The Off Topic Thread...

Posted in fitness

eclectichoney wrote: »

Just a heads up that until the 16th August (I think) you can get a 500g bag of Brazil nuts in Holland & barrett for €3.50 as part of their food frenzy offer. very good price.

I was posting in long term illness yesterday...

Article on women, beer, psoriasis & UVB
http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Food/psoriasis_beer_vitamin_d_1708100557.html

Drinking non-light beer may boost risk of psoriasis in women, a study published in the December 2010 issue of Archives of Dermatology suggests.

Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune disease that occurs on the skin when the immune system send out wrong signals that speed up the growth of skin cells.

The study led by Abrar A. Qureshi, M.D., M.P.H., of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston found women who drank five or more non-light beers per week were 2.3 times as likely as those who did not drink beer to be diagnosed with psoriasis.

The authors of the study said in their report that alcoholic beverages have been suspected for a long time as a risk factor for psoriasis onset and psoriasis worsening. Alcohol drinkers are known to be more likely to suffer the disease and alcohol may exacerbate the severity of the disease.

For the study, the researchers surveyed 82,860 women aged 27 to 44 who participated in the NUrses' Health Study II for the amount and type pf alcohol they consumed through biennial questionnaires and participants reported also whether they were diagnosed with psoriasis.

Women who had an average of 2.3 drinks or more each week were 72 percent more likely than those who did not drink alcohol to report they suffered psoriasis, the study found.

Women who drank five or more non-light beers per week were found to have 1.8 times higher risk for the disease compared to those who did not drink non-light beers.

If only confirmed cases of psoriasis were considered, the risk for the condition was 2.3 times higher for those who drank five or more non-light beers per week compared to those who did not drink beer.

Light beer, wine and liqueurs on the other hand were not linked to increased risk for psoriasis.

The researchers suggested that malted barley, the main ingredient used in non-light beer, may be the culprit for the elevated risk of psoriasis.

Barley, they said, contains gluten, to which some people with psoriasis show a sensitivity. Light beers contain lower amounts of barley while non-light or dark beers contain higher amounts of this ingredient.

The authors suggested that women at a high risk of psoriasis may consider not drinking non-light beer.

Still, a health observer suggested that the association between consumption of non-light beer and elevated risk of psoriasis may be a causal relation.

He cited an article circulated over the internet saying that people tend to drink more dark beers in the winter when vitamin D deficiency is more commonly found than in the summer.

Vitamin D has been known to be involved in the immune system, and deficiency of this sunshine vitamin can cause a wide spectrum of diseases including autoimmune diseases, according to the Vitamin D Council. So it is possible that vitamin D deficiency is linked to increased risk of psoriasis.

In fact, vitamin D products are used to ease symptoms of psoriasis.

According to a study reported in the Aug 2009 issue of Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, calcitriol ointments can be used to improve symptoms of psoriasis. The efficacy may be boosted by ultraviolet B phototherapy.

Calcitriol is the naturally occurring active form of vitamin D3. Ultraviolet B can induce the vitamin when the skin is exposed to the UV ray.

In another report, the author whose name remains unknown in the pubmed database says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has actually approved one such ointment to treat psoriasis.

Because many factors may influence the risk of psoriasis, it remains unknown whether avoiding non-light beer would help reduce the risk.

This was on women but I have no doubt it applies to men. I know a bit about brewing, "Light" beers tend to be brewed out to completion, i.e. all sugars are fermented out so they are lower in calories compared to another beer brewed to the same alcohol level, e.g. both 4.2%. Also light beers might have sugar added to lessen the taste and make it "cleaner", so less barley.

I drink a lot of beer, maybe 35 cans a week of regular beer, I have noticed it got worse after drinking, this is also due to skin dehydration though. I have been reading a book on psoriasis that reckons it is caused by "leaky gut syndrome" and beer is a no-no for this. I have been sipping on sodium bicarbonate AKA baking soda AKA bread soda AKA bicarbonate of soda which helps neutralise the acids. The author talks of eating alkaline foods, and lists acidic causing foods, citric fruits are actually alkaline causing foods (while being acidic themselves). The diet is extremely strict but also says the main culprits are "nightshades", e.g. tomatoes, potatoes, peppers. Sweet potato is OK. The author did report less itching in a patient who drank bicarbonate of soda. I have found it did cause less of an effect and also calmed the acid stomach the next day.

Vitamin D is mentioned in that study too, which is very important IMO. I have a UVB light and my psoriasis is pretty much gone. In recent weeks I have been back eating small amounts of ketchup, chips, pizza and other "nightshades", and still drinking beer like a fish! I also stopped the UVB and it did come back slightly. Had a go of UVB and it is clearing up again.

___________________
another thread on sunbeds....

chirogirl wrote: »

However I got referred to a dermatolgist, who has referred me for PUVA light therapy in the hospital which starts this week.

I got a narrowband UVB bulb myself and it has worked wonders.

This study shows no real difference between PUVA & UVB http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17254029

This shows PUVA slightly better
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17584319

This says better results with Vitiligo with UVB
http://www.antivitiligo.com/vitiligo/research/vitiligo-treatment-uvb-puva.html

http://www.natbiocorp.com/equipment-selection-guide.htm

Do you need UVA, UVB, or narrowband UVB lights?

* Your doctor will decide the right wavelength for your skin and condition, but...
* UVA light is used with psoralen (PUVA), has longer treatment times, requires more doctor visits to monitor treatment, but is sometimes the most effective
* UVB light is generally safer and easier than UVA. Units cost a bit more, but you save with fewer co-pays and less time.
* Narrow band UVB lights are safest and fastest but may not always be appropriate for your condition. Learn more about narrow band UVB.

http://dermnetnz.org/procedures/puva.html

PUVA is used infrequently in New Zealand, as narrowband UVB phototherapy has been shown to be nearly as effective. UVB is also less complicated and less risky.

I think the "risk" mentioned is cancer risk.

In reading up a hell of a lot of sites it seems the cancer risk is very much overstated -for narrowband UVB anyway, some studies said there was no increase in risk at all, in fact some might suggest it could help combat other forms of cancer. The UVB is upping your vitamin D levels, which most people are deficient in, it could be that the extra vitamin D is counteracting any increased risk or something.

The problem with wideband UVB, or regular sunbeds is that you are getting unwanted light along with the particular wavelength of light which acts against psoriasis. So by using narrowband UVB light you only are subjected to far less radiation to get the same effect. It would be sort of like throwing buckets of water at a shot glass trying to fill it, when you could be using a small bottle, -sure it gets the job done but with unnecessary side effects.

What disgusted me most reading many forums is that some dermatologists refuse people UVB light, or will not prescribe them bulbs/lamps to use at home (some countries require a prescription to buy a lamp). Seems like some of them are just businessmen and only interested in maintaining a lifelong patient/customer. I also suppose pharmaceutical companies are crapping themselves at the thought of lost sales due to such a simple therapy.

Some people do put unusual trust in doctors but I view them like any other type of business, apple put crap batteries in the ipods to keep you coming back to get more, many people have built in obsolescence in machines, I suppose some doctors might care more about continued income than what is actual best for the patient. One member on a forum said his dermatologist claimed he had never even heard of UVB/light therapy! if he was that ignorant he should not be allowed practice.

Just found this great site with loads of referenced studies, but they talk about them in easy to understand layman terms.

Scroll down a bit and you will see loads of links.

http://www.ergo-log.com/

Its more aimed at athletes but has some good stuff, e.g. on vitamin d

http://www.google.com/custom?domains=ergo-log.com&q=vitamin+d&sa=+search+&sitesearch=ergo-log.com&client=pub-7117181179885591&forid=1&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=LH%3A36%3BLW%3A92%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.ergo-log.com%2Fplaatjes%2Flogo.gif%3B%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2F%3BFORID%3A1%3B&hl=en

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

Did you ever try those now digestive enzymes?

I heard of some tablet called beano. Poitin makers meant to use it as it would turn the starches in grains into sugars without having to bother with the malting process.

Thought it was specific to Ireland but shows up on wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beano_(dietary_supplement)