Insufficient iron, vitamin levels can lead to anemia

They are extremely small and most of us probably never give them any thought.

Millions of red blood cells circulate through our bodies carrying oxygen to all our tissues and taking away the carbon dioxide. When we don't have enough healthy red blood cells, we can feel lightheaded or weak and tired, even with adequate rest. This condition is known as anemia. Anemia has three main causes:

- Loss of blood or chronic bleeding.

-Faulty production of red blood cells caused by vitamin and mineral deficiencies or other conditions such as sickle cell disease.

-Red blood cells can be destroyed by toxins, drugs, infections or the body's own immune system.

Chronic bleeding can occur in the gastrointestinal tract as a result of stomach ulcers or conditions such as diverticulitis and hemorrhoids. Women of childbearing age are prone to anemia due to monthly blood loss with menstrual periods. Some anti-inflammatory medications used for arthritis can also irritate the stomach and cause bleeding.

The bone marrow is the factory that produces red blood cells. In order for the body to build healthy red blood cells, it must have enough of the mineral iron and the vitamins B12 and folic acid. Iron is found in beef, turkey, chicken, fish and shellfish. Many foods have iron added to them in processing, such as breakfast cereals, oatmeal, breads and crackers. Good plant sources of iron are beans, peas, lentils, soybeans, spinach and raisins.

Iron from foods is best absorbed when a good source of vitamin C accompanies the meal. In other words, drinking a small glass of vitamin C-fortified juice or eating a bowl of strawberries with your meat or beans will help the body use the iron. Drinking too much tea can block the absorption of iron.

Vitamin B12 is found only in animal foods such as eggs, milk, cheese and meat. When the stomach or intestines have been damaged or sections removed by surgery, vitamin B12 may not be absorbed from the food adequately. Injections of B12 may be required on a regular basis to correct the anemia.

Folic acid is found is oranges, green leafy vegetables and fortified whole grain cereal products.

Your doctor can take a series of blood tests to determine if you have anemia. A balanced diet with a variety of protein sources and lots of fruits and vegetables will help give you more energy.


This article is a reprint of
http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20091110/COL0803/911100332/1292/health/Insufficient-iron--vitamin-levels-can-lead-to-anemia
The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News Nov.9, 2009

People on Immunosuppressive Therapies May Be More At Risk for Skin Cancer

Researchers have found patients undergoing treatments that require immunosuppressive drugs may be more susceptible to non-melanoma skin cancers, requiring greater care with their skin treatments.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients who are being treated with immunosuppressive medications may be at increased risk for non-melanoma skin cancer, a new U.S. study says. Researchers analyzed data on 26,403 Crohn's disease patients and 26,974 patients with ulcerative colitis in order to evaluate how the use of immunosuppressive and biologic medications to treat IBD affected non-melanoma skin cancer risk.

The study found that the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer was higher in IBD patients than in a control group. Recent use (within 90 days) of any immunosuppressive medication was associated with greater risk of non-melanoma skin cancer (adjusted odds ratio 3.28), as was recent use of the thiopurine class of immunosuppressive medications (adjusted odds ratio 3.56) and recent use of biologic medications in Crohn's disease patients (adjusted odds ratio 2.07).

Persistent use of any immunosuppressive medication, which was considered use for more than one year, was strongly associated with non-melanoma skin cancer (adjusted odds ratio 4.04), the study authors noted. The association was even stronger with persistent use of thiopurine medications (adjusted odds ratio 4.27). In Crohn's disease, persistent use of biologic medications was also associated with a raised risk (adjusted odds ratio 2.18).

"The increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer in patients with IBD is likely related to the immunosuppressive medications used to treat the disease, although we can't rule out changes to the immune system itself as a result of IBD as contributing to this risk," said study leader Dr. Millie Long, of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Probiotics

Probiotics -- whether they are dietary supplements or foods that contain live, non-disease-causing bacteria normally found in the body -- have been shown to provide numerous benefits to your overall health. There is currently great enthusiasm for foods and supplements such as Bacteral that contain probiotics, and this enthusiasm is evidenced by the amount of commercials on television promoting such products. If you’re not familiar with probiotics, keep reading to find out some of the specific benefits you can gain from introducing probiotics into your diet.

Eating bacteria is good for you?

While it may sound absolutely ludicrous to purposely ingest billions of bacteria to improve your health that is exactly what researchers are recommending. Studies have been going on since the mid-1990s on this very subject.
There are about 100 trillion microorganisms that represent more than 500 different species that are in each and every healthy bowel. They are there because they help keep harmful pathogens at bay, making it difficult for them to do you harm. Let’s take a closer look at what probiotics can actually do.

Digestive Health

Numerous clinical studies have shown that probiotics can treat multiple gastrointestinal ailments such as IBS and lactose intolerance, as well as improve proper digestion and nutrient absorption. Probiotics are often used to help treat diarrhea.

Crohn’s Disease

Other studies have shown that probiotics may be beneficial in helping people with Crohn’s disease. Clinical trial results are mixed, but several small studies suggest that certain probiotics may help maintain remission of ulcerative colitis and prevent relapse of Crohn’s disease and the recurrence of pouchitis (a complication of surgery to treat ulcerative colitis). Because these disorders are so frustrating to treat, many people are giving probiotics a try. More research is needed to find out which strains work best for what conditions.

Urogenital Health

Probiotics are also beneficial in maintaining urogenital health. This is due to the fact that the vagina is like the intestinal tract, a finely balanced ecosystem. The dominant Lactobacilli strains normally make it too acidic for harmful microorganisms to survive. But the system can be thrown out of balance by a number of factors, including antibiotics, spermicides, and birth control pills. Probiotic treatment that restores the balance of microflora may be helpful for such common female urogenital problems as bacterial vaginosis, yeast infection, and urinary tract infection. Both Oral and vaginal administration of Lactobacilli may help in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis, although there isn’t enough evidence yet to recommend it over conventional approaches.

Other Conditions

Research is still being done on the health benefits of probiotics, but early studies show that probiotics may be helpful in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, preventing colon cancer, improving immune function, improving mineral absorption and reducing inflammation. There’s indication that probiotics may even aid in weight loss. With the popularity of probiotics on the rise, it’s likely that research on these benefits will ramp up.

Are probiotics safe?

The best part of probiotic therapy is that it is generally considered safe due to the fact that they are already in the digestive system. This also means that probiotics are typically free of side effects, except for people that have an impaired immune function. This is why it is important that if you are going to “self medicate” to address any of the above conditions with probiotics, you talk with your doctor or healthcare provider so that he or she is aware of what you are doing.

This article is a reprint of
http://www.alternativehealthjournal.com/article/probiotics_what_they_are_and_why_you_need_them_part_2/2532 The time or date displayed reflects when an article was added to Google News Oct. 28