Effect of Caffeine on Cholesterol Levels

Caffeine, a bitter alkaloid, occurs naturally in the leaves and seeds of plants such as tea, coffee, guarana, yerba mate, and the kola nut. Caffeine acts as a stimulant to the central nervous system and is one of the most widely researched psychoactive ingredient in the world. A cup of coffee or tea instantly rejuvenates you and boosts your energy levels, taking all the tiredness away. Caffeine content is higher in coffee than tea. Caffeine has numerous health benefits. In fact, research has proved that health benefits of caffeine (taken in moderation) outweigh its disadvantages. It is used as a primary ingredient in many pain relievers, and for the treatment of simple and migraine headaches. Caffeine tablets are used for weight loss, and it is the most widely consumed stimulant among sportspersons. A regular intake of caffeine (by drinking tea and coffee) also prevents the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Effect of Caffeine on Cholesterol Levels

Coffee drinkers all over the world have wondered whether coffee can affect cholesterol levels. The main concern here is whether caffeine can raise the levels. There has been ongoing research in the medical field on this topic. But till date, there has not been any conclusive evidence suggesting that caffeine alone can raise cholesterol level. Another research being carried out claims that caffeine, when used in conjunction with another drug, ephedrine, in helping weight loss in obese individuals, is said to alter cholesterol levels. This combination aids in reducing LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol level, and increases HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol level. LDL is the "bad" cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood can put you at a greater risk of cardiovascular diseases. But the use of caffeine and ephedrine together can have negative health effects too. It can lead to changes in blood pressure and an increased heart rate.

Gallbladder Disease in Children: Causes

The human body comprises various organ systems that work in conjunction so as to facilitate the vital bodily processes needed for healthy functioning of the body. The gallbladder is one such organ that aids in the digestive process. The gallbladder is a tiny pear-shaped sac that is located beneath the liver in the upper-right section of the abdomen. Wondering how the gallbladder aids in the digestion of food? Well, this tiny muscular sac stores bile, which is a digestive juice the liver produces. Bile helps in emulsifying fats so that they can be easily digested. If the gallbladder function gets adversely affected due to any reason, it will not be able to regulate the flow of bile.

When the body is unable to digest fats, one may develop an intolerance to fats, and therefore, experience various distressing symptoms on ingesting a fatty meal. One of the most common causes of gallbladder disease is the formation of gallstones in the gallbladder. Though gallbladder disease is not very common in children, poor dietary habits could cause gallbladder dysfunction in children. In this article, we will find out what causes gallbladder problems in children and how it can be treated.

Anaphylaxis Treatment

Allergies or allergic reactions are basically hypersensitivity reactions of the immune system to certain foods, environmental irritants, drugs or any other substance that it perceives to be a threat. When one comes into contact with such substances or ingests a food item that one may allergic to, the immune system activates specialized cells called mast cells. These are cells that are located under the connective tissues located just under the skin. The allergenic substance attaches itself to the immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies present on the mast cells. The mast cells release chemicals called histamines in order to launch an attack on the allergenic substance. Histamine combines with the histamine receptors that are located in the endothelium, smooth muscles and various parts of the body. Since release of histamine increases the permeability of the vascular structures, the fluid from the blood vessels starts leaking out. The inflammatory response that is caused due to secretion of histamines gives rise to various distressing symptoms. When the whole body is affected by the allergic reaction, a life-threatening situation can arise. This is medically referred to as anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis could prove to be fatal if the sufferer doesn't receive medical treatment on time. In this article, we will find out about the various aspects of anaphylaxis treatment.

Anaphylaxis Symptoms

Anaphylaxis is considered to be a medical emergency, which is why, medical help must be sought immediately. Thus, an awareness must be created about the characteristic signs of an anaphylactic shock. Anaphylaxis is a severe form of allergy, where more than one organ system of the body is involved. It is marked by a rapid onset of symptoms such as hives, swelling of tongue, lips and throat, facial swelling, flushing of the skin, wheezing, anxiety, irregular pulse, low blood pressure and lightheadedness. One may even lose consciousness. The aforementioned symptoms are indicative of the effects of a severe allergic reaction on the skin, respiratory system and the circulatory system. If anaphylaxis is caused due to an allergenic food, the digestive system could also get affected. The severity of the anaphylaxis symptoms may vary from person to person. If allergy medication is administered soon, the symptoms may fade away. Sometimes, the symptoms may recur after a few hours. The recurrence of symptoms is medically referred to as a late phase reaction, however, it is not a common phenomenon. In severe cases, wherein the patient experiences an explosive reaction, the patient would have to be hospitalized.

Rare Diseases List

There are hundreds of diseases and disorders affecting people around the world. A few diseases are known as common diseases and a few are really rare diseases. These rare diseases are mostly genetic diseases. Although considered to be rare, the rare diseases list runs really long. The rare diseases are called orphan disease. This is because they affect really, really small percentage of population and are rare genetic disorders. Not many studies and research is conducted for these rare diseases. In the following paragraphs, we shall see a rare diseases and disorders list. But before we go into the rare diseases list, let us learn about a few really rare diseases.

Very Rare Diseases List and Symptoms

There are plenty of rare diseases that are really, really rare like the werewolf syndrome. They occur sporadically and there have very few reported cases worldwide. Some of these very diseases list and symptoms are mentioned below.

Pompe Disease Treatment

Pompe disease is a rare neuromuscular genetic disease. Genetic deficiency of an enzyme 'Acid Alpha Glucosidase' (GAA) leads to accumulation of glycogen in every body cell, especially in the heart and other muscles. GAA is required for breaking down the glycogen, a complex carbohydrate which is converted by the body into glucose for energy. There exist several types of glycogen storage diseases and Pompe disease is one of them. It is also known as 'type 2 Glycogen Storage Disease' (GSD II). The disease is named after a Dutch physician, Johann Cassianius Pompe. There are three types of Pompe disease, depending on how aggressive the disease is, which muscles are damaged due to the disease, when the symptoms are first noticed, etc. Pompe disease symptoms may vary according to the type of the disease. Before taking a look at the Pompe disease treatment, let us know the Pompe disease symptoms.

Symptoms of Pompe Disease

Statistics show that in the U.S., about one in 40,000 people is affected by the Pompe disease. It is considered as a fatal disease as it leads to dysfunction of the heart and muscles. Mutations in a gene results in Pompe disease. Build up of glycogen everywhere in the body leads to several difficulties. Build up of glycogen, especially in the heart and muscles eventually leads to death. The age of onset and severity of the symptoms may vary from person to person. It mainly depends upon the degree of enzyme deficiency.

Ways To Keep Your Heart Healthy

If you suppose being in an excellent physical condition is a sure indication of you being less vulnerable to develop heart diseases, then you may not be having a right conception after all. It is true that good levels of physical conditioning is a contributing factor in keeping your heart healthy, but it is not the only one that comes into play. In short, fitness and health may be two different subjects if we look at it with intricacy. It is not an absolute necessity that a body-builder is less prone to developing a heart disease than an average man. Now let's get down to some of the most essential requirements you must know for how to keep your heart healthy.

Ways To Keep Your Heart Healthy

You may come across advice and tips from various sources on keeping your heart healthy. But you must go with those which are backed up by medical evidences. The following tips would let you know about what can you do to keep your heart healthy.

Go Green

When we speak of heart, we cannot miss out on the importance and benefits of plant foods. Vegetables are an excellent source of glutamic acid. It is a class of amino acid which helps keeping blood pressure at lower levels; safe levels, so to say. What's more? Veggies lack cholesterol, fat and even calories, which otherwise tend to be the common culprits for causing heart diseases. Not to mention, the amount of vitamins and minerals that vegetables provide to the body do the most for health.