Nature's Life Prostate Health Options

Prostate Health... Naturally

Prostate issues too often put a damper on the activities of men of all ages and they are far more common than previously thought. According to some studies, virtually all men will eventually experience prostate issues.

Men with enlarged prostates experience discomforts that may include difficulty urinating, increased frequency and urgency of urination, bouts with sleep-disturbing nighttime urination and lower back discomfort. Dealing with the discomforts from enlarged prostates may be costly, too. Every year about 400,000 men have prostate surgery, adding over $3 billion annually to the national health care bill.

Nature’s Life offers several products to support prostate health, including Saw Palmetto as a whole berry concentrate, and three doctor-formulated combinations including Saw Palmetto for supporting prostate health. All of these products are designed to provide nutritive support for:

• healthy prostate gland function
• normal urine flow

Nature’s Life® Prostate formulas are made from all natural ingredients… only the finest available. Regardless of the formula you prefer, you can always be sure of the same superior quality and consistent results.

Prostate function
A small doughnut-shaped gland, the prostate surrounds the urethra where it leaves the bladder. The prostate produces an alkaline substance which makes up the largest part of the seminal reproductive fluid (semen).

Most men’s prostates start to enlarge at about age 50. As the prostate gland enlarges, it pinches the urethra, causing reduced urine flow and increased discomfort. Research into prostate enlargement is focusing on male hormones, or androgens. In older men, androgen production changes result in higher levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is produced from testosterone. The prostate is more likely to enlarge when higher levels of DHT are present.

The Holistic Approach
A unique combination of herbs, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and essential fatty acids may help provide nutritional support to maintain good prostate health.

Saw Palmetto Berry (Serenoa repens B.)
The berries from this small tropical palm contain lipophilic sterols and essential fatty acids, including beta sitosterol. Saw Palmetto extract may also support normal inflammatory response by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins. Research suggests that Saw Palmetto may help to increase urine flow and decreases nighttime discomfort. Saw Palmetto has been the subject of numerous double blind clinical trials. All of these effects of Saw Palmetto make it the key ingredient to support prostate health.

Pygeum Bark (Pygeum africanum H.)
The bark of this tall African tree contains lipophilic sterols, including beta sitosterol and sitosterone plus unique fatty acids. These ingredients influence prostaglandin synthesis to help provide nutritional support for a normal inflammatory response. Other components of pygeum may provide nutritive support to help maintain normal prostate size.

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.)
A common “weed” around the world, stinging nettle has a long history of traditional use to support normal urine flow. Nettle contains substances that may have anti-androgen activity. Many commentators feel that the potential beneficial effects of Nettle extract are increased when combined with Saw Palmetto.

Pumpkin Seed (Cucurbita pepo)
The seeds of this familiar food is a good source of zinc, phytosterols, and essential fatty acids: nutrients essential to prostate health. Preliminary studies find pumpkin seed extract promising alone, but combinations of pumpkin seed oil with nettle and/or saw palmetto have the potential to help restore and maintain healthy prostate size.

Minerals
Zinc is concentrated in the prostate gland and is a major constituent
of seminal fluid. Zinc appears to play a role in maintaining healthy male hormone balance, possibly by its effect on 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme which produces powerful androgens in the prostate. Preliminary reports suggest that zinc may be helpful in supporting urinary comfort. Copper is added to balance the zinc and prevent a
copper deficiency.

Active Aminos™ (Glutamic Acid, Alanine & Glycine)
These are the three amino acids found in highest concentration in the prostate. A recent study suggested that this combination of amino acids may help support normal urination and urinary urgency.

Beta Sitosterol
The oil constituents of a few plants, including soybeans, pygeum, and pumpkin seeds, contain a mixture of phytosterols, or plant hormones, that include beta sitosterol. Recent studies have suggested that beta sitosterol may help to support normal urine flow. Research also suggests that beta sitosterol may also support normal prostaglandin synthesis thus normalizing the inflammatory response.

Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine HCl)
This essential B vitamin is required for many metabolic processes, including the use of amino acids such as Glutamic Acid, Alanine and Glycine.

Lycopene: A valuable addition
Lycopene is an antioxidant carotenoid found primarily in most tomato products. In men, lycopene is stored in the prostate and testes, and has been associated with protecting the health of the prostate by acting as an antioxidant. As men age, the level of lycopene is diminished, therefore it should be replaced by food intake or supplements.

Several other herbs have traditionally been used for prostate and urinary tract health:

* These are traditional indications, and Nature’s Life does not guarantee that the indicated herb will have the referenced benefit at the levels provided.

Lifestyle Choices
Nutritionists believe that diet and exercise contribute a great deal to the success of natural prostate self-care. In addition to a comprehensive prostate support formula, men should reduce dietary fat, eat more fruits and vegetables and commit to a regular exercise program. This is not just for a healthy prostate, but a choice for a healthier, happier life.

The Nature’s Life® brand has three comprehensive formulas with herbs and nutrients intended to provide nutritive support for healthy prostate gland function and normal urine flow, as well as individual supplements to complement these formulas:

800 Prostate Support™ combines standardized extract of Saw Palmetto – the choice for a stronger dosage – with Stinging Nettle, standardized Pygeum bark extract, and zinc.

Prostate 700+™ combines standardized extract of Saw Palmetto with concentrated Nettle root extract, and pumpkin seed oil.

600+ Prostate Maintain™ combines a whole herb form of Saw Palmetto for a regular maintenance dosage with Active Aminos™, Zinc, and a blend of traditional herbs.

Saw Palmetto, 500 mg whole herb

Lycopene 30 mg & 10 mg

Which Prostate Formula is Best For You?

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Vitanet ®

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Date: June 14, 2005 08:19 AM
Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
Subject: Mane Attraction - lustrous Hair...

Mane Attraction by Chrystle Fiedler Energy Times, February 12, 2004

Everyone wants thick, lustrous hair. Think of the allure attached to the locks of Samson and Lady Godiva and-fast-forward to the present-the full heads of Antonio Banderas and Julia Roberts.

" We're naturally attracted to hair as humans; it catches the light, it frames the face, we like the feel of it," says Catherine Jones, ND, LAc, a resident naturopathic physician at Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Seattle, Washington. "Fair or not, historically in many cultures, rich, thick hair has been a sign of fertility and strength."

Along with that allure, latching onto natural ways to have great-looking hair gives you the benefits of looks and health. Every hair starts with a shaft that grows from a root. "The root is contained deep within the hair follicle," says Dr. Jones. "Each one has a sebaceous or oil gland, which supplies the hair with necessary lubrication as it approaches the surface of the scalp." Each hair follicle has its own growth cycle, including a resting period, the telogen phase, when hair falls out. Because of these constant hair phases, each of us loses, on average, about 100 hairs a day.

" The number of hairs the average person loses in a day tends to increase in the fall as the leaves fall from the tree and tends to decrease in the spring as the bulbs emerge from the soil," Dr. Jones says. "We really are connected to nature." Stress-due to rapid weight loss, infection, anemia, prolonged illness, hormonal changes, hypoactive thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions, eczema or psoriasis-can influence hair growth and loss.

The Nature of Hair

Hair consists of proteins, lipids (fats), carbohydrates and pigment (gray hair has reduced pigment; white, none at all). Each shaft's structure is divided into a medulla, a cortex and an outer cuticle. " The cuticle is coated with an outside lipid-like layer, which protects the hair," says Dr. Jones. "As the hair grows out of the follicle, the cortex and cuticle become keratinized and harden." Dry or damaged hair is more susceptible to breakage. "The condition of the cuticle affects how the light reflects off the hair, giving it highlights and luster," Dr. Jones says. "Luster is affected both by what occurs inside the body as the hair is developing and what happens to the hair after it has grown from the shaft."

Sun, heat, moisture, pollution and hair products, dyes and bleaches can all dull the hair. "Applying chemical solutions to the hair, color, permanent waves or curl relaxers, damage the protein molecules that wrap around the shaft, leaving hair brittle and dull," says Christina Pirello, author of Glow: A Prescription for Radiant Health and Beauty (HP Books).

Conditioners and oils can leave a residue or weigh hair down. Hair sprays and products that contain alcohol can dry and damage the hair, as can using blow dryers and curling irons.

Hair's Natural Nutrients

To combat hair-raising havoc, feed your hair natural nutrients for health. Silica and plants that contain silica/silicon both strengthen hair and promote growth. "Silica is a good mineral for hair health," says Walter Siegordner, founder of The Aurora Group, a personal care company. "It helps in the keratinization process of the cells that produce hair."

" Silica is a mineral that is involved in the synthesis of bone and connective tissue," adds Dr. Jones. "The hair follicle contains connective tissue so silica may promote the health and function of the follicle itself." Silica-containing herbs include nettles (Urtica dioica), horsetail (Equisetum arvense), oatstraw (Avena sativa) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

Sea plants like seaweed and kelp also provide vital nutrients. "Sea plants are essential ingredients in many natural shampoos and can be used to fortify damaged hair," says Pirello. "They're rich in vitamin A that prevents the build-up of dead skin cells, which can clog the hair follicles, inhibiting the growth and health of the hair, and also contain vitamin B, linked to the prevention of oily hair, baldness and dandruff. Calcium found in sea plants is essential to the structure of the hair shaft."

Eaten on s daily basis, sea plants are rich in nutrients that help maintain healthy, shiny hair, free of split ends, Pirello says. Try wakame in soups and salads, kombu or kelp in bean and vegetable dishes, nori in sushi, and hiziki and arame as side dishes. Since hair health is affected by digestive health, the fiber found in whole grains also helps. "Fiber prevents accumulation in the intestines that can result in the formation of toxins," says Pirello.

Miso, she adds, is especially good hair food. It "is rich in living enzymes that ease digestion, fortify the quality of the blood nourishing the body and hair, and provide us with essential oils, vitamins and minerals."

Key nutritional support includes adequate protein and amino acids, essential fatty acids such as cold-pressed flax seed oil and fish oil, copper, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, biotin, iron and vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid). Zinc and selenium can help combat the effects of hyperthyroidism, which can result in thinning, lackluster hair.

Vitamin C can boost adrenal health. "When the adrenals are overtaxed and become fatigued, hair follicles will go into a resting phase," says Dr. Jones. (If you have a medical condition, she adds, check with your health care practitioner first before taking supplements.)

Ancient Chinese Hair Secrets

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, hair is associated with the kidneys' qi, energy that originates in these organs, and with blood quality. " From the traditional Chinese perspective, excess amounts of fat, protein, dairy, sugar, alcohol and salt in the diet acidify the body, damage the Kidney qi and are not good for the hair," says Dr. Jones. A diet rich in vegetables and grains is a great way to support healthy hair. "Iron and mineral-rich foods are considered blood builders and hair tonics. Foods such as blackstrap molasses, seaweed, nettles, and the herb polygonum multiflorum (also known as He Shou Wu and Fo-Ti) have been used throughout the years. Fo-Ti has also been used to prevent graying of the hair and support the immune system."

Revive Hair Glow

" Hair is extremely strong but at the same time it's extremely delicate," says Barsoum Bouchar, a cosmetologist and owner of the Virtuoso Salon in Birmingham, Michigan. "Many products work against the hair texture, so the cuticle is always raised. This causes tangles and split ends. With blow dryers, chemicals, colors and styling elements, the hair is tremendously abused." If you don't have to chemically treat the hair, he says, don't.

When replenishing the hair it's important to remember that it's composed of 97% protein and 3% moisture, says Bouchar. Shampoo cleanses the hair and removes buildup. "A moisturizer brings moisture back into the hair and smoothes the cuticle down, which is what makes hair shiny and gives it bounce. The one key ingredient in both shampoo and moisturizers is aloe vera. It heals the hair." " Avoid products with harsh surfactants like sodium laurel sulfate and propylene glycol," warns Siegordner. "These decrease the circulation in the scalp, reducing the pathway for nutrition to the hair bulb." Conditioners that aren't natural can also cause build-up. "When you apply heat to the hair through blow drying or styling, you end up 'burning' the hair," says Bouchar.

To stimulate hair growth, add a few drops of essential oils of rosemary, lavender and thyme to jojoba and almond oils, and rub into the scalp. Leave it overnight and then rinse it off. " Essential oils have antimicrobial and antifungal properties, stimulate the circulation to the hair follicles and combat dryness. They also smell good," says Dr. Jones.

For hair that's not chemically treated, "a vinegar rinse cleanses the hair, removes build-up and boosts shine," says Bouchar. Use one part vinegar to ten parts water, apply after a shampoo, comb though and rinse it off. To naturally lighten the hair, use the same ratio in a lemon rinse for five minutes for, say, four days in a row, and then stop.

If you want to color your hair, choose natural elements, too. "The best natural dye is henna," says Bouchar. "It's organic, just like hair is." Blonde hair becomes warmer with a coppery tone, brunette hair takes on a mahogany hue, gray hair looks like highlights.

Go Natural

To find a good natural hair stylist, Bouchar suggests asking which products they use and why. If your hair is chemically treated, it's especially important to work with a stylist you trust for the best care.

Keep your eye on the big picture when it comes to hair health. "Be proactive and treat the body holistically," urges Dr. Jones. "Nourish the glands, the organs and the vessels that are responsible for getting the necessary nutrients to the hair follicle. Pay attention to the physical, emotional and mental aspects of health. Once hair is lost it may come back but it will likely be thinner than it was before. It's important to take care of what you have."

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Vitanet ®

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