Let’s Learn About Different Vitamins And Their Importance In Our Body
For a healthy body, we need an adequate amount of carbohydrates, protein, good fats, vitamins and minerals. There are different kind of vitamins that perform different functions in our body. Today, ILS Hospitals, one of the best hospitals in Kolkata and Agartala, will enlighten you about different vitamins and their importance in the human body.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is crucial for healthy vision and preventing night blindness. This vitamin also helps in fostering cell development, healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin A ensures good reproductive health and allows the other organs like kidney, heart and lungs to function properly.
Best food sources: Eggs, fish, carrots, dairy products, spinach, pumpkin etc.
Vitamin B
Vitamin B helps in the body’s metabolism and cell development. There are different types of vitamin B, each performing their own functions. Let’s talk about a few here.
Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid or Folate): Vitamin B9 converts food into energy and is vital for pregnant women to help prevent congenital defects. Folate can be derived from natural food sources (eggs, fish, beans, peas and so on) while folic acid, being a synthetic form is consumed in the form of pills.
Biotin (also called Vitamin B7, B8 and Vitamin H): Biotin maintains the body’s metabolism and improves the health of skin, hair, and nails. Best food sources for biotin are egg yolks, soybeans and fish, sweet potatoes, chicken liver, whole grains, etc.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin): Vitamin B12 helps in the formation of red blood cells, DNA, RNA and myelin. This vitamin prevents congenital defects, memory loss and depression.
Best food sources: Vitamin B12 is present in almost all animal products, like eggs, milk, seafood, and meat.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C repairs the body tissues and strengthens the immune system. It fosters the wound healing process and protects cells from any damage.
Best food sources: All citrus fruits, cauliflower, capsicum, papaya etc.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D ensures healthy bones by allowing the body to absorb calcium, maintains phosphorus levels in the blood and reduces depression.
Best food sources: Egg yolks, cod liver oil, fatty fishes, mushrooms, milk and milk products.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E prevents cell damage, heart diseases and inflammation. It is best for promoting good vision, healthy hair and skin.
Best food sources: Almonds, peanuts, walnuts, olive oil, sunflower oil, dried apricots etc.
Vitamin K
Vitamin K helps in blood clotting, prevents osteoporosis, tooth decay and certain diseases.
Best food sources: Soybeans, egg yolks, chicken, cabbage, spinach and pumpkin.
We hope you found this blog informative. Hospitals in Agartala and Kolkata is always available to give you good medical service.
How To Take Care Of Your Child’s Health
Parenting is no child’s play. It takes multiple efforts and patience from the parent’s end to raise healthy children. Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders so taking care of them means ensuring a healthy future of our country.
As a parent, it’s normal to be constantly worried about your kid’s health. So, today ILS Hospitals, the best hospital in Kolkata would like to share some health tips that will ensure your child’s good health. Let’s take a look at them.
1. Serve nutritious food:
Children are picky eaters by nature which can cause problems to the parents and affect the child’s growth and development. Your children deserve adequate nutrition which they will get from fruits, vegetables, pulses, dairy, meat and nuts. Your children do not like eating nutritious foods because they find it boring. Serve healthy meals with a tasty twist. Start with a wholesome breakfast of poha, upma, oats idli, stuffed parantha, boiled eggs, whole-wheat toast and milk. Ensure to pack one fruit of any choice on your kid’s lunch box. For lunch and dinner, you can go for the basic rice, roti, dal, vegetable curries, meat, salad and so on.
2. Feed your child frequently:
Mothers usually stuff their children’s plate with foods in larger quantities. Let your child eat frequent small meals throughout the day. Instead of piling up your kid’s plate with more food allow your child to ask for a second serving. The notion is to ensure that your children eat 4-5 meals a day to get more energy and nutrition.
3. Give them a glass of milk daily:
Give your children a glass of milk daily either during the morning or evening. If your child finds it difficult to fall asleep at night then let them drink milk before going to bed.
4. Encourage good hygiene:
Teach your kids to wash their hands properly and frequently as and when required to prevent infections and diseases.
5. Pay attention to their mental well-being:
Children are sensitive. A loving environment will improve your child’s mental health. Give lots of love and support to your kids.
6. Take them to get routine health checkups:
Regular health checkups are important for your child’s good health. ILS Hospitals value your child’s health and well-being so we offer Child Health Checkup Packages in our hospital units. Our Paediatric Unit works around the clock to ensure your child’s health and mental well-being.
Visit ILS Hospitals, the best hospital in Kolkata and Agartala for optimal medical supervision.
What Is Food Poisoning? Is Food Poisoning A Medical Emergency?
Food nourishes our body but sometimes it can even become poisonous due to the presence of dangerous bacteria, parasites and viruses like Salmonella, E.Coli, Listeria, Trichinella, Toxoplasma, and Norovirus. Food poisoning is a common gastrointestinal condition caused by the consumption of infected or contaminated food. If left ignored, it can even become a medical emergency.
Today, ILS Hospitals would like to discuss food poisoning in brief. So, read this blog to understand more about this unpleasant medical condition.
Symptoms
There are always tell-tale symptoms of any medical condition. The symptoms of food poisoning are mentioned below:
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Nausea and vomiting
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Diarrhoea
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Poor appetite
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Abdominal cramps
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Fever and chills.
Immediately rush to the hospital’s ER if the above symptoms persist for more than three days and when you notice severe symptoms as shown below:
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Dehydrated body (dry mouth and no urine)
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Blood in vomit, stool or urine
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Dizziness and weakness
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High fever
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Hazy vision
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Muscle cramps
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Severe weakness.
Causes
Apart from certain bacteria, parasites and viruses, are there any other causes for food poisoning? Yes, the following can also cause food poisoning.
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Eating raw or undercooked eggs, fish, chicken and other meats
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Eating uncleaned or not properly washed fruits
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Consuming raw and imperfectly cooked vegetables and leafy greens like cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, cauliflower, mustard greens etc.
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Preparing food without maintaining any hygiene
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Drinking unpasteurized milk and consuming its products
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Having improperly stored food.
Diagnosis
The doctor will diagnose your food poisoning through physical exams and by keeping note of your medical history and present condition. In the case of food poisoning, you’ll be prescribed these primary diagnostic tests by the medical practitioner:
– Samples of the eaten food
– Blood test
– Stool test.
Treatment
Mostly, food poisoning cases solve on their own by doing the following things:
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Sipping plenty of fluids and oral rehydration solution (ORS)
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Eating a bland and nutritious diet
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Avoiding spicy, fatty and oily foods
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Eating lighter meals
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Consuming vegetable soups and fruit juices
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Avoiding dairy and dairy products
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Taking plenty of rest
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Having medicines prescribed by the medical professional.
If the condition still doesn’t get better, then it might indicate a serious medical condition. Food poisoning is surely a medical emergency if it lasts for many days and the symptoms get worse. So, always eat fresh, clean and properly cooked food. Also, ensure that the food is prepared by freshly washed hands. Come to ILS Hospitals in Kolkata or Agartala for any medical help.
Follow These Tips For A Healthier Immunity During Winter Season
Winter season, the season most preferred over summer by many of us. The cold season provides relief from scorching heat and high temperatures to everyone. But everything has pros and cons, the cold season is no special case. It is also the time when our immune system slows down and brings some troubles to our bodies.
Good immune system is the foundation of a healthy body. We understand how exhausting it is to deal with winter cough and colds, so on that note, ILS Hospitals, one of the best hospitals in Kolkata and Agartala would like to share some tips which you can follow for a healthier immunity.
The immune-boosting tips are as follows:
1. Watch your diet:
To build your immunity, you should make it a “rule” that what goes on your plate is healthy and agreeable to your body. Seasonal fruits and vegetables should be inside your refrigerator. Let’s look at the immune-boosting foods:
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Spinach
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Mustard greens
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Mushrooms
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Broccoli
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Chickpeas
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Strawberries
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Oranges
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Sweet potatoes.
2. Include herbs and spices:
Our country is the land of spices. Thankfully, the Indian diet revolves around immune-boosting spices like turmeric (haldi), pepper, cinnamon, fennel, cumin, clove, asafoetida (hing) and so on. We also have medicinal herbs like basil (tulsi), coriander and liquorice (mulethi), proven to be winter’s best friend. Feel free to relish on these useful herbs and spices during the cold season.
3. Hydration is the key:
Many people mistakenly believe that winter means not bothering much about filling the water bottles. They are wrong! It does not matter whatever the season is, hydration is always the key. Apart from water, you can opt for hot beverages like soups, herbal teas (or good old masala chai), hot chocolate milk and the infamous turmeric latte (haldi doodh), for strengthening your immunity.
4. Go out and exercise:
Let’s not forget the importance of exercise during winters. If exercise is not up to your liking, try outdoor sports like badminton, football and cricket.
5. Relax and rest:
A well-rested body has strong immunity power. Get near about 8 hours of sleep and give your body rest whenever it is required.
6. Remove stress from your life:
Winter blues are common and real. Stress and depression are the worst killers, the cells of our body react to every emotion. So, just be stress-free by doing what you love and spend time with your loved ones.
We hope you liked our simple immune-boosting tips. You can always come to ILS Hospitals, for any medical reason. We are one of the best multi-speciality hospitals in Kolkata.