Marla Ahlgrimm | Diabetes, Food Safety, & You

Food safety is something all Americans should take seriously. But, according to Marla Ahlgrimm, if you have diabetes, you must pay extra attention to what you put into your body. This includes being careful to avoid parasites and food poisoning. Keep reading as the women’s health author and entrepreneur explains why food safety is so important when you have diabetes.

Q: My immune system isn’t affected by diabetes, right?

Marla Ahlgrimm: Actually, anytime you have a chronic illness, your immune system may be compromised. In non-diabetic adults, ingesting a few pathogens may only cause a small stomach upset. However, people with diabetes can experience serious side-effects when ingesting bacteria, viruses, or other unintentional microorganisms. This can lead to a serious and systemic infection that can put your life at risk.

Marla Ahlgrimm: How Does Coffee Affect Health?

Throughout the ages, coffee has been both lauded and lamented for its perceived benefits and risks. According to Marla Ahlgrimm, coffee, like most everything else, is best consumed in moderation. The retired pharmacist and author explains that high doses of caffeine, the pep-you-up chemical found in your favorite warm brew, may actually damage the neuroendocrine system.

The neuroendocrine system, Marla Ahlgrimm explains, is a series of internal processes that make up the immune, endocrine, and nervous system. Long-term, over-exposure to caffeine can force the neuroendocrine system off balance. An excess of coffee or energy drinks can cause stress on the body, which, in turn, tells the brain to release cortisol.

That is not to say that coffee is completely bad, as, in small doses, it does have some subjective benefits. Marla Ahlgrimm explains that one cup of coffee in the morning can serve as both a physical and emotional boost. Caffeine alters the effect of serotonin receptors, which can result in an elevated mood. Further, caffeine suppresses the release of GABA, a hormone that triggers sleepiness. This is partially why people feel so alert after a latte.

Marla Ahlgrimm: To Bra or Not To Bra?

Bras are an uncomfortable reality for most women. But, are the supportive paraphernalia really necessary? Marla Ahlgrimm says yes and no.

Q: Is it dangerous to go without wearing a bra?

Marla Ahlgrimm: Not necessarily. Back in the 1960s, there was a concern that the Cooper’s ligaments, ligaments that help keep the breast in place, would stretch and droop in women who decided to let the girls be free. However, that thinking has fallen out of favor. A woman likely will not experience any sort of breast disfigurement, but she may find that her back aches more often if her breasts are not supported.

Mental Health: A Monthly Cycle | Marla Ahlgrimm

Even the most even-tempered woman can shift into someone unrecognizable when “that time of the month” hits, says Marla Ahlgrimm. The majority of women experience strong emotional symptoms along with the cramping, bloating, and hunger of PMS. But why?

Hormones and Mental Health

According to Marla Ahlgrimm very little is understood about the link between reproductive hormones and mental health. Given the fact that virtually 100 percent of women menstruate at some point in their lives, this is something that warrants additional research. Doctors are not really sure why shifting hormones affect mood just that they do.

During a woman’s monthly cycle, her hormones change and estrogen and progesterone levels dip, drop, and rebound. Some healthcare experts speculate that these shifting hormone levels actually change the way the brain interprets various signals. Others expect that these chemicals alter not only perception but also the physical route that sensory input travels through the brain.

Marla Ahlgrimm | New Hope For Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease well-known to women. Marla Ahlgrimm explains that women beyond menopause are the most at-risk of the condition, which happens when bone tissue cannot regenerate faster than it is lost. Researchers at Duke University have recently identified a biochemical receptor in mice that may change everything.

Q: What is osteoporosis?

Marla Ahlgrimm: Osteoporosis is often called brittle bone disease. Many people do not realize it, but bone is actually living tissue. Just like skin and hair, it wears down and regenerates continually. Unfortunately, bone regeneration slows with age, and shifting hormones in women can make bone growth grind to a near halt.

Q: How is osteoporosis treated?

Marla Ahlgrimm: The vast majority of physicians recommend eating a diet high in calcium and vitamin D, exercising, and, in advanced cases, taking medications that stop bone loss.

Q: Is stopping or slowing bone loss enough?

Marla Ahlgrimm: In the early stages, yes. However, stopping bone loss does not replace nor does it strengthen bones. Biomedical engineers at Duke have found that injecting a synthetic form of adenosine (a chemical found naturally in the body) directly into specific receptors in mice completely reverses the effects of bone degradation. The study does not mean that we can eradicate the condition, but it does give hope that women in the future might have some additional ways to protect themselves.

Q: Why not take a supplement with adenosine; wouldn’t that have the same effect?

Marla Ahlgrimm: No. Adenosine has many different roles in the human body. It works to regulate blood flow to specific organs and has an effect on neurons. Taking a supplement or doing an intravenous injection would flood the body and can affect areas beyond the bones. There are many other studies in the works, and it may take many years, but there is hope that bone-growth drugs may be on the way.

Marla Ahlgrimm: Carbohydrates and You

Carbohydrates have a bad reputation, especially among women who want to whittle down their waist. But, Marla Ahlgrimm explains that not all carbohydrates are alike, and the body needs carbs to survive.

Q: What are the different forms of carbohydrates?

Marla Ahlgrimm: There are two forms of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Complex carbohydrates, which includes starches and fibers, are found in healthy foods like whole grains, dried beans, and vegetables. Simple carbohydrates are sugars found in fruits and milk products. Even some vegetables contain some sugars, so it is important to know the nutrient makeup of everything you eat if you are trying to watch your weight or improve your overall health.

Marla Ahlgrimm: Women’s Health Conditions That Never Were

Medicine has come a long way since ancient times. Nonetheless, according to Marla Ahlgrimm, there have been many “conditions” that were never problems in the first place, and some that persisted into modern times. Here, we look at two of these specific to women.

Bicycle face

Just before the turn of the 20th century, Dr. A. Shadwell was published in National Review for his views on a unique condition common in women of the age. Bicycle face, he asserted, was the result of a person pushing themselves further than their physical prowess allowed. Marla Ahlgrimm explains that women with bicycle face looked anxious, irritable, or strained while pedaling around town.