provide about 9% of RDA. Vitamin C is water soluble anti-oxidant. It helps the body maintain healthy connective tissue, teeth and gum. Its anti-oxidant property helps the body protect from diseases and cancers by scavenging harmful free radicals.
  
• In addition, this root vegetable is especially rich in many B-complex groups of vitamins such as folic acid, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic acid, etc., that acts as co-factors to enzymes during substrate metabolism in the body.
  
• Further, They also compose healthy levels of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, manganese and phosphorus. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase.
• Sweet and succulent carrots are notably rich in anti-oxidants, vitamins and dietary fiber; however, they provide only 41 calories per 100 g, negligible amount of fat and no cholesterol.
  
• They are exceptionally rich source of carotenes and vitamin-A. 100 g fresh carrot contains 8285 µg of beta-carotene and 16706 IU of vitamin A. Studies have found that flavonoid compounds in carrots help protect from skin, lung and oral cavity cancers.
  
• Carotenes are converted into vitamin A in the liver. Beta-carotene is the major carotene that is present in these roots. Beta carotene is one of the powerful natural anti-oxidant helps protect body from harmful oxygen-free radical injury. In addition, it also has all the functions of vitamin A such as vision, reproduction (sperm production), maintenance of epithelial integrity, growth and development
  
  
  
  
  
  

health benefits of vegetables

Vegetable nutrition has widely drawn the attention of fitness conscious as well as food scientists alike for their proven health benefits. Majority of day to day used vegetables are very low in calories. Celery is just 16 calories per 100 g. And again here is the long list of vegetables whose calorie is less than 20 per 100 g such as bottle gourd, bitter melon, cabbage, chinese cabbage, bok-choy, eggplant, endive, spinach, summer squash, swiss chard; etc. Scientific studies have shown that low-calorie but nutrient-rich foods help the human body stay fit and disease free.                   

                     
                    health benefits of vegetables                   
As in fruits, vegetables too are home for many antioxidants that; firstly, help protect the human body from oxidant stress, diseases and cancers, and secondly; help the body develop the capacity to fight against these by boosting immunity.

Vegetables, like fruits, are low in fat but contain good amounts of vitamins and minerals. All the Green-Yellow-Orange vegetables are rich sources of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, beta-carotene, vitamin B-complex, vitamin-C, vitamin A, and vitamin K.

Additionally, vegetables are packed with soluble as well as insoluble dietary fiber known as non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) such as cellulose, mucilage, hemi-cellulose, gums, pectin...etc. These substances absorb excess water in the colon, retain a good amount of moisture in the fecal matter, and help its smooth passage out of the body. Thus, sufficient fiber offers protection from conditions like hemorrhoids, colon cancer, chronic constipation, and rectal fissures.

      human body spends a considerable amount of energy for the metabolism of foods, which is known as BMR or Basal metabolism rate. So just imagine…when you add lots of vegetable nutrition in the diet, in fact, you set to lose more weight than you would gain…Right!..This is the concept behind the "negative calorie foods."  

Health benefits of apple

                    

some health benefits of apple;             Delicious and crunchy apple fruit is notable for its impressive list of phtyto-nutrients, and anti-oxidants. Studies suggest that its components are essential for normal growth, development and overall well-being

• Apples are rich in antioxidant phyto-nutrients flavonoids and polyphenolics. The total measured anti-oxidant strength (ORAC value) of 100 g apple fruit is 5900 TE. Some of the important flavonoids in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2. Additionally, they are also good in tartaric acid that gives tart flavor to them. Altogether, these compounds help the body protect from deleterious effects of free radicals.
  
• Apple also contains a small amount of minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure; thus, counters the bad influences of sodium.
  
  

• Apples are low in calories; 100 g of fresh fruit slices provide only 50 calories. They, however, contain no saturated fats or cholesterol. Nonetheless, the fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which helps prevent absorption of dietary-LDL or bad cholesterol in the gut. The fiber also saves the colon mucous membrane from exposure to toxic substances by binding to cancer-causing chemicals inside the colo
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  Apple fruit contains good quantities of vitamin-C and beta-carotene. Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.
  
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  Further, apple fruit is a good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6). Together these vitamins help as co-factors for enzymes in metabolism as well as in various synthetic functions inside the body.
  

Diet/nutrition and Diabetes

Diet and Diabetes,have considered what guideline to fellow to ensure a proper diet,these extract will help

               One of the most effective tools you have to keep your blood glucose in the target range is your diet. What you eat, how much, and when has a big impact on your glucose levels.

Basic Guidelines for Diet Control of Blood Glucose:
1. Eat three meals a day and snacks spaced in long spans.
2. Do not skip meals.
3. Eat your meals and planned snacks about the same time every day, just as you take your medication.
4. Eat a consistent amount of carbohydrates at each meal and snack, and distribute carbohydrates evenly throughout the day.
5. It is important to be mindful of what you eat, and the effect it has on your blood glucose by testing before and after meals.

                   
Composition of Food
Here is a mini-lesson in Nutrition 101. Food is made of three components— fat, protein and carbohydrate. Each of these has different effects on blood glucose.
Fats, oily substances like oil, mayonnaise, cream, butter and avocado, do not raise blood glucose. In fact, fats slow stomach emptying and so decrease the rate at which blood glucose rises after a mixed meal.
Protein, such as meat, poultry, fish, cheese, eggs, tofu, etc. cause the blood sugar to rise slightly, and also slows this rise because of length of digestion time.
Carbohydrates are all the sweets, starches, fruits, vegetables and milk/yogurt foods.
These foods are responsible for an increase in blood glucose, which activates insulin release. Carefully controlling your intake of certain portions of carbohydrate will keep your blood glucose on target. Your meal plan will have a defined amount of carbohydrate for you to eat each day.
What about Fiber?
 Dietary fiber is a source of carbohydrate. Fiber is found in plant-based food like fruit, vegetables, legumes, peas, brown rice, whole-grain breads and cereals. Fiber is not digested or absorbed like other starches, and so has less of an effect on increasing blood sugars. The recommendation is to eat 20-35 grams of fiber a day. There are two kinds of fiber. Insoluble fiber is roughage–bran, skins and seeds, vegetables and cereal. This kind of fiber promotes regularity by adding bulk to bowel movements, slows digestion to aid in weight loss and blood glucose control, and helps prevent intestinal disorders and reduces the risk of intestinal cancers. Soluble fiber is the part of the plant material which absorbs water and dissolves in the digestive system. Oat bran, barley, legumes and fruit are high in soluble fiber. This fiber also works to moderate blood glucose, reduce cholesterol, triglycerides and lower LDL cholesterol.
 Fiber is listed on a Nutrition Facts panel in a food label under the Total Carbohydrate. The number listed is part of the total carbohydrate. A good portion of the fiber in a food goes undigested, so the impact in calories and glucose rise is minimal. Rule of thumb—if there is more than 5 grams of fiber per serving in a food item, you can subtract half the fiber from the total carbohydrate to get a more accurate representation of the available carbohydrate in the food.                (http://www.diabetescare.net)

                                    

Diabetes mellitus type 1 (also known as type 1 diabetes, or T1DM; formerly insulin dependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes) is a form of diabetes mellitus that results from autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. The subsequent lack of insulin leads to increased blood and urine glucose. The classical symptoms are polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst), polyphagia (increased hunger), and weight loss.








                                      

Untreated, type 1 diabetes is ultimately fatal, but the disease can be controlled with supplemental insulin. Insulin is most commonly administered by injection at periodic intervals several times per day, though other options, such as insulin pumps, exist. Transplantation, both of the entire pancreas and pancreatic islet cells, is a possible cure in some cases.

Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset) results from the body’s ineffective use of insulin. Type 2 diabetes comprises 90% of people with diabetes around the world (5), and is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity.
Symptoms may be similar to those of Type 1 diabetes, but are often less marked. As a result, the disease may be diagnosed several years after onset, once complications have already arisen.
Until recently, this type of diabetes was seen only in adults but it is now also occurring in children.

Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is hyperglycaemia with onset or first recognition during pregnancy.
Symptoms of gestational diabetes are similar to Type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes is most often diagnosed through prenatal screening, rather than reported symptoms.

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG)

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) are intermediate conditions in the transition between normality and diabetes. People with IGT or IFG are at high risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes, although this is not inevitable.

What are common consequences of diabetes?

Over time, diabetes can damage the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

• Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. 50% of people with diabetes die of cardiovascular disease (primarily heart disease and stroke) (6).
• Combined with reduced blood flow, neuropathy (nerve damage) in the feet increases the chance of foot ulcers, infection and eventual need for limb amputation.
• Diabetic retinopathy is an important cause of blindness, and occurs as a result of long-term accumulated damage to the small blood vessels in the retina. One percent of global blindness can be attributed to diabetes (7).
• Diabetes is among the leading causes of kidney failure (4).
• The overall risk of dying among people with diabetes is at least double the risk of their peers without diabetes (8).

How can the burden of diabetes be reduced?

Prevention

Simple lifestyle measures have been shown to be effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes. To help prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications, people should:

• achieve and maintain healthy body weight;
• be physically active – at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity activity on most days. More activity is required for weight control;
• eat a healthy diet of between three and five servings of fruit and vegetables a day and reduce sugar and saturated fats intake;
• avoid tobacco use – smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Diagnosis and treatment

Early diagnosis can be accomplished through relatively inexpensive blood testing.
Treatment of diabetes involves lowering blood glucose and the levels of other known risk factors that damage blood vessels. Tobacco use cessation is also important to avoid complications.
Interventions that are both cost saving and feasible in developing countries include:

• moderate blood glucose control. People with type 1 diabetes require insulin; people with type 2 diabetes can be treated with oral medication, but may also require insulin;
• blood pressure control;
• foot care.

Other cost saving interventions include:

• screening and treatment for retinopathy (which causes blindness);
• blood lipid control (to regulate cholesterol levels);
• screening for early signs of diabetes-related kidney disease.

These measures should be supported by a healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use.



Refernces"Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus". Retrieved 4 August 2008
(1) Danaei G, Finucane MM, Lu Y, Singh GM, Cowan MJ, Paciorek CJ et al. National, regional, and global trends in fasting plasma glucose and diabetes prevalence since 1980: systematic analysis of health examination surveys and epidemiological studies with 370 country-years and 2.7 million participants. Lancet, 2011, 378(9785):31–40.
(2) Global health risks. Mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2009.
(3) Mathers CD, Loncar D. Projections of global mortality and burden of disease from 2002 to 2030. PLoS Med, 2006, 3(11):e442.
(4) Global status report on noncommunicable diseases 2010. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2011.
(5) Definition, diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitu

Diabetes

 

Diabetes is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood (hyperglycaemia).
Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent or childhood-onset diabetes) is characterized by a lack of insulin production.
Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes) is caused by the body’s ineffective use of insulin. It often results from excess body weight and physical inactivity.
Gestational diabetes is hyperglycaemia that is first recognized during pregnancy.

nutrition

Nutrition is a critical part of health and development. Better nutrition is related to improved infant, child and maternal health, stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and childbirth, lower risk of non-communicable diseases (such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease), and longevity.