{ THE BENEFITS OF EATING PETAI }

An advice from UKM Medical Doctor

Little did you know ...... After reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at petai in the same way again!

Petai contains three natural sugars -sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fiber, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS(premenstrual syndrome):
Forget the pills - eat petai. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anaemia:
High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power :
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation:
High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:
Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:
Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight:
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:
Many other cultures see petai as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In hoiland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking:
Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.

Strokes:
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine, " eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%".

Warts:
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A Petai a day keeps the doctor away".

{ THE ENEMY - FREE RADICALS }

by Ray D Strand, M.D. Specialist in Nutritional Medicine

In the process of creating energy within the furnace or fireplace of a cell, occasionally a charged oxygen molecule is created called a free radical. A free radical is an oxygen molecule that has at least one unpaired electron in its outer orbit. This literally gives the molecule an electrical charge, which creates very rapid movement as it tries to find an electron from the tissue around it. If it is not readily neutralized by an antioxidant, it can go on to damage the cell wall, vessel wall, proteins, fats, and even the DNA nucleus of the cell.

The medical and scientific literature has shown us beyond a shadow of a doubt that the root cause of over 70 chronic degenerative diseases is the result of oxidative stress from excessive free radicals. These are diseases like heart disease, diabetes, strokes, cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, and the list goes on and on. These diseases concern us, and we would certainly like to avoid them. You will learn in future emails why taking nutritional supplements gives you the best opportunity to prevent or delay these diseases.

{ FIBROMYALGIA: SORE FROM HEAD TO TOE }

Did you know that fibromyalgia is more common than rheumatoid arthritis? Read on to know what causes it and how to deal with it - BY KIM LAWSON

We all experience sore muscles or pains and aches at some point or the other. But when the pain is consistent, severe enough to stop you from living a normal life, you may suffer from what is called the Fibromyalgia Syndrome [fibromyalgia for short]. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition of widespread pain and profound fatigue. ‘Fibro’ stands for fibrous tissues such as tendons and ligaments; ‘my’ indicates muscles; and ‘algia’ means pain. So, fibromyalgia is pain and fatigue in the muscles and fibrous tissues of our body.

Since fibromyalgia is recognised as a collection of symptoms rather than by one specific symptom or malfunction, it is a syndrome.

Key characteristics

The most prominent feature of fibromyalgia is pain—a diffused aching or burning, often from head to toe. It may worsen at times and change location, usually becoming more severe in the most used parts of the body.

The fatigue ranges from simply feeling tired to feeling exhausted like in flu. The fatigue is not always constant; it may come and go and suddenly you feel drained of all energy—as if someone has just “pulled the plug”.

You will be surprised to know that fibromyalgia is a common illness. In fact, it is as common as rheumatoid arthritis and can even be more painful. With appropriate treatment, however, those with mild to moderate fibromyalgia can lead a normal life.

Fibromyalgia predominantly seems to affect women between the age 30 and 50. Although, increasing experience indicates that it can even affect males and individuals of all age groups.

Collection of symptoms

Besides pain and fatigue, fibromyalgia symptoms often include:

-Un-refreshing sleep—waking up tired and stiff
-Headaches—ranging from ordinary types to migraine
-Irritable bowel—frequent diarrhoea or constipation, sometimes accompanied by gas in the abdomen or nausea
-Cognitive disturbances including lack of concentration and word mix up
-Clumsiness and dizziness
-Sensitivity to changes in the weather and noise, bright lights, smoke and other environmental factors
-Allergies.

What causes fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia often develops after some sort of a trauma, which seems to act as a trigger, such as a fall or a car accident, a viral infection, childbirth, an operation or an emotional event. Sometimes the condition begins without any obvious trigger. The actual cause of fibromyalgia is yet unknown, but over the last few years, research has produced some insights into this puzzling condition. For instance, we now know that most people with fibromyalgia are deprived of deep restorative sleep.

Research has identified a deficiency in serotonin in the central nervous system and a resulting imbalance of substance P, a spinal fluid that transmits pain signals. It is hoped that more research will help discover the exact cause for more effective treatment.

Making a diagnosis

Although fibromyalgia is not a new condition, for most of the last century, it was difficult to diagnose because of the difficulty in identifying it through standard laboratory tests or X-rays. Moreover, many of its signs and symptoms are common to other conditions—especially chronic fatigue syndrome [CFS].

The breakthrough came only in 1970, when two Canadian doctors developed a way of diagnosing fibromyalgia, a way that is now widely accepted. Fibromyalgia is diagnosed once other medical conditions are ruled out through tests and the patient’s history.

The patient also displays two main symptoms:
-Widespread pain for more than three months and
-Pain in at least 11 out of 18 tender point sites when they are pressed.

‘Widespread pain’ means pain above and below the waist and on both sides of the body. The ‘tender points’, or spots of extreme tenderness, are rarely noticed by the patient until they are pressed.

Course of treatment

At present, treatment for fibromyalgia is symptomatic: it aims at reducing pain and improving sleep. In other words, the symptoms are treated rather than the condition itself. Medications most often prescribed for fibromyalgia are tricyclic drugs also used to treat depression—although doses for fibromyalgia are much lower than they are for depression. In some cases, these drugs ease pain as well as help the patient sleep.

Over-the-counter medications help relieve pain to some extent. Severe pain may require the expertise of a pain clinic. It is best to discuss any form of pain relief with your specialist or GP [general practioner]. Some people may require professional counselling to cope and take an active part in their own treatment.

Managing fibromyalgia

Learning to manage the condition seems, so far, the most successful way of dealing with fibromyalgia. A combination of heat therapy, rest, exercise and reducing stress can enable some people with fibromyalgia to maintain a productive life.

A number of alternative techniques are helpful in easing pain.

*Relaxation is a technique that works well for almost everybody with fibromyalgia. It reduces tension in the mind and body. The results are calming for all the symptoms, particularly, the pain.
*A hot water bottle and hot baths or showers, ease the pain and morning stiffness. Soaking hands and feet in hot water can diminish the ache.
*No particular diet directly helps patients with fibromyalgia. It is best, however, to avoid or at least cut down on your coffee, tea and alcohol intake. Some sufferers have a tendency to gain weight and this can be distressing in itself. Following a diet with protein, vitamins and minerals helps to control your weight and build strength.
*Family and friends can help the person deal with fibromyalgia by learning as much as possible about the condition. Discussing problems and working together can make big a difference.

The life of a person with fibromyalgia is a combination of good days and bad days. On a good day, it is important to pace yourself and rest; overdoing may simply make matters worse. Listen to your body when it tells you to slow down.