Nutritional planning involves balancing macronutrients, understanding calorie formulas, and identifying the functional properties of whole foods to manage weight and chronic conditions effectively.
The optic nerve carries electrical impulses from your eye to your brain. Damage to the optic nerve can affect your ability to sight. Several types of calcium deposits can develop in the optic nerve. Calcium deposits may develop within protein deposits in the optic nerve known as drusen.
Read more →
Low-carb dieters who consume very few carbohydrates often go into ketosis. Ketosis develops when you use up your glycogen stores and need an alternate source of energy. Your body forms ketone bodies as it breaks down fat to use for energy, and you excrete ketones in the urine.
Read more →
You may buy of bottle of vitamins or minerals, take them for a few weeks and then stop. They may stay in your medicine cabinet for a few years without you thinking about the expiration date -- until you decide to start taking the supplement again.
Read more →
Alcohol in any form -- beer, wine or hard liquor -- can cause fluid retention in your hands and feet, also known as peripheral or dependent edema. Fluid tends to accumulate in your hands and feet because fluid travels downhill. Alcohol initially acts as a diuretic, which can lead to dehydration.
Read more →
Apple cider vinegar, a popular folk recipe embraced by many alternative medicine practitioners, contains acetic acid. Its acid content can have harsh effects on skin and mucus membranes in the mouth and throat, and it can also affect tooth enamel.
Read more →
Apple seeds don't have any proven benefits in conventional medicine. On the contrary, apple seeds are actually poisonous if eaten in large quantities.
Read more →
Abnormally heavy or prolonged menstrual cycles, medically termed menorrhagia, can make your life miserable. If you have menorrhagia, you might have heavy menstrual bleeding that lasts for more than one week.
Read more →
Fish oil, which contains essential omega-3 fatty acids, has several potential heart benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids may help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of ischemic stroke.
Read more →
Sugar-free candy, nutrition bars, cookies, cakes and other sweets might be sugar-free, but they do contain sugar substitutes, many of which can cause diarrhea, especially sugar alcohols.
Read more →
Red yeast rice, made by fermenting yeast called Monascus purpureus over red rice, has a long history of use as both a food and a medicine in China.
Read more →
Fish oil has cardiovascular benefits, reducing inflammation and lowering cholesterol levels. But if you’re trying to get pregnant, you may have more interest in fish oil’s effects on something more crucial to reproductive function -- sperm.
Read more →
Flaxseed, which comes from the flax plant, has a history of medicinal use dating to ancient Egypt. Flaxseed contains omega-3 fatty acids, which might reduce cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, decrease inflammation and improve irregular heartbeats.
Read more →
Around 20 percent of women have at least one urinary tract infection in their lives and 3 percent suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections, Darren Lynch, M.D., of Beth Israel Medical Center reports in the December 2004 issue of the “American Family Physician.
Read more →
If the onset of a cold has you reaching for the vitamin C bottle, you may want to think twice. Vitamin C, an essential water-soluble vitamin not stored in the body, has a reputation as an immunity booster that can help fight off viruses. This may be true, but possibly only under certain conditions and at certain doses.
Read more →
Folliculitis, an infection that develops around hair follicles, has many causes. Most cases of folliculitis clear up without treatment, but in some cases, antibiotics or oral antifungal medications may be prescribed.
Read more →
Olive oil has taken on new importance for its antioxidant levels as well as for its heart- healthy unsaturated nature. Cooking with mostly monounsaturated olive oil rather than saturated fats such as lard can decrease your risk of heart disease.
Read more →
As many as one out of 10 women of childbearing age have polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS, a disorder characterized by high levels of male hormone levels such as testosterone, according to the National Women’s Health Information Center. Reducing androgens, or male hormones, may improve the symptoms of PCOS.
Read more →
Disulfiram, sold commercially as Antabuse, helps people stop drinking alcohol by causing an unpleasant physical reaction after consuming alcohol. Antabuse causes blurred vision, chest pain, confusion, dizziness, flushing, headache, nausea, vomiting and weakness if taken within 12 hours after consuming alcohol, Drugs.
Read more →
Robitussin cough syrup sold over-the-counter contains two drugs: dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant and guaifenesin, an exectorant. When taken in large amounts, both drugs can have side effects, although the side effects of dextromethorphan are more serious.
Read more →
Calcium is essential for maintaining strong bones as well as for muscle and nerve functioning. Calcium levels in the blood do not normally fluctuate, but remain within a narrow range. Calcium is stored in the bones and teeth; when calcium levels in the blood fall, more calcium is removed from the bones.
Read more →