How much Salt should one eat ?

Salt has a direct effect on blood pressure of a person, which makes it more important to be taken in controlled amount. But how much amount of salt should be taken by a healthy person to keep his/her blood pressure within normal range ? We will try to answer this question in this article. Usually the salt we eat is Sodium chloride (NaCl). But Sodium and Chlorine are not the only components in it. There are various other minerals and one them is Iodine. All components of the table salt are important for our body.

The salt that is prepared by evaporating the sea water is composed of following chemical compounds.

• Sodium chloride 77.76 %
• Magnesium chloride 10.88 %
• Magnesium sulfate 4.74 %
• Calcium sulfate 3.60 %
• Potassium chloride 2.46 %
• Magnesium bromide 0.22 %
• Calcium carbonate 0.34 %

Apart from the above minerals Iodine is usually mixed in it to save people from thyroid related diseases.

All of the chemical compounds listed above are necessary for our body and so does salt. But the question is how much is sufficient and which amount can make us sick.

How much Salt should one eat ?
2300 mg of sodium is present in one teaspoon or 6 grams of salt which is adequate for an adult per day. According to some surveys today an average person is eating 8 to 9 grams of salt per day which is around 50% more than required. According to WHO 5g of salt per day is sufficient for an adult.

Why do our body need salt ?
On an outer level salt is necessary for taste. But if we look at our body internally then Sodium ions play an important role in electrical signalling of our nervous system. Salt is also necessary for Water/Fluid balance within our body. Blood sodium level of our body should be always between 135 and 145 mEq/L (milliequivalents per liter).

What are the harmful effects of overeating of salt ?

• Increased Blood Pressure (Hypertension): Long term overeating of salt can lead to high blood pressure.
• Hypernatremia: If blood sodium level reaches above 145 mEq/L then brain cell shrinkage may occur and cause confusion, muscle twitching or spasms. Seizures and comas may occur in this medical condition.
• Death may occur if salt is consumed is very large amount of more than 1 g per kg of body weight.
• Edema (fluid retention) may occur due to high salt intake, but this condition can be reversed by lowering your salt intake.
• Stomach Cancer: Stomach cancer is related to high level of sodium in body.

Effects of lack of Salt in our diet ?

• If an adult eats less than 3g of salt per day then it can lead to cardiovascular diseases and early death.
• Hyponatremia: If blood sodium level falls below 135 mEq/L then it causes brain cells to swell which results in altered personality, lethargy, and confusion. Seizures, coma, and death may occur if blood sodium level falls below 115 mEq/L. Hyponatremia may occur if a person consumes very large amount of water without any salt intake, which is known as Water Poisoning.

Salt is a highly necessary content of a balanced diet and getting it in too high or too low amount can cause side-effects on your health. So be health conscious and eat it in the prescribed amount. 

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Does eating sugar makes you Diabetic !

High level of glucose in blood is linked to diabetes, but does eating sugar makes you diabetic ? Most of the people with history of diabetes in family tend to stay away from sugar to save themselves from diabetes. Can this step of abstaining from sugar help them in being non-diabetic ? In this article betterhealthfacts.com will put some light on eating sugar and diabetes. If you are fond of eating sweet dishes then you must read this article.

Does eating sugar makes me Diabetic ?
The answer to this question both Yes and No. Yes, because high level of blood sugar on regular basis can make you diabetic. No, because sugar is not the only factor responsible for making someone diabetic, there are several other factors responsible for diabetes.

What we miss when we connect sugar with diabetes is that sugar is a carbohydrate. High level of carbohydrate in diet means high level glucose will be created in our body. But sugar is just one carbohydrate. Lactose in milk, fructose in fruits, carbs in potatoes and uncountable other items in our diet are carbohydrates which are also broken down to glucose by our digestive system. We connect sugar with high level of blood glucose because we know that both sugar and glucose tastes sweet. But the truth is that sugar is just one carbohydrate in your diet. Even if you stop eating sugar but keep eating other carbohydrate rich foods, then you are still at risk of diabetes. The solution lies is controlling your carbohydrate intake.

I am fond of eating sweet. How can i stay away from diabetes ?
Its very simple, control your total carbohydrate intake. You are fond of eating sweet does not mean that you can eat sweetened foods all day. Nobody can do that. Most of us have an urge to eat something sweet at some point of day. That is no need to restrict yourself from doing so. Our body urges only for those things that it needs. Controlling your urge, unless you are suffering from some medical condition, can make you sick. We feel thirst because our body needs water for proper functioning. But keep one thing in mind that too much of anything is harmful. Even drinking too much water can cause water poisoning. So don't abstain yourself from eating sugar, but don't eat that too much.
If you are fond of eating something sweet then keep it in limit and take care of total carbohydrate intake and do some physical workout on regular basis.

Does exercising helps if i am fond of eating sweets ?
Yes, it definitely does. But most people don't do it regularly. Exercising can burn the extra calories that you intake in the form of sweetened food. Exercising keeps your weight in control, which is necessary to stay away from diabetes. Just keep monitoring you weight weekly. If you weight is increasing then it is something to worry. Weight increases due to three reasons

• too much eating or unbalanced diet
• lack of physical activity or exercising
• some medical condition such as hormonal imbalance

If you don't have any medical and still your weight is increasing then either control your diet or increasing you physical activity level. Any type of exercising can help, it is not necessary to do workout for your tummy only.

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Does FDA approval makes a food item really "SAFE" !

FDA has approved a number of food items as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS in short). Recognizing something as safe does not mean that it really is. When a food certification agency recognizes something as safe then there are a number of clauses attached to it, such as how much you should eat in proportion to per pound of your body weight. But reality is that nobody cares for that. We just eat what we find tasty and eat it till we feel full.
We the people just do blind faith without trying to know the reality. FDA is no god, who can inspect every aspect of a food item on all categories of people ranging from kids to senior citizens or a pregnant women.

FDA approval means that the FDA has decided the benefits of the approved item outweigh the potential risks for the item's planned use.

If we look at the above statement then it clearly means that a FDA approved food item might have some potential risks. One more thing is the planned use. What is that planned use ? Planned use is how much you should eat per pound of your body weight, or up to what temperature it can be cooked, or in how much time it should be consumed after cooking. There are so many conditions connected to a FDA approved food item that you can easily be a victim of its potential risks.

Most of the fast foods items contain ingredients which you don't know and don't care about their potential risks. Some of such ingredients include trans fat, artificial sweeteners and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG).

When you cook a food, you know the ingredients you used and you also know that none of them would harm you. Did you ever think that shelf life of a home cooked food is never more than a few days even if you put it in a fridge. But shelf life of packed food ranges from weeks to months. There must be something in it to not let it be inedible after so much time. There are preservatives and artificial ingredients to do so. You don't hesitate in consuming those ingredients thinking that its approved by FDA and don't think even once about the potential risks. Even if the potential risks are less, you are still prone to them by consuming those packed food items everyday.

How to save yourself from potential risks of FDA approved food items ?
Most of us blindly believe that FDA approval is guarantee of a food product being safe for use before the expiry date mentioned on the package. Instead of getting fresh fruits and vegetables directly from some garden, we prefer the packed food. Different companies involved in marketing of packaged food use preservatives and artificial ingredients to increase the shelf life of these products. FDA try to do its best, but every aspect of a food item can't be checked. When it comes to rules, even the consumers don't follow them completely. Sometimes we eat more then the recommended serving and sometime we use the packet for days after opening and don't care till how much time it should be consumed after opening. If we follow the rules then we can save ourselves from potential risks. Another way to completely save yourself is by being natural. Try to eat fresh fruit and vegetables. Instead of eating the packed fast food, try to cook something at home and try to have your own kitchen garden.

We humans first made artificial ingredients and then made agencies to find if these products harm us or not. After researching a lot and spending millions of dollars, these agencies come to conclusion that benefits of the item outweigh the potential risks, so it should be approved. All such things seems to help only in marketing of these products.

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Artificial Sweeteners degrading your health

If you are diabetic or trying to lose your weight or both then you must have heard about Artificial Sweeteners. Artificial Sweeteners are a substitute of sugar but with no calories. Therefore millions of people purchase these artificial sweeteners to fool their bodies. These sweeteners satisfy their urge to eat something sweet but with no calories. Most of us don't know that these artificial sweeteners are actually degrading your health. But how ? The answer might surprise you. Betterhealthfacts.com has collected some facts about the disadvantages of artificial sweeteners. After reading these facts a health conscious person will never use them.

What are Artificial Sweeteners ?
Artificial Sweeteners are chemical compounds than are edible and give a false feeling of sweetness on your tastebuds. They have no nutritional value, thus no calories. Diabetic people use them to keep having the taste of sugar. Even some health conscious people, who count every calorie they eat, use them to stay away from calories. Some artificial sweeteners are 20000 times sweeter than sugar, i.e. one table spoon of such artificial sweetener can sweeten 20000 cups of tea / coffee.

Where are these Artificial Sweeteners used?
Artificial sweeteners are used in food industry where large scale production is done. Several bakery chains use them. Using these artificial sweeteners not only reduces the cost of production, but people using them also feel that they are eating something healthy (while they are not). Non nutritive artificial sweeteners approved by FDA are

• Saccharin: 700 times sweeter than sugar.
• Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K): 200 times sweeter than sugar
• Sucralose: 600 times sweeter than sugar
• Neotame: 13000 times sweeter than sugar
• Advantame: 20000 times sweeter than sugar
• Steviol glycosides: 400 times sweeter than sugar. It is a low calorie sugar.

How does Artificial Sweeteners harm diabetic people ?
While eating Artificial Sweeteners we think that we have fooled our body as it is sweet but with no calories. In reality we fool ourselves. We will tell you how ! There are two ways in which they cn harm you.

1. After regularly having artificial sweeteners, diabetic people often find an excuse to eat unhealthy food sometimes thinking that they have already saved many calories and eating a pizza won't harm them. Such psychology is found in most people and in long run it leads to more weight gain compared to those who don't have artificial sweeteners.
2. When we eat anything with artificial sweeteners, our body think that it is sugar and releases insulin in high amount to utilize the calories. Over amount of insulin turns on the fat storage mode of our body and as we consume any diet most of the calories are turned into fat, making us more obese.

Health Hazards due to Artificial Sweeteners

• Harms taste buds: Artificial Sweeteners are much more sweeter than normal sugar and it harms our taste buds. It leads to a situation where we can't find any taste in fruits and vegetables.
• Lack of nutrition: As we find find nutritious items less tasty, we avoid eating them automatically and it leads to lack of nutrition. Apart from it, artificial sweeteners are themselves non-nutritive.
• Addictive: Researches have proved that Artificial Sweeteners are addictive and those who eat them crave for more.
• Over usage: FDA and different health agencies have set some standard usage quantity for these artificial sweeteners, which is usually not followed by consumers as they treat them totally unharmful due to their zero calories.
• Headaches: Some studies have found that some people reported headaches like migraine after consuming drinks with artificial sweeteners.
• Increases Obesity: Artificial Sweeteners make our body release more insulin than a normal person and it turns our body into a fat storage machine.
• May cause Diabetes: Obesity is a leading factor for Diabetes Type 2. Apart from that, a research done in Israel found that artificial sweeteners can cause Glucose Intolerance which is connected to Insulin Resistance, a leading cause of Diabetes.

Transfat: The artificial fat is another gift of chemistry to our kitchen to degrade our health.
Instead of eating artificial foods items prepared in a laboratory, its better to stay natural. Its better to restrict yourself from unhealthy lifestyle / food and motivate yourself for healthy lifestyle and food. Its better to enjoy the sweetness of fruits rather than destroying your taste buds with artificial sweeteners.

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How Low Calorie drinks are making you Sick !

Low calorie drinks are the latest addiction that is making our young generation sick. People go towards these drinks thinking that they are beneficial for them, but the results are totally opposite. The truth we found is that these low calorie drinks are just chemical cocktails that provide a taste of sugar and make you addict. Betterhealthfacts.com found some interesting facts about these low calorie drinks and some of them will make any health conscious person to totally stop drinking them.

Are zero Calories really useful ?
Zero Calorie is just a myth. Even the water in your house is a zero calorie drink with lots of nutritional minerals in it. But soft drink companies advertise their low calorie drinks as a new health discovery and you get fooled by these chemical drinks and later get addicted to them.

How low calorie drinks degrade our health ?

• Artificial Sweeteners: However Artificial Sweeteners are low in calorie but they are extremely sugary in taste. Their over usage damage or affect your taste buds in such a way that you can't find taste in fruits and vegetables any more. It affect you complete diet and it does not remain balanced, which affects you health to a great extent.
• Over Insulin and Obesity: Artificial Sweeteners can also make body to release insulin, which can easily turn the calories in blood into fat leading to obesity. According to a research in University of Texas those who drink diet coke, a zero calorie drink, reported 70% more increase in waist compared to non drinkers.
• No Nutrition: Water is a no calorie drink but contains important minerals, but these low calorie drinks don't even have these minerals as they use purified water to increase their shelf life.
• Reduces Immunity: Most of the zero calorie drinks contain purified water with no minerals in it. It makes of body deficient of important minerals which are essential for all metabolic activities. In absence of these minerals our body can't absorb vitamins from our diet making our immune system more weak.
• Addiction: Just like addiction of smoking and other drugs, you can easily fall pry to addiction of low calorie drinks thinking they are making you healthy while the reverse is happening to you.
• Headaches: Some studies have found that some people reported headaches like migraine after consuming drinks with artificial sweeteners.
• Tooth Erosion: Tooth erosion is a habitual diet soda drinker is of same level as a  cocaine-user or a methamphetamine-user. It is sufficient to tell you how your smile will look like if you are a regularly drinking low calorie drinks.
• You try to fool your body but get fooled yourself. You consume zero-calorie drinks thinking that won't harm you and your body will treat it as sugar, but the insulin released in your body turn you into a fat storage machine. Another psychological factor plays more important role in fooling yourselves. After drinking low calorie drinks on regular basis, you think that is OK to have a pizza or cake sometimes as you have already reduced enough calorie intake, but it leads the surplus calories.

 Why should i stop drinking low calorie drinks ?
If you want to save yourself all of the above health hazards then you should stop drinking low calorie drinks. Instead you should drink more water, which is a no calorie drink and it also provides minerals which are necessary for your body.

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Vitamin A in Excess can be fatal !

Vitamin A is an important nutrient for our eyes and normal body growth of children. But excess amount of Vitamin A can be fatal as well. However it occurs very rare and only due to our own ignorance. It can negatively affect our liver, kidney, brain, bones, eyes and skin. This lists of organs is sufficient to make you understand the importance of correct amount of Vitamin A in body. Betterhealthfacts.com have collected some facts to tell you about the toxic effect of excess vitamin A in our body and how it can be fatal.

What do our body do with excess Vitamin A
Our body can't get rid of excess vitamin A itself as it is a fat soluble vitamin, not a water soluble vitamin. Excess amount of water soluble vitamins can be flushed out of our body through urine, but it can't be done with fat soluble vitamins. So the excess amount of vitamin A is stored indefinitely in liver and other fat deposits inside our body. The excess amount of vitamin A in our body can be diagnosed by blood test.

How much Vitamin A should be consumed in a day
700mg of Vitamin A per day is sufficient for an average woman and 900mg for a man. However a pregnant woman or a breastfeeding mother need slightly more amount. If you are having a balanced diet then you don't need to worry about it. But if you are suffering from some disease and getting some vitamin supplements then you should stick to the prescription by the doctor. Don't try prescribe vitamin supplements for yourself, as its the most common reason for Hypervitaminosis.

Hypervitaminosis-A

Hypervitaminosis-A is the medical term used to name the disease of excess amount of vitamin A in our body. There are two types of this condition, one is acute and second in chronic. Acute Hypervitaminosis-A occurs if very large amount of vitamin A is consumed in a short span of time, while Chronic Hypervitaminosis-A occurs when more amount of vitamin A is consumed on daily basis and very high amount of it is stored by our body after a few weeks or months. Both of these conditions have different symptoms and treated accordingly.

Causes of Hypervitaminosis-A

• High-dose dietary supplements
• Megavitamin Therapy which involves consuming very large doses of certain vitamins to prevent or treat some diseases.
• Some acne treatment drugs also contain high dose of Vitamin A
• Accidental ingestion by a children

Symptoms of Acute Hypervitaminosis-A

• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Drowsiness
• Feeling of pressure on your head
• Irritability
• Nausea

Symptoms of Chronic Hypervitaminosis-A

• blurry vision
• bone pain
• swelling of the bones
• poor appetite
• respiratory infection
• dizziness
• sensitivity to sunlight
• dry, rough skin
• jaundice
• itchy or peeling skin
• cracked fingernails
• corners of your mouth getting cracks in skin
• hair loss
• confusion

Can Hypervitaminosis-A be fatal ?
Hypervitaminosis-A can cause liver damage, osteoporosis (weakness of bones). Kidney failure may also occur due to excess calcium buildup. All these condition are fatal. In children it can easily cause coma due to swelling in brain. If the condition is not diagnosed and treated on time then it can be either fatal or create a life threatening condition.

Treatment of Hypervitaminosis-A 
Treatment of Hypervitaminosis-A is done by completely stopping the vitamin supplements and stop taking Vitamin A rich food items. It takes time to recover and in the mean time other symptoms are treated individually. Recovery time depends on severity of your condition and how soon it is diagnosed.

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Importance of Carotenoids for Human Health

Most of us are aware of basic nutrients that a human need to survive such as protein, vitamin, minerals, fat and sugar. But most of us don't know about carotenoids, and why do we need them in our diet. Betterhealthfacts.com will tell you here about these carotenoids and why they are very necessary for living a healthy life.

What are Carotenoids ?
Carotenoids are organic compounds mainly found in plants and algae. They are responsible for red, yellow and orange color in various fruits and vegetables. They absorb sunlight for photosynthesis and protect chlorophyll from damage by sun rays. There are 600 different varieties of Carotenoids but they can be split in two different classes. One is Xanthophylls (which contain oxygen) and second is Carotenes (these are pure hydrocarbons, and contain no oxygen). Aphids and Spider Mites are only animals with ability to produce Carotenoids due to genes acquired from fungi.

Importance of Carotenoids for Human Health

Carotenoids are very important part of a balanced diet. Their presence in our food save us from various disease of eye and certain types of cancer.

• Role as Antioxidant: Carotenoids in our diet act as antioxidants, which as well known for their anti-cancer properties.
• Can be converted to Vitamin A: Beta-carotene, a type of catenoid can be easily converted to Vitamin A by our body. Vitamin A is good for our eyesight and normal growth. But excess amount of Vitamin A is also harmful for our body, so a balanced amount of beta carotene should be consumed.
• Saves us from Cancer: Some studies have suggested that carotenoids may help in prevention aganst skin, breast, and prostate cancer. A review done in 2015 found that carotenoids may protect us from head and neck cancer as well. But some recent studies have shown negative effect of beta-carotene in connection to lung cancer. More researches are still being done.
• Improves our Vision: Some carotenoids such as lutein, astaxanthin, and zeaxanthin protect macula of retina from blue and near-ultraviolet light by absorbing it. Thus it saves that part of our eye which is responsible for sharpest vision.
• Saves skin from tanning: Carotenoids not just save our eyes from sunlight but our skin as well. Carotenoids from save our skin from tanning and keeps it more healthy and glowing.

Sources of Carotenoids

carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, papaya, watermelon, cantaloupe, mangoes, spinach, kale, tomatoes, bell peppers and oranges are some of the best sources of carotenoids. Carrots are considered best among them. So make them a part of your balanced diet and live a disease-free life.

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Home Remedies for Stomach Acid (Gastric Acid Reflux)

If you are one of those who face problem of Acidity in stomach or Gastric Acid Reflux then you must change your eating habits. In our last article we explained in detail how Acidity and Antacids are making you unhealthy. If you want to get relief from acidity by using some home remedies instead of using antacids then you are on the right page.

Home Remedies for Stomach Acid

• Banana: Banana is a rich source of potassium and can easily check the acid production in your stomach.
• Basil Leaves: You may either eat holy basil leaves or you may boil 5-6 leaves in a cup of water and drink it as soon as it cools down. You may add some honey in it to sweeten it.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon has antacid properties and its tea can greatly benefit in getting relief from acidity.
• Buttermilk: Buttermilk can easily sooth the effect of acidity. You may also add fenugreek seed powder, coriander leaves or black pepper to make it more effective.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: However its acidic in nature, but it can neutralize the acid due to its alkalizing effect. You may take 2 teaspoons of Apple Cider Vinegar after mixing it in a cup of water.
• Cloves: Sometimes acidity also happens due to low level of gastric acid in stomach. In such a case cloves can help. Just chew 3-4 cloves in your mouth and drink its juices released. It will help in secretion of more HCl in your stomach, which may help you in getting relief from acidity.
• Cumin Seeds: Dry roast the cumin seeds and mix 1 teaspoon of its powder in a glass of water. It will act as a acid neutralizer.

Home remedies are just a temporary solution to Stomach Acid (Gastric Acid Reflux). After treating it for temporary basis, you should do something for long term relief from acidity. That something is treating your lifestyle and eating habits. These lifestyle changes and eating habit changes don't need any special equipment but just need some time and your will to remain healthy.
Here are the list of changes that you should do with your lifestyle to get long term relief from acidity:

• Have a regular diet pattern. Eating on right time is the key.
• Over cooked and precessed food should be avoided.
• More spicy and oily foods should be avoided.
• Chewing your food completely is another major change that you should do. Unchewed food is hard to digest and don't have enough saliva in it.
• Good Sleep pattern is also necessary.

Say no to antacids as they are making you nutrient deficient and causing more disease. Instead of it use the home remedies listed above and do the necessary lifestyle changes.

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Acidity and Antacids are making you Unhealthy !

Most of the pharmaceutical companies advertise for their antacids and make people believe that acids in stomach are harmful for you, as if their is an acid attack occurring on your stomach and you should neutralize it as soon as possible. But the truth is much different from whats advertised. Reality is that antacids are making your sick and their side effects are causing numerous diseases. Here betterhealthfacts.com will bring much researched information from internet on the topic of Antacids and tell you why you should keep yourself away from using unnecessary antacids.

What are Antacids ?

Antacids are a class of medicines meant to neutralize the acid in your stomach. They are meant to give you relief from heartburn, indigestion or stomach upset. When excess amount of acid is produced in stomach then it can damage the lining of stomach. Antacids contain alkaline ions which can chemically neutralize the gastric acid of stomach and thus reduces the damage and gives relief from pain. There are various brands of antacids with different elements in them. Most commonly used elements are magnesium, calcium or aluminium.

Why do our stomach generate acids and how it works?

Gastric Juice produced in stomach usually consist of hydrochloric acid (HCl), potassium chloride (KCl) and sodium chloride (NaCl). Acids in our stomach help in digestion of food. Various nutrients from the food can't be extracted out of the food if there is no acid in stomach. Gastric Acid secretion can start only if we wish to eat something. Smell and Taste of food are other major activities to start secretion. 30% of total gastric acid is secreted by these activities. 50% of the gastric acid is released by amino acids present in the food that we just ate. Here are a few function of stomach acids.

• Acid in Stomach kill various disease causing bacteria that comes in with the food.
• HCL in stomach converts the inactive enzyme pepsinogen into the active enzyme pepsin which helps in digestion of proteins.

Is there any internal mechanism in stomach to fight acidity ?

Gastric Juice (or so called stomach acid) is produced by cells in lining of stomach known as parietal cells (also called oxyntic cells) and its production can be increased depending on the usage. The pH of the gastric acid produced in our stomach is 1.5 to 3.5. Some other stomach cell release bicarbonate, a base, to neutralize acid to save you from the excess acidic environment. Mucus is produced by some cells to protect your internal stomach skin from acid. Cells in the beginning of small intestine produce large amount of bicarbonate to completely neutralize the gastric acid. All these mechanisms are sufficient to save you from the extra acid produced by your stomach.

Why do people suffer from Acidity ?

There are two types of Gastric Acid problems. One is secretion of very heavy amount of gastric acid and second is secretion of very less amount of acid. Betterhealthfacts.com always tell it readers about proper balance inside body. Such problems occur when our internal system gets disbalanced, and mostly it happens due to our own ignorance. Sometimes it may occur due to some other medical condition or side effect of some other medication, but most of the time acidity is a result of imbalanced lifestyle and eating habits. The main question is why do we suffer from Acidity ? The answer lies in what you eat and how you eat. If you are eating processed and cooked food mostly then congratulations! you have already decreased the nutritional value and digestive enzymes of your food. Most of us don't even chew the food properly, as if its the duty of our stomach to grind it with teeths. Our stomach neither have teeth nor saliva, which are necessary to properly break the food and mix enzymes from saliva. Now when this unbroken and enzyme-free food reaches our stomach, it tries to compensate for the above loss by secreting excess amount of gastric acid to break it down. It causes acidity. And as soon as acidity happens we run for antacids, another unhealthy practice. So the list of our lifestyle factors responsible for acidity are:

• Improper Diet Schedule
• Mostly eating processed or cooked food.
• Not chewing the food properly
• Alcohol, coffee, tea and high sugar foods can double the production of acids in stomach.
• Taking over-the-counter antacids without and prescription makes the condition more severe.

What are the side effects of Antacids ?

Antacids don't actually solve the problem but just suppress the symptoms. The acid when was meant to digest the undigested and enzyme-less food was neutralized by antacids. 

•  It can easily lead to gas, bloating, bad digestion.
• Acid blocking drugs can cause Nutrient deficiency.
• Iron and Zinc deficiency and easily occur if you are taking antacids on regular basis.
• Vitamin B12 also needs a good acid level in stomach for proper absorption.
• Some antacids contain sodium, which is not suitable for people on a sodium restricted diet.
• Nutrient deficiency can easily result in some other diseases and doctor will recommend more medicines and thus more side effects and the chain continues. 

Some unknown facts about Antacids and Gastric Acid

• Antacids are different from acid-reducing drugs.
• Antacids can't kill the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which is responsible for most of the ulcers.
• Eno is the oldest antacid brand marketed by James Crossley Eno which dates back to 1852.
• Main components of Eno were sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, and citric acid. It is also used as baking powder.
• The pH of the gastric acid produced in our stomach is 1.5 to 3.5. Lowest pH can be up to 0.8 but stomach lumen dilutes it to remain between 1 and 3.
• An adult human stomach can secrete 1.5 liters of gastric acid per day.
• Gastric Acid concentration in stomach can reach up to 3 million times of concentration in Arterial Blood.

What should i do if i feel acids in my stomach ?

If the condition is not severe then try changing your lifestyle and eating habits as told above. You may try some herbal treatment for acidity for a few days. If the condition is severe then instead of being your own doctor, visit a doctor and get the prescribed medicine for correct duration.

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Do We Absorb 100% Calories / Nutrients in Food ?

Such a question might have raised in your mind some day. Every engine have an efficiency rate. There is no engine with a 100% efficiency rate. Then how can a human absorb all the energy stored in the food ? Is our stomach the only place where calories are absorbed ? If we can't absorb the 100% Calories then how do food manufacturers write nutrient information on packets ? If we totally depend on that information then it might make us suffer from malnutrition. Here betterhealthfacts.com will try to answer such questions with true scientific answers researched from internet.

Do We Absorb all Calories and Nutrients in Food ?
The straight answer in No. We can't absorb all calories and all nutrients of the food that we eat. Various factors affect the amount of calories and nutrients that your body can absorb from a food that you have just eaten. Some of the factors are:

• The time of the day
• Either the food is raw or cooked
• Is there any supplement added in it
• Even your age can affect
• Need of a particular nutrient

We absorb 10 to 90% of nutrients and calories from a food depending on the factors written above. But on an average we absorb 85 - 90% of calories and nutrients from our diet. Our body can itself change its absorption rate depending on its need. Sometimes it can avoid the absorption of a nutrient which is already in sufficient amount in body. But sometimes it becomes more efficient in absorption of a particular nutrient if there is any shortage of that nutrient.
Note: Our eating habits also make impact on nutrient absorption. An article about Acidity and Antacids published on Betterhealthfacts.com will put some light on this particular topic. Its a must read for all health conscious people. 

How does time of the day affect calorie / nutrient absorption ?
All other factors written above make some sense, but how do the time of the day affect the absorption. Our biological clock or circadian rhythm, a 24 hour cycle in our brain affects our absorption rate. Some enzymes and hormones reach their peak at different times of day and help in absorption of different nutrients. For example parathyroid hormone, which helps in absorption of calcium, reaches its peak during night time. Due to that reason some people suggest taking milk before going to bed, as it can help in better absorption of calcium from milk.

Is our Stomach the only organ responsible for nutrient absorption ?
No, Stomach is a part of large digestive system in our body. Every organ starting from mouth to large intestine play an important role in the absorption of nutrients. Our mouth produces saliva and mixes it with food to break it down, further stomach mixes and churns it and breaks carbohydrates proteins and fats. But the main organ to do absorption is small intestine which absorbs amino acids, fat, proteins, cholesterol, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, chloride, sodium, zinc and many more. Further large intestine absorbs remaining water, sodium and potassium. Fiber in the food remain undigested and helps in bowel movement.

Where are the calories lost and remain absorbed ?

• Some calories are consumed by the bacteria living in our gut.
• Some calories are flushed out through urine.
• Some calories remain absorbed from the food due to various factors listed above.

But still all of the above wastage of calories only account for a maximum 10% loss.

Acidity and Antacids can greatly affect the absorption of nutrients. You may read our article Acidity and Antacids are making you Unhealthy for more information.

If we can't absorb the 100% Calories then how do food manufacturers write nutrient information on packets ?
The nutrient information written on the packets is the average calorie / nutrients that your body can absorb. But as we said earlier that various factors affect that absorption, its not just the food. Even the nutrient information written on package is just an average value. Nutrient value of a food depends on various factors given below:

• the quality of soil where that food is grown
• amount and quality of fertilizers used
• quantity of water used for irrigation
• the breed/variety of the seeds
• the pesticides used
• the environmental conditions of that particular season

You can't check nutritional value of each food product before packaging, so the manufacturers just print the average value from their database. Apart from that the duration from which that food product is lying packed in the packet also affect its nutrients.

Can we stop / reduce calorie absorption ?
Yes we can do it up to some level. There are various food items that can both enhance or reduce the absorption of some nutrients. But most of us eat them unintentionally. If you will try to do it intentionally in order to reduce calorie intake, you will harm yourself by reducing some important nutrients in your body. If you want to do that to reduce your weight then its better to get your diet planned by by dietitian. Here we have mentioned some food items that affect the nutrient absorption.

• Tea or Spinach can reduce / stop the absorption of calcium and iron from the foods that we have just eaten, due to presence of oxalates in them.
• Olive oil can enhance absorption of carotenoids, which is an important nutrient for good health.
• Phytic acid found in some grains and legumes can reduce absorption of minerals.

If you are on dieting, then rely of a single food to reduce your weight. Have a balanced diet by changing the fruits and vegetables so that you get all nutrients.

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Water Poisoning : Don't drink it too much

Water Poisoning, also known as Water Intoxication or hyperhydration, is a medical condition that often occur due to over-drinking of water. Usually people take water as a toxin remover of the body. Water hydrates our body and blood and our kidney filters the toxins in blood and cleanse them out through urine with the help of water. But somehow if we get the overdose of water the over-hydration can harm us. Betterhealthfacts.com will put some light on this topic. You must read it if you know anyone who drinks water like a maniac just to lose weight or to cleanse his/her body.

What is Water Poisoning / Water Intoxication ?
Our body have certain salts in our blood stream to do various communication activities within body. Our brain need them most to communicative with different organs and and make our nervous system properly. A certain level of concentration of these salts in necessary. But when we drink too much water, the concentration decreases. However in such case our kidneys try to flush out extra water but some salts also flush out with it, and still if we keep drinking the water then we reach a level where salt concentration comes at a level where we call it Water Poisoning or Water Intoxication.

Symptoms of Water Poisoning

Symptoms of Water Poisoning starts to occur when Blood Sodium level falls below 130 mmol/L . Some of the early symptoms of Water Poisoning are:

• Headache
• Restlessness, irritability
• Difficulty concentrating
• Nausea, vomiting
• Lightheadedness, dizziness
• Fatigue, muscle weakness, unstable gait

If the condition remain undetected for more than 48 hours and sodium level falls below 105mmol/L then it becomes a life threatning condition. Its symptoms include:

• Swelling of Hands and feet
• Muscle Cramps
• Blurred Vision
• Less Urination
• Coughing up blood
• Siezures
• Hallucination
• Coma

These symptoms can cause death within a day or two.

Treatment of Water Poisoning
Mild symptoms of Water Poisoning can be treated by restricting intake of Water. But is severe cases special treatment is necessary. It may include diuretics to increase urination and vasopressin receptor antagonist (VRA).

How much water can cause Water Poisoning ?
Drinking around 2 liters of water per hour for a few hours can cause Water Poisoning.

Can Water Poisoning cause death ?
Yes, if symptoms are not diagnosed and proper treatment is not given then it can easily cause death.

Which activities can cause Water Poisoning ?
All those activities which include drinking lots of water with no or little sodium intake can cause Water Poisoning. People with low body weight are more prone to it. Here are a few activities that can cause Water Poisoning.

• Water Drinking Contests: Several people have died as a result of such contests. Some of them drank just 7.5 ltr of water in a few hours.
• Water Diet: Some fool people go on water diet to lose weight, but it can easily cause water poisoning and they take the symptoms as a result of low calorie diet.
• Long term Physical Activities which needs drinking water: Some marathon runners face this problem as they drink lots of water, which don't have sufficient sodium in it. Most of the commercial drinks don't have enough sodium, they have just added sugar.
• Mental Disorders: Some mental disorders can also make a person drink upto 15 liters of water in a day. 

Apart from the above some inhuman activities can also cause Water Poisoning.

• Child Abuse with Water: In 2002 a 3 year old girl died as her baby sitter forced her to drink 2.8 ltr of water within a few hours.
• Drinking water to hide Drug Abuse: Some people try to hide drug abuse by drinking lots of water the day before testing in order to flush out the drug. Sometimes it cause water poisoning. 
• Drinking beer: Beer have very low sodium content. In 2012 a man drank 10 ltr of beer and got affected by water poisoning.
• Suicide Attempt: Some people use this trick to attempt suicide. 

Are there any long term side effects after treatment of Water Poisoning ?
Yes, there are a number of side effects. It depends on the severity of water poisoning from which you recovered and how much harm it has already done to your body and brain. Here are few side effects of Water Poisoning that are basically caused due to permanent brain damage.

• Mental retardation
• Diabetes insipidus
• Persistent vegetative state: A state of being unresponsive to psychological and physical stimuli.
• Hearing loss
• Cerebral palsy: A state of uncontrolled muscle movement.
• Gait abnormality: Its an abnormality in Walking.

What is the maximum limit of drinking water ?
One should never drink more than 1.4 ltr of water in an hour. An adult on average diet should not exceed drinking 11 ltr of water in a day. If you are on fasting (or low sodium diet) then don't go above 5 ltr of water in a day.

As we say in most of our articles that a proper balance in necessary to live a healthy and long life. Same thing applies on water. Drinking too less and too much, both can make you sick. So drink plenty of water, but not too much and balance it with your diet as well.
Note: Water Drinking competition often cause Water Poisoning. So don't fall prey to such contests just to earn few extra bucks. It may cost your life.

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Foods with Trans Fat : Threat to your Life

Trans fat is the gift of chemistry to the world for a life full of diseases. This statement may sound a bit crazy but its the truth revealed in some recent researches. We recently published an article on betterhealthfacts.com about hydrogenation, which is the chemical process of making trans fat. This trans fat can easily make you sick with its bad cholesterol. It can cause diseases like hypertension, stroke and other heart diseases. Some researchers even believe that isomerism in trans fat is even responsible for causing cancer.

We have collected a list of food items which are rich is trans fat. These food items are easily available in any food store and people are crazy for them.

Foods with Trans fat

• Frozen Pizza: All those food items which are meant to be kept frozen and then microwaved for usage, usually contain a high amount of trans fat. Frozen Pizza is one of those and mostly used by US citizens. 
• Breakfast Sandwiches: It also falls in the above category. People get these ready-made sandwiches and keep them in freezers for morning breakfast. It might make your easier but this easiness costs you a lot of trans fat in your body. 
• Cakes, Pies, Cookies and Biscuits : Most of them have trans fat to increase their shelf life. 
• Microwave Popcorn: You must have seen some fat mixed in the microwave popcorn packets. It might have saved some of your time but trans fat content in that fat is very high, just to increase its shelf life.
• Margarine: Its a commonly used butter spread with very high value of trans fat. It may contain 15g of trans fat in per 100g Margarine.
• Fast Foods: Most fast foods, even those served in restaurants contain trans fat as they use partially hydrogenated oil to these fast foods.
• All those food items that can stay fresh for weeks in your pantry might have trans fat. So be aware of them as well.

Make a good habit of checking the list of ingredients before you buy any food product. The nutrition information written on packaging is something meant for you to read, if you really care for your body.

Trans fat increases the shelf life of any food product and its cheaper than other saturated animal fats. These characteristics make it one of the item used in various fast foods. So if you ever again buy any fast food then must check the ingredients list mentioned in it. Try to avoid those food items which are rich in trans fat. Even if you can stop eating fast foods, its better to decrease the frequency for your own good health.

The good news for health conscious people is that U.S. FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has asked manufacturers to remove all trans fat from their ingredients by year 2019. So there will be no trans fat  in any food product after 2019 in United States. But rejection of food products with trans fats by consumers will result in early implementation of that order. Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy.

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Hydrogenation of Fats and Oils: Turning fat into Poison

Some of us might not be aware of the term Hydrogenation. Hydrogenation is a chemical process where hydrogen is inserted into some other chemical to change its certain properties. But we are talking about Fats and Oils. Hydrogenation of Oils is affecting lives of billions of people living in different parts of globe. Once you read the truth of hydrogenation, you will find it why we have compared hydrogenation with poison.

Why do we do Hydrogenation of Fats and Oils ?
Answer is very simple, Money ! To save money we convert vegetable oil (which is an unsaturated fat) into saturated fat or semi-saturated fat. Vegetable Oil is cheaper and hydrogenation converts it to look like saturated animal fat, which is higher in price. This process also increases the shelf life of this fat. Vegetable Oil is liquid at room temperature, while hydrogenated oil is semi-solid, thus easier to store. Solid and Semi-solid fats are also preferred in baking.

How is Hydrogenation of Oils done ?
There are carbon-carbon double bonds in Vegetable Oils. These vegetable oils are reacted with hydrogen at 60ºC in presence of Nickle (as Catalyst). It converts some of these carbon-carbon double bonds into single bonds by adding some hydrogen atoms to it. In some cases only partial hydrogenation is done where all double bonds are not converted into single bonds.

Why hydrogenation of Fats and Oils is Harmful ?
Hydrogenation of Oils make the carbon bonds unstable and it causes isomerization in these oils and produces trans isomers. To be precise these isomers have same chemical formula and the structure of atoms changes either in 2D or 3D. Suppose there is a compound with element A, B and C. Its natural formula is ABC, but an isomer may have BAC. The elements are same but the structure differs, its isomerism. This isomerization of oils is found responsible for various heart diseases. Due to this risk factor of Hydrogenation of Oils, several regulatory authorities around the world have adopted the term trans-fat to be mentioned in the ingredients list printed on packaging of food products.
In other terms this trans-fat raises the level on LDL Cholesterol (Bad Cholesterol) in our body. Some experts say that the trans-fat's structure is not natural. Their chemical structure is in zig-zag form, while natural saturated fat has a simple structure. It makes trans-fat something unnatural for body. Fat is a part of every cell in body, but this trans-fat don't fit naturally in our body. Some experts believe that trans-fat can also cause Cancer.

Nobody would like to get affected by any heart disease or Cancer, so save yourself from this fatty poison known as trans-fat which is made through hydrogenation of oils.

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Better things about FAT that we don't know

FAT is usually considered as a villain in the diet of modern world. We consider Fat as the main reason behind Obesity and various diseases. But the truth is just opposite. You might be surprised to know that Fat is a very essential part of our body. Each cell in our body needs it and its shortage in body can generate various diseases and disabilities.

Why do we usually consider FAT as a bad thing ?
Usually people don't have control over their diet and consume Fat more than required. It creates the imbalance in our body and various diseases are caused due to it. Water is good for health, but if you drink it like a mad person, even that water will be harmful. Our body demands a balance of nutrition to remain healthy. We create the imbalance ourselves and then blame the Fat. Excess amount of Fat can't get into our body if we don't let it in.

What are the good features of FAT for our body ?

• Fat acts as a source of heat and energy for our body. Each gram of fat can give 9 Calories while protein and carbohydrates can give just 4 to 5 Calories.
• It also acts as shock absorbing element on nerves, blood vessels and all important organs. If there is lack of fat on our buttocks then sitting on a hard surface will be painful. Even lying on back can be painful if a person is very skinny. Right amount of fat acts as a cushion attached to our body.
• Fat acts as insulation on on the nerves which carry electrical signals throughout our body. Our brain can't function properly without fat as it contain highest density of nerves.
• Fat is an important part of our skin. All cells have a cell membrane, which can't exist without fat.
• Dietary fat is important for growth and development of body. Our body can generate fat from extra calories but can generate some important fatty acids which are required for proper metabolism of body.
• There are some fat soluble vitamins, such as Vitamin A, D, E and K. These vitamins can't be absorbed by our body in absence of fat. Fat acts as an medium to transport these vitamins to different parts of body. 
• Fat helps in formation of steroid hormones, which are responsible for some important functions in body. 
• Saturated fat in our tissues gives rigidity to our body. All warm blooded animals have saturated fat for rigidity of body.
• Satiation Mechanism is that mechanism which creates a feeling of fullness of stomach after eating something. But this satiation mechanism is triggered by dietary fat. That is why fat-free foods are unsatisfying for our hunger.
• Dietary fat helps in utilizing the protein in our diet. Lack of fat will result in non-utilization of protein.

Our body can generate Fat from extra calories, then why should we eat fat ?
Our body can generate Fat from extra carbohydrate/calories that we eat, but it can't make some fatty acids required for proper metabolism. These fatty acids are generated from dietary fat only. Thats why sometime we call them EFA, Essential Fatty Acids, and we must ingest them through our diet.

So now the misconception about Fat that its bad must have been removed from your mind. But still keep one thing in mind that proper balance is necessary. Fat is good only up to certain amount. Excess fat is harmful for body. Betterhealthfacts.com will bring more such information for you. Have a healthy life ahead !

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How to control Calories to Fat Conversion

All of us know that extra calories in our body turns into fat. But do we have the ability to control this conversion. The answer to this question depends your attitude towards your body. Extra Calories to fat conversion is an automatic process. We can't interfere it directly just by making a wish as it an involuntary process. But still we have the ability to control it by some other means. Here we will explain how to do it. But it needs dedication and little time that you should devote for your precious body. Here it is.

How to control Calories to Fat Conversion

• Instead of having 3 large meals, try to have 6 small meals. It will make your glycogen stores filled 6 times a day, instead of 3 times. So small amount of calories will be left in each shift to be converted to fat. Read the article how extra calories turn into fat to know more.
• Try to do small small exercises just before you have your meal. It will reduce the content of glycogen stores in your muscles and most of the sugar/calories will go into glycogen stores, instead of getting converted into fat.
• Maintain a schedule of 3 hours gap between all of your 6 meals. If you feel hungry in between that time then just drink some water of green tea to settle your stomach. If you control you hunger for just 6 days, then you will find that your stomach will stop bothering you unnecessarily.
• If you have a protein drink at the end of a workout session, then it as one of your 6 meals.
• Never forget the calorie math and make a diet chart to keep it in level. If your a consuming extra calories than required then at last it will turn into fat irrespective of what you do to control it. Here is the Calorie Calculator to help you.
• Never forget to make the correct ratio of fat, protein and carbohydrate in your diet as told by Calorie Calculator. Have more vegetables and fruits compared to other food items to get proper vitamins and minerals.
• Drink lots of water. Water removes harmful toxins in our body through urine which purifies our body.

If you are obese and follow the above steps then you will start reducing your weight. But calorie calculation is most important thing for you to do that.

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Calories : The key to a Healthy Body and Life

Calories are a unit a energy that we intake through food and burn them while doing some physical activity. The calories that we don't utilize are deposited as fat in different parts of body. Our body deposit this fat to use it in case of some emergency. From past few decades people have started taking calories seriously as now we know that this extra fat is home for some serious diseases such as hypertension and stroke. Lets understand the calories in a better way. To do so we have answered some FAQs mostly asked about calories.

Is there any difference between Calorie and calorie ?
Yes, 1 Calorie = 1000 calorie . If you have not heard about this fact then it might be surprising for you. The "C" and "c" makes the difference. In short Calorie is written as "Cal" while calorie is written as "cal". Calorie "Cal" is also known as Food Calorie. Prior to 1950s, when SI system was adopted by world, calorie was a unit of energy. One calorie was that energy that can rise the temperature of 1 gram water by one degree Celsius.  After SI system was adopted, joule became the unit of energy. But still people use the unit calorie to measure the amount of energy, especially when it comes to body and diet.

How do i know how much Calories i need for a day ?
Different health services and medical research facilities mention different number of calories required by a human being to work properly. It ranges from 2000 Calories to 2700 Calories. But basically it depends on your gender, age, weight and activity level. A hard working carpenter needs more Calories than a software developer. If you want to know how much Calories you need in a day then you may use the Calorie Calculator.

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How Calories turn into fat ?
Our body have a unbelievable mechanism for every thing. To know about it read how our body turns calories in fat .

How do i burn more calories to burn the extra fat ?
Eat less calories and burn more. Its the simplest solution to this problem. Fat is deposited in our body as a security measure to provide backup when body falls in shortage of energy. So if your daily consumption is more than intake, then automatically body fat will start to reduce. But you can't reduce all fat in a single day. More difference between calorie intake and consumption can also cause side effects. So do it slowly on a regular basis. Best physical activities for burning the extra fat are running, jogging, weight lifting or other exercises that suits your body.

Can i control the Calorie intake?
Just control you Diet. Intake of Calorie can only be controlled through diet. But you think that you can't make it to something lesser, then increase your activity level to burn the extra Calories (as mentioned in the previous FAQ).

What are Empty Calories ?
Empty Calories are those calories which don't have any nutritional value like protein, vitamins or carbohydrates. Food items with large amount of sugar, fat and salt are known as foods with empty calories as they don't have much nutritional value. Ice-cream, soft drinks, cakes, cookies and sweets are best example of empty calories. Small amount of empty calories are of no harm, but when taken in more quantity then its harmful. Sometime people misunderstand Empty Calories as foods with less calorie value, while these are food items with more than required calories.

Balance is the key to a healthy life. Eat a healthy and balanced diet full or nutrients with right amount of Calories and maintain a good activity level to burn them. If you make a good balance among them, then you have got the key to a healthy body for a lifetime.

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Sugar vs Honey as a Sweetener

From past few years people have started to move away from Sugar and that place is being captured by Honey. We were told that Honey is Natural while Sugar is prepared after a chemical process. This fact matters a lot for those who want to live a better life by being close to natural products. Here we will discuss if honey is really better or not, and can it be used as a sweetener in place of sugar.

Composition of Sugar vs Honey

Sugar	Honey
Both Brown and White Sugar are 100% sucrose. They are made after extracting it from Sugarcane or Beetroot.	75% of Honey is some form of sugar. Half of this 75% is Glucose and half is Fructose (this proportion varies depending on what bees are feeding on). Remaining 25% are protein, fat and fibre.

Calories in Honey and Sugar

• Sugar: 100g white sugar has 1700kJ/406Cals
• Honey: 100g of honey has 1400kJ/334Cals

Do you measure honey by a spoon ?

If you take 1 tablespoon of Honey in place of 1 tablespoon of Sugar, then you are doing nothing good to yourselves. Honey is denser than Sugar.
1 tablespoon of Honey = 28 Grams
1 tablespoon of sugar = 16 Grams
So if you really want to get benefit from Honey reduce the tablespoons to half, else the extra sugar and extra calories will get deposited in your body as fat.

What is Glycemic Index or GI ?
Glycemic Index is the relative ability of a carbohydrate food to increase the level of glucose in the blood. The GI value of a food item is directly affected by fructose level in it. Higher fructose level means a lower GI value. Know more about Glycemic Index

Glycemic Index of Sugar and Honey

• Sugar: Both White and Brown sugar have a GI value of around 65.
• Commercially Blended Honey: GI value varies from 45 to 64.

If the Honey you are eating has a GI value above 60 then you are doing nothing good to you. GI value of Honey is directly affected by fructose level. If the bees have used more nectar of flowers then its rich in fructose and thus lower GI value. Floral Honey can be consumed by diabetic people as its effect on blood sugar is very mild.

Don't give Honey to Kids under 1 Year

Honey can sometimes contain inactive spores of Clostridium botulinum, the tiny bacteria responsible for botulism food poisoning. Usually healthy adults can't get sick from them but infants can easily get infected. Honey is OK for kids above 1 year of age.

Honey is an attractive sweetener by its better to reduce its quantity if you are on a weight loss diet. Honey can also contribute to tooth decay just like sugar.

Some usage of Honey for your Health

• According to some researchers honey acts as mild disinfectant. It can be taken with hot water and lemon to sooth sore throat.
• Honey is an important part of weight loss programs. Its consumption with lukewarm water in the morning helps you in being slim. Ayurveda on Using honey for Weight Loss
• Honey is well known for its antibacterial effect. It is used in dressing of minor wounds, skin ulcers and burns.
• Honey is also used as a mild laxative.

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Dessert / Sweet Dish after Meal - Why?

People often go for sweet dessert after having meal. There are various reasons why people do so. Every civilization and every country follow this tradition in one or other way. Different types of sweet dishes are used in different countries as per taste and availability of food items. The question is why do we have dessert after meal ? There are various social and scientific reasons behind this tradition.

Here are a few social reasons. Some of them might make you feel surprised.

• Sweet Dish in the end is a reason for kids to finish their meal first, else they will not get it. It makes kids to eat the meal which is necessary to keep them healthy.
• If any body in the family don't like the main course and he/she didn't eat enough then sweet dish will be a thing to fill their appetite. 
• There are 5 types of flavors sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umame. All of them are necessary for healthy body and complete nutrition. Mostly sweet is not a part of main course and hence its necessary in the end as a sweet dish.

Now lets come to scientific people, here are a few reasons for you.

• One of the most famous scientific explanation is that our body spends a lot of energy to digest the food that we eat. Thats why we feel sleepy after a heavy meal. Its due to low energy level just after having meal as most of our energy is consumed in digestion. In such a situation a sweet dish can add fresh energy as sweet get converted into glucose instantly. 
• Some scientific studies found that sugar enhances the absorption of some amino acids(especially tryptophan) in our food. It indirectly increases the level of a feel-good compound in our body known as serotin. So in simple language you can say that sweet dish in the end will create a feel good feeling in your body.
• According to a study done by National Institute of Health, sometimes heavy metals in our meal can result in a condition called postprandial, a state of low blood sugar. Sweet Food in the end is one of the best ways to get relief from low blood sugar.

I hope that these explanations will answer your query that why most of us need something sweet just after having lunch or dinner. Our body only asks of those things which are really necessary for it. We just need to listen to its demands. However it might not be true in every case. For example a diabetic person should control his desire for sweet.

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White Bread Side Effects on your Health

A number of people eat white bread without even knowing its negative impact on their body. Here we have gathered some must-know information for diet conscious people. In whatever form you eat white bread, its negative features (side effects) will affect your body badly. So read more below and you will say goodbye to White Bread.

White Bread and it side effects on your Health

• Less Nutrition: Main motive of eating should be good nutrition. If you eat white bread occasionally then its fine, but if you are regular then you are harming yourself. White bread is made up of refined flour, which means no fiber and around 25% less protein. Some brands add Vitamin B and Iron to it to add a label of "Enriched Flour" but the amount of fiber and protein is not increased. Due to this reason a number of people have moved to Whole-Grain Bread or Brown Bread.  
•  Increases Blood Sugar Level: Fiber and Protein slows the digestion and get food digested perfectly. But absence of Fiber and Protein in White Bread makes it digested much quicker, thus increasing blood sugar level at a high speed. So if you are diabetic then you have take extra care in choosing the right bread for yourself. If you eat white bread on regular basis then your cells become insulin resistant which makes it harder to control blood sugar.
• Makes you Fat: As a matter of fact the surplus blood sugar is stored by our body in the form of fat. White bread increases blood sugar much faster and if you don't utilize it, it will get stored on your belly. Apart from that, due to lack of fiber and protein white bread is digested very fast which makes you hungry again, and you will instantly go for some other snack, again increasing your calorie intake.
• Depression: A research published in June 2015 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that over intake of Refined Carbohydrates (just like white bread) can cause depression. It harms more women in post-menopause. Those hormones which are responsible for lowering blood sugar are also responsible for mood swings and some symptoms of depression.

You might not be in mood to totally avoid White Bread (as its there in Pizza Base), but you should try to reduce the intake.

You might want to know more about :

White Bread vs Brown Bread
Is Brown Bread Really Healthy ? 

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Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet Menu and Recommendations

Rheumatoid Arthritis

In medical field Rheumatoid Arthritis is commonly known as RA. Its a chronic inflammatory disorder that usually affects small joints of hands and feet. Around 200,000 to 3 Million cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis are reported in US every year. Its a medically manageable disorder of human body and treatment can help in recovering from this condition. Rheumatoid Arthritis is a immune system disorder in which our immune system starts to damage tissues of our own body including joints and internal organs.

When Rheumatoid Arthritis affects the joint linings, it causes painful swelling on the skin. If its not treated timely then it can cause bone erosion and joint deformity. Apart from medications and therapies our diet and some exercises can also help in treating this condition.

There are a number of nutrients present in our food items which can help in curing any disease. Usually we ignore this factor. But taking care of our diet can help you in using less medication. It not only saves your expenses on medicines but also gives you a natural way to cure Rheumatoid Arthritis. Most of the experts agree with the fact that most of the supplements should be used in natural form in the form of your diet, rather than taking them in the form of medication.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Diet

There is no accurate cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis but some foods can help you in treating some symptoms. We would suggest you to consult your doctor before practicing the food habits given here.

According to US Food and Drug Administration, the major part of diet (around two third) should be fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Remaining part of diet should include low-fat or fat-free dairy products and some protein products. Fiber in fruits and vegetables can reduce inflammation. Fiber diet reduce the CRP (C-Reative Protein) in our blood. Higher level of CRP in blood means inflammation. Strawberries are considered best for this effect. Antioxidants present in fresh colourful fruits and vegetables help in getting relief from inflammation.

According to Ruth Frechman of American Dietetic Association, Omega-3 fatty acid in fish oil is one of the best anti inflammatory food. Following fish varieties are considered best for omega-3:

• Herring
• Mackerel
• Trout
• Salmon
• Tuna

If you don't want to eat fish and just want to use fish oil then consult your doctor about its dosage as fish oil may interfere with some other drugs.

Extra-virgin Olive Oil contains Oleocanthal which blocks the enzymes that causes inflammation. So you should use extra virgin olive oil as an alternative to cooking oil and butter. It takes 3 to 4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil to equal the effect of 200mg Ibuprofen tablet as an anti inflammatory medicine.

Low level of Selenium (a mineral) is found in people suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis. Increasing the level of Selenium can control inflammation. This Mineral is found in whole-grain wheat products and some shellfishs like oysters and crab. But selenium can put you to the risk of diabetes, so consult your doctor before adding selenium to your diet.

Exercises for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Read More

Inflammation causing Foods to be avoided

Just like some foods decrease inflammation, some foods can increase it too. So make it sure that you don't eat such foods. Some of such foods which can cause inflammation are:

• Hamburgers
• Grilled or Fried Meat
• Omega-6 fatty Acid : Its found in oil of Corn, Sunflower, soyabean and cottonseed.

You can plan a diet to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis taking into consideration all the facts listed here. Before planning your Menu consult your doctor so that your diet don't interfere with any other medical condition.

Some websites provide complete Diet Menu for a week , but can't suit everybody as everyone have his own taste and own medical conditions. So one diet plan might not be suitable for others. So its its better to make your diet menu yourself with the help of your doctor.

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