Dietary supplements: Do you need them?

Do you need to take dietary supplements? The answer depends on your eating and lifestyle habits and some factors beyond your control, such as your age. Dietary supplements may be appropriate if:

• You don't eat well. If you eat less than five total servings of fruits and vegetables daily, it may be difficult to get all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs. Also, if you eat only one or two times a day, you may be limiting the number and variety of servings you eat from the various food groups.
• You're a vegetarian. If you're a vegetarian, you may not consume enough calcium, iron, zinc and vitamins B-12 and D. You can get these nutrients naturally from nonmeat sources, such as fortified soy products, green leafy vegetables, legumes, whole-grain products and nuts. If you aren't able to regularly consume these foods, dietary supplements may be necessary.
• You consume less than 1,200 calories a day. Low-calorie diets limit the types and amounts of foods you eat and, in turn, the types and amounts of nutrients you receive. Unless monitored by a doctor, a low-calorie diet isn't usually recommended.
• You have a medical condition that affects how your body absorbs, uses or excretes nutrients. If your diet has limited variety because of food allergies or intolerance to certain foods, such as dairy products, you may benefit from a dietary supplement. Also, if you have a disease of your liver, gallbladder, intestines or pancreas, or if you've had surgery on your digestive tract, you may not be able to digest and absorb nutrients properly. In such cases, your doctor may recommend that you take dietary supplements.
• You're a postmenopausal woman. After menopause, women experience a sudden drop in estrogen levels, which increases bone loss. To keep bones strong and to decrease bone loss, you need calcium as well as vitamin D — the vitamin essential for absorbing calcium. Women who don't obtain enough calcium and vitamin D through foods could benefit from taking a calcium supplement with vitamin D.
• You're a woman who has heavy menstrual bleeding. If you have heavy menstrual bleeding, you may need additional iron to replace the iron depleted by blood loss. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, a condition in which blood is low in hemoglobin, the substance which carries oxygen to tissues.
• You're pregnant or trying to become pregnant. During this time, you need more of certain nutrients, especially calcium, folate and iron. Folate is needed very early in pregnancy to help protect your baby against neural tube birth defects, such as incomplete closure of the spine (spina bifida). Iron helps prevent fatigue by helping you make the red blood cells necessary to deliver oxygen to you and your baby. Your doctor can recommend a dietary supplement. It's important to start taking a supplement before becoming pregnant.
• You smoke. Tobacco decreases the absorption of many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, folate, magnesium and calcium. But dietary supplements won't make up for the major health risks caused by smoking. The safest option is to avoid all tobacco products.
• You drink excessively. Long-term excessive alcohol consumption can impair the digestion and absorption of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B-1, iron, zinc, magnesium and folate. In addition, you may substitute alcohol for food, resulting in a diet lacking in essential nutrients. Excessive drinking is defined as more than two drinks a day for men under age 65 and more than one drink a day for men over 65 and women. Taking dietary supplements, however, won't make up for the major health risks caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

If you're generally healthy and eat a wide variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and lean meats, you don't likely need dietary supplements.

But if you seek assurance that you're getting all the vitamins and minerals you need and you don't mind the added expense and daily routine of taking a pill, taking a standard vitamin and mineral supplement with about 100 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for the various vitamins and minerals is generally fine. It's always a good idea, however, to talk with your doctor, as he or she knows your history and specific situation best.

A Look At The Children's Health Insurance Bill

Last week the House approved a major expansion of the children's health insurance program. The bill aims to expand the children's health program by $48 billion over the next five years. The proposed source of finance is an increase in tobacco taxes and cuts in payments to Medicare providers.

The bill was opposed by the Republicans as it seeks to cut subsidies to the private insurance companies who manage the Medicare plans. These Medicare plans are very popular in rural America.

The passage of the Bill has made both the Republicans and the Democrats happy. While for the Democrats it is a victory, being able to implement what they have been wanting to for a long time, the Republicans are grinning from ear to ear because they feel that a cut in the popular Medicare program will eventually cost the Democrats the control of the House. However, the Democrats have been quite smart. They plan to increase aid to poor Medicare beneficiaries and also put in place a plan for preventive health care that would make it less expensive for seniors.

While a tobacco tax is popular it has one major shortcoming. With the number of smokers declining the source of funding lacks stability and would ultimately shift the financial burden onto others. An increase in taxes is also likely to further increase the cost of smoking and cause a further decline in the number of smokers, and the downward spiral may accelerate.

But given the importance of the program the Government will simply have to find a sustainable way of funding it.

Tips for Acne Scar Skin Care

Like it or not, there are only a few fortunate people on the planet who have gone without acne their whole lives. For the rest of us mere mortals, acne has been a problem at one time or another; and for some of us, that same problematic acne left us with scars. Thanks to technology and research, however, there are now many different acne scar skin care techniques that can help us cover up and totally lose the scars.

Make no mistake: most acne scar skin care remedies and techniques are expensive, and they need to be undertaken for a long period of time before any results can emerge. Before you can understand how acne scar skin care works, however, you need to know about acne first and what can cause scarring.

Acne vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is caused by the clogging of skin pores by dirt, debris, or dried skin cells. This clogging causes pimples to form, creating the well-known cystic acne that is common in teenagers or persons with hormonal imbalances. The underlying cause of acne vulgaris has yet to be determined, however: some doctors and scientists propose that fluctuating hormonal levels contribute to acne, while others surmise that acne vulgaris is genetic in nature and can be inherited from one's parents.

Whatever the cause of acne, dermatologists will always caution you to refrain from touching your face, removing the pimples yourself, and, more crudely, "popping your zits". This is because any manual force not exerted by medically-approved means can cause acne scars to form.

Types of acne scars

In general, there are two types of acne scars, the pigmented scars and the pitted ones. Pigmented scars can be red or brown in color, and appear after the pimple has disappeared. Although they can be unseemly to look at, they can disappear after treatment, or they can vanish on their own after a few weeks or months.

On the other hand, pitted scars occur when damage is done to the skin tissue beneath the acne. Such scars look like indentations on the skin, and are often referred to as pockmarks. Both kinds of acne scars have their own methods for removal or concealment.

Acne scar skin care for pigmented scars involves using lotions or creams that have whitening compounds. Such compounds can remove the pigment from the scar and even out one's pigmentation. For instance, exfoliating agents such as glycolic acid or alpha-hydroxy acids can remove dead skin cells from the area so that new skin can immediately be regenerated.

Acne scar skin care is a little more complicated for pitted scars, as these scars are difficult to erase. Some dermatologists can inject protein stimulators that can induce skin cells to form the important proteins elastin and collagen. Once the cells surrounding the scars start producing these proteins, the skin can be plumper, and the depth of the scars can be made shallower, further reducing their pockmarked appearance.

Laser therapy

Laser treatments can also be used to combat acne scarring. Ablative laser treatment, for instance, burns scar tissue off from the surface of the skin, which stimulates the underlying skin to tighten. Such a technique injures the skin and exposes underlying tissue, so that people undergoing ablative laser treatment have to likewise be protected from infection. Moreover, because laser therapy can be painful, doctors apply anesthetics to the skin before undertaking any laser procedure.

On the other hand, non-ablative laser treatment can induce changes in the underlying skin tissue without doing injury to the epidermis, or the surface of the skin. Such laser therapy is relatively fast: this time, it heats up the oil glands in the skin, preventing acne from forming; it also tightens the underlying skin, so that scarring will be less visible. Another type of laser therapy makes use of the yellow pulse dye laser, a machine that operates using yellow light. Yellow light treats keloids, and can flatten or reduce inflammation of raised scars.

Fat transplant

There are other options for acne scar skin care. A dermatologist may offer to inject the scar, or plump it up, with filler substances such as bovine collagen. Fat can also be transplanted from other parts of the patient's body and into the acne scar. Some dermatologists may also recommend creams or lotions that can plump the skin temporarily and remove any sign of wrinkles, acne scar depressions, or age lines. There are also excision and incision techniques that can be carried out on irregularly-shaped acne scars.

There are still many methods of acne scar skin care. If you have acne scars, always consult with a dermatologist first and talk about what options are available for your case. With the right acne scar skin care, you can have smoother, fairer skin in no time at all.

Sugar is the key to the nicotine rush according to new research

Smoking and blood sugar levels are highly interrelated – nicotine causes the body to release satisfying levels of sugar into the bloodstream far faster than eating can, which explains its appetite-inhibiting effects. The results of low blood sugar levels in a quitting nicotine addict are also responsible for some of the most difficult withdrawal symptoms. Now it has been discovered that sugar is also a key element in the chemical reaction that causes a smoker to feel “high”. When nicotine molecules are received by neurotransmitter membranes, it’s sugar molecules that then act as a sort of hinge to open a gate in the cell membrane and send the "nicotine rush" nerve signal onward.

When nicotine binds to a neuron, how does the cell know to send the signal that announces a smoker’s "high"? As with other questions involving good sensations, the answer appears to be sugar.

A USC study appearing with a commentary in Nature Neuroscience online proposes a role for sugar as the hinge that opens a gate in the cell membrane and brings news of nicotine’s arrival.

Structural biologist Raymond Stevens of The Scripps Research Institute, who was not involved in the study, called it “a landmark accomplishment for the fields of structural biology and neuronal cell signaling.”

Besides substance addiction, Stevens pointed to epilepsy, schizophrenia and depression as targets for improved drugs that could result from the study’s findings.

The study provides the first detailed look at part of the mouse nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR), one in a large and important group of molecules, known as ion channel proteins, that allow signals to pass between neurons.

The results reveal an important role for the sugar molecules in such proteins.

“Our studies fill a major gap in the field and set a new paradigm,” said Lin Chen, associate professor of molecular and computational biology in USC College and co-corresponding author with Zuo-Zhong Wang, associate professor of cell and neurobiology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Many existing theories, which do not consider sugar’s role, are probably incomplete, Chen said.

The debate over how signals pass from the outside of a cell to the inside is a long-standing one.

Some researchers had suggested that when a chemical such as nicotine binds to an ion channel protein on the cell surface, the protein starts a “conformational wave” that propagates a signal through the protein body to the cell membrane, Chen said.

But the molecular basis of such a wave in nAChR or any other protein has not been clearly established.

Instead, the Chen and Wang groups’ study of crystal structure suggested a simple mechanical role for sugar molecules attached to the surface of the receptor.

“They serve as the link between the neurotransmitter binding site and the membrane region where the gate is located,” Chen said.

“The sugar is kind of like a hinge. It’s pulling the door open and closed.”

Cutting the sugar chains stopped the gate’s operation: “The sugar is critical, in my opinion”, said Chen.

The researchers also found a water molecule deep in the receptor’s core – significant because proteins normally are filled with hydrophobic (water repellent) matter that helps the structure hold its shape according to Chen.

The water molecule may enable the receptor to alter its shape in counterbalance to the bending hinge.

Previously studied “homologs” of nAChR – proteins that share its structure but not its signaling function – are entirely hydrophobic, Chen said, supporting the theory that the buried water molecule plays a functional role.

Chen called the group’s Nature Neuroscience study “one of the few times that you felt that you connected the dots.”

The study also represents a tour de force of protein crystallography. Homologs of nAChR had been studied at the atomic scale, but not the receptor itself. One problem, solved by Wang’s laboratory, was the challenge of isolating large quantities of the nAChR protein in a suitable form.

“Many prestigious institutions and laboratories in the world have experienced tremendous difficulties for over two decades in getting a protein sample amenable for high-resolution studies of the structure,” Wang said.

Cosma Dellisanti, research associate in molecular and computational biology at USC, was first author. The other co-authors were Yun Yao of the Keck School and James Stroud of UCLA.

Funding for the research came from the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the National Institutes of Health.

More on Interesting Life

Cannabis 'raises psychosis risk'

Cannabis users are 40% more likely than non-users to suffer a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, say UK experts.

A team from Bristol University, writing in the Lancet, said young people needed to be made aware of the dangers, which they said increased with heavier use.

In an additional article, experts said up to 800 schizophrenia cases a year in the UK could be linked to cannabis use.

The Bristol team looked at 35 studies on the drug and mental health, but one expert urged caution over their study.

The Bristol team said the most frequent users of cannabis had twice the risk of non-users of developing psychotic illnesses.

But the evidence for a link with depression and anxiety was less clear, they said.

Public awareness

The authors said the risk to any individual of getting schizophrenia remained low overall, but because cannabis use was so common, they estimated it could be a factor in 14% of psychotic problems among young adults in the UK.

However, they said they could not rule out the possibility that people at a higher risk of mental illness were more likely to use the drug.

Study author, Professor Glyn Lewis, professor of psychiatric epidemiology, said: "It is possible that the people who use cannabis might have other characteristics that themselves increase risk of psychotic illness.

"However, all the studies have found an association and it seems appropriate to warn members of the public about the possible risk."

He added he would particularly advise users who were developing mental health problems or who had a family history of psychotic illness to quit using the drug.

In an accompanying editorial, Danish researchers said the figures presented in the research translated to about 800 potentially avoidable cases of schizophrenia a year in the UK among 15- to 34-year-olds.

Cabinet confessions

There are an estimated 2m regular users of cannabis in the UK.

Cannabis is currently a class C drug, having been downgraded from class B in 2004 - a move that made possession of the drug a largely non-arrestable offence.

However, earlier this month, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced a consultation on reclassifying cannabis as class B, amid reports that more potent strains such as "skunk" are becoming widely available.

In the following days a string of Cabinet ministers, including Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Chancellor Alistair Darling and Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, admitted having smoked cannabis when they were younger.

Professor Robin Murray, professor of psychiatry at London's Institute of Psychiatry, said of the Bristol study: "The studies they looked at were done in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

"One of the questions they can't address is whether the risk is higher with the more concentrated skunk forms of cannabis, which are now widely available."

'Daily tragedy'

But Professor Leslie Iverson, from the University of Oxford, said there was still no conclusive evidence that cannabis use causes psychotic illness.

"Their prediction that 14% of psychotic outcomes in young adults in the UK may be due to cannabis use is not supported by the fact that the incidence of schizophrenia has not shown any significant change in the past 30 years."

Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of the mental health charity SANE, said: "This analysis should act as a serious warning of the dangers of regular or heavy cannabis use."

She added: "The headlines are not scaremongering but reflect a daily, and preventable, tragedy."

Health Secrets of Vitamin A Which You Must Know

Vitamin A or Retinol is a fat-soluble vitamin and plays an important role in vision, development and maintenance of healthy skin, hair, mucous membranes; immune functions; and reproduction. Vitamin A or retinol, helps your eyes to adjust to light alteration when you come in from outside and also helps keep your eyes, skin and mucous membranes moist.

Vitamin A is essential for the utilization of protein and the production of testosterone and other development factors.

Vitamin A is found in any of these forms:
* Retinol
* Other retinoids - retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, and compounds of similar nature.
* Carotenoids - organic pigments that are naturally found in plants.

What is the Daily requirement of Vitamin A
Quantity of the amount of vitamin A is measured in retinol activity equivalents (RAE).

The suggested daily requirement for vitamin A is 700 RAE (retinol activity equivalent) per day for women and 900 RAE per day for men. But the requirements may be different from one person to another. The requirements may differ for growing children, during puberty, and for women who are pregnant or lactating; therefore, it is necessary to consult doctor for differences.

What are the Benefits of Vitamin A
1) Vitamin A supports healthy surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts.
2) It Helps the skin and mucous membranes function as a barrier to bacteria and viruses.
3) It can also help boost the power of your white blood cells
4) It also keeps the mucus membranes, like the ones in your nose, moist.

Food sources of Vitamin A
Eating a range of foods that include vitamin A (and carotenes) is the finest method to get a sufficient amount.

Alcohol, coffee, or excessive iron can all reduce the body's supply of Vitamin A. But, the good information is that vitamin A is readily obtainable from numerous food sources.

Vitamin A can be obtained from food in two dissimilar forms -

1. Pro-vitamin A (also called beta-carotene). This is obtained from plant sources. It is mostly found in fruits and vegetables.
2. Pre-formed vitamin A (also called retinol or retinal) . This is obtained through animal sources. Main sources consist of liver, whole milk, and some equipped food products.

The top most vitamin A-rich foods consist of:
1) Sweet potato
2) Mango
3) Carrots
4) Spinach
5) Dried apricots
6) Cantaloupe
7) Egg yolk
8) Milk
9) Mozzarella cheese
10) Liver

Skimmed milk is often equipped with vitamin A because it is removed from milk with the fat.

What can happen with vitamin A deficiency?
1) Night blindness is one of the first Vitamin A Deficiency symptom
2) Vitamin A deficiency reduces the capability to fight infections, such as pneumonia.
3) Vitamin A Deficiency may increase a child's threat of developing respiratory infections, diarrhea, decreased growth rate and slow bone development.

Vegans who do not consume eggs and dairy foods need pro vitamin A carotenoids to fulfill their requirement for vitamin A. They should include at least of five servings of fruits and vegetables in their daily diet and habitually choose dark green leafy vegetables and orange and yellow fruits to fulfill suggested amounts of vitamin A.

Storage of Vitamin A
Vitamins are simply destroyed during food preparation and storage.

1) To get the maximum vitamin possible from food, refrigerate and store milk and grains away from strong light.
2) To retain vitamin A try to supply fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible.
3) Steam vegetables, roast or bake meats in place of frying.
4) If you take vitamin supplements, keep them at room temperature in a dry place that is moisture free.

Vitamin A Overdose
Overdose of vitamin A cause tiredness, sluggishness, severe headache, vomiting, peeling of skin and hair loss.

Research recommends that having more than an average of 1.5mg per day of vitamin A over a lot of years may affect bones and make them more liable to fracture when grow older.

Older people, especially women, are already at danger of osteoporosis. This is where bone compactness reduces and so the risk of fractures grows.

If pregnant, having overdose of Vitamin A can harm your unborn baby. Therefore, if you are pregnant or thinking of having a baby, you should avoid eating liver products because these are very high in vitamin A quantity.

Ten Health Tips To Make You Live Extra 10 Years

Most of us are interested in living as long as we can, and at the same time increasing the quality of our lives. There are lots of methods that claim to help prolong life, but the most reliable way of increasing your lifespan is without a doubt, healthy living. Here our a few suggestions on how to have a healthier life.

1. Sleep! The benefits of proper sleep have often been researched, studied and reported. We are all different, but our need for adequate sleep is basically the same. Despite many people thinking they can get along with less sleep than others, this lack of sleep adds up and is linked to many health issues and their consequences. The average person needs about eight hours of sleep per night, although the timing and quality of such sleep also plays an important role.

2. Exercise! Keeping your body in shape is a sure way to increase your overall health, stay in shape, and consequentially reduce health risks associated to being overweight. An hour of daily exercise is recommended, but if your schedule doesn’t allow it, try to fit in at least four hours per week.

3. Eat right! To a certain extent, you are what you eat! Choosing what you eat carefully and avoiding fatty foods will help prevent health risks. Maintaining a balanced diet is vital to a healthy lifestyle. Plan healthy meals and avoid unnecessary snacking in between.

4. Relax! Stress is a very common word these days! The pace of our lives is constantly increasing and it is highly important that we find ways to reduce the stress levels that are built up daily. Find what works for you, whether it’s a hot bath, a night out with friends, or a walk down a deserted beach; getting rid of stress is crucial to your health.

5. Love! Believe it or not, love is linked to health. Those who love are less prone to several diseases and health problems. Whether you love a companion, your kids, grandkids, friends or a pet, it truly is the thought that counts when it comes to feelings of love.

6. Don’t smoke and try to avoid hanging around smokers. The negative consequences of cigarettes are well known be most of us. If you are a smoker, do your best to quit, and avoid hanging around friends who smoke.

7. Alcohol! Although a small amount of wine daily can be beneficial to your health, too much alcohol can have the opposite effect and drastic consequences. Moderation is the key.

8. Sunscreen! The sun is directly linked to aging, wearing protective clothing and adequate sunscreen when outdoors is extremely important. A glamorous tan may look good for a while, but the lack of one can help you live a lot longer.

9. Water! Drinking enough water is vital to staying healthy and to keep your body in running order. The quality of the water you drink is also very important.

10. Be happy! Happiness is vital to your health. A negative or bitter outlook on life is linked to several diseases. By thinking happy thoughts and wishing others well, we can help keep a positive mindset and be cheerful despite the adversities that constantly threaten to bring us down.