Author Archives: Reagan Ayala

What Affect Does Diet Have On Tourettes Syndrome

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As more and more research is conducted which looks at the affects of our western diet on behavior and motor/sensor syndromes, white sugar and other sugar based foods are being implicated as contributing factors.  Doesn’t it seem odd that cases of Tourettes, Aspergers, and Autism are sky rocketing?  In Oregon, one in 120 children is being diagnosed with one of these problems.

Research seems to indicate that environmental and nutritional concerns are probably at the heart of this epidemic.  In particular, highly refined sugars seem to play a role in the severity of symptoms that these children experience.

Our daughter was diagnosed with Autism and later Aspergers syndrome when she was six years old.  Up until that time she had speech and language problems along with tactile stimulation issues.  We took her to a naturopath who quickly realized that sugar and simple carbs like refined wheat flour could make a difference in her.  When we changed her diet to limit refined sugar and flour and replaced it with whole foods such as green vegetables, fruit, fish, and poultry we saw a dramatic improvement in her symptoms.  These sort of dietary changes are also showing positive effects in patients with Tourettes.

Even now, our daughter is currently 26 years old, if she starts eating sugary foods or foods with highly refined grains her behavior and attitude goes down the drain.  She gets moody and very hostile.  On the other hand, when she eats a diet rich in no carb foods, she is very pleasant to be around.

There has to be a reason why over the last thirty years there has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of behavioral syndromes in children.  Tourettes, Autism, and Aspergers were not nearly as prevalent before this time as they are now.  Considering all the other harm that our Western diet high in sugars and refined carbohydrates is causing, such as our obesity epidemic and diabetes rates skyrocketing, more studies should be done to explore the relationship between nutrition and Tourettes.

All About Quercetin

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Quercetin is a flavonol, which is a type of compound found in plants. When consumed by humans, this compound has several health benefits. Anyone interested in improving their health should learn more about quercetin to determine if it can help increase energy and reduce the risk of disease and some mental illnesses, including Tourettes.

Sources of Quercetin

Several foods contain substantial amounts of quercetin. These foods include apples, citrus fruits, dark berries, onions, sage, parsley, olive oil, dark cherries, and grapes. Quercetin is also available in supplement form, making it easy to get enough quercetin each day. Quercetin supplements usually contain an enzyme called bromelain, which is found in pineapples. Bromelain is also an anti-inflammatory.

Health Benefits

While more study is needed to determine the true effects of quercetin, researchers believe it has several health benefits. In test tube studies, quercetin prevented the immune cells from releasing the chemicals responsible for allergic reactions. Researchers believe that quercetin may reduce allergy symptoms like runny nose, hives, and watery eyes. Some studies suggest that quercetin and other flavonoids may reduce the amount of plaque that builds up on the walls of the arteries. They may also reduce high cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease.

Low-density lipoprotein is known as the “bad cholesterol” because of the damage it does to the circulatory system. Since flavonoids reduce cholesterol levels, they may also prevent the damage caused by high levels of LDL in the blood. High blood pressure is a serious risk factor for diabetes, stroke, heart attack, kidney disease, and heart disease. Studies show that quercetin may reduce blood pressure in people who have been diagnosed with hypertension.

Because quercetin reduces inflammation, it may also be useful for treating conditions like prostatitis and interstitial cystitis. Prostatitis is the inflammation of the prostate gland. In one small study, men who took quercetin had fewer prostatitis symptoms than those who did not take quercetin. Interstitial cystitis is a form of inflammation that causes bladder pain and urinary urgency. In two studies, people who took quercetin appeared to have fewer symptoms than the people who did not.

Precautions

While quercetin is generally considered safe, there are some people who should not take this type of supplement. People with kidney disease should avoid quercetin, as high doses may cause kidney damage. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should also avoid taking quercetin, as the effects of this supplement on developing babies are not yet clear. People taking blood thinners, chemotherapy drugs, and medications metabolized by the liver should consult their physicians before taking quercetin supplements.

Maintaining Health with a Healthy Diet

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We all know that what we eat is going to determine to some extent the state of our health, yet few choose to acknowledge this fact. The evidence is clear to anyone who looks at an average crowd of people and notices the large proportion of overweight and even obese members of that crowd. What is not always so evident is the number of people in any given crowd who are not enjoying perfect health.

It is not only a person’s weight which belies their state of health. Often, they can be suffering from conditions which are not so visibly obvious until you can take a closer look at their expressions of unhappiness or tightly gritted teeth against some internal pain or discomfort. Yet many of our modern maladies can be prevented simply by being careful about what we eat and, to a certain extent what we drink.

While many overweight people can take the more obvious route of going on a calorie controlled diet or signing up with a commercial diet program such as eDiets or Jenny Craig, for instance, those suffering from other conditions brought about by their diets find it more difficult to associate the condition with what they are eating. To many, their diet may seem perfectly adequate but they may be unaware of the exact nature of the constituents of the food they are eating.

Many people have been carefully led to believe that eating the many different kinds of processed meals they can buy at the store should be healthy. In fact, quite often the packaging will display an image of a healthy looking family, or even word its description to lead the buyer to believe the contents are healthy, when in fact they are not. The only way to insure a truly healthy diet is to avoid all processed foods and opt for fresh ingredients. It means cooking your own meals, which many find tedious or time consuming, but it all depends on how much value they place in their health over their time.