Vitamin Information Center

Ailment
Synonyms
Disease; Illness
Definition
Disease represents impairment of the normal state or
functioning of the body as a whole or of any of its
parts. Some diseases are acute, producing symptoms
that last short period of time, for example, flu, pneumonia.
There are also chronic disorders, such as, arthritis,
hypertension, etc. that last for a long time. Diseases
are usually classified according to cause. External
factors that produce disease are infectious agents,
including bacteria, viruses, fungi, but also disease may
occur as a consequence of different chemical and physical
agents such as drugs, poisons, radiation. Some diseases
are inherited and some of them acquired due to
environmental, infectious and various lifestyle factors.
Also, many diseases are attributed to emotional disturbances.
Most diseases occur as a result of an interaction
between the body and the environment. In ancient
times disease was ascribed to supernatural, spiritual,
and humoral factors.

It is a well known fact that ‘we are what we eat’. Food not only affects us physically, but psychologically as well. However, researchers are now looking into the effects of food on chronic ailments like osteoarthritis, only to find that food plays a vital role in dealing with this ailment. Here’s more on this newly developing field of study.

Osteoarthritis or Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) is the wear and tear of our joints caused by the breakdown of cartilage in them. Cartilage, which is a hard but slippery tissue between joints, is more of a cushion for the bones which form the joints. It not only avoids direct friction between the bones but, also helps to absorb shock, allowing them to move smoothly over each other, as it is composed of 65-80% water, collagen, proteoglycans and chondrocytes.

This is what happens when you suffer from osteoarthritis –
• Cartilage loss is there.
• Joints begin to deteriorate due to constant rubbing of bones with each other.
• Fluid accumulates in the joints.
• Structural changes and bony overgrowths can be seen around the joint.
• Patient suffers chronic pain.
• Problem can affect the joints of fingers, hips, knees, feet and spine too.
• Severe symptoms might lead to loss of mobility in the patient or disability.

With over 21 million Americans living with the disease, commonly seen in elderly people above the age of 65 years, researchers are now delving into different ways of tackling the problem to gain more control over it, the most recent one being dietary changes for osteoarthritis.

There are various factors which pave way for a person to develop osteoarthritis, like – obesity, vitamin C deficiency, low bone mineral density and vitamin D deficiency. Thus keeping these in mind dieticians suggest some additions and subtractions in your diet to avoid and also keep under control this ailment.

Some dietary changes to keep osteoarthritis at bay -

Foods to avoid -

• Reduce the consumption of fatty foods in your daily intake as the more weight your body has to carry, greater is the burden on the joints and greater the risk.
• Identify the inflammatory elements of your diet by eliminating all short listed ones from the food you consume. Reintroduce them one by one, noting your body’s reactions to them. This would help you identify the culprit food items, which you need to remove at the earliest.
• Common inflammatory foods are – wheat, potato, pepper, egg plant, tobacco, tomatoes etc. you need to stay away from them for about a month and then start reintroducing.
• Elimination of dairy products and animal food has proven to help many. Thus staying on a vegetarian diet would be best for high risk patients.
• Research has shown that periodic fasting has helped show improvement for arthritis patients. It helps to cleanse and restore the digestive system and kidneys, relaxes the mind and nervous system and is good for the well being of the body as whole.
• Lifestyle changes involving elimination of alcohol, smoking, tobacco, coffee, fats, sugar and excessive salt, are now known as ways to overcome the problem at best.

Foods to add -
• Vitamin C is known to develop cartilage, thus foods rich in the vitamin should be deliberately had on a regular basis, in addition to tablets. Some foods are citrus fruits etc.
• Vitamin D helps to decrease the narrowing of joint spacing, thus a daily supplement of the Vit-D tablet is a must for osteoarthritis patients.
• Osteoarthritis symptoms are said to show a slowdown with foods rich in glucosamine and chondroitin.
• In general eating green leafy vegetables, carrots, avocado, sea weeds, fish, soy products, sprouts, oats, barley, rice, millet, and fish like salmons, tuna, sardines etc, help patients suffering from the disease and also help to overcome the above mentioned deficiencies.
• Regular intake of calcium supplements is a must.
• Lifestyle changes like weight reduction, exercising and diet control, not only help reduce weight, they also help people with low bone mineral density.

So eat healthy and live healthy!

Regardless of the name, whether it is pimples, outbreaks, zits, blemishes, or whatever, acne is a challenging problem that may be difficult at times to treat. A common ailment, about 80% of people worldwide will suffer from acne in some form or another in their lifetime. If you only get the occasional pimple, it is more an annoyance than anything else. For those who suffer large or frequent breakouts, it can become an obsession that can impact their self-esteem and even their psychological well-being. Continue Reading…

Off late, it has become a routine to see people on the streets suffering from baldness or hair loss. Gone are the days, when we thought it was only men, and that too only those beyond the age of 40 that faced hair loss issues. Today, there are youngsters in their teens to women in their late 30s who have become victims of hair loss and are struggling to fight this battle. There are many products available in the market for people who wish to combat this problem, but how effective are they? Most of them are likely to be created using strong chemicals, so they fight whatever it is that is killing the scalp and promote hair growth. If a person suffers from severe hair loss at a young age, they might be tempted to take steroids that they have heard work wonders. But what these pills will do is have harmful effect on their organs and lead to severe fatal side effects. It is therefore advised that the people who are seeing increased hair loss should resort to the natural cure for this condition.
Continue Reading…