Dextrose Health Dictionary

Glucose, also known as dextrose or grape sugar, is the form of sugar found in honey and in grapes and some other fruits. It is also the form of sugar circulating in the bloodstream, and the form into which all sugars and starches are converted in the small INTESTINE before being absorbed. Glucose is a yellowish-white crystalline substance soluble in water and having the property of turning a ray of polarised light to the right. It is often given to patients orally or, sometimes, intravenously as an easily assimilated form of CARBOHYDRATE. It has the further practical advantage in this context of not being nearly as sweet-tasting as cane sugar and therefore relatively large amounts can be consumed without sickening the patient.... glucose

If you enjoy a cup of herbal tea, then sarsaparilla tea can count as a good choice for a daily beverage. The many health benefits should also tempt you to give it a try. Find out more about sarsaparilla tea. About Sarsaparilla Tea Sarsaparilla tea is made from the roots of sarsaparilla, a plant native to Central and South America. It is also known by the name Smilax regelii. In Spanish, it is called zarzaparrilla; “zarza” means “shrub” and “parrilla” means “little grape vine”. Sarsaparilla is a perennial plant which has a trailing vine with lots of wood-like stems and long thorns. It has small, greenish flowers which grow in axillary umbels. It is often used to flavor soft drinks. There is also the “false sarsaparilla”, native to South Asia. It belongs to a different plant family and genus, and it is often used in place of sarsaparilla. The false sarsaparilla is a slender shrub with woody and aromatic roots and many slender stems. It has small leaves and greenish flowers. Sarsaparilla Tea Constituents Both types of sarsaparilla have their own active constituents. The usual type includes sarsasaponin, sarsaparilloside, flavonoids, sarsapac acid, dextrose, and fatty acids. Meanwhile, the “false sarsaparilla” has some of the following constituents: coumarins, saraponins, starch, tannins, tannic acid, glucose, phenols, iron, and magnesium. Both the American type and the South Asian one can be used to make sarsaparilla tea, which gets the active constituents found in the roots. How to prepare Sarsaparilla Tea No matter the variety, you can easily prepare a cup of sarsaparilla tea. Just add about 1 gram of chopped dried root to a cup of freshly boiled water. Let it steep for about 10 minutes; then, stream to remove the root pieces. Sarsaparilla Tea Benefits The American and South Asian sarsaparilla root share a few health benefits, which are transferred to sarsaparilla tea, as well. They are used to treat various skin problems, such as eczema or psoriasis. Drinking sarsaparilla tea also helps you with arthritis, gout, and rheumatism. This tea is also included in the treatment of various sexual diseases, such as herpes, gonorrhea or syphilis. Drinking sarsaparilla tea might help improve your memory and mental concentration. It also helps with urinary tract infections, and menopausal symptoms. It can even be applied topically, to treat sores and burns. The tea made with the American sarsaparilla is believed to improve the sexual performance, and to enhance virility. If you’re using the ‘false sarsaparilla’ to make sarsaparilla tea, this can help fight various digestive problems and upper respiratory infections. Sarsaparilla Tea Side Effects It is recommended not to drink sarsaparilla tea if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Sarsaparilla tea can affect the baby in both cases. Also, don’t drink this tea if you’ve got asthma; it might worsen your condition. If you’re under any kind of medication (especially if you’re taking other diuretics), make sure you talk with your doctor first before you start drinking sarsaparilla tea. Also, be careful with the amount of sarsaparilla tea you drink. If you drink too much, it might cause digestive problems. Sarsaparilla tea is a pleasant everyday herbal tea. With its many health benefits, just one cup can help you stay healthy.... discover sarsaparilla tea!

In?ammation of the STOMACH and intestines (see INTESTINE), usually resulting from an acute bacterial or viral infection. The main symptoms are diarrhoea and vomiting, often accompanied by fever and – especially in infants – DEHYDRATION. Although generally a mild disease in western countries, it is the number-one killer of infants in the developing world, with more than 1·5 million children dying annually from the disease in India – a situation exacerbated by early weaning and malnutrition. Complications may include CONVULSIONS, kidney failure, and, in severe cases, brain damage.

Treatment This involves the urgent correction of dehydration, using intravenous saline and dextrose feeds initially, with continuing replacement as required. Antibiotics are not indicated unless systemic spread of bacterial infection is likely. (See also FOOD POISONING.)... gastroenteritis

n. (in pharmacy) any substance that acts as the medium in which a drug is administered. Examples are sterile water, isotonic sodium chloride, and dextrose solutions.... vehicle

(Linn.) Lam.

Habitat: Native to tropical America; cultivated throughout India for edible tubers.

English: Sweet potato.

Ayurvedic: Mukhaaluka, Rataalu, Raktaalu, Raktapindaka, Raktakan- da.

Siddha/Tamil: Sakkareivelleikulan- gu.

Unani: Shakarkand, Rataalu.

Action: Root—used in strangury, urinary discharges, burning sensation, thirst. Whole plant—used in low fever and skin diseases.

Cooked tubers contain reducing sugars 6.45, sucrose 2.23, maltose 864, dextrins 0.51 and polysaccharides 14-13%. Cooking increases the sweetness as a result of the hydrolysis of starch to maltose and dextrins through the action of beta-amylase.

Sweet potatoes are rich in starch content. During the storage a part of starch content is converted into reducing sugars and subsequently into sucrose. In a sample stored for 5 months, the starch content was reduced from 19.1% to 14.1% while the percentage of reducing sugars (as dextrose) and sucrose increased from 0.9 to 1.7 and 1.9 to 6.1% respectively.

Indian types with white flesh contain little or no carotene, while American types with pink flesh contain as high as 5.4-7.2 mg/100 g of carotene. Vitamins present in the tubers are : thiamine 0.09-0.14, riboflavin 0.05-0.10 and vitamin C 16-22 mg/100 g.

The hot aqueous extract of leaves exhibits significant inhibitory activity of rat lens aldose reductase (AR). Ellagic and 3,5-dicaffoylquinic acids have been isolated as potent inhibitors.

The leaves also contain polysaccha- rides which increase the platelet count in experimental animals due to enhanced production ofthrombopoietin.

From the stem and root, hexadecyl, octadecyl and eicosyl p-coumarates have been isolated.

The tubers show significant lectin activity and exhibit haemagglutinating activity in trypsinized rabbit erythro- cytes.... ipomoea batatas

In severely ill patients – especially those who have had major surgery or those with SEPSIS, burns, acute pancreatitis (see PANCREAS, DISORDERS OF) and renal failure – the body’s reserves of protein become exhausted. This results in weight loss; reduction in muscle mass; a fall in the serum albumin (see ALBUMINS) and LYMPHOCYTE count; and an impairment of cellular IMMUNITY. Severely ill patients are unable to take adequate food by mouth to repair the body protein loss so that enteral or parenteral nutrition is required. Enteral feeding is through the gastrointestinal tract with the aid of a nasogastric tube; parenteral nutrition involves the provision of carbohydrate, fat and proteins by intravenous administration.

The preferred route for the infusion of hyperosmolar solutions is via a central venous catheter (see CATHETERS). If parenteral nutrition is required for more than two weeks, it is advisable to use a long-term type of catheter such as the Broviac, Hickman or extra-corporeal type, which is made of silastic material and is inserted via a long subcutaneous tunnel; this not only helps to ?x the catheter but also minimises the risk of ascending infection.

Dextrose is considered the best source of carbohydrate and may be used as a 20 per cent or 50 per cent solution. AMINO ACIDS should be in the laevo form and should contain the correct proportion of essential (indispensable) and non-essential amino acids. Preparations are available with or without electrolytes and with or without fat emulsions.

The main hazards of intravenous feeding are blood-borne infections made possible by continued direct access to the circulation, and biochemical abnormalities related to the composition of the solutions infused. The continuous use of hypertonic solutions of glucose can cause HYPERGLYCAEMIA and glycosuria and the resultant POLYURIA may lead to dehydration. Treatment with INSULIN is needed when hyper-osmolality occurs, and in addition the water and sodium de?cits will require to be corrected.... parenteral nutrition

The ?uid secreted by the SALIVARY GLANDS into the mouth. The ingestion of food stimulates saliva production. Saliva contains mucus and an ENZYME known as PTYALIN, which changes starch into dextrose and maltose (see DIGESTION); also many cells of di?erent types. About 750 millilitres are produced daily.

The principal function of saliva is to aid in the initial processes of digestion, and it is essential for the process of mastication (chewing), whereby food is reduced to an homogeneous mass before being swallowed. In addition, the ptyalin in the saliva initiates the digestion of starch in the food.

An excessive ?ow of saliva known as salivation occurs as the result of taking certain drugs. Salivation also occurs as the result of irritation in the mouth – as for instance, in the teething child – and from DYSPEPSIA. De?ciency of saliva is known as XEROSTOMIA.... saliva

Purple medick, lucerne, Californian clover, Buffalo herb. Medicago sativa L. German: Luzerne. French: Luzerne. Italian: Medica. Chinese: Mu-su. Part used: leaves.

Habitat. Native to Asia but now found in temperate zones.

Constituents. Alkaloids, isoflavones, coumarins, sterols. Contains eight essential enzymes:– amylase (digests starches), coagulase (coagulates milk), invertase (converts sugar into dextrose), emulsin (acts upon sugars), peroxidase (oxidases blood), lipase (fat-splitting enzyme), pectinase (forms a vegetable jelly from pectin), protase (digests protein). Together with its rich content of vitamins and minerals, Alfalfa offers an effective aid to cover a wide range of diverse conditions.

Vitamin content: pro-Vitamin A (B-carotene), B6, C, D, E, K, P. Yields 20,000 to 40,000 units Vitamin K to every 100 grams, and is therefore a useful preventative of high blood pressure.

Minerals. Alfalfa yields 10 times more mineral value than average grains. Roots penetrate subsoil as far as 125 feet, thus enabling it to absorb vital mineral nutrients beyond the reach of other vegetation. Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium.

Action. Anti-cholesterol, anti-haemorrhagic, anti-anaemia, anti-coagulant. Traditional anti-diabetic activity (South Africa).

Uses: To promote strong bones and rebuild decayed teeth. Nutrient to increase weight and vitality. Lumbago, rheumatism, dyspepsia, back ache, fistula, chronic ulcer, infections of sinus, ear, nose and throat. Affections of respiratory tract, certain forms of insulin-dependent diabetes. Rich in chlorophyll, it stimulates growth of supportive connective tissue and is useful for collagen disease – arthritis etc. Assists granulation of tissue in healing of wounds, abscesses. Relieves constipation by gently activating peristalsis of the bowels. Frequent cups of tea have a diuretic effect relieving dropsy, kidney, bladder and prostate disorders. Fattens thin people. Builds up after surgical operation. Hyperlipidaemia. Repair of radiotherapy damage.

Preparations: Tea: 2-3 teaspoons to each cup boiling water; infuse 5-10 minutes. Drink freely.

Diuretic tea. Herbs: Alfalfa 3, Couchgrass 2, Buchu 1, Wild Carrot 1. Mix. 1-2 teaspoons to each cup boiling water; infuse 5-10 minutes. Half-1 cup thrice daily.

Liquid extract, BHP (1983), 1:1 in 25 per cent alcohol. Dose: 5-10ml thrice daily.

Green drink. Fresh Alfalfa passed through a blender; juice drunk in wineglassful doses. Alfalfa ‘sprouts’ are grown from seed in a shallow tray and contain 150 per cent more protein than wheat or corn. Daily rinsed with water, they are allowed to germinate to about half inch in height when they are chopped and used in salads. See: SPROUTS.

Any one of these preparations favourably influences nutrition in cases of anorexia nervosa, neurasthenia, insomnia, feeble appetite, and to increase the flow of milk in young nursing mothers. Taken regularly, it is believed to dispose to mental and physical well-being.

Capsules (powder). 250mg: 2 capsules thrice daily during meals. (Arkocaps) Tablets. 500mg. (Meadowcroft)

Note: Alfalfa should not be taken with Vitamin E, the action of which it vitiates. ... alfalfa