Tag: human body

Salt – is it bad for you?

Today’s post is about the myth that ‘Salt is bad for you’.

There is a lot of information available in regards to salt and health. I found many health articles reporting on how bad salt is for our health. Conversely, there are also an equal number of articles reporting that it is good for our health.

So what is right?

There are 2 million medical articles published every year regarding our health and sorting out this information was a challenge.

The fact is that the human body needs some salt for good health. Consuming too much may increase the risk of developing high blood pressure, which is a risk factor for other diseases. Too little and the body also suffers.

The trick is to consume a moderate amount. Statistically, many people are consuming too much ‘hidden’ salt. The rise in processed, packaged and canned foods are the issue as they usually contain added salt.

Water and Real Salt are essential for life

 The first thing doctors will do in hospital is put you on a life saving saline drip. We were born out of a water salt sack into a world that is 73% water salt solution and have a body that is 73% water and a brain that is 85% water.

The human body contains many salts, of which sodium chloride is the major one. This makes up around 0.4 per cent of the body’s weight at a concentration pretty well equivalent to that in seawater. So a 50kg person would contain around 200g of sodium chloride (approx. 40 teaspoons).

Sodium is a vital nutrient. It helps to maintain fluid balance and cardiovascular function. Sodium is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, always bringing water along with it. It is the major mineral in plasma, the fluid component of blood, and in the fluids that bathe the body’s cells. Without enough sodium, all these fluids would lose their water, causing dehydration, low blood pressure, and death.

Fortunately, it only takes a tiny amount of sodium to prevent this scenario. The body, in its wisdom, can make do with remarkably small amounts of sodium. In fact, some isolated population groups in the world manage perfectly well on just 200 mg a day. And when dietary salt is in short supply, the body can conserve nearly all its sodium, dramatically reducing the amount excreted in urine and shed in sweat. Remember that water always follows sodium, and you’ll understand why your skin is dry and your urine scant and concentrated when you are dehydrated and conserving sodium.

To be sure its supply of salt and water is just right, the body has developed an elaborate series of controls. The blood vessels and brain signal the kidneys to retain or excrete sodium as needed; they also fine-tune the sensation of thirst so you’ll provide water in amounts that match the body’s sodium supply.

How much should we consume?

The National Health and Medical Research Council set an ‘Adequate Intake’ of 460–920 mg of sodium per day. This corresponds to 1.15 – 2.3 grams of salt. Most Australian adults have a daily salt intake of about 10 grams. A ‘Suggested Dietary Target’ of 1600 mg of sodium (equivalent to about 4 grams of salt) has been set for Australian adults.                                             (Sources – www.chriskresser.com www.nutritionaustralia.org www.health.harvard.edu )

 

The best way to ensure a moderate salt intake is to consume less processed and packaged foods. Only add salt when cooking or at the table. Choose a less processed salt, therefore also gaining some trace minerals.

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n Prosper

Vitamin D, Sunlight & Mushrooms

Today’s topic is Vitamin D, Sunlight & Mushrooms.

I know that this seems like a strange combination but all will become clear.

This morning I read an article about vitamin D deficiency. It seems that despite Australians being referred to as ‘bronzed aussies’ and our nation referred to as a ‘sunburnt country’, many Australians are actually deficient in this vitamin.

Many Australians work predominantly indoors and spend much of their leisure time indoors. This limits overall sun exposure.

The awareness of skin cancer and the increasing use of sun screens also mean that our bodies don’t absorb the necessary rays required to create vitamin D from sunlight.

What is Vitamin D?

It is a hormone that helps the body absorb calcium and control calcium levels in the blood. It is also important for preventing depression, muscle growth, organ development and supporting the immune system.

Recent research suggests adults may actually need at least 2,000 IU of vitamin D every day to maintain a healthy level in the body and reap the most benefits.

Most living things can make vitamin D through sunlight exposure.

The human body is able to produce its own vitamin D3 when the skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet (UVB) rays. When UVB rays hit the skin, a chemical reaction happens: The body begins the process of converting a prohormone in the skin into vitamin D3.

It’s estimated that we should get more than 90% of our vitamin D from daily sun exposure.

The amount of vitamin D absorbed from sunlight depends on some variables, including the country and skin pigmentation. Under picture-perfect conditions, the human body is able to produce as much as 10,000 IU to 20,000 IU of D3 in just 30 minutes

Studies have found that between 2 to 15 minutes of sun exposure to your unprotected face, arms, legs or back, three to four times every week is enough for your body to produce all the D3 it needs. Times will vary depending on the time of year and where you live. (Source – ABC Health)

Where do the Mushrooms come in?

Research has found that we can get a small amount of vitamin D from food. Fish and eggs naturally have some vitamin D, while some processed foods have added vitamin D.

Mushrooms also have a small amount of Vitamin D. The form of D vitamin produced in mush­rooms is D2, unlike the D3 found in the few animal foods that naturally contain it.

It used to be thought that D2 was less potent and bioavail­able in the body than D3. A recent study comparing D2 from mushrooms with D3 from supplements, has found that D2 is as effective as D3 in boosting the biologically active form of the vitamin in the body.

It is also possible to boost the levels in mushrooms by putting them in the sun for a while.

Just 15 minutes of direct sun­light can produce 200 to 800 IU in 85 grams of mushrooms regardless of type. At least 90% of the vitamin is retained after storage and with cooking.

To do this your­self, place the mushrooms with the “gills” (or underside) facing the sun to increase D production. The mush­rooms may discolour or dry out a little.

If you like mushrooms, exposing them to UV can help you get more vitamin D, however you have to eat a lot. They will certainly boost your levels and add other nutritional elements to your diet. Most of us probably find it’s easier to take a vitamin D3 supplement.

Till the next post,

Live Clean n Prosper

Inflammation and the Immune system

Todays post is about Inflammation,

Last week I wrote about the Immune System and how when it is compromised, we get sick. Well, this week I am going to expand on that subject.

One of the symptoms of a compromised immune system is Inflammation.

There was an article in todays Body & Soul that focused on this issue. Finally scientists are saying that Inflammation in the body is one of the major causes of illness. Many Naturopaths and practitioners of complimentary medicine have been saying this for years.

Scott and I first heard about Inflammation in the body and its relationship to illness approximately 8 years ago.

Normally Inflammation is a good thing. It’s a sign of the body’s defense system fighting infection or repairing damage. This is all well and good when our immune system is working well. However, as I mentioned last week, many of us have a compromised immune system due to the stressors we put on it.

We often suspend the body’s process of using inflammation to deal with issues. We start to feel the aches and pains and take anti-inflammatories. Therefore the body doesn’t get to complete its healing processes.

The result being that instead of only calling on our inflammatory defences when we are injured or sick, we’re increasingly triggering the response day in, day out. This creates a situation where our body is consistently emitting small quantities of inflammatory compounds. These levels are often too low to create noticeable symptoms.

There have been recent studies linking high levels of inflammation in the body with some major health problems, such as cancers and heart disease.

 So where does the inflammation come from?

Some is produced inside the body. Excess weight is a cause as fat cells excrete inflammatory substances. We also create it by not taking care of ourselves; stress causes the response as well as lack of sleep. If we soldier on with our aches and pains, ignore allergies and if we don’t look after our teeth, our levels of inflammatory chemicals rise.

Another cause is many of the foods that are a large part of the Western diet.

Foods such as sugar, alcohol, high fat meats, fried foods and refined grains cause inflammation.

 How do we reduce our inflammation?

 The good news is diet can also be used to protect us against inflammation. There is scientific evidence to show that there are foods that reduce inflammation in the body. These are green leafy vegetables, onion, garlic, herbs and spices such as ginger, turmeric and pepper. So by reducing our intake of the Pro-inflammatory foods and increasing the Anti-inflammatory foods in our diet, we are taking steps to lower the inflammation in our bodies.

This strategy along with improving our sleep, reducing our stress and getting some exercise, goes a long way to improving our immune system ability to cope.

A stronger immune system is a stronger, healthier body.

 

Till the next post,

 

Live Clean n Prosper