Posted on Monday, September 7, 2009 at 6:29 am
Fiber is mostly polysaccharides composed of glucose units, but human digestive enzymes cannot break the bonding of these units. We can think of fiber as non-starch polysaccharides. These include cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, and some other types of fiber. That might sound like Greek to you, but fiber is an important part of our daily diet, and a high fiber diet might be perfect for your body.
Depending on their solubility in water, there are of two main types of fiber: soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Both of these types are important for optimum health. Fiber has a number of health benefits and hence is highly recommended in daily food. Some of its health benefits are:
- It promotes the feelings of fullness and reduces energy consumption.
- It prevents constipation, hemorrhoids, and other intestinal problems.
- Fiber helps prevent bacterial infection of the appendix.
- It reduces the risk of colon cancer.
- It stimulates the muscles of the digestive tract and helps them retain their health and tone.
To keep the digestive tract healthy and prevent other disorders like hemorrhoids and intestinal problems, people normally need 20 to 35 grams of fiber daily. These can be obtained from a variety of plants, vegetables and fruits. Fibers are especially abundant in whole foods. All fruits are rich in fiber. For just 2 grams of fiber, you could eat 1 small apple, 1 peach, 1 small banana, 2 prunes, 16 large cherries, or a number of other fruits. Grains also contain fiber. For 2 grams of fiber, simply try 1 slice of whole wheat bread, 2 slices of cracked wheat bread, 1 cup of cooked oatmeal, 2 cups of popped popcorn, or ¼ of a cup of corn bran.
If you are on a low-carb diet, you can try eating cooked vegetables to provide your body with adequate fiber. For 2 grams of fiber, eat ½ of a cup of broccoli, 1 cup of celery, ½ of a cup of carrots, 1 small potato, 1 large tomato, or a variety of beans. Beans, or any type of legume, are the real powerhouses for fiber. By only eating ½ of a cup of kidney beans, 1 cup of dried peas or lentils, or ½ of a cup of canned baked beans, you can provide your body with a whopping 8 grams of fiber. If all else fails, small amounts of fiber can also be found in peanuts, walnuts, and pickles, so there is really no excuse for not getting enough fiber in your diet!
Posted on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 6:02 am
There are many people who end up having problems with vitamin and mineral supplements. You might not know it, but there is such a thing as too much of something that is good. Many people believe that if a little bit of something is good for you, then a lot of something is even better. Some people also get themselves into trouble because they end up taking several different vitamin supplements at once, which might end up being detrimental because you are taking too much without even knowing.
Yes, taking too many vitamins can lead to overdose, and this can be bad for you. It is very rare that you are going to find people who overdose on vitamins naturally – most of the time the overdoses will happen because someone has taken too much of a vitamin supplement. The fact remains that supplements of vitamins and minerals are meant to replace what you aren’t getting in your diet. You body does not need a lot of the vitamins and minerals in order to be healthy. In fact most of the time you need only a small amount. However, some people take much more than they are supposed to for many reasons. Sometimes they don’t understand how much of a vitamin is in a supplement, and more often they don’t understand how much their bodies need.
When someone has had too much of a certain vitamin, there are several things that might happen. The most common side effects of vitamin overdose include vomiting and diarrhea, and well as nausea. The good thing is that these symptoms are easy to see and easy to notice. Some symptoms that occur with long term vitamin and mineral overdose might include liver damage or damage to other organs, and these are harder to see.
The thing that is good about vitamin overdose is that once you have had the symptoms and you know what you have been doing wrong, it is fairly easy to correct, and begin to do it right. Most of the time, with vitamin or supplement overdose, you will find that the damage simply goes away when you have corrected the problem. For this reason, it is obviously much better to overdose on vitamins than on other types of drugs. If you think you have taken too much of a vitamin or mineral, stop taking the supplement, and consult your doctor to see what you should do next. The most important thing is to make sure that you are getting just what you need, and nothing more.
Posted on Thursday, November 27, 2008 at 8:12 am
Vitamin K is an extremely important vitamin in the body. It mainly plays a role in blood clotting, so without enough vitamin K, you could have problems if you are injured. If you are suffering for vitamin K deficiency, your blood simple will not clot. Some scientists and researchers also think that vitamin K is important for maintaining your bone health, especially as you age. Therefore, if you are not getting enough vitamin K in your body from food sources, which is the best way to achieve normal vitamin K levels, you should talk to your doctor about the vitamin K supplements that are available for your use.
There are thirteen different vitamins that your body needs to survive. Of these thirteen, four are fat-soluble and the rest are water-soluble. If the vitamin is water-soluble, it dissolves quickly and exits the body. Therefore, water-soluble vitamins must be consumed daily in order to keep your levels normal. However, if a vitamin is fat-soluble, it does not exit the body but is instead stored in your fat to be used at a later time. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin, so it is not crucial for you to eat it every day. However, it is important for you to keep a careful eye on your levels of vitamin K in the body in order to make sure that you are not becoming vitamin K deficient. If this occurs, vitamin supplement may be necessary.
Vitamin K is found in a variety of foods. It is also produced in the body by the bacteria found in the lining of your gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, your body helps regulate its own vitamin K levels. As for foods that contain vitamin K, you will more than likely eat enough if your simple eat a healthy, balanced diet. Some foods that are especially high in vitamin K include vegetables like cabbage, spinach and other leafy greens, soybeans, and cauliflower.
If you do not get enough vitamin K in your diet, it is important to talk to your doctor about taking supplements. If you o not, you will start to see that you are prone to bruising and bleeding. Extreme vitamin K deficiency is very rare, but when it does occur it is usually due to a body’s problem in the intestinal tract. Instead of absorbing vitamin K like normal, the body simply does not. In this case, vitamin supplement are necessary. However, because this is a fat-soluble vitamin, you should take vitamin supplements for vitamin K under medical supervision.
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