What Is Leukemia? What Causes Leukemia?

The word Leukemia comes from the Greek leukos which means "white" and aima which means "blood". It is cancer of the blood or bone marrow (which produces blood cells). A person who has leukemia suffers from an abnormal production of blood cells, generally leukocytes (white blood cells).

The DNA of immature blood cells, mainly white cells, becomes damaged in some way. This abnormality causes the blood cells to grow and divide chaotically. Normal blood cells die after a while and are replaced by new cells which are produced in the bone marrow. The abnormal blood cells do not die so easily, and accumulate, occupying more and more space. As more and more space is occupied by these faulty blood cells there is less and less space for the normal cells - and the sufferer becomes ill. Quite simply, the bad cells crowd out the good cells in the blood.

In order to better understand what goes on we need to have a look at what the bone marrow does 

Function of the bone marrow

The bone marrow is found in the inside of bones. The marrow in the large bones of adults produces blood cells. Approximately 4% of our total bodyweight consists of bone marrow.

There are two types of bone marrow: 1. Red marrow, made up mainly of myeloid tissue. 2. Yellow marrow, made up mostly of fat cells. Red marrow can be found in the flat bones, such as the breast bone, skull, vertebrae, shoulder blades, hip bone and ribs. Red marrow can also be found at the ends of long bones, such as the humerus and femur.

White blood cells (lymphocytes), red blood cells and platelets are produced in the red marrow. Red blood cells carry oxygen, white blood cells fight diseases. Platelets are essential for blood clotting. Yellow marrow can be found in the inside of the middle section of long bones.

If a person loses a lot of blood the body can convert yellow marrow to red marrow in order to raise blood cell production.

White blood cells, red blood cells and platelets exist in plasma - Blood plasma is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells are suspended.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development.

Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine. That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet.

Function

Vitamin C is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It is necessary to form collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for the healing of wounds, and for the repair and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.

Vitamin C is one of many antioxidants. Vitamin E and beta-carotene are two other well-known antioxidants. Antioxidants are nutrients that block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which are by-products that result when our bodies transform food into energy.

The build up of these by-products over time is largely responsible for the aging process and can contribute to the development of various health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and a host of inflammatory conditions like arthritis. Antioxidants also help reduce the damage to the body caused by toxic chemicals and pollutants such as cigarette smoke.

The body does not manufacture vitamin C on its own, nor does it store it. It is therefore important to include plenty of vitamin C-containing foods in your daily diet.

Food Sources

All fruits and vegetables contain some amount of vitamin C. Foods that tend to be the highest sources of vitamin C include green peppers, citrus fruits and juices, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, turnip greens and other leafy greens, sweet and white potatoes, and cantaloupe.

Other excellent sources include papaya, mango, watermelon, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, winter squash, red peppers, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, and pineapples.

Running Health Benefits

Running is a fabulous workout to condition your body. It serves as the perfect remedy to get rid of your flabby abs and shed those extra pounds on your body. Not only it helps in fastening your weight loss program, but also it helps to overcome aging problem and thus makes you look ten years younger. In the present times, people are leading such an unhealthy lifestyle that they virtually have no time to workout, to strengthen their body and to keep fit. It is, thence, that running helps in strengthening your body muscles and keeping you in shape. Running also closes the gateway for diseases like breast cancer, heart stroke, diabetes, hypertension etc, thus protecting you from the clutches of these ugly problems. To know more about the heath and psychological benefits about running, check out the following lines.

Health Benefits Of Running

• One of the most popular benefits of running is to reduce or manage weight. It burns more calories per minute, than any other form of cardiovascular exercise. Research proves the fact that running burns an average of 100 calories per each mile.
• Running has proved to be beneficial in slowing the aging process. People, who run regularly, do not face muscle or bone loss in comparison to their counterparts.

VITAMIN B COMPLEX

Vitamin B1

Vitamin B1, also called thiamin is a water-soluble vitamin that is essential for the breakdown of carbohydrates into the simple sugar glucose. Thiamin is also important for the proper functioning of the nervous system.
Thiamin is found in whole-grain cereals, bread, red meat, egg yolks, green leafy vegetables, legumes, sweet corn, brown rice, berries, and yeast.
Thiamin is absorbed through the intestines.

Deficiency of Vitamin B1

Thiamin deficiency is rare. However, thiamin deficiency often occurs in alcoholics. It occurs in alcoholics because alcohol interferes with the absorption of thiamin through the intestines. Thiamin deficiency can cause beriberi, wernicke's encephelopathy, and sensitivity of the teeth, cheeks and gums.

Too Much Vitamin B1

Large doses (5,000 to 10,000 mg) can cause headaches, irritability, rapid pulse, and weakness 

Vitamin A (Retinol)

 Vitamin A and its metabolites play diverse roles in physiology, ranging from incorporation into vision pigments to controlling transcription of a host of important genes. Health depends on maintaining vitamin A levels within a normal range, as either too little or too much of this vitamin lead to serious disease. 

Structure

Vitamin A or retinol has a structure depicted to the right. Retinol is the immediate precursor to two important active metabolites: retinal, which plays a critical role in vision, and retinoic acid, which serves as an intracellular messenger that affects transcription of a number of genes. Vitamin A does not occur in plants, but many plants contain carotenoids such as beta-carotene that can be converted to vitamin A within the intestine and other tissues. 

Vitamin A - good sources of nutrients - pamphlet

This is one in a series of fact sheets containing information to help you select foods that provide adequate daily amounts of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber as you follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Guidelines are--

* Eat a variety of Foods
* Maintain Desirable Weight
* Avoid Too much Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol
* Eat Foods with Adequate Starch and Fiber
* Avoid Too Much Sugar
* Avoid Too Much Sodium
* If you Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So in Moderation

What Is Meant By Good Food Source?

A good food source of vitamin A contains a substantial amount of vitamin A and/or carotenes (converted to vitamin A in the body) in relation to its calorie content and contributes at least 10 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (U.S. RDA) for vitamin A in a selected serving size or a unit of measure considered easy for the consumer to use. The U.S. RDA for vitamin A is 1,000 retinol equivalents per day.

Causes of heart disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is usually caused by a build-up of fatty deposits on the walls of the coronary arteries. The fatty deposits, called atheroma, are made up of cholesterol and other waste substances.
The build up of atheroma on the walls of the coronary arteries makes the arteries narrower and restricts the flow of blood to the heart. This process is called atherosclerosis. Your risk of developing atherosclerosis is significantly increased if you:

• smoke,
• have high blood pressure,
• have a high blood cholesterol level,
• do not take regular exercise,
• have a thrombosis, and
• have diabetes.

Other risk factors for developing atherosclerosis include:

• being obese or overweight, and
• having a family history of heart attack or angina.

For men, the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis is increased if you have a close family member (father or brother) who has had a heart attack or angina before the age of 55. For women, the risk is increased if you have a close family member (mother or sister) who has had a heart attack or angina before the age of 65.