Part 1 of a closer look at the Basic Metabolic Panel or BMP that most people have run every time they go to the doctor. Today's focus is sodium. Range: The normal range is 135-145 mEq/L or that is the normal range for 95% of the population, so you may fall outside of that range and be totally normal. If you are below that level, we call it hyponatremia, and if you are above that level, we call it hypernatremia. These word come from hypo (meaning under) or hyper (meaning over), natrium (meaning sodium), and emia (meaning a condition of the blood). What Are They Looking For: Hyponatremia especially below 125 mEq/L is the most worrying and tends to result in nausea, vomiting, headache, confusion, and even seizures and coma. But if you are a little under the normal range then you might just have some general discomfort. Hypernatremia is most concerning above 157 mEq/L but the symptoms are a little more vague, such as lethargy, weakness, and irritability though it can also result in seizures and coma. Hyponatremia is the one most likely to present itself in a severe state as the thirst response normally kicks in to prevent us from becoming hypernatremic. Organs Involved: For such a small molecule, sodium involves a large number of organs. The heart, kidney, liver, vessels, thyroid, and adrenal gland are some examples. All of these systems work in conjunction to keep everything in balance, so when things go awry it can be a little more concerning. These changes normally result from chronic medical conditions that have their own symptoms associated with them though knowing the sodium level can help narrow the differential diagnosis. Treatment: All of the treatments looks to correct the salt/water balance and then treat the underlying condition. Normally saline, which is just water and table salt at physiologic concentrations, or some derivative is given in the setting of hyponatremia. With hypernatremia, a more dilute form is need as it is primarily fluid that is lacking. While hyponatremia can result from various medical conditions, such as liver cirrhosis, hypothyroidism, and Addison's disease, a more likely cause is vomiting or diarrhea. Hypernatremia on the other hand can result from diabetes insipidus and Conn's Syndrome, but is more likely to be the result of excess sweating and poor water intake. Take Home Point: If your sodium levels are a little outside of the normal range and you feel fine, your doctor is unlikely to pursue that further. Do not be concerned about that because often small fluctuations occur due to food and water intake.
If you rely on the Internet for information about health and graceful aging, you've undoubtedly heard it a thousand times by now: You need to detox your liver to achieve vitality and longevity. And that's true, to a degree... except... you're most likely putting the cart before the horse. OK, before I explain what's really going on with your liver, let's be honest here: The reason so many "gurus" are so hell-bent on selling you that liver detox is because they typically private label these kits then charge upwards of $300 for them. "The best cleanse in the world," the guru exclaims, the slickster grin strewn from ear to ear. Well, even the best liver cleanse on the planet won't fix your issues if... you have small intestine mucosal barrier permeability. What? Mucosal barrier permeability. Or, to use another term for the same condition, "leaky gut." You see, your liver gets congested for a reason. And the reason given by the all-knowing guru at the anti-aging conference, that "you're exposed to so many xenoestrogens in the environment that your liver can't help but get clogged," is rather absurd. The real reason your liver gets congested is because of small intestine mucosal barrier permeability -- otherwise known as "leaky gut." So, what is the mucosal barrier? It's a thin layer of finger-shaped structures that line your small intestine. These structures are called villi. Upon those finger-like structures is a layer of cells tightly bound together. This layer is called the epithelium layer. Upon that layer are tiny hair-like structures called microvilli. When the microvilli become blunted (worn down), or the villi become shunted -- when they look as if they've been sawed off at the first knuckle -- or when the tight bonds between the epithelium cells become porous (leaky gut), we end up with both absorption and uptake issues. What does this have to do with liver congestion and subsequent detoxification needs??? Here's how it works. When you eat, your stomach passes mostly digested food onto the small intestine. There, in a healthy gut, the food is broken down further, and nutrients are sent to the liver as an "upload" or "uptake." In the liver, those nutrients are then filtered into the blood, where they thus scurry about your body, nourishing everything in sight. HOWEVER, if you're suffering from intestinal permeability, or "leaky gut" -- and some estimates claim as much as 75% of the North American population suffers from some degree of mucosal barrier dysfunction -- your food is not being broken down completely, and what is sent as "uptake" to the liver includes various antigens; these are everything from food particles to parasite poop to certain strains of bacteria. And if the blood is supposed to be purified of these elements... and the liver is responsible for the purification of the blood... and, well, you get the idea. The liver gets overloaded and thus congested. And the tricky thing about this scenario is that leaky gut doesn't heal itself; if you don't actively and consciously treat it, the situation typically gets worse and worse, meaning no matter how noble your liver detox intentions might be, it's all rather pointless until you address the underlying cause: intestinal permeability itself. What are some of the symptoms of leaky gut? How about bloating, arthritis (including RA), muscle pain (including fibromyalgia), other autoimmune disorders (including MS), headaches (including migraines), fatigue, constipation/diarrhea, adult acne, skin rashes (including eczema and psoriasis), food sensitivities, sleep disturbances, weight gain/weight loss, hormone imbalances, sinus congestion, allergies, asthma, colitis/Crohn's disease, foggy brain, mood swings, and a slew of other issues. It should be noted that with intestinal permeability also comes a host of other gut issues, like dysbiosis (microbial imbalance), SIBO (small intestine bacteria overgrowth), candida (yeast overgrowth), parasite infestation, and malnutrition. Now, what causes leaky gut? A number of things, including poor diet, exposure to toxins, prescription drugs, alcohol abuse, unrecognized gluten sensitivity, external stress, internal trauma, and genetic predisposition, to name a few. So, how do you know if you have a compromised mucosal barrier (or "leaky gut")? Well, you certainly don't guess. You test! Find yourself a qualified functional nutritionist, and get yourself an intestinal permeability test as soon as possible. It's as simple as that.
In living things, everything is controlled at the molecular level. Modern research continues to study the molecular workings of Type 2 diabetes in an attempt to learn the nuts and bolts of what is going on. While we usually associate obesity with the development of this form of diabetes, some normal weight individuals have received the diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes as well. So, what is the complex mechanism actually responsible for Type 2 diabetes? Researchers at the IDF Centre of Education in Chennai, India, and Emory University in Atlanta, USA, are working on this particular question and beginning to find some answers. Inflammation is known to be present in Type 2 diabetes, and the condition is often associated with being overweight or obese. Whether inflammation is associated with obesity is unclear. In a study reported on in the journal Endocrinology Practice in July 2015, researchers looked at inflammatory molecules and weight in young people diagnosed with this form of diabetes. The study included... 100 normal-weight people with normal blood sugar levels, 50 obese people with normal blood sugar levels, normal-weight people with Type 2 diabetes, and obese people with diabetes. It was found... the non-obese participants with normal blood sugar levels had the highest levels of adiponectin, a protein that tends to be low in obese individuals and Type 2 diabetics. It is thought to be involved in insulin sensitivity. in obese individuals high levels of adiponectin was associated with a 41 percent reduced risk of developing diabetes. for non-obese individuals, high levels of adiponectin were associated with a 33 percent reduced risk. leptin, a molecule that helps to regulate and energy balance by helping to decrease hunger, was found to be associated with both obese and non-obese people with diabetes. tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) were also found to be highest in both obese and non-obese individuals with Type 2 diabetes. As medical science learns more about what causes Type 2 diabetes, we will be better able to prevent and control it. Different genes for different levels of molecules involved in diabetes are likely to be found. Some day genetic testing might be able to predict who will be at risk. Until then, diet and lifestyle are the things we know to help prevent this form of diabetes and keep blood sugar levels and weight normal. So fill up on fruits and vegetables and go for a walk...
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AuthorManoj Kumar. ArchivesCategories |