kidney stones- causes and how to get rid of them

Passing a kidney stone is one of the most painful things you can do - apart from childbirth.
Now a new study suggests that they’re becoming more common.
Part of the increase is down to the way doctors monitor stones - they used a CT scan rarely before, but the rise in the technology meant they found the stones easier.
It's not all down to the tests though.
Kidney stones can develop in anyone - and in one or both kidneys, but what actually causes them?
They're quite common, with about three in 20 men and up to two in 20 women developing them at some point.

Most often people aged 30 to 60 are affected by them.

Symptoms

Kidney stones, medically known as nephrolithiasis, cause severe pain, also known as renal colic.
Small stones can go undetected - but they can be passed out when you wee, according to the doctors. It's fairly common for a stone to block part of the urinary system.
If you're suffering from a blockage you'll have severe pain in the abdomen or groin - it can also sometimes cause a urinary tract infection (UTI).
Half the people who have had kidney stones will experience them again within five years of having them.
Look out for:

• Ache in your lower back, sometimes in the groin - men can have a pain in their testicles and scrotum
• Periods of intense pain in the back or side of your abdomen
• Feeling restless and unable to lie still
• Nausea
• Needing to urinate more
• Pain when you urinate
• Blood in your urine

What causes kidney stones?

Waste products in the blood can occasionally form crystals that collect inside the kidney.
Over time they build up and form hard stone-like lumps.
If you don't drink enough fluids it's more likely to happen. If you're taking some types of medication or if you have a condition that raises levels of certain substances in your urine it can also raise the risk.
The rise in kidney stones - mostly calcium stones - is also down to a change in diet. Stones are helped along by diets high in fat, sugar and salt.
Race also played a factor in the findings. Nearly 90 per cent of kidney stones happen in white people.

What causes kidney stones:

• calcium
• ammonia
• uric acid – a waste product produced when the body breaks down food to use as energy
• cysteine – an amino acid that helps to build protein

People who have the following are likely to get recurring kidney stones:

• eat a high-protein, low-fibre diet
• are inactive or bed-bound
• have a family history of kidney stones
• have had several kidney or urinary infections
• have had a kidney stone before, particularly if it was before you were 25
• have only one fully working kidney
• have had an intestinal bypass

Medication that makes it more likely

• aspirin
• antacids
• diuretics (used to reduce fluid build-up)
• certain antibiotics
• certain antiretroviral medication (used to treat HIV)
• certain anti-epileptic medication

How to get rid of them

Smaller stones will pass when you go to the toilet in your urine.
Larger stones may need breaking up. Doctors use an ultrasound or laser energy to do this, but sometimes keyhole surgery is needed to remove the very large stones.

What to eat?
If your stone is caused by too much calcium you need to reduce the amount of oxalates in your diet.
They prevent calcium being absorbed into your body.

 Foods that contain oxalates are:

• Beetroot
• Asparagus
• Rhubarb
• Leeks
• Chocolate
• Berries
• Parsley
• Celery
• Almonds, peanuts and cashew nuts
• Soy products
• Grains, such as oatmeal, wheat germ and wholewheat

Always check with your doctor before you change your diet.

How to avoid them

Drink plenty of water everyday. A good test is to check if your urine is diluted (clear) to prevent waste products forming into kidney stones.

Types of Stones

Calcium Stones
They if there's too much calcium in the urine. They're usually either large and smooth or spiky and rough.

Struvite Stones
Often caused by infections and most commonly occur after a urinary tract infection.
More common in women than men.

Uric acid stones
They can form if there's a large amount of acid in your urine. If you have a high-protein diet or a condition like gout.

Cystine stones

 Rarest type of kidney stone. It's caused by an inherited condition called cystinuria.

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How to use whey protein to reduce belly fat fast

A lot has been said about whether or not you can take protein powders and lose weight without exercise. Numerous studies have shown that some forms of protein, such as whey, are better than others and can help you achieve a variety of particular fitness goals. Whey protein can be an excellent addition to your weight loss diet if you’re trying to gain muscle, increase strength and lose significant amounts of body fat, including excess belly fat.

While there’s no magical single food that will make abdominal fat disappear overnight, having whey protein as part of a calorie-controlled diet might help you lose weight and get the job done. The fact of the matter is that losing body fat requires you to consume fewer calories than you burn. Probably the most popular today, whey protein is considered one of the best supplements for those who want to lose weight, build muscles and maintain health.

What is whey protein and how does it aid weight loss?

Whey protein is the protein contained in whey, which is the watery or liquid part of milk that separates from the curds when making cheese. Two main type of protein can be found in milk - casein (80%) and whey (20%). After being separated from curds, whey goes through many processing steps to turned into a versatile powder form, which is usually added to shakes and protein bars. Whey protein is perfect as a meal replacement supplement for those trying to shed extra pounds.

Numerous studies suggest that whey protein can effectively help people manage weight as promotes satiety. A 2008 study,  found that overweight and obese adults who supplemented with whey protein lost significantly more body fat and retained more muscle mass than those who consumed no whey.

Additionally, one study suggested that whey might offer advantages over certain protein powders for reducing body fat. The researchers found that participants who drank whey ended up with smaller waists than those who were given a soy protein beverage or a carbohydrate-rich drink. 

Whey is loaded with essential amino acids, including leucine and cysteine, which are of high-quality proteins. Hence, supplementing with whey protein may be a great idea when trying to slim down and build muscle. Moreover, protein has been shown to aid weight loss by boosting metabolism and reducing appetite.

When and how to take whey protein for optimal weight loss

Whey protein can be easily digested and absorbed efficiently by the body. It is usually taken after exercise for muscle building and recovery. The commonly recommended dosage is 1-2 scoops (around 25-50 grams) per day.

Generally, whey protein can be consumed by most people without problems, however, individuals who are allergic to whey or with kidney or liver issues may want to avoid it.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                                                                                                                                                                                             PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/   

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New technology could deliver drugs to brain injuries

Scientists have developed a new technology that could deliver drugs to treat traumatic brain injuries resulting from car crashes, falls or violence.

The discovery provides a means of homing drugs or nanoparticles to injured areas of the brain, researchers said.

"We have found a peptide sequence of four amino acids, cysteine, alanine, glutamine, and lysine (CAQK), that recognises injured brain tissue," said Erkki Ruoslahti from Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP) in the US.

"This peptide could be used to deliver treatments that limit the extent of damage," said Ruoslahti.

Traumatic brain injuries usually result from car crashes, falls, and violence.

While the initial injury cannot be repaired, the damaging effects of breaking open brain cells and blood vessels that ensue over the following hours and days can be minimised, researchers said.

"Current interventions for acute brain injury are aimed at stabilising the patient by reducing intracranial pressure and maintaining blood flow, but there are no approved drugs to stop the cascade of events that cause secondary injury," said Aman Mann from SBP.

More than one hundred compounds are currently in preclinical tests to lessen brain damage following injury.

These candidate drugs block the events that cause secondary damage, including inflammation, high levels of free radicals, over-excitation of neurons, and signalling that leads to cell death, researchers said.

"Our goal was to find an alternative to directly injecting therapeutics into the brain, which is invasive and can add complications," said Ruoslahti.

"Using this peptide to deliver drugs means they could be administered intravenously, but still reach the site of injury in sufficient quantities to have an effect," he said.

The CAQK peptide binds to components of the meshwork surrounding brain cells called chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans. Amounts of these large, sugar-decorated proteins increase following brain injury, researchers said.

"Not only did we show that CAQK carries drug-sized molecules and nanoparticles to damaged areas in mouse models of acute brain injury, we also tested peptide binding to injured human brain samples and found the same selectivity," said Mann.

"This peptide could also be used to create tools to identify brain injuries, particularly mild ones, by attaching the peptide to materials that can be detected by medical imaging devices," added Ruoslahti.

"And, because the peptide can deliver nanoparticles that can be loaded with large molecules, it could enable enzyme or gene-silencing therapies," he said.

The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications.
 

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Cinnamon may prevent Alzheimer's according to a study.

The common baking spice cinnamon may hold the key to delaying the onset of - or warding off - the effects of Alzheimer's disease, scientists have found.

Scientists  found that two compounds in cinnamon - cinnamaldehyde and epicatechin - show some promise in the effort to fight the disease.

According to them, the compounds have been shown to prevent the development of the filamentous "tangles" found in the brain cells that characterise Alzheimer's.

Responsible for the assembly of micro-tubules in a cell, a protein called tau plays a large role in the structure of the neurons, as well as their function.

"The problem with tau in Alzheimer's is that it starts aggregating," said  a researcher.

When for the protein does not bind properly to the microtubules that form the cell's structure, it has a tendency to clump together, she explained, forming insoluble fibres in the neuron.

The older we get the more susceptible we are to these twists and tangles, Alzheimer's patients develop them more often and in larger amounts.

The use of cinnamaldehyde, the compound responsible for the bright, sweet smell of cinnamon, has proven effective in preventing the tau knots.

By protecting tau from oxidative stress, the compound, an oil, could inhibit the protein's aggregation. To do this, cinnamaldehyde binds to two residues of an amino acid called cysteine on the tau protein.

The cysteine residues are vulnerable to modifications, a factor that contributes to the development of Alzheimer's.
Previous research indicates that there is a high correlation between Type 2 diabetes and the incidence of Alzheimer's disease.
The elevated glucose levels typical of diabetes lead to the overproduction of reactive oxygen species, resulting in oxidative stress, which is a common factor in both diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

Other research has shown cinnamon's beneficial effects in managing blood glucose and other problems associated with diabetes.

"Since tau is vulnerable to oxidative stress, this study then asks whether Alzheimer's disease could benefit from cinnamon, especially looking at the potential of small compounds," said a researcher.

Although this research shows promise, a researcher said, they are "still a long way from knowing whether this will work in human beings."

The researchers caution against ingesting more than the typical amounts of cinnamon already used in cooking.