Natural Antioxidants: The Best Guardians for Your Body

February 2nd, 2011

It’s never a pleasant feeling when we look ourselves in the mirror and discover cell damage and excessive dry skin all around our faces. Similarly, when we feel out of breath right after walking a flight of stairs or having a big and indulgent lunch it doesn’t exactly bring joy to our hearts (more like hypertension).

These problems, and many more, become recurrent in our lives when free radicals invade and disarm our organisms. And it’s no joke when, apart from causing the occasional discomfort, they trigger fatal illness such as cancer and heart disease.

In the battle against this enemy antioxidants are the best weapon we have to live a healthier and happier life.

What’s an antioxidant?

An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules that produce free radicals. A free radical is an atom or group of atoms that steals vital components from our molecules and damages our cells.
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A Gastroenterology Doctor in Brooklyn

January 17th, 2011

It’s often a confusing and frustrating experience when your digestion, bowel movements, and general gastroeintestinal health seem to be delivering less-than-the-best results. The source of the discomfort and, in some cases, pain is hard to pinpoint on a truly independant basis.

Pain and discomfort could simply be caused by a lack of digestive fiber or an over-consumption of highly processed foods. It could also be caused by more intense and dangerous ailments such as Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease, or even Cancer of the stomach, rectum, or colon. These are ailments that one cannot, and should not, try to self diagnose.
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Posted in: Brooklyn, Celiac Disease, Crohn's Disease, NYGI Doctors, gastrointestinal care | No Comments »

A New Year, A New Look at Dieting

January 4th, 2011

We have become a large, amorphous American mass of calorie counters. The main objective in many cases is to jettison one thing or another, whether it be total calorie count, fats of all forms, or carbohydrates in an attempt to align yourself with gastrointestinally taxing diets like South Beach or Atkins. These are all viable ways to drop weight with varying degrees of consequences resulting from each. So for 2011, try dieting for the whole body with not just image, but health in mind.

It’s been documented that some people choose a “soup diet”, and what a time to begin eatinga regular regimine piping hot soup than the winter time, right? Well, most mass produced, low calorie and low fat soups have a hidden demon. Almost each one carries an alarming amount of sodium, in some cases almost covering an entire day in one 180 calorie swoop. For all the weight you might be cutting your veins, arteries, and capillaries are tightening up due to all of the salty, soupy goodness. Making soup at home allows you to moderate the sodium content to a degree.
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Posted in: Dieting, Digestion, General Health, gastrointestinal care | 1 Comment »

Glutens Could Be Contributing to Celiac Disease Rise

December 22nd, 2010

A new study that involved 141 adult subjects is contributing to the ongoing debate on whether a diet filled with glutens can lead to symptoms of Celiac Disease.

Published in the ACS Journal of Proteome Research, the study revealed that many of the people in the study did not in fact have Celiac Disease, but instead were showing the same distinctive metabolic makeup that people who suffer from Celiac Disease.

People who suffer from Celiac Disease are characterized as being unable to properly digesr a protein named gliadin, a part of gluten that can be found in wheat, rye, and barley. This autoimmune digestive condition can cause, diarrhea, bloating, and stomach pain. Oftentimes, Celiac Disease goes undiagnosed and steps to curtail its effects are never instituted.

A definitive diagnosis consists of a biopsy taken from the small intestine. There are currently over 3 million diagnosed cases in the Unites States. There is such a thing as a pisitive blood test, but a negative biopsy, meaning they are “potential” Celiac Disease patients, and are typically instructed to adhere to a gluten-free lifestyle.

Treatment usually begins with a total abstinence from foods containing glutens. The debate here is whether a gluten filled diet could accelerate the effects of Celiac Disease, all the way on up to full blown diagnosis.

It seems to be a novel idea to curtail gluten intake if the symptoms seem to be persistent. One take away from this study is that the sample size was relatively small at 141 subjects. Yes, it’s small, but contact your doctor if you think you are at risk for Celiac Disease, are experiencing symptoms, and if a gluten free diet might be right for you.

Happy Holidays and be in good health Brooklyn!

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Posted in: Celiac Disease, Digestion, Health News | No Comments »

Top 10 Fiber Filled Breakfast Cereals

December 15th, 2010

We all know we should eat more fiber. We all know the childhood song about beans (“beans, beans, they’re good for your heart..etc”). So why do we so often neglect to include fiber in our diets? One of the best ways, and most advertised ways, to include fiber in your diet is through the regular consumption of breakfast cereals. Though not all cereals were born equals – at least in terms of fiber. We won’t be listing cereals like All Bran Bran Bus, which contains a mammoth 36 grams of fiber per serving, – rather, we’ll be telling you about the standards, the mainstays, and the also-rans. Aka, stuff you already know about, but maybe didn’t know the fiber content.

1 - Fiber One- 14 grams of fiber – This one is a no brainer, but it should be noted that it is the best in class mainstream cereal, available in almost every major supermarket.

2 – Kellogg’s All Bran (not the Bran Buds) – 10 grams of fiber – This Bran heavy Kellogg’s product may be light on sugar and extras such as out clusters, marshmellows, chocolate, etc…but it is good for you and the perfect complement to some fresh fruit in the morning.
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Aspirin Can Significantly Aid in Colorectal Cancer Discovery

December 9th, 2010

It’s been all over the news in recent days. For years aspirin has been a tried and true way to help prevent heart attacks and heart disease, but new data is coming to light that could increase the intake of aspirin further. It’s being discovered that a low daily dose of aspirin, in addition to its heart healthy benefits, can significantly reduce the chance of many types of cancer from developing, most notably colorectal cancer.

According to a wide variety of sources, prolonged, low-dose daily use can actually enhance detection of early warning signs of colorectal cancer. The detection of blood in the stool (fecal occult blood) is vital in detecting colorectal cancers early. Up until very recently it was believed that aspirin could in fact skew the results, leaving physicians with an uncertain assessment of an individual’s cancer development.
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Posted in: Colon Cancer, Current Events, General Health | No Comments »

The Thanksgiving Meal

November 30th, 2010

This past weekend we traveled and gathered with people who we love and care about. In addition to the warm company of family and friends there’s some sort of meal served smack dab in the middle of that long holiday weekend we all just experienced. Ok, it’s fairly consistent across the board – the hallowed Thanksgiving meal.

Everyone has their own variation and family favorites, but no one walks away saying that they’re still hungry. Therein lies the conundrum that Thanksgiving creates for our digestive tract.

Usually on Thanksgiving we don’t normally pump our bodies full of heavily processed foods laden with healthy doses of preservatives, rather we typically prepare fresher foods in a rich way. The food on the turkey-day table is generally high in calories, fat, sugar, and salt.
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Shortening the Length of Diarrhea

November 16th, 2010

At some point or another in almost everyone’s life diarrhea rears its ugly head. For most of us it is only a temporary, but extremely uncomfortable, inconvenience. It can be caused by food that we are having trouble digesting, a bacterial infection or flu, or from unsavory diet and drinking habits. While diarrhea may not seem very severe it can all too often become a life-threatening problem.

Every year almost 2 million people die from diarrheal disease in developing countries. Many of these people don’t have clean water to drink, a steady, healthy diet, and medicine to take to relieve the discomfort and symptoms. The standard form of aid offered to these diarrhea victims is a rehydration fluid. What researchers are finding might be a more effective treatment is a healthy dose of probiotics.
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New, Less Invasive Colorectal Cancer Tests Being Developed

November 9th, 2010

There is a new colon cancer DNA stool test being developed by researchers at the Mayo clinic. The real breakthrough here is that it would provide the first real non-invasive way to test for colorectal cancer. The procedure, known as a DNA methylation test, would most likely transform colon cancer checks as we know it.

The American Cancer Society reported that over 100,000 people are diagnosed with colon cancer a year and roughly 39,000 with rectal cancer. It is said to be the second biggest killer due to cancer in the country, and the third most common cancer in adults. A frightening statistic shows that no more than 60% of people over the age of fifty ever get checked and most of the time when the cancer is found it is already in its advanced state. Getting colon cancer checks is absolutely necessary.
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Posted in: Colon Cancer, General Health, Health News, Surgical Procedures, gastrointestinal care | 1 Comment »

Patient and Gastroenterologist Communication

October 27th, 2010

For many, noticing signs of a developing gastrointestinal illness might initially feel uncertainty as to how to handle the situation, or even embarrassment. Not communicating with your physician about issues that might be construed as embarrassing or uncomfortable. Withholding information can be dangerous, especially because many gastrointestinal ailments can be alleviated quickly if found soon, but leaving ailments like hemorrhoids, constipation, diarrhea, and irritable bowel syndrome just go without any sort of treatment can be very dangerous and can lead to much worse, more devastating illnesses.

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