Allow me to hang my head in shame, for I have not eaten an oyster in my life. However, I'm going to try them because in my readings I have found they are a low calorie protein, an excellent source of zinc, vitamin B-12, and omega-3 fatty acids; all of which I definitely need to ingest more.In promoting more people to eat oysters there has also been a lot of research done in how one should cook them, because if your oysters are undercooked you can develop serious illnesses. Gulf oysters should never be eaten raw, especially if you have problems with your liver or have a weak immune system.
In fact, there is such a need for more information in regards to cooking oysters that "Be Oyster Aware" devotes an entire site to teaching you about the risks involved in not properly cooking oysters. The site includes valuable and educational information as well as a slew of delicious recipes!
The major cause of concern in eating shellfish, including oysters, is due to Vibrio vulnificus. Oysters are sedentary bivalve mollusks that feed by filtering plankton water. Because Vibrio vulnificus occurs naturally in the same waters that oysters feed, the bacteria is ingested and becomes concentrated in the animal's tissues. When people ingest oysters, there is a risk of also ingesting Vibrio vulnificus. You can reduce your risk by eating oysters fully cooked or by eating oysters that have been post-harvest processed.
And so there you have it. The good and the bad. But the good is very beneficial and so learning how to prevent the bad is necessary!
Almost all animals and plants synthesize their own vitamin C except humans and a small number of other animals, including, apes, guinea pigs, the red-vented bulbul, a fruit-eating bat and a species of trout.This morning in some of my reading I came across an article which discusses the use of vitamin C in treating cancer patients.
Drs. Cameron and Pauling's wrote a book "Cancer and Vitamin C" and it provides 26 case histories of patients with various cancers who received a benefit from vitamin C including: brain, breast, prostate, bladder, lung, stomach, ovarian cancer, leukemia and mesothelioma.
"Vitamin C has many roles that may be associated with fighting cancer including: acting as an anti-oxidant and scavenging free radicals, supporting the various immune cells, modulating cell growth and differentiation, helping to synthesize carnitine which is essential for the transport of fat to mitochondria, and possibly even strengthening collagen."
Scientists found that intravenous vitamin C in the form of ascorbate killed cancer cells in lab tests. Even if large amounts of vitamin C don't always cure cancer, it is extremely interesting to know the benefits of this vitamin.
I'm sure there will be a constant argument when it comes to treating cancer. I do hope that whatever ends up being most beneficial to the patient is what gets done. Pharmaceutical companies shouldn't refute these studies just because it may or may not effect their bottom line. A human life is priceless.
Source
For me, MS stands for Multiple Sclerosis.
I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in October of 2002.
I'm fortunate to be able to say that so far I have been very lucky. But it has only become recently, within the last couple of months that I have realized just how much I try and hide the disease and have come to resent it.
People call me clumsy. And I know I am. I have very poor balance. Turn a light on in a dark room and it doesn't just wake me up, it is actually painful. Not to mention times when my vision doubles, it is always very quick and temporary, but annoying all the same.
And fatigue. I am tired all of the time. Everything requires an effort. This isn't just a lazy day feeling or a feeling of wanting to take a cat nap. This is resting my eyes at a red light and then having the beeps of other cars wake me up.
And the depression. I suffer from clinical depression anyway, but during relapses of my MS my depression worsens. Severely. And it's so frustrating. The knowledge that there is so much out of my control is already irritating at times for everyone. But the knowledge that there is so much about my own mood and body that is out of my control is just...too much to bear sometimes.
So the latest news is that Vitamin D can lower your risks of getting Multiple Sclerosis. Of course with no cure and very little research any news is great when it comes to this disease and so I keep up with it as much as I can.
I already have been diagnosed, but I went straight to Walmart and bought some Vitamin D. Maybe it will help, if even just a little. =o)
Labels: multiple sclerosis, vitamins
Physical
Mental
Emotional
