Monday, October 08, 2007

Himalayan Sea Salt versus White Table Salt

Learn the difference between commercial salt and natural, organic, gourmet Himalayan sea salt crystal. Most people buy iodized salt from the grocery store and don't think a thing about it. They don't realize that good Himalayan sea salt can help give them good health, while refined salt can create some health risks. Salt comes from the sea. It may have been laid down centuries ago in salt deposits, or it may have been dehydrated from pure seawater. Grocery store salt is different from salt from natural sources. It has been heated-up to 1200° F.!-and refined to remove most of the natural elements. Grocery store salt is mostly chemical sodium chloride, while natural Himalayan sea salt has up to 84 natural minerals in it.

Your body craves natural salt. In fact, your blood actually contains 0.9% salt, which maintains the delicate balance of sodium throughout your body. Just about every system in your body needs good Himalayan sea salt to make it work. It is especially important for your nervous system, but every body structure absolutely requires it. The National Academy of Sciences advises that we consume at least 500 mg. of sodium a day to maintain good health. How much a person actually needs varies quite a bit, depending on their genetics and daily routine.

Popular diets say you should reduce or even eliminate dietary salt for good health, especially for cardiovascular disease. However, studies from Scotland, Finland and the United States showed little or no correlation between reducing your salt intake and reducing coronary heart disease. Perhaps refined table salt, which can act like a poison in your body, can be more of a risk. But the research is undeniable: reducing or eliminating dietary salt is basically wrong. Your body absolutely requires salt, but it has to be the right kind. Pure, natural unrefined Original Himalayan Sea Crystal Salt™ is such a salt. It gives you the healthy nutrients you need, in a form your body can use. It is pink because of the natural minerals in it! Gourmets say Himalayan sea salt tastes fantastic, with a richness you may have never tasted before from grocery store salt.

Natural health practitioners are convinced that good Himalayan crystal sea salt can improve your health. It keeps you safe and healthy during exercise; in fact, high-altitude hikers make sure they get enough so they don't go into hyperthermia. Taking adequate dietary salt has improved and even eliminated Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Hypertension and stomach cancer have been linked to salt imbalance from improper dietary intake. Cystic fibrosis has been linked to improper salt metabolism. Expectant mothers are always advised to take enough salt in order to help create a healthy infant.

If you've never tried good Himalayan sea salt, you are going to be amazed at how good it tastes and how affordable it is. You may also be surprised at how quickly your health improves from using good, natural, organic Himalayan sea salt.

About the Author
Isabella founded http://www.solaywellness.com after learning how beneficial natural salt is and about it's many uses, as well as how it can be used to help people look and feel better and live healthier. Visit Solay wellness for all of your natural home needs, personal care, plant food and gourmet salts.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

mortality in patients with cystic fibrosis

The majority of patients with cystic fibrosis die in early adulthood of lung disease. Lung transplantation is a treatment option for patients with advanced pulmonary disease, although the waiting period for organs may be as long as two years. Our purpose was to determine whether the risk of death due to respiratory failure could be predicted one or two years in advance on the basis of pulmonary function, blood gas levels, and nutritional status.

The study cohort consisted of 673 patients followed between 1977 and 1989. In each patient, pulmonary function, blood gas levels, nutritional status, and vital status were assessed between 1977 and 1987. Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis was used to compute the relative risk of death within one or two years after particular measurements. The effects of age and sex on mortality were also included in the analysis.

One hundred ninety patients (28 percent) died during the study period. Overall, patients with a forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) less than 30 percent of the predicted value, a partial pressure of arterial oxygen below 55 mm Hg, or a partial pressure of arterial carbon dioxide above 50 mm Hg had two-year mortality rates above 50 percent. Among the laboratory measurements, the FEV1 was the most significant predictor of mortality, but age and sex were also significant in predicting risk. After adjustment for age and sex, the relative risk of death within two years was 2.0 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.9 to 2.2) for each decrement in the FEV1 of 10 percent below the predicted value. Among patients with the same FEV1, the relative risk of death was 2.0 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.5 to 2.6) in patients 10 years younger than other patients, and 2.2 (1.6 to 3.1) in female patients as compared with male patients.

Patients with cystic fibrosis should be considered candidates for lung transplantation when the FEV1 falls below 30 percent of the predicted value. Female patients and younger patients may need to be considered for transplantation at an earlier stage.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Nasal Polyps in Cystic Fibrosis

Nasal polyps frequently appear in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The aims of this study were to focus on what problems (symptoms, endoscopic findings, and laboratory correlates) nasal polyps cause the CF patient, and how these correlate to the total health situation of this patient group.

The clinical histories, endoscopic investigations of the nasal cavity, and analyses of nasal lavage fluid of 44 patients with CF complicated with nasal polyposis have been compared with those of 67 CF control subjects. The patients were examined at annual control examinations (with pulmonary tests, working capacity, liver tests, and bacterial and blood tests) from 1995 to 1996 at Stockholm Cystic Fibrosis Center, Huddinge University Hospital. All patients were > 2 years of age. The endoscopic findings were related to the actual pulmonary function, inflammatory blood parameters, colonizing pathogens, antibodies (Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and genotype.

The patients with nasal polyps differed with respect to chronic colonization of P aeruginosa in sputum samples and had a higher occurrence of serum antibodies against the same species. The two groups did not differ in pulmonary functions, inflammatory parameters, or genotype. The polyps found were mainly small (within the meatus media) and gave no significant increase in ongoing clinical symptoms such as rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, or hyposmia. Neither was any significantly marked finding concerning the nose (mucosal swellings, secretion, etc.) made in the polyp patients. The patients with CF scored slightly lower in a smell identification test in comparison with the healthy control group. The nasal lavage fluid was analyzed (in 93 of the 111 patients) for the occurrence of P aeruginosa (by polymerase-chain reaction [PCR]), interleukin [IL]-5, IL-8, and lysozyme. The lysozyme and IL-8 content was equal in the two CF groups but increased in comparison with the healthy control group. P aeruginosa was not detected with PCR in any nasal lavage fluid. No measurable levels of IL-5 in the nasal lavage were found.

There was a higher frequency of chronic colonization of P aeruginosa in the lower respiratory tract in patients with nasal polyps. Otherwise, nonsevere nasal polyposis was not an indicator of lower respiratory tract morbidity in CF patients.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Vitamin E: Why It Is Important

Vitamin E Vitamin E is a very important vitamin to humans. This vitamin is fat soluble, which means that it can be stored by the body. There are actually eight different forms of vitamin E, and each form has it's own activity in the body. The most common form of this vitamin is called Alpha-tocopherol.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Fatty Acid Deficiency and Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that results in excess mucus being trapped in the lungs. It is most often associated with a deficiency of essential fatty acids. Consuming more, often in the form of fish oils, is a great way to get relieve from the symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis.

David P. Katz wrote an article called Seriously Ill Cystic Fibrosis (Nutrition, Vol. 12, No. 5, 1996) that states those individuals who are not unable to absorb fats and various nutrients need to increase their consumption of essential fatty acids. Most people who have been diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis have an essential Omega 6 fatty acid deficiency. Consuming enough fish oil can help reduce the inflammation experienced.

There have been many studies involved to establish the link between the need for fish oil supplements to control Cystic Fibrosis. In almost every study it was found that taking such a supplement did help the patients. A article written by Lawrence and T. Sorrell (Lancent, Vol. 342, August 21, 1993) explains the research they did regarding the effects of fish oil supplements on patients with Cystic Fibrosis. Half of the patients received a fish oil capsule with 2.7g of EPA. The other half of the patients got a placebo of an olive oil capsule. This was done daily for a six week period of time. Those who took the EPA ended up with less mucus in their lungs, they were able to breath easier, and they felt better.

Due to the positive effects that essential fatty acids have for those with Cystic Fibrosis, it is a good idea for them to consider adding such supplements to their daily diet. This can be in the form of fish oil supplements and Vitamin E because of the antioxidant properties.

The research has shown that essential fatty acid deficiencies can be linked to Cystic Fibrosis so make sure you take the necessary daily value to protect yourself from such ailments. Take fish oil supplements and increase the amount of fish and walnuts. You consume.

About the Author
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