Important of Vitamin D

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, plays an important role in preventing falls and fractures.

Calcium and vitamin D are both equally important in maintaining good bone health. However, the role of vitamin D is often underestimated.

Vitamin D has two main functions:
·It is needed for the absorption of calcium for healthy bones.
·It is also important for muscle strength and balance to prevent falls.
Low vitamin D leads to osteoporosis and weak muscles, and increases the risk of falls and fractures.

Benefits of vitamin D
Supplementation with adequate amounts of vitamin D has significant benefits when it comes to improved muscle function, and reduction in falls and fractures.
Sunlight is the major source of vitamin D. However, spending too much time indoors, cultural trends of clothing, increased skin pigmentation, increasing age (70-year-old women are only 25% as efficient at producing vitamin D with the same sun exposure as when they were 30 years of age), obesity and use of sunscreen have contributed to low vitamin D levels.

Read more about Vitamin D deficiency by Dr Wood, click here

Why you shall take Vitamin D - USANA, click here
Food that contains rich Vitamin D is mushroom, salmon, sardines, tuna fishes, eggs, cod liver oil etc.

Also refer to thestaronline 'Shedding Light on Vitamin D' and ' Gimme Some Sunshine'

FRESH PINEAPPLES' MANY BENEFITS

 

The pineapple is a member of the bromeliad family. It is extremely rare that bromeliads produce edible fruit. The pineapple is the only available edible bromeliad today. It is a multiple fruit. One pineapple is actually made up of dozens of individual flowerets that grow together to form the entire fruit. Each scale on a pineapple is evidence of a separate flower. Pineapples stop ripening the minute they are picked. No special way of storing them will help ripen them further. Color is relatively unimportant in determining ripeness. Choose your pineapple by smell. If it smells fresh, tropical and sweet, it will be a good fruit. The more scales on the pineapple, the sweeter and juicier the taste. After you cut off the top, you can plant it. It should grow much like a sweet potato will. This delicious fruit is not only sweet and tropical, it also offers many benefits to our health.

Pineapple is a remarkable fruit. We find it enjoyable because of its lush, sweet and exotic flavor, but it may be one of the most healthful foods available today. If we take a more detailed look at it, we will find that pineapple is valuable for easing indigestion, arthritis or sinusitis. The juice has an anthelmintic effect; it helps get rid of intestinal worms. Let's look at how pineapple affects other conditions.

Pineapple is high in manganese, a mineral that is critical to development of strong bones and connective tissue. A cup of fresh pineapple will give you nearly 75% of the recommended daily amount. It is particularly helpful to older adults, whose bones tend to become brittle with age.

Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme, is the key to pineapple's value. Proteolytic means "breaks down protein", which is why pineapple is known to be a digestive aid. It helps the body digest proteins more efficiently.

Bromelain is also considered an effective anti-inflammatory. Regular ingestion of at least one half cup of fresh pineapple daily is purported to relieve painful joints common to osteoarthritis. It produces mild pain relief. In Germany , bromelain is approved as a post-injury medication because it is thought to reduce inflammation and swelling.

Orange juice is a popular liquid for those suffering from a cold because it is high in Vitamin C. Fresh pineapple is not only high in this vitamin, but because of the bromelain, it has the ability to reduce mucus in the throat. If you have a cold with a productive cough, add pineapple to your diet. It is commonly used in Europe as a post-operative measure to cut mucus after certain sinus and throat operations. Those individuals who eat fresh pineapple daily report fewer sinus problems related to allergies. In and of itself, pineapple has a very low risk for allergies.

Pineapple is also known to discourage blood clot development. This makes it a valuable dietary addition for frequent fliers and others who may be at risk for blood clots.

An old folk remedy for morning sickness is fresh pineapple juice. It really works! Fresh juice and some nuts first thing in the morning often makes a difference. It's also good for a healthier mouth. The fresh juice discourages plaque growth.

Osteoporosis, the number game!

Osteoporosis has developed into epidemic proportions, affecting more women than men, and has its roots in childhood and early adult life.

Males generally have a fatter bank account as far as bone mass is concerned.

Bone growth reaches the maximum in strength and hardness by age 30. This is known as peak bone mass. Boys reach 90% of peak bone mass by age 20, whilst girls achieve it earlier around age 18, rendering the male species extended growth potential, answering in part the question why guys are taller.

The best time to invest in the bone account is during youth. Exercise, good nutrition, and adequate calcium intake pay long term dividends. Just like a financial account, the bone account is subject to deposits and withdrawals. In youth, deposits exceed withdrawal, until a period of steady exchange in the 30s.

Unfortunately, the gentler gender succumbs to far more withdrawal than deposits after age 40, leading to a net loss of bone mass. Multiple pregnancies herald premature onset of bone deficit. As the ovaries start to wrinkle and the eternal spring of oestrogen trickles, culminating to a dry spell, that phase of mood swings, hot flushes, dryness, and loss of libido collectively known as menopause stamps its sovereignty.

Loss of oestrogen accelerates the diminishing bone mass, leading to a greater tendency to pathological fracture. Simply put, brittle bones that break with trivial force.

To dent the glee in the aging male, there is no escape from the gloom of age-related osteoporosis after the age of 75, with a ratio of one male to two females afflicted.

The above information are partially extracted from the star online dated 23rd Feb 2011