Archive for April, 2010

Riboflavin Vitamin B2 Foods Source, B2 Riboflavin Deficiency

Riboflavin, aka vitamin B2, is essential for growth, red blood cell production and metabolism of carbohydrates and protein. It’s also involved in keeping your mucous membranes healthy. And this B vitamin needs to replenished daily via your diet because it’s a water soluble vitamin.

Foods providing a decent dietary source of riboflavin are:

Breads and cereals are often fortified with riboflavin. And the best way for you to get the daily essential vitamin requirements, including vitamin B2, is through the consumption of a balanced diet containing a variety of foods.

B2 riboflavin deficiency, aka ariboflavinosis, is uncommon in the U.S.because it’s plentiful in our diets. However, if you consume less than .5 milligrams a day regularly or urinate frequently, a significant deficiency can occur. Symptoms of a vitamin B2 deficiency are:

  • anemia
  • cheilitis
  • glossitis
  • lip sores
  • dermatitis
  • weakness
  • sore throat
  • mouth sores
  • skin problems
  • magenta mouth, swollen mucous membranes

You may be susceptible to vitamin B2 riboflavin deficiency if you are on dialysis or suffer from:

  • liver disease
  • chronic diarrhea
  • sickle cell anemia
  • iron deficiency anemia
  • malabsorption disorder

Taking riboflavin supplements may prevent its deficiency. And some studies indicate a high dosage keeps migraine headaches from happening. Some uses based on tradition or theory may improve certain health conditions, like:

  • HIV
  • aging
  • burns
  • ataxia
  • stroke
  • fatigue
  • diabetes
  • glaucoma
  • liver disease
  • hypertension
  • lactic acidosis
  • cervical cancer
  • atherosclerosis
  • muscle cramps
  • multiple sclerosis
  • rheumatoid arthritis
  • alcohol dependence
  • red blood cell aplasia
  • burning feet syndrome
  • mood disorders, stress
  • mitochondrial disorders
  • carpal tunnel syndrome
  • dementia, memory loss
  • immune system function
  • skin disorders ~ acne, dermatitis
  • eye issues ~ burning, excess tearing, strain
  • mouth condiitons ~ oral cancer, glossitis, canker sores
  • digestive disorders ~ peptic ulcers, Crohn’s disease, colon cancer

Also, taking Vitamin B2 supplements may improve vitality, athletic performance and the health of your hair.

Because riboflavin is water soluble,vitamin toxicity is unlikely. However, pruritus, paresthesias and urine yellowing may occur. And there have been rare reports of an allergic reaction and anaphylaxis from Vitamin B2 supplementation.

And because light exposure destroys vitamin B2, refrain from storing foods with riboflavin in glass containers.

Digestion: Food Digestion, Digestive Process, Digest Protein, Fat, Carbohydrate

The diet you consume is not in the form that your body can use. So it must be converted and that’s accomplished by your digestive process.

Digestion is a process by which the food you eat is broken down into substances that can be absorbed. This process is accomplish via the action of digestive enzymes, which speed up chemical reactions.

Dietary food conversion starts in your mouth and ends in your small intestine. After food is swallowed, the rest of the digestive process is involuntarily controlled by hormones and nerves.

The first stop for food is your stomach. During this digestive juncture, food gets mixed up with digestive juice. And how long this digesting mixture stays in your stomach largely depends on the type of food you’ve eaten. Carbohydrates are moved on to your small intestine quickest, than protein and fat.

When the time is right, your stomach slowly empties its contents into the small intestine. Food digestion in the small intestine involves more juicing, which helps food digest even more. Digestive enzymes here are provided by your pancreas, liver and intestine itself.

Once digested food meets the necessary state for absorption, it moves through your intestinal walls into the bloodstream to be used by cells all over your body. And anything that’s leftover is pushed into your colon for expulsion.

To digest protein, it starts with enzymes in your stomach juices. And then several enzymes contained in pancreatic and intestinal juice complete protein’s breakdown into amino acids.

Digesting fat begins by dissolving it into the watery content of your small intestine. Bile, from your liver, further dissolves it into tiny droplets, which allows for pancreatic and intestinal enzymes to break it into smaller fatty acids and cholesterol. They then combine with bile acid to move into the cells of the intestinal mucosa. While there, these fat derivatives are reformed into larger molecules and carried off to fat storage depots.

Complex carbohydrate digest by making use of enzymes in your saliva and pancreatic juice in your small intestine. It is a two step process, first using saliva and pancreatic juice enzymes to digest it into maltose. Then an intestinal enzyme splits it into glucose for absorption into the bloodstream. From there, it is deposited into your liver for storage and future energy needs by your body.

Simple sugar only has a one step digest requirement. Intestinal enzymes digest it into glucose and fructose, which are absorbed through the intestinal wall into your blood.

Food digestion is a complex process, but this diet blurb gives you a basic digestive idea of what food must go through for your body to digest its benefits.

How Appetite Suppressants Work; Prescription & Over the Counter Appetite Suppressant Types

Appetite suppressants are designed to curb your feelings of hunger and promote a feeling of fullness, which can be helpful with weight loss. How prescription appetite suppressants generally work is they drive up the levels of appetite controlling neurotransmitters in your brain, specifically serotonin or catecholamine.

Because obesity can cause some very serious health risks and it’s generally consider a chronic illness, prescription appetite suppressants can assist those with a high BMI control their weight and possibly preclude weight associated diseases, like:

  • arthritis
  • diabetes
  • heart disease
  • some cancers

And getting your weight down with the help of appetite suppressants can significantly lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and insulin resistance.

There are several types of prescription appetite suppressants that are currently approved for obesity, phentermine and sibutramine are the most frequently prescribed ones. Some others include:

  • mazindole
  • diethylpropion
  • phendimetrazine

All these prescription appetite suppressants, except sibutramine, are approved for short-term use only, as in a few weeks or a month at the most.

Sibutramine appetite suppressant can be used for a year, or potentially longer, so long as your blood pressure is monitored regularly. And those with a history of these health conditions should not use this type of appetite suppressant:

  • stroke
  • heart disease
  • irregular heartbeat
  • high blood pressure

Sometimes antidepressants are prescribed as an appetite suppressant, but most usually lose weight initially and then regain it. And amphetamines are an appetite suppressant as well. However, they’re addictive, so this suppressor of appetite is not generally prescribed for weight control.

Drug side effects of prescription appetite suppressants tend to be mild. Yet, because how some of these drugs work is by affecting catecholamine levels, you could experience sleeplessness, nervousness and euphoria.

Pulmonary hypertension is an extremely rare potential complication with prescription appetite suppressant when they’re used beyond 3 months. If this your case, you need to contact your health care provider ASAP should you experience any of these symptom:

  • dyspnea
  • faintness
  • chest pain
  • lower extremity edema

The greatest concern involves fenfluarmine or dexfenfluramine appetite suppressants, which have been taken off the market in the U.S.

Orlistat is a type of drug used to treat obesity, but it’s not an appetite suppressant. Instead it’s a type of weight control drug known as lipase inhibitors. How it works is by preventing certain enzymes from breaking down fats for absorption. The less fat absorbed, the fewer calories available for cellulite production. Alli is a lower dose of orlistat, which is available over the counter.

Moving on to the “over the counter” type of appetite suppressants. Products that do not require a prescription and claim to suppress your appetite can be sold with limited proof of effectiveness. However, once they do hit the market they are subjected to FDA monitoring.

How many over the counter appetite suppressants work is that in theory their fiber or bulking agents are suppose to provide you with a sense of fullness. Generlly, this theory of weight loss has not been proven.

Presently, Hoodia is receiving much attention as an over the counter appetite suppressant. Although it’s been reported that native Africans use hoodia to quell hunger, there’s no solid scientific evidence it’s effective for weight loss. Hoodia gordonii is a native plant of the Kalahari Desert.

The reality is that there’s no magic formula available for avoiding the old standards in weight loss. Still the most effective way to reduce your weight is by eating healthy, low in calorie foods, reducing the amount you do eat and sustaining a more physically active lifestyle.

And since nicotine acts as an appetite suppressant as well, it’s often the weight gain factor that deters some from stopping its use, i.e. smoking.

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