Obesity increases the risk of migraine

obesity increases the risk of migraine

Migraine is more likely in women than in men and occurs most commonly in those of younger adult age.  In addition, more women are obese than men. Obesity people ages 20 to 55, either by a measure of belly fat or using the standard BMI (body mass index) are more likely to have migraines and other severe headaches.

Migraines are severe headache that also may include nausea, vomiting and light sensitivity. They are likely to happen in women and often hereditary. According to National Headache Foundation, migraines affect about 30 million people in USA, approximately 10% of the population. Migraines occur most frequent on ages 20 to 45. The study concluded that after age 55, the increased risk of migraines for obese people was no longer present.

Relationship between Migraine and Obesity

The researchers look hard to clarift the link between migraines and obesity after previous studies had produced conflicting conclusions. Obesity can also increases the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, sleep apnea, arthritis, cancer, etc.

How episodic and chronic daily headache links to obesity is not known. It is likely that pathways which overlap and regulate feeding and migraine play a role.  One region of the brain involved in this pathway is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus participates in the regulation of feeding and becomes activated during acute migraine attacks. Serotonin and orexin are hypothalamic brain nerve chemicals known to regulate food intake. They appear to have a role in migraine or chronic daily headache.  Adiponectin and leptin are predominantly fat cell produced hormones which have receptors in the brain. They have a role in inflammation and also appear to play a role in migraine or chronic daily headache. Further research into the role of these and other obesity-related proteins and chemicals may help us to understand migraine and lead to new treatment strategies.

Limited data exists on the role of weight loss and exercise in the reduction of migraine frequency.  However one small pilot study suggests that aerobic exercise may decrease headache frequency, while another small study suggests weight loss with a low fat diet could help decrease headache frequency and intensity. Taken together, this data suggests that those who are obese and have episodic headaches or chronic daily headaches should avoid weight gain. Additionally, the provider and obese patient should consider options for migraine prevention that are not associated with weight gain. Also, the obese patient who suffers with headaches should attempt weight loss. Following these ideas will decrease the risk of obesity related disorders, (such as elevated cholesterol and heart disease,) and could help reduce headache frequency.

Sources:

• Reuters
• Ache News

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Hepatitis vaccine booster

hepatitis vaccine booster

In 2009, 3,374 cases of acute Hepatitis B in the United States were reported to CDC; the overall incidence of reported acute Hepatitis B was 1.5 per 100,000 population, the lowest ever recorded. However, because many HBV infections are either asymptomatic or never reported, the actual number of new infections is estimated to be approximately tenfold higher. In 2009, an estimated 38,000 persons in the United States were newly infected with HBV. Rates are highest among adults, particularly males aged 25–44 years.
An estimated 800,000–1.4 million persons in the United States have chronic HBV infection. Chronic infection is an even greater problem globally, affecting approximately 350 million persons. An estimated 620,000 persons worldwide die from HBV-related liver disease each year.

Transmission of Hepatitis B

HBV is transmitted through activities that involve percutaneous (i.e., puncture through the skin) or mucosal contact with infectious blood or body fluids (e.g., semen, saliva), including

• Sex with an infected partner
• Injection drug use that involves sharing needles, syringes, or drug-preparation equipment
• Birth to an infected mother
• Contact with blood or open sores of an infected person
• Needle sticks or sharp instrument exposures
• Sharing items such as razors or toothbrushes with an infected person

HBV is not spread through food or water, sharing eating utensils, breastfeeding, hugging, kissing, hand holding, coughing, or sneezing

The Need for a Booster Dose

After several decades of vaccination against hepatitis B virus in newborns, infants, adolescents, and adults, the question remains whether a booster dose is ever needed. Long-term protection is most commonly measured through 4 methods: the anamnestic response after administration of a booster dose, infection rate in vaccinated populations, in vitro B and T cell activity testing, and seroepidemiological studies. Long-term protection is present despite a decrease in anti-hepatitis B surface antibodies over time. The exact mechanism of long-term protection, however, is not yet fully understood. There is no need for boosters in immunologically potent persons as long as a full course was adequately administered that respected the recommended timelines, as evidenced by studies conducted up to 20 years after the original immunization course. However, a booster dose should be planned for immunocompromised patients, based on serological monitoring.

The question that remains to be answered is how long immune memory will last. Early evidence suggests that the answer will come from the power of the initial immune response and from the time since primary vaccination. Long-term follow-up studies during the third decade after vaccination administration are needed to confirm the duration and persistence of immune memory. In addition, studies that follow-up birth cohorts vaccinated >20 years ago are needed as those individuals become sexually active and potentially exposed to HBV infection.

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High Cholesterol Symptoms

high cholesterol symptoms

Our body needs cholesterol but actually the need of cholesterol is already filled without additional food intake, because 80% cholesterol is synthesized in the liver and only 20% must be supplied from food. Unfortunately many people have hypercholesterolemia because of their lifestyle. Normally, reference range of cholesterol level is 160-200 mg/dL, and level more than 240 mg/dL is dangerous because it is a major risk factor for stroke and cardiovascular disease.

There are some high cholesterol symptoms:

• Pain or stiffness in the back of the head neck
• This stiffness is also up to shoulder
• Leg swelling
• Easy to accomplish
• Easy sleepy

There are 7 major causes of high cholesterol symptoms :

1. Daily food
2. Body weight, especially obesity
3. Sedentary living
4. Certain age
5. Congenital disorder of cholesterol metabolism
6. Family history of hypercholesterol
7. Smoking

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Insulin Resistance Diet

insulin resistance diet

Insulin is a hormone produced by pancreas to control our blood glucose level. The main effects of insulin are to increase glucose uptake by cells and promote glucose using and storage in liver and muscle tissue. Insulin resistance is a condition which the body cells become resistant to the effects of insulin. So the body need higher levels of insulin to have optimal effects.

There are some conditions that have contribution to develop insulin resistance:

• Obesity
• Metabolic syndrome
• Pregnancy
• Severe illness and infection
• Long term steroid use
• Stress

However, preventing is better than curing. We have some tips about insulin resistance diet:

1. Carbohydrate diet guidelines
• Good carbohydrates are the non-refined and non-starchy ones.
• Reduce sugar, simple sugar, and sweetener, such as Stevia, common table sugar, fructose, ice cream, pastries, honey, soda, candy.
• No grain products, such as pop corn, breads, pasta, corn tortilla chips.
• Whole grain limitations, such as wheat, barley, buckwheat. 
• Limit butter
2. Fruits diet guidelines
• Eat it with protein meals and not alone
• Berries are the best ones.
• No dried fruit, no canned fruits (except tomato sauce)
3. Protein diet guidelines
• Animals that eat grass are unhealthy for the person eating the animal
• No hydrogenated margarine
• Dairy products are okay, especially unsweetened yoghurt.
• Consume moderate amounts of leaner meats, fish, and seafood. The more omega-3, the better.
4. Fat diet guideline
• Low diet fat is unhealthy, eat fat moderately.
• Limit fried foods
• Use healthy oil (olive, canola), coconut oil is okay
• Limit cheese
5. Other
• Drink lots of water
• Organic fruits and vegetables are the best (if available)
• This is important: exercise more!

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How To Lose Weight Without Exercise Or Diet

how to lose weight without exercise or diet

See that title, it seems like it is impossible to lose weight without exercise or diet, but basically we can lose weight without significant exercise or minimal exercise, especially if you are a very busy person. Some people have proven that this efforts work for them. Why don't you try?

Here are some tips.

1. No carbs diet. Carbohydrates are the major source of energy for humans to maintain the stability of blood sugar level. But basically our body has a mechanism to obtain energy from non-carbohydrates sources: fat (free fatty acid and glycerol) and proteins (amino acid). With no-carbohydrate diet, the body will use glycogen storage in muscle and adipose tissue as energy source. It may be difficult to have purely no-carbs diet, but you can minimize it.
2. Add more protein in your diet. Protein is an important nutrient that works to repair cells and tissues. Increase protein in your diet to replace the carbohydrate portion. Please consider to make sure that your kidney is well-functioned, because excess protein will aggravate the unhealthy kidney. Examples of high protein meals are chicken breast, seafood, etc.
3. More fibers and vegetables. With large portions of vegetables twice a day, you will feel full longer. In addition, bowel movements also become more fluent. For a good diet program, you should train yourself to defecate everyday!
4. Half what you eat. When you do enough exercise, you need one portion of meal, but if you do not do exercise, you only need a half portion. Replace the entire portion with fibers and vegetables.

There are other ways I don't discuss here yet, but you can share with us. Remember to weigh yourself every morning, or before bedtime, so you will always be aware of the weight progress. Keep yourself motivated and never give up. Ideal body weight is not only good for your performance and make you look sexier, but it will be protective from any diseases such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart attack, and so on.

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Treatment For Bulimia And Anorexia

treatment for bulimia and anorexia

Anorexia and bulimia are the most common eating disorders, especially in adolescence females. As quoted from Online Medical Dictionary, bulimia means episodic binge eating; the episodes may be associated with the fear of not being able to stop eating, depressed mood, or self-deprecating thoughts (binge-eating disorder), may frequently be terminated by self induced vomitting as compensate for the effects of binge eating. This also called bulimia nervosa. While anorexia nervosa is syndrome in which the primary features include excessive fear of becoming fatty/overweight, body image disturbance, significant weight loss, refusal to maintain minimal normal weight, and amenorrhea. This disorder happens most on adolescent women. Both of bulimia and anorexia are not just eating disorders, but mental health problems. They are associated with symptoms of depression and social adaptation failure. 

What is the difference of bulimia and anorexia?

Anorexia is different from bulimia in the binging vomiting and purging cycle. Bulimia patients usually have normal weight, while anorexia patients usually underweight. Overall, bulimia is a more serious condition than anorexia.

Symptoms and Sign

There are three major symptoms of bulimia:

• Eating large amounts of food and then feeling control-loss of it
• Followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors like: using laxative, fasting, self induced vomiting, obsessive compulsive physical exercises
• Extreme care about body shape and body weight

According to Mayo Clinic, anorexia nervosa shows extreme underweight-related symptoms, such as: thin appearance, abnormal blood counts (anemia, etc), fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, absence of menstruation, constipation, dry skin, dehidration, osteoporosis, etc. Emotional characteristics related to anorexia include: refusal to eat, denial of hunger, excessive exercise, flat emotion, irritability, depression, abnormal use of herbal diet products, reduced sexual desire, etc.

Chronic bulimia and anorexia will lead to some health disturbances, such as:

• Electrolyte (sodium and potassium) imbalance, because of purging behaviors. Extreme electrolyte imbalance may possible cause heart failure and death. 
• Frequent stimuli of vomiting may cause inflammation and rupture of the esophagus.
• Excessive eating can cause gastric rupture.
• Bowel disturbances and constipation caused by inappropriate use of laxatives.

Treatment for bulimia and anorexia is a long term treatment. Initial assessment should be done properly and as early as possible, consists of how severe the problems are, and if there are medical conditions that need special hospital management, such as: severely malnourished.. Outpatient treatments for bulimia and anorexia are described below.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).  Main purposes of CBT are training you how to eat healthy diets properly and regularly, reduce your worry or concerns about body weight, control emotions and desire to binge eating, develop skills to prevent future relapse.
• Nutritional therapy, involves dietician or nutritionist. They will teach about meal plan to reach and maintain a normal and healthy body weight 
• Pharmacological therapy, especially antidepressants such as Prozac. The goals are relieving symptoms of depression and also reducing binge eating cycles . 

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Stevia Side Effect

Stevia Side Effect

Stevia (rebaudioside) is called a sweetleaf or sugarleaf plant. Stevia contains no calories but stevia side effect around 300 times sweeter than sugar. This plant is really a great natural sweetener especially those who has diabetic and has to take a diet. Stevia side effect is also protective to infection because it can mitigate growth of certain bacteria.
Despite of those benefits, there are some stevia side effect :
Short-term side stevia side effect consumption is due to arise gas bloating stomach, nausea and dizziness.

In addition, long-term stevia side effect cause symptoms:

1. Stevia lowers blood glucose levels.
2. Stevia can reduce the production of sperm cells as shown in hamsters reseaarch.
3. Stevia causes the problem of energy metabolism in children due to reduced absorption of carbohydrates in the body.
4. Stevia can lead to addiction because excessive sweetness.
5. Consuming a too large amounts of stevia and a period of time can lead to obesity because the body does not get enough calories.
6. Some studies in animals showed that excessive stevia consumption increases the risk of cancer due to mutations in DNA. The risk is not yet clearly supported by good research.

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