Tag Archives: Food

Liver Detoxification and Cancer Treatment

July 13, 2014

Importance of Liver Detoxification in the Fight against Cancer

Liver DetoxificationYou may now understand how important detoxification is in cancer treatment as I have written about that earlier. The toxins that get into our bodies are a host to many diseases and cancer is not excluded. Cancer is a disease that we acquire from our interactions with environment. The toxins that we acquire from the air we breathe, the foods we eat among other things do us more harm. However today I am exploring on the importance of detoxification of liver to cancer treatment. Welcome aboard and together let’s know how important liver cleansing is in the fight against cancer.

Why the liver?

The liver is a vital organ in the body without which normal bodily functions will not be accomplished. The liver is the second largest organ after the skin weighing about 3 pounds and plays a vital role in such important bodily processes such as digestion, excretion, metabolism, storage, immunity and production.

The liver plays an important role in monitoring the amount of glucose that is in circulation.  The carbohydrates we eat get broken down into glucose which is vital source of energy for the cells. The blood that enters the liver is always very high in glucose content which has to be put in control. The liver by the help of its hepatocytes absorbs the excess glucose and stores it in the form of glycogen. It has the ability of storing large quantities of glucose and releasing it in good quantities to provide energy. This helps protect the body from dangerously containing high levels of glucose in circulation. As most of you know by now, cancerous cells rely heavily on glucose for their energy supply, they are more responsive to the glucose in the bloods stream than the healthy cells so incase the glucose content is high in the blood, a conducive environment is created for the survival of the cancer cells but a healthy liver helps in controlling the glucose circulation in the blood.

Liver as a detoxification organ

The liver is a very important detoxification organ, the hepatocytes of the liver purifies the blood as it passes through the hepatic portal circulation. The hepatocytes is charged with getting rid of any toxins from the blood before the toxins are transferred to other parts of the body. Hepatocytes has enzymes that help in deactivating the toxins especially alcohol and drugs. The liver also plays an important role in keeping the levels of hormones at the optimum by removing hormones that are produced in excess by the respective glands.

Liver Detoxification

Importance of detoxifying the liver

It is important to detoxify the body organs during cancer treatment or even as a way to keep away from cancer. Liver is one of the most important organs that need to be detoxified to make the fight against cancer more effective. As mentioned earlier the liver influences the amount of glucose in circulation, helps in digestion and production of some proteins. The liver is also an important immune organ that needs to be healthy at all times to ensure safety of the body from diseases invasion.

Here are some of the reasons why liver detoxification is important in cancer treatment.

When the immune system is weak, which is especially caused by high level of stress hormone; cortisol, the body becomes a good environment for the formation of cancer cells. The high cortisol levels forces somatids which are necessary for life in the blood to turn into harmful pathogens. This pathogen finds entry into the healthy body cells to feed on the stress-induced glucose reserves affecting the supply of oxygen to the cells and causing cell mutations. The pathogenic bacteria also go to the liver to feed on the large amount of glucose stored in there. After feeding on the glucose, it excretes highly acidic wastes into the liver damaging the liver’s ability to repair and strengthen the immune system. The liver also becomes over burdened with the high toxic content in it.

The damage that is caused to the liver in case of cancer explains why most cancer patients suffer liver dysfunction. When the liver is diseased the immune system becomes weaker and weaker. When lots of somatids are turned into the cancer causing bacteria and it spreads to the rest of the body it becomes rather hard to treat the disease as the cancer cell formation cycle will still continue.  It is therefore very important to get rid of the toxins in the liver and restore its functions so as to hasten cancer recovery.

Liver detoxification can be done naturally by eating foods that are high in antioxidants hence can help in detoxifying the liver. Some of these foods that foster liver detoxification includes: Garlic, green tea, green leafy vegetables, Avocados, apples, olive oil, walnuts, lemons, cruciferous vegetables, turmeric, asparagus, Artichokes and coffee enemas.

In conclusion

The liver is a vital organ that ensures that all the bodily functions are accomplished, it also functions as a defense organ since it has great impact on the strength of the immune system. When it is heavily laden with toxins it loses its ability to purify the blood and control the amount of glucose in circulation which escalates cancer risk. Therefore liver detoxification is an important process in cancer treatment and recovery. Eating right foods can help you to detoxify your liver. You need reliable information that can help you stay cancer free. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) avails helpful information on cancer and other diseases contact her and learn how better you can take care of your health.

Importance of Liver Detoxification in the Fight against Cancer

 

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Vitamin Therapy for Rehabilitation

June 16, 2014

Vitamin Therapy for Rehabilitation-Drug Addiction

Vitamin

Malnourishment is a serious factor in addiction and proper nutrition is necessary for rehabilitation. Vitamins are very essential.

The debate on addiction is endless and experts are beginning to believe that nearly everything can be addictive depending on how you use the element before you. And that is why careful attention needs to be taken in the prevention and treatment to bring the problem of addiction to manageable levels. In an effort to do this we will be discussing the use of vitamin therapy in rehabilitating the drug addicts. Generally food is a very key component in ensuring the proper functionality of the body. We all need food to give us the energy we need to function. The absence of food is disaster in the waiting and so good nutritious food is very instrumental in rehabilitating drug addicts.

Vitamin Therapy for Rehabilitation-Malnourishment and Drug Abuse

It is important that we define the word malnutrition for us to have a better understanding of what we are talking about. It is a serious condition that occurs when a person’s diet does not contain the right amount of food nutrients and it is a common side effect among alcoholics and substance abusers. Malnourishment occurs majorly among drug abusers due to the decreased food ingestion and in some cases impaired metabolism and absorption processes. Besides this it is also lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies which can cause many serious health problems. Drugs like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and amphetamine are known to cause loss of appetite because of this drug abusers may stay up for days at a time on a binge and suffer dehydration and electrolyte imbalances as a result.

Malnourishment leads to a breakdown of basic bodily function and vitamin deficiencies. Vitamins are essential to maintaining growth and normal metabolism because they regulate many physiological processes. Fatigue, digestive problems, menstruation issues, tooth decay, aches and pains are often experienced by people who are malnourished. Additionally, people who suffer from malnutrition are vulnerable to infection. The nutrients from food are essential to the functioning of the effectiveness of the immune system. Without a properly functioning immune system one is easily susceptible to disease.

Vitamin Therapy for Rehabilitation-Vitamin Deficiencies and Drug Abuse

Alcohol consumers or those who take drugs are usually faced with vitamin deficiencies and in some cases are malnourished. These deficiencies usually occur as result of poor nutrition and a lack of good health. Long term, and in some case, irreversible health problems can occur when someone has a deficiency in an essential vitamin or mineral.
Thiamine deficiency is a very serious disorder that occurs as a consequence of poor nutrition and a lack of thiamine, or vitamin B1.

Individuals who suffer from chronic alcoholism are at risk of suffering from a very serious health condition known as Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, or Wet Brain Syndrome. Vitamin B1 is essential for brain function and the nervous system, flow of electrolytes in and out of cells, digestion and carbohydrate metabolism. Thiamine is found in many foods such as:

  • Beef
  • Wheat
  • Milk
  • Oranges
  • Seeds and cereals

Majority of people today get the sufficiency of food nutrients they need from the good and adequate food they consume. Since we get these nutrients from food drug abusers may not get this benefit because they tend to neglect their diet and health, with this they are at risk of causing a deficiency in thiamine.

Liver disease is another consequence of poor health and inadequate consumption of essential vitamins. The luck of vitamin A and E in the body is as a result of poor nutrition and this can cause great damage to the functions of the body. The metabolism of vitamin A is affected by alcohol consumption which may end up in the damage to the liver.

Alcohol also affects the amount or quantity of calcium in the body and if this goes for a long time may lead to osteoporosis and other bodily health conditions. Calcium is an important nutrient for many body functions including among other uses:

  • Vascular contraction and vasodilation
  • Muscle function
  • Nerve transmission
  • Intracellular signaling
  • Hormonal secretion along with bone strength

Research has established that chronic alcoholism interferes with vitamin D metabolism and this can result in inadequate absorption of dietary calcium and loss in bone mass and density.

Vitamin Therapy for Rehabilitation-Vitamin Therapy in Drug Abuse Treatment

Vitamin therapy is the use of high doses of vitamins to treat diseases and conditions. This alternative approach to health care has been found to provide impressive results in some cases for many different diseases, including alcoholism and substance abuse. Evidence has shown that vitamin therapy can aid in reducing withdrawal symptoms, increase the treatment retention rates and improve mental health. This may be because of the chronic deficiencies that some people have as a result of their long term drug or alcohol use and because of the healing properties that specific vitamins, such as vitamin C, have been found to induce.

Chronic depletion of vitamins and minerals should be considered in any health treatment for substance abuse. For alcoholics and drug addicts, nutrients commonly used in vitamin treatment include niacin; B complex vitamins especially B1, B5 and B6; antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E; calcium and magnesium. Each of these vitamins has been found to facilitate a large number of metabolic processes and their deficiencies can be associated with mental disturbances and chronic health problems.

Vitamin Therapy for Rehabilitation-Adverse Reactions to Vitamins

Experts through various studies have established that adverse effects from vitamin and mineral supplements are incredibly rare and levels of supplementing vitamins required to evoke a reaction are far higher than would be considered practical. Safety studies indicate that adverse effects from short-term use of high dose vitamins used during withdrawal or rehabilitation are negligible. With the exception of synthetic vitamin A, it is most likely that adverse events associated with high doses of a single vitamin are actually caused by resulting nutrient imbalances.

Finally we have been discussing vitamin therapy for rehabilitation drug addicts and it is clear that food nutrition plays an enormous role and so this must be encouraged by all means. While doing this it is also necessary that we seek the services of experts who have been in this discipline for in death understanding.   Dr. Dalal Akoury who is the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is an expert of over two decades and has been offering her exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. With experts like doctor Akoury you will not only recover nutritionally but also physically you will regain yourself completely and live a life full of hope, satisfaction and free from any form of addiction.

Vitamin Therapy for Rehabilitation-Drug Addiction

 

 

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Leaky Gut Syndrome

June 11, 2014

Leaky gut syndrome-Alcohol abuse and Drug addiction

Leaky gut syndrome

Leaky gut syndrome is term used to describe a collection of symptoms that center on damage in the lining of the large intestine.

Leaky gut syndrome is an unofficial term used to describe a collection of symptoms that center on damage in the lining of the large intestine. This damage apparently gives undigested food particles and toxins access to the bloodstream by producing minute gaps in the intestinal wall. While there is controversy regarding some of the purported effects of leaky gut syndrome, most doctors believe that unusual permeability in the large intestine can cause real health problems. People who abuse alcohol commonly experience significant changes in their intestinal function. These changes can potentially support the onset of leaky gut syndrome, or worsen its effects once it appears.

Leaky Gut Syndrome Basics

When looking at these terms medically there is great difference between syndromes and diseases. The difference is that diseases portray specific collections of symptoms with unique and distinguishable underlying causes while syndromes portrays symptoms which normally appears at the same time and have a number of potential known or unknown underlying causes. The symptoms associated with the presence of leaky gut syndrome include:

  • Diarrhea
  • Excessive flatulence
  • Unexplained fatigue
  • Unexplained fever
  • Heartburn
  • Ongoing or recurrent abdominal pain
  • Recurrent bladder infections
  • Hemorrhoids, food allergies
  • Frequent hunger
  • Joint pain
  • Muscle cramps
  • Lymph gland swelling
  • Psychological problems such as memory impairment and depression.

Normally, the bowel wall is sealed tight with the help of cell structures called desmosomes, which overlap the cells in the wall and stop them from tearing. Under certain circumstances, irritation or damage in the desmosomes can loosen their grip on the bowel wall and lead to the formation of tiny gaps that make the wall abnormally porous or permeable. The development of leaky gut syndrome begins when materials pass through these gaps and enter the bloodstream. Since these materials don’t belong in the bloodstream, immune system cells identify them as invaders and attack them. In turn, this immune response can produce increasing levels of inflammation that further damage the bowel wall, and thereby provide passage for larger molecules of undigested food and various toxins.

Leaky gut syndrome-Alcohol’s Effects

Alcohol consumption damages normal function in the intestinal tract in one of two ways:

  • The presence of alcohol appears to reduce the level of activity in key substances in the body called prostaglandins. Among their many functions, these substances help the body control the amount of inflammation that occurs at the site of any injury. Alcohol-related suppression of prostaglandins essentially allows inflammation to increase in an uncontrolled manner. While the effects of any single drinking session will produce only a temporary suppressing effect on prostaglandin levels, the type of habitual, heavy drinking commonly associated with alcohol abuse can produce ongoing prostaglandin suppression that contributes significantly to inflammation in the large intestine (and other areas of the body). In turn, this inflammation can trigger or support the development of leaky gut syndrome.
  • Heavy alcohol consumption also damages the body’s ability to pull nutrients from food and digest them in the small intestine. Ways in which this damage occurs include a reduction in the output of substances, called enzymes, required for digestion of certain types of nutrients; direct impairment of the cells in the small intestine responsible for absorbing nutrients into the bloodstream; and the creation of nutritional deficiencies that further disrupt the absorption of important nutrients. In people with preexisting cases of leaky gut syndrome, nutritional deficiencies and lack of effective nutrient processing can contribute to a worsening of the syndrome’s symptoms.

Leaky gut syndrome-More Women Affected

Women who abuse alcohol may develop more leaky gut-related problems than men. Part of this disparity stems from the fact that, compared to men, women have relatively small amounts of an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase, which is required for the breakdown and elimination of alcohol. This means that alcohol tends to stay in women’s bodies longer because of this deficiency. Women also have a reduced ability to effectively process alcohol during certain portions of the menstrual cycle.

Leaky gut syndrome may play a role in the onset or worsening of recognized gastrointestinal ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease, as well as a number of other ailments. Some alternative medical practitioners make unsubstantiated claims for the syndrome’s role in illnesses such as autism and multiple sclerosis. Since leaky gut syndrome is not a distinct, recognized medical disorder, physicians don’t diagnose the condition in their patients; instead, they usually consider its symptoms in a larger medical context as they work toward diagnosis of a recognized disorder.

Finally leaky gut syndrome has a way of making one’s life uncomfortable irrespective of gender. It is everyone’s desire to be healthy and be comfortable this is the reason why Dr. Dalal Akoury founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, is offering exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to other physicians and health care professionals through training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars.  This program is also open to any other qualified professional nonetheless individual are also not left out if you or any of your friends or colleague is suffering from any kind of addiction or you just want to get the detailed information about addiction treatment, preventions and control then this is the place to be. You will be attended to by a team of experts lead by doctor Dalal Akoury in administering treatment to your condition in a more natural way with majorly natural means to get you recovered completely and have your life back and live it to the fullest.

Leaky gut syndrome-Alcohol abuse and Drug addiction

 

 

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Sugar Addictions; the Psychology behind Sugar Addictions

June 10, 2014

Psychology behind Sugar Addictions-Drug Addiction

Sugar addictions

Sugar hides itself between cookies, cakes, sodas because these are what we use daily, be careful of sugar addictions

Who doesn’t like sweet things? This is a question whose answer would probably be the same across the divide in our global society today. I am almost attempted to believe that you have a positive answer to my introduction. But all the same we all need sugar to make our food staff much tasty and we can find sugar nearly everywhere in our homes, supermarkets, social places and even in the religious setups. You may be wondering how sugar finds its way nearly in all places, to help you on that, sugar hides itself between cookies, cakes, sodas and other foods you may be thinking of. Now all this food stuff is found everywhere and that is how we are surrounded with sugar which in itself is an addictive substance.

Food molecules enter the body in three different ways that is through fats, carbohydrates and protein. Of this sugar is categorized as carbohydrates which are composed of hydrogen, carbon and oxygen. Sugar is relatively a simple molecule and it is easier to break down in the body intestinal system. This element sugar can be found in many different forms today. This forms can include anything from simple white cane sugar (what we usually use in baked goods) to the more exotic sugars like agave nectar or molasses. All of these substances contain the same mixture of simple sugars, which are glucose, fructose, and sucrose. These three types of sugars can be mixed and matched in order to create a unique combination.

Saying that sugar is addictive then what is addiction? It is something that causes psychological dependence, addiction can be classified as dependence which is characterized by compulsive, sometimes uncontrollable, behaviors that occur at the expense of other activities and intensify with repeated access. Looking at addiction in relation to sugar would mean that consumption of sugar consistently and without any form of control can cause injure the operations of daily activities.

Psychology behind Sugar Addictions-Signs of Sugar Addictions

For one to be diagnosed with a sugar addictions, most likely the psychologists and doctors would look at three different signs:

  • Bingeing
  • Withdrawal
  • Craving

Anyone of these symptoms can be an indicator of initial stages of an addiction but all the three combined together points to a serious dependence on a certain substance. Ordinarily we would think of alcohol and other drugs as addictive substances, but for sure sugar is a very real addiction too. The consumption of sugar increases the serotonin levels in the body which is a calming and mood elevating neurotransmitter. Serotonin is an anti-depressant and regulates pain levels and sleep cycle. When sugar levels increase, serotonin levels rise and individuals can feel better about themselves both physically and mentally. Many times we think of cookies and ice cream as comfort food, so this could be one reason why some people have a hard time staying away from these sweets.

Ingesting sugar can also increase dopamine levels. Studies have proven that addictive substances like cocaine and heroin cause elevated extracellular dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens. This same process occurs when foods rich in sugar are ingested. It has also been found that the dopamine receptors are critical for people to experience pleasure for normal life events like watching movies, exercising, or reading books. A deficiency in this receptor can lead to depression, so many times those who are deficient in the dopamine receptors may turn to drugs or sugar for pleasure. A deficiency in the receptor has also been linked to a variety of disorders like alcoholism, bulimia, or binge eating.

Psychology behind Sugar Addictions-Effects of Sugar on the brain

Intermittent sugar access can also act through the opioids in the brain.  The changes in the opioid systems of the brain caused by eating sugar lead to the addiction-like signs of withdrawal. “Intermittent, excessive intake of sugar can have dopaminergic, cholinergic, and opioid effects that are similar to psycho-stimulants and opiates, albeit smaller in magnitude” (Avena, 2008). Even though the effects of sugar on neurochemicals are mild, it can lead to a dependency or addiction over time.

In addition to the neurochemical reasons for sugar addictions, there is also an area in the brain that shows signs of sugar addictions. In a study where participants consumed sugar and brain activity was analyzed, it was found that the orbitofrontal cortex was active after sugar consumption. The orbitofrontal cortex is an area in the front of the brain where human’s process rewards. This means that eating sugar is a rewarding activity, so we are likely to continue to eat sugar in order to feel reward and pleasure.

Psychology behind Sugar Addictions-Who is affected the most by sugar addictions

Those at risk for sugar addictions include:

  • Those with bulimia, binge eating disorder, obesity, alcohol dependent, smokers and those with chronic pain. This is because sugar addiction is comparative to these disorders, and many times these disorders may occur congruently with sugar addictions.
  • Healthy, normal weight individuals, by definition, do not suffer from food addiction; however, overweight and obese individuals could meet clinical criteria. The reason for sugar addictions is not because sugar tastes good, but rather it is in the way it is consumed with alternating binging and restricting.

Environmental factors can also trigger sugar addictions for example watching a commercial about candy, smelling cinnamon rolls come out of the oven, or simply being around sugar can cause someone to start eating it uncontrollably.  Eating sugar can also become a learned response by simply eating sugar when hungry, bored, or tired so that someone craves it whenever they feel this way. Overtime it will be a habit to simply reach out and eat sugar when these cues arise.

Psychology behind Sugar Addictions-Summary-Why is Sugar Addictive?

Sugar addictions, or sugar dependence, is based off the three basic stages of bingeing, withdrawal, and craving. Sugar can cause the neurochemicals dopamine, tryptophan, and serotonin to increase. All of these are involved with pleasure, reward, and pain tolerance that can make sugar irresistible. These neurochemicals are also released with other drugs of addiction, which links sugar addictions to any other addiction. Finally sugar is addictive because:

  • We Feel Better When We Eat It. Eating sugar increases the serotonin levels in the body, which is a calming and mood elevating neurotransmitter. Serotonin plays an important part in regulating pain levels and sleep cycles, and it is an anti-depressant. When sugar levels increase, serotonin levels rise and individuals can feel better about themselves both physically and mentally.
  • It’s as Addictive as Drugs like Cocaine. Ingesting sugar can also increase dopamine levels, which also happens when someone ingests cocaine or other addictive drugs. This can cause a binge and withdrawal cycle and lead to a dependence on the substance.
  • The Brain thinks it Is Rewarding. The orbitofrontal cortex is an area in the front of the brain where humans process rewards, and this is activated when someone consumes sugar. Therefore, sugar is seen as rewarding to the body.

We can never conclude without offering an avenue for help in case you or your loved ones are suffering from sugar addiction. The over two decades experience of doctor Akoury in helping people suffering from addiction is an experience you would want to be part of. She is also the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center where emphasis is made on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) as a means of treating addiction to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. This is a resource you would not want to miss.

Psychology behind Sugar Addictions-Drug Addiction

 

 

 

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Food addiction and the brain

May 16, 2014

Food addiction and the brain-From your brain’s perspective food is a drug

Food

some foods are associated with brain problem, and drug addiction is even more dangerous, eat healthy foods

Making reference from the holy book, God created all things that in his wisdom would make humanity comfortable before even thinking of creating man in his likeness. Among the things created to keep man comfortable is food. From creation man has made a lot of modification on what they feed on making me to believe that it was God’s will that we feed on freshness of his freely provided food be it food derived from vegetation or from animals. What we call improvement is in my view the problem why today we can imagine food as being addictive and this is going to form the basis of our discussion in this article. Therefore to start you off the foods we feed on often affect how our neurons behave and subsequently how we think and feel. From this description in your brain’s perspective, food is a drug.

Food addiction and the brain-Carbon bound consumers

We are generally feed on carbon most of the time. Carbon gets into our system through our feeding tubes in the form of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, we then break those chemical bonds to extract energy, and excrete the residue as carbon dioxide, water vapor and various solid waste. However, occasionally some of these chemicals can make their way from your digestive system and into your brain and the consequences can be subtle or profound.

Ascertaining the distinction between what is considered a food (something that your body wants or needs in order to function optimally) or a drug (something that your brain wants or needs in order to function optimally) is becoming increasingly difficult to define. Indeed, the routine use of some substances, such as stimulants and depressants, is so universal that most of us do not even consider them to be drugs, but, rather, actual food. For instance is coffee, tea, tobacco, alcohol, cocoa, or marijuana a nutrient or a drug?

The truth is that anything you take into your body should be considered a drug, whether it’s obviously nutritious or not (of cause we are now talking on the improvement we have done on what God had intended for our consumption before we introduced technology on food). As you will see, even molecules that are clearly nutritious (such as essential amino acids like lysine and tryptophan—available in bulk at your nearest grocery store) exhibit properties that many of us would attribute to drugs.

The foods we eat, and many of our most popular psychoactive drugs, come from plants or animals. The ingredients in these plant and animal products are very similar if not identical to the neurotransmitters our brains and bodies use to function normally. This is why the contents of our diets can interact with our neurons to influence brain function, and it highlights a very important principle that chemicals in the food that you eat will only act upon your brain if in some way those chemicals resemble an actual neurotransmitter or otherwise interact with a biochemical process in your brain that influences the production, release, or inactivation of a neurotransmitter. These active ingredients should be closely scrutinized for assurance of good health.

Food addiction and the brain-Chemicals used by humans and plants

You may be wondering how plants and humans use such similar chemicals for normal everyday functions! Plants produce chemicals capable of affecting our brain because they share an evolutionary history with us and primitive one-celled organisms produce many of the same chemicals that are in our brains. Therefore, irrespective of what you choose to eat the chemicals each meal contains may alter how your neurons function and by extension how you feel or think. We have all experienced the consequences of our shared evolutionary history with the plants we eat. For example, unripe bananas contain the neurotransmitter serotonin. When you eat an unripe banana, its serotonin is free to act upon the serotonin neurons within your digestive tract. The result is likely to increase activation of the muscles in the wall of your intestines.

Many plants contain compounds that should be able to enhance your brain’s performance. For example, potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants contain solanine and α-chaconine substances that can enhance the action of acetylcholine, a chemical in your brain that is vital to memory formation. Your mood might be enhanced slightly by eating fava beans because they contain L-DOPA, a precursor to the production of dopamine, the reward chemical in your brain. Whether these food-borne compounds actually affect your brain depends on the quantity eaten and your own personal physiology.

Food addiction and the brain-Morphine chemicals

Morphine like chemicals are capable of acting upon the brain are produced in your intestines when you consume milk, eggs, cheese, spinach, mushrooms, pumpkin, and various fish and grains. Dairy products in particular contain a protein known as casein, which enzymes in your intestines can convert into beta-casomorphin. In newborns, that beta-casomorphin can easily pass out of the immature gut and into the developing brain to produce euphoria. The pleasurable feeling produced by this opiate-like compound in newborn mammals after their first taste of their mother’s milk is believed to encourage the infant to return again and again for nourishment. Thus, being able to experience the euphoria induced by this opiate-like chemical has life and death consequences for the newborn child.

Food addiction and the brain-Caffeine and Nicotine

These are definitely plants derived from drugs. Chocolate contains a bit of caffeine, but also an array of other psychoactive compounds that may contribute to the pleasurable sensation of eating it. Chocolate contains phenethylamine a molecule that resembles amphetamine, and a small amount of a chemical called anandamide, which resembles the active ingredient in marijuana. Anandamide happens to be used by our brain as a regular neurotransmitter and appears to be critical for us to experience pleasure.

Chocolate also contains some estrogen-like compounds, a fact that may explain a recent series of reports showing that men who eat chocolate live longer than men who do not eat chocolate. The effect was not seen for women, who have an ample supply of their own estrogen until menopause. Post-menopausal women still may gain benefits from being chocoholics, though, because chocolate also contains magnesium salts that may reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes and night sweating. And finally, a standard bar of chocolate contains as many antioxidants as a glass of red wine. Clearly, there are many good reasons for men and women to eat chocolate to obtain its indescribably soothing, mellow, and anxiety-reducing effect.

Finally having seen the effect of food to human life, as a society we must pool together to ensure that we live a happy life therefore the services of professionals will be necessary to give guidance. At AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care, you will be well taken care of. Doctor Akoury is an expert with more than two decades of experience and when you are addicted in any way she will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE , this is the place to be.

Food addiction and the brain-From your brain’s perspective food is a drug

 

 

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