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.
Gynecomastia is the abnormally large growth of breast tissue in boys and adult men. Most often gynecomastia is associated with an imbalance between the hormones testosterone and estrogen. Soy contains a variety of chemicals, including phytoestrogens, or “plant estrogens.
Read more →
Creatine is a performance-enhancing amino acid that has been used by professional and student athletes. About 95 percent of your body’s creatine is found in your skeletal muscles, MayoClinic.com notes.
Read more →
Every organ in your body requires magnesium to function. Magnesium keeps teeth and bones strong, activates enzymes and regulates the levels of other minerals. Coumadin, or warfarin, is a medication used to prevent blood clots and other cardiovascular conditions.
Read more →
Sodium bicarbonate is an antacid used to alleviate heartburn, stomach upset and acid indigestion. The use of other medications and the presence of other medical conditions like heart disease and hypertension should be considered before sodium bicarbonate use to avoid possible adverse effects, MayoClinic.com notes.
Read more →
Without iron your body is unable to produce red blood cells, which are the cells responsible with supplying your organs with oxygen. As an essential mineral, iron is typically obtained from your diet.
Read more →
Bupropion is a type of medication used to treat depression and help people stop smoking, MayoClinic.com says. Always use bupropion as directed by your doctor and never take more than your prescribed dose to avoid adverse effects.
Read more →
Carotenoids are highly pigmented compounds found in a variety of foods. Beta carotene is a carotenoid that is considered a provitamin because within your body beta carotene is converted into vitamin A, the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements reports.
Read more →
Type 2 diabetics are typically given metformin to help manage their blood sugar levels. Metformin is typically taken with a meal unless your doctor instructs you otherwise. Adverse effects include muscle pain, numbness of your extremities, difficulty breathing and stomach upset.
Read more →
Hyponatremia is a condition characterized by abnormally low levels of sodium. Sodium helps regulate the amount of water inside and around your cells. When your sodium levels become too low this causes the water levels in your body to increase and your cells to swell, MayoClinic.com explains.
Read more →
Creatine is an amino acid that is produced by your body, and it is also found in dietary sources such as meat and fish, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Your body converts creatine into creatine phosphate or phosphocreatine and stores it in your muscles.
Read more →
Part of the secret to strong bones is to have enough vitamin D in your blood. Ergocalciferol, or vitamin D-2, and cholecalciferol, or vitamin D-3, are two types of vitamin D that are essential to humans, the University of Maryland Medical Center explains.
Read more →
Carnitine is a nutrient that your body uses to turn fat into energy, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes. Your liver and kidneys produce carnitine and your body stores it in your skeletal muscles and heart. L-carnitine is a kind of carnitine supplement that is generally considered safe.
Read more →
Magnesium is essential for maintaining normal muscle and nerve function. About half of the magnesium in your body is in your bones, the Office of Dietary Supplements explains. Magnesium helps regulate your blood sugar levels and facilitates normal blood pressure.
Read more →
The cranberry plant is indigenous to North America and grows from Alaska to Tennessee as small, evergreen shrubs, Drugs.com explains. Cranberry juice contains nutrients and substances such as phytochemicals, vitamin C, potassium and fiber that are beneficial to your overall health.
Read more →
Eating chocolate causes most people to feel great, "Psychology Today" notes. This is because chocolate contains anandamide, a neurotransmitter that elevates your mood. What is interesting is that women feel the strongest desire to eat chocolate prior to and during their menstrual cycle.
Read more →
Your body requires a wide variety of vitamins and minerals every day. Among these is vitamin B12, an essential B-vitamin that you obtain mostly from the food you eat.
Read more →
Though not fully researched, dehydroepiandrosterone, often rendered as 5-dehydroepiandrosterone, plays a role in your menstrual cycle and overall fertility. DHEA is a hormone that contributes to your menstrual cycle and is also used to alleviate the symptoms of menopause.
Read more →
Glutamine, also known as L-glutamine, is one of the most abundant amino acids that your body manufactures. It is stored in your muscles and helps remove excess amounts of toxic ammonia.
Read more →
Taurine is an amino acid. Your body requires numerous amino acids, as they play a role in almost every vital physiologic process including muscle growth, neurologic function, protection of cells and proper function of the immune system. Taurine is made up from two other amino acids -- methionine and cysteine.
Read more →
Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid, which your body needs to build proteins. Your body cannot manufacture this amino acid, so you need to get it from foods such as poultry, pork, fish, milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, soy products, bananas, certain nuts and seeds.
Read more →