Overview of Fat Soluble Vitamins

Fat soluble vitamins are essential micro-nutrients required by the body for various functions. One can get these in fat containing foods. Fat soluble vitamins are not needed regularly in our daily diet, unlike water soluble vitamins because they are stored in the liver and fatty tissues for future use. If you take more than required, it can be toxic and leads to health problems.

Four types of fat soluble vitamins:

• Vitamin – A
• Vitamin – D
• Vitamin – E
• Vitamin – K

Parameters	Vitamin - A	Vitamin - D	Vitamin - E	Vitamin - K
Chemical name	Retinol	Ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3)	Tocopherol	Phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and Menaquinones (vitamin K2)
Food sources	Apricot, liver, sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin, winter squash, spinach, mango, acorn, kale, broccoli, peaches, papaya, dairy products, fish, etc.	This vitamin can be synthesized by your body, when your skin is directly exposed to sunlight. Foods sources are mushrooms, cheese, butter, milk, fish, cod liver oil, cereals, egg, etc.	Almonds, peanuts, spinach, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corns, broccoli, cereals, liver, egg yolk, etc.	Cabbage, asparagus, spinach, turnip greens, cauliflower, fish, meat, eggs, oats, etc.
Functions	It helps in the formation and maintenance of teeth, skin, mucous membrane, soft tissue. It is involved in cell differentiation, immune system, reproduction and vision.	It helps in absorption of calcium by kidneys and intestine. And also helps in bone calcification. It also helps to maintain blood levels of calcium and phosphorous.	It is a powerful anti-oxidant and helps against cancer, heart diseases, signs of aging. And also protects the cells, tissues and organs from free radicals.	It helps in synthesis of blood clotting factors.
Deficiency	If you don't get enough vitamin A, you may become prone to infectious diseases and problems related to vision. Vitamin A deficiency diseases are xerophthalmia, anemia, xerosis, immune suppression, hypovitaminosis-A, impaired tissue growth, etc.	Vitamin D deficiency: In children causes rickets In adults causes osteomalacia and osteoporosis Soften or weakens the bones	Hemolysis of red blood cells, anemia, degeneration of sensory neurons	Vitamin K deficiency causes hemorrhage. It can be seen in infants or in people who take anti-coagulants.
Symptoms of vitamin deficiency	Dry and rough skin, night blindness, etc., indicates that body is lacking vitamin A	Bowed legs, muscle weakness, bone weakness, loss of bone mass, etc.	Nausea, fatigue, blurred vision, etc.	Gum bleeding, nose bleeding, bleeding in digestive tract, etc.
Signs or symptoms due to over dosage of vitamin supplements	Over dosage of vitamin A are toxic and results into headache, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, loss of appetite and also chances of birth defects.	Nausea, vomiting, slows mental and physical growth.	Risk of serious bleeding in the brain.	Excess intake of vitamin K leads to liver damage and break down of red blood cells (RBCs)

 

Deficiencies of Micronutrients- How to Overcome Them?

We face deficiency of some or the other micronutrient, they can be cleared by taking proper diet, but some deficiencies are so severe that they take long time to compensate and create severe effects throughout the world.

Here are the predominant deficiencies reported in more than half of the population.

Vitamin A deficiency

• The major effect faced due to vitamin A deficiency is poor eyesight. In medical terms we call it as “Xeropthalmia”, this condition is characterized by night blindness, that is, inability to see things during night time.
• If this condition continues for long time, then it may lead to loss of vision completely, and it also affects growth of children - they have stunted growth.
• This deficiency is mainly found in children who do not take vitamin A foods like carrots, leafy vegetables and some fresh fruits. They face problem of poor eyesight at early stages itself, improper eyesight can have effects on brain also.
• More than half of the population is facing vitamin A deficiency. Apart from dietary deficiency, it is also evident that Zinc and iron deficiency is also linked to vitamin A deficiency. People who have these two minerals deficiency cannot uptake vitamin A properly leading to its deficiency.
• To overcome this, a proper diet containing more of vitamin A is advised for children as well as all adults.

Iron deficiency

• Iron deficiency is linked to anemia (low red blood cells count). This deficiency is prevalent in all age groups. It affects from kids to menopause women.
• Deficiency of iron impairs oxygen carrying capacity of blood, resulting in short breath, sometimes even to death because of difficulty in breathing.
• Blood has nothing to do without iron, as it is the key component of hemoglobin. Apart from oxygen transport, iron is important for pregnant women to give birth to a healthy baby.
• There are many reasons why people face iron deficiency. Children because they do not eat properly, they get deficiency.
• In case of pregnant women, iron requirement if very high, almost double than normal as there is loss of iron along with blood during delivery and also it is important for brain development of fetus, so if pregnant women do not take iron supplements, it results in iron deficiency leading to premature baby, or sometimes death of the fetus may take place.
• Having foods of animal origin will provide more of iron than plant based foods. For pregnant omen, along with dietary sources, supplements are also advised to overcome deficiency of iron.

Iodine deficiency

• Iodine has a major role in thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormone. Deficiency of iodine will lead to enlargement of thyroid gland called “Goiter”. In these people, thyroid hormone is not produced in normal levels which result in decreased growth.
• Another effect seen due to iodine deficiency is “cretinism”, it is a condition seen in children where there is no growth of brain leading to mental retardation. These children have low IQ levels compared to normal children.
• Iodine deficiency has severe effects on both mental and physical growth. It also results in hypothyroidism(low thyroid hormone levels).
• Iodine deficiency is severe problem to take care of. This deficiency can be reduced to some extent by taking iodized salts, shrimp, boiled eggs, tuna, etc.

Deficiency micronutrients can be cured through diet, but negligence has long tern effects which have no solution.

Mistakes that People Commit while Buying Car Insurance

When you are buying an auto insurance you should be very careful and make sure that you are not making any mistakes, because some mistakes will make you to pay more heavily. So for lower downing the cost of car insurance, you should know the ways to do it in right way. If not there will be nothing left when you need to make a claim.

The Following are the some of the mistakes you may do while buying a car insurance:

Failing to Shop Around:
When you are shopping for car insurance you need to shop around and compare the quotes of at least three to four companies. You should also review your car insurance every year, but most car drivers will just renew without checking and asking anything not even comparing the other companies quotes.

Failing to Ask About Discounts:
Sometimes you wont get the credit for some discounts until you ask. So let your insurer know about the discounts that you qualify. Of course the list may be different from company to company  but it will include carpooling, home alarm system installation, storm-proof shutters addition, taking a job with shorter commute and working in some occupations.

Low Deductibles Setting:
If you set low deductibles then you need to pay more premium per month. Of course, this will encourage you in making small claims but it will cost you claims-free prompt or discount your insurer to drop you.

Ignoring Company Reputation:
When you are looking for car insurance rates, it is important check out the reputation of the company. Before buying or signing any insurance you need to investigate the reputation of the company and also the details of your policy. You should also look for customer service ratings.

Failing to Take Advantage of Discounts of Multi-Policy:
Some people will take home insurance, life insurance, auto insurance in different places. Most of the insurance companies offer multi-policy discounts better take an advantage of those offers and take multi-policy at same company leads to save more money. If you won't do this, definitely you are going to miss a big amount of savings.

There are many more mistakes but these are the most common mistakes we should avoid while purchasing auto insurance.

Get to Know about Orthodontic Treatment

Orthodontic treatment involves correcting irregular positioning or shape of teeth and jaws. Teeth that are crooked or crowded cause uneven bite while eating, and can lead to gum problems. Orthodontic treatment involves wearing of braces for a particular period of time. We will discuss in this article orthodontic treatment procedure and how to take care of your dental health afterwards.

Need for orthodontic treatment
Many people have crowded and crooked teeth. During examination of the teeth, if the dentist feels that your teeth need to be straightened, they advise you about the treatment you need to undergo.

If there is any of the following problems, the dentist will recommend you for orthodontic treatment:

• If you have uneven bite that is causing a problem in eating and cleaning.
• When the centers of upper and lower jaw teeth do not match.
• If there are gaps and wide spaces in between the teeth.
• When there are too many teeth crowded either on upper or lower jaw.
• If you want a beautiful smile that is not possible with crowded teeth you have.

Treatment procedure

• Dentists recommend orthodontic treatment in the beginning of teenage after the gums and teeth completely develop. During the first visit, the dentist performs screening to ensure that whether this treatment is appropriate and when it should be started.

• The dentist examines the mouth to check whether there is any gum problem, or infected teeth. If any, the dentist asks the patient to get it treated first before going for orthodontic treatment. Oral health should be in good condition for this kind of treatment. If the dentist is satisfied, they proceed for the treatment.

• The next step is to complete diagnosis of the mouth. X-rays are taken and impression is made with molding material, and stone cast replicas are made from these impressions. Before proceeding with the treatment, the dentist collects information from screening and diagnosis.

• If the patient agrees to the advice of the dentist for putting braces, treatments begins. Elastic rubber bands (spacers) are placed in between the molar teeth of the patient. Next, the dentist will place arch wires and bracket (main hardware of orthodontics), which move the teeth slowly during the entire orthodontic treatment.

• The patient will be checked with a particular interval of time to adjust and position as the teeth start to move up in right direction.

• When teeth are lined up in the right direction, the braces are removed.

How to clean the mouth while wearing braces?
Cleaning the mouth with braces in is difficult. Cleaning becomes easier as you get used to it. Following points can help you when cleaning.

• If there is any removable part, take it out.
• Then brush gently, cleaning each tooth individually.
• Brush outer and inner surfaces of teeth.
• Make sure that you are brushing the teeth in the back.
• Special care must be taken to avoid breaking or bending any wires or brackets.

It is important to take care of your dental health, after you undergo orthodontic procedure. There is a risk of cavities and gum disease if you are wearing braces. So make sure that you clean your mouth after every meal.

Tooth-Brushing Mistakes that You may Commit

Brushing teeth daily is a good habit. A few people do it once and some do twice or thrice a day. If you do not do so, it may lead to gum diseases and even cavities. Here are mistakes that you may make while brushing your teeth.

Not preferring right Toothbrush
Many of you think buying a new brush is enough, but the brush should be fit your mouth. The handle should be comfortable to hold as you feel comfortable when you are eating with fork. If the handle is comfortable, it is more likely that you will use it properly. You should choose a soft-bristled brush; this should be sturdy enough to remove the plaque but not too hard to injure your teeth or gums. Natural bristles made from the hair of the animal are not recommended.

Not Brushing Long enough
Every day, you should brush your teeth for at least two minutes, which is sufficient to remove plaque. You should brush twice a day especially at the night time before going to bed.

Brushing too hard and too often
Many people think, if they brush too often and too hard, it is not required to brush their teeth for a long time. This is not true and if you brush too hard and too often, it will damage the tooth enamel and cause harm to your gums. This can also irritate your gums by exposing the teeth roots. This can make teeth sensitive to cold and lead to cavities.

Starting at the same place every time
Most of us start brushing at the same place every day, but it is better if you start from the different place.

Not Brushing Correctly
Many people don't know how to brush correctly. To brush correctly, you should do thus: you should place your toothbrush against your teeth, that the bristles should be 45 degree angle against the gum line. Then, give small strokes in circular movements up to 10 to 20 times on all the surfaces of each tooth. You should brush inside as well as outside the surfaces for upper and lower by keeping the bristles against the gum line. You should also brush the biting surface of the tooth and clean inside front surface you should tilt the brush vertically and, then make several small circular strokes with the bristles of the brush.

Not Rinsing the Brush Properly
When you finish your brushing, you should rinse your brush properly for next use. If you don't rinse it and use it the next time, you allow harmful bacteria to grow. Next time, while brushing you may put your old bacteria back in your mouth. Therefore, rinse the toothbrush properly after every brushing so that it not only removes the foam or remaining paste but also the bacteria which is left on your toothbrush.

Not Changing the Toothbrush for often enough
Many people use their tooth brushes for more than four to five months, or even more, if they forget when they purchased or start to use it. But it is recommended by the dental professionals that you should change your toothbrush once at least for every three months or even sooner if you find frayed bristles. If the toothbrush bristles lose its normal flexibility and starting breaking then better if you change your toothbrush as soon as possible.

Concentrating Only on the Tooth Surface
Many people concentrate on tooth surface rather than focusing everywhere in the mouth. Food particles are likely to get stuck not only on the front teeth but also around the edges and also in the corners of your teeth and against the gums. So you should not only concentrate on your teeth but also concentrate on your gum line each time when you brush.

These are the mistakes that you may make while brushing your teeth and avoid them.

Know What the Importance of Maintaining Good Oral Hygiene is

It is important for everyone to maintain good oral hygiene for maintaining one's overall health. As per the resent research, poor oral health is directly linked to lungs and heart diseases, stroke, kidney disease, leukemia, oral cancer, diabetes, pancreatic cancer, premature births and extremely high birth weight. Teeth are the part in body that we can't afford to lose, because without them we will not able to eat, smile and speak. So, when you are not maintaining the oral hygiene you are opening the way to the problems, which are not easy to prevent.

Stress is also a risk factor in developing periodontal diseases. When one is stressed, it makes difficult to one's body to fight the infections, and therefore prone to risk of hypertension and other health issues.

Also, for women who are pregnant, it affects the tissues in the body because their body experiencing hormonal changes and the gums get sensitive.

Things you should do:
- You should brush twice a day with fluoride tooth paste, floss every day. You should limit the snacks also the number of time you snack and visit the dentist regularly.

- Eat healthy diet to prevent the gum diseases, by providing the necessary nutrients to your body.

- Avoid things like cigarettes, tobacco, alcohol, which may cause gum diseases and oral cancer.

- Schedule regular dental checkups and exercise preventive care.  This is a better way to prevent earlier signs of periodontal diseases and maintaining a good oral hygiene.

Get to Know Scaling

Scaling is one of the important procedures dentists undertake to make your teeth better. If you have accumulated too much of plaque on your teeth, you need to undergo this procedure by dentists. In this article we will discuss scaling - it's procedure, need and after-care.

What is scaling?
Scaling is a non-surgical process of removing plaque and calculus that cause oral health problems. Scaling involves scrapping the plaque and calculus using dental scaling instruments. This is commonly done to treat gum disease. Going to dentist every six months for scaling is a good practice to prevent gum disease.

Need for Scaling
In the early stages of a gum disease, scaling is essential to avoid advancing of it and for making the treatment difficult. Dental plaque and calculus on the tooth increases chances of severe gum disease. This causes the necessity of scaling.

Increased formation of calculus and plaque create gaps between the teeth thus makes it difficult to clean. Scaling is one of the best procedures for treating periodontal disease (gum disease). If not treated early, it may lead to the need of surgical treatment.

Procedure
Scaling is usually done with the help of hand instrument known as dental scalers. It depends on the condition of the teeth as to what type of scalers are needed to clean the teeth.

Plaque and calculus that are present at the root of the teeth are removed by using ultrasonic scalers. These scalers have water irrigating system which cools the treated area while removing the debris.

Ultrasonic scalers vibrate during operation, and thus remove dental plaque and calculus. Then, the remaining calculus that is difficult to remove by ultrasonic scaler is scrapped away using hand scalers. Finally, polishing is done to smoothen the surface of the teeth.

Care after Scaling
As with other procedures, discomfort is felt during first few days. Following points can help you reduce pain.

• Brush and floss gently to avoid pain as gums are tender and might be bleeding for the first few days after scaling.
• Avoid eating too hot or too cold food as teeth are more sensitive for 2-3 days.
• Make sure to undergo regular checkups to maintain good oral health.
• Take soft diet such as curd rice, soups, etc. for first few days.
• Change your toothbrush after your teeth are cleaned. Select one with soft bristles as teeth are more sensitive for 2-3 days.
• Use warm salt water to rinse your mouth frequently.
• Take medications as prescribed by the doctor.

Scaling helps you keep your dental cosmetic look in good condition. It is simple and inexpensive. Make sure to consult your dentist and to discuss with them the pros and cons of scaling.

How Driving Gets Affected By Abusing Cocaine

Driving under the use of drugs is illegal that includes cocaine. If anyone does not obey and break the law then they will be fined, lose license for the period of time or even sent to prison. This drug will make you feel more confident when you are in driving. This will effect more on driving, because this will make dangerous risks and accidents.

This drug is a psycho-stimulant, which will misjudging the stopping distances and driving speed. This will also take the drivers vision and coordination are impaired so that this will increase the impulsive behaviors that leads to create confusion and take more risks. 

If the person uses this drug maintains illusion of stimulated and being alerted, even though it will find impaired physical reactions. The person who uses this drug who has extremely high blood pressure may suffer heart attack or stroke. If this drug is overdosed then this will have an additive effect with the symptoms that eventually cause to death. Even if you combine with the other drug called heroin, this will increase the risk of toxicity, overdose of drug and even cause death.

The overdose of this drug may create other health issues like breathing problems, bleeding of blood vessels in the brain, irregular/weak or faster heart beat etc. 

The immediate effects of the use of small amount of cocaine drug will includes you will be exited or upset, feel less hungry, alert and energetic, aggressive, good and confident etc. effects on the body includes the temperature of the body rises, move more quickly than usual, your heart will beat faster, the pupils in your eyes will get bigger.