Probiotics’ benefits go beyond digestion

By Gabriella Boston

We hear about them everywhere — how they clear up everything from a bloated gut to a depressed mind. How they boost the immune system and improve skin health. How they delay allergies in children and prevent urinary tract infections in women. The list is truly impressive. But what are probiotics? And do they deserve all the attention and accolades?
“Probiotics can impact just about everything in the body,” says Meagan McCusker, a University of Connecticut dermatologist who uses probiotics to treat a wide variety of conditions including acne and psoriasis. “They really can’t and shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to overall health maintenance.”
So what, exactly, are they?
By way of the National Institutes of Health: “Probiotics are live microorganisms that are similar to beneficial microorganisms found in the human gut. They are also called "friendly bacteria" or "good bacteria".
The idea is that the “friendly bacteria” will help fight the good fight along with gut-dwelling bacteria to scare off pathogens, improve immune function and aid digestion, among other things, McCusker says.
“In some patients I have seen rapid improvement of digestive distress like gas and bloating after they have started taking probiotics,” says local nutritionist Jared Rice, who started taking the supplement for his own health maintenance seven or eight years ago.
“I can definitely say that it’s been a very positive experience for me since I started taking probiotics. And I have never experienced any downsides,” he says.
It was around that time, in 2006, that Dannon introduced its Activia yogurt with live cultures to the U.S. market. That’s when many Americans picked up on probiotics, says Mary Ellen Sanders, executive director of the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics.
“We’ve been tracking this topic for more than 20 years, and it really was doing nothing until Activia. And now it’s super hot,” Sanders says.

How to use probiotics

Probiotics come in many forms, and they don’t need to be delivered through yogurt — particularly important for the dairy-intolerant. Probiotics can be found as fresh, refrigerated supplements at some health food stores, as well as dried and preserved.
For health maintenance, McCusker says, try starting with no more than 5 billion units of active probiotic cultures — preferably a mix of cultures that include strains of Lactobacillius and Bifidobacterium.
Ebeth Johnson, a D.C. nutritionist and chef, says to look for the following foods to provide that probiotic benefit: unpasteurized miso, live cultured pickles, tempeh, unsweetened kefir and yogurt, as well as kombucha teas.

“Blue algae is also a great source of probiotics,” Johnson says. “Get them at your local health food store and blend them into your morning fruit and greens smoothie.”

Rice cautions that, when buying probiotic food products, you should check nutrition labels, just as you would with any food, to be sure they are healthful beyond their probiotic content and don’t have too much sugar or fat.
On the other hand, if you take probiotics as a supplement, don’t look at that as a silver bullet, because benefits will be experienced only if the probiotic is combined with a healthful diet on the whole, he says. “You can’t continue to eat fast food and pop some probiotic supplements and expect a great outcome.”
In fact, the probiotics thrive best when prebiotics are present. Prebiotics, which are found in such foods as whole grains, bananas and onions, are nondigestible carbohydrates that create a probiotic-friendly gut environment.
The appropriate probiotic dosage, according to McCusker, is about 5 billion units for daily health maintenance and 15 billion-20 billion when you are treating a specific condition. (Note: The US Food and Drug Administration has not any health claims for probiotics.)
Before you get to the higher dosages, Rice says, you should talk with a nutritionist or doctor with particular expertise in the area of probiotics about side effects, though they are rare.
So, is this all a fad that will disappear once the next nutrition celebrity makes a splash?
Sanders doesn’t think so.
“Unlike multivitamins, for example, many people who take probiotics actually feel much better,” she says, adding that’s enough of a reason for many to keep taking them.
Rice says he’s excited about the therapeutic possibilities for probiotics in the future as nutritionists and doctors get a better handle on targeting certain conditions with certain strains and combinations of probiotics.
“It’s an evolving topic. But I can see how probiotics at some point will be used more like a prescription,” he says. “I don’t think the concept of bacterial balance will fade. I think it will grow.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/probiotics-benefits-go-beyond-digestion/2013/10/15/30aab59e-3052-11e3-8906-3daa2bcde110_story.html

Drug allergies: Culprit protein found

Allergic reactions to drugs and injections could stem from one single protein, research in mice suggests.

That protein may be responsible for itching, swelling and rashes suffered by people taking a wide range of medicines.

Such reactions stop people completing treatments and can sometimes be fatal.

Writing in the journal Nature, scientists say they are exploring ways to block the protein and reduce these side-effects.
Redness and rashes
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University, in Maryland, and the University of Alberta focused on reactions triggered by medicines prescribed for a number of conditions - from diabetes to HIV.

These reactions, also seen after some antibiotics or anti-cancer treatments, can spark a range of symptoms from redness to rashes.

They are different to the allergic reactions caused by food and those experienced by hay fever sufferers.

Scientists tested mice with and without a single protein - named MRGPRB2 - on their cells.

Mice without the protein did not suffer any redness, rashes or swelling despite being given drugs known to provoke reactions.

And changes in blood pressure and heart rate - hallmarks of potentially dangerous reactions - were reduced.

Dr Benjamin McNeil, at John Hopkins University School of Medicine, said: "It's fortunate that all of the drugs turn out to trigger a single receptor - it makes that receptor an attractive drug target."

And if a new drug to block the protein receptor could be made, Dr McNeil said, this would help reduce the side-effects many patients currently endured.

Maureen Jenkins, clinical director of Allergy UK, said: "Allergic disease affects the immune system and the reactions are often very complex.

"All new methods to try and understand these reactions and to develop target treatments are welcomed."

Scientists are now investigating whether the same protein could be behind certain skin conditions - such as rosacea and psoriasis.

These conditions can result in patches of redness and rashes, but their cause is currently unknown.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30517147

Protect Your Skin From The Harsh Winter Weather

By C McDonald

When old man winter makes his appearance so can certain skin conditions such as dry, itchy, flaky skin. Winter weather removes moisture from your skin. In addition, wind makes this process happen faster. So what are some of the common skin conditions you see in the winter and how can you prevent or treat them?
1) Rosacea - causes small blood vessels to swell and become visible giving the face a red appearance. It can be treated with prescription antibiotic creams but certain foods such as spicy foods, alcohol, and hot beverages can cause it to occur.
2) Psoriasis - is an inherited autoimmune disease which causes itchy dry painful patches to build up on elbows, knees, scalp and lower back. Flare-ups occur more in the winter due to a decrease in exposure to the sun.
3) Eczema - encompasses a several skin problems but usually affects people with allergies and asthma. It creates dry, cracked, itchy spots often on the hands.
4) Actinic keratosis - is one of the most common reasons people see a dermatologist. They are known as sun pots and can be precursors to skin cancer. They are typically found on areas that get a lot of exposure to the sun such as the face, lips, and ears, back of the hand, forearms, and scalp.

So what can you do to protect your skin from these common skin conditions and old man winter?
1) Layer your clothing and moisturizer. Any bare skin dries out faster so the less exposure to the elements the better. Also apply moisturizing cream before you go outside.
2) Keep your winter showers shorter and not as hot because hot water strips natural oils from your skin.
3) Buy a humidifier and keep it going in the winter especially at night since your skin dries out more during sleep.
4) See a specialist. Go see your dermatologist about any skin conditions you may have and let them advise you on what you should be doing.
5) Don't forget your sunscreen, it isn't just for summer. Winter sun combined with snow glare can damage your skin. Make sure you wear sunscreen on any exposed areas. This will decrease your chances of actinic keratosis.
6) Avoid wet gloves and socks which can irritate your skin and causing drying, itching, and cracking. This can decrease your chances of getting Eczema and Psoriasis.
7) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Water is good for your skin and overall health. Pay attention to what you eat and drink and you can avoid Rosacea!

If you follow these guidelines you can protect yourself from old man winters wrath and have healthy skin when you put on those bathing suits next summer!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Protect-Your-Skin-From-The-Harsh-Winter-Weather&id=8835752

Are Over-The-Counter Psoriasis Treatments Better?

By Oscar Dewsbury

Whether or not you might be taking any prescription medication, the availability of over the counter psoriasis treatment means that it is possible get relief from the inflamed skin that epitomises this disease, without necessarily even consulting with a doctor. Although it is generally advisable to seek medical advice with any condition, if only to make a positive diagnosis, psoriasis sufferers often find the best treatments are those which are not prescription only medications.

Before you begin to try and employ any self administered treatment, it is vital that you do get confirmation that what you are dealing with is psoriasis. This is always best sought from a medical professional, and in most cases a diagnosis can be made from just a brief examination of the skin. The signs and symptoms your doctor will be looking for when investigating a possible case of psoriasis will include the scaly red patches of skin that are typical of the disease.

What separates psoriasis from other skin disorders, such as eczema, is this scaly nature of the affected areas. The presence of these scales gives the skin area a silver or whitish appearance, combined with the red or pink coloured rash. These scales are actually dying skin cells which have built up on the surface of the epidermis, and once they die they will eventually flake off. If such scales are present when examining the skin rash, the diagnosis will almost always be psoriasis.

Once you are satisfied that you are in fact dealing with psoriasis, you can begin to look into what over the counter psoriasis treatment is available. This is not to say you should discount the prescription medications that your doctor will suggest, but to ensure you are aware that there are alternatives to the psoriasis medications on offer. The reason many people decide to try home treatments, is that psoriasis is actually an incurable disease. Any medication provided by your doctor will only be effective in treating the symptoms of the condition, not the cause of it.

Most of the psoriasis medications available also come with some unwanted side effects, another reason people turn to over the counter psoriasis treatment instead. Take the often prescribed steroid creams for example. Applied directly onto the affected areas of skin, these topical steroid treatments do actually have a visible effect on most cases of psoriasis. The problem is that they have the side effect of causing the skin to weaken and become fragile, leading to the increased likelihood of suffering from cuts to the skin very easily. For this reason, topical steroid treatment cannot be used long term. Once the use of these creams is suspended for safety reasons, most people find that the psoriasis begins to return almost immediately.

Over the counter psoriasis treatment is not only safer to use than doctor prescribed medication, but it tends to be much cheaper too. If you consider the fact that psoriasis is incurable, you might have to face up to the reality that whatever treatment you choose and that works for you, is going to become something you will have to rely on indefinitely in order to keep psoriasis at bay. However, as with prescription medication for psoriasis, over the counter products are only going to treat the symptoms of your condition, and not completely cure you of it.

http://goarticles.com/article/Are-Psoriasis-Treatments-That-Are-Available-Over-The-Counter-Better/6456777/

Psoriasis Treatment:: How to Stop the Scales and Redness

By Dee Cohen

If you have chronic psoriasis you know the constant annoyance it can be having your scalp, knees, elbow areas, armpits and other sections of your body irritated by scales and red patches. You want to heal your skin but aren't sure how.

Some people turn to natural cure methods using herbs and supplements to compliment or substitute for the common treatments for psoriasis. This skin condition can be very frustrating and result in feeling you need to cover up the legs and avoid shorts for those individuals with the psoriasis plaques.

You can try first some drug store items on your own to see if you can control the psoriasis scales and rash. Two common ingredients that are used in a number of products you can get without a prescription are salicylic acid and tar. If you suffer from widespread psoriasis skin scales, dryness, red inflamed skin, patches and issues then the prescription Methotrexate is something your doctor may decide to test. It is generally used for more serious psoriasis chronic conditions. Ultra violet light is another option some people with continuous irritated psoriasis scales and flaking use.

There are home remedies for psoriasis that also are provide relief. Here are the ones that seem to be the most popular and highly recommended:

Internal nutrition has been highly praised. The supplement lecithin has been beneficial for psoriasis red scaly skin. It is available as a liquid or yellow granules in natural food stores. Having a diet that is low sugar is important. Acidopholous is a good supplement for psoriasis too as controlling bad bacteria in the intestines improves many conditions that manifest as skin problems. For itching, apply chamomile tea bags. Fish oil and coconut oil internally help the skin moisturize.

Daily sun for thirty to forty five minutes a day is helpful. Be careful to not burn the skin. A friend with bad psoriasis on her elbows and knees forced herself to wear short sleeves and shorts to expose these areas despite her reluctance. After a few weeks she noticed an improvement in the skin condition. Due to cancer concerns she was not comfortable with the light treatments that are available for psoriasis redness reduction.

Dead sea salt water soaks have been in the news recently and highly praised. The dead sea has a rich blend of minerals and fortunately there are home formulas that can be bought to save on the expense abroad. Due to the additional minerals that are natural in the water such as potassium, magnesium and calcium a wide variety of nutrients can assist in healing the skin.

http://goarticles.com/article/Psoriasis-Treatment-How-to-Stop-the-Scales-and-Redness/1550813/