Archive for the ‘Gout’ category

Health Benefits of Banana

January 28th, 2010

Bananas are the fruit of a plant of the genus Musa (family Musaceae) , which are cultivated primarily for food, and secondarily for the production of fibers that are used, for example, in the textile industry. they are also cultivated for ornamental purposes.
Bananas have been the all time favorite and perennial fruit for hundreds of years now. It has many curative properties. This fruit is affordable by anyone and is available in plenty in India. All the varieties available are beneficial in their own way.

Health Benefits of Banana :
- Banana is an energy booster.
- Bananas are fruits that are high in fiber, making them an ideal remedy for constipation and an alternative to chemical laxatives.
- Bananas are a natural source of potassium which helps to keep the body fluids and electrolyte balance in body cells and helps in regulating blood pressure.
- Bananas are not only a good source of B vitamins they also contain vitamin C, A.
- Banana is a rich source of iron, thus it is helpful in cases of anemia.
- The skin of the banana is said to help remove warts(cover the warts with the inner skin of banana).
- Banana is also helpful in Stomach ulcer (banana has a natural antacid), Colitis, Digestive disorder, Diarrhea, Constipation (banana is high in fiber), Hemorrhoids.
- Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
- Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood-sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
- Bananas are useful in the treatment of arthritis and gout. A diet of bananas only for three or four days is advisable in these conditions.
- One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey as it calms the stomach.
- Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
- Cooked banana flower eaten with curd is considered an effective medicine for menstrual disorders like painful menstruation and excessive bleeding.
- Bananas are an ideal fruit to be eaten when a person is suffering from ulcers.
- Eating bananas as part of a regular diet can reduce the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%.

Bananas and losing weight :
Bananas may be one of the best fruits to eat when attempting to lose weight. They are full of nutrients for increased energy and vitality. Bananas are also low in calories and fat, plus they have a high water content and potassium levels. A diet high in potassium foods and lower in sodium-loaded processed foods can help reduce water weight.
The daily diet is restricted to six bananas and four glasses of skimmed milk or buttermilk made from skimmed milk for a period of 10 to 15 days. Thereafter green vegetables may be introduced gradually, reducing the intake of bananas from six to four.

Storing Bananas :
Bananas need to be treated with care as they bruise easily. The ideal way to store bananas is to keep them at room temperature. In order to ripen bananas, you can either wrap them in a newspaper or keep them in a brown paper bag. If you store a banana in a fridge it will turn black. However it will still be edible.

Curing Gout …

November 19th, 2009

Gout is a type of arthritis which is characterized by sharp shooting pains in the joints often affecting the big toe but also other joints as well and can last for a short time or days. The pain is caused by a build up of sodium urate crystals in the cartilage and tendons of your joints and can be extremely painful. Gout is persistent and can come in attacks, months or years apart. It typically starts and one joint but over the years can affect many joints and is accompanied by swelling and redness in the area. Few home remedies that can cure gout are :

- One simple tip is to drink plenty of water. Drink at least 2 cups of water for every 2 hours you are awake. Men should be drinking about 125 ounces of water and women should be drinking about 90 ounces of water.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
- Add a half teaspoon of baking soda with a glass of water. Baking soda can naturally dissolve uric acid crystals and increase the solubility of uric acid to flush it quicker.
- Strawberries have been shown to neutralize uric acid and provide immediate relief for your symptoms.
- You should also get plenty of folic acid. 10 to 75 mg of folic acid inhibits xanthine oxidize which is required for uric acid production.
- Vitamin C supplements are known to help many gout suffers, as they are effective in reducing uric acid levels.
- Potassium citrate raises the pH level of urine. Higher pH levels mean that the body’s unwanted uric acid is more soluble and therefore easier to purge. This supplement can also help to prevent kidney stones, which seem to be more prevalent in gout sufferers.
- Another way is treat gout naturally is to avoid alcoholic beverages; consuming excessive alcohol like beer inhibits the excretion of uric acid and can lead to gout.

Exercise is another essential for curing pains caused by gout. Stretching increases and maintains a range of motion in the joints and helps to strengthen and stabilize them. This also increases the endurance and stamina of the body overall.
Reducing repetitive use of joints, and avoiding sports injuries by including proper warm-ups are also important, as it choosing suitable sports equipment for exercising.

What is GOUT ?

November 19th, 2009

Gout (metabolic arthritis) is a condition where uric acid builds up in the joints, causing painful inflammation, redness and sometimes swelling. Gout is most commonly found in the big toe, particularly in men (nine out of ten sufferers are male), although it is more common in women after menopause.
Gout also appears to be hereditary, since 20% of those suffering from gout have a history of it in the family. Occurrences of gout are most common at night and can be quite acute. If left alone, the pain typically lasts anywhere between five and ten days, gradually subsiding, until it disappears.
Effectively, the body slowly dissipates the build-up of uric acid, but the cause is still there. Western medicine recommends the use of anti-inflammatory drugs to combat the pain, and uric-acid lowering drugs for prevention.

SYMPTOMS OF GOUT :
- Rapid severe pain in the big toe.
- The affected joints can become very tender and swollen, and can feel warm.
- The skin on the joint turns reddish.
- Most painful attacks last a few hours to a few days. In rare cases, it can last weeks.
- Some people experience other illness symptoms such as fever or chills, and an increased heartbeat.
- The inflammation from the uric crystals can lead to bursitis.

CAUSES OF GOUT :
- Being overweight, excessive alcohol consumption, and irregular kidney function all increase the risk of getting gout.
- Certain drugs are known to cause uric levels to rise. These include insulin, some antibiotics, cyclosporine, low dose aspirin, and others.
- Recent surgery.
- Injury to a joint.
- High blood pressure.
- Low thyroid hormone levels, known as hypothyroidism.

DIETARY CONSIDERATIONS :
- Fresh cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and other red-blue berries.
- Bananas.
- Celery.
- Tomatoes.
- Vegetables including kale, cabbage, parsley, green-leafy vegetables.
- Foods high in bromelain (pineapple).
- Foods high in vitamin C (red cabbage, red bell peppers, tangerines, mandarins, oranges, potatoes).
- Drink fruit juices and purified water (8 glasses of water per day).
- Low-fat dairy products.
- Complex carbohydrates (breads, cereals, pasta, rice, as well as aforementioned vegetables and fruits).
- Chocolate, cocoa.
- Coffee, tea.
- Carbonated beverages.
- Essential fatty acids (tuna and salmon, flaxseed, nuts, seeds).
- Tofu, although a legume and made from soybeans, may be a better choice than meat.

IMPORTANT NOTE :
Foods considered moderately high in purines but which may not raise the risk of gout include: asparagus, cauliflower, mushrooms, peas, spinach, whole grain breads and cereals, chicken, duck, ham, turkey, kidney and lima beans. It is important to remember that purines are found in all protein foods. All sources of purines should not be eliminated.

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