Nutritional health is achieved through the therapeutic use of whole foods, safe culinary preparation, and understanding the metabolic impacts of specific dietary frameworks and ingredients.
Taurine, an amino acid, is used by the body for liver and brain functions. Your body produces taurine from metabolizing vitamin B-6, methionine and cysteine. Doctors may recommend taurine supplements for congestive heart failure, angina, cystic fibrosis and other respiratory and heart conditions.
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Mussels are a shellfish that contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B-12. You can eat mussels raw, steamed, boiled or fried as an appetizer or entrée. No matter how you prepare them, you should always start with fresh mussels.
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Most likely, your headache isn't caused by a withdrawal from carbohydrates, but rather a withdrawal from a specific type of carbohydrate -- sugar. When you eat a high-sugar diet, your body quickly becomes adjusted to a ready supply of glucose, your body's preferred source of energy.
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Hyperthyroidism is a condition characterized by an overproduction or excessive presence of two key thyroid gland hormones called triiodothyronine, or T3, and thyroxine, or T4. Caffeine consumption will not trigger the onset of hyperthyroidism.
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Raisins are a popular snack in the United States, with over 317,000 tons produced in 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After studies touted the health benefits of the resveratrol found in red grapes, there was hope that dried raisins would also contain levels of this beneficial antioxidant.
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During a thyroidectomy, or surgical removal of part or all of the thyroid gland, damage to the parathyroid glands, located on the thyroid, can occur. Your calcium levels can drop below normal as a result of the surgery because the parathyroids regulate calcium levels in your blood.
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Kefir is similar to yogurt, but it has a thinner consistency and contains yeast in addition to the beneficial probiotics found in yogurt. Plain kefir has a tart flavor, but the food also comes in fruit and vegetable flavors.
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Iron is one of the essential nutrients the body needs to function normally. The body uses iron to transport oxygen throughout the body, including to tissues and muscles, and to maintain cell growth and behavior. Iron deficiency deprives the cells in your body of oxygen, which can cause iron deficiency anemia.
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In an effort to help parents feed their children healthy and nutritiously balanced meals, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created the “MyPlate” nutrition icon. The icon divides a typical dinner plate into four sections for grains, proteins, vegetables and fruits.
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Sperm, which holds the male DNA, must be able to move back and forth and propel itself to penetrate the female egg. Fertile males have healthy sperm that swim well, but males with impaired fertility may have a lower sperm count, or sperm that do not swim as well.
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Oxycodone is a type of prescription pain reliever that belongs to the narcotic group of analgesics. Like other types of pain medication, oxycodone can cause stomach irritation and nausea in some individuals.
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Bradycardia is a medical term derived from Greek and means “slow heart.” In adults, bradycardia is a diagnosis given when resting heart rate falls below 60 beats per minute and causes symptoms. For infants, bradycardia is defined as a heart rate less than 100 beats per minute with symptoms.
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If your infant has not passed a bowel movement in several days or if she is passing dry and hard stools, it is likely that she is constipated. It is more difficult to treat constipation in infants, particularly very young infants, because they cannot eat many of the foods that help ease this uncomfortable condition.
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Calcium is an essential mineral. Your body needs calcium to build and maintain strong bones and teeth, as well as for cell signaling, heart and muscle function, nerve transmission and hormone secretion. However, calcium can interact with certain medications, so speak with your doctor before taking calcium supplements.
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Building muscle is hard work -- even building your gluteal muscles. It takes consistent, well-planned training, as well as a balanced diet designed to fuel muscle growth. Vitamins are an important part of muscle-building, but vitamins alone will not help you reach your goal.
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Cane sugar and fructose are both simple carbohydrates that provide 4 calories per gram. Although cane sugar, or sucrose, differs slightly from fructose in terms of molecular structure, both are sugars that add calories without improving the nutritional composition of the food.
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Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used as a substitute for real sugar in many processed foods and beverages, especially soft drinks. Despite its widespread use in the food industry, aspartame has been the subject of intense controversy surrounding its safety.
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Large corporations spend billions of dollars each year to promote the value of junk food. Loaded with sugars, starches, saturated fats and calories, junk food may make you feel full -- even nourished and satisfied -- but it doesn't deliver the nutrition your body and brain need to perform their functions.
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Cranberries have been used for hundreds of years as both a food and a medicine, particularly for the help they offer in urinary-tract infection prevention. While pregnant women are at higher risk for UTIs, it may not be advisable to take cranberry in pill form during pregnancy.
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There is evidence that links protein supplementation with decreased renal, or kidney, function. The results of a research study reported by the "Harvard Gazette" looked at the effects of high-protein diets on renal function in women.
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