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Role of Nutrition and Diet Therapy in Boosting Immunity
Published in Mehwish Iqbal, Complementary and Alternative Medicinal Approaches for Enhancing Immunity, 2023
The pelvis and legs get more open, flexible and the central muscles get strengthened while the lower regions of the legs are extended additionally. When the person sits to consume food in a suitable position, all digestive juices start releasing in the stomach, which then prepares the stomach for dealing with the food. The vagus nerve (the principal nerve in the human body that transmits the signal from the gastric system to the nervous system) starts working appropriately as soon as the person begins eating; sitting on the floor improves the nerve's functions and transfers all signals efficiently (de Brito et al., 2014; MacDonald, 2010; Sampath, 2015).
Ayurveda and COVID-19
Published in Srijan Goswami, Chiranjeeb Dey, COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2, 2022
The parasympathetic nervous system is mainly the peacetime nervous system. It conserves energy and restores normalcy. The heart rate is slowed down, blood pressure is reduced, and the blood supply is directed to the digestive system. It ensures a proper supply of digestive juices like saliva, gastric juice, intestinal juices, and bile for digestion. Nutrition absorbed from digestion is taken to the liver for processing and then carried to all the organs. The parasympathetic system aids the functions of renovation, rejuvenation, and reconstruction. The parasympathetic nervous system uses acetylcholine as its neurotransmitter.
Basic medicine: physiology
Published in Roy Palmer, Diana Wetherill, Medicine for Lawyers, 2020
The functions of the gastrointestinal tract include transport, secretion of digestive juices, absorption of nutrients and clearance of waste. Besides the hollow tube of the alimentary canal (Figure 1.3), the gastrointestinal system comprises the biliary tract and pancreas, which are concerned with digestion, and the liver where much of the body’s metabolism takes place—notably the biochemical processes by which nutrients are converted into energy and building blocks such as albumin (the main protein in the blood). Entry of food into the mouth stimulates the flow of saliva and gastric (stomach) juice; in fact, even the thought of food can induce salivation, as Pavlov showed in dogs. Swallowing, which starts as a voluntary exercise and continues involuntarily, transmits the bolus of food from the mouth to the stomach via the oesophagus (gullet). In the stomach food is physically mashed up by muscular contraction, and the process of digestion is begun by the proteolytic (protein-splitting) enzyme pepsin. Pepsin works at an acidic pH, and the strong hydrochloric acid secreted by the gastric lining also sterilizes the food; excess gastric acid contributes to duodenal ulcer disease.
Experimental and computational models to investigate intestinal drug permeability and metabolism
Published in Xenobiotica, 2023
Jinyuan Chen, Ziyun Yuan, Yifan Tu, Wanyu Hu, Cong Xie, Ling Ye
The intestinal loop method involves ligating an intestinal segment of a laboratory animal, such as a rat, to ensure normal blood supply and muscle movement (Keschenau et al. 2019). After, drugs are injected into the ligated intestinal segment, and concentration changes in the drugs (or changes in the intestinal segment) are studied after a certain period of time (Boerner et al. 2021). The whole process is designed to ensure that the physiological conditions in the ligated intestinal segments of the rats are normal (e.g. body temperature, peristalsis, and blood supply). After removal, the tissues of the intestinal segment can be cryopreserved, and the fluorescence and morphology of the intestine can be observed under a microscope (Wang et al. 2022). Alternatively, the drug content can be assessed by dissolving the tissues in acetonitrile for quantification (Wang and Rustum 2022). In addition, the remaining drug solution can be collected for estimation of the concentration (McClean et al. 1998; Yuan et al. 2013; Cho et al. 2014). This method is easier to implement than the in situ perfusion method. However, food residues may remain in the intestine, and a large volume of digestive juices will be secreted during the experiment, which will interfere with the subsequent analysis.
Nutritional Support in Older Patients with Esophageal Cancer Undergoing Chemoradiotherapy
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2022
Diğdem Doğan Akagündüz, Perim Fatma Türker
The current specialized nutrition guidelines and high-quality clinical studies are still lacking for patients with EC undergoing CRT. Previous studies have pointed out that patients with esophageal cancer can lose 5–10 kg of body weight (32). These negative results can be seen more frequently, especially in older patients with EC. It is necessary to improve the nutritional status of patients through nutritional support to ensure the successful completion of treatment and improve the patients’ quality of life. Enteral nutritional support is suitable for the physiological process and can relieve the patient’s pain. In addition, it stimulates the secretion of digestive juices, prevents intestinal dysbiosis, and helps maintain the integrity of the mucosal membrane structure. The immune system is improved with enteral nutrition, which reduces the incidence of adverse reactions and increases treatment completion rates. For this reason, enteral nutrition should be preferred in older patients with EC. We need more large-scale randomized controlled trials to figure out the best way to feed someone through an enteral tube and the best artificial formula.
Evaluation of gallstone classification and their diagnosis through serum parameters as emerging tools in treatment: a narrative review
Published in Postgraduate Medicine, 2022
Bhavna Sharma, Shubha Rani Sharma
Gallstones are associated with various risk factors which include age, gender, obesity and body fat allocation, quick weight loss, diet, physical activity, drugs, diabetes, and genetics. Gallstones may cause different health conditions like blockage of the digestive juices which can catalyze swelling of the gallbladder or cholecystitis which can lead to the destruction of the pancreas. Other conditions include Bouveret syndrome (blockage of the duodenum by gallstones), obstructive jaundice, pancreatitis, and gallstones ileus (blockage of the small bowel by gallstones) [4]. If left untreated, these stones can be life-threatening. It has been found that patients having gallstones are more prone to gallbladder cancer [5]. The symptoms of gallstones are also not definite, some of the gallstones remain as ‘silent gallstones’ but symptoms are noticed as complications develop. These include pain in the abdomen usually in the right upper part, vomiting, fever, nausea, indigestion, bloating, and jaundice [6].