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February 9th, 2011
As the weather begins to get a little nippier, you start to hear more coughing, sneezing, and sniffling all around you. When you start to feel that warning tickle in the back of your throat, it’s time to take action to bolster your protection against the impending cold season. When it comes to immunity boosters, few herbal supplements have been getting as much attention as Echinacea in the news. While its efficacy as an immunity booster is still under clinical review, many still swear by its ability to prevent colds and speed up your recovery if you catch one. You can take Echinacea supplements and see for yourself.
Echinacea is actually a type of daisy. It hasn’t quite been uncovered yet what it is about Echinacea that makes it such an effective immunity booster. And while its efficacy is still quite hotly disputed, many people have tried using it and have come to the conclusion that it really works for them, at least. Those who have tried it for themselves and found that it worked for them become raving fans, which is how the buzz surrounding Echinacea supplements spread so fast and continues to spread. If it works for you, you don’t care if the jury is still out on an official verdict.
Different types of the Echinacea plant have been used for centuries as an all-purpose medicine to improve general health. One can only assume that the reason different cultures have been using Echinacea for so many centuries is that it has been working with consistent results for that long. Some may dismiss it as a persistent old wives’ tale, but if Echinacea supplements have survived to this day and age of technology and scientific discovery, then there must be some merit to its ability to boost your immune system.
Ultimately, if you start coming down with a cold, you’ve got to do whatever you can to get well as soon as possible. If you don’t, then you could fall behind at work and suffer other consequences. You’re at your best when you’re completely healthy, so, really, you’ve got nothing to lose by trying out Echinacea supplements to see whether or not they work for you. But the worst that could happen to you is that it doesn’t have any effect on you. But, best-case scenario, you just might find yourself avoiding a cold or kicking one before it gets really bad.
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February 7th, 2011
Cobalamin is a vitamin that many people have heard of; they just don’t know that they’ve heard of it. It’s just another name for vitamin B12, and it’s vital to your health and well-being. It’s a water-soluble vitamin, and it plays a key role in the normal function of the brain and the nervous system, as well as in the formation of blood. Every cell in the human body needs vitamin B12 in order to undergo metabolism and to synthesize DNA, fatty acids, and energy. That makes it a pretty important vitamin, and it’s important to make sure that you’re getting enough of it.
A deficiency of vitamin B12 in your diet can manifest in minor symptoms at first, such as fatigue, depression, and faulty memory. But because these symptoms are commonly associated with other ailments or are often chalked up to having a bad day, cobalamin deficiency can often go undiagnosed. This is why it’s crucial to make sure that you have enough vitamin B12 in your diet: to make sure that a B12 deficiency isn’t the reason behind these common symptoms. In the case of vitamin B12 deficiency, these symptoms can lead to irreversible brain and nerve damage, so it’s better safe than sorry in this case.
Cobalamin is often obtained by eating foods that are rich in vitamin B12, such as fish, shellfish, and meat. But this can be a problem for vegans, who don’t consume meat or animal products. While some food products may contain vitamin B12 as an additive, it’s far more common to find B12 as part of a multivitamin, or even as a vitamin B12 supplement specifically. It’s important to get enough B12 in your system to make sure that you aren’t suffering from B12 deficiency, so it’s sometimes in your best interest to take the supplement, just in case.
Oral supplements have proven to be the most effective way to take cobalamin supplements. Even if the digestive tract has been compromised and absorption has been effective, high-dosage supplements can still be effective, even if you happen to have pernicious anemia, a disease that destroys gastric parietal cells and compromises the body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12. By taking care of your body and making sure to get enough vitamin B12, you’ll enjoy better health, both mental and physical. And maintaining good brain and nerve health is vital to staying sharp for the rest of your life.
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February 4th, 2011
Women’s health issues are coming more and more to light as science continues to make new discoveries about issues specific to women’s bodies and their health. Women need to take special care earlier in their lives to make sure that they don’t fall prey to some of the more common ailments that could take become more evident and more serious as they get older. Many of these problems that tend to show up later in life involve the bones. Women have a tendency to develop osteoporosis and brittle bones as they get older, and taking calcium supplements early on can help to prevent this in old age.
Calcium is essential to cell physiology. This soft mineral is the most abundant metal found in animals, and it is crucial to many processes in the human body. Obviously, it plays a large part in bone health. It is a mineral necessary for life, and not just because it plays such a large part in bone health alone. Teeth contain calcium as well, and the presence of calcium is used in exocytosis, neurotransmitter release, and in muscle contraction as well. Taking calcium supplements can be a great way to make sure that you get all the calcium you need to keep these parts of your body running smoothly.
It may be years before you see the results of calcium deficiency, but, by that time, the damage will be irreparable. That’s why it’s important to start taking calcium supplements as early as possible. While you can get calcium naturally in a variety of foods, very few women get enough calcium in their diets to compensate for the potential calcium loss that they will suffer as they grow older, go through menopause, and undergo various hormonal changes. Taking a daily calcium supplement now is the best way to prevent osteoporosis later.
Making sure that you get enough calcium is simple enough. As you already know, there are plenty of calcium supplements readily available over the counter, without a prescription. It’s still a good idea to try to get as much calcium in your diet as possible through dairy products, fortified foods such as orange juice or even bread, seaweed, and even certain nuts. If you know where to look, it’s easy to get the calcium you need to make sure that you keep your bones and your body healthy in the present and for the future.
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February 2nd, 2011
If you’ve got allergies, chances are that you’re not a huge fan of pollen. You’re probably not a huge fan of bees, either. It seems counterintuitive that pollen processed by bees could be used to treat allergies, but it can actually be used to lessen the symptoms of hay fever and nasal allergies. Different cultures have known for centuries that products made by bees, such as honey, have the ability to lessen the effects of allergies for allergy sufferers. Honey can also draw out impurities because the sugar in it is hygroscopic, drawing water to itself and sucking out any impurities along with it. And bee pollen works in much the same way.
Bee pollen has been packed into granules by worker bees, and it is combined with trace amounts of honey. It can be used to desensitize allergy sufferers to pollen, slowly building their tolerance for pollen. Raw honey can have much the same effect, since it hasn’t been strained to filter out pollen. For an allergy sufferer, this could mean the end to years of suffering every spring and summer, when pollen levels are at their highest. It could mean finally being able to enjoy the seasons instead of just trying to get through them.
If you have a severe allergy to bees or pollen, you should be careful before trying the bee pollen remedy for your hay fever or nasal allergies. Some people’s allergies are so sensitive that they have severe allergic reactions, even to trace amounts of pollen or from the slightest hint of the presence of a bee. Since allergic reactions of this nature can often be severe, possibly even to the point of anaphylaxis. If you’re not sure how you’ll react to this bee product, then you may want to consult a doctor before trying it, or at least have some epinephrine handy before trying it out.
Being able to kick seasonal allergies for good may seem like a pipe dream for those who have been suffering from these allergies for all of their lives. They may finally be able to experience freedom from the itchy eyes and runny noses that are often the hallmark of the beginning of allergy season. Thanks to bee pollen and other bee products, this pipe dream is becoming a reality for many people. This could be the case for you, if you try this out and it works for you.
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January 31st, 2011
The news these days has been filled with talk of antioxidants and how you can never get enough of them. Unfortunately, most people still don’t have a clear picture of what they do and how they benefit the human body, so they still don’t make much of an effort to get enough antioxidant-rich food into their bodies. It can help to motivate people to get enough of the right nutrients into their bodies if they understand why their bodies need that nutrient and how it can specifically help them to stay healthy. It can also help to make it easier for them to get what they need.
The reason that it’s important to get enough antioxidants in your diet is because there are plenty of free radicals wandering around your body, wreaking havoc wherever they go. Free radicals are unstable molecules that possess unpaired electrons. Their instability causes them to go around the body, stealing the electrons they need in order to stabilize themselves. Whatever molecule has its electron stolen becomes a free radical in turn and steals an electron from another molecule in order to replace the one that it lost. This vicious cycle continues ad infinitum, causing damage and wear on the body’s cells as the process repeats itself over and over again.
Antioxidants can stop this vicious cycle by bonding with the free radical itself, preventing it from oxidizing and causing damage to other cells. While certain oxidation processes are necessary for the body to function properly, the kind of unmitigated damage that a free radical can do in a body is uncontrolled, and can lead to significant damage of cells, and may even contribute to serious conditions such as cancer, stroke, neurodegenerative disease, and coronary heart disease. It’s absolutely necessary to stop this type of out-of-control oxidation process.
Fortunately, antioxidants are found in many common foods and even drinks. Green tea has become more popular in recent days because it is antioxidant-rich. Even coffee contains them. So-called “superfoods” such as blueberries, olive oil, and soy continue to rise in popularity as awareness of the benefits of this important type of nutrient. But if you’re afraid that you’re not getting enough of what you need, then it may be a good idea to look into an antioxidant supplement that you can take in order to make sure that you get enough of this important substance in your body.
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November 17th, 2010
Do you want to lose weight quickly? Do you want to feel more balanced and alive? Do you want the ability to fight off colds and other illnesses with ease? Then ultra green superfood might be for you. Green superfoods have been consumed for centuries in Asian countries like Japan and Korea. Clearly, while seaweed is not a traditionally American dish, it is an example of a green superfood. In general, green superfoods are ultra organic and contain a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals. While seaweed is one example of a green superfood, others include barley and wheat grass and acai berry. These superfoods work to balance the body’s systems thereby increasing energy and immunity and promoting weight loss.
Ultra green superfoods are amazing sources of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, protein, and amino acids. Practitioners of alternative medicine recommend green superfoods not only for increased energy, immunity and weight loss, but also to strengthen patients suffering from diseases like chronic fatigue syndrome, hepatitis and fibromyalgia. Green superfoods are effective in treating these patients because its main ingredient is something called chlorophyll which mimics human hemoglobin, which is the component in our blood that delivers oxygen to our cells. Ingesting a green superfood therefore increases strength in our cells at the molecular level and imbibes us with a feeling of energy and vitality.
Many ultra green superfood products may be found in your local health food store. There are also ultra green supplements which are said to have the same positive effects upon the body as actually consuming the food. This might be an important consideration for anyone who is a bit too squeamish to slug down a glass of wheat grass or dive into a plate of seaweed. A picky eater can still come away with the positive effects of green superfood with such a supplement.
In this day and age of over-processed, convenience foods, it almost seems like ultra green superfood is something too foreign and exotic. It might even seem intimidating to some. However, after weighing all of the benefits to your health that incorporating green superfoods into your diet can give you, it seems like the time to give them a chance. Whether you decide to dive right in and try seaweed and barley and wheat grass, or if you go the more conservative route with green superfood supplements, the health benefits are outstanding and make the effort wholeheartedly worthwhile.
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November 12th, 2010
It has been said that a colorful plate is the sign of a healthy diet. Fruits and vegetables with deep red pigment contain substances like lycopene and anthocyanin which are in turn, rich in the antioxidants that our bodies need to fight off cell damage caused by free radicals. Lycopene is abundant in tomatoes, watermelons and grapefruits. Anthocyanins are found in beets as well as raspberries, cherries strawberries. Anthocyanins are noted from their ability to promote good health. A Deep red fruit or vegetable is a red superfood, so dubbed for its noteworthy health benefits.
A diet rich in red superfood has been linked to a lesser incidence of certain types of diseases. For example, cherries have been proven to lower the overall blood sugar of diabetics. This is because the anthocyanins in cherries stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin which lowers blood sugar. Other red superfoods have been linked to cancer prevention. Scientists hypothesize that a diet rich in tomatoes lessens the risk of developing certain types of cancer such as lung, stomach and prostate cancers. Tomatoes also have been proven to have a positive effect on cardiovascular health. The antioxidants in tomatoes reduce oxidation in the blood vessels thereby reducing the incidence of plaque in the arteries.
Ideally, you get your daily recommended servings of red superfoods by eating those colorful fruit and vegetables. While natural, wholesome, organic foods are more desirable than canned or processed foods, sometimes you just do not have access to or do not have the time to prepare fresh red superfoods. When that situation arises, it is a good idea to have a red superfood supplement on hand. A supplement will ensure that you get enough lycopene and anthocyanins in your system on a daily basis in order to promote consistently good health both in the short term and the long term.
How do you choose the right red superfood supplement for you? It is recommended that you look for a supplement that has as many fruits and vegetables listed on the label so as to ensure that you are getting the maximum amount of lycopene and anthocyanins every time you take it. Also, be aware that these supplements come in both pill form and liquid form. The drinks most often resemble a fruit smoothie and are actually quite tasty. If you do choose a drink, look for one that includes probiotics in its formulation as they aid in digestion.
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Tags: natural disease fighter, Red superfood Posted in Colorful Foods | No Comments »
November 10th, 2010
Proteins are the building blocks of muscles. Our muscles propel our bodies in to action. Often bodybuilders will rely on powdered protein formulas to help them build more muscle. In the past, these formulations were not all that pleasant and were not widely used outside of bodybuilding. Nowadays, however, protein supplements have been created which not only taste good, but come in a variety of forms such as shakes, puddings and even “candy” bars. These protein supplements not only increase our daily intake of protein but also ensure that we are not losing muscles due to the aging process or other factors.
On a molecular level, proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. The amino acid found in muscles is called glutamine. Studies have shown that lower intensity exercise, also known as anaerobic exercise, such as weight lifting or yoga can deplete the levels of glutamine in our muscles. A glutamine deficiency can result in deterioration of the muscles as well as an overall weakened immune system. That is why supplements containing glutamine are preferred by weight lifting enthusiasts as well as serious bodybuilders. In addition, long distance runners also prefer protein supplements containing glutamine because studies have shown that glutamine reduces the amount of lactic acid in your muscles after intense exercise. Since it is excess lactic acid that is responsible for that sore feeling you get after exercising, it is no wonder that protein supplements with glutamine are so well regarded by most athletes.
The average person should consume the same number of grams of protein as they weight. That is, a 120 pound woman should consume 120 grams of protein a day to maintain her muscle tissue. A serious bodybuilder attempting to build his muscles tissue needs even more protein. A powdered protein supplement can be consumed either immediately before or immediately after training, can help promote muscle growth. There are several types of protein powders such as whey protein, casein protein, and soy protein, to name a few. Regardless of whether you are a bodybuilder or not, it is important to consume proteins to maintain proper musculature.
Sometimes a protein supplement might even replace an entire meal. There are protein shakes and protein bars that certainly have a substantial amount of calories in them to satisfy even the most demanding appetite. These proteins are usually combined with some carbohydrates and even a little fat to make them more palatable and nutritious. From time to time, it is okay to replace a meal with a protein supplement because you will still be getting proper nutrition.
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Tags: protein, protein builds muscle Posted in Protein | No Comments »
November 8th, 2010
The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that circles the urethra. After age forty, men often experience problems related to an enlarged prostate gland. An enlarged prostate is not cancer but it can cause discomfort. Symptoms of an enlarged prostate include frequent urination often coupled with the inability to fully empty the bladder. Because the symptoms of an enlarged prostate often mimic other more serious conditions such as prostate cancer, it is important to see a doctor if you develop these symptoms. Is there a way to avoid the discomfort of an enlarged prostate altogether? Certainly! Men should consider taking a nutritional supplement designed for optimum prostate health.
Studies have shown that a diet rich in zinc and lycopene can reduce a man’s risk of developing prostate problems. Lycopene is an antioxidant that occurs naturally in tomatoes, carrots, watermelon and papaya. Antioxidants work to reduce free radicals in the body which destroy cells. Zinc is found in seeds, beans, whole grains and shellfish. Experts recommend that a man take a supplement containing antioxidants and at least 50 to 100 milligrams of zinc to promote prostate health. While these nutritional supplements cannot undo an enlarged prostate, it can reduce a man’s chances of developing uncomfortable symptoms related to an enlarged prostate in the first place.
Another substance that seems to promote prostate health is soy. The health benefits of soy were discovered by scientists who studied why it seems that Japanese men suffer less prostate related problems than do western men. It was found that the Japanese men enjoy soy products such as tofu and miso more often that do western men. Soy products contain a chemical called an isoflavanoid which also has been proven to prevent glandular cancers, such as prostate cancer. Since the average American man probably is not going to change his eating habits if he does not already eat tofu, a nutritional supplement containing isoflavanoids is recommended to reduce his chances of developing prostate problems.
If you are concerned about the health of your prostate, then make time for an annual physical after age forty. Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, try to avoid red meat and drink a lot of water. It is also important to get regular exercise. If you are overweight, lose weight and limit the amount of alcohol and caffeine you consume each day. Taking a supplement designed for prostate health will also help to ensure that you get enough lycopene, zinc and soy into your system to reduce the risk of developing symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
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Tags: prostate health, risk of an enlarged prostate Posted in Prostate Health | No Comments »
November 5th, 2010
Fish oil is an unsaturated fat that is derived from oily fish like herring, sardines and tuna. It is recommended that people add fish oil as part of a balanced and healthy diet. Fish oil is important because it contains omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have been proven to reduce a person’s triglycerides, also known as “bad cholesterol.” It also has been shown to lower the blood pressure. Regular consumption of fish oil has been proven to reduce the risk of a condition called atherosclerosis, which is where the walls of arteries become thickened with plaque leading to heart attacks and strokes.
Believe it or not, fish oil supplements are often preferable over the real thing! It is true that fish should be a part of a healthy diet and should be consumed several times a week. However, to get the maximum benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, you would need to eat fish every day. Maybe some could stomach such a limited diet, but even if they could, it is not recommended that we eat fatty fish every day. The reason is because often the fatty fish are large fish that prey on smaller fish. When the larger, fatty fish eats a smaller fish, it absorbs the toxic substances found in the smaller fish. That is why tuna, shark and swordfish are often full of substances like mercury and it is recommended that we limit consumption of those types of fish. Likewise, pregnant woman are often counseled to avoid consumption of those types of fish altogether. A fish oil supplement eliminates that problem and still gets you some omega-3 fatty acids every day.
Fish oil might be the most desirable supplement of all times. Research has been conducted for years regarding the benefits of fish oil and has revealed many serious benefits to the consumption of supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids as well as the fatty fish themselves. For example, omega-3 fatty acids promote the health of your arteries and have been shown to lower the risks of many kinds of cancer. Regular consumption of omega-3 fatty acids can reduce varicose veins and has been shown in clinical studies to help those with depression and anxiety disorders. The health benefits of fish oil and omega-3 fatty acids are almost limitless.
Fish oil is an important component of your continuing good health. Regularly consuming a fish oil supplement ensures that your body’s systems are performing at an optimum level. A fish oil supplement will allow you to enjoy the many health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.
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