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Do Yams Have Carbohydrates?

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Do Yams Have Carbohydrates?

raw yam over rustic wooden table. Also known as Alocasia, Colocasia, Xanthosoma

Yams are higher in carbohydrates than root vegetable counterparts like sweet potatoes.
Image Credit: Gilnature/iStock/GettyImages

The holidays often include either a yam or sweet potato side dish, but either is a delicious and nutritious addition to any meal any time of year. Yams are a type of dry, starchy root vegetable, or "tuber," similar to the potato. 

Tip

Like many root vegetables, yams have a high carbohydrate count — between 22 and 42 grams per serving, depending on the type of yam. In general, yams have more carbohydrates per serving than either red, white, russet or sweet potatoes.

Standard Yam Nutrition Information

According to the USDA Nutrient Database, one serving of a regular yam (about one cup of cubed yam) contains:

  • 177 calories
  • 0.5 grams fat
  • 2.3 grams protein
  • 42 grams carbohydrates
  • 6.2 grams dietary fiber

Mountain Yam Nutrition

A type of Hawaiian yam known as mountain yam is lower in calories, carbohydrates and fiber than standard yams. According to the USDA, a one-cup serving of mountain yam yields: 

  • 91 calories
  • 0.5 grams fat
  • 2 grams protein
  • 22 grams carbohydrate
    • 3.4 grams fiber
    • 0.5 grams sugar

Mountain yams have about half the magnesium and phosphorous content of regular yams and less than half the potassium content.

Carbs Compared

Other root vegetables look low in carbohydrate content compared to yams. One cup of diced Russet potatoes contains just 27 grams carbohydrate, and one cup of white potatoes contains 23.5 grams, about the same amount of carbohydrates as can be found in a serving of red potatoes. 

45-year-old woman damages liver from drinking herbal brew - dangerous 'side effects' Story by Solen Le Net •

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45-year-old woman damages liver from drinking herbal brew - dangerous 'side effects'

Herbal supplements are widely used as a natural alternative to prescribed medicines. Their heavily purported health claims make them alluring to global consumers searching for a quick fix to boost their health. Due to the categorisation of the remedies as supplements, however, they're exempt from regulation on other medicines sold in pharmaceutical settings.

 liver
liver© Getty

Earlier this year, doctors published the case report of an unnamed 45-year-old woman with liver injury in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science.

The patient, who was receiving treatment for hypothyroidism at the time of her presentation, reported severe epigastric pain and nausea.

She denied any alcohol or drug use, recent travel and history of blood transfusions prior to her symptoms.

One note-worthy admission was that she had started drinking a herbal tea three days before experiencing symptoms, in a bid to boost her immunity. 

 aloe vera
aloe vera© Getty

"Further examination revealed that the patient had recently begun using a herbal tea and that symptoms had completely resolved after discontinuation," noted the authors.

According to the report, the tea contained 23 ingredients, including reishi mushroom, aloe, vera, and Siberian ginseng.

All three ingredients have been linked to cases of liver injury in past research.

Twelve case reports have been published since 2005 indicating a risk of liver injury in connection to aloe vera.

Research dating back to 2004, has identified several cases of liver injury in patients taking reishi mushroom formulations.

Finally, research published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 2020, suggested that ginseng may inhibit various cytochromes, which are involved in the metabolism of drugs.

The problem with these remedies appears to be that they form toxic metabolites that damage live cells when ingested.

As a result, the liver can become so badly damaged that it ceases to function, which causes liver failure in some cases.

The authors concluded their report with the statement: "A diagnosis of herbal supplement-induced liver injury requires an effective inquiry into any herbs or supplements a patient may be taking, patients may be hesitant to provide this information.

"It is imperative for clinicians to familiarise themselves with herbal supplements to better inquire about their use with patients and educate them on potential side effects."

The patient was using a herbal tea with known hepatotoxic ingredients and had definitive improvement after cessation of use. 

 supplementssupplements© Getty

"This [...] shows the value of further inquiry into supplement use once common causes of acute liver injury are ruled out," added the authors.

As a rule of thumb, WebMD suggests practising caution when using supplements that contain the following ingredients:

  • Aloe vera
  • Black cohosh
  • Cascara
  • Chaparral
  • Comfrey
  • Ephedra
  • Kava.

Patients using other medications should always speak to a healthcare provider before starting a new dietary regimen that includes vitamins and supplements. 

Reference: Daily Express: Story by Solen Le Net •

Four types of freshwater fish 'globally' associated with rhabdomyolysis - study warning

 

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Four types of freshwater fish 'globally' associated with rhabdomyolysis - study warning

According to the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, the first case of rhabdomyolysis after ingesting certain types of fish was reported in 1924 in Europe. The journal states that Haff disease is defined as an illness in a person with "unexplained rhabdomyolysis who had eaten fish within 24 hours before symptoms onset". Several case studies have since shed light on which types of fish may contribute to the dissolution of muscle fibres.

rhabdomyolysis

rhabdomyolysis© Getty

Doctor Chun Tang, Medical Director and GP at Pall Mall Medical, explained: "Rhabdomyolysis is a condition which is usually caused by direct and indirect muscle injury.

"It occurs when your muscle fibres are damaged and their contents are released into the bloodstream, which can be quite serious.

"Rhabdomyolysis can also lead to complications such as kidney failure as the kidneys become unable to remove waste and concentrated urine."

The most common causes for the condition are excessive physical exertion and dehydration, but certain types of fish have also been linked to the disease.

Rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis© Getty

The China CDC Weekly reported in 2020: "A common food that has been associated globally with rhabdomyolysis syndrome is freshwater fish including freshwater cod, barracuda, buffalo fish and pomfret.

"However, cases caused by freshwater fish have been relatively rare in China."

In 2016, an investigation was conducted in a small Chinese village after six people fell ill after consuming a hotpot containing carp, vegetables, and dumplings together.

The carp had been caught from a pond earlier and prepared while retaining the testes, eggs and swim bladder.

The only person from the group who didn't consume the vegetable and dumplings did not fall ill.

In order to verify the incidence and find the cause of the disease, a team of health professionals arrived at the scene for investigation on November 10.

The suspected cases all experienced the onset of muscle pain, fatigue, brown urine and other symptoms related to rhabdomyolysis.

The report explained the five other individuals experienced "an onset of symptoms indicative of rhabdomyolysis syndrome including vomiting, backache, lumbago and creatine kinase levels exceeding five times the normal range after dinner [...]".

Although the shared dinner is believed to be the culprit for the cluster event, the mechanisms of food-borne rhabdomyolysis remain poorly understood.

In fact, dietary sources are rarely linked to rhabdomyolysis.

Some case studies have suggested a link between dietary stimulants like caffeine and rhabdomyolysis.

"Excessive caffeine intake may increase the risk of this rhabdomyolysis," explained Doctor Tang. 

 rhabdomyolysisrhabdomyolysis
rhabdomyolysisrhabdomyolysis© Getty

"Over time, excessive caffeine can damage the sarcoplasm (muscle fibre) which may, in turn, harms the muscle cells - resulting in rhabdomyolysis." 

What are the symptoms of rhabdomyolysis?

Doctor Tang explains: "There are different variations of symptoms of rhabdomyolysis - as depending on the cause, it can affect one concentrated area or even the whole body.

"Classic symptoms are muscle pain in the shoulders and thighs, lower back pain, brown or dark red urine, decreased urination and weakness in morning arms and legs.

"Other symptoms can include nausea, fever, rapid heart rates dehydration and confusion."

Reference: Daily Express: Story by Solen Le Net • 

The health problem plaguing female Olympians as 'pee flies through air' during competition

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The health problem plaguing female Olympians as 'pee flies through air' during competition

Team GB Olympian Laura Gallagher Cox has opened up on a health problem that has plagued a number of female athletes throughout their careers, called stress incontinence.

Stress incontinence occurs following an accidental loss of urine through physical exertion, following damage to the pelvic floor over time.

The problem tends to arise in female athletes that take part in high impact sports, and is common in netball, gymnastics and trampolining.

Gallagher Cox - an Olympic trampoliner who competed in Tokyo - opened up in an interview with the Telegraph on how she struggled with the problem at just 15 years of age during a national competition.

Laura Gallagher Cox discussed suffering the problem as a youngster

Getty Images Laura Gallagher Cox discussed suffering the problem as a youngster

On the daunting experience at the national trampolining event, where she was finalising her preparations for the routine she would go onto perform minutes later, she said: “It completely destroyed my warm-up.

"I felt embarrassed. I went to the loo and sorted myself out and changed my leotard. People probably knew what had happened.”

The Olympian is not the only trampoliner to struggle, with the research revealing that it has affected up to 80 per cent of female athletes in the sport, according to the Telegraph report.

The 32-year-old went on to reveal just why it is common in trampolinists, commenting: “When we land from a jump, we put about 16 times our body weight through the trampoline. In terms of peeing, the worst time for it seems to be the younger girls just coming into puberty.

“I’ve been at competitions where I’ve seen girls pee as they take off – when they do a double back somersault you’ll genuinely see urine flying through the air.”

Gallagher Cox’s Team GB teammate Izzy Songhurst admitted she also suffered from the issue as a teenager, and has therefore worn a pad throughout her professional career to prevent a leak whilst competing.

Gallagher Cox competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games 

Getty Images Gallagher Cox competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games

She said: “If you’re having a bad day, you do worry about whether your pad is showing through the back of your leotard or if it’s coming out the side.

“It causes a bit of uncomfortableness and anxiety, which can obviously be distracting and can throw you off.”

The problem was witnessed first hand at the 2005 World Championships after French gymnast Emilie Le Pennec urinated whilst competing at the event.

The same problem occurred for Ecuadorian weightlifter Maria Alexandra Escobar Guerrero at 2012 London Olympic Games, and on both occasions the two athletes were ridiculed online.

With stress incontinence a clear problem within female sport, former rower and women's health coach Baz Moffatt informed the Telegraph on how women can deal with the issue.

Moffatt said: “My recommendation would always be to just go simple first of all and try doing pelvic-floor exercises on your own. Women have no clue how to do pelvic-floor exercises – they’ve never been taught properly – so that’s a challenge. 

Reference:Mirror: Joshua Lees

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