Tag: immune system

A bit about Dragon fruit.

Todays post is about Dragon Fruit.

A friend of mine has given me a cutting of a dragon fruit plant and we are looking forward to growing our own. I will share what I know and also what I have researched about this strange looking fruit.

So, what is Dragon Fruit?

Dragon fruit is the fruit of several types of cactus that are indigenous to South America. It is cultivated throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world including Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Florida in the United States and Australia.

The English name “dragon fruit” has its origin from around 1963, due to the leather-like skin and prominent scaly spikes on the outside of the fruit. Theses fruits are also known as pitaya, strawberry pear, cactus fruit, Kaktus madu, night-blooming cereus and Belle of the night.

There are 3 different types of dragon fruit all with slightly leafy looking, leathery skin.

Pitaya blanca or white-fleshed fruit has pink skin with white flesh. This is the variety most commonly seen.

Pitaya roja or red-fleshed fruit has red skin with red flesh.

Pitaya amarilla or yellow fruit has yellow skin with white flesh.

The fruit normally weighs from 150 to 600 grams; some may reach up to 1 kilogram. It is usually juicy with a slightly sweet taste that some people describe as a cross between a kiwi, a pear, and a watermelon. The texture closely resembles kiwi fruit and the seeds have a nutty flavour.

Is it a healthy fruit?

Dragon fruit has many potential health benefits. It is low in calories but rich in vitamin C, minerals, fibre and contains several types of potent antioxidants.

The antioxidants Beta-carotene and lycopene are the plant pigments that give the fruit its vibrant colour. These natural substances protect the cells from damage by free radicals that can lead to diseases like cancer and premature ageing.

Dragon fruit is one of the few fresh fruits that contain iron. Iron is important for moving oxygen through the body and breaking down food into energy. And the vitamin C in dragon fruit helps the body take in and use the iron.

The fruit contains it’s own specific type of prebiotic called dragon fruit oligosaccharide (DFO). 

A recent study suggested that DFO changed the composition of the gut micro biota by increasing the beneficial bacteria. The DFO also had the ability to stimulate immune-related genes. These and other helpful bacteria can kill disease-causing viruses and bacteria. They also help digest food and strengthen the immune system.

Dragon fruit is also a great source of magnesium, a nutrient needed for over 600 biochemical reactions in the body.

It’s naturally fat-free and high in fibre. 

This surprisingly healthy fruit can be eaten on it’s own or added to salads, smoothies and yogurt. We are looking forward to being able to eat our own homegrown dragon fruit in the future.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosper.

Sources – ( Healthline – WebMD – Science Direct )

A condition called ‘Leisure Sickness’.

Today’s post is about a condition call ‘leisure sickness’.

I was chatting with a colleague this week about how often she gets ill when she finally gets some time off. This has also happened with myself and, I am sure, many of you. Some health experts refer to this condition as leisure sickness.

Are we imagining this?

A study was done in 2001 by Dutch researcher Professor Vingerhoets, of a condition that he termed ’leisure sickness’. This is a condition where people develop symptoms of sickness as soon as they take a break from work.

This study of almost 2,000 Dutch people found approximately 3% of them reported getting colds and flu or having headaches, fatigue or nausea when they took a break from work.

Why does it happen?

It could be linked to the way we manage our work stress and approach our work/life balance. Some of the study participants acknowledged they were struggling to manage their stress in the build up to their break.

The study data highlighted workload in conjunction with personal characteristics. In particular a high need for achievement along with a high sense of responsibility with respect to work and the inability to adjust to not being busy.

One of Prof Vingerhoets’ theories is that acute stress may hold off illness. And when we relax on holiday our resistance to disease is lowered and we can get sick.

Another theory is that actual physiological processes linked to stress play a key role in the development of these health problems.

People who work a lot develop higher levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Not only during working hours, but also during rest periods when they don’t need it. This creates a hormonal imbalance, which in turn can result in a weakened immune system leaving the body vulnerable to infection.

Avoiding leisure sickness

There are several suggestions on how to avoid leisure sickness.

You can decrease your stress before you go away. Don’t try to finalise everything a couple of days before your break. Prioritise what you need to complete before you go allowing a realistic time frame.

A University of Sydney Professor, Thomas Buckley, studied the link between work stress and health. He found that people who try to get everything done before they leave might also mean they neglect their usual healthy routine. 

He recommends people try and maintain any exercise and eating patterns before a holiday. Continuing these patterns in the first days of the holiday will also help your body transition from rushed to relaxed and promote better immune function.

If you can, organise a calm start to your journey. Book a preferred seat in advance and check in online. Arrange transport to the airport or station so you arrive in plenty of time.

Maintain hygiene when travelling, as coming into contact with a large number of people in a confined space can increase your risk of getting ill. Washing your hands frequently as you travel will help reduce exposure to bacteria.

If possible, choose a window seat when flying. When US researchers looked at how many people passengers encountered on a flight, those in an aisle seat had close contact with 64 people while those in the window only had contact with 12 people.

You could also consider planning some activities for your holiday to provide a sense of achievement and accomplishment.

Is it time for a change?

Leisure sickness can be “a clear signal from your body that you need to go somewhat easier on your work, and strive for more balance in your life,” says Prof Vingerhoets.

But if you can’t change your job (or your attitude), Vingerhoets suggests some exercise on a Friday evening, which can help with the transition from work to weekend leisure.

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n prosper.

Sources – PubMed.gov ,HCF, Web MD, University of Melbourne

A bit about Histamines

Todays post is about histamine or histamines.

You’ve most likely heard of antihistamines. They’re medicines that tame the symptoms of an allergic reaction. But what are histamines?

Histamine is a biologically active substance found in a variety of living organisms. It is found throughout the animal kingdom and is present in many plants, bacteria and in insect venom.

Histamines are actually chemicals made by the body’s immune system. They serve as neurotransmitters, carrying chemical messages between nerve cells. Therefore they are also part of the body’s defence system. They assist the body to eliminate something that’s irritating it, such as an allergy trigger, or “allergen.”

Histamines start the process that hustles those allergens out of your body or off your skin. Once your immune system identifies the allergens as a threat, it responds. Such as sending histamines which cause you to sneeze, tear up, or itch.

How does this happen?

First, it sends a chemical signal to “mast cells” located in the skin, lungs, nose, mouth, gut, and blood. The message is, “Release histamines,” which are stored in the mast cells.

Once they leave the mast cells, histamines boost blood flow in the area of the body affected by the allergen. This causes inflammation, which allows white blood cells and blood plasma proteins, to leak from the bloodstream to the site of injury or infection. Once there they begin to fight the infection.

In an allergic reaction, the immune system gets caught in a viscous cycle. Immune system proteins called antibodies, which are bound to mast cells, bind to the antigens to remove them. In the process, the mast cells are stimulated to release more histamine. The result is histamine in excessive amounts creating the visible symptoms of a localised allergic reaction. These include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, watery or itchy eyes and hives.

Contact reactions

Allergic contact dermatitis, or hives, is a common skin condition that causes an itchy and weeping rash. The rash is usually localised to the area in contact with the allergen. It lasts as long as contact continues and typically one to two weeks afterwards. Even if the contact was very short, a rash can actually develop two or more days after contact.

Nickel metal is the most common cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Other causes include plants, chemicals, creams and ointments.

Foods and Histamines

If you have a food allergy, histamines are in on that response process, too. When you accidentally eat or drink something you shouldn’t, they’ll work in your gut to trigger your allergic reaction.

The most common foods known to cause a reaction are – nuts, shellfish, food additives, eggs, strawberries, and wheat products

Some foods are also naturally high in histamines. These include aged and fermented foods and alcohol (especially red wine). 

(Sources –https://www.webmd.com,https://www.allergy.org.au,  https://www.britannica.com)

On a personal note

I recently suffered from a contact allergic reaction on my arm. I am still not exactly sure of the cause, though possibly plant or insect. The result was an incredibly itchy patch of hives, which persisted for 10 days. Alternating between liberal applications of Rosemary oil and Calamine lotion helped immensely.

Till the next post,

Live clean n prosperAs a