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Fitness and Its Role in Beauty: Unlocking the Secrets to Glowing Skin and Well-being   
Date:
June 01, 2024 10:58 AM
Fitness and Its Role in Beauty: Unlocking the Secrets to Glowing Skin and Well-beingIn the quest for beauty, many often look to skincare products and treatments, yet one of the most effective pathways to radiant skin and overall health is through regular physical activity. Exercise offers an array of benefits that enhance beauty from within, contributing to healthy skin, a glowing complexion, and a fit physique. This article explores how fitness plays a crucial role in beauty and well-being, suggests exercise routines that promote beauty from within, and recommends a supplement to boost hair and skin health.
The Connection Between Fitness and BeautyImproved CirculationWhen you engage in physical activity, your heart pumps more blood, increasing circulation throughout the body. This enhanced blood flow delivers essential nutrients and oxygen to your skin cells, promoting cell regeneration and elasticity. Improved circulation also assists in flushing out toxins, contributing to clearer and more vibrant skin.
Reduction of StressStress is a significant contributor to numerous skin concerns such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis. Regular exercise can help reduce stress by releasing endorphins, the body's natural mood enhancers. Lower stress levels can result in fewer breakouts and a reduction in skin flare-ups, ultimately leading to a more serene and healthy appearance.
Enhanced Skin DetoxificationEngaging in activities that make you sweat, such as running, cycling, or hot arobics, can help detoxify your skin. Sweating helps to open up pores and remove dirt and impurities, giving your skin a natural detox. Remember to cleanse your face thoroughly after sweating to prevent any potential buildup of bacteria.
Collagen ProductionExercise helps to boost collagen production, a protein that maintains skin's firmness and elasticity. High-intensity workouts and strength training, in particular, can stimulate collagen synthesis, leading to tighter, more youthful-looking skin.
Better SleepRegular exercise can improve your sleep patterns, which in turn benefits your skin. During deep sleep, the body works to repair and regenerate cells, including skin cells. Better sleep can result in fewer dark circles, reduced eye puffiness, and a more rested appearance overall.
Balanced HormonesHormonal imbalances can cause various skin problems, including acne and premature aging. Exercise helps regulate hormones, stabilizing levels of cortisol, estrogen, and testosterone, which are crucial for maintaining healthy skin.
Exercise Routines That Promote Beauty from WithinCardiovascular ExercisesRunning and Jogging Running and jogging are excellent ways to boost circulation, enhance cardiovascular health, and induce sweating, which can help detoxify the skin. Cycling Cycling, whether outdoors or on a stationary bike, improves blood flow to the skin, reduces stress, and can be a fun way to stay active. Swimming Swimming is a low-impact exercise that increases circulation, tones muscles, and has the added benefit of keeping skin hydrated due to the water environment.
Strength TrainingWeightlifting Incorporating weightlifting into your routine can boost collagen production and improve skin elasticity. Focus on compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses for maximum effect. Resistance Band Exercises Using resistance bands can help build muscle and enhance circulation without putting too much strain on your joints. These exercises are great for improving muscle tone and skin firmness.
Mind-Body WorkoutsArobics Arobics not only improves flexibility and muscle tone but also reduces stress and promotes a better sleep cycle, which are all beneficial for your skin. Floor leg lifts with dumbells and crunches and lateral lifts on the floor can increase blood flow to the face, enhancing your complexion. Pilates Pilates focuses on core strength, posture, and flexibility. The controlled movements and emphasis on breathing can improve circulation and reduce stress, contributing to overall skin health. Tai Chi Tai Chi is a gentle form of martial arts that reduces stress, improves flexibility, and enhances balance. It’s an excellent way for people of all ages to promote overall well-being and skin health.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)HIIT workouts involve short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest periods. This type of training is highly effective for boosting metabolism, increasing collagen production, and promoting healthy, radiant skin. Exercises like burpees, jump squats, and sprinting can be incorporated into a HIIT routine.
Enhancing Beauty Through Nutrition: Supplements for Hair and Skin HealthUnderstanding the Importance of SupplementsWhile a balanced diet and regular exercise are vital for maintaining healthy skin and hair, supplements can provide an additional boost. Nutritional supplements can fill in dietary gaps, ensuring that your body gets the essential vitamins and minerals it needs to support glowing skin and strong, vibrant hair.
Recommended Supplement: Biotin and Collagen ComplexBiotin Biotin, also known as Vitamin B7, is crucial for hair and skin health. It supports the structure of keratin, a protein that makes up your hair, skin, and nails. Regular intake of biotin can help reduce hair loss, strengthen nails, and improve skin's overall appearance. Collagen Collagen is a protein that provides structure and elasticity to your skin. As we age, collagen production decreases, leading to wrinkles and saggy skin. A collagen supplement can help replenish this essential protein, promoting firm, youthful-looking skin. Combining Biotin and Collagen For optimal results, opt for a supplement that combines both biotin and collagen. This combination can provide comprehensive support for your beauty regimen, enhancing skin elasticity and hydrating hair follicles from within.
Tips for Choosing the Right SupplementWhen selecting a supplement, look for products that are:
Incorporating Supplements into Your RoutineTake your supplement consistently, as directed by the packaging, to see the best results. It's also beneficial to combine your supplement intake with a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
Ready to Make a Change in Your Hair & Skin?Integrating regular physical activity into your lifestyle is a powerful way to achieve glowing skin and overall well-being. From improved circulation to reduced stress, the benefits of exercise extend beyond physical fitness, promoting beauty from within. By incorporating a mix of cardiovascular exercises, strength training, and mind-body workouts, you can enhance your natural radiance. Additionally, supporting your fitness routine with a biotin and collagen supplement can provide further benefits for your hair and skin health. Remember, beauty is not just skin deep—it’s a reflection of a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=6609) The Versatile Benefits of BioCell Collagen® 
Date:
September 14, 2022 11:56 AM
As we age, it's not only important to maintain our health, but also our appearance. Joints can begin to creak, skin can become dry and saggy, and generally we can start to feel and look a lot older than we actually are. But did you know that there is a supplement that can help with all of those things? BioCell Collagen® is a unique complex of naturally-occurring hydrolyzed collagen, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid that can promote healthy joints, hydrated skin, and strong connective tissue.* Lets explore the many benefits of BioCell Collagen® and how this powerful supplement can help you age gracefully. Joint Health BioCell Collagen® can help to promote healthy joints in two ways: by supporting the structure of the joints and by lubricating the joints.* The active ingredients in BioCell Collagen®—hydrolyzed collagen and chondroitin—work together to support the structure of the joints.* Hydrolyzed collagen is a type of collagen that has been broken down into smaller peptides, making it easier for the body to absorb.* Chondroitin is a molecule that is found in cartilage and helps to attract water to the joints, keeping them lubricated.* Together, these two compounds work synergistically to keep your joints healthy and functioning properly. Skin Health In addition to promoting joint health, BioCell Collagen® can also help to keep your skin hydrated and looking youthful.* That's because one of the key ingredients in BioCell Collagen®, hyaluronic acid, is a molecule that attracts water to the skin cells.* This helps the skin cells to retain moisture, which in turn makes the skin appear plumper and more youthful.* If you're looking for a nutritional supplement that can help support joint health and maintain moisture levels in mature skin, then BioCell Collagen® may be right for you.* This unique complex of hydrolyzed collagen, chondroitin, and hyaluronic acid can help you age gracefully by keeping your joints healthy and your skin hydrated.* So why not give BioCell Collagen® a try? You may just be surprised at how much difference it can make.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=6448) Moms, add more leucine and omega-3s to your diet to boostantioxidant levels in your children's liver
Date:
April 22, 2019 04:16 PM
When you have an imbalance of antioxidants within your system, this often leads to oxidative stress. An increase in oxidative stress unfortunately leads to many forms of cancer. Research has emerged that showed leucine and omega-3's have the ability to fight off this oxidative stress by increasing the amount of antioxidants that are found in the liver. Both of these can be found in the form of a nutritional supplement at most mainstream health and wellness stores. Key Takeaways:
"Expectant mothers need a wide range of nutrients for them and their child to stay healthy." Read more: https://www.naturalnews.com/2019-02-27-moms-add-more-leucine-omega-3s-to-your-diet.html
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=6148) 9 Health Benefits of Glutathione
Date:
January 02, 2019 05:17 PM
Glutathione is made of 3 combined amino acids and is found in alol cells of the body. Its function as an antioxidant is to protect the body cells and tissues from harm posed by free radicals.But it also serves to function as a protective agent in critical body systems, such as the liver, protecting against fatty liver disease, colitis, the endocrine system as it relates to insulin function. One can uptake their intake of this critical protein through supplements or simply by eating foods rich in this complex: broccoli, spinach, garlic, onions, chicken, fish and brown rice to name a few. Key Takeaways:
"The nutrient, glutathione, is touted by many people as one of the greatest nutritional supplements for preventing countless health conditions, from autism to weight loss and even cancer." Read more: https://www.care2.com/greenliving/9-health-benefits-of-glutathione.html
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5921) Sugary supplement mannose could help fight cancer
Date:
December 07, 2018 04:53 PM
For people who have family members who have had cancer, they know how much of a toll it takes on people. It rips the whole family apart and it can be incredibly difficult to deal with. It becomes stressful and very cumbersome to everyone that is involved in it. However, there is hope. This supplement mannose is being touted as a sugary one that can potentially help fight cancer. The sugary content of the supplement allows for it to attack the cancer cells. Key Takeaways:
"A nutritional supplement may be able to slow the development of some cancers and enhance the effects of treatment, a study in mice suggests." Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46291919
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5884) Vitamins for Brain Function
Date:
September 12, 2018 09:52 AM
Your brain needs good nutrition to be at its best. Vitamin B6 and folate play important roles in neurological and psychological health. The Omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA also have vital roles to play, and can be found in seafood, flaxseed and fish and krill oil supplements. B Complex vitamins are constantly used up by the nervous system and must be regularly replenished. Stress and alcohol consumption both increase the depletion rate of B vitamins. Iron and various different minerals also play their own vital roles. Key Takeaways:
"The human brain needs the correct nutrition through all stages of life, just like any other part of the body." Read more: https://www.news-medical.net/whitepaper/20180907/Vitamins-for-Brain-Function.aspx
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5760) Supplemental nutrition found to treat brain injury better than prescriptions, and may even provide some protection against injury
Date:
July 26, 2018 08:58 AM
Researchers from Texas Christian Univeristy recently led a research review into whether nutritional supplements can aid in recovery from Sports Related Concussions (SRC). SRCs, sometimes referred to as mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), are caused by biomechanical forces resulting from a direct blow to the head, face or neck. While mTBIs are harder to diagnose than other TBIs, they can become progressively more serious through repeated trauma and the brain’s inflammatory response. The research review decided that Curcumin, Creatine and Omega-3 supplements show potential for promoting recovery from SRCs, but noted that more research is needed. Key Takeaways:
"Mild traumatic brain injuries, however, are not as easily detected as that of a severe TBI. The authors noted that while sports-related concussive and sub-concussive impacts start out as mild, the brain’s inflammatory response to an injury may aggravate it, especially in repeated and prolonged exposures." Read more: https://www.naturalnews.com/2018-07-23-supplemental-nutrition-found-to-treat-brain-injury-better-than-prescriptions.html
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5677) 5 Things You Didn't Know about the Hemp Plant
Date:
June 12, 2018 09:16 AM
Hemp is a nonpsychoactive but extremely useful variant of the same plant, Cannabis Sativa, that produces marijuana. It is a highly versatile plant that produces extremely durable, tough fiber that can be used to make textiles or ropes, as well as nutritious seeds rich in protein and other nutrients that may be one of the world’s most nutritious foods. It also contains compound called CBD whose diverse array of medical applications are just starting to be explored and understood. Key Takeaways:
"From June 4-10, grassroots organizers, farmers, producers, and hemp advocates are working together to educate consumers, industry associations, and government bodies about the benefits of hemp and the current regulatory landscape for industrial hemp in the U.S." Read more: http://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/herbs-botanicals/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-hemp-plant
CBD can improve overall health and wellness, reduce inflammation, fight anxiety!
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5631) 7 Vitamins for Healthy and glowing Skin and Beauty
Date:
October 23, 2017 10:14 AM
While we likely grew up with mom or dad telling us to "take your vitamins" everyday, the vitamins we took can actually be found in the food we normally eat. There are 13 essential vitamins that our bodies need for that healthy glow. However, what are vitamins, and why do we need them anyway? Vitamin A happens to be great for skin issues such as acne, preventing wrinkles and relieving psoriasis. Vitamin B-2 helps your skin stay in a balanced state, niether too dry nor too oily, and does the same to keep chapped lips at bay as well. Vitamin C is all about keeping your immune system healthy. Enough of this vitamin will help cuts and bruises heal much faster than if you were lacking. Vitamin B6 has the job of helping your skin repair itself--replacing damaged cells with healthy new ones, and is essential to keep rashes and dermatits away. Vitamin B5 is similar to B6 but you'll need both to keep your skin fresh and young. It happens to be an important ingredient in making healthy skin cells. Vitamin E is a bit of a do-it-all vitamin, and works with all the others to keep skin moisturized as well as slow the process of aging (and can even combat stretch marks). Lastly there is Niacin, which is great for fighting against canker sores and repairs damaged skin while also protecting the skin. Key Takeaways:
"Vitamin A is responsible for maintaining and repairing skin tissues." Read more: http://www.natural-health-news.com/7-vitamins-for-healthy-and-glowing-skin-and-beauty/
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5361) 5 Reasons Your Leaky Gut Isn't Healing—and How to Overcome Them
Date:
October 07, 2017 10:14 AM
Your leaky gut may not be healing. This is bad news. You won't feel better until it heals. There can be other health problems caused by it as well. This gives five reasons for the lack of healing so you know what to watch for. This will help you so you can make sure things change. If you know what's wrong you can enact changes to make it better. You can't do this if you're clueless. Key Takeaways:
"While you’ve probably heard of “leaky gut,” few people realize that it a serious medical condition that occurs when the gut lining becomes permeable, causing the normally tiny gateway openings between the intestines and bloodstream to enlarge." Read more: http://observer.com/2017/09/reasons-your-leaky-gut-isnt-healing-and-how-to-overcome-them/
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5316) Reasons why Women need probiotics more than men
Date:
October 06, 2017 01:14 PM
Probiotics are good bacteria. They can be found in yogurt and many other foods. They aid digestion and have other benefits. This talks about what they do for women. Men need probiotics too but not as much. Women can benefit a great deal from them so should try to incorporate them into their diet. Wome can't take their health seriously enough. There are many problems which can arise if they don't pay attention to what's going on. Key Takeaways:
"If you have a low probiotic count, you may consider taking probiotic supplements too which are available in the form of pills, liquids or nutritional supplementary powders." Read more: https://reportshealthcare.com/reasons-women-need-probiotics-men/
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=5315) Colostrum: Immune Boosting Powerhouse
Date:
May 25, 2017 04:14 PM
Colostrum is a great natural supplement that can help people with leaky gut issues and offers great anti-oxidant and immune boosting properties. Colostrum is naturally found in mammals milk shortly after they give birth so babies are already exposed to it when they are first born. They are vital in children but they can also benefit adults who are tolerant to a dairy lifestyle. For an adult, it is like an extra boost that can help heal and mend the body. Key Takeaways:
"In a very simple sense, Colostrum is like an extra dose of immune system that you can leverage to help heal and strengthen your body." Read more: https://www.organicnewsroom.com/colostrum/
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=4693) Health Ranger awarded U.S. patent for breakthrough anti-radiation formula that eliminates Cesium-137 from your body
Date:
April 05, 2017 06:44 AM
A patent has just been awarded for a formula called "Cesium Eliminator". The purpose of the formula is to eliminate radioactive cesium isotopes from the digestive tract in the event that contaminated water or food has been eaten, possibly as the result of a nuclear accident, terrorism or other catastrophic nuclear event. The developer of the formula promises to donate the manufacturing and licensing rights to governments, anywhere in the world, that might want to use it. One of the ingredients of the formula is seaweed, and the developer has a large stockpile of raw materials used to make the product. He plans to donate the product for free to victims of nuclear incidents that might happen in the continental U.S. The developer claims that this formula will remove 95% of cesium-137 from the digestive tract. This is to see that the cesium doesn't get absorbed into the bloodstream and thereafter deposited throughout the body. Radiation from cesium-137 when exposed to the human body can lead to an increased risk of cancer. The formula is only to be used in cases of emergency; it's not a nutritional supplement. Read more: Health Ranger awarded U.S. patent for breakthrough anti-radiation formula that eliminates Cesium-137 from your body
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=4352) CBD - The Myths And Facts
Date:
January 26, 2017 02:59 PM
CDB is a cannabis compound that does not contain any THC, making some believe it is good. There have been some confusing reports recently in the British media about a compound in cannabis called CBD and how it has been reclassified as medicine. There are many facts and myths about it, but most importantly it is not weed, and has many uses. Key Takeaways:
"In the UK it has been possible to buy CBD as a nutritional supplement. But last October, the Medical Healthcare Regulatory Agency decided to recognise CBD’s therapeutic benefits and reclassify it as medicine." Reference:
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3832) The 7 best supplements to boost your immunity
Date:
January 08, 2017 07:59 AM
Having a high immunity can protect you from sicknesses or disease. Having a high immune system is very important, especially as you get older. Importantly there are many supplements to boost the immune system. Probiotics are just one example of a supplement to boost immune function. Read on for more supplements. Key Takeaways:
"Arm yourself with tried-and-true options—proven cold busters effective in clobbering germs that might otherwise turn you into a sniveling, sneezing mess—and check out some newly emerging star players that have been drawing attention lately for their potential cold- and flu-fighting cred." Reference: //www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/supplements/7-best-supplements-boost-your-immunity
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3756) Should I Be Taking DHEA?
Date:
August 31, 2015 10:23 PM
Formally known as the 5-Dehydroepiandrosterone, DHEA is actually a steroid hormone secreted by the human brain, gonads as well as the adrenal glands, the glands that sit just on top of any person's kidneys. Besides, being secreted by the gonads and also the human brain, DHEA is also beneficial in the formation of crucial reproductive hormones, like testosterone along with estrogen.
Should I Be Taking DHEA? DHEA was found in the mid 1930's yet really grew up in the 1950's when it had been found that maturing patients experienced decreased levels in their circulatory system. It had been thought before that DHEA supplement projects may help battle the maturing process. There's a reasonable bit of level headed discussion on the point in the matter of regardless of whether DHEA is helpful. One point is sure on the other hand, DHEA is a denied substance in for all intents and purposes of all games associations. Associations from baseball to the Olympics have established that DHEA is unworthy for the members. Fundamentally, DHEA supplements are thought to effectively lessen weight. They typically measure in putting away fats in the body and keep those extra calories away. As a general rule, majority of "work out" supplements comprise of DHEA in their components. Apart from this, DHEA also advances the glucose to parts where it is required, thus bringing about a fitter and healthier body. DHEA supplement is truly a sort of steroidal hormone, it's got a huge part in the body's safety. Boosting the invulnerable framework is another prize that you can get from DHEA dietary supplements as these are known not the human body's capacity to shape significantly more antibodies that may battle off disease and tumor bringing about cells The huge expansion of optional medications cannot be compared to the extraordinary properties of DHEA. While it is genuinely made in the whole body. The maturing process is inevitable to the human body, however, DHEA slows down the aging process. This also helps in conditions in the heart, kidneys, and pancreas. Given that DHEA is a steroidal hormone, it plays an important role in the body's susceptibility to antibodies. This improves the body's energy to fight contamination and malignancy in cells. Likewise, it has been watched how nutritional supplements containing a DHEA fixing could incredibly help people who may have high dangers of getting osteoporosis. This truly is as a consequence of straightforward reality that DHEA supplement could support the calcium levels inside of the bones.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3203) What Are Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) And What Herbs Contain Them?
Date:
July 21, 2015 08:53 PM
Glycosaminoglycans refers to a linear unbranched polysacharide chain molecule composed of disaccharides repeats with a high negative charge due to the presence of Uronic acid components and sulfate esters with some hydoxyl (OH) groups as part of its structural components. They have varying molecular size and sulfation depending on the tissue they are located on and their state. They function to attract cations and maintain the hydration of the extracellular membrane (E.C.M). Glycoaminoglycans are classified into different groups based on different categories which include; glycosidic linkages in their structure, type of the sugar moiety, sulphate groups numbers and the location of the sulfate groups. Based on this various classification categories six major groups of GAGs exists, namely; heparin, hyaluronan, dermatan sulfate, heparin sulfate, chondroitin sulfate, and keratan sulfate. GAGs have a high solvation degree and and are as well highly viscous. This is beneficial to the body in that it helps to cushion and lubricate various connective tissues and body joints respectively. It therefore protects an individual from joint pains due to poor lubrication of the joints causing the bone to slide over each other. They also form the building blocks of proteoglycans which are the major building blocks of the extracellular matrix. Due to this property they are vital in determining the cellular activities such as cell division because the cell division machinery has to attach itself to the extracellular matrix before the division process is initiated. Some body tissues such as the nerve cells and the muscle cells require continuous cell division to replace worn out cells for the normal functioning. This means that structural deformities in the extracellular matrix will hinder the division process to occur and is most likely to lead to some neurodegenerative complexions. Recent studies have linked GAGs to play a role in the cell biology of cancer.They have been established as the key macromolecules affecting cell properties and functions through interaction with key growth factors or by acting directly as receptor molecules. Through this it has been findings they play a vital role in the cell signaling process thus playing a role in the cancer disease progression.Heparin and heparin sulfate have been indicated through studies to have anti-tumor effects by preventing the process of angiogenesis which is the first step in cancer metastasis.Some have been associated with anti-coagulant properties.
Therefore GAGs are important molecules which play a vital role in protection against various forms of cancers. GAGs aremostly obtained from animal sources. The animal sources include shark fish and ray skeletons. Plants are also sources of GAGs, however their digestion by the human system is not possible. Seaweed is one herb that is rich in GAGs. However as earlier explain the digestion of the sea weed by the animal digestive system is quite a challenge. It is therefore recommended that we eat foods rich in proteins, and carbohydrates which can be used to synthesize GAGs in the body. In summary, GAGs are heteropolymers which acts as the building blocks of the extracellular matrix in animals. The body has the ability to synthesize GAGs naturally hence nutritional supplement is required for the body to obtain key components necessary for the synthesis.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3178) Why Should I Take Wheat Grass Liquid Concentrate?
Date:
December 10, 2014 11:03 PM
What is a wheat grass Wheat grass benefits Wheat grass concentrate This liquid concentrate is packed with nutrients equivalent to five pounds of raw, green organic vegetables, all in just two ounces of juice. It is higher in vitamins A and C than what you would get in a serving of carrots or oranges, and has a full spectrum of B vitamins as well, and a balanced ratio of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and phosphorus altogether. Wheat grass contains enzymes that detoxify the body, especially the blood and liver, neutralizing harmful pollutants like heavy metals and toxins that enter the body, which could be stored in tissues and organs, therefore cleansing the body from head to toe. This juice is also a resource of life-force energy that gives one renewed spiritual effects on his inner being. It battles premature aging and it keeps the hair from graying out making you look younger. Not only does it boosts the immune system by giving strength, vitality and endurance, but has wonderful effects on the body. It can cure acne and may help remove scars left if drank regularly for a few months. It acts, as a natural deodorizer hence can be a body deodorant. It can prevent tooth decay and even soothe toothaches and sore throat. It aids in skin problems like psoriasis or eczema. It helps in achieving regular bowel movement. It is gluten-free. Taking wheat grass liquid concentrate has no reported side effects or toxic in any amount given to either humans or animals, mainly because it is at its finest and most natural form, making it the ideal supplement to take nowadays. References
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3163) Importace of vitamin k-2
Date:
June 06, 2014 04:08 AM
We all know that calcium is needed for healthy bones and teeth. If calcium deficiency in the body is neglected for many years, it may cause bone disease in old age, which is also known as osteoporosis in medical terms, and many other complications. Vitamin K-2 works to help with the absorption of the calcium ions in the body. Calcium supplements Calcium supplements or tablets are normally recommended by doctors all over the world to overcome calcium deficiency. There are tablets that one can use to replenish the calcium in their body. Therefore, calcium supplements and one's bone health are closely related to each other. By taking vitamin K-2, there will be no need of taking the supplements. Where can you find calcium Calcium is mostly found in our bones, teeth, blood and cells. Almost 98% of calcium present in the body is concentrated in the bones where it is needed for the right development of the skeletal system. It has also a lot of vitamin K 2 which will help in absorption of the calcium important in the formation of bones. Calcium supplements and one's bone health are connected by the very fact that they will not only help in overcoming calcium deficiency in the body, they will also help in preventing many degenerative diseases that are related to the skeletal system for instance osteoporosis. Our immune system is the one that is responsible for maintaining the health of our bones. However, as we age our immune systems becomes weak and do not perform at its maximum due to other health conditions. At this age, doctors nowadays advocating for nutritional supplements for bone health and health specialists. Liquid calcium supplements together with the tablet forms offer many benefits in respect to the overall well being of your body. The vitamin K-2 will help in keeping the immune system strong, giving us strong bones. Source:
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3132) What Are The Benefits Of Ubiquinol Vs Regular CoQ10?
Date:
May 31, 2014 06:33 AM
In modern society, nutritional supplements have become a common method to improve health. A wide range of specific needs determines the use of different supplements, but there are a few that will work in just about everyone and improve their health. Coenzyme Q10, commonly abbreviated to CoQ10, is one of those universally effective supplements. This vitamin-like substance offers far-reaching benefits for the human body. It has a crucial role in the body's energy maintenance and it's an extremely powerful antioxidant. This substance is naturally produced by the body, but as we get older, the organism's ability to synthesize CoQ10 weakens progressively. It is, therefore, recommended that people initiate a regular intake of CoQ10 somewhere at the adult or even young adult life stage. This is a commonly prescribed supplement for old people owing to its longevity and energy inducing benefits, but it's especially critical for those who are medicated with statin drugs because these are known to reduce CoQ10 levels in the organism. Elite athletes can also benefit from this substance to achieve higher peak power levels. Ubiquinol is the most efficient way to take advantage of this supplement because it's the fully reduced form of CoQ10 that our body actually absorbs and uses. The consumption of Ubiquinone requires our body to firstly metabolize and convert it into Ubiquinol. This process limits the speed and efficiency of CoQ10 absorption, requiring larger quantities to be consumed for similar health effects, not to mention that the metabolism has a tendency to worsen with age. Ubiquinone is more widely available and is cheaper, though.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=3129) Must know health benefits of garlic
Date:
January 23, 2014 09:35 AM
Garlic
Benefits of Garlic There are quite a number of compound that can be obtained from it. Allinin found in garlic is easily acted upon by the allinase enzyme when garlic is crushed to give allicin. This compound is known to help in fighting various bacterial and fungal infections in the body. This is mainly due to its sulphur content. Moreover, it is essential in managing the blood pressure as well as improving circulation of blood in the body. Ajoene which is a derivative of allicin also plays a vital role in keeping the body healthy. It is well known for its ability to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the body. Additionally, this compound is vital in prevention of blood clots within vessels which could have been fatal. Over the years, many people have resorted to using home remedies in treating common cold and flus. Garlic is one of such remedies. The allicin found in it plays an important role in fighting all kinds of colds. For it to be effective, it is advisable that raw garlic is used. All you have to do is add the crushed garlic to a glass of water or juice and give it a few minutes to settle before taking it. You stand to gain even more from this if you are able to chew the pieces a little bit before swallowing to ensure that most of the allicin is released. Given all the benefits that can be obtained from this herb, its consumption is highly recommended. Those who may not be able to eat it raw can use it as an additive to food so that they can also enjoy its numerous benefits.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2980) Advantages of taking Multiple Vitamin and Mineral Pills
Date:
January 16, 2014 06:19 AM
Multiple Vitamin and Mineral pills
Enhancing nutrient intake For people who cannot get the recommended nutrient amounts, these people are urged to take supplements so as to boost their diet. Processed and inorganically grown food have been depleted of their vitamins and essential minerals. It is for this reason that it is suggested to take multivitamins and minerals daily to supplement your dietary intake. People essentially take dietary supplements to back up their food intake. Improving your health and suppression of recurrent diseases Specific supplements can be very helpful for individuals with particular diseases. Increasing your daily dose of vitamins and minerals is likely to slow down loss of vision. Studies have also indicated that taking multivitamins lowers the risk of developing growth in the large intestines. The folate in multivitamins is thought to be responsible for this protection. In as much as multivitamins cannot take the place of real food, it is imperative to get extra vitamins and nutrients for people taking incomplete diets. One advantage of these supplements is that they offer higher nutrient returns with low calories unlike regular food. They are also recommended for pregnant, breastfeeding and post-menopausal women. References:
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2967) Why Should I Be Taking The Supplement PABA?
Date:
January 11, 2014 04:05 PM
What Is PABA?
Health Benefits of PABA Supplement The great benefits of taking of Para-AminoBenzoic acid include, but not limited to treat, cure or improve arthritis, vitiligo, anaemia, headache, and hair loss. PABA is used to treat vitiligo which is a skin disorder caused by the local destruction of the pigment-producing cells of the skin. A person with vitiligo loses his or her skin pigmentation, resulting in the appearance of the white skin patches. Experts suggest that a regular intake of 100 mg of PABA supplement 3 – 4 times each day along with the PABA injections can help in the repigmentation and improvement of the skin area affected by vitiligo. According to many experts, including medical practitioners, infertile women may become pregnant by taking the regular intake of PABA supplement. Taking 100 mg PABA four times a day will contribute to the maintenance of good health. However, how much PABA supplement your body requires will depend on your overall health. More and more people are using PABA supplement to PABA has been tested and proven to help to shield the skin against UV (Ultra Violate) ray of the sun. This nutritional supplement has been used to treat other skin disorders such as sunburns and eczema. In Conclusion Para-AminoBenzoic Acid is a food or nutritional supplement that is available from both bold natural and synthetic sources but it is not considered an essential nutrient. Do not take more than 400 mg of PABA supplement without consulting your doctor. Finally, PABA supplement is natural and can be taken by both children and adults. So, use this great nutritional supplement to fight certain health problems and improve your health and mind. References:
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2960) The Health Benefits Of Barley Grass.
Date:
November 28, 2013 04:10 PM
What is Barley
Benefits of Barley The supplements found from grass of mature barley contains significant portion of dietary fiber. This presence of fiber in ant diet plays huge importance in the digestion process and proper absorption of nutrients in the process. In addition fiber prevents any intestinal complication such as colon cancer. Barley grass acts as a source of protein for our bodies. Proteins play a major role in cell development and their maintenance, leading to the growth of tissues and muscles. This contributes to the overall functioning of all the body organs. Antioxidant presence in barley grass provides protection and elimination of harmful free radicals in the blood system. These toxic elements can lead to development of infections like cancer, in deficiency of such antioxidants. Grass from barley has of fair amounts of potassium and calcium. These mineral supplements can be lost from an illness or a heavy exercise, hence the need for replenishment. Calcium- enriched barley grass helps to add these essential electrolytes for optimum body functioning. Barley grass contains high organic sodium contents, which dissolves calcium deposits in the joints and replenish organic sodium found in the stomach lining. This aids the digestion process by improving hydrochloric acid production in the stomach. People with arthritis conditions can use barley grass juice due to its high content of organic sodium present. Finally, users of barley grass find it very useful in aiding weight loss, healing of ulcers, correction of blood sugar problems and mostly as a general tonic.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2908) 5-HTP and how it can help promote natural sleep patterns.
Date:
November 27, 2013 07:47 AM
What is 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)?
Serotonin deficiency The production of serotonin declines with age, however it’s also important to note that, at any age serotonin production can be further compromised by stress. Low serotonin levels are commonly manifested by insomnia, depressed mood and anxiety. Good sleep. It is known that insomnia is an age-related condition. Sleep disorders are associated with very significant psychological, medical and social disturbances. Sleep deprivation can cause depression, stress and anxiety, it can also lead to fatigue, impairment of memory, immune function and mood. Nutritional supplements that contain 5-HTP, choline, melatonin and valerian root helps one to get a good sleep hence alleviating these problems. Recent research has indicated that increased serotonin levels can assist individuals suffering from chronic sleep disturbances restore healthy sleep patterns. Pathways of serotonin One of the metabolic pathways of serotonin leads to melatonin a hormone widely acknowledged for being responsible for the sleep-wake cycle. By increasing serotonin’s level with 5-HTP, you are also increasing the melatonin levels. Melatonin is also known to improve the immune function and assist improve immunodepressions that are stress-induced. Valerian root Valerian root is a Eurasian herb that has been for long known for enhancing sleep. Valerian helps one to fall asleep and also improves the quality of sleep thus allowing one to wake up feeling refreshed. A study showed that people who used valerian were more active and alert . Choline Choline is a nutrient precursor to neurotransmitter acetylcholine, that assists to protect your sound sleep so that you are not woken up by every little murmur or cleak.Supplementing the diet with these natural substances will assist eradicate or diminish sleep disturbances and also assist reestablish healthy sleep patterns. Reference:
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2906) Diffrent Health Benefits of Brewers Yeast
Date:
November 04, 2013 07:34 PM
Health Benefits of Brewer's Yeast
What is Brewer's Yeast If we talk about the production of brewers yeast it is a byproduct of beer and it also get developed by a single cell fungus that is popularly known as “Saccharomyces cerevisiae”. Other than this, manufacturers also add a variety of nutritional supplement in it including chromium, vitamins and other minerals that makes it a healthy dietary supplement. Brewer's Yeast Content Since, brewers yeast contains a good amount of chromium, vitamin B complex, selenium and protein that makes it a very healthy food. Its B complex contain different Vitamins including B1 or thiamine, B3 that is also known as niacin, B2 also known as riboflavin, B6 known as pyridoxine, B5 or pantothenic acid, B9 known as Folic Acid, and Vitamin H that is also known as Vitamin B7 or biotin. All these vitamins work effectively on your digestive system and simplify the breaking of fats, carbohydrates and protein that gives a good amount of energy to body. Other than this, it also improves your nervous system and gives strength to muscles of your digestive system for enhancing your digestive system. In addition to this, it also keeps your hair, muscles, skin, mouth, eyes and liver in healthy condition. Understanding Brewer's Yeast Although brewers yeast is highly beneficial health supplement but consume also need to understand that this supplement does not contain Vitamin B12 so they need to take it from some other source else they may experience deficiency of Vitamin B12. In addition to this, if consume have any kind of health issue they need to consult with their doctor before taking it to avoid any health problem. References:
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2877) How D-ribose boost energy levels in the body
Date:
October 27, 2013 09:40 PM
D-ribose is a simple sugar, prontose sugar, or 5-carbon monosaccharide. It is used by all body cells and is essential component in energy metabolism. Ribose also gives the structural backbone of body genetic materials like RNA and DNA, certain vitamins and other vital cellular compounds. It provides raw material to facilitate the production of adenosine triphosphate.
D-ribose was discovered in late 1990s by an American company. People who were suffering from fatigue and chronic related illnesses could be given pure adenosine triphosphate instead of AMP. This new supplement was produced in a stable and safe natural form that allowed it to be sold as nutritional supplement.
Ribose is an essential ingredient in stimulating the production of natural energy. It promotes the cardiovascular health, minimizes cardiac stress associated with strenuous events. Ribose enables the muscles and heat to maintain healthy energy level as well as accelerating the recovery of energy when body tissues are stressed by overwork, strenuous exercise, or disease. The physiological fuction of d-ribose is known as 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate, which controls the metabolic path that synthesizes energy components in all body living tissues. In case the cellular energy pool is depleted by overwork, diseases or exercise it must be replaced. 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate will stimulate the metabolic pathway to replenish these energy pools.
Patients with myocardial ischemia condition or reduced blood flow resulting from reduced oxygen flow to the heart may experience discomfort and chest pain. This may cause heart attack to a person with such experience. The ability of the heart cells to expand and contract depend upon the adenosine triphosphate available. The reduced blood flow lowers the level of adenosine triphosphate, but this can as well be replenished by 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate. D-ribose stimulates the 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate production, which in turn increases the level of adenosine triphosphate. This will actually restores the heart cell contractile functions and reduces ischemia.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2861) Is Colloidal Silver Good For Boils?
Date:
February 04, 2013 03:21 PM
Colloidal silver is one of alternative medicines whose popularity is increasing everyday. Although most people in the world are experiencing this product for the first time, the fact is that it has been there for a very long time. The product is prepared by mixing silver nitrate with distilled water. Basically, this product is made by suspending the molecules of silver in distilled water. The resulting suspension is used as a nutritional supplement and also as an antibiotic. When used as antibiotic, it helps in killing different types of pathogens including bacteria, virus and fungus. It works by disabling a specific enzyme in the pathogen which is responsible for oxygen metabolism. When this enzyme is disabled, the pathogen will not be able to make food and therefore it will die within a very short period of time. The good thing about colloidal silver is that it does not touch healthy blood cells as it only targets the pathogens. When used as a nutritional supplement, colloidal silver helps to boost body's immunity. When you take this product, it is absorbed into the body through small intestines and then it is transported in to different body cells. The process of eliminating pathogens may take up to four days. It is important to note that many pathogens today are becoming resistant to traditional antibiotics and therefore patients and health professionals are always looking for a better solution. Due to the fact that this product is able to deal with different types of pathogens, it has found use in treating a wide range of infections including boils. How colloidal silver helps to get rid of boils Boils are very common among so many people around the world. They are mainly caused by a bacterial infection. One may get boils when exposed to the specific bacteria. When body's immunity falls, one has a higher risk of getting boils. Colloidal silver helps to treat boils in two ways; When this product targets the bacteria causing the boils, the bacteria will die off and the boils will heal. Due to the fact that this product is fast acting, the boils may disappear within 3 or four days. Colloidal suspension provides a different kind of immunity that works parallel to the existing body immunity. This means that the body is given a new power to fight infections. A strong immunity allows the body to effectively fight foreign organisms in the body. Therefore the body will be able to fight the boil bacteria. This will not only ensure recovery, it will also prevent future recurrence of the condition.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2824) Black pepper extract - Bioperine
Date:
December 21, 2012 01:52 PM
Perhaps the biggest question that goes through our mind on the mention of the phrase black pepper extract is what the benefit of black pepper extracts is. Piperine is the active ingredient of black pepper extract. Used together with other natural nutritional supplements, Piperine not only enhances absorption but also bioavailability. Going back to history, black pepper helped a great deal in shaping the development of the modern world medicine. Ayurvedic medicine that dates back to 6,000BC, used this extract to enhance digestibility. The internal heat generated by consumption of the pepper positively influences the ability of the body to absorb nutrients. As a matter of fact the one's nutritional status is not only dependent on what one eats but in his or her ability to absorb as well as transform nutrients into forms that are usable by the body. For maximum benefits it is important that Black pepper extract (Piperine) is taken a couple of hours after meal.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2766) Carnitine Heart Energy!
Date:
November 24, 2012 10:56 AM
An Amino Acid Carnitine is an amino acid that our body manufactures for the purpose of carrying fatty acids into cells so that these acids are converted to energy. Before you begin to lose interest from the scientific sentence that you just read, here's what Carnitine does, simply put - it helps your body create energy. Improve Heart Energy! Carnitine is more commonly known as L-Carnitine, and since it does help your body creates energy, it has been extensively researched and scientists have come to the conclusion that using L-Carnitine as a supplement will help your heart improve its functioning and thus reduce the risk of heart disease. Although it sounds too good to be true, it is a scientific fact and has been proved by numerous studies. For people who are already suffering from any kind of heart disease, L-Carnitine, used in tandem with other prescribed medication can help by increasing the effects of the medication by quite a large amount, and making the heart function effectively and treating any disease symptoms that the patient might have. To be more specific, it helps the heart from conditions that result in lower blood supply to the heart, like angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest. It can thus be seen that Carnitine not only helps improve heart energy, but can also be life saving by removing these deadly conditions. For those who wish to make the most of Carnitine's heart friendly benefits, it is widely available as a nutritional supplement, and one does not need a prescription to get it. However, like with any supplement, it must be used in moderate amounts, as per the recommended dosage, it is impossible to overdose but taking more does not mean it will work better.. Although no conclusive bad effects have been linked to this supplement use, it is always better to be safe than sorry, and by using Carnitine wisely, you can improve your heart energy and keep it in prime shape.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2737) Health Benefits Of Liquid Vitamin C
Date:
November 21, 2012 04:15 PM
Vitamin C is one of the most important body nutritional supplements that play an important role in the body. Vitamin C has a lot of benefits to the body and has many immediate effects when taken mostly in liquid form. They are also known as antioxidants that are mainly known to help in clearing off the harmful free radicals that are responsible for gradual cell damages. Liquid vitamin C also assists in the immune system hence warding off possible infections. This also ensures that wounds and damaged tissues are speedily healed; vitamin C also ensures that collagen formation is taking place as well as fat metabolism and iron absorption. In most cases, vitamin C cannot be bodily generated and due to different body functions some people may need greater doses of these vitamins. Liquid vitamin C is known to be efficient in delivering the vitamin into the body's system and is more absorbed when in liquid form. For people who require high doses of vitamin C, vitamin supplementation is however recommended for such people so as to ensure that their body systems are well supplied with vitamins and are strong enough to fight infections. Vitamin C deficiency in adults is very common since many people fail to realize the importance of taking these vitamins and they lack enough vitamins in the body which leads to prone infections such as colds, gum damages and poor wound healing. There are no critical risks when it comes to liquid vitamin C overdose especially for those people who require vitamins at large volumes. Under normal circumstances, rare cases of headaches, fatigue, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting may be experienced when an individual overdoses. Using the products as directed will provide great health benefits. Try it today and feel the difference.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2729) What are the health Benefits of Cod Liver Oil
Date:
July 11, 2012 08:33 AM
Cod Liver Oil Benefits This is a nutrient rich oil derived from Cod fish liver and can be in the form of capsules or oil. The Cod liver oil has been used for many generations to treat various health conditions and to boost the human's immune system. Otherwise, it is one of the recommended nutritional supplements especially when it comes to enriching your system with: - Vitamin A - Vitamin D - Omega-3 Fatty Acids - DocoHexaenoic Acid (DHA), - EicosaPentaenoic Acid (EPA) All these nutrients are beneficial to the body in various ways and have proved to be great home remedies for conditions such as arthritis. So this is how all these nutrients will benefit the body. Vitamin A Vitamin A is an antioxidant which helps protect the body from the development of free radicals and in the long run reduce the formation of cancer cells in the body. Therefore, your system will be protected from cancer and other diseases owing to the presence of beta carotene and alpha carotene. On the other hand, since Vitamin A is an immune booster it assists in treating measles, respiratory infections, viral infections, improves your eyesight, Inflammation Reducer, and cardiovascular performance. Vitamin D One of the main benefits of Vitamin D is the fact that it helps the intestine absorb nutrients such as phosphorus and calcium which are vital for bone formation and strengthening. This is why Cod liver oil is an ideal home remedy for arthritis. It also prevents osteomalacia and weakening of muscles and rickets at the same time assist in regulation of blood pressure, reduces stress, tension, muscle aches and spasms and improves the general health of the skin. EicosaPentaenoic Acid (EPA) It it one of the main nutrients found in the Omega 3 fatty acids which normally assists in treating coronary heart disease, reduces formation of high triglycerides, controls high blood pressure and reduces inflammation. It also has a positive effect on depression, reduces formation of blood clots and improves the health of arteries. Actually, EPA is renowned for its positive effects on the health of the human heart. DocoHexaenoic Acid (DHA) DHA found in cod liver oil is a polyunsaturated fatty acid which is a main ingredient of the omega 3 fatty acids. Findings have it that DHA is an ideal component for controlling inflammatory disorders, arteriosclerosis, types of cancer, myocardial infection as well as thrombosis. Omega 3 Fatty Acids The omega 3 fatty acids are mostly beneficial owing to the presence of DHA and EPA. However, findings indicate that the the omega 3 fatty acids are crucial for the enhancement cognitive functions especially when it comes to the memory. It is also an ideal remedy for children with ADHD considering the fatty acids assist in enhancing behavioral functions. In other words, the cod liver oil is one of the recommendable nutritional supplements owing to its overall benefits to the immune, circulatory, cognitive and cardiovascular systems. This means that one teaspoon of the cod liver oil could save you from many health situations in comparison to not having it at all. It is also advised that you take at least 1-2 tablespoons everyday especially if you need such nutrients to boost your immune system.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2665) The Amazing Health Benefits of Curcumin
Date:
April 19, 2012 07:31 AM
Curcumin Have you heard of curcumin? Curcumin is a popular spice that originated in Eastern culture. This spice is popular because it offers a lot of health benefits to people. For those individuals who are interested to achieve optimal health and want to live a longer life, it would be best to ad curcumin in their daily diets. This spice can definitely affect the overall health of individuals. What is curcumin? Curcumin is not just an actual spice, but it is one of the ingredients of Tumeric, which is considered a famous Indian spice. Curcumin is commonly used in making curries with a strong taste that are being appreciated in the West. However, this ingredient is consumed by many people because of the health benefits it could bring. Curcumin is very in demand in India, Middle East and Asian countries because they use curcumin as a medicine. There are various health benefits of curcumin. If you want to take advantage of these benefits, it is important that you be aware of these health benefits: Benefits • Helps treat certain illnesses- According to research and studies, it has been shown that curcumin can effectively treat and prevent particular ailments such as brain problems and cancer. Individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease can definitely overcome their condition with regular consumption of curcumin. • An effective body pain reliever- A lot of individuals, most especially the senior citizens are always experiencing body pains because of weak bones. According to a recent study, curcumin has been believed to relive pain and improve mobility for sufferers with osteoarthritis and other body pains. Curcumin contains anti-inflammatory properties that help alleviate body aches. • Positive effects on brain health- Another awesome benefit if curcumin is providing positive effects on brain health. According to reports, even just occasional ingestion of curcumin can improve brain power. It is necessary to have a healthy and powerful brain so that it is easier to think clearly all the time. It also effectively reduces the levels of toxic metals in the brain. • Helps avoid premature aging- Curcumin is packed with antioxidants, which are responsible in preventing the occurrence of premature aging. Premature aging is a very common condition, most especially to people with an unhealthy lifestyle. It would be best to stop all your filthy habits and add curcumin in your regular diet to achieve a healthy body and younger looking skin. These are some of the amazing health benefits of curcumin. If you want to achieve a healthy body and mind, this healthy supplement is the excellent supplement to utilize. There is no recommended dose for curcumin. Studies have utilized doses between 100 mg to 8000 mg without experiencing any over dosage side effects. In fact, individuals can consume up to 12,000 mg per day. Curamin can either be consumed as a supplement, or it can be added in certain food or meals. Basically, people in India would add this spice to their every dish so that they could attain superior health. You can also add curcumin when you are cooking, but if you have no time to cook, nutritional supplements can be the perfect alternative.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2637) The Major Health Benefits Of Hemp
Date:
April 06, 2012 07:47 AM
Hemp Protein Hemp is the only food with the largest amount of protein available on earth. It is easily digestible and it is the only food with a wide range of proteins. These include important fatty acids and amino acids. It is the only food that supplies the human body with all dietary needs at once. Thus, it is the only food that is capable of sustaining human life alone without other nutritional supplements. Apart from being a good source of proteins, hemp supplies the body with important minerals and vitamins. However, the most important component of this food is the essential fatty acids. These include the alpha-linolenic (omega 3) and linoleic acids (omega 6). These two categories of fat are important in the body because human body is not capable of manufacturing them. Therefore, they have to be consumed in the daily meals. The ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 in hemp is 3:1. This is close to the 4.0 on average as the optimum recommendation of the world health organization for a human diet. It plays an important role in various organs of the body including: Heart health Hemp has important nutrients are that are essential for the good health of the human heart. These are the essential fatty acids which play a very important role in ensuring the health of the heart. Several studies have revealed that substituting saturated fats with healthy polyunsaturated reduced risk of cardiac arrest. Such fats are found in hemp and are important in preventing sudden cardiac arrhythmia. They also reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood. Hemp has important fats that also decrease build-up of cellular in the arteries. This is very important as it is associated with a condition known as atherosclerosis. Phytosterol contained in hemp plays an important role in reducing cholesterol in the blood by about ten percent. Brain health Human brain has a large portion that includes essential fat acids. Since hemp supplies the body with these fats, it becomes essential for brain health. It is also vital for proper memory function. Diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's are preventable with consumption of hemp. The Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids also help in delaying or reducing neurological effects that come with these diseases. This improves the kind of life led by individuals with such diseases. Skin health Essential fatty acids play an important role in ensuring healthy skin. Perhaps, this is why hemp seed has been used as an ingredient in various cosmetic products. The Lipids allow the acids to permeate via the skin. Hemp component in the cosmetic products help to nourish the skin directly. Hemp is also very beneficial to people with psoriasis and eczema skin conditions. These are just the major benefits of hemp in the human body. Others include increasing of metabolic rate and energy levels, improving immunity and organic function, among others. Hemp is also crucial in the prevention of degenerative diseases and this proves why it is crucial for positive human health. This food provides a lasting solution to various health complications and you may as well try it and enjoy its benefits.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2628) What is the History and Health Benefits of Pycnogenol?
Date:
March 24, 2012 07:51 AM
What Are The Health Benefits Of Pycnogenol? Pycnogenol is a name of a product which is prepared from a tree French Pine also known as French Maritime Pine. Pycnogenol is a trademark name sold as a nutritional supplement. This supplement is mainly used for asthma and a condition known as chronic venus insufficiency. It is a water extract of the bark of the French Pine found in the coastal south west of France. Pycnogenol contains unique flavonoid compounds in high concentration. These compounds at such high levels of concentration have proven to be useful and beneficial on inflammation, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, aging and healing of wounds.
History and Discovery of Pycnogenol: Pycnogenol is a very powerful antioxidant made from a combination of natural antioxidants and phytonutrients. Since it is biologically made it is technically a bioflavonoid. A French scientist by the name Professor Masquelier gave the name Pycnogenol which is a scientific name for the oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) as well as other bioflavonoids. Pycnogenol is an extract from the French Maritime Pine and grape seed extract. Professor Masquelier along with a Swiss broker Horphag made attempts to commercialize Pycnogenol. Horphag without the consent of Masquelier registered the name Pycnogenol as a patent in the year 1990 which came under the ownership of Horphag in the United States. This caused severe legal disputes in the US. Horphag made huge profits from the intellectual property of Masquelier. This wonderful antioxidant was discovered by Jacques Cartier in 1953. In his books Cartier mentioned about the benefits of pine and how it cured and healed chronic diseases. Professor Masquelier discovered Cartier's book and recognized the benefits of these medicines which were rich in bioflavonoids. Health Benefits of Pycnogenol: Pycnogenol is a very powerful antioxidant which helps in regulating certain types of acids that gets absorbed in the human body through chemicals and free radicals. Antioxidants help in improving heart health and prevent cancer. Brain diseases like Alzheimer's can also be prevented with the use of Pycnogenol. It prevents the body from absorbing the toxic elements which are responsible for the development of brain diseases. It works as a good preventive tool. Pycnogenol also helps people who suffer from heart disease, which is a very common disease worldwide. It reduces swelling due to heart disease and helps in regulating the blood pressure. Pycnogenol also assists in reducing blood sugar levels in type ll diabetes, administered along with the anti-diabetes drugs. Fight Inflammation The anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of Pycnogenol are beneficial in treating asthma. It also improved the tolerance to chemotherapy in cancer patients. Pycnogenol works well as an anti aging product along with Vitamin E, and reduces wrinkles. Pycnogenol is available in the market in different supplement formulas containing about 20mg to 100mg of Pycnogenol. It is the most extensively researched product and has also passed a number of safety tests. Tests have proved that consuming Pycnogenol at higher dosage for longer periods is safe though there are a few minor side effects. These side effects are gastro intestinal discomfort, nausea, dizziness and headaches. If consumed with certain drugs it can cause major side effects due to drug interactions. Pycnogenol is a great antioxidant supplement which helps in protecting and healing the body from harmful chemicals. Before taking Pycnogenol daily as a supplement it is recommended to consult physicians who can advice on the ideal dosages.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2616) How Does D-Mannose Help With Bladder Infection?
Date:
February 28, 2012 07:57 AM
D-MannoseTypically, it is the accumulation of the Escherichia coli (E coli) bacterium in the bladder, kidneys, urethra or ureters that results in bladder, kidney and urinary tract infections. The strange part is that the intestines naturally contain the E coli bacteria in them, and they do not cause any harm while they are present there. However, distressing infections can be caused by these bacteria if they stick to the lining of the urinary tract by somehow reaching into the kidneys. At one time, bladder, kidney and urinary tract infections were treated using antibiotics; however, the only problem was that even friendly bacteria were removed from the body as well. People became prone to upset stomach and women, in particular, would frequently catch yeast infections because of this. Thus, D-Mannose was discovered as a means of treating these infections of the urinary tract without killing the friendly bacteria. What is D-Mannose and How Was it Discovered? D-Mannose is basically a sugar that naturally occurs in fruits like apples, berries and peaches. It was back in the late 1980s that this sugar monomer was discovered. Research has shown that this sugar has defensive qualities, and it can offer protection against pathogenic bacteria. Currently, nutritional supplements containing Mannose can be found at health stores, online retailers and supermarkets. Any supplement containing D-Mannose will be capable of flushing out harmful bacteria from the kidneys, urinary bladder and tract. Therefore, these supplements are the ideal remedy for infections that typically occur there. How Does D-Mannose Help Cure Bladder and Other Infections? Basically, the body is not able to absorb D-Mannose easily. Therefore, once people take supplements containing this constituent it eventually reaches the kidneys and the urinary bladder. Since the E. coli bacteria that cause urinary tract infections stick to the tissue lining in the urinary tract, therefore, by actively binding to the bacteria, these infections are prevented from occurring. The remaining redundant bacteria that are flushed out of the kidneys and the urinary tract simply pass out through the urine. In What Forms is D-Mannose Available? This beneficial substance can be purchased by consumers in the form of a dissolvable powder or capsule supplements. It is recommended by a majority of manufacturers, who are manufacturing products containing this substance that one to three doses per day should be taken with a single glass of water each time. There are minimal risks of overdosing when taking D-mannose and there are no possible side effects that people might suffer from by using this substance as a remedy for urinary bladder and tract infections. Patients will not be discouraged from using supplements containing this substance even by doctors since they are aware that it is safe to take them, and no side effects are associated. In fact, the purest form of this sugar monomer is the easiest and safest to use. Whether people choose to use powders or supplements, the effectiveness will actually depend on the manufacturer the product is coming from. Thus, when it comes to fighting off urinary bladder and tract infection, D-Mannose is indeed an effective treatment as long as the right powder or supplement is selected. Get some D-mannose today and stop your bladder infections in its tracts.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2596) Benefits Of Zeaxanthin
Date:
February 07, 2012 08:14 AM
With aging, our eyes and the associated muscles weaken. They can degenerate and lose our ability to see properly. Eyes enable us with vision to see the world, and losing the eyesight will halt affect our daily activities and movements. People are frequently worried about losing their sight, and try to find supplements that can prevent the loss of vision. However, this debility can be prevented. Supplements should be ideally be all natural, healthy, and with no side effects. Zeaxanthin is an important nutrient for eye health. This is found in found in green leafy vegetables, and also in other foods like eggs. Zeaxanthin fulfills most of the requirements that most people look in a supplement. WHAT IS ZEAXANTHIN Zeaxanthin and lutein are carotenoids that filter out the harmful high-energy wavelengths of light, and also act as antioxidants in the eye. This helps to maintain and protect healthy eye cells. Out of the six hundred carotenoids found in nature, only these two, Zeaxanthin and Lutein are deposited in high quantities in the retina (macula) of the eye. Unfortunately, our body does not synthesize the zeaxanthin and lutein it requires. This is the reason why green vegetables, eggs and other sources of these carotenoids are essential to proper nutrition. Daily intake of zeaxanthin and lutein through diet, beverages, fortified foods or nutritional supplements and is very important for the protection and continuation of good eye health. Studies have indicated that zeaxanthin and lutein can help to lessen the chance of chronic eye illnesses, including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Zeaxanthin, is also a bioflavonoid, that besides its benefits to ocular health, has been linked to providing many health benefits, including its anti-inflammatory property. Because of zeaxanthin being a carotenoid category bioflavonoid, its main action is over the blood vessels; it works by supporting the blood vessels around the retina area with their proper function. ZEAXANTHIN BENEFITS Zeaxanthin is both an anti-inflammatory phytochemical and an antioxidant; hence this has been used as a preventative measure for macular degeneration and cataracts. Its antioxidant properties keep eyes from being damaged from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sunlight. Overall, zeaxanthin keeps the eye healthier, and looking younger. ZEAXANTHIN AGAINST CATARACT: Our natural eye collects and focuses light on the retina, and to properly provide this function continuously, the lens must remain clear throughout life. A major cause of cataracts is oxidation of the lens, which clouds it. Antioxidant nutrients, like zeaxanthin and lutein neutralize the free radicals or the unstable molecules associated with this oxidative stress associated with retinal damage. Thus, these phytochemicals play a role in cataract prevention. Higher dietary intakes of vitamin E, zeaxanthin and lutein can considerably reduce the risk of cataract formation. ZEAXANTHIN AGAINST AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION (AMD): Zeaxanthin and lutein reduces the risk of AMD. In fact, studies like AREDS2 (Age-Related Eye Disease Study) are being conducted with supplements containing ten mg lutein along with two mg zeaxanthin each day, how it affects or lowers the chance of developing this degeneration. FOOD SOURCES OF ZEAXANTHIN Zeaxanthin is naturally found in some green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach. Other sources of zeaxanthin include egg yolk, yellow squash and bell-peppers. This makes zeaxanthin available as a completely natural nutrient, with no side effects.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2559) Bioperine Promotes Maximum Absorption
Date:
February 06, 2012 06:19 PM
Bioperine Bioperine is an extract from black pepper that contains about 95 percent piperine. Piperine is an alkaloid, the active substance that contributes to nutrients bioavailability and absorption. Bioperine can be combined with other specific nutrients to form different nutritional supplements that can be used for both animal and human consumption. Black pepper is mostly harvested before ripening, dried in the sun and then the extraction process begins. How and why use of Bioperine promotes maximum vitamin absorption Recent research has shown that the use of Bioperine, whose main constituent is piperine, increases thermogenic activity in the body. Thermogenesis is an accelerated metabolic process that takes place in the body cells in which conversion of glucose into energy takes place. An increase in absorption of discount minerals such as selenium and vitamins such as vitamin A has been witnessed to be triggered by the use of Bioperine. Piperine works through initiating the release of catecholamines hormones that stimulate thermogenesis. However, the nutrients should presently available during this time since; the process takes place for a short duration. Piperine improves the necessary conditions of the intestines thus enhancing vitamins absorption. It alters the intestinal epithelial cell wall making it more permeable to vitamins and minerals. In addition, absorption of protein supplements such as those used by people who are on a dietary weight loss program is also increased. Several researchers have also shown that Bioperine has other benefits in the body, these includes the antibacterial properties and anti allergy properties. Experiments prove that use of Bioperine increases vitamin and mineral absorption Several studies on how much piperine promotes nutrients absorption have been carried out hitherto. For instance, an experiment was carried out on the effect of absorption of beta-carotene, vitamin B-6 and selenium which are fat soluble vitamin, water soluble vitamin and mineral in the form of selenomethionine respectively in the presence and absence of piperine. The experiment showed that absorption of these vitamins and mineral selenium increased appreciably when taken with Bioperine. There was 60 percent increase in absorption of beta-carotene and vitamin B-6 while 30 percent absorption was noticed for selenium. The experiment was carried out using 5 milligrams of Bioperine. Another experiment also showed a 30 to 200 percent increase in the absorption of Coenzyme Q-10. Bioperine is the only piperine product to undergo comprehensive health tests and to be patented for the effect of increasing nutrients absorption, more so vitamins and minerals. By creating metabolic changes that require vitamins and minerals, Bioperine creates a nutritional need and then follows by increasing the nutrients bioavailability to meet the need. However, the process takes place in a short period. It is therefore advisable to co-administer minerals and vitamins with Bioperine so that they will be available during the right time for absorption. Unfortunately, research has shown that taking black pepper in its natural form does not yield the same results as those of taking Bioperine. This is mainly because the bioavailability of piperine is not that high in the natural form. Finally, antibacterial and anti allergy properties of Bioperine diversifies its application in medication.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2557) Can Alpha GPC Really Help With Memory And Growth ?
Date:
September 29, 2011 11:52 AM
What Are The Benefits Of Alpha GPC? L-Alpha Glycerylphosphorylcholine, or abbreviated as Alpha GPC, is a natural compound which is choline in nature. It is considered to be an acetylcholine precursor which is now being studied as a treatment for the degenerative disease called Alzheimer’s disease. This chemical compound also has a parasympathomimetic property and is widely used as a nutritional supplement for enhancing memory and concentration. The other name of Alpha GPC is Choline Alfoscerate. Alpha GPC has the capacity to rapidly transport choline to the central nervous system by passing through the blood - brain barrier. Alpha GPC can be extracted from highly distilled soy phospholipids such as lecithin. Inside the body, this chemical compound can be found in high quantity in neuronal membranes. Some of its benefits are: 1. IMPROVES ACETYLCHOLINE LEVEL. As mentioned earlier, Alpha GPC can cross the blood – brain barrier. Once inside the brain, it positively influences brain activity by enhancing the production of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter which is responsible for improving the individual’s learning process. Acetylcholine acts on both the peripheral and central nervous system. In the former, this neurotransmitter functions as the main neurotransmitter in the autonomic nervous system. It is also involved in the contraction of body muscles. In the latter, acetylcholine acts as an anti – excitatory chemical in the cholinergic system. 2. MEMBRANE COMPONENT. Another health benefit of Alpha GPC is that it can effectively protect nerve cells thus improving the transmission of impulse. Aside from maintaining the integrity of the nerves and nerve cells, Alpha GPC also serves as a precursor of the phospholipids found on membranes. 3. INCREASE HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE. Studies on Alpha GPC have revealed that it can relatively influence the action of the body’s Growth Hormone – Releasing Hormone (GHrH), thus improving the release of growth hormones. In addition, it can also enhance the effects of human growth hormone especially among young individuals. 4. A MODALITY FOR DEMENTIA. Alpha GPC has been long studied for the treatment of senile dementia. Initial result of such studies revealed that patients supplemented with Alpha GPC showed improvement but on a smaller extent. Further studies are still being conducted so that efficacy and safety as well as the appropriate dosage will be determined. 5. INFLUENCES GABA. Studies reveal that Alpha GPC significantly increase the synthesis and release of Gamma Amino – Butyric Acid or GABA. Increased synthesis of GABA is also potentiated by atropine. GABA is considered as the principal inhibitory brain chemical among mammals. It has a significant role in controlling neuronal excitation all over the nervous system. Like acetylcholine, GABA is also one of the primary responsible chemicals for the control of muscle tone. Alpha GPC is formulated as supplement. It is available in 300 to 1,200 milligram oral supplements. Though it is generally safe, it is important that you should consult your doctor first before using this supplement. This would significantly avoid the occurrence of adverse effects and drug interactions. Appropriate dosage will also be determined by your doctor. Remember, any medication or supplement varies from person to person on its therapeutic and adverse effects.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2468) What Makes a Good Probiotic Supplement?
Date:
August 09, 2011 01:27 PM
Scientists have identified a diverse variety of bacteria and yeasts that work as microbes. Bacteria that manufacture lactic acid are the most commonly used probiotics in the food and drug industries. They comprise a large number of Gram positive and acid tolerant bacteria that are generally recognized as safe. Most of the species are utilized in the production of yogurt in addition to nutritional supplements. Multi-strain probiotic supplements are deemed better, though most products contain only one strain of bacteria. Nonetheless, they all work on the same principle. Apart from the fact that they produce lactic acid, almost all strains available in the market possess the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of lactase. Hence, probiotics give special benefits to individuals suffering from lactose intolerance. Lactobacillus is the genus of bacteria best known as probiotics. They are the most extensively studied of all microorganisms identified to be beneficial for human beings. It is an established fact that they provide a steady supply of nutrients. Their fermentation activity in the gut enables them to synthesize vitamin K and other organic compounds that promote healthy metabolism and lower blood lipid levels. Some strains prevent constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, and many other disorders of the digestive tract. For one, probiotics are capable of digesting complex carbohydrates that usually pass the small intestines largely unchanged. These compounds are beneficial for blood sugar. The by-products add bulk to stool, speed up the passage of fecal matter in the colon, and promote regular bowel movement. There are strains that release natural antibiotics called bacteriocin. These compounds either directly kill pathogenic microbes present in the gut or suppress protein synthesis necessary for their survival. By so doing, probiotics curtail population growth of harmful bacteria that are often incriminated in the disease activity of ulcerations in the alimentary canal and complications of inflammatory illnesses. Due to the fact that each strain provides unique benefits to health, it is best to choose a probiotic supplement that contains several strains of friendly bacteria. It is also important to read on the total bacterial count the product promises to deliver. Medical professionals caution the supplementation of probiotics with very high amounts of bacteria as they may disrupt the natural pH in the digestive tract. Probiotic supplements that require refrigeration are usually not shelf-stable, and thus its quality is likely to get compromised during shipment. There are products that use sustained release technology and formulated to withstand the acidic environment of the stomach. Experts believe that releasing probiotics in the intestines helps as friendly bacteria take up residence in the gut.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2391) Can Alpha Lipoic Acid Help Lower Blood Sugar?
Date:
August 06, 2011 12:10 PM
Alpha lipoic acid is a nutritional supplement best known as an antioxidant. It is an organic compound that plays many important physiological functions at the cellular level. For one, it is widely regarded as a potent scavenger of free radicals. It also affects the rate of metabolism and the production of energy. In fact, it has become one of the most popular supplements available in the past few years. Often abbreviated as ALA, alpha lipoic acid is a derivative of caprylic acid or octanoic acid. As its name suggests, caprylic acid is generally linked to goat milk, though it can be obtained from several other sources of food, such as vegetable oils. ALA has been the subject of studies in recent years. Apart from its role it in the prevention of oxidative stress, it also contributes to the regulation of blood sugar. Modulates Insulin Function Blood sugar is the concentration of glucose present in the bloodstream as measured by whole blood, plasma, or serum. Glucose is obtained from complex carbohydrates found in the human diet. It enters the circulatory system, travels through the bloodstream, and nourishes cells. It is the precursor of biochemical energy that supports the physiological functions of cells, tissues, and body organs. There is good scientific evidence that alpha lipoic acid influences the uptake of glucose. Insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels as it instructs cells to take up glucose from the blood. It has been observed that alpha lipoic acid induces the activation of insulin receptors, raises the number of glucose transports in cell membranes, and enhances glucose uptake in the process. Increases Glucose Utilization Alpha lipoic acid is a dietary supplement popular among body builders largely owing to the fact that it increases glucose utilization. There is a growing body of scientific literature devoted to the effects of ALA on overall metabolic rate, the reason why it has been marketed as a weight loss supplement for years. As a general rule, glucose utilization by cells increases as the rate of metabolism increases. The synthesis of adenosine triphosphate requires the presence of glucose, which the human body uses as a source of cellular energy. Numerous studies have reported that alpha lipoic acid is capable of upregulating the production of energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate. Its presence triggers cells to convert glucose to energy at a faster rate, effectively affecting and lowering blood sugar. Alleviates Diabetes Mellitus Alpha lipoic acid is especially helpful for people suffering from diabetes mellitus and its complications. In addition to its role in the management of blood sugar, it also protects the nervous system from cellular damage brought on by reactive oxygen species, as is the case with diabetic neuropathy. As a reputed free radical neutralizer, ALA not only alleviates diabetes but also prevents its complications.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2388) How Does N-Acetyl L-Carnitine Help Energy Levels?
Date:
August 03, 2011 11:47 AM
N-Acetyl L-Carnitine And Cellular HealthN-Acetyl L-Carnitine refers to the ester form of the organic compound carnitine. It has been linked to many different health benefits largely owing to the fact that it is quite ubiquitous at the cellular level. It plays an important role in keeping cells in prime working condition as derivatives of this compound protect cells from oxidative stress as well as contribute to reactions responsible for energy production. Increases Cellular Energy The biochemical energy that powers cellular activities comes in the form of adenosine triphosphate. All types of tissues in the human body are capable of manufacturing this chemical compound, the reason why it is often called the molecular unit of currency. The human diet provides the biological precursors of cellular energy, but adenosine triphosphate is obtained from the sugar glucose more often than not. Cells make use of N-acetyl L-carnitine in the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate. Research has shown that the presence of acetylated carnitine appears to modulate the metabolic processes leading to the manufacture of cellular energy. In recent years, endurance athletes and body builders have relied on supplements that contain this compound to boost their energy levels. Human trials support its safety. Aids Healthy Metabolism Glucose is the principal precursor of chemical energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate. Complex carbohydrates are digested to simple sugars such as glucose, which enters the circulation. Insulin is a hormone that induces the uptake of glucose by cells, which convert glucose to usable energy. Studies have observed that N-acetyl L-carnitine improves the activity of insulin and consumption of glucose. It is a well established fact that carnitine is involved in the breakdown of fats, waxes, and sterols, and their consequent utilization in the production of cellular energy. For this reason, N-acetyl L-carnitine is marketed as a nutritional supplement that promotes fat loss and aids weight loss. Human trials have noted that regular intake upregulates the conversion of fats and other lipids to adenosine triphosphate. Prevents Oxidative Stress Lysine and methionine are amino acids that act as immediate precursors of carnitine, which the body synthesizes on a regular basis to support a number of physiological functions. In particular, carnitine plays a major role in supplying cells with a steady supply of chemical energy during intense physical exertion. At the same time, they protect the cells from the harmful effects of reactive oxygen species. N-acetyl L-carnitine is a very good source of carnitine as it is widely believed to be more bioavailable than L-carnitine. It adds to the number of carnitine in cells, boosts energy levels, and combats free radicals and other reactive oxygen species. Free radicals are natural by-products of energy production, and thus carnitine produces a twofold effect. It promotes cellular longevity and raises chemical energy.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2386) Is Cod Liver Oil Good for My Health?
Date:
July 30, 2011 01:19 PM
Deactivates Pain Chemicals The nutrient profile of cod liver oil makes it an excellent source of eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA. These omega 3 fatty acids have long been identified by scientists as anti-inflammatory compounds. Numerous studies have documented that they exert an inhibitory effect on chemicals that sensitize tissues to pain, cause excessive inflammation, and bring on rheumatism. Nourishes Joint Cartilage Cod liver oil is a traditional treatment for joint pain characteristic of arthritis. In recent years, it has been noted as the leading therapeutic remedy for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Research has shown that it is capable of switching off enzymatic processes responsible for the destruction of cartilage tissue in arthritis. Also, its fatty acid content nourishes the proteins found in joint cartilage. Protects Nervous Tissue The myelin sheaths that insulate the axons of nerve cells located in the brain and spinal cord require fatty acids to support their physiological functions. In particular, DHA is the principal fatty acid that nourishes nervous tissue. Cod liver oil has been utilized as an adjunct medication for multiple sclerosis in studies, and reports suggest its potential as a mainstay of treatment for other neurological disorders. Enhances Brain Function In addition to their known role in the upkeep of myelin sheaths, fatty acids are directly involved in the development of brain function. In fact, they are a major component of breast milk. For years, nutrition experts have suggested consumptions of cod liver oil to combat neurodegenerative disorders as well as enhance cognitive capacities as it contains high levels of compounds proven as effective nootropics. Alleviates Skin Conditions The nutrient profile of cod liver oil is particularly good for the skin. Apart from the fact that it counters inflammatory agents that cause hypersensitive skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis, it also promotes tensile strength and maintains skin elasticity. Cod liver oil is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, essential fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin, D, and vitamin E, all of which contribute to skin health. Prevents Heart Disease Cod liver oil maintains heart health and even reverses cardiovascular disorders. Medical professionals have supported this nutritional supplement as it has been clinically proven to cut the risk of heart disease. It alters the profile of lipids present in the blood and appears to reduce cholesterol. For decades, lower incidence of cardiovascular disorders has been tied to populations that consume high amounts of cod.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2381) Celery Seed Is A Herbal Diuretic, Antiinflammatory, Antioxidant, and Packed Full of Omegas
Date:
July 05, 2011 03:37 PM
Celery plant is a member of the parsley family. This plant grows abundantly in humid and salty soil mostly in countries such as India and France. The plant can stand up to two to three feet in height with segmented leaves. It bears fruits and small white flowers. The flowers typically bloom during June to July. The seeds are found on its flowers which are very little in brown to dark brown in color. The seeds have a pungent smell and are commonly employed as nutritional supplement as well as herbal medicine. Celery seed has low amount of calories which make it suitable as a diet food. Aside from being a recognized vegetable playing an important role in the culinary and diet food world, celery seed also has many significant health benefits. These include: 1. Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: Celery seeds promote a normal blood pressure and help decrease cholesterol in the bloodstream. Studies reveal that daily consumption of celery seed helps maintain your blood pressure within normal limits and facilitates in getting rid of unnecessary cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol may deposit into arterial walls which may cause obstruction with the blood flow thus increasing the risk of heart attack. 2. Diuretic: Almost a century ago, celery seeds have been commonly used as a diuretic. The active ingredients in celery improve urination thus promoting elimination of toxins out from the body. One of the most important contribution of celery seed as a diuretic is its effect on uric acid crystals deposited in the joints. Celery seeds can effectively clear out uric acid crystals in the joints thus preventing or relieving the person from gouty and rheumatoid arthritis. 3. Anti - inflammatory Property: Celery seed is said to have potent anti – inflammatory actions by decreasing swelling thus reducing pain. This is another reason why celery seed is utilized as an adjunct treatment for gout and rheumatoid arthritis.
4. Antioxidant Property: Like many other vegetables, celery seed is rich in antioxidant chemicals. Antioxidant is important to the body because these chemicals help neutralize free radicals inside the body. Free radicals are toxins which are harmful to the cells of the body by interfering with cellular division and tampering DNA replication. 5. Fatty Acid Source: Celery seed is found to contain high amounts of omega – 6 fatty acids. Together with the other essential fatty acid omega – 3, omega – 6 fatty acids is important in the functioning and health of the nervous system. These fatty acids are also significant for the normal growth and development of the body. These chemicals are also found to have the ability to improve the health of skin and hair, promotes strong bones, regulate metabolism and maintain reproductive health. Celery seeds can be eaten raw dipped in dressing of choice. It can also be consumed together with other vegetables in a certain dish or recipe. Other preparations of celery seed include decoction and tincture. To prepare a decoction, add one – half teaspoon of powdered seeds to one cup or 200 mL of water. Celery seed is available in easy to swallow capsules. Grab some today and feel the difference!
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2361) What Makes a Good Joint Complex or Formula?
Date:
June 29, 2011 11:44 AM
Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSMJoint pain is a common medical condition that afflicts billions of people worldwide. It is brought on by many different factors, though most of the cases have been tied to arthritis. The joints are especially susceptible to inflammation in old age partly due to the fact that cartilage health becomes impaired as we age. The good news is that certain organic compounds replenish the cartilage content of joints. Medications and remedies formulated to alleviate joint pain have been extensively studied in the past few decades. Analgesics remain the mainstay of treatment for arthritis to this day, but alternative medicine has also made advances. Proponents of nutritional supplements believe that a good joint formula does not only provide relief from pain but also supplies the proteins necessary for joint health. Glucosamine Joint cartilage comprises a group of complex carbohydrates called polysaccharides or oligosaccharides that are attached to proteins. In a process called glycosylation, enzymes add long unbranched chains of carbohydrates to core proteins and form proteoglycans, which nourish the extracellular matrix found in cartilages. In the case of osteoarthritis, the proteoglycan content of joints dwindle with age. Glucosamine is a precursor to polysaccharides and oligosaccharides. In particular, it is utilized by enzymes to form glycosaminoglycans, which are in turn added to proteoglycans. As a treatment for joint pain, it comes in the form of glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride. It is one of the most promising of all complementary therapies for arthritis as studies have reported positive results. Chondroitin Therapeutic remedies that contain glucosamine often come with chondroitin. The sulfated form of chondroitin is a major constituent of proteoglycans, and as such it is generally found in large amounts in joint cartilage in humans. For decades, chondroitin has been used as a therapeutic remedy for arthritis in conjunction with glucosamine as they are believed to enhance the efficacy of each other. Proponents believe that chondroitin and glucosamine supply the body with healthy quantities of glycosaminoglycans for use by enzymes in the synthesis of proteoglycans. There is consensus in the scientific community that its long term use for the sole purpose of treating osteoarthritis is safe. In addition, recent studies and clinical trials in the past few years have been very encouraging. MSM Methylsulfonylmethane, often abbreviated as MSM, is a compound listen as an ingredient in joint formulas. Nutraceutical experts believe that the best joint formula currently available contains all three: glucosamine, chondroitin, and methylsulfonylmethane. While glucosamine and chondroitin provides nutrition for cartilage tissue, MSM counteracts inflammatory mediators that cause joint pain. Alternative remedies have been the subject of most studies on arthritis in recent years. While analgesics remain commonly used, dietary supplements are becoming increasingly popular among people suffering from joint pain. Glucosamine, chondroitin, and MSM are the most studied of all supplements formulated for joint pain, the reason why health care providers recommend them first. Grab yourself a joint formula complex and feel the difference!
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2352) Your Thyroid, Iodine, And Radiation, What You Need To Know!
Date:
June 27, 2011 03:34 PM
What is Potassium Iodide Good for?Potassium iodide is a white salt especially formulated to combat iodine deficiency. It is extensively utilized as iodized salts and also comes in pill form. It is medically noted for its protective effects when taken orally, for it has been proven to produce many health benefits. Also, it has been tied to nuclear medicine, which relies on the process of radioactive decay in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Alkali metal salts such as sodium iodide and potassium iodide are extensively used in food and drug industries to promote dietary intake of the trace mineral iodine, which is a chemical element necessary to support human life. Nutraceutical companies prefer potassium iodide as it attracts water molecules at a lesser rate than sodium iodide. In fact, it is the most commercially significant form of iodide. Reverses Iodine Deficiency Endemic goiter is a global health concern caused by iodine deficiency, which is prevalent in regions where animal products and plant-based foods are very low in iodine. Delays in physical development are the most visible medical signs in children suffering from iodine deficiency. Many countries have relied on iodized salts that contain potassium iodide to boost iodine intake and reverse deficiency. Inhibits Radioiodine Uptake Potassium iodide has long been recommended by the scientific community to combat the deleterious effects of radioactive materials, most notably radioiodine. The thyroid gland has an affinity for iodine compounds, and its uptake of radioiodine have been linked to cancer and many other diseases. In nuclear medicine, potassium iodide is used to inhibit the uptake of radioisotopes taken internally. Promotes Thyroid Health The proper functioning of the thyroid gland is dependent on iodine, and thus this trace mineral always determines thyroid health. For one, it is a major component of tissues that make up the thyroid gland. Also, it is absolutely necessary in the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Regular intake of potassium iodide is a safe way to supply the body with iodine, whether in table salts or nutritional supplements. Remedies Fungal Infections Solutions that contain potassium iodide have been the subject of research on fungal diseases, such as sporotrichosis or rose gardener’s disease. Several fungi found in soils often afflict human beings and cause skin infections characterized by nodular boil-like lesions that progress to skin ulcerations. Oral administration of potassium iodide remedies infections and eradicates the fungus that causes them. Provides Numerous Benefits Potassium iodide has been reported to display antimicrobial properties. It is utilized as an antibiotic in surgical science. It has been noted to reduce fibrosis of soft tissues and excessive formation of blood vessels in body organs. It stimulates the production of saliva and mucus in the event of respiratory infections. It also acts as a detox agent for several toxic chemicals found in the systemic circulation.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2348) Fight Pain Improve Blood Sugar And Heart Health with OPC Pine Bark Extract
Date:
June 07, 2011 11:36 AM
How Does OPC Pine Bark Boost Your Health?OPC pine bark has become increasingly popular in the supplement industry due to obvious reasons. It is one of the best antioxidant formulas available today. There has been so much research involved in its development, and the studies that followed have published largely positive results. In the past few years it has received a lot of good press, which has significantly contributed to its commercial success. OPC stands for oligomeric proanthocyanidin, a class of flavonoids. OPC has been in use as a nutritional supplement since the 1980s. To this day, it remains an important source of polyphenolic antioxidants. Moreover, it has been linked to a diverse variety of health benefits, and laboratory studies concerning its effects on human health are well publicized. Pine bark extracts are one of its best known sources. Promotes Heart Health OPC pine bark has long been associated with heart health. For one, it has shown to help lower lipid levels in the blood, including cholesterol, triglycerides, and lipoproteins. It interferes with the productions of bad cholesterol into the blood and protects the blood vessels from lipid peroxidation. In addition, it facilitates normal flow of blood and combats chronic venous insufficiency. It contributes to the upkeep of blood vessel walls and keeps the veins and arteries in prime working condition. By so doing, it promotes proper circulation to the deepest reaches of the body and back to the heart. Improves Kidney Function OPC pine bark is particularly good for the kidney as it appears to improve renal function, especially in the context of metabolic syndrome. Central obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, and high blood pressure are all symptoms of metabolic syndrome, which takes its toll on the kidneys. Kidney problems have been observed in people with elevated levels of albumin in the urine. When filters of the kidney are damaged, proteins from the blood such as albumin leak into the urine. OPC pine bark restores health to the capillaries in the kidneys that filters waste materials from the blood. Counteracts Pain Chemicals Sufferers of joint pain are likely to benefit from OPC pine bark. Joint pain is often tied to osteoarthritis, the most common form arthritis. It is often accompanied by stiffness and reduced mobility. OPC pine bark has been used as a therapeutic treatment for osteoarthritis and other causes of joint pain. There is good evidence that OPC pine bark is effective in counteracting pain chemicals and relieving inflammatory pain. In several randomized, double blind, placebo controlled studies, regular intake of OPC improved joint pain and stiffness, reduced reliance on analgesics, enhanced physical function. Prevents Oxidative Stress OPC pine bark is free radical scavenger, first and foremost. It is arguably the most researched plant polyphenol largely owing to its potent antioxidant capacity. As an antioxidant, it prevents radical damage from progressing to oxidative stress and promotes cellular longevity. OPC Pine bark may also help manage blood sugar. What is stopping you from taking OPC pine back daily?
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2325) What is Oligonol Good for and How Does It Boost My Health?
Date:
March 22, 2011 03:42 PM
Oligonol is the first ever nutritional supplement to contain low molecule polyphenolic oligomers. These polyphenols are derived from the plant Litchi chinensis, also known as lychee in the vernacular. The name oliginol is a portmanteau for oligomer polyphenol, which is widely touted to display bioavailability far superior to high molecular weight polyphenols present in most antioxidant supplements and the plants that they are extracted from. It boasts the most recent innovation of producing higher biological activity by using the low molecule technology developed by the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Nagasaki University in collaboration with Amino Up Chemical Co. Ltd. Polyphenols have long been known to create health effects that are antioxidant in nature. These organic compounds have been tied to quenching reactive oxygen species, or ROS, a natural by-product of oxygen metabolism. ROS like free radicals are in fact deployed by cells in response to potential threats such as invasive pathogens. Given the high reactivity of free radicals, each cell releases endogenous antioxidants to scavenge ROS. However, the body’s antioxidant defense becomes compromised with continued exposure to stress. At the cellular level, an imbalance between ROS and antioxidants creates a chain reaction termed oxidative stress, which damages cellular organelles and even DNA. This is when antioxidant supplements come to the rescue. Plant-based polyphenols such as those found in teas is widely believed to neutralize free radicals. Those found in lychee are of special note in that they are particularly helpful against oxidative stress. The proprietary low molecule technology of Amino Up Chemical Co. Ltd. processes these already potent polyphenols into more effective monomers and short-chain oligomers. Protects Cardiovascular Health Since oligonol was made available nearly two years ago, there have been a number of studies looking into its medicinal potential. A few of the earliest researches were double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials that investigated its effects on the cardiovascular system. It has been observed that oligonol appears to lower platelet reactivity, contributing to dilation of peripheral vessels. By so doing, it effectively promotes blood flow, which results in an increase in body temperature. Counteracts Physical Fatigue Recovery to fatigue induced by physical exertion is one of the benefits of oligonol that have been well investigated. In one single blind, placebo controlled study involving 47 participants, intake of oligonol lowered post exercise fatigue. The oligonol group of amateur athletes between 18 and 22 of age took two 100-mg oligonol capsules in two 26-day periods with a 9-day wash-out period and saw a noticeable improvement in fatigue recovery in comparison with the control group. Reduces Visceral Fat Oligonol continues to excite researchers from around the world with the publication of the study on its effects on visceral fat. There are cell-signaling protein molecules released by adipose tissues that are considered deleterious to human health, and thus called bad factor. Adiposity has been tied to higher mortality, with people having larger waists especially susceptible to many known diseases. Supplementation of oligonol has seen a sharp decrease in abdominal circumference and overall subcutaneous fat.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2255) Why is It so Important to Give Your Child a Multiple Vitamin Mineral Supplement
Date:
March 11, 2011 11:42 AM
Giving a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement to your child is tantamount to protecting him or her from the unknown dangers of malnutrition. It is a fact that children are picky eaters. Besides, not all food that you put on the table provides all the nutrients that they need. Experts remain divided over the need to give children daily multivitamins, but it is a common belief that doing so is just the prudent choice to make as parents. Does it make any difference? Yes, it does. Research has pointed to the positive effects of vitamin supplementation, and it has been cited a lot of times that the bioavailability of these supplements is not bad at all. This means supplementation does contribute to the well-being of your child. Ensures to Meet Nutrient Needs It is not a myth that our diet does not contain all the nutrients that we need. More often than not we are not getting the daily value for all vitamins and minerals as most of us are not able to monitor our eating habits. Also, we don’t have control over how sources of these nutrients change as they undergo the process of heating foods and other cooking preparations. With children being so picky, it is not surprising that they are susceptible to malnutrition. On the other hand, supplementation has been supported by decades-old research to meet the nutrient needs of individuals, including children. If you decide on giving your child multiple vitamin and mineral supplement, do check the label to make sure it says it contains 100 per cent of the recommended dietary intake of all nutrients. Affects Growth and Development A number of nutritional supplements available today have been proven to be of utmost help to the reversal of many medical signs and alleviation of diseases. Some of them have been associated with having a positive effect on the chemical reactions within the human body, and multiple vitamins and mineral supplements belong to this category. There is an ever-growing body of literature devoted to the interactions of exogenous compounds within the human body. Research on multivitamins in particular is among the most advanced in pharmacology, with emphasis on how the body effectively digests and absorbs them. Since the availability of vitamins and minerals is important to the physical and mental development of children, modern-day technology focuses on their absorption. Strengthens Immune Defenses There is scientific consensus that micronutrients, even trace minerals, boost our immune system. In fact, in individuals who have compromised immune responses, high quantities of vitamins and minerals slow down the progression of opportunistic diseases, as is the case with children with HIV. Children who have strong immune system are known to have levels of micronutrients adequate to ward off common illnesses. The opposite is also true. Multiple vitamin and mineral supplements have long been used to combat the dire effects of malnutrition as deficiencies are almost always reversed with supplementation. That being said, prevention is always better than cure. Ensure you are getting the daily vitamins and minerals you need to maintain good health with a quality multiple vitamin and mineral. What is stopping you from taking a multiple today?
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2251) Can Astragalus Help Boost the Immune System?
Date:
February 24, 2011 01:31 PM
AstragalusWhat we refer to as the herbal astragalus is actually a large number of plant species in the family Fabaceae, the same group of shrubs that we commonly identify as peas, beans, or legumes. Many of these species have been utilized in folk medicine of different communities all over the world, but the majority of herbal extracts made available as nutritional supplements today come from Astragalus propinquus, or Astragalus membranaceus. Astragalus may be best known for its touted modulating effects to the immune system largely owing to the fact that it has enjoyed a very long history as a health tonic both in the East and the West. It is an important ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine, valued for its reinvigorating effects to what they call defensive energy of life. It is known by the name of Huang Qi in China, where most of the recent studies on this herb take place. Regulates Interferon Releases There are a number of studies that link astragalus to HIV in that it is purported to combat replication of viruses and inhibit growth of pathogenic microbes. To be more specific, it is believed to have an influence on the production of proteins called interferon, or IFNs. A type of white blood cell in the employ of the immune system called lymphocytes release interferon whenever the body detects the presence of viruses, bacteria, parasites, or even tumors. In addition, IFNs activate natural killer cells, which target cells infected with viruses and tissues afflicted with tumor, and program them to die. Stimulates the Healing Process It is also postulated that astragalus has an augmenting effect on the healing process by interfering with inflammatory agents. There are organic compounds called eicosanoids that are released by the body in larger amounts to facilitate healing of wounds or infections through the process of inflammation. These compounds work hand in hand with the immune system in removing the pathogens that cause infections and initiate the reversal of damages done by these pathogens. If inflammation takes place longer than it is supposed to, the area affected will have to deal with prolonged pain, redness, and swelling. Astragalus works on the principle of maintaining healthy releases of eicosanoids, the reason why it is used as a treatment for arthritis, dermatitis, asthma, and other autoimmune diseases. Produces Homeostatic Effects Astragalus has shown to be involved in many metabolic processes, maintaining stability of organic compounds from the foods we eat that reach the circulation. There have been mentions that it is particularly good for the lungs, adrenal glands, and alimentary canal by improving their functions and acting as a buffer to any unwanted debris that may attack the cells that make up these organs. Be reminded that astragalus has been associated with a long list of health benefits, but none of these have yielded strong scientific support. It is safe to assume that testimonials are influenced by anecdotal evidence and initial results of studies that are yet to be concluded.
Have you tried Astragalus?
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2244) How does Acetyl-L-Carnitine Help With Heart Health?
Date:
February 21, 2011 02:37 PM
Acetyl L Carnitine And Heart HealthAcetyl-L-Carnitine is a form of the chemical compound carnitine, which is active in the human body as the amino acid L-carnitine. It is an organic substance that is naturally occurring in mammals and many other animals, and it is released from the liver and kidneys to every tissue in the body. While our body is capable of manufacturing this amino acid, there are factors involved in its depleting levels at certain times, and thus it is made available as a nutritional supplement. Today it is primarily used as a treatment for heart diseases and other cardiovascular problems. Helps Break Down Fats One of the many factors that influence heart tissues is high levels of free fatty acids in the blood. Popular health magazines and the mainstream press have labeled transports of fat-soluble bioactive compounds in the water-based bloodstream as bad cholesterol, but free fatty acids are also to blame for the buildup of fatty debris in the blood vessel linings, resulting in the thickening of walls characteristic of many cases of heart diseases. The body has a mechanism to utilize these fats more effectively in the presence of Acetyl-L-Carnitine, which is quite active as soon as it enters the cells of any tissue, notably muscle and skeletal tissues. Free fatty acids are formed as a by-product of triglycerides that remained in the blood, but once they pass the cell membranes, they can be a source of energy far more powerful than that produced from glucose. Acetyl-L-Carnitine makes it possible for these fatty molecules to be converted into energy. Maintains Heart Wellness Every cell has its own form of storage fuel, and glucose and its metabolites are probably the best known. However, tissues of the heart and the muscles prefer fatty acids. As you might have surmised, tissues found in the heart and those that build the form of our physique, classified as cardiac and skeletal respectively, needs more energy than other tissues of our body. The skeletal muscles are directly involved in daily physical exertion whereas the heart is, of course, in constant movement. Fatty acids yield adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the form of energy at the cellular level, which is in general more than two times the energy produced from either carbohydrates or proteins. This is one of the reasons why fatty acids can keep up with the hard work associated with cardiac and skeletal muscle tissues. The absence of energy required for the healthy functioning of the heart leads to cell death and affects the heart’s ability to pump blood as described in cases of heart failure. Promotes High Bioavailability Acetyl-L-Carnitine has been touted to be more absorbable and ultimately incorporated in body tissues more effectively than other forms of carnitine. It is a known fact that acetylating organic molecules increases the effectiveness of administered doses, and this remains true with Acetyl-L-Carnitine, the reason why it is widely applied in serious medical conditions concerning the heart.
If you have heart problems, give Acetyl-L-Carnitine a try risk free.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2241) Vitamin A Vs Beta-Carotene and its Safety
Date:
May 09, 2010 08:20 AM
Although Vitamin A deficiency is prevalent throughout the world, retinol toxicity is a common occurrence as well. About five percent of those who supplement with vitamin A unknowingly suffer from toxicity symptoms. It should be noted that supplementation at 5,000 to 10,000 IU per day of preformed vitamin A, which is dose that is well within the range that is offered in many popular vitamin supplements is a safe effective doses, additional supplementation of vitamin A may actually lead to a cumulative toxic overdose. Additionally, accidental ingestion of one single, large dose of vitamin A, can produce acute toxicity in children, always keep vitamin A out of reach of small ones. A large study on over 22,000 pregnant women who supplemented with vitamin A during early pregnancy found that those women taking more than 60,000 IU of preformed vitamin A per day in the form of supplements had about one in fifty-seven of a chance of a malformation attributable to the supplement. In consuming more than 60,000 IU of vitamin A, a five-fold greater risk for birth defects arises as compared to consumption of less than 25,000 IU per day. The prevalence of birth defects seems to be greatest in those women who consume high levels of pre-formed vitamin within the first seven weeks of their pregnancy. Authors of the study concluded that women who may possibly become pregnant should limit their retinol intake to below 15,000 IU, or supplement with beta-carotene instead. Beta-carotene is the orange/yellow-colored pigment that is often found in many garden vegetables. It is a retinal precursor. The body is able to easily convert beta-carotene into vitamin A by turning the carotene molecule into two molecules of retinol as they are needed. This allows for the avoidance of toxic accumulation of pre-formed vitamin A. Once beta-carotene is transformed into active retinol, it offers the same beneficial affects. The only symptoms associated with beta-carotene supplementation are loose stools or slight discoloration of the skin. This makes beta-carotene, even at high doses, safe for the body because it does not exhibit toxicity. An added benefit of beta-carotene is that it is a much more potent antioxidant than retinol, as it provides even greater protection against oxidative challenges. The worst thing that can happen to you if you take too much beta-carotene is that you may turn orange like a carrot. However, this should not be a worry because you will be just fine. The majority of nutrients that are used in supplementation have a large measure of safety. Unfortunately, the use of vitamin A warrants prudence and caution. This is especially crucial when it is consumed by children or those women who are pregnant. Because of this, the level of vitamin A in excess of the upper limit of intake that is prescribed by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, is a crucial criterion in determining how good a product is. The criterion for potential toxicities asks whether the nutritional supplement contains vitamin A. If so, it asks whether the potency of vitamin A exceeds 100% of the upper limit of intake that is prescribed by the US Food and Nutrition Board. To be on the safe side, take beta-carotene which has no side effects even at very high doses but exhibits the same health benefits of consuming preformed vitamin A. Look to your local or internet vitamin store for name brands like Solaray and Source Naturals for all your Vitamin A and beta-carotene needs.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2159) Glucomannon Fiber
Date:
December 19, 2009 11:11 AM
Glucomannan is a water-soluble polysaccharide. This nutrient is considered to be a dietary fiber. Often, glucomannan is a food additive that is used as both an emulsifier and thickener. Products that contain glucomannan are marketed under a variety of brand names, but are also sold as nutritional supplements for constipation, obesity, high cholesterol, acne vulgaris, and type II diabetes. Glucomannan can be found making up about forty percent by dry weight of the roots of the konjac plant. This nutrient is also a hemicellulose, which can be found in large amounts in wood of conifer plants and in smaller amounts in the wood of dicotyledons.
Glucomannan helps to reduce cholesterol, maintain regularity, and promote intestinal health. The herb also aids in normalizing blood sugar levels, relieving stress on the pancreas, and discouraging blood sugar abnormalities such as hypoglycemia. Glucomannan also absorbs toxic substances that are produced during digestion and elimination. The herb binds toxic materials and eliminates them before they can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Research has determined that glucomannan and lecithin together reduce cholesterol levels. Lecithin is responsible for breaking down fat and cholesterol, and glucomannan eliminates those broken-down particles from the body. This herb expands to about fifty times its original volume when it is taken with a glass of water. Diabetic patients have reported that they experienced benefits with glucomannan. One study, in which patients were given glucomannan daily for ninety days, found the mean fasting glucose levels to have fallen by 29 percent by the end of the ninety days. At the end of the period, the mean fasting glucose levels fell by 29 percent. Most participants in this study reduced their insulin requirements. Glucomannan may also help cholesterol levels. Animal studies have determined that there is a significant reduction in cholesterol levels when given this herb. Before supplementing with glucomannan, it is important to speak with your health care provider. In the same sense, you should be sure to tell your health care provider about any complementary and alternative practices that you use. It is important to give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This ensures both coordinated and safe health care. The root of the glucomannan plant is used to provide anorectic, antacid, cholagogue, digestive, nutritive, and purgative properties. The primary nutrients provided by this herb are calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, niacin, phosphorus, selenium, silicon, sodium, vitamins A, C, B1, and B2, and zinc. Primarily, glucomannan is extremely helpful in treating blood sugar disorders, high cholesterol, constipation, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, and obesity. Additionally, the herb is very beneficial in dealing with atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, gastric problems, hypoglycemia, and pancreatic problems.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2119) Natural Vitamins under Attack
Date:
June 29, 2009 02:53 PM
The value of nutritional supplements in protecting and promoting human health has been intensely debated in recent years throughout the scientific and medical community as well as the national press. Many researchers believe that supplements provide a convenient and effective way to supply the optimal amounts of essential nutrients that are necessary for supporting long-term health, while others argue that there is no proof that supplements provide any real health benefits at all. A lot of the debate has been published by media that is more interested in selling papers than reporting the truth. Because of this sloppy reporting and distorted information, the public has been unnecessarily alarmed, causing them to lose trust in complementary health care. It is crucial that this false information be addressed before harm that is irreversible is done to an industry that is committed to natural approaches to wellness and a public that is increasingly confused as to where to turn for truthful advice on preventing disease and achieving optimal health. The mixed messages that have been reported in the headlines have confused both health-conscious consumers and medical practitioners, as one day they’re told something is good for them and the next day they’re told it is not. If there is any consolation to this whole thing, it may be helpful to understand that science never progresses smoothly, as there are always new findings that appear to disprove long-held beliefs. Controversy is necessary for change, as it paves the road that science must travel in order to arrive at the real truth. Unfortunately, bias in the media and conflicts of interest add an unnecessary element to finding the real scientific truth. When looking at the recent studies that have been negated, there are several explanations that arise for the findings that seem to contradict prevailing scientific evidence. First of all, several long-term dietary intervention trials have recently come about which were developed in the early 1990s before good and bad fats were differentiated. Because of this design, these studies simply assume that all fat is the same, and to reduce fat, one must cut out all kinds of fat. Secondly, it has been proven that there will always be a statistical fluke in a bunch. Therefore, out of 100 clinical studies to investigate a particular effect, probability states that five of these studies, no matter how well they are designed, will show results that are not real. Thirdly, it is expected that about one fifth of clinical trials that investigate a particular effect will not have the needed number of subjects to produce a result that is statistically significant. This is so because in most clinical trials there is only an 80% probability of finding a real result, which is known as the power of the test. Because of this, there is up to a 20% chance completely missing the mark and failing to find a difference when one actually exists. Finally, some investigations are just bad science, as they are improperly conducted, poorly reported, and inadequately reviewed. Unfortunately, these studies attract a great deal of attention from the media, which has been the case recently. Natural vitamin supplements can feed the body and help the body fight disease and stay wall. The foods we eat determine what kind of health we will have, if we eat poorly, we will live with poor health. This is why we should consume a multiple vitamin and mineral as well as herbs and food concentrates to help supply our diet with the needed nutrients to sustain and maintain a good healthy lifestyle. Look to your local or internet health food store for vitamins, herbs, and food concentrates.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=2026) Phytoestrogen
Date:
March 27, 2009 01:56 PM
Menopause is the time at which a woman stops ovulating and menstruation ceases, which indicates the end of fertility. Menopause is not a disease, but rather a natural progression in life, similar to puberty. Many years before a woman stops ovulating, her ovaries will begin to slow their production of the hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Estrogen and progesterone are often thought of as the reproductive hormones. Although estrogen is essential in reproduction, it is also extremely important in other non-reproductive organs and systems in the body. Cells in the uterus, bladder, breasts, skin, bones, arteries, heart, liver, and brain all contain estrogen receptors. These organs need this hormone in order to stimulate these receptors for normal cell function. Estrogen is needed to keep the skin smooth and moist and the body’s internal thermostat working properly. Estrogen is also essential for proper bone formation. Even though estrogen levels drop sharply after menopause, they do not disappear entirely. Other organs take over for the ovaries, continuing to produce a less potent form of estrogen. These organs, known as endocrine glands, secrete some hormones from fatty tissue in order to maintain bodily functions. Progesterone works along with estrogen, stimulating changes in the lining of the uterus to complete the preparation for a fertilized egg during the second half of the menstrual cycle. If no egg is fertilized, the uterine lining is broken down and expelled, allowing the cycle to being again. Progesterone also has effects beyond the reproductive system, as it calms the brain and also affects other aspects of nervous system function. Testosterone is most important for both men and women, with women producing about 80 percent less than men do. However, it is the driving force for maintaining a healthy life and proper functioning organs. The period when a woman’s body is preparing for menopause is known as perimenopause. For the majority of women, hormone production beings to slow down then they reach their thirties, continuing to diminish with age. Many women will experience few if any symptoms at this time, but others may suffer from anxiety, dry skin, fatigue, feelings of bloating, headaches, heart palpitations, hot flashes, insomnia, irritability, decreased interest in their significant other, loss of concentration, mood swings, night sweats, reduced stamina, urinary incontinence, uterine dryness and itching, weight gain, cold hands and feet, joint pain, hair loss, and/or skin changes. Menopause occurs when a woman stops menstruating altogether. At this point, most of the acute problems a woman may have experienced are actually over and a new balance between all hormones should be established. However, women become increasingly vulnerable to other, potentially serious health problems at this time. Over the long term, the diminished supply of estrogen increased the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and uterine atrophy. Osteoporosis especially is a major problem for women after menopause, with an estimated 80 percent of the hip fractures that occur in the United States every year being due to osteoporosis. A proper diet, nutritional supplements, and exercise can help to minimize or eliminate most of the unpleasant side effects of menopause. The following nutrients are recommended for dealing with this stage of life: beta-1, cerasomal, coenzyme Q10, DHEA, essential fatty acids, lecithin granules, a multi-enzyme complex, soy protein, vitamin B complex, vitamin D3, vitamin E, boron, calcium, magnesium, quercetin, silica, zinc, l-arginine, multiglandular complex, a multivitamin and mineral complex, vitamin C, aloe vera gel, slippery elm, damiana, amaranth, chickweed, dandelion greens, nettle, seaweed, watercress, anise, black cohosh, fennel, licorice, raspberry, sage, unicorn root, wild yam root, hops, valerian root, gotu kola, red clover, dong quai, St. John’s wort, and Siberian ginseng.
All these above listed vitamins and herbs are available in capsule, tablet, or powder forms. When looking for natural alternatives to help replace estrogen naturally, look to your local or internet health food store for name brand products that can help restore an imbalance over time.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1983) Multiple Vitamins
Date:
February 04, 2009 09:17 AM
It has been announced that it pays to take your vitamins, as the American Medical Association has completely reversed its previous anti-vitamin stance after twenty years and is now encouraging all adults to supplement daily with a multiple vitamin. After this decision, a review of 38 years of scientific evidence has convinced the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) to rewrite its policy guidelines regarding the use of vitamin supplements. It is common knowledge that today's diet is not providing sufficient nutritional value to keep chronic diseases at bay. Although nutrient intakes in North American are generally sufficient to avoid overt vitamin deficiencies, sub-clinical deficiencies are extremely common. Most vitamins and minerals come mainly from fruits and vegetables, causing us to need at least five daily servings of each. Studies have found that the number of servings of fresh fruits and vegetables is well below the recommended fiver servings per day, with the intake of dietary iron, folic acid, and calcium being significantly below recommended levels for adolescent girls. Not many people know that cardiovascular disease is a problem that has been cultivated by modern society, with the first report on cardiovascular disease in America being published in 1912. At that time, the disease was so rare that it took years to find. In less than 100 years, the changes to our lifestyle, environment, and to the food we eat have made cardiovascular disease the number one killer in North America. A groundbreaking report on July 13, 2000 tied the development of most cancers to lifestyle and the exposure to environmental and occupational risk factors. Although a genetic influence was not negated, as it appears to account for about 30% of total cancer risk, the findings placed the blame on poor dietary habits, smoking, alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, and exposure to environmental toxins. It has been recommended that a diet made up of plant-based foods which include vegetables, fruits, and grains is essential. Stroke, the third-leading cause of death in the most developed countries for decades, occurs when blood flow to the brain is cut off due to a thrombotic event in one of the major arteries feeding the brain. A major cause of disability among adults and a principal factor in late-life dementia, small strokes can often go unnoticed. Because hypertension is the major cause of stroke, potassium and its blood pressure-lowering abilities are often helpful. Additionally, nutrients such as folic acid, bioflavonoids, polyphenols, and assorted antioxidants play an important role. The consumption of citrus fruit juices that contain high levels of vitamin C, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and cauliflower give protection against stroke. Not only are we not eating enough of the proper food groups, the foods we do eat are often short in vital nutrients and high in calories. Nothing can replace the value of a diet that is carefully balanced. However, in today's high-stress world, we often face a absence of physical activity and a surplus of meals on the run, consisting of fast-food and processed foods that lack nutritional value. We should never neglect the importance of a well-balanced diet that is high in fruits and vegetables and we should make every opportunity to eat as close to the earth as possible. Unfortunately, in today's fast-food world, it is hard to get away from the high-calorie, low-nutrition, over-processed, corporate food culture. If you value your health, it makes sense to take the extra step and start supplementing your diet with nutritional supplementation, as it is your personal health insurance to help you age gracefully. Stop into your local or internet health food store and look for a good multiple vitamin supplement to help boost your current diet.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1963) Noni Fruit Extract
Date:
November 22, 2008 09:34 AM
Tahitian Noni juice can promote a healthy body in many ways. These Noni benefits are conferred by the phytochemicals contained within the fruit pulp, but before discussing the benefits of Noni let's first have a look at what it actually is. Morinda citrifolia is also known as the Indian or beach mulberry tree, and is a member of Rubiaceae family. Although it originated in Southeast Asia, it has spread all the way to French Polynesia and the Dominican Republic. It is mainly cultivated in Tahiti for its fruit, known as cheese fruit or Noni fruit. Although it is a staple food in some areas of the Pacific, it has a pungent smell and a bitter taste, and often eaten either raw or cooked only in times of famine. However, the fruit is particularly rich in phytonutrients, and many people swear by the Noni benefits it to maintain a glowing healthy body, free from disease and many of the health problems from which most people suffer. The strange thing about it is the taste: you would not drink Tahitian Noni juice by choice, nor eat the fruit, so how were these Noni health benefits discovered? Hunger likely explains it: those forced to eat it through hunger were likely the lucky ones, who actually ate a nutritional diet even though they were eating a fruit normally eaten only in times of famine. Among the conditions that Noni fruit is believed to protect you from are cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol levels, asthma, cholesterol, strokes, migraines, a weak immune system, arthritis and some cancers. Many of these conditions should give you a clue as to the nature of the phytochemicals contained within the fruit, since most of them involve free radical attack and immune system response. Prior to examining thee diseases and conditions in detail, let's have a look at the chemicals the fruit has been established to contain. It is rich in dietary fiber, offering 100% of the Dietary Reference Intakes of the Institute of Medicine for each 100g serving, and also contains enough carbohydrate to meet 55% of you DTI needs. However, that is just the start. The Noni pulp powder contains ten times the DRI of Vitamin C, and large quantities of Vitamin B3 niacin), potassium and iron. The Tahitian Noni juice itself contains few nutrients, and only the Vitamin C is retained to any useful level. It is therefore the pulp powder that offers the major nutritional benefit. In fact, because it has to be pasteurized at high temperature to meet regulations the for liquid product, Noni juice loses most of its nutritional content, and even the 31% Vitamin C content is surprising since that too is destroyed at high temperatures. It is the high phytochemical content of Noni powder that renders it such an important supplement, and a scan down the following components will give you an idea of how the fruit got its reputation. The known Noni benefits are obtained from: Lignans: these are phytoestrogens that have been reported to offer a reduced risk of ovarian and breast cancers, osteoporosis and also cardiovascular disease. They possess antioxidant properties and although reports as to their effectiveness are varied, they appear to have beneficial health effects. Flavanoids: These are phenolics, including asperulodisic acid and rutin. The former is believed to be effective against certain cancers, while rutin, also contained in buckwheat, is a strong antioxidant that strengthens capillaries, and also helps to prevent atherosclerosis and heart disease. Catechin and epicatechin: strong antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, strokes, diabetes and cancers. It also protects your skin against the harmful effects of the ultra-violet component of the sun's rays. Catechin is a form of flavanoid, and one of the more powerful of the antioxidants needed to destroy the free radicals that would otherwise ravage your body through the destruction of your body cells. B-Sitosterol: a plant sterol that is believed to reduce the cholesterol in your blood, but still requires scientific proof, even though there is plenty of evidence to support its effect. Plant sterols are the basis of the cholesterol-lowering yoghurt drinks that you can but in your local supermarket. This list is not exclusive, and there are several other phytochemicals found in Noni pulp powder that are believed to confer significant health benefits, but that are still seeking scientific support. The fact that such support has yet to be provided is not a reason to doubt their effectiveness, although the above benefits are sufficient to justify the reputation of this nutritional supplement that few have heard about. There have been only around 110 reports on Noni research since the 1950s, so it is not surprising that the scientific proof is weak, although of these around 100 have appeared since the year 2000. Don't forget that there was no proof for the effectiveness of penicillin until it was discovered! Even the biochemistry of the components of Tahitian Noni juice, such as the polysaccharides not mentioned in the above list, is in the early stages of research, and an increasing number of traditional remedies are being found to have a valid scientific and medical basis. These polysaccharides are a form of dietary fiber with probiotic properties that can be fermented by bacteria in the gut to form short chain fatty acids that possess many beneficial health properties. Take the heterocyclic iridoids, for example. These are unknown to most people, yet they are found in many plants that have extensive medicinal properties, and might be responsible for many of them. They appear to possess anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antispasmodic properties, and support the cardiovascular system, the immune system and help to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. These are also contained in Noni pulp powder. Another component of Noni fruit that most people have not heard of is damnacanthal. This inhibits certain tyrosine kinesis that basically have a controlling effect on the division of body cells. They particularly inhibit the Ras genes, responsible for some cancers due to uncontrolled cell division. Damnacanthal can prevent Ras genes from causing these cancers.
There are many more benefits that Tahitian Noni juice, or particularly the powdered Noni pulp, can confer, and it is recommended that it be taken as a supplement by anybody needing a general health tonic since it possesses such a wide variety of beneficial properties. The Noni benefits which those that use it enjoy area available to everyone, even though it is one of the lesser known of the beneficial health supplements.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1937) Weight Loss Supplements
Date:
October 18, 2008 10:50 AM
Big Pharma is teaming up with other anti-supplement cohorts to spearhead a petition urging the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement new limitations on manufacturers of weight-management supplements. It should come as no surprise that the large pharmaceutical corporation which helped launch the petition is the very same company that recently released the first-ever FDA-approved over-the-counter weight-loss drug. It is very evident that Big Pharma is after large amounts of money and will stop at nothing to eliminate its competition. The pharmaceutical industry seems to have a lot riding on the over-the-counter weight-loss pills. Natural nutrition that works with the body to support healthy weight management is a huge threat to Big Pharma’s over-the-counter weight-loss drug profits. Consumers have become more and more aware of the fact that while nutrition supports health, just as nature intended, drugs can subject them to side effects that can even neutralize nutritional benefits. The over-the-counter weight-loss pill that has been recently approved acts on the body’s absorption of fats within the intestines, but meanwhile, stops the body’s ability to absorb important fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. As for the side effects associated with this weight loss drug, the drug’s manufacturer cautions that users may need to wear dark colored pants and bring a change of clothes to work. As questionable as the drug is, it is the fact that the drug’s manufacturer is urging the FDA to crack down on the weight-management supplements that is most disturbing. The logic of this petition is that nutritional supplements should not be allowed to claim that they support healthy weight management, since being overweight should really be regarded as a state of disease. Only drugs may claim to have an effect on disease, according to this law. The real question is, when did being overweight, if only by a few pounds, categorized as a disease? What’s even more absurd is the fact that the petition claims that since being overweight is associated with a diseased state, then supplements that support healthy weight management are claiming to have an impact on those diseases. It appears as if the writers of the petition are trying to create a link between weight management and disease claims that do not exist, which makes the petition appear desperate and nonsensical as a result. Meanwhile, nutritional supplement manufacturers are currently marketing their products truthfully, with any quality supplement intended to support weight management being promoted in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise. If a healthy diet, exercise, and natural nutrition is consistently chosen by Americans, not only will they lose weight, but they will also elevate their overall state of health. This scenario is Big Pharma’s worst nightmare.
With America at a happy, energetic, and healthy weight, there is no need for synthetic medications, which leaves Big Pharma with no profits. If Big Pharma’s petition to limit weight-management nutrition fills you with anger, then start your own opposing petition to support natural health. Make your voice through the dollars you spend by patronizing independent natural health food stores and purchasing safe, natural nutritional supplements from companies that have no ties to the pharmacy industry.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1920) Fiber
Date:
September 12, 2008 09:43 AM
The ileocecal valve, which is made up of sphincter muscles that close the ileum, prevents toxins and other materials that are released by the appendix from entering into the small intestine. Additionally, the ileocecal valve helps to keep digested material in the small intestine until all of the nutrients have been absorbed. When the food residue is ready for elimination, the small intestine mixes bile, mucus, and other excretions with the food residue and releases it systematically through the ileocecal valve into the large intestine. This process prevents an overload of material in the intestine for the body to eliminate. When the toxic material of the colon is able to enter back into the intestine, where it becomes rapidly reabsorbed, ileocecal valve syndrome occurs, which can lead to infection and disease. Symptoms of ileocecal valve syndrome include constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, irregular bowel movements, lower right bowel tenderness, acne, immune weakness, migraines, and duodenal ulcers. To avoid ileocecal valve syndrome one should eat a diet that is high in fiber and includes whole grains. These whole grains should be soaked and cooked in order to avoid irritating the valve. Foods that cause constipation such as diary products, meat, and bananas should be avoided. Raisins, figs, and stewed prunes should be eaten for breakfast. More fresh fruits and vegetables should be added to the diet. Softer raw vegetables such as leaf lettuce, spinach, avocados, sprouts, and tomatoes should be used first. Additionally, one should reduce the amount of meat that they eat and take a fiber supplement in order to avoid constipation. Fasting on juices two or three days a week will help to speed the healing process of the digestive tracts. Grains that are thermos-cooked are healing on the digestive tract and rich in enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and protein. The slow cooking process protects the body from destruction of vital enzymes. Milet, buckwheat, and basmati brown rice can also be eaten for breakfast, as they are easy for the body to digest and extremely nourishing. Raw vegetables and fruits, steamed vegetables, yams, and avocados are all also extremely helpful in healing the digestive tract, so they are recommended. Nutritional supplements that can assist with ileocecal valve syndrome include antioxidants, vitamin A, B-complex, vitamin C with bioflavonoids, calcium, magnesium, essential fatty acids, blue-green algae, acidophilus, and plant digestive enzymes. Also, aloe vera juice, cat’s claw, grape seed extract, pau d’arco, licorice, goldenseal, slippery elm, and comfrey are great herbal aids for helping for ileocecal valve syndrome.
Colon health is a lot more important than most people realize, as the digestive process is directly related to the health of the body, immune system function, and overall longevity. When any disease occurs, the colon should be the first thing looked to for treatment. By understanding what it means to have a healthy colon, adding fiber, nutritional supplements, herbal aids, and a change in diet, one can promote overall colon health. Eating habits should be changed slowly and unhealthy, nutrition robbing foods should be eliminated from the diet and replaced with whole grain foods, fruits, and vegetables.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1889) Apple Cider Vinegar
Date:
August 13, 2008 03:05 PM
Apple cider vinegar is an old folk remedy claimed to be beneficial in treating a long list of ailments. It is sold today by "health food" companies and others who claim it has remedial properties. Apple cider vinegar is a type of vinegar made by the fermentation of apple cider. Unlike white vinegar, apple cider vinegar is a light yellow-brown color and is often sold unfiltered and unpasteurized with a dark, cloudy sediment called mother of vinegar (consisting mainly of acetic acid bacteria) settled at the bottom of the bottle. Over the centuries, vinegar has been used for countless purposes: making pickles, killing weeds, cleaning coffee makers, polishing armor, and dressing salads. While many of the folk medicine uses of vinegar are unproven (or were disproved), there is some medical research backing them up. The main ingredient of apple cider vinegar, or any vinegar, is acetic acid. Apple cider vinegar is also said to contain an abundance of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber. Do not use a metal container when making vinegar or storing it; acid in the mixture will corrode metal or aluminum objects making the solution unfit for consumption. When it comes to losing weight, experts say you are what you drink. Apple cider vinegar has recently found new use as a weight loss and weight management aide, and has been included in many over the counter weight loss nutritional supplements. Anecdotally, ancient Egyptians used apple cider vinegar for weight loss. The acetic acid in this vinegar can curve the appetite which benefits those trying to loose weight and keep it off. Some say apple cider vinegar can help arthritis, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and assist in digestion. It is also thought to help the body maintain a healthy alkaline level. The acidic nature of this vinegar has been said to help scalp problems such as dandruff, itchy scalp, baldness and thinning hair. Apple cider vinegar can also help gastric problems as well. Civil War, soldiers used vinegar to prevent gastric upset and as a treatment for various ailments including pneumonia and scurvy. Research suggests that this vinegar can delay gastric emptying. Ten patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and diabetic gastro paresis were studied; when the study was over the patients were able to demonstrate a significant delay in already delayed gastric emptying after the ingestion of vinegar. So delaying the rate at which the stomach empties can keep a sense of fullness for those looking to loose weight. The effect of vinegar on blood glucose levels is perhaps the best researched and the most promising of apple cider vinegar's possible health benefits. Several studies have found that vinegar may help lower glucose levels. For example, a small study compared the effect of vinegar with white bread on blood glucose and insulin levels. Keeping blood sugar lower is important to diabetic patients which can help reduce the use of insulin. Subjects with type 2 diabetes showed a slight improvement in insulin sensitivity, but postprandial blood glucose and insulin levels were not affected when apple cider vinegar was added to a meal. In conclusion, apple cider vinegar could theoretically interact with diuretics, laxatives, and medicines for diabetes and heart disease so you must be careful. Apple cider vinegar should always be diluted with water or juice before swallowed. If you have diabetes, check with your doctor before using apple cider vinegar. Furthermore, blood glucose must be monitored more frequently in patients with diabetes treated with insulin experiencing gastro paresis to prevent adverse hypoglycemic episodes. All those taking medications should consult a doctor because the acid in this vinegar can enhance absorption and increase Side effects.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1865) Vitamin C
Date:
August 12, 2008 01:37 PM
Vitamin C is the most widely taken nutritional supplement on the market and is available in a variety of forms, including tablets, drink mixes, crystals in capsules or bulk powdered crystals. Vitamin C is present in mother's milk and, in lower amounts, in raw cow's milk, with pasteurized milk containing only trace amounts. This vitamin is most present in the liver and least present in the muscle but needed through out the body. Vitamin C is required for the synthesis of collagen, an important structural component of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, skin, and bone. Vitamin C can regenerate other antioxidants such as vitamin E; in the body vitamin E can regenerate C as well. This vitamin is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. Relatively large doses of vitamin C may cause indigestion, particularly when taken on an empty stomach. It has been shown that smokers who have diets poor in vitamin C are at a higher risk of lung-borne diseases than those smokers who have higher concentrations of Vitamin C in the blood. Biological tissues that accumulate over 100 times the level in blood plasma of vitamin C are the adrenal glands, pituitary, thymus, corpus luteum, and retina. Studies suggest the presence of large quantities of sugar either in the intestines or in the blood can slow absorption of this vitamin. Several studies have demonstrated a blood pressure lowering effect of vitamin C supplementation. Also, when consumed in high doses it appears to interfere with the blood thinning effects of warfarin by lowering prothrombin time, as noted in case reports in the 1970s so consult your doctor if on medications.. In one Study, researchers instructed patients with documented coronary artery disease to take a single oral dose of either 2 g vitamin C or a placebo. Results, the researchers discovered that high doses of vitamin C can help prevent blood platelet sticking and fight cholesterol oxidation. Also, researchers discovered this vitamin can reduce the formation of potentially carcinogenic nitrogen-containing compounds in the stomach, offering protection from stomach cancer, researchers have reported. French and German researchers found that vitamin C appeared to keep cells in the blood vessel wall from dying. The researchers, who studied immune indicators, such as serum immunoglobulin and neutrophil phagocytosis (how well your white blood cells can engulf and digest foreign bodies), concluded that vitamin C exerts a remarkable immuno-modulating action, in other words, improved immune function in all those who consumed vitamin C on a regular basis. What are deficiency symptoms for vitamin C? Scurvy is a disease resulting from lack of vitamin C, since without this vitamin, the synthesized collagen is too unstable to perform its function. Scurvy was common among those with poor access to fresh fruit and vegetables, such as remote, isolated sailors and soldiers. The amount of vitamin C required to prevent “chronic disease” appears to be more than that required for prevention of scurvy which is 30 – 60 milligrams per day. Based on scientific research, vitamin C also appears to improve oral absorption of iron, which is good news for those that are anemic. Half of us in the United States will die from heart disease. The foundation of heart disease is atherosclerosis, the narrowing of our arteries with plaque. Treatment with vitamin C has consistently resulted in improved dilation of blood vessels in individuals with atherosclerosis as well as those with angina pectoris, congestive heart failure, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Researchers believe this protection from cell death could explain previous study findings which suggest that vitamin C benefits blood vessel function in people with congestive heart failure. Vitamin C supplements are also generally regarded as safe in most individuals in recommended amounts, although there are rarely reported side effects including nausea, vomiting, heartburn, abdominal cramps, and headache. In addition, this vitamin is required for the synthesis of l-Carnitine, a small amino acid that is essential for the transport of fat to cellular organelles called mitochondria, for conversion to energy. If you have chronic fatigue syndrome, vitamin C may help by boosting energy production through the mitochondria.
Therefore, as in many studies of vitamin C intake and cardiovascular disease risk, it is difficult to separate the effects of vitamin C on stroke risk from the effects of other components such as diet and the consumption of fruits and vegetables. As with all dietitians an emphasis on the benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is important to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. If one can not consume fruits and vegetables on a daily basis then supplementation of vitamin C is need in either capsule of tablet to fight the risk of disease.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1863) What is Alpha Lipoic Acid?
Date:
July 18, 2008 12:36 PM
You can be sure that a supplement has some remarkable therapeutic possibilities when it makes headlines on the five o’clock news. A recent experiment which showed the conditions of rats that had been fed a diet that was totally deficient in vitamin E tested alpha lipoic acid, which caused the rats to return to full health even though no vitamin E was replenished. The results of this test are profound, as giving these rats an alpha lipoic acid caused existing stores of vitamin E that the body was previously unable to use to be regenerated. Alpha lipoic acid is a vitamin-like antioxidant that has been used in Europe for a long period of time. It has recently emerged as an extremely impressive therapeutic agent that scavenges free-radicals. Recent studies have suggested that it has the ability to stop some degenerative diseases, the oxidative process of aging, and restores the health of diseased organs. Additionally, it has the ability to make up deficits of vitamin E or C and could potentially be one of the best treatments that have emerged for diabetes. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is considered to be more potent than vitamins E and C, as well as coenzyme Q10. Unlike other antioxidants, ALA has properties that make it superior because it is able to replace certain nutritional supplements, while potentiating others, and inhibiting tissues from deterioration that is associated with diseases. This supplement is also both fat and water soluble, which allows it to protect lipid and aqueous cell structures. Alpha lipoic acid is a compound that is synthesized in small amounts in the body, but can also be supplied from food or supplement sources. A vitamin-like substance, it contains sulfur and also plays a crucial role in energy reactions. It can be found in liver, yeast, spinach, organ meats, broccoli, red potatoes, and red meat. When it is orally ingested, alpha lipoic acid is not compromised in the GI tract or the liver. Numerous studies have been conducted on ALA, all of which confirm its positive effect on metabolic processes, with recent clinical tests supporting its ability to enhance free-radical protection, slow the aging process, and guard against a variety of degenerative diseases. ALA was discovered in the 1930s, where it was originally classified as a vitamin, and later categorized as an essential coenzyme when scientists discovered that it was involved in the energy processes of cell mitochondria. It wasn’t until 1988 that scientists found that it also has powerful antioxidant effects. Alpha lipoic acid is important because it protects us from free-radicals which are present in a body as a result of the number of toxic substances such as auto exhaust, tobacco smoke, pollution, preservatives, and additives that we are exposed to on a daily basis. These free radicals can actually accelerate the aging process, causing premature tissue breakdown to occur. Additionally, our environment will continue to surround us with these pollutants that create free radicals.
There are things we can do to minimize our health risks, which include exercising, eating nutritiously, and not smoking. However, these measures are rarely enough to decrease our risk for certain degenerative disease a substantial amount. ALA is beneficial because it scavenges oxidants that are left behind and helps to convert carbohydrates, fatty acids and protein to energy that is needed to drive muscle movements.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1839) The Prevention and Treatment or Prostate Cancer
Date:
April 10, 2008 01:36 PM
Last week I shared with you the controversy surrounding the use of PSA screening to determine the status of the prostate. There are many doctors who do not believe that using PSA is accurate enough to rely on for determining whether or not a high PSA indicates prostate cancer. Many men, who have a high PSA, after more detailed examination, did not have cancer and men with a low PSA did have cancer. Some physicians do not believe that the current methods of diagnosing prostate disorders are saving lives. Also, there is a group of physicians nationwide that strongly believe the best treatment is no treatment but rather a “watch and wait” approach. Prostate cancer usually is slow growing and more than 70% of men who develop it are over 65. The older a man is, the more likely he is to die of some other condition before his prostate cancer becomes a real threat. To reiterate, the American Cancer Society states, “at this time watchful waiting is a reasonable option for some men with slow growing cancers because it is not known whether active treatment such as surgery, radiation therapy or hormone therapy prolongs survival”. So what action can be taken? While prostate enlargement (BPH) is not related to prostate cancer, it can elevate PSA scores and can cause symptoms in 50% of men by age 80 and nearly all will show signs of BPH by age 85. If you have early symptoms of BPH such as frequency of urination, a burning feeling after urination and the caliber of stream that isn’t what it used to be, getting up several times through the night and low back pain, taking a good prostate support formula will be your best treatment and prevention. Most men will notice a remarkable improvement within a few weeks. A good prostate support formula will provide relief for 80-90% of all men from these annoying symptoms. But what about prostate cancer? The best cure for prostate cancer is prevention. I’ll give you a complete supplement program for prevention but first what about PSA testing? “I don’t believe in screening for something when it’s too late. By the time cancer develops a positive mammography or a true high PSA are likely too late, or if fortunate, that particular cancer will not be a problem. It makes far more sense to prevent the problem in the first place. And there is clear data, prevention is possible”. Dr. Robert J. Rowen, MD, Second Opinion, Soundview Communications. My recommendation, based on research of several scientific studies, includes various nutritional supplements and herbal extracts. Following are several very important studies that all men should be aware of. In 1966 Dr. Larry Clark of the University of Arizona published startling data suggesting that prostate cancer could be reduced by as much as an amazing 60% by supplemental yeast derived selenium, 200 mcg per day. Selenium is a powerful antioxidant and participates in key and crucial detoxification and free radical scavenging enzymes (80-90% of all disease is caused by free radical damage and inflammation). Selenium is one of a number of antioxidants to prevent this free radical damage; In 1999 a New Zealand study published in the British Journal of Cancer documented a 40% lower incident of prostate cancer in men with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in their blood. These findings have been confirmed in other omega-3 fatty acid studies. Conversely, another published report documents a high level of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in invasive prostate tissue samples. Taken together with recent reports on high levels of omega-6 fatty acids (soy, sunflower, safflower, peanut, corn and most vegetable oils) linked to breast cancer, a common thread emerges. The American diet is overwhelmed with omega-6 oils. Excessive use of omega-6 fatty acids are cancer causing and also cause inflammation. Trans fatty acids from hydrogenated oils seriously add to the problem. There are other nutrients that have shown to reduce prostate-cancer risk. Vitamin E and lycopene have also shown to prevent prostate cancer. Lycopene is commonly found in tomatoes, especially cooked tomatoes. If you like spaghetti sauce or salsa, this is a great way to fight prostate cancer. While vitamin E, selenium, lycopene and omega-3 fatty acids are all great prostate supporting nutrients, through research I found a much more powerful combination of food grade molecules that can prevent and treat cancer. Extensive research in the last few years has revealed that regular consumption of certain fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Fruits and vegetables having the highest degree of prostate cancer protection are the following: grapes (resveratrol), garlic, tomatoes, hot peppers, turmeric (curcumin), ginger, berries, milk thistle, cloves and fennel. These foods are protective because they are extremely active and excellent antioxidants. My favorite is turmeric (curcumin) because not only is it an antioxidant, it is also an anti-inflammatory agent. When it has this dual effect it is many times more potent than other types of food. In the United States there is 30 times more prostate cancers diagnosed than there are in India where turmeric is consumed liberally in most of the Indian dishes. Cancer does not begin shortly before it’s diagnosed. The origin of cancer may be years or decades in the process before it is even diagnosed as such. It is a multi-step process that goes through various phases such as cellular damage and transformation and culminates in the acquisition of invasive potential angiogenic properties and establishment of metastatic lesions. This process, and probably rightly so for all cancers, can be activated by any one of the various environmental carcinogens (cancer causing); all forms of tobacco products, industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, inflammatory agents, food coloring and preservatives, excessive UV rays, alcohol, hair dyes, cleaning products and drugs. The multi-step process of these cancer causing compounds progress in three stages; tumor initiation, promotion and progression phases. A powerful antioxidant/anti-inflammatory can prevent most if not all of the damaging effects when taken on a daily basis. Several population based studies indicate that people in Southeast Asian countries have a much lower risk of acquiring colon, gastrointestinal, prostate, breast and other cancers when compared to their western counterparts. It is very likely that constituents of their diet such as garlic, ginger, turmeric, onion, tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables, chili’s and green tea play an important role in their ability to avoid these cancers. These foods, or key active extracts from these foods, are known to block the NF-kB activation process. Also, several phytochemicals such as curcumin, resveratrol and green tea catechins have been shown to suppress AP-1. Several chemopreventative phytochemicals including curcumin, resveratrol and green tea have been recently shown to be powerful inhibitors of several growth factor receptors including EGFR. Curcumin also possesses the capacity to inhibit the activation of the EGF-Receptor indicating that it has the potential to break the autocrine loops that are established in several advanced cancers. Studies also suggest that curcumin, resveratrol and green tea can actually be used as safe, non-toxic treatments in drug resistant cancers. These natural phytochemicals (food grade) can help fight certain cancers thereby requiring a smaller dose of drug chemotherapy. They also can protect the body from the damages of drug chemotherapy and radiation. “This mini review presents evidence that chemopreventative agents, curcumin, green tea and resveratrol, can be used not just to prevent cancer but also to treat cancer. Because of their pharmacological safety, most chemopreventative agents can be used in combination with drug chemotherapeutic agents to enhance the affect at lower doses and thus minimize chemotherapy- induced toxicity. Because cancer is primarily a disease of old age, less toxic therapy is a major priority. This review reveals that molecular targets of chemopreventative agents are similar to those currently being used for the treatment of cancer. Tumor cells use multiple cell survival pathways to prevail and thus agents that can suppress multiple pathways have great potential for the treatment of cancer”1,2. Curcumin, resveratrol and green tea were as effective in preventing and treating certain cancers based on lab and animal studies. There have been approximately 20 human positive studies but much more needs to be done. From the research that I have done, I am convinced sufficiently enough to take many of these compounds as a preventative of cancer. These compounds are completely safe and non-toxic even in high doses. What does one have to lose? Why not take the positive preventative measure? –Compliments of Terry Naturally Ref: 1. Role of chemopreventaive agents in cancer therapy. Comprehensive Cancer Center Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center, New York Medical College, Bronx New York 2. Cytokine Research Section, Department of Bioimmuno Therapy, University of Texas, M.D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Texas
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1748) Alfalfa Is One of Nature’s Most Nutrient-Rich Foods
Date:
February 14, 2008 12:29 PM
Most people have likely heard of alfalfa in relation to its use as an important animal feedstuff without understanding that it is one of nature’s most nutrient-rich foods. It appears to be a trait with most people, that what is used for animal feed cannot possibly be healthy to humans. This completely ignores the fact that humans are themselves mammals, and what is good for the biochemistry of one mammal is likely (though not necessarily) good for most. A look at alfalfa and why it has been used to feed livestock is a good place to start a discussion on its merits as a nutritional supplement for human beings. Alfalfa is a legume, or member of the pea and bean family, that has long been used as animal food and has been given the nickname “Queen of Forages”. It is behind only corn, wheat and soybeans as the fourth largest crop grown in the USA, and the vast majority is for animal forage. In fact there is twice as much alfalfa grown in the USA as cotton. Its nutritional value is not only from its high protein content of around 20%, but also from its exceptional vitamin and mineral content. Although grown predominantly for animals, humans also eat alfalfa sprouts, although by far its greatest nutritional use is in supplement form. Before discussing specific claimed benefits such as its use in lowering blood glucose and cholesterol, alleviating the symptoms of arthritis and helping with digestive problems among only dozens of other traditional uses, it would be useful to review the nutritional content of the legume in terms of vitamins, minerals and any other biochemical content that could provide more general health benefits. The vitamin and mineral content is not disputed, being determined by chemical analysis. It is not so much what is present in terms of variety that is impressive, but how much of each that alfalfa contains. Natural protein that is easily assimilated by the body has already been touched on, ranging from around 15% to over 20%. Many people also stress the rich chlorophyll content, but apart from the magnesium, chlorophyll has no nutritional benefit to humans. However, now for the impressive facts: Alfalfa contains a high concentration of Vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, B12, C, D, E and K and also Niacin, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin and Folic Acid. It is also rich in the following minerals: Boron, Calcium, Chlorine, Cobalt, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Molybdenum, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur and also some trace minerals. When you purchase alfalfa supplements you also get eight essential amino acids, necessary for the biosynthesis of proteins, enzymes and DNA. Little wonder then that alfalfa has a long history of medicinal uses, and is also used as a feed for animals, providing practically all of their protein, vitamin and mineral dietary needs. The same could also be said of humans, and alfalfa is not classed as a ‘superfood’ without good reason. However, it is easy to determine the fact that this plant is of high nutritional value, but when or why should you take alfalfa supplements, especially if you have a good dietary regime? In fact several facts are known through studies of the plant and also by traditional and established usage for certain ailments. Although not all claims can be scientifically verified beyond all doubt, it has been generally agreed that alfalfa is instrumental in reducing the uric acid content of your system, and is hence useful in the treatment of certain types of arthritis, and also perhaps gout. Although the latter has not been unconditionally proven it has been traditionally used to treat gout that is caused by deposition of uric acid crystals in the joints, and further, alfalfa also contains many of the minerals recommended for its treatment. It is not, therefore, an unreasonable assumption that it should be an effective treatment. There are a few medical applications of alfalfa that have been carried out under controlled conditions, and while the official line is that more testing is required to firmly establish any benefits gained by taking the supplement, many people claim that it has been effective in the treatment of their own medical conditions. Atherosclerosis, which is caused by excessive deposition of cholesterol in the arteries, has been reported to be reduced in animal studies, and while many people also claim that their condition has improved, more evidence is necessary before their claims can be scientifically supported. This, however, could be connected with the greater body of evidence suggesting that alfalfa supplements can help to reduce your LDL cholesterol levels. It is free radical oxidation of low density lipoproteins that render the cholesterol attached to them more liable to be deposited excessively in your arteries, thereby causing the aforementioned atherosclerosis. The evidence of the effect of alfalfa in reducing LDL cholesterol is very promising, and if substantiated could well provide the proof needed that the supplement does indeed reduce the incidences of cholesterol plaques inside your arteries. The same is true with regard to the reduction in blood glucose claimed to occur after taking an alfalfa supplement. Recorded human data is scarce, although once again some people claim that the supplement has improved their condition. However, in this case it is clear that more evidence is required before any claims can be made with any degree of confidence. It is probably wise not to regard alfalfa as being a panacea for any of the above conditions, but it is also fair to regard it as being very rich in vitamins, minerals and proteins. Perhaps this is why it is believed to help with some common digestive complaints, and also help to control high blood pressure and improve your mental function. Whatever your belief in the health benefits of alfalfa supplements, you should consult a physician before relying on it as a definitive treatment for any condition. This is particularly true if you are also being treated for another condition. Alfalfa might not specifically interact with any other drug, but you should always check up with your doctor when using any natural remedy in association with a prescription medicine. It contains a number of other vitamins which might interact with specific medications. Vitamin K, for example, can interfere with the action of blood-thinning drugs such as warfarin. This is not specific to alfalfa, and any foodstuff rich in a specific nutrient could equally interact with prescription medicines. However, widespread homeopathic use over a long period of time has indicated that alfalfa has few if any side effects. It is effectively used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of kidney problems and its name is derived from the Arabic for ‘father of all foods’. With over 300 nutrients and phytochemicals, alfalfa is one of nature’s most nutrient-rich foods, and its saponin and isoflavone content alone is sufficient to warrant many of the health claims made for it.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1717) Big Pharma Plays God, Stealing and Altering Pant Compounds making Synthetic Drugs
Date:
January 02, 2008 02:24 PM
It has been claimed by the Nutritional Health Alliance (NHA) that the pharmaceutical companies are formulating their pharma drugs using natural plant-derived substances. This is not totally groundbreaking news, of course, since the whole pharmaceutical industry was based on natural products such as aspirin, derived from willow bark, and antibiotics derived from the penicillin mold. While there is nothing wrong with them doing this, there are signs of their increasing lobbying to limit the supply of supplements so that Big Pharma can monopolize the production and supply of all supplements and remedies, natural or synthetic. What is disturbing is that bills such as the Adverse Event Reporting Bill, passed by Congress in February 2007 as the Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act, could conceivably place greater powers into the hands of the large pharmaceutical companies to restrict the sales of natural products that are not part of their ‘approved’ prescription range. This Act requires users and distributors of over the counter and non-prescriptive natural remedies to report any adverse effects that they believe have been caused by the remedy they are using. What this does is to require untrained people to make medical decisions as to what is causing their adverse reaction. A patient taking several prescription drugs and a vitamin supplement might naturally assume that it is the vitamin that is causing their reaction, since they will believe the drugs to be safe. Hence they will report the vitamin supplement as being the cause. Since the act does not oblige them to report reactions from prescription drugs, then this opens the door for Big Pharma to hijack plant compounds, and then alter them to make synthetic drugs. The position of the FDA in all of this is dubious since that body has already made many decisions that favor the large pharma companies rather than the consumer, or producers of herbal remedies. However, there is also the opposite view that the supplement industry is unregulated, and some degree of control is long overdue. While it is difficult to argue against this, it is the form of control that is in question and also the reasons behind it. The pharmaceutical companies have long gained through America’s ill health, and it is to their advantage for Americans to become ill or suffer from the chronic diseases that come with a sedentary lifestyle and a diet of fast foods. The industry’s short-sighted approach has been to wait until people become ill and then treated them with expensive drug, rather than prevention that would ultimate lose them customers for their products. A happy and healthy community, regularly taking supplements that keep them fit and well, is not to the advantage of pharmaceutical companies that prefer a depressed, unfit and sick American population to which they can sell their products. Hence the smear campaigns in the press regarding ‘uncontrolled’ natural remedies, untold bills in Congress, and what could end up as the ultimate revocation of our freedom to consume the natural products of our choice. If we are taking two or three prescription drugs for a heart condition or to reduce the cholesterol levels in our body, and also an Omega-3 fatty acids capsule, we are urged to report the capsule if we have any side effects from the cocktail. Presumably on the basis that the drugs have been approved by the FDA, and so cannot possibly cause any side effects in us. A fish oil capsule is hardly likely to cause a heart attack, but many prescription drugs can if badly prescribed. However, it is the capsule that is likely to be fingered, banned and then included in a pharmaceutical product that is cleared by the FDA. Those that take over the counter supplements, vitamins and herbal remedies are a threat and it is difficult not to become cynical about the intentions of such Acts of Congress and the people behind them. True, the supplement and herbal industry probably does require some form of regulation, but to phrase this in such a way as to require medically untrained people to report what they perceive as being the adverse effects of supplements rings of an intention to regulate by restriction or even banning. When that occurs, Big Pharma will take these products and fashion them into expensive prescriptive drugs that are then approved for use by the FDA. What we were at one time able to purchase from our local health store we would now have to purchase at several times the price through prescription. The health benefits of natural nutritional supplements are well documented, and the industry are now using methods to ensure standardization of the active ingredients where possible. However, this is not always possible with foodstuffs that do not always grow in standardized ways. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) was passed by Congress in 1994 to protect and preserve our rights to healthy supplementation of our diets with natural products of our choice. The FDA has systematically failed to enforce this and prosecute synthetic manufacturers who have not kept to the law. The FDA does not need new powers, but the funding to implement those already in existence. Lobbying in Congress by interested parties should not be allowed to undermine the rights of all Americans of the freedom to consume the products that will provide them with a healthier lifestyle. The DHSEA is all that is needed to preserve this and to protect consumers from Big Pharma and their need to create conditions conducive to an increasing need for their products. Yes, the health supplements industry likely needs some form of regulation to ensure standardization of products as far as is possible, but the way to do this is not to place medical decisions into the hands of the untrained. Do not forget that these are natural products, available freely from nature in fruit, vegetable and animal products, and are not synthesized in a laboratory as many of today’s drugs are.
However, give them a free rein, and Big Pharma will hijack these natural products, change them and then sell them to us at highly inflated prices to do the job that already do for us: keep us healthy.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1684) Supplements to Fight Prostate Cancer
Date:
July 29, 2007 11:41 AM
Prostate Cancer and Nutritional Supplements
Years of research have discovered that the foods a man chooses to eat (or doesn’t eat) can have a profound impact on the health of his prostate gland. Because of this close nutritional link, prostate cancer may be the most preventable type of cancer (after smoking-related lung cancers).
Recently, there has been an incredible amount of research and investigation of prostate cancer. Many of these studies have explored the use of certain nutrients to prevent and actually treat prostate cancer. These nutrients, calcium D-glucarate selenium, broccoli, green tea, maitake, and lycopene are powerful prostate cancer fighters. All are available as nutritional supplements that men can take every day as an important part of a healthy diet.
In this issue of Ask the Doctor, we will discuss prostate cancer and how men can actually prevent it with the use of these six nutrients. Plus, if men already have prostate cancer, these nutrients can be an important part of their treatment regimen in fighting their disease.
Q. What does the prostate gland do?
A. The prostate is a gland in a man’s reproductive system. It makes and stores seminal fluid, the milky fluid that nourishes sperm. This fluid is released to form part of the semen. The prostate is about the size of a walnut and it is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. The prostate actually wraps around the upper part of the urethra, the tube that empties urine from the bladder through the penis.
Q. What are the symptoms of prostate cancer?
A. Early prostate cancer often does not cause any symptoms. However, many symptoms of prostate cancer are also symptoms of other problems with the prostate, such as an infection or benign prostatic hyperplasia, a prostate enlargement associated with age-related changes.
A man who has any of these symptoms should see his health care practitioner for evaluation:
-A need to urinate frequently, especially at night
-Difficulty starting urination or holding back urine
-Inability to urinate
-Weak or interrupted flow of urine
-Painful or burning urination
-Difficulty in having an erection
-Painful ejaculation
-Blood in urine or semen
-Frequent pain or stiffness in the lower back, hips, or upper thighs.
Q. Are certain men more prone to get prostate cancer?
A. Age is the biggest risk factor: most prostate cancers occur in men over 65 years of age. A man’s risk for developing prostate cancer is higher if his father or brother has had the disease. African-Americans are at higher risk for the disease. Mechanics, farmers, sheet metal workers, and workers exposed to cadmium have also had high rates of prostate cancer.
Q. How is prostate cancer diagnosed?
A. A man who has any of these risk factors may want to ask his health care professional whether to begin screening for prostate cancer (even though he does not have any symptoms), what tests to have, and how often to have them.
The usual prostate tests include: Digital rectal exam: the doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum and feels the prostate through the rectal wall to check for hard or lumpy areas.
Blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA): a lab measures the levels of PSA in a blood sample. The level of PSA may rise in men who have prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate gland), or an infection in the prostate.
These tests will only determine if there is a problem with a man’s prostate gland. They cannot determine if the problem is cancer. Only a biopsy of a sample of prostate tissue can reveal the presence of actual prostate cancer.
Q. What nutrients help prevent or treat prostate cancer?
A. The prostate health nutrients, calcium D-glucarate, selenium, broccoli, green tea, maitake, and lycopene, each work in unique ways. Some help men’s bodies’ work more effectively some keep cancer cells from growing, while others actually kill prostate cancer cells. Let’s discuss each nutrient and how it works.
Calcium D-Glucarate
It is a troubling fact of modern life that we are continuously exposed to cancer-causing chemicals and toxins. These toxins come in part from contaminants in the food we eat and pollutants in the air we breathe. There are also “natural” toxins that are produced in our bodies. Excess hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, can cause cancer when they are no longer needed. Cancer causing chemicals not only initiate cancer, but exposure to them can also cause existing cancers to grow bigger, stronger, and more deadly.
Our bodies do a fairly good job of eliminating some of these toxins before they can cause us harm. In the liver, the toxin is bound or attached to a chemical called glucuronic acid. The bound toxin is then excreted in bile and eventually eliminated as a waste product in the stool. However, yet another chemical, an enzyme called glucoronidase, can break this bond between the toxin and glucuronic acid. When this happens, the hormone or toxin is released back into our bodies, capable of causing us harm once more. The longer the toxins and excess hormones are in our bodies, the greater the chances they can make us seriously sick. Scientists have discovered that increased glucuronidase activity in the body is strongly associated with prostate cancer.
Fortunately, scientists have also discovered that a natural substance found in foods, calcium D-glucarate, can greatly reduce the activity of glucuronidase. Calcium D-glucarate helps our bodies keep the harmful toxins and chemicals bound to glucuronic acid. While CDG is found in fruits and vegetables, the amounts may not be sufficient to maintain effective levels to stop beta-glucuronidase. CDG has been shown in many experimental studies to significantly stop prostate cancer growth. Studies have shown that by taking calcium D-glucarate, our bodies and get rid of the toxic chemicals and excess hormones that might stimulate cancer formation.
Selenium
Selenium is an essential trace mineral fund in the soil. Both plant foods like oatmeal and meats that we eat, such as chicken and beef, contain selenium. How much selenium, however, is difficult to determine. This is because the amount of selenium in soil, which varies by region, determines the amount of selenium in the plant foods that are grown in that soil. Animals, too, will have varying levels of selenium in their muscle, depending on the amount of selenium in their feed. The actual selenium level in the grasses and grains that make up animal feed reflect the amount of the selenium in the soil where they grew.
A major antioxidant, selenium slows down aging, keeps our skin supple, and helps prevent dandruff. Selenium also keeps our blood vessels healthy and protects us from heart disease. However, some of selenium’s most powerful effects are on the prostate gland.
In a recent study, researchers recruited 974 men to take part in a large clinical trial to determine if selenium could prevent cancer. Half of the men were given selenium supplements and half were given a placebo. Researchers, who did know which group got the placebo, watched and recorded the men’s progress. The researchers were amazed to learn that selenium cut the rate of prostate cancer by 63%!
The results of this study were so impressive that it has led to many other studies of selenium and prostate cancer. In fact, researchers at the
Broccoli
Scientists have observed over for a long period of time, that men who eat lots of broccoli have a lower risk of getting prostate cancer. It seems that sulforaphane, a compound abundant in broccoli, is the secret ingredient responsible for this connection. Sulforaphane increases certain enzymes in the body, called phase 2 enzymes, which deactivate cancer-causing chemicals. In lab experiments, prostate cancer cells that were exposed to sulforaphane, the compound inhibited the growth of the cancer cells up to 80 percent.
Green Tea
There is a potent plant substance in green tea that is a very effective killer of prostate cancer cells. A recent study tested four common components of green tea and determined that one of these compounds, epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG, has a special affinity for prostate cancer cells. Scientists discovered that EGCG can stop the growth of prostate cancer dead in its tracks. The chemical structure of EGCG is very similar to substances in red wine and cruciferous vegetables, known cancer killers.
Maitake mushroom
For many years, maitake mushrooms have been linked to good health in those who eat them. Called “dancing mushrooms” (possibly due to their wavy, rippling appearance or possibly due to the little dance of joy mushroom hunters perform when they find them in the woods), maitakes contain an important compound called D-fraction.
A recent study at
Lycopene
Some of the most exciting nutritional news in relation to prostate health involves lycopene. This carotenoid is found primarily in tomatoes, and men who eat lots of cooked tomatoes have very low rates of prostate cancer. Because promising preliminary reports demonstrate that lycopene can actually kill prostate cancer cells, there has been an explosion of lycopene and prostate cancer studies.
In one of these studies, 32 prostate cancer patients ate a pasta meal covered with three-fourths cup of tomato sauce every day for three weeks. Results showed their PSA levels dropped two points. Even signs of DNA damage dropped sharply. The ability of lycopene to drop these levels in just three weeks has impressed researchers and scientists worldwide.
Q. Do I have to take each nutrient separately?
A. While you can purchase each one of these nutrients and take them separately, all of these nutrients are available in prostate health formulas. Make sure the formula you buy contains calcium d-glucarate, lycopene, and selenium, broccoli standardized to contain a minimum of 125 mcg sulforaphane, green tea, and maitake mushroom extract. Standardized ingredients provide consistently effective nutrients.
Q. What else can men do to prevent prostate cancer?
A. Adopting a healthy diet, including eating 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, eating several servings of whole grain cereals and bread, and reducing red meat consumption to 2 or 3 servings per week has been shown to reduce the risk of all kinds of cancer. In addition, the recent lycopene studies suggest that a diet that regularly includes tomato-based foods may help protect men from prostate cancer.
Men 50 years and older should have a digital rectal exam (DRE) and PSA test each year. African-Americans and those at higher risk should begin at age 40. Talk with your health care professional to determine how frequently the test should be done.
Conclusion
This year doctors expect to find 180,000 new cases of prostate cancer is the
More cancers are caught early and new treatments might help make it possible for men to live long and healthy lives following their diagnosis. By taking a few simple steps, men diagnosed with prostate cancer can take charge of their lives and overcome much of the fear and anxiety that accompany a cancer diagnosis.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1588) Reduce Your Cholesterol With Natural Vitamins
Date:
July 12, 2007 08:58 AM
Thanks to the excellent efforts of health education organizations like the American Heart Association, we’ve learned a lot about cholesterol and how it affects our health.
We know: high cholesterol levels increase our risk for heart attacks and strokes: lowering our cholesterol levels will reduce this risk and keep our hearts and blood vessels healthy; and that diet, weight loss, and exercise will all help us in our quest to lower our cholesterol levels. We also know at times, despite these good efforts, some people’s cholesterol levels are still too high.
Prescription drugs to lower cholesterol are now available and they are heavily advertised by the pharmaceutical companies that make them. What the commercials neglect to say is these medications, collectively called statin drugs, have some serious side effects. Statin drugs can cause elevations in liver enzymes, an indication of liver irritation. They are associated with myopathy, a painful disorder of muscle inflammation and muscle degeneration. Ironically, statin drugs significantly reduce CoQ10 levels in the body, a deficit that can lead to heart disease.
Statin drugs have also been linked to a rare and at times, fatal condition called rhabdomyolysis. Because of this alarming link, the makers of cerivistatin, a popular stain drug, recalled this medication from the market on August 8, 2001. The Food and Drug Administration a greed with the recall and supported the decision.
Thankfully, there is a safe solution to the dangers of high cholesterol levels. A natural dietary supplement is now available that can lower cholesterol very effectively without any harmful side effects. Backed by many years of scientific research and clinical study, pantethine and plant sterols, also known as phytosterols, are nature’s answer to dangerous prescription cholesterol lowering medications.
To understand how pantethine and plant sterols work to lower cholesterol levels, we need to first review what we know about cholesterol and heart disease.
Q. What exactly is cholesterol?
A. Cholesterol is a soft, waxy, fat-like substance found in every cell of the body. We need cholesterol to help digest fats, strengthen cell membranes, insulate nerves, and make hormones. Cholesterol is made primarily in the liver but also by cells lining the small intestine and by individual cells in the body. While our body makes all of the cholesterol we actually need (about 1,000 milligrams a day), we also get additional cholesterol from foods we eat.
The highest source of cholesterol are egg yolks and organ meats such a liver and kidney. No plant-derived food contains cholesterol, not even peanut butter or avocado, even though these foods are high in fat. However, all foods from animal sources such as meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products contain cholesterol.
Q. How does cholesterol cause heart disease?
A. Although cholesterol serves many important functions in the body, too much cholesterol in the bloodstream can be dangerous. When blood cholesterol reaches high levels, it builds up on artery walls, increasing the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke.
The heart is a muscle, and like all muscles, needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients. The bloodstream transports these nutrients to the heart through the coronary arteries. If the coronary arteries became narrowed or clogged by cholesterol and fat deposits (artherosclerosis) and cannot supply enough blood to the heart, the result is coronary heart disease (CHD). IF not enough oxygen-carrying blood reaches the heart muscle, a sharp, sudden chest pain (angina) may occur. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by total blockage of a coronary artery, the result is a heart attack. This is most often caused from a blood clot forming on top of an already narrowed artery.
Q. What is LDL and HDL cholesterol?
A. Cholesterol and other fats can’t dissolve in the blood and, therefore, can’t travel on their own. They have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers called lipoproteins. The two major lipoproteins are low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL is most often referred to as the “bad” cholesterol whereas HDL is known as the “good” cholesterol.
LDLs carry cholesterol throughout the body to the cells. LDLs cause artherosclerosis by clogging up our arteries with the continual buildup of fat. HDL, on the other hand, prevents this fat buildup within arterial walls, by carrying it away from the arteries, to the liver where it is eventually processed and eliminated.
Q. What are triglycerides?
A. Triglycerides are fats used as fuel by the body and as an energy source for metabolism. Triglyceride levels fluctuate easily, changing after every meal. Increased levels are almost always a sign of too much carbohydrate and sugar intake. Triglycerides in high amounts make the blood more sluggish and less capable of transporting oxygen, particularly through the small blood vessels. High triglycerides, along with high LDL “bad” cholesterol, are considered strong and independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
There are several medications physicians can prescribe for people with elevated triglyceride levels. Some of the most effective (as well as the most harmful) are the statins. The powerful, all-natural combination of pantethine and plant sterols can safely and, just as effectively, lower both triglycerides and LDL “bad” cholesterol and increase HDL “good” cholesterol.
Q. What is pantethine and how does it lower cholesterol?
A. Pantethine, a form of pantothenic acid (also known as vitamin B5) is found in foods such as liver, salmon, and yeast. Pantethine lowers cholesterol by blocking its production.
Cholesterol synthesis, or the production of cholesterol in the human body, is an incredibly complex process. It involves many biochemical reactions and enzymes activity requiring several steps.
Studies have shown that pantethine inhibits several of these enzymes and coenzymes. It blocks the activity of one coenzyme involved in cholesterol synthesis, HMG-CoA, by about 50%. This results in significantly lower cholesterol production. But, that’s not all. To compensate for the lowered cholesterol production, the liver pulls LDL out of the bloodstream. The end results? Studies have shown that on average, pantethine can lower total cholesterol levels by 16%, LDL cholesterol levels by 14%, serum triglycerides by 38%, and can raise HDL cholesterol by 10%.
Q. What are plant sterols and how do they lower cholesterol levels?
A. Plant sterols are the fats of plants. They are found in nuts, vegetable oils, corn, and rice. Plant sterols are structurally similar to cholesterol and are able to act as a stand-in for cholesterol and block its absorption.
The liver receives about 800 mg of cholesterol every day from intestinal absorption. Cholesterol is absorbed from the intestines through receptor sites – special channels that are shaped exactly like cholesterol molecules. The cholesterol enters these channels and is then absorbed into the bloodstream. Because plant sterols look like cholesterol, they fit perfectly into these channels. The cholesterol, being blocked from absorption, remains in our intestines where it is eventually excreted.
If we eat enough plant sterols, the amount of cholesterol transported from the intestinal tract to the liver is greatly reduced. And, just like pantethine’s effect on the liver, this cholesterol reduction causes the liver to pull LDL cholesterol out of the blood, reducing both total and LDL cholesterol levels.
Q. Can’t we get the benefit of plant sterols and pantethine just by eating those foods that contain them?
A. These amounts of plant sterol and pantethine found in food just aren’t enough to have much of an effect on our health. In order to lower cholesterol levels, we need to take a concentrated combination of pantethine and plant sterols in just the right ratio.
Plant sterols are bound in fibers in the plants. Even if we ate lots of raw fruits and vegetables, we wouldn’t be getting many of these beneficial plant fats. There are also several forms of plant sterols. Some ratios of these plant sterols are more beneficial than others. On the average, we eat 160 to 360 mg of plant sterols a day.
While pantethine is found in several food sources, it is difficult to get beneficial amounts from our food. There are about 12 mg of pantethine in 3 ounces of brewer’s yeast and 8 mg in an average serving of liver.
Q. How much pantethine and plant sterol combination should I take?
A. Many studies have examined the effects of pantethine and plant sterols on cholesterol levels resulting in the determination of the most effective amounts to take of these heart healthy nutrients.
Manufacturers of high quality nutritional supplements offer pantethine combined with plant sterols in the most beneficial ratio as determined by the research. The best results are obtained by taking a combination of 400 mg of plant sterols and 200 mg of pantethine three times a day.
Q. Should only people with actual heart disease or those with high cholesterol levels be concerned about cholesterol?
A. No, recent studies have shown that cholesterol lowering in people without heart disease greatly reduces their risk for ever developing CHD, including heart attacks and artherosclerosis. This is true for those with high cholesterol levels and for those with average cholesterol levels.
Most physicians would never consider prescribing statin drugs to people without actual heart disease or high cholesterol levels because of the many health risks of the drugs. But the combination of pantethine and plant sterols can naturally and very effectively help those people with heart disease, high cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels (or all three!) as well as those of us just wanting added “health insurance” for our hearts.
Q. Are pantethine and plant sterols safe?
A. Yes, both pantethine and plant sterols are very safe. Some people may experience some mild stomach upset when they first take pantethine. Taking the combination of pantethine and plant sterols with meals generally solves this problem.
Conclusion
Americans have listened, learned, and most importantly, taken to heart the vast and vital information on the need to keep our cholesterol levels under control. The result? More and more Americans are lucky enough to die of old age. The Centers for Disease Control recently released a report stating that the average American life expectancy has reached a new high of 76.9 years, thanks in no small measure to fewer people who are dying from heart disease,
The authors of this report stated that we could push our life expectancy even higher. We can attain healthy, old age by eating right, exercising regularly, and taking other simple steps to promote good health and prevent serious illness and heart disease. Taking the all-natural combination of pantethine and plant sterols is one simple, yet powerful step, to keep our hearts and blood vessels healthy for a long, long time.
-- Vitamins
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1585) Active Coenzyme Q10
Date:
July 07, 2007 01:30 PM
Active CoQ10
The benefits of Coenzyme Q10 have become increasingly well-known. This important nutrient has been shown in clinical trials to improve heart function, reduce the side effects of certain drugs used to treat cancer, and slow the progression of serious brain diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. Now research has opened a new chapter in the CoQ10 story, highlighting the benefits of ubiquinol, the active form of CoQ10, to increase energy and stamina, and reduce some of he physical signs of aging.
In this issue of Ask the Doctor we will review the benefits of Coenzyme Q10, and discuss the differences between CoQ10 and its active form –ubiquinol.
Q. What is CoQ10?
A. CoQ10 is a natural, fat-soluble nutrient present in virtually all cells. CoQ10 also is known as ubiquinone. That’s because CoQ10 is ubiquitious and exists everywhere there is life. CoQ10 is vital to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. ATP is the energy-rich compound used for all processes requiring energy in the body. Although CoQ10 is produced by the body and exists in some limited dietary sources, these levels may be insufficient to meet the body’s requirements. CoQ10 levels diminish with age and as a result of dietary inadequacies and various disease states. Also, some drugs, especially a group of cholesterol lowering prescription drugs known as “statins,” (Pravachol, Zocor, Lipitor, etc.) significantly reduce CoQ10 levels in the body.
Q. What is ubiquinol? Is it the same or different from CoQ10?
A. Ubiquinol and CoQ10 are very closely related. Ubiquinone, or CoQ10, is the oxidized form of the molecule. This means it has to be converted to a non-oxidized form before it can perform its work. Ubiquinol is the active form of this nutrient. Our bodies convert CoQ10 to ubiquinol – which is the form needed to produce cellular energy. Until recently, it was not possible to use ubiquinol as a supplement because it is very unstable outside the human body. But research has now found a way to keep this molecule stable so it can be successfully taken in supplement form.
Q. If CoQ10 gets converted to ubiquinol anyway, can’t I just take CoQ10?
A. While it is true that our bodies can convert CoQ10 to ubiquinol, it isn’t true that we all do this equally well. In fact, as we age, our ability to convert CoQ10 to ubiquinol declines. And some people even have a gene that makes them less effective at this conversion than the majority of the population. IN fact, several common health issues have been associated with less than optimal ratios of CoQ10 to QH. For healthy people the ideal ratio is approximately 97% Ubiquinol to 3% CoQ10. But in people with diabetes, for example, the ratios have been found to range from 43% ubiquinol to 47% CoQ10 in mild diabetes, to only 24% ubiquinol to 76% CoQ10 in severe diabetes. These numbers are for men; the numbers for women vary by 2 to 5 percentage points.
So for older folks, the 30-50% of people who have the gene that impairs CoQ10 conversion, or for people who have serious health concerns, supplementing with ubiquinol instead of CoQ10 might be the smart choice.
Q. What are the health benefits of CoQ10 and Ubiquinol?
A. There have been many studies showing that CoQ10 is beneficial in treating and preventing heart disease and conditions such as high blood pressure atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), angina, and congestive heart failure (CHF). It’s been shown that heart attacks tend to occur when CoQ10 levels are low in the body. Exciting new research has found that CoQ10 in a unique delivery system supplementation may slow the progression of symptoms associated with neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, ALS, Huntington’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition, CoQ10 is beneficial for diabetes, immune dysfunction, cancer, periodontal disease, prostate cancer, and neurological disease. While the research on ubiquinol is still very new, it is reasonable to expect that its benefits will be equal to or perhaps even better than CoQ10, because it is the more active form.
Q. Why is CoQ10 especially important for preventing and treating heart disease, and for neurological diseases like Parkinson’s disease?
A. The heart and brain are some of the most metabolically active tissues in the body. Both require large amounts of uninterrupted energy, which means these tissues also need increased amounts of ubiquinol. Research has shown that many people with heart of brain diseases have serum CoQ10 levels that are lower than those of healthy people. Correcting such deficiencies often can produce significant results. However, these diseases become more common as we age – right at the time our ability to convert CoQ10 to its active form, ubiquinol, declines.
Q. How might ubiquinol be important for the heart?
A. Heart Health: A study on patients admitted to the hospital with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) found that CoQ10 can provide rapid protective effects in patients with a heart attack if administered within three days of the onset of symptoms. Seventy-three patients received CoQ10 (120 mg/d). The study’s control group consisted of 71 similarly matched patients with acute AMI. After treatment, angina pectoris (severe chest pain signifying interrupted blood flow to the heart), total arrhythmias (dangerously irregular heartbeats), and poor function in the left ventricle (the essential chamber of the heart) were significantly reduced in the CoQ10 group compared to the placebo group. Total deaths due to sudden cardiac failure and nonfatal heart attacks also were significantly reduced in the CoQ10 group compared with the placebo group.
In another study, CoQ10 was studied in 109 patients with high blood pressure (hypertension). The patients were given varying doses of supplemental CoQ10 with the goal of attaining a certain blood level (greater than 2.0 mcg/l). Most patients were on medications to treat hypertension. Half the patients were able to stop taking some or all of their prescription drugs at an average of 4.4 months after starting CoQ10. The 9.4% of patients who had echocardiograms, performed both before and during treatment, experienced a highly significant improvement in heart wall thickness and function. This improvement was directly attributed to CoQ10 supplementation.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a debilitating disease that affects 5 million people in the
And Neurological Health?: A study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health showed that supplementing with CoQ10 in a unique delivery system was associated with a slowing of the progression of Parkinson’s disease. Participants were divided into 4 groups and their physical skills (coordination, walking, etc) and mental skills were evaluated. Each group then received 300 mg, 600 mg, or 1200 mg of a special form of chewable CoQ10, or a placebo. The researchers evaluated the participants after 1, 4,8, 12, and 16 months of treatment. Each participant was again scored on motor, mental, and activities of daily living skills.
The results of the study showed that the people who took the highest dosage of CoQ10-1200 mg-experienced the least decline in their physical abilities. The results were so encouraging that the researchers will be continuing with new studies, suing higher dosages to see if the results can get even better.
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a devastating and degenerative inherited disease that is always fatal. In fact, no other medication, drug, or nutritional supplement has ever been shown to cause a decline in the progression of this terrible disease. A study compared CoQ10 against remacemide (an investigational HD drug made by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals), in 347 HD patients who were in the early stages of the disease. Remacemide blocks glutamate, the neurotransmitter scientists think may cause the death of brain cells that occurs in Huntington’s disease. While remacemide had no effect on the progression of HD, CoQ10 showed a trend toward slowing the disease by an average of 15%. This meant the HD group taking CoQ10 was able to handle every day activities of life a little longer than the patients taking remacemide or a placebo. They also were able to focus their attention better, were less depressed, and less irritable.
The 15% slowing of decline can result in about one more year of independence of HD patients. Needless to say, the gift of an additional year of health in the lives of HD patients is incredibly significant.
Because of these impressive results, researchers are hopeful that supplemental CoQ10 will have beneficial effects for people with other neurological diseases such as ALS and Alzheimer’s disease, too. Studies are under way to confirm these effects.
Using the active form of CoQ10 helps to assure that, regardless of age or illness, the CoQ10 can have the greatest impact.
Q. What have been the results of research studies with Ubiquinol?
A. One of the most interesting effects of Ubiquinol that has been reported so far is its ability to slow the physical signs of aging. In laboratory studies, administration of stable ubiquinol to mice forestalled the changes associated with aging – rounded spine, patchy fur and irritated eyes. While the mice who received ubiquinol did not necessarily live longer than the mice that didn’t, they lived better. But it is important to note that these mice were bred to die at a young age. Human studies are needed to determined true impact on longevity.
Additionally, supplemental, stable ubiquinol has been shown to increase physical energy and stamina. In an animal study, the length of time rats were able to run on a treadmill before getting tired was measured. The same rats were then given ubiquinol and the treadmill test was repeated. The length of time the rats were able to run before tiring increased 150 times.
Q. How can one supplement have applications for neurological diseases, heart health, and even the immune system?
A. Supplements often have more than one function, especially when it’s a substance like CoQ10, which is present in all parts of the body. All nucleated cells (most cells other than red blood cells) have mitochondria and all cells require energy to function. CoQ10 is vital to ATP production. Thus, CoQ10 has applications not only in neurological (neurons or nervous system cells) and cardiac health (myocardium or heart tissue), but also for the immune system.
Q. Should I take CoQ10 or ubiquinol? How much should I take?
A. While everyone can benefit from CoQ10 or ubiquinol supplementation, it appears that ubiquinol should be the first choice for older adults, people with known genetic inefficiencies in converting CoQ10 to ubiquinol, and for people with serious heart disease or neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, who are otherwise supplementing with high levels of CoQ10. For people in overall good health, a high quality CoQ10 supplement with proven absorption is a good choice.
Take 200 to 300 mg of CoQ10 or 100 mg ubiquinol daily, depending on your health history. The safety of both forms has been tested, and no significant side effects reported. Occasional mild stomach upset may occur. Taking your CoQ10 or ubiquinol with meals usually alleviates this rare effect.
Conclusion
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1583) Supplements for Children
Date:
June 26, 2007 09:51 PM
Supplements for Children
While most parents try hard to make nutritious meals for their family, most children find the appeal of refined, fast, and junk food simply overwhelming. And, sadly, increasingly easy to buy and consume, as well. From kindergarten through 12th grade, in both grade schools and high schools, vending machines offer calorie laden candy bars, sugar-filled soft drinks, and snack foods loaded with fat and salt. Many school cafeterias actually sell fast-food to children for lunch every day. In fact, it seems almost everywhere children go and gather, visually enticing but nutritionally lacking snacks and soft drinks are sure to be available.
Determined to counteract this disturbing trend, parents everywhere are urgently seeking solutions to help their children get the nutrition they need. One answer is supplemental multivitamins. There are certainly plenty of multivitamins formulated for children currently on the market. However, these products vary considerably in quality and content. Some lack certain vital nutrients. Some taste terrible. Still others are loaded with sugar and artificial flavorings. The good news is that there are superior multivitamins and exceptional immune boosting products formulated specifically for children that actually taste great. In this issue of Ask the Doctor, we will discuss childhood nutrition and how to help ensure your children’s health with high quality, 100% natural flavored nutritional supplements.
Q. Do children really benefit from vitamin supplements? Can’t I make sure they get the vitamins and minerals they need from meals?
A. Even the most nutritionally vigilant parent cannot be 100% certain what nutrients are in the food they serve their children. That’s because there’s so much variability in the food we prepare. For instance, fat-soluble vitamins can withstand normal cooking, but vitamins A and E are gradually destroyed by exposure to air. Water-soluble vitamins such as B1, B6, folic acid, and pantothenic acid are destroyed by heat. Vitamin B2 is destroyed by light and heat, while light and air destroy vitamin C. Certain food preservatives and preparation methods also destroy the vitamins in food. To further complicate matters, some fruit and vegetables are grown and harvested in such a way that does not promote nutrient content – so even raw foods may be lacking.
Then there are those crazy food phases all children seemingly go through. While these phases are generally harmless in the long run, a recent alarming exception was in the news. A five-year old boy ate nothing but cheese pizza, Pop-tarts, biscuits, and water, refusing fruits, vegetables, juices and vitamins. He slowly developed limp, swollen gums, and small purple spots appeared on his skin. After five months of this extremely deficient diet, he was unable to walk or get out of bed because the pain was so severe. Doctors diagnosed the boy as having a severe vitamin C deficiency after ruling out other ailments such as leukemia. Within a week of getting vitamin C supplements, the boy’s pain and other symptoms were completely resolved. Obviously, this little boy’s story is unusual. However, even mild food phases (such as “If It’s Green It Must Be Yucky” or “The Only Good Crust Is A Cut-Off Crust”) can result in awfully lop-sided nutrition.
Q. Can multivitamins help my child’s performance in school?
A. Most teachers firmly believe that nutrition and learning go hand in hand. They are convinced that children who are well nourished possess the mental stamina that’s needed to learn and retain even difficult concepts. But can multivitamins help children become better students?
Two independent research teams recently conducted randomized trials to find the answer. The researchers followed 245 school-children aged 6 to 12 years for three months. They gave half of the children multivitamin tablets every day, and half of the children placebos. When the children were tested, the children in the multivitamins group showed an increase in their nonverbal intelligence scores. Nonverbal intelligence is closely associated with academic performance.
Q. I can’t get my children to take 100% natural flavored multivitamins because they don’t taste very appealing. Isn’t there some way to make a 100% natural multivitamin taste good enough for my children to willingly take?
A. Yes, there is! Because most children need chewable multivitamins, manufacturers need to contend with the truly terrible taste of certain minerals. Magnesium, iodine, copper, and iron are probably the worst tasting. Some solve this dilemma by skimping on the amounts of these minerals in their children’s formulas. Others cover up the bad taste with either massive amounts of sugar or artificial flavors, or both.
However, a select few multivitamin makers have discovered how to offer a natural flavored, great tasting children’s multivitamin that contains these vital minerals. The best children’s vitamins are prepared in a base of natural fruit that provides both antioxidants and other healthy phytonutrients. Children’s multivitamins made in such a fruit base have very low sugar content, as well, providing as little as four calories a day. Fructose – fruit sugar – is the preferred sweetening agent, in addition to the fruit content.
Q. What vitamins should be in a multivitamin for children?
A. There are several vitamins and minerals that children need to take each and every day. They include biotin, folate, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamins B12, B1, A, B6, C, D, E, and K. Let’s review a few. We’ll start with folate, one of the B vitamins. This vital vitamin helps the body use protein, helps make DNA, helps cells grow and divide, and keeps the nervous system healthy. In fact, folate is so important to children that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated that folate must be added to many foods most children eat daily. Since 1998, cereal, enriched bread, flour corn meal, rice, and pasta have been folate-fortified with this B vitamin.
One of folate’s vital actions is the reduction of homocysteine levels in the blood. Homocysteine is an amino acid (the building block of protein) that is normally produced in the human body. Research has shown that high levels of homocysteine can irritate blood vessels, make blood clot more easily than it should, and cause blockages in arteries increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes .
However, study after study has proven that taking folate reduces harmful homocysteine levels. While most of this research has been in adults, a recent study looked at children’s homocysteine levels. Researchers examined over 3500 children and discovered that high homocysteine levels increased the risk for heart disease in these children, especially as they grow. The researchers leading this study reinforced how critical folate is for all children.
Other critical vitamins for children are the vitamins C and E. The rates of childhood asthma have increased significantly here in the
Q. Which minerals do children need?
A. It is absolutely crucial that children get calcium, chromium, iron, magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc, and phosphorus every day. Sadly, however, the majority of our children are not getting the recommended amounts of many of these vital minerals. Children in
According to statistics from the National Institutes of Health, only 13.5 percent of girls and 36.3 percent of boys age 12 to 19 in the
Lack of adequate calcium has immediate consequences for children, as well. The number of fractures among children and young adults has increased as a direct result of poor calcium intake. Pediatricians are also seeing children with rickets, a bone disease caused by low levels of vitamin D. Rickets became almost nonexistent after vitamin D was added to milk in the 1950s, but, due to lower milk consumption, is now appearing at greater rates around the country. And milk itself can be problematic for some children. Aside from alarming reports of hormones and herbicides in commercial dairy factory milk, even organic milk is not tolerated by all because of lactose intolerance and allergies.
Zinc is another mineral that’s vital for children. Because zinc is critical for normal growth and development, children need to take it every day. A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, however, found more than half of US children ages two to 10 years fail to get the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for zinc. What’s even more troubling is that zinc is vitally connected to children’s ability to process information, pay attention, as well as remember and retain new information
Zinc does a lot to keep children healthy. More than 200 enzymes in our bodies rely on zinc. However, it’s zinc’s ability to connect with our immune systems to help fight infections that is crucial for children. While researchers are not certain how zinc precisely boosts a child’s immunity, they think that zinc might fight pneumonia and other infections by either enhancing the body’s immune status, preventing the infection from establishing itself, or improving the immune system’s ability to rid itself of the infecting organism. It’s possible that zinc does all three.
Q. No matter what I do, my children seem to come down with bad colds each year. Besides giving them a multivitamin, are there other nutritional supplements that can keep my children healthy?
A. Absolutely! In fact, there are 100% natural flavored children’s immune formula nutritional supplements that contain their good buddy zinc, vitamins B6, C, and A (as beta carotene), plus elderberry extract. Elderberry extract has been used as a traditional medicine for hundreds of years to treat colds and flu. And as it so often happens, scientific research has validated this use. In fact, scientists have discovered that elderberry keeps viruses from invading other cells and replicating. It also spurs important immune cells into action to fight invading germs.
While we previously discussed vitamin C’s ability to help children with asthma breathe easier, it also provides powerful immune protection. It speeds up the healing of wounds, such as those knee and elbow scrapes so common in childhood. However, vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and can’t be stored in the body. It must be replenished every day. When children are under increased stress (like when they get sick with a cold or flu), their vitamin C levels are more rapidly depleted.
Vitamin B6 is also water-soluble and can only work in children’s bodies for eight hours. Then more B6 must be obtained. Vitamin B6 strengthens the immune system by helping white blood cells make antibodies. Vitamin A helps make lysozymes, important anti-infectious agents found in tears, saliva, and sweat. It also stimulates the thymus gland, an important immune organ, especially in children, to work better.
Q. Should children take an immune formula every day or only when they are sick?
A. It can be taken several ways. Some parents may want to give the formula when school first starts or other times that their children are exposed to lots of germs. For a child who suffers from asthma or seasonal allergies or just seems to get sick frequently, parents could provide the immune formula every day, increasing the dose when needed. And still others might feel it’s best to give their children the immune formula only whey they do catch a cold or have the flu.
No matter how it is given, the 100% all natural flavored, immune boosting nutritional supplement can provide powerful protection against all those disease-causing germs your children are exposed to every day.
Conclusion
The nutritional choices we make for our children today will have a profound effect on their health tomorrow. Recent research has revealed that diabetes, heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis, and cancer in adults often result form nutritional deficiencies that occurred in childhood.
Thankfully, the reverse is just as true. This means that children who are well nourished with an optimal intake of minerals, vitamins, and helpful herbs can grow into healthy and happy adults. Providing high quality multivitamins and immune boosting nutritional supplements for our children can be an important part of that process.
-- Vitanet, LLC
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1578) OptiMSM
Date:
June 26, 2007 02:39 PM
Eighty percent of Americans over 50 years old suffer from some form of degenerative joint disease, and many others suffer from sports injuries, tennis elbow and tendonitis, which can result in symptoms not unlike arthritis—soreness, stiffness, and general pain in the region. An ever widening number of people are newly discovering a well-established natural remedy for these symptoms—and numerous others—with MSM. Methylsulfonylmethane (meth-l-sul-fonil-meth-ane), or MSM, is a natural nutrient found in many foods and is a vital building block of joints, cartilage, skin, hair and nails. It also supports a wide number of biochemical processes in the body, including energy production. Due to the demineralization of the earth over time, many naturally occurring elements—including MSM- are not available in foods in high enough quantities to deliver therapeutic value. As a dietary supplement, MSM must be synthesized. When made correctly, it is identical to what is found in nature, and can be taken alone or in combination with other health supplements. According to Stanley W Jacob, MD, Ronald M Lawrence, MD, PhD, and Martin Zucker, authors of The Miracle of MSM, MSM is rapidly establishing a reputation as a safe, natural and effective solution for many types of pain and inflammatory conditions, including degenerative wear-and-tear arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic back pain, chronic headaches, muscle pain, Fibromyalgia, tendonitis, and bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, TMJ, post-traumatic pain and inflammation, and heartburn. MSM also has benefits for allergy sufferers. According to Jacob, Lawrence and Zucker, “After many years of treating pain patients with MSM, it has become clear that perhaps a single most powerful benefit it offers is quick relief of the symptoms of common allergies. In hundreds of cases, this nutritional supplement has proved highly effective.” The primary reason for MSM’s value is its high sulfur content. MSM contains 34 percent sulfur—the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body and one critical to making collagen, the primary constituent of cartilage and connective tissue. MSM is thought to deliver sulfur to the body in a usable way so it can be incorporated into these tissues. Many people using MSM as a dietary supplement have attested to its effectiveness. “I was acquainted with an elderly woman who had been on Prednisone for severe arthritis for a number of years,” says Rob Benjamin, director of quality control for Bergstrom Nutrition in Vancouver, Washington. “Her doctor had to take her off of it because of what it was doing to her kidneys. Her knuckle joints were about an inch and a half thick. I gave her a sample of MSM, then ran into her about six days later. She came up, threw her arms around my neck and took her gloves off, and the thickness of her knuckles had reduced to almost normal. All the swelling was gone.” The leading MSM product, manufactured to the most stringent product specifications available, is OptiMSM®, made by Bergstrom Nutrition. The crucial step that makes OptiMSM of such a high quality is its distillation process, in which heat is used to separate pure MSM from impurities and the by-products of manufacturing. The company has evolved the exact boiling points that allow MSM to be isolated, consistently producing the purest MSM available. “Our methods are more expensive and more energy intensive,” Says Benjamin. “But our prime concern is delivering the purest product available.” Peter Gilliham’s Natural Vitality is proud to include OptiMSM in its daily multi nutrient Organic Life Vitamins (OLV).
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1576) Papaya- May Be A Fountain of Youth
Date:
May 31, 2007 02:09 PM
Papaya- May Be A Fountain of Youth
Seventy years ago, when the Social Security Administration was developed during the Great Depression, age 62 was recognized as average life expectancy. These days, getting older is a whole different ball game. Not only are people living well into their 80s and 90s, they’re living better, too. People well into retirement are mountain biking, kayaking, jogging and hiking, as well as gardening, golfing and attending concerts – sometimes for their first time. Everybody, it seems, is on the go, from ages of 22 to 92.
Of course, you don’t have to wait until retirement to start planning for a longer more vibrant life. The best way to ensure happier and longer years ahead is to start young.
Nobody wants to spend retirement in the doctor’s waiting room or have their golden years intruded upon with illnesses or infirmities. And, most importantly, we don’t want to feel 80 years old even though our driver’s license says we are.
These desires and demands are not just wishful thinking. Huge advances in the understanding of how men and women age are being made almost daily. These findings are helping to improve our chances of living long, healthy lives. And, some of the most impressive findings have shown that using nutritional supplements can help – in particular, a specially formulated papaya preparation is able to fight two of the primary reasons we get old – oxidative stress and immune system decline.
This issue of Ask the Doctor is going to share the anti-aging secrets hidden in the papaya and how this tropical fruit may hold the key to a long, vibrant life.
Q. Why papaya? What does papaya have that other fruits and vegetables don’t?
A. Not many American moms put a papaya in their kids’ lunch boxes and papaya pie has yet to gain a following. But this tangy tasting fruit is now appearing fairly frequently in the produce departments of most grocery stores and its popularity seems to steadily increase each year.
The papaya’s bright orange flesh is fairly fibrous and very slippery – slicing a peeled papaya is a little like slicing a bar of wet soap. The core is filled with little black seeds that look a lot like caviar. And while eating a papaya will give you a day’s worth of vitamins A and C as well as potassium taking Fermented Papaya Preparation (or FPP) might just give you an additional 30 years of healthy vibrant life.
Q. What exactly is Fermented Papaya Preparation (FPP)?
A. It’s a specialized nutritional supplement. Backed by more than 30 studies to date, FPP has been used in
Q. How was FPP developed?
A. Japanese scientists noticed that individuals with higher amounts of papaya in their diets experienced certain health benefits.
Researchers who study aging decided to look at the papaya’s chemistry to see if it might have properties that could contribute to longevity. Several plant chemicals in the papaya showed promise. And when they combined papaya with specific yeasts and traditional Japanese fermentation techniques, FPP was born. This unique substance was then subjected to scientific studies to see its health impact; they determined that FPP is a superior antioxidant, a powerful immune-booster, and one of
Q. How does FPP help people live longer and healthier?
A. While getting older is an indisputable fact of life, aging, per se, is not. We can’t do much about our annual birthdays and we really shouldn’t even if we could. Every age is a cause for celebration and every life experience, both the difficult and the sublime, should be treasured.
However, we don’t have to accept the consequences of aging that can make a mockery of the “Golden Years” - heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, and cancer. Our parents and grandparents and the generations that preceded them might have had little say in how they aged. But we can. We can slow down the harmful effects of aging and FPP can help by reducing oxidative stress and immune system decline.
Additionally, fighting oxidative stress helps people retain their youthful appearance longer. Oxidative damage is the number one factor in facial aging.
Q. What exactly does oxidative stress mean and what does it have to do with aging?
A. One theory of aging is that harmful molecules called free radicals wreak havoc in our cells. Many of our body’s normal metabolic processes produce free radicals. For example, free radicals are a normal by-product in the production of ATP (the energy molecule) from glucose. Certain types of white blood cells destroy invading microbes by the production of free radicals. Free radicals are also formed by the many normal enzymatic actions that take place every minute every day.
However, outside sources can also cause free radical formation, as well. If we are exposed to pollutants in the environment, chemicals, additives and preservatives in the food we eat, or even direct sunlight, excess production of free radicals can occur, causing profound damage. This free radical frenzy is called oxidative stress, and is linked to almost every disease of aging including arthritis, heart disease, cataracts, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and cancer. In fact, the reason why these are called diseases of aging is because the longer we are alive, the longer we are subjected to these free radical assaults.
Q. How does FPP affect the decline of our immune systems as we age?
A. Our immune systems consist of specialized tissues, organs, and cells, including several different kinds of white blood cells. Each type of white blood cell works in specific ways to keep us healthy and free of disease. They not only stand guard – on the alert for invaders – they can fight and eradicate microbes, too.
However, as we age, our white blood cells become less efficient in keeping viruses and bacteria from infecting us. They often mistake invaders for good guys, like nutrients. As they age, white blood cells may recognize foreign invaders, but be too tired to fight and let them in. This age-associated immune decline also results in single cancer cells being able to “take hold” and grow into tumors. By the time the white blood cells realize their mistake, the cancer is a widespread disease.
That’s why older members of society have more urinary tract infections, more pneumonia, more cases of bacterial meningitis, tuberculosis, herpes zoster, and much more cancer than younger adults do. Moreover, mortality rates for these diseases are often 2-3 times higher among adults than younger people with the same disease.
FPP steps in and takes charge. One kind of white blood cells, the macrophage “eats” and digests bacteria, viral particles, and free radical fragments. Research has shown that FPP helps macrophages work faster and ingest more disease-causing microbes. Scientists have also discovered that FPP increases the production of a chemical protein called interleukin that’s secreted by macrophages. Interleukin plays an important part in wound healing and keeping minor infections from becoming major infections.
Another important immune system cell is the natural killer (NK) cell, a white blood cell that is continually on the prowl for cancer cells. As the immune system ages, NK cells have trouble “seeing” cancer cells. Researchers have discovered that FPP boosts the activity of NK cells. Increased NK cell activity can result in the increased killing of cancer cells as well as cells infected by viruses.
Q. How does FPP help protect us from free radical damage?
A. FPP contains unique and powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize free radical damage. Antioxidants do this by donating an extra electron to the free radical without becoming frenzied or worked up into a free radical themselves. Although the antioxidant has donated an electron, it has a more stable “personality” and is less reactive. This action stops the domino effect and ongoing free-radical damage.
If you consider your body a temple, think of free radicals as stealing bricks from your temple’s foundation. FPP acts not only as policeman, but as a builder as well. It doesn’t just stop the theft of bricks; it helps create new ones, keeping the foundation strong and young.
FPP does this by affecting super oxide dimutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), the very genetic pathways that eliminate free radicals from the system. FPP is more than an antioxidant – it doesn’t turn into a pro-oxidant if you happen to take a large dose the way standard antioxidants can. Consider it an “antioxidant plus.”
Since aging is largely determined by how well our bodies can fight oxidative damage, using FPP can slow down the clock as it bolsters natural abilities with its own potent neutralizing activities.
Q. What else does science say about FPP?
A. As the subject of over 30 clinical studies, FPP has been shown to inhibit dangerous hydroxyl free radicals. In addition, it is also being considered for its immuno-protective effects.
Researchers and medical professionals have been studying FPP for years, tracking its effect on the immune system and aging. In fact, no less a personage then Dr. Luc Montagnier, co-discover of HIV 1 & 2 virus, has been conducting research on this natural immune booster.
Dr. Montagnier recommends using FPP as part of a tri-therapy (including antibiotics) that reduces the proliferation of the virus and stimulates the immune system. Since FPP has antioxidant and immuno-stimulative properties, it seems like an obvious choice for a combined approach to combating AIDS. Because of the higher free radical production in stage II of HIV infection, Montagnier believes that reducing this oxidative stress at the earliest stage of HIV infection may be a key factor.
In HIV-infected patients, the glutathione system is depressed even at the early stages. As part of a combination treatment, FPP increased the numbers of CF4 lymphocytes helped with weight gain and increased hemoglobin levels.
One scientific study showed the ability of FPP to inhibit dangerous hydroxyl and hydroxyl-like free radicals, while enhancing the production of protective super oxide. Other research by Dr. Lester Packer, a professor of Molecular Pharmacology and Toxicology at the
And, in one randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, patients with cirrhosis of the liver were given FPP or a placebo. The results showed that 81.2% of the patients survived in the FPP group compared to 38.5% of participants in the placebo group.
These studies and many others like it, show that FPP can neutralize the effects of oxidative stress on disease states as well as slowing the normal aging process.
Q. So if we can prevent oxidative damage to our cells AND prevent decline in our immune systems, how much longer can we expect to live?
A. Most theories of aging and almost all researchers who study aging claim there IS a limit to how long the human body can remain viable. However, the oldest age achieved so far was 128 by a woman named Ma Pampo who lived in the
Right now, Japanese women have the longest life span of any country in the world, with an average life expectancy of 85.93 years. Japanese men live an average 78.87 years.
Q. Is FPP safe?
A. Yes, it is. Many health-conscious people in
Q. What is the recommended dosage level of FPP?
A. Dosages of FPP vary depending on individual needs and usage. For basic anti-aging support, 3 grams per day is fine. For additional support, up to 9 grams per day is recommended. To add a boost to your immune system when you need it, start out with 6-9 grams a day for the first 2-3 days (at the beginning of a cold, for example) and then move back down to 3 grams per day.
For individuals looking for optimum immune support, Dr. Montagnier advises morning and evening doses, preferably on an empty stomach.
Conclusion
As
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1555) The Awesome Foursome: Coenzyme Q10, D-Ribose, L-Carnitine, and Magnesium
Date:
May 18, 2007 01:06 PM
The Awesome Foursome: Coenzyme Q10, L-Carnitine,
D-Ribose, Magnesium
The “Awesome Foursome” of Coenzyme Q10, L-Carnitine, D-Ribose, and magnesium helps our hearts metabolize energy more efficiently and protects them from the stress of cardiovascular disease. This powerful combination of nutrients goes directly to the basic biochemistry of cellular energy metabolism. Now let’s take a closer look at how Coenzyme Q10, L-Carnitine, D-Ribose, and magnesium work in synergy to promote cardiovascular health.
Coenzyme Q10:
Energy Recycling through the Electron Transport Chain
Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the mitochondrial membrane, mitochondrial DNA, and cell walls from free-radical attack. But its most important function in the body is its central role in energy metabolism.
Most – about 90 percent – of the ATP used by cells is recycled as food (fuel) and oxidized in the mitochondria. Fatty acids, carbohydrates, and, occasionally, proteins are carried across the mitochondrial membrane and enter the Krebs’ cycle, moving from step to step and spinning off electrons. These electrons are then handed off to the electron transport chain, where, in the presence of oxygen, the energy from the electrons is captured as a phosphate group is added to ADP to form ATP. This recycling of ATP is called oxidative phosphorylation, and the by-products of these pathways are CO2 and water.
In this fashion, Coenzyme Q10 acts as a gatekeeper of electrons, making sure they are carried to just the right place to pass on their life-giving energy.
What is critical, however, is the simple fact that without Coenzyme Q10 the electron transport chain would totally break down. And since the electron transport chain is (by far!) the largest contributor to cellular energy turnover, its loss would be catastrophic. It is also important to know that there has to be an excess of Coenzyme Q10 in the mitochondria to be maximally effective. Having just enough isn’t sufficient to do the job properly, and having a deficiency seriously affects the mitochondria’s ability to supply the cell with energy.
Cellular stress can cause Coenzyme Q10 deficiency, which places a severe strain on Coenzyme Q10 availability. People with heart disease, hypertension, gingival disease, Parkinson’s disease, and the other disorders we’ve discussed are known to be deficient in Coenzyme Q10. Whether these deficiencies are the cause or the effect of these varied medical problems, the end result is that they sap the life out of their mitochondria and reduce their energy supplies. You see, Coenzyme Q10 cannot function properly if electrons are not coming out of the Krebs’ cycle, and the Krebs’ cycle won’t work without the fuel that’s transported into the mitochondria by L-Carnitine.
L-Carnitine:
Transporting the Cellular Energy Fuel
Fatty acids are the preferred energy fuel for hearts and most other cells in the body. L-Carnitine facilitates the beta oxidation of fatty acids as energy fuel. And since fatty acids are the preferred fuel for energy recycling in cells, this action is critical to cell and tissue function. Unfortunately, L-carnitine is deficient in people with heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, lipid metabolic disorders, mitochondrial disorders, and many other disease syndromes we reviewed earlier. This L-carnitine deficiency disrupts the normal metabolism of fatty acids, reducing available energy supplies and leading to the accumulation of toxic by-products of fatty acid metabolism. L-carnitine supplementation revives fatty acid metabolism and restore normal mitochondrial function. But even this powerful improvement in cellular energy metabolism cannot up for the energy drain that comes from the loss of energy substrates caused by low oxygen delivery to the tissue. Only D-Ribose can do that.
D-Ribose:
Rebuilding the Cellular Energy Pool
As long as cells and tissues have plenty of oxygen, the pool of energy substrates in the cell remains high. And as long as there is enough L-carnitine and Coenzyme Q10 available, the process of energy utilization and supply can proceed unimpeded. However, the cellular supply of oxygen can be restricted by acute or chronic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, any number of skeletal – or neuromuscular diseases, or even high-intensity exercise.
When cells are deprived of oxygen the mitochondrial energy turnover becomes inefficient. Remember, oxygen is required to let the oxidative pathway of energy recycling work properly. If the mitochondria are not able to recycle energy efficiently, cellular energy supply cannot keep pace with demand. But the cell has a continuing need for energy so it will use all its ATP stores and then break down the by-product, adenosine diphosphate (ADP), to pull the remaining energy out of this compound as well. What’s left is adenosine menophosphate (AMP). Since a growing concentration of AMP is incompatible with sustained cellular function it’s quickly broken apart and the by-products are washed out of the cell. The net result of this process is a depletion of the cellular pool of energy substrates. When the by-products of AMP catabolism are washed out of the cell, they are lost forever. It takes a long time to replace these lost energy substrates even if the cell is fully perfused with oxygen again.
Ribose is the only compound used by the body to refill this energy pool. Every cell in the body has the capacity to make ribose, but hearts, muscles, and most other tissues lack the metabolic machinery to make ribose quickly when the cells are stressed by oxygen depletion or metabolic insufficiency. Ribose is made naturally in the cells from glucose. In stressed cells, however, glucose is preferentially metabolized for the energy turnover and is not available for ribose synthesis. So when energy pools are drained from stressed cells, the cells must first wait for the slow process of ribose synthesis before they can begin to replace their lost energy stores.
Acute ischemia, like that which takes place during a heart attack, heart surgery, or angioplasty, drains the cell of energy. Even when oxygenated blood flow returns, refilling the energy pool may take ten or more days. But when oxygen deprivation is chronic, or when energy metabolism is disrupted by disease, there may be so much continual strain on the energy supply that the pool can ever refill without the assistance of supplemental ribose. Conditions like ischemic heart disease or congestive heart failure fall into this category. In these situations, supplementing the tissue with exogenous ribose is the only way the cell can keep up with the energy drain.
Magnesium:
Switching on the Energy Enzymes
Magnesium is an essential mineral that's critical for energy requiring processes, in protein synthesis, membrane integrity, nervous tissue conduction, neuromuscular excitation, muscle contraction, hormone secretion, maintenance of vascular tone, and in intermediary metabolism. Deficiency may lead to changes in neuromuscular, cardiovascular, immune, and hormonal function; Impaired energy metabolism; and reduced capacity for physical work. Magnesium deficiency is now considered to contribute to many diseases, and the role for magnesium as a therapeutic agent is expanding.
Magnesium deficiency reduces the activity of important enzymes used in energy metabolism. Unless we have adequate levels of magnesium in our cells, the cellular processes of energy metabolism cannot function. Small changes in magnesium levels can have a substantial effect on heart and blood vessel function. While magnesium is found in most foods - particularly vegetables - deficiencies are increasing. Softened water and a trend toward lower vegetable consumption are the culprits contributing to these rising deficiencies.
Supporting the Links in The Energy Cycle Chain – the Synergy
Clearly, each membrane of the “Awesome Foursome” is fundamental to cellular energy metabolism in its own right. Each plays a unique and vital role in supplying the heart with the energy it needs to preserve its contractile force. Each is independently effective in helping hearts work through the stress of disease. And while each contributes immeasurable to the energy health of the cell, in combination they are unbeatable. Allow me to reiterate the step-by-step, complicated cellular processes involved to be sure that you really understand the rationale for using these nutrients.
The cell needs a large, sustained, and healthy pool of energy to fuel all its metabolic functions. Contraction, relaxation, maintenance of cellular ion balance, and synthesis of macromolecules, like proteins, all require a high energy charge to carry their reactions to completion. The energy pool must be preserved, or these fundamental cellular functions will become inefficient or will cease to operate altogether. To keep the pool vibrant and healthy, the cell needs ribose. But even with supplemental ribose, the cell needs the efficient turnover of its energy stores to balance ongoing energy utilization with supply. That’s where CoQ10 and L-carnitine come into play.
The converse is also true. Even if the cell is fully charged with energy, cellular energy supply will not keep pace with demand if the mitochondria are not functioning properly. CoQ10 and L-carnitine work to keep mitochondrial operations running at peak efficiency, and one side cannot work effectively without the other. Even though CoQ10 and L-carnitine can make the energy turnover mechanisms work more efficiently, they cannot increase the cell’s chemical driving force, and their action will be only partially effective. Ribose on the other hand, can keep the energy pool supplied with substrate, but the value of energy pool repletion cannot be fully realized if the substrate cannot be maximally utilized and recycled. Ribose fills the tank; CoQ10 an L-carnitine help the engine run properly.
Magnesium is the glue that holds energy metabolism together. By turning on the enzymes that drive the metabolic reactions, magnesium allows it all to happen.
These four nutrients must be utilized by cardiologists and other physicians as they treat patients day-to-day. On my own journey, using Coenzymes Q10 for two decades, L-carnitine for more than ten years, D-Ribose for two years, and magnesium equally as long, I’ve seen this “Awesome Foursome” reduce suffering and improve the quality of life for thousands of patients.
The future of nutrition in conventional medicine is very bright, although the integration of nutritional supplements has been a slow and, at times, lonely process.
L-carnitine and Coenzyme Q10 are finally gaining the recognition they deserve. D-Ribose is emerging as a new player in the complex understanding of metabolic cardiology, and doctors are beginning to discuss the important role of magnesium deficiency in heart patients. As a practicing cardiologist for over thirty years, I see metabolic cardiology as the future for the treatment of heart disease and other complex disease conditions, as well.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1539) Breast Cancer and Natural Supplements
Date:
May 11, 2007 10:47 AM
Breast Cancer and Nutritional Supplements
There is probably nothing more frightening for a woman than the discovery of a lump in her breast. Cancer and all its consequences quickly come to mind. This quick association may materialize, in part, because no woman is immune. Most have a friend, a sister, a mother, or a coworker who has been diagnosed with the disease. And they know how difficult dealing with this disease can be. Fortunately, 80% of all breast lumps are not cancerous. Most are cysts or a benign clump of tissue.
Over her lifetime, a woman’s breasts undergo many, many changes. From before puberty and on, breast tissue is continually evolving. Breasts often feel different before menstrual cycle, returning to normal a few days after. Pregnancy certainly causes changes in a woman’s breasts, as does breastfeeding. And as women age, breast tissue becomes less dense.
Because of these continual changes, breast tissue especially requires adequate nutrition. While everyone benefits from a healthy diet, there are additional nutrients from which women can specifically benefit.
In this issue of Ask the Doctor, we will discuss breast cancer and the vast amount of research that has explored the role nutrition plays in this serious and still deadly disease. Specifically, we will discuss how two B vitamins, calcium D-glucarate, broccoli extract, green tea, maitake mushrooms, and iodine can all help prevent breast cancer.
Q. How can these nutrients prevent breast cancer?
A. Scientists learn a lot about disease from simply observing what is happening around them. One observation that has been recognized for many years is that certain cultures have very low incidence of breast cancer. Women n
Moms (and dads) have also learned a lot about diseases simply by observing what is happening in their families. They have notices that certain vegetables play a large role in the prevention of all types of diseases, including cancer. And, accordingly, they have been urging their offspring to eat their vegetables for several generations.
Building on these observations, scientists have designed and carried out many studies to determine what it is about these nutrients that can prevent breast cancer. What they have discovered, so far, follows. Let’s start with the B vitamins.
Vitamin B12
Deficiencies of this vitamin can result in a serious type of anemia. Nerve damage can also occur if B12 levels are too low. Researchers are now investigating whether breast cancer may, in part, be caused by a B12 deficiency as well.
At
Another study, this one taking place in a laboratory setting, discovered that vitamin B12, applied directly against experimental breast cancer cells, actually stopped the cancer cells from growing. The researchers conducting the experiment believe that giving vitamin B12 to women with breast cancer as part of a chemotherapy regime, might help keep the cancer in check.
Folic Acid
Low folic acid intake is linked to the development of all cancers. This is because folic acid is crucial to the making and continual repair of DNA, the molecule that carries our genetic code. A recent study discovered that high intakes of folic acid might actually reduce the risk of breast cancer. The researchers looked at the diets of over 2600 women. During interviews with the researchers, the women reported what they usually ate. Once the data was collected, the results showed that women, who ate lots of foods that contained folic acid, had much lower rates of breast cancer.
There is no clear-cut, single cause of breast cancer. Many factors are required for the disease to appear. One such factor is estrogen. A recent study showed that women who developed breast cancer tended to have higher levels of estrogen circulating in their bodies than women without breast cancer. This means that women who got their periods before age eleven or entered menopause after age fifty-five have a higher risk of breast cancer. This also supports the theory that the number of menstrual cycles a woman has affects her risk for breast cancer.
Another factor is drinking alcohol. Because alcohol raises estrogen levels, if a woman consumes even moderate amounts of alcohol her risk of breast cancer also is increased. The link between alcohol and breast cancer may even be stronger than other dietary links. However, an important study has discovered that folic acid may uncouple this link.
A very large study of over 34,000 women recently studied the effect of folic acid on the risk of breast cancer. This project was part of the Nurses’ Health Study, an ongoing, long-term study that looks at nutrition’s role in the development of disease. The women in the folic acid and breast cancer study were followed for 12 years. The participants completed detailed food questionnaires that provided the researchers with important data.
The women were divided into four groups:
1. Women with low folic acid levels and drink alcohol
2. Women with high folic acid levels and rink alcohol
3. Women with low folic acid levels and don’t drink alcohol
4. Women with high folic acid levels and don’t drink alcohol
Within these four groups the women were further divided into subgroups according to the amount of alcohol they consumed each day and their specific folic acid intake.
The researchers found that women who consumed the lowest amounts of folic acid and drank at least one alcoholic beverage a day had the highest rate of breast cancer. In contrast, women who had high intakes of folic acid and also drank at least one alcoholic beverage a day, had the same rate of breast cancer as the women with high folic acid intakes who did not drink. In other words, women who had high levels of folic acid in their diet erased their alcohol-related increase in breast cancer risk.
Calcium D-Glucarate
It seems estrogen can be both friend and foe. While women need the hormone to soften skin, thicken hair, and fill out hips and breasts, estrogen can also nourish breast tumors, helping them grow bigger, stronger, and more deadly. Thanks, in part, to good nutrition, American women get their periods early and go through menopause alter in life. Women today also have fewer pregnancies; families with one or two children are quite common.
All of these factors increase the time women’s bodies are exposed to estrogen. As we discussed before, longer exposure means increased opportunities for estrogen to cause trouble. It is also a troubling fact of modern life that we are continuously exposed to cancer-causing chemicals and toxins. These toxins come in part from contaminants in the food we eat and pollutants in the air we breathe.
The body does have a system that eliminates some of the excess estrogen and toxic chemicals before they can cause harm. In the liver, they are bound or attached to a chemical called glucuronic acid. The bound toxin or estrogen is then excreted in bile and eventually eliminated as a waste product in the stool.
However, an enzyme called beta-glucuronidase can break this bond between estrogen and glucuronic acid. When this happens, the hormone or toxin is released from its bone, capable of causing harm once more. Increased beta-glucuronidase activity is associated with an increased risk for various cancers, particularly hormone-dependant cancers like breast cancer.
Fortunately, scientists have discovered that a natural substance found in foods calcium D-glucarate (CDG) can stop the activity of beta-glucuonidase. CDG keeps the harmful estrogen bound to glucuronidase. While CDG is found in fruits and vegetables, the amounts may not be sufficient to maintain effective levels to stop beta-glucuronidase.
CDG has been shown in experimental studies to significantly stop beast cancer growth. And several human trials are currently underway with CDG to determine its capability to decrease the breast cancer risk in women at high risk for the disease.
Iodine
There are some very interesting connections between breast tissue and thyroid tissue. Iodine is an essential trace element present in a hormone of the thyroid gland and is involved in several metabolic functions. One iodine function is the protection of breast tissue from cancerous cells.
In a laboratory study, researchers exposed breast cancer cells and breast tissue without any cancer to a type of seaweed that contains high levels of iodine. The seaweed killed all of the cancerous cells, yet did not harm the normal breast cells. Japanese women frequently eat this type of seaweed and have very low rates of breast cancer. The study’s researchers believe one reason for this low incidence of breast cancer may be the iodine in the seaweed.
And, for some as yet unknown reasons, women who have thyroid cancer are at higher risk of developing breast cancer. While they are unsure why this happens, researchers are continuing to study this link, and support of healthy thyroid function remains an important consideration.
Broccoli
For quite some time, scientists have observed that cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, significantly reduce the risk of disease, including cancer. It seems a phytochemical in broccoli sulforaphane, is one of the chemicals responsible for this beneficial activity. Sulforaphane increases certain enzymes in the body called phase 2 enzymes that deactivate cancer-causing chemicals.
Breast cancer cells exposed to sulforaphane in several lab experiments showed that the compound inhibited the growth of the cancer cells up to 80 percent. Researchers are in the process of setting up clinical trials to study sulforaphane’s effect in women who have breast cancer.
Green Tea
There is a tall amount of research, including finding from the Nurses’ Health Study, that suggest green tea beverage consumption is associated with a lower incidence of breast cancer. In fact, researchers have long noted the low rates of breast cancer in
The active compound in green tea responsible for breast cancer inhibition is epigallocatechin-3 gallate or EGCG. When breast cancer cells are exposed to EGCG in lab experiments, the cells stop growing, lose their ability to replicate, and die.
In a recent study, researchers discovered that drinking green tea prevented the recurrence of breast cancer in women who have previously been diagnosed and treated for the disease. This study involved over 1100 Japanese women. The women who drank green tea every day had very low rates of their breast cancer returning.
Maitake Mushrooms
For thousands of years, maitake mushrooms have been linked to good health in those who eat them. Called “dancing mushrooms” (possibly due to their wavy, rippling appearance or possibly due to the little dance of joy mushroom hunters perform when they find them in the woods), maitakes contain an important compound called D-fraction.
Not only does the D-fraction in maitake mushrooms stop the growth of cancerous tumors, it also alerts and stimulates immune cells (including macrophages and natural killer cells) to fight the disease. Maitake also inhibits some of the mechanism that promotes metastasis, or spread, of cancer cells in the lymph and bloodstream.
Because of this success, maitake is now being used in clinical trials of women with breast cancer. One study reported significant improvement of symptoms, including reduction of the tumor. The maitake was given to breast cancer patients in addition to standard chemotherapy.
Q. Should these nutrients be used in place of traditional treatment for breast cancer?
A. Absolutely not. None of these nutrients can cure breast cancer. However, they can be a part of a validated plan of treatment. If you have breast cancer, talk to your health care practitioner about these nutrients. Remember, nutritional supplements are just that: supplements to food, medication, and treatment. They are intended to enhance and prevent, not replace.
Conclusion
Despite apprehension in performing self-breast exams, women are very proactive in their health. Yearly mammograms and pap tests have been an important part of their lives for many years, and newer and more accurate diagnoses are emerging. The prevention of health problems in themselves and their families has always been a high priority for women. And for women, nutrition has played an important part of health problem prevention.
Nutritionally speaking, what benefits your breasts benefit your whole body. However, as we have learned, there are specific links between nutrition and developing breast cancer that seem to be fairly strong.
Making a few changes may reduce the risk of developing the disease. The nutrients listed here, vitamin B12, folic acid, calcium d-glucarate, iodine, broccoli, green tea, and maitake mushrooms can be an important part of a woman’s preventative health regimen.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1537) Turmeric and Alzheimer’s Disease
Date:
May 10, 2007 12:38 PM
Turmeric and Alzheimer’s Disease
In
Compare these findings to people over the age of 65 living in the
So what are people who are living in
Q. How can curry prevent these changes in the brain? Isn’t that a lot to expect from a spice?
A. Evidently, it’s not too much to expect from this spice. Curry comes from the turmeric plant – Curcuma longa is the plant’s official name. Curcumin, a plant compound in turmeric, is the source of curry’s instantly recognizable bright yellow pigment. When it comes to the scientific research of Curcuma longa, the terms curcumin and turmeric are both used. Both refer to the same thing- tumeric extract.
There have been more than 1300 studies on tumeric and its health benefits for humans. Research has shown tumeric is able to help the body get rid of cancer-causing toxins. Turmeric also blocks estrogen receptors and enzymes that promote cancer. And it’s been found to stop the growth of new blood vessels in cancerous tumors – an important factor in keeping cancer from getting larger and spreading throughout the body.
But one of turmeric’s most exciting health benefits is its ability to reduce, prevent, and stop inflammation. While inflammation is a normal and needed response to injury or disease, chronic inflammation can cause damage to tissues. And researchers are now finding inflammation plays a huge role in Alzheimer’s disease.
Q. I’ve always heard that Alzheimer’s disease was caused by complex growths in the brain called plaques and tangles. How can simple inflammation cause such a devastating disease?
A. You are right. Plaques and tangles are indeed the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. But researchers looking at the brain damage caused by Alzheimer’s have always noted the presence of inflammation wherever plaques and tangles form. In the past, this inflammation was thought to be simply a consequence of Alzheimer’s disease. Now scientists believe the inflammation itself starts a chain reaction ultimately contributing to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
` When cells in the brain are disrupted by inflammation, amyloid, and a protein normally found in the brain, beings to act chaotically. This chaos results in the creation of beta-amyloid, protein that is toxic to cells in the brain. Sticky deposits of beta0amyloid build up and collect around the cells, making dense clumps or plaques. Because the brain can’t break the plaques down and get rid of them, they stay right where they are and slowly accumulate.
Tangles result when long protein fibers that act like scaffolding for brain cells begin to twist and tangle. The cell is damaged and eventually dies. But the tangled proteins remain in the brain even after the dead neuron has been cleared away. And inflammation might be the culprit causing the long protein fibers to start tangling.
The consequence of these abnormalities of protein in the brain is more than the cell death they cause. They also act as roadblocks interfering with electrochemical messengers being shot from cell to cell. Therefore, the remaining healthy cells’ activity is diminished as well.
Research of identical twins has repeatedly shown that if one twin has Alzheimer’s disease, the other has a 60% chance of developing the disease, too. Scientists from the Karolinska Institute in
In fact, the inflammatory process might occur years before the onset of Alzheimer’s, and be the result of any number of infections people can contract. That’s why current research is searching for ways to protect brain cells from inflammation. And why some countries have low rates of Alzheimer’s disease, like
Q. Why curry? Couldn’t other lifestyle difference account for the low rates of Alzheimer’s disease in
A. That’s a good question. When researchers begin studying a disease, like Alzheimer’s, they look for trends to help them determine how and why the disease occurs. For example, we all now know the connection between cigarettes smoking and long cancer. But, it wasn’t until the 1930’s that doctors noticed the trend fro cigarette smokers to have more lung cancer than people who didn’t smoke.
So it has been with researchers studying Alzheimer’s disease. They know Alzheimer’s disease has an important connection to inflammation. They also know turmeric reduces inflammation. And when researchers noticed these trends – that people in India eat high amounts of curry from turmeric and have very little Alzheimer’s disease – they began to theorize that turmeric might be able to prevent or even treat the illness. And the research they designed around these trends has unequivocally found turmeric to be on common denominator.
Q. What have the turmeric studies shown so far?
A. Simply amazing findings are coming from curry research. Not only does turmeric slow down cancer growth, it’s also been found to correct the cystic fibrosis defect in mice, help prevent the onset of alcoholic liver disease, and may slow down other serious brain diseases like multiple sclerosis.
Researchers from the
And now the UCLA Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) is using turmeric in clinical trials and studying the effect of this powerful spice in patients diagnosed with this devastating disease. Clinical trials are the gold standard of medical research. But it’s rare in Alzheimer’s disease. And it’s even more rare when all-natural herbs and spices like turmeric are used in hopes the positive benefits will be discovered. The head of the UCLA’s research team was recently interviewed and stated that setting out to hopefully prove turmeric’s ability to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease was “tremendously exciting.”
Q. I recently read that one of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) was found to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Is this true?
A. Scientists recently studied ibuprofen, one of the NSAIDs investigated for Alzheimer’s disease Prevention. Ibuprofen belongs to a family of drugs that includes naproxen, indomethacin, nabumetone, and several others. These drugs are used most often to get rid of headaches, mild arthritis, and other kinds of pain and inflammation.
In the studies, the average dose of ibuprofen was 800mg a day. Patients took the product for two years. While the results suggested that ibuprofen might reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, ibuprofen’s side effects are too harmful to be a valid lifelong prevent aid treatment. Ibuprofen, like other NSAIDs, can cause gastrointestinal bleeding when used at high dosages over a long period of time. Long term use of ibuprofen can also lead to analgesic nephropathy, a kind of kidney damage caused by NSAIDs.
As we discussed earlier, turmeric appears to block and break up brain plaques that cause the disease and helps reverse some of the damage already present. Ibuprofen does not provide any protection against free radical damage. No anti-inflammatory medicine can do this.
Q. If I eat curry will I be protected against Alzheimer’s disease? There aren’t many foods or recipes I make that require curry, do I need to eat it every day? And how much do I need?
A. If you enjoy Indian cuisine, by all means, enjoy these delicious foods. You’ll benefit your brain and your appetite. But you make a good point, American meals rarely contain curry. That’s why supplements that contain extracts are suddenly quite popular. In fact, there are numerous turmeric/curcumin supplements on the market today.
But like all nutritional supplements, some turmeric supplements are superior to others. You need to read their labels to make sure the turmeric extract you are buying will provide the protection you need. Look for high-potency turmeric extract from turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome. And make sure the extract is standardized to contain 90% curcuminoids, the active ingredient in turmeric responsible for the positive research findings.
Conclusion
Researchers once thought that preventing for Alzheimer’s disease would elude them for decades. In fact, several scientists privately speculated the disease might never be ameliorated. They thought the origin of the disease was too complex and the symptoms of the disease were too profound.
That’s why ongoing research on turmeric is so exciting. A safe, natural, and effective way to protect against Alzheimer’s disease almost seems too good to be true. But, the nation of
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1535) Memory And Focus
Date:
May 08, 2007 02:05 PM
Memory & Focus
Some people think getting older often means getting slower. It’s true that as we age, we may find we can’t walk quite as fast, climb as many flights of stairs, or play sports as hard as we could when we were twenty. However, we k now that a healthy diet, regular exercise, and the right dietary supplements can make a huge difference in our health, strength, and mobility as we age.
This is true for our mental abilities as well. We may not think as quickly as we used to, might misplace our keys more often, and experience more “tip-of-my-tongue” word searches. These so-called “middle-aged moments” most often have minor consequences: a missed appointment or the forgotten name of an acquaintance. However, in a small number of cases, these mental slips can also be the first sign of serious diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer’s disease of other dementias.
The good news is, just like our physical health, we can improve how we function mentally. Eating healthy foods, taking the right supplements, and participating in regular mental exercise can significantly increase our mental endurance, improve our memory, and optimize our ability to focus.
In fact, groundbreaking and ongoing research has discovered that specific herbs and vitamins, particularly Ginkgo Biloba, Bacopa monnieri, folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12, and the important co-enzyme and antioxidant, alpha lipoic acid, all have powerful effects on memory and focus. These nutritional supplements have been scientifically shown to quickly reduce mild age-related memory chances, as well as greatly reducing the risk of developing more serious problems like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or other brain diseases later on in life.
Q. What is the difference between age related memory decline and dementia?
A. As we get older, our nerve cells need more time to spark and connect, slowing the process of bringing memories and events to mind. Another theory is that, as we age, we accumulate more knowledge and memories. The mind then has to sort through much more data to reference a memory. Almost everyone middle-aged and older notices this slowdown. Memory decline and problems with mental focus are a normal part of aging.
While it’s true that the older we get, our chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease increase, this illness is not a normal part of aging. Alzheimer’s is an irreversible, progressive dementia that slowly kills nerve cells in areas of the brain where memory, learning, though, and language take place. Often first appearing as people begin retirement, Alzheimer’s disease makes the “golden years” a time of loss and devastation. Memories vanish, relationships are erased, and independence is gradually lost.
After Alzheimer’s disease, the second most common cause of dementia in older people is multi-infarct dementia. Caused by a series of mini-strokes that damage or destroy brain tissue over time, multi-infarct dementia usually affects people between the ages of 60 and 75. Men are slightly more at risk. High blood pressure is the most significant risk factor for multi-infarct dementia.
Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, strokes, Huntington’s disease, Creutzfelt-Jakob disease, and alcoholism can also cause progressive and irreversible dementia.
While normal age-related memory and focus loss may mean we can’t remember where we put our car keys, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia may mean we can’t remember what our car keys are used for.
Q. Are any types of memory and focus loss reversible?
A. Yes. As women enter menopause, they frequently experience trouble remembering. This memory interference is caused by hormone fluctuations and can affect speech, thinking, and attention. Symptoms of menopause-related memory loss and poor focus include recognizing faces less well than in the past, missing scheduled appointments, and misplacing articles. Once a woman passes through menopause, her ability to remember and focus most often improves.
Certain medications, such as the heavily prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs called stains, can temporarily interfere with memory. Low vitamin B levels, artherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and thyroid disease can cause disruption of mental focus and memory loss. These problems usually resolve with treatment of the underlying disorder.
A certain type of stoke, called a transient ischemic attack (TIA) can cause memory loss that may be reversible. A TIA is a brief episode of stroke symptoms that come on quickly. Sometimes referred to as a “mini-stroke” or “warning stroke,” a TIA is caused by a temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain. But, unlike a stroke, a TIA does not lead to permanent brain damage. While a TIA is usually short-lived, it is likely to occur again if not properly managed and can be a warning of future stroke.
Q. I seem to forget a lot of things. How can I be sure I don’t have Alzheimer’s disease or some other dementia?
A. If you, or other around you, are concerned about your memory, you should be examined by your health care practitioner. Once the cause of your memory and focus problem is diagnosed, treatment can begin. All causes of memory loss and mental focus disruption can be treated, even Alzheimer’s disease. While presently irreversible dementias cannot be cured, the progression of the disease may be slowed, and in some cases, stopped..
Research on memory loss and mental focus disruption has increased dramatically in the past few years. Discoveries regarding Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, as well as age-related loss of memory and focus have recently been made. Most importantly, many new treatment options, including the use of nutritional supplements, have been developed.
Q. How can nutritional supplements improve memory and focus?
A. Several herbs and vitamins have been demonstrated to improve memory and mental focus. While some nutritional supplements work now to improve memory and focus, others work to prevent problems we might develop later.
One of the most researched herbs, Ginkgo biloba, has been found to be effective in improving currently experienced memory and focus loss; in other words, problems we are having now. Ginkgo has been studied in individuals who have age-related memory loss, as well as in those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. It seems that ginkgo can improve many brain functions, such as speeding up memory recall, protecting brain cells from chemical changes and free radical damage, improving blood flow to the brain, and helping nerve cells communicate with each other better.
Several studies examined ginkgo’s effect in healthy people who were experiencing normal age-related memory and focus problems. They determined that ginkgo improved memory, attention, and clarity of thinking. Ginkgo can also help restore memories that may be lost in TIAs, those mini-strokes that were discussed earlier.
In studies of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, the results showed that ginkgo slowed down the disease in those severely afflicted and actually improved those with very mild or moderate disease. In one of these studies, ginkgo was compared to four prescription cholinesterase inhibitors, medications commonly used to treat individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Using written mental tests, the researchers found that ginkgo worked just as effectively as the prescription drugs. While those taking one of the cholinesterase inhibitors dropped out of the study because of disturbing side effects, ginkgo had no side effects and improved symptoms equally as well.
Q. Hoe does Bacopa monnieri help memory and focus?
A. Like ginkgo, bacopa works on the memory and focus problems we are experiencing now. Bacopa grows in
Q. How does alpha lipoic acid help memory and focus?
A. Alpha lipoic acid (
Researchers have discovered unmistakable free radical damage in Alzheimer’s disease. Accordingly,
In a recent study, people with Alzheimer’s disease were given tests that measured through and memory. They were then given
Q. How do vitamins B12 and B6 help memory and focus?
A. Vitamin B6 is an essential nutrient in the regulation of nerve transmissions. It is required by the nervous system for normal brain function, and it may also help with mood.
Like
Researchers have learned that people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias (including Parkinson’s disease) have elevated homocysteine levels. IN fact, t he amount of homocysteine in the blood corresponds to the severity of the disease. Most people with a high homocysteine level don’t have enough folate, vitamin B5 or vitamin B12 in their diet. Replacing these vitamins helps return the homocysteine level to normal.
Reducing homocysteine levels may prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease, or other brain diseases, and improve the symptoms of those already afflicted.
Q. What about folic acid?
A. Folic acid has long been recognized as a vital nutrient for the brain and spinal cord. Recent research has demonstrated that folic acid has significant importance in Alzheimer’s disease.
An ongoing study of Alzheimer’s disease that began in 1986 has been studying 678 members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in the hopes of learning how the disease develops, how it might be prevented, and how to treat it. Data collected in the study includes biographies the sisters wrote upon entrance to the order, blood samples from the sisters while they are living, and information gained from the voluntary donation of their brains after death.
Aptly named the “Nun Study,” ground breaking discoveries have already been made. It seems that diet and nutrition have a dramatic influence in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Sisters who had high levels of folic acid showed little evidence of Alzheimer’s-type damage in their brains after death. And, those nuns who had Alzheimer’s disease in spite of high folic acid levels had profoundly less brain damage from the disease. In fact, some sisters who had no outward evidence of Alzheimer’s disease while they were living had surprisingly extensive damage in their brains after death.
Q. Besides taking ginkgo, bacopa, B vitamins, folic acid, and ALA, is there other things I can do to prevent Alzheimer’s disease?
A. You may not know if you have a serious B-vitamin deficiency. Routine lab work does not measure the amount of B vitamins in your blood. You might want to ask your health care practitioner to have your B vitamin level in your blood measured, especially if you are having memory and focus problems. Keep in mind that this type of lab work is fairly expensive, however.
Supplements do not replace the need for a healthy diet, especially a diet with high levels of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and omega-3 fatty acids. Keeping your body healthy helps keep your brain healthy as well.
It also seems that the use-it-or-lose-it theory applies to our brain as well as our body. Research has shown that people who seek opportunities to keep mentally active, such as reading books, newspapers, and magazines, solving crossword puzzles, playing card games, and visiting museums, lower their risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Conclusion
Dealing with age-related memory loss may be both frustrating and frightening. As the population of
In fact, more and more research shows prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is a reality. And age-related memory loss can successfully be improved as well. Taking the scientifically validated nutritional supplements ginkgo, bacopa, vitamins B6 and B12, folic acid, and
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1533) Selecting the Right Probiotic is the Key to proper digestion
Date:
May 05, 2007 01:16 PM
Selecting the Right Probiotic is the Key
Do you ever think about what goes into your body each day? You should. One of the key to feeling good and being healthy s eating nutritious food and making sure our gastrointestinal (GI) tract has the tools it needs to optimally digest and absorb nutrients. The GI tract includes the stomach and intestines, which work to digest foods and eliminate waste.
A variety of “good” intestinal bacteria helps to keep the digestive system running. These “good” bacteria are called probiotic bacteria, or probiotics. Probiotics digest food, process waste, and keep the “bad” bacteria – which have the potential to cause disease and illness – in check.
This issue of Ask the Doctor will look at the probiotic bacteria that play an important role in maintaining our health and wellness: we need them, what they can do for us, and how to make sure we are getting enough. Also, we will talk about an exciting process that truly delivers probiotic bacteria taken in nutritional supplements. Encapsulated in a pearl-like sphere, they survive transport to the intestines, set up house, and exert their beneficial effects. As we will see, probiotic supplementation can help prevent and treat many different illnesses, unless the beneficial bacteria reach the intestines alive and active, the supplement is worthless.
Q. I thought bacteria were bad. How can bacteria be good for us?
A. Some kinds of bacteria do cause illnesses and disease in humans. “Strep” throat is an example of an illness caused by bacteria.
However, the majority of bacteria do not cause disease. In fact, there are types of bacteria that are actually beneficial. “Good” bacteria, known as probiotic bacteria, are used in the manufacturing of food and beverages. Some examples of foods that have probiotic food ingredients are buttermilk, yogurt, cheese, sausage, and acidophilus milk.
These same kinds of probiotic bacteria are present in our intestines and help to keep the digestive system running by digesting food and processing waste.
Q. What are probiotics?
A. Probiotics are live bacteria that are non-toxic and do not cause disease (non-pathogenic).
Some of the best-understood probiotic bacteria include members of the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium groups. Because of the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium’s ability to break down lactose, these probiotic bacteria are also known as lactic acid bacteria. Both of these types of probiotic bacteria are well studied and are available in both food and dietary supplements.
Q. Is there a difference between the probiotic bacteria that is found in yogurt, and in nutritional supplements?
A. Actually, the bacteria that are in yogurt, our intestine, and most natural supplements are the same types of probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria longum. Because of this, these bacteria are referred in a generic sense as probiotics. So, the term probiotics may refer to the “good” bacteria that are present in food or that live in our intestine, or that are part of a natural supplement.
Q. Where do these probiotic bacteria come from?
A. As recently as the middle of the last century, bacteria found naturally in food ingredients were used to make a fermented food product. For example, the example, the lactic acid bacteria found naturally in milk were used to make cheese. This was known as wild fermentation.
Wild fermentations are no longer used. Today, the probiotic bacteria used in food and natural supplements are harvested via a highly controlled fermentation process. This process results in high numbers of bacteria and ensures quality and purity of the bacteria.
Q. Why are probiotic bacteria important for digestive health?
A. Normal microflora (the term commonly used for intestinal bacteria) is associated with good health. An imbalance in this natural microflora (when the beneficial probiotics are outnumbered by the harmful bacteria) is frequently associated with various disease states such as yeast infections and colon cancer.
Eating foods or taking a nutritional supplement containing probiotic bacteria can help support and modify the composition of the large intestine microflora. Microflora of the large intestine assist digestion through fermentation (by making the intestines more inhospitable to invading bacteria species), protection against disease-causing bacteria, and stimulation of the immune system.
The probiotics, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria, occupy a central role in the intestinal and provide health benefits.
Q. How do probiotic bacteria help with digestion?
A. Lactose is an important sugar that is converted to lactic acid by lactic acid bacteria. Lactose intolerance results from an inability to digest lactose, due to the failure of small intestine mucosal cells to produce lactase, an enzyme needed to digest lactose. This often results because of genetics, gastrointestinal disease, or because of the decline in the amount of intestinal lactase levels associated with aging. Lactase deficient people accumulate non-absorbed lactose in the gastrointestinal tract, which draws water and electrolytes into the gut and speeds waste through the intestines, leading to bloating, cramping, and diarrhea.
Approximately 50 million people in the
Lactic acid bacteria have been shown to help the breakdown of lactose, specifically by enhancing the activity of lactase (beta galactosidase), which improves lactose digestion and tolerance. Furthermore, in a randomized, controlled clinical trial, Bifidobacteria longum was shown to assist in the breakdown of lactose and relieve the symptoms of lactose intolerance (flatulence) in people with lactose intolerance.
Q. What is the difference between digestive enzymes and probiotics? Can they be taken together?
A. Digestive enzymes, such as protease, amalyse, and lipase, act upon food, breaking it down into simpler components that can be used by the body for energy. Without enzymes, digestion could not take place. Therefore, the food that we eat could not be absorbed and utilized by our bodies.
Probiotics help the enzymes to digest food and process waste. In essence, probiotic bacteria and enzymes work together to ensure that the digestive tract is running smoothly. When taken together, enzymes assure greater levels of digestion absorption of your food, and probiotic bacteria aid the enzymes in digestion and keep problems in check.
Q. Is helping to ensure a healthy digestive system the only use for probiotics?
A. Absolutely not! Probiotic bacteria, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, have been found to help prevent vaginal yeast infections in women that suffer from these reoccurring infections.
Approximately 35% of vaginal infections are caused by the yeast. Candida albicans, Candida, is a fungus that is a component of the normal gastrointestinal microflora. However, Candida must not be allowed to increase in numbers. An overgrowth is associated with adverse health effects like vaginal infections, oral thrush, or even serious systematic yeast infections. Probiotics have been shown to keep levels of Candida in check.
Probiotic bacteria have also been demonstrated to have anti-cancer properties. In baa clinical study, colon cancer patients given Lactobacillus acidophilus fermented milk showed a significant increase in numbers of intestinal Lactobacilli and a decrease in risk factors associated with colon cancer.
Patients suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases, such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can benefit from probiotic bacteria supplementation. Studies have shown that probiotic bacteria assist in maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis and preventing reoccurrence of Crohn’s disease. Manipulating the intestinal flora may prove to be more effective and better tolerated than the drugs that are conventionally given to treat these diseases. I one study, Lactobacillus acidophilus was found to improve the intestinal barrier and clinical status in children suffering from Crohn’s disease.
Probiotics supplementation can also improve and prevent skin disease, such as eczema. Studies have shown that probiotic bacteria can actually control inflammation associated with skin conditions. In one study, infants with eczema who were given probiotic-supplemented formulas showed a significant improvement in skin condition.
The chart below summarizes some of the diseases and conditions that probiotic bacteria can help prevent and/or improve.
Q. How often should probiotics be taken to ensure optimal support of the digestion system?
A. Probiotic bacteria do not permanently colonize in the body. They need to be replenished by the consumption of foods containing probiotic bacteria or by taking a probiotic natural supplement. Whatever form you choose to replenish the intestinal probiotics, they need to be ingested daily for their health-promoting effects to continue.
Q. If I take a probiotic nutritional supplement, how many bacteria should a good quality supplement contain?
A. The critical factor is not how many bacteria that a supplement contains, but rather how many bacteria reach the intestines healthy, vigorous, and ready to work.
A good quality supplement will deliver at least 3 billion living, healthy probiotic bacteria per dose to your intestines. The bacteria in the probiotic natural supplement should be a mixture of both Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.
Again, the critical key to a good quality probiotic supplement is that the bacteria must be alive to work. Only living probiotic bacteria can colonize in the intestines. A good quality probiotic nutritional supplement will have GUARANTEED levels of live bacteria at the point of consumption. Inferior brands will merely state levels of live bacteria at the point of manufacture.
Recently, a private laboratory tested various probiotic nutritional supplements in the marketplace, including one utilizing a new process that encapsulates the bacteria in a spherical, pearl-like coating. Each of these supplements were best-selling brands, two of them were enteric coated, and all had label guarantees about potency. The lab counted the levels claimed by each manufacturer.
Q. Then how do I know I am getting what I pay for?
A. First, look for a product that has a “use by” date or an “expiration” date clearly stated on the package.
It is also important to look for a probiotic supplement that does not require refrigeration. Probiotic supplements that require refrigeration often have been subjected to warm temperatures during shipment and storage that will inevitably kill off some or all of the bacteria.
It is also important that the product label guarantees live bacteria at the time of purchase, not at the time of shipment or manufacturing. However, from the laboratory test discussed, we see that sometimes these written guarantees are not worth the paper they are written on. There is one scientifically validated process that truly delivers live and vigorous bacteria to the intestine. This process suspends the probiotic bacteria in a moist paste and immediately seals the bacteria in a perfectly seamless, spherical, gelatin ball. This bacterial paste is completely protected from air and dryness so the bacteria are alive until the specialized gelatin dissolves – in the intestines.
Q. Why is it important to dissolve only in the intestine?
A. Lactic acid bacteria are not very resistant to the acids of the stomach. The harsh environment of the stomach destroys the majority of these bacteria.
This pearly-like coating technology protects bacteria from the stomach acid. The sphere is specially developed to only dissolve in the intestines. Enteric coating is not enough as it does nothing to protect the bacteria while they wait for purchase on the shelf.
Q. What does this proprietary coating technology mean to me?
A. This specialized process is an expensive processing step, but it has many advantages to you.
The pearl-shaped spheres actually “seal” the bacteria in the capsule, which protects them from air. Probiotic bacteria are anaerobic, meaning they do not require oxygen to live. In fact, the presence of oxygen can actually injure or kill probiotic bacteria. In addition, the special coating’s ability to seal the bacteria in the capsule stimulates the need for the nutritional supplement to be refrigerated – though they can be kept in the refrigerator, if desired.
By protecting the bacteria on the shelf and in the stomach, the probiotic bacteria successfully reach the intestine. As a result, there will be a greater number of healthy, intact bacteria that can colonize in the intestine.
Conclusion
Many health care practitioners believe all health issues are related in some way to the process of digestion. Probiotics play a crucial role in improving our digestive health, which, in turn, is interconnected to every single function in our bodies.
Taking a probiotic supplement is an excellent way to replenish the good bacteria in your intestinal microflora. A quality probiotic product contains two different types of bacteria from Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria species with at least one billion live bacteria per dose.
But how do you know the bacteria re still alive? Look at the package. If there is no fate stamp, put it down. If it says the company guarantees there was a certain number alive at the time of manufacture, put it down. Tat means that the company is not willing to claim the bacteria are alive when delivered to the target site, the intestine. If the product must be constantly refrigerated, put it down. How do you know it didn’t sit in a truck for two days, or was in a warehouse before it was shipped to the health food store?
Find a probiotic that says the bacteria are guaranteed to be alive in the numbers stated on the label until the printed on the package. Find a product using unique, cutting edge science to deliver the probiotic bacteria in a form that uses spherical, sealed, triple coating to protect the bacteria. That company has gone to extra time and expense to make sure you reap the benefits that probiotics can offer.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1531) NHA/Washington Update - Statistics Lie
Date:
April 06, 2007 04:57 PM
The mass media targets antioxidants with misleading stats. The smear campaign against nutritional supplements continues in 2007, with headlines such as the following: “Antioxidants Don’t help You Live Longer,” “Antioxidants Might be Dangerous,” “Antioxidants Do Not Prevent Disease and May Increase Mortality.” Do you notice a theme? Antioxidants are the latest target for media manipulators seeking to steer the public away from life-enhancing nutrition. The study that spawned these alarmist headlines, first published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is a “meta-analysis”; this means it draws its conclusions from a number of different studies. In this case, 68 studies involving 232,606 people were analyzed. Meta-analyses are an example of how easily statistics can lie. Deception Exposed Like 2004’s infamous vitamin E-bashing meta-analysis (which proclaimed vitamin E to be deadly, even though it focused on elderly patients who were already stricken with disease), the recent meta-analysis of antioxidants has a preordained outcome—results are determined by which studies are chosen for analysis. Experts have pointed out significant flaws in the execution of this meta-analysis; for example, it includes studies that administered many different combinations of antioxidants, and in varying doses. In addition, these Hitler-skelter antioxidants and dosages are scattered across a wide range of people, everyone from male doctors to elderly nursing home patients. Finally, this meta-analysis neglected to include the most significant antioxidant study ever conducted in its findings. The china study, which in surveying 800 million people was one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, verified antioxidants effectiveness in fighting cancer, heart disease and stroke. Why was it not included in the meta-analysis? Even a junior high school science student would question this meta-analysis’s statistical significance. So how can mass media transform this flawed study into headlines that proclaim antioxidants will kill you? The answer is because the media gets away with it. In our fast paced world, where celebrity rehab stints are front page news, fact-driven journalism is fading—and distracted news readers are enabling its demise. The solution? Consider media reports with awareness and intelligence, and never assume that headlines speak truthfully. The recent antioxidant bashing study crumbles when subjected to awareness and intelligence. In addition to the obvious study flaws, and even more telling: stories coving the study with headlines proclaiming “antioxidants may increase mortality” are grievously misleading; as it turns out, the study did not identify any causes of death—which were surely diverse given that the study tracked over 200,000 diverse people. Believe the headlines, however, an antioxidants causing all the deaths when in fact they probably caused none—an example of the absurd “association with out causation” logic that may destroy our right to take safe, natural supplements. Continue investigating and you will find that Denham Harman, MD, PhD, the “father of the free radical theory of aging,” antioxidants pioneer and professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is able-bodied and active at age 91. Harman takes antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium daily—a revelation with more credibility than any antioxidant bashing hatchet-job study. Educate yourself about antioxidants and other supplements that Congress is trying to take away from you. Fight to keep your health under your own control, always. Patronize the natural health food store that are committed to providing you with quality products and reliable knowledge. For more information, visit www.nha2007.com
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1506) Growing Older, Feeling Better
Date:
March 28, 2007 02:15 PM
Growing Older, Feeling Better Not long ago, when a man turned sixty-five, he became officially old – the best years of his life far behind him. The milestone meant his working days were done and if he was lucky, he might get four or five years to spend as he wished before illness and infirmity set in. It was simply expected and accepted that the older a man got, the sicker he got. Well, not anymore. Today, a man age 65 is just as likely to be found hiking in the hills, running in a marathon, or even dancing in the streets than rocking in that proverbial front porch rocker. Because it’s becoming more and more evident that the older a man gets, the healthier that man has been. Eating healthy, exercising, and kicking harmful habits (like smoking) can add years to a man’s life. Aging research is proving over and over again, that we can prevent and delay heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease – the major causes of disability and death in men over 50. Now, it’s very true that good clean living from early on is preferable to sixty five years of bad habits and five years of good. But it’s also true that it’s never too late for men to make changes and vow to take better care of themselves. And one of the easiest and most effective ways men can improve their health is the addition of high quality nutritional supplements. In this issue of Ask the Doctor, we’ll talk about specific dietary supplements that have been scientifically shown to improve the health of men over fifty, prevent the diseases that often strike at this crucial time in men’s lives, and actually slow the aging process. Q. I just turned 50 and I’d like to begin taking nutritional supplements, but they seem so confusing. Where should I begin? A. Many men feel the same way. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of nutritional supplements on health food store shelves. Figuring out which supplements provide the best health benefits for a 50+ man can be overwhelming.
The best foundation supplement is a high quality multivitamin. Research is repeatedly finding that even very healthy men who take daily multivitamins can significantly improve their health. In fact, an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) recommends that all adult Americans take a vitamin supplement. Look for solid doses of vitamin supplement. Look for sol doses of vitamins and especially minerals. Multivitamins designed to be taken once a day are often woefully deficient in calcium, magnesium, and potassium. The only mineral a man should avoid is supplemental iron. Iron should only be in formulas for women prior to menopause. Men over 50 get all the iron they need from food and too much iron can cause health problems. Look for men’s multivitamins that contain lycopene in the formula. Lycopene is the pigment that makes tomatoes red. The redder the tomato, the more lycopene is present. Numerous studies have shown that when men have high lycopene levels in their blood, they have a much lower risk of heart disease, age-related macular degeneration (a leading cause of vision loss) and prostate cancer. Other important considerations are antioxidant blends, especially fruit- and tea-derived extracts; ginseng for energy and stamina; and digestive enzymes to aid in absorption and compensate for age-related decreased enzyme levels. In fact, years of research has shown the foods a man chooses to eat (or not to eat) can have a profound impact on the health of his prostate gland. Because of this close nutritional link, prostate cancer may be the most preventable type of non-smoking related cancers. Q. Aside from taking a quality multivitamin for general health, what nutritional supplements prevent and treat prostate cancer? A. Six vital and all-natural nutrients can prevent prostate cancer from developing and even help fight the disease. Calcium D-Glucarate When men are exposed to excess levels of hormones, their risk of prostate cancer increases. A natural substance found in fruits and vegetables called calcium D-glucarate (or CDG), helps men’s built-in detoxification systems get rid of these harmful excess hormones. Selenium This antioxidant has powerful effects on the prostate gland. In a recent study, researchers recruited 974 men to take part in a large clinical trial to determine if selenium could prevent cancer. The researchers found that selenium cut the rate of prostate cancer by 63%! Green Tea Green tea is the most widely consumed liquid in the world, after water. Men in Maitake Mushroom For many years, maitake mushrooms, or dancing mushrooms, have been linked to good health in those who eat them. That’s because maitakes contain an important compound called D-fraction. A recent study showed that maitake D-fraction destroyed 95% of human prostate cancer cells in lab experiments. Lycopene Promising preliminary reports demonstrate that lycopene can actually kill prostate cancer cells, so there has been an explosion of lycopene and prostate cancer research. Q. What exactly happens to men’s hormones as they get older? A. Just as women experience significant hormonal changes as they age, so do men. In fact, the term andropause has been used to describe men’s mid-life changes. Similar to menopause in women (where the decline of estrogen causes a myriad of symptoms), andropause in men signals the slow decline of testosterone, the chief sex hormone in men. While estrogen levels decline faster and more abruptly in women than testosterone levels do in men, testosterone decline can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms. These include abdominal weight gain, hair loss, reduced energy and sex drive, heart disease, and prostate enlargement. Whether a man labels these age-related changes as andropause or just the consequences of aging, most men will unfortunately experience some or all of them as their birthdays mount. Q. So, is there a supplement that can give me the hormone level of a 20 year old? A. Sadly, no, at least not yet! But there is a nutrient that can help the testosterone in a man over fifty “behave” more like a younger man’s testosterone. A study that took place at the The secret of DIM’s prostate cancer prevention is its ability to metabolize estrogen. While estrogen is generally thought of as a “female” hormone, a precise ratio of testosterone-to-estrogen is needed to maintain a man’s healthy sexual response, effective sexual function (erection of the penis and intercourse), strong bones and muscles, viable sperm, and a well-functioning prostate gland. As men enter their fifties, this ratio begins to change. When men take DIM, however, their estrogen metabolism improves, testosterone metabolism accelerates, and the unwanted conversion of testosterone into estrogen is eliminated. This results in higher testosterone levels, similar to those seen in young men. As a result, DIM may speed weight loss, reduce prostate gland enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH), and help men over 50 feel stronger and leaner. Some supplements on the market today contain indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a precursor to DIM. However, I3C is unstable and requires activation in the stomach to be converted into DIM. This means I3C must be taken at a much higher amount and can undergo unpredictable and undesirable chemical reactions in your stomach and colon. DIM is by far the preferred supplement. Q. What is saw palmetto? Does it reduce symptoms of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH)? A. Yes it does and very effectively too. Saw palmetto is a small palm tree native to
The prostate gland is about the size of a walnut and is located below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It wraps around the upper part of the urethra and its primary job is the production and storage of semen, the milky fluid that nourishes sperm. BPH is one of the most common health conditions in older men. Half of all men aged 40-60 and more than 90 percent in men over 80 have BPH. BPH causes the prostate gland to enlarge, putting pressure on the urethra. Men have trouble starting or maintaining a stream of urine, find they can’t completely empty their bladders, and have to urinate frequently, even during the night. They may also have episodes of uncontrollable dribbling or complete loss of urine. BPH is caused by the conversion of estrogen to a very potent form of testosterone called, dihydrotestosterone (or DHT). When prostate cells are exposed to DHT, they multiply in number and get much larger. BPH rarely improves. It most often remains the same for years or gets gradually worse. The need to continually urinate, interrupted sleep, dribbling, and loss of urine can significantly interfere with a man’s quality of life. Prescription medications that have been developed to treat BPH are only partially effective. And surgical removal of the prostate gland may result in even more persistent urinary incontinence and the inability to achieve an erection (ED). However, saw palmetto berry extract relieves the symptoms of BPH by inhibiting the production of DHT. And, in study after study after study, saw palmetto caused none of the side effects that happen with prostate surgery or medications. Q. There seem to be plenty of ads for supplements that claim they make men into Sexual Superheroes. Is there an “honest” nutritional supplement to help me sexually? A. That’s a very good observation. And yes, there are honest nutritional supplements for men’s sexual health. Sexual intimacy is an important, complex, and lifelong need. It makes us feel better physically and mentally and adds to our sense of security, belonging, and self-esteem. But just like other changes that happen to men as they get older, men’s sexual response most often changes, too. Declining testosterone levels, changes in blood flow to the penis, certain medications that older men are prescribed, and the presence of diabetes or heart disease can all affect men’s ability to engage in sexual activity. When men have a chronic inability in obtaining and/or maintaining an erection, it’s called erectile dysfunction (ED). While ED is not an inevitable part of getting older, it does occur more frequently as men age. About 5% of 40-year-old men have ED, but more than 23% of 65-year-old men have difficulty maintaining erections. The development of prescription medication Viagra (sildenafil citrate) has revolutionized ED treatment. When a man is sexually stimulated, Viagra helps the penis fill with enough blood to cause an erection. Like all medicines, Viagra can cause some side effects, including headache, flushing of the face, and upset stomach. But because Viagra is a prescription medication, it requires a visit to a licensed healthcare practitioner. For many men, telling anyone (even a professional) that they are having trouble getting or keeping an erection is simply too embarrassing. Viagra is also fairly expensive and many older men do not have prescription drug health insurance. These reasons may explain that while an estimated 30 million men in the United States – 10% of the male population – experience chronic ED, as few as 5% of men with chronic ED seek treatment. Not every man can take Viagra, either. Men who use nitrate drugs, often used to control chest pain (also known as angina), must not take Viagra. This combination can cause their blood pressure to drop to an unsafe or life-threatening level. Men with serious liver and kidney problems who take Viagra must be monitored closely for possible serious side effects. The good news is there is a nutritional supplement that’s formulated with vitamins, herbs, and glandular products that targets male sexual organs. The formula contains vitamin E, liver fractions, wheat germ, beta-sitosterol, and herbal extracts of muira puama, Mexican damiana, saw palmetto, cola nut, ginseng, and ginkgo biloba. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and men’s testicles, adrenal glands, and pituitary glands need high levels of this fat-soluble vitamin for proper functioning. Extracts of Muira puama, Mexican damiana, and cola nut have been studied for their beneficial effects on male hormones. Study of ginkgo in sexual response came about when a patient in a nursing home who was taking the herb for memory enhancement noted that his erections were improved. Since then, study of ginkgo has shown it helps blood flow to the penis. Sexual response research in one ginkgo study showed that 76% of men taking ginkgo experienced improved sexual desire, erections, and orgasms. While other nutritional supplements sold to improve sexual stamina often make outrageous claims, reputable manufacturers rely on science and results to sell their products. An important note Most often sexual problems are simply part of the aging process. They can also be signs of serious health problems. If the use of nutritional supplements for two months does not improve your erections, you do need to see your healthcare practitioner. Almost all practitioners understand how difficult this problem is for men to discuss and are experienced in getting the information as quickly and as painlessly as possible. Conclusion No man has the power to stop the passage of time. But every man has the power to make aging more healthy and less harmful. Research conducted on men who live to be 100 and beyond, has determined that those who reach extreme old age do so by avoiding ill health, rather than by enduring it. As I like to remind my patients, “Age is not determined by years, but by function.” And it’s never too late for men to detour around the major illnesses of getting older. With good nutrition, healthy habits, and high quality nutritional supplements, the best years of a man’s life can absolutely and positively be those he spends in his 70s, 80s and even his 90s.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1502) CoQ10 for Heart Health
Date:
March 28, 2007 12:39 PM
CoQ10 for Heart Health
More than 40% of all deaths in the
One of the most – if not the most – important things people can do to improve their overall health and life expectancy is to improve their heart health. Diet, exercise, and the wise use of dietary supplements can improve heart health dramatically. One dietary supplement that’s extremely beneficial to heart health is coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).
Q. What is CoQ10?
A. CoQ10 is a natural, fat-soluble nutrient present in virtually all cells. CoQ10 also is known as ubiquinone. That’s because CoQ10 is ubiquitous and exists everywhere there is life. CoQ10 is vital to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. ATP is the energy-rich compound used for all energy-requiring processes in the body. Although COQ10 is produced by the body and exists in some dietary sources, these levels may be insufficient to meet the body’s requirements. CoQ10 levels diminish with age and as a result of dietary inadequacies and various disease states. Also, some drugs, especially a group of cholesterol-lowering prescription drugs known as “statin,” (Pravachol, Zocor, Lipitor, etc.) significantly reduce CoQ10 levels in the body.
Q. For what health conditions is CoQ10 used?
A. CoQ10 is beneficial in treating and preventing CVD and conditions such as high blood pressure, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), angina, and congestive heart failure (CHF). It’s been shown that heart attacks tend to occur when CoQ10 levels are low in the body. In addition, CoQ10 is beneficial for diabetes, immune dysfunction, cancer, periodontal disease, prostate cancer, and neurological disease.
Q. Why is CoQ10 especially important to heart health?
A. The heart is one of the most metabolically active tissues in the body. In the average person, the heart propels 2,000 gallons of blood through 65,000 miles of blood vessls by beating 100,000 times each day. Thus, it requires large amounts of uninterrupted energy. Heart cells have a greater number of mitochondria, and subsequently, more CoQ10 than any other type of cell. Each heart cell can have thousands of mitochondria to meet these energy demands.
Mitochondria are highly specialized structures within each cell and are often referred to as cell powerhouses. These tiny energy-produces produce 95% of the energy the body requires. The number of mitochondria in a cell depends on its function and energy needs. A cell’s ATP production is dependent on adequate amounts of CoQ10.
Heart disease patients are commonly CoQ10 deficient. Correcting such deficiencies often can produce amazing results. The presence of supplemental CoQ10 is a key to the heart’s optimum performance.
In people who have had a heart attack (myocardial infarction), CoQ10 assists in repairing the heart muscle and restoring heart function. This is due to increased ATP production.
Q. What studies support this fact?
A. A 1998 study found CoQ10 can provide rapid protective effects in patients with a heart attack if administered within three days of the onset of symptoms. The study focused on patients admitted to the hospital with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) diagnosis. Seventy-three patients received CoQ10 (120 mg/d). The study’s control group consisted of 71 similarly matched patients with acute AMI. After treatment, angina pectoris (severe chest pain signifying interrupted blood flow to the heart), total arrhythmias (dangerously irregular heartbeats), and poor function in the left ventricle (the essential chamber of the heart) were significantly reduced in the CoQ10 group compared to the placebo group. Total deaths due to sudden cardiac failure and nonfatal heart attacks also were significantly reduced in the CoQ10 group compared with the placebo group.
In another study, CoQ10 was studied in 109 patients with high blood pressure (hypertension). The patients were given varying doses of supplemental CoQ10 with the goal of attaining a certain blood level (greater than 2.0 mcg/l). Most patients were on medications to treat hypertension. Half the patients were able to stop taking one to three antihypertensive drugs at an average of 4.4 months after starting CoQ10. Only 3% of patients required the addition of one antihypertensive drug. The 9.4% of patients who have echo cardiograms, performed both before and during treatment, experienced a highly significant improvement in heart wall thickness and function. This improvement was directly attributed to CoQ10 supplementation.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a debilitating disease that affects 5 million people in the
Q. I’ve heard that CoQ10 can also help people who have neurological diseases. Is this true?
A. Yes, it is. CoQ10 has been studied for its ability to improve the health of individuals with amotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. A recently completed study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health showed that CoQ10 caused a slowing of the progression of Huntington’s disease, a devastating and degenerative disease that is always fatal. In fact, no other medication, drug, or nutritional supplemental has ever been shown to cause a decline in the progression of this terrible disease.
The study compared CoQ10 against remacemide (an investigational HD drug made by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals), in 347 HD patients who were in the early stages of the disease. Remacemide blocks glutamate, the neurotransmitter scientists think may cause the death of brain cells that occurs in Huntington’s disease. While remacemide had no effect on the progression of HD, CoQ10 showed a trend toward slowing the disease by an average of 15%. This meant the HD group taking CoQ10 was able to handle every day activities of life a little longer than the patients taking remacemide or a placebo. They also were able to focus their attention better, were less depressed, and less irritable. The 15% slowing of decline means that CoQ10 can result in about one more year of independence for HD patients. Needless to say, the gift of an additional year of health in the lives of HD patients is incredibly significant.
Because of these impressive results with HD, researchers are hopeful that the studies of CoQ10 in those with ALS and Parkinson’s disease will similarly have a positive effect on the symptoms and/or progression of these neurological disorders, too.
Q. Why is it crucial for a CoQ10 supplement to cross the blood-brain barrier?
A. The brains’ blood vessels are composed of cells with extremely tight junctions. These junctions form the blood-brain barrier, which restricts what can pass from the bloodstream into the brain. While this barrier protects the brain, it can be a significant obstacle to central nervous system therapy. To leave the bloodstream and reach the brain cells, a substance must pass through the tightly connected cells of the capillary walls. Only substances with unique solubilities or those with a transport system can cross the blood-brain barrier to a significant degree. As a result, crossing the blood-brain barrier presents a significant challenge to supporting neurological health.
While most CoQ10 supplements enter the bloodstream and increase blood serum levels, only special forms of CoQ10 have been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier. For CoQ10 to enter the mitochondria within the brain, CoQ10 must first cross the blood-brain barrier to produce significant neurosupportive clinical results.
Q. How can one supplement have applications for neurological diseases, heart health, and even the immune system?
A. Supplements often have more than one function, especially when it’s a substance like CoQ10, which is present in all parts of the body. All nucleated cells (most cells other than red blood cells) have mitochondria and all cells require energy to function. CoQ10 is vital to ATP production. Thus, CoQ10 has applications not only in neurological (neurons or nervous system cells) and cardiac health (myocardium or heart tissue), but also for the immune system.
Q. Are all CoQ10 supplements created equal? Doesn’t CoQ10 just have to get into the bloodstream to be effective?
A. There are some important distinctions among CoQ10 products, as they vary greatly in quality and absorbability. It’s crucial to find a CoQ10 product that’s:
1. Scientifically shown to absorb through the digestive tract, cross cellular membranes, and increase mitochondrial levels of CoQ10. Chewable forms of CoQ10 provide rapid bioavailability and absorption. Serum level determination of CoQ10 in the bloodstream is not necessarily the most important measure of efficacy. For a CoQ10 supplement to be fully effective, it must cross the cellular barrier and raise intracellular CoQ10 levels. A key indicator of effective CoQ10 supplementation is its presence in cell mitochondria.
2. The natural form of CoQ10. The natural process uses living organisms. CoQ10 also can be synthesized by a chemical process, which produces a distinctly different product that contains chemical compounds not found in the natural form.
3. Formulated with ingredients that provide the transport system CoQ10 needs to cross cellular membranes and the blood-brain barrier. Not all forms of CoQ10 have been scientifically proven to cross cell membranes and the blood-brain barrier. Some prestigious groups that have investigated this issue include researchers at
4. Studied by respected organizations, with research published in peer-reviewed journals by reputable scientists.
Q. How much CoQ10 should I take?
A. Take 100 to 200 mg of CoQ10 daily, depending on your family history of heart disease and personal heart disease experience.
CoQ10’s safety has been evaluated. Dosages in studies have ranged from 100 mg to 1,200 mg per day. To date, no toxicities have been reported. Occasional mild stomach upset may occur. Taking CoQ10 with meals usually alleviates this rare effect.
Q. What are some other heart-friendly supplements?
A. CoQ10 is an excellent supplement for overall cardiovascular health, as in L-carnitine. L-carnitine is the naturally occurring form of carnitine that’s found in food and synthesized in the body. Much of the body’s L-carnitine is found in the heart and skeletal muscle, tissues that rely on fatty acid oxidation for most of their energy. Nearly 70% of the energy needed for heart function is derived from fatty acid breakdown. Proper L-carnitine supplementation transports fatty acids into cell mitochondria, where it’s burned for energy. L-carnitine is an excellent addition to CoQ10, especially for people with heart disease, and has been shown to improve many symptoms associated with CVD. In one study, people who had experienced one heart attack received either L-carnitine or placebo. The L-carnitine group had a statistically significant reduction in second heart attacks, and improved overall survival.
Q. What supplements support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol?
A. In addition to maintaining overall cardiovascular health, it’s also important to address your essential fats/lipids levels and healthy circulation/blood pressure. Fish oil supplements can significantly reduce blood pressure, cholesterol, and homocysteine levels. Choose a supplement that’s a rich source of EPA and DHA, omega-3 fatty acids naturally obtainable in fish oil. Find a product that’s been clinically studied and purified to ensure it contains the beneficial active constituents of the whole oil, while removing any dioxins, DDT, PCBs, or heavy metals, toxins present in some commercial fish oil preparations. An enteric-coated garlic product that provides a minimum of 5,000 mcg of beneficial allicin supports healthy blood pressure and circulation. And magnesium, niacin, vitamin E, folic acid, hawthorn extract, and L-cysteine provide overall nutritional support to the heart and vascular system.
Conclusion
CoQ10 is not the only answer to the complex issues of heart disease, neurological disease, or immune dysfunction; however, research indicates that it’s a bigger piece of the puzzle than physicians and scientists ever imagined. The more we study this naturally occurring compound, the more benefits we find.
The key to this supplement is the manufacturing quality. For safety and overall effectiveness, use a CoQ10 product that’s supported by product-specific research from reputable institutions. Choose tested products from a well-respected company to increase your potential to achieve and maintain heart and blood vessel health.
Supplementation with clinically studied products can have a major impact on your heart’s health and strength. However, no supplement replaces the need to eat a healthful diet low in refined foods (especially sugar), and saturated fats, and to exercise your most important muscle – your heart – on a regular basis.
(https://vitanetonline.com:443/forums/Index.cfm?CFApp=1&Message_ID=1501) Supplements good for reducing stress and boosting energy! 
Date:
March 26, 2007 02:05 PM
Vitality 101
More and more Americans are feeling overworked, overtired, and overcome by life’s demands. We just do not have the energy we need to meet our responsibilities to the people we care about. More importantly, we don’t even have the energy to have fun! It seems that a constant feeling of fatigue has become part of the American way of life.
Research has shown that the same processes that cause lack of energy can rob us of sleep, saddle us with excess weight, disrupt our hormonal balance, and create significant amounts of stress in our daily lives. Chronic stress can dramatically contribute to fatigue, sleep disorders, irritability, and anxiety. The research simply confirms what most of us already know – uncomfortable stress can really wear us out mentally and physically! It can take away the satisfaction of a job well done. It can take away our ability to believe in ourselves. And, sadly and maybe most importantly, continual stress can take the fun and joy out of life.
In a separate issue of Ask the Doctor, we discuss the energy and sleeping needs of people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. In this issue, I discuss the 3-step process I call “Vitality 101.” People do not have to accept pain, insomnia, or fatigue. It’s time for everyone to feel great and have a life they love!
Step 1 – Nutrition
Good overall nutrition is important for everyone! As a foundation product to support energy levels, a powdered drink mix is a pleasant, easy way to ensure that you are taking all of the necessary vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that you need to have great energy all through your day.
The following chart lists the most critical ingredients. You can see that almost all of the vitamins and minerals work together to help improve energy levels and overall health.
In addition to the powdered energy drink mix, it is important that you also take a high potency vitamin B-complex supplement. This should include niacinamide, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, and choline, which are especially important to restore the energy production needs of your body. It is also critical to get enough water, as most Americans are chronically dehydrated.
Step 2 – Rest Your Body
Having trouble sleeping is one of the most troubling symptoms of stress. While the stress is wearing us down and making us tired, it’s also keeping us tense and unable tot relax. The result? That easy drift into sleep becomes harder and harder. And if we are lucky enough to actually get some shut-eye, stress will often wake us up, sometimes several times a night.
This occurs because excess stress suppresses the sleep center in the brain. It is important to break the “stress/insomnia cycle” early, before it results in pain and hormonal and immune dysfunction!
Because good quality sleep is how the body repairs and re-energizes itself, it may be helpful to use herbal products to promote good quality sleep. There are many natural supplements that are marketed as sleep formulas. To get the best results, it is very important that the right ingredients are in the sleep formula you buy. Look for a supplement that has a blend of herbs that promote deep sleep, such as valerian, L-theanine, hops, passionflower,
Step 3 – Manage Excess Stress Levels
In this fast paced world, it is important to learn to manage the stressor in our lives. Glandular extracts, such as raw adrenal extract, can offer natural support to help our bodies deal with the effects of stress and, in turn, can boost your energy levels. Exercise is another stress buster. Using your body physically is important for good health. Find something that is fun for you, however, or you are unlikely to stick with it!
Q. Does stress zap my energy in any other ways besides making me lay awake at night and causing me to be a zombie the next morning?
A. Most people are familiar with the body’s dramatic response to an emergency. The heart pounds, the muscles constrict, and the lungs expand – and while this is happening, we are capable of greater than normal strength and speed. This response is the body’s way of rescuing itself when faced with an emergency. We don’t have to think about it to make it happen. It’s automatic.
The same can be said of a chronic stress response. Whether we’re late for a business meeting because we’re stuck in traffic, or worrying about how we are going to pay for our children’s college tuition, our response to stress happens automatically. The difference between the two is that the body’s response in an emergency starts and resolves itself quickly. The response to being stuck in traffic may not.
The body makes the “stress hormone”, cortisol, to handle the normal stresses of day-to-day living. But in an emergency situation, the adrenal glands, located above the kidneys, secrete increased amounts of this hormone until the emergency passes. Then the body returns to its normal function. Unfortunately, however, chronic stress is more complex. When our body is subjected to increased amounts of the hormone, cortisol, for an extended time, it can lead to a condition known as “adrenal burnout” or “adrenal fatigue.” While it’s true that very large amounts of cortisol can have damaging effects on our hormones, too little cortisol doesn’t allow us to respond to stress properly. It’s really a matter of balance.
Q. How can I control the stress in my life and re-energize?
A. Many people who are under constant stress may have adrenal burnout. Adrenal burnout occurs when the adrenal glands are constantly producing cortisol in response to chronic stress. Over time, this exhausts the adrenal reserve, meaning the adrenal gland can no longer increase cortisol production in response to stress.
The good news is that changes in our hormone levels can return to normal when stress is decreased. The key in learning how to deal with daily stress is to allow the body to return to its normal state. I discuss additional techniques for coping with stress in my recent book Three Steps to Happiness! Healing Through Joy (see my website, www. jacobeitelbaum .com, for more information). In addition to stress control, it is important to supplement your adrenals with a glandular therapy regimen to ensure healthy cortisol levels and adrenal function. Glandular therapy, which uses the concentrated forms of bovine (cow) or porcine (pig) glands, can improve the health of our glands. Pioneers in the field of endocrinology (the study of hormones) hypothesized that glandular extracts work by providing nutrients the body lacked and thus repaired the malfunctioning gland.
Adrenal Extract
If you are one of the unlucky folks with stressed-out adrenal glands, you should see great results from taking raw adrenal supplements. Be sure to buy adrenal extract supplement that contains both whole adrenal and cortex adrenal.
The best adrenal supplement should also contain vitamin C, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid and licorice. Licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which is broken down into glycyrrhizic or glycyrrhetinic acid. This compound inhibits the activity of an enzyme that turns active cortisol into inactive cortisol. While in high amounts (greater than 100 mg of glycyrrhizic acid/day), licorice administration causes hypertension, no such effects have been observed at lower doses. Experts have speculated that inhibition of the cortisol-converting enzyme may reduce cortisol-related symptoms associated with adrenal insufficiency. The adrenal glands use these nutrients to manufacture cortisone and other compounds. It just makes sense to purchase an adrenal supplement with these supportive ingredients.
Liver Extract
Did your grandmother ever tell you to eat your liver so that you didn’t get “tired blood?” Well, it turns out that she was right. Liver extract is another glandular extract that can help improve energy levels.
Liver extract is an excellent source of highly bioavailable nutrients including iron, B vitamins (especially B12), and other minerals. The stamina and energy-enhancing benefits of liver are widely touted. Liver extract has been shown to support healthy function of the liver and increase the energy levels inside our body.
Because heat will destroy the key components in the liver, a high quality liver extract supplement should be cold-processed and encapsulated to enhance speed and absorption of nutrients from liver. A high quality aqueous liver extract supplement should also contain vitamin B12 to support healthy blood iron and oxygen levels to energize.
Q. It will be great to get a good night’s sleep. Are there also any other natural alternatives that could help promote relaxation and increase my energy levels during the day?
A. Yes, there are. Rhodiola rosea is an all-natural herb that has long been used to help relieve stress and increase energy. Rhodiola has also been used to lift our moods, improve sexual satisfaction, and even help in certain nervous system disorders. First used in Siberia and
In clinical trials, the most effective Rhodiola rosea extract was found to contain 3% rosavins and 1% salidroside. While there are many Rhodiola supplements in health food stores, only those containing these specific amounts can provide the best results.
Lifestyle Treatments
Altered digestion, food intolerances, decreased energy, fatigue, cognitive problems, and sleeplessness create the need for changes in daily living routines. These can include alterations in diet; exercise modifications; alterations in activities of daily living according to one’s energy level; and sleep/rest management. All may require the assistance of a professional clinician, such as a chiropractor, nutrition specialist, physical and/or occupational therapist, mental health professional, or sleep therapist.
Conclusion
Super busy lives demand super strength nutrition. Begin each day with a powdered nutritional supplement after getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night. In addition to the nutritional beverage mix, a vitamin B complex supplement should be taken every morning. The nutritional drink mix and the vitamin B complex supplement will ensure that your body has all the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients to combat your fatigue. Taking a daily adrenal supplement, like the one discussed earlier, will provide the much needed (and often depleted) nutrients your body may be lacking, and help you recover lost energy. Rhodiola rosea, and ginseng can offer additional natural nutritional support in your busy life to boost your energy levels. These nutritional supplements can be used daily and you will feel energized to get through each day’s challenges and opportunities!
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Calcium deficiency
Nutritional Supplement
Garlic is a spice that can be used with virtually all kinds of foods. It is considered as one of the healthiest herbs today. This is because it not only helps in fighting infections but also provides the body with some important nutritional supplements.
Multiple vitamins, also known as multivitamins are dietary supplements containing vitamins and dietary minerals, among other important elements. These supplements often are in the form of capsules, tablets, injections and syrup. They are normally provided in conjunction with dietary minerals. The minerals provided by these supplements fulfill various roles in the body. Research findings have indicated that taking multiple vitamins does not protect you from diabetics, heart attacks, cancer, among other lifestyle diseases. Nonetheless, some categories of people like malnourished people and people with an increased chance of macular deterioration. Overally, the benefits of taking a multivitamin daily exceed the probable risks associated with them.
PABA, which is the acronym for Para-AminoBenzoic Acid, is an antioxidant that is made in the human body by friendly intestinal bacteria. It is considered by some people as a B complex Vitamin. But it is actually an amino acid, not really a vitamin. Sometimes it is called Vitamin Bx. PABA is non-essential nutrient found in liver, mushrooms, whole grains, molasses, spinach and brewer’s yeast. PABA offers many health benefits. An ever increasing number of people are turning to this nutritional supplement for its beneficial properties.
Barley are grains whose grass is used to extract juice that have nutritional supplements, producing abundance of minerals including vitamins to the body. At the point of maturity, grass barley has very essential nutrients such as vitamins, proteins, amino acids and other body mineral supplements. These abundant nutritional elements play a crucial role for optimum health conditions both in children and adults. 
5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is a substance derived from Griffonia simplicifolia’s seed pods. In the human body, 5-hydroxytryptophan is an immediate nutrient precursor to neurotransmitter serotonin. This implies that 5-HTP directly converts into serotonin in human brain. Serotonin plays very many essential functions such as; a role in appetite, learning, sleep, memory, temperature regulation, cardiovascular function, endocrine regulation, sexual behavior, mood and muscle contraction.
Brewers yeast is not only one of the most important ingredient of beer making but it's a very healthy dietary supplement as well that has so many health benefits as well including controlling of blood sugar, controlling of cholesterol, increment of energy level, nourishment to skin & hair, and it also increase the breast milk supply in women’s.
Probiotics refer to a group of microorganisms that help maintain homeostasis in the digestive tract and even produce vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Nutrition experts have long recommended the consumptions of friendly bacteria as they curb the populations of harmful pathogens in the gut. More importantly, studies have shown that they contribute to the prevention of gastrointestinal disorders. 
Cod liver oil is a dietary supplement obtained from the liver of a group of fishes collectively known as cod. It is an all natural remedy for a diverse variety of disorders, and as such remains one of the most popular supplements to this day. Recent studies have confirmed many of its age-old health claims. It is now common knowledge that it aids joint health, treats skin conditions, and improves brain function. 
What Does Celery Seed Extract Do For The Body 
Glucomannan is derived from the extracted mucilage of the konjac root. This plant is part of the same family as yams, but does not have the calories. Glucomannan is a 100 percent natural form of fiber. The principle use of this herb is as a bulking agent to promote the feeling of fullness. 
