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Endocrinologist: Weight Disorders

07/11/2012

An endocrinologist is a type of doctor who specializes in the treatment of endocrine disorders. Endocrine disorders are diseases of certain glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream. When these glands are not working as they should this causes hormones that are released into the bloodstream to be unbalanced which, in turn, causes problems in our bodies. Some common endocrine disorders include diabetes and thyroid disorders (hyper- or hypothyroidism). Other conditions that endocrinologists take care of include:

Metabolic disorders
Obesity
Over or under production of hormones
Menopause
Osteoporosis
Hypertension
Cholesterol or lipid disorders
Infertility
Lack of growth or short stature
Cancers of the endocrine glands

Unexplained weight gain can be caused by a number of metabolic or hormonal imbalances, such as thyroid, adrenal, ovarian, and pituitary disorders. Some endocrine disorders that may cause weight gain include:

Hypothyroidism – underproduction of thyroid hormone. Other symptoms may include cold intolerance, fatigue and lethargy, depression, and menorrhagia.
Cushing’s syndrome – excess of glucorticoids (cortisol), no matter the underlying cause. Cortisol is secreted in times of stress to get the body back to its original state. Cushing’s syndrome also presents has having a “moon face,” skin thinning, limb muscle atrophy, abdominal obesity, buffalo neck hump, osteoporosis, increased blood pressure, hyperglycemia, poor healing, bruises, purple abdominal stretch marks.
Insulinomas – tumors in the pancreas that secrete insulin. The secretion of insulin causes cells to take up glucose and store it as fat, causing weight gain. Diabetic patients on insulin therapy may also experience weight gain.

Endocrinologists can help treat weight gain by identifying and treating the underlying gland disorder. They can also identify factors linked with obesity, such as insulin resistance or genetic problems.

There are also endocrine disorders that may cause weight loss. These include:

Addison’s disease – progressive failure of the adrenal cortex of the adrenal glands, which normally secrete cortisol and aldosterone. Other symptoms may include fatigue, skin darkening or freckling, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, cold intolerance, dehydration, and diarrhea.
Hyperthyroidism – overproduction of thyroid hormone. This includes disorders such as Grave’s disease and thyroiditis. Other symptoms may include diarrhea, nervousness and irritability, insomnia, hand tremors, excessive sweating, heat intolerance, weakness, and heart palpitations.
Zollinger – Ellison syndrome – characterized by endocrine tumors called gastinomas that overproduce the hormone gastrin. This causes an increase in stomach acid. Other symptoms may include abdominal pain, severe heartburn, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss.

If you are experiencing a significant change in weight that cannot be attributed by any known cause, an endocrinologist can be helpful by figuring out glands are not working properly and what hormones are unbalanced. Your primary care physician can test your metabolic panel and, based on the result, can refer you to an endocrinologist, who will figure out why certain glands are not working the way that they should and order therapies to correct the hormonal imbalances.

Here is how endocrinologists can help in the following disorders:

Diabetes – They help treat patients with diabetes through diet and medications. They also work closely with patients to monitor and control blood sugar so that health problems can be prevented.
Thyroid – They treat patients with hyper- or hypothyroidism with treatments that supplement or block thyroid hormone.
Bone – They treat parathyroid hormone overproduction and the long-term use of corticosteroids such as prednisone, which affect the build-up of bone.
Reproduction and infertility – They can diagnose and treat hormone imbalances that can cause infertility and assess and treat patients with reproductive problems. They can also work with patients who need hormone replacement therapy. Disorders and problems that can be treated by endocrinologists include menopause symptoms, irregular periods, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), PMS, and impotence.
Growth – Adults that do not produce enough growth hormone can experience emotional distress and fatigue. Growth hormone replacement therapy is available for people with growth hormone deficiency.
Hypertension or high blood pressure – If high blood pressure is due to the increased release of aldosterone from the adrenal glands (through metabolic syndrome or pheochromocytoma), this can be treated successfully by an endocrinologist.
Cholesterol disorders - Endocrinologists can detect factors that may be related to lipid disorders, such as: hypothyroidism, corticosteroid use, PCOS, obesity or genetic or metabolic conditions.

References:

“Endocrinologist.” The Free Dictionary by Farlex. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/endocrinologist.
“What is an Endocrinologist?” Hormone Health Network. http://www.hormone.org/Public/endocrinologist.cfm.
Tina Andrews. “Endocrine System Disorders that Cause Weight Lose and Loose Stools.” September 28, 2010. http://www.livestrong.com/article/252969-endocrine-system-disorders-that-cause-weight-loss-loose-stools/.
Yumi Lee. “Weight Gain.” http://www.fastbleep.com/medical-notes/endocrine-and-breast/23/64/416.

Dr. Thora Brown is a Clinical Pharmacist and Freelance Writer from Greensboro, NC. She obtained her B.S. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Genetics from North Carolina State University in 2004. She went on to complete her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Campbell University in 2009.

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A Look at the Liquid Diet

07/03/2012

A Look at the Liquid Diet

People may go on a liquid diet for a variety of reasons. Some follow the diet because they were told to do so before or after a medical test or surgery, or for other medical reasons, such as suffering from Crohn’s or having difficulty swallowing. Most turn to a liquid diet, however, in an attempt to either detoxify their body or to try and lose a significant amount of weight quickly.

Before jumping into a liquid diet plan, it’s essential to understand what the diet entails, its possible side effects, and how effective it really is at detoxifying and facilitating weight loss. Also, it’s always recommended to visit your own medical professional and get their advice prior to following such a severe nutritional plan.

What is a liquid diet?

As the name suggestions, those following a liquid diet consume only fluids, such as juice and soup. However, dieters can also take in foods that are solid, as long as they’re in liquid form normally, such as fruit juice that has been frozen. They can also take in foods that change into liquids when they’re kept at room temperature, such as ice cream. Other than that, no solid foods are consumed when a participant is following a liquid diet.

The most common items that people consume when following a liquid diet include water, fruit popsicles, syrups, soup broth, pudding, butter, gelatin, tea, and commercial supplements that come in liquid form such as Ensure. In some cases, people can also incorporate cooked cereals like Cream of Wheat.

MedLinePlus, an online medical resource provided by the United States National Library of Medicine, stresses that those on a “liquid diet” should not consume raw or cooked vegetables, and they should avoid any ice cream that feature solids like nuts and chocolate chips.

Calorie Concerns

One of the main concerns of a liquid diet is the risk of not getting enough calories. Calories are essential for the maintenance and function of major organs, such as the heart, brain, kidneys and skin. Those who follow the plan should shoot to get 1,350 to 1,500 calories in every day.

If considering a liquid diet, make the additional effort to ensure you keep your calorie consumption numbers in an appropriate range. Diets that are too low in calories, such as ones that suggest taking in only 400 to 800 calories per day, will not adequately provide nutrition and will fail at contributing enough fuel to working tissues and organs.

Suggestions on how to increase one’s daily calorie consumption include mixing nonfat dry milk or instant breakfast powder into drinks. Also, butter, margarine and syrup are items to incorporate into liquid meals to quickly boost calorie numbers.

Nutrient Concerns

Being on a liquid diet takes more preparation and effort by dieters to ensure that they’re receiving adequate nutrients. Malnutrition can cause dangerous effects, such as fatigue, heart damage, dizziness and hair loss. MedlinePlus, however, notes that people can receive enough nutrition when on a full liquid diet, and because of that, followers can remain on the diet for a long duration. It is recommended that dieters incorporate vitamins and supplements into their nutritional regimen.

The Truth about Liquid Diets and Detoxifying the System

Despite claims by many liquid diet plans, there is no evidence to support that they get rid of impurities, poisons and toxins. Proponents claim that liquid diets help you absorb nutrients, vitamins and minerals, while simultaneously getting rid of toxins that are acquired from pollution, pesticides and foods that are chemically altered. However, medical professionals point out that the body has its own system of detoxifying the body, which includes the liver and kidneys, as well as the sweating mechanism.

Liquid Diet for Weight Loss

In order to lose weight, a person must burn a greater number of calories than they consume. Therefore, a combination of minimizing the number of consumed by making healthy eating decisions and increasing calories burned by incorporating regular physical activity is an appropriate and healthy plan for decreasing body fat. Those who follow a liquid diet will often consume a significantly reduced number of calories, and therefore, are more than likely going to experience weight loss. This all depends on the number of calories consumed in their liquid diet, however, as if a dieter were to take in an excess of calories via liquid, they would actually gain weight.

Using a liquid diet for a quick burst of weight loss is not the most effective technique, however. Severely reducing calorie consumption will likely cause a significant slow down of a person’s metabolic rate, as the body becomes concerned about the number of available calories and thus make efforts to hold on to the calories it does have. This is important as the metabolic rate determines the number of calories burned in a day and thus a slower rate increases the difficulty of creating a calorie deficit. Once a person gets off the liquid diet, the decrease in metabolic rate remains, and because they’re consuming more calories, many will often see the weight they previously lost come right back again.

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The Dukan Diet Plan

07/03/2012

The Dukan Diet Plan

Pierre Dukan introduced his Dukan Diet Plan in the 1970’s, but it wasn’t until 2000 that his plan gained real notoriety. Dukan, who was a general practitioner, came up with the diet plan after he had a number of patients that suffered from obesity and had difficulty lowering their body fat. For over 20 years, he dedicated himself to researching an effective weight loss dieting plan. Today, Dukan’s plan is amongst the most popular diet plans in France. Dukan’s book, “The Dukan Diet,” has sold over 10 million copies and is available in 32 countries.

The Dukan Diet

The Dukan Diet is broken down into four stages, or ground pillars. The four stages are attack, cruise, consolidation and stabilization. Each stage features a different focus and assigns a strict list of acceptable foods that dieters are required to follow.

The attack stage lasts two to seven days and allows dieters to choose from 72 low-fat, protein-heavy foods, consuming as much of those 72 foods as they want. Carbohydrates are not allowed. The stage is intended to kick start the metabolism and cause dieters to quickly lose four to six pounds. During this time, participants can drink fluids as long as they don’t consist of calories. Suggested fluids are water, coffee, tea and diet sodas.

The cruise phase doesn’t have a set duration, but instead lasts as long as the dieter needs. The duration is based on the amount of weight a person is looking to lose. Participants continue in the second stage until they’ve reached their own personal target weight. The stage is designed to cut pounds at a rate of 2.2-lbs. per week, though this rate is likely to vary between individuals. Participants continue to consume their low-fat, protein-rich foods, but are also able to incorporate a selection of 28 vegetables. The list of 28 vegetables allowed feature ones that consist of limited carbohydrates, such as lettuce, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers.

The third period, which is the consolidation phase, begins once a person reaches their target weight. It lasts just two weeks and is designed to help the dieter prevent future weight gain. During this stage, the dieter is allowed to reintroduce fruit, cheese, bread and other starchy foods, though in a limited manner. In addition, one “celebration meal,” where the participant can have whatever they want, is allowed per week.

The stabilization phase is the last period of the Dukan Diet. It’s meant to be a stage that lasts forever, because it continues to incorporate the focus of the previous three stages, but it more closely mimics how people will eat on their own. The stage is designed with the hope that dieters will be able implement the habits they’ve built during the previous stages and not fall off the wagon. After following a strict routine in the first three stages, finally, in this stage, the dieter is allowed a greater amount of freedom. They are able to eat unlimited amounts of protein and vegetables, a single piece of fruit per day, and a portion of cheese, two slices of whole made bread, two starchy foods and two “celebration meals” per week. Plus, they begin to incorporate regular exercise, which will help keep metabolic rate higher and help support weight maintenance.

Comparisons to Atkins

The Dukan Diet commonly gets compared to the Atkins diet because of their similar protein-heavy mentality that they use to kick-start the metabolic rate. However, unlike the Atkins diet, the Dukan diet doesn’t have dieters count calories or carbohydrates. Instead, it keeps it simple for participants, who are told to only focus on consuming items on the list of accepted foods.

Another difference is that the Atkins diet pushes the consumption of shakes and bars, while Dukan only recommends to its dieters that they consume real foods. Eating real foods throughout the dieting process is likely to help ease the transition into a long-term healthy nutrition plan.

Plus, Dukan stresses to his dieters that they eat primarily low-fat proteins, while Atkins places no fat limitations on their protein recommendations. This is an important point, as proteins that are higher in fat, such as beef and pork, can increase cholesterol and blood pressure.

Safety Concerns

Some medical professionals have stressed the dangers that are present any time someone cuts an entire food group from their nutritional plan. In the attack and cruise phase of the Dukan Diet, no fruits are supposed to be eaten, and doctors are concerned that cutting out fruits will result in nutrient deficiency. However, Dukan recommends that dieters take multivitamins throughout the first two phases to deal with the deficiency concerns. However, it’s always recommended to check with your own personal medical professional prior to starting any new nutritional plan.

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What is the Lemonade Diet?

07/02/2012

What is the Lemonade Diet?

The Lemonade Diet is one of the more popular phrases to describe the Master Cleanser diet plan. The diet was originally created in 1941 by Stanley Burroughs, who published his weight loss plan in a short booklet. However, it was in 2004, when it resurfaced after Peter Glickman incorporated it in his book, “Lose Weight, Have More Energy and Be Happier in 10 Days.” The diet is also commonly referred to as the Maple Syrup Diet, the Lemonade Diet and the Lemonade Cleanse.

The diet gained even more popularity after Beyonce Knowles shared that she used the technique to successfully drop 20-lbs. as she was preparing to play the lead role in the film, “Dreamgirls.” Once Knowles shared that she had participated in the diet, the sale of maple syrup significantly increased, as many people were looking to follow in the singer’s footsteps and lose such an enormous amount of weight themselves. However, as like most diet plans that cause significant, quick weight loss, the Lemonade Diet is dangerous and its weight loss results are most often temporary.

The Lemonade Diet

The Lemonade Diet requires its participants to not eat solid foods for a period of 10 to 45 days. Instead, those who follow the plan are only allowed to consume a liquid mixture that consists of lemon or lime juice, organic Grade B maple syrup, purified water and cayenne pepper. In addition to drinking the lemonade mixture, the diet is accentuated with a cup of herbal laxative tea that is to be taken in the evening and a sea salt-water mixture for the evenings. Both the tea and sea-salt drink are assigned with the belief they will help flush out the digestive track.

Although the diet duration ranges from 10 to 45 days, Glickman recommends that people follow the diet until they find that the fuzzy coating on the tongue that appears at the start of the diet is eventually pink when they check it in the morning.

The Diet’s Claims

Burroughs claims that cutting out foods and consuming solely the lemonade-based mixture will detoxify the body, or assist in the elimination toxins and poisons. Glickman believes the Lemonade Diet is effective at eliminating external poisons like arsenic, as well as cancer-causing chemicals and body wastes that can make people tired and unhappy. Those who follow the diet, strictly, they would argue, would feel better and more energized. It’s argued that following the plan will eliminate respiratory problems like colds, hay fever, sinus and bronchial issues, as well as decrease the risk of the flu. It’s clear that most participants, however, turn to the Lemonade Diet because of its claims to cause up to 2-lbs. of weight loss per day. A loss of 2-lbs. per day would equate to 14-lbs. per week, or about 60-lbs. per month. The weight loss claims are extreme and tempting for lose looking for a big change in body fat percentage.

The Truth

It’s important to first understand how weight loss occurs. A person will lose weight whenever they create a caloric deficit, which is done by consuming a fewer amount of calories than they burn over a set period of time. This is why most weight loss plans recommend following a healthy nutrition plan and participating in consistent exercise, as both habits together promote the creation of that deficit. Every 3,500 caloric deficit a person creates equates to a single pound of fat loss.

Because followers of “the Lemonade Diet” will be significantly restricting their calorie consumption after taking in nothing but the lemon juice mixture, it’s expected that they will successfully decrease their body weight with the diet.

With that said, the weight loss that they receive is likely temporary. When a person severely restricts their calorie consumption, as one would do by following the Lemonade Diet, the body adapts by significantly slowing metabolic rate in an attempt to preserve calories. Calories are needed to properly maintain major organs like the heart, skin and liver, as well as to properly fuel the brain. Therefore, the body does whatever it can to restrict the unnecessary loss of calories. Once a follower of the Lemonade Diet gets to the end of their diet and begins eating real foods again, they are more than likely going to see the weight they had previously lost quickly come back. Even if they’re eating healthy and taking in a healthy amount of calories, their metabolic rate remains at its slower rate. They then create a caloric surplus and put the weight back on. Beyonce Knowles, after using the diet to prepare for her movie roll, immediately regained the weight she had lost after shooting of the film completed and she got off the Lemonade Diet.

Despite the Lemonade Diet’s claims of being able to detoxify the body, nutritionists and doctors disagree. It’s important to stress that the idea of detox is not supported by medical professionals. They claim that the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract have multiple systems that adequately work at eliminating toxins from our bodies.

In addition to the Lemonade Diet not being an effective, long-term weight loss technique, it’s also extremely dangerous. Many followers have suffered from weakness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dizziness. Because participants are not consuming foods, they are vulnerable to adverse effects of malnutrition, and thus increase their risk of cardiac and intestinal issues. The consumption of the herbal laxative tea and sea salt-water mixture is also of concern, as laxatives are attributed to dehydration and heart and colon damage.

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Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss Diet

06/27/2012

Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss Diet

Obesity and overweight are serious health conditions that are steadily increasing in our country. With increasing rates of obesity, weight loss supplements have become popular alternative medicines among people who are desperately trying to find new ways to shed extra pounds. Novel weight loss substances are continuously under research in hopes of finding that new “miracle pill” that would be both safe and effective in promoting weight loss. Although some diet supplements on the market are effective and can improve your weight loss efforts, many are based on invalidated claims and their effectiveness is more than questionable. One of these popular diet supplements is apple cider vinegar, which is claimed to improve weight loss by reducing hunger.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar Diet

Apple cider vinegar weight loss diet is not a new phenomenon in the United States. Apple cider vinegar first became popular in the late 1950s, when it was promoted as an alternative medicine to improve weight loss and numerous other health conditions; from killing head lice to washing out toxins from the body. However, the truth behind these claims has not been thoroughly evaluated. The main ingredient in apple cider vinegar is acetic acid, which is more commonly known as vinegar. Vinegar is a popular ingredient in kitchens and is regularly used for cooking in the form of white, red wine, and balsamic vinegar. However, the “apple cider vinegar weight loss diet” takes vinegar to a whole new level – by claiming it can reduce food cravings and hunger when taken regularly.

Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss Diet Basics

The apple cider vinegar weight loss diet claims that taking the supplement in the form of liquid or a capsule can reduce food cravings and enhance satiety. This phenomenon is believed to be based on the ability of vinegar to act as a low glycemic index (GI) food. It is well established that low-GI foods tend to reduce hunger and promote the feeling of fullness. Taking apple cider vinegar before each meal is supposed to make you feel full and satisfied, resulting reduced food and calorie intake, and thus, ultimately leading to weight loss.

Evidence

Although apple cider vinegar is mostly harmless when taken in low doses, its ability to reduce hunger and food cravings is more than questionable. Only a few scientific studies have evaluated the use of vinegar to weight loss. A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, evaluated the daily intake of acetic acid on obesity using a mouse model. Results from this study indicated that acetic acid may inhibit body fat accumulation without the need to do any dietary changes. Another study, published in the Journal of American College of Nutrition, evaluated the role of acetic acid to glycemic response after consumption of high-GI foods. The results showed that pre-meal acetic acid consumption reduced food intake and enhance satiety, possibly by reducing the glycemic response to high-GI foods. However, more research is needed to validate both of these claims.

Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss Supplements

Apple cider vinegar is available both as a liquid and as capsules, with prices varying from few dollars to 10 dollars per bottle. You can find several different products on the market, including organic apple cider vinegar. Generally it is recommended you start the diet by taking one teaspoon or one capsule before each meal, and slowly increase your dose to three teaspoons. It is also recommended that you combine apple cider vinegar with regular exercise and healthy diet. The problem with this statement is that you can lose weight with regular exercise and healthy diet alone, without the need to consume apple cider vinegar on daily basis. Although apple cider vinegar is generally considered safe, consuming excess amounts of acetic acid can lead to low potassium levels and reduced bone density. Vinegar is highly acetic and thus, you should always mix the liquid with water or take the capsule with a large glass of water.

Conclusion

Although scientific studies have implicated vinegar may be beneficial in lowering blood glucose, blood cholesterol, and inducing the feeling of fullness, these results are only preliminary and more studies are needed to verify these findings. Besides of a few small animal and human studies, there is no real scientific evidence that actually supports the claim that “apple cider vinegar diet” promotes weigh loss. When it comes to weight loss, you might be better of trying supplements that are scientifically proven to improve fat metabolism, including green tea, African mango extract, and capsaicins found in spicy foods, instead of wasting your time and money on apple cider vinegar weight loss diet.

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References:
Apple Cider Vinegar

http://www.webmd.com/diet/apple-cider-vinegar

Strategies for Healthy Weight Loss: From Vitamin C to the Glycemic Response
http://www.jacn.org/content/24/3/158.long

Acetic acid upregulates the expression of genes for fatty acid oxidation enzymes in liver to suppress body fat accumulation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19469536

Bio
Maria Parepalo earned her doctoral degree in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Nevada Reno. She has worked as a freelance medical and health writer for several years, and her work has been published both in magazines and online.

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