Thursday, July 30, 2015

What One Can of Coke Does to Your Body in Only One Hour

What One Can of Coke Does to Your Body in Only One Hour

It’s pretty eye opening. (Photo: Getty Images)
“Soda is a health food!” said no one, ever (well, in the past 20 years, at least). So it hardly comes as a surprise that drinking soda can have a negative impact on your body.

But while most of us know soda isn’t good for us, we also don’t know exactly what happens to our bodies once we drink it. A detailed new infographic from TheRenegadePharmacist.com breaks it down, step by step — and it’s not pretty.
image
image
Here’s what happens after you drink a Coke:
In the first 10 minutes: Ten teaspoons of sugar (100 percent of your recommended daily intake) hits your system.

In 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes and causes a burst of insulin. Your liver responds by turning the sugar it comes into contact with into fat.

In 40 minutes: Your body has absorbed the soda’s caffeine. Your pupils may dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your liver “dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.” The adenosine receptors in your brain are blocked to prevent you from feeling drowsy.
image
In 45 minutes: Your body increases production of the pleasure neurotransmitter dopamine.

In 60 minutes: The soda’s phosphoric acid binds with calcium, magnesium, and zinc in your lower intestine to give you a further boost in metabolism. This is intensified by the high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners that also cause you to urinate out calcium.

After 60 minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic effect makes you have to pee. When you do, you’ll pass on the bonded calcium, magnesium, and zinc that were headed to your bones, as well as sodium, electrolytes, and water.

Then a sugar crash begins, and you may become irritable and sluggish. You’ve now urinated out all of the water that was in the Coke, along with the nutrients that the phosphoric acid bonded to in your body that would have hydrated you or gone on to build strong bones and teeth.

Registered dietitian-nutritionist Karen Ansel, co-author of The Calendar Diet: A Month by Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life, tells Yahoo Health that the infographic highlights some of the concerns with drinking soda on a regular basis. But, she adds, some of the effects of caffeine from soda listed in the infographic “are a bit of an exaggeration” unless a person is sensitive to caffeine — especially since a can of soda typically contains less than a fifth of what you’d get from a 12 ounce Starbucks coffee.
“However, cola has been shown to weaken bones and teeth, so it is on target there,” she says.

But Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, tells 
Yahoo Health that the impact of soda on your bones and teeth is tied more to regularly drinking the fizzy stuff. “Studies show that calcium excretion affects bone health over time,” she says. “It’s not just, ‘OK, I’m going to have a Coke, and I hope I don’t break my leg.”


Nearly 25 percent of Americans drink soda on a regular basis, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and both experts say that’s a problem.

It’s mainly due to all of the sugar: A can of soda can contain 3 tablespoons of sugar, and a 12-ounce bottle of the drink has more than 4 tablespoons.

“When you drink soda, its sugar literally floods your system, quickly raising blood sugar levels,” Ansel says. That’s problematic because your body needs to kick into overdrive to try to convert all of that sugar into energy — and the excess is stored in your body as fat.

Soda also contributes to weight gain because our brains don’t feel full from the liquid calories the same way they do after we eat solid foods, says Ansel. 

As a result, it’s easy to drink a lot of empty calories without realizing it.
But drinking soda doesn’t just impact your waistline. A 2013 study that was published in the journal Diabetologia found that study participants who drank one 12-ounce soda a day were at a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Another study, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention in 2010, found that regular soda drinkers (those who had two or more sodas a week) were 87 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.

Ansel says having a soda on rare occasions isn’t a huge deal, but she recommends having as little as possible by filling your cup with ice first or pouring it into a small glass, rather than drinking straight from the bottle or can.

Adds Kirkpatrick: “Should you worry if you’re the healthiest person in the world and you have one can of Coke on vacation? Not really. Just don’t do it on a regular basis.”

Let’s keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Health on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest
In the first 10 minutes: Ten teaspoons of sugar (100 percent of your recommended daily intake) hits your system.
In 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes and causes a burst of insulin. Your liver responds by turning the sugar it comes into contact with into fat.
In 40 minutes: Your body has absorbed the soda’s caffeine. Your pupils may dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your liver “dumps more sugar into your bloodstream.” The adenosine receptors in your brain are blocked to prevent you from feeling drowsy.
image
In 45 minutes: Your body increases production of the pleasure neurotransmitter dopamine.
In 60 minutes: The soda’s phosphoric acid binds with calcium, magnesium, and zinc in your lower intestine to give you a further boost in metabolism. This is intensified by the high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners that also cause you to urinate out calcium.
After 60 minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic effect makes you have to pee. When you do, you’ll pass on the bonded calcium, magnesium, and zinc that were headed to your bones, as well as sodium, electrolytes, and water.
Then a sugar crash begins, and you may become irritable and sluggish. You’ve now urinated out all of the water that was in the Coke, along with the nutrients that the phosphoric acid bonded to in your body that would have hydrated you or gone on to build strong bones and teeth.
Registered dietitian-nutritionist Karen Ansel, co-author of The Calendar Diet: A Month by Month Guide to Losing Weight While Living Your Life, tells Yahoo Health that the infographic highlights some of the concerns with drinking soda on a regular basis. But, she adds, some of the effects of caffeine from soda listed in the infographic “are a bit of an exaggeration” unless a person is sensitive to caffeine — especially since a can of soda typically contains less than a fifth of what you’d get from a 12 ounce Starbucks coffee.
“However, cola has been shown to weaken bones and teeth, so it is on target there,” she says.
But Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, tells Yahoo Health that the impact of soda on your bones and teeth is tied more to regularly drinking the fizzy stuff. “Studies show that calcium excretion affects bone health over time,” she says. “It’s not just, ‘OK, I’m going to have a Coke, and I hope I don’t break my leg.”
Nearly 25 percent of Americans drink soda on a regular basis, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and both experts say that’s a problem.
It’s mainly due to all of the sugar: A can of soda can contain 3 tablespoons of sugar, and a 12-ounce bottle of the drink has more than 4 tablespoons.
“When you drink soda, its sugar literally floods your system, quickly raising blood sugar levels,” Ansel says. That’s problematic because your body needs to kick into overdrive to try to convert all of that sugar into energy — and the excess is stored in your body as fat.
Soda also contributes to weight gain because our brains don’t feel full from the liquid calories the same way they do after we eat solid foods, says Ansel. As a result, it’s easy to drink a lot of empty calories without realizing it.
But drinking soda doesn’t just impact your waistline. A 2013 study that was published in the journal Diabetologia found that study participants who drank one 12-ounce soda a day were at a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Another study, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention in 2010, found that regular soda drinkers (those who had two or more sodas a week) were 87 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer.
Ansel says having a soda on rare occasions isn’t a huge deal, but she recommends having as little as possible by filling your cup with ice first or pouring it into a small glass, rather than drinking straight from the bottle or can.
Adds Kirkpatrick: “Should you worry if you’re the healthiest person in the world and you have one can of Coke on vacation? Not really. Just don’t do it on a regular basis.”
Let’s keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Health on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest
Have a personal health story to share? We want to hear it. Tell us at YHTrueStories@yahoo.com.

\

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

5 Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux by Katharine Paljug

f you suffer from acid reflux, you are probably already careful to avoid trigger foods, eat your food slowly in small bites, and give yourself plenty of time to digest before going to bed. But what do you do when those precautions aren’t enough, and acid reflux sneaks up on you anyway?

You could chew a dozen antacids every day. You could pay hundreds of dollars a month for prescription medication with questionable side effects. Or you could try one of these effective natural remedies to regulate your digestion and treat your acid reflux.

1. Baking Soda

Acid reflux and heartburn are caused by stomach acid rising up through the esophagus. If you remember high school chemistry class, you’ll know the best way to neutralize acid is with a base, which is why baking soda is an effective remedy. For most people, the alkaline baking soda will help calm the acid in your stomach and reduce the pain of reflux.

If you’re experience occasional heartburn, try drinking ½ to 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed into a glass of water. However, the high salt content of baking soda can cause swelling or nausea, so it should be avoided if you have regular or frequent acid reflux.

2. Licorice

In small amounts, licorice can help naturally heal stomach conditions, including acid reflux and ulcers.
When using licorice to treat stomach conditions, always look for DGL licorice, which does not have glycyrrhizic acid in it. GL acid gives licorice it’s sweet flavor, but in large amounts in can cause swelling and high blood pressure. Instead, look for chewable DGL licorice tablets at a natural food store. Two tablets taken about half an hour before meals can help prevent acid reflux. If you frequently get heartburn at night, you can also take a tablet or two 20 minutes before you go to bed.

3. Aloe Vera Juice

The aloe plant is known for its soothing properties, reducing inflammation and helping delicate tissues to heal. Though it is most often used to treat burns, it can also sooth irritation caused by stomach acid and heal damage to the esophagus.

Drinking half a cup of aloe vera juice can help reduce acid reflux and heal the tissues that were hurt by previous bouts of heartburn. The juice can also work as a laxative, though, so be sure to look for a brand that says the laxative compounds have been removed.

4. Ginger

Ginger helps to stimulate saliva production, washing away acid that collects in the esophagus and mouth. Once ingested, its phenolic compounds like zingerone and gingerol promote a healthy flow of bile and stomach acid, regulating and normalizing your digestion. And its anti-inflammatory properties soothe irritation caused by heartburn.

Make a ginger tea by steeping ginger root in hot water for several minutes, then drinking it either before a meal or before bed. You can also buy ginger candies at a natural food store, or chew on, then spit out, a peeled piece of fresh ginger.

5. Chamomile

Chamomile doesn’t just help you relax before bed — it can reduce inflammation in your stomach and balance out your levels of digestive acid. Chamomile also contains high levels of mucilage, a gooey substance produced by plants to store food and water, which can help soothe and heal the lining of the esophagus when it has been damaged by acid.

If you often wake up in the night with acid reflux, try drinking a cup of chamomile tea half an hour before bed. You can either buy the tea in a grocery or natural health store, or make your own by steeping chamomile flowers in hot water for 3-4 minutes, then straining it before drinking.

Foods that double as medicine By Ben Smart,

(CNN)A typical visit to the doctor might leave you with a bottle of pills and instructions to take them twice daily.

But a small, growing number of physicians are "prescribing" foods not only for weight management, but also to prevent and treat chronic diseases.
CNN spoke with medical nutrition experts to unearth the specific foods they recommend. And you don't have to be a chef or nutritionist to take advantage of these healthy choices.
While one food might be recommended as treatment for a specific ailment, it's important to remember that a single food item doesn't work in isolation, said Dr. Melina Jampolis, a board-certified physician nutrition specialist.

"True nutrition experts prefer to speak about dietary patterns or groups of foods, as nutrients in foods work in combination to improve certain conditions," Jampolis said.

However, there are notable exceptions to this rule, said Dr. John La Puma, a practicing physician and professionally trained chef. Here are 10 you may want to stock your kitchen with before reaching in the medicine cabinet.

    Buckwheat honey for a cough


    Derived from the bee nectar of flowers of the buckwheat grain, buckwheat honey might eventually make its way into every parent's medicine cabinet.
    "Buckwheat honey is better than cough syrup for nocturnal cough in kids," according to La Puma. This is an especially useful food-as-medicine for children under 6 but older than age 1, who are ill-advised to take over-the-counter cough medicines.
    "Foods can work like medicine in the body -- and they do," said La Puma.

    Pickled foods for diarrhea


    Fermented foods include yogurt, kefir, pickled vegetables, miso, kimchi and poi. These foods contain living bacteria that help maintain the health of the digestive tract, said Dr. Gerard Mullin, associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and author of "The Gut Balance Revolution."

    These bacteria-filled foods can be used to prevent and treat antibiotic-associated diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, infantile diarrhea, eczema and allergies, according to Mullin. "But the hottest use of fermented foods is to burn stubborn fat," Mullin said.

    A study from 2012 that reviewed data from 82 clinical trials found probiotic foods were indeed effective at treating antibiotic-associated diarrhea. However, the data for using probiotics as a treatment for eczema are mixed. Some research found supporting evidence while other studies did not.

    Ginger for menstrual cramps


    Ginger is a pungent spice originating from Southeast Asia. "As a digestive disease specialist I frequently recommend the spice ginger in the form of tea for nausea and abdominal discomfort," said Mullin.

    Ginger could also be a helpful food-as-medicine for women. "Ginger probably works as well as ibuprofen for menstrual cramps. It works taken as a ginger capsule or chewed," said La Puma.
    One scientific review of seven clinical trials found that 750 to 2000 milligrams of ginger powder taken during the first four days of menstrual cycle was an effective treatment for cramps.

    Peppermint for IBS


    Think beyond candy canes and chewing gum. Peppermint is also found in supplement, essential oil and tea forms. When used medicinally, peppermint is prescribed to help treat abdominal cramping and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

    "What I find interesting about peppermint is that when compared to the various medical therapies for IBS, peppermint is the most effective and the least toxic," Mullin told CNN.
    Peppermint oil is effective -- and could be the first line of treatment -- against irritable bowel syndrome, according to a 2005 scientific review of 16 clinical trials.

    Hibiscus tea for high blood pressure


    "Hibiscus tea has a greater anti-hypertensive effect than blueberries," said La Puma. Infused as an herbal tea, hibiscus flowers contain anthocyanins, which could help to lower blood pressure.
    The steeples of the flower are dried and made into a tea drink, which has a tart cranberry taste, La Puma said.

    Multiple studies back up the blood-pressure-lowering abilities of hibiscus, including one published in the Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences.

    Turmeric for arthritis


    Native to southwest India, turmeric has a warm, bitter flavor. Used medicinally, Jampolis recommends turmeric to help treat inflammatory conditions.

    "Turmeric is used especially for brain-related conditions and to decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease. It can be also be used for arthritis," said Jampolis.

    Add black pepper to turmeric to maximize the disease-fighting benefits. "This helps your body absorb more of the curcumin, which is the active ingredient in turmeric that delivers the positive health effects," said La Puma.

    Indeed, an article published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology explains the various disease-fighting benefits of turmeric.

    Chia seeds for high cholesterol


    Despite their tiny size, chia seeds are nutrient-dense and often labeled as a "superfood."
    Dr. Jampolis said she recommends them to patients with high LDL cholesterol as a bonus to other healthy food choices. "I can actually say that I've seen great results just adding chia seeds to an already healthy diet for lowering cholesterol," said Jampolis.

    Steel-cut oatmeal for high LDL cholesterol


    "This is a no-brainer for lowering LDL if you haven't tried anything else," said La Puma. "There are lots of studies showing that foods high in soluble fiber lower LDL cholesterol."
    One such study found that eating at least 3 grams of oats daily is associated with lower LDL cholesterol levels.
    Try mixing in a spoonful of chia seeds to maximize the cholesterol-lowering impact.

    Beans for high blood sugar levels


    Beans are useful in lowering blood sugar levels and managing high cholesterol, according to Jampolis. And because they're loaded with fiber, beans can help induce that "full" feeling to help with weight loss.

    "I have certainly seen improvements in blood sugar with encouraging more fiber-rich foods like beans that are also rich in Magnesium, but it is harder to isolate that effect alone," said Jampolis.

    Salmon for inflamation


    With its pink-orange hue and distinct smell, salmon is one of the best dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fats are an important part of treating any inflammatory or autoimmune condition, according to Dr. Jampolis.

    Jampolis also recommends salmon to those dealing with high triglyceride levels, metabolic syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis or MS.
    "I think most people think food can't possibly be as potent as drugs, but I see the powerful direct benefits all the time," said Jampolis.