What is vitiligo?

VITILIGO, What exactly is this skin disorder? It occurs when the skin's pigment-producing cells, which is called melanocytes, stop its production of pigment and and a result white patches will be noticeable to your skin. It doesn't chooses which part of body it will occur, All parts of the skin are affected. Common areas of involvement are the hands, arms, face, lips, legs and even genital areas Are just few of the common areas that it is usually found.

Vitiligo may be related to an existing autoimmune disorder, pernicious anaemia, a lack of vitamin B12, an overactive thyroid or diabetes. Vitiligo is also linked to digestive and or stomach problems, especially to nutrient deficiencies caused by low stomach acid.

These white areas are more sensitive to sun damage since the protective pigment is not available. You should use a sunscreen that provides protection from both the UVA and UVB forms of ultraviolet light.
Sunscreen helps protect the skin from sunburn and long-term damage. Sunscreen also minimises tanning, which makes the contrast between normal and depigmented skin less noticeable.

There are no specific remedies for this autoimmune disorder. These areas are easily sunburned, and people with vitiligo have an increased risk to skin cancer.
Supplementing with antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins A, C, E and minerals such as zinc and selenium may help neutralise free radicals that are damaging to the skin.
Evening primrose oil will help to promote a healthy skin as it contains essential fatty acids and anti-inflammatory properties. A regular intake of the oil will ease problems with your skin condition.

Many people with vitiligo are often deficient in stomach acid which hinders nutrient absorption. This is a sign of deficiency in the B vitamins. Taking a vitamin B complex will also help reduce stress that often triggers vitiligo.
You should avoid taking foods high in saturated fats, and alcohol. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains is essential. Lastly, regular sleep and exercise are essential for the body to resume normal functioning.


Source : www.medical-explorer.com/

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The Importance of Vitamin C

Image by comingstobrazil via Flickr

We all know that there are a lot and I mean a lot of vitamins that every one needs every single day of our lives for our body to function correctly and properly of course.

And I guess one of the most popular most needed is vitamin C. There are so many stuffs around there that could give you your daily dose of Vitamin C, but I still think that the best way is to have a well balanced diet, a diet that has foods like citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, milk, fish tomatoes; A well balanced meal has to have all the major vitamins on it. Vitamin C is also known as Ascorbic acid, There are times that we are worried that we are not getting enough amounts of vitamin c naturally in our food, then you could ask your doctor,

he could recommend some Vitamin C supplement that is suitable to your body , I mean the enough dosage or proper levels of vitamin C that should be taken for you. Ascorbic Acid or Vitamin c is one of the 13 vitamins that our body needs. This vitamin is not fat-soluble, Thus our body cannot store it, so you have to consumed it everyday, Now the vitamin levels and dosages depends on your age, gender, weight, lifestyle, pregnant or not. So you really have to consult your doctor to know the perfect dosage for you.

What does vitamin C do? Basically , vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means that it battles the forces in our body that can cause organ, tissue, and cell damage. Therefore, vitamin C protects the body and may specifically be linked to reducing the signs of aging. If you do not have enough vitamin C in your body, you will develop scurvy. Scurvy is very uncommon in the United States, but can cause anemia, gum disease, skin hemorrhages, and weakness.

When you begin taking vitamin C supplements, make sure that you follow your doctor’s recommendations. If you take to much vitamin C, you can overdose, just as you would with a typical drug. This is rare, because vitamin C is water soluble and high amounts will leave the body at a normal rate, but when it does happen, it can cause kidney stones and interfere with vitamin B12 absorption, causing anemia. Diarrhea is also a side effect. Therefore, it is best to listen to you doctor’s recommendation.

In most cases, you will automatically get enough vitamin C in your foods, especially if you are eating a healthy diet. If you are not and your doctor tells you to begin taking vitamin C supplements, look carefully at the labels of different brands before you buy anything. Because vitamin supplements are classified as foods and not drugs, they are not regulated by the government and each brand’s potency will vary slightly from the next.

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Vitamin B12 and it's importance to our life!

When you are learning about the vitamins your body needs to survive, you may notice that there are a number of vitamins listed. However, each is important in specific ways. Vitamin B12 is another part of the vitamin B complex, and without it, our metabolism would be affected. Vitamin B 12 is also important in helping to form red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body, and in maintaining the nervous systems, which sends messages to and from the brain to tell us that things are hot, painful, itchy, moving, and so forth.

Vitamins fall into two general categories. The first are called fat-soluble vitamins and include vitamins E and K, among others. These vitamins can be stored in the body and, in some cases, produced by the body, so deficiency is very rare. However, vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. While is can be stored, in some cases, it cannot be used properly. Therefore, eating is every day is very important to our bodies. If we do not, our bodies cannot function properly. If you believe that you are not getting enough vitamin B12, you should talk to a doctor he or she can help you find the right vitamin supplements to take, so this will not be a problem.

Of course, your diet is the best way to get vitamin B12 into your body. If you eat a healthy, balanced diet, you should not have to worry about not have to worry about have lower or higher than normal levels of vitamin B12 in the body. However, if you have special dietary needs or medical conditions, vitamin supplements may be needed. You can find fairly high levels of vitamin B 12 in eggs, poultry, beef, pork, shellfish, and dairy products, especially milk.

Because vitamin B12 is one of the few vitamins that can be stored in the body, extreme deficiency is very rare. However, if you body cannot use vitamin B12 properly or absorb it from foods in the intestinal tract, you may need vitamin supplements to help your body. Vegans are especially prone to this and should take vitamin supplements, since most of the vitamin B12 we get in our diets is found in meat. If you don’t get enough vitamin B12, you develop a condition known as pernicious anemia. Symptoms include numbness and tingling in your arms and legs, weakness, low of balance, and other neurological symptoms. If you are worried about developing pernicious anemia, you should talk to your doctor about beginning to take vitamin B12 supplements today.

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