Tag: blood

Vitamin K, the unheard of vitamin.

Today’s post is about Vitamin K, the one vitamin you’ve probably never heard of.

It is a vitamin most people have never heard of, unless perhaps your doctor has mentioned it after putting you on a course of blood thinners.

What is it?

Vitamin K is basically just another fat-soluble vitamin and is actually a group of compounds.  The group consists of K1, K2 and K3, all do slightly different things and come from different foods. The human body only requires K1 and K2. The name vitamin K comes from the German word “Koagulationsvitamin.” Unlike many other vitamins, it is not typically used as a dietary supplement.

What does it do?

It is one of several fat-soluble vitamins essential to the body, but this one has some specific uses in the body. It is used for blood clotting, bone building, and other important processes

Possibly its most important job is clotting the blood, which is why you may have heard of it if prescribed blood thinners like warfarin. However, it does more than that. In fact, it is an important cofactor in bone mineralisation and calcium metabolism. So, if you want to keep those bones strong, then keep eating foods high in vitamin K.

Because it has an influence on calcium metabolism, it means that calcium supplementation can cause an increased need for this vitamin . Some people that also may need additional vitamin K, are people with some kinds of digestive problems. This is due to the gut not fully absorbing the nutrients from the foods eaten, but also because K2 is made in the gut, by bacteria which are affected by gut health.

How do we get it?

Generally, vitamin K is not given as a supplement as we normally get plenty from our diet. K1 is obtained from leafy greens and some other vegetables such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts. K2 is a group of compounds largely obtained from meats, cheeses, and eggs, and is  synthesised by our gut bacteria. K3 is not found in significant amounts in any natural food sources.

Having said that, supplemental forms can be used for some very interesting reasons like acute leukaemia, Alzheimer’s disease and certain types of kidney stones.

Since there is rarely an excess or deficiency that will cause major health problems, vitamin K is one vitamin we don’t hear much about, but it is important all the same.

There are many drugs can interfere with the effects of vitamin K. They include antacids, blood thinners, antibiotics, aspirin, and drugs for cancer, seizures, high cholesterol, and other conditions. Too much vitamin K can actually be harmful if you are receiving dialysis treatments due to kidney disease.

So as always, check with your chosen health care professional before taking vitamin K supplements.

 We hope you found this information interesting,

 Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper

Sources – Web MD – National Institute of Health -it

A bit about Triglycerides

Today’s post is about triglycerides.

The last post was about Cholesterol and the associated blood test.

As mentioned in that post, the measured total cholesterol level is made up of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and 20% of triglycerides.

So today I thought that in this post I would explore that 20%, the triglycerides.

What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are the most common type of fat that circulates in the blood and are a critical source of energy. The body gets triglycerides or makes them from the foods we eat. The body converts any calories it doesn’t need to use right away into triglycerides. As a normal component of the vascular system, triglycerides are continuously being circulated just in case they need to be converted to energy.

When there is an excess of triglycerides in the body, they can be stored in the liver or in fat cells to supply the body with energy when it is required. This is a natural process that provides a sustained source of energy for the body, particularly between meals, as triglycerides are a stored energy source.

When more calories are consumed than burned, particularly from high-carbohydrate foods, this can cause high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia).

If the level of triglycerides is high and this is combined with a high LDL level or a low HDL level, there is a higher risk of fat building up and blocking blood vessels. This increases the risk of heart attack or a stroke.

What is normal?

A doctor or health professional will usually check for high triglycerides as part of a cholesterol test, which is sometimes called a lipid panel or lipid profile. Fasting is required before any blood can be drawn for an accurate measurement.

Normal fasting blood triglyceride levels are:

*Lower than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) for adults

*Lower than 90 mg/dL for children ages 10 to 19

The doctor may diagnose high blood triglycerides if the fasting blood triglyceride levels are consistently 150 mg/dL or higher.

*Borderline high — 150 to 199 mg/dL

*High — 200 to 499 mg/dL

*Very high — 500 mg/dL or above

A high triglyceride level is one of the signs of metabolic syndrome. This is a collection of health conditions that increase risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

An extremely high triglyceride level can cause inflammation of the pancreas, the organ in the abdomen that produces insulin.

Accordingly, people who have high levels of triglycerides should be advised to reconsider their diet and any habits of overeating in order to lower their triglyceride levels and reduce their risk of these conditions.

Some individuals may also have high triglyceride levels due to other circumstances. These could be excessive alcohol consumption, uncontrolled diabetes, hormonal abnormalities, kidney or liver disease, as a result of a genetic disorder or the use of certain medications. If this is the case, the primary cause should be managed appropriately in order to manage the triglyceride levels.

How can we lower our levels?

As with most health issues, small changes including diet can reduce triglyceride levels.

These can be simple changes such as;

*Eating a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole-grains and healthy proteins (especially fish) will help to lower levels.

*Including healthy fats in the diet and reducing the unhealthy fats.

*Cut back on drinks and foods made from sugar and white flour.

*Cut back on alcohol.

* Exercise regularly.

* And lose weight, if overweight.

If you have diabetes, make sure your blood sugar level is well controlled.

 

As always, seek help from your chosen health professional if you are concerned about your triglyceride or cholesterol levels.

We hope you have found this information interesting,

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

Sources – National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute – Mayo Clinic – Health Direct

Diabetes, what is it?

Scott has written today’s post about Diabetes.

Most of us have heard of diabetes, in recent years it has become endemic in western culture and that is a clue to what it is.

Types of diabetes

There are 4 different types of diabetes:

  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Pre-diabetes
  • Gestational diabetes

First let’s look at the 2 most common types and what they are.

Type 1 diabetes is well known as being largely hereditary. However what many people don’t realise is that it is in fact an autoimmune condition. This is where the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin because the immune system has destroyed the cells in the pancreas that do that.

Type 2 diabetes is far more common and therefore well known for that reason. It also has a strong genetic component to it. However, it is relatively easy to stop and if caught early enough, it can be reversed with diet and lifestyle changes. For this reason, we will concentrate on type 2 for todays post.

So what is it really?

Diabetes mellitus, or diabetes, is a serious chronic health condition, which occurs when there is too much glucose in the blood. Without getting too technical it is basically a case of abdominal fat causing impairment in the uptake of glucose in the blood.

Over time high glucose levels can damage the body’s blood vessels and nerves, leading to long term health complications such as heart, kidney and eye disease, and nerve damage in the feet.

These in turn leads to other conditions like cardiovascular disease, hormone issues and even polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The impairment of glucose uptake means that the pancreas needs to produce more and more insulin to keep up with demand, which eventually wears these cells out.

What are the symptoms?

The signs of diabetes are also well known but people still miss them. They include excessive thirst, more frequent urination, cuts that are slow to heal, headaches and felling dizzy. This is not an exhaustive list and many of these symptoms alone do not necessarily mean you have diabetes but if you have several of them together then you should consider getting tested.

What if you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?

Diabetes can be managed with medication to support blood glucose levels. Though making healthy food choices assists with managing blood glucose levels. By keeping blood glucose levels within a specified range you can significantly reduce your risk of developing other serious health problems associated with diabetes.

Several studies in the UK have found that modified diet could achieve remission of Type 2 diabetes.

According to Diabetes Australia, less than half of patients that participated in intensive dietary modification reached remission, however the sooner the diagnosis the better the chances.

Lastly I thought I would mention something called “Syndrome X” also known as pre diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

This is a condition that happens before a diabetes diagnosis. It is a condition which lasts for years before the pancreas stops producing insulin. Syndrome X is preventable and modifiable with changes to lifestyle. Mainly by reducing refined starches, sugars and saturated fats while increasing exercise.

A person who is suffering from metabolic syndrome may also suffer from some mineral deficiencies due to poor absorption. There are some herbs and minerals that assist with balancing out blood sugar levels and mineral deficiencies. For example magnesium, zinc, omega 3, Gymnemia and Cinnamon. These are readily available at many health food stores.

If you think you may be suffering from syndrome X or are diabetic it is worth a blood sugar test as the earlier you catch it the better the chances of reversing it.

We hope you found this information interesting.

Till the next post,

Live clean n Prosper

Sources – (Diabetes Australia – The Lancet )