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Mane Attraction - lustrous Hair...
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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

  • The Nature of Hair
  • Hair's Natural Nutrients
  • Ancient Chinese Hair Secrets
  • Revive Hair Glow
  • Go Natural
  • 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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    Garlic for the Ages - eat garlic because it's good for your heart...
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    Date: June 13, 2005 09:58 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Garlic for the Ages - eat garlic because it's good for your heart...

    Garlic for the Ages by Phyllis D. Light, RH Energy Times, January 1 , 2004

    If you eat garlic because it's good for your heart, you swallow a plant renowned through human history: Garlic was eaten by Roman soldiers for courage; Egyptian slaves ate it to build strength; Christians, Moslems and Hindus include it in their sacred books. Others have used it as an aphrodisiac, a vampire deterrent and a magical charm.

    Garlic has a long history as a culinary and medicinal herb that people either love or hate. Its pungent aroma and warming flavor captivates or repels, but its wealth of natural chemicals does great things for your heart.

    Garlic (Allium sativum), a member of the onion family, is native to Siberia but, in modern times, has become a treasured naturalized citizen grown all over the world. Garlic's use in folk medicine dates back about 7,000 years, making it one of the oldest known medicinal foods or herbs.

    In modern times, garlic is generally used as a condiment lending a unique, pungent flavor to dishes, but in medieval times, garlic was cooked and eaten as a vegetable in its own right. Today you can revel in a wealth of garlic choices, consuming garlic raw, cooked in various recipes, as a dried concentrated powder, as a fresh liquid extract or as aged garlic powder.

    Powerhouse Herb

    Each little clove of garlic is a powerhouse of good-for-you natural compounds, vitamins and minerals. The biologically active constituents of garlic include allyl sulfur compounds as well as the minerals germanium and selenium.

    When you chop up raw garlic and allowed it to stand for about 10 minutes or more, the herb's fragments release an enzyme that converts its compounds from allyl sulfur to another natural chemical called allicin.

    Although some allicin is found in garlic before it is cut apart, the yield multiplies considerably when the garlic clove is chopped or pressed and exposed to water (Garlic Conference, Newport Beach, 11/15/98; Penn State).

    Many researchers believe that the more allicin produced, the better the health benefits. (Although this is still being debated among the garlic cognoscenti.)

    But garlic's benefits don't end meekly on the kitchen counter with its allicin content rising.

    Cooked garlic and aged garlic contain other helpful chemicals called diallyl sulphides. Consequently, in any form, garlic produces beneficial health effects.

    Fortunately, since raw garlic juice or oil can often irritate the stomach lining, especially in people with sensitive stomachs and delicate digestive systems, garlic supplements and cooked garlic are both helpful for heart health.

    Aged Garlic Extract

    Aging garlic significantly reduces its irritating compounds and makes it easier on the stomach.

    In the aged form, all of garlic's healthy sulfur-containing compounds are converted to water- soluble compounds that retain garlic's natural health benefits. In addition, the pungent odor of the garlic is greatly reduced, an outcome many people desire.

    When a group of researchers at Brown University studied the effects of aged garlic extract on people's cholesterol levels, they found that after six months, cholesterol dropped about 6% (Am J Clin Nutr 1996; 64:866-70).

    In another study from Brown, researchers found that aged garlic extract reduced platelet adhesion, a sticky blood problem that can cause vessel blockages (New Drug Clin 45(3):456-66). When platelets are less sticky, they are less likely to form blood clots that can cause heart attacks.

    Garlic and Heart Disease

    A growing body of research shows that a clove of garlic a day can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease.

    A four-year study of 280 people who took dried garlic powder three times a day found a striking reduction in the types of arterial plaque blockages that threaten the blood supply to your heart. Interestingly, in this particular study, women displayed a greater reduction in plaque than men (Atherosclerosis 2000; 150:437-8).

    Another study found that garlic may also keep important blood vessels more supple and less likely to spasm. Arterial spasms have been linked to heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems in women.

    Aortic Complications

    As you age, the aorta, one of the main arteries that carries blood, may harden, reducing blood flow from the heart and placing damaging stress on a number of other bodily organs. In research at Ohio State University, people who took garlic supplements had 15% less aortic stiffness than people who avoided garlic (Circulation).

    In this study, scientists found that the older people enjoyed the greatest cardiovascular benefits from daily garlic use.

    Researchers believe this extra benefit is linked to the fact that as you age, the endothelial tissue in the linings of the aorta and other blood vessels become less responsive to the need to dilate (expand). As a result, when more blood flow is required, and the heart pumps faster, these vessels take more of a beating from the friction of blood passing through them.

    That restriction in dilation has two damaging consequences: In one instance, vessel walls can be injured. In response to these injuries, cholesterol collects on artery walls, plaque forms and the blood supply to the heart muscle can be restricted, leading to a heart attack. In other cases, arteries can restrict blood flow to the heart simply because of the inability to expand sufficiently.

    The Ohio State researchers found that arteries in folks aged 70 to 80 benefited the most from taking garlic. But those in their 60s also benefited significantly.

    Garlic's natural antioxidant properties can also help protect the heart from damage after surgery (BMC Pharmacology 9/02).

    In a study performed on lab animals, researchers found that oxidative stress, a source of cell damage that takes place after surgery, dropped when the animals ate a diet that included garlic.

    Oxidative stress can seriously reduce cardiac function, limit the amount of blood the heart can pump and cause permanent damage to the heart muscle.

    Garlic Against Blood Clots

    Under normal circumstances, blood clots serve a useful purpose: Cut yourself and a blood clot stops the bleeding. Without this clotting ability, you might bleed to death. But if your blood is too prone to clotting, these clumps can cut off blood supply to your heart and other organs, endangering your life.

    In a study of apparently healthy individuals whose relatives had already suffered from heart disease, researchers found that their blood formed thick, tangled blood clots, increasing their risk of heart problems (Circulation rapid access 9/23/02). These blood clots are made of a substance called fibrin, a protein in the plasma that can form elastic threads that cut off blood flow.

    While these researchers recommended aspirin as an anti-clotting measure for people at risk of heart disease, garlic can also help break up fibrin and possibly lower your chance of heart problems (Pharmatherapy 5(2): 83).

    The fibrin that forms clots is produced by blood cells called platelets. Other scientists who have looked into garlic's benefits believe that one of its natural chemicals called ajoene may keep platelets from producing excessive fibrin and gumming up the flow of blood through arteries.

    If you've rarely indulged in garlic, you may need a period of adjustment in growing accustomed to its unique taste and aroma. But its heart benefits confirm the long-ago observation by Pliny, an ancient Roman naturalist, that "garlic has powerful properties."



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    Essential Fatty Acids - Lipids, Cell Memgranes & Eicosanoids
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    Date: June 09, 2005 09:35 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Essential Fatty Acids - Lipids, Cell Memgranes & Eicosanoids

    Essential Fatty Acids and Phospholipids

    Essential fatty acids & phospholipids are primary constituents of cell membranes, and as such they are vital to the makeup of the human body. Essential fatty acids are used to generate certain intra-cellular hormone-like substances, including prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which are responsible for regulating key bodily processes. Source Naturals essential fatty acid supplements are potent, effective and chemical-free.

    LIPIDS, CELL MEMBRANES & EICOSANOIDS

    Almost by definition, life is composed of cells, and cells are defined by membranes. One theory suggests that, around four billion years ago, self-replicating molecules, similar to the ribonucleic acid or RNA in our own cells, were synthesized from organic molecules. These self-replicating molecules adapted to changes in their environment to increase their potential for survival. Thus began the process of evolution that has led, over the eons, to us. One turning point was when these molecules developed membranes - envelopes which could help concentrate chemicals needed for the cell's survival. There existed in the "primordial soup" substances uniquely suited to this purpose: a class of organic compounds we call lipids . Lipids are more commonly called fats, and in this health and image-conscious age people often think of them as something to be avoided. However, the word fat refers to a variety of substances with a diverse range of chemical properties, which are essential for survival and well-being . The simplest lipids, fatty acids such as palmitic acid, consist of a hydrocarbon "tail" connected to a carboxyl group (COOH). The majority of lipids in food and in the human body occur in the form of triglycerides - a molecular configuration in which three fatty acid chains are attached to a 'backbone' of glycerol (an organic alcohol composed of a 3-carbon chain with an alcohol group attached to each carbon). The major roles of lipids can be described as energy and storage, structural, and metabolic.

    Energy and Storage

    Molecules can contain more or less chemical energy. In living systems most of the energy needed to drive chemical reactions is derived from oxidation. Oxygen, the ultimate electron acceptor, is a strong oxidant: it has a marked tendency to attract electrons, becoming reduced in the process. When a molecule undergoes a chemical reaction from a high-energy reduced state to a low-energy oxidized state, energy is released. This is what happens in a fire: the high-energy carbohydrates in wood, such as glucose, react with oxygen, releasing heat and the low-energy molecules of carbon dioxide and water. This is similar to what happens in metabolism.

    Most of the carbon in a fatty acid chain is highly reduced, which makes fats more energy-rich than the other organic molecules that can be burned as food. This is what we mean when we say fats are high in calories - a measure of the amount of energy released when a substance is oxidized. Fats contain more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates. This makes fats an important storage fuel for most of the body.

    Structure

    Another important class of lipids in the human body consists of the phospholipids. Like triglycerides, phospholipids contain fatty acid chains- in this case two, one saturated and one unsaturated, attached to a glycerol backbone. Unlike triglycerides, in phospholipids the third carbon of the glycerol molecule is attached to a phosphate (a molecular group that contains phosphorus and oxygen), which is in turn attached to either an amino acid or, in the case of phosphatidyl choline, a molecule of the B-vitamin - like substance, choline.

    Their unique molecular structure makes phospholipids amphipathic, which means 'likes both':

  • The phosphate-containing head group is strongly dipolar (it has positive and negative charges and can mix with water, and thus is hydrophilic, which means 'water-loving').

  • The two fatty acid chains make up a long tail group which is nonpolar (it has no charge and cannot mix with water, and thus is hydrophobic, which means 'water-hating').

    Fats, being hydrophobic, tend to separate out from water. When fat is mixed with phospholipids in the presence of water, the phospholipid molecules attach themselves to the molecules of fat and bring them into the water solution, enabling the fats to dissolve in water.

    Phospholipids form a structure called a lipid bilayer, a two-ply sheet of phospholipid molecules in which the hydrophilic head groups face outward and are in contact with the water, and the hydrophobic tails face each other on the inside of the bilayer. This structure is one of the key constituents of the cell membranes that surround every living cell.

    The lipid bilayer of cell membranes is a fluid in which membrane-embedded proteins "float." These proteins serve a wide variety of different functions. Some are enzymes, serving to carry out chemical reactions in the adjacent solution. Some are involved in signaling, in which a biochemical action in a cell is 'commanded' by means of a hormone or some such other signaling molecule. Still others are involved in transporting substances across the membrane, into or out of the cell.

    The functions of membrane-embedded proteins are dependent on a very precise balance of phospholipids for their function. Phosphatidyl serine, for instance, has a negatively-charged head group that associates preferentially with a class of membrane-bound proteins called ATPases. ATPases regulate, among other things, the balance of sodium and potassium in intra- and extracellular fluids, a balance that is necessary for the integrity of our cells and also for the electrochemical impulses that make up our thoughts and feelings. Without phosphatidyl serine, these vitally important membrane-embedded proteins could not function.

    Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is essential to the structure of cell membranes, which depend for their function on a delicate balance between fluidity and solidity. Cholesterol provides a semifluid matrix, as well as enhancing membrane fluidity. About 80% of the cholesterol the body uses is manufactured by the liver; the other 20% is consumed in food. Elevated blood cholesterol levels are associated with heart disease. Saturated fats are converted into cholesterol more readily than unsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats usually depress blood cholesterol concentration to some degree. Researchers have thus recommended that people lower their consumption of saturated fats and increase their consumption of polyunsaturated fats. A process called hydrogenation , in which hydrogen molecules are added, is used to harden these unsaturated fats to create solid spreads, such as margarine. This process causes formation of altered fats called trans fatty acids. Although the results are not conclusive, human and animal studies have pointed to possible deleterious effects from consumption of trans - fatty acids, which are estimated to account for 5.5% of all fats consumed by Americans. These studies include one in men and women that showed harmful effects of trans - fatty acids on blood cholesterol ratios.

    Metabolic

    When each link of a fatty acid chain contains an atom of hydrogen, as in palmitic acid, that fatty acid is said to be saturated . If two carbon links are double bonded to each other, each has one less hydrogen atom, and the fatty acid chain is said to be unsaturated. If a fatty acid contains one double bond, it is said to be monounsaturated, and if it has two or more double bonds it is said to be polyunsaturated . Certain polyunsaturated fatty acids cannot be manufactured by the body and must be obtained from the diet. These nutrients are called essential fatty acids and are necessary for the normal function of all tissues. The essential fatty acids fall into two categories:

  • (1) Those with an unsaturated double bond between the 6th and 7th carbon in the chain, called omega-6 fatty acids, which include linoleic acid (LA), gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and arachidonic acid (AA).

  • (2) Those with a double bond between the 3rd and 4th carbons, called omega-3 fatty acids, which include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

    In addition to being phospholipid precursors, essential fatty acids can be converted to a class of hormone like intracellular messengers called eicosanoids. The physiologic effects of eicosanoids are potent in minute quantities. Their effects are so powerful that they need to be produced near the site of their action and are quickly inactivated. The important eicosanoids include the thromboxanes, leukotrienes and prostaglandins (PGs ). Prostaglandin molecules consist of a five-carbon ring with two side chains. They can be distinguished from each other by numbers that refer to the number of double bonds in their molecular side chains: 1-series PGs have one double bond, 2-series have two double bonds, and so on. Prostaglandins mediate a variety of bodily processes, including inflammatory reactions, blood vessel contraction and dilation, and platelet aggregation. The different PGs have different effects on the body, and different essential fatty acids act as precursors for different PGs.

    Important essential fatty acids in humans are the omega-6 fatty acids, which include linoleic acid (LA), gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and arachidonic acid (AA). 1-series PGs are derived from GLA and tend to cause blood vessels to dilate and reduce the stickiness of platelets (cell fragments in the blood that help initiate blood clotting). 2-series PGs are derived from arachidonic acid and tend to increase platelet stickiness and cause blood vessels to constrict. Meat and dairy products are dietary sources of the PG2 precursor, arachidonic acid; American diets tend to be rich in these foods. The rate-limiting step for production of GLA in the human body is an enzyme called delta-6-desaturase (D6D). The action of this important enzyme can be blocked by a number of different lifestyle factors, including a diet high in saturated or trans- fatty acids and chronic alcohol consumption. A modest increase in consumption of GLA will significantly increase the ratio of GLA to AA in the tissues, which may have a beneficial effect on the homeostasis of the cardiovascular system. Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, such as flaxseed oil or fish oil, is beneficial for similar reasons. Omega-3 fatty acids are precursors for 3-series PGs, which reduce platelet stickiness. Series-3 PGs also tend to inhibit conversion of AA into its metabolites, the 2-series PGs.

    The lipid composition of our diets has changed radically in the 20th century. Our intake of saturated fats has increased dramatically, and trans fatty acids, which did not exist before the advent of modern food processing technology, now form a major part of our diets. We eat less fish and green leafy vegetables, important sources of omega-3 fatty acids, than our ancestors did. Far from being an inert, homogeneous substance, fat is dynamic and varied - a subtle and interactive matrix for many of the biological processes taking place in our bodies, minute by minute.



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    Skin Eternal - Replenish Your Skin
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    Date: June 06, 2005 08:45 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Skin Eternal - Replenish Your Skin

    Skin Eternal

    Source Naturals is proud to introduce our new SKIN ETERNAL Cosmetic Line. Our advanced skin care products recharge and revitalize your skin. Each product features scientifically advanced nutraceuticals: nutrients and botanicals with an inborn affinity for skin. You can nourish your skin with Source Naturals’ richly emollient SKIN ETERNAL CREAM smoothed under your eyes or on your neck. Or use our light, aqueous SKIN ETERNAL SERUM. Both products gently addresses imbalances and infuse skin with visible radiance. For a luxuriant, moisturizing bath, simply add SKIN ETERNAL BATH OIL under warm running water. Whatever your individual preference, Source Naturals has a SKIN ETERNAL product that will leave your skin looking refreshed and energized.

    Now available from Source Naturals®: a variety of elegant cosmetics to moisturize, smooth and tone your skin.

    Your skin is a reflection of your health and well-being. To attain skin that looks truly alive, energized and refreshed, we believe a holistic approach is necessary. This includes nourishing your body with fresh, organic foods, exercising every day to motivate your mind and spirit, and eliminating unhealthy lifestyle choices. As part of this holistic approach, the Skin Eternal™ cosmetic line feeds your skin cells with scientifically advanced nutraceuticals: nutrients and botanicals with an inborn affinity for skin.

    SKIN ETERNAL™ CREAM

    Apply this rich and luxurious blend under and around your eyes or massage it with upward strokes onto your neck—your skin will immediately feel the difference! SKIN ETERNAL CREAM features nutrients, natural oils and plant extracts. Included are alpha lipoic acid, biotin, CoQ10, DMAE, jojoba oil, MSM, squalane, tocotrienols, and vitamin C-ester, as well as extracts of grape seed, ginkgo, ginseng, green tea, sage, marigold, and grapefruit seed.

    SKIN ETERNAL™ SERUM

    SKIN ETERNAL SERUM is an aqueous moisturizing serum that contains a rich blend of nutrients and plant extracts. It is easily absorbed, and immediately makes skin feel softer and replenished. SKIN ETERNAL SERUM is lightly scented with pure lavender and lemon oils, and contains nutrients and herbs unavailable in other topical preparations. These include aloe vera, alpha lipoic acid, biotin, CoQ10, DMAE, MSM, vitamins A, C-ester, D-3 and E, and chamomile. Source Naturals also offers SKIN ETERNAL DMAE SERUM.

    SKIN ETERNAL™ BATH OIL

    OUR NEW SKIN ETERNAL BATH OIL adds to your skin’s hydrolipic film, lightly coating your skin with nutrients. It holds moisture inside and protects your skin. Its unique formula is rich in alpha lipoic acid, DMAE, essential fatty acids, vitamins C-ester and E, plus other nutrients and plant extracts. SKIN ETERNAL BATH OIL is lightly scented with pure lavender and lemon oils. And it is hypoallergenic and contains no alpha hydroxy acids—so it can be used even on delicate, sensitive skin.

    Lifestyle Tips for Healthy Skin: A Strategy for WellnessSM

    Eat a Healthy Diet Low-nutrient foods, such as sugar and refined carbohydrates, will not provide the vitamins and minerals your skin needs. Choose unprocessed organic foods, high in antioxidants such as beta carotene (carrots, apricots, and squash), vitamin C (oranges and peppers), vitamin E (cold-pressed oils, nuts and seeds), selenium (tuna, garlic, onions and broccoli) and zinc (whole grains, most seafood, and onions). Essential fatty acids, such as those in oily fish, flaxseed and olive oil, are important for skin repair. Eat high-fiber fruits, vegetables, whole grain bread and cereals, and brown rice. Restrict excess sodium intake.

    Take Supplements

    Key nutraceuticals can help radiate beauty from within, by supporting body systems involved with healthy, radiant skin. These nutraceuticals include alpha lipoic acid, DMAE, ascorbyl palmitate (vitamin C-ester), vitamin E and grapeseed extract. Source Naturals offers you SKIN ETERNAL™ tablets with these five ingredients, to protect against free radical damage and provide cofactors for healthy skin tissue. Source Naturals SKIN ETERNAL PLUS is a Bio-Aligned Formula™, which includes these key nutraceuticals plus 30 more! It is designed to support multiple body systems: antioxidant defense, connective tissue, cell membranes, cell renewal, blood and liver cleansing, muscle and nerve function, and stress response. It is also useful to supplement with essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, flaxseed and primrose oil.

    Drink Water

    Our bodies are made up of 50-70% water, so it’s important to drink at least 1.5 liters daily. Water flushes out wastes, and acts as an internal moisturizer, keeping skin hydrated and supple. Spring water is beneficial since it contains trace minerals vital to healthy skin.

    Protect Your Skin from the Sun

    Avoid direct sun from 10 am to 4 pm, when ultraviolet radiation is strongest. Use sunscreen even during winter and on cloudy days. Wear a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses with full UV protection.

    Get Plenty of Sleep

    Research has shown that skin regenerates itself between 1-3 am; lack of sleep during those hours can cause skin to look dull or puffy. Taking a melatonin supplement can be helpful in supporting your body’s normal sleep cycle.

    Exercise Regularly

    Exercise increases circulation, which delivers nutrients necessary for a clear, glowing complexion. It also burns off fat, helps eliminate toxins, and is a great stress reliever. Exercise three to five times a week until you are perspiring freely and breathing deeply.

    Avoid Excessive Alcohol and Coffee

    Alcohol weakens the immune system and depletes nutrients. It causes dehydration, depriving skin of moisture, and overtaxes the liver, which helps keep impurities from reaching other organs. Alcohol consumption can lead to broken or distended capillaries, especially over the nose and cheeks. Caffeine-rich beverages like coffee promote dehydration, leaving skin flaky and dry. Substitute herbal or green tea for coffee.

    Stop Smoking

    Smoking slows healing and regeneration, causes carbon monoxide to increase in blood, and induces free radical formation. Nicotine constricts blood vessels and reduces blood flow to skin. The benzopyrene in cigarette smoke inhibits absorption of vitamin C, which is important for collagen synthesis.



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    Pycnogenol Complex - The Next Generation of Antioxidant Protection
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    Date: June 04, 2005 02:14 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Pycnogenol Complex - The Next Generation of Antioxidant Protection

    Pycnogenol Complex

    If there’s one factor that has the greatest negative impact on our health, it is the damage done to our cells by free radicals. These highly unstable molecules disrupt the biochemical processes that regulate life. Although a natural product of oxygen metabolism in the body, free radicals are also produced in vast quantities by modern technology. Our bodies’ natural defenses simply have not been able to keep up with the onslaught of these dangerous products of civilization. On the other hand, technology has offered help by identifying some of nature’s most powerful weapons against free radical attack. Source Naturals PYCNOGENOL® COMPLEX is an unprecedented combination of these extremely potent plantbased antioxidants, or Plantioxidants™. Consider them your antidote to the industrial revolution.

    How free radicals are formed and their effect on the body

    Oxygen both makes life, and takes life. The energy that animates us comes from the biochemical reactions that burn oxygen within our cells. And though carefully regulated by the body, this biological combustion, over time, inevitably leads to cellular damage. If oxidation is not carefully controlled, tissues are damaged faster than the body can repair them. This is caused by an excess of over-reactive, electron hungry molecules called oxidants or “free radicals,” which tend to disrupt normal cellular activity. Free radicals attack a cell’s membrane and can even damage its hereditary blueprint (DNA). Since free radicals are a natural result of certain metabolic reactions, the body synthesizes several types of antioxidant enzymes to neutralize them. In addition, we get essential antioxidants from the foods we eat. Vitamins C, E and beta carotene are the ones found most often in our diet. During this century, our environment has become a perpetual source of free radical contamination, primarily from radiation and the chemical pollution in our air, water and food. Today, we are literally overwhelmed with more free radicals than our bodies are accustomed to handling. Fortunately, science has found that certain plants contain special antioxidants that are far more powerful than the vitamins we typically get in our diet. With this knowledge, Source Naturals formulated PYCNOGENOL® COMPLEX, the most advanced combination of Plantioxidants available today in one product. Pycnogenol® is the proprietary name of a natural plant product made from the bark of the European coastal pine, Pinus maritima.

    Natural protection against free radicals

    Pycnogenol® Complex – A Cornucopia of Health Our knowledge of pine bark goes back nearly 500 years, to when the French explorer, Jacques Cartier, reported that a tea made from pine tree bark by Native Americans saved the lives of his crew who were dying of scurvy. Nutrition scientists have since isolated the extraordinary antioxidant compounds of pine bark. They have also discovered many other unique antioxidants throughout the plant kingdom. Plants have evolved bioflavonoids to protect themselves from free radical damage. One of the most abundant compounds in the plant kingdom, bioflavonoids are found in the pigments of bark, rinds, seeds, leaves and flowers.

    Natural antioxidants in Pycnogenol® Complex

    The active ingredients of Source Naturals PYCNOGENOL® COMPLEX are derived from a diverse range of nature’s plenty: pine bark, green tea, turmeric spice, rosemary, grape seeds, milk thistle seeds, bilberries, hawthorn berries and ginkgo leaves. Each of these Plantioxidants is an exceptional free radical scavenger, and each has a tendency to concentrate in a different organ of the body, thus providing targeted protection. And since their primary function is to capture free radicals, these Plantioxidants free up vitamin C, so it can perform its many other vital functions.

    Defense Plants The two headliners of Source Naturals PYCNOGENOL® COMPLEX are the pine bark extract, Pycnogenol®, and an extract from grape seeds, Proanthodyn™. Their unsurpassed antioxidant activity – up to 20 times that of Vitamin C and up to 50 times that of Vitamin E – comes from a high concentration of proanthocyanidins.

    Why Pycnogenol® Complex is formulated with extracts of pine bark and grape seed

    These highly bioavailable flavonoids are able to cross the Blood-Brain Barrier, and can stay in the bloodstream for up to 72 hours. Few other nutritional antioxidants cross this barrier, and none do it as well. Proanthocyanidins therefore offer the brain and central nervous system unparalleled antioxidant protection. In particular, proanthocyanidins may help reduce the formation of lipofuscin, a brown waste material made of free radical-damaged proteins and fats. Over time, lipofuscin deposits form in the brain, heart, and skin. The “age” or “liver” spots that develop on the backs of some elderly peoples’ hands are made of lipofuscin. Because they’re rich in unsaturated fatty acids, cell membranes are the primary site of free radical attack. Proanthocyanidins are able to protect against both water- and fat-soluble free radicals. Also, their chemical structure is incorporated within cell membranes, making proanthocyanidins very effective in preventing damage to the cell’s interior. This is vital, because if a cell’s DNA is disrupted, it could lead to the abnormal reproduction of that cell. For many years now, Europeans have used pine bark and grape seed extracts to maintain vein and capillary health. Proanthocyanidins support the circulatory system by helping to keep collagen and elastin, the essential constituents of vessel walls, from breaking down during times of imbalance. And most importantly, proanthocyanidins can help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. Scientists now recognize that it’s not cholesterol itself, but the oxidation of cholesterol that can be problematic.

    How Plantioxidants benefit different organs in the body

    The Power of Diversity

    In addition to the broad protection offered by Pycnogenol® and Proanthodyn, Source Naturals PYCNOGENOL® COMPLEX offers an outstanding array of other Plantioxidants. Each has unique abilities to protect the body from oxidants. For several thousand years, Green Tea has been enjoyed in the Orient, not only for its taste, but also as a health tonic. Upon analysis, it contains several strong antioxidants, called Polyphenols, with exceptional free radical scavenging abilities. Polyphenols have been shown to be over 200 times more effective than vitamin E in preventing oxidative damage to brain cells. Source Naturals uses a potent extract of green tea that concentrates 2,000 pounds of fresh green tea leaves into one pound of finished product. This extract has been awarded 30 patents for its protective effects. The ancient Ginkgo Biloba tree has long been prized for its beneficial qualities. Like proanthocyanidins, ginkgo’s compounds are able to cross the Blood-Brain Barrier, and support cell membrane and capillary integrity. Its particular antioxidant constituents have been associated with superior oxygen transport to the brain. This is important because the brain uses 20% of all inhaled oxygen. Source Naturals PYCNOGENOL® COMPLEX uses a superior 50 to 1 extract, providing 24% Ginkgoflavoneglycosides and 6% Terpenoids. Bilberries were first studied for their capacity to heighten visual acuity in normal subjects under poor light conditions. In fact, to increase their night vision, RAF pilots ate bilberry jam during WW II. Its antioxidant compounds, Anthocyanosides, have an affinity for delicate eye tissues, where it quenches free radicals and supports capillary strength. Source Naturals utilizes a standardized bilberry extract with 25% anthocyanosides, 80 times more potent than regular bilberry.

    The wide range of natural antioxidants in Source Naturals PYCNOGENOL® COMPLEX

    Milk Thistle Seed Extract has been researched and used for over 20 years in Europe. Its antioxidant compound, called Silymarin, has a special preference for the liver. It’s one of the few nutrients that can support the liver’s natural regenerative processes. By enhancing DNA activity, liver cells can regenerate up to five times faster. Turmeric Extract contains 95% Curcumin, the active ingredient of this traditional East Indian spice. Curcumin promotes the body’s own production of antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase, an important protector of the liver. Curcumin also increases the production and secretion of bile, which is used to remove cholesterol from the body. Quercetin has been well-researched for its free radical scavenging activity. Because of its ability to stabilize cell membranes, quercetin helps prevent damage and discomfort from reactionary (histamine- and leukotriene-related) processes in the body. Source Naturals quercetin has been isolated from plant sources. Rosemary and Hawthorn Berries both contain bioflavonoid antioxidants that have the unique ability to neutralize the hydroxyl radical, a particularly dangerous type of free radical. Hydroxyls are produced by exposure to excessive radiation and pollution from burned fossil fuels. The body has no innate defense system against it. Vitamin C is one of the most active and abundant antioxidants in the body, so it must be frequently replenished. Since it works in conjunction with bioflavonoids, each tablet of Source Naturals PYCNOGENOL® COMPLEX contains 500 mg of vitamin C, bound to Magnesium for increased bioavailability.

    A World of Help

    As we better understand how free radicals affect our health and well being, it’s important that we take advantage of the wonderful protective qualities found in certain plants. These Plantioxidants provide the appropriate means to counteract the destructive effects of excessive free radicals, which have become part and parcel of modern life. Source Naturals PYCNOGENOL® COMPLEX brings the diverse and concentrated power of the plant world into your world of wellness.

    References
    • Masquelier, J. Natural Products as Medicinal Agents . Stutgart, Germany: Hippokrates Verlag, 1981. • Middleton, E. Jrnl. of Immunology 127 (1981): 546-50. • Muzes, G., et al. Acta-Physiologica-Hungary, 78.1 (1991): 3-9. • Oguni, I., et al. Orig. Res., Univ. of Shizuoka, Japan, 1990. PYCNOGENOL® is a registered trademark of Horphag Research, Ltd. Protected by U.S. Patent No. 4,698,360.



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    Elan Vital - The Vital Essence of Life - Multi-Vitamin and Mineral Supplement
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    Date: June 01, 2005 01:13 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Elan Vital - The Vital Essence of Life - Multi-Vitamin and Mineral Supplement

    Elan Vital Multiple

    What makes ÉLAN VITÀL unique is its unprecedented range of nutriments in high potencies and superior forms. Quite simply, it stands alone among multiples: a quantum leap beyond maintenance...into excellence. Not only does it offer unparalleled antioxidant nutrition and a full-spectrum of essential vitamins and minerals, ÉLAN VITÀL is also formulated with specific nutrients that support:

  • • structural integrity
  • • energy generation
  • • neurotransmitter production
  • • liver health ÉLAN VITÀL brings you the very best from all areas of advanced nutrition for a difference you can feel.

    Today’s inflated levels of stress and pollution give rise to harmful free radicals – unpaired electrons that can damage living cells and compromise the proper function of tissues and organs. Antioxidants serve to protect the body by neutralizing free radicals; in fact, many scientists believe that high levels of antioxidants may prolong the effective working life span of the body’s cells. The primary strategy of ÉLAN VITÀL is to provide a wide range of antioxidants at exceptional levels, from both botanical and biochemical sources.

    Plantioxidant Protection

    ÉLAN VITÀL has the powerful advantage of Plantioxidants™, standardized botanical extracts with unparalleled free radical-scavenging properties. Plantioxidants have the unique quality of providing targeted protection because they tend to be attracted to different organs in the body. Grape Seed extract is rich in potent proanthocyanidins, a special class of highly bioavailable, water-soluble bioflavonoids that have the unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier where they support the health of brain cells. Proanthocyanidins have been shown to efficiently scavenge oxygen radicals, as well as optimize the transport of vitamin C. They also have an affinity for collagen and elastin, the structural proteins that are abundant in vessel linings and other connective tissue. ÉLAN VITÀL contains the most concentrated extract of Bilberry available, with at least 25% anthocyanosides – compounds which are similar to proanthocyanidins but with an unusually strong attraction to optical tissue. They have been shown to protect cellular integrity in the delicate structures of the eyes. Ginkgo biloba extract is a standardized concentration of prime quality ginkgo leaves, yielding 24% ginkgoflavoneglycosides. These active compounds are potent antioxidants that have been associated with superior oxygen transport throughout the body with a special affinity for brain capillaries. Silymarin is the name given to a complex of three bioflavonoid-like compounds — silybum, silycristin, and silymarin — extracted and concentrated from milk thistle seeds. Silymarin functions in the body as an antioxidant with a special attraction for the liver. It has been researched and used extensively in Europe, where it is prized for its unique ability to nourish the liver and support its natural regeneration process by speeding up DNA synthesis in liver cells. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid present in some foods, such as onions and blue-green algae. A cousin of rutin, quercetin has been shown to stabilize cell membranes and help prevent free radical damage to this vital but vulnerable part of cells. Bioflavonoids and related compounds do their best antioxidant work when in the presence of Vitamin C, the nutrient they are most often paired with in nature. The vitamin C provided in ÉLAN VITÀL is both water- and fat-soluble. This combination is crucial because the tissues and membranes richest in fatty acids are most at risk to free radical attack. Fat-soluble vitamin C in the form of ascorbyl palmitate has an affinity for these highly vulnerable structures.

    Antioxidant Nutrients

    ÉLAN VITÀL not only provides botanical defense plants to combat free radicals, but also contains tried-and-true antioxidant nutrients: Biochemicals known as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids work together for maximum protection to all the body’s cells. The amino acid, N-Acetyl Cysteine, is a powerful and highly versatile antioxidant that doubles as a precursor to glutathione and glutathione peroxidase, two of the most formidable cell-protective compounds manufactured by the body. Studies have shown that supplemental N-acetyl cysteine enhances internal levels of glutathione far better than supplements of glutathione itself. Methionine also contributes to the synthesis of glutathione, and is an efficient transporter of certain antioxidant minerals, magnifying their activity. Vitamin A is included in both its fat-soluble palmitate form and in its provitamin form, Beta Carotene. While preformed A has long been known to play a role in the body’s defenses, beta carotene itself has recently been shown to possess a powerful ability to scavenge free radicals and contribute to the youthful function of some tissues. Vitamin E is one of the most important antioxidant compounds in nature. It works to prevent harmful oxidation within each cell and is vital in the protection of red blood cells from free radical-induced rupture. Selenium is an extremely powerful antioxidant shown in studies to work synergistically with Vitamins A, C, and E. In combination with cysteine, selenium helps build the glutathione peroxidase molecule. ÉLAN VITÀL offers a 50/50 blend of the two most scientifically supported forms of selenium: L-selenomethionine and sodium selenite. In addition to being an antioxidant itself, Zinc works closely with fat-soluble vitamin A by facilitating its release from the liver to the rest of the body. In ÉLAN VITÀL, Zinc is synergistically bound to methionine for optimal bioavailability. Copper sebacate is a natural compound that can function as the copper-SOD antioxidant system in the body, one of the first lines of defense against free radical attack. Copper sebacate is a highly absorbable form that possesses significant free radical scavenging activity.

    Supporting Structural Integrity

    An important adjunct to antioxidant nutrition is the amino sugar N-Acetyl Glucosamine, or N-A-G™. Amino sugars are essential components of cell membranes and their surface structures, as well as of the “ground substance” that holds body tissues together. They are also a key constituent of the synovial fluid in the joints. Recent research has revealed that amino sugars play an important role in maintaining the integrity of the connective and structural tissues of the body, a property that complements perfectly the actions of antioxidants: where antioxidants may prevent damage from occurring, amino sugars may help the body repair and regenerate damaged tissue. N-A-G’s activity is supported in ÉLAN VITÀL by other nutrients helpful to structural tissue. The mineral Manganese is required for building amino sugars into mucopolysaccharides, the large molecules that make up the ground substance that holds cells together. Choline and Inositol are both components of phospholipids, principal constituents in cell membranes. Two B vitamins, Folic Acid and Vitamin B12, are important to cell regeneration and to the development of healthy red blood cells.

    Enhanced Energy to Maximize Metabolism

    ÉLAN VITÀL is a potent source of coenzymes, metalloenzymes, and metabolites involved in energy production in the body. There are two main energy production cycles in the cells: the glycolytic cycle and the Krebs’ cycle. Together, they generate about 90-95% of the body’s entire energy supply – using fats, sugars, and amino acids as fuel, with enzymes as facilitators. The enzymes which catalyze energy production function in combination with coenzymes made from vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B5 and Biotin, plus metalloenzymes made from minerals, including Magnesium, Manganese, and Copper. Biotin, an often overlooked nutrient, may function to help the body maintain a youthful metabolism. The mineral Magnesium aids in energy production, not only by acting as a cofactor to some enzymes, but also as a stabilizer of ATP, the body’s primary energy molecule. Some of the key connecting enzymes in the energy production process require two additional non-vitamin coenzyme nutrients to maximally convert food into energy: Lipoic Acid and Coenzyme Q10. Lipoic acid helps convert the end-product of the glycolytic cycle, pyruvate, into acetyl-CoA, a principal fuel for the higher energy Krebs’ cycle. Coenzyme Q10. is the connecting link for three of the four main enzyme complexes in the Electron Transport System, an off-shoot of the Krebs’ cycle, where ATP molecules are “cashed in” for energy. The muscle-supporting electrolyte mineral Potassium is in the form of Alpha- Ketoglutarate, a critical Krebs’ cycle metabolite that has additional benefits. It has long been used to improve the efficiency of ammonia-clearance from the body, an indispensable function, as ammonia is both exceedingly harmful and constantly produced through the natural metabolism of proteins. Because alpha-ketoglutarate is an organic compound well-recognized by the cells, it is an excellent transporter of potassium into the cells. Succinic Acid, or succinate, is also a metabolite in the Krebs’ cycle. It not only boosts production of ATP energy potential, but also increases the muscle cells’ production of creatine phosphate, another high energy biochemical. Chromium is the essential mineral component of glucose tolerance factor, or GTF, which functions to help insulin (one of the two main blood sugar-controlling hormones in the body) draw sugar molecules from the bloodstream into the cells.

    Smart Nutrients

    ÉLAN VITÀL contains natural substances that sharpen performance beyond just the physical. N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine is a highly stable and absorbable form of the conditionally essential amino acid L-tyrosine, a precursor to the major excitatory neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. DMAE is a precursor to one of the body’s main neurotransmitters, acetylcholine. From the Plantioxidants comes standardized Ginkgo biloba extract, whose compounds readily cross the blood-brain barrier where they support the integrity of the capillaries in the brain.

    Guarding the Liver

    ÉLAN VITÀL provides several nutrients which collectively support optimal liver function. This is an essential aspect of a multiple, because the liver is responsible for converting nutrients – from food as well as from supplements – into their usable forms. If liver function is compromised in any way, nutrient supplements may be rendered inert in the body. The liver is especially at risk because it must filter out ingested toxins and is continually exposed to chemicals that generate free radicals. N-Acetyl Cysteine and Silymarin have both demonstrated a strong affinity for the liver. Nacetyl cysteine contributes to increased levels of glutathione and glutathione peroxidase, both of which the liver uses in its natural cleansing function. Silymarin provides unparalleled support to the liver’s natural regeneration process. Because of its many vital functions, the liver uses as much as 12% of the body’s energy supply, even though it represents only 3% of body weight. The liver therefore uses a greater proportion of energy nutrients, especially Coenzyme Q10 and Lipoic Acid. Both are highly concentrated in the liver; and lipoic acid in particular has been researched and used heavily in Europe where it is prized for its special protective actions in the liver. Ascorbyl Palmitate is a fat-soluble form of Vitamin C, meaning it can provide antioxidant protection for fatty tissue. This is especially valuable to the liver, which tends to develop fatty streaks that are most vulnerable to damage. Vitamin E has been researched extensively for its antioxidant properties with regard to the liver.

    The Multiple for the 21st Century

    ÉLAN VITÀL is truly a one-of-a-kind multinutrient supplement: one that leaves no nutritional stone unturned. Based on the biochemical principles of nutrition and metabolism – in context of today’s challenges to our health – ÉLAN VITÀL approaches optimal nutrition from several directions...all leading to a lifetime of health and vitality.



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    CAT’S CLAW - Herbal Protection from the Amazon ...
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    Date: June 01, 2005 09:45 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: CAT’S CLAW - Herbal Protection from the Amazon ...

    Cat's Claw

    Another health secret of the Amazon rainforests is now being revealed in an exciting new product from Source Naturals called CAT’S CLAW or Uncaria tomentosa. Like Pau D’ Arco before it, the herb Cat’s Claw has been used in traditional Peruvian herbalism for hundreds of years, but it is only now getting the attention it deserves in the United States.

    Source Naturals® Cat’s Claw – An Amazonian Treasure for the Western World

    This unique herb is actually a high-climbing vine found in the highlands of the Peruvian Amazon. It is named for its claw-like thorns that resemble a cat’s claw. The bark from the Uncaria tomentosa vine is harvested for two important reasons: first, many of the highly active components are found in the bark; and second, the bark can be harvested without needless destruction of the vine, thereby protecting the delicate Amazon ecosystem.

    The biologically active constituents in Source Naturals CAT’S CLAW have uniquely protective properties. Researchers have discovered that components extracted from the herb can enhance the body’s natural defenses, help to keep the system balanced in the face of environmental stressors, and can support intestinal health.

    Ongoing studies are being performed to determine the exact constituents in the vine which are responsible for these activities. Oxindole alkaloids, a group of compounds that strongly affect human physiology, have been identified in some of the vine extracts. Researchers have also isolated compounds, called quinovic acid glycosides, that seem to have high free radical scavenging potential. In addition, polyphenols, triterpenes and plant steroids have been isolated from herb extracts.

    campesterol, stigmasterol, and Betasitosterol hold the most promise. Betasitosterol is a white, waxy substance that has been extensively studied because of its close resemblance in structure and properties to cholesterol, and for its powerful shielding potential. Betasitosterol so closely resembles cholesterol that it binds the cholesterol absorptive sites and prevents cholesterol absorption. The presence of these additional compounds may further explain the herb’s protective and rejuvenating characteristics. While research unravels the multi-faceted properties of this unique Amazonian herb, the intrinsic benefits can be enjoyed by all who choose to be proactive in their quest for optimal health.

    Reference:

  • • Aquino et al. J. of Nat. Prod. 52: 679-685, 1989.
  • • Aquino et al. J. of Nat. Prod. 53: 559-564, 1990.
  • • Cerri et al. J. of Nat. Prod. 51: 257-261, 1988.
  • • Montenegro de Matta et al. Il Farmaco Ed. Sc. 51: 527-535, 1975.
  • • Stuppner et al. Chromatographia. 34: 597-600, 1992.
  • The above information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.


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    CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE - Estrogen Detoxification
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    Date: June 01, 2005 09:25 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE - Estrogen Detoxification

    CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE

    From the womb to the tomb, we are subject to the effects of estrogen, the potent female hormone that shapes our lives. Variations in estrogen levels can have a dramatic effect on our cellular development. Source Naturals is proud to introduce a nutrient that may help the body remove excess estrogen, thereby giving relief to estrogen-sensitive tissues. Calcium D-glucarate is currently the subject of numerous clinical studies. It is proving to have great potential for addressing health concerns closest to our heart.

    One of life’s most delicate balancing acts is found in the ebb and flow of hormones that is constantly taking place in the human body. These messenger chemicals are fundamental to the process of life. Produced by endocrine glands, hormones travel throughout the body, communicating with each other as they direct cellular activity. For example, the hypothalamus gland monitors hormone levels in the body. It signals the pituitary gland, advising it to send messages to the ovaries to either produce or stop producing estrogen.

    Estrogen is an extremely powerful hormone whose activity can be measured in parts per trillion. Therefore, it doesn’t take much to create an imbalance. Like all hormones, estrogen communicates with a cell by docking to a particular receptor site on that cell’s membrane. If there is an excess of these estrogen-sensitive receptors, or an excess of circulating estrogen in the bloodstream, normal cellular metabolism can be altered. Another problem is that estrogen receptors are not very particular; they will accept many chemicals – both natural and synthetic – other than estrogen.

    How the body removes excess estrogen

    One of the processes by which estrogen and estrogenic compounds are metabolized and broken down is through glucuronidation. In the liver, they’re bound to glucuronic acid and then excreted in the urine or feces. This process can be disrupted by an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase, which is found in the gastro- intestinal tract. It frees the bound-up estrogen or estrogenic compound, releasing it to be reabsorbed back into the bloodstream – to again affect cells. Obviously estrogen is needed by the body; however, too much can lead to cellular disruption. Since it can be very difficult to avoid the estrogenic chemicals rampant in our environment, another strategy is needed, and that is to reduce their negative effects by supporting the body’s natural ability to remove excess estrogen and other hormones and toxins.

    Calcium D-glucarate and hormone metabolism

    The removal of excess estrogen can be increased by a natural substance called Calcium D-glucarate (CDG), because it inhibits beta-glucuronidase activity in the body. This means that estrogen bound for excretion stays bound, and the total estrogen load on the body is reduced. In clinical trials, tissues that are sensitive to excess hormones – such as breast, liver, and lung – have been shown to respond favorably to CDG. In addition to estrogen and estrogenic compounds, CDG helps promote excretion of other hormone metabolites as well as cellular toxins and steroids.

    CDG is made naturally in small quantities in the body; it is also found in a variety of fruits and vegetables: oranges, broccoli, carrots, spinach, and apples. Vitamin A has been shown to have a synergistic effect with CDG. One 500 mg tablet of Source Naturals CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE is equivalent to the phytonutrient activity found in 82 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. The suggested use for preventative health maintenance is 3 to 4.5 grams per day. No toxicity has been found with its usage.

    Phytonutrients also help reduce estrogen exposure

    Another strategy to reduce the effects of excess estrogen is to increase the intake of plant estrogens. This helps for two reasons. First, by occupying estrogen receptor sites, these natural estrogenic compounds block synthetic estrogens from attaching to these sites. Second, phytoestrogens only mildly activate receptors. One of the best phytoestrogens is genistein, the isoflavone in soybeans responsible for soy’s beneficial influence on the human body. Increased intake of genistein and/or soy is being recommended by many health professionals, especially for post-menopausal women. Please see Source Naturals product literature on GENISTEIN as well as MENOBALANCE, our nutritional menopause formula with genistein and black cohosh. Both are part of our advanced line of nutritional support for women As new research sheds light on the importance of proper hormone balance to our health, it’s vital to protect ourselves from the increased burden of estrogen that we are encountering today. Source Naturals CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE is a timely nutrient that can make a real difference in our lives.

    References

  • • Colborn, Theo. Our Stolen Future, New York: Dutton, 1996.
  • • Curley, R.W., Jr., et al. (1994) Life Sciences 54(18): 1299-303.
  • • Dwivedi, C. (1990) Biochemical Medicine & Metabolic Biology 43(2): 83-92.
  • • Heerdt, A.S., et al. (1995) Israel Journal of Medical Sciences 31(2-3): 101-05.
  • • Robbins, John. Reclaiming Our Health, Tiburon: HJ Kramer, 1996.
  • • Walaszek, Z., et al. (1986) Carcinogenesis 7(9): 1463-6.



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    Important Information for Allergy Sufferers
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    Date: May 13, 2005 09:52 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Important Information for Allergy Sufferers

    Important Information for Allergy Sufferers

    Richard Conant, L.Ac. C.N.

    Imagine you are one among millions who greet each spring with worry about the flood of pollen that fills the air this time of year. When the pollen season arrives, as it inevitably does, you find yourself with two choices. You can either take over-the-counter antihistamines and put up with unpleasant side-effects, or endure the sneezing, runny nose, itchy, watery eyes and other discomforts of hay fever.

    If there was a natural ingredient, a nutritional substance found throughout nature in many foods and plants, that could offer an alternative, would you not be interested?

    Quercetin, one among hundreds of flavonoids found throughout the plant kingdom, is this ingredient. Quercetin has been researched in numerous pharmacological studies. The results of this work strongly suggest that quercetin helps to stabilize the fundamental process in the body which causes an allergic reaction. Quercetin, as shown in test-tube ("in vitro") studies, prevents the release of histamine from "mast cells," immune cells that stand guard in the tissues which meet the outside environment—the nasal passages, the lungs, the digestive tract and skin. While this has yet to be confirmed by human clinical trials, in the picture that emerges from the research so far, quercetin looks like a rescue nutrient for allergy sufferers.

    Reports from Quercetin Users

    I have seen numerous reports from individuals who have indeed achieved significant reductions in allergic sensitivity by using quercetin. And this includes food allergies as well as environmental allergies. Anecdotal stories like these carry little weight among scientists, because they do not provide evidence that the observed result will be repeated in other cases. Only placebo-controlled, double-blind studies can produce this kind of scientific proof. Yet, when anectodal evidence (this includes physician "case reports") correlates with the results of pharmacological research such as we have on quercetin, I believe it should be taken seriously. And quercetin is a nutrient that works effectively when taken as a dietary supplement.

    For example, one gentleman writes that his wife, who is allergic to pollen and dust, is now "sneeze-free" after using quercetin for three years. A Pennsylvania woman writes that her husband, also a long time allergy sufferer, "seems to be nearly allergy free" after one month of use. Another man says that "quercetin has literally changed my life." These are not isolated cases; a respected nutritionist who specializes in allergies and environmental problems has seen many similar outcomes with a quercetin. Clearly something significant is going on with respect to quercetin as a nutritional approach for overcoming allergies.

    Bear in mind, though, that quercetin does not function like an antihistamine medication; it is not a quick fix. As a nutrient that helps to normalize body functions naturally, quercetin needs time to work, and should be taken for at least two or three weeks to achieve these results.

    Quercetin Quiets the Allergic Response

    Exerting a broad range of biological effects, quercetin is perhaps the most active and versatile flavonoid. In test-tube studies, quercetin acts directly on the mast cell in a way that quiets the allergic response.

    An allergic reaction occurs when IgE antibodies, positioned on the mast cell surface, come in contact with a potential allergy-causing substance like pollen. The mast cell is then signaled to release histamine from storage granules located inside the cell, through a process called "degranulation." The histamine circulates throughout the body, causing the runny nose, itching and other discomforts associated with allergies.

    Quercetin stabilizes mast cell membranes, in effect turning down the allergic response signal. Quercetin also slows other mechanisms which are involved with inflammation, such as the production of inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes. This adds to its membrane-stabilizing effect, and its value in allergy control.

    Quercetin appears to substantially raise the threshold for initiation of an allergic reaction. In allergy sufferers this threshold is low, for reasons which are not well understood. They may have more IgE antibodies than normal, making the mast cells overly "trigger happy." Histamine has its proper place in the immune response that defends us against truly harmful foreign substances in the body. But like many chemicals produced by the body, histamine is a two-edged sword. In allergy-prone individuals, the mast cells have become overreactive, releasing too much histamine, unnecessarily. With quercetin in the bloodstream, histamine release from mast cells is kept under control. Quercetin's ability to down-regulate both the inflammatory and allergic responses makes it, I believe, a highly important nutrient for humans to consume on a regular basis.

    Quercetin-the Scientific Evidence

    Several studies, published in respected journals such as the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and others, have demonstrated quercetin's ability to control the release of histamine from mast cells. (Quercetin has the same effect on basophils, a type of white blood cell that also contains histamine.) In these experiments, mast cells taken from both animals and humans are exposed in the test tube to various substances—called "antigens"— that stimulate histamine release. The researchers then add an inhibiting agent such as quercetin to the mixture and measure the differences in histamine output. Quercetin has shown itself to be one of the more powerful histamine inhibitors, more powerful, in fact, than disodium cromoglycate, an anti-asthma drug.

    Quercetin has other beneficial properties. A strong antioxidant, Quercetin has a higher level of antioxidant activity than both vitamin C and vitamin E. (Quercetin enhances the antioxidant activity of vitamin C; quercetin and vitamin C are true synergists.) Quercetin has been shown to block the oxidation of LDL cholesterol by free radicals. Quercetin also protects cell membranes from being injured by oxidized LDL. The damage that oxidized LDL causes to the delicate membranes of blood vessel linings allows plaque deposits to form, setting the stage for atheroslcerosis. These observations point to quercetin as a key nutrient for maintaining cardiovascular health.

    Like all flavonoids, quercetin is not classified as an essential nutrient, although flavonoids were once called "Vitamin P." In view of its many beneficial actions, quercetin is a nutrient that clearly has important roles to play in human nutrition, for allergy sufferers, and for everyone.

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  • --
    VitaNet ®
    VitaNet ® Staff

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=47)

    Search Term: " Delicae "

      Messages 1-59 from 59 matching the search criteria.
    How to Deal With Mild Ear Discomfort Darrell Miller 10/11/22
    The Best Natural Over-the-Counter Sinus Remedies: Effective Solutions for Your Sinus Problems Darrell Miller 4/30/22
    Saffron extract found to promote wound healing Darrell Miller 4/8/19
    Maitake Mushroom Benefits Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, Immunity & More Darrell Miller 8/7/18
    Andropause: Treating Male Hormone Imbalance Naturally (Male Menopause) Darrell Miller 7/28/17
    Too Much Estrogen Linked To Cancer And Weight Gain Darrell Miller 7/24/17
    7 Reasons to Drink Warm Salt Water Every Day Darrell Miller 5/5/17
    HERE’S HOW TO GET RID OF SPOTS AND STAINS IN THE OLD INDIAN WAY (RECIPE)! Darrell Miller 3/16/17
    6 Ways to Use Spring Herbs as Healthy Greens Darrell Miller 3/11/17
    6 Ways to Use Spring Herbs as Healthy Greens Darrell Miller 3/11/17
    Is Fermented Tea Making People Feel Enlightened Because of ... Alcohol? Darrell Miller 12/14/16
    Are You Gaining Weight For No Reason? Check Your Thyroid Darrell Miller 10/31/16
    Why Should We Take A Multi-Strain Probiotic? Darrell Miller 9/1/15
    What Is Lactoferon And How Can It Boost Your Health? Darrell Miller 8/6/14
    Ferrum Phosphoricum and Your Health Darrell Miller 6/26/14
    Improve Your Skin Naturally with Tamanu Oil Darrell Miller 5/18/14
    Does Black Currant Have Healing Properties? Darrell Miller 3/28/14
    Does Coral Calcium Alkalize The Body? Darrell Miller 3/19/14
    Can Green Tea And Pomegranate cream Help The Skin? Darrell Miller 3/7/14
    Can Coconut Butter Lotion Really Help My Dry Skin? Darrell Miller 2/28/14
    Can Coconut Butter Lotion Really Help My Dry Skin? Darrell Miller 2/28/14
    Thyme Oil Darrell Miller 2/26/14
    Why Should Children Be Taking A Multiple vitamin Daily? Darrell Miller 1/17/14
    Herbs that Support Healthy Vision Darrell Miller 5/21/12
    Can Iodine And Potassium Be Used For Thyroid Health? Darrell Miller 9/15/11
    What Can Chromium Picolinate Do In The Body? Darrell Miller 7/23/11
    Psyllium Husk Fiber Darrell Miller 9/23/09
    Yeast Cleanse Darrell Miller 1/26/09
    NOW® Introduces Genuine Whole Food™ Labeling Darrell Miller 9/27/08
    Fennel Darrell Miller 6/30/08
    Astragalus Darrell Miller 5/31/08
    Trace Minerals Darrell Miller 5/9/08
    Adapt To The Stresses Of Life with Herbal Adaptogens Darrell Miller 10/18/07
    Exotic Herbs From The Amazon Basin Darrell Miller 6/22/07
    New Dynamic Health Laboratories Darrell Miller 8/10/06
    Yogi Tea – Exquisite Taste, timeless Wisdom. Darrell Miller 6/5/06
    Gr-8 Dophilus Darrell Miller 12/29/05
    Court Rules for FDA in Lane Labs Appeal Darrell Miller 12/12/05
    Skin Eternal #1 Skin Care Line – Source Naturals Darrell Miller 11/4/05
    The Essential Woman Formula Darrell Miller 8/15/05
    The Essential Woman - Beauty and Balance from Within Darrell Miller 8/13/05
    Depressed? Try these “super 5” supplements Darrell Miller 8/9/05
    Zeaxanthin with Lutein - The clearly-seen benefits of advanced eye protection Darrell Miller 8/3/05
    PROGESTERONE REPLACEMENT AND MOOD SWINGS Darrell Miller 7/25/05
    THE PRECARIOUS ACT OF BALANCING HORMONES Darrell Miller 7/25/05
    Kal - Vanadyl Complex now with Cinnamon Bark for Blood sugar Darrell Miller 7/1/05
    WARNINGS Darrell Miller 6/25/05
    Source Naturals Goes Skin Side Out Darrell Miller 6/24/05
    Vision Quest - help fight eye problems. Darrell Miller 6/18/05
    Bromelain Sinus Ease - Nature's Life Darrell Miller 6/16/05
    Mane Attraction - lustrous Hair... Darrell Miller 6/14/05
    Garlic for the Ages - eat garlic because it's good for your heart... Darrell Miller 6/13/05
    Essential Fatty Acids - Lipids, Cell Memgranes & Eicosanoids Darrell Miller 6/9/05
    Skin Eternal - Replenish Your Skin Darrell Miller 6/6/05
    Pycnogenol Complex - The Next Generation of Antioxidant Protection Darrell Miller 6/4/05
    Elan Vital - The Vital Essence of Life - Multi-Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Darrell Miller 6/1/05
    CAT’S CLAW - Herbal Protection from the Amazon ... Darrell Miller 6/1/05
    CALCIUM D-GLUCARATE - Estrogen Detoxification Darrell Miller 6/1/05
    Important Information for Allergy Sufferers Darrell Miller 5/13/05




    How to Deal With Mild Ear Discomfort
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: October 11, 2022 03:29 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: How to Deal With Mild Ear Discomfort

    Do you ever have that feeling like there's something in your ear but you can't seem to get it out? Or maybe your ear feels itchy and uncomfortable but you're not quite sure why. If you're experience any mild discomfort or irritation of the tissues of the ear, don't worry—you're not alone. In fact, this is a pretty common problem. But what can you do about it?

    One option is to try using a natural blend of herbs like Now Foods soothing Ear Oil. This product is designed to cleanse and moisturize the delicate tissues of the ear canal, providing relief from itchiness and discomfort. Simply apply a few drops of the oil into your ear and massage gently for 30 seconds. Then, tilt your head to the side and let the oil drain out. Repeat as necessary until you're feeling better.

    Another option is to make a simple home remedy using ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen. First, mix together 1/4 teaspoon each of baking soda, salt, and hydrogen peroxide. Then, use a dropper to apply 3-4 drops of the mixture into your affected ear. Keep your head tilted for 5 minutes so that the mixture has a chance to work its magic, then rinse with warm water and dry with a clean towel.

    If you're experiencing any mild discomfort or irritation in your ears, don't panic—there are a few things you can do to find relief. Try using an herbal oil like Now Foods soothing Ear Oil or mix up a simple home remedy using ingredients like baking soda, salt, and hydrogen peroxide. Whichever method you choose, hopefully you'll be feeling better in no time!

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=6501)


    The Best Natural Over-the-Counter Sinus Remedies: Effective Solutions for Your Sinus Problems
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: April 30, 2022 11:04 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: The Best Natural Over-the-Counter Sinus Remedies: Effective Solutions for Your Sinus Problems

    Sinus problems are a common occurrence during the winter months. Cold weather, dry air, and allergens can all contribute to sinus congestion and inflammation. If you are looking for an over-the-counter sinus remedy that will provide relief from your symptoms, you have come to the right place! In this blog post, we will discuss some of the most effective over-the-counter sinus remedies on the market. We will also provide tips on how to choose the right one for you. So don't suffer any longer - read on for information on the best over-the-counter sinus remedies available today!

    What are the most common symptoms of sinus problems?

    Sinus problems are very common, and the symptoms can vary depending on the severity of the issue. One of the most common symptoms is a feeling of congestion or fullness in the sinuses. This can be accompanied by pain and pressure in the forehead, cheeks, or around the eyes. Other common symptoms include a runny nose, cough, sore throat, and fatigue. In some cases,sinus problems can also lead to fever and difficulty breathing. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important to see a doctor so that you can get proper treatment.

    What are the causes of sinus problems?

    Sinus problems are a common and often frustrating issue, with a wide range of underlying causes. From environmental irritants like pollen and dust to infectious agents like bacteria and viruses, there are an almost limitless number of possible culprits behind sinus troubles. Additionally, certain foods, medications, or other habits can also affect the delicate balance of mucus in the sinuses. Ultimately, understanding the various factors that influence a person's susceptibility to sinus problems is the key to effectively managing these conditions. By identifying any triggers or risk factors one can minimize the impact of sinus issues on everyday life.

    What are the best natural over-the-counter sinus remedies available today?

    Sinusitis is a condition that affects the sinuses, the small, air-filled cavities located around the nose and eyes. It occurs when these cavities become inflamed, often due to a viral infection. Sinusitis can be extremely painful, causing congestion, headaches, and facial pain. While there are many over-the-counter medications available to treat sinusitis, some people prefer to use natural remedies. One popular natural remedy is steam inhalation. This involves inhaling steam from a pot of boiling water or from a humidifier. The steam can help to loosen mucus and reduce inflammation. Another popular option is saltwater irrigation, which involves using a neti pot or nasal sprayer to rinse the sinuses with warm saltwater. This can help to flush out irritants and ease congestion. Natural remedies are often safe and effective, making them a good option for treating sinusitis.

    Luckily, there are a number of effective natural over-the-counter remedies that can help to alleviate symptoms like congestion and inflammation. For example, nettle leaf is a popular herb with a long history of use in naturopathic medicine. Rich in minerals and anti-inflammatory compounds, it can help to clear out toxins from the sinuses while also soothing swelling and reducing pain. Other possible remedies include quercetin, an antioxidant found in many fruits and vegetables that has been shown to have antihistamine effects, and anti-histamine formulas containing herbs or plant oils that naturally regulate histamine levels. Ultimately, the best remedy for your individual sinus issues will depend on your specific symptoms and preferences.

    Nettle leaf to relieve sinus allergy symptoms.

    As we have said, allergies are a common problem, affecting millions of people worldwide. They can cause a range of symptoms, from mild sniffling and sneezing to severe congestion and difficulty breathing. Many people rely on over-the-counter medications to alleviate their allergy symptoms, but these drugs can have undesirable side effects. Fortunately, there are natural alternatives that can be just as effective in relieving allergy symptoms. One such remedy is nettle leaf. Nettle leaf has been used for centuries to treat a variety of ailments, including allergies. It works by inhibiting the release of histamine, which is one of the main compounds that triggers allergy symptoms. In addition, nettle leaf has anti-inflammatory properties that can help to reduce congestion and swelling. If you're looking for a natural way to relieve your allergy symptoms, nettle leaf may be worth trying.

    Quercetin and allergies

    Quercetin is a potent antioxidant that has been found to be effective in preventing and treating a variety of health conditions, including allergies. Many people are familiar with quercetin as an antihistamine, an effect that is due to its ability to inhibit the production of "histamines" in the body. Histamines are the chemicals responsible for triggering allergic reactions such as watery eyes, runny nose, itching, and sneezing. By blocking their production, quercetin can effectively reduce or even eliminate these symptoms. Furthermore, quercetin has also been found to strengthen lung function by reducing inflammation in the airways and protecting against oxidative damage. Overall, quercetin may be an ideal natural remedy for alleviating allergy symptoms.

    Cayenne and Allergies

    Cayenne is a popular spice that is prized for its pungent, spicy flavor. In addition to being used in cooking, however, cayenne has also been shown to be an effective remedy for certain allergies. Studies have found that the active ingredient in cayenne, capsaicin, can help to block inflammatory responses in the body and neutralize histamine, the chemical that triggers allergic reactions such as sneezing and watery eyes. As a result, regular consumption of cayenne may help to reduce allergic symptoms and improve overall quality of life for those affected by allergies. Whether through fresh peppers or cayenne powder or supplements, incorporating this powerful spice into your diet may be a great way to treat your seasonal allergies naturally.

    Is there a supplement that combines them all? Yes, Solaray Sinus Source?

    Yes, there is a supplement that combines all the key ingredients typically found in nature-based sinus cleansers and decongestants. This supplement is called Solaray Sinus Source, and it contains a combination of three active ingredients: nettle leaf, quercetin, and cayenne pepper. Each of these ingredients has been shown to provide natural relief from sinus problems, helping to reduce inflammation, congestion, and other unwanted symptoms. By combining these powerful botanicals into one convenient formula, Solaray Sinus Source provides a safe and effective way to support healthy sinuses. So if you're looking for a natural solution to your sinus woes, look no further than this powerful blend!

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=6404)


    Saffron extract found to promote wound healing
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: April 08, 2019 07:57 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Saffron extract found to promote wound healing





    According to a study in Planta Medica, saffron is effective in overall skin repair and regeneration. Because saffron blooms for only one week out of the year, it's an expensive spice that is associated with many health benefits. It has also been shown to accelerate wound closure in some mice studies. Saffron has potent anti-inflammatory and anti-scarring properties. Other natural remedies that support wound healing include aloe vera gel, calendula, golden rod, gotu kola, and yarrow.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Saffron is expensive because it blooms only once a year, makes only three stigmas, and is delicately harvested by hand mid-morning.
    • Saffron, containing crocin, picrocrocin, and safronal, helps with wound closure and the treatment of various diseases.
    • Saffron is said to promote learning, memory, increase vitality, protect against colds, and promote hair growth and possibly fight off cancer.

    "A study published in the Planta Medica suggests that saffron can be used to promote skin repair and regeneration and to speed up the wound healing process."

    Read more: https://www.naturalnews.com/2019-02-12-saffron-extract-for-wound-healing.html

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=6122)


    Maitake Mushroom Benefits Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, Immunity & More
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: August 07, 2018 09:53 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Maitake Mushroom Benefits Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, Immunity & More





    Maitake Mushroom Benefits Blood Sugar, Cholesterol, Immunity & More

    The Maitake Mushroom (Grifola Frondosa) are an edible fungi that grows in East Asia and the US, usually clustered around the base of deciduous trees like oak and maple. Their rich taste and texture can be used in many different dishes, and the Maitake’s popularity is rapidly expanding outside of Japanese cuisine. Maitakes are adaptogenic, meaning they can help the body maintain its balance and recover from harm. This includes helping to balance blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure and inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Maitakes make a great addition to stir fry, pasta and other dishes.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Maitake mushrooms are found in East Asia and North America, most often in clusters at the bases of oak or maple trees.
    • Maitake mushrooms are often used in stir fry, pasta or other dishes for their delicate flavor and unique texture.
    • Maitake mushrooms have a wide variety of health benefits, including keeping blood sugar and cholesterol under control, and are very nutritious.

    "The maitake mushroom is no exception; not only is it delicious and full of nutrients, but it also boasts some pretty amazing health benefits."

    Read more: https://draxe.com/maitake-mushroom/

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5696)


    Andropause: Treating Male Hormone Imbalance Naturally (Male Menopause)
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: July 28, 2017 12:14 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Andropause: Treating Male Hormone Imbalance Naturally (Male Menopause)





    Women's menopause symptoms have been studied for years with several remedies available to treat symptoms. Make menopause, or andropause, is not a widely researched condition and sufferers have limited options. Symptoms like irritability, loss of sexual appetite and excessive sweating can begin at age 40 and those suffering should seek medical help. Hydration, consumption if healthy fats and even natural as well as medical supplements are available to treat male menopause, a condition caused by lowering testosterone.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI0Xf-dKVL8&rel=0

    Key Takeaways:

    • Menopause in women is more widely recognized and, thus, has more options for treatment than male menopause.
    • Male menopause (andropause) is a completely natural part of the aging process and there are minor adjustments men can make to combat it
    • Natural therapies (the video specifically lists acupuncture and homeopathy) can be used to curb the effects of male menopause, and have other benefits that could improve quality of life.

    "Men also have trouble maintaining the delicate hormonal balance, when they begin to approach middle age."

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5049)


    Too Much Estrogen Linked To Cancer And Weight Gain
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: July 24, 2017 09:14 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Too Much Estrogen Linked To Cancer And Weight Gain





    A website that reports on health news has published an article on the dangers of too much estrogen. The article contends the hormone estrogen can cause cancers and weight gain. The article reports that humans have been more exposed to estrogen-like substances. These are located in birth control pills, and also in meat and poultry. Lately, farm fish have been treated with estrogen as well. The article recommends taking probiotics as well as selenium to combat estrogen.

    Key Takeaways:

    • there are certain chemicals, natural and synthetic, that, while not exactly estrogen, can act like it, throwing off the delicate balance of the body’s endogenous hormones.
    • These so called ‘estrogen mimics’ or non-biological estrogen-like substances called xeno-estrogens (xeno meaning “foreign”) include birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
    • As a growth substance, estrogen is used to fatten farm animals. It increases the animals’ growth rate and the efficiency by which they convert the feed they eat into meat.

    "One of the most significant causes of xeno-estrogen exposure occurs through foods. Over the past 60 or so years, the FDA has approved xeno-estrogenic substances for use in livestock"

    Read more: http://criticalhealthnews.com/health-news/25-ben-fuchs-articles/309-too-much-estrogen-linked-to-cancer-and-weight-gain

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5026)


    7 Reasons to Drink Warm Salt Water Every Day
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: May 05, 2017 03:44 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: 7 Reasons to Drink Warm Salt Water Every Day





    While eating too much salt can harm you there are also many proven benefits to it. Your body does need salt for sure. Without salt you can die pretty quickly. This talks about salt water in particular and what you get from drinking it. Some actually recommend drinking it daily. You should not do this without research, though, because you can throw off the balance in your body which is harmful. It is a delicate balance usually.

    Key Takeaways:

    • We've all heard salt can be dangerous, but when it is natural salt in a controlled amount it can actually be beneficial for the body.
    • Sole water can send electrical charges through the body that are beneficial to the kidneys and cells of the body.
    • Sole water can aid in better sleep, better digestion, better hydration, detoxification, better bone health, reduced swelling, better skin, and many other overall health perks.

    "Minerals are the foundation to sound nutrition and health. Without them, no other system in the body works as it should."

    Read more: http://www.thealternativedaily.com/7-reasons-drink-warm-salt-water-every-morning/

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=4542)


    HERE’S HOW TO GET RID OF SPOTS AND STAINS IN THE OLD INDIAN WAY (RECIPE)!
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: March 16, 2017 04:44 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: HERE’S HOW TO GET RID OF SPOTS AND STAINS IN THE OLD INDIAN WAY (RECIPE)!





    Pretest any stain-removing agent. Even water may damage some surfaces, so always run a sample test on some inconspicuous spot. The seam allowance or under the hem of a garment, the part of the rug thats hidden under a table or chair, the part of the upholstery that faces the wall, to avoid costly mistakes.Handle stained items gently. Rubbing, folding, wringing, or squeezing can cause the stain to penetrate more deeply into the surface of the cloth and may damage delicate fibers.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ArAupDTQ8o&rel=0

    Key Takeaways:

    • People get spots that are caused by both internal and external things
    • Lemon and tumeric mixed together and applied to the affected area will naturally remove these spots
    • I have other videos with similar interesting topics that might interest you.

    "This simple remedy really works, and it is based on the ancient Indian science of healing"

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=4169)


    6 Ways to Use Spring Herbs as Healthy Greens
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: March 11, 2017 06:14 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: 6 Ways to Use Spring Herbs as Healthy Greens





    Greens are healthy but not everyone likes the traditional lettuce. Many find it too bland. This gives ideas for using spring herbs in its place. This will make your salads more flavorful so you'll actually want to eat greens. This also allows you to broaden your eating horizons in general. Take these ideas and expand on them to create even more.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Delicate flecks of green parsley do more than make plates look pretty as a garnish.
    • Parsley, basil, mint, arugula, and other herbs are rich in antioxidants that have many health benefits.
    • Read on to learn six easy and delicious ways to incorporate these antioxidant-rich herbs into your diet.

    "Using handfuls of herbs instead of pinches can pack more nutrition onto your plate."



    Reference:

    https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=//blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2017/03/09/6-ways-to-use-spring-herbs-as-healthy-greens/&ct=ga&cd=CAIyGjBhMmIxOTgxN2IyMDM3NjI6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNGAvZSBvGdsvgqsbzwcO-VdmeedWA

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=4103)


    6 Ways to Use Spring Herbs as Healthy Greens
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: March 11, 2017 05:59 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: 6 Ways to Use Spring Herbs as Healthy Greens





    Greens are healthy but not everyone likes the traditional lettuce. Many find it too bland. This gives ideas for using spring herbs in its place. This will make your salads more flavorful so you'll actually want to eat greens. This also allows you to broaden your eating horizons in general. Take these ideas and expand on them to create even more.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Delicate flecks of green parsley do more than make plates look pretty as a garnish.
    • Parsley, basil, mint, arugula, and other herbs are rich in antioxidants that have many health benefits.
    • Read on to learn six easy and delicious ways to incorporate these antioxidant-rich herbs into your diet.

    "Using handfuls of herbs instead of pinches can pack more nutrition onto your plate."



    Reference:

    https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=//blog.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/2017/03/09/6-ways-to-use-spring-herbs-as-healthy-greens/&ct=ga&cd=CAIyGjBhMmIxOTgxN2IyMDM3NjI6Y29tOmVuOlVT&usg=AFQjCNGAvZSBvGdsvgqsbzwcO-VdmeedWA

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=4102)


    Is Fermented Tea Making People Feel Enlightened Because of ... Alcohol?
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: December 14, 2016 04:59 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (support@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Is Fermented Tea Making People Feel Enlightened Because of ... Alcohol?





    One of the biggest campaigns of the 21st century has been to show people that not all bacteria are bad. There is a delicate balance of bacteria that must be maintained in our bodies in order to function properly. Many medical conditions, especially in the gut, start because we do not have the right balance of microbes. With this push for healthy microbes has come a resurgence of a drink that was popular over 200 years ago. It is called kombucha, which is a sugar-sweetened tea that ferments with yeast and microbes. Many claim it to be a wonder-drink.

    Key Takeaways:

    • The cover could be you and Gwyneth surrounded by honey and dirt, applying probiotic ointments, eating kimchi and smile-laughing over a cauldron of home-brewed kombucha.
    • Last month, PepsiCo acquired the small kombucha company Kevita for around $200 million. At least in that way, the drink is functional.
    • All of this I know, and yet I buy kombucha occasionally, because I started to like the flavor, which is sometimes worth the financial regret.

    "That idea has brought the centuries-old drink roaring into upper-middle class consciousness at $5 per bottle in New York bodegas."



    Reference:

    https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/12/the-promises-of-kombucha/509786/?utm_source=feed

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    Are You Gaining Weight For No Reason? Check Your Thyroid
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: October 31, 2016 11:47 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller
    Subject: Are You Gaining Weight For No Reason? Check Your Thyroid

    The human body is an extremely complex system of checks and balances that's held in a very delicate state of equilibrium. It's hard to understand at times but with the patience of science, we can usually get to the bottom of whichever mysteries our bodies will present us with.

    One of the mysteries that some people might find themselves faced with at some point in their lives is that of gaining weight for no reason. Diets and exercise will seem not to work. A possible culprit might be found in a small organ known as the thyroid gland. Let’s have a closer look at it and how it may be affecting your metabolism and weight.


    How the Thyroid Gland Works

    The thyroid is the largest gland in your endocrine system of glands and is located right in the middle of your neck just below the Adam’s apple in men. Endocrine glands refer to glands that secrete hormones in the human body. The thyroid gland produces the hormones Thyroxine and Triiodothyronine, which are referred to as the thyroid hormones. These hormones play a significant role in your energy regulation and metabolism functions by prompting almost every cell in your body to increase its activity. This is essentially what your metabolic rate is. There are three basic categories of problems that can occur in your thyroid gland, as follow:

    • Hypothyroidism or Underactivity – too little thyroid hormones produced
    • Hyperthyroidism or Overactivity – too much thyroid hormones produced
    • Growths – include benign cysts and nodules as well as cancers of the thyroid gland

    The Thyroid Gland and Weight Gain

    When too little thyroid hormone is being produced in a patient, their metabolic rate will slow down, meaning that the body’s cell will not be burning up calories at their optimum rate. This will lead to these unspent calories being deposited throughout the body in the form of fat. The person affected might find themselves suddenly gaining weight without any apparent changes in their lifestyle or eating habits. This is also why dieting and exercise may not have the desired effect on the patient.

    The symptoms of an underactive thyroid can be very vague because the hormone acts throughout the body but should you find yourself experiencing some of these, consider testing specifically for hypothyroidism:

    • General weakness
    • Cold intolerance
    • Heightened cholesterol levels
    • Fatigue
    • Sleepiness
    • Constipation
    • Mood swings
    • Forgetfulness
    • Heavy menses
    • Coarse, dry hair and skin
    • Weight gain
    • Changes in blood pressure
    • Depression and/or irritability
    • Muscle cramps and aches
    • Swelling in legs (edema)
    • Blurred vision
    • Hoarse voice and sore throat
    • Hair loss (on head and/or body)


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    Why Should We Take A Multi-Strain Probiotic?
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: September 01, 2015 08:19 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller
    Subject: Why Should We Take A Multi-Strain Probiotic?

    Most people taking a probiotic supplement or drink do so for the purpose of supporting digestive health.  Probiotics increase the colonization of beneficial bacteria in the intestines and limit the proliferation of pathogenic or disease-causing bacteria.  A healthy intestinal microflora is believed to not only enhance digestion, but also promote general health and boost immunity.

    Probiotics

    Probiotics Offer More than Digestive Health Support

    Probiotics offer medical advantages that go past the extent of supporting digestive wellbeing.  Recent studies demonstrate that particular strains of probiotics may be utilized to treat particular conditions.  Here's a rundown of advantages of taking probiotics supplement or drink:

    • An all around adjusted intestinal microflora may help direct solid cholesterol levels.
    • Probiotics, as a major aspect of a general solid eating routine, may help bolster safe framework and moderate diseases. Probiotics may fortify certain safe cells. This could help anticipate stomach and respiratory diseases in youngsters and also skin infections.
    • The utilization of probiotics in uro-vaginal diseases is very much bolstered by clinical trials and research.
    • Probiotics may be utilized to advance oral wellbeing averting tooth rot, especially in kids. In spite of the fact that this idea is moderately new, experimental backing shows probiotics treatment may hold a future in oral health.
    • Probiotics might likewise be recommended to treat conditions that have confounded traditional science, for example, Crohn's ailment, crabby inside disorder (IBS), lactose bigotry, certain sensitivities and skin infections.


    Blend of Probiotics with Other Ingredients

    Products that contain probiotics and a blend of different fixings are picking up prevalence since they offer more extensive advantages for wellbeing.


    • Probiotics with Prebiotics15

    The symbiotic blend of probiotics with prebiotics multiplies the development of solid microflora. Prebiotics are insoluble fiber, for example, Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin, which achieve the colon in a genuinely undigested state. It is in the colon that probiotics feast upon prebiotics through a maturation prepare that happens in the colon. Amid this procedure, by-items called transient unsaturated fats (SFA) are delivered. SFAs help to keep up fundamental elements of the body and produce certain B vitamins.

    • Probiotics with Enzymes16

    Probiotics can be consolidated with proteins that help separate sustenance substances into easier structures to improve supplement absorption. 

    • Probiotics with Multi-Vitamins17

    Consolidating probiotics with a multi-vitamin is famous yet stances challenges in assembling because of the touchy way of probiotics. Probiotics are delicate to light, dampness, heat, oxygen.


    How Probiotics Manufacturers Can Provide Retailers with Reliable Probiotics Supplements

    The greatest test that probiotics producers face is keeping the microorganisms alive amid the mixing procedure while guaranteeing strength amid timeframe of realistic usability.  At the point when joined with different fixings that are similarly touchy, for example, proteins, compelling consideration ought to be taken to guarantee that the assembling and bundling procedure happen in a dry situation. Any dampness may initiate the proteins and wreck the probiotics.


    Microencapsulation

    Microencapsulation is a genuinely late innovation that guarantees the survival of probiotics amid surrounding so as to assemble and stockpiling it with an external covering. Microencapsulating shields probiotics from ecological defilement and forestalls unplanned blending of probiotics with different fixings in the recipe that may bargain its solidness.


    Guaranteeing the Right Strain and Count

    The wellbeing presenting advantages of probiotics are strain-particular. Diverse strains have particular capacities in the body and not all strains are valuable to wellbeing. Probiotic formulators must be knowledgeable in probiotic strains and the utilization of proper strains for the sought condition-particular capacities. Slight variety in the hereditary profile of strains could create undesirable results.


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    What Is Lactoferon And How Can It Boost Your Health?
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: August 06, 2014 09:01 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: What Is Lactoferon And How Can It Boost Your Health?

    What is lactoferrin

    Lactoferrin is a bioactive milk protein, especially concentrated in both human and ox-like colostrum and has been sold for a long time as a wholesome supplement with, hostile to bacterial, against contagious, hostile to viral and safe fortifying exercises. However the work demonstrating its bone building properties shows significantly more prominent potential.

    Bad tempered Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most well-known gastrointestinal issue in the United States, influencing 1 out of 5 individuals. Indeed, with a large number of individuals looking for help for this, the reasons are still not well caught on. Numerous look for regular course, when conventional techniques don't bring the help they require. Analysts accept a combo of physical and mental well being issues can prompt the entrails getting to be harmed, or delicate to specific stressors. This can prompt an issue with the data pathway between the cerebrum and the gut, bringing about modifying intestinal capacity.

    Side effects of lactoferrin

    Side effects could be a consequence of a contaminating or disturbance in the stomach and insides from microorganisms or other destructive creatures. One study demonstrated that individuals who had an episode of gastroenteritis were ten times more inclined to create touchy inside disorder. An alternate condition, called small digestive tract bacterial excess, is truly regular in individuals with IBS. An excess or change in the kind of microorganisms in the small digestive tract causes aggravation and indications of loose bowels, over abundance gas, weight reduction, and dietary lacks. Some gastrointestinal manifestations could be because of the abundance of yeast (candida). Intestinal candidiasis can result in indications of bloating, gas, the runs, blockage, and cramping, alongside exhaustion.

    Lactoferrin helps the side effects by:

    1. Tying to free iron drifting around. This is essential on the grounds that most microbes and candida need iron to develop. Free iron meddles with our resistant cell work, so this viably starves the destructive life forms while keeping our invulnerable frameworks solid.

    2. Entering the microbes or candida and harming their phone layer. This will either murder them straightforwardly, or it meddle with their vitality and debilitate them.

    3. Keeping candida from adhering to the coating of the digestive tract and uprooting it once it is appended.

    4. Repressing the activity of cytokines in the gastrointestinal tract. Cytokines are proteins found in the body that cause aggravation.

    5. Sustaining the digestive tract with probiotic properties, which additionally help with GI well being. Probiotics sustain the well disposed microbes that live in your digestive tract. An equalization of great to unsafe microscopic organisms is required to avert gastrointestinal manifestations

    Manufactured presciptions

    Manufactured prescription drugs applied for the treating Ostepenai or perhaps Osteoporosis can certainly simply just carry out 1 or perhaps one other these projects. Bisphosphonates Actonel, Boniva, Fosamax in addition to Calcitonin Calcimar, Cibacalcin, Calsynar, Miacalcin, Osteocalcin in addition to Salmonine modest the particular evacuation connected with old bone tissue by means of restraining the particular action connected with osteoclasts. These kinds of prescription drugs carry out nothing at all to help secure osteoclasts to produce brand new bone tissue progress. Raloxifene Evista in addition to Strontium ranlelate Protelos invigorates the particular progress connected with brand new bone tissue yet never restrain the job connected with osteoclasts of their operate connected with evacuating old bone tissue. So this overdue study displaying a new compound that could carry out both projects is actually quite energizing. To a new significant component of most of these prescription drugs get understandably real allergic reactions that will block their employment by means of a lot of folks.

    Lactoferon has been indicated to be a characteristic solution for IBS. It ensures the coating of your gastrointestinal tract, help your safe framework, and support in destroying living beings that can result in manifestations. It has been named by the FDA as GRAS (for the most part perceived as sheltered) for the whole populace, even the individuals who are susceptible to grain and dairy

    Source :

    //www.medicinenet.com/lactoferrin/supplements-vitamins.htm

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    Ferrum Phosphoricum and Your Health
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: June 26, 2014 10:59 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Ferrum Phosphoricum and Your Health

    iron foodsWhat is a Ferrum Phosphoricum?

    Ferrum Phosphoricum or iron phosphate is a tissue salt used in Homeopathic medicine. It is derived from the combination of iron sulfate and phosphate. It also features prominently among the 12 Schuessler's Tissue Salts of Dr. Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler. It is made by mixing iron sulfate, sodium phosphate, and sodium acetate. Then, this combination is ground to a fine powder and the resulting product is Ferrum Phosphoricum, which no longer retains any traces of the original compounds.

    Iron


    Iron is well known as being an important mineral for growth in humans and animals since it is responsible for blood formation, e.g., hemoglobin, and for oxygenizing tissues.

    Phosphorus

    Phosphorus serves its purpose by aiding in the development of bones and teeth and is considered to be a building block for certain B vitamins.

    Ferrum Phosphoricum

    Ferrum Phosphoricum is most often used where there is a need to fortify the blood, particularly the cell walls which transport blood. It is most commonly indicated at the beginning of an influenza or if there are feverish symptoms, after a period of prolonged bleeding, or for general malaise (weakness) where it excels greatly.

    People suffering from anemia and/or issues connected with deficient blood are said to benefit immensely by taking Ferrum Phosphoricum.

    Other indications for the use of Ferrum Phosphoricum are the following:

    • Tonsillitis

    • Fever

    • Vertigo

    • Sore throat

    • Rheumatism

    • Skin aliments

    Generally speaking Ferrum Phosphoricum is beneficial for those individuals who have weekend or delicate immune systems, or who catch colds easily. It is most useful when given during the first stages of illnesses, particularly where there is heat, fever, or inflammation.

    Part of the benefit of tissue salts and homeopathic remedies such as Ferrum Phosphoricum is that they are small, easily diluted and taste free. This makes them excellent for children and older individuals. Given the fact that they are quite inexpensive makes for all the more reason to give them a try. 

    Sources

    1. //www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ferrum-phosphoricum.htm

    2. //www.remedysource.com/store/cell_salts/04-ferrum-phosphoricum.php

    3. //www.herbs2000.com/homeopathy/ferrum.htm

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    Improve Your Skin Naturally with Tamanu Oil
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: May 18, 2014 11:36 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Improve Your Skin Naturally with Tamanu Oil

    tamanu plantWhat is a tamanu?

    Tamanu oil is originated from Polynesia and prefers a salty and sandy soil, which is why it grows profusely near the sea. According to the native people, the best Tamanu oil comes from trees that grow near the coastal regions, better than those that grow inland.

    Benefits of tamanu oil

    The Tamanu oil is well known because of its healing properties, which can actually equal or even surpass contemporary skin care products. There are already scientific studies that the oil produce new skin tissues, as well as studies that support the natural antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-neuralgic, and antioxidant properties. Some of the ailments that Tamanu oil can treat include ringworm, itching, athlete's foot, dermaphytosis of the scalp or beard, burns and wounds. It also has a superb cicatrizing capacity that is far from other substances.

    Cicatrization is the term coined for the process of forming new tissue. It is also amazingly effective for healing acne and acne scars, stretch marks, psoriasis, diabetic sores, blisters, sunburn, abrasions, cuts, burns, eczema, insect bites, herpes sores, fissures, and dry or scaly skin. It can even reduce or completely remove age spots!

    One of the leading reasons tamanu oil profits skin is because of the oil holding an extent of lipids, including glycolipids, nonpartisan lipids and phospholipids, notwithstanding an exhibit of components not normally connected with different oils, including calophyllolide, that helps stop aggravation, lactone, which performs like an anti-infection, and calophyllic corrosive, which is an extraordinary type of vital unsaturated fat. An alternate segment, coumarin, adds to the mitigating impact of this astounding oil.

    Generally, tamanu oil has received as being a germicide, a diuretic, an expectorant, an astringent in addition to a laxative. An alternate of the various tamanu oil ascribes is its ability to help mend skin conditions including sunburn, rankles, players foot, dermatitis, pimple inflammation, dried-out skin, rash, little cuts and bug chomps.

    In Europe, now and again called Domba oil, it is been demonstrated to have a 70 to 75 percent rate of achievement in diminishing stiffness and scabies. In the Philippines, it’s utilized as an astringent for hemorrhoids. It is likewise significant on for administering to gout and ringworm. Loads of individuals additionally rub this oil into your skin to help for the torment coming about because of neuralgia; in addition to it can positively help decrease the visual appearance of scars and stretch imprints. It can help to treat diaper rash on a child.

    Tamanu oil is normally utilized in numerous diverse skincare items as it is overall ingested by the skin and serves to keep skin feeling delicate. Unlike some other crucial oils, tamanu oil does not desert an oily film once you utilize it, in addition, it will not exacerbate slick skin. Some methods you do not generally need to hold up quite a while so you can get dressed in the wake of utilizing it to help make skin look velvety. Many individuals think about the emanation of this oil as being satisfying, then again it is just a mellow fragrance so it will not clash with any viable aroma you decide to utilize. Against maturing items, some of the time holds tamanu oils, because they are accepted to help recover your skin.

     

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    Does Black Currant Have Healing Properties?
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: March 28, 2014 10:26 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Does Black Currant Have Healing Properties?

    Black currant

    Truly, the leaves of black currant and borage plants have been used for different rheumatic and provocative conditions, and as natural diuretics. Black currant has likewise been utilized to loose bowels, while borage has additionally been utilized as an antipyretic, expectorant, and general tonic. Right now, both plant oils are utilized as rich wellsprings of gamma-linolenic corrosive (GLA). Alongside, night primrose oil, these GLA-holding oils are utilized for interminable provocative and other conditions, for example, dermatitis, rheumatic issue, nostalgia, premenstrual syndrome, and diabetic neuropathy.1-4 Patients with these issues are thought to be unable to sufficiently change over their dietary vital greasy acids to GLA, an antecedent of mitigating eicosanoids 5; in this manner, supplementation with GLA-rich plant oils is viewed as advantageous.

    Benefits of black currant

    The Health Benefits and therapeutic employments of black currants incorporate it being utilized for the medicine of different cardiovascular ailments because of vitamin C. Likewise, black currants are additionally used to anticipate heart inadequacy as they have a tendency to enhance the safety of the energetic vessels that are known to be delicate and likewise minimize blood vessel hypertension.

    Black currants are additionally valuable for those miseries of menopause as they have a tendency to escalate the feeble fringe flow and likewise dispose of the cholesterol, waste and poisons from the blood. Black currants likewise help women experiencing menopause.

    Some of the other medicinal employments of black currants might be it being exceptionally beneficial in the common medication of gout, stiffness and joint pain.

    The homegrown cure arranged using the buds of the black currant plant is utilized within the medication of urticaris and the products of the soil of the black currant are utilized as a common solution for treating skin conditions, for example, bug stings, dermatosis, and abscess and skin inflammations.

    Black currants are a brilliant soil grown foods for ladies particularly, by virtue of their various benefits, for example, treating the indications of premenstrual syndrome, menopause, bosom delicacy and excruciating periods. Black currants are additionally useful in upgrading one's general unsusceptibility.

    Health benefits and therapeutic employments of the black currant likewise make it an amazing common cure for kidney related issues in a distinctive as the dried leaves of the black currant plant are known to advertise stream of urine, work against the shaping of bladder stones and additionally sterilize the urine particularly when expended on a customary groundwork as a cleansing tea.


     

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    Does Coral Calcium Alkalize The Body?
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: March 19, 2014 07:59 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Does Coral Calcium Alkalize The Body?

    What is coral calcium

    calciumCoral Calcium is a salt of calcium inferred from fossilized coral reefs. Coral Calcium is discovered commonly installed in the dirt in Japan. Coral calcium is made principally out of the shells and skeletons of reef-building coral and tiny ocean life, for example, star sand that occupy the zone.

    Benefits of coral calcium

    Calcium is a mineral we essentially need to have consistently, to keep our bones, teeth and nails solid, and avoid osteoporosis as we get more established. Notwithstanding upholding solid bones, calcium is fundamental in the sound working of the circulatory and sensory systems. Calcium is likewise crucial for fitting blood thickening. Calcium is 35% of our physique's mineral cosmetics and our first mineral. Incorporate these key minerals to your eating methodology today. What's more not at all like other calcium supplements, coral calcium does have exceptional properties that make it worth determinedly acknowledging as a supplement to your day by day diet.

    Calcium is a standout amongst the most critical components in the eating regimen in light of the fact that it is a structural segment of bones, teeth, and delicate tissues and is key in a number of the constitution's metabolic procedures. A dietary inadequacy in the end drains bone stores, rendering the bones frail and inclined to crack. Thus, in the event that you need to get a considerable measure of calcium into your eating regimen, you can additionally devour expanding amounts of these green, verdant vegetables.

    The normal American eating regimen of meats, refined grains, and sodas (high in phosphorus) has been reported to help expanded bone loss in grown-ups. Ladies, especially more seasoned ones, necessity to supplement their eating regimens with calcium. Coral calcium is one of the most forcefully and pervasively advertised dietary supplement-son the business sector today.

    Don't be deluded by those that attempt to persuade you that Sango Coral Calcium is not advantageous to your health. Out of over 2,500 mixed bags of coral on the planet, just the Sango Coral holds a natural organization indistinguishable to the human skeleton, including calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium.

    Coral calcium is discriminating to great health, its similar to water and air. Coral Calcium is known as a stunning regular component and is recommended by numerous specialists in numerous nations. Living coral reefs are jeopardized and can't be gathered without huge harm to the biological community, and due to this, coral calcium is collected by crushing over the ground limestone stores that were once some piece of a coral reef.

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    Can Green Tea And Pomegranate cream Help The Skin?
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: March 07, 2014 03:53 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Can Green Tea And Pomegranate cream Help The Skin?

    What is pomegranate

    pomegranate fruitPomegranate seed cream takes care of your skin from the outside and within. Pomegranate seed oil takes a shot at the outside to minimize the presence of lines and indications of maturing; inside, pomegranate seed oil is a dietary supplement rich in sound dietary fats and omega-3's. Regularly, an eating methodology rich in sound fats, vitamins, and hostile to oxidants gives skin the building squares it needs to look brilliant and adolescent.

    The pomegranate has been in development for thousands of years. There is confirmation to help asserts that it has been in development since 3000 BC. And it has not gone unnoticed. The pomegranate appears in the Bible, in Egyptian tombs, and in eastern and western centerpieces.

    Pomegranate on skin

    Pomegranate seed cream animates the handling of collagen and the multiplication of skin units. Collagen is a vital structural protein that is available in the connective tissues of skin cells. As collagen breaks down, skin begins to look thin and dry and scarce differences show up. Utilizing pomegranate seed oil as a major aspect of a saturating routine helps to modify collagen and fortifies skin units to process firm, young skin.

    green tea leavesWhat is green tea

    Green tea oil has numerous utilization, one of them being a skin mind item that offers some stunning profits, especially to tired, slack skin. You are dependably best to utilize characteristic items on your skin, on the grounds that large portions of the produced substance elements in advanced business skin mind planning can accomplish more mischief than great.

    Numerous individuals wonder why characteristic items ought to be superior to uncommonly planned business synthetics that you can discover in your neighborhood store or drug store. One reason is that numerous business items hold savage chemicals, for example, surfactants and additives that can become scarce your skin and uproot its regular defensive oils. Green tea oil does neither of these things, yet delicately soothes tired skin without irritating the offset of your regular skin oils.

    Many synthetics hold cleansers that are utilized as a part of cleaning up fluids and washing powders: might you rub cleaning up fluid into your face? Might you purify your physique with cleanser powder? Obviously not, however this is adequately what you are doing when you utilize some of these business "skin mind" items. And that is without actually saying the additives yet.

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    Can Coconut Butter Lotion Really Help My Dry Skin?
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: February 28, 2014 11:22 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Can Coconut Butter Lotion Really Help My Dry Skin?

    Benefits of coconut  lotion to skin

    One of the best lotions for all skin sorts, particularly dry, is coconut oil. It is determined from ready coconut meat and is utilized for cooking and as a grease, frequently for the skin. There may even be a few profits from the ingestion of characteristic coconut oil. Assuming that you are searching for coconut oil salve, there are numerous spots to discover it. You may run into it on the racks of health sustenance or entire nourishment stores. There are numerous online retailers who offer high quality coconut oil. Likewise numerous tanning moisturizers are enhanced with coconut oil. For issue territories like feet and heels, slip on cotton socks in the wake of saturating. Likewise, saturating straightforwardly in the wake of showering while skin is still sodden can help secure dampness.

    Characteristic of coconut lotion

    There are other characteristic lotions that you may need to think about also. Olive oil cream is getting to be progressively mainstream, as is the utilization of additional virgin olive oil on its own for skin and hair saturating. Olive oil might be utilized in the wake of showering or as a hot oil medicine for dry hair. An alternate top part is shea margarine. Shea spread is determined from shea tree products of the soil prized for its humectant lands, which is the reason you'll discover shea margarine moisturizer, cream and different items.

    In some cases you'll discover mixes of different saturating fixings like coconut oil and shea margarine joined together with a cooling element like cucumber. The scent of cucumber is exceptionally invigorating and the lands of this vegetable are extremely cooling. Cucumber moisturizer is extraordinary for sleek skin, feet and hands. You'll discover no lack of cucumber melon fogs and creams as this scent mixture was taken to notable status by the organization Bath and Body meets expectations, producing numerous copycats.

    As should be obvious, coconut oil moisturizer is only one of the numerous lotions you can use on dry skin. You may need to utilize a mix that holds all the significant creams, for instance coconut oil, shea margarine, olive oil and different elements like vitamin E. Form spreads produced out of shea spread, cocoa margarine and avocado are perfect for super dry skin. They have a consistency like margarine, are warmed between the palms and connected to the skin for ultra hydration. If you favor salve, cream, or form spread what's essential is that you are normally saturating the skin on your physique to keep it delicate and supple.

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    Can Coconut Butter Lotion Really Help My Dry Skin?
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: February 28, 2014 11:22 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Can Coconut Butter Lotion Really Help My Dry Skin?

    Benefits of coconut  lotion to skin

    coconut treeOne of the best lotions for all skin sorts, particularly dry, is coconut oil. It is determined from ready coconut meat and is utilized for cooking and as a grease, frequently for the skin. There may even be a few profits from the ingestion of characteristic coconut oil. Assuming that you are searching for coconut oil salve, there are numerous spots to discover it. You may run into it on the racks of health sustenance or entire nourishment stores. There are numerous online retailers who offer high quality coconut oil. Likewise numerous tanning moisturizers are enhanced with coconut oil. For issue territories like feet and heels, slip on cotton socks in the wake of saturating. Likewise, saturating straightforwardly in the wake of showering while skin is still sodden can help secure dampness.

    Characteristic of coconut lotion

    There are other characteristic lotions that you may need to think about also. Olive oil cream is getting to be progressively mainstream, as is the utilization of additional virgin olive oil on its own for skin and hair saturating. Olive oil might be utilized in the wake of showering or as a hot oil medicine for dry hair. An alternate top part is shea margarine. Shea spread is determined from shea tree products of the soil prized for its humectant lands, which is the reason you'll discover shea margarine moisturizer, cream and different items.

    In some cases you'll discover mixes of different saturating fixings like coconut oil and shea margarine joined together with a cooling element like cucumber. The scent of cucumber is exceptionally invigorating and the lands of this vegetable are extremely cooling. Cucumber moisturizer is extraordinary for sleek skin, feet and hands. You'll discover no lack of cucumber melon fogs and creams as this scent mixture was taken to notable status by the organization Bath and Body meets expectations, producing numerous copycats.

    As should be obvious, coconut oil moisturizer is only one of the numerous lotions you can use on dry skin. You may need to utilize a mix that holds all the significant creams, for instance coconut oil, shea margarine, olive oil and different elements like vitamin E. Form spreads produced out of shea spread, cocoa margarine and avocado are perfect for super dry skin. They have a consistency like margarine, are warmed between the palms and connected to the skin for ultra hydration. If you favor salve, cream, or form spread what's essential is that you are normally saturating the skin on your physique to keep it delicate and supple.

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    Thyme Oil
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: February 26, 2014 08:51 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Thyme Oil

    What is thyme

    thymeThyme is delicate herb with a highly penetrating fragrance. It has very many varied importance in culinary, medicinal and ornamental purposes. Thyme is an ancient herb that was used for medical purposes by Greeks and Egyptians. It has a sweet yet strong herbal smell and is reddish-brown to amber in color. Thyme essential oil is carefully extracted through distillation from Thymus Vulgaris that belongs to the Labiatae plant family. This oil is considered to have very many health benefits that range from curing some ailments to preventing as well as improving the general body health.

    Benefits of thyme

    To begin with, it is an excellent disinfectant that is highly regarded particularly in aromatherapy for the protection against infectious diseases. Thyme oil is an antiseptic as well as an expectorant. When diffused into the atmosphere, it can be really beneficial in the treatment and as well as revealing the symptoms of bronchitis, sinusitis, pneumonia, coughs, cold and flu.

    The components in this volatile oil have also been proven to expel antimicrobial activity against a host of different bacteria and fungi. For thousands of years, this essential oil has been used to preserve foods; protecting them from microbial contamination. In this way, using the oil helps people avoid various health issue associated with contaminated food.

    Thyme oil is also crucial in stimulating the formation of white blood cells as well as aiding in the oxygenation of cellular tissues; which helps in the removal of toxic wastes during illness. Thyme oil generally boosts your lymphatic system and builds your self-esteem and confidence in your ability to make quick recovery during illness.

    For a vitamin or supplement, thyme oil taken by mouth and can be very helpful in curing arthritis, stomach pain and a sore throat. It has also been used to treat skin disorders, movement disorders (dyspraxia) as well as parasitic worm infections. This oil can also be applied directly to the skin for swollen tonsils, hoarseness and sore mouth.

    In clusion

    I would like to caution you. Please note that there are lots of cheap, synthetic copies of essential oils. You, therefore, need to be careful when purchasing thyme oil and ensure that you get it from a trusted supplier to avoid getting a counterfeit product that may not give you the expected results.

    Sources

    1. www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/266016.php
    2. www.experience-essential-oils.com/thyme-oil.html
    3. www.essentialoils.co.za/essential-oils/thyme.htm
    4. www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=77
    5. www.wedmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-823-THYME.aspx?activeIngredientId=823&activeIngredientName=THYME

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3037)


    Why Should Children Be Taking A Multiple vitamin Daily?
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    Date: January 17, 2014 07:52 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Why Should Children Be Taking A Multiple vitamin Daily?

    food Childrens vitamin are essential for the development of any child.

    Whether to multi or not is one question that many parents ask. Never the less there is little consensus on a daily multivitamin for children. Given the reality of today busy parents, it is of the essence to understand that such well-prepared meals at home fail to meet the needed quantity of vitamin that a child require. Some children may have bad eating behavior another cause for childrens vitamin deficiency.

    What Should Children Eat?

    Children diet should consist of a wide variety of whole, fresh fruits, milk and dairy products and proteins as much as possible. Given the delicate nature of children’s growth, it is important to ensure that childrens vitamin needs be attained at all cost. Ideally, it is believed that children are supposed to get their vitamins from a balanced, healthy diet that they take daily. However, this does not mean that children are not getting enough childrens vitamin from food that they take at home.

    While it is agreed that those children with good diets do not need to take a multivitamin, well there is no harm in them taking childrens vitamin since it will provide in any case the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of the needed key ingredients. Other benefits of taking a multiple vitamin include normal growth and development, healthy circulatory as well as nervous systems, proper bone and tooth formation, strengthen the immune system against infectivity, improve brain function among other benefits.

    One question that lingers the mind of many experts and concerned d parents is whether their children are getting the right quantity of vitamins from the food that they take on a daily basis. A nutritional deficiency is something that any parent would not want for their kids thus the reason for multivitamin supplementation. It is advisable for all parents to seek nutritionist advise and ensure that they give their children formulated childrens vitamin purposely for their development.

    References:

    1. //www.joybauer.com
    2. //www.webmd.com/parenting/vitamins-for-kids-do-healthy-kids-need-vitamins


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    Herbs that Support Healthy Vision
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    Date: May 21, 2012 08:02 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Herbs that Support Healthy Vision

    The overall health of the eyes is essential to help retain a healthy vision and vision is considered to be one of the greatest assets of the total body health. Healthy vision is important to lead a good life. As the whole body needs exercise, eyes also need exercise regularly. To maintain optimum vision health it is necessary to provide proper nutrients to the eyes. Natural herbs help prevent vision loss and antioxidants are good for aging eyes.

    Here are a few herbs that support a healthy vision:

    Eyebright (Euphrasia Officinalis)

    Eyebright grows wild throughout Bulgaria, Hungary and the Balkans. This herb is grown in Europe for commercial purposes. Eyebright is rich in vitamins A, B, C, D and E, iridoid glycosides, flavonoids and tannins. This herb is used to fro relieving eye problems such as eye strain, pink eye and inflamed, sore and irritated eyes. The common name, "Eyebright," is derived from its use as a nutritional support to the eyes. Eyebright is used in making external poultices, teas, tinctures, fluid extracts and the whole herb is used for dietary use.

    Bilberry

    Bilberry is a close cousin to blueberry and has been widely used in Europe for eye health. Bilberry is the world's most famous herb that supports healthy vision. Bilberry helps blood to flow easily to the eye nerves. It has an antioxidant called anthocyanins, which protects the delicate eye tissues and protects the eye from the harmful UV rays from the sun. The other nutrients present in bilberry nourish the eye for a clear vision and light adjustment.

    Goji Berries

    Goji berries contain anthocyanins, the antioxidants which help prevent age related damage and improves blood flow in the eyes.

    Wolfberry

    Wolfberry is a Chinese herb with potent medicinal properties to strengthen the eyesight. Wolfberry has been in use in China, for centuries, to protect the eye and to promote good vision.

    Red Raspberry

    Red Raspberry is a native European herb that is used to treat sore eyes. Their leaves are rich in vitamin C and are high in tannin content. This herb is used as eyewash for discharge.

    Grape Seed

    Grape seed is an important source of nature's most potent antioxidants - proanthocyanidins that are anti-inflammatory, antihistamine and antiallergenic, and they also act as free radical scavengers. Grape seeds helps vitamin C enter the body cells.

    Chrysanthemum Flowers

    Chrysanthemum flowers help reduce pressure build-up in the eye. Steep chrysanthemum flowers in hot water, drink the beverage or use it to wash eyes in eye-wash cups.

    Peppermint

    Peppermint is an antioxidant which can clear vision.

    Ginkgo Biloba

    Ginkgo Biloba improves blood flow in the eyes. People with diabetes will have blood circulation problems and increased blood clotting tendencies. The small clots in the retinal area of the eye leads to poor vision. Ginkgo Biloba reduces the blood clots, increases blood flow and makes the red blood cells more flexible. The flexible red blood cells squeeze through the tiny blood vessels and help to carry more oxygen to tissues and cells.

    Herbal treatment for a healthy vision is the best natural way to improve eyesight.

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2646)


    Can Iodine And Potassium Be Used For Thyroid Health?
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    Date: September 15, 2011 02:11 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Can Iodine And Potassium Be Used For Thyroid Health?

    Thyroid Hormone Production

    The thyroid gland basically is the part of the body that produces thyroid hormones as the its name suggests. It could be found in the neck right around the front area, somewhere around the thyroid cartilage which is more familiar to us as the adam’s apple. The primary function of the thyroid hormone is to regulate and maintain proper metabolism. I addition it also extends its purpose to processes like energy conversion for the body and the body’s processing of other hormones and vitamins to stimulate proper growth and maturation. Commonly when we refer to thyroid disorders, we refer to thyroid production being out of balance. It could either be too high or too low. In the case of overproduction of these hormones an overactive thyroid is usually the culprit and this is called hyperthyroidism. In the case of underproduction caused by an underactive thyroid the disorder is called hypothyroidism.

    Thyroid issues also have been noted to be more prevalent in women than in men. The production of these hormones although done actually by the thyroid the process does not start there. The hormone synthesis process which will eventually produce thyroid hormones begin in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus. This is where the TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone is being released from and it then is transported to the thyroid gland via the blood. Then the two thyroid hormones, L-thyroxine or T4, and triidothyronine or T3 are produced. In this process, it is important that regulation occurs and when any disruption happens this is where the imbalances start, either overproduction or underproduction of the hormones occur. A gland known as the pituitary is the key to all this, also located in the brain it can sense how much hormones are in the blood and adjust accordingly to maintain this delicate balance.

    Iodine and the Thyroid

    Worldwide the most common cause of any thyroid disorder is iodine deficiency. Ample amounts of dietary iodine are needed to produce the thyroid hormones. It is important that we get the correct amount of iodine from our diets, it is so essential that in the US many food products are fortified with iodine and the reason being is that iodine in natural food sources alone are not enough since our food whether it be crops or meat gets its iodine from the soil and our soil is low in iodine content thus the fortification of many of our food products to avoid any thyroid disorders.

    Potassium and the Thyroid

    Potassium is a very important mineral in the body to maintain good health. It is an important electrolyte and help conduct electricity in the body. In terms of its link with thyroid health, numerous studies have shown that there is an association between low potassium levels and thyroid issues especially hyperthyroidism and in more severe cases it even has been found to be the cause of an overactive thyroid and as such potassium supplementation has been commonly used as treatment to provide relief.

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2432)


    What Can Chromium Picolinate Do In The Body?
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    Date: July 23, 2011 03:15 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: What Can Chromium Picolinate Do In The Body?

    It is inevitable that health awareness and protection are very vital. It is also very crucial for us to take necessary measures and precautions to boost our guards from elements that could pose harm and threat to our very delicate body. If we just take these things for granted, for sure, we will be paying for the consequences of our own actions. Fortunately, we are living in this generation where in many have already been discovered that we could utilize to help us achieve a health state that we have always wanted. Chromium Picolinate is one useful element that could help us control the blood sugar levels in our body. Therefore, it is deemed necessary especially for those that are suffering from diabetes mellitus.

    Many experts would claim that Chromium is beneficial in reducing body fat as well as in improving muscle tone. With the array of benefits it is capable of offering the human body; its discovery could be considered as a miracle breakthrough in the field of medical science. However, there are still questions that lurk in the minds of many about chromium. Questions like “could chromium be the answer of our predicament with the very common diabetes mellitus?” Such question is surely expected because not all are fully aware about its importance therefore; its discovery is not yet wholly appreciated. Because of this, there is a great need to educate the populace about its benefits.

    Chromium is an important trace mineral that is useful in the metabolism of carbohydrates hence; it could play a vital role in the regulation and metabolism of blood sugar. Other benefits of chromium would also include management of cholesterol, and hypertension. Chromium can be grasped from many food sources. But it is most abundant in true brewer’s yeast. The more common nutritional yeast though has chromium content but is not as high compared to that of a true brewer’s yeast. Chromium can also be found in grains and cereals. However, at the course of the refining process, most of the said mineral is depleted and lost. Beers also contain small amounts of chromium.

    Many individuals who have good knowledge about chromium would really agree about the above mentioned benefits. As a matter of fact, a lot of dieters and health conscious individuals could really testify about the benefits of chromium picolanate especially in improving muscle tone, fat metabolism, and blood glucose level control. At present, there are a growing number of people who are already enticed to take chromium picolinate because of the irrefutable benefits it offers. Needless to say, we are the culprits of our own actions. Whatever health state we would grasp is surely the result of the things that we have sow and invested for our health. If you do not want to suffer from dreadful consequences of your own doing then you have to give yourself the protection that you truly deserve.

    Grab Some Chromium and fee the difference!

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2376)


    Psyllium Husk Fiber
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    Date: September 23, 2009 11:08 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Psyllium Husk Fiber

    The Native Americans used psyllium as an eye-wash. It was also used to treat sprains and abrasions. Additionally, it was and continues to be used as a laxative to help relieve constipation. This herb contains aucubine, enzymes, fats, glycosides, mucilage, and protein.

    Fiber comes in many forms but psyllium is the least expensive of fibers avaliable for purchase on the market today.

    When psyllium is taken internally it is an excellent remedy for a variety of problems in the digestive system. The herb can be used to help prevent autointoxication, if used over a period of time, from the re-absorption of toxins into the bloodstream by removing the toxins. Since psyllium prevents toxic re-absorption, it allows for added protection to the colon. This helps the body to fight disease and illness. The herbal fiber also works as a lubricant on the intestinal tract. Additionally, it helps with diarrhea.

    Research has determined that psyllium is a useful treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is considered to deal with an overly sensitive colon that responds to stress. This herb may help the colon by soothing, healing, and aiding in the elimination of toxins from the colon. Psyllium has also been recommended for diabetics. The herb produces copicous mucilage which soothes and heals the large intestines and cleans the colon. Psyllium does not irritate the delicate mucus membrane. Instead, it works to strengthen and restore the tissues. Jethro Kloss suggested the use of psyllium in cases of colitis and anal ulcers.

    This herb is considered to be a safe alternative to drug therapy for chronic constipation when it is used properly. The husks from psyllium seeds are a great source of insoluble and soluble fiber. They also serve as an intestinal cleanser and stool softener. Additionally, psyllium is a hydrophilic bulking agent, which means that it is able to increase several times in size when it is combined with water. This occurs because of mucilage, one o the main components of psyllium. Mucilage is a thickening and stabilizing agent that swells in water. When psyllium swells in the intestines, it helps to increase the peristaltic activity of the bowel. This bulks up stool and promotes bowel movement. Because of this, it is crucial to drink plenty of water when one is taking psyllium. Mucilage is also able to help soothe and heal inflamed tissue in the intestinal tract.

    Studies have determined that psyllium is beneficial for lowering cholesterol and strengthening the heart. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that dietary modifications such as psyllium should be used to lower cholesterol levels before turning to drug therapy. By adding mucilage, like that found in psyllium, to the diet, one can successfully reduce serum cholesterol levels. Recent studies on psyllium and other forms of fiber have determined that mucilage in fiber is responsible for inhibiting cholesterol production. Not only does psyllium reduce bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels, it also increases levels of good cholesterol.

    The externally use of psyllium is helpful in dealing with skin inflammation and irritation. A poultice of crushed psyllium seeds is very beneficial. Additionally, psyllium is a great drawing agent. It is recommended for drawing the pus out of both boils and sores.

    In order to obtain the best results when supplementing with this, or any herb, it is important to consult your health care provider before beginning any regimen while on prescription drugs. For more information on the many beneficial effects provided by psyllium, please feel free to consult a representative from your local health food store with questions.

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2086)


    Yeast Cleanse
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    Date: January 26, 2009 01:26 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Yeast Cleanse

    When the immune system is compromised or nutrition is below standards, yeast organisms, including Candida Albicans, can invade the body and cause a whole variety of miserable symptoms. A yeast infection is a generally misunderstood condition which thrives in warm-blooded animals. With 900 species of yeast existing, the candida variety is the one that we have to deal with. Candida is similar to the type of yeast that is used to make bread. It is an oval-shaped microorganism that can reproduce rapidly by budding. Candida is unable to thrive on its own, with almost everyone having intestinal candida colonies. It is actually one of many organisms that thrive in our intestinal flora.

    Normally, yeasts live in harmony with us thanks to a delicate balance of bacterial types. However, a yeast infection results when a certain set of physiological circumstances encourage the growth of more yeast. A lot of people experience a sensitivity to yeast in specific mucous membranes where the climate is moist and favorable such as the mouth and gastrointestinal tract.

    It is unknown as to why exactly we have yeast in our bodies. After death, yeast organisms are responsible for initiating the work it takes to decompose our remains. When yeast organisms are able to flourish, a lot of systemic reactions take place, with some seeming unrelated, but together, making us feel downright lousy. The presence of yeast infections often suggests that our overall health may be somewhat weakened or our immune system may be compromised.

    The human body possesses a variety of microorganisms that have to compete for nourishment. A health and properly maintained system causes these life forms to live in a harmonious balance with each other. Our skin and intestinal tracts provide the perfect home for these bacteria and fungi, as they release certain toxins and provide population control for each other. This biological balance can be easily offset when a number of factors exist. The development of yeast infection is often the first sign that we are not in overall good health.

    Yeast

    Candida releases powerful poisons as it multiplies which circulate in the bloodstream and cause a variety of symptoms and disorders. The organisms can cause chemical reactions in the body and interfere with the body’s ability to destroy them. It can also produce a type of false estrogen that signals enough estrogen production, causing estrogen production to be inhibited. Candida Albicans is a very serious disease if it is allowed to thrive and is left untreated. Now as common as premenstrual syndrome, the two diseases even seem to go hand-in-hand, producing similar symptoms. Candida can invade a variety of body tissues and cause inflammation at the site. It typically attacks the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract, prostate gland, skin, and finger or toenails.

    The majority of the time we are totally unaware that yeast colonies occupy our bodies. However, if we come down with a yeast infection we can be sure that there is something else going on that will encourage uncontrolled yeast production. Three out of every four adult females will experience at least one episode of Candida, with most of these suffering from a recurrent infection.

    Several physiological conditions which make us susceptible to a yeast infection include faulty nutrition, antibiotic therapy, a compromised immune system, and hormonal changes of pregnancy and PMS. Fortunately, natural alternative yeast cleanse formulas are available to help reduce the occurrence of bad yeast all of which are available at your local or internet health food store.

    --
    Fight Yeast at Vitanet ®, LLC

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    NOW® Introduces Genuine Whole Food™ Labeling
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    Date: September 27, 2008 01:23 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: NOW® Introduces Genuine Whole Food™ Labeling

    NOW is excited to highlight our line of Genuine Whole Food products with a new icon. These existing products include a wide range of items, including NOW® Flax, Alfalfa Juice, Blue Green Algae, Kelp, Spirulina, Aloe, Hoodia, Colostrum, and Chlorella. One of the most exciting to join this new product category is an Organic Red Yeast Rice that is sourced right here in the United States.

    In order to provide you and your customers with the finest possible product, these items undergo a delicate process that helps retain the highest concentrations of nutrients and other beneficial extracts. They are minimally processed without adding or creating new isolates, and we do not spike our active ingredients. This results in safe ingredients that provide nutrients in their original form. NOW® Genuine Whole Foods are concentrated using only deionized water; no harsh chemical solvents are used at any stage during the process.

    When it comes to the products that enter your body, natural is always better. Not only are natural products free of potentially dangerous chemicals, they also contain a wide range of nutrient compounds that cannot be recreated in a laboratory. All NOW Genuine Whole Food supplements are 100% natural and free of artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives. Our new Genuine Whole Foods icon identifies this commitment made to product quality. Each product delivers a ratio of nutrients similar to that found in natural food sources. This results in greater nutrition that your body can use in the most effective manner possible.

    Unlike other companies that offer only a small selection of Whole Food-based products and ingredients, or none at all, NOW has a diverse selection of 68 SKUs that encompasses a wide range of health and wellness needs.

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1903)


    Fennel
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    Date: June 30, 2008 04:47 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Fennel

    If there has ever been an overlooked vegetable, it would definitely be fennel. Some people have an aversion to its licorice-like scent, while others feel as if fennel is a bizarre and obscure vegetable that they have no interest in learning how to prepare. However, those who have discovered it know that ignoring fennel is a waste of a versatile vegetable’s amazing flavor and healthful benefits. Even those who already cook with fennel might find that they aren’t taking advantage of its versatility. For example, many people use only the delicate, lacy parts of fennel as a flavor-enhancing garnish for soups or salads. Others stick to just using the green-white bulbs, while tossing the remaining pieces aside. However, there’s no season like now to start using and enjoying all the parts of fennel.

    Fennel is available from autumn until early spring and both its stems and bulbs have been found to contain many nutrients. Fennel spice, which is made from the vegetable’s seeds, can be found year round, as it is one of five spices in Chinese five-spice powder. One cup of raw, sliced fennel is a huge source of vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, and potassium. History has shown that fennel can be taken to alleviate bad breath, indigestion, intestinal spasms, cramps, and gas. It is thought that Puritans chewed the seeds in order to tame hunger during fasts. Recently, scientists have found that fennel contains antioxidants which promote good health.

    In order to gain these healthful benefits, be sure to purchase white or pale-green fennel that has clean, firm bulbs. The bulbs should not be split, bruised, or spotted, while the stalks that grow from the bulb should be relatively straight. Additionally, the vegetable’s fronds would be green but not flowering because blooms indicate that the bulb is past maturity. When consumed right away, fennel is at its best. But, it can be kept in the crisper for up to four days. Be sure to wash it before using its base in hors d’oeuvres, salads, and gratins. Also, make sure to reserve its fronds in order to enhance dishes in a potent way. With such versatility in the kitchen, there is absolutely no excuse not to include fennel in your meals this season.

    Once you discover that fennel is both crunchy and slightly sweet, you will want to incorporate it into many of your daily meals. Thankfully, fennel can enhance many dishes and make them extraordinary. Here are some quick ideas for using fennel this season. You can thinly shave the desired amount of a fennel bulb and toss it with a bit of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and a small amount of Parmesan cheese to make a fennel salad at moment’s notice. Another option is sauté sliced fennel with equal parts of onion and bell pepper in order to make a simple vegetarian side dish. One can take advantage of fennel’s ability to enhance flavors by adding fennel with tuna or grilled sea bass. Fennel can also be cut vertically, leaving bulb, stalk, and leaves intact and then brushed with olive oil and grilled until lightly browned. Another idea is to garnish your favorite vegetable soup with coarsely chopped fennel fronds.



    --
    Buy Fennel At Vitanet ®, LLC

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    Astragalus
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    Date: May 31, 2008 10:15 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Astragalus

    The immune system protects the body from disease, illness, parasites and other abnormalities. The immune system is a delicate balance of things working together to keep the body well. When something is out of line, the body is more susceptible to colds, viruses and more serious diseases. That's why it is so important to take care of your body and strengthen your immune system with astragalus.


    Boosting Your Immune System

    Boost your immune system to strengthen the heart and lungs, protect the eyes, heal the skin and improve the body's functions. You can enhance your immune system with an herbal boost of astragalus, also known as huang-qi. Astragalus is an herb from the legume family. It has been used for many years in Chinese medicine and made its debut in the U.S. in the 1980s. It is used to enhance the immune system, for chronic hepatitis, in cancer therapy, to prevent colds, help fight upper respiratory infections and prevent heart disease.

    Astragalus contains powerful antioxidants that strengthen the body in many ways. It acts as an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and diuretic. It increases the production of immune cells to heal the body.


    Things that Affect Your Immune System

    Poor eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, drugs, alcohol, environmental toxins, stress and lack of sleep chip away at the effectiveness of your immune system to fight disease. Each of these things takes away from your overall health and well-being. They break down the healthy functioning of your immune system. When this happens, you can expect to feel weak and run down, to be susceptible to colds and the flu and more likely to be affected by disease. When your immune system is not functioning well, germs can easily penetrate the body and wreak havoc on your organs.

    Protecting the Immune System

    Choosing a healthy lifestyle is the single most important factor in protecting your immune system. You can cause serious damage to your body by filling it with toxins. This includes inhaling cigarette smoke, consuming alcohol, drinking sodas and other sugary drinks, and eating too many pre-packaged foods. By eliminating these things, you will be able to better protect your health. Make healthy lifestyle changes to boost your immune system. Get plenty of sleep, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, stop smoking and get more exercise on a daily basis. Stop and think about everything before you put it in your body. Consider the damage you may be doing to yourself by breaking down your immune system.

    Astragalus Helps Strengthen Your Immune System

    Lifestyle changes are important for your total health. There are some other things you can do to enhance your immune system though. Taking the herb astragalus is one example. It helps the body adapt to its surroundings and cope with the bacteria and germs you frequently come in contact with. When your defenses are low, it's easy for bacteria and germs to invade your body and make it a toxic environment.

    You know your immune system isn't working properly if you catch cold after cold. Your body is more susceptible to illness. Your goal should be to make your defenses strong and keep illness at bay. The astragalus herb can help.

    (https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1806)


    Trace Minerals
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    Date: May 09, 2008 11:09 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Trace Minerals

    Colloidal trace minerals are just as important to our health and well being as vitamins. Practically since birth we have had it pounded into us that we must eat our vitamins if we are to be healthy. The fact is that vitamins are of little use to you without minerals which are as essential for your metabolism as any vitamin is.

    The essential minerals are the inorganic equivalents of the essential organic vitamins. They work together to maintain the biochemistry that keeps you alive. Take calcium, for example. That is a mineral needed for healthy teeth and bones, among many other things, but it is no good without vitamin D. Magnesium and potassium are also needed for healthy bones. Take blood clotting: vitamin K is the blood clotting vitamin, but blood will not clot without calcium.

    How is energy generated in your body from the carbohydrates and sugars that you eat? They are converted to glucose that is converted to energy in every cell in your body and used in-situ. Your heart gets the energy to beat from cells in the heart – energy does not float around the blood waiting to be used. It is generated by means of the production of a substance known as ATP – adenosine triphosphate of which phosphorus is an essential component. Without the mineral phosphate none of us would be alive – nor would any form of life for that matter. ATP is the universal molecule of life.

    So far we have discussed some of the seven major minerals: calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium and chlorine. There are many more that your body needs, and estimates vary from 45 to 70 trace minerals, without which you would find it difficult to function properly. Although your body can make many of the organic substances needed for life from vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids and proteins, it cannot make minerals which have to be taken in as part of your diet. They must be taken in your regular diet or as a supplement.

    In the USA a major mineral is one that is needed in amounts greater than 100 mg (0.1g) a day, and trace minerals are required at less than 100 mg a day. So one that is needed at 100.1 is major, and one at 99.9 mg is trace. Is there a difference in the source of trace minerals, or would any source be good enough? The answer lies in the construction of the human body, and the way in which it absorbs minerals.

    Your body is not designed to absorb metallic minerals. The way that such minerals are available in your diet is as part of larger organic molecules, and this is the way they must be taken as a supplement. Thus, you can’t just drink a soluble metal salt because it will pass straight through you with only around 5% absorption, if it doesn’t poison you first. For supplement purpose, metallic minerals are chelated, or combined with larger organic molecules such as proteins and amino acids, and this increases absorption to as high as 50%.

    The necessity of trace minerals in the human diet was not discovered, as much as the result of a number of studies on various societies and remedies that appeared to have no basis for their effects. The Hunzas and Azerbaijanis, for example, are known to live very long lives, and investigations into this showed their diet was very rich in colloidal trace minerals from glacial water and food grown in soil enriched by that water.

    It was through studies such as this and also investigation into the metabolites obtained from liver extracts that indicated the importance of many trace minerals. Take arsenic, for example. A known poison in larger quantities, trace quantities have been found to be metabolized by the liver, and while no studies have been carried out on the use of arsenic as a trace element in human biochemistry, studies on rats and human liver extracts have indicated that it could have a part to play in normal growth and reproduction.

    Trace minerals take part in many enzyme reactions, and physicians now agree that many health conditions could be enzymic in origin. It follows, then, that trace elements are important in maintaining good health. It is certainly true that we cannot live without any of the seven major minerals. And it is just as certain that many of the trace minerals are just as import to human biochemistry as the major ones. It is certainly true of vegetables, which are less complex biological entities than humans, and if tomatoes need at least eight known minerals for good growth then it is certain that we will need a lot more. No studies are needed to convince us of that.

    Take zinc, for example. Zinc is essential for proper liver function, wound healing and reproduction: spermatogenesis, the proper development of the primary and secondary male sex organs, and all area of the female reproduction process. Zinc is classed as a trace element, as is selenium, a deficiency of which can lead to heart disease, mental retardation and impaired function of the thyroid. Selenium deficiency is not common in the West but is in China where many areas are depleted of selenium. However, if zinc and selenium are known to be essential, how many of the other seventy or so trace minerals are also essential to human health?

    The trace minerals in general are believed to protect us from some degenerative conditions, the effects of environmental pollution and help to protect us from the effects of an excessive intake of toxic minerals. Although there have been insufficient studies carried out on most trace minerals, it is known that they should be taken in chelated form, metallic in nature or not.

    It is also known that such minerals should be taken as a balanced mixture as found in nature. A bullet approach, using an individual mineral to treat a certain condition, could lead to an imbalance in the body, and severe side effects, some of which might not yet be known. What is known is that certain minerals are tolerated by each other in specific relative concentrations, but if this balance is upset then they can inter-react and produce unpleasant side effects on, for example, the delicate balance of minerals in the blood.

    It is becoming increasingly clear that modern farming methods have resulted in mineral depletion of the soil, and that our normal diet now only contains a small number of the minerals that our forefathers were taking. Plants draw up minerals from the soil when they grow, and we take in these when we consume them or the animals that live on them. Saturation of the soil year in year out by chemical fertilizers low in or devoid of trace minerals has resulted in a sterile environment for our feedstock, and has made colloidal trace mineral supplements almost mandatory for good health.

    Today’s plants can contain fewer than 20 minerals, compared to the 70 plus of our ancestors. Life expectancy is increasing in spite of our increasingly poor diet rather than because of it, and is due more to medical advances than to advances in agriculture. A mineral supplement does seem necessary, but when you take one it should be balanced so that no one mineral is in excess at the expense of another.

    This helps to reduce the possibility of overdosing on an individual substance while maintaining a natural balance of minerals in your body to make sure that your normal biochemistry is not interrupted by some deficiency or excess that has yet to be discovered. While this might seem a spurious argument, you can be certain that those in the past that used cadmium and lead as cosmetics would rather have known the effects of these toxic substances that eventually killed them.

    So use chelated trace mineral by all means, but make sure that they are balanced and tested so that nothing is present that can upset the normal balance of minerals in your body. If they work for tomatoes they should work for you!

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    Adapt To The Stresses Of Life with Herbal Adaptogens
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    Date: October 18, 2007 11:13 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Adapt To The Stresses Of Life with Herbal Adaptogens

    Life today places a number of different types of stresses upon us. There are the normal stresses of living, of facing problems at work, financial worries and family stresses. Schedules are becoming busier as we try to pack more and more into each day, and relaxation time is cut to a minimum. For many of us, the stress starts when we waken and rush through breakfast, if we have time for one, to catch the bus or train to work, or to slip into the morning traffic rush that takes us an hour to travel 10 miles or less.

    Once at work we have problems to deal with that continue throughout a rushed lunch period, and then back to the stress of trying to return home in the evening to open the bills and check if we have enough in the bank to pay them. However, that is not all.

    Our environment is continually changing, and our bodies are subject to the stresses of pollution from the planes, trains and automobiles, not to mention the pesticides, preservatives plastics and harsh lighting. The noise of air conditioning and the continual musak of the stores and shopping malls and everything else that goes to completely stress us out, weekdays and weekends.

    That is ignoring the smog, the disappearing ozone layer and increased UV radiation, the greenhouse effect and global warming, El Nino and everything else that causes worry or affects the delicate balance of the body’s biochemistry. Rather than adapting to our environment we are continually striving to adapt the environment to suit our needs. We should develop a flexibility of mind and body so that we can survive these modern-day stresses, and this is where the substances known as adaptogens are important.

    Adaptogens help us to adapt to the environment and withstand the stresses of modern life. The term was first used by Russian N.V. Lazarev in 1947 who defined an adaptogen as a substance meeting three specific criteria: it should cause a minimal disruption to the normal physiological function of the body, it must work by means of a range of chemical, physical and biochemical factors rather than through one specific action and must have an overall effect of normalization, so that no condition is aggravated to improve another.

    There are a large number of identified adaptogens, among them several forms of ginseng: Panax, American, Siberian and Japanese; licorice, schizandra berries, rhodiola and others. These adaptogens tend to work in the body by improving the body’s availability and use of energy, improving the efficiency of removal of the metabolic waste and by-products, supporting the adrenal function so that the effects of stress are reduced or countered, improving the utilization of oxygen and helping to build up body tissue. In general the body works more efficiently in generating and using energy, muscle tissue and counteracting the effects of modern day stress, both environmental and psychological.

    Of the ginsengs, Panax is very expensive for regular use, although many people prefer it. However, studies have shown that Siberian, or eleuthero ginseng, is a stronger adaptogen that Panax which is also called Korean or Chinese ginseng. In fact the other forms, including American and Japanese, tend to over-stimulate the body, and can also cause unwanted side effects such as constipation and over-excitement. The Siberian ginseng tends not to show these symptoms.

    Siberian ginseng contains seven active substances known as eleutherosides A – F which are not present in the other ginsengs. These substances appear to have several properties that have been clinically proven. For example, they relieve insomnia, one of the symptoms of stress, high and low blood pressure, bronchitis, various forms of neuroses and, it is claimed, also some types of cancer. Siberian ginseng also allows humans to withstand noise, heat and extra stresses caused by severe workloads. It improves athletic performance and allows people to improve their work output under a variety of stresses. Athletes can train harder and recover quicker.

    Another adaptogen is schizandra berries (also called schizandra chinensis and magnolia vine). Chinese herbalists class medicinal herbs by the five different flavors, sour, bitter, salty, acrid and sweet. Schizandra berries possess all five, and are therefore considered by the Chinese to balance all the systems of the body.

    It is used in the West as a stress reducing adaptogen and is also included in sports and weight loss formulae. It helps insomnia and improves endurance and mental coordination. Schizandra is believed to be a good tonic for the liver and is often used in combination with Siberian ginseng (eleuthero) and licorice. The latter is another popular herb in China that is said to be a good tonic for the spleen. Licorice itself is a known anti-inflammatory since it contains flavanoids and saponins that promote the immune system. Licorice is thought be a useful supplement for HIV patients due to its effect on the immune system. It also increases corticosteroid levels by inhibiting the liver’s ability to break down adrenal hormone. However, people with high blood pressure should be careful with licorice since it can cause sodium retention. Like any other medication, you should seek your physician’s advice if you have any existing conditions.

    Rhodiola, also referred as roseroot, is used for improved memory and enhanced vitality and it can also be used as a mood modifier. It is used by athletes of all types for increased strength and endurance, and improved cardiovascular and muscle recovery time. The Russians call it ‘Golden Root’ and it is a safe and effective adaptogen.

    More and more people are turning to adaptogens to help them cope with the hustle and bustle of their daily lives, and they are becoming increasingly available from ordinary health stores. If you are finding it difficult to stay energetic and active then try them out. Not all work with every individual, but there is a large variety to choose from and most people are able to find an adaptogen that suits them and enables them to adapt to the stresses of daily life.



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    Exotic Herbs From The Amazon Basin
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    Date: June 22, 2007 05:07 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Exotic Herbs From The Amazon Basin

    Although many traditional herbal medicines have yet to find complete scientific corroboration in the West, it follows logically that people wouldn't use an herbal product for centuries if it didn't work.

    Many of the popular herbs we all recognize as having great health benefits were only recently considered pretty exotic. Even green tea - a staple in China for centuries -has only lately gone main stream.

    So it will likely be with herbs from the Amazon basin and its environs. The Amazon basin is one of the most bountiful environments on the planet. Explorers and botanists from the West have looked to this region for generations for the "next big thing." Of course, in many cases, the "next big thing" has already been in use for centuries.

    In this issue of Ask the Medicine Hunter, we're going to look at some energizing and life- stimulating herbs that also happen to have great antioxidant properties, too. Best yet, many of them are available to us here from companies that practice fair trade policies.

    Let's take a look at some of the herbal powerhouses coming out of the Amazon (and its nearby neighborhoods):

    Maca (Lepidium meyenii) has been cultivated for a long time at least 2000 years. Related to brassica family plants like radishes, mustard and cabbage, its foliage does actually look somewhat radish-like, but grows close to the ground.

    Maca is cultivated by the Andean people in Peru's central highlands, and contains a plethora of beneficial compounds that enhance overall health and vitality. The tradition of cultivating maca is an old one some strains have been found in Incan sites that date from 1600 B.C. During early European colonization, maca was used by the local native culture as a form of currency, much of the way cocoa was used by the Aztecs, further north in pre-Columbian Mexico.

    Maca thrives in high altitudes - between 10,000 and 16,000 feet. The harsher the conditions, the better it grows, or so it seems. In fact, efforts to grow the plant in Central Europe haven't been as successful - maca seems to enjoy its home turf the best. In Peru, maca is a popular and beloved nutrient-packed superfood, and is commonly powdered and mixed into drinks at roadside stands throughout the Andes.

    Q. I've heard of maca being used for healthy libido - are there any other benefits?

    A. Maca is a natural energizer, and although it is recognized for it's libido enhancing abilities, it has other uses, too, acting as an adaptogen - similar to rhodiola or ginseng. In fact, in South America, maca is known as "Peruvian Ginseng." Though maca is not ginseng at all, some of the benefits of both plants are similar.

    In any event, maca is recommended for boosting the immune system, menopause support, and hormonal balance in general. For daily use, maca is most recognized as a great source of energy and all-day endurance. Alkaloids from maca root may be partially responsible for both maca's energizing and libido boost. Research shows that maca affects the hypothalamic-pituitary (HPA) axis - boosting energy and overall aphrodisiac prowess in men and women. Maca contains novel compounds called macamides and macaenes, which have been proven in animal studies to significantly enhance energy, stamina and sexual function reasons people have been so consuming maca for 2000 years.

    There are other serious reasons why maca is such an excellent plant. One group of compounds in maca is the isothiocyanates-aromatics constituents that are responsible for the "hotness" of mustards and radishes - fellow members of the brassica family. Isothiocyanates from other members of the brassica family may reduce the risk of breast and stomach cancer. Although the same constituents specifically from maca haven't beentested, it's plausible that they could have the same effects.

    Q. I've heard a little about guarana extracts - is it just caffeine?

    A. Guarana is widely loved for its mild stimulating effect, which is due to caffeine. But this is by no means this Amazonian herb's sole beneficial compound. Guarana (Paullinia cupana) is so logically ingrained in the culture of Brazil that it's practically a rival (actually out-sells) Coca-Cola in its soft-drink form. Like many other indigenous herbs, guarana was in use locally well before European settlement. Its Latin name comes fromthe German botanist C.F. Paullini, who first encountered the herb in the 1700s. This evergreen vine typically climbs fairly far up the Brazilian forest trees. The seed is the part that gets used. In one clinical study, guarana boosted the memory alertness of participants, even when the caffeine level per dose was a low 9 mg., as compared with approximately 100 mg for a cup of coffee. This effect suggests that other agents than caffeine contribute to a feeling of well being.

    Guarana also contains powerful antioxidants including catechin, epicatechin and proanthocyanidins, which protect cells against destruction from free radicals, and impart benefits to the body's tissues and blood. The small seed of this plant is powerful in its health benefits.

    Catuaba Bark:

    Catuaba (Erythroxylum catuaba) is a common tree found in South America from Brazil to Peru, in the same genus as the coca plant. Catuaba contains components known as alkaloids. These alkaloids (called catuabine A, B, and C) are probably responsible for themental boost most people get when they take catuabe-based supplements or mixes.

    There may be little confusion regarding catuaba, because various species and genus typesuse the common name. As a result, "catuaba" gets bandied around a lot, and one person'scatuaba may not be the next. Read labels carefully. The catuaba I've had the best luck with is Erythroxylum catuaba.

    Coffee Fruit:

    One of my favorite drinks in the world is coffee, and I'm sure at many people reading thisconsider it the essential part of their morning, too.

    The part of coffee that we use the most is the seed of the coffee fruit - which appears as a bright, red berry. Most of the time, this fruit is sloughed off and left behind in the process of making coffee - it's really too delicate to last long in hot conditions.

    But advances in technology have tapped a previously discarded resource. Though the fruit of coffee is available in any coffee-growing economy, a high antioxidant commercial extract of "coffee cherry" is now available from the fruits of coffee plants in Mexico.

    Coffee fruit has many of the attributes of other dark-colored, anthcyanin-rich fruits. Coffee fruit (also referred to as "coffee cherry") appears not to be just another antioxidant, however. Current research on this once-forgotten, former castoff shows impressive abilities to decrease tumor size, and possibly even prevent their formation in the first place. It seems that the elements in coffee berry activate T-lymphocytes in such a way that mammary tumors are shrunk or simply put on hold. It will be fascinating to see how this science plays out.

    Muira Puama Bark:

    Muira puama (Ptychopetalum olacoides) grows between 15 to 45 feet high. Native to theAmazon basin of Brazil, the dried bark has been used for centuries as a traditional energysupport. Components include beta-sitosterol, campesterol and lupeol.

    Muira puama, like other central nervous stimulants has been researched lately for its ability to boost memory retrieval and protect neural (brain) tissue. Who knows? Maybe this traditional ingredient could someday be on the cutting edge of natural medicines fighting Alzheimer's, much the way green tea and turmeric are currently. In one unpublished French study of 262 men with low libido and poor erectile function, 62% experienced significant improvement after taking an extract of Muira puama for two weeks.

    Acai Berry:

    Acai (Euterpe acai) berry is a traditional favorite (and readily available) food source for people in the Amazon. The tree is a tall-growing palm with berries that provide - a rich source of anthocyanins, potent purple pigments with extraordinary high antioxidant activity.

    Once harvested, acai fruits decay rapidly. As with coffee fruits, special processing is the surest way to make certain the nutrients of acai berry make it to those of us outside the Amazon basin.

    However, these wonderful fruits not only fight against free radical damage, but help our natural digestive enzymes and boost natural immune defenses, too. In fact, current research is investigating whether compounds in acai may have a fighting effect on leukemia, too. So far, the results have been very positive.

    Look for supplements made using organically-grown, fair trade acai berry. The best companies ensure that the local people harvesting acai and the communities where they live gather more than just short-term benefits. The best companies work not just to provide jobs, but better lives for generations to come.

    Q. What is sustainability and fair trade, anyway?

    A. Sustainability refers to a set of naturally occurring circumstances, or intentionally designed practices and principles, which ensure that all parts or members of a situation are adequately nourished to promote their healthy continuance. In current parlance, sustainability often refers to practices and programs designed and implemented to keep natural systems healthy and flourishing. Many such programs focus on environmental protection and preservation of traditional cultures. In the world of medicinal plants, sustainable practices include organic agriculture, species management, fair trade, and benefit-sharing programs.

    In other words, sustainability pays people fair wages, puts resources back into their communities, and ensures that the resources that benefit us all are going to be around for a long time. It is an earth-friendly, people-friendly concept of commerce that happily, is taking root around the world.

    Conclusion:

    The traditional cultures that use - and have used - these ingredients for generations wouldn't have done so if they hadn't been effective. Fortunately we live in an era when formerly locally-used herbs are now available far beyond their previous range. We are also fortunate to have companies and individuals working hard to make sure that the people who tend and care for these precious resources are paid fairly for their efforts, andthat their families and communities benefit from this commerce as well.

    The great thing about using traditional herbs and ingredients that have been gathered in this manner is that you know they'll be around for a long time.



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    New Dynamic Health Laboratories
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    Date: August 10, 2006 02:39 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: New Dynamic Health Laboratories

    A line of dietary supplement liquids featuring some of the most exciting nutritional products available in today’s market place. Dynamic Health has been supplying the industry with the highest quality natural liquid health products for more than a decade. Dynamic Health is a New York State Corporation established in 1994. it is licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and all product satisfy FDA labeling requirements. All Dynamic Health products are certified Kosher and some are certified organic.

    Following are just a few of the 40+ Dynamic Health items available from VitaNet:

    Goji Juice blend. The delicate berries of the Goji plant have been treasured for centuries by the Himalayan people. Formerly a Tibetan secret, goji juice was used in ancient recipes as a delicious elixir. Goji is rich in minerals, amino acids, antioxidant vitamins, polysaccharides and phytonutrients compounds.

    Mangosteen Juice Blend. For centuries, the people of Southeast Asia have treasured the Mangosteen fruit for its many life-sustaining benefits. Recent scientific inquiry has revealed the extraordinary benefits of the Mangosteen and its rich supply of powerful antioxidants called xanthones.

    Acai Juice. Acai palm tree flourish in the lush rainforests that are fed by the Amazon river. The dark purple Acai berries contain up to 33 times the antioxidant content of red wine grapes. These amazing berries have traditionally been used to increase energy, stamina, vitality, and to promote overall healthy living.

    Organic Noni Menopause formula. Designed especially for premenopausal, peri-menopausal, and post-menopausal women, this unique formula provides 12,000 mg of certified organic Tahitian Noni per 1 oz serving! In addition, the formula is enriched with soy isoflavones, dandelion, pomegranate juice, chaste tree berry, red clover, black cohosh and calcium.



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    Yogi Tea – Exquisite Taste, timeless Wisdom.
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    Date: June 05, 2006 04:51 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Yogi Tea – Exquisite Taste, timeless Wisdom.

    Only Yogi tea offers the delicate flavor and renowned antioxidant qualities of green tea combined with the most effective herbal remedies in the world. We use the finest green tea leaves from the gardens of the East to provide both excellent flavor and healing benefits. Find yourself on the path to lasting health with out Green Tea Healing Formulas. Green Tea w/Echinacea, Kombucha & Elderberry Tea to fight off those colds and flu. Green Tea Super Anti-Oxidant tea to help slow the aging process and reduce fine lines. Green Tea Slim life formula to help shred those unwanted pounds.

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    Gr-8 Dophilus
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    Date: December 29, 2005 12:06 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Gr-8 Dophilus

    Did you know that poor digestive function is a contributing factor in more than ninety percent of America’s serious health issues?! The waiting rooms of doctors are jam packed, in part because so many people are suffering with gastrointestinal problems. The medical establishment and alternative health and wellness practitioners don’t always agree, but both sides are certain that a healthy digestive system is the cornerstone of good health. Proteins, the building blocks of life; carbohydrates and fats, your body’s source of energy; vitamins and minerals; and water – all are assimilated through digestion. If you’re not properly digesting the foods you eat, your body isn’t obtaining the nutrients it needs to repair, renew and thrive. Without the raw materials it needs to repair the damage we do to ourselves every day, your body begins to break down, leading to poor health and accelerated aging2,3.

    While there are a multitude of factors involved in healthy digestive function, one of the most important is the delicate balance of bacteria found in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. There are three main types of flora in the human GI tract - Bifidobacteria, Bacteroides and Eubacterium. Of slightly less importance are Lactobacilli, Streptococci and Peptococci and other transitory flora1. Our stomachs and intestines are populated by hundreds of billions of these bacteria, or microflora. Amazingly, there are more probiotic organisms in our gut than there are cells in our bodies! That’s a lot of bacteria, but it’s GOOD bacteria, and each strain has specific functions in the human body. These bacteria aid the digestion of food and have protective qualities that contribute to good colon health. While a good balance of these different microflora is necessary, there are many factors that can, and do, disrupt this balance –certain medications, a poor diet, infection, stress, bad bacteria, aging and even the climate. The good news is a rapidly expanding body of research suggests that supplementing the diet with the right mix of microflora can have a beneficial affect on gastrointestinal function, and therefore overall health.

    NOW® Gr8-Dophilus™ exclusively utilizes the finest strains from Rhodia Incorporated, the world’s leading supplier of high quality probiotic ingredients, and is enteric-coated to ensure that the bacteria in this product are not destroyed in stomach acid but reach the small and large intestines where they are most beneficial. Gr8-Dophilus is a vegetarian product that contains virtually no lactose.

    Lactobacillus acidophilus is a well-studied microflora species that’s highly resistant to gastric acidity and is able to proliferate in the presence of bile. Like many probiotic organisms, it also adheres well to intestinal cells, helping to prevent the adherence of certain enteropathogens5.

    Lactobacillus casei is a microflora strain that is found in the human mouth and intestines as well as in fermented vegetables, milk and meat. Recent research has shown that this bacterium is active in the GI tract and may help to modulate the immune system*. Research is continuing into this very promising probiotic.

    Lactobacillus rhamnosus, like Lactobacillus acidophilus, is highly resistant to gastric acidity and proliferates well in bile. It, too, adheres well to intestinal cells. We’ve included this particular strain because it works extremely well with L. acidophilus. Lactobacillus salivarius is a strain that has proven highly effective against Helicobacter pylori, a bacterial species implicated in a number of digestive conditions. Studies have shown that L. salivarius is capable of producing high amounts of lactic acid, which has been shown to inhibit H. pylori growth in live subjects. Compared to other Lactobacillus strains, L. salivarius was proven to have the greatest inhibitory effect on the proliferation of H. pylori,4 which is why this strain is included in Gr8-Dophilus™.

    Streptococcus thermophilus bacterium are isolated from yogurt and are recommended for lactose intolerant individuals to help digest lactose in the intestines. This strain is included in this formula to assist in the acidification of the intestinal environment, as well as to create a favorable environment for lactic acid bacteria.

    Bifidobacterium bifidum is one of the workhorses of the large intestine. It has a high tolerance to gastric acidity, and, like L. acidophilus and many other probiotic organisms, it adheres well to intestinal cells, helping to prevent the adherence of certain enteropathogens5.

    Bifidobacterium longum is a bifidobacterium of human origin that, like lactobacillus, is extremely resistant to gastric acid and bile salts. Because it’s anaerobic (able to live without oxygen) it’s perfectly suited to colonize the colon. Initial studies have shown that this particular strain of bifidobacteria helps to support the immune system*. It also seems to decrease enzymatic activity in feces. Researchers believe enzymatic activity in feces may contribute to carcinogenesis.

    Bifidobacterium lactis is one of the most well-studied strains of probiotic bacteria, with a wealth of peer-reviewed, published research on its benefits. Clinical trials on B. lactis have shown it to be helpful in a number of digestive conditions, including diarrhea and lactose intolerance, as well as immune response modulation.

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    Court Rules for FDA in Lane Labs Appeal
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    Date: December 12, 2005 09:44 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Court Rules for FDA in Lane Labs Appeal

    A federal appeals court has ruled that Lane Labs (Allendale,NJ) may be ordered to pay back consumers for selling what the food and drug administration (FDA) considered unapproved new drugs. The three-judge panel upheld the 2004 decision by U.S. district Judge William G. Bassler of the District of New Jersey, which stated that FDA may demand that Lane Labs pay back every consumer who had bought the company’s top selling products—shark cartilage supplements that were allegedly marketed as treatments for diseases including cancer and HIV. The restitution amount is estimated at 109 million. The appeals court rejected the argument that FDA cannot demand restrictions because the Federal Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act (FDCA) does not expressly provide for such a remedy. “Whether or not congress specifically contemplated restitution under the FDCA, the ability to order this remedy is within the broad equitable power granted to the district courts to further the economic protection purposes of the statute,” 3rd Circuit Judge Marjorie O. Rendell wrote in an opinion joined by Judges Maryanne Trump Barry and Edward R. Becker.

    In its appeal, Lane Labs was supported by an amicus brief from the Washington Legal Foundation (WLF, Washington, DC) urging the court to reverse Bassler’s decision, on the grounds that restitution is not authorized anywhere in the text of the FDCA.

    WLF attorneys Daniel J. Popeo and Richard A. Samp, joined by attorney Jeffrey A Lamken of Baker Botts in Washington, DC, argued that the FDCA gives courts the power to “restrain” violations, but does not allow FDA to seek “Backward-looking monetary relief.”

    WLF argued that FDA, throughout most of its history, never asserted a right to seek restitution until recently, when it began asserting that power in order to have “a big club with which to intimidate manufacturers who might otherwise seek to challenge FDA directives,” including large pharmaceutical companies. However, the court upheld FDA’s authority to seek restitution on the grounds that the FDCA’s grant of authority to restrain violations of the Act should be read broadly to include all forms of equitable relief.

    FDA cannot be allowed to get away with this power grab,” said Samp after reviewing the Third Circuit’s decision. “The American economy suffers, and public safety and health are jeopardized, when FDA seeks to exert power beyond its authority, upsetting to delicate balance struck by Congress in its attempt to both preserve the public welfare and encourage valuable pharmaceutical innovations.” He added that WLF has pledged to continue to litigate the issue and to support Lane Labs in any further appeals the company may file.



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    Skin Eternal #1 Skin Care Line – Source Naturals
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    Date: November 04, 2005 09:16 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Skin Eternal #1 Skin Care Line – Source Naturals

    Skin Eternal #1 Skin Care Line – Source Naturals

    November is National Skin Health Month! It’s also a time of year when exposure to stormy winter weather and overheated rooms can play havoc with skin. Source Naturals #1 Skin Eternal line can help nourish and recondition dry, chapped and irritated skin.

    Source Naturals Skin Eternal skin care products in Whole Foods magazines annual Natural Choice Awards for two years in a row!

    Skin Eternal products enhance skin tissue with breakthrough ingredients that go deep to the cellular level to recharge and revitalize delicate skin. These include alpha lipoic acid, CoQ10, vitamin C ester, DMAE, plus a wide variety of nutrients and plant extracts. This premier line includes luxurious cosmetic products as well as supplements that support healthy skin from the inside out.



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    The Essential Woman Formula
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    Date: August 15, 2005 12:11 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: The Essential Woman Formula

    The Essential Woman Formula

    -Organic Unrefined Flaxseed Oil

    The primary ingredient in The Essential Woman is unrefined organic flaxseed oil, the world’s richest source of essential fatty acids. These important nutrients, alpha linolenic acid (omega 3) and linoleic acid (omega 6) have been shown in scientific studies to benefit over 60 health conditions. Since these vital nutrients are classified as essential, they are absolutely necessary to maintain good health. Several of the most important benefits of essential fatty acid rich flaxseed oil include normalizing cholesterol and triglyceride levels, suppressing inflammation and allergies, alleviating depression, combating fatigue and beautification and healing of the skin. When it comes to these vital nutrients The Essential Woman is exactly that, essential!

    -Evening Primrose Oil

    Evening Primrose Oil is an integral part of The Essential Woman product for a very important reason. This proven and popular nutritional oil provides a source of specialized nutrient known as gamma linolenic acid or GLA. Volumes of scientific studies support the use of GLA for a woman’s unique requirements. GLA helps balance hormone like substances which, when out of balance, can lead to distressing symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. The Essential Woman was carefully formulated to provide optimal levels of GLA while working in concert with the other nutrient actives in the product.

    -Lignans

    Lignans are a class of plant phytonutrients that are concentrated in the solid portion of the flaxseed. These amazing compounds have shown such extraordinary potential that they have been studied by the National Cancer Institute for their cancer preventative properties. Lignans act as estrogen modulators, balancing human estrogen with both weak estrogenic and anti-estrogenic activity. This helps maintain a regulating activity on human estrogen which has been implicated as a factor in both breast and colon cancers. This is a particular concern for women as estrogen levels rise just prior to and during menopause. Lignans are yet another nutritional ally found in The Essential Woman necessary to meet the special demands of today’s woman.

    -Soy Isoflavones

    The simple soybean is a power house of nutritional factors. The much researched isoflavones in soy belong to a family of compounds known as bioflavonoids. The isoflavones in The Essential Woman are concentrated to provide optimal levels in every tablespoon. Scientific studies on isoflavones reveal an astounding array of nutritional benefits for women. Most notably are its effects on bone health and menopause. Researchers have found isoflavones effective in the prevention of bone loss and conclude that isoflavones are an effective natural means to help prevent osteoporosis and provide bone strengthening support. Soy isoflavones area also classified as plant phytoestrogens which are more delicate in their actions than the actual human estrogen, but target human cells in the same manner. In this way, isoflavones are believed to be able to block the overstimulation of human estrogens much like the plant lignans discussed earlier. This is good news for women entering their menopausal phase of life. Isoflavones of phytoestrogens can help alleviate the annoying symptoms of menopause and PMS as well as help reduce the risk of fragile bones, heart disease, breast and other cancers. As more and more women take charge of their personal health and well being, the need for a comprehensive nutritional support system is vital. The Essential Woman provides a formula for success designed for the special needs of a woman’s body.



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    Vitanet ®

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    The Essential Woman - Beauty and Balance from Within
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    Date: August 13, 2005 02:25 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: The Essential Woman - Beauty and Balance from Within

    The Essential Woman - Beauty and Balance from Within

    Outward Beauty is a reflection of inner health. Radiant glowing skin, lustrous hair, and strong nails are signs of vibrant inner health. Feminizing hormones, delicately balanced, provide freedom from monthly or midlife female discomforts and beauty in full bloom. The Essential Woman is derived from seeds of botanical flowers such as evening primrose and flax, as well as special plant phyto-nutrients, all recognized for their beautifying and balancing qualities.

    Hallmarks of The Essential Woman:

  • -Designed specifically to exceed the health and beauty needs of today’s woman

  • -Supports the healthy structure and function of the female hormonal system

  • -Provides nature’s most honored internal moisturizers

  • -Ideal for all women of all ages

    The Essential Woman is available in liquid and capsules, and can be found in finer health food stores nationwide.



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    Depressed? Try these “super 5” supplements
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    Date: August 09, 2005 03:25 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Depressed? Try these “super 5” supplements

    Depressed? Try these “super 5” supplements

    While we must first address basic health issues and tackle them individually, nature has provided us with a number of compounds capable of treatment depression by safely raising serotonin levels and by boosting oxygen supplies to brain cells.

    1. 5-HTP, a metabolite of the amino acid tryptophan, has the ability to boost serotonin production without the negative side effects of drugs like Prozac. It has been successfully used in clinical trials with people suffering from depression that were resistant to traditional therapies. Because it can boost serotonin without the negative side effects of antidepressant drugs, it is one of nature’s best choices as a natural remedy for depression, anxiety and sleep disorders.

    2. St. John’s worth as received considerable attention for its ability to successfully treat mild to moderate depression. Numerous studies have concluded that many patients respond as well or better to St. John’s wort than standard drugs. Not surprisingly, German doctors prescribe St. John’s wort four times as often as Prozac for depression.

    3. Ginkgo has enjoyed tremendous popularity as an herb capable of boosting memory function. Because depression is viewed by some experts as a condition of brain under-stimulation, ginkgo may be valuable in that it can boost brain cell oxygenation by enhancing blood flow. A French study found that 166 patients with mental disorders significantly improved with ginkgo therapy.

    4. Phenylalanine and Tyr osine are two amino acids which elevate serotonin levels and curb excess carbohydrate cravings. Dr. Oscar Janifer, M.D. in his book A Different Kind of Healing, comments: “I’ve had great results with tyrosine. It’s like a natural antidepressant and is a precursor to the neurotransmitter norepinephrine.” Phenylalanine acts as precursor to the amines that comprise neurotransmitters (serotonin) in the brain.

    5 . NADH, a form of niacin, plays a vital role in the energy production of all cells and is thought to boost brain cell metabolism. It is currently used for Alzheimer’s disease and seems well suited to older individuals suffering fro m depression. NADH levels significantly decline with age.

    Virtually any physical stressor can disrupt delicate chemical balances in the brain causing us to feel unexplainably sad for prolonged periods of time. Take a moment to evaluate your life, and look into natural means for assistance.



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    Vitanet ®

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    Zeaxanthin with Lutein - The clearly-seen benefits of advanced eye protection
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: August 03, 2005 06:27 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Zeaxanthin with Lutein - The clearly-seen benefits of advanced eye protection

    Zeaxanthin with Lutein

    The clearly-seen benefits of advanced eye protection

    In the U.S. and other developed nations, the worst enemy of eyesight is not disease, it is the natural aging process. But even if the advance of years is unstoppable, new research shows that eyesight can be protected as we age. Two little-known carotenoids have been found to protect eyesight and combat the effects of aging upon the retina. Zeaxanthin and lutein, naturally found in many fruits and vegetables, form a natural filter on the retina, protecting the delicate photoreceptor cells from the damaging effects of blue-wave light and the UV radiation of sunlight. The two nutrients have also been found to be a natural antioxidant, further protecting the retina from the oxidation that arises from normal body functions as well as exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollutants, radiation, and environmental toxins.

    Source Naturals unites the benefits of both of these nutrients in ZEAXANTHIN WITH LUTEIN, offering one of the most advanced approaches to eye protection available.

    Key to Healthy Vision
    Vision is the conversion of light into image signals that the brain can understand. The macula, a tiny area at the center of the retina on the back wall of the eye, is a collection of photoreceptor cells, mostly cone cells, responsible for turning light into color images. This receptor area is protected from light and oxidation by a thin layer of yellow pigment composed of the two carotenoids, zeaxanthin and lutein. As long as this pigment filter is undamaged and dense, it protects the retina cells from the damage of near-to-UV blue light, the most damaging wavelength of light.

    Vision-Specific Nutrients
    Carotenoids are a family of nutrients found abundantly in fruits, vegetables, and green plants. Of the more than 600 carotenoids found in nature, only about 20 are found in human plasma and tissue. Of these, only lutein and zeaxanthin are specifically located in the macula of the retina of the eye. Zeaxanthin and lutein occur naturally in a healthy diet?lutein is found in foods such as broccoli, collard greens, kale, and spinach, zeaxanthin in oranges and corn. Many carotenoids are also antioxidants, which inactivate certain oxygen radicals by physical or chemical quenching. In the eye, the molecular properties of zeaxanthin and lutein maintain the integrity of the macula and the blood vessels by combating degenerative oxygenative reactions.

    Pigment Density
    The amount of zeaxanthin and lutein in the diet affects macular pigment density, a factor in good eyesight. Although there are many contributing factors to clear vision—inherited factors among them?some of the factors can be controlled. The density of the macular pigment, the natural protection of the macula and the photoreceptor cells of the retina, are increased by the addition of zeaxanthin and lutein in the diet.

    A Harvard-led study found that eating lutein-rich foods five days per week meant subjects were eight times more likely to have healthy macular pigment density than those who consumed the same foods just once a month. Another study at the University of Florida found that diets rich in lutein and zeaxanthin could substantially (82%) protect the macula. A number of companies offer either lutein or zeaxanthin, Source Naturals combines the benefits of both, just as both are used in the eye.

    Part of Your Wellness Program
    Maintain your healthy eyesight now, because once lost, many functions of the eye cannot be repaired. Source Naturals offers you ZEAXANTHIN WITH LUTEIN as part of our commitment to developing natural products that empower you to take charge of your health. Make sure Source Naturals ZEAXANTHIN WITH LUTEIN is a part of your wellness program, an advanced approach to eye protection.

    -30-

    Bone, RA, et al. (2003). Journal of Nutrition. 133:992-998. Gail, C, et al. (2003).Investigative Opthalmology & Vis. Sci. 44:2461-246. Krinsky N, et al (2003). Annual Review of Nutrition. 23:171-201.

    Source Naturals Strategies for Wellness sm

    The above information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.



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    Vitanet ®

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    PROGESTERONE REPLACEMENT AND MOOD SWINGS
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    Date: July 25, 2005 10:10 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: PROGESTERONE REPLACEMENT AND MOOD SWINGS

    PROGESTERONE REPLACEMENT AND MOOD SWINGS

    Consider the following quote concerning mood elevation and depression and progesterone replacement: The domino effect of the inter-relationship between amino acids, vitamins and neurotransmitters is further complicated by the presence of estrogen . . .

    an estrogen overload can cause a number of distressing symptoms. Estrogen is a central nervous system stimulant while progesterone has the opposite effect. Maintaining the right balance between these two hormones is a complex and delicate process. Any imbalance can trigger a change in mood. In order to have enough serotonin, you need tryptophan which is necessary for its production. To have enough tryptophan, your body must have certain amounts of vitamin B6. This chemical chain can be broken by estrogen, which can block the action of vitamin B6 and force it to be eliminated from the body . . . consequently, you feel like the world is coming to an end.16

    Ironically, synthetic forms of progesterone which are routinely prescribed to help with PMS related depression etc. can actually inhibit the absorption of vitamin B6, thereby contributing to emotional instability and mood swings.

    Clinical depression, anxiety attacks and mood swings can all respond to natural progesterone therapy. In addition to opposing estrogen, progesterone stimulates the adrenal glands which help to elevate mood and create energy. One of the most dramatic effects of using natural progesterone is in creating emotional stability. In other words, fluctuating between euphoria and depression in response to hormonal flux is greatly eased by increased progesterone. The short-tempered, anxious or nervous states so typical of PMS are also tempered by keeping estrogen levels in check.

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    THE PRECARIOUS ACT OF BALANCING HORMONES
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: July 25, 2005 09:43 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: THE PRECARIOUS ACT OF BALANCING HORMONES

    THE PRECARIOUS ACT OF BALANCING HORMONES

    The very delicate relationship between progesterone and estrogen levels is what creates hormonal balance. Today we frequently hear the phrase, “she’s suffering from a hormonal imbalance.” What exactly does a hormonal imbalance imply, and why is it so prevalent among women of all ages? The simple truth is that our twentieth-century life style creates a great deal of health risks not previously experienced by earlier generations.

    Many of these new, modern factors adversely effect our endocrine systems, not to mention our overall health as well. Consequently, when we need to synthesize certain levels of progesterone, we may be lacking the proper nutrients or, as may be the case with women who have used birth control pills, our ovarian functions may be impaired. As a result, an excess of estrogen may develop predisposing us to a number of unpleasant symptoms. Unprecedented degrees of mental stress combined with exposure to toxins, pollutants, preservatives, chemicals, and drugs can impair a woman’s ability to produce progesterone. In addition, the consumption of sugary foods lacking in whole grains, overcooked, over processed, and fatty foods devoid of the raw enzymes we were meant to ingest can also wreak havoc with our glandular health. The consumption of hormonally fattened beef and poultry is certainly a concern, and may explain why premature puberty occurs in some children who are exposed to unnatural sources of animal estrogen.

    Why is there more infertility now that ever before? Why do seemingly healthy young women suffer from all sorts of menstrual disorders and unprecedented levels of PMS? Why is osteoporosis such a threat today, and why is breast cancer killing so many relatively young women? Why do so many of us plow through perimenopause and postmenopause, perplexed by a wide variety of ills that threaten our emotional and physical well-being? All of these questions are profoundly linked to hormonal factors and almost always reflect an estrogen dominance and a progesterone deficiency.

    I did not know that such a scenario even existed and like most women, did not understand that too much of certain kinds of estrogen can be extremely harmful. Furthermore, because I assumed that estrogen levels continued to decline as I got older, I never considered the possibility of a pre-menopausal estrogen overload. It is crucial to remember that when estrogen is unopposed by adequate levels of progesterone, a hormonal imbalance occurs. Unopposed estrogen is undesirable to say the least, and explains why so many women suffer from estrogen-related ills even as they approach menopause.

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    Kal - Vanadyl Complex now with Cinnamon Bark for Blood sugar
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: July 01, 2005 03:07 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Kal - Vanadyl Complex now with Cinnamon Bark for Blood sugar

    Cinnamon May Help Lower Blood Sugar!

    Kal Vanadyl Complex

    Vanadyl Complex - Dietary supplement contains Cinnamon Plus a variety of natural ingredients intended to provide nutritive support for normal, healthy blood glucose, and glycogen synthesis. The formula Contains:


    450mg of GFT-Plex Proprietry Blend - made up of natural enzymes and antioxidants that may naturally assist the body in healthy glucose regulation:

  • Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamomum Verum) - comes from the Ceylon cinnamon variety (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum), also known as "True" cinnamon, which is said to have the finest and most delicate flavors and oils of cinnamon varieties. The bark contains oligomers and other compounds that are belived to help assist glucos utilization.

  • Bay Leaf (Laurus Nobilus) - possesses powerful antioxidants that may provide nutritive support for healthy glucose oxidation.

  • Clover Flowers (Syzgium Aromaticum) - Thought to contain more antioxidant capacity than any other food. Also belived to help support glucos oxidation and contains certain phenolic compounds that may help provide nutritive support for healthy glucose metabolism.

    100mg Vitamins C (as ascorbic Acid) - a water soluble nutrient that may help support carbohydrate metabolism and healthy blood glucose levels.

    50 mcg Chromium (as Chromium Picolinate) - an essential micromineral that may also help provide nutritive support for healthy carbohydrate metabolism.

    10mg Vanadyl Sulfate - the salt of the mineral vanadium that may support glucose oxidation and glycogen synthesis.



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    Vitanet ®

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    WARNINGS
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: June 25, 2005 08:06 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: WARNINGS

    WARNINGS

    YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE CHITOSAN IF YOU:

  • • Have Any Kind of Shellfish Allergy
  • • Are Pregnant or Breast-feeding

    (NOTE: If you are taking medication of any kind, check with your physician before taking Chitosan. Some drugs may be bound to the Chitosan.) The delicate nature of pregnancy and breast-feeding are always approached with additional caution. Even substances as safe as Chitosan are customarily issued with a cautionary note regarding use during these times unless overwhelmingly positive results from a huge number of well-controlled tests with pregnant subjects is available. In the case of Chitosan the potential loss of essential fatty acids (which we generally are already deficient in), fat-soluble vitamins, and certain minerals needs to be taken into consideration. Unfortunately saturated fats don’t come with such a warning label. Another caution involves allergies. Nearly all food substances will trigger allergic reactions in persons with extreme sensitivies. Since Chitosan is derived from shellfish, those persons with extreme shellfish allergies are advised to be cautious. Tests with a small number of persons with extreme shellfish allergies have not demonstrated an allergic response. This is an encouraging but very preliminary result. Reasonable and sensible consumption should always be the rule.

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    Source Naturals Goes Skin Side Out
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    Date: June 24, 2005 05:45 PM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Source Naturals Goes Skin Side Out

    Source Naturals® Goes Skin Side Out

    Affordable Skin Care Line with Scientifically Advanced Nutraceuticals

    Scotts Valley, California - May 28, 2003 - Source Naturals®, creators of the highly-acclaimed line of health and wellness supplements, has released a new natural cosmetic line intended to enhance healthy skin through formulations using the latest breakthrough skincare ingredients. The all-natural Skin Eternal™ line includes products that address skin health both internally and externally.

    Skin Eternal™ Cream

    Skin Eternal™ Serum

    Skin Eternal™ DMAE Serum

    Skin Eternal™ Bath Oil

    Skin Eternal™ Tablets

    Skin Eternal™ Plus Tablets

    Skin Eternal™ HA Tablets

    People react enthusiastically when they learn that they can get these powerful new skin-care products with all the proven, scientifically advanced ingredients at a fraction of the cost of similar products on the market," said LaVonne Whitley, Marketing Director at Source Naturals. Additionally, people are confident that Source Naturals conducts thorough research, selecting only the finest natural ingredients. We are proud to enter the self-care cosmetic arena with such strong products!"

    Skin Eternal Cream is thick and rich for use primarily on the face. It is gentle and effective on targeted areas such as under the eyes and on the neck. This cream is formulated using a completely unique blend of natural oils, nutrients and plant extracts including: alpha lipoic acid; biotin; CoQ10; DMAE; jojoba oil; squalene; tocotrienols; vitamin C-ester. Available in 2 oz. and 4 oz. sizes.

    Skin Eternal Serum is an aqueous moisturizing serum for hydrating and replenishing the complexion. The serum is easily absorbed, and immediately softens the skin. This product contains a powerful blend of nutrients and plant extracts which deeply penetrate the skin. These include: aloe vera; alpha lipoic acid; biotin; CoQ10; DMAE; MSM; as well as vitamins A, C-ester, D-3, and E. Available in 1 and 1.7 oz. sizes.

    Skin Eternal DMAE Serum is targeted for mature skin, providing a higher concentration of DMAE to give skin a radiant, healthy look. Available in 1 and 1.7 oz. sizes.

    Skin Eternal Bath Oil seals in moisture, and provides strong protection by adding nutrients to the skin's hydrolipic film. This special formulation includes alpha lipoic acid; DMAE; vitamins C-ester and E; along with a rich blend of other nutrients and plant extracts. Available in 4, 8 and 16 oz. sizes.

    All Skin Eternal topical products are hypoallergenic and therefore are effective on even delicate and sensitive skin. None of the finished products have been tested on animals.

    Skin Eternal Tablets provide key nutraceuticals that support body systems involved with healthy, radiant skin. These include alpha lipoic acid; DMAE; vitamins C-ester and E; and grapeseed extract. These important ingredients also provide added protection against free radical damage. Available in 60, 120 and 240 count bottles.

    Skin Eternal Plus is a Bio-Aligned Formula™ that includes the same important nutraceuticals found in Skin Eternal Tablets, plus 30 more! This formula is designed to deeply address skin imbalances. This Bio-Aligned Formula supports multiple body systems involved in skin health, including: antioxidant defense, cell renewal, connective tissues and cell membranes, blood and liver cleansing, and muscle and nerve functions. Available in 30, 60 and 120 count bottles.

    Skin Eternal HA Tablets are a rich source of hyaluronic acid, which helps maintain and regulate the water balance of tissues, keeping skin soft and moisturized. Hyaluronic acid also facilitates the transport of nutrients and waste, promoting deeply healthy and radiant skin. The product will be launched under the Skin Eternal label this summer and will be available in 30, 60 and 120 count bottles.



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    Vitanet ®

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    Vision Quest - help fight eye problems.
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: June 18, 2005 08:34 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Vision Quest - help fight eye problems.

    Vision Quest by Phyllis D. Light, RH Energy Times, February 11, 2004

    Since your eyes are in constant use every day, exposed to the damaging energy of sunlight and pollutants that waft through the air, these delicate orbs are often in danger of wearing out.

    To keep this vital part of your anatomy functioning as you age, you have to feed and care for your eyes properly. Otherwise, you are in real danger of losing your vision and independence.

    Your vision may be in danger. Experts estimate that 8 million Americans over the age of 55 are at serious risk of blindness linked to a condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD can wipe out your central vision and is the primary cause of blindness in Western society.

    While AMD causes no pain, it blurs the sharp, central vision necessary for driving, reading and other activities where you need to see either up close or straight ahead. During AMD, the macula, the part of the eye that allows you to pick out fine detail, is destroyed. The macula sits at the center of your retina, the nerve center at the back of your eye that senses light and sends optic signals to the brain.

    Age is not the only risk factor for AMD. Scientists have isolated a genetic defect that can lead to some forms of macular degeneration (Nature Genetics 2001; 27:89-93). Smoking and excessive exposure to sunlight are other hazards best avoided if you want to save your sight.

    In many cases, AMD progresses so slowly that victims of this condition don't even notice that their vision is deteriorating until much of it is irrevocably gone.

    Dry and Wet AMD

    Wet AMD occurs when blood vessels in back of the retina start to overgrow and leak blood. As this occurs, blood and other fluids push on the macula and quickly damage its sensitive nerve endings. When wet AMD occurs, you lose your central vision rapidly. If straight lines appear wavy to you, you may be suffering from wet AMD. If you notice this or other unusual vision changes, contact an eye care specialist as soon as possible. You need what is called a comprehensive dilated eye exam that can uncover signs of AMD.

    Dry AMD strikes the eye when light-sensitive cells in the macula slowly deteriorate, gradually blurring central vision in the affected eye. As dry AMD progresses, a blurry spot in the center of your vision may appear. Eventually, as more of the macula becomes dysfunctional, the central vision in the eye can gradually disappear.

    The most common sign of dry AMD is slightly blurry vision. This can make it hard to recognize faces and also make it harder to read without very bright light. Dry AMD generally attacks both eyes, but vision can be lost in one eye while the other eye stays normal. In the early stages of dry AMD, drusen, yellow deposits that gather under the retina, may form. Dry AMD progresses in three stages:

  • • Early AMD: Small drusen form but vision is unaffected.
  • • Intermediate AMD: Many medium drusen appear or, alternately, one large drusen occurs. Center vision is often blurred and reading requires bright lights.
  • • Advanced Dry AMD: Drusen formation is accompanied by deterioration of tissue in the macula. Blurs in central vision expand, eventually destroying most vision. Note: Because of the fast destruction it causes, wet AMD is an advanced form of this disorder that is considered more severe than the dry version.

    Vitamins and Minerals for AMD

    Fortunately, scientists have found ways to combat AMD: An analysis of a study called the national Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) shows that more than 300,000 Americans could avoid losing their sight to AMD if they took daily supplements of antioxidant nutrients and zinc.

    This conclusion, reached by scientists at Johns Hopkins' Wilmer Eye Institute, is based on research involving more than 4,500 adults suffering various stages of AMD. The study demonstrated that people who already had some AMD could lower their risk of the more advanced form of this condition by 25% when they took vitamin C, natural vitamin E and beta carotene along with zinc. Those suffering from advanced AMD lowered their chances of losing vision by about 19%. (Supplements did not affect the risk of cataracts or the chances of some vision loss for people in the early stages of AMD.)

    " Without treatment to reduce their risk, we estimate that 1.3 million adults would develop the advanced stage of AMD," says Neil M. Bressler, MD, professor of ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins and author of the current study, published in Archives of Ophthalmology (11/03).

    According to Dr. Bressler and the other researchers, people who now have intermediate AMD (some vision loss) in one eye have about a 1 in 16 chance of having their vision deteriorate until they have advanced AMD. They also calculate that about 1 in 4 of those with intermediate AMD in both eyes and 43% of those with advanced AMD in one eye will develop advanced AMD in five years without treatment.

    In their view, older people at risk of AMD blindness should take daily supplements of 500 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 milligrams of natural vitamin E, 15 milligrams of beta carotene, 80 milligrams of zinc as zinc oxide and 2 milligrams of copper as cupric oxide. Evidence also exists that a diet which is high in fat can cause AMD to progress to an advanced stage. The exceptions: The healthy fats found in fish and nuts (Archives of Ophthalmology 2003; 121:1728-37).

    Lutein Protection

    Oddly enough, some of the same pigments that color vegetables and other foods also color your eyes. And scientists believe that those pigments, which are classified as carotenoids, help protect the eyes by helping them fight off the negative effects of caustic molecules called free radicals. Free radicals are formed when the energy from sunlight strikes the eyes and disrupts the composition of natural chemicals found there.

    When scientists compared healthy eyes with eyes suffering from AMD, they found that AMD eyes contained lower levels of lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoid pigments contained in egg yolk, spinach, broccoli and other dark green vegetables (Ophthalmology 2003; 109:1780). Furthermore, they found that levels of these chemicals generally decline as you grow older.

    " This research is a major step toward large-scale clinical studies to prove the extent to which lutein and zeaxanthin protect against age-related macular degeneration," says Paul S. Bernstein, MD, PhD, at the University of Utah School of Medicine at Salt Lake. "We know that these carotenoids are specifically concentrated in the macula of the human eye."

    Dr. Bernstein adds that, as you age, taking supplements containing lutein and other antioxidants may lower your AMD risk. In his investigation, people with AMD who did not take lutein had one-third less lutein in their eyes than older people whose vision was normal.

    Avoiding Cataracts

    Another eyesight hazard is cataracts, in which the eye's lens-the part that focuses incoming light onto the retina-becomes cloudy. Cataracts form when the proteins found in the normally clear lens become damaged; signs include progressively blurred vision (especially outdoors), focusing problems, seeing streaks of light from headlights and stoplights, and colors that look faded.

    Cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. One of every six Americans 40 and older suffers from some degree of cataract; it affects half of all Americans who reach age 80. Nuclear cataracts, the most common form of this disorder, develop in the center of the lens and tend to grow slowly. Cataracts may also develop at the back of the lens; this form is linked to eye trauma and long-term use of certain medications, including steroids.

    Like AMD, cataracts become more common as people age. Up to 40% of individuals between the ages of 75 and 85 have them, compared with only 5% to 10% of those folks under the age of 65. And like AMD, sunlight exposure and smoking increase the risk of developing cataracts, as does the presence of diabetes.

    Lutein and zeaxanthin, the carotenoids that are so plentiful in the macula, are also found in the lens (although in lower concentrations), leading many researchers to believe that these nutrients may help drop your risk of cataract development. Early studies indicate that an increased intake of lutein and zeaxanthin reduces one's chances of needing cataract surgery, the most common surgery in the United States (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1999; 70(4):509-16; 517-24).

    Antioxidants and the Lens

    Scientists believe that free-radical damage is a leading cause of cataracts, and so it isn't surprising that antioxidants have proved useful in preventing this problem.

    Almost 500 women filled out diet questionnaires as part of a very large research effort called the Nurses' Health Study; those who had taken vitamin C supplements for 10 years or longer enjoyed the lowest rates of nuclear cataracts (Archives of Ophthalmology 2001; 119:1009-19).

    So the answer to lowering your risk of eye problems is clear, whether you are already in your mature years or plan to be someday: Lead a healthy, eye-friendly lifestyle, eating a diet filled with colorful fruits and vegetables. Take frequent walks and jogs around the block.

    And yes, when you kick back and take your just-as-frequent doses of antioxidant supplements, you're allowed to take your sunglasses off and see the world clearly.



    --
    Vitanet ®

    Solaray - Ultimate Nutrition - Actipet Pet supplements - Action Labs - Sunny Greens - Thompson nutritional - Natural Sport - Veg Life Vegan Line - Premier One - NaturalMax - Kal

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    Bromelain Sinus Ease - Nature's Life
    TopPreviousNext

    Date: June 16, 2005 10:57 AM
    Author: Darrell Miller (dm@vitanetonline.com)
    Subject: Bromelain Sinus Ease - Nature's Life

    Bromelain Sinus Ease™


     

    Nature's Life Sinus Products:


     

    Sinus cavities are lined with delicate mucous membranes, which act as filters for your respiratory system. Normal sinuse tissues are pink and healthy. For many people, when their sinuses come in contact with allergens, pollutants or harmful micro-organisms, histamines are released as a protective measure by the immune system. Sinuses naturally respond by becoming irritated, red, and inflamed with these healing histamines. This process, called the natural inflammatory response, helps to neutralize and remove the irritants in sinuses cavities. Sometimes, however, the immune system continues to flood the sinuses even after the irritants are removed. Bromelain Sinus Ease™ contains three ingredients that have been shown to enhance the body’s ability to reduce this natural inflammatory response and help clear up sinuses.*

    Bromelain

    Bromelain is a group of protein-digesting enzymes extracted from pineapples (Ananassa sativa). Bromelain breaks down fibrin—a key component of the body’s natural inflammatory response to allergens and other foreign stimuli.* Bromelain also appears to inhibit the natural formation of prostaglandins (hormone-like substances) that trigger the natural inflammatory response.*1  It makes mucus less thick,2  allowing the mucus to drain more easily.*

    Human trials have shown that by breaking down and helping to remove fibrin, bromelain reduces the discomfort of irritated tissues.*3   Double-blinded trials in patients with irritated sinuses show that the natural inflammatory response is reduced more effectively by concentrated bromelain than by placebo.*4 ,5 ,6 ,7  In all cases, a majority of people responded well to bromelain supplements.*

    Bromelain has also helped reduce the dura­tion of the natural inflammatory response after nasal procedures by over 70% in a controlled trial.*8 

    The recommended daily amount of Nature’s Life Sinus Ease™  utilizes 1,200 mg a very high potency bromelain enzyme which has an activity of 2,880 GDU (Gelatin Digestive Units), or 4,320 MCU (Milk Clotting Units) per serving.

    Vitamin C

    Vitamin C also helps reduce histamine release.*9   Some studies have reported that vitamin C is useful in reducing the natural inflammatory response in nasal passages.*10, 11, 12   The effectiveness of vitamin C in reducing histamine release is still debated, however, because a controlled trial was unable to show consistent effects.*13  Doses up to 2 grams per day have been used by researchers. It may be diffi­cult to show these effects in research trials because vitamin C appears to help only some people without affecting others.*14  Studies, however, clearly show that vitamin C supplementation can lower elevated blood levels of histamines.*15, 16 Nature’s Life adds naturally-buffered vitamin C to Sinus Ease due to its safety, immune-supporting effects and potential effica­cy to reduce histamine release.*

    Quercetin is a bioflavonoid found in many natural foods including citrus fruits, onions, apples, tea and lettuce. As with bromelain, quercetin helps reduce the natural inflammatory response by inhibiting the natural formation of the pro-inflammatory agents, prostaglandins and leukotrienes (white blood cells).*17,18  Quercetin also helps lessen the natural inflammatory response for children with sensitivities to inhalants.*19  Additionally, quercetin may help reduce the effects of harmful micro-organisms *20  Bioflavonoids at doses of 1,200 mg per day have reduced the natural inflammatory response in human studies in combination with 1,200 mg vitamin C,21 an outcome con­firmed in double-blinded research using 600 mg/day of bioflavonoids and 450 mg/day of vitamin C.*22

    Substances which inhibit the natural inflammatory response rarely target just one part of the body.* While quercetin has yet to be tested in reducing the natural inflammatory response in sinuses specifically, doctors of natural medicine frequently use it for that purpose because of its proven ability to lessen the natural inflammatory response elsewhere in the body.*

    Nature’s Life Sinus Ease™

    Nature’s Life has combined these powerful phytonutrients to make Sinus Ease™. High potency Bromelain, Quercetin and vitamin C work to inhibit the natural pro-inflammatory response and encourage adequate sinus drainage.* No safety concerns have been identified with any of these ingredients.23, 24  It is recommended to take the three capsules per day between meals. Since bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme, if taken with a meal it will act on the protein in the food rather than the natural pro-inflammatory fibrin, so remember to take it between meals.*  Enjoy the winter season and find relief from allergens throughout the year!  Nature’s Life Sinus Ease™ can help.

    References:

    1.   Taussig SJ. The mechanism of the physiological action of bromelain. Med Hypoth 1980;6:99-104.

    2. Martin GJ. Bromelain pineapple proteases with anti-edema activity. Exper Med Surg 1962;20:228-48.

    3. Blonstein JL. Control of swelling in boxing injuries. Prac­titioner 1969;203:206.

    4. Seltzer AP. Adjunctive use of bromelains in sinusitis: a controlled study. EENT Monthly 1967;46:1281-8.

    5. Taub SJ. The use of Ananase in sinusitis—a study of 60 patients. EENT Monthly 1966;45:96-8.

    6. Ryan RE. A double-blind clinical evaluation of bromelains in the treatment of acute sinusitis. Headache 1967;7:13-7.

    7. Taub SJ. The use of bromelains in sinusitis: a double-blind clinical evaluation. EENT Monthly 1967;46:361-5.

    8. Seltzer AP. Minimizing post-operative edema and ecchymoses by the use of an oral enzyme preparation (bromelain). EENT Monthly 1962;41:813-7.

    9. Johnson CS, Martin LJ, Cai X. Antihistamine effect of sup­plemental ascorbic acid and neutrophil chemotaxis. J Am Coll Nutr 1992;11:172-6.

    10. Zuskin E, Lewis AJ, Bouhuys A. Inhibition of histamine-induced airways constriction by ascorbic acid. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1973;51:218.

    11. Ruskin SL. High dose vitamin C in allergy. Am J Dig Dis 1945;12:281.

    12. Holmes HN. Hay fever and vitamin C. Science 1942;96;497.

    13. Fortner BR, Danziger RE, Rabinowitz PS, Nelson HS. The effect of ascorbic acid on cutaneous and nasal response to histamine  and allergen. J Allergy Clin Immunol 1982;69:484-8.

    14. Bai TR, Martin JG. Effects of indomethacin and ascorbic acid on histamine induced bronchoconstriction in normal  subjects. NZ  Med J 1986;99:163 [abstr].

    15. Holmes H, Alexander W. Hay Fever and Vitamin C. Science 1942;96:497-99.

    16. Johnston CS, Martin LJ, Xi C. Antihistamine Effect of Supplemental Ascorbic Acid and Neutrophil Chemotaxis. J Am Coll Nutr 1992;11:172-6.

    17. Middleton E, Drzewieki G. Naturally occurring flavonoids and human basophil histamine release. Arch Allergy Applied Immunol 1985;77:155-7.

    18. Welton AF, Tobias LD, Fiedler-Nagy C, et al. Effect of flavonoids on arachidonic acid metabolism. Prog Clin BiolRes 1986;213:231-42

    19. Balabokin II, Gordeeva GF, Fuseva ED, et al. Use of vitamins in allergic illnesses in children. Vopr Med Khim (Russia) 1992;38:36-40.

    20. Ohnishi E, Bannai H. Quercetin potentiates TNF-induced antiviral activity. Antiviral Res 1993;22:327-31.

    21. Miller MJ. Injuries to athletes. Med Times 1960;88:313-6.

    22. Cragin RB. The use of bioflavonoids in the prevention and treatment of athletic injuries. Med Times 1962;529-32.

    23. Taussig SJ, Yokoyama MM, Chinen N, et al. Bromelain: A proteolytic enzyme and its clinical application. Hiroshima J Med Sci 1975;24:185-193.

    24. Hertog MGL, Feskens EJM, Holman PCH, et al. Dietary flavonoids and cancer risk in the Zutphen elderly study. Nutr Cancer 1994;22:175-84.

     



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