Tag: body

Cortisol and Stress.

Todays post is about Cortisol and stress.

I have been reading an interesting book called ‘The Cortisol Connection’. It is about how stress and the hormone ‘Cortisol’ affect our health.

I thought I would share with you some of what I have learned.

Firstly, what is Cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which are located near the kidneys. It’s the body’s primary stress hormone and works with certain parts of our brain to control mood, motivation, and fear.

It’s best known for preparing the body’s “fight-or-flight” instinct in a crisis. However cortisol also plays a vital role in a range of other bodily functions.

  • Manages how the body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
  • Regulates blood pressure
  • Increases blood sugar (glucose)
  • Controls sleep/wake cycle
  • Boosts energy so that the body can handle stress and restores balance afterward

We have cortisol receptors in most of the cells in our body. These receptors receive and use the hormone in several ways. When the body is on high alert, cortisol can alter or shut down functions that get in the way. These might include the digestive or reproductive systems, the immune system, or even growth processes.

These functions of cortisol are very beneficial, but only for a short period of time, in very specific situations.

Then there’s Stress

Now for all of us, living in the twenty-first century brings with it a certain amount of unavoidable stress. This can mean that, sometimes, our cortisol levels can get out of balance.

In an ideal world, after the pressure or danger has passed, the body’s cortisol level should calm down. This means that the heart rate, blood pressure, and other systems will get back to normal.

But what if you’re under constant stress and the alarm button stays on?

Too Much Cortisol

Too much cortisol can derail the body’s most important functions. It can also cause a variety of health problems.

  • Anxiety and depression
  • Headaches
  • Memory and concentration issues
  • Problems with digestion
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Increased appetite and weight gain
  • Elevated cholesterol levels and blood pressure
  • Reduced sex drive

When the body is continually subjected to regular stress, this will lead to increased cortisol levels. The subsequent health problems will then create additional stress for the individual and a vicious cycle is created.

It’s about balance.

We have all heard this many times and some of us are lucky enough to get the balance just right. However it’s now scientific fact.

Stress researchers have proven that the best way of managing stress is to eat right, exercise regularly and get enough sleep.

Eat right – The scientists support what many of our grandparents have said. Eat a good blend of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, including 5 serves of fresh fruit and vegetables. In other words, a little of everything, but without the high processed ‘fast foods’.

Exercise regularly – This translates to ‘a small amount of exercise on a daily basis’, such as walking whenever possible and using the stairs. The small sessions of exercise help the body to use the energy provided by the cortisol and then calm down. Simulating a sort of a mini ‘fight or flight’ scenario.

Enough sleep – Researchers found that too little sleep heightens the stress response and keeps cortisol levels elevated. Participants who got 8 hours of sleep for a week kept cortisol levels in the normal range.

The Australian National Sleep Foundation recommends between 6 to 10 hours of sleep for adults 26-64.

 We are all living with a certain amount of stress every day and it’s important to our health that we find our own balance.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

Is Colloidal Silver good or bad for us?

Todays post is about Colloidal Silver.

Recently a colleague and I were discussing the use of colloidal silver for health. I realised that I had not come across any health related articles on this product, so I have done some research.

There are very few medical articles written about health benefits of colloidal silver. I was unable to find any published scientific studies advocating the ingestion of colloidal silver as a health remedy. Most scientific or medical articles I found did not support the use of this substance.

(Sources – www.healthline.com, www.webmd.com, www.tga.gov.au, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

In fact the Australian Food and Drug Administration have issued a warning in regards to colloidal silver.

“There are no products containing colloidal silver approved for marketing in Australia. With the exception of registered topical silver preparations, there is no evidence to support the safety or efficacy of silver regardless of its form or method of manufacture. In addition, silver has no known nutritional benefit and its well-defined toxicity can occur with all forms of the metal, including silver salts and colloids…… Patients seeking information on claimed benefits of colloidal silver should be advised of the lack of evidence for therapeutic benefit and the potential for toxicity associated with colloidal silver preparations.”

So what is it?

Colloidal silver is the term used to describe tiny particles of silver suspended in a liquid. The size of the silver particles in the liquid can vary; some are so tiny that they are referred to as “nanoparticles.” The solution can be found in various strengths, depending on how much silver it contains.

Before modern antibiotics were developed, it was used as an all-purpose remedy for various infections and illnesses.

Recently, it has experienced a revival in popularity. Those who use colloidal silver take it as a dietary supplement or apply it directly to their skin.

How is it meant to work?

It’s unknown exactly how colloidal silver works. However, research suggests that it attaches to proteins on the cell walls of bacteria, damaging their cell membranes.

Silver ions are released from the silver particles when they come into contact with moisture. They are considered to be the “biologically active” part of colloidal silver that gives it its medicinal properties.

 What are the side effects?

All of us are environmentally exposed to extremely small amounts of silver every day. It’s present in very tiny amounts in drinking water, the food supply and even the air we breathe. The amount in the environment is considered to be quite safe.

The environmental and health risks of silver nanoparticles are not well understood, given that nanoparticles are able to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Ingesting colloidal silver is generally considered unsafe, possibly leading to a condition known as argyria.

Argyria (ahr-JIR-e-uh) presents as a blue-grey discolouration of the skin, eyes, nails and gums. Argyria doesn’t usually pose a serious health problem. However, it doesn’t go away when you stop taking silver products.

You are most at risk of developing argyria if you’re regularly ingesting silver or work in a job that exposes you to large amounts of silver.

It’s not clear how much silver may be harmful, but it can build up in your body’s tissues over months or years. Soluble silver compounds are also capable of accumulating in small amounts in the brain and in muscles

Rarely, excessive doses of colloidal silver can cause possibly irreversible serious health problems. These include kidney damage and neurological problems such as seizures.

Applying colloidal silver to your skin is considered less risky than ingesting it.

There are however, TGA approved therapeutic goods containing presentations of silver that remain appropriate, for example, topical silver nitrate for neonatal conjunctivitis or silver sulfadiazine for burns.

Well, I hope that helps anyone who was thinking about using colloidal silver for any health concerns. It is certainly not something that we would consider using without seeking professional advice.

 Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper

Alcohol and the body.

Todays post is about how our body, or more specifically the liver, deals with alcohol.

Many of us indulge in an alcoholic beverage on a regular basis. Some people indulge more regularly and in greater quantities than others. Most of us know the basics of what happens in our bodies when we drink alcohol.

Scott has recently covered this subject in his studies and I thought it was interesting. I decided to learn more details and share this information.

How the alcohol is initially absorbed.

Alcohol absorption begins in the stomach. However, it is absorbed much more rapidly in the small intestine due to the larger surface area. So, the longer the alcohol remains in the stomach, the slower the rise in the blood alcohol level. Fatty acids slow down the movement of food through the stomach. Therefore the consumption of foods higher in fats will slow the rise of blood alcohol. This will also give time for the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) to start breaking down the alcohol.

Alcohol dehydrogenase is our primary defence against alcohol, a toxic molecule that compromises the function of our nervous system. The high levels of alcohol dehydrogenase in our liver and stomach detoxify about one drink (10grams of alcohol) each hour.

Once the alcohol enters the blood stream, it goes directly from the digestive tract to the liver.

The science

In the liver there is more alcohol dehydrogenase to break down ethanol in the blood. The alcohol dehydrogenase breaks alcohol down into another compound, acetaldehyde. Next, another enzyme, called aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) breaks it down further into acetate, another metabolite.

This can then be converted to Acetyl coenzyme A, (acetyl-CoA), an important molecule used in metabolic processes. It is primarily used by the body for energy production and is an essential component in balancing carbohydrate and fat metabolism

 What does this mean?

On those occasions when we consume alcoholic beverages while eating pizza and deep fried foods, followed by cake and ice cream, the body deals with the alcohol first.

This is because the liver recognises the alcohol as the most toxic substance in the body at the time.

So while the liver is dealing with the alcohol, the fats and sugars are getting pushed into the blood stream to wait. This also means that the liver will first break down the alcoholic beverage into its main components and then dealing with the alcohol first.

The liver requires certain essential nutrients from the body to do its job. It also works through the toxins in 2 phases. If there are not enough nutrients available for the liver to do its job, this causes the by-products to hang around for a lot longer in between the phases. This can then cause other issues.

 Supporting the liver

It is possible to provide support to the liver so that it can metabolise alcohol more effectively, therefore reducing long-term damage.

The 2 phases of detoxification require different nutrients.

Phase 1 requires B group vitamins, Folic acid, Glutathione, Antioxidants, Carotenoids, vitamins E and vitamin C.

Phase 2 requires Amino Acids (Glutamine, Glycine, Taurine & Cystine) and sulphurated phytochemicals found in garlic and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage & Brussels sprouts)

There are also certain compounds available that may be helpful.

  • Grape seed extract is a well-known antioxidant that assists liver function.
  • Grapefruit seed extract increases gastric protection
  • Vitamin C
  • Zinc
  • Curcumin (found in Turmeric)

Current Australian health guidelines state “For healthy men and women, drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day reduces the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury.” (NHMRC 2009) Sources – Principles of Anatomy & Physiology by Gerard J Totora/Bryan Derrickson, https://en.wikipedia.org, https://pdb101.rcsb.org

With this in mind, a good diet consisting of whole, unprocessed foods goes a long way in supporting the liver. Many of the nutrients essential for optimal liver function are found in fresh fruit and vegetables.

I hope you found this information interesting.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper