Antidepressants Blog

Infantile scurvy is seen in children artificially fed without a Vitamin Ñ supplement.

There are groups who believe that large doses of Vitamin Ñ are beneficial to health and indeed can treat or prevent a large number of illnesses.

Orthodox medical and nutritional experts do not accept this.

If you eat a proper diet, it is not likely that you’ll suffer from a Vitamin Ñ deficiency.

However, it is worth noting that certain foods such as potatoes, which are rich in Vitamin C, also contain an enzyme, ascorbic acid oxidase.

When vegetables are heated slowly, the enzyme becomes active and destroys the ascorbic acid. But if the vegetables are rapidly blanched by immersing in boiling water, then the enzyme does not render the Vitamin Ñ inactive.

The  group vitamins have been claimed to be of use in nervous disorders and as a good pick-me-up for debility, nervous exhaustion and that run-down feeling.

Vitamin Bl, or thiamine, is found in cereals, meat and eggs. A lack of thiamine produces the disease known as beri-beri, a condition seen in World War 2 in prisoners of war fed on a diet of white rice and little else.

Now in our society, the same disease, which affects the heart and the peripheral nerves, is seen mainly in those addicted to alcohol.

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Fainting usually occurs in the standing or sitting position. It is rare when a person is lying down.

Fainting is a common occurrence at restaurants, especially if they are hot and stuffy.

A few alcoholic drinks cause dilatation of the skin and a diversion of blood to the gut. Suddenly decompensation takes place and there is an inadequate blood flow back to the heart, and the person may faint.

However, sometimes the fainting episode is due to some pathological cause. That is, there is some underlying disease process.

Sudden loss of blood, such as may occur from a severed artery in an accident or from a miscarriage, or even with a heavy period or a severe nosebleed may lead to fainting.

Bleeding may occur from a duodenal ulcer and the rapid loss of one or two pints of blood may lead to fainting.

If the blood is not vomited (haematemesis) the cause may not be obvious.

However, the blood may pass through the gut and the motion then passed is black and tarry (melaena).

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The risk from oestrogens becomes greater the longer the drug is used and the bigger the dose. We are hesitant to use them beyond six months.

Oestrogens used regularly for longer than this may increase the risk of uterine cancer some five or more times.

The newer method of using oestrogens in the post-menopausal woman is to give it in a cyclical fashion — three weeks on and one week off. Progesterone, the other female hormone, is given during this week off oestrogen.

This routine will usually cause some bleeding. This method, by clearing away the whole lining of the womb each month, greatly lowers the risk of cancer.

The Pap smear is not a reliable test for cancer of the body of the uterus but, if women have one taken, it gives the doctor an opportunity to question them on the presence of symptoms such as bleeding or discharge and to examine the womb. Any suggestive symptoms or findings may lead to a curette or washing out of the lining of the womb to detect cancer cells.

Regular screening for breast and cervical cancer is possible without the need to set up special clinics.

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In Phase II studies, the aim is to find out what human cancers, if any, are sensitive to the new treatment. Although these tests are not usually as unpleasant and dangerous, again only patients who have already had all known effective anti-cancer treatments are asked to take part. Here, because researchers are now mainly trying to find out about effects against cancer, they concentrate on measuring size of cancer growths. If some patients’ growths do get smaller, further testing is carried out on their particular types of cancer in Phase III studies (see below). If none of the first fourteen patients with a certain type of cancer show any reduction in their tumours, the treatment is not usually tested any further. This is because it is most unlikely that the treatment will be effective in a worthwhile proportion of patients with that type of cancer. Again, if your main reason for agreeing to be a research subject is the hope that it will benefit you personally, you are likely to be disappointed.

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Naturally occurring sugars are those found in foods like fruit, vegetables and milk. Refined sugars are concentrated sources of sugar such as table sugar, honey or molasses. The rate of digestion and absorption of naturally occurring sugars is not different, on average, from that of refined sugars. There is wide variation within both food groups, depending on the food. The G.I. factor of fruits varies from 22 for cherries to 72 for watermelon. Similarly, among the foods containing refined sugars, some have a low G.I. factor and some a high one. The G.I. factor of sweetened yoghurt is only 33, while a Mars Bar™ has a G.I. factor of 65 (almost the same as bread).

Some nutritionists argue that naturally occurring sugars are better because they contain minerals and vitamins not found in refined sugar. However, new studies which have analysed high sugar and low sugar diets have dearly shown that they contain similar amounts of micronutrients. People who eat lots of refined sugars, tend to eat lots of food. Hence they eat more vitamins and minerals too.

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1. Physical activity should be seen as an integral part of any prescription for fat loss except where this may be contra-indicated or is difficult because of injury or other problems.

2. Physical activity should be seen as vital to the long term maintenance of fat loss.

3. The primary recommended form of physical activity for fat loss and long term maintenance of fat loss is long, low to medium intensity, gentle continuous aerobic exercise.

4. The appropriate level of intensity of physical activity for fat loss with optimal safety in someone who is fat and unfit is 40-60 per cent VO2 max.

5. Intensity of physical activity may increase with increasing fat loss and fitness, although this should be prescribed by a relevant medical or exercise specialist.

6. Physical activity prescription in the initial stages of a program is perhaps best based on distance covered in the case of walking, cycling, swimming, etc. With increasing fitness, heart rate and then perceived rate of exertion (PRE) can be used to determine the intensity of physical activity.

7. The frequency with which ‘planned’ activity needs to be carried out for significant fat loss is daily, or at least 6 days a week

8. Duration of planned physical activity will affect total calorie use as well as substrate utilisation and therefore no upper limit on duration at low intensity needs to be imposed. Upper limits would be determined by the level of comfort of the individual, as well as limiting medical and physical factors.

9. Non-weight-bearing activities such as cycling, swimming or rowing should be given less support in fat loss programs, except where patients may need this initially for comfort or motivation.

10. Anaerobic activity should never be prescribed for fat loss, particularly in cases where fitness levels and medical contraindications are unknown.

11. Variety in physical activity routines is recommended to maintain motivation and ensure a slower rate of energy adaptation to a single exercise form.

12. It may be necessary to allow time for physical adaptations to introduced forms of physical activity, such as sore knees, provided these problems do not get worse. Referral to appropriate professionals is necessary if problems persist.

13. Where planned physical activity is not possible as part of a fat loss prescription, more attention needs to be given to the control of amount and type of energy input.

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All this suggests that the area of weight control is going through a major paradigm shift. The older, simplistic notions of ‘change in weight = energy in (food) – energy out (exercise)’, are no longer applicable. On the food side of the equation, there has been a shift away from total energy, or total calories, as being solely important, to a greater emphasis on the importance of dietary fat. Energy balance has thus become ‘fat balance’ and ‘dieting’ has given way to food planning and lifestyle eating patterns. Similarly, the role of vigorous, organised exercise has given way to a greater emphasis on fat use through longer duration, lower intensity activity, along with an increase in the type of ‘incidental movement’ that can be added to daily life.

The environment, biology and behaviour are also vital in any assessment of causes, and whilst these are mediated through the energy balance equation, no detailed discussion of fat loss management can be considered without them. Finally, more account needs to be taken of the body’s physiological adjustment mechanisms. Static equations relating to energy intake and energy expenditure which do not consider the dynamic adjustment of the body to changes in body composition and energy balance are no longer realistic. A more appropriate paradigm would attempt to take account of these adjustments. Hence, the old ‘physics’ style weight control paradigm is slowly giving way to a new, more personalised ‘ecological’ approach. After examining the health and physiological effects of fat and how it is measured, we spell out such a paradigm for use in the practical situation. The remainder of the book is then centred around explaining the components of this paradigm and their implications for dealing with overfatness and obesity.

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Ilja Metchnikoff, the famous Russian bacteriologist, revolutionized medical thinking on aging when he published his famous book How to Prolong Life. He advanced the theory that the secret of youth lies in the large intestine. He believed, and proved by experiments (as well as by long-living Bulgarians), that autotoxemia (self-poisoning) through putrefaction of metabolic wastes in the large intestine is the main cause of premature aging. He was convinced that if we could prevent the development of toxins in the colon, we I could double the normal life span. Dr. Metchnikoff recommended the use of soured milk products, such as yogurt, kefir, acidophilus milk, etc., as a means of preventing putrefaction in the colon and j bringing about the prolongation of life.

Bulgarians seem to be a living proof of Dr. Metchnikoff’s theories. They live longer than most other people on earth and they also have comparatively more centenarians than any other country. It is well known that Bulgarians consume more soured milk in form of yogurt and kefir than any other nation.

There is extensive literature to support yogurt as a youthifying food. In order to prevent intestinal putrefaction and the consequent autointoxication, it is important to support and feed the friendly , intestinal flora. This is best done with soured milk products and whey which contain lactose, the natural food for these bacteria.

Swedish Dr. E. M. Hoppe has made a very thorough study of Bulgarian centenarians and their living and eating habits. He made a detailed questioning of 158 Bulgarians of 100 years or older, and arrived at the following conclusions:

Most of them were predominantly lacto-vegetarians: their diet consisted mainly of locally grown and stone ground whole grains, always freshly ground; fresh vegetables and fruits from their own gardens; and milk and milk products, predominantly from sheep milk. Only 5 of the 158 ate meat regularly.

All of them ate yogurt, made mostly from sheep milk, regularly.

Almost all of them were bee-keepers and used lots of honey in their diet.

Almost all of them ate sunflower seeds regularly.

They all ate fermented foods, especially sauerkraut.

All have worked hard most of their lives, mostly on farms. Only 13 of the 158 lived most of their lives in cities.

110 of the 158 were extremely poor and could not afford to overeat.

They were friendly, contented and had no great ambitions. They lived “without a clock,” following nature’s rhythm in sleeping, eating and working.

Here you have in a nutshell the Bulgarian secret of long, healthy life! No fancy secrets, tricky diets or drugs—just simple common-sense natural foods and wholesome, stress-free country life. But don’t be deceived by its apparent simplicity: all the factors involved—a lacto-vegetarian diet of fresh vegetables and fruits, milk, yogurt, honey, sunflower seeds, fermented foods, and moderate eating—are scientifically proven as the most potent factors in preventing premature aging and prolonging life!

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