What about minerals? Where must I be careful?

It is really a good question. Minerals are part of the body’s composition. Every day the body produces 200 billion red blood cells and the whole blood is totally replaced in every 120 days. Every 90 days the bone structures are renewed. The skin regenerates every 2 to 3 months. Acid-base balance and water content of the body are regulated by minerals. Minerals are also part of the enzymes which help our metabolism function properly. As we know magnesium is present in 300 enzymes and zinc is present in more than 350 enzymes. We know the importance of calcium very much. Iron is important but, very problematic. Selenium is necessary to scavenge the free radicals and to remove poisonous metals like mercury from the body.

If you have to take a mineral supplement it is better to take an organic compound as inorganic compounds are mostly useless.

Calcium must be taken very carefully. Calcium should not be taken after meals. It can disturb the absorption of iron. Calcium also should not be taken with magnesium. Calcium should be taken between two meals. Remember too much of calcium even from the food makes more calcium to excrete. Too much of protein intake influences more excretion of calcium. It is same with the excess sodium. Excess sodium intake makes more calcium excreted from the body. Calcium supplements need not have vitamin D. If you eat normal you get enough vitamin D from your food.

Aluminium can also disturb the absorption of iron as calcium. Moreover excess iron is poisonous. Too much of iron can be stored in organs like liver and heart and produce many hydroxyl free radicals which are very dangerous for our health. If it is necessary we can take iron supplements only few weeks under the supervision of your doctor.
Zinc and selenium should not be taken together. If zinc is taken in the morning selenium must be taken in the evening.

Excess calcium supplements can cause gas, bloating or constipation. For each mineral there are recommendations for daily intake. This must be followed very strictly.

When do you need mineral supplements? Women over the age of 50 need calcium. This is well studied. Here not only calcium is important but also the enough physical activity to make the bones strong. Moreover, from your food intake it is easy for your dietician to tell whether you take enough minerals.

The minerals are also excreted continuously from the body through kidneys. Uncontrolled intake of minerals may spoil the kidneys too. Therefore, before you take supplements you consult your doctor or dietician.

Change your food habits with the help of your dietician and mostly this makes wonders.

Can you tell me how to prevent osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis or porous bone is a known word to many now as the advertisements for the calcium supplements with vitamin D reaches all television watchers in our world. Bone is a living tissue and the disease caused by low bone mass and loss of bone tissue is osteoporosis. With osteoporosis you have increased risk for hip, spine and wrist fracture. It is because osteoporosis makes the bone fragile. The peak bone density is reached at approximately 30 years of age and so the damage begins much earlier.

It is not only a old women’s disease as many think. Men suffer also from osteoporosis. There are two million men suffer osteoporosis in the United States of America. Enough calcium intakes from food and an optimum calcium metabolism can prevent osteoporosis. It is important to build strong bones in young ages so that osteoporosis has no chance in later life. Young ages mean during childhood and adolescence are the best time to build strong bones. This is the best osteoporosis prevention method later in life.

The important steps to prevent osteoporosis include:

• Eat the right diet for you. It must be rich in calcium and vitamin D. Consult your dietician to take the optimum food. Maintain your normal weight. It is dangerous to have below your ideal weight.

• Physical activity like walking, jogging, running, climbing stairs, playing tennis and other similar sports, dancing and jumping rope is good. If you do this for the first time consult with your doctor.

• Weight lifting and weight machines in gym clubs. If you do this for the first time consult with your doctor.

• No smoking and other tobacco products – nicotine inhibits the bone protective effect of estrogen in women. The menopause sets earlier and thus the risk for osteoporosis. Disturbs the calcium absorption from the food.

• No excessive alcohol intake

• Take calcium and vitamin D supplements, if necessary

All these precautions are important and there is no compromise. Parents must inform the children and adolescents the importance of good food and exercise. Once understood properly they have no problem to follow that. This is my personal experience.

Prevention is better than cure. It is in your hands to be healthy. It is not advisable to consume too much processed foods, fast foods and junk foods.

What should I know about my food if I’m a vegan?

No single food can provide all the macro- and micronutrients your body needs. The vegan diet is a more restrictive diet as eggs and dairy products are avoided. Therefore, we must know which nutrients can be a problem from the normal vegan diet. We must be careful to get these from our foods or if necessary the right supplements must be considered.

These nutrients include:

• Calcium
• Iron
• Iodine
• Zinc
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D
• Protein
• Omega-3 fatty acids

Calcium – It is difficult to get enough calcium if we avoid milk and dairy products. The dark green vegetables are the good sources of calcium. But, these vegetables must be eaten in sufficient quantities. 400g to 500g vegetables are to be eaten daily. Calcium enriched and fortified juices, cereals and soy products can also be taken. Remember calcium is very important for your bone health. Supplements must be organic salts.

Iron – the role of red blood cells in transporting oxygen to all our cells are well known. From plant foods it is difficult to absorb iron and so almost double the amount of iron must be taken compared to non-vegetarians. Dried peas and beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grain products, dried fruits and dark leafy green vegetables are good sources of iron. Vitamin C is needed to absorb iron and so with every meal vitamin C rich foods must also be taken. Citrus fruits, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and strawberries are rich in vitamin C. Consult with your doctor before you use iron supplements. These should not be takes for longer periods.

Iodine – it is important for thyroid hormones which help to regulate growth, metabolism and the function of important organs such as the heart, brain, thyroid and kidney. The best way to get iodine is to use iodized salts in everyday cooking. It is advisable to keep the iodized salts on the table.

Zinc – it is an essential element in more than 350 enzymes and plays a vital role in cell division and protein synthesis. It is important for our immune system and free radical scavenging system. It plays a vital role in the reproduction. Whole grain products, soy products, nuts, seeds, lentils, beans and wheat germ are good sources of zinc. Zinc is not easily absorbed from the plant food. Organic salts of zinc can be considered as food supplement.

Vitamin B12 – it is important to prevent anemia, to produce red blood cells and in the regulation of homocysteine. It is found exclusively in animal food. Vitamin B12 supplements enriched cereals and fortified soy products are recommended for regular intake.

Vitamin D – it is important for calcium absorption and thus is essential for bone health. Sun light produces in our skin vitamin D from cholesterol. If there is not enough sun light it is better to take supplements from plants.

Protein – it is important for muscles, organs, bones and skin. It is possible to get enough protein from the vegetarian food. Legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grain products and soy products are rich in protein.

Omega-3 fatty acids – these are important for cardiovascular health and in the development of eyes and brain. They reduce inflammation and very important for cell health also. The foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, soy products and dark green vegetables.

A vegetarian food is very healthy if we limit the amount of carbohydrates intake. Vegetarians consume too many carbohydrates than non-vegetarians.

What role does calcium und potassium play in blood pressure?

Calcium is important to have normal blood pressure and it also functions as a natural diuretic to mild the effects of much sodium intake.

Calcium supplement gives contradictory results, 80% benefit from the supplementation and in 20% the blood pressure goes marginally up. Dairy products containing low fat and vegetables are also good sources of calcium. Talk to the dietician to know the right food to you.

Potassium can also reduce blood pressure and it is proved that low potassium diet increases blood pressure. The mechanism behind is that too little potassium in the blood lead to sodium retention and high blood pressure.

Fruits, vegetables and fish are rich in potassium.

We talk about vitamins and minerals. What are they exactly?

A vitamin is an organic substance which our body needs but cannot synthesize it. Vitamin D is the exception. All the other vitamins we must get from our food.

Minerals are inorganic substances such as sodium, potassium, iron, zinc, selenium, iodide, calcium, magnesium etc. The essential minerals are a must for our good health. Some minerals we need more and others very little.

Vitamins and minerals are very important for the smooth functioning of thousands of chemical reactions in our body. A good functioning metabolism is a guarantee for our good health.

We need constant and adequate supply of vitamins and minerals. Our good foods have enough of them.

Can Vitamin D supplements interfere with my prescribed drugs?

I do not know which medicines you are taking, but vitamin D supplements can interfere with certain medicines. Its level in the blood can increase. It is better to consult with your doctor before taking the supplement.

These prescribed drugs include:

• Estrogens – Hormone replacement therapy with estrogens can increase vitamin D level in the blood. This has a positive effect on calcium and bone metabolism. This benefit is lost when progesterone is added in the therapy
• Isoniazid – This is a drug used to treat tuberclosis, may raise blood levels of vitamin D
• Thiazide – Diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide can increase the effect of vitamin D and can lead to very high calcium levels in the blood.
Vitamin D levels may be decreased if you take the following drugs:
• Antacids – long time use can affect the bioavailability of vitamin D
• Calcium channel blockers – These medicines are used to treat the high blood pressure and other heart diseases. They may decrease the production of vitamin D by the body
• Cholestyramine – This decreases the cholesterol. It interferes with the absorption of vitamin D
• Antiepileptic medications such as phenytoin, Phenobarbital and others may accelerate the body’s use of vitamin D
• Weight loss medications – Orlistat binds with fat and thus prevents the absorption of vitamin D and other fat soluble vitamins.
• Vitamin D may enhance the effects of doxorubicin, a drug used in treating cancers
• If you take digoxin, a drug used to treat irregular heart rhythms and vitamin D together, the high level of calcium can increase the drug to toxic ranges
• Corticosteroid drugs such as prednisone, used to reduce inflammation can reduce calcium absorption and impair vitamin D metabolism. This increases the risk for osteoporosis

Never increase the dose of the medicine by yourself. Even if you take food supplements talk to your doctor.

What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder characterized by a thinned and weakened bone which increases the risk of fracture. Bone density informs about your bone strength and demineralization of the bones causes osteoporosis.

Simple falls can make an osteoporotic bone more susceptible to fracture.

Primary osteoporosis can occur both in men and women, but more common in postmenopausal women and men get it normally when they are old.

Secondary osteoporosis is due to deficiencies or too much of hormones, steroid medication and chronic illness and there may be more other reasons which we may not know now.

The most important here is not the bone density or daily bone loss but the balance between bone formation and loss.

Calcium, vitamin D and estrogens play a vital role in osteoporosis. Healthy food, good lifestyle and physical activity is important to prevent it.

What role does calcium und potassium play in blood pressure?

Calcium and potassium are very important for the health.

Calcium is important to have normal blood pressure and it also functions as a natural diuretic to mild the effects of much sodium intake. Calcium supplement gives contradictory results, 80% benefit from the supplementation and 20% the blood pressure goes marginally up.

Dairy products containing low fat and vegetables are also good sources of calcium. Talk to the dietician to know exactly about your food.

Potassium can also reduce blood pressure and it is proved that low potassium diet increases blood pressure. The mechanism behind is that too little potassium in the blood lead to sodium retention and high blood pressure.

Fruits, vegetables and fish are rich in potassium.

Are ladies finger healthy?

Lady’s fingers has different local names like okra, bhindi, vendakkai etc. This is a very good source of protein. Tryptophan, cysteine and other sulphur containing amino acids are present there.

Vitamin C is is present as a main antioxidant. It is rich in fibre also. It is rich in folic acid and vitamin A and B6. It is also rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.

Lady’s fingers are useful in

• It help to stabilize bood sugar levels
• It is useful in the detoxification
• It is a good natural laxative and prevents constipation
• It binds excess cholesterol in bile acids
• The fibre present in Lady’s fingers is good for the bacteria anus thus contributes the health of the intestine
• It gives enery and acts against depression
• It is used to heal ulcers
• It helps the joints to be healthy
• It is a very good alkaline food
• It helps healing in acid reflux
• It helps reducing cancer, especially the colo-rectal cancer

Lday’s fingers must be cooked as little as possible to retain the nutrients present. Cooking with low heat or lightly steamed or raw is the best way to get all the benefits.

What is the relationship among calcium, estrogens and vitamin D?

It is very simple, for the absorption of calcium from our intestine to blood we need estrogens and vitamin D. If you have deficiency of estrogens, vitamin D or both you can also have less absorption of calcium which may lead to osteoporosis.

It is more difficult to keep the absorbed calcium in our body and several factors such as, the amount of calcium or the amount of vitamin D, or sodium or protein has a good or very bad influence on it. Too much from these food or nutrients are bad for calcium metabolism.

The estrogens production is slowly reduced during the pre-menopausal period and in post-menopausal the concentration is very low. Estrogens replacement therapy or enough vitamin D intake is, therefore, very important for women’s health.

The phytoestrogens from soya beans or other vegetables can also replace estrogens replacement therapy.

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.

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.

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.

Milk is a balanced food. But I do not like taking milk. Does it lead to unhealthy condition?

Milk and milk products are very good foods as long as you have no milk allergy or lactose intolerance.

More than 60% of the world population have any one of these problems. In Western countries their main calcium source is milk and milk products. When they eat excess of milk products, particularly cheese, these can bring problem in calcium metabolism. The problems include:

• Too much calcium excretes more calcium from the bones
• Too much of salt from the cheese makes more calcium excretion from the body
• Too much of protein makes the body acidic which in turn increases the excretion of calcium

If somebody is having unexplainable gas problems and no medicines help, ask them to avoid milk and milk products for few days. If they have lactose intolerance the problems will disappear immediately.

The villain for the milk allergy is a protein present in milk.

Coca Cola

What is coca cola?

Coca cola is a carbonated soft drink with phosphoric acid, caffeine, high fructose corn syrup, natural flavours and caramel colour. Light or diet or zero Coca Cola contains artificial sweeteners like aspartame and acesulfame potassium. The latest one is a new healthy soda diet Coca Cola, called diet coke plus with vitamin B6, vitamin B12, niacin and zinc!!!


Do you drink Coca Cola?

Yes I do, but very rarely.

Why do you drink very rarely?

I do not know whether everybody knows how to drink Coca Cola. If you want to enjoy the whole taste of coca cola, it must be drunk exactly at 4 degrees C which is always not possible in a hot country. More over, as a clinical toxicologist, I look very carefully what I drink because I have normally more facts than several others.

I have read so many positive things about coca cola in the internet, is it correct?

I have also read the good points given by Coca Cola, India, but there is always the other side of the medal. My duty is to give the correct information to help the people. In internet, one can write whatever he likes because there is no control about the veracity of the points or the truth. Moreover, there are several questions about coke which I want to answer.

What is the real picture of Coca Cola in the world?

There are two groups in the world, one says it is a devil’s drink and the other says the angels have brought them this wonderful soft drink. Both are beliefs as well as myths.

What is the truth about coca cola and osteoporosis?

Coca Cola contains 140 mg of phosphate per litre which can give problems for the absorption of calcium as well as calcium metabolism which can reduce the bone mass density. This is present as inorganic acid and reacts with calcium in our body to form calcium phosphate which is useless for the bone formation because we need only calcium molecules but not calcium phosphate. This decreases the bone mass density and the result may be osteoporosis. The dose makes the poison.

Do not forget, Coca Cola is not only the source of phosphorous, the modern processed foods contain a lot of it and the cumulative effect plays a negative role in our life.

Is there any relationship between phosphorus and hyperactivity in children?

I have seen in several cases, phosphate increases the hyperactivity in children and in some Western countries you can get also phosphate free breads which are baked extra for them in a particular day in a month. The mothers buy enough on that day and deep freeze it for their children. Coca Cola and other similar soft drinks are not good for such children and must be avoided.

According to a study in the Harvard School of Public health, the teenage girls who drank regularly Cola drinks had 5 times more bone fracture during the sports than the others who did not drink it.

Coca Cola and our teeth, is it dangerous or not?

The phosphoric acid can remove the calcium from the tooth enamel and the problem starts here. It is not only for coca cola but also applicable to all soft drinks which contain phosphate. Enjoy the coke like most of the Indian friends drink their whisky; close the nose and one very big gulp, the whole whisky, no, coke is inside. There are many persons throughout the world who take sip after sip during the whole day, thus keeping their mouth always acidic and this enhances the removal of calcium and caries is the result of this.

Attention, never brush your teeth immediately after drinking coca cola or other soft drinks which increases the loss of calcium.

The doctors and dieticians opine that a glass of Coca Cola will not do any harm, but the problem starts if one drinks a litre a day, believe me, I know persons who drink two to three litres per day, caffeine dependence?

One of alcoholic drinks which people, young or old, men or women, like in Western countries is Coca Cola mixed with Bacardi, rum or whisky and I have noticed people drinking eight such glasses in a party that means 8 x 400 ml = 3.2 litre of Cola in 4 to 6 hours. I have no idea about such habits in India and I must do the research when I come next time.

Coca cola and meat, which is the relationship between them?

This is a well known myth that coca cola can dissolve the meat. If you put a steak overnight in coca cola, it looks thick and funny next morning but it is not at all dissolved. The group against cola hears the word phosphoric acid and produced this myth.

The hydrochloric acid present in our stomach is much stronger and there is no risk with coca cola for our stomach muscles. But, drink less and enjoy, do not forget the 4 degree C, if it is too cold or too warm, it is a waste of money.

What is the truth about coca cola and diabetes?

If you are healthy and there is no family history of diabetes, there is no problem, but it is better to be careful with sugar. But in coca cola high fructose corn syrup is used to sweeten to reduce the costs since 1985. There are two dangers, the corn syrup may come from genetically manipulated plants; excess of fructose could be quickly converted into fat in our liver, causing increase in weight, obesity and this is a risk of type-2-diabetes. Moreover, fructose is metabolized in the liver and it has to do lot more than its normal work which is also too much for it if other risks like alcohol or environmental and other poisons are there. Drink less and enjoy and remember always the dose makes the poison.

Coca cola and more hunger can lead to obesity, is aspartame the culprit?

It is very interesting to see the quarrel between different groups; Coca Cola Company says there is no scientific study to prove the weight increase. Group of chemists and dieticians who accept the release of more insulin from the mimic sweetening effects of aspartame say that this has an effect on sugar metabolism. Reducing the blood sugar means increasing the hunger.

However, observation with colleagues showed that if they drink three or four glasses of Cola light, we have seen a drop in their blood sugar values, once the blood sugar is below 80 mg, the colleagues consumed more food than normal. There is no mechanism in our body to make the insulin disappear and it does its duty by reducing the normal blood sugar values to low level. With all the possibilities what coca cola and the different research institutes have, it is not a big thing to do proper research and find out the real side-effects, but nobody is willing or doing or even nobody is thinking of that. So, in this case you are your own judge, drink a litre cola light every day, note your weight before and after 14 days, if you are weighing more at the end, you can make your judgement for you. Nobody is interested in your health, only you have to save yourself!!

Is Coco Cola a medicine for diarrhoea?

The grandmother’s medicine for diarrhoea in Germany is Coca Cola and Salzstangen (wheat flour sticks with crystal salt). It is correct because of electrolyte, sugar and enough fluid at first thought, but there is no equilibrium between the high amount of sugar and low salt content. The adverse effect is the diarrhoea can become worse. Moreover, from 1985 there is only corn syrup fructose.

When I tell this to my patients, the immediate question is which is the alternative to have the balance between salt and sugar, it is very easy, take a glass of boiled and cooled water, add half a teaspoonful salt and five teaspoonful glucose and you have mixture which will do the best to you.

If it does not help, go to the doctor immediately.

What is Mentos Eruption?

The reaction between diet Coca Cola and mint flavoured candies result in a fountain which is called the mentos eruption. The ingredients of diet coca cola, caffeine, aspartame, potassium benzoate and carbon dioxide and gum Arabic and gelatine produced this jet effect. When such a reaction happens in our stomach the inner organs may get damaged because of the production of a large amount of carbon dioxide. But, the Coca Cola Company assures that diet coca cola and mentos candies are used throughout the world without any problem.

This effect could also be produced with other similar soft drinks.

Is Coca Cola an efficient spermicide to use in birth control?

It is totally false and it is impossible to kill all the sperms with a post coital douche, this matter about Coca Cola prevails in the internet even today and it is one of the myths. The excess fructose in the cola can only make yeast infection, an annoying difficult to cure health problem.

If it works in Africa, it is the pure luck of the woman and nothing to do with coke because shortly after intercourse the sperms are away from the reach of Coca Cola douche. Never try, you may be unlucky, you can become pregnant even at the first time. There are several other methods and devices for contraception and consult your doctor to select the right one for you.

What is E 211, is it dangerous?

It is a food additive, E 211 or sodium benzoate, in diet coca cola which is a controversial additive linked to hyperactivity in children and also linked to DNA damage. Coca cola has agreed to remove this additive as soon as a satisfactory alternate is discovered. This additive is present in some other cola drinks also. If it is not declared on the label, ask your local coca cola office to find it out

What about Kerala, India and coca cola?

Even in a country like Germany where we take drinking water from below 3000 meters, even this have traces of pesticides. It is the duty of the industry to use only water free from pesticide residues. The techniques and filters are available; mostly it is the mistake of the local management to control their own workers or to save money at the wrong ends.

Government of India has formed a committee to find the world’s first pesticide residue standards for soft drinks. It is great.

So many information, which is your final suggestion?

Drink three to four or more litres of fluid every day, 70% of that must be pure drinking water to excrete the wastes produced from your cells and to detoxify the environmental poisons from your body continuously. Two cups of coffee or tea a day, one to two glasses of fruit juices like apple, orange and pineapple or a maximum of one glass of soft drinks like coca cola or other beverages, I prefer here the fresh fruit juices. Tender coconut is a good alternative. Now and then surely drink a glass coke.

What our friends from Kerala do is also good, different teas with spices like Jeeragam, coriander etc. They are very healthy.

This information is from my book “Food and our Health – Facts and Misconceptions” published in March 2009. For more particulars visit www.aaronverlag.com

My Oil Pulling Diary, 02.10.2009

My oil pulling was normal on 01.10.2009 and nothing special to inform. But I ate lot of vegetables, seven in number.

It is interesting to note that if you change your food the pH of the saliva reacts immediately. It is a boon to us to make the right correction to our body. I tell you once again an acidic body takes calcium away from the bone and this is also one of the main reasons for the later osteoporosis. It is advisable to keep your body always alkaline. Moreover, an acidic body takes more poison also.

That is why prepare always two vegetables every day. It is very important in those days when you eat non-vegetarian food. Non-vegetarian food makes our body acidic.

My oil pulling with sesame oil was very good and normal in both days. Here after, I inform you when some new development occurs.

Wait for that…

My Oil Pulling Diary, 28.09.2009

Yesterday I ate altogether 1 set poori with potatoes, two medhu vadais, three chapattis, fried mutton, chips and 20 to 30 g groundnuts. I drank 4 cups (big one with 400 ml) of coffee. To make the condition still worse I drank 3 small glass of beer also. Apart from the coffee I drank nearly 4 l drinking water.



How was my oil pulling today morning? It was almost not at all milky. Moreover I had very little production of saliva. Now we see the reasons for this.

My food had no fruits or vegetables. That means the food what I ate made my body acidic. Medical literature says that the pH of the saliva is between 6 and 7.4. My saliva pH may be around 6 and there happened no sopanification with my saliva. I had the pure taste of the sesame oil even after 20 min of oil pulling.

What might be the reason for the low production of saliva? I drank 4 cups of moderately strong coffee. Caffeine dehydrates the body and this is same case with alcohol also. There was a mild dehydration of my body. At about 3p.m. in the night I had cramps in the left toes and it was very painful I got up and drank two big glass of water and in 3 min the cramps were gone away. My body is acidic now and in this case more calcium from my bones are lost and the danger of my body taking more poisons from the air, water and food is always high. With this you can learn several things. More water, less coffee, no or less alcohol and the importance of the fruits and vegetables which could make our body alkaline are necessary everyday. Every day in a warm country like India 4 to 6 liters of water is necessary for the body and your food must contain lot of vegetables so that your body stays alkaline.

Today will be the last day I eat bad food and from tomorrow onwards I eat normally with vegetables and fruits and inform you what is happening with me and my oil pulling.

Note: With oil pulling one could control easily whether her/his body is acidic or alkaline, if necessary could change the eating habits immediately.

Iron and its deficiency

Iron is an essential element for human beings and is vital for the production of red blood cells. Haemoglobin present in the red blood cells transports oxygen to cells and carbon dioxide back to the lungs. Periods of rapid growth, blood loss due to menstruation or loss in the intestinal tract, less iron in the diet, poor iron absorption and poverty are the main reasons for the iron deficiency.

Healthy persons absorb about 5 to 10% of dietary iron and the iron deficient absorbs about 10 to 20%. Vitamin C enhances the absorption of iron. Oxalates, phytates and tannins from the vegetables decrease the absorption of iron. Therefore, iron is poorly absorbed from wheat germ, lima beans, spinach and beet greens.

Iron absorption from carrots, potatoes, beet roots, pumpkin, tomatoes, cauliflower, cabbage and turnips are good because these vegetables contain substantial amount of malic, citric or ascorbic acids which can help iron absorption. Iron absorption is enhanced by inclusion of red meat, poultry, fish and eggs.

Too much of calcium inhibits the absorption of iron so that calcium supplement should be taken in between two meals. Meals that include principally pizza, hamburger, spaghetti and cheese result in poor iron absorption.

An estimated 40% of world’s population, mainly women are the sufferers of iron deficiency. Environmental illness can cause iron deficiency. In India where hookworm disease is prevalent and vegetarianism is mandated by religion, iron deficiency is very common. Keep always in mind that too much of iron from the tablets deposited in the organs is more dangerous than light deficiency.

What is the reason that one should not take iron tablets for long time? Excess iron which could not be used for the production of red blood cells will be deposited in the heart and other organs. Our body temperature and enough water make it to rust there. In this process uncontrolled amounts of free radicals are formed by the Fenton’s reaction. Free radicals are necessary to fight and kill the bacteria and virus but too much of them destroy body’s healthy cells, thus the organs.

Iron is a poisonous metal and the iron tablets should be kept away from the reach of the children. Excess can harm the health of the children.

Menstrual problems and food

Menstrual problems may also be a reason for infertility in women and it is better to know about it clearly. The role of food in menstruation is explained here.

What are the menstrual problems?

At first, a few words about everything, the ovaries produce the two main female sex hormones, estrogens and progesterone. A large quantity of estrogens is produced when a girl reaches puberty, about 9-13 years old. This enables her to develop quickly into a normal young woman with the child bearing capacity. In this reproductive phase of her life, the menstruation plays a vital role.

The common problems relating her menstrual flow are:

• Pre-menstrual tension
• Painful menstruation and
• Excessive menstruation.

If there is a problem which you cannot manage alone, report and consult your doctor as early as possible.


What are the pre-menstrual tension symptoms?

Some women few days before menstruation become irritable and nervous and may also suffer from fullness in the breasts, headache, insomnia, swelling in the legs and even depression. Acne, bloating, backache, constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal cramp, difficulty in concentrating and difficulty in handling stress can be also the other symptoms.

These are mainly because of hormonal imbalance and these symptoms disappear within a day of the start of the menstrual flow.

What is a painful menstruation?

Painful menstruation is a very common problem and this symptom can appear immediately before or during the menstrual flow. Some women have this pain two or three days before the flow. Here also the reason is hormonal imbalance.

What is the excessive menstrual flow?

This is common in women, some diseases like fibroids or the hormones play a role here. The excessive menstrual flow is a risk factor for anaemia.

If the menstruation stops, what are the reasons?

It is only abnormal when a woman is not pregnant or at the menopause. The main causes of menstrual stoppage are anaemia, serious emotional disturbances such as grief, worry and fear. Malformation or displacement of the womb can also be the reason. It may also happen during some sickness or after an illness. Jetlag is also one of the reasons for disturbed menstruation in air hostesses.

Does food play a role here?

There are many foods which may help here, to tell a few, calcium, manganese, fat and cholesterol.

What is the role of calcium here?

Foods rich in calcium like a glass of skimmed milk every day apart from your normal meal may help to prevent and cure mood changes and physical pain before or during your period. At the same time all other health aspects must also be considered taking more calcium and an optimum amount could be found out with the help of your dietician.

What about manganese?

The problem here is with heavy menstrual flow, just imagine the flow is almost the double amount than normal, the body loses more manganese, iron, copper, zinc and other essential elements because of increased blood loss. The cause for the heavy flow is not known. Fruits, especially pineapple, vegetables, whole grains products, nuts and seeds contain many essential elements we need including manganese.

Black or green tea has also high manganese content.

What is the role of cholesterol here?

One of the greatest threats to menstruation and reproduction is a deficiency of cholesterol in the diet as well as in your body. Even LDL or bad cholesterol is important to menstruate normally. Women who want to be slim or thin try fanatically with exercises and with diet to reduce the amount of fat in their body, thus wrecking their menstrual cycle which may even lead to temporary infertility. These women are also susceptible to fragile bones and osteoporosis in later years.

It is possible with correct food, enough exercises and with normal menstrual cycle you can be slim, the simple thing to achieve this is, you must know only how to do that.

Are carbohydrates, including sugar and chocolates a cure or cause for pre-menstrual symptoms?

Many women feel less depression, confusion, fatigue, tension and anger and it may be because carbohydrates produce higher amount of serotonin, a neurotransmitter which can elevate the mood. The main reason is relaxation. So do not deny a craving for carbohydrates including chocolates, sweets and desserts during your period. This is also good to reduce cramp and sluggishness.

Small portion, but often, in two to three hours can do well, but try to find out which is good for you to get relief from your suffering.

What about coffee?

If you have pre-menstrual symptoms which upset your life, give up coffee and other beverages with caffeine for few months to see whether it helps you. But, one to two cups a day may not bring problems and if you drink more, reduce it to one cup. Here the information from the women is very contradictory, sometimes it helps and sometimes, it does not.

What about smoking?

Stop it immediately, it helps you surely. Even in India 2.6% of the women do smoke.

What about alcohol?

It is advisable not to drink alcohol because pain, headache and cramp are not in a line with alcohol consumption. It may help in small amount in postmenopausal women only.

What about processed foods?

It is better to avoid all the processed foods.

What about having an ‘all fruits day’ in a week?

It is generally good for your health which can also have influence in your menstrual cycle, do not forget to eat bananas because you need calories to do your normal work.

Are there home remedies for this problem?

There are several home remedies for this problem as follows:

Sesame seeds
Coriander seeds
Ginger
Parsley
Papaya
Bengal gram
Banana flower
Mango bark
Ashoka tree bark
Indian barberry

These may help in menstruation problems, try slowly to find out the correct one and the amount needed for your problems or consult your doctor or dietician.

In my own experience many women in the child bearing age drink less water. It is a must to drink, three to four litre water per day. If they sweat more, they have to drink more. 70% of the fluid intake must be pure drinking water and it does always good.