Can I have allergy to cold temperature?

It is rare, but it is possible to get an allergy to cold temperature.

Skin exposure to cold temperature can release histamine which results in itching, swelling, hives and skin redness. If it is serious the medication is antihistamine. The symptoms are also like food allergy.

In a very cold climate your dress is very important. Warm clothes are needed. It is important to close your ears and forehead. Long underwear, wool socks, gloves and a thick winter coat is a must. You have to cover your head and with a fashion sun glass, the chance for allergy is negligible.

What is the difference from food allergy and food intolerance?

Food allergy is an immune reaction, but food intolerance has no connection with the immune system.

Lactose intolerance is food intolerance where the enzyme lactase needed to digest milk sugar in milk and dairy products is absent in our body. This can cause diarrhoea, gas, abdominal pain and bloating.

A protein is responsible for milk allergy.

In food allergy, your immune system wrongly identifies a particular food or a component of the food as a harmful substance and attacks it. The symptoms can be tingling in the mouth, swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat, hives, wheezing, breathing difficulties, dizziness and fainting.

In food intolerance you can eat small amount without a reaction and this should be found individually, but in food allergy, the smallest amount is enough to start the allergic reactions.

Which are the signs of low blood sugar and how to recognize them?

If you have diabetes and taking insulin the chance of having low sugar is high. It is very dangerous. Keep with you glucose tablets, candies or fruits always.

The blood sugar signs include:

• Hunger
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Tremors
• Rapid heartbeat
• Sweating
• Convulsions or fainting
• Coma and in extreme cases it can be fatal

In Western countries if you have diabetes you must keep glucose in your car while driving. Driving a car with low blood sugar is not only dangerous for the persons in this car but also other persons driving or walking there.

I am pregnant, can I eat sesame seeds?

Sesame seeds can induce more bleeding.

In the first three months of pregnancy you should not eat sesame seeds because they induce menses and spontaneous abortion is possible. It depends upon the person and the amount.

In the grandmothers’ medicine it is used as a food to make safe abortions. Abortions are normally bad to the women physically and mentally. Many cannot forget this in their life and have psychological problems life-long. Try to use safe contraceptive methods after consulting with your doctor.

I heard that eating spinach often may cause kidney stones, is it true?

Yes, because we need calcium and oxalic acid for kidney stone formation. Since spinach is rich in oxalic acid, the risk for kidney stone formation is there.

If you consume more calcium then the risk increases. More than 90% of the kidney stones are calcium oxalate stones.

I am not telling you to avoid spinach. The easy way to avoid this risk is, drink a lot of fluids. Three to four litres a day and 70 to 80% of this must be water, aerated or pure drinking water and then you need not worry about the kidney stones. If you are sweating more, then you have to drink more.

There are several other vegetables which have more oxalic acid than spinach. If you are prone to kidney stone formation, eat less spinach and other vegetables containing oxalates.

Are Indian breads healthy?

Normally they must be healthy if baked with good ingredients; I have problems as long as they are not giving all the particulars of the bread on the label. Here the corresponding departments do the necessary things.

I do not think breads available in Indian bakeries are good. Mostly it is baked with maida (milled wheat flour). The colour of the bread has nothing to do with maida or whole grains flour. To make the maida brown we need little caramel (heated sugar or molasses, the rest after taking sugar from sugarcane).

All the breads available, white or brown are very fine breads. They are from maida only.

Adding little atta (whole grains wheat flour) or fibre to maida will not make a bread whole grains bread.

If you eat bread with butter and jam, eat few pieces of raw tomato, cucumber or carrot and some fruits. This is a must.

Whole grains bread is not fine, it is coarse and difficult to bake. Bread is becoming an important food in India and whole grains bread is good for our health. Ask your bakery about their bread quality.

Which are the foods rich in vitamin E? Are we often deficient in vitamin E?

Vitamin E is available in all vegetables, vegetable oil and in other foods. We have analysed tens of thousands of blood samples for vitamin E, very few have low vitamin E amount in the blood.

It is the pharmaceutical industries which want to sell more vitamin E as diet supplements. They are sold as capsules or mixed in soft beverages and in other products. Of course, it is important for our health and we can have it easily from our food. It is an important antioxidant in your body.

But the dose makes the poison and everything in excess is not good to our health.

Asthma, -little information...

Asthma is a common disease which affects the respiratory system. It constricts the airways and they become inflamed and lined with mucus. It can be managed well.

Many children develop asthma, which eventually they grow out of. The triggers associated with asthma include:

• Allergies
• Stress
• Exercise
• Cold air

Genes may also play a role who is getting asthma and who not.

The symptoms of asthma include:

• Wheezing
• Coughing
• Chest tightness
• Short of breath

Early detection, diagnosis and treatment is important, otherwise asthma could become a life-threatening disease.

25% of the children will develop asthma and the percentage is not increasing, but only staggering.

The children must get enough breast milk as long as possible. The antibodies and the combination itself is the best for the infant to develop its immune system. Try to avoid cow milk for the infants till 12 months and here we observe these children get less allergies and asthma. If you are not having enough breast milk, select other food, but not milk or milk powder based formulas. Now-a-days without any problems this could be done.

Good medicines are available. Theophylline is the medicine used and it belongs to the group of thioxanthenes. Caffeine also belongs to this group and is good for persons who have asthma. But there is no cumulative effect from both. If we find theophylline values in toxic levels we ask the patient to drink four cups of strong coffee and the caffeine present there helps for the quick excretion of theyphylline.

Asthma is one of the fastest growing health problems in all developed countries.

This a short article to give you quick information.

Most of the South Indian vegetarians have elevated values of triglycerides. Are genes culprits?

Genes may play a role here, but the scientific explanation is simple; if you consume huge amount of carbohydrates, after digestion the sugars are used to produce energy in our cells and the excess sugars are sent to the liver where they are converted into triglycerides.

There are two more significant points are also there. They are:

• The intake of fruit sugar, fructose
• Excess intake of protein

Fructose is metabolized in the liver and the excess of it is converted to triglycerides. If you consume more protein than your body requires the excess is converted into sugar which in turn will be converted to triglycerides.

You must be careful in the intake of carbohydrates including fructose and also many soft drinks which can also contain sugar or fructose.

With half the amount of carbohydrates intake from your food and enough physical activity you could bring down the triglycerides without any medicine. This is good for your health.

Could diet and weight reduction affect bone density?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions from women in the Western countries. They worry not about their health, but of afraid of osteoporosis in later years.

The studies show that there are no adverse effects between diet and bone mass density. Both, the diet group and the control group have no change in their bone mass density.

The important things they should keep in mind are the diet should not be extreme. Their food must contain enough nutrients and calories. Crash weight reductions are bad, but 2 to 4 kgs in a month is considered good. Your diet plan must give you the possibility to eat many foods. Our metabolism based individual diet plan is tailor-made for you. Visit www.aaronverlag.com

I am a 61 years old lady; could gym help to improve my bone mass density?

Gym or any physical activity is important for women above 60. These are as good as calcium Intake. For our health physical activity is very important.

Studies have shown that even the affected bone has also improved its density after regular gym or sport. It should be recommended to all women. This is the best to prevent osteoporosis.

If not possible to go to gymnastics, try 30 min quick walking, bicycling or swimming.

What is the connection between cancer and food?

Cancer is uncontrolled growth of the cells in any part of the body.

There is a very good connection between cancer and food; if you eat the right food the risk of cancer would be minimized to 50%.

The right food is lot of coloured fruits and vegetables, whole grains and whole grain products, pulses, beans and peas, nuts and seeds.

Avoiding the risk factors like junk, fast and processed foods, less physical activity, smoking, excess alcohol, excess animal fat, obesity and taking right food, you can lead a healthy and better life.

What about pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits in the world?

From our estimations we know that almost in all vegetables and fruits you can find the pesticide and other chemical residues used in the agriculture.

Sometime there are less and sometime more poisons. This is a problem throughout the world. I do not think that it will also change in the near future. Moreover, there are no controls in many countries. Even if the controls are there, the concerned authorities close their eyes and nothing is happening.

Our food must contain enough anti-oxidants. We need good detoxification system and we could support them with proper food to master this problem.

Are organic foods free from pesticide residues?

Traces of pesticides will be there even in organic foods. These may be below the detection limit of many sensitive instruments. It is not at all a problem for persons having normal detoxification system.

If one has multiple chemical sensitivity, an environmental illness, even the smallest amount is dangerous. Fortunately very few have this illness.

Organic foods may contain a lot of nitrate which are very dangerous for infants and small children. The met-haemoglobin value goes above 3% and it can be very dangerous.

Nitrate is not dangerous to adults. But now scientific studies are published which say that nitrates may be a health problem for adults also.

Could you explain me what to understand when one says fat, cholesterol or fatty acids?

I know it is very difficult to understand and I give you very simple explanation. One could write books on each topic.

If we talk about blood fat then we means triglycerides. Cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol are important to know. The rest is not necessary.

If we talk about the fats in our food then we mean the three main groups – saturated fats, monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fats. Fats are long chain organic acids and that is why we tell fatty acids also. Moreover, each group has different fatty acids. If it is written omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids we mean two groups from the polyunsaturated fatty acids.

All the three types of fatty acids are important to our health.

The saturated fat from the nuts and oils are also different from the saturated fats from the animal fat. For a person who never use these terms it is highly confusing.

Go through slowly, it is easy to understand and in course of time your mouth will play with these words.

Church, police “covered up child sex abuse” - The Hindu Nov 28, 2009

I wrote about the sexual abuse of children in my blog 9 times and of-course a book for the parents to know and teach the children to save them how?

Now "The Hindu", newspaper today at International column written by Henry McDonald about Church, police “covered up child sex abuse” [Abuse of children by clergy from 1975 to 2004]. Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. And Pope urged to aplogise for clergy’s behaviour.

You can read the entire article here:

Ireland’s police force colluded with the Catholic church in covering up clerical child abuse in Dublin on a huge scale, according to a damning report on decades of sex crimes committed by the country’s priests.

The devastating three-volume report on the sexual and physical abuse of children by the clergy in Ireland’s capital from 1975 to 2004 accuses four former archbishops, a host of clergy and senior members of the Garda Siochana (Ireland’s police force) of covering up the scandal.

It found that the “maintenance of secrecy, the avoidance of scandal, the protection of the reputation of the church and the preservation of its assets” was more important than justice for the victims of sexual and physical abuse.

Four former Archbishops in Dublin — John Charles McQuaid, who died in 1973, Dermot Ryan, who died in 1984, Kevin McNamara, who died in 1987, and retired Cardinal Desmond Connell — were found to have failed to report their knowledge of child sexual abuse to the Garda from the 1960s to the 1980s. But the report added that all the archbishops of the diocese in the period covered by the inquiry were aware of some complaints.

The report, published on Thursday by Irish Justice Minister Dermot Ahern also concluded that the vast majority of priests turned a “blind eye” to abuse, though some individuals did bring complaints to their superiors, which were not acted upon.

The report, commissioned by the government, strongly criticises the Garda and says senior members of the force regarded priests as being outside their investigative remit. The relationship between some senior gardai and priests and bishops in Dublin was described as “inappropriate”.

Rather than investigate complaints from children, gardai (police officers) simply reported the matter to the Dublin Catholic diocese, the report says. The Garda is accused of connivance with the church in stifling at least one complaint of abuse, and letting the alleged perpetrator flee the country.

Mr. Ahern said there should be no hiding place for the abusers even if they wore a clerical collar. “The persons who committed these dreadful crimes — no matter when they happened — will continue to be pursued.”

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre welcomed the report, saying it was “another acknowledgment of the abject failure of our society to take care of our children”.

The report states senior clerical figures covered up the abuse over nearly three decades and that the structures and rules of the church facilitated that cover-up. It also says that state authorities facilitated the cover-up by allowing the church to be beyond the reach of the law.

The Murphy Commission of Inquiry into the abuse of children in Dublin identified 320 people who complained of child sexual abuse between 1975 and 2004. It also states that since May 2004, 130 complaints against priests operating in the Dublin archdiocese have been made.

The report details the cases of 46 priests guilty of abuse, as a representative sample of 102 priests within its remit. But it concludes that there was no direct evidence of an organised paedophile ring among priests in the Dublin archdiocese, though it says there were some worrying connections. One priest admitted abusing more than 100 children. Another said he had committed abuse every two weeks for more than 25 years, it said.

The report states that it was not until 1995 that the archdiocese began to notify the civil authorities of complaints of clerical abuse. The commission concludes that in the light of this and other facts, every bishop’s primary loyalty was to the church itself.

The Garda current commissioner, Fachtna Murphy, said the report made for “difficult and disturbing reading, detailing as it does many instances of sexual abuse and failure on the part of both church and state authorities to protect victims.”

Mr. Murphy apologised to victims who did not receive the response and protection they were entitled to.

Pope Benedict was challenged on Friday to go to Ireland and apologise for his clergy’s behaviour. A victims’ rights campaigner called on the Pope to visit and say sorry for “the betrayal of children” by those who were meant to show them love. John Kelly, of Irish Survivors of Child Abuse, said only a papal visit would exonerate the worldwide church of culpability in the abuse scandals. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2009.

Courtesy: http://www.hinduonnet.com/2009/11/28/stories/2009112861551400.htm

Vanadium - An Insulin Mimetic Agent which lowers Blood Sugar

Vanadium is a soft and ductile element and is present in the body.

Vanadium is an insulin mimetic agent which lowers blood sugar. It helps also to decrease the blood pressure and helps in fat and cholesterol metabolism. But it is an important element in the animals.

There is no recommended daily intake of vanadium and 10 to 30 micro grams a day should be enough.

Foods rich in vanadium include:

• Mushrooms
• Seafood
• Soya beans
• Sunflower, corn and olive oils
• Parsley
• Green beans
• Carrots
• Cabbage
• Fish
• Radish

Vanadium is found abundantly and there is no possible deficiency in human beings.

Vanadium or vanadium compounds are toxic in high concentrations. It may be a reproductive toxin.

It is not a carcinogen. But we must be always careful in work place exposures. Metal powders are always dangerous to lungs.

Cobalt

Cobalt is a mineral which is an integral part of vitamin B12.

The uses of cobalt are:

• Cobalt is necessary for myelin formation which is an insulating layer found around nerves.
• It supports red blood cell production.
• It is essential in the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.
• It is useful in the synthesis of proteins.
• It is also useful in the conversion of folic acid to active form.

The foods rich in cobalt include:

Vitamin B12 which contains cobalt is rich only in animal food. Meat and meat products are the best source.

Therefore, the vegetarians and vegans are susceptible to have vitamin B12 deficiency. If necessary it must be supplemented.

Excessive administration of cobalt produces goitre and reduces thyroid activity.

Work place exposure produces an allergic contact dermatitis and the dust, occupational asthma.

Chloride

Potassium, magnesium and phosphorous are the dominant ions in the cell but in the extra-cellular fluid sodium, chloride and bicarbonate are the main ions. Our table salt is sodium chloride and when it is dissolved in water there are sodium ions and chloride ions.

The uses of chloride include:

• Chloride is an important anion of the extra-cellular fluid and its main function is the regulation of acid-base balance.

• It also plays a vital role in maintaining the equilibrium of osmotic pressure in the extra- and inter-cellular compartments.

• Moreover, the very important acid in our stomach is hydrochloric acid which also contains chloride anions.

• It also plays an important role in the metabolism of bicarbonate in which it diffuses from plasma to erythrocytes to compensate bicarbonates.

The recommended daily-intake is as follows:

AGE                              mg/Tag

Infants:
0 to 12 months            0.3 - 1.2

Children:
1 - 3 years                     0.5 - 1.5
4 to 6 years                 0.7 - 2.1
7 to 9 years                 0.9 - 2.8
10 to 12 years              0.9 - 2.8

Adolescents:
13 to 14 years             0.9 - 2.8
15 to 18 years             0.9 - 2.8

Adults:
Above 19 years          1.7 - 5.1

Pregnant:                 1.7 - 5.1
Breastfeeding:      1.7 - 5.1

Which are the sources of chloride?

Sodium and chloride are almost present together. Potassium chloride is sometimes used as diet salt.

Pottasium and Health

Potassium is an important element for our health which maintains many body functions. These are:

• Potassium is needed for the red blood cells and helps heart, nerve and muscle functions.
• It prevents kidney-stone formation.
• It helps to provide oxygen to the brain.
• It lowers the blood pressure
• It prevents bone loss.

The following are the recommended daily intake of potassium:

AGE                              DAILY INTAKE [g]

Infants:
0 to 12 months            0.3 - 1

Children:
1 - 3 years                     1 - 2
4 to 6 years                 1 - 2
7 to 9 years                 1 - 2
10 to 12 years              1 - 3

Adolescents:
13 to 14 years             1 - 3
15 to 18 years             3 - 4

Adults:
Above 19 years          3 - 4

Pregnant:                 3 - 4
Breastfeeding:      3 - 4

Foods rich in potassium include:

Potato, banana, salmon, milk, pork, sweet potato, water melon, citrus fruits, nuts, whole grains, tomato and green leafy vegetables are rich in potassium.

The persons with kidney disease or taking medicines for high blood pressure should not increase their potassium consumption and they must consult their doctors if they want to take a supplement where potassium is present. Potassium supplement can be toxic to anybody. Never take potassium supplements without doctor’s permission.

Phosphorus and our Health

Phosphorus is very important for our health and it is needed for the following functions in our body. They are:

• Phosphorous is a mineral that helps to build strong bones and teeth.
• It is necessary in the release of energy from carbohydrates, protein and fat during metabolism.
• It plays a role in the cell membranes, genetic materials and several enzymes.
• Plasma membrane requires phosphorus as a component of phospholipids.
• All the energy production and storage depend upon the adequate source of phosphorus, including adenosine triphosphate, creatine phosphate and other phosphorylated compounds.
• A number of hormones depend upon phosphorylation for their activation.
• It is also of vital importance for acid-base regulations.

The foods rich in Phosphorous include:

Almost all the plant foods, meat and fish contain phosphorus. The absorption is low from plant foods.

Processed food contains large amount of phosphorus level. Soft drinks also contain a good amount of phosphorus so it is advisable to look at the label first before drinking.

Is too much phosphorus dangerous? Too much of any mineral is not good and the problem starts from the absorption.

Phosphorous is known that the hyperactive children have more phosphorus in their bodies than the others and it is also associated to their low IQ. In Germany phosphorus free bread is available for problem children.

Do we get enough phosphorus? If we eat our three major meals there are no problems, but the problem is the too much of phosphorus in soft drinks and snacks. Today it is not at all necessary to supplement phosphorus.

The recommended daily intake of phosphorus is as follows:

AGE                              DAILY                              DAILY                              DAILY
                                  INTAKE[mg]              INTAKE[mg]                 INTAKE[mg]
                                                                               for Females                     for Males

Infants:
0 to 12 months            120 - 500                                    -                                          -

Children:
1 - 3 years                         600                                          -                                          -
4 to 6 years                      700                                          -                                          -
7 to 9 years                      800                                          -                                          -
10 to 12 years                      -                                         900                                    1000

Adolescents:
13 to 14 years                      -                                         800                                    900
15 to 18 years                      -                                         800                                    900

Adults:
Above 19 years                800                                          -                                          -

Pregnant:                   +200                                          -                                          -
Breastfeeding:        +200                                          -                                          -

Sodium's role in Human Body

Sodium is an essential element for the human body. Without sodium muscles and nerves will not function. The water and mineral balance are also maintained by sodium.

Increased sodium intake retains more fluid in the blood and the increased volume of blood needs the heart to work harder to pump the blood thus increasing the blood pressure.

Arterioles are blood vessels which dilate and constrict to regulate the blood pressure and they are contracting under the influence of sodium which increases the blood pressure.

At present it is not possible to find out who may be sensitive to the effects of sodium. This is the reason why all are advised to limit the sodium intake. You should not stop salt completely and it is also dangerous to your health.

Diets high in potassium and calcium may help to decrease the blood pressure. All the other risk factors – obesity, too much of alcohol, smoking - must be eliminated. Physical activity is a must everyday – 30 min quick walking is enough.

The amount of daily recommended intake of sodium is 2 g to 3 g per day. If you sweat excess you must take more to replace the loss of sodium.

Little sodium is found in nuts, grains, fruits, vegetables and in meats. Much is used in cooking or as table salt. It is also present in our pickles, chips and all the salted fish and snacks. In the food processing the industry is also using many sodium salts as preserving and flavour enhancing agents and moreover used as additives. So unknowingly we may take three to nine times more sodium than we need.

If you eat the unprocessed fresh food or food cooked by you then everything is under control. You must be very critical with processed food as well as commercial chips and other snacks. Never use too much of the table salt.

We should not avoid sodium completely and if you do so it is dangerous for your life.

Magnesium and our Body

Our body needs magnesium because it helps to maintain a normal muscle and nerve function, keeps bone strong, supports the immune system, regulates the blood sugar, keeps the heart rhythm steady and promotes the normal blood pressure. It is also involved in many metabolic reactions and protein synthesis.

About 300 biochemical reactions need magnesium in our body. It is the 4th abundant mineral in our body – 60% in the bones, 39% in the cells and 1% in blood.

These are the common reasons of Magnesium deficiency:

Diuretics, antibiotics and anti-neoplastic medication (drug against cancer), persons with poorly managed diabetics, alcoholics, persons with chronic absorption problems, persons who have muscle contraction and cramps, individuals with low blood potassium and calcium and aged persons also have Magnesium deficiency.

Early symptoms of magnesium deficiency are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weakness. In advanced stage numbness, muscle contraction and cramps, seizures, personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms and coronary spasms can occur.

Foods rich in magnesium are almond, ground nut, soybean, spinach, other nuts, oatmeal, potato, wheat bran, yoghurt, lentils, kidney beans, milk, banana, all dark green leafy vegetables and fish.

The amount of daily intake of magnesium is as follows:

Age	Daily intake (mg)	Daily intake(mg) Females	Daily intake(mg) Males
Infants: 0 to 12 months Children: 1 to 3 years 4 to 6 years 7 to 9 years 10 to 12 years Adolescents: 13 to 14 years 15 to 18 years Adults: Above 19 years Pregnant Breastfeeding	30 to 120 140 200 220 – – – – +100 +150	– – – – 250 300 350 300 – –	– – – – 280 330 400 350 – –

Magnesium taken from the food is not at all a risk but too much of supplemental Magnesium poses a risk. The adverse effects are diarrhoea and abdominal cramping. You must stop taking it and go to the doctor.

Iodine

Approximately 80% of iodine is found in our body is found in the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is able to produce its hormones by using iodine. These hormones play a vital role in the growth and development of our body and also influence the maturation of our reproductive system.

Iodine is also important to our metabolic processes and helps to burn the excess calories. It keeps the skin, teeth, nails and hair to be strong and healthy. It helps to eliminate the toxins from the body and helps the body to use calcium and silicon. It is very useful in our body’s energy use.

Iodine deficiency can negatively affect the body and the mind.

Physical symptoms of iodine deficiency are skin problems, constipation, fatigue, goitre, weight gain, decreased fertility, increased stillbirth and growth abnormalities.

The mental symptoms of iodine deficiency are frustration, anxiety and depression.

The recommended daily intake of iodine is as follows:

AGE                              DAILY INTAKE [µg]

Infants:
0 to 12 months          50 - 80

Children:
1 to 3 years                 100
4 to 6 years                120
7 to 9 years                140
10 to 12 years                 180

Adolescents:
13 to 14 years            200
15 to 18 years            200

Adults:
Above 19 years         180

Pregnant:                 +30
Breastfeeding:      +60

The richest iodine source is kelp, a sea-weed. Sea fish is a very good source. Iodinated salt is also a reasonable source of iodine. Seafood, dairy products and eggs contain iodine.

The iodine deficiency in the developing foetus, babies and young children are serious. They include retarded growth and diminished intelligence. Iodine deficiency is a major problem in developing countries. This intellectual disability in children is preventable. Even a very mild deficiency may retard the brain development.

People in Western countries are not totally free from iodine deficiency. There are some western countries where the consumption of iodinated salts is still compulsory. There are also iodine deficient persons. Although iodine rich food is available to everybody in excess, they do not use it properly resulting in unhealthy thyroid.

The list of environment-related chemicals which affects thyroid glands is long. Some of the chemicals are insecticides, herbicides, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxin, lead and aromatic hydrocarbons. By the way, cigarette smoke, active or passive, is also a risk factor for thyroid gland.

Chromium

Chromium is an essential trace element in our body and it helps insulin to bring sugar inside the cells for energy production.

Many in the world are deficient in chromium. People who eat abundant sweet food, pregnant women and old people who do strenuous exercises or physical work are affected by chromium deficiency. If there is a deficiency the risk for diabetes and heart disease increases. Moreover, Fat and cholesterol may be increased in our blood.

The uses of chromium include:

• Chromium rich food helps sugar metabolism.
• Decreasing total cholesterol and LDL and increasing HDL is not accepted by all researchers.

The body builders use chromium but its effect is not yet confirmed.

The foods rich in chromium include:

• Yeast
• Lean meat
• Cheese
• Liver
• Kidney
• Whole grain products
• Honey
• Tea

The recommended daily intake of chromium is 50 – 200µg.

One may think that chromium supplementation may help to cure diabetes. It is wrong because of the fact that a person who takes chromium needs healthy kidneys. All the minerals must be eliminated through the kidneys and if they are health only, we can think of any supplement containing minerals. We have to consult the doctor, who knows the blood values for kidneys and he will advice us.

Trivalent chromium which is normally present in our food is not toxic. However hexavalent chromium salts may cause health hazards. These are used only in the industries. Welders who are working in the aeronautical industries like Airbus or Boeing inhale much chromium through their lungs. In their urine chromium is increased after the shift

Calcium

About 99% of the calcium in our body is present in the bones and teeth. The remaining 1% is found in blood and has very important functions.

If we have less calcium in our blood then automatically it will be taken from the bone. It is good one side but also dangerous because in course of time the bone mass density can come down.

Calcium plays an important role in nerve conduction, muscle contraction and blood clotting. Therefore, it is very important to take enough calcium to maintain the amount in blood as well as in bones.

Osteoporosis is the disease which calcium deficiency brings. Here the bone mineral density decreases and the bones become porous. Increased risks of fractures are the result. It affects the women after menopause.

The recommended amount of daily intake of calcium is as follows:

Age Daily intake(mg) Females (mg) Males (mg)

Infants:
0 to 12 months 250 - 500
Children:
1 to 3 years 600
4 to 6 years 700
7 to 9 years 800
10 to 12 years 900 1000
Adolescents:
13 to 14 years 900 1000
15 to 18 years 800 900
Adults:
above 19 years 800 800
Pregnant +400
Breastfeeding +400

The foods rich in calcium include:

Milk and dairy products
Legumes
Mustard
Cabbage
Dark green leafy vegetables
Salmon & sardines

The substances which decrease calcium absorption include:

Oxalic acid – spinach, Soya beans and some other vegetables also
Phytates – in some plant foods
Dietary fibre – plant foods
Excess of phosphorous – also need vitamin-D for absorption.
Laxatives – no time for calcium absorption.
Tannins – present in tea, can bind with calcium.
Medicines – long time use of corticosteroids and anticonvulsants

There is an important relationship between calcium, estrogens and vitamin D. For calcium absorption we need vitamin D and/or estrogens. That is why after menopause when the estrogens level drops women may have problem. It is much more complicated as we think.

Is the advertisement in Indian television correct with calcium+D? It is a very good question. In India, calcium+D tablets are not needed. Here we have enough sunlight. So there will be no problem for vitamin D production. This calcium+D are produced for Europe and other countries where there is not enough sunlight. Better buy something where there is only calcium, that also only if it is absolutely necessary Food is the good source for calcium. If you supplement calcium you must know several things thoroughly. Otherwise, you could bad to your health.

Normally a healthy person need not take calcium tablets. If he eats normal food he gets enough calcium. We need the supplementation only in later life, i.e., for the postmenopausal women and aged persons. Consult your doctor or dietician

Supplementation:

Postmenopausal woman …..1500 mg
Aged persons, 65+ ….....1500 mg

Do not take more than 500 mg at a time and after 4 to 6 hours only the next dose, since calcium absorption occurs very slowly. The supplement should be taken in between two meals. Otherwise calcium can interfere with the absorption of many essential elements including iron.

Is it so simple to supplement and increase the amount of calcium, thus the bone mineral density? If one reads it sounds so simple but it is very complicated. I have worked more than 20 years with calcium and its problems. I have conversed with thousands of women about their food habits to understand their calcium intake. The conclusions are very interesting that they take more than recommended calcium. But there are more points that they should know.

• If you take too much of calcium from your food and supplementation then the body excretes also much more calcium.
• If you take more sodium, then more calcium is excreted.
• If the urine becomes acidic from too much intake of protein, then also much calcium is eliminated.

If too much of calcium is there, then sodium and potassium have problems and we are often tired. It is better to have a counselling to make it tailor-cut calcium intake for you.

Copper

Copper has been used therapeutically since 400 BC, when Hippocrates prescribed copper compounds for pulmonary and other diseases. The use of copper compounds in the treatment of diseases reached its peak in the 19th century and subsequently declined when the treatments were not successful.

Copper is important in the connective tissue formation, iron metabolism, central nerve cell function, melanin pigment formation, cardiac function and cholesterol metabolism.

Human body requires copper for the development of embryo.

Copper deficiency anaemia may occur. It could be cured by copper supplementation. Two key antioxidant enzymes, ceruloplasmin and copper super oxide dismutase are decreased in copper deficiency and may result in impaired antioxidant status. Copper super oxide dismutase is important for free radical scavenging.

Acute copper poisoning has been observed in the following ways:

• Accidental consumption of copper by children
• Ingestion of several grams in attempt to commit suicide
• Application of copper salts to burned skin.
• Drinking water from contaminated water sources
• Acidic foods or beverages that have been stored in copper containers.

Copper has a critical role in neurological diseases and the doubt is whether it acts as a pro-oxidant, thereby promoting dangerous hydroxyl free radicals.

Wilson’s disease is an inborn error of copper metabolism where the copper accumulates in the body. The patient has to avoid all the foods and beverages containing copper. We have analysed several beverages to find out the lowest amount containing soft drink or water to recommend to the patients.

Menke’s disease is another genetic disorder related to copper absorption. It affects mostly male infants and copper accumulates in the liver, brain, kidney and intestinal lining. Then copper is not available enough in the blood. Injections of copper salts may help otherwise supportive treatment of the symptoms is helpful.

The recommended daily intake of Copper is as follows:

AGE                              DAILY INTAKE [mg]

Infants:
0 to 12 months          1 to 2

Children:
1 - 3 years                 1 - 2
4 to 6 years                1 - 2
7 to 9 years                1 - 2
10 to 12 years                 1 - 2

Adolescents:
13 to 14 years            1 - 2
15 to 18 years            2 - 4

Adults:
Above 19 years         2 - 4

Pregnant:                 +0
Breastfeeding:      +0

Foods rich in copper include:

• Liver and
• Shellfish
• Beans and peas
• Nuts and seeds
• Whole grains
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Chocolate

Manganese

Manganese activates many enzymes and is a constituent of several metallo-enzymes; the manganese super oxide dismutase is useful in free radical scavenging and important to our health.

Manganese deficiency is not common because the body needs a small amount to carry on its processes. Signs of deficiency are, impaired growth, skeletal abnormalities, disturbed or depressed reproductive function and effects in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Low blood and tissue manganese has been associated with osteoporosis, diabetes, epilepsy, cardiovascular diseases and impaired wound healing.

It was thought for a long time that manganese is least toxic but recent studies reveal that it is more toxic. Inhalations of manganese by welding workers, consumption of high concentration of manganese from polluted drinking water and any other product with lot of manganese prove to be toxic. This can produce profound neurological damage. It is because the mineral goes to the brain bypassing the normal route through the liver which would otherwise remove the toxin from the body.

The recommended daily intake of manganese is as follows:

AGE                              DAILY INTAKE [mg]

Infants:
0 to 12 months          1 t0 2

Children:
1 to 3 years                 1 - 2
4 to 6 years                1 - 2
7 to 9 years                1 - 2
10 to 12 years                 1 - 2

Adolescents:
13 to 14 years            1 - 2
15 to 18 years            2 - 5

Adults:
Above 19 years         2 - 5

Pregnant:                 +0
Breastfeeding:      +0

Foods rich in Manganese include:

• Brown rice
• Whole grains
• Nuts
• Leafy vegetables
• Tea
• Egg yolk
• Sunflower seeds

Refined grains, meat and dairy products contain only a small amount of manganese.

Selenium

Approximately 30 years ago we thought Selenium was a toxic element. But we have now learnt much about selenium and it is really a very important and essential element for us. It is important for our health.

The vital works done by Selenium include:

• Selenium helps in the removal of other toxic elements like mercury, cadmium, arsenic and lead from our body
• It decreases the viral load for HIV
• It reduces the incidence of cancers, particularly lung, colorectal and prostate cancers
• It plays also a vital role in thyroid hormone metabolism
• It is vital for antioxidant defence system. As apart of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase it helps the free radicals scavenging
• Selenium is involved in maintaining normal liver function
• It is needed in protein synthesis
• It defends sperms from the attack of free radicals, that is why it is present in high concentration in semen

Although it is the most important antioxidant nutrient, many Americans do not know about selenium and many doctors there consider this very shameful.

What are the foods rich in selenium?

• Meats
• Seafood
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Pulses
• Whole grains
• Yeast

What is the reason for selenium deficiency?

The problem is in most countries the soil is poor in selenium and the local food contains almost no selenium. Marginal selenium deficiency is possible in alcoholics and those who eat mostly refined and processed foods. That is why in most of the developed countries it is added in bread or in other food stuff or in animal feed. Or they must eat enough nuts imported from tropical countries.

If nothing helps supplementation is the last step.

What is the daily intake of selenium?

From 1986 it was continuously increased and it is now 200µg per day. The supplementation amount is also 200µg per day if the deficiency is established.

Selenium from the yeast is better than the inorganic salts.

As usual, the dose makes the poison. 600 to 750 micro g per day is the toxic dose.

The signs of selenium toxicity include:

• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Dry hair
• Caries in children
• Hair loss
• Abnormal nails
• Depigmentation of the skin
• Bad breath
• Vomiting
• Problems with the nervous system

Zinc

Zinc is a very important mineral for our health. It is important for growth and development. It helps to keep the sense of taste. It is necessary for the proper functioning of more than 350 enzymes, thereby necessary to develop stronger immune system.

Zinc is our natural defence against colds. It promotes also healing skin wounds, burns and eczema. It plays a role in Hair growth. It is also important for reproduction and semen contains very high amount of zinc and selenium.

What are the symptoms of zinc deficiency?

Symptoms of zinc deficiency include:

• Frequent infections
• Slow wound healing
• Lack of appetite
• Loss of senses of taste and smell
• Skin problems including acne
• Loss of hair
• Dandruff
• Impotence
• Decrease in sexual drive
• Dwarfism
• Night blindness

What is the recommended daily intake amount of Zinc?

The recommended daily intake amount of Zinc is as follows:

AGE                              DAILY INTAKE [mg]

Infants:
0 to 12 months          3 t0 5

Children:
1 to 3 years                 8
4 to 6 years                10
7 to 9 years                12
10 to years                 12

Adolescents:
13 to 14 years            15
15 to 18 years            15

Adults:
Above 19 years         15

Pregnant:                 +10
Breastfeeding:      +10

What is the amount of supplementation if it is necessary?

The necessary zinc supplementation is 20mg per day. It is better to take organic zinc tablet like zinc orotate for better absorption.

What are the foods rich in zinc?

• Onion
• Garlic
• Nuts
• Pulses
• Beans
• Milk, yoghurt and cheese
• Meat
• Liver
• Eggs
• Seafood

Fruits and vegetables contain only little zinc. The vegetarians must be careful in their food. Nuts, pulses and milk and dairy products may be the rich sources.

I have seen tens of thousands of blood results and there are many who needed supplementation for some time, may be weeks or months. Once they take the right food for them this supplement is stopped.

Plastics

The name plastic comes from plasticity of many of the plastic products. It is the general name for a wide range of synthetic polymerization products. These are composed of addition or condensation polymers and may contain many additives to produce the necessary products. It can be formed to any products or film or fibres. Plastic is commonly classified based on the polymers, for example polyvinylchloride, polyethylene, acrylics and many others. Plastics are long chain of atoms bonded to one another in all forms. The majority of plastics are made of polymers of carbon and hydrogen alone or with nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur and chlorine.

What are the kinds of plastics and their uses?

• Cellulose based plastics: celluloid is an ivory replacement product and rayon, a sort of artificial silk.

• Phenolic plastics: used in colouring, telephone, radios, billiard balls, clocks. Sheets, canvas, linen, paper and tubes are also produced.

• Polyvinylchloride and polystyrene: used in plumbing, house siding, computer enclosures and food packaging.

• Nylon: used in toothbrushes, gears in cars, nylon stockings and clothes.

• Polyethylene and acrylic: containers, plumbing and fittings, mattresses, furniture, thermal insulators, coatings, adhesives, in boats, in aircrafts, polyester and terylene clothes, Teflon coated frying pan, Gore Tex, the breathing wears, Tupperware, fibreglass boats and floating toys.

What are effects of plastics on health?

The plasticizers of PVC are adipates and phthalates which are present in all food and water containers. These reach the liquids very easily and according to World Health Organization (WHO), these are carcinogens.

Polystyrene is also a toxin; its production pollutes the atmosphere and destroys the ozone layer. Through food containers it reaches food and disturbs the hormonal function of our body. It is a suspected carcinogen.

Bisphenol A from thermoplastic polymers releases into food and liquid acts like estrogens, the female sexual hormone and the effect of this hormone to men is not good! It results in insulin resistance which can lead to diabetes and heart disease. Recently it was banned in USA. Europe and several other countries are still sleeping.

Formaldehyde from plastics could be allergic.

Is bisphenol A, a carcinogen?

Bisphenol A mimics estrogens, the female sexual hormone and is linked to breast and prostate cancer. It is found in polycarbamate plastics and in the lining of some food cans. It can reach into food and beverages.

Avoid hard, clear plastic bottles including baby bottles and give up canned foods.

It is recently banned in USA and in EU.

What are the effects of plastics on environment?

Plastics are very durable. It is not possible to degrade plastics in nature and burning these releases toxic gases into the environment. Almost all the products release their toxic monomers or other additives used in their production. All the containers for food, milk, water and soft drink release the possible substances in food and liquid and these are carcinogens or suspected carcinogens. Recycling of plastics may be very difficult according to the industry. In few countries like Germany, the law makers stipulate stringent laws to regulate the industries and shops to take back the plastic waste of their products. All the countries may follow the example of Germany which implements environmental laws effectively.

Why are carrier bags unsafe?

This information may help people to think and handle plastics in the proper manner. It is important to know that the fresh food or cooked foods packed and stored in the coloured plastic bags are contaminated with poisonous substances like PVC monomers, phthalates and other poisonous additives.

Note: Classical Tiffin box is the safe carrier to hold food free from chemical poisons.

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS)

MCS is an environmental illness. It is not yet possible to make a clear cut line what multiple chemical sensitivity is? It is a general term for severe sensitivity and allergic reaction to many environmental pollutants like organic solvents, volatile organic compounds, smoke, diesel, petrol, perfumes and other chemicals from everywhere. Most of these patients have allergies to pollen, house dust mite and pet hair. The mechanism of allergies are well known, widely studied and understood, but MCS has no known mechanism and it is not all fully understood. Without taking it as a challenge, many who have taken an oath to help patients, take it very easy, and consider it idiopathic and I had many heated discussions with them.

MCS has different faces, it is very difficult to find out the reasons and you must get all the information from the patients. Here lies a major problem because getting information from them is very difficult and the doctors have usually no time, thus mostly a quick diagnosis, by women, the problems with menopause and by men, the laziness and stimulating the symptoms. It is important to find out the pollutant, so that it could be avoided completely. The psychological factor must also be considered always.

Are there no ways to find out whether it is only true allergy or MCS?

It is very difficult with MCS because the amount of substances which trigger these symptoms are very minute, several triggers together makes it more difficult to diagnose; if the pollutants are removed, the patients improve. That means, you must have thorough knowledge in all the fields, unfortunately not all have this and most of them have problems to convince the patients. If you cannot convince them, you will not get all the information, without these, you cannot motivate them.

Moreover, most of them are having iron deficiency, thereby very tired and this makes the process more complicated because if you supplement iron, that can produce lot of hydroxyl free radicals in the body, their diet is very poor, may be because of allergies. With much difficulty it is possible to improve iron status with food first before coming to the actual work.

Another problem is, they read all the available literature, pick up only the negative things there and tell that they know better than the doctor, but we have our methods to make them listen.

What are the symptoms of MCS?

Everything is a symptom here, but varies patient to patient and there is no demarcation between MCS and other environmental diseases like chronic fatigue syndrome etc. The following are the several symptoms and normally a patient has many of these symptoms:

• Rhinitis (running nose)
• Wheezing
• Nausea
• Burning eyes
• Extreme fatigue
• Sinus problems
• Sensitivity to noise and light
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Skin rashes
• Itching of the skin
• Migraine
• Headaches
• Poor concentration and memory
• Dizziness
• Digestion problems
• Joint pain
• Muscle pain
• Problems to sleep

Here you can see and understand how difficult it is to find out the real cause, but nothing is impossible. An environmental doctor must have knowledge in all the fields including psychology, food sciences, allergies, detoxification and scavenging of free radicals, laboratory medicine, trace analysis and the effect of poisons and the source of poisons. Many times fungi and moulds which could not be seen with the eyes are the major problem. In Germany trained dogs could detect such invisible fungi, when removed completely with experts; there were improvement in many cases.

But, I stress this point once again, without successful treatment of iron deficiency with right food; it is very difficult to achieve something for these patients. We have to show understanding to their problems but many doctors mistrust them from the beginning and the basis of diagnosing and treating is considerably disturbed. In environmental toxicology, if we do not understand things, it does not mean that the patients are not telling the truth; if we are sure of psychological problems, this must be told to the patient immediately, otherwise, the patients run to 20 doctors with increasing health problems.

What should be done finally?

In the course of this diagnosis the polymorphism of the genes, deficiency in enzymes and nutritional deficiencies must be found out. Most of these enzymes contain different minerals and the deficiency makes problems in the detoxification and free radical scavenging. If there is no improvement, the last chance is trying to prevent all possible pollutants; with an individual diet it may be possible to improve the quality of life considerably.

What is the relationship between MCS and perfumes?

Perfumes are the worst pollutants in our day to day life for persons who suffer from MCS, but perfume vapours are everywhere. If one person in a room has used perfumes, the patient gets the symptoms. In environmental clinics the air inside the clinic is filtered so that the air is free from any allergens or chemicals.

Many do not bother about the environment, but the persons who suffer from environmental illness only pay the heavy bills. They may be in my family or in your family.

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)

Sick building syndrome is the symptom or discomfort one experience when she/he is inside a building for hours. This person has no other sickness and these symptoms disappear if the person leaves this building. The problems may be in one room or zone or in the whole building. This is an environmental illness.

What is the difference between sick building syndrome and building related illness (BRI)?

The persons who have SBS have no known sickness and the symptoms disappear when the person leaves the building. But, building related illness is where the symptoms are diagnosable. The illness is identified and can be sorted directly to certain airborne contaminants. Still there are several buildings where the indoor air quality is very bad.

Which are the symptoms of SBS?

The symptoms of SBS include:

• Sensitivity to odours
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Dry skin, itchy skin
• Nausea
• Problems in concentration
• Dry cough
• Irritation of throat, eye or nose

Which are the symptoms of BRI?

The symptoms of BRI include:

• Cough
• Cold
• Fever
• Muscle aches
• Chest tightness

Affected persons need prolonged recovery times after leaving from the building.

Only after knowing the exact condition of the patient, we have to decide whether the symptoms are SBS or BRI related or from other sources like cold or allergies which can be also mistakenly interpreted.

What are the immediate causes of sick building syndrome?

These include:

Inadequate ventilation: It is important to ventilate the rooms to remove chemical contaminants as well as the used air from there, if you keep usually all the doors and windows closed. One window or door completely opened for 10 minutes is normally enough to replace the used air in that room.

In Western countries, if you close the windows and doors there is no possibility of natural exchange, they are air tight because of energy savings in the cold winter. There, many times a day, at least one window should be opened completely for 10 minutes.

The ventilation should be proper and good in air-conditioned rooms and halls.

Solvents and other chemicals contaminant from indoor sources: Many do not know what all chemicals and solvents they have in their buildings. These are from adhesives, carpets, wooden floors, other wood products and cleaning products from all kinds of chemicals and volatile organic compounds. Pesticides against mosquitoes, cockroaches or ants are present. These should be used very cautiously only if the natural products are not helping. Formaldehyde may be present is a strong poison; select other products which are equally good.

Copy machines can produce ozone which is in high concentration harmful to our health.

Any source of smoke in closed rooms must be avoided. Do not smoke in closed rooms, it is applicable to your important guests, if necessary send them out to smoke.

Micro-organisms present: These may be in the air or in the building. The reasons may be very old and dirty filter in the air-conditioners or the fungus present due to lack of aeration.

Good companies do lot against these problems because they know that the staff only produce the profit. At the same time, we should not forget that the occupational laws of a country are there to safeguard the health of the staffs working in such buildings.