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Omega 3- Fatty Acids and Hearing Loss

Omega 3- Fatty Acids and Hearing Loss

A belief among the Mediterranean communities is that fish is good for the sense of hearing. What is not clear is the question as to how true this exactly is. So the whole suggestion simply remains a myth.

Yet it is common to find that the people living in such communities where fish is a staple food; communities where fishing is practiced as a tradition for survival; experience very rare cases of hearing problems. In fact there are some of these traditional communities where hearing problems are non-existent.

We know in our highly rated civilization that accumulation of wax in our ears may impair our hearing. We are aware of the effects that high pitched sounds may have to our ears. On this regard you see folks who work in studios or DJs who are constantly exposed to loud banging music always having advanced sound condensing appliances on their ears.

omega-3-fatty-acids

Digital appliances companies like Sony, Samsung and the rest do all they deem possible to create gadgets with very intense sound processing mechanisms; all in the name of protection of the hearing organ. That is why the very big headphones are greatly expensive. They condense the sound better and are thus recommended for safely listening to audio signals.

We are also aware of the kind of foreign objects that our ears should not be subjected to. Though there are other factors we know about that are rather hard to control should they affect us such as infections or tumors.

Another common myth, which is actually true, is that old age causes hearing loss. But how exactly? This condition is referred to as presbycusis.

Nutritional component

Looking at hearing problems from the above mentioned angles in isolation may be superficial. There is a great role played by the nutritional component in our sense of hearing that cannot be ignored. Folic acid, vitamin D, as well as vitamin B-12 are said to be key determinants of a healthy sense of hearing. Latest accumulated evidence point to the Omega 3 fatty acids as being central to the protection of the hearing system.

Studies have lately indicated that those who eat fatty fish are unlikely to suffer hearing loss, which takes us back to the Mediterranean mythology mentioned earlier. Such fish are known to be rich in the essential omega-3 fats suggesting that those who consume them take in the fats in their large quantities.

Prior research has indicated how these omega-3 fatty acids actually decrease the risks associated with cardiovascular infections while improving the fertility in both women and men. They have also been established to improve mood and prevent certain forms of cancer. The exact mechanism by which these omega-3 fatty acids prevent hearing loss and ensure a general healthy sense of hearing is yet to be established.

Consumption of omega-3 fatty acids

omega-3As has already been indicated, you can easily obtain these fatty acids by simply observing a diet well supplied with the fatty fish. That way then you get assured of a better life free from hearing problems.

That does not however mean that you should now become careless about the kind of environmental conditions and external objects you expose your ears to. The general health measure must still be put into consideration. Such things as loud music or expressly high environmental sounds may easily cause mechanical damage to your ears even if your system is well supplied with omega-3 fatty acids.

Another way that may be easier for those who are not good fans of the fish yet, is taking some fish oil supplement containing the omega-3 elements. Even an added advantage when you opt instead for fish oil supplement is the safety that comes along with it. The oil has been processed and any possible contamination that could be found in fresh fish has been gotten rid of.

So then, if you are even remotely concerned about what happens to your sense of hearing then it is time to consider making the fish part of your diet or going for the fish oil prescriptions available in many parts around the world.

Omega 3- Fatty Acids and Hearing Loss

 

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Certain Dietary Components That Weaken Immune System

The Negative Influences of Certain Dietary Components On The Immune System Of A Cancer Patient

ImmuneCancer is a disease that has poised lots of challenges to the world population that it has continued to depopulate greatly. The disease is not only expensive to treat but also causes lots of pain to its victims. In fact the word cancer is synonymous to pain. The changes in our environment are a major cause of cancer plus nutrition plays a great role in fighting cancer. Whatever you eat can either help you stay cancer free or will put you at a greater risk of getting this disease. Nutritionists have been involved in cancer treatments and very many researchers have done lots of work in the past to come up with those dietary components that should be avoided at all cost and those that should be used by cancer patients as well as any other healthy person who is interested in keeping away from the disease. Today there are cancer treatments that are solely based on diet. An example of this is the Gerson’s therapy which is being used even today as an alternative cancer treatment method. It involves the use of fruits and vegetables soups that are very effective in strengthening the immune system of the cancer patient as well as fighting the free radicals that are a major culprit in cancer cell formation. Generally, nutritionists have encouraged the consumption of whole foods as opposed to refined foods. This is because whole foods are rich in fiber that is vital in clearing all the toxic compounds out of the body. The whole foods are also rich in nutrients and do not contain harmful chemicals as the case with commercially produced foods which are full of toxic chemicals in the name of stabilizers and preservatives. It is therefore safer to eat those foods that help in building your body and keeping you safe from all the toxins that may enhance your cancer risk.

Some of the dietary components that may have negative influence on the immune system of the cancer patient include; sugar, omega-6 fatty acids, iron and copper. These dietary components therefore should be avoided by the cancer patient.

Sugar and the immune system

Sugar is the simple name that refers to all the glucose, sucrose and other forms of sugars present in our bodies. Cancer cell as well as the healthy body cells relies on glucose for energy to be able to live and multiply. However the healthy body cells are flexible enough to adapt to other sources of energy like the ketone bodies in absence of glucose. The cancer cells on the other hand suffer defects that cannot allow them to adapt to other sources of energy other than the sugar source. The cancer cells are also more responsive to the sugar in the bloodstream and are faster than the healthy cells in scrambling for the sugar, therefore too much sugar in the body feeds the cancer cells giving them ability to multiply and spread to the rest of the body parts. Sugar also hurts the immune system and so makes it hard for your body to fight cancer effectively.

According to Health Services at Columbia University, when you eat 100 grams of sugar, about as much sugar as you find in a 1 liter bottle of soda, your white blood cells are 40 percent less effective at killing germs. This can cripple your immune system for up to 5 hours after eating sugar.

The immune system of the cancer patient is weakened by sugar. This is because sugar competes for space with vitamin C in the white blood cells. Vitamin C is a very potent killer of viruses and bacteria and so the more it is in the white blood cells the more effective the white blood cells become in fighting diseases. However vitamin C and sugar are the same in chemical structure and so they compete for space in the white blood cells and so the more the sugar in the body the lesser the Vitamin C and this maims the cancer patient immune system to fight against the disease.

Omega-6 fatty acids and cancer

In the past omega-6 fatty acids had been linked to heart diseases. However very many research findings are suggesting that too much omega 6 fatty acids may escalate a person’s risk to cancer. This is because the omega-6 fatty acids contain linolic acid which is known to promote inflammations. Any inflammation agent is a threat to a cancer patient’s immune system and so should be avoided.

Copper and cancer

ImmuneCopper is necessary for cancer cell growth. A study that was done on mice discovered that copper which is normally present in public water increased the growth of cancer cells in mice. In a study led by Douglas Hanahan, researcher at EPFL and holder of the Merck Serono Chair in Oncology, scientists sought to examine the role of copper in cancer, to conduct this experiment they used genetically engineered mice with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. And they found that copper increased tumor growth in mice. “The biggest surprise was that a small amount of copper added to drinking water accelerated the growth of tumors, indicating that copper is an essential nutrient for them”, said Ishida. This therefore calls for reduction of copper in a cancer patient diet.

Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) has been committed to availing information on cancer treatment. She is an experienced integrative oncologist who can help you get better cancer treatment. Check this website frequently for updates. You can also call her for consultations.

The Negative Influences of Certain Dietary Components On The Immune System Of A Cancer Patient

 

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