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Introducing
Nutri Centre’s
Q & A section
Suppliers of complementary medicine,
Nutri Centre (now offering their range of products in a number of
larger Tesco stores), are providing laterlife visitors with the
opportunity to ask questions on health issues.
The Q & As are produced by Paul Joseph in conjunction with
the Nutri Centre.
NATURAL SOLUTI0NS June 2007
Wheat Intolerance
Q: I love eating bread but it bloats me and makes me feel
tired. I don’t want to have to eliminate it from my diet as I
have sandwiches every day for lunch. I love pizza and pastries
and everything that contains wheat. I might have an intolerance
to bread though, can anything help without having to cut it out
my diet?
A: It is estimated that there are between 6 – 15
million people who suffer from wheat intolerance in Britain.
Wheat is often a culprit when bloating is a symptom. The very
high gluten content in modern wheat makes it hard to digest and
it is most likely that you have intolerance to wheat. Gluten is
found in wheat, rye, oats and barley. It is a sticky substance
with a consistency like glue. It is difficult to digest and in
some people this can have a disruptive effect on the digestive
system, producing toxins, gas and bloating.
A wheat or gluten intolerance can be difficult to diagnose.
As it is such a common food, the body adapts to coping with it,
hiding the intolerance. Some of the symptoms which a wheat or
gluten intolerance produces are: aches and stiffness, depression
and mood swings, anxiety, asthma, fatigue/tiredness, sneezing,
runny eyes, runny nose, nausea, bloating, stomach cramps,
sweating, sore/itchy throat, skin rashes, swollen stomach.
Diagnosis can be difficult.
Excluding wheat or gluten from the diet to see if there is
any improvement in health is the most effective way to
diagnose an intolerance. The food item can be reintroduced after
a few weeks to observe any reaction. I would recommend that you
are also tested for celiac disease (a serious gluten
intolerance), as well as switching to a wheat/gluten free bread.
This does not taste as bad as some people think.
Also, it is very important to correct any bacterial imbalance
that may be present with probiotics (beneficial bacteria).
Probiotics such as Bio Care Acidophilus should help ease
bloating, as they improve the overall functioning and health of
the digestive tract. Sometimes probiotics can initially make
matters worse, things should settle down once the friendly
bacteria have established themselves.
Hay Fever
Q: I am
having a horrible time suffering from hay fever at the moment.
Benadryl does not agree with me and can cause me to feel dizzy
and a little drowsy. Can you suggest a range of natural remedies
which I can try to ward off the worst symptoms this year? I need
to find a miracle worker!
A: It’s that time of year again when hay fever makes so
many of us miserable. Hay fever is now recognised as the
most common form of allergy in the UK, affecting up to 25% of
the population, and making summer a misery for at least 15
million people. Most are sensitive to grass pollens. The
allergic reaction to pollen causes inflammation and irritation
to the lining of the eyes, nose and throat.
Global warming means that summer is now starting earlier,
and may end later, which means allergy sufferers must endure the
condition for longer. As well as causing itchy eyes, runny or
stuffed-up nose, sneezing and sore throat, it can exacerbate
other atopic conditions such as eczema or asthma, and cause
difficulty sleeping.
- You can minimise exposure to allergens by taking some
simple measures:
- Keep windows closed in the car and home to avoid
exposure to pollens, especially on days of medium/high level
pollen forecasts.
- Limit outdoor activities when pollen counts are highest
(early morning for spring time tree pollens, afternoon and
early evening for summer grasses)
- Don’t hang clothes outside to dry, use a dryer or hang
them inside instead.
- A daily bath at bedtime may help to wash off allergens
and prevent night-time allergy problems.
- Keep off freshly mowed lawns.
- Keep pets (they can track pollen inside) outside.
Certainly, keep them out of bedrooms.
- Change clothes after being outside.
There are many products available to ease allergy symptoms
including nasal sprays and antihistamines, although some people
can react negatively to the latter.
Good nutrition, as always, is your best defence and
will help to make your immune system stronger so that the body
can more easily deal with what it perceives as invaders (in this
case, pollen). The easiest way to strengthen the immune system
is to eat plenty of antioxidant-rich foodstuffs: beans, green
leafy vegetables, and fruits – in particular, blueberries,
cranberries and blackberries.
There are two powerful natural supplements and a
natural remedy that can prevent or alleviate allergic reactions
that cause hay fever. Quercitin-C by Cardiovascular Research is
a powerful antihistamine formulation containing quercitin,
catechin and vitamin C which all quench free radicals and reduce
the release of histamine.
Histamine is a substance that contributes to allergy
symptoms such as a runny nose, watery eyes, hives, and
swelling of soft tissue including the face and lips. Quercetin
inhibits the production and release of histamine and other
allergic/ inflammatory substances and also works as an
antioxidant by scavenging damaging particles in the body known
as free radicals.
Another beneficial supplement for hay fever is Reishi
Mushrooms, this has anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory
properties that inhibit histamine release. The product works as
an antioxidant against free radicals.
Last but not least to battle hay fever is Oralmat
drops which are taken under the tongue. This natural, herbal
remedy contains a rye grass extract to help boost and modulate
your immune system and fight allergens and irritants that
trigger inflammatory and respiratory problems. Oralmat drops are
rapidly absorbed into the mucous membranes of the mouth, giving
fast relief from asthma, bronchitis, rhinitis, sinusitis and
other inflammatory problems.
PRODUCTS:
Bio Acidophilus by Biocare - £17.95 for 60
capsules
Quercitin-C by Cardiovascular Research - £11.95
for 90 Capsules
Reishi Mushrooms by Mycology Research Laboratories
(MRL) - £18.95 for 90 tablets
Oralmat Drops by The Rye Way - £24.99 for 10ml
Paul Joseph studied at the University of Leeds where he took
a course in Broadcasting and Advertising. He has worked in the
West Indies at a leading spa resort where he developed a keen
interest in complementary therapies. He currently writes about a
wide range of natural health topics as part his work providing
information to the media on behalf of The Nutri Centre.
If
you would like to ask a question, please send an email to
nutricentre@laterlife.com
The information above is provided by the Nutri Centre.
Laterlife cannot endorse any information presented and
recommends that you consult your doctor if in doubt about any
medication or health-related matter.
* Please note questions cannot be answered
personally but will be selected for inclusion in future editions
of 'Natural Solutions'
laterlife interest
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