Skin Cancer Treatment Blog

Archive for November, 2009

If you are truly allergic to alcohol then you suffer from Allergies Type 1, also called Contact Allergies. Doctor Vincent Crump of the Auckland Allergy Clinic suggests that it is more often than not, the other ingredients that cause the allergic reaction such as yeast and sulphur dioxide instead of the alcohol itself.

It is unknown how may people suffer from allergies to alcohol products because many of the normal symptoms associated with drinking alcohol are also associated with allergic reaction. Redding of the skin on the face and neck, itchy eyes and nose, hives, loss of motor functions, vomiting, and eczema are typical reactions to the contents of wine and beer and also symptoms of allergic alcohol reactions.

Some people of Asian descent experience an unusual flushing reaction after ingestion of alcohol. This is believed to be cause by a genetic disorder. The body is unable to break down alcohol properly. It has been suggested that anyone who experiences a flushing reaction after drinking alcohol could be at risk for cancer of the esophagus, liver disease, and other alcohol-related conditions.

Sulphur Dioxide has been added to wines since the Roman times. Is inhibits yeast growth, preventing the wine from turning into vinegar thus giving wine a longer shelf life. Sulphur Dioxide also helps to give aged wine the its many distinct flavors. There are limits to the amount additional sulphur dioxide winemakers are permitted to add. Wines containing more that 25 parts per million of sulphur dioxide are required to be listed on the wine label.

Allergies to yeast found in wine and beer, although rare, may cause allergic reaction and is usually manifested in the form of hives.

Red wine contains more histamine than White wines. Taking antihistamines prior to drinking wines may help reduce the allergic effects of histamines. Fruit wines contain lower levels of histamines than wines made of grapes.

Egg white is commonly used in the fining process. Fining is the process where unwanted organisms are remove by the addition of egg whites or bentonite. The solids fall out of suspension and are removed, thus creating a clear wine. None of the egg white or bentonite is supposed to remain in the wine after the fining process is completed so egg whites and bentonite are not listed on the label as part of the wine ingredients.

If you are unsure what is giving you problems you could try the Food Challenge Test. Avoid all allergy causing foods and drinks for several weeks. The doctor will then give you a pill of each suspected agent one at a time under close supervision. If symptoms appear within two hours after the taking the pill then you are allergic to it and will need to avoid it.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

David Cowley
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/help-i-am-allergic-to-alcohol-140470.html

Eczema, a term used by most people to refer to Atopic Dermatitis, is an incurable disease which affects the skin. Although sure is not a possibility, there are things you can do to control the symptoms.

These things are a combination of medical attention and at home care. It is important for you to see a dermatologist when symptoms first appear as treating as early as possible helps you to keep your symptoms to a minimum and often makes the flare up period much shorter than it would be otherwise.

No matter how much you read about skin conditions, it is important that you understand a doctor diagnosis is important for you to plan the proper care for your condition. Many skin conditions resemble each other, while some are extremely painful and aggravating, others are caused by something else wrong in your body and can be fatal when not treated.

There are also a number of skin conditions that are curable, unlike eczema. A dermatologist can diagnose your skin condition through various tests, allowing him to give you the proper treatment and allowing you to learn the correct way to care for your condition at home.

Your dermatologist will need to know: when the symptoms first appeared in your lifetime; all of the symptoms (itching, pain, blistering, fever, etc); he will also need to know things that seem to make the symptoms worse (such as, whether washing makes the itching worse); whether you family has any history of skin conditions, hay fever, or asthma; and your own medical history.

When visiting the dermatologist, be prepared for him to order a biopsy. This is a normal procedure when dealing with skin conditions and does not necessarily mean that he thinks you have cancer. Do not let yourself stress over this test, especially since stress tends to worsen symptoms. He may also suggest that you have allergy testing done.

Possible Treatments:

Treatments are based on several factors: what kind of eczema you have, how bad it is, your age and medical history, and results of past treatments. Remember that treatment is a way to manage symptoms, not cure the disease. Moisturizing with creams (not most lotions because they can cause even more drying) are usually used with any treatment plan.

Treatment plans are also modified on an individual basis as you and your doctor know and understand more about triggering factors in your case.

First, if the dermatologist finds another condition, such as bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, he will prescribe a medicine to get rid of the infection. Antibiotics will be prescribed for bacterial infections, antiviral are prescribed for viral infections and antifungals will conquer fungal infection.

These may be applied to the skin, taken by mouth, or given in a shot, depending on the type as severity of the infection.

Treatment usually begins with topical medications which may or may not be coupled with antihistamines. Topical treatments are applied to the skin and are usually a cream which comes in a tube.

Most are members of the corticosteroid family of medicine. It is very important, as with any medication, to follow your doctor instructions. Too few applications will not give you much benefit and too many applications can cause thin skin. Some of the corticosteroids include:

Aclovate
Aristocort
Cormax
Cutivate
Cyclocort
Decadron
Dermatop
DesOwen
Diprolene
Diprosone
Elocon
Halog
Hytone
Kenalog
Lidex
Locoid
Psorcon
Synalar
Temovate
Topicort
Tridesilon
Ultravate
Valisone
Westcort

The newest form of topical medication is the topical Immunomodulators (TIMs). These do not have steroids in them, so they do not have the problems with thin skin that corticosteroids do. Elidel and Protopic are both TIMs.

If topical medications do not produce acceptable results, you may have to move to another phase of treatment. Other phases include phototherapy, in which you will be treated with UV rays, directed by either laser or sunlamps.

The UV light is focused on the symptomatic area which has had a medication applied to help the process. Beyond phototherapy, you may have to begin systemic treatments. These are medications which are taken into the body, whether by mouth or shot.

You will also find that you have several things you will need to do in your life to help minimize flare ups. Moisturizing, stress relief, avoiding allergens and avoiding irritants are a few of these things.

Louise Forrest
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/what-kind-of-eczema-treatment-can-you-expect-113452.html

Glycobiology is a relatively new branch in science, which attempts to understand how sugars in the body -called glycans- contribute to human health and contain information as necessary to define the complexity of life as that of DNA and proteins, and now sheds light on the treatment and removal of skin scars and the prevention of skin tissue damage that occurs during fitness or body building exercises, and also on how the process of healthy skin renewal can be enhanced. Glyco means “sweet” and refers to monosaccharides, or sugars. The role of carbohydrates (sugars) in energy production has been long understood. However, their additional, crucial role in orchestrating the healthy structure and function of the body is a relatively new discovery that is the subject of a new bourgeoning field of science called the sweet science of glycobiology.

Proteoglycans and Glycosaminoglycans are active regulators of cell function, participate in cell-matrix interactions and play an important biological role in fibroblast proliferation, differentiation and migration by effectively modulating the expression of the genetic endowment of cells.

Fibroblast is a type of cell that synthesizes collagen (an insoluble protein), glycosaminoglycans (complex carbohydrate chains), reticular and elastic fibers, and glycoprotein molecules that are found in the extracellular matrix. In growing individuals fibroblasts are dividing and synthesizing ground substances in al types of tissues.

The main function of fibroblasts is to maintain the structural integrity of connective tissue by continuously secreting the precursors of all the components of the extracellular matrix. The composition of the extracellular matrix determines the physical properties of connective tissues. Proteoglycans (proteins bound to glycosaminoglycans) bind multiple components of the extracellular matrix by serving as important regulators of cell behavior.

Tissue damage stimulates fibrocytes and induces migration and readily proliferation of fibroblasts in multiple stages of tissue repair including wound contraction. Fibroblasts can give rise to other cells, such as bone cells, fat cells, and smooth muscle cells. All those are cells of mesodermal origin, which means a layer from which the organs and tissues of the body develop through further differentiation.

Fibroblasts, their growth factors and receptors are critical in wound healing as such dynamic process is interactive and depends on proper regulation of fibroblasts. Without regulation excessive scarring results as a feature of impaired healing (keloid and hypertrophic scars), a serious health problem that most of the time affects people’s quality of life for the treatment cost of such lesions is high, and often, the results are unsatisfactory. (See references below).

Also various types of matrix metalloproteinases (collagenase and gelatinase enzymes MMP) are selectively expressed or activated at the various periods of wound healing and determine the presence or absence of abnormal scars: keloids or hypertrophic scars.

The collagenase and gelatinase enzymes are groups of zinc-dependent enzymes, which degrade several components of the extracellular skin matrix in both normal and diseased tissue. The skin matrix is a framework that holds our skin together and consists mainly of intermeshed polymers such as collagen and elastin. This matrix is responsible for the skin’s mechanical properties, which includes firmness, strength, suppleness, and elasticity. The weaker and more irregular the matrix, the more wrinkles, roughness, and sagging. Whenever skin is damaged, malformed or worn out, skin matrix is broken down by these enzymes and is then synthesized by the fibroblasts.

Therefore, these enzymes play a critical role in skin physiology. In healthy, youthful skin, the synthesis and degradation of the matrix are in balance; damaged or redundant matrix is degraded while the deficit is replenished by the ongoing synthesis. While as we age the intricate balance gets disrupted; too little of the matrix is synthesized and too much is degraded. Research indicates that reversal to normal youthful levels of the enzymes in aged individuals is an effective method to remove the damaged matrix and preserve the healthy one. For this purpose, the utilization of enzyme inhibitors or regulators in the form of drugs, cosmetic formulations, and lifestyle changes is the new cosmetic find.

One surprising source of such enzyme regulators is the secretions of land snails that they use to protect and repair their skin when damaged. Now available in the form of a new cosmetic product for scar prevention, scar treatment and scar removal. (see the author’s website for details).

Reference 1: Fibroblast growth factors in epithelial repair and cytoprotection. Institute of Cell Biology, Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Honggerberg, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland. April 2004.

Fibroblast growth factors act specifically on various types of epithelial cells including keratinocytes of the skin, intestinal epithelial cells and hepatocytes. In addition, some types of Fibroblast Growth Factor have been shown to be more than growth factors: they can protect epithelial cells from damaging effects induced, for example, by radiation and oxidative stress. Therefore, they are currently in clinical trials for the treatment of oral mucositis, a severe side-effect of cancer therapy characterized by painful inflammation and ulceration of the oral epithelium.

Reference 2: Clinical Efficacy of A SNAL SECRETION for the Prevention and Treatment of Acute Radiodermatitis. GICOR, Coordinator M. Santos, MD Anderson. Preliminary results presented at the last AERO Congress (Congreso de la Sociedad Espanola de Radioterapia y Oncologia), Las Palmas, 2003.

This research accounts for the fact that land snails secrete mucous when exposed to ionizing radiation (X ray and gamma radiation) to protect themseves from degenerative effects.

Biochemical analysis of the snail mucous shows it contains complex glycoconjugate molecules made mainly of sulfated sugar or carbohydrate chains, globular soluble proteins, uronic acids and oligoelements (copper, zinc, calcium and iron).

The study concludes that the snail secretion has fibroblast growth factor activity and helps achieve the correct balance between the synthesis and degradation of important structural elements such as collagen, and thus helps to avoid excessive scarring and promotes healthy skin renewal.

Martha Fitzharris
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/glycobiology-sheds-light-on-scar-prevention-and-scar-removal-81932.html

Alternative Names: Condyloma Acuminatum, Fig Wart, Moist Wart, Pointed Wart, Venereal Wart, Verruca Acuminata
Definition:
Genital warts are small, benign (harmless) growths caused by a viral infection i.e. Human papillomavirus, typically HPV 6 and HPV 11. A female with genital warts is at an increased risk for developing cervical cancer. Genital warts often occur in clusters and can be very tiny or can spread into large masses on genital tissues. If left untreated, genital warts often disappear.
Genital Warts are highly contagious sexually transmitted disease. Genital warts can be transmitted from one person to another and they can travel from one part of the body to another. They occur on the skin or the mucous membrane. The mucous membrane is tissue that lines the nose, throat, digestive tract, and other body openings.
Causes of Genital Wart:
Some important causes of genital wart are as:-

• The main cause of the genital wart is – Human papillomavirus, that infects the top layers of your skin.
• To some extent, excessive use of tobacco and alcohol, may lead to formation of genital warts.
• Premalignant and malignant cervical cancers in women, also increases the chances of occurring of genital wart.
• A person with sexual transmitted disease are more prone to get affected by genital wart.
• Genital wart, most commonly occurs in persons undergoing stress condition.
• In some cases, use of birth control pills, increased sexual contact without the use of barrier protection, multiple sex partners, and having sex at a early age, may lead to the condition of genital wart.
• About two-thirds of people who have sexual contact with someone already having genital warts – develop genital warts very easily.

Symptoms of genital warts:
Some important symptoms of genital wart are as:-

• Difficulty may be experienced while swallowing food.
• During genital wart, you may have the difficulty in passing urine.
• The feeling of itching or burning around the sex organs, may be seen.




• An abnormal vaginal bleeding may occur in genital wart patient after sexual intercourse.
• Small fluid-filled blisters may occur, which can be very painful. With the first infection they can even take around 2 to 4 weeks to heal properly.
• When HPV infection remain for too long term, gives the indication of genital wart.
• Genital wart increases vaginal discharge.
• A flu-like illness, backache, headache, swollen glands or fever are the common symptoms during genital wart.
• The small white/yellow/gray bumpy spots may occur on the sex organs and anus.
• In some Chronic Cases, cervical cancer may also occur in genital wart suffering patients.

Treatments for Genital Warts:
Some effective treatments for genital wart are as:-

• Cryotherapy: It is a very suitable remedy for genital wart. In this treatment, doctor freeze off the wart with liquid nitrogen.
• Electrocautery or Diathermy physically destroys the warts by burning them. Local or general anaesthesia can be used.
• Imiquimod Cream: This cream helps in destroying genital wart.
• Podophyllin: It is a chemical compound that must be applied by a doctor or nurse to the affected area of the skin.
• Podofilox Cream or Gel: This is a self-applied treatment for external genital warts. It is easy to use and is safe, and should be applied for about 4 weeks.
• Fluorouracil Cream: It is used mainly to get rid of pain, that occur during intercourse.
• Surgical Excision: Your doctor may use special tools to cut off warts. You’ll need local anesthesia for this treatment.
• TCA (Trichloracetic Acid) is another chemical applied to the surface of the wart by a doctor or a nurse.
• Laser Therapy: During this treatment, warts are destroyed by introducing the laser light to the affected area. This is used for larger or extensive warts.

Anil Yadav
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/genital-warts-causes-symptoms-and-treatment-69871.html

Boils are not a pleasant topic, but it is something that most of us will experience at some point in our lives. This article will show how you can cure your boils naturally by using inexpensive natural remedies.

What is a boil? Another name used to describe a boil is a skin abscess, but basically it’s just an infection deep in the skin. I like to describe a boil as being a really big zit because that’s what it looks like. Below are several different types of boils:

Cystic acne—An abscess that forms when the oil ducts become infected or clogged. This type of boil is found mostly on the face and primarily effects teenagers.

Furuncle or carbuncle—An abscess of the skin caused by Staphylococcus aureus. This type of boil may cause a fever or chills.

Pilonidal cyst—This abscess is usually found in the crease of the buttocks. People who sit a lot or travel over long distances, like a truck driver, are more prone to getting this kind of boil.

Hidradenitis suppurativa—This is when you have multiple boils that form in the arm pits and groin area and are associated with the sweat glands.

Why do we get boils? The most common cause is believed to be clogged sweat glands or hair follicles that become infected. It is also possible for a scratch or any other break in the skin to become infected and turn into a boil. Believe it or not, an ingrown hair can cause a boil. People with compromised or suppressed immune systems are more likely to get boils. That includes people with diabetes. Medications can also suppress the immune system—especially cortisone, prednisone, prednisolone and medications used by cancer patients.

How to cure boils naturally? If you have been searching the Internet for information on how to cure boils, you probably found that most Websites recommend that you go to your doctor and be put on antibiotics. I think that’s a bit radical when most boils can be effectively cured at home. If, however, after you have tried to cure the boil yourself, but it doesn’t work, then go to your doctor immediately. Below are three natural cures you can try:

Turmeric—Turmeric taken internally can help dissolve and heal boils in as little as three days. It has anti-inflammatory and blood purifying effects on the body. Just take one teaspoon of turmeric powder in warm water three times a day or buy turmeric in capsule form and take at least 450 mg each day. You can also make a paste out of the turmeric powder and place it directly on the boil and cover it with gauze. Be careful as turmeric can stain your skin and your clothes. The stain on your skin will go away in about two weeks.

Tea Tree Oil—Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic that is able to help in the healing of all kinds of skin problems. All you have to do is apply one drop of tea tree oil directly on the boil each morning after bathing until it’s gone.

Castor Oil—Put some Castor oil on a cotton ball and place it on the boil. You will need to secure it with gauze or a band-aid. Castor oil will draw the poison right out of the boil and can heal it in as little as two days.

There are other remedies that I did not mention as I felt the three above were the best. Some other remedies are iodine, a paste made out of baking soda or you can take an epson salts bath.

Kathy Love
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/how-to-cure-your-boils-naturally-57924.html

The aging process of the skin is caused by known factors. Skin aging can in great extend be avoided by simple means and aging symptoms in the skin can also often be cured by the same measures. Here are some practical anti-aging measures for the skin presented:

PROTECTION AGAINST THE SUN

You should enjoy the sunshine with reason. Some daily exposure from sun-rays on the skin will not hurt. On the contrary, it will in fact do your skin good. The skin gets a better colour, and it gets somewhat thicker and more robust. Massive daily exposure, however, has a very disturbing influence on the skin, and will cause all types of skin problems: Wrinkles, brown spots, discolouring, very thin or very thick skin, dry skin and cancer. To keep your skin young and healthy in the long run, you must protect your skin when you are outside for longer times.

TAKING LECITHIN

You should take some supplement of lecithin or a product containing lecithin. Lecithin is a fatty substance. It is an important constituent of all body tissues. It consists of glycerol, fatty acids, cholin, ethanolamine, inositol and serine. The four latter constituents are working tools used in nerve signal transmission and in tissue regeneration. Lecithin is especially important for the function and regeneration of nerve tissue and the skin. Lecithin also has a cleansing effect upon the skin. It helps the sebaceous gland to produce cleansing secretions. Taking a daily dose of lecithin alone or a product containing lecithin will greatly help to keep the skin young and regenerate the skin from damage.

EATING FISH AND SEA-FOOD

A dish of fish or seafood at least every second day has proven to keep the skin in good condition and help the skin to avoid sun damage. You should include fat fish, since fat fish has an especially high content of vitamin A and D, important for the skin health.

USE OF PLANT-OILS UPON YOUR SKIN

Using a topical product containing certain types of plant oils or even using some of the pure oils upon the skin daily will make the skin smooth and ease regeneration from damage. Oils that have these effects are: Evening Primrose Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Borage Oil, Soy Oil, Wheat Germ Oil and Olive oil. Pure olive oil of good quality can be used alone upon the skin after the daily wash. The amount needed is very little. Use exactly as much that is needed to saturate the skin and make it smooth.

CONSUMING OLIVE OIL AND OTHER NATURAL OILS

Using olive oil in your dishes will help to keep your skin young, and help the skin to regenerate from damage and aging symptoms. Olive oil contains much mono-unsaturated acids and much of vitamin E. However, your skin will also need essential poly-unsaturated fatty acids. Therefore you should also consume some amount of other types of oils or supplements containing poly-unsaturated oils especially valuable for your skin. Other plant oils with fatty acids beneficial for your skin are: Evening Primrose Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Borage Oil, Soy Oil, and Wheat Germ Oil.

TAKING CONJUGATED LINOLAEIC ACID (CLA)

CLA is a fatty acid produced in the stomach of cows by bacteria, taken up into the cow’s blood-stream and secreted into the milk. This acid has shown to help the skin regenerate from damage and keep the skin in a juvenile state. Taking CLA as a supplement may help you get finer skin, and also help you to keep your weight at a wanted level. Fat milk and diary products also contain CLA and can improve your skin health. However, great amounts of fat diary products are not good for your heart and circulation.

THE DAILY CARE OF YOUR SKIN

The skin should be washed at least once every day with a mild soap or cleansing product. Men should shave during the wash or after the wash, depending upon the shaving method used. Then you should use some oil or cream to protect your skin and to make it smooth and elastic. Use a product containing natural oils with anti-aging properties. If you suffer from acne or other skin problems, the cleansing product and the protecting cream should contain ingredients to treat this problem.

Before exposing your skin to heavy sunshine for a longer time, you should also use some additional product with sun-shield. If you have used a product with sun-shield or make-up during the day, this should be washed away in the evening, and a new layer of protecting cream laid on.

More basic washing and care that that outlined here, is not necessary, and may in fact damage your skin. The same is true for heavy use of make-up.

DON’T SMOKE

Smoking has a very negative effect upon the skin in the long run, and will cause a lot of wrinkles.

Knut Holt
http://www.articlesbase.com/wellness-articles/how-to-keep-your-skin-young-and-healthy-61259.html

It may seem unbelievable but in my search for the secret to the best antiaging skincare product, I found my self traveling to many interesting and mysterious places. I visited the cool crisp mountains of the Swiss Alps, the hot, beautiful african jungles and the ancient, rich ungerground domains of some of the most secret Egyptian tombs. At the end of my search I was surprised with what I had learned and realised that I had learned far more than which antiaging skincare product to look for.

The Power of Tea

I discovered many things but one thing that kept coming up all around the world was the claim that a high quality green tea product was one answer to my search for an antiaging skincare product. Tea is an ancient drink that has been used for centuries and many of us know and love tea in various forms. Green Tea is considered by many to be a health food because it has so many benefits one of which is the properties that help with detoxification. Many claim that green tea helps with anti aging, helps protect against cancer, helps to prevent heart disease, gum disease, and even has been said to help with the weight loss battle as well.

Back To Antiaging Skincare Product

To get a little technical for a moment, we need to discuss what is in the tea that helps the antiaging process. Tea conatains polyphenols that do a significant amount of work. These polyphenols effectively fight against the signs of aging by keeping our bodies healthy inside. These are known as catechins. There are many different catechins in tea and it is these catechins that perform the bulk of the effects.

Why green tea?

Green tea has almost twenty times the amount of catechins in it that black tea has. Green tea elevates the antioxidant effects of your skin, cells and even blood by allowing it to fight the devastating aging that is caused constantly by the effect of oxygen on the body cells. This means that the higher the level of polyphenols in a product that you have working for you, the greater the anti aging effect on your skin. It may sound like an an unusual method in terms of your skin care routine, especially when we live in a world filled with expensive lotions and creams, but it is exciting to think that it is possible that, maybe, the best antiaging skin care product out there could be something you could just drink. Of course a really important point to remember is that while you are taking care of your skincare needs you will also be benefitting your body because the green tea will not only help your skin but all the cells of your body. It seems that it is becoming widely accepted that green teas actually do help us with our skin care and our search for having young looking skin.

Information Is The Best

As I searched for information on I realised that the search became almost as important, if not more important than the search for the ultimate antiaging skincare product. In my search around this varied world, I became amazed with the quantity of information that is available about the skin already and I came to realize that we should be using that information to our advantage first and leave the search for the ulitmate skin cream until last. While we must always take care of the surface of our skin, we must remember that it is a living organ and if we can have an effect at the cellular level where the skin is formed then we will be much more effective in our fight against antiaging. It may turn out that our best weapon to fight the signs of aging could just turn turn out to be education. Now that is a thought!

Louise Nova
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/searching-for-the-ultimate-antiaging-skincare-product-70506.html

Zinc is an important mineral, which is essential for protein synthesis and helps to regulate the production of cells in the body’s immune system. It is mainly found in the muscles. Zinc is also found in high concentrations in red and white blood cells, the retina of the eye, bones, skin, kidneys, liver, and pancreas. In men, the prostate gland and semen (zinc is one of its constituents) store high amounts of zinc.

More than 300 enzymes in the human body require zinc for normal functioning. It is believed that around 3000 out of the 100,000 proteins involved in human life contain zinc. Our body contains about 2-3g of zinc.

Many organs of the body secrete zinc, including the pancreas, the salivary gland, and the prostate gland. Immune cells also secrete zinc.

Benefits of zinc –

# Zinc is vital to many biological functions such as immune resistance, digestion, reproduction, physical growth, diabetes control, appetite, stress level, taste and smell.

# It helps maintain normal taste and sense of smell, aids in wound healing, promotes normal foetal growth and boosts immunity. By boosting the immune system, zinc also helps protect against fungal infections and various infectious disorders, such as conjunctivitis and pneumonia.

# Zinc functions as an antioxidant and is involved in many decisive biochemical reactions, including enzymatic function, carbohydrate metabolism and protein synthesis.

# It plays an important role as a component of many enzymes regulating cell growth, DNA and protein synthesis, energy metabolism, regulation of gene transcription, hormonal levels in the body etc.

# It is required for fighting skin problems such as acne, boils and sore throats.

# It is also used as an astringent and an antiseptic for skin protection.

# Zinc is especially important for the prostate gland in males, and protects it from early damage that could lead to cancer.

# Zinc also promotes normal growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence (sexual development).

What foods are rich sources of zinc?

High-protein foods contain high amounts of zinc. Good food sources for vegetarian people include dairy products (milk, curd, yoghurt), beans and lentils, peanuts, peanut butter, seeds, fortified breakfast cereals, and wholegrain cereals. Pumpkin seeds are considered to be one of the most concentrated vegetarian dietary sources of zinc.

Dietary fibre (phytates, found in cereals, legumes) can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb zinc. Zinc is best absorbed by the body when taken with a meal that contains protein.

Red meat and poultry also provide good sources of zinc. Zinc absorption is greater from a diet high in animal protein than a diet rich in plant proteins. Thus, fruits and vegetables are not good sources of zinc.

Cooking helps reduce the adverse effects of both phytic acid and dietary fibre on zinc absorption.

Is excess zinc harmful?

Too much zinc can be harmful to the human body. Excessive absorption of zinc into the human body can lead to reduced iron function, and damage the immune system. The major adverse outcome of long-term consumption of excessive zinc is copper deficiency, along with stomachache, nausea, mouth irritation, and a bad taste.

Deficiency of zinc -

Zinc deficiency most often occurs when intake of zinc is inadequate or there is poor absorption by the body, or when there is increased excretion of zinc from the body, or when the body’s requirement for zinc increases.

Zinc is excreted through the faeces, urine, hair, skin, sweat, semen and during menstruation. Liver and pancreatic disorders, chronic alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, and absorption disorders lead to zinc deficiency.

Men should always make sure of sufficient quantity of zinc in their diets, since the health of their prostate gland is linked to zinc. Zinc is needed to manufacture testosterone and a shortage may induce a low sperm count, loss of libido.

Signs of zinc deficiency:

Symptoms of zinc deficiency include hair loss, skin eruptions, diarrohea, degradation of body tissues, and, eventually death also.

Since a person’s vision, taste, smell and memory are all connected with proper levels of zinc in the body – a deficiency in zinc causes faulty working of these organs. Deficiency of zinc may lead to poor night vision, falling hair, white spots under fingernails, skin problems, sleep disturbances, reduced wound-healing, decreased appetite, a decrease in the sense of taste and smell, a reduced ability to fight infections, and poor development of reproductive organs.

Zinc deficiency can also lead to immune system dysfunction and stunted growth, impaired male fertility along with hormonal disbalance. Women may experience irregular menstrual periods, while males may have slow sexual maturity.

Zinc deficiency is common in people infected with the HIV virus or suffering from AIDS.

Zinc levels are also low in people with diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes.

People with anorexia and bulimia are often deficient in zinc.

Children with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) tend to have lower blood zinc levels.

Dosage -

Normal intake of zinc of approximately 12-15 mg per day, is adequate to prevent deficiencies. Males require higher amounts of zinc as compared to females. However, normal daily-recommended intakes are different for different individuals such as –

# Adult and teenage males – 9 to 12 mg/day

# Adult and teenage females – 9 mg/day

# Pregnant females: 15 mg/day

# Lactating mothers: 15 mg/day

Candy Willims
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/zinc-zinc-deficiency-symptoms-and-health-benefits-of-zinc-107085.html

Over time we have all heard about the dangers of being out in the sun too long. You can get bad sunburns and possibly develop skin cancer from overexposure. Although many people now hit the tanning beds instead of lying out in the sun, we are now finding out that there are tanning bed health risks too due to the UV radiation. So now people are having to ask themselves whether the tanning is worth the risk.

What Kind Of Tanning Bed Health Risks Are There?

Getting a sunburn is something that everyone experiences at some point. You can get them both in the tanning bed and out in the sun. Tanning bed health risks for sunburn are not as high, though, as they are for being outdoors. The sunburn is a result of the short-wave ultraviolet rays or UVB rays. These UVB rays are at the perfect frequency to burn the skin. A tanning bed combines UVB rays and UVA rays in a good balance so that you aren’t being burned as much. The UVA rays are safe because they force the pigment cells to move closer to the surface of your skin so that you can tan. Unfortunately, by bringing the cells to the surface, they have greater exposure to the UVB rays which can burn the skin and over time create the tanning bed health risk of cancer.

Depending on your skin type, you may or may not get sunburned in the tanning bed. This means that the level of tanning bed health risks can vary from person to person. The tanning bed is set to provide a specified amount of UVA and UVB rays. Usually this means it is based on the average person’s pigmentation. But since so few people are at the exact average, tanning will equal burning for most. Since you are controlling the UVB rays in the tanning bed, the tanning bed health risks for sunburn are less than lying out in the sun.

So tanning bed health risks basically consist of burning your skin and possibly developing skin cancer over time. But of course, just because it is a risk, that doesn’t mean that it will certainly happen. Most things that you do excessively end up putting you at a health risk. So, by controlling the amount that you tan, your tanning bed health risks decrease. There are definitely benefits to tanning, like causing you to feel refreshed and less stressed. So, make sure that if you choose to tan, you don’t do it in excess. For more information on tanning and buying tanning products, search online. Everything you need is right at your fingertips.

Dr. April Davall
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/a-look-at-the-tanning-bed-health-risks-85220.html

Vitamin D or Cholecalciferol is an important fat soluble vitamin that can help lower your risk of osteoporosis and colorectal cancer. While you can get this vitamin from some foods the best way to get it is by getting out in the sun! your body can actually make this vitamin on its own with exposure to sunlight. Now this doesn’t mean that you should go bake in the sun because then you increase your risk of skin cancer. Just 10 or 15 minutes of exposure (without any sunscreen) to sunlight a day can be enough to get your body to make this vital vitamin.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which means that the body can store it up and draw on those stores later on if need be. This also means, that you can get too much of it and this can cause problems such as kidney stones, over calcification of bones and teeth, and may cause calcium deposits which can harden arteries.

This vitamin plays a vital role your body and helps it absorb calcium which, as we all know, keep your bones strong. Therefore, getting enough Vitamin D is an important way to ward off osteoporosis as well as joint damage. This vitamin is said to help control back pain and the effects of arthritis. Your body also needs this vitamin to absorb phosphorus.

Recent studies are showing that Vitamin D can be an effective way to protect yourself against colorectal cancer as well as some types of auto immune diseases. Studies are still in the early stage but show promise for this important vitamin.

Getting Enough Vitamin D

The RDA or recommended daily intake of vitamin D for adults is 200 to 400 international units (IU) per day. if you are 50 to 70 years old you want to be at the high end and take 400 IU. individuals over 70 should get 600 IU each day.

These days most milk is fortified with Vitamin D and this is a great source because you will be getting calcium along with your vitamin D and since this important vitamin helps your body absorb calcium it’s a match made in heaven. Other sources include foods that are high in omega-3 fatty acids like tuna, salmon, mackerel and sardines as well as organ meats, egg yolks, butter and dairy products that have full fat. If you don’t eat enough of these foods, you might consider taking cod liver oil.

Vitamin D Deficiency

Most people have heard of rickets but probably think that this disease is from olden times and doesn’t happen anymore. Unfortunately it’s beginning to show up again and children that do not get enough vitamin D. Symptoms of this disease include soft bones and abnormally developed bones. babies that don’t get enough vitamin D may have a condition where bones don’t harden. The results of these diseases is stunted growth, bowed legs and bone pain.

In older adults of vitamin D deficiency can cause osteoporosis which weakens your bones. it’s important to note that vitamin D is absorbed in the small intestine so any diseases that affect staff such as problems with the gallbladder, intestines, liver or pancreas can block the absorption and lead to deficiencies.

Lee Dobbins
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/fight-colorectal-cancer-and-osteoporosis-with-vitamin-d-72730.html