Tag: immunity

10 facts of Chicory roots 🪵

by drjurisharma, posted in brain, cognitive health, emotional health, Food, life

Hello everyone ✋


1. Chicory is a tuberous herbeceous root, usually grown in winter. Though it is a native herb from Europe and Asia, but nowadays it widely grown in many areas for its health benefits and as a herbal remedy.

2. Chicory roots are a good source of carbs, minerals, and phytochemicals, including flavonoids. It has been utilized as herbal medicine for generations due to its high nutritional value. Research have shown that it has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties.

3. In modern days, many of its benefits has been scientifically proven. Chicory root is rich in inulin which is a fructose rich fiber and acts as a prebiotic. It promotes growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. Since, it is undigested in the gut when consumed, so it can act as a laxative and relieves constipation.

4. Studies have shown that chicory can contribute to lower blood sugar and helps in insulin resistance. Therefore, it can be an aid in the treatment of diabetes.

5. Other list of benefits of chicory roots are it can promote the weight loss process, improves liver health, boost kidney function by its diuretic properties and may help in treating candida and eczema.

Chicory coffee

6. Since chicory roots are naturally caffeine free, so they have widely been used as a coffee alternative to reduce the intake of caffeine. Repeated consumption of coffee may lead to excess caffeine intake which in turn can cause issues like increasing the level of cortisol and stress.

7. Extensively used method of including chicory in diet is by blending with coffee as chicory coffee, or as herbal tea. It is also integrated in cereals, protein bars and other food items.

8. Like any other food, Chicory roots also have it’s share of side effects like over consumption can lead to allergic reactions, skin rashes, GI symptoms like discomfort, diarrhoea and gall stone.It is contraindicated during pregnancy and lactation.

9. As there is no specific doses of daily consumption of chicory, generally having around 5 gram of inulin in 500ml of chicory coffee in regular diet may not lead to any adverse effects. However, a Physician’s or an expert advice is recommended.

10. Chicory roots have been in ancient cultures for ages as a herbal medicine. History says that it has been in use as a healthy beverage for many centuries for its health benefits.

Thanks for reading.

Peace and love 🙏

Tuesday musings 🌻

by drjurisharma, posted in brain, celebration, cognitive health, emotional health, life, nature, Uncategorized

‘Don’t think what went wrong in the past, don’t plan too much for the future, just think and act at present’ ….

Thanks for reading 🙏

Peace and love 🍃

10 hard facts about Taurine 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in brain, cognitive health, eyes, Food, life, taurine, Uncategorized

Hello everyone ,

1. Amino Acid :Taurine is found naturally in our body. Chemically, it’s an amino acid or more precisely amino sulphonic acid. Since it is naturally available in the body, it plays a significant part in different bodily functions like metabolism, immunity, nervous system, electrolyte balance, biliary system.

2. Nervous system :Taurine as an abundant amino acid support building up the nervous system, helps in storing memory. As ageing progresses, it’s bodily reserve reduces with age. Due to its decreased levels can be responsible for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers’ or memory deficits.

3. Liver :The liver is supported by taurine mainly to break down cholesterol into bile salts. Bile salts play a crucial role in the digestion and metabolism of fat in the body.

4. Lifespan: Researches show that high taurine levels do have anti-aging effects. From its lower levels contribute to inflammation, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, so, with improved levels of taurine, these risk factors are significantly reduced. Food supplementation of taurine and exercise do contribute to the lifespan.

5. Cell protective agent: Taurine plays a vital role in regulating cell volume, calcium homeostasis, sweeping free radicals and stabilizing the cell membrane.

6. Heart : Studies show that taurine reduces the risk of heart failure by lowering the progression of atherosclerosis. It has a potential vasodilating effect. Taurine supplement in people who have a history of heart failure shows lower levels of cholesterol. Low Taurine levels may be a significant factor in the development of cardiomyopathy.

7. Eye :Studies have shown that taurine is abundant in the retina of the eye. Reduced levels of taurine is linked to eye disorders like glaucoma, retinal degeneration like diabetic retinopathy.

8. Muscle :Studies show that taurine helps to improve muscle power and strength. Taurine appears to help restore muscle injuries, damage, pain and reduce progress in people with muscular dystrophy.

9. Food : Taurine is found in dairy and high sources are mainly meat, chicken and fishes. As for plant based diet, seaweed is a good source of taurine.

10. Dosage : Taurine supplementation is not usually recommended as it is naturally available in the body and in our diet. If prescribed clinically, evidence shows that consumption of 3 gms per day works well without the risk of side effects. Taurine has also been an essential component in energy drinks in case of physical performance. Some infant formulas contain taurine because it is not naturally found in babies as it is in adults.

Thanks for reading.

Peace and love 🙏

10 quick facts of ginger🫚

by drjurisharma, posted in brain, cognitive health, Food, life, nature

Ginger is an ingredient common to our cuisine for centuries. It is widely used in most of the culinary dishes. Besides adding the zing in our taste buds, it has immense medicinal and health benefits.

  1. Ginger contains gingerol that imparts its unique taste and flavour to cooking. This compound gingerol is a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Hence, ginger helps to cure common cold, flu, seasonal rhinitis and fungal infections.
  2. Previous studies have shown that ginger has played an important role in controlling blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Researches also show that regular intake of ginger helps to reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, thereby reducing the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. It is also effective in weight loss.
  3. Ginger is highly effective against swelling, itchiness and minor skin allergies such as hives. Having ginger juice along with jaggary powder can be consumed to reduce skin allergies and itching.
  4. Ginger is an effective pain reliever. Consuming ginger slices or ginger juice can help to reduce joint pain, body ache and earache.
  5. Consuming ginger or raw ginger juice has helped in improving many digestive issues. Eating raw ginger slices before a meal will help to stimulate digestion and improves the appetite. A person having indigestion, belching, bloating will be relieved after having ginger juice along with lemon juice or ginger slices. Problems like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea can all be relieved after consuming ginger. So, it can be used during Morning sickness. People taking chemotherapy may use ginger to alleviate post-drug side effects.
  6. Ginger is very effective when used freshly, but also beneficial when consumed as a powder for juices or tea. A common spice used in various cuisines.
  7. Ginger is effective against degenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease due to the presence of compounds like 6-gingerol and 6- shogoal.
  8. Ginger is grown especially in tropical areas. Ginger roots are mainly used for cooking and healing purpose. It can be stored in dried or powdered form for a long time. Ginger supplements are available in capsules or liquid extracts. Ginger oil as essential oil is used in beauty products.
  9. Ginger is rich in dietary fibre and in vitamins like B3, B6 and C. It is rich in folate, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.
  10. Ginger is usually safe, but it must be used in moderation as part of a healthy diet. Too much consumption or concentrated higher doses may lead to heartburn, stomach upset or loose motion.

Thanks for reading.

Peace and love 🙏

Wordless Wednesday 🌷

by drjurisharma, posted in emotional health, life, nature, photography, Uncategorized

Hello everyone 🌻

Pictures taken by me at Keukenhof in Spring 2022.

Thanks 🙏

Peace and love.

10 interesting facts about Melatonin 😴

by drjurisharma, posted in brain, cognitive health, emotional health, eyes, life, nature, Uncategorized

Hello everyone🖖

Melatonin, commonly known as the sleep hormone is responsible for our cicardian rythm. But, it has some fascinating facts to be known.

1. The pineal gland, located at the base of the brain, is known to produce 5% of the total quantity of melatonin. Surprisingly, in all of the cells throughout the entire body, the mitochondria generate the remaining 95% of melatonin.

2. Our body cells’ mitochondria typically serve as the energy-generating organelles. They absorb glucose and oxygen to create water and ATP, which serve as the body’s power source. Free radicals are created during this procedure. However, the free radicals can be neutralised by our body’s defence systems. Melatonin acts as the potent anti-oxidant which causes free radical damage.

3. The melatonin which is produced in the body cells due to the sunlight, especially the infra red rays trigger the release of glutathione and other potent anti-oxidants. Melatonin also has anti -inflammatory properties and anti cancer properties too.

4. Since, melatonin is an effective anti-oxidant, it helps to prevent eye and ear damage. Research shows that it is effective in prevention of age related macular degeneration and retinopathy.

5. Melatonin protects the brain. Melatonin serves to promote the growth of new brain cells and improves memory, according to studies. Melatonin levels were discovered to be low in those with Alzeihmers disease. Thus, it is possible to prevent Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease from becoming severely disabling by increasing melatonin levels.

6. Research shows that melatonin stimulate growth hormone production. Evidences showed that oral administration of melatonin increased the level of growth hormone, two fold times.

7.Melatonin production declines noticeably as we get older. Therefore, in order to maintain melatonin levels in our everyday lives, we must get enough sun exposure during the day and turn off lights at night so that darkness can help to stimulate melatonin production.

8. Sub-cellular melatonin which is produced in the body naturally is more effective than taking melatonin pills. Melatonin pills do work on short term basis and should be taken only if clinically recommended.

9. Aside from the infrared radiation that comes from sunlight, which is typically present in the early morning, other sources of infrared radiation that contribute to a sufficient amount of melatonin production include candlelight and being in front of a fire.

10. Incadescent light bulbs, spending time in greenery parks, outdoors all help to boost melatonin production.

Thanks for reading.

Peace and love 🙏

Self renewal: 10 hard facts 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in brain, emotional health, eyes, life, nature

Hello everyone 🖖

1. The human body in which each of us lives is made up of around 37 trillion cells, to be precise. And every day, about 1-2 percent of the cells are renewing. So, exactly after 90–100 days, a new “me” appears. We remain so busy with our routine lives that we hardly acknowledge this fact, and many of us are not even aware of it. So, ‘change’ is the constant tune, not just within the universe but also within us.

2. Now that we understand that our bodies undergo transformation on a daily basis, So, the question is: how does this self-renewal occur? Let’s go back to our past a little bit. The human body develops from the human embryo, which is fertilized by an oocyte and a sperm cell. This embryo is made up of stem cells. The stem cells are the basic cells (undifferenciated cells) of the human body, which, through the process of mutation and transformation grow into different cells like nerve cells, bone cells, muscle cells, blood cells and so on. Throughout our lifespan, these stem cells undergo cell division and keep replicating; that’s how self-renewal happens.

3. Under normal physiological self-renewal processes, different cells in the body have differing rates of cell division. So, the replication process of various tissues, organs, and blood cells in the body has a different time frame, like the skin epidermal cells, which can take around 10–30 days, whereas a bone cell takes 3 months, or a hair grows about 1 cm in one month, and so on.

4. Though our body is constantly changing due to the continuous self-renewal process through different cell cycles like shedding the old skin cells, renewal of intestinal cell lining, and growing hair or nails on a routine basis, this isn’t a simpler process. The human body is still very complicated and has exceptions. Some cells, such as those in the brain (cerebral cortex), eyes (such as lenses), and heart, do not change from birth to death.

5. But then, why is self-renewal important and must be maintained? Under normal physiological conditions, stem cells have two functions: proliferation and differentiation. Though stem cells have a natural proliferative capacity throughout our lives, disease conditions can affect their physiological self-renewal ability and behavior due to factors such as damage or an unhealthy lifestyle (obesity, lack of physical activity, smoking, or a poor diet).

6. A lack of an appropriate environment within the body or poor maintenance of the human body might eventually lead to the exhaustion of the capacity of stem cell proliferation, which causes premature aging or tissue atrophy. With aging, stem cell activity, tissue regenerative and haemeostasis is significantly declined.

7. Sometime, due to the unhealthy environment within the body, mutations lead to aggressive stem cell division without going through the natural cell differentiation process. This can lead to abnormal tissue growth or cancer in the body. Therefore, the physiological process of stem cell division and the natural stem cell behavior can be affected by four disease conditions, like degenerative, metabolic, cardiovascular, and inflammatory conditions.

8. Regenerative medicine and therapies have arisen as a result of the discovery that defective self-renewal mechanisms in the body are the root cause of malignancies and abnormal cell proliferation. Many disorders are being treated with regenerative medicines based on stem cells. Recent years have seen a significant increase in the use of stem cell treatment to treat a variety of diseases like cancer and disorders including type 1 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s, burns, osteoarthritis, by regenerating cells, repairing tissues, and transplanting organs.

9. The fact about regenerative medicine is that, though it has helped many patients around the world, the cost of treatment is quite high as the procedure is complicated and the failure rate is high. Human stem cell treatment requires culturing human stem cells in a laboratory setting for a longer period of time, which is quite difficult.

10. The market is flooded with products that promote cell regeneration, anti-aging, and longevity. The lofty claims made by these items are still quite dubious. But it is true that some supplements do work to improve health, lower inflammation, and increase immunity. But in the end, having a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, a calm mind, and exercising regularly is all that’s necessary for good health.

Thanks for reading.

Peace and love 🙏

10 top benefits of music on health 🎧 🎼

by drjurisharma, posted in brain, cognitive health, emotional health, healing, health, life, mental health, Science, wellness

Hello everyone ! Have a wonderful and safe day. 🙋🏻

Whether on purpose or without purpose, music has become a part of our lives. The day starts with a busy schedule, yet we happen to listen to music, maybe while driving to work, a shop, cafe, gas station or wherever we happen to pass by. After a day’s long work, we may intentionally listen to music to calm and rejuvenate our mind. Music is of different genre and variety, loud, hard, soft, calming or with and without lyrics. It is all about individual choices and preferences.

Both in the past and in the present time, studies show the tremendous effect of music on all mental, emotional and overall health.

Ten effects of music influence on health:

1.Mood booster: Listening to music can stimulate the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine which gives a feeling of satisfaction and reward. It makes us repeat the behaviour, that is to continue listening to music. Therefore, it can elevate the mood to pleasure, motivation and enthusiasm. It can strengthen you emotionally by fine-tuning your emotional health.

2.Improves sleep efficiency: Listening to soothing music, stimulates the parasympathetic system, lowers the blood pressure and slows down the physiological functions. It relaxes the mind and body, making it ready to fall asleep. Music has been instrumental in treating sleep disorders.


3.Exercise performance : Studies show that music increases the level of performance, strength, endurance level while exercising. It delays fatigue by boosting the stamina level.

4.Focus: Listening to fine instrumental music helps to capture attention and to focus. So, some people prefer listening to music while on work which allows them to concentrate and increase productivity.

5.Divergent creativity: We all have the same cognitive capacity to think original thoughts and ideas; it’s the area on the right side of the brain, the creative brain. Research shows that listening to lively, happy music helps to stimulate this area of divergent creative thinking.


6.Reduce stress: Listening to calming music of about 60 beats/min can stimulate alpha brain waves which can make you feel calm and conscious. It reduces the cortisol level and releases endorphins which helps you relieve stress. It has been used successfully by many as a stress-reducing technique.


7.Memory: The frontal cortex and hippocampus of the brain are associated with memory. So, revoking memories are challenging in person with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Sometimes, music with a particular tune or lyrics can help significantly to relieve some of the memories in such individual.


8.Immunity: Music stimulate the parasympathetic response in the body which elevates the physiological coherence and promote the immune response. It boosts the release of antibodies and natural killer cells which helps to combat infections and chronic conditions like cancers and autoimmune issues.

9.Improves vascular health: Music helps to ease the anxiety and stress level by bringing the blood pressure and heart rate to the average baseline level. It relaxes the arterial wall and enhances the blood flow, thereby improving vascular health.

10.Weight loss: Music has a visceral effect too. Listening to music helps you to eat slowly, with relaxation. This effect improves our chewing ability and promotes metabolism. As you are eating slowly, you end up eating in a lesser quantity. Moreover, music also helps your exercise performance. So, in the process, you end up losing weight too.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

Immunity : 8 signs to indicate that your immunity is intact 🙌

by drjurisharma, posted in Food, life, nature

Hello everone ! Have a wonderful and great day 🙋🏻

1.You have a bodyweight within the range of average weight, according to the height and not being overweight.
2.You have a routine, regular bowel habit.
3.You have clean and clear skin.
4.You get up fresh and remain energetic. There is an absence of laziness.
5.Experiencing a sense of hunger once or twice a day.
6.You don’t have general body ache except with injury or heavy exercise.
7. You experience a sense of wellbeing and generate positive thoughts.
8. You experience deep sleep at night.

These are general signs that indicate that your body is functioning optimally and your immunity is intact. Our body’s immunity and vitality is not acquired by having a glass of smoothy, or daily going to the gym and having a load of supplements. It is the result of what you eat, how you think and how you live.

Three simple ways to build up a strong immunity is:

1.Fasting: Fasting is the simplest and easiest way of building your immunity. Ideally,15 to 16 hours of fasting every day are good enough. It is also the easiest way of losing weight. Having everyday dinner at around 6-7 PM, and not having any meal or snacks in between except water. Then, followed by having breakfast, the next morning around 10 to 11 AM gives you fasting of at least 16 hours quickly.

2. Food: Having food which is as much as close to Mother Nature. Fruits and vegetables, in their natural form or cooking minimum to restore their nutritional value. Preferable having a one-grain meal a day like brown rice or whole wheat and having meals (1-2 times /per day) with enriched portions of fibres, healthy saturated fat, protein and carbohydrate. It is necessary for avoiding processed, refined food altogether. Limiting the intake of beverages, alcohol and having more water, instead is ideal.

3. Mind and body care: Exercising every day is a must. Instead of heavy workouts in the gym, simple exercises like walking in nature, running, jogging are ideal. Physical activity throughout the day is good enough to give you a good night sleep. It is essential to maintain a positive attitude and a calm mind, to keep stress at bay. So, meditation, yoga, mindfulness practices, spiritual practices helps to build a positive and healthy mind.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐

 

 

 

Walking: 20 health benefits.

by drjurisharma, posted in life
Hello everyone! Have a wonderful and safe day 🙋🏻

Why did I feel writing something about walking? Firstly, I believe in this form of fitness, and secondly, off course, for its incredible health benefits. Without stepping inside the gym, the concept of exercise and physical fitness in today’s time doesn’t seem to work. Either you are running the treadmill or using high-end gym apparatus to strengthen and shape your muscles. Unless you do such exercises, you feel you are not doing the right kind of exercise regime for your fitness. Such psychology commonly revolves around us.

Therefore, walking has been most underrated as an exercise form for fitness. Enough studies have been done in the past, which goes to show that walking can be an effective form of a workout as exercise. A simple walk around nature gives you enough mental and physical boost and can be helpful to reduce the anxiety and stress in our everyday life. A good 20- 30 mins of a walk at a moderate pace every day is enough to give you the immense health benefits, your desired fitness level and reach your weight loss targets. Though running utilizes a more exaggerated level of energy, more pressure on the muscles but walking at a medium pace for a longer duration can give you the same desired results. Health markers have effectively shown the fitness and endurance level that can be attained by an everyday walk.

20 such amazing health benefits:

img_0817

Pic courtesy: Haven Pharmacy.

Thanks for reading.

Blessings and much love to all 💐