Nutrition: "Folic Acid May Help Treat Asthma, Allergies"

“Folic acid, or vitamin B9, essential for red blood cell health and long known to reduce the risk of spinal birth defects, may also suppress allergic reactions and lessen the severity of allergy and asthma symptoms, according to new research from the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

In what is believed to be the first study in humans examining the link between blood levels of folate – the naturally occurring form of folic acid — and allergies, the Hopkins scientists say results add to mounting evidence that folate can help regulate inflammation. Recent studies, including research from Hopkins, have found a link between folate levels and inflammation-mediated diseases, including heart disease. A report on the Hopkins Children’s findings appears online ahead of print in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology. Cautioning that it’s far too soon to recommend folic acid supplements to prevent or treat people with asthma and allergies, the researchers emphasize that more research needs to be done to confirm their results, and to establish safe doses and risks.

Reviewing the medical records of more than 8,000 people ages 2 to 85 the investigators tracked the effect of folate levels on respiratory and allergic symptoms and on levels of IgE antibodies, immune system markers that rise in response to an allergen. People with higher blood levels of folate had fewer IgE antibodies, fewer reported allergies, less wheezing and lower likelihood of asthma, researchers report. “Our findings are a clear indication that folic acid may indeed help regulate immune response to allergens, and may reduce allergy and asthma symptoms,” says lead investigator Elizabeth Matsui, M.D. M.H.S., pediatric allergist at Hopkins Children’s. “But we still need to figure out the exact mechanism behind it, and to do so we need studies that follow people receiving treatment with folic acid, before we even consider supplementation with folic acid to treat or prevent allergies and asthma.”

The current recommendation for daily dietary intake of folic acid is 400 micrograms for healthy men and non-pregnant women. Many cereals and grain products are already fortified with folate, and folate is found naturally in green, leafy vegetables, beans and nuts. Other findings of the study:
• People with the lowest folate levels (below 8 nanograms per milliliter) had 40 percent higher risk of wheezing than people with the highest folate levels (above 18 ng/ml).
• People with the lowest folate levels had a 30 percent higher risk than those with the highest folate levels of having elevated IgE antibodies, markers of allergy predisposition.
• Those with the lowest folate levels had 31 percent higher risk of atopy (allergic symptoms) than people with the highest folate levels.
• Those with lowest folate levels had 16 percent higher risk of having asthma than people with the highest folate levels.
• Blacks and Hispanics had lower blood folate levels — 12 and 12.5 nanograms per milliliter, respectively — than whites (15 ng/ml), but the differences were not due to income and socio-economic status.

The Hopkins team is planning a study comparing the effects of folic acid and placebo in people with allergies and asthma. Asthma affects more than 7 percent of adults and children in the United States, and is the most common chronic condition among children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Environmental allergies are estimated to affect 25 million Americans, according to the CDC. Co-investigator on the study: William Matsui, M.D, of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.”

- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090430065452.htm

Asthma. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 2, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com? /releases/2009/04/090430065452.htm

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Why Is My Cat So Fat?

Is your cat overweight? The odds are pretty good that it is. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention has research that shows as many 57% of house cats in the US are overweight. First, you should learn the best way to tell if your cat is overweight. Then we can look at why your cat is so overweight. After that, we can look to the next steps to get your cat's weight back under control.

How do you know if your cat is overweight? What does a fit and healthy cat look like? You can answer this with a body condition score of your pet. First, look down on it from above. Can you see a naturally occurring waist between the back of its ribs and its pelvis? With a fluffy cat, you may need to use your hands to feel for this. Then put your hands on its chest. If you can easily feel its ribs, it is probably fine. If you can feel a thick layer of fat between your hands and the bones, then your cat is overweight.

So how did your cat get so fat? Many people think that spaying or neutering their cat made it overweight, and veterinarians say that removing your cat's hormones can change its metabolism and it can change its activity level. Just like with humans, if a cat develops a sedentary lifestyle and doesn't change the way it eats, it will probably put on weight. So if you have recently had your cat fixed, it makes sense to monitor its body condition score a couple of times a week. If you see its body begin to fill out, change its diet. The earlier you make the change, the better off your cat will be.

How can you stop your cat from getting overweight? Or if it has already gotten a little thick, how can you stop the weight gain before your cat becomes enormous? There is no trick to this. Just like with people, the answer for cat obesity is diet and exercise. The vet really can't help that much. There is a medication for overweight dogs, but it is not safe for cats. So it is up to you to improve your cat's diet, cut down on the amount of food it gets in a day, and provide it an opportunity for exercise.

Just because you have an indoor only cat, that is no excuse for it to be lazy. A healthy cat will exercise and play if it is given the chance. You just need to make sure that it has something it can climb up on. Cats love to climb and look down on people. They also love to look out of windows, so if you have a window sill your cat can climb up on, make sure you keep it uncluttered so he can enjoy it. You may want to buy it some kind of carpeted climbing structure, but before you do, check to see if there is anything in the house that discourages your cat from being active. You might not have noticed this before, but it could be that anytime your cat moves around your house, your dog chases it. Or worse, your children do. So before you add things to the environment, it may be there are things you need to take away, or little people who need some instructions on how to play nice with the cat.

If you think your cat is overweight, you may be right since well over half of US cats are. You can check your cat's body condition score to know if it is overweight or not. It could be that your cat is fat in response to having been spayed or neutered, or there could be something else that changed its activity level. You can do your part to help your cat's health by altering its diet and giving it more chances to play and be active. So why is your cat so overweight? Because you haven't started helping it lose weight yet.

Having been raised with six, yes, 6 house cats, I thought I had learned everything about our precious felines. A rude awakening when what I thought would be easy turned out to be very, very difficult. Taking several years of painful, and expensive, learning and sharing it right here.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kef_Hollenbach

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Details of Some Essential Cat Food Ingredients

Most people are not aware of the effect of various ingredients on the health of their cat. If people have knowledge about the food they give their cats, they can avoid health problems that are caused due to low quality food. There are many infections and illnesses that can be avoided if you give them food that has nutrients they need.

If you are planning to feed your animal friend with packaged food, it is important that you known the ingredients used and the impact of these ingredients on the health of your cat. You can find out the details of the ingredients used by the manufacturer by reading the label. However, your efforts will not yield results if you don't known the pros and cons of the ingredients used.

The dietary requirements of cats are similar to that of humans. When the right ingredients are used, the immune power of your animal friend increases and they are less likely to fall. Here are some important ingredients that must be a part of your pet's diet.

Antioxidants

Vitamins are the most important cat food ingredient as they are an important source of antioxidants. Most vets recommend that you give your pet vitamins like Vitamin E, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin K as they are a good source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are essential to improve the immunity system of your pet and to keep them safe from various diseases and their symptoms.

Proteins

Cats need both vegetable and meat protein for their healthy growth and development. Some of the best sources of meat protein include ducks, pork, egg, pork and chicken. You can give your pet rice, rye, wheat, oatmeal, beet pulp and corn as they are a good source of vegetable protein.

Fibers and Fats

The importance of food that contains fiber and moderate amounts of healthy fats cannot be denied. Foods that have high fiber content help in maintaining the health of the cat. Hulls of grains are considered to be the best source of fiber. Giving your cat moderate amounts of healthy animal fats will help in maintaining their skin and add flavor to their food. You can give your pet fish oil as it is an important source of animal fat.

So the next time you buy food for your cat, make sure you check the ingredients used. Avoid buying cheap food for your pet as it may be made using low quality ingredients. It is a good idea to buy premium food for your animal friend even if it is a bit expensive.

If you find premium cat food to be expensive, you can use coupons to get discounts on the list price. For more information on the coupons issued by well-known manufacturers, you can visit the websites Fancy Feast Coupons and Whiskas Coupons.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Abhishek_Choudhari

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Taking Care Of A Pet Cat

There are some people who prefer to have a pet cat than any other animal. With a cat there is no worry of it destroying all the precious things at home and this does not make a big mess in the house. Cats are preferred by other people because of their playful nature and affectionate behaviour. But having a cat at home still requires a great deal of attention and care from the pet owner. There are certain things that a cat would need that would keep it healthy.

Cats are picky eaters and giving them the right food would help them in their nourishment and health. There are different kinds of cat food in the market and some of these your cat may not be fond of. Getting the food that it likes would ensure that it gets the needed nourishment for it to stay healthy. Some foods have additional ingredients that would help in keeping the cat healthy which is why it is very important to read what the label says about the food. You could also ask your vet on what they would recommend for the type of cat you have. Changing the food often would give its taste buds a variety of flavors keeping it interested in its food.

To keep your cat away from scratching and damaging the corners of your furniture, a scratching pole would be a good idea to have. You can start by putting a piece of fabric that is similar to the furniture that they love to scratch on a piece of wooden pole. They need to keep their claws sharp and exercise their muscles and a separate scratching pole can achieve this without them damaging your furniture.

Some cats prefer to have their own place to sleep in or rest and there are plenty cat litter boxes or baskets that can be found in pet stores, but if you are saving on expenses then an ordinary box can be made into one. Your cat would be equally comfortable as long as you place a cushion or blanket for it to stay in.

Cats still love to be petted even though these don't go near you all the time. Constant attention is what a cat wants and petting them whenever you have the time would make them appreciate you more. They would be more affectionate to you giving you their attention in return.

Having pet health insurance can be very helpful in maintaining the health of your pet. With pet health insurance you would not have to worry about the expenses associated with it.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Uy

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Cat Food Review - What Is In A Bag of Cat Food?

Cats have been known throughout the centuries as beautiful and magical creatures. There has been folklore, cat items in Egyptian tombs, and even Cat Woman in movies. These animals are so easy to care for. They can be playful, extremely smart, and so full of love. To keep these cats healthy, their food has to be made a certain way. They have sensitive tummies and are prone to terrible kitty diseases like the dreaded Leukemia. When is the last time the ingredients were checked in a bag of pet food? Read on to review cat food.

The first five ingredients on the label should say: What is the protein source? What are the grains? Are there by-products? What are the fat sources? What are the healthy promoting ingredients if any?

If two or more grains are found in the top five ingredients in a cat food review this means there is more vegetable protein than animal protein. These grains are harder to digest and so it is eliminated as waste. A cat is not a human who is on a Vegan diet. Cats are animals that must have real protein to have proper nutrition.

There should never ever be by products in healthy cat food. By-products are ground up items that come off animals that should never be considered to put in pet food.

With fats, it needs to be animal fat to make the skin and fur beautiful and shiny. Vegetable fats and oils do not do the job. The best source to use is chicken. A cat can metabolize animal fats much better.

In a bag of cat food, healthy and holistic foods have antioxidants, Probiotics, beet fiber, and plenty of vitamins and minerals.

Now, what is in the bag of cat food sitting on the shelf right now? In the cat food review, a person could have their mouth on the ground. Thinking it is a name brand company surely the cat's nutrition would be fine. Well, think again!

Within five minutes of reading this article, a person has learned things a cat should be having. Beets help the cat with their sensitive tummy by helping their digestive track. A cat is always nibbling grass because they know from the wild it helps their stomach.

A bag of cat food is not designed for all cats. There are different life stages, breeds, personality, living environment, and activity levels in each cat.

A holistic pet food company knows cat nutrition inside and out. Everything is certified as holistic cat food. Even the plant and the packaging are designed for optimal health of the pets. Everything mentioned above in the first five ingredients that is supposed to be there in cat food, is. That is a great pet food company.

Check this company out for informational videos to reading labels to learning more about healthy food for cats. Life's Abundance will change the way a person reads a cat food label.

Josh Wallach, owner of HealthyPetsLife.com and National Field Representative for Life's Abundance offers Life's Abundance Premium Pet Food that is veterinarian-formulated to cater to your pets' needs, puppies or kittens, adult and even senior pets alike. Visit us at http://www.healthypetslife.com or call 800-699-0870.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_Wallach

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