Month: September 2018
Vitamins are one of the most important nutrients for human body. To be healthy and for proper functioning of all human organs Vitamins are essential. Vitamins are essential for natural growth and development of every multi cellular organism. Right from the inception of a human fetus to old people, Vitamins are one of the most important supporting elements in their growth. During pregnancy period diets taken by a pregnant woman directly relates to the growth of fetus in womb. Therefore, Gynecologists suggest them to take diets according to the need of child developing inside their body.
Classification of Vitamins
Vitamins are classified into different groups alphabetically, according to their chemical structures and their ingredient elements. There are following types of Vitamins: 1.Vitamin A Retinol 2.Vitamin B There are several sub types of Vitamin B, with different scientific names. a.Vitamin B1 Thiamine b.Vitamin B2 Riboflavin c.Vitamin B3 Niacin/Niacinamide d.Vitamin B4 Adenine e.Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid f.Vitamin B6 Pyridoxine g.Vitamin B7 Biotin h.Vitamin B8 Inositol i.Vitamin B9 Folic Acid j.Vitamin B10 Pteroylmonoglutamic Acid k.Vitamin B11 Choline l.Vitamin B12 Methylcobalamin 3.Vitamin C Ascorbic Acid 4.Vitamin D Calciferol 5.Vitamin E Tocopherol 6.Vitamin K Menaquinones
There are other less known types of Vitamins too, each one with different set of importance for human body and other chemical usage.
Vitamins for Sense Organs
Vitamins are very important for all our sense organs. Lack of Vitamins can lead to problems in functioning of our sense organs. Vitamins, their importance and the diseases caused by lack of those vitamins are as follows: 1.Vitamin A (retinol) is helpful for our eyes. Lack of Vitamin A can result to Night Blindness. 2.Vitamin B and its variants are important for several reasons, lack of them can result Beriberi, Ariboflavinosis, Pellagra, Paresthesia, Anemia and other deficiency diseases. 3.Vitamin C is helpful for our skin. Lack of Vitamin C can result Scurvy. 4.Vitamin D is helpful for our bones and their growth. Lack of Vitamin D can result Rickets and Osteomalacia. 5.Vitamin E is helpful for infants, lack of this Vitamin can result Anemia in infants.
Popular Sources of Vitamins
You do not need to look for any special diet elements or medicines to fulfill the requirement of Vitamins in your body. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are rich source of Vitamins. Regular inclusion of them in your diet can protect you from all the deficiency diseases caused by improper intake of Vitamins.
Ancient wisdom says that, you are what you eat, we must then be careful about what we put into our bodies. We cannot cure all illness or stop the hands of time. We cannot protect ourselves from all diseases, but we can certainly be careful. What we can do is treat our bodies well and enjoy the health benefits that result from this conscious effort.
Senior citizens’ nutritional needs vary little from the nutritional needs of other age groups, yet there are some slight differences. Our younger bodies are able to withstand lack of nutrition more than those of the elderly, and hence it becomes more and more important to get proper nutrients as we age. These factors must be taken into consideration by elders as well as those who provide senior care services and act as their caretakers. Here are a few things essential for elderly care through proper diet for senior citizens:
1. Fiber – Fiber serves two purposes. It fills us up more quickly than empty carbohydrates (carbohydrates that lack nutrition) and it aids in digestion. Fiber forms the bulk of our waste, so encourages our intestinal tract to continue functioning properly. Sources of fiber include: Wheat, spouted pulses, green leafy vegetables etc.
2. Protein – As we get older, we need to work harder at keeping our muscle toned. Muscle wasting occurs naturally with age and getting enough protein can help slow this process. Protein is also very important for transporting necessities, such as hormones, to the cells. The belief that vegetarians will have a hard time consuming enough protein is unfounded. Vegetarians can easily meet their protein needs by eating a varied diet. Sources of protein include: Kidney beans, Lentils, apples, almonds etc.
3. Calcium – Calcium helps strengthen bones and teeth. Osteoporosis happens when calcium levels have reached a low level that results in bone cell losses. Because these levels fall more frequently, it is quite important to consumer more calcium to keep bones strong. Sources of calcium include: Dairy products, cabbage etc.
4. Vitamins – From assisting our bodies in sending out nervous signals to keeping our immunity strong, from warding off potential chronic illnesses to helping our hair and nail grow. Vitamins are the cornerstone of the proper functioning of our body. Some essential Vitamins that need to be consumed are Vitamin B, C, D, E and F
5. Omega 3’s – These nutrients have just -come into fashion- and are now being proven in scientific studies to enhance and improve joint health. They contribute significantly to the immunity system are somewhat considered to be the mechanic of the body, helping keeping it in shape.
6. Water – The need for water cannot be overstated. When not enough water has been consumed, dehydration will set in quickly. Dehydration is a frequent cause for hospitalizing in the elderly and can result in mental confusion and exhaustion among other symptoms.
Staying hydrated is as simple as drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day. Getting the rest of the aforementioned nutrients can be as simple as eating a meal full of vegetables, some fruits, nuts (if you are not allergic), seeds, lean meats, eggs, and beans.
All living creatures depend on nature and natures products (plants, animals and minerals) for basic sustenance and Nopalea is one such product. For centuries, man has depended on the products of nature not only for basic sustenance, but also as sources of treatment for bodily injury, illness and the myriad maladies that can affect the human body system.
Nopalea A Natural Product
Even today, given vast advances in science and technology, virtually all (if not all) health and medicinal products consumed by man are derived, in some shape or form, from natures products. Penicillin, for example, comes from plant mold.
Today man is again turning to nature and the scientific community, to find products from nature that possess the power to sustain, heal and manage the human body system in a way that promotes better living and freedom from conditions that can debilitate the human body and spirit. This is for several reasons:
First, today, people throughout the world are increasingly concerned about their health and the positive and negative effects of their food and beverage consumption (i.e. dietary intake of cholesterol, sugar, fats, especially saturated fats, sodium, etc.).
Second, there is increased consumer interest in natural products (i.e. whole foods and beverages without high levels of preservatives, produce grown organically, health supplements from natures plants that provide nutrients that have been lost in todays fast food, prepared and processed food, eat-on-the-run culture, etc.). By way of scientific explanation, Dr. C. Leigh Broadhurst, a geochemist who works as a visiting scientist for a government nutrition research laboratory and heads 22nd Century Nutrition, a nutrition/scientific consulting company, stated in a 1998 article published in Nutrition Science News regarding essential BLOOM BLOOM phytochemicals that are found in natural fruits and vegetables that:
Third, in many counties, the United States in particular, there is increasing concern about the rising costs of health care. Furthermore, increased longevity and the increased likelihood of health disorders associated with aging are of growing concern. The high cost of health care is least affordable among the elderly.
Fourth, in some cases, unwanted and/or undesirable side effects are associated with prescription pharmaceuticals and their positive effects may by short lasting as against natural products that basically work from within, to help the human body maintain and strengthen itself.
In short, there is a significant and growing market throughout the world, for natural products that have special nutritional, health maintenance and medicinal benefits. Nopalea can provide such benefits. Among the primary areas of market opportunity are consumer concerns about:
Heart conditions (which have been associated with high levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, saturated fats and sodium),
Obesity (which been associated with diets high in calories, sugar and saturated fats),
Immune system efficiency (Cancer, pathogen control, resistance to disease, etc.),
Digestive system efficiency (which requires dietary intake of fiber, particularly soluble fiber, pectins, mucilage and gums that aid in digestion and in reducing the effects of saturated fat and toxic substance intake) and
Nopalea Health Disorders
Certain health disorders to which certain segments of the population are or have become more susceptible. One example is Adult On-set (Type II) Diabetes, the incidence of which is rapidly increasing (particularly among Hispanics, Asians, Blacks and native American Indians).
Scientists in the United States and in other countries have in the past studied many plants and herbs in order to determine their nutritional content and to ascertain their medicinal properties and health benefits. Only recently, however, have scientists begun to focus on some of natures plants that were, prior to modern times, used for centuries both as a source of food and for their medicinal benefits. Nopalea fits this category.