Why Your Diet May Not Be As Rich In Iodine As You Assume

The trace mineral iodine is well known for its crucial role in enabling the body's manufacture of vital thyroid hormones, but it is also important for the health of the immune system and for optimal brain function. It is widely believed by many authorities that iodine deficiency should never be seen in the affluent West, although this problem affects millions throughout the developed world.

Some nutritionists argue, however, that this conventional view is too optimistic, because the content of all minerals in foods is heavily dependent on the mineral content of the soil from which those foods are derived. The assumption must therefore be that the continuing de-mineralisation of farm soils has led to a reduction in the amount of dietary iodine commonly consumed.

Fish and other seafood, however, remain a relatively rich source because these ocean creatures concentrate the sea's iodine in their flesh. Though not commonly eaten in the West, seaweed, or kelp, is also an excellent source of iodine for this reason, and is readily available in the form of a dietary supplements. Dairy products and certain meats may also be a good source, particularly where iodine is routinely added to farm animal feed. But in countries, including most of Western Europe, where animals are grazing fields growing on iodine depleted soils, levels are likely to be much lower.

So even in the West, those not including fish or seafood in their diets, and not using iodised or sea salt, may be at real risk of deficiency. In an effort to compensate for low levels of dietary iodine, the mineral has been routinely added to ordinary table salt in the US for many years. But the practice is not as common in the UK and other European countries, where specially iodised or natural "sea-salt" has been marketed more as a luxury alternative. The problem of insufficient dietary iodine has been compounded on both sides of the Atlantic, however, by increasing concern about the possible adverse health consequences, particularly high blood pressure, of excessive salt intake. Many nutritionists, however, regard these fears as exaggerated, and believe that any such potential problems are far less serious than the consequences of an insufficiency of iodine, and may be easily resolved by the use of the low sodium salt alternatives available.

Iodine, however, cannot in any case be regarded as a luxury. Its essential function lies in the production of the vital thyroid hormones; thyroxine, sometimes known as T4, and tri-iodothyronine, or T3. And as is well known, these hormones are crucially important in ensuring a healthy metabolic rate and the release of energy from food; so an underactive thyroid gland is commonly the villain in cases of excessive weight gain, particularly where this of sudden onset, and in cases of difficulty in losing weight even when following a sensible reducing programme. A healthy thyroid gland is also crucial for the optimal functioning of the immune system.

But perhaps even more importantly, iodine deficiency is also known as a major cause of avoidable brain damage; a problem which the World Health Organisation has estimated to affect an astonishing 50 million people worldwide. Sadly, many of these cases occur in children whose mothers were iodine deficient in pregnancy, resulting in a condition of severely retarded brain development known as congenital hypothyroidism, or "cretinism". Even where such catastrophic consequences are avoided, iodine deficiency in childhood may also have serious effects on the developing brain, leading to low energy and motivation for learning, and measurable impairment of IQ scores.

Since 2001 the Food and Nutrition Board of the US Institute of Medicine (FNB) has prescribed a Recommended Dietary Allowance for iodine of 150 mcg for all individuals over 14, rising to 220 mcg for pregnant women and 290 mcg for those breastfeeding. Somewhat confusingly, however, an excessive consumption of iodine is also associated with a malfunctioning or enlargement of the thyroid gland, as well as mouth ulcers, headaches and gastric upsets, and the FNB therefore advises an upper safe limit for daily iodine consumption of 1,100 mcg for adults. Most people eating a conventional Western diet are unlikely to exceed this level.

With the possible exception of pregnant and breastfeeding women, people in the West who use liberal quantities of iodised salt as a regular seasoning are unlikely to need further supplements. But many commercial multi-mineral preparations contain iodine in reasonable quantities, usually in the form of potassium iodide, and whilst not perhaps strictly necessary, such supplementary doses will do no harm and may be regarded as a useful insurance policy given that, like all minerals needed by the body, iodine functions best in the presence of adequate supplies of all the others. And it should be particularly noted in this context that the effects of any deficiency of iodine may be intensified by any deficiency of selenium, iron or vitamin A.

Read More……

How can HIV transmission be prevented?

HIV can be transmitted in three main ways:

* Sexual transmission
* Transmission through blood
* Mother-to-child transmission

Wherever there is HIV, all three routes of transmission will take place. However the number of
infections resulting from each route will vary greatly between countries and population groups.

For each route of transmission there are things that an individual can do to reduce or eliminate risk. There are also interventions that have been proven to work at the community, local and national level.

To be successful, an HIV prevention programme must make use of all approaches known to be effective, rather than just implementing one or a few select actions in isolation. The share of resources allocated to each area should reflect the nature of the local epidemic - for example, if most infections occur among men who have sex with men then this group should be a primary target for prevention efforts.

Although most of this page looks separately at each transmission route, it should be remembered
that many people don’t fit into only one “risk category”. For example, injecting drug users need access to condoms and safer sex counselling as well as help to reduce the risk of transmission through blood.

First requirements

There are three key things that can be done to help prevent all forms of HIV transmission. First among these is promoting widespread awareness of HIV and how it can be spread. Media campaigns and education in schools are among the best ways to do this.

Another essential part of a prevention programme is HIV counselling and testing. People living with HIV are less likely to transmit the virus to others if they know they are infected and if they have received counselling about safer behaviour. In particular, a pregnant woman who has HIV will not be able to benefit from interventions to protect her child unless her infection isdiagnosed. Those who discover they are uninfected can also benefit, by receiving counselling on how to remain that way.

The third key factor is providing antiretroviral treatment. This treatment enables people living with HIV to enjoy longer, healthier lives, and as such it acts as an incentive for HIV testing. It also brings HIV-positive people into contact with health care workers who can deliver prevention messages and interventions. Studies suggest that HIV-positive people may be less likely to engage in risky behaviour if they are enrolled in treatment programmes. Nevertheless, it is also possible that widespread availability of treatment may make some members of the wider population less fearful of HIV infection, and hence less willing to take precautions.

Sexual transmission

What works?

Someone can eliminate or reduce their risk of becoming infected with HIV during sex by choosing to:

* Abstain from sex or delay first sex
* Be faithful to one partner or have fewer partners
* Condomise, which means using male or female condoms consistently and correctly

There are a number of effective ways to encourage people to adopt safer sexual behaviour,including media campaigns, social marketing, peer education and small group counselling. These activities should be carefully tailored to the needs and circumstances of the people they intend to help. Specific programmes should target key groups such as young people, women, men who have sex with men, injecting drug users and sex workers.

Comprehensive sex education for young people is an essential part of HIV prevention. This should include training in life skills such as negotiating healthy sexual relationships, as well as accurate and explicit information about how to practise safer sex. Studies have shown that this kind of comprehensive sex education is more effective at preventing sexually transmitted infections than education that focuses solely on teaching abstinence until marriage.

Numerous studies have shown that condoms, if used consistently and correctly, are highly effective at preventing HIV infection.10 Also there is no evidence that promoting condoms leads to increased sexual activity among young people. Therefore condoms should be made readily and consistently available to all those who need them.

There is now very strong evidence that male circumcision reduces the risk of HIV transmission from woman to man by around 50%, which is enough to justify its promotion as an HIV prevention measure in some high-prevalence areas.12 However, studies suggest that circumcision does not reduce the likelihood of male-to-female transmission, and the effect on male-to-male transmission is unknown.

Some sexually transmitted infections - most notably genital herpes - have been found to facilitate HIV transmission during sex. Treating these other infections may therefore contribute to HIV prevention.
Trials in which HIV-negative people were given daily treatment to suppress genital herpes have found no reduction in the rate at which they become infected with HIV. Nevertheless,there is evidence to suggest that treating genital herpes in HIV positive people may reduce the risk of them transmitting HIV to their partners. Further research is ongoing.

One group that shouldn’t be overlooked by HIV prevention programmes is those who are already living with the virus. Regular counselling can help HIV positive people to sustain safer sexual behaviour, and so avoid onward transmission.

What are the obstacles?

It is usually not easy for people to sustain changes in sexual behaviour. In particular, young people often have difficulty remaining abstinent, and women in male-dominated societies are frequently unable to negotiate condom use, let alone abstinence. Many couples are compelled to have unprotected sex in order to have children. Others associate condoms with promiscuity or lack of trust.

Some societies find it difficult to discuss sex openly, and some authorities restrict what subjects can be discussed in the classroom, or in public information campaigns, for moral or religious reasons.

Particularly contentious issues include premarital sex, condom use and homosexuality, the last of which is illegal or taboo in much of the world. Marginalisation of groups at high risk - such as sex workers and men who have sex with men - can be a major hindrance to HIV prevention efforts; authorities are often unwilling to allocate adequate resources to programmes targeting these groups.

Safe male circumcision demands considerable medical resources and some cultures are strongly opposed to the procedure.

AVERT.org has more about preventing sexual transmission of HIV.

Transmission through blood
What works?

People who share equipment to inject recreational drugs risk becoming infected with HIV from other drug users. Methadone maintenance and other drug treatment programmes are effective ways to help people eliminate this risk by giving up injected drugs altogether. However, there will always be some injecting drug users who are unwilling or unable to end their habit, and these people should be encouraged to minimise the risk of infection by not sharing equipment.

Needle exchange programmes have been shown to reduce the number of new HIV infections without encouraging drug use. These programmes distribute clean needles and safely dispose of used ones, and also offer related services such as referrals to drug treatment centres and HIV counselling and testing. Needle exchanges are a necessary part of HIV prevention in any community that contains injecting drug users.

Also important for injecting drug users are community outreach, small group counselling and other activities that encourage safer behaviour and access to available prevention options. Transfusion of infected blood or blood products is the most efficient of all ways to transmit HIV.

However, the chances of this happening can be greatly reduced by screening all blood supplies for the virus, and by heat-treating blood products where possible. In addition, because screening is notquite 100% accurate, it is sensible to place some restrictions on who is eligible to donate, provided that these are justified by epidemiological evidence, and don’t unnecessarily limit supply or fuel prejudice. Reducing the number of unnecessary transfusions also helps to minimise risk.

The safety of medical procedures and other activities that involve contact with blood, such as tattooing and circumcision, can be improved by routinely sterilising equipment. An even better optionis to dispose of equipment after each use, and this is highly recommended if at all possible. Health care workers themselves run a risk of HIV infection through contact with infected blood. The most effective way for staff to limit this risk is to practise universal precautions, which means actingas though every patient is potentially infected. Universal precautions include washing hands and using protective barriers for direct contact with blood and other body fluids.

What are the obstacles?

Despite the evidence that they do not encourage drug use, some authorities still refuse to support needle exchanges and other programmes to help injecting drug users. Restrictions on pharmacies selling syringes without prescriptions, and on possession of drug paraphernalia, can also hamper HIV prevention programmes by making it harder for drug users to avoid sharing equipment.

Many resource-poor countries lack facilities for rigorously screening blood supplies. In addition a lot of countries have difficulty recruiting enough donors, and so have to resort to importing blood or paying their citizens to donate, which is not the best way to ensure safety. In much of the world the safety of medical procedures in general is compromised by lack of resources, and this may put both patients and staff at greater risk of HIV infection.

AVERT.org has more about preventing HIV transmission among injecting drug users and in health care settings.

Mother-to-child transmission

What works?

HIV can be transmitted from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, labour and delivery, and later through breastfeeding. The first step towards reducing the number of babies infected in this way is to prevent HIV infection in women, and to prevent unwanted pregnancies. There are a number of things that can be done to help a pregnant woman with HIV to avoid passing her infection to her child. A course of antiretroviral drugs given to her during pregnancy and labour as well as to her newborn baby can greatly reduce the chances of the child becoming infected. Although the most effective treatment involves a combination of drugs taken over a long period, even a single dose of treatment can cut the transmission rate by half.

A caesarean section is an operation to deliver a baby through its mother’s abdominal wall, which
reduces the baby’s exposure to its mother’s body fluids. This procedure lowers the risk of HIV
transmission, but is likely to be recommended only if the mother has a high level of HIV in her
blood, and if the benefit to her baby outweighs the risk of the intervention.

Weighing risks against benefits is also critical when selecting the best feeding option. The WorldHealth Organisation advises mothers with HIV not to breastfeed whenever the use of replacements is acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe. However, if safe water is not available then the risk of life-threatening conditions from replacement feeding may be greater than the risk from breastfeeding. An HIV positive mother should be counselled on the risks and benefits of different infant feeding options and should be helped to select the most suitable option for her situation.

What are the obstacles?

In much of the world a lack of drugs and medical facilities limits what can be done to preventmother-to-child transmission of HIV. Antiretroviral drugs are not widely available in manyresource-poor countries, caesarean section is often impractical, and many women lack the
resources needed to avoid breastfeeding their babies.

HIV-related stigma is another obstacle to preventing mother-to-child transmission. Some women areafraid to attend clinics that distribute antiretroviral drugs, or to feed their babies formula, in case by doing so they reveal their HIV status.

AVERT.org has more about preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and why PMTCT programmes are failing to reach most women in need.

Policy measures

To be successful, a comprehensive HIV prevention programme needs strong political leadership. This means politicians and leaders in all sectors must speak out openly about AIDS and not shy away from difficult issues like sex, sexuality and drug use. An effective response requires strategic planning based on good quality science and surveillance, as well as consideration of local society and culture. All sectors of the population should be actively involved in the response, including employers, religious groups, non-governmental organisations and HIV-positive people. Many of the world's most successful HIV prevention efforts have been led by the affected communities themselves.

HIV epidemics thrive on stigma and discrimination related to people living with the virus and to marginalised groups such as sex workers. Their spread is also fuelled by gender inequality, which restricts what women can do to protect themselves from infection. Protecting and promoting human rights should be an essential part of any comprehensive HIV prevention strategy. This includes legislating against the many forms of stigma and discrimination that increase vulnerability.

Read More……

Sure Shot Younger Looking Skin Formula!

With big brands spending millions of dollars on advertising, people think that these products will be the best. But have you ever turned over the product and read the list of ingredients and checked each over the internet for the side effects or the harm it can actually cause your skin?

Don't go on the flawless face and lustrous hair of the models advertising these products as half of it is actually digital photography! Think for yourself and learn about organic skin care products. There are many home made creams and secrets that can make you look absolutely fabulous or if you do not have the time to make these concoctions, go in for healthy natural organic skin care products right from moisturizers to face washes and creams to lotions.

Skin is a good absorbent and medically many medicines are introduced into the body with the help of skin especially skin patches. So, if you apply high chemicals infused cosmetics and skin care products, think what you skin is absorbing!

So, why abuse your skin and body - go in for gentle body care products that not only nourish your skin but also help you get flawless beautiful skin with no side effects. Costs may be a little higher than the normal chemical skin care products but after all that shows the quality of the product.

Most herbal and skin acre products have essential oils, which are the real essence and extract of a plant so you have natural fragrances and the benefits of aromatherapy in these products. Your skin will absorb all the qualities of essential oils and become soft, supple and rebuild the elasticity in the skin. Lemon, sage, lavender, chamomile, cedar wood, sandal are few of the essential oils used in skin care products and each has a positive benefit on your health.

There are many reputed stores both near you and online which stock only genuine, organic skin care products. You can be sure of the product quality and your skin type before you buy any product. Choosing what is good for you may become difficult when you see so many products, but get only reputed, good quality organic beauty care products, skin care creams, oils and lotions so that you really find signs of aging eliminated while your skin starts looking fresh, hydrated and beautiful.

Leave the world of chemicals and welcome Nature's bounty and miracles into your life. It is time to say hello to fresh, younger you again!

Read More……