Doc's Nutrition Depot August Health News Letter

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Doc's Nutrition Depot August 2008

August is National Psoriasis Awareness Month.

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, genetic disease developing in the skin and/or the joints. According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. In plaque psoriasis, the most common type, causes patches of skin called "lesions" to become inflamed and are covered by silvery white scale, These can be limited to a few lesions or can involve moderate to large areas of skin. The severity of psoriasis can vary from person to person; however for most people, psoriasis tends to be mild.

People with psoriasis pose no threat to the health or safety of others. It is not contagious. No one knows exactly what causes psoriasis, but most researchers agree that the immune system is somehow mistakenly triggered which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. A normal skin cell matures and falls off the body's surface in a month. But a psoriatic skin cell takes only three to four days to mature and move to the surface. Instead of falling off (shedding), the cells pile up and form lesions.

Psoriasis occurs nearly equally in men and women across all social groups. It is also present in all racial groups, but in varying rates. Psoriasis often appears between the ages of 15 and 35, but it can develop at any age. There are various forms, Plaque psoriasis is the most common. Other Forms Include

1) Guttate - characterized by small dot-like lesions
2) Pustular - characterized by weeping lesions and intense scaling
3) Inverse - characterized by intense inflammation
4) Erythrodermic - characterized by intense shedding and redness of the skin.

Psoriasis most commonly appears on the Scalp, knees, elbows and torso. But psoriasis can develop anywhere, including the nails, palms, soles, genitals and face (rare). Often the lesions appear in the same place on the right and left sides of the body.

So what can you take to help treat Psoriasis ?

1) Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM –

http://docsnutritiondepot.com/arthritisandjointsupport.aspx
Both glucosamine and chondroitin occur naturally in the body. Glucosamine is believed to promote the formation and repair of cartilage. Chondroitin is believed to promote water retention and elasticity in cartilage and inhibit enzymes that break down cartilage. MSM is also said to relieve pain and have anti-inflammatory properties.

2) Detoxing Supplements - http://docsnutritiondepot.com/detoxsupport.aspx

These are sold either as single compounds or formulated together to help make a more potent combination, Overall helping your body get rid of unwanted toxins.

3) Immune Boosters - http://docsnutritiondepot.com/immuneboosters.aspx
Skin is your largest and most visible organ, therefore is a good indicator of health in general. Vitamin shortages are often indicated by skin problems. Classic clinical deficiencies of riboflavin (B-2), niacin (B-3), vitamin A and vitamin C all result in skin disease. At the very least, psoriasis patients should be urged to take a good multivitamin daily. Additional vitamin A is best taken as non-toxic carotene. B-complex supplements provide a balance of all B-vitamins, ensuring safety. Vitamin C is also non-toxic, even in very large doses. Green and Red Powders (Fruit and Vegetables) Is also another great alternative In our overfed but undernourished culture, vegetable juice fasting and dietary supplements make sense to try.

4) Fish Oils - http://docsnutritiondepot.com/essentialfattyacids.aspx
Psoriasis may be partly due to a difficulty in the way the body process’s oils, or to a lack of oils in the diet itself. Studies have shown that consuming a fatty acid found in fish called EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) may provide symptom relief.

References – National Psoriasis Foundation

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Not intended to treat, prevent, mitigate or cure disease. User results may vary. You should check with you doctor before starting any supplement to see if it is right for you.

Doc's Nutrition Depot Health News July 08

DOC’S Nutrition Depot July 2008

It is now July which means outdoor activities are at an all time high, something a lot of people look forward to during the cold winter months including myself. This also means barbeque’s. We have all heard over the years, the importance of small portions consumed periodically throughout the day results in a faster metabolism. The Reasoning behind this is: it gives your body a chance to digest your food more efficiently therefore reversing the “bulge” we tend to pack on in the summer months.

We have found some significant reasons why you should be cooking smaller portions, other than the obvious, and they are more important than you realize.

Tips for safer and healthier grilling

Ruining a piece of meat isn’t the only thing you need to worry about if you’re cooking at high temperatures. High heat can also produce chemicals with cancer-causing properties, reports the June 2007 issue of the Harvard Health Letter.

When meat is cooked at high temperatures, amino acids react with creatine to form heterocyclic amines, (HCAs) are the carcinogenic chemicals formed from the cooking of muscle meats such as beef, pork, and fish. HCAs form when amino acids (the building blocks of proteins and creatine (a chemical found in muscles) react at high cooking temperatures. which are thought to cause cancer. That’s why cooking meat by grilling, frying, or broiling is the problem. Grilling is double trouble because it also exposes meat to cancer-causing chemicals contained in the smoke that rises from burning coals and any drips of fat that cause flare-ups. How long the meat is cooked is also a factor in (HCA) formation; longer cooking time means more heterocyclic amines. Depending on the temperature at which it’s cooked, meat roasted or baked in the oven may contain some ( HCA ) , but it’s likely to be considerably less than in grilled, fried, or broiled meat. So what can you do?

Marinating meat is often suggested as one way to cut down on the formation of heterocyclic amines. The Harvard Health Letter suggests some other tips that may make grilled meat safer to eat:

• Cook smaller pieces: They cook more quickly and at lower temperatures.
• Choose leaner meat: Less fat should reduce flames and therefore smoke.
• Flip frequently: That way, neither side has time to absorb or lose too much heat.

Grilling during the summer months are enjoyed by millions, and let’s face it every corner you turn seems to have another health risk you should be watching out for. So what do we suggest? Well its simple you can enjoy yourself which most will keep on doing anyway but it’s never bad to take the suggestions of experts trying to keep you a little safer especially if the suggestions are this simple.

Vitamin & Herbal recomendation's related to this topic http://docsnutritiondepot.com

1) Multi Vitamin - An Important component of our diet.

2) Digestive Enzymes - Assists in the breakdown of food.

3) Coenzyme Q10 - Improves Cellular Oxygenation.

4) Fishoils - Benfits & Improves Cardiovascular function.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Not intended to treat, prevent, mitigate or cure disease. User results may vary. You should check with you doctor before starting any supplement to see if it is right for you.