|
 |
|
||||
 |
|
Health Info
|
|
Cranberry Juice Not a Good Kidney Stone Defense Reuters Health
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cranberry juice may be a popular home remedy for urinary tract infections, but new research suggests it's of little use against another urinary tract woe: kidney stones. In fact, researchers found, the beverage may slightly increase a susceptible person's risk of the most common type of kidney stone.
Their study, of 24 people with and without a history of kidney stones, found that cranberry juice tended to boost urinary levels of calcium and oxalate, two major components of kidney stones. Indeed, the large majority of stones are composed mainly of calcium.
The juice did reduce substances that contribute to an uncommon type of stone, but on balance, the findings suggest that people should find a different tactic for fighting kidney stones, according to study co-author Dr. Margaret S. Pearle of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
People who tend to be "stone formers" would be better off reaching for orange juice, which does appear to fight the problem, Pearle told Reuters Health. In general, she noted, susceptible people should drink plenty of fluids to help prevent kidney stone formation.
The stones develop when certain dissolved substances in the urine, including calcium, uric acid and oxalate, begin to crystallize and form into hard masses in the kidneys. The stones travel to the bladder and, if they're small enough, are passed without a problem.
In some cases, though, they block the tube that connects the kidneys and bladder, causing symptoms such as pain in the lower abdomen and back, a frequent urge to urinate and pain during urination.
Cranberry juice has long been espoused as a home remedy for recurrent urinary tract infections, and a number of studies have supported that notion. Pearle said many of the kidney stone patients she sees have told her they drink plenty of cranberry juice to help prevent the problem from recurring.
Where they got the idea that this works, according to Pearle, is unclear, so she and her colleagues decided to study the matter.
They had 24 adults drink 1 liter of cranberry juice per day for one week and spend another week drinking a liter of water each day. On the last two days of each week, the researchers collected urine samples for analysis.
Overall, cranberry juice increased participants' urinary levels of calcium and oxalate, a substance found in foods such as coffee, nuts, chocolate, spinach and wheat bran. Calcium oxalate climbed by 18 percent, on average.
Calcium oxalate stones are the most common subtype of kidney stones, Pearle noted, so the findings suggest that cranberry juice could actually increase a susceptible person's risk of developing stones.
Cranberry juice contains calcium and vitamin C, which is converted to oxalate in the body, and this may explain the increase in urinary calcium oxalate, according to Pearle.
The beverage did reduce the presence of a substance called brushite in the urine, indicating possible protection against brushite stones. However, Pearle said, these masses are a relatively rare subtype of kidney stone.
In a final strike against the cranberry, the juice did not show the potentially protective effect of increasing urinary citrate, as orange and grapefruit juices have been shown to do.
So if you're going to turn to juice for kidney stone relief, Pearle said, cranberry juice probably shouldn't be the choice.
SOURCE: Journal of Urology, August 2005.
RDA is not enough
Why are so many Canadians taking supplements? They know that they are not getting all they need from their diets, and they realize that the supplements can make them healthier.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that most Canadians consume a diet inadequate in nutritional value. In other words, while it is theoretically possible that healthy individuals can get all the nutrition they need from foods, the fact is that the most Canadians do not come close to meeting all their nutritional needs through diet alone.
Recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for vitamins and minerals have been prepared by the Food and Nutrition Board of National Research Council since 1941. These guidelines were originally developed to reduce the rates of severe nutritional deficiency diseases such as scurvy (deficiency of vitamin C), pellagra (deficiency of niacin), and beriberi (deficiency of vitamin B1).
Another critical point is that the RDA was designed to serve as the basis for evaluating the adequacy of diets of groups of people, not individuals. Individuals simply vary too widely in their nutritional requirements.
Some Practical Recommendations; There are three primary recommendations to help people design a basic nutritional supplement program: 1- Take a high-quality multiple-vitamin-and-mineral supplement 2- Take extra antioxidants 3- Take 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oily daily.
Tips on good digestion:
1-Always drink room temperature water it is best for you and lots.
I have heard theories in the past about not drinking during dinner so that you don't water down the stomach acids needed for digestion, and we know that the temperature of foods change the chemical makeup (releasing nutrients and/or destroying nutrients). However, I think a blanket statement that cold water makes you fat is just too silly.
2-The times you eat need to be sitting down while you eat and always take the time to just do that( in other word don’t sit in front of a computer, television and eat) eating should be considered soul food.
3-Try to avoid preheating food or heating in the microwave( it has been proven that it can kill most nutrients as well as enzymes, also there is bacteria that has been found (salmonella) in pork why because microwave heats food from the outside in creating some parts of the food that can still be cold were you will then find bacteria’s. they have consider spinach that is heated in microwave and that kept most of it’ nutrient although other veggies like broccoli and cabbage was not the same n.b. there are several herbs that are great for digestion like ginger, peppermint , aloes, fennel, lemongrass, cinnamon, coriander the list is long, they each have many proprieties including good digestion
Peppermint's medicinal action is very different from that of ginger. According to Rudolph Weiss, author of the classic Herbal Medicine, peppermint has three principal activities: it anaesthetizes the mucous membranes, reducing nausea and vomiting; it encourages the liver and gallbladder to produce and release bile; and it "disinfects" the stomach in cases of improper or imbalanced flora.
In contrast to ginger, peppermint is a cooling and relaxing herb In fact, its anesthetic properties come from the plant's ability to excite cold receptors in intestinal mucous membranes Peppermint is medicinally useful for reducing such disorders of the gastrointestinal tract as spastic colon, irritable bowel syndrome, and spastic diarrhea Peppermint taken after a rich meal will reduce gas and indigestion
Though also a bitter herb, aloe, unlike ginger and peppermint, is a powerful laxative when used internally.
Ginger owes its action to its volatile oils and to its phenols, gingerol, zingerone, and shogaol. These constituents give ginger its stimulating and antiemetic properties; they work together to warm the stomach and to reduce intestinal gas and pain.
4-Do not eat if you are not hungry be conscious of you body( be aware of your cravings)
5-I f you have a sensitive stomach stay away from gluten and wheat
6-Take an enzymes to boost your digestive system a few months a year depending how badly you need them.
7-Avoid eating late at night eat more during the less in the night.
8- Eat slowly and chew your food (help produce saliva enzymes)
|
Related links: www.cpmdq.com www.webtcm.com www.childrenswish.ca |
Appointments & Contact |
Concept Santé NaturAnna |
Naturanna.ca does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, and treatment