Posts Tagged ‘balanced diet’
Iron: its role
January 15th, 2010
Iron is essential for the synthesis of hemoglobin and other organic molecules such as myoglobin (muscle). Contributions by food should be 2 to 4 milligrams per day to compensate for losses (sweat, urine, feces, menstruation).
Iron deficiency is responsible for anemia, called anemia. The normal level of iron in the blood is 0.6 to 1.9 mg / l, e 1.1 and 2 mg / l in infants.
Iron blood increases when hemochromatosis, hepatitis, cirrhosis, and decreases in anemia, malabsorption, hemorrhage, vegetarian diet.
Ferritin
Ferritin is a protein circulating in blood, associated with iron molecules. The ferritin is significant reserves of iron in the body, and its determination allows early detection of deficiency or iron overload.
The normal level of ferritin is 30 to 60 mg / l in men and from 20 to 150 mg / l in women.
The ferritin decreased during pregnancy.
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Obesity: medical and surgical treatments
January 12th, 2010
Medical treatment is to find and treat any and rare medical causes of obesity, such as a malfunction of the endocrine glands (thyroid, adrenal glands).
Traditional treatments of obesity, now banned, associated with diuretics, amphetamines (diet pills) and thyroid hormones, which are both ineffective and dangerous.
Today, several medicines are available to help fight obesity. A large majority requires a prescription, because their effects on metabolism are not trivial. Some drugs work well on the intestinal enzymes, they inhibit. They reduce 30% of fat absorption from the gastrointestinal tract and is complementary diets. Dietary restriction is necessary, particularly fat, on pain of severe diarrhea.
Other drugs act on the satiety centers of the brain by a mechanism similar to that of amphetamines. Only specialists can prescribe these products.
Surgery is used only in cases of morbid obesity when body mass index (BMI) exceeds 35 or 40, and weight 130 or 150 kg. Bariatric surgery is most commonly performed is to remove part of the stomach, limiting food intake. The results are spectacular in the coming weeks, but this surgery must be accompanied by a strict diet. Psychological support is recommended. Finally in the months following the intervention of small cosmetic surgery may be required to remove folds of skin and abdominal fat deposits disappear easily.
Other interventions include installation of a temporary balloon in the stomach, which by its mere presence, cut hunger and forced to make smaller meals.
Osteoporosis
December 2nd, 2009
Osteoporosis is a disease of bone metabolism, they lose calcium and therefore its usual structure and its resistance to shock, break easily. The reservoir of calcium in bones, acquired from childhood, is the main protection, but can still be time to avoid it.
1. What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis. The bones were decalcified and weaken greatly affect quality of life. Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease of bone (not joint, such as osteoarthritis). In her bones lose calcium and regular structure, thereby reducing their resistance to shock, break easily.
It mainly affects the vertebrae and long bones of the arms and legs. Osteoporosis means “porous bones”. Bones may weaken to the point that the daily action as bending, lifting or even coughing can cause a fracture.Therefore, osteoporosis is a problem for the propensity to fracture.
2. Consequences
His most dangerous consequence does not usually appear until one internally and in old age: it is the famous hip fracture, which kills many elderly people.
Before manifests as a variant of fracture of the wrist, with falls seemingly trivial, which is called a Colles fracture, or compression fractures of one or more vertebrae.