Apple Cider Vinegar: The Gateway to Good Health?

Apple cider vinegar has been touted as being beneficial to a number of health problems, from digestion to metabolic disorders. Amazingly, this kitchen store cupboard ingredient can work wonders on your body and health, improving your wellbeing in the process. Doctors have confirmed that you can’t use apple cider vinegar for just any purpose, it can’t actually hurt you and it could be beneficial for some problems. So how can it help? Here are some of the top uses for apple cider vinegar that you may benefit from.

Lowering blood sugar

One of the most researched uses for apple cider vinegar is its use against blood pressure, with many studies proving that it can help to lower high blood pressure when used as a dietary aid. In fact, studies have shown that it can lower blood sugar by as much as 4 to 6 percent in the morning, when taken before meals. Take two tablespoons and wash it down with some water or juice to remove the taste. The you just eat as you normally would. The belief behind this is that apple cider vinegar contains chromium which can affect your insulin levels, which in turn affect your blood sugar levels. Of course, if you suffer with high blood sugar levels you should speak to your GP before trying to self medicate with apple cider vinegar.

Aids digestion

Stomach acid and digestion are connected, and most people don’t make enough of stomach acid – apple cider vinegar can help to balance stomach acid in a healthy way, helping to improve digestion when taken with a meal. This could well help to allow more nutrition to be absorbed from your diet as well.

Assists weight loss

There have been numerous studies to suggest that weight loss and vinegar could be connected, many specifically using apple cider vinegar. While these studies haven’t found any conclusive evidence to support weight loss with consuming vinegar, participants were compelled to consume fewer calories when they’d taken it. Over a period of time, this could benefit weight loss. Of course, as with any weight loss plan, you should top up your efforts with a healthy diet and exercise – the vinegar should be used as an addition to your diet, rather than a cure for all negative habits.

Benefits to acid reflux

It may seem counter-productive to use acid to combat acid reflux, but it does actually work! We are so used to taking antacids or using creamy substances to deal with acid in the throat that we don’t think of using anything else, but apple cider vinegar could really help. With just a few minutes, you’ll notice that the acidic burning sensation dissipates and your symptoms are gone. It’s also a lot cheaper than buying costly medications to combat it. You simply need to take a few tablespoons and wash it down with a glass of water, then wait and allow the acid to dissolve.

As with any new addition to your diet, you should speak to your GP before taking anything. Although there have been many studies as to the benefit of apple cider vinegar, there have been no conclusive results to ascertain how effective it can be. There can be some benefit to this humble ingredient though, which you should try if you’re suffering with any of the above afflictions. Naturally, if you don’t see results from these remedies and are still suffering with your symptoms, you should seek further advice from your GP in order to resolve the issue.

Categories: acid reflux, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, blood pressure, Blood Sugar, cider vinegar, diet, health concerns, high blood, stomach acid, sugar levels, Weight Loss

The Facts About Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome

You might have never heard of Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (ZES), but it is a serious condition that was drastically affect the wellbeing of anyone who has it. The syndrome is a complex health problem in which one or more tumours form inside of your pancreas or in the upper part of your small intestine, known medically as the duodenum. These tumours, which are called gastrinomas, secrete excessive amounts of the hormone gastrin, which in turn makes your stomach believe it needs to produce a large amount of acid. The excess acid, which is not serving any purpose, leads to peptic ulcers.

 

It’s true that ZES is quite a rare condition. It’s known that the disease can occur at any time in your life, but people are usually diagnosed when they are somewhere between 30 and 50 – this seems to be the age where the disease can be most potent. The standard treatment for the disease is just that – a treatment rather than a cure – you’ll need to take medications to deal with the stomach acid and get rid of the ulcers.

 

What are the symptoms of ZES?

So, how do you know if you have ZES, or if it’s worth going to the doctor about potentially suffering from the syndrome? There are a number of tell-tale signs that you may have problems with the condition. These can include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, a burning or aching sensation in to your upper abdomen, issues with heart burn and acid reflex, nausea and sickness, general weakness, bleeding in the digestive tract, decreased appetite and unexpected weight loss.

 

It is definitely worth seeing your doctor if notice that you have a persistent, burning, aching or gnawing pain that is aggravating  your upper abdomen, especially if you’ve also been experiencing nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Of course, it’s worth pointing out that these symptoms are fairly common among many health problems

 

Talk to your doctor if you’ve used over-the-counter acid-reducing medications such as omeprazole often referred to as Prilosec, cimetidine often referred to as Tagamet, famotidine often referred to as Pepcid or ranitidine often referred to as Zantac for long periods of time and this can make a very big difference. These medications are known to be able to mask some of your symptoms, which could delay your diagnosis and allow doctors to prescribe a more effective all round medical treatment. If you have Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, early detection and treatment are important.

 

 

What are the causes of ZES?

While there are many people who suffer with ZES, the exact cause of ZES remains relatively unknown. However, we do know that the sequence of events that occurs in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome is clear. ZES starts off with the formation of one or more tumours, known as a gastrinomas, form in your pancreas, duodenum or the lymph nodes adjacent to your pancreas.

 

As you might know, your pancreas is based behind and below your stomach. Its role in the body is to produce enzymes that allow you to digest your food. The pancreas also produces several hormones, such as gastrin, which is a hormone that runs the stomach acid production and tells your body how much you need. Then the digestive juices, taken from the pancreas, liver and gallbladder mix together in the duodenum, which is the part of the small intestine next to your stomach. This is the point where digestion is at its most potent and you are breaking down the food that you’ve eaten.

 

The tumours that happen with ZES are made up of cells that secrete large amounts of gastrin, which in turn causes the stomach to produce far too much acid. The excessive acid then leads to peptic ulcers and sometimes to diarrhoea.

Categories: acid, ellison syndrome, nbsp, pancreas, peptic ulcers, small intestine, stomach acid, ulcers nbsp, upper abdomen, ZES, zollinger ellison