Tag: milk

Tryptophan

Today’s post is about Tryptophan.

In our last post about Depression, Scott mentioned that the nutrients we need for good mental health include vitamin B6, tryptophan, zinc, iron and folate. So, today we are going to focus on tryptophan.

So, what is it?

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning that it cannot be produced in the body and so must come from food.

It plays a fundamental role in human nutrition and health and is required for normal growth. The body uses it to create several bioactive compounds including vitamin B6, serotonin and melatonin. It is required for the production and maintenance of the body’s proteins, muscles, enzymes, and neurotransmitters. The liver can also use tryptophan to produce niacin (vitamin B3), which is needed for energy metabolism and DNA production.

Its role in animal and human health can therefore impact on many diseases and conditions.

What is the connection to mental health?

Being one of the main building blocks for serotonin it is quite important to have a plentiful supply. It is a natural sedative and is one reason that you feel sleepy after a big meal of protein like turkey at Christmas. Research has also shown that if you have a low-tryptophan diet, brain serotonin levels drop.

Tryptophan can potentially be used by the body for a lot of different things but most of them lead back to serotonin, so lets have a look.

Because tryptophan helps make serotonin, which is responsible for things like arousal, perception, pain and mood, anything in those areas can be altered by tryptophan. For example, if you are trying to give up smoking, taking tryptophan supplements may help to reduce the cravings by changing your perception. In addition, low amounts of tryptophan in the body may contribute to depression and sleep disorders.

Serotonin also mixes with something called Sam-e to make melatonin that is a big player in the sleep wake cycle. Theoretically it can even be used to help with ADHD as low serotonin can show as poor impulse control.

Can diet make a difference ?

Tryptophan is commonly found in foods that contain protein. Although meat is often a key source of protein for many people, there are also many vegetarian and vegan sources as well as a supplement in powder form.

Interestingly if you suffer from fructose mal-absorption then this can reduce the levels of tryptophan that is available for use.

The following foods are good sources of tryptophan:

Salmon, Poultry, Eggs, Spinach, Seeds (such as pumpkin, sesame & sunflower), Milk, Nuts and Soy products.

So ensuring that your diet contains a variety of these foods can assist in maintaining your body’s levels of this essential amino acid.

 

It is easy to see that within the human body one little thing leads to another and then another. The body is a tangled web of neurotransmitters, enzymes, proteins and things that all interact with each other.

Tryptophan can react with a large number of other substances including herbal remedies so as always consult a professional before taking. Side effects can include tiredness, heartburn, GIT upset and headaches.

Till the next post,

 

Live clean n Prosper

A look at Lactose Intolerance

Todays post is about lactose intolerance. This has been a recent topic of discussion amongst my work colleagues. I decided to do a bit or research and, as usual, share my findings.

First, what is lactose?

Lactose is the main carbohydrate component of mammalian milk. It is a disaccharide consisting of glucose and galactose. Lactose is also found in breast milk, and almost everyone is born with the ability to digest it. Human milk actually contains about 70 grams per L (7%) of lactose. In comparison, cows milk only contains about 46 grams per L (4.6%).

What is lactose intolerance?

This condition, which is also called lactose malabsorption, is usually harmless, but its symptoms can be uncomfortable. In some cases, it has been confused with cow’s milk allergy. However cow’s milk allergy usually has additional external symptoms such as hives and swelling of the lips and tongue.

Lactose intolerance is caused by a lack of a certain enzyme produced in the small intestine. This enzyme is called ‘lactase’. The body uses it to break lactose down into glucose and galactose, which can then be absorbed into the bloodstream and used for energy.

It is possible to have low levels of lactase and still be able to digest milk products. But if the levels are too low, this will result in an inability to digest the lactose. The lactose in your food moves into the colon instead of being processed and absorbed in the gut. In the colon, normal bacteria interact with undigested lactose. This creates symptoms such as abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, gas and bloating after eating or drinking dairy products.

There are two main types of lactose intolerance, which have different causes.

The most common is primary lactose intolerance. It is caused by a decrease in lactase production with age, so that lactose becomes poorly absorbed. This form of lactose intolerance may be partially caused by genes, because it’s more common in some populations than others.

The other type, secondary lactose intolerance, is rare. It is usually caused by illness, such as a stomach bug or a more serious issue like celiac disease. This is because inflammation in the gut wall can lead to a temporary decline in the body’s lactase production.

How is it diagnosed?

A doctor can confirm a diagnosis of lactose intolerance by conducting several tests. The most common are a Hydrogen breath test and a Lactose tolerance test.

The Hydrogen breath test: after drinking a liquid that contains high levels of lactose, the doctor measures the amount of hydrogen in the person’s breath at regular intervals. Breathing out too much hydrogen indicates that the lactose isn’t being fully digesting or absorbed.

The Lactose tolerance test: blood samples are taken 2 hours after drinking a liquid that contains high levels of lactose. Tests are then conducted to measure the amount of glucose in the blood. If the glucose level doesn’t rise, it means the lactose isn’t being properly digested and absorbed.

Is dairy totally off limits?

All dairy foods contain lactose, but this doesn’t mean they are totally off limits for people with lactose intolerance. Most people with lactose intolerance can tolerate small amounts of lactose. For example, some people can tolerate the small amount of milk in tea but not the amount you would get from a bowl of cereal.

Dairy products like butter, yogurt and some cheeses, as well as low fat and skim milk are often tolerated better than whole milk. Most people with lactose intolerance can manage the condition without having to give up all dairy foods.

It is also possible to buy enzymes to help digest lactose. There are lactase enzyme supplements tablets available or drops that can be added to foods and drinks.

As with all supplements, the effectiveness of these products can to vary from person to person.

If you think you may be suffering from this condition, as always, seek advice from a health professional.

I hope you found this information helpful.

 Till the next post,

 Live clean n Prosper.

(Sources – Mayo Clinic, Karger – Annuls of Nutrition and Metabolism, US National Library of Medicine, Healthline )

Orange and Coconut Cake

Today I’m sharing an Orange and Coconut Cake recipe.

We have so many oranges that we have harvested from our tree, I decided to use some in a cake.

After all, they are very healthy as researched for my last post. This is another way to make use of this lovely fruit.

I have a recipe for a Coconut and Raspberry Loaf that is really delicious, so I thought that it would easily be adapted to use oranges instead. This recipe is also gluten free with the use of Coconut flour.

The result is really yummy. I really like how the zest gives the cake a lovely colour.

 Orange and Coconut Cake

Ingredients

1 cup coconut flour

½ cup desiccated coconut

1 tsp baking powder or bicarbonate of soda

Zest of 1 orange – finely grated and chopped

4 eggs

1 cup buttermilk (or ¾ cup plain yoghurt & ¼ cup milk)

½ cup honey (or other liquid sweetener) I used rice malt syrup

60g butter – melted

2 tsp vanilla extract

1½ cups chopped orange flesh

 Method

* Preheat oven to 170

* Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper

* Combine coconut flour, desiccated coconut, baking powder and orange zest in a mixing bowl.

* In another bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, butter, honey and vanilla. When well combined, pour the mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix well.

* Fold in the chopped orange flesh.

* Pour the mix into the loaf tin and smooth the top.

Bake for approximately 1 hour or until cooked. Test with a skewer.

Let the cake cool for at least 10 minutes before removing it from the tin onto a rack to cool.

I hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do.

 Till the next post,

 Live clean n prosper.