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Health Guide
Compiled by Shanika Sriyananda

36 per cent pre-school children have deficiency in blood levels. :

Breast feeding, a solution

by Dr. Chandrani L. Piyasena, Head, Department of Nutrition, Medical Research Institute

At least 40 million pre-school children are vitamin A deficient, out of which 13 million already suffer from some eye ailment or other. Two-thirds of vitamin A deficient children are in South East Asia. In Sri Lanka 36 per cent of pre-school children indicate deficiency in blood levels.

It was shown that improving the vitamin A status of young children in deficient populations leads to a reduction in mortality of about 23 per cent . Improved vitamin A nutrition would be expected to prevent upto 2.5 million deaths annually, among children less than 5 year old.

Breast milk is the best source of vitamin A for the new born. Both colostrum and mature milk contain vitamin A which is found pre-formed in animal foods (especially liver and the milk). Vitamin A precursors found primarily in plant products (generally leafy green vegetables, yellow and red fruits and vegetables, and red palm oil), can be converted into vitamin A in a proportion of an estimated 6:1. Vitamin A intake is often inadequate because of the early abandonment of breast feeding, and the practice of not giving vitamin A -rich food to young ones.

Improper processing and storage also destroys vitamin A because it decomposes in light. Vitamin A absorption may also be impaired where the diet is very low in fat or where intestinal parasites are prevalent.

When the diet is inadequate in vitamin A, there is progression of subclinical changes - denoted first by reduction of stores followed by a fall of serum retinol and changes of structure of epithelial cells (metaplasia). With increasing deficiency the signs become clinical. Ocular signs range from night blindness through conjunctival xerosis (dry eye), Bitot's spots to corneal xerosis and finally, softening and melting of the cornea (Keratomalacia).

Vitamin A requirements

The numbers in the box indicate approximately the amount of vitamin A that should be taken on an average daily basis to maintain a healthy life.

The precursors of vitamin A, (carotene and other carotenoids,) are contained in green leafy vegetables, in yellow orange vegetables and fruits.

Pre-formed vitamin A is found only in foods from animal origin.

The following table gives vitamin A activity of some foods.

Table 1: Vitamin A activity in foods:

Mango, papaya, dark green leafy vegetables, carrots, sweet potatoes, red palm oil, milk, eggs, butter, liver, cod liver oil.

Prevention of Vitamin A deficiency

Good breast feeding practices ensure that an infant is adequately provided with vitamin A. Promote regular breast feeding and the use of colostrum.

Promote vitamin A rich weaning foods and the continuation of breast feeding from the age of 5 months to 24 months if possible.

Promote diet high in vitamin A rich foods for pregnant and lactating mothers.

Every meal should include foods from the five food groups to meet all dietary requirements.

Preparation of food - Cooked green vegetables for short time to soften food and make the beta-carotene more available, but prolonged cooking may destroy or modify the beta-carotene, preventing it from forming vitamin A.

Grinding or chopping green leaves into small particles (for mallun) help to maximise the availability of carotene. Mixing the food with other foods such as tomatoes might reduce the oxidation of carotene while cooking and food preparation.

A small amount of oil or fat is known to be necessary for better absorption of beta-carotene.

The coconut scrapings or coconut milk contains fat and when used in cooking, facilitate vitamin A absorption.

Fish good for the brain

Eating fish at least once a week is good for the brain, slowing age-related mental decline by the equivalent of three to four years, a study suggests.

The research adds to the growing evidence that a fish-rich diet helps keep the mind sharp. Previous studies found that people who ate fish lowered their risk of Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Fish such as salmon and tuna that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids also have been shown to prevent heart disease.

For the new study, researchers measured how well 3,718 people did on simple tests, such as recalling details of a story. The participants, all Chicago residents 65 and older, took the tests three times over six years. They also filled out a questionnaire about what they ate that included 139 foods.

"We found that people who ate one fish meal a week had a 10 percent slower annual decline in thinking," said co-author Martha Clare Morris, an epidemiologist at Rush University Medical Center. "Those who ate two fish meals a week showed a 13 percent slower annual decline."

The researchers looked for, but failed to find, a link between omega-3 fatty acids and protection from brain decline. Previous studies found such a link.

Morris said it is possible that something else about eating fish worked to keep people's minds sharp. Or the food questionnaire might have been too broad to allow researchers to estimate omega-3 intakes accurately, said Dr. Pascale Barberger-Gateau, who does similar research at the University of Bordeaux in France but was not involved in the current study.

In the questionnaire, "only four seafood items were included, which did not allow this distinction," Barberger-Gateau said in an e-mail.

The questionnaire included four broad seafood categories: tuna fish sandwich; fish sticks/fish cakes/fish sandwich; fresh fish as a main dish; and shrimp/lobster/crab.

Testing participants' blood for omega-3 fatty acids would have given a more definitive measure, said Dr. William E. Connor of the Clinical Nutrition Department of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. He was not involved in the study. (AP)

Sea water 'excites' cuts, scrapes

Minor cuts and scrapes contaminated with sea water can lead to vibrio infections causing serious illness, amputations, and even death, researchers reported in USA. In a CDC study of 3,344 Vibrio infections reported between January 1997 and June 2004, 813 (24%) resulted from infected wounds. Of those, more than half of the patients required hospitalisation and 77 (9.5%) died, according to Amy Dechet, M.D., a CDC field epidemiologist.

Most Vibrio infections in the U.S. are associated with eating raw or undercooked seafood, but of those studied, more than two-thirds of patients were infected while participating in recreational activities, such as boating, surfing, swimming, or walking on the beach, Dr. Dechet said.

In the CDC study, the strain V. vulnificus accounted for 39% of the infections and caused 87% of the wound-associated deaths. Of those infected with V. vulnificus, 24% died and 27% required amputation. Dr. Dechet speculated that the high rate of morbidity and mortality associated with the organism was due to its virulence and individuals' delay in seeking treatment because cuts initially resemble more minor infections.

The other commonly detected strains in the study were V. alginolyticus (27%) and V. parahemolyticus (17%). In particular, surfers in California presented with ear infections due to V. alginolyticus.

Treatment recommendations include washing wounds with soap and lots of fresh water. If a wound does appear to worsen, "prompt and aggressive medical care should be sought," Dr. Dechet said.

Typical presenting symptoms were cellulitis and increased warmth or redness and pain at the site of the wound, one to three days after exposure.

"It is important that physicians consider Vibrio as a source of infections," she emphasised. Delaying treatment for more than two days after the onset of symptoms increased the risk of death. Because contact with salty or brackish water was necessary for infection with Vibrio, Dr. Dechet advised physicians to check about a patient's recent travel and recreational history when someone presents with infected cuts.

People with liver diseases or weakened immune systems and the elderly are at particular risk for Vibrio infections, and those risk factors correlated with increased severity of infection. However, 43% of those infected in the CDC study had no pre-existing medical condition, Dr. Dechet said.

Although the majority of the infections in the study were the result of contact with warm Gulf Coast waters, infections occurred after visits to both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Unlike the Vibrio strain that causes cholera (Vibrio cholerae), the bacteria associated with these infections do not appear to be contagious, Dr. Dechet said.

If patients come in with infected skin wounds, consider asking about exposure to ocean or brackish water.

If infection is due to Vibrio, treat patients promptly and aggressively.

Recommend that patients in the high-risk groups avoid contact with brackish water or be diligent about pursuing medical care rapidly if they do get cut under such circumstances.

courtesy : MedPage Today

Holistic healing : Common skin ailments

by Dr. Danister L. Perera

Skin is the organ of beauty. Everybody likes to have a healthy skin. Therefore enough attention should be paid in caring your skin. Sometimes lack of understanding about common skin ailments people make worsen the conditions due to improper treatment.

Commonest skin ailment is pigmentation of the skin, which can occur due to a variety of causes. The most common state of pigmentation is the darkening of the forehead, cheeks and chin, known as chloasma. Chlosama most often occurs in women during pregnancy or among those who take birth control pills or, at the early stages of menopause. It may sometimes, also affect men.

The second type of pigmentation is freckling, a problem which is inherited. It is more commonly seen in fair individuals, particularly among those with red hair and blue eyes- so it is common in the European and American countries. Both chloasma and freckling can be treated successfully with ayurvedic herbal medications.

The third type of pigmentation is the darkening seen under the eyes due to late night work, stress, anaemic, deficiency of Vit. E., which is due to excessive Vata. Vata has the capability to change the normal colour of the skin to darker shades. Oleation with natural herbal oil application specially made from Kesar will help in pacifying Vata and at the same time help bring back the natural glow of the skin.

Digestive formulary having Hingu are very helpful for releasing the toxins formed by imbalanced Vata from the alimentary tract. Panchakarma treatment such as Sirodhara or Sirovasti will help the stress and insomnia problems indirectly helping the body to recoup from imbalance state of doshas.

Boil is a common skin lesion due to hot and humid environment. Boils form over the skin involving the blood capillaries and the underlying nerve ends. Hence, they could be very painful and if they do appear in crops, it will be accompanied by fever. Some people have easy tendency to develop boils.

Ayurveda understands this disease to be over accumulation of Pitta in the skin along with aggravation of Kapha and Vata dosha. Infection leads to pus formation. It is better to take herbal medicines from the ancient Ayurvedic treasure house rather than go for "antibiotics".

Ayurvedic herbs such as rasakinda (anti-bilious) Kaha, Iramusu (blood purifying) Kihiri (infections) etc are used in ayurvedic formulations and powders to be applied as paste for local relief for inflammations as well as internal application to pacify the aggravated Pitta. Neem oil is very effective in preventing infections in boils and also prevents spreading to local areas through contamination with pus. Patients are also advised to take less oily, fried, processed foods, salt and too much sugar.

If somebody has been getting crops of boils repeatedly, it is better to get blood sugar tested as your boil may well be a sign of diabetes. Several species of fungi, attack the human skin in a variety of ways.

Ringworm is one type of fungi causing ring shaped infections on the skin, which produces irritation and itching. The groin is the site most commonly affected.

In women the waist, is frequently involved. In children, ringworms can cause baldness of the scalp and this problem is quite contagious. On the feet, this fungi cause athlete's foot. There is scaling, itching and laceration in between the toes. Fungi can also affect the nails.

Another type of fungus causes light coloured spots on the skin which is called pityriasis versicolour. It is better to treat them by herbal medications than synthetic and chemical oriented ointments.

Ayurveda offers excellent ointments, oils and herbs with mineral formulations which help increase the immunity and treats the root cause for chronic fungal infections. Medicines include herbs such as Walangasal, Kela, Maduruthala, Kampillaka etc. These herbs are excellent Krumighana or worm-destroying. Patients are also advised to eat boiled fresh vegetables and less spicy, oily, vegetarian diet. Avoid stressful conditions and sleep well.

A wart is a very common problem. At any one point, 10% of the population will have a wart or two on their bodies.

Some times the warts will be very inconvenient, or particularly embarrassing or painful, which spread rapidly. Warts on the feet tend to be painful because they get trodden on. Ayurvedic medication is safe and effective for the treatment of warts. A simple home remedy involves the application of a piece of onion over the wart and tie with a cotton bandage overnight.

Repeat this procedure for a couple of days to get rid of the wart. Cold sores occur most commonly on the lips, though they can develop on any other parts of the body. They are the result of a virus herpes simplex. In adults this virus, sometimes, also affects the genitalia. This type of infection is spread by sexual intercourse and forms one of the many sexually transmitted diseases.

The virus of cold sores generally lies dormant in the body, but can be activated by colds, fevers, stressful conditions, emotional upheavals or any serious illness. It is best to avoid intimate contact with an individual who is having an attack of herpes. Doshic imbalances involve Vata and Kapha.

Avoid all types of dry, cold, fermented, heavy, spicy food. Avoid all processed food from the market. Eat boiled vegetables and fruits as much as possible. Eat freshly cooked warm food. Ayurvedic formulation for cold sore included metallic prepared formulation, which works on Vata to pacify the pain.

Few diseases carry so much social stigma as scabies. Most people openly express resentment when they are told that their itching is due to scabies. Actually any body can get scabies of any social status. It is a highly contagious disease.

Scabies is passed on from one person to another through intimate contact, infected bedding and cloths or by sharing a bed. The itching is more severe at night.

Soon a rash appears on the body, the rash cannot be seen on the face but is most prominent on the hands, the waist, and the abdomen and on the genitalia. Dosha involvement in scabies or Kachchu roga is Kapha dominant, leading to excessive itching.

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