pingofhealth

Our bones are living tissues, comprising mainly calcium and protein. If more bone calcium is being absorbed into the body than is replaced, the density (bone mass) is gradually reduced, the bone becomes weaker, increasing the risk that it may break. Osteoporosis develops when bone is no longer replaced as quickly as it is removed. 50% of women and 25% of men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture. While gradual loss of bone mass is a fact of life for everyone, it's never too late to take steps that will protect our bones. The amount of bone mass you obtain while you are young determines your skeletal health for the rest of your life. Meaning the more bone mass you have when you are young, the more protection you have against losing bone mass later. Here are some tips to help children develop maximum bone mass, and help adults slowdown its loss. 1. Get adequate calcium and vitamin D 99% of the body's calcium is stored in the bones and teeth - a "bone bank...

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. There are 5 different forms of viral hepatitis: A, B, C, D and E (the first 3 are the most common). Hepatitis A is the least serious. You can be infected from eating cockles or shellfish. Most people get well after an extended period of rest, and the body is able to totally get rid of the virus. Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) are more serious and are chronic in nature. Most people have no symptoms, and by the time they go to the hospital, it may be too late to treat. People infected with HCV may not look or feel sick. If symptoms do develop, they often are not specific (like nausea, fatigue, vague abdominal discomfort ). It can take many years after being exposed to the virus for visible damage to the liver to be detected. Faster rates of progression (some as early as 5 years after diagnosis) are seen in people who are infected at an older age , or who consume a lot of alcohol , have HIV or other liver diseases . HCV consists...

Your digestive system plays a very important role. It turns the food and drinks you consume into energy by transforming them into nutrients that your body can use. Your gastrointestinal tract breaks down the foods, digest them, absorb the nutrients and utilise them as needed by your body. Parts of foods that cannot be broken down will be excreted. When you eat something that does not agree with you, your digestive system reacts by producing symptoms of stomach discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting etc. Constipation Common causes include: inadequate water or fibre in the diet disruption of regular diet or routine inadequate activity or exercise eating large amounts of dairy products stress resisting the urge to have a bowel movement overuse of laxatives (stool softeners) that weaken the bowel muscles medications medical conditions like hypothyroidism, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis , eating disorder or depression. Symptoms include: infrequent or difficulty having ...

A study was conducted on the links between drinking coffee and mortality. It was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Research institutions involved The NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study was a long-term experiment jointly carried out by US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Study period Began in 1995 and ended in 2008. Subjects 402,000 individuals aged between 50 and 70 years old (excluding people with heart disease, cancer or who had a stroke in the past). Subjects' characteristics 42,000 did not drink coffee on a regular basis. 150,000 drank at least 6 cups of coffee a day. The balance drank 2 to 3 cups of coffee a day. Study finding The regular coffee drinkers demonstrate the following: For men , the chances of succumbing to these diseases are lower by these percentages: 14% for heart diseases 17% for respiratory diseases 16% for stroke 25% for diabetes. For women , the chances of succumbing to these diseases are low...

Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) is a method of evaluating the protein quality based on the amino acid requirements of humans; and  our ability to digest it.  The closer the amino acid profile of a food protein in resembling the structural profile of the human protein, the higher will be the nutritional value . Since 1993, this method has been recognized by World Health Organization (WHO) as being the best way to evaluate the quality of a food protein. The ratings for PDCAAS range from "1" = highest score to "0" = lowest score. The table below shows the ratings of selected food: 0.91 Soya Bean 0.73 Vegetables 0.54 Wheat 0.52 Peanuts Soya bean is the richest in nutrients among all plant proteins. Its nutritional value can be as high as that of animal protein. In fact, the genetic structure of soya bean is the closest to that of human amino acids . In other words, it provides a full spectrum of the "essential amino acids" neede...

The rise in the number of patients with heart diseases has been on the rise and this is all set to increase with every passing day. There are numerous reasons for this, bad food habits, adverse living style, pollution and other such things. It has been seen that even children below the age of 5 are greatly affected by it. A heart disease can give rise to various other conditions that might turn lethal in the future. A good living style is an important thing to make sure that you  stay away from any sort of heart diseases. Things that trigger heart diseases There are various things that trigger heart diseases. Some of the most common causes are mentioned below: Tobacco Tobacco is one of the prime reasons of an unhealthy heart. Every year millions of individuals all over the world are reported to have died due to smoking. The prime component that is present in cigarettes is nicotine that is extremely harmful for heart and lungs. One needs to make sure that they abstain from smoking i...

Protein is the main building block for our body. If you have insufficient protein intake, it will eventually cause: Dull skin complexion Hair loss problem, resulting in dry, rough and brittle hair Stunted growth, especially for children Slow recovery from illness and operation Impaired immunity Fatigue and tiredness Low muscle mass Hormone disorder, resulting in period cramps or insomnia Sources of Protein A healthy adult needs approximately 1g of quality protein for every 1kg bodyweight. Protein is available from many sources. A very common source is from animals - chicken, meat, seafood etc. However, this is lower in bioavailability i.e. the ability of our body to absorb and utilise the protein. This is because animal protein has a lower percentage usability and can contain high levels of saturated fats, hormones, antibiotics, mercury etc. Protein is also sourced from plants such as from nuts and beans. These are higher in bioavailability and has higher energy level and easier...

Probiotics are friendly bacteria that reside in our digestive system. There are about 100 trillion bacteria living inside each human. Our body should have at least 85% good bacteria for optimal health. A balanced digestive tract is responsible for 80% of our immune system's health. What Happens If You Don't Have Enough Good Bacteria? Diarrhea / constipation Irritable bowel syndrome Indigestion or bloated tummy Low immunity Skin / mouth ulcers Colon cancer Allergies Urinary tract infection Inflammation How To Choose Good Friendly Bacteria? The bacteria must be in alive form, so that they can perform the functions they are meant to do. The bacteria must be in sufficiently large quantity  for them to be effective. The strains are important to ensure they are effective and beneficial. Why Choose Shuang Hor Lacto-berry? 1. The bacteria are in alive form. We use the unique Multi-Coated Technology where the probiotics are coated with prebiotics to protect them against our body he...

More than 60% of all degenerative diseases develop as a result of making the wrong choices in things we eat and drink. That is actually  good news, because our diet is something we can control, if we choose to be vigilant. Our body needs macro-nutrients to sustain life. Broadly, they comprise the following: Carbohydrates 50-60%. Go for complex carbs rather than those that are refined or have high glycemic index. Essential fats 20-30%. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in deep sea fish like salmon and mackerel as well as almonds, sesame and flaxseed. Avoid trans fat, which can clog up our arteries. Protein 15-20%. Go for plant-based protein which do not contain artificial hormones and excessive cholesterols. Micro-nutrients serve as a catalyst to improve the bio-availability of the food we eat. They comprise a whole spectrum of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, coenzymes, phytochemicals, pre/probiotics and dietary fibre. Shuang Hor's Yung Kien Pollen contains up to 200 types of nu...

Everybody knows it's good to eat more fibre. But do you know why? Dietary fibre serves many functions for our body. Amongst others, it helps: Keep the pH level balanced inside our colon Prevent toxin build-up in our body Regulate our bowel activities Enhance our nutrient absorption Promote healthier bodyweight Prevent chronic diseases This diagram shows a comparison between a healthy and an unhealthy colon. As you can see, a healthy colon has a good shape, is evenly sized, with a nice healthy color, as compared to the colon of someone who has constipation, is overweight or is unwell. An adult needs approximately 25g to 35g of dietary fibre a day. This translates to about 20 to 30 apples or 1 to 2 kg of greens. That is a lot of chewing. More than what many of us can manage. Which is why supplementing with a superior fibre product is an attractive option. How to Choose a Quality Fibre Product? Ideally, the dietary fibre should have 2 components: 1. Soluble Fibre Slows down absorptio...