Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label Health

Blood sugar chaos

By Noralyn Dudt SUGAR—we all love the sweet white stuff: in our coffee and other beverages, in cakes and cookies, even in spaghetti sauce.  While the body uses sugar for energy, excessive amounts can be damaging.  As sugar travels through your bloodstream to your cells, it's called blood glucose, also known as blood sugar. The term glucose is derived from the Greek for sweet. blood glucose is crucial for bodily functions  and provides a source of energy for most cells. However, maintaining normal blood glucose levels is an important part of avoiding long-term health issues, managing weight and supporting overall well-being. An unbalanced sugar intake can start a cycle of blood sugar imbalance. An "enseymada"  (sweet roll) in the morning breaks down into glucose, spiking blood sugar levels. The pancreas releases insulin which drops blood sugar levels. A rapid rise and rapid drop in blood sugar levels can cause fatigue, and signal the release of cortisol, a stress horm

The body’s second line of defense

By Noralyn Dudt THE LYMPHATIC SYSTEM,   a vital part of the immune system is a network of organs, vessels and tissues that work together to move a colorless, watery fluid (lymph) back into the circulatory system ( the bloodstream). After the skin, the LS is the second line of defense against foreign invaders such as viruses and bacteria. Not only it   blocks bacteria from entering the body, it can also remove those harmful ones that evaded the blocking. In addition, the LS removes excess fluids from the body and reduces swelling/inflammation. When the lymphatic system cannot sufficiently drain the lymph fluid,   swelling occurs, most often in the arms and legs. The protein molecules that are not filtered out start to accumulate underneath the skin. This is the earliest sign of lymphedema. The symptoms develop slowly. In fact the apparent symptom of swelling will not be present yet. Even though the limb looks presumably normal on the outside, the extra water will pull into the a

The Gut’s Microbiome

(Sequel to “The gut and brain link”) By Noralyn O. Dudt MICROBIOME of the Gut is the newest frontier in Medicine as extensive research has "uncovered" its role in both health and disease, establishing its involvement in human metabolism, nutrition, physiology, and immune function. Whether you're aware or not, your gut (lower intestines) is home to a colony of microbes. These human digestive-tract associated microbes are referred to as the gut microbiome. Your gut microbiome is a microscopic world within the world of your larger body. The trillions of microorganisms that live there affect each other and their environment   in various ways. They also appear to influence many aspects of your overall health,   both within your digestive system and outside of it. Each individual has a his/her own   "colony" of these microbes. We are born with them, and the colony develops as we grow. The colony's development depends on the food you eat, and the lifestyle yo

The gut and brain link

That queasy feeling,   butterflies in the stomach, a lump in the throat which we all have experienced   at one time or another. Studies have shown that these gut reactions are responses to our psychosocial environment and circumstances -- travel, school examinations,   public speaking,   dietary indiscretions are familiar provocations. We often respond to strong emotions or changes in circumstances with such digestive symptoms as nausea, heartburn,   abdominal discomfort, or altered bowel habit. But why the gut ? And how does the brain factor in all of these? The Enteric Nervous System   (ENS) and its neurotransmitters influenced by hormones play a role in this process because the gut and the brain are linked. Gut is an old Anglo-Saxon word that applies to the passage from the mouth to the anus. The word intestine, like many Franco-English words, may appeal to the sensitive, but it excludes the stomach and the esophagus. Bowel and intestine refer only to the lower gut. The digestive,

Sitting is the new smoking

OUR ADDICTION to our chairs and sofas isn't just hurting us, it's literally killing us. The problem is so profound that it has spawned the meme, "sitting is the new smoking." It's a meme that the National Institutes of Health does not recommend as it promulgates direct comparisons of the health consequences of sitting and smoking. But  the threat of prolonged sitting  to our health and survival does exist and  the more so because it's able to hide in plain sight. Sitting passively on the chair or on the sofa is assumed to be our normal resting position and until results of  these research studies came out, we were in the dark about the harmful health consequences of our "addiction." A great number of research studies by Mayo Clinic, Harvard Health and other prestigious research centers has linked prolonged sitting or other sedentary behavior to diabetes, poor heart health, weight gain, depression, dementia, and multiple cancers. These studies sho

Cutting-edge technology that avoids the ‘cut’

By Noralyn O. Dudt About 18 years ago, I went through a medical procedure known as endoscopy. It's a procedure that enables a gastroenterologist to look into the inside of the stomach without making an incision using   a medical device called endoscope. Endoscopy is derived   from the Greek words "endon", which   means 'in or within'   and scope which means to 'see'. An endoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing and is inserted into the body through the mouth. The tiny video camera on its tip enables doctors to view the internal parts of the stomach and the esophagus. As I was burping more than the normal, the gastroenterologist wanted to check   if my sphincter had   become loose. A sphincter is a ring of muscle at the junction of the esophagus and the stomach whose function is to prevent reflux of food and acid from the stomach into the esophagus.   If the sphincter does not close properly, food and liquid can move b

Coronavirus Variants and Boosters

By Noralyn Dudt About three weeks ago on Dec. 15 th , 2022, I lost my bragging rights on board the Viking Jupiter along the coast of Puerto Montt in Chile. That was my 15 th day on the cruise and I tested positive for the coronavirus, finally.   I was asymptomatic (no symptoms) so, of course it came as a surprise. I would have never known had it not for   the Viking protocol to conduct PCR tests on   all 900 passengers and 400 crew members every morning. For two years I have been sort of bragging with "humility"   that the corona would never be able to get past my immune system. I have been healthy, didn't have underlying conditions and best of all I have had the two doses of the mRNA   vaccines plus the three boosters for the variants. Additionally, I have been wearing a mask in crowded and closed-in places. I was very sure that I was forever shielded from the virus and why shouldn't I have been entitled to some bragging rights? Those bragging   rights I lost, bu

The weighty issue of weight loss

By Noralyn Dudt For centuries , obesity has been viewed as a character flaw. Despite decades of research into the genetic and biological influences on body weight, people with obesity continue to be stigmatized,   more so than those with other chronic disease, as if their weight were their fault. In the latest issue of the European Journal of   Clinical Nutrition, researchers, clinicians and public health experts discussed and argued that overeating is not the primary cause of obesity. Looking at clinical trials and previous research,   they   came to the conclusion that the "process of gaining weight causes us to overeat." The usual way of understanding obesity is simple : if one consumes more calories than needed to fuel oneself, the surplus is deposited into body fat resulting in weight gain. Because, according to this approach, all calories are alike to the body   and the only way to lose weight   is to eat fewer of them, or burn them   off with exercise. For a ce

BA.5 Variant

By Noralyn Onto Dudt Ooh... la... la ! The masks are off, the planes are full, restaurants and resorts are packed. The world is humming again. And BA.5 comes marching in, spoiling a bit of fun and dashing the hopes of millions. The latest Omicron offshoot called the BA.5 variant is now making its rounds and risk of infection is growing, signaling the world that the coronavirus is still around. The arrival of subvariant BA.5 should be a reminder that the finish line in this race is nowhere to be seen. As of now, BA.5 and a closely related variant, BA.4, account for about 70% of all infections in the United States according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC). The rapid spread of the BA.5 omicron subvariant is a window into what the future with this coronavirus looks like. We've seen this pattern before. The original omicron variant was more contagious than the delta variant before it became quickly dominant last winter. After a brief lull, that strain was

Genetics, environment, and life habits

By Noralyn Onto Dudt The advent of Molecular Biology and the Human Genome Project has dramatically increased our understanding of the mechanisms of human disease. As the underlying molecular causes for many diseases have been elucidated, it is now clear that the mechanism of a disease is influenced by genetics, environment, and life habits. For example, even though the causes of Parkinson disease are still a mystery, it is believed that about 15% of people may have a genetic mutation that puts them at risk. Head injuries or exposure to certain environmental toxins may play a role as well. Similarly, research studies indicate that 15 to 20 % of those with AMD ( age-related macular degeneration) have at least one first-degree relative ( like a sibling or parent) who suffers from it. Another example is when   people may pick up a virus or a bacteria but only a few of them   may contract a certain disease. Research shows that genetics play a role: some genes are switched off in so

In search of a Universal Vaccine

By Noralyn Dudt Now that a big chunk of the world population has had at least two doses of the coronavirus vaccine, scientists are focused   on designing a vaccine that is broadly protective and would last a long time. A tetanus-like shot is now the goal. The tetanus vaccine that my physician jabs into my arm every 10 years was designed to last 10 years. And now it's a scientist's dream to develop a vaccine for the Coronavirus that would last 10 years. The National Institutes of Health having taken that into account, awarded US$36 million to scientific teams last fall who were trying to answer basic questions that would lead to a breakthrough.   At a minimum, the world needs a truly variant-proof vaccines. Even better would be a vaccine that would stop a future pandemic—protection against a yet-unknown coronavirus. The first versions of coronavirus vaccines were powerful. From the virus that emerged in 2019, spiky proteins were taken from their surface and were tweaked to

The pandemic's last act

  By Noralyn O. Dudt THE OMICRON, we would like to think with a modicum of hope,   is the   pandemic's last act . As Omicron has behaved so brazenly chasing as many victims as it could, but not as potent as the Delta had been, the pandemic   ending is no longer a question of how but when.   So many cases of infections—serious and not too serious—have brought people to the hospitals that the light we thought we saw at the end of the tunnel suddenly looked dimmer.   However, these large numbers of infections had provided a "layer of immunity" to huge swathes of the world and may be moving us closer to an endemic stage as the virus is maxing out in its ability to make such big evolutionary jumps. For the first time since the spread of COVID-19 stunned the world in early 2020, many   epidemiologists are now willing to entertain the prospect that the virus might be making steps toward endemic status—the stage when COVID-19 is comparable to seasonal illnesses like the c

New generations of vaccines

By Noralyn Onto Dudt The END of the pandemic is not yet upon us, and with variants making their rounds, it looks like it may never end.   However,   as   the latest research holds promise and has the scientific community looking up, we can greet the New Year in good spirits. The COVID-19 emergency has unleashed an unprecedented surge of innovation and collaboration in research. Just as the virus started spreading   around the globe about two years ago,   scientists around the world   became more adept at rapid response,   sharing genetic sequences and clinical data at the speed of light, enabling more discovery. Although the first wave of vaccines showed their   limitations, they have performed magnificently. Millions and millions of the world population are fully vaccinated, and an enormous amount of suffering and death has been averted. However, vaccine efficacy does wane, facilitating the need for boosters as one   variant after another threatens to upend any progress that has

The Omicron

By Noralyn Onto Dudt OMICRON, the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet has been drafted   by the World Health Organization as the name for the new COVID-19 variant, technically known as the B.1.1.529 variant. The Omicron variant is a reminder of what scientists and medical experts have been saying for months: COVID-19 will thrive as long as vast numbers of the global population are not vaccinated. Scientists say that Omicron is the weirdest creature they have ever encountered with 30 unruly swarm of mutations scattered on three major prongs of the spike protein that is essential to the virus ability to infect cells,   a first of its kind with so many mutations gathered in "one package." Even though some of these mutations are recognizable,   many of them are new and utterly enigmatic. That said, scientists do not want to get ahead of the facts: no one knows exactly yet how this variant behaves in real-world situations. However, should they find a high degree of immune-evas