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Acanthosis Nigricans, Insulin Resistance And Pre Diabetes!

Development of dark, thickened, often slightly raised and velvety patches on the skin could be a sign of a condition called Acanthosis Nigricans. These patches can sometimes be accompanied by itching.

The areas commonly affected are the neck, armpits, groin, elbows, knees, and knuckles.

Acanthosis Nigricans is strongly linked to insulin resistance.

When carbohydrates are digested, they are absorbed in blood as sugar and the blood sugar levels increase.

In response to this the pancreas releases insulin in blood and insulin helps transport the sugar to various tissues of the body and under its influence, the cells of the tissues take up sugar from the blood and utilise it for the energy that they require for their functions.

Under the influence of insulin the liver also stores more sugar for providing energy to the body later.

This lowers the blood sugar and the blood insulin levels.

But when you eat too much sweets or sugary food regularly, the pancreas is forced to produce more insulin to bring down the blood sugar to normal.

After a while the cells of the various tissues stop responding adequately to the insulin and do not absorb sugar efficiently.

This means the cells of the tissues develop insulin resistance.

This causes both, the blood sugar and the blood insulin levels to stay high.

This raised blood level of insulin is called hyperinsulinemia.

To compensate, the pancreas produces more insulin.

Insulin promotes the synthesis of protein and fat molecules and provides the energy to help in cell growth.

Hyperinsulinemia causes skin cells to reproduce more quickly, leading to the characteristic skin changes in development of the condition of acanthosis nigricans.

When the capacity of the liver and the muscle cells to store sugar is over, the excess blood sugar is stored in the fat cells of various fat depots in the body and our weight increases, gradually leading to obesity.

Hyperinsulinemia and the insulin resistance lead to the development of pre diabetes.

People with pre diabetes have higher than normal blood sugar levels which are not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Fasting blood sugar levels between 110 to 125 (WHO) or 100 to 125 (American Diabetes Association) and glycated haemoglobin or HbA1c levels between 5.7 to 6.4 per cent are diagnostic of pre diabetes.

Blood sugar levels and HbA1c levels higher than this are diagnostic of diabetes.

People with pre diabetes are most likely to develop full fledged diabetes especially if they have strong family history of diabetes, obesity and sedentary lifestyle.

Other conditions in which Acanthosis Nigricans can occur are obesity, PCOD, thyroid disease, especially hypothyroidism and Cushing’s disease and rarely it is associated with some cancers.

The underlying condition in obesity and PCOD that causes these Acanthosis Nigricans patches is insulin resistance.

If you have such patches on the body, please see you doctor and get them diagnosed.

If they are patches of Acanthosis Nigricans you are likely to have insulin resistance and pre diabetes.

You will need to develop healthy food habits, cut out sugary foods and other simple carbohydrates from your food, eat nutritionally balanced food, exercise regularly, reduce your weight, keep stress low and sleep well.

And don’t wait to start all these things till you catch diabetes!

If you start now, you could most likely prevent the development of insulin resistance and pre diabetes and get rid of these patches!

And we can help you achieve this kind of results very much at your home, anywhere in the world on the same line of weight loss treatment managed from Pune, in our ‘Distance Program’, through our Obesity Clinic based in Pune, no need to physically join our Slimming Centre in Pune.

Also read ‘Insulin Resistance And Diabetes’ and ‘Understanding Pre Diabetes’ on this website.

Carbohydrates Are Essential To Health!

Our food is composed of the following nutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.

Each of these nutrients have specific roles to play in the functioning of our body.

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Carbohydrates are of two types, viz. simple and complex carbohydrates.

Simple carbohydrates are made up of one or two sugar molecules while complex carbohydrates are made up of long chains of glucose molecules.

When carbohydrates in our food are digested, these glucose molecules are absorbed our in blood and the blood sugar rises.

This glucose provides the fuel energy that the cells of our body need to carry out their functions.

Insulin is the hormone that influences our body cells to take up sugar from our blood to use up for their energy requirements. Insulin is synthesised in the pancreas,

Simple carbohydrates are digested quickly and cause sharp spikes in our blood sugar and force the body to suddenly release more insulin to bring the blood sugar down. The cells of the body take up the extra sugar from the blood and the blood sugar drops down to normal.

Eating too much simple carbohydrates or sugary food over a period of time leads to the cells of the body gradually becoming insensitive to insulin and respond less and less to it and the body is forced to produce more and more insulin to keep the blood sugar normal, causing hyperinsulinemia.

In time the blood sugars stay high in spite of hyperinsulinemia and leads to insulin resistance and eventually to diabetes.

In contrast, complex carbohydrates are digested slowly and provide steady supply of glucose and hence energy to the body, preventing spikes in blood insulin levels, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance and diabetes.

So it is consuming too much simple carbohydrates regularly that leads to hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and diabetes, not complex carbohydrates.

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Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy of our body. That means majority of the calories we need to carry out our bodily functions have to come from carbohydrates.

They also have a ‘protein sparing’ function.

Proteins have different functions those do not include providing energy to the body.

Proteins are the most important constituents of all the tissues of the body.

They are essential for the growth, development and repair of the daily wear and tear of the body. They are responsible for the immunity and the defence mechanism of the body. They are also essential for the formation of various enzymes and hormones in our body.

Proteins are not a primary source of energy for our body, under normal circumstances. But in case of people on very low carbohydrate – low calorie diets, the proteins in their food are used up as a source of energy and such people suffer from protein deficiency even if there is sufficient protein in their food.

So the second function of carbohydrates is to provide enough energy to the body so that proteins are not used up for energy and they are ‘spared’ to carry out their normal functions.

Foods that are principally made up of complex carbohydrates also provide essential nutrients like fiber, vitamins, especially B vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium and selenium.

Complex carbohydrates are the only source fibre in our food. Fibre is crucial to digestion. The insoluble fibre in our food adds bulk to our stools, regulates the peristaltic movement of the intestines, facilitates easy passage of stools and prevents constipation.

The soluble fibre in complex carbohydrates dissolves in water and forms a jelly like substance which absorbs cholesterol and sugars and they are cleared out of the body, helping lower the levels of the blood cholesterol and sugar.

Complex carbohydrates contribute to satiety, helping to control appetite and reduce overall calorie intake. Having well balanced food with adequate complex carbohydrates, without of course over eating, helps in controlling weight rather than causing obesity as is often wrongly projected.

Brain function: Glucose is the primary source of energy for the brain. Complex carbohydrates provide steady supply of glucose to the brain cells and this helps in the smooth functioning of the brain and helps support cognitive functions, including memory and concentration.

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Dangers of low carbohydrate diets.

Effects of low carbohydrate diets on health:

Lack of energy: Without adequate complex carbohydrates in our food, energy levels can fluctuate, leading to fatigue and decreased endurance during physical activity.

Nutritional deficiencies: We suffer from deficiencies of nutrients like fiber, vitamins, especially B vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium and selenium.

Digestive problems: Lack of fibre in low carbohydrate diets causes constipation and this in time can cause haemorrhoids (piles) and fissures and can also lead to development of conditions like diverticulitis and colon cancer.

Obesity: Low carbohydrate diets are essentially based on meat, eggs, fish and milk and milk products like butter, cheese and paneer and nuts.

Barring skim milk and fish, these foods are high in their fat content and hence are high in calories and are more likely to cause obesity.

Presence of high amounts of saturated fats and cholesterol in these foods can also lead to raised levels of LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol can also lead to heart disease and strokes.

Impaired Brain Function: The brain is dependant upon glucose as its primary source of energy. Lack of a steady supply of glucose from complex carbohydrates can result in impairment of cognitive functions including memory and concentration and mental clarity and focus.

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Thus you can see that you can definitely stop eating or avoid eating simple carbohydrates as much as possible, but complex carbohydrates are absolutely essential to health and you cannot stop eating them without serious consequences for your health.

Also read the articles ‘Basics Of Nutrition’ and ’Carbohydrates Don’t Make Us Fat’ on this website.

The Causes Of Milk Indigestion and Their Solutions!

Many people cannot tolerate milk and milk products.

They develop varying degrees of abdominal discomfort, pain, bloating, gases, diarrhoea when they consume milk.

The commonest cause of this is lactose intolerance.

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Lactose intolerance:

Lactose is the major sugar present in milk.

It is composed of two sugars namely glucose and galactose.

Our body needs an enzyme called lactase to digest lactose.

Lactase is an enzyme that is produced in the what is called as the brush border of the epithelial lining of the small intestines of humans and other mammals.

A large number of people lack adequate amounts of lactase and are unable to digest lactose fully and hence suffer from bloating, gases, diarrhoea and abdominal discomfort when they have milk.

Lactase is also available as a food supplement and is added to milk to produce ‘lactose free’ milk products.

People with lactose intolerance can take lactase supplements before consuming milk and milk products or add it to them before consuming them.

A few people may have difficulty digesting a protein in milk.

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Curds and buttermilk:

Can lactose intolerant people consume curds and buttermilk?

What happens to lactose on converting milk to curds and buttermilk?

Curds are prepared by adding a spoonful of previously made curds to warm milk and allowing it to stand for a few hours.

Milk develops lactic acid bacteria, majorly Lactobacillus and Streptococcus thermophilus) when previously made curds are added to it.

These bacilli ferment lactose present in the milk into lactic acid over several hours.

They partially digest lactose, breaking it down first into glucose and galactose and then to lactic acid, that is, they partially ferment lactose to lactic acid, converting milk to curds and also gives curds the sour taste.

This process reduces lactose content in the curd by 20 to 50 per cent depending on how long the curds are allowed to stand before consumption.

The longer the curds stand, the lower is its lactose content and greater is its lactic acid content, and the sourer it gets.

Buttermilk is made by adding water to the curds.

Can lactose-intolerant people tolerate curds and buttermilk?

The bacteria have already done part of the digestion for them.

Live bacteria in the curd continue breaking down lactose inside the gut after eating.

So mildly lactose intolerant people can tolerate homemade curd well.

Moderately intolerant people can tolerate it in small amounts, especially with other food.

Severely intolerant people will still suffer from lactose intolerance on consuming curds and buttermilk.

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Gulab jam, pedha, burfi and kalakand.

Sweets made from khava or mava or khoya

Can lactose intolerant people eat sweets like gulab jam, pedha, burfi and kalakand made from khava or mava or khoya?

Khava or mava or khoya is made by slowly evaporating whole milk over low heat until most of the water content is evaporated and only the milk solids remain.

It’s an essentially a concentrated, thick mass of milk solids, not a curdled product.

Fat, lactose, and milk proteins all concentrate together in khava.

It forms the base of many popular Indian sweets such as gulab jamun, pedha, burfi, and kalakand.

Since all lactose in milk is retained in a concentrated form in khava, sweets made from it can cause maximum discomfort in intolerant people.

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Bengali mithai

Bengali sweets are made by adding lemon juice or vinegar or rennet to milk. This causes the casein, the major protein in milk to coagulate or clump together as a solid mass and the other protein, the whey in milk separates out as a liquid.

Most of the lactose drains out in the whey, only a small amount stays trapped in the casein mass.

Bengali sweets are made from this solid mass.

Thus lactose intolerant people can handle Bengali sweets better than sweets made from khava or mava.

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Paneer

To make paneer, lime juice or vinegar is added to milk, similar to how it is done when making Bengali mithai.

This causes the casein to coagulate and form a solid mass, separating it from the whey protein in liquid form,  carrying with it major portions of lactose in milk.

The resultant mass of casein is immediately pressed to further remove more of the whey protein and lactose.

But unlike in case of the Bengali sweet making process, the casein mass in paneer making process is not washed in water repeatedly.

So about 2 to 3 gm percent lactose still remains in paneer.

So paneer can trouble people lactose intolerance more than Bengali sweets.

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Cheese

The cheese making process is more sophisticated and complex.

In this process first lactobacilli and then rennet are added to standardised, pasteurised milk heated to specific temperature.

These bacteria begin to digest the lactose in milk.

Some cheeses are ripened or aged in controlled conditions (temperature and humidity) for between a few months to three years.

So these bacteria get ample time to digest most of the lactose in the cheeses, retaining only 0.1 to 0.5 gm percent lactose.

People with lactose intolerance can eat and digest these aged or ripened cheeses more easily.

Cheddar, Parmesan, Gouda are some of the examples of these kind of cheeses.

On the other hand Mozzarella is a cheese that is consumed immediately or in a few days.

The lactobacilli in this cheese do not get much time to digest much of the lactose in it.

So 1 to 3 gm percent lactose is retained in this cheese.

So lactose intolerant people will find it difficult to tolerate this milk.

Amul cheese comes in three variants, processed Cheddar cheese, Cheddar cheese and Mozzarella cheese.

If have lactose intolerance but still love to eat cheese, eating the actual Cheddar cheese will be much safer, not the processed Cheddar or the Mozzarella cheeses.

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Milk proteins:

Milk majorly has two proteins, casein and whey proteins, the former contributing nearly eighty per cent while the latter makes up most of the balance twenty per cent of milk protein.

Casein has two major components, the A1 beta casein and and A2 beta casein proteins.

Most buffalo and cow milk have both A1 and A2 variants of the beta casein proteins.

The milk from Indian breed cows, Gir, Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar, etc. is mostly A2 β-casein type, while milk from all breeds of buffaloes is also mostly A2 β-casein type.

Most large Indian dairies have hybrid cows.

The milk from hybrid cows is majorly of the A1 β-casein type.

The Western breed cows in the US and Europe is also majorly of the A1 β-casein type.

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Milk protein intolerance:

It is this A1 beta casein that a few people have difficulty in digesting fully.

These people may have some abdominal discomfort when they have milk having both the A1 and A2 variants of the beta casein proteins.

But their number is much smaller than the people having lactose intolerance.

Sixty five to seventy per cent of the world population has varying degrees of lactose intolerance while much fewer people possibly suffer from milk protein intolerance.

Some milk variants of both buffalo and cow milk have only the A2 variant and not the A1 variant of the beta casein proteins.

The A2 milk is marketed at a special premium as a milk that is easier to digest and does not cause discomfort like gases and bloating which regular milk causes in some people.

Although there is not enough scientific evidence to support it, the findings are mixed, some people may experience less discomfort with the A2 milk, whether cow or buffalo, than the regular milk.

Other than that there is no special nutritional advantage of the A2 milk over the regular milk.

But if you like it, are more comfortable drinking it and don’t mind paying the premium for it, you can continue to use it.

The A1 variant of beta-casein can be found in cow’s milk from certain breeds like Holstein, while the A2 variant is found in milk from other breeds like Guernsey and Jersey cows.

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The Gir cow:

Currently the Gir cow milk is touted as a highly superior milk and is sold at a considerable premium.

Not only Gir, but milk from all other indigenous breeds like the Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar, etc. is mostly A2 β-casein type.

It is quite likely that buying the more expensive Gir cow milk is getting fashionable amongst our urban affluent, not unlike the use of olive oil!

Gir cow milk does have more A2 proteins than A1 proteins.

Some Gir cow milk may have only the A2 variant proteins but there is no guarantee that all Gir cow milk has only the A2 β-casein proteins and no A1 β-casein proteins at all, unless you have it tested in a specialised laboratory.

The milk of all the Indian buffalo breeds is also almost entirely A2 β-casein type.

Plus the buffalo milk is much more nutrient dense than any cow milk and has more proteins, calcium and vitamins than any cow milk.

And small local dairies and ‘gavlis’ may illegally use the banned hormone rBGH to increase the milk production of these cows.

Drinking milk from these cows can marginally increase the circulating hormone IGF-1 and some epidemiological studies have linked higher levels of IGF-1 to increased risk of breast, pancreas and colon cancers.

Cows injected with this hormone develop mastitis more often and may receive more antibiotics which are carried in their milk.

This hormone does not work well on buffaloes, hence they are not used even illegally on buffaloes and thus the risk of having more IGF-1 and antibiotics in your milk is also eliminated.

So, if you want A2 β-casein type milk, buffalo milk is a much better option than buying Gir milk at exorbitant cost!

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What matters more is that the milk you get comes from buffaloes or cows those graze in open natural pastures, on grass that is free of harmful chemicals and pesticides and the animals are not injected with hormones and antibiotics.

But it is difficult in the current scenario to ensure this.

And buffalo milk is definitely superior to cow milk, you can look for A2 buffalo milk if you like it, tolerate it better or are very keen on buying A2 milk only.

Read more about the nutrition of milk on the link ‘Magical Health Benefits Of Milk’ on this website.

Fast Food Or Junk Food Are Harmful To Health!

Fast food or junk food are foods that are loaded with calories, sugars and salt, fats, cholesterol and trans fats and lack healthy nutrients like fibre, vitamins and minerals and antioxidants.

Most fast food may lack either complex carbohydrates or proteins or both.

Bakery products like cakes, pastries, biscuits, fried food like ‘wada’, ‘samosa’, ‘bhaji or pakoda’, french fries, fast foods like burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, pizzas, snacks like chips, farsan, sweet delicacies like gulab jam, basundi, rabdi, jalebi, all kind of mithai including burfi, pedhas, chocolates and aerated sweetened soft drinks, sports energy drinks and alcohol are junk foods and drinks.

Sugar free mithai or sweets also are fast food, since they contain a lot of fat.

Also the sugar substitutes are also not harmless.

Processed and frozen meats like pork bacon, ham, salami, sausages and even chicken nuggets, salami, sausages also are examples of fast foods. They are high in sodium, cholesterol, saturated fats and trans fats.

They are often also treated with sodium nitrite to prevent growth of microorganisms in them and improve their shelf life. Nitrates and nitrites are thought to be carcinogenic.

The internationally famous fried chicken and the equally famous chicken or tuna sandwiches, claiming to be healthy because they have lettuce, tomato and cucumber but loaded with mayonnaise and other such sauces too, are loaded with fat, calories, cholesterol and trans fats.

Thus these foods, very popular amongst young people, too are junk foods.

When buying such foods, please check the labels for fat and sugars. Labels like ‘no added sugar’ can be misleading as it generally means no sucrose, there could be other sugars used.

Labels like zero trans fats too could also be misleading. Most bakery products in India carry the no trans fatty acid labels. But we don’t know if there are any periodic checks on such products to verify the claims of the manufacturer.

The so called health drinks and foods like fruit juices, energy bars, muesli bars too are junk foods as they still contain a lot of  sugar or fats or both.

Over consumption of fast food high in salt, sugars, fats, cholesterol, trans fats and calories leads to obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia , hypertriglyceridemia and heart disease, strokes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and certain cancers.

So keep the consumption of fast food low or minimal and exercise regularly to burn off any extra calories consumed through the fast food and prevent weight gain and all the above diseases.

If you are looking to lose weight, keep their consumption low, if you have hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia , hypertriglyceridemia and heart disease, avoid them as much as possible.

Also read the articles, ‘Dangers Of Eating Too Much Sugar’, ‘How Much Salt Do I Need’, and ‘The Good And The Bad Fats’ on this website.

Basic Information About Blood Pressure And Hypertension!

Today many people are aware that diabetes is a grave illness.

And they take the threat of the disease seriously.

But more people have hypertension than diabetes and few people are aware that hypertension is as grave a disease as diabetes.

A comprehensive survey reported an overall hypertension prevalence of 30.7%, with higher rates observed in men across various age groups in India, where as the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in 2021 was estimated to be 11.4% and the prevalence of people with pre diabetes was estimated to be 15.3%.

Hypertension is directly responsible for approximately 57% of all stroke deaths and 24% of all coronary heart disease deaths in India. 

In 2015, hypertension led to an estimated 16,00,000 deaths in India while In 2019 the estimated deaths due to diabetes were 2,80,000.

This will give you an idea of how much higher the prevalence of hypertension is over Type 2 diabetes in India and how many more deaths occur in India due to hypertension than due to diabetes, even if prevalence of both diseases and the deaths they cause is still very high in India.

And a person with hypertension may not have any symptoms.

So many people may not even know that they have the disease.

So it is vital that you get a blood pressure check regularly, more so if you have family history of hypertension, heart disease and strokes.

And it is equally vital that you don’t ignore it, if you have it.

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So What Is Hypertension?

Arterial blood pressure is measured as mm of Hg or mercury.

It has a higher level or the systolic blood pressure and a lower level or the diastolic blood pressure.

Systole is the phase of the heart beat in which the ventricles, the lower two chambers of the heart contract, the left ventricle sending blood out to the whole body and right ventricle to the lungs.

Diastole is that phase of the heart beat in which the ventricles relax after the contraction, receiving blood from the atria which are the two chambers above the ventricles.

The blood flowing through the arteries exerts certain pressure on the walls of the arteries when it flows through them, both when the ventricles contract, that is the systole and when they relax, the diastole.

The pressure when the ventricles contract is the systolic blood pressure and the pressure when they relax, is the diastolic blood pressure.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition in which the blood pressures in the arteries are persistently higher than normal.

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Normal levels of blood pressure and raised levels of blood pressure:

As per the American College Of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, the normal ranges and the raised levels of the blood pressure are as follows:

Normal blood pressure is 120 by 80 mm of Hg, or below.

Elevated blood pressure: Blood pressure ranging between systolic pressure 121 to 129 and diastolic pressure 80 or less mm of Hg, is elevated blood pressure.

Stage I hypertension: Systolic blood pressure between 131 to 139 and the diastolic between 80 to 89 mm of Hg.

Stage II hypertension: Systolic blood pressure between 140 or higher and the diastolic 90 or more, mm of Hg.

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Types Of Hypertension:

Primary Or Essential Hypertension:

A complex combination of genes and environmental factors, excess salt consumption, Western kind of high fat – high calorie, high animal food diet deficient in complex carbohydrates, green vegetables and fruits, lack of exercise, abdominal obesity, stress, aging are some of the factors which can contribute to the development of hypertension.

In this type of hypertension, the major contributor to hypertension is the increased peripheral resistance to blood flow through arteries.

Secondary Hypertension:

Secondary hypertension is the hypertension which has an underlying disease as the cause of hypertension.

Kidney disease, renal artery stenosis (narrowing) are the most common causes underlying this kind of hypertension, endocrinal disorders like Cushing’s Syndrome, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, certain pituitary disorders and a pituitary tumour called pheochromocytoma can also cause hypertension.

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Signs And Symptoms Of Hypertension:

Hypertension usually causes few symptoms. That is why it is called a silent killer.

Some people may complain of headaches, especially at the back of the head, vertigo, tinnitus and fainting. But anxiety and stress can also cause these symptoms.

That is why hypertension is often detected in general medical check up or sometimes when people go for blood donation.

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Effects Of Hypertension:

Prolonged hypertension causes inflammation in the endothelium, the inner lining, of the arterial walls damaging the arteries including those of various organs of the body.

This can lead to hardening and thickening of the arterial walls and narrowing of their lumen. This is called atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis causes loss of elasticity in the arterial walls causing an increase in the peripheral resistance to the blood flow and it also leads to heart attacks and strokes.

Raised blood pressure causes greater resistance to the flow of the blood through the arteries and forces the heart to pump harder to circulate blood through our body, causing hypertrophy (thickening) of the heart muscle. The thickened heart muscle struggles to pump blood efficiently and eventually fails to do so, causing heart failure.

It can also lead to weakening and bulging of the arteries. This is called aneurism and such aneurisms can rupture and cause heavy internal bleeding causing grave complications, including strokes.

Thickening and narrowing and aneurysms of the arteries in kidneys or eyes can damage these organs and can lead to renal failure and loss of vision.

Hypertension also contributes to development of the metabolic syndrome that leads to development of diabetes, heart attacks and strokes.

It can also cause circulatory problems and strokes in the brain.

It can a lead to impairment of memory and understanding and development of vascular dementia, a general name given to a condition that causes decline of cognitive abilities of thinking, remembering and reasoning in a person leading to inability to perform daily activities.

Hypertension is a major cause of premature death all over the world.

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Prevention Of Hypertension:

Hypertension is best prevented than treated.

Maintain ideal body weight.

Keep your salt consumption low, eat less than one teaspoon or 5 gm table salt a day.

Keep your animal food consumption low, eat more of complex carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits and low fat milk.

Have at least five helpings of vegetables and fruits every day.

Have regular cardiovascular exercise like brisk walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, aerobics.

Keep stress low.

Limit alcohol consumption.

Stop smoking.

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Treatment Of Hypertension:

Your doctor may advise lifestyle modification, healthy diet, low salt consumption, regular cardiovascular activity, weight loss, quitting alcohol and smoking and reduction in stress.

Doctors treat hypertension with a variety of anti hypertensive drugs including diuretics, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and beta blockers.

Previously beta blockers were thought to be effective as the first line treatment for hypertension, but the Cochrane Review, an independent, high quality review system of research in health care, has found that beta blockers were less effective in preventing heart disease than were the other anti hypertensive drugs.

According to a study published in 2003, 5 mm Hg drop in blood pressure reduces the risk of stroke by 34%, ischaemic heart disease by 21% and lowers the threat of dementia, heart failure and mortality due to heart disease.

Previous thinking about normal blood pressure levels was that older people, in their sixties and older could have higher normal levels blood pressure than the younger people, is no more considered acceptable.

Everyone should have blood pressures levels of 120 by 80 m.m. of Hg or lower, to be protected against heart disease and strokes and damage to the kidneys and eyes.

If your blood pressure levels are higher than 120 by 80 m.m., seek medical advice immediately, irrespective of your age.

And focus on getting your blood pressure down to the normal level, as early as possible!

Irrespective of your age!

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We have always helped people get slim and healthy by only simply nutritionally fine tuning their original food patterns and keeping the food plan as close to their original food habits as possible and planning exercise mostly in the form of walking regularly, which most people easily can, not only at our Slimming Centre in Pune, but also all over the world, on our ‘Distance Program’.

On such treatment people can get slim and healthy and overcome various diseases associated with obesity including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, assuredly and happily, as their nutrition and fitness improve dramatically!

While most of the obesity clinics or weight loss treatments in Pune or anywhere else rely on low calorie diets in one form or another to treat obesity, such treatments cannot help people get slim and healthy long term, much less overcome diseases associated with obesity.

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Also read the articles ‘Preventing Hypertension’ and ‘Health Problems Of The Young: Hypertension’ on this website.

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ब्लड प्रेशर आणि हायपरटेन्शन विषयी थोडेसे!

आज बहुतेक लोक डायबीटिस ह्या आजाराच्या धोक्यांबद्दल बऱ्यापैकी जागरूक होऊ लागले आहेत.

आणि चाळीशीच्या जवळ आलेले अनेक तरुण डायबीटिस होण्याच्या भीतीने वजन कमी करून त्यांच्या ब्लड शुगर्स कंट्रोल करून घेण्यासाठी माझ्याकडे येत आहेत.

पण डायबीटिस इतकाच धोकादायक आणि डायबीटिस पेक्षा खूप अधिक प्रचलित असलेल्या हाय ब्लड प्रेशर किंवा हायपरटेन्शन ह्या आजाराविषयी विषयी मात्र अजूनही पुरेशी जागरूकता आहे असे जाणवत नाही.

कारण केवळ हायपरटेन्शन असण्याच्या किंवा होण्याच्या भीतीने डायबीटिसच्या मानाने कमी तरुण माझ्याकडे वजन कमी करायला येत आहेत.

पण डायबीटिस पेक्षा खूप अधिक लोकांना हायपरटेन्शन किंवा हाय ब्लड प्रेशर आहे.

एका मोठ्या रिसर्च मध्ये भारतातील 30.7 % लोकांना हायपरटेन्शन असलेले आढळून आले आहे, आणि पुरुषांमध्ये हे प्रमाण ह्या ही पेक्षा अधिक असल्याचे दिसून आले आहे, तर 2021 मधील एका रिसर्च मध्ये भारतातील डायबीटिस चे प्रमाण  11.4 % तर प्री डायबीटिस चे प्रमाण 15.3 % असल्याचे दिसून आले आहे.

भारतात स्ट्रोक्स मुळे होणाऱ्या मृत्यूंपैकी 57 % तर हार्ट अटॅक  मुळे होणाऱ्या मृत्यूंपैकी 24 % मृत्यू हे हायपरटेन्शन मुळे होत आहेत.

आपल्या देशात 2015 मध्ये हायपरटेन्शन मुळे 16,00,000 तर 2019 मध्ये डायबीटिस मुळे 2,80,000 मृत्यू झाल्याचा अंदाज आहे.

ह्याचाच अर्थ आपल्या देशात हायपरटेन्शन मुळे मृत्यू पावणाऱ्या लोकांचे प्रमाण डायबीटिस मुळे होणाऱ्या मृत्यूंपेक्षा खूप अधिक आहेत.

तरी ही लोकांना हायपरटेन्शन च्या धोक्याची पुरेशी जाणीव नसावी असे वाटते.

आणि हायपरटेन्शन ही डायबीटिस इतकाच गंभीर आजार आहे.

पण हायपरटेन्शन असलेल्या बहुतेक लोकांना तो किती गंभीर आजार आहे ह्याची पूर्ण कल्पना आहे असे जाणवत तरी नाही.

आणि हायपरटेन्शन हे बऱ्याच वेळा एसिम्पटमॅटिक असते, म्हणजे त्याची फारशी काही लक्षणे ही नसतात.

त्यामुळे अनेकांना आपले ब्लड प्रेशर वाढलेले आहे हे कळतच नाही.

म्हणूनच हल्लीच्या तणावपूर्ण काळात प्रत्येकाने वर्षातून एकदा तरी आपले ब्लड प्रेशर डॉक्टरां कडून तपासून घ्यावे.

आणि जर हायपरटेन्शन, हृदयरोग, स्ट्रोक्स ह्यांची फॅमिली हिस्टरी असेल तर ब्लड प्रेशर दर सहा महिन्यांनी चेक करून घ्यावे.

आणि जर हायपरटेन्शन असेल तर त्याच्याकडे अजिबातच दुर्लक्ष करू नका.

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तर काय आहे हे हायपरटेन्शन?

ब्लड प्रेशर हे mm of Hg ह्या युनिट मध्ये मोजले जाते.

ब्लड प्रेशर च्या दोन लेव्हल्स असतात, वरचे  सिस्टॉलिक ब्लड प्रेशर आणि खालचे डायस्टॉलिक ब्लड प्रेशर.

सिस्टली ही हार्ट बीट मधील हृदयाच्या व्हेन्ट्रिकल्स ह्या खालच्या चेंबर्स च्या कॉनट्रॅक्ट होण्याची तर डायास्टली ही व्हेन्ट्रिकल्स च्या रिलॅक्स होण्याची फेज असते.

सिस्टली मध्ये हृदयाची डावी व्हेन्ट्रिकल सर्व शरीरात ऑक्सिजनेटेड, शुद्ध रक्त पाठवते तर उजवी व्हेन्ट्रिकल फुप्फुसांकडे डीऑक्सिजनेटेड रक्त ऑक्सिजनेशन साठी पाठवते, तर डायास्टली मध्ये दोन्ही व्हेन्ट्रिकल्स ह्या ॲट्रिया ह्या हृदयाच्या वरच्या चेंबर्स कडून रक्त स्वीकारतात.

शरीराच्या आर्टरिज मधून वाहताना हे रक्त हार्ट बीट च्या सिस्टली आणि डायास्टली ह्या दोन्ही फेजेस मध्ये हृदयाच्या आर्टरिजच्या वॉल्स वर विशिष्ट प्रेशर टाकत असते.

तर हार्ट बीट च्या सिस्टलीच्या फेज मध्ये टाकले गेलेले ब्लड प्रेशर सिस्टॉलिक तर डायास्टली च्या फेज मध्ये टाकले गेलेले ब्लड प्रेशर हे डायस्टॉलिक ब्लड प्रेशर असते.

हायपरटेन्शन किंवा हाय ब्लड प्रेशर म्हणजे आर्टरिज मधील ही ब्लड प्रेशर्स सातत्याने नॉर्मल पेक्षा हाय असणे.

अमेरिकन कॉलेज ऑफ कार्डिऑलजी आणि अमेरिकन हार्ट असोसिएशन ह्यांच्या रेकमेंडेशन प्रमाणे 

नॉर्मल ब्लड प्रेशर लेव्हल्स: 120 बाय 80 mm of Hg.

वाढलेले (एलिव्हेटेड) ब्लड प्रेशर: सिस्टॉलिक ब्लड प्रेशर 120 ते 129 आणि डायस्टॉलिक ब्लड प्रेशर 80 किंवा कमी mm of Hg.

स्टेज I हायपरटेन्शन: सिस्टॉलिक ब्लड प्रेशर 131 ते 139 आणि डायस्टॉलिक ब्लड प्रेशर 80 ते 89 mm of Hg.

स्टेज II हायपरटेन्शन: सिस्टॉलिक ब्लड प्रेशर 140 किंवा अधिक आणि डायस्टॉलिक ब्लड प्रेशर 90 किंवा अधिक mm of Hg.

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हायपरटेन्शन चे प्रकार: 

प्रायमेरी किंवा असेंशल हायपरटेन्शन:

जीन्स आणि एनव्हायरनमेंट ह्यांचे कॉम्प्लेक्स कॉम्बिनेशन, अन्नात मीठाचा अतिरेक, पाश्चिमात्य प्रकारचा हाय फॅट, हाय ॲनिमल फूड (मांसाहार), हाय कॅलरी, कॉम्प्लेक्स कार्बोहायड्रेट, फळे आणि भाज्या ह्यांचा अभाव असलेला आहार, व्यायामाचा अभाव, ॲब्डॉमिनल ओबेसिटी (पोटात अधिक चरबी असणे), स्ट्रेस (तणाव), वाढते वय ही प्रायमरी किंवा असेंशल हायपरटेन्शन निर्माण होण्याची कारणे आहेत.

प्रायमेरी हायपरटेन्शन मध्ये ब्लड प्रेशर वाढण्याचे प्रमुख कारण रक्त प्रवाहाला आर्टरीज मध्ये वाढलेला पेरिफेरल रेझिस्टन्स हे असते.

सेकन्डरी हायपरटेन्शनः

ह्या प्रकारच्या हायपरटेन्शन मध्ये इतर ऑरगन्स च्या आजारामुळे ब्लड प्रेशर वाढते.

किडनी चे आजार, रीनल आर्टरी स्टिनोसिस ही सर्वात कॉमन कारणे असतात. इतर कारणांमध्ये कुशिंग्स सिन्ड्रोम, हायपरथायरॉईडिझम, हायपोथायरॉईडिझम, काही पिच्युअटरी ग्लॅन्डचे आजार आणि फियोक्रोमोसायटोमा हा पिच्युअटरी ट्युमर ह्या आजारांमध्ये असे हायपरटेन्शन येऊ शकते.

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हायपरटेन्शन ची लक्षणेः

वर सांगितल्या प्रमाणे हायपरटेन्शन बहुतेक वेळा एसिम्पटमॅटिक असते, म्हणजे त्याची फारशी लक्षणे जाणवतच नाहीत आणि त्यामुळे ते बऱ्याच वेळा वेळेत डायग्नोस होतंच नाही, म्हणूनच त्याला सायलेंट किलर म्हणतात.

काही लोकांना डोके दुखणे, विशेषतः डोक्याच्या मागील भागात, चक्कर येणे, फेंटीग अटॅक्स, कानात रिंगिंग आवाज येणे (टिनिटस) अशी लक्षणे जाणवू शकतात, पण ती डिप्रेशन मुळे ही असू शकतात.

म्हणूनच हायपरटेन्शन हे इतर काही कारणांसाठी मेडिकल चेकअप करताना किंवा ब्लड डोनेशन करायला गेल्यावर केल्या गेलेल्या ब्लड प्रेशर चेक मध्ये सापडते.

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हायपरटेन्शनचे दुष्परिणाम:

प्रदीर्घ हायपरटेन्शन मुळे शरीराच्या आर्टरीज च्या एन्डोथेलियम म्हणजे अगदी आतल्या लायनिंग मध्ये इनफ्लमेशन (एक प्रकारचा दाह) निर्माण होऊन आर्टरीजच्या वॉल्स ची जाडी वाढते आणि त्यात कडकपणा येतो आणि आर्टरीज ची लवचिकता कमी होते. ह्यालाच अथेरोस्केरॉसिस म्हणतात.

ह्या मुळे रक्त प्रवाहा वरील पेरिफेरल प्रेशर वाढते आणि त्यामुळे ब्लड प्रेशर वाढते आणि त्या मुळे हृदयाला शरीरभर रक्त पुरवठा करण्यासाठी अधिक जोरात पंपिंग करावे लागते, त्या मुळे कार्डिॲक मसल ची हायपरट्रफी होते म्हणजे हृदयाच्या स्नायू ची जाडी वाढते. असे हृदय शरीरातून रक्त वाहते ठेवण्या साठी झगडू लागते आणि अखेर तसे करण्यात अपयशी होऊ लागते. ह्यालाच हार्ट फेलयर असे म्हटले जाते.

अशा अथेरोस्केरॉसिस मुळे एन्डोथेलियम डॅमेज झाल्याने आर्टरीज मध्ये ब्लड क्लॉट्स आणि प्लाक्स निर्माण होऊ शकतात आणि रक्त प्रवाहाला अडथळा निर्माण होतो आणि हार्ट अटॅक्स किंवा स्ट्रोक्स येऊ शकतात, तसेच इतर ऑर्गन्स ही डॅमेज होऊ शकतात.

ह्यात किडनी आणि डोळ्यांच्या आर्टरीज ही डॅमेज होतात.

कालांतराने ह्यातून रीनल फेलयर होऊ शकते आणि दृष्टी ही गमवावी लागू शकते.

हायपरटेन्शन मुळे मेंदू मधील आर्टरीज डॅमेज झाल्याने तर्कशुद्ध विचार करण्याची (रिझनिंग) आणि लक्षात ठेवण्याची क्षमता (मेमरी) नष्ट होऊ लागते. हळू हळू अशा व्यक्तीस दात घासणे, स्नान करणे, कपडे घालणे अशी दैनंदिन कार्य करणे सुध्दा जमत नाही. ह्या आजाराला व्हॅस्क्युलर डिमेन्शिया असे म्हटले जाते.

जगभर हायपरटेन्शन हे अकाली मृत्यू (प्रीमच्युअर डेथ) च्या प्रमुख कारणांपैकी एक कारण आहे.

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हायपरटेन्शन प्रिव्हेन्शन:

ह्या आजारात सेकन्डरी हायपरटेन्शन पेक्षा प्रायमेरी हायपरटेन्शन चे प्रमाण खूपच अधिक आहे.

आणि प्रायमेरी हायपरटेन्शन निर्माण होण्या साठी जी कारणे जबाबदार आहेत त्यांची आपल्याला माहिती आहे. 

त्यातील बरीच कारणे पूर्णपणे टाळण्या सारखी आहेत.

म्हणूनच हायपरटेन्शन हा आजार होण्या आधी तो होणार नाही ह्याची काळजी घेतली, तर तो बऱ्याच अशी टाळता येण्या सारखा आजार आहे.

त्या साठी आपल्याला खालील गोष्टी करणे आवश्यक आहे.

तुमचे वजन सुयोग्य (आयडीअल) लेव्हल ला ठेवा. 

तुमच्या आहारात मिठाचे प्रमाण अगदी कमी राखा. आपण खात, पीत असलेल्या प्रत्येक पदार्थात छुपे मीठ असतेच.

तुमच्या आहारात मांसाहारी पदार्थ कमी ठेवा, धान्य – कडधान्य आणि भाज्या आणि फळे ह्या कॉम्प्लेक्स कार्बोहायड्रेट्स चे प्रमाण अधिक ठेवा.

भाज्या आणि फळे ह्यांचे निदान पाच सर्विंग्ज दिवसभरात आहारात ठेवा.

जलद चालणे, जॉगिंग, स्लो रनिंग, रनिंग, एरोबिक्स, स्विमिंग आणि ट्रेडमिल, इलिप्टिकल ट्रेनर सारख्या कार्डिओव्हॅस्क्युलर इक्विपमेंट वरील पुरेसे कार्डिओव्हॅस्क्युलर व्यायाम रोज करा.

स्ट्रेस लेव्हल कमी करा. त्या साठी मेडिटेशन, योगनिद्रा उपयुक्त ठरू शकतात.

अल्कोहोल सेवनाचे प्रमाण कमी करा.

धुम्रपान, तंबाखू पूर्णपणे बंद करा.

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हायपरटेन्शन ची ट्रीटमेंट

तुमचे डॉक्टर तुम्हाला जीवनशैली आणि आहारातील वरील बदल, आणि अल्कोहोल आणि धुम्रपान, तंबाखू बद्दल सल्ला देतीलच.

ह्या शिवाय गरज असेल त्या प्रमाणे डायुरेटीक्स, कॅल्शियम चॅनेल ब्लॉकर्स, ACE इनहिबिटर्स, AR ब्लॉकर्स (ARBs), बीटा ब्लॉकर्स सारखी ॲन्टी हायपरटेन्सिव्ह औषधे प्रिस्क्राईब करतील.

दोन हजार तीन मध्ये पब्लिश झालेल्या एका रिसर्च मध्ये केवळ 5 mm ब्लड प्रेशर कमी झाल्याने स्ट्रोक्स होण्याचा धोका 34%, तर हृदयविकाराचा (इस्कीमीक हार्ट डिझीझ) धोका 21% कमी झालेला आढळला. ह्या शिवाय व्हॅस्क्युलर डिमेन्शिया, हार्ट फेल्यर आणि हृदयविकाराने मृत्यू येण्याचा धोका ही कमी झाल्याचे आढळले आहे.

त्या मुळे लवकरात लवकर तुमचे ब्लड प्रेशर नॉर्मल करण्या वर लक्ष केंद्रित करा!

Hypothyroidism Or Under Active Thyroid Gland

Thyroid is a butterfly shaped endocrine gland situated at the base of the neck, below the prominence of the Adam’s apple, resting on the trachea or the windpipe.

It produces three hormones, the two thyroid hormones called triiodothyronine or T3 and thyroxine or the T4 hormones and calcitonin.

The two thyroid hormones control the metabolic rate, synthesis of proteins and the growth and development of children.

Calcitonin is involved in calcium homeostasis that is, it takes up calcium from the blood and deposits it in bones.

The two thyroid hormones are regulated by thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH, which is secreted by the master endocrine gland, the pituitary and the production of TSH in turn is regulated by a hormone called the thyrotropin releasing hormone or the TRH, produced by the hypothalamus, a part of the brain.

It means the final control of the thyroid gland lies with the brain.

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Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism:

When the thyroid gland produces excess thyroid hormones, it results in hyperthyroidism while when it produces low levels of the thyroid hormones, it results in hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism is more common in women and in people over 60.

The commonest cause of hypothyroidism all over the world is deficiency of iodine in food and most countries have tackled the problem by iodising the salt available to its population.

A condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland, is the common cause of hypothyroidism in areas where there is no iodine deficiency in the population. It gradually destroys the gland.

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Hypothyroidism:

Hypothyroidism can cause a variety of symptoms including fatigue, intolerance of cold, slow pulse rate, anaemia, depression, constipation, dyspepsia, muscle weakness, shortness of breath, hoarseness of voice, hair loss, dry, rough skin, weight gain, heavy menstruation in ladies and weight gain.

Apart from depression, hypothyroidism is also known to accompany severe psychiatric disorders like bipolar disorder, mood disorders and schizophrenia.

It can occur also in pregnancy. Not treating hypothyroidism during pregnancy can lead to delayed growth and low intellectual development of the baby.

Mild or sub clinical hypothyroidism too can cause infertility and miscarriages and can also cause a grave pregnancy condition called pre-eclampsia, a condition in which there is rise in the blood pressure and loss of significant amounts of protein in urine. Gestational diabetes is also seen in hypothyroidism in pregnancy.

In mild or sub clinical hypothyroidism the TSH levels are raised but the thyroid hormone levels are normal.

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The diagnosis and the treatment:

Many times, the patient of hypothyroidism is the last to complain about the condition. Often a family doctor may suspect the disease seeing sudden weight gain, deteriorated skin and changes in voice in a regular patient plus probably dulled comprehension reflected in speech and eyes, suspects hypothyroidism.

A doctor will usually suspect hypothyroidism when she or he sees that your skin and hair are dry and rough, there is coldness and swelling of extremities and your heart rate is slow (bradycardia). He may also see delayed relaxation of tendons on testing the tendon reflexes and a kind of non pitting oedema called myxoedema.

Thyroid function lab tests include checking the blood levels of the pituitary hormone TSH and levels of the thyroid hormones T3 and T4.

High blood levels of TSH and / or low levels of T3 and T4 are diagnostic of hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism is treated by your doctor with levothyroxine, a synthetic form of the thyroxine hormone or T4.

Levothyroxine is safe in pregnancy.

Your doctor will order regular lab checks of your blood levels of TSH, T3 and T4 (thyroid function test) and adjust the dose of your medication based on the severity of the symptoms and the levels of the hormones, from time to time.

That is the reason why you have to check your thyroid function and see your doctor at regular intervals as advised by your doctor.

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The weight gain due to hypothyroidism is of mild to moderate degree. A huge weight gain is unlikely to be caused by hypothyroidism.

Many slimming programs tell people under their treatment that they haven’t lost weight because they have hormonal problems.

The commonest hormonal problems related to obesity are PCOD and hypothyroidism.

It doesn’t matter whether your weight gain is due to PCOD or hypothyroidism.

You still have to eat healthy and at least walk adequately to slim down perfectly and overcome PCOD and most likely help your doctor to reduce your levothyroxine dose considerably.

And people unfailingly do succeed, if they do.

The people on these slimming programs didn’t fail because they had hormonal problems, but because the treatments themselves were unscientific.

Also read the articles, ‘Basics Of Nutrition’, ‘The Science Of Exercise’ and the ‘Simple Steps To Slimming’ and ‘Health Problems Of The Young: PCOD‘ on this website.

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हायपोथायरॉयडिझम! 

थायरॉईड ही एक फुलपाखराच्या आकाराची एन्डोक्रिन ग्लॅन्ड (ग्रंथी) आहे.

ही ग्लॅन्ड गळ्यातील ॲडम्स ॲपल ह्या उचंवट्या खाली ट्रकिया किंवा विंड पाइप वर बसलेली असते.

ती ट्रायआयोडोथायरोनाईन किंवा ‘टी 3’ आणि थायरॉक्झिन किंवा ‘टी 4’ ही दोन थायरॉईड हॉर्मोन्स आणि कॅल्सिटोनिन ही तीन हॉर्मोन्स निर्माण करते.

ह्या पैकी ही दोन थायरॉईड हॉर्मोन्स ही मेटबॉलिझम, प्रोटीन सिन्थेसिस आणि लहान मुलांची वाढ आणि डिव्हेलपमेंट नियंत्रित करते, तर कॅल्सिटोनिन हे रक्तातील कॅल्शियम हाडांमध्ये डिपॉझिट करते.

ही दोन थायरॉईड हॉर्मोन्स पिच्युअटरी ही मास्टर एन्डोक्रिनल ग्लॅन्ड ‘टी एस एच’ (TSH) ह्या हार्मोन ने कंट्रोल करते तर ‘टी एस एच’ हे हार्मोन, मेंदू च्या तळाशी असलेले हायपोथलॅमस, थायरोट्रोपिन रिलीझिंग हार्मोन किंवा ‘टी आर एच’ ने कंट्रोल करते.

म्हणजेच ह्या सर्व हॉर्मोन्स वर नियंत्रण अखेर मेंदू चे असते.

***

जेव्हा थायरॉईड ग्लॅन्ड गरजे पेक्षा अधिक थायरॉईड हॉर्मोन्स निर्माण करते, तेव्हा हायपरथायरॉयडिझम तर गरजे पेक्षा कमी थायरॉईड हॉर्मोन्स निर्माण करते तेव्हा हायपोथायरॉयडिझम हे आजार निर्माण होतात.

हायपोथायरॉयडिझम हे स्त्रिया आणि वयाच्या साठीच्या पुढच्या लोकांमध्ये अधिक प्रमाणात आढळते.

हायपोथायरॉयडिझम चे जगातील प्रथम कारण अन्नात आयोडीन ची कमी हे आहे.

आणि जगातल्या अनेक देशांनी मीठा मध्ये आयोडीन ॲड केल्याने जगातील हायपोथायरॉयडिझम चे प्रमाण खूप कमी झाले आहे.

जगातील मिठात आयोडीन ॲड केलेल्या भागात, हशिमोटो थायरॉयडायटीस किंवा हशिमोटो डिसीझ हा ऑटोइम्यून आजार हा हायपोथायरॉयडिझम प्रमुख कारण आहे. ह्या आजारात थायरॉईड ग्लॅन्ड हळू हळू नष्ट होते.

हायपोथायरॉयडिझम मध्ये थकवा, थंडी सहन न होणे, स्लो पल्स रेट, डिप्रेशन, कॉनस्टिपेशन, अपचन, स्नायूंचा वीकनेस, श्वास घ्यायला त्रास होणे, आवाजात होर्सनेस येणे, केस रफ होणे आणि गळणे, स्किन रफ होणे, वजन वाढणे, स्त्रियांमध्ये पाळी मध्ये खूप ब्लीडिंग होणे अशी लक्षणे दिसतात.

डिप्रेशन शिवाय ही बायपोलर डिसऑर्डर, मूड डिसऑर्डर्स, स्किट्झोफ्रेनिया ह्या सारखे गंभीर सायकियाट्रिक आजार ही हायपोथायरॉयडिझमशी संबंधित असू शकतात.

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हायपोथायरॉयडिझम प्रेग्नन्सी मध्ये ही होऊ शकते.

काही लोकांना प्रेग्नन्सी मध्ये आलेल्या हायपोथायरॉयडिझम वर औषधे घेणे सुरक्षित आहे का ह्याची काळजी वाटते.

प्रत्यक्षात प्रेग्नन्सी मध्ये आलेल्या हायपोथायरॉयडिझम वर औषधे घेणे सुरक्षितच नव्हे तर अत्यावश्यक ही आहे.

प्रेग्नन्सी मध्ये आलेल्या हायपोथायरॉयडिझम वर योग्य उपचार न झाल्यास त्याचा परिणाम बाळाच्या वाढीवर आणि बौधिक विकासावर वर ही होऊ शकतो.

अनेक लोकांमध्ये हायपोथायरॉयडिझम सबक्लिनिकल सुध्दा असू शकते. ह्यात थायरॉईड हॉर्मोन्स च्या लेव्हल्स नॉर्मल असतात पण ‘टी एस एच’ ह्या पिच्युटरी हॉर्मोन च्या लेव्हल्स वाढलेल्या असतात.

अगदी माइल्ड किंवा सबक्लिनिकल हायपोथायरॉयडिझम मुळे सुध्दा वंध्यत्व किंवा प्रेगनन्सी मध्ये आल्यास गर्भपात होऊ शकतो. 

तसेच प्रीइक्लाम्पशिया हा अतिशय गंभीर आजार ही होऊ शकतो. ह्या आजारात ब्लड प्रेशर एकदम वाढते आणि लघवीतून मोठ्या प्रमाणात प्रोटीन्स शरीरा बाहेर पडतात. ह्या आजारातून पुढे आई ला कनव्हलशन्स ही येऊ शकतात, ह्या आजाराला इक्लाम्पशिया म्हणतात. हे आजार आई आणि बाळाच्या जीवाला घातक ठरू शकतात.

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डायग्नोसिस आणि ट्रीटमेंट

हायपोथायरॉयडिझम ह्या आजारात सुरुवातीला तर पेशंट स्वत: काहीच तक्रार न करण्याची शक्यता असते, कारण तिला काही त्रास न जाणवण्याची शक्यता असते.

बऱ्याच वेळा नेहमीच्या पेशंट चे वजन अचानक थोडे फार वाढलेले दिसणे, आवाजात बदल (होर्सनेस, आवाज बसल्या सारखा, काहीसा घोगरा) झालेला जाणवणे, पेशंटच्या हालचाली आणि आकलन (कॉम्प्रिहेन्शन) मंदावलेले दिसणे, केस आणि स्किन ड्राय आणि रफ झालेले दिसणे असे बदल जाणवल्याने फॅमिली डॉक्टरांनाच हायपोथायरॉयडिझम चा संशय येऊ शकतो.

पण हल्ली फॅमिली डॉक्टर ही संस्थाच (इन्स्टीट्यूशन) फारशी शिल्लक नसल्याने, असे डायग्नोसिस होणे इतर काही कारणांसाठी कन्सल्टंट ने तपासल्या आणि ब्लड टेस्ट केल्यावरच होणे अधिक संभवते.

डॉक्टरांसाठी तपासणीत तुमचे केस आणि स्किन ड्राय आणि रफ असलेले आढळणे, हात पाय काहीसे थंड असणे आणि त्यांवर सूज सापडणे, आणि हार्ट रेट स्लो असल्याचे दिसणे, स्किन वर दाबून पाहिल्यास खड्डा न पडणारी सूज (नॉन पिटिंग इडीमा, ह्याला मिक्सिडीमा म्हणतात) दिसणे आणि स्लो रिलॅक्सेशन ऑफ टेंडन रीफ्लेक्स आढळणे ह्या हायपोथायरॉयडिझम च्या साईन्स असतात.

थायरॉईड फन्क्शन ह्या ब्लड टेस्ट्स मध्ये ‘टी एस एच’, ‘टी 3’ आणि ‘टी 4’ ह्या थायरॉईड हॉर्मोन्सच्या लेव्हल्स तपासल्या जातात.

हायपोथायरॉयडिझम मध्ये फक्त ‘टी एस एच’ च्या लेव्हल्स वाढलेल्या आढळतात किंवा टी 3 आणि टी 4 ह्यांच्या लेव्हल्स कमी झालेल्या ही आढळतात.

तुमचे डॉक्टर तुम्हाला लीव्होथायरॉक्झिन ह्या सिंथेटीक थायरॉक्झिन हॉर्मोन सप्लिमेंट देऊन तुमचे हायपोथायरॉइडिझम ट्रीट करतात.

लीव्होथायरॉक्झिन घेणे प्रेग्नन्सी मध्ये ही सुरक्षित असते. आणि तुमच्या डॉक्टरांनी ते प्रिस्क्राईब केले तर ते घेणे अत्यावश्यक ही आहे.

तुमचे डॉक्टर तुम्हाला ठराविक महिन्यांनी थायरॉईड फन्क्शन रिपोर्ट करून घेऊन चेकअप साठी बोलावतात आणि तुमची लक्षणे आणि रीपोर्ट वरून तुमचा लीव्होथायरॉक्झिन चा डोस अजस्ट करतात, म्हणजेच तो काही वेळा थोडा कमी जास्त ही होऊ शकतो.

त्यामुळे नियमित थायरॉईड फन्क्शन चेक करणे आणि तुमच्या डॉक्टरांना नियमित भेटणे आवश्यक आहे.

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हायपोथायरॉयडिझम मुळे होणारे वेट गेन थोडे ते मध्यम स्वरूपाचे असते. तुमचे वजन खूप वाढलेले असेल, तर ते हायपोथायरॉयडिझम मुळे असण्याची शक्यता कमी असते.

जर तुमची वजनाची ट्रीटमेंट देणारे, तुमचे वजन हॉर्मोन्स मुळे कमी होत नाही, असे सांगत असतील, तर ते खोटे आहे.

त्यांच्या ट्रीटमेंट वर तुमचे वजन कमी होत नसेल, तर ते त्यांची ट्रीटमेंट अनसायंटिफिक असल्याने आहे, ते तुम्ही कमी पडल्याने किंवा तुमच्या हॉर्मोन्स मुळे नाही हे लक्षात ठेवा!

वजन वाढवू शकणारे दोन कॉमन एन्डोक्रिनल आजार म्हणजे पीसीओडी आणि हायपोथायरॉईडिझम.

तुम्ही जर योग्य, संतुलित आहार घेतला आणि पुरेसे चालला तर हायपोथायरॉयडिझम काय किंवा पीसीओडी काय, तुमचे वजन कमी होणे थांबवू शकत नाहीत!

आणि तुमचे वजन कमी झाले तर तुमचे डॉक्टर तुमचा लीव्होथायरॉक्झिनचा डोस कमी ही करू शकतात किंवा तुम्हाला पीसीओडी असेल तर तो रिव्हर्स ही होऊ शकतो.

त्या साठी उपासमार किंवा अतिरेकी व्यायाम ह्या दोन्हींची अजिबात गरज नाही! h

Raised Levels Of Blood Uric Acid, Gout And Kidney Stones!

Many people suffer from raised levels of uric acids in their blood.

Often this condition is found in routine renal function tests.

Most often this condition is ignored if the rise is borderline.

But left untreated, long term rise in uric acid could cause chronic illnesses like gout and renal stones and kidney and heart disease.

What exactly are these diseases?

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Certain foods that we eat contain chemicals called purines.

Uric acid is formed when purines are broken down by our body.

Uric acid dissolves in blood and it is transported to the kidneys and they excrete it out of our body in urine, maintaining the blood uric acid levels normal (3.5 to 7.2 mg / dL).

If the blood uric acid levels rise above 7.2 mg / dL, the condition is called hyperuricemia.

If excess uric acid is accumulated in our body, it may get deposited in our joints in the form of uric acid crystals causing a very painful form of arthritis called gout.

They may also settle in the kidneys forming kidney stones.

If the condition is not treated it can cause permanent bone, joint, tissue and kidney damage and can also lead to heart disease.

Researchers have also found links between hyperuricemia and high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver.

***

Foods high in purines are:

Sea food like salmon and sardines and shell fish shrimps (prawns) and lobsters.

Red meat.

Organ meats like liver.

Sugar sweetened foods like sweetened cereals, bakery products, candies.

Alcohol, especially beers and distilled liquors and also non alcoholic beers.

Certain vegetables like spinach, asparagus.

***

Signs and symptoms of gout:

When the blood uric acid levels remain high for long time sharp needle like crystals of uric acid or urate crystals get deposited in some joints and tissues around the joints.

This causes the joints to become hot, red, swollen and tender. The pain is severe and comes on quickly and peaks in less than twelve to twenty four hours.

The joint at the base of the big toe is affected in half the cases, but the heal, knee, wrists, finger joints too can be affected.

Such attacks can recur frequently, unless treated.

Some people may also develop hard, painless deposits of uric acid crystals called tophi. These too can cause bone damage and arthritis.

Gout appears to affect elderly males more often. It is also associated with metabolic syndrome, presence of abdominal obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance and abnormal lipid profile including high triglyceride levels. So people with hypertension and diabetes are also at a greater risk of developing it.

Gout affects habitual beer drinkers and those who drink a lot of sweetened drinks. It also affects people who habitually consume purine rich foods like some fishes including shell fish like prawns and lobsters and red meats.

Some vegetables like cauliflower, asparagus, spinach, mushrooms, green peas and chickpeas (chana in Marathi) and fava beans (wal papadi in Marathi) and some dried beans too have high levels of purines.

But the plant purines have not been found to cause gout attacks as much as the animal purines.

And some individuals report different vegetables triggering gout attacks in them, including some vegetables not high in purines, e.g. tomatoes.

It probably means some factors other than purines may have a role to play in these attacks.

So such people might want to avoid foods those trigger gout attacks in them, irrespective of their purine content.

Dietary precautions may reduce the recurrence or the severity of gout attacks, but they cannot replace medication to control hyperuricemia and the attacks of gout or prevent further joint damage due to hyperuricemia.

In short, medications lowering blood uric acid levels are essential even if you watch your food and avoid foods those trigger gout attacks.

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Diagnosis of gout:

Presence of hyperuricemia is not the same as gout.

Gout is diagnosed if uric acid crystals are found in the fluid drawn from the swollen joints or by special imaging diagnostic procedures like ultrasound, X Ray and CAT scan.

***

Treatment of hyperuricemia and gout:

Avoid red meat, organ meat and alcohol, especially beers.

Avoid the sugar sweetened foods viz. sweetened cereals, bakery products, candies

Sea food includes healthy proteins and healthy fats including the omega 3 fatty acids.

The health benefits of sea food on general and heart health outweighs the risk of hyperuricemia.

So you can have sea food in moderation.

Consuming vegetables like spinach and asparagus have not been seen to cause hyperuricemia. So they needn’t be excluded from your food.

Eat well balanced, wholesome food and exercise regularly to lose weight, if you are overweight.

Drink ample water to help the kidneys to excrete uric acid build up in the blood and the kidneys.

Taking Vitamin C may help.

Dietary exclusion of high purine foods will not be sufficient to lower blood uric acid levels or to prevent the gout attacks.

Your doctor will prescribe specific drugs to lower your blood uric acid levels.

Your doctor will also prescribe anti inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) to reduce the pain and duration of the attack.

Kidney stones may get get flushed out in urine.

They may require surgical intervention if they don’t get flushed out.

Also read ‘Basics Of Nutrition’ and ‘Simple Steps To Slimming’ on this website.

Kinds Of Fatty Liver Disease Or Hepatic Steatosis

Obese people have a greater risk of developing hypertension, diabetes and heart disease, than the slim people.

And most obese people know that they are at greater risk of developing these diseases.

And more obese people have fatty liver disease than heart disease, but most are totally unaware that they may have fatty liver disease and that is as dangerous a disease as hypertension or diabetes!

And few obese people know that they have this disease!

Most often fatty liver disease is diagnosed accidentally when an abdominal sonography is done for some other reason.

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Fatty liver disease is also known as hepatic steatosis or fatty degeneration of liver.

It affects both alcoholics and nonalcoholics or those who drink very little.

Thus fatty liver disease is of two types, alcoholic fatty liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD.

Both diseases are characterised by build up of excess fat in the liver cells.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD is affecting increasingly greater number of people all over the world, more so in the Western world.

Some people suffering from Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease or NAFLD develop nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH is a more aggressive form of fatty liver disease in which there is inflammation of the liver cells and it can progress to scarring of the liver tissue leading to liver cirrhosis and liver failure.

Thus the progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH could be similar to the severe alcoholic hepatitis seen amongst heavy alcoholics.

More than 90 per cent of heavy alcoholics develop fatty liver disease while 25 per cent develop the severe alcoholic hepatitis ending in liver cirrhosis and liver failure.

While children too suffer from non alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD, older people, especially males, are affected much more often.

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Causes:

Experts do not yet know why some people develop non alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD and why some of them progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH and develop liver cirrhosis and liver failure.

But both are linked to

Over weight or obesity, especially abdominal obesity

Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance

Hyperglycaemia or high blood sugar levels, pre diabetes or diabetes

Hypertriglyceridemia or high levels triglycerides or circulating fats in blood

These conditions could be helping build up of excess fat in the liver, causing NAFLD and in some this fat could be acting as a toxin to the liver cells and causing inflammation and scarring in them, causing NASH.

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Signs and symptoms:

Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease or NAFDL may have no symptoms but some times there can be fatigue and pain or discomfort in upper right hand area of the abdomen where the liver lies within the body.

Signs and symptoms of people with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or NASH are the same as those of advance scarring and cirrhosis of liver seen in cirrhosis in severe alcoholic hepatitis:

Swelling of abdomen due to ascites or accumulation of fluid in abdominal cavity.

Enlarged blood vessels under the skin.

Yellowing of skin and eyes due to jaundice.

Red palms.

Enlarged spleen.

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Other risk factors associated with development of NAFLD and NASH:

Alcohol

Hypercholesterolemia or high levels of cholesterol

Metabolic syndrome: Abdominal obesity, hypertension, high levels of blood sugar and triglycerides and low levels of HDL cholesterol

PCOD

Type II diabetes

Sleep apnea

Under active thyroid gland

Under active pituitary gland

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Complications or progression

The fatty liver disease can end up in development of inflammation and scarring resulting in liver cirrhosis.

Ascites or abdominal swelling due to fluid build up.

Swelling of veins in oesophagus or oesophageal varices, which can rupture causing bleeding

Liver cancer

Confusion, drowsiness, slurred speech, delirium due to hepatic encephalitis

Complete liver failure meaning liver stops functioning altogether

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Treatment and prevention:

Eating healthy, well balanced food

Exercising regularly

Losing and maintaining weight at a healthy level.

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We have always helped people get slim and healthy by only simply nutritionally fine tuning their original food patterns and keeping the food plan as close to their original food habits as possible and planning exercise mostly in the form of walking regularly, which most people easily can, not only at our Slimming Centre in Pune, but also all over the world, on our ‘Distance Program’.

On such treatment people can get slim and healthy and overcome various diseases associated with obesity including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, assuredly and happily, as their nutrition and fitness improve dramatically!

Many overweight or obese people are not aware that they have fatty liver, which is a very serious disease. We can help them get diagnosed and reverse it under our care.

While most of the obesity clinics or weight loss treatments in Pune or anywhere else rely on low calorie diets in one form or another to treat obesity, such treatments cannot help people get slim and healthy long term, much less overcome diseases associated with obesity.

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Also read the articles ‘Basics Of Nutrition’, ‘Designing A Healthy Weight Loss Food Plan’, and ‘Simple Steps To Slimming’ on this website.

Understanding the Body’s Healing Response

Inflammation is often spoken about as something harmful that must be suppressed. In reality, inflammation is one of the body’s most important protective mechanisms. It is a natural biological response that helps the body fight infections, repair injured tissues, and restore normal function.

Without inflammation, even a minor injury or infection could become life-threatening.

However, while short-term inflammation helps the body heal, inflammation that persists for long periods can contribute to many chronic diseases. Understanding the difference between acute inflammation and chronic inflammation is therefore important.

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is the body’s response to injury, infection, toxins, or damaged cells. When tissues are harmed, the immune system releases chemical signals that increase blood flow to the affected area and attract immune cells that help eliminate harmful agents and begin the healing process.

This response may occur due to:

Infection by bacteria, viruses, or other microorganisms

Physical injury such as a cut, burn, or sprain

Exposure to irritants or toxins

Damage to body tissues

Inflammation itself is not a disease. It is a protective process designed to defend and repair the body.

Acute Inflammation — The Body’s Immediate Healing Response

Acute inflammation begins quickly and usually lasts for a short period — from a few hours to a few days. It is the body’s natural reaction to injury or infection.

Common examples include:

A cut or wound

A sprained ankle

A sore throat due to infection

Fever during illness

Acute inflammation produces some familiar signs:

Redness

Warmth

Swelling

Pain

These changes occur because blood vessels widen and immune cells move into the affected tissues to fight infection and remove damaged cells.

Although these symptoms may be uncomfortable, acute inflammation is an essential part of the healing process. Once the harmful stimulus is removed and the tissue begins to recover, the inflammatory response gradually subsides.

Chronic Inflammation — When the Process Persists

Sometimes the inflammatory process does not resolve completely. Instead of switching off after healing has begun,

it remains active for weeks, months, or even years. This is known as chronic inflammation.

Unlike acute inflammation, chronic inflammation is often subtle and may not produce obvious symptoms in the early stages. However, over time it can slowly damage tissues and organs.

Chronic inflammation may arise due to:

Persistent infections

Autoimmune diseases in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues

Long-term exposure to irritants or toxins

Excess body fat, especially abdominal or visceral fat

Metabolic disturbances such as insulin resistance

Over time, chronic inflammation can contribute to tissue damage, scarring, and dysfunction of organs.

Chronic Inflammation and Modern Diseases

In recent years, research has shown that chronic low-grade inflammation plays a role in many common diseases of modern life.

Conditions associated with persistent inflammation include:

Heart disease

Type 2 diabetes

Obesity

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Arthritis

Certain cancers

In many of these conditions, inflammatory chemicals produced within the body gradually disrupt normal cellular function and damage tissues.

For example, inflammation within the walls of blood vessels contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, the process that underlies heart attacks and strokes.

Low-Grade Metabolic Inflammation

A form of chronic inflammation that has received increasing attention in recent years is low-grade metabolic inflammation.

Excess visceral fat — the fat stored deep within the abdomen around internal organs — is not merely an energy store. It is metabolically active tissue that releases inflammatory substances and hormones.

These inflammatory signals can interfere with the body’s ability to use insulin effectively, leading to insulin resistance. Over time, this can contribute to the development of metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Thus, metabolic health, body fat distribution, and inflammation are closely interconnected.

Lifestyle Factors and Chronic Inflammation

Several aspects of modern lifestyle may promote persistent inflammation within the body.

These include:

Diets high in ultra-processed foods and refined sugars

Physical inactivity

Chronic psychological stress

Poor sleep

Smoking

Excess alcohol consumption

Addressing these factors can help reduce chronic inflammatory activity and improve overall health.

Regular physical activity, a balanced diet rich in whole foods, adequate sleep, and effective stress management all contribute to maintaining a healthy inflammatory balance.

The Key Message

Inflammation itself is not harmful. In fact, acute inflammation is a vital part of the body’s defence and healing system.

Problems arise when inflammatory pathways remain active for prolonged periods, leading to chronic low-grade inflammation that can gradually damage tissues and contribute to many diseases.

The goal, therefore, is not to eliminate inflammation completely, but to maintain a healthy balance in the body’s immune and metabolic systems.

Understanding this balance is an important step toward preventing many chronic diseases associated with modern lifestyles.

To better understand how inflammation interacts with metabolic health, you may also read the following articles:

‘Visceral Fat, Pre Diabetes And Type 2 Diabetes!’

‘Visceral Fat and Heart Disease!’

‘Relationship Between Visceral Fat And PCOS!’

‘Interrelationship Between Visceral Fat, Inflammation And Metabolic Syndrome!’

How To Choose A Healthy Cooking Oil!

Choosing a Healthy Cooking Oil

Rather than looking for a single “perfect” cooking oil, we should focus on incorporating a healthy cooking oil into a healthy diet and active lifestyle.

The reassuring fact is that the subject becomes much simpler when viewed scientifically and calmly.

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Understanding What Cooking Oils Contain

All edible oils are composed primarily of fatty acids. These are broadly classified into monounsaturated fats (MUFA), polyunsaturated fats (PUFA), and saturated fats (SFA).

Most oils contain a mixture of all three in varying proportions. The balance between them influences both health impact and cooking stability.

Rather than labelling oils as simply “good” or “bad,” it is more useful to understand how each category behaves.

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Oils Rich in Monounsaturated Fats (MUFA)

Oils such as groundnut oil, olive oil, mustard oil, and rice bran oil contain significant amounts of monounsaturated fats.

These oils are generally associated with favourable cardiovascular profiles and offer good stability for routine home cooking, including sautéing and moderate-heat preparation.

When used in moderation as the primary cooking oil within a balanced diet, MUFA-rich oils represent a practical and heart-friendly choice for everyday use.

They are particularly suitable for Indian cooking practices, where food is often prepared at medium-high temperatures, refrigerated, and reheated for a subsequent meal.

Compared with polyunsaturated fat-rich oils, MUFA-rich oils are more heat stable and form fewer oxidative compounds at higher temperatures.

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Oils Rich in Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFA)

Oils such as sunflower, safflower, soybean, and corn oil are rich in polyunsaturated fats.

These fats are associated with supporting cardiovascular health when consumed in appropriate amounts.

However, PUFA-rich oils are somewhat less stable at high temperatures and form oxidative substances more readily than monounsaturated fat-rich oils.

For this reason, they are better suited for medium-temperature cooking rather than high-temperature deep frying.

When used sensibly as a routine cooking oil at moderate temperatures, and when repeated reheating of food prepared in them is avoided, they can serve as a reasonable primary cooking oil within a balanced dietary pattern.

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Oils Rich in Saturated Fats

Examples include ghee and coconut oil.

These fats are relatively stable at higher temperatures but contain a high proportion of saturated fat.

Although they may raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol, excessive consumption can increase LDL cholesterol in many individuals. For this reason, they should be used in moderation, particularly in those with elevated cardiovascular risk.

In most parts of India, ghee is traditionally used in small quantities rather than as the primary cooking medium. When consumed in limited amounts within a balanced diet, it is unlikely to pose significant harm in metabolically healthy individuals.

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Cardiovascular Health: The Bigger Picture

When consumed in moderation as part of a balanced diet, commonly used cooking oils do not show major differences in cardiovascular risk markers.

The overall dietary pattern has a far greater influence on long-term health than minor variations between similar oils.

A diet rich in vegetables, pulses, whole grains, nuts, and minimally processed foods, along with regular physical activity, remains the cornerstone of cardiovascular health.

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Groundnut Oil and Olive Oil in Indian Cooking

Overall, the two oils that appear particularly suitable for Indian-style cooking are groundnut oil and olive oil.

Groundnut oil contains approximately 45–50 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, 30–35 percent omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, 15–20 percent saturated fats, and provides vitamin E as its primary antioxidant.

When used in moderation and at moderate heat within a balanced diet, it is a practical and appropriate cooking oil for Indian homes.

Extra virgin olive oil contains approximately 70–75 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, 8–12 percent omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and 10–15 percent saturated fats. It is also rich in natural antioxidants including polyphenols and vitamin E.

These properties make extra virgin olive oil particularly supportive of heart health when used in moderation at low temperatures or as a salad dressing oil.

Current evidence does not show major differences in cardiovascular risk markers when either oil is used moderately within a balanced diet. Total oil consumption and overall dietary quality matter more than the specific oil chosen.

If cooking is done at moderate temperatures and overall oil consumption is reasonable within a balanced dietary pattern, groundnut oil can be safely used as the primary cooking oil.

If oil is used mainly for low temperature cooking or as a dressing, extra virgin olive oil is an excellent heart-healthy option.

Extra virgin olive oil is not suitable for high-temperature cooking or shallow frying.

For occasional deep frying at higher temperatures, refined groundnut oil or refined (not extra virgin) olive oil is more appropriate.

Both are stable at higher temperatures, although refined olive oil does not provide the same antioxidant benefits as extra virgin olive oil.

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Practical Healthy Kitchen Habits

Keep deep frying of foods to a minimum.

Discard leftover oil after frying one batch of food. Do not reuse it.

Avoid very high temperature cooking whenever possible.

Promptly refrigerate leftover food. Reheat only the portion required for the next meal and refrigerate the remaining portion immediately.

Avoid repeated reheating of cooked food.

These are simple, practical measures that can be easily adopted in Indian homes.

Also read the articles ‘The Good And The Bad Fats’ and the ‘Basics Of Nutrition’ on this website.