Minerals and Vitamins

More than half a million babies are born preterm in the United States each year, and preterm births are on the rise. Late preterm births, or births that occur between 34 and 36 weeks (approximately 4 to 6 weeks before the mother’s due date), account for more than 70% of preterm births. Despite the large number of affected babies, many people are unaware of the serious health problems related to late preterm births. A new study and an accompanying editorial in The Journal of Pediatrics investigate the serious neurological problems associated with late preterm births. Dr. Joann Petrini of the March of Dimes and colleagues from institutions throughout the United States studied more than 140,000 babies born between 2000 and 2004, ranging from preterm (30-37 weeks) to full term (37-41 weeks). The researchers evaluated the babies’ neurological development and found that late preterm babies were more than three times as likely to be diagnosed with cerebral palsy as full term babies. They also found that late preterm babies were at an increased risk for developmental delay or mental retardation. Editorialist Dr. Michael Kramer of McGill University points out that the “rates of preterm births are increasing, especially in the United States, and the associated risks are a serious public health concern.” He sees the increasing number of twins and induced labors as contributing factors in the rise of preterm births. “The rise in twins may be due to the use of fertility treatments like hormones and in-vitro fertilization,” Dr. Kramer explains. However, he notes that the increased risks may not always come from early delivery itself, but from other underlying problems, such as gestational diabetes, that may lead to early delivery.

According to Dr. Petrini, “The negative outcomes of many babies born late preterm can no longer be described as temporary or benign.” She suggests that late preterm babies may benefit from neuron-developmental assessments and stresses that elective delivery through cesarean section or induction should not be performed before 39 weeks unless medically necessary. Additionally, Dr. Kramer urges mothers and families to be aware of the risks when considering infertility treatments and induction of labor.

Your risk of developing invasive breast cancer at some time during your lifetime is one in eight. Your risk for developing breast cancer increases with age.

Your risk is higher if you have:

• A personal first-degree (mother, sister) family history
• Biopsy-confirmed atypical hyperplasia, or an overgrowth of abnormal cells that are not cancerous.
• A mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes
• A mother, sister or daughter with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, even if you are yet to be tested yourself
• A lifetime risk of breast cancer that has been scored at 20-25 percent based on one of several accepted risk assessment tools that examine family history and other factors; see the American Cancer Society’s Web site, www.cancer.org, for more information
• Had radiation to the chest between the ages of 10 and 30
• Li-Fraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome or Bannayan-Riley- Ruvalcaba syndrome or you have a first degree relative with one of these syndromes

Lobular carcinoma in situ or LCIS. A biopsy-confirmed atypical lobular neoplasia, sometimes known as an ALN. This is thought to be a noncancerous breast disease characterized by the growth of abnormal cells. Sometimes ALN is found when a biopsy is done for another lump or abnormality found on the mammogram. Women with this condition have a 25 percent chance of developing breast cancer in either breast over the next 25 years.

Your risk is somewhat higher if you have:

• Dense breast tissue
• Early menstruation (beginning at 12 or younger)
• Late menopause (age 55 or older)
• Never had children or had your first baby after age 30
• Have used hormone therapy for a long time

Your risk may be higher if you:

• Smoke
• Drink heavily
• Are obese
• Are a gay or bisexual woman. These women have a greater risk of breast cancer than other women not because of their sexual orientation, but because they are less likely to have had children. They also may have more lifestyle-related risk factors for breast cancer than heterosexual women, including obesity and cigarette smoking. If you are a lesbian or bisexual woman, you may want to find a lesbian- and/or bisexual-sensitive health professional and schedule regular physicals that include clinical breast examinations and mammography.

You may have read or heard that an induced abortion or miscarriage can increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer later in life. But according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), studies have produced conflicting results, and this issue is still unresolved. The American Cancer Society (ACS) notes that several studies have provided very strong data that induced abortions has have no overall effect on the risk of breast cancer, and there is no evidence of a direct relationship between breast cancer and miscarriage in most published studies. The issue is still controversial, however, with some health care professionals believing that abortion does increase the risk of breast cancer.

A majority of women will have one or more risk factors for breast cancer. However, most risks are so low that they only partly explain the high frequency of the disease in the population. While you can’t alter some of your personal risk factors for developing breast cancer, such as age or family history, you can adopt specific lifestyle choices, such as maintaining your ideal body weight and exercising, to reduce your risk of the disease.

There is no known way to prevent breast cancer. But there are some things you can do to reduce your risk of breast cancer.

Approved in 1998, the drug tamoxifen has been shown to slash the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women by 50 percent. Also, preliminary results of a 2006 study on postmenopausal women found that the osteoporosis drug raloxifene was as effective as tamoxifen at lowering breast cancer risk, with slightly fewer side effects. The study, called STAR (Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene)-one of the largest breast cancer prevention studies ever-compared both drugs, with raloxifene pulling just slightly ahead of tamoxifen. If you have a high-risk for breast cancer, talk to your health care professional about tamoxifen, raloxifene or other similar drugs to prevent breast cancer.

Although prevention is difficult, you have a much better prognosis if you can find and treat breast cancer early. To do that, follow this advice:

• At age 40 for women at an average risk of breast cancer, begin having screening mammograms every year.
• For women at high risk of breast cancer, starting at age 30 or an age determined by your health care professional, begin having annual screening mammograms together with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
• To make sure you get the best possible mammogram, look for the FDA certificate, which should be prominently displayed at the facility. Facilities not meeting FDA requirements may not lawfully perform mammography.
• If you’re in your 20s and 30s and at an average risk, have your health care professional examine your breasts at least once every three years, and annually thereafter.
• Become familiar with how your breasts feel and what is “normal” for you; examine your breasts periodically and see a health care professional if you feel or see any changes that don’t go away after one menstrual cycle.
• Eat a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, maintain your ideal body weight, exercise regularly, and drink in moderation, if at all. A University of Washington (Seattle) study found that exercise and lack of obesity in adolescence significantly delayed the onset of breast cancer, including onset in high-risk women who carried genetic mutations for the disease.
• Engage in frequent and regular physical exercise. Some studies suggest it may reduce your breast cancer risk.
• If you’re at very high risk for breast cancer because of a strong family history of breast and ovarian cancer, an inherited breast cancer gene abnormality or previous breast cancer, talk to your health care professional about a prophylactic mastectomy.

Prophylactic mastectomy is an aggressive preventive surgery that removes both breasts before any cancer is detected. It can reduce the risk of breast cancer by approximately 90 percent, but doesn’t eliminate the risk entirely. Removing the ovaries (prophylactic oophorectomy) may also be a preventive choice for women with an inherited breast cancer gene abnormality, since the risk for ovarian cancer is also greater for these women.

Want to do more for breast cancer research than writing a check? What about volunteering for actual research? The Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and the Avon Foundation are making it possible with their Love/Avon Army of Women initiative, which launched today.

They hope to recruit one million women to become a part of their online resource–a volunteer program where members can choose to participate in ongoing research, studies, and breast cancer programs.

Dr. Love and Avon are aiming to help scientists gain access to women so they can better understand the causes of breast cancer instead of just how to treat it.

So how do you get involved? The “Army of Women” is open to almost all women not currently undergoing breast cancer treatment. That means healthy women, breast cancer survivors, and even women who are at a high risk of developing breast cancer can enroll.

Once you’re a member of the community, you can receive emails about approved research and studies and choose to contact the researcher or a designated Army of Women research center if you’re interested in volunteering. Volunteers may be asked to complete a questionnaire, provide blood or saliva samples, or participate in other relatively simple levels of research. Plus, they promise your information is kept under wraps.

Still need motivation? Check out the list of people who have signed on already: Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Daisy Fuentes (whose mother is a 15-year breast cancer survivor), Erin Daniels, Leisha Hailey, Danica Patrick, Suze Orman, and Olympic figure skating champions Emily and Sarah Hughes and their mother, breast cancer survivor Amy Hughes.

When you’re pregnant, you are indeed “eating for two.” But this doesn’t mean eating twice as much as you did before, as a lot of people assume. What’s most important to remember is that everything you eat and drink passes directly to your baby, so make sure you cut out the things that are bad for both of you and stock up on the healthiest items possible.

A reasonable, though not enormous, weight gain during pregnancy is essential for your baby’s health. Generally, moms-to-be will gain between 10 and 15 kg. As your pregnancy progresses eat smaller amounts more frequently, rather than two or three large meals a day. This way, you won’t overload your stomach, which is being squeezed by the growing uterus, and you are less likely to suffer from indigestion.

A general rule is that foods have a higher nutritional value when they are raw and unprocessed, so concentrate on fresh foods whenever you can. And don’t even think about dieting. If you eat the right things, you won’t gain weight permanently. In fact, you may find that your new, healthy eating habits will help you to stay slimmer after the birth more than you were before you got pregnant. Ask your doctor for specific instructions, but here are some basic “dos” and “don’ts” for good pregnancy nutrition:

Protein
Your protein requirement doubles when you’re pregnant. Protein is found in lean meat, fish, chicken, hard cheeses (gouda, falamenc etc.), milk, hard-boiled eggs, legumes (for example, lentils, beans and chickpeas) and nuts.

Calcium
Your calcium requirement is 50 percent higher when you’re pregnant, particularly during the first two months when the baby’s teeth and bones start to form. Calcium-rich foods include milk and milk-based products like yogurt and cheese. You’ll need four or five servings a day (a serving equals 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of yoghurt or about 30 gm of cheese). Choose low-fat or skimmed products. Calcium is also found in sardines, gargeer, spinach, nuts, and bamia.

Fiber
Fibers Help to combat any tendency towards constipation when you’re pregnant. Found in aysh baladi, brown bread, raw vegetables and fruit, beans (ful, white beans etc.) and nuts.

Folic Acid
Research suggests that getting enough folic acid before conception and for the first few months of pregnancy can reduce the risk of your baby being born with a neural tube defect. Found in spinach, fresh orange juice, ful, lentils and peanuts. Many doctors prescribe a folic acid supplement, so ask yours about this.

Iron
Extra iron is needed to cope with your increased blood supply. Lean red meat is one of the best sources. You can also get iron from chicken, shellfish and tuna, raisins, apricots, prunes, artichokes, gargeer and spinach.

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates can help to alleviate morning sickness. More nutritious sources are bread, crackers, macaroni, rice and potatoes.

Liquids
Drink at least eight glasses of water a day or vary this with un-sugared fruit or vegetable juices or herbal teas that your doctor approves. Also drink at least a half-liter of pasteurized milk every day - or use it on cereals or in soups and sauces.

DON’Ts
*Liver, including liver sausage or spreads
These contain high levels of vitamin A which could harm your baby

*Raw eggs
Soft cheeses and blue-veined cheeses
Goat’s milk or cheese
Un-pasteurized milk or milk products
All the above may contain harmful bacteria
*Cakes, biscuits, chocolate
Salty foods
These contain too much fat, sugar or salt
*Sugary, fizzy drinks
Tea, coffee and hot chocolate
These contain sugar and/or caffeine
*Smoke or drink alcohol
Both cigarettes and alcohol are poisons which can harm your baby very seriously

A breastfeeding mother has to eat more in order to make enough milk.
Not true! Women on even very low calorie diets usually make enough milk; at least until the mother’s calorie intake becomes critically low for a prolonged period of time.
Generally, the baby will get what he needs. Some women worry that if they eat poorly for a few days this also will affect their milk. There is no need for concern. Such variations will not affect milk supply or quality.
It is commonly said that women need to eat 500 extra calories a day in order to breastfeed. This is not true.
Some women do eat more when they breastfeed, but others do not, and some even eat less, without any harm done to the mother or baby or the milk supply.
The mother should eat a balanced diet dictated by her appetite. Rules about eating just make breastfeeding unnecessarily complicated.
I don’t have enough milk.
Truly, in all likelihood, you DO have enough milk! For the first 2-3 days (or until your milk “comes in”) all you will be producing is colostrums.
Though only produced in small quantities, colostrums truly is “liquid gold” Rich in proteins, vitamins and infection fighting agents, colostrums is all your baby needs for the first several days until your milk comes in.
After your milk does come in, if you really think that the baby isn’t getting enough to eat, you may need to consult your physician, and a breastfeeding professional.
If the baby has diarrhea or vomiting, the mother should stop breastfeeding.
Not true! The best medicine for a baby’s gut infection is breastfeeding. Stop other foods for a short time, but continue breastfeeding.
Breast milk is the only fluid your baby requires when he has diarrhea and/or vomiting, except under exceptional circumstances. The push to use “oral re-hydrating solutions” is mainly a push by the formula (and oral re-hydrating solutions) manufacturers to make even more money.
The baby is comforted by the breastfeeding, and the mother is comforted by the baby’s breastfeeding.
If the mother has an infection she should stop breastfeeding.
Not true! With very, very few exceptions, the baby will be protected by the mother’s continuing to breastfeed.
By the time the mother has fever (or cough, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, etc) she has already given the baby the infection, since she has been infectious for several days before she even knew she was sick.
The baby’s best protection against getting the infection is for the mother to continue breastfeeding.
If the baby does get sick, he will be less sick if the mother continues breastfeeding. Besides, maybe it was the baby who gave the infection to the mother, but the baby did not show signs of illness because he was breastfeeding.
Also, breast infections, including breast abscess, though painful, are not reasons to stop breastfeeding. Indeed, the infection is likely to settle more quickly if the mother continues breastfeeding on the affected side. (Handout #9 you can still breastfeed).
Breast milk does not contain enough iron for the baby’s needs.
Not true! Breast milk contains just enough iron for the baby’s needs.
If the baby is full term he will get enough iron from breast milk to last him at least the first 6 months.
Formulas contain too much iron, but this quantity may be necessary to ensure the baby absorbs enough to prevent iron deficiency.
The iron in formula is poorly absorbed, and most of it, the baby poops out. Generally, there is no need to add other foods to breast milk before about 6 months of age.
Modern formulas are almost the same as breast milk.
Not true! The same claim was made in 1900 and before. Modern formulas are only superficially similar to breast milk.
Every correction of a deficiency in formulas is advertised as an advance. Fundamentally they are inexact copies based on outdated and incomplete knowledge of what breast milk is. Formulas contain no antibodies, no living cells, no enzymes, no hormones. They contain much more aluminum, manganese, cadmium and iron than breast milk. They contain significantly more protein than breast milk. The proteins and fats are fundamentally different from those in breast milk.
Formulas do not vary from the beginning of the feed to the end of the feed, or from day 1 to day 7 to day 30, or from woman to woman, or from baby to baby… Your breast milk is made as required to suit your baby.
Formulas are made to suit every baby, and thus no baby. Formulas succeed only at making babies grow well, usually, but there is more to breastfeeding than getting the baby to grow quickly.
Poor milk supply is usually caused by stress, fatigue and/or inadequate fluids and food intake.
Not True! The most common causes of milk supply problems are infrequent feedings and/or poor latch-on and positioning; both are usually due to inadequate information provided to the breastfeeding mother.
Suckling problems on the infant’s part can also impact milk supply negatively. Stress, fatigue or malnutrition are rarely causes of milk supply failure because the body has highly developed survival mechanisms to protect the nursling during times of scarce food supply.
Frequent nursing can lead to postpartum depression.
Not True! Postpartum depression is believed to be caused by fluctuating hormones after birth and may be exacerbated by fatigue and lack of social support, though it mostly occurs in women who have a history of problems prior to pregnancy.
The nutritional, immunological, emotional and psychological benefits of breastfeeding should be enough to encourage mothers to want to breastfeed their newborn and for all health care providers to strongly encourage breastfeeding.
Research has also shown that mothers who breastfeed lower their own incidences of ovarian cancer and pre-menopausal breast cancer, and reduce their risk of bone fractures from osteoporosis later in life.

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and cells. Cholesterol isn’t all bad. Our bodies use it to form cell membranes, for example. But too much cholesterol in the bloodstream can be unhealthy, and lead to coronary heart disease.
Yoga, uses exercises (asanas) to relax and tone the muscles and to massage the organs, breathing techniques (pranayam) to regulate the body’s energy levels, meditations to calm the mind, and relaxation postures to reduce and eliminate stress and anxiety. The practice of yoga improves the blood and oxygen flow around the body which aids in the removal of toxins and waste. For yoga to be truly beneficial to the lowering of your unwanted bad cholesterol it must be practiced on a regular basis.
Yoga also reduces stress hormones, which in turn lowers cholesterol. That is why meditation is similar to yoga in its cholesterol-lowering power. Yoga will surely help you get rid of the cholesterol and you will be highly satisfied when after two months you go to check the level and find them impressively low.
To bring down the ill effects of stress and its byproducts, a daily regime of meditation practices involving simple breathing techniques, and the use of deep meditative techniques practiced for at least 20 – 30 minutes daily can greatly bring about a feeling of good health and a significant lowering of cholesterol. Breathing exercises, meditation and poses namely the Kapalbhati Pranayama is the perfect combination for lowering cholesterol.

Total cholesterol level
•Less than 200 is best.
•200 to 239 is borderline high.
•240 or more means you’re at increased risk for heart disease.
LDL cholesterol levels
•Below 100 is ideal for people who have a higher risk of heart disease.
•100 to 129 is near optimal.
•130 to 159 is borderline high.
•160 or more means you’re at a higher risk for heart disease.

HDL cholesterol levels
•Less than 40 means you’re at higher risk for heart disease.
•60 or higher greatly reduces your risk of heart disease.

Following are the list of helpfull Asana (Postures) and Pranayama (Breathing Excercise):
•Sun-Salutation
•Anulom-Vilom (Anuloma Viloma)
•Kapalbhati
•Bhastrika

Sun-Saluation
•For people with limited time, the Sun Salutation is excellent because it stretches and strengthens all the major muscle groups in the body and exercises the respiratory system.
•It is a graceful sequence of thirteen positions linked by a continuous flowing motion, and accompanied by five deep breaths. Each position counteracts the one before, stretching the body in a different way and alternately expanding and contracting the chest to regulate the breathing. One round of Sun Salutation consists of two sequences, the first leading with the right foot in steps 4 and 10, the second leading with the left.

Anulom-Vilom
•In this pranayam the breath is regulated with the help of the nostril. It helps encourages mind to higher levels of discrimination, concentration and thoughts. Gives more energy and oxygen to the physical body and helps calm your nerves and improve circulation.
• How to do
•Hold your right nasal with thumb, breathe in from left.
•Now open right nasal and close left nasal with middle and ring finger and breathe out from right nasal.
•Now breathe in from right nasal.
•Now close right nasal and open left and breathe out and in from left nasal and so on.

Kapalbhati
To perform Kapalbhati Pranayama, sit in a comfortable position. As you relax concentrate on the sound of your breathing. Breathe in as you would normally do. However, as you start to exhale concentrate on the speed of exhaling and how the stomach contracts with every exhalation. As you garner speed on exhalation you will notice that you will be making some sort of a noise while exhaling which is perfectly fine. Kapalbhati Pranayama must be performed for 50 - 60 times daily especially in the mornings.
Bhastrika
Bhastrika is primarily consists of forced rapid deep breathing which serves as a basis for many varieties of exercises, all of which may be described by the same name. Although air is forced both in and out, the emphasis is placed upon the expulsion or explosion of air.
• How to do
Let the left hand rest on the left knee and place the right hand next to the nose.
Sit straight in a comfortable posture.
Inhale and exhale quickly in short and shallow breaths through both nostrils from four to ten times.
Again inhale and exhale through the nostrils contracting the middle and lower portions of the abdomen.
How to release
Then exhale completely, holding the breath for a while.
After this, inhale through the right nostril and retain the breath for a while.
Yoga helps in controlling cholesterol  by reducing  the fat content in your blood and ensures you a healthy heart, brain and blood circulation. Don’t misguide yourself with certain ideas that the LDL cholesterol is very hard to get rid of. The main factor with cholesterol is that the fats in your body don’t get burned up due to lack of physical activity or improper lifestyle.

As a new mum you need to be available 24 hours a day to feed the baby, especially during the early weeks while feeding is likely to be frequent. This is exhausting and so it is important that you receive adequate rest and look after yourself during these first few weeks.

Many mums who choose to breastfeed will worry about whether they will be able to supply their baby with enough milk as they cannot see or measure how much the baby is getting. A small dip in birth weight can be perfectly normal and your baby will usually soon be regaining weight . Your ability to produce milk far outweighs the volume the baby is likely to consume. A baby that is content and gaining weight is the best guide to adequate breast-feeding. If you have any concerns about whether baby is getting enough milk or about breast-feeding in general ,you should discuss these in detail with your midwife or health visitor before moving to bottle feeding.

The maternal adaptations that have occurred during pregnancy to allow increases in absorption and utilisation of a range of vitamins and minerals, do not extend into the postnatal period. Therefore nutritional requirements increase above either pre-pregnant or pregnancy requirements.

If you are adequately nourished your breast milk should provide all of the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that your baby needs. This means that you will be replenishing your own stores as well as supplying nutrients for breast milk so there is a dual requirement for the nutrients. In addition, this is an exhausting time for new parents, coping with the demands of a newborn, visits from relatives and friends, and for first timers a complete change of lifestyle, so achieving an adequate healthy balanced diet can be even more of a challenge than usual. Continued use of multivitamin and mineral supplement with Omega 3 fatty acids such as Vitabiotics’ Pregnacare Breast-feeding^® which is specially formulated for the postnatal period and breast-feeding, may therefore be advisable.

Lactation places heavy nutritional demands on your body for energy, calcium and many other vitamins and minerals. In terms of energy however, much of the requirement will be met from maternal fat stores laid down during pregnancy. Maternal diet is unlikely to affect the volume of milk supply for well-nourished women. However for poorly nourished women or those following energy restricted diets maintaining milk volume may be more difficult.

Poor dietary intake may impact on breast milk composition resulting in a reduced content of calcium, folate, vitamins B6, B12, A and D. Of particular concern is an adequate intake of calcium during lactation, in respect to the long-term consequences on maternal bone health. Calcium loss to breast milk has been estimated to be around 210mg/ day.¹ Recommended intake for calcium during lactation is considerably higher than the requirement during pregnancy.²

Maternal diet has a direct effect on the essential fatty acid content of breast milk, and in particular its content of the long-chain polyunsaturated fat arachidonic acid (AA) and very long-chain polyunsaturated fat decosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which affect brain and retinal development. For example, dietary supplementation with fish oil was found to triple the very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid content of breast milk.³ Maternal supplementation with these very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids has been found to improve early language development⁴ and mental processing skills at 4 years of age in breastfed children.⁵

References

1 Fairweather-Tait S, Prentice A Heumann KG et al (1995) Effect of calcium absorption efficiency of lactating women accustomed to low calcium intakes. Am J Clin Nutr 62: 1188-1192

2 Department of Health (1991) Dietary reference values for food energy and nutrient for the United Kingdom. The Stationery office.
NIH concensus panel on optimal calcium intake (1994) NIH consensuses conference optimal calcium intake. J Am Med Assoc 272: 1942-1948

3 Boris J, Jensen B, Salvig JD et al (2004) A randomized controlled trial of the effect of fish oil supplementation in late pregnancy and early lactation on the n-3 fatty acid content in human breast milk. Lipids 39: 1191-1196

4 Lauritzen L, Jorgensen MH, Olsen SF et al (2005) Maternal fish oil supplementation in lactation: effect on developmental outcome in breastfed infants Reprod Nutr Dev 45: 535-547

5 Helland IB, Smith L, Saarem K et al (2003 Maternal supplementation with very-long-chain n-3 fatty acids during pregnancy and lactation augments children’s IQ at 4 years of age. Paediatrics 111: 39-44

Ginseng

Ginseng can be found in the following products.