How to prevent heartburn?

Weak lower oesophageal muscles which may also relax too often allow the acid to get into the oesophagus. When the lining of the oesophagus comes in contact with too much of acid from the stomach oesophagus it is injured and produces burning pain. This result is heartburn.

You can prevent heartburn by doing the following things:

• Avoid large meals
• Avoid high fatty food
• It is better to drink a small glass of water at the end of the meal to wash down the acid which might be splashing up into the oesophagus.
• High fibre foods reduce heartburn
• You can drink heartburn friendly beverages like water, mineral water, low fat milk and juices of noncitrus fruits. Decaffeinated tea also helps. Soda, citrus fruit juices, alcoholic beverages, coffee, tea and cola can increase the acid production in the stomach and also to relax the lower oesophageal muscle.
• Fat around the midsection of the body is also a risk factor which can press the stomach and send the acid upwards.
• Chocolate, coffee, alcohol, fatty foods, tomato, citrus fruits and their juices, hot chilli and black pepper must be avoided.
• Chewing gum with no peppermint flavour helps to produce more saliva and the bicarbonate present there can neutralise the acid.
• Avoid alcohol and smoking.
• Give enough time between meals
• Exercises which differ from individual to individual may help to decrease the heartburn.
• Avoid lying down two to three hours after eating; otherwise it can help the acid splash upwards.

Three heavy meals and frequently eating do not ease heartburn. A small meal is advisable. Heavy meal means more acid reflux and small meal means less acid reflux.

When you sleep your pillow must be six to eight inches higher when you lie down so that the head is elevated and a peaceful sleep may be possible.

Lead contamination in chocolates – is it possible?

Cocoa plants do not take lead from the soil and there is no natuaral possibility. The lead contamination may have many other reasons – some countries use still leaded petrol and contamination through water or other sources.

Chocolate is a processed food. The international voluntary standard limit for lead in cocoa beans or powder is 1 microg per g. I all studies lead are found in the chocolate and if eaten in high quantities may bring problem to the children.

Particularly in India where lot of advertisements are made for brain food in the television, it is of great interest to find lead in these formulas. There are more ads for the chocolates. Parents who buy these costly brain food (?) must ask their children to limit the consumption of their cacao products. It is for chocolates, icecreams, pudding, hot drinks based on cacao.

There are two important reasons for this and they are:

• There is no known limit for lead’s effect on children’s brain function and even small quantities of lead can cause problems in neurological functions including impaired IQ. The marks of your child will not be good in the school.
• Chocolates are high in calories and one of the reasons among obesity in Children. You need not ban your child in eating chocolates but reduce it drastically. Explain them the facts.

We read a lot about the chocolates, but lead is a environmental poison present in many thing which we use daily. The cumulative effect is more important than from only the chocolates.

We must eat healthy food and this always good for our health. The parents must think and learn first about all these dangers.

What about chocolates if I have diabetes?

Nowadays there are chocolates that have up to 95% cocoa and these are bitter with no taste.

75%+ cocoa chocolates are healthy because of the high amount of polyphenols, flavonoids and other antioxidants.

Chocolates with more than 85%+ cocoa are not much harmful to your health. These bitter chocolates can reduce the blood pressure, can reduce cholesterol level and even help for sugar metabolism. Cocoa absorbs the sugar and there fore it is reduced slowly in the stomach.

If you use it in a proper way even 95+ cocoa chocolates are useful in weight reduction. A good dietician could arrange this in four diet plan.

Eat moderately if you have diabetes and reduce the amount of carbohydrates from other sources. What is moderate? It is 35 to 50 g per day.

Normal chocolates have cocoa butter, cocoa solids and sugar. Milk chocolates have milk powder or condensed milk, cocoa butter, cocoa solids and sugar. White chocolates have milk powder, cocoa butter and sugar but no cocoa solids. These chocolates have a maximum of 30% cocoa and have no health effects. We must be careful with these, otherwise you could become chocoholic.