Grape Fruit

This simple-looking fruit is said to be one of nature's superfoods. 
You may wonder why the grapefruit is called so when it looks like an enlarged orange, a member of the citrus fruits' family. The reason is, they grow in clusters like grapes. Nowadays, grapefruit is easily available locally. Though the fruit is usually red or pink in colour, grapefruits taste sour and bitter and are packed with tremendous health benefits.

Here's why you should grab the grapefruit whenever you're out for grocery shopping:

1. Grapefruit generates alkaline reaction in the body after digestion. This means it's beneficial for treating acidity problems.

2. This fruit is packed with the goodness of Vitamin C, which aids in maintaining elasticity and strengthening of the arteries. It also has pectin, a compound known to help in reducing the accumulation of arterial deposits.

3. Eating grapefruit on a regular basis will help boost your immune system, thereby preventing contraction of cold, cough and flu.

4. Diabetics can benefit a great deal form grapefruit — they help in lowering the blood sugar levels.

5. You can reduce the symptoms of insomnia by eating a grapefruit before bedtime.

6. Pregnant women can reduce water retention in their bodies and swelling in the legs by consuming grapefruit.

7. Grapefruits contain fat-burning enzymes that are highly beneficial in promoting weight loss. They do so by preventing sugars and starch from getting stored in the body.

8. Get relief from a sore throat by drinking a glass of grapefruit juice.

9. Also, to gain a boost of instant energy, drink a glass of freshly squeezed grape juice.

Did you know?
Grapefruits are called Citrus Paradisi in Latin, meaning the citrus from paradise. In fact, the grapefruit diet is one of the most popular weight loss diets. This diet basically involves drinking a minimum of three glasses of grapefruit juice daily. It helps prevent weight gain by burning calories. Hollywood's legendary beauty Sophia Loren is one of the first celebrities to endorse the grapefruit diet.
 

Vitamins

12 health risks of Vitamin D deficiency

Shraddha Rupavate February 27, 2014 at 4:11 pm

Vitamin D deficiency has become a pandemic with about 1 billion people all over the world having low levels of vitamin D. Although adequate levels of vitamin D can be produced by the body with regular exposure to sunlight, vitamin D insufficiency prevails in India due to several other factors like dietary habits, increasing pollution and genetics.

The fact that vitamin D alone can influence about 3000 genes of our body (out of the total 24000 genes) clearly signifies its importance in our system. Extensive studies have explored the role of vitamin D in health problems. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to over a hundred health issues till now. Here are top 12 health risks you might be facing due to low levels of vitamin D.

1. Diabetes: The number of diabetic people is increasing day by day and most of them might be deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D is required to balance sugar levels in the blood by regulating the secretion of insulin. Research suggests that low levels of vitamin D increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Some studies have also found that the vitamin D also increases the risk of type 1 diabetes. Here are 10 tips to keep your blood sugar under control.

2. Hypertension: Indian research based on a large scale observational data showed that people having low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (a form of vitamin D) had a higher risk of developing hypertension; however, the correlation is not yet found. Here are someherbal remedies for hypertension.

3. Cardiovascular risk: A population-based study of 9,949 adults showed that vitamin D deficiency is significantly associated with increased risk of fatal cardiovascular events. The study considered adjustments for smoking, physical activity and other factors contributing to heart diseases and concluded that vitamin D deficiency increased the risk of fatal cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by 62%.

4. Flu: Do you suffer from recurrent cold and respiratory infections? Instead of blaming the seasonal changes, check your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D has an important role to play in activating the cells of your immune system which help to fight infections. Therefore people who are deficient in vitamin D are at an increased risk of developing recurrent infections. A study published in the Cambridge Journals showed that vitamin D deficiency predisposes children to respiratory infections. Here are someimmune-boosting foods that you should include in your diet.

5. Anaemia: Anaemia occurs when your body does not have sufficient levels of red blood cells that carry oxygen to various parts of the body. But the main underlying reason for anaemia might be vitamin D deficiency. A study led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center found that people having low levels of haemoglobin also had low levels of vitamin D. Although the exact role of vitamin D and anaemia is still under investigation, there is sufficient evidence linking anaemia to vitamin D insufficiency. Here are top 7 home remedies to keep anaemia at bay.

6. Weak bones: Vitamin D plays an important role in absorbing calcium from the food you eat in the intestine. Naturally if you’re deficient in vitamin D, you will be calcium deficient as well. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, with low levels of vitamin D your body can absorb only 10 to 15 percent of the calcium you take. And calcium is required for building stronger and healthy bones. Therefore indirectly vitamin D deficiency results in weak, soft and achy bones. Lack of calcium deposition due to vitamin D deficiency also causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. It also affects the bone density in adults, which increases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Read more about how Vitamin D helps reduce chronic pain in people with fibromyalgia.

7. Brain damage: A recent study led by researchers at the University of Kentucky showed that low levels of vitamin D can cause damage to some proteins in the brain of rats. The study also suggested that deficiency of vitamin D can affect the oxidative status of the brain, cognitive performance and memory power. Read more about foods rich in antioxidants that can boost your memory.

8. Infertility: Daily morning walk under the sun can help you to boost your reproductive health. After a detailed analysis of several studies, Austrian physicians found that vitamin D stimulates the production of the male hormone testosterone and female hormone progestrone. Here are 10 things that could cause infertility (Gallery)

9. Crohn’s disease: Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects the intestine. Low levels of vitamin D affects the genetic expression involved in Crohn’s disease making the symptoms even more worse.

10. Aging: As you age, your bone mass will gradually decline. But with low levels of vitamin D, your body will start ageing prematurely. A study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine shows that vitamin D insufficiency causes early ageing of bone because of reduced bone mass.   

11. Depression: Antidepressants is not the only solution for you prolonged sadness and depression. You could actually pep up your mood by restoring your vitamin D levels. In a systematic review on women suffering from moderate and severe depression, an oral vitamin D therapy for 8-12 weeks significantly improved depression symptoms in participants. Here’s how upi can beat stress, fatigue and depression with laughter yoga.

12. Cancer: Low levels of vitamin D also makes it to the list of hundreds of things that are known to increase the risk of cancer. There is abundant evidence supporting the role of vitamin D levels and reduced risk of colon, prostate and breast cancers. In fact, evidence also suggest that vitamin D can help in cancer treatment. A study carried out by scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center revealed that increased level of vitamin D reduced cancer growth by 75 percent. Here are 10 simple ways to prevent cancer (gallery).

As per the current recommendations, daily intake of vitamin D should be 2000 IU. Although sunlight is the best natural source of vitamin D, you can also obtain it through your diet. Natural form of vitamin D3 is present in dairy products like milk (100 IU in one 8 ounce glass), yogurt (80 IU) and egg yolks (one yolk offers 20 IU of vitamin D). You can also eat fatty fish like salmon which will give you 400 IU of vitamin D in just 5 ounces. For extra supplementation eat cereals, fresh fruit juice and some vitamin D-fortified foods.

 References:

• Vikram Londhey. Vitamin D Deficiency: Indian Scenario
• Anglin RE and colleagues. Vitamin D deficiency and depression in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis.
• Perna L, Schöttker B, Holleczek B, Brenner H. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and incidence of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events: a prospective study with repeated measurements. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Dec 2013;98(12):4908-15.
• Tucker M. Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Fatal CVD.
• Elisabeth Lerchbaum and Barbara Obermayer-Pietsch. Vitamin D and fertility: a systematic review

 Read more:

• Vitamin D from sunlight could alleviate the symptoms of asthma!
• Vitamin D supplements good for pregnant woman
• You do not need Vitamin D supplements if you are healthy!
• Vitamin D good for patients with Parkinson’s disease
• Vitamin D deficiency high in Indians

You may also like to read:

• How Vitamin E can help you stay healthy and young!
• 5 reasons why vitamin A is really good for you!
• 5 vitamin A-rich foods you should include in your diet
• Are vitamin supplements necessary?
• Your quick guide to get essential vitamins from food
• Top 15 health benefits of Vitamin C
• Eat foods rich in Vitamin C this winter!
• Eat spinach, almonds for increasing Vitamin E levels and preventing memory loss
• Vitamin E slows down progression of Alzheimer’s

For more articles on vitamins, visit our vitamins section. For more articles on diseases & conditions , visit our diseases & conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.