Did you know you have to be careful with what supplements you take and how you take them?
No matter what, there comes a time in everyone’s life when we will be taking supplements. Be it that we need them in order to correct a deficit of some substance in our body, we suffer from a disease and we need to get the mineral from other sources, or we just want to take them to make sure we are in our best shape, there are a lot of reasons why people take supplements.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people were taking supplements in order to make sure they had all the vitamins and minerals needed to have a strong immune system. As a result, a lot of people got used to taking daily supplements, and some of them are taking them even if they do not have a deficit or use for that particular pill. Of course, there are some supplements that are taken as prevention or to keep your immune system in tip-top shape, but have you ever considered that some of them could be harming you?
It sounds bizarre that something that should be helping you is actually causing you harm, but in the long run, some of these supplements could end up causing you some health issues that you would have never even imagined. This is why we should always discuss supplements with our primary care doctor before we start taking them, and the same goes when we try to stop taking them.
In order to help you be aware of all the effects some of the most popular supplements on the market could have on your health, we have gathered them and explained why you should be careful when taking them—and even why you should consider stopping!
Did you know about these side effects before? Let us know your answer in the comments, and share your experience with supplements with your fellow health enthusiasts!
Coffee is the quintessential daily beverage for more than 80% of the planet! It’s tasty and easy to drink, and when combined with milk, sugar, or cream, this beverage is definitely one of the things we can’t wait to have in the morning. But like any other “vice,” too much caffeine has risks.
When does too much become too much? Studies have shown that more than 400 milligrams per day, which is the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee, can expose a person to a lot of health risks, one of which is strictly connected to heart attacks.
However, if you’re more than just a casual coffee drinker and you double or triple the dosage because you don’t really feel the effects anymore, you’ve probably developed some sort of immunity and you won’t experience most of its negative effects.
We are about to reveal some of the worst negative effects of excessive caffeine consumption, so keep reading the article by clicking on the next page.
Prescription medications are frequently essential in treating or even preventing symptoms and increasing the general quality of life for a variety of conditions, ranging from the occasional skin rash to more chronic diseases like diabetes. There is a chance for complications or unexpected side effects, and this is common with all drugs. Every type of medicine risks causing symptoms unrelated to the initial diagnosis, from occasional nausea or upset stomach to more serious side effects, including liver or heart problems.
Simply said, side effects from taking a prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal supplement are unanticipated reactions that may occur after taking these drugs. Furthermore, side effects can happen at any dose or strength. However, some are worse or become more noticeable when the dose is increased. Always take your medication as directed by your healthcare professional, and never raise the dosage without first talking to them.
An allergy occurs when the body’s immune system (defense system) overreacts to exposure to a particular substance, considering it an intruder and sending chemicals into the body to destroy it.
In the case of a food allergy, the body overreacts to certain proteins in food and releases chemicals called histamines, which cause inflammation. It is interesting to note that only protein, not fat or carbohydrates, can trigger this internal war, with unintended consequences and often away from the conflict.
Although they are often confused with food intolerances, food allergies are different, with food intolerances being less severe.
Food allergy symptoms are more common in infants and children but can occur at any age – you may even develop a food allergy that you have been eating for years without any problems. Food allergies affect between 6 and 8% of children under the age of three and almost 5% of adults, and the number of cases is constantly increasing.
These allergies never occur in a food that is newly introduced into our diet! The immune system needs at least two sensitizing contacts so that only from a third or any future contact it can decide that protein is an enemy and make antibodies or cells with memory against it.
Immediate allergic reactions. Food allergies can occur a few minutes after ingesting food. It is an immediate allergic reaction and is mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies and is the type of reaction that can have the potential for severity up to anaphylactic shock. These types of allergies can be investigated by skin testing or by determining specific blood class E antibodies to immunoglobulins.
Late allergic reactions. Late allergies can also occur more than 6 hours after eating. They are mediated by other types of immune reactions involving memory cells, which will recognize and trigger the signal of allergic inflammation in the tissues. Usually, these cells are highlighted and recognized by biopsy of the lining of the digestive tract.
The symptoms have various forms: oral, gastrointestinal, cutaneous, cardiovascular, systemic manifestations.
Oral manifestations consist of the sensation of paresthesia (numbness, tingling), itching, swelling of the lips and tongue after eating raw foods (fruits, vegetables).
The gastrointestinal manifestations are represented by the sensation of bloating, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. They appear relatively early: 30 minutes to 2 hours after ingestion of the allergenic food. The occurrence of semi-late and late onset is not excluded: from 4-6 hours to 2-4 days, which makes the diagnosis difficult to establish.
The skin manifestations produced by allergens are: urticaria, pruritus, rash, exacerbation of atopic dermatitis. Also described are forms of contact dermatitis in vegetables produced during the handling and peeling of vegetables (celery, potato, horseradish).
The respiratory manifestations are varied: from the nasal ones (rhinorrhea and sneezing) to severe glottic edema, or wheezing.
Cardiovascular manifestations are hypotension, palpitations, and tachyarrhythmias.
Anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal reaction that includes difficulty breathing and inducing shock throughout the body; reactions can affect different parts of the body at the same time (for example, stomach pain accompanied by a rash). Anaphylactic shock can cause the following signs and symptoms: weakness, dizziness, headache, ringing in the ears, or visual disturbances caused by hypotension, which can progress to vascular collapse.
Photo by Kaspars Grinvalds from shutterstock.com
RISK FACTORS
Family history. You have an increased risk of food allergy if you have asthma, eczema or allergies such as hay fever that are common in your family.
Other allergies. If you are already allergic to one food, you increase your risk of becoming allergic to another. Similarly, if you have other types of allergic reactions, such as hay fever or eczema, you increase your risk of getting a food allergy.
Age. Food allergies are more common in children, especially infants and young children. As you are aging, your digestive system matures, and your body is less likely to absorb foods or food compounds that trigger allergies. Fortunately, children develop allergies to milk, soy, wheat and eggs. Severe allergies and allergies to nuts and seafood can last a lifetime.
Asthma. Asthma and a food allergy often occur together. When this happens, it is likely that both the food allergy and the asthma symptoms are severe.
So here are 12 of the most common food allergies:
1. Egg allergy
Egg allergies are very common in children, being in the second place at the top of food allergies at a young age, after the allergy to cow’s milk and derivatives. About 2% of children suffer from this type of food allergy, but fortunately, about 70% of them will be cured by puberty of this allergy.
There is a possibility of transferring protein from the egg through breast milk and thus, this type of allergy may occur even in newborns exclusively breastfed. In the latter case, the recommendation is for the mother to avoid ingesting any product that may contain eggs.
Manifestation of an egg allergy :
Cutaneous – with itching, the appearance of lesions of the eczema / atopic dermatitis type or of the urticarian type with the papules or placards of urticaria or of a rosette also called erythema;
Respiratory – rhinitis / rhinosinusitis may occur with sneezing, profuse watery discharge from the nose, stuffy nose, heaviness in breathing, coughing and even asthma attacks, with heavy breathing and wheezing;
Digestive – abdominal pain / cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea may occur.
2. Cow’s milk allergy
A cow’s milk allergy is one of the most common allergies at an early age, affecting between 2-7.5% of children up to 5 years of age. It occurs a few minutes after the ingestion of milk or dairy products and only in rare cases, within 2-3 days after food administration, a situation in which the cause-effect relationship is not so obvious, requiring further investigation.
Cow’s milk contains fat, lactose and protein. Proteins are responsible for the appearance of allergic phenomena, through a hypersensitivity mechanism in which the immune system considers milk proteins as “enemies” and manufactures antibodies or cells with memory against them, triggering an immune “war” and inflammation of the mucosa.
The proteins responsible for the allergy are: casein alpha and beta lactoglobulin.
3. Peanuts allergy
Peanut allergy symptoms can be life threatening (anaphylaxis). For some people who are allergic to peanuts, even tiny amounts of hazelnuts can cause a serious reaction. Peanut allergies have increased in children. It is important to talk to your doctor even if you have had only a mild allergic reaction to peanuts because there is a risk of a more serious future reaction.
A peanut allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly treats peanut proteins as harmful. Direct or indirect contact with hazelnuts causes the immune system to release toxins into the bloodstream, causing symptoms.
4. Hazelnuts allergy
Hazelnuts allergies are common in Australia and less common in Europe due to differences in eating habits. The clinical picture is similar to that found in peanut allergy, although the two, peanuts and hazelnuts, are not related, peanuts being vegetables that grow on the ground and peanuts being fruits that grow in trees.
In severe forms with a history of anaphylaxis, self-injecting adrenaline is highly recommended. It is not recommended to introduce hazelnuts in the diet until after the age of one year, both in children with a family history of atopy and even more so in those who have very mild forms of atopic dermatitis after eating peanuts and hazelnuts.
For the latter, it is recommended that the introduction of these foods be done under the careful guidance of a pediatrician or allergist.
5. Seafood allergy
Seafood is a group of small marine animals that can be introduced into the diet in various forms. Most people who are allergic to seafood are allergic to shellfish, and reactions to these foods tend to be more severe.
Thus, doctors may recommend that people allergic to any type of seafood completely eliminate both types from their diet, as there may be contamination or new allergies. The symptoms of seafood allergies are different from person to person and can occur within minutes of ingesting food or even within hours.
6. Fish allergy
Cod, salmon, tuna, eel, and other fish can trigger allergies. These types of allergies are similar to those caused by mollusks, but in this case, there are higher chances that they appear in adulthood, being more difficult to overcome.
Although it is quite severe, a fish allergy is easier to avoid than other types of allergies. The major allergen responsible for triggering allergies is a protein called parvalbumin, which controls the amount of calcium in white meat.
Because parvalbunins are very similar to different species of fish, allergy can occur regardless of the type of fish species. When a sensitive person comes in contact or consumes fish, the allergic reaction and its specific symptoms occur.
7. Wheat allergy
A wheat allergy is an allergic reaction to those foods that contain wheat (a term that designates several species belonging to the genus Triticum). Experts say that allergic reactions can be caused by eating wheat, and in some cases, it can be triggered by inhaling wheat flour.
If you have noticed any symptoms after eating cereal, bread or pasta, if you develop hives or a rash or if you have a stomach ache or if your nose is stuffy or you have a runny nose, you may have a wheat allergy.
Soy is a type of food well known for its capability to cause allergies. In many cases, a soy allergy begins in the early years of life with an allergy to milk formulas that include soy. Although most children are overcoming soy allergies, their manifestations can persist into adulthood.
Most of the time, the signs and symptoms of a soy allergy are mild: hives or itching around the mouth. In rare cases, a soy allergy can even cause serious allergic reactions, which can be life-threatening (anaphylaxis).
9. Corn allergy
A corn allergy is not as common as some other allergic reactions to other types of food, but when it does occur, it can be severe. Symptoms can range from itching, redness and nasal congestion to wheezing, swelling of the throat and even shock (anaphylaxis).
10. Sesame allergy
Sesame allergies may not get as much attention as peanut allergies, but the reactions can be just as serious. Allergic reactions to sesame seeds or sesame oil can be responsible for anaphylaxis. The increase in the number of sesame allergies in recent years may be due to the growing number of products containing sesame seeds and sesame oil.
Sesame oil is considered a healthy cooking oil and is used in a variety of foods, including certain vegetarian dishes, salad dressings, and many dishes from the Middle East and Asia.
11. Celery allergy
Celery is a real storehouse of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, trace elements and beneficial substances that are contained in the leaves, stems and roots of the plant. Due to its pronounced spicy taste, it is able to provide a special piquancy for any dish, so it is often used in cooking.
Despite its undeniable benefits for the body, celery belongs to the category of foods with a high degree of allergens. It can cause increased sensitivity in the body, not only as a food product, but it can also cause contact allergies or even increased sensitivity to plant pollen.
12. Allergy to additives and preservatives
Food additives and preservatives are substances that have the role of giving color, taste and preserving food. Some of them are dyes (tartrazine, carmine, saffron), antioxidants, emulsifiers and stabilizers (gums and lecithin), flavorings (monosodium glutamate, spices and sweeteners), preservatives (benzoate, nitrates and sulfites).
It is not known exactly how these substances cause allergic reactions, and the exact number of people affected is also not known exactly, but it is estimated that over 1% of adults and over 2% of children are affected.
The most common symptoms are hives, angioedema (swelling or edema of a part of the body, often the face, lips, limbs), atopic dermatitis, pruritus and less often, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting, allergic rhinitis or respiratory symptoms.
Dairy milk sales have been going down for years now, as more and more people are opting for plant-based milk and other alternatives for health or dietary reasons. Among the most popular is almond milk.
This kind of milk is made by blending some almonds with water and filtering the mixt to eliminate any solids. Another way is to produce almond milk by combining almond butter and water. It has a creamy texture like milk and a lovely nutty aroma.
As a result, its common among vegans, vegetarians, and lactose-intolerant people. You can find almond milk in many supermarkets. But for health and well-being reasons, we recommend you get the unsweetened kind.
The good thing is that most brands are even reinforced with protein, minerals, and vitamins. Side Note: if you don’t consume any dairy, you should choose products that are fortified with calcium.
Almond milk manufacturers usually draw the milk from skinned almonds, and they strain the mix, eliminating most of the antioxidants and fiber. Also, almond milk gets diluted, making them a less concentrated nutrient source than whole almonds.
As long as you go for the fortified options, the nutritional value should be okay. Still not sure if almond milk is a healthy option for YOU? We’ll look at some of its side effects and benefits. Keep reading to get the details!
…But first, let’s take a look at the nutritional value!
In order to live the best lives possible, we may sometimes end up developing some habits and falling prey to some of the worst patterns that are actively impacting our health. It may not seem like much, but a lot of the things we do, even unconsciously (like sitting down and losing sleep), have a direct effect on our bodies that goes against our craving for living a long, happy, healthy life!
As humans, we are wired to crave comfort and enjoyment, yet that also leads us to compulsively pick up bad habits that, in the long run, are horrible for our health.
And there’s no shame in admitting we have these impulses. After all, we are just humans, and it takes a lot of trial and error to get rid of patterns of behavior. The problem is when we know they are bad habits and we aren’t doing anything to correct them.
This is why we have gathered some of the worst habits a lot of people pick up that science and doctors have proven to be actively shaving off years off your life! Let us know if you know about these bad habits, or if you are actively trying to combat any of them!
Have you ever wondered if there are any so-called healthy snacks that are not as healthy as they pretend to be? Or how do people seem to believe they are? It happens way more often than we all would like to think.
Maybe the product was intended to be healthier at first, but the end products sometimes end up being jam-packed with ingredients that are just as harmful to our health or they substitute an ingredient for one that is worse in the long run (yes Splenda, we’re looking at you).
Here we have gathered some of the world’s most hailed healthy snacks and explained why they aren’t as good for you as you may think! Be it that you’re trying to lose weight, trying to be a bit healthier, or making more informed choices about what you’re putting into your body, we have got something interesting for you to read!
Let us know if you knew about these perceived healthy snacks and items, or if any of them surprised you!
Photo by Alexandra Anschiz at Shutterstock
#1 Fruit Smoothies
Fruit smoothies are one of the healthier snacks you can get in the afternoon when you need a pick me up. Yet, you should probably steer clear from the store-bought ones as they’re not as good as they may seem. A lot of them have quite a lot of high-fat dairy and very cheap sweeteners to end up getting the pricepoint low, which makes them a calorie and sugar bomb!
Generally speaking, smoothies are really good for you, but you have to make sure you know what is in them, and the safest option is to make them yourself. Yet, if you’re in a pinch and you have to choose, you’re better off just buying the fruit as opposed to getting a store-bought, prepackaged smoothie.
Not to mention, research has shown us that you should eat not drink your fruit, as they’re way more filling if they’re in their solid form. A smoothie may not keep your hunger at bay until dinner, while an actual fruit might, besides the fact that it’s obviously the better healthy snack out of the two!
#2 The Best Workout Healthy Snack: Protein Bars
Would you go and eat a huge piece of cake right after you come off the treadmill or after you come back from a run? Yeah, we didn’t think so. This is why you should be very careful when you’re buying protein bars, as many of them are full of sugar (or alternatives), preservatives, and can have enough calories to cover a complex lunch!
With most brands of protein bars, you’re better off just getting a candy bar or some chocolate, as not all are what they’re made up to be. Which healthy snacks have suspiciously low prices? The unhealthy ones.
#3 Wraps
If you fell for that craze a few years back that claimed that eating wraps was better than eating bread, we have bad news for you. Not only do these wraps hold a lot more calories per portion, as opposed to one slice of bread, but they have been proven by researchers to be linked to weight gain.
Moreover, in order for them to be able to stay malleable and not dry out after you open the pack, they have a lot of added fat, which is generally in the form of hydrogenated oils or soybean oil. They’re pretty bad for your health, so if you find yourself eating a wrap as a healthy snack more often than not, you should consider changing it to a normal sandwich. Depending on the type of bread you’re going for, it’ll be actually healthier: we recommend this one for an amazing sandwich!
Image By Sheila Fitzgerald From Shutterstock
#4 100-calorie Packs
These tiny portions of your guilty pleasure snack may seem like a great idea to just satisfy an itch of a craving or if you are trying to make sure you don’t end up eating a whole pack of the full version. However, it’s just a good idea in theory, as researchers have found out that it may end up tricking your mind into eating more.
A lot of us buy these when we are trying to lose weight but still feel like getting a healthy snack, but in reality, these mini-packs don’t do much. It’s because they give the impression that they’re small potions and they will not have much of an impact on your life. This leads to a lot of people thinking that because they are so small, they have fewer calories, and seem to be portion-controlled, they won’t matter much if you eat more than one pack at a time.
Unfortunately, this leads to overeating and one pack never stays just one. Many people reported that they ended up eating several packs, and in the end, they ate way more than if they had gotten a regular-sized pack to begin with. This healthy snack is not unhealthy due to what is in it, but rather because of how it can trick you into eating more accidentally.
You’re better off getting a few biscuits out of the regular pack than risking falling for the allure of these mini packs!
#5 Veggie Chips
Unfortunately, the healthy version of chips isn’t actually that much different from the regular version. These healthy snacks aren’t actually made from whole vegetables, like the photo on the bag might try to tell you, but rather out of vegetable flour; they’re pulverized vegetable flour which is then mixed with salt and oil in order to get that perfect chip shape.
Truthfully, while tasty, they’re not much different than normal chips, and if you’re looking for a healthy snack, these might not be the answer. You can always just choose to munch on some carrot slices, maybe some edamame, or even indulge in some wheat crackers with peanut butter (two tablespoons max), for a healthier alternative!
#6 Craisins
Don’t get us wrong, we aren’t saying that dried fruit is bad for your health! But that is only when consumed in moderation and when people don’t end up eating a tub of them in one sitting. They’re generally a great addition to salads or an amazing healthy snack filled with fiber! However, some of them might actually just be candy due to how they are processed, and unfortunately, craisins are one of them.
Generally, there is more sugar in dried fruit than there is in their normal state, with the addition that some of the dried fruit you buy off the shelf is also coated in sugar by the manufacturers! That’s concentrated sugar-coated in more sugar, and truly, you’re better off just eating the fresh fruit. It’s not as inconvenient as some make it out to be and it’s definitely a healthy snack!
Image By MarinaMos From Shutterstock
#7 Sugar-free snacks
A lot of us have been fooled by labels to think that sugar-free snacks are healthier alternatives to normal snacks due to the lowered sugar content. However, it has been proven by researchers that artificial sweeteners are linked to increased weight gain since they end up fooling your body into craving more carbs.
Not only that, but many of these so-called sugar-free “healthy snacks” may contain the substance they claim to be free of!
According to the standard, they can have up to 0.5 g of sugar and still be considered sugar-free. If you’re craving something sweet, it’s better to just moderately eat whatever you’re craving, despite the sugar, but eat it in moderation rather than reach for these.
#8 Cereal Bars
If you are used to reaching out to these as an easy and healthy snack option, especially if you are on the go, thinking it’s the better option for your body, then we have very bad news for you! They are not that different from the snacks people love to hate on; they’re actually just as bad as candies or chocolate, but people who preach the importance of healthy snacks like to ignore this fact.
Most of them are loaded with sugar, and they are actually no healthier than a biscuit, a cookie, or even a chocolate bar. They are packed with glucose and, at times, if you’re not reading the label carefully, they don’t have enough fiber or protein to offset the high amount of sugar, so it will not keep you full until the next full meal.
If anything, after they are eaten as a substitute for breakfast, they are more likely to give you a blood sugar crash than leave you full until lunch.
#9 Rice Cakes
While they have become a staple of healthy snacks, especially when it comes to people who are trying to lose some extra pounds, they aren’t the end-all, be-all alternative snack that they are made up to be!
While they aren’t full of salt or oil, they are quite notorious for ranking high on the glycemic index. That list is the one that measures how fast certain foods make your blood rise on a scale from one to 100, and our friends the rice cakes have a high rank of 82!
Surely, they aren’t as high as other snacks, but it’s something to keep in mind. Especially since researchers have found out that foods with a high glycemic index can cause excessive hunger and increase the activity in the part of the brain that causes cravings.
These are the perfect foods that will make you crave more and more, eventually leading to overeating, which makes them qualified to be knocked down a peg when it comes to being hailed as extra healthy!
Since we’re on a debunking myth spree and giving you some healthy food advice, read more about these delicious foods that will not make you gain weight here!
