HEALTH, FOOD, NUTRITION, and SUPPLEMENTS

[SPARK]

New study: walking can make over your workout and your brain.
editor

by Sarah McColl, Shine staff, on Mon Sep 13, 2010

A new study in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience shows that walking for forty minutes three times a week can improve the connectivity between brain circuits that tend to erode as we age. The study took a group of couch potatoes who reported fewer than two 30-minute bouts of exercise in the past six months (!), and found that at the end of twelve months, their brain connectivity had improved.

Dr. Arthur F. Kramer, who led the study, explained to Reuters: "Patterns of connectivity decrease as we get older. Networks aren't as well connected to support the things we do, such as driving," he said. "But we found as a function of aerobic fitness, the networks became more coherent."

Walking became the ultimate brain anti-ager, turning the clock back decades. "As the older people in the walking group became more fit, the coherence among different regions in the networks increased and became similar to those of the 20-year-olds," Kramer explained.

Kramer told Science Daily, that while previous studies had indicated the effects of exercise on the brain, this study shows that even moderate aerobic exercise can increase brain function.

In this study, the lesson of how to improve our lives comes through loud and clear again: we don't have to make dramatic, top-to-bottom change to start living well. But we do have to stick with it. The group showed no significant effects at the six-month marker; it wasn't until the end of the trial that the results were significant.

Furthermore, it wasn't just brain connectivity that benefited: "The aerobic group also improved in memory, attention and a variety of other cognitive processes," Kramer said.

For creative types, author Julia Cameron has long recommended walking as a way to give your creativity a boost. Strolling through the neighborhood gives our brain a chance to take a wider view, rather than focusing on a singular task, enabling us to come up with great ideas and make connections.

And when it comes to starting a new workout routine, the least intimidating starting place of all is walking: No special equipment, skills, or memberships required.

The tricky part for most of us is sticking to our new plan. Whether our goal is boost brain function or get physically stronger, how do you keep up the health resolutions that you make? If you were going to resolve to start walking three times a week, how would you actually make that happen?

[SPARK]

I'm picking some up today~

[sumisu]

>I take SUPER K from Life Extension



http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item01224/Super-K-with-Advanced-K2-Complex.html

Recommend reading the above link, which also includes a Featured Video.

sumi

[lowman]

Nice article! I love this part:

"As they have progressed, modern innovations have put the human body onto the car seat, the office chair, and the sofa for longer and longer. "

The trick to that statement is in getting the masses realizing it, and acting accordingly.

Averages would suggest that the populace is still a good ways away from achieving anything near 'a healthy society'.

While I disagree with the current political approaches to a healthier society, I must admit there's some merit to it. As a (tobacco) smoker, the new taxes certainly put a damper on the habit. It sucks though, that I should be chastised like so, for my habits, by my U.S. Government. We all know that any 'health care' by our gv'ment will only be second-rate, at best.

Forgive me of my worst-case scenario visions, but I see a gv'mnt that would rather see non-tax-paying citizens die rather than to continue paying $$ to keep them/the elderly alive. In other words, in a socialistic society, the sooner a non-tax-payer dies, the better.

Question becomes: How long can you remain a tax-payer? Or, as a non-tax-payer, how long will our U.S. Gv'mnt allow you to live?

[lowman]

TY!

[SPARK]

US Vitamin K market set for explosion?
By Stephen Daniells, 22-Sep-2010


With the entrance of a new vitamin K2 ingredient onto the US market, NutraIngredients-USA catches up with the state of play of vitamin K.

Xsto Solutions was recently named as the exclusive US distributor of Kappa’s K2Vital Vitamin K Product Line. Norway’s Kappa announced its development of the Vitamin K2 in August, claiming the ingredient has similar bioavailability to existing forms on the market but is up to 20 percent cheaper.

The K2Vital ingredient was hailed as “truly innovative” by Francis Foley, President of Xsto. “The growing body of scientific support has peaked consumer awareness for Vitamin K and we believe offering an all-trans, K2 MK7 that is soy-free and allergen-free will allow supplement manufacturers to take full advantage of this market opportunity” he added.

K forms

There are two main forms of vitamin K: phylloquinone, also known as phytonadione, (vitamin K1) which is found in green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and spinach, and makes up about 90 per cent of the vitamin K in a typical Western diet; and menaquinones (vitamins K2), which make up about 10 per cent of Western vitamin K consumption and can be synthesised in the gut by microflora.

Menaquinones (MK-n: with the n determined by the number of prenyl side chains) can also be found in the diet; MK-4 can be found in animal meat, MK-7, MK-8, and MK-9 are found in fermented food products like cheese, and natto is a rich source of MK-7.

The market as it stands

When it comes to vitamin K, the mantra is very much “quality and not quantity”. The market is dominated by branded ingredients: Blue California offers Vitamin K2-All Trans, NattoPharma offers MenaQ7, and PL Thomas has Vitamin K2-MK7.

According to Foley, the branded or proprietary products “have done an admirable job of distinguishing the benefits and value of their product forms… There is a generic element but it is underrepresented and may be from questionable sources, in terms of identification, purity and support documentation.”

Vladimir Badmaev, MD, PhD, director of medical and scientific affairs for PL Thomas told NutraIngredients-USA that ‘generic’ vitamin K was not a problem. “There is a limited chain of supply because the preparation of vitamin K2 demands expertise,” he said.

Morten Sundstø, CEO of NattoPharma – the self-titled leaders in vitamin K2 – added that cost was also a consideration. “All K2 products are expensive compared with other vitamins,” he said. “Volumes are increasing and we will see a strong economy of scale down the road.”

Explosion!

Sundstø told NutraIngredients-USA that education remains the main challenge to further vitamin K success.

“People have to understand that you cannot have calcium without vitamin K2. You cannot have vitamin D without vitamin K2. These three ingredients must be used in products together,” said Sundstø. When this gains acceptance “then you will see an explosion in the market”, he added.

The comments were echoed by Cecilia McCollum, executive vice president of Blue California: “Men are beginning to understand Vitamin K2 offers health benefits for them as well - not just women; that calcium should be directed, with the help of K2, to the bones – where it belongs – and prevent hardening of the arteries,” she said.

“The health benefits are great, the cost with our product is minimal (recommended daily dosage is only 50-80 mircograms) and the potential for reinforcing one's bone structure is significant with K2 supplementation,” added McCollum.

Sundstø estimates that there are currently about 100,000 people using vitamin K2 products around the world, based on their sales volumes.

Xsto’s Foley estimates the current K market in the US at $10 million in raw material sales (vs finished product sales). “What is really impressive is the growth in Vitamin K supplementation, estimated to be (my personal estimate) over 15% per year. We feel the K2 market can double to $20 million in less than five years,” he said.

The number of dietary supplements launched containing vitamin K has been relatively stable over the past four years. According to data obtained this week from Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD), in 2007 86 products were launched, while 95 and 91 were launched in 2008 and 2009, respectively. So far this year 38 dietary supplements products have been launched containing vitamin K.

Natural vs synthetic

Kappa’s arrival on the scene offers the industry a synthetic version of the ingredient. The company said recently that it “feels the market is ready and willing to accept a high quality, verifiable MK7 product regardless of the form or necessary production steps. The facts are that the starting material is extracted from two flower species. Following that extraction there are some reactions that would suggest the process may be better characterized as ‘synthetic’ versus natural, however the result is high purity MK7 product that can be assayed for and totally accounted for both qualitatively and quantitatively.”

NattoPharma’s Sundstø offers a different perspective: “Vitamin K2 is a virgin market,” he said. “We see the market still prefers natural sources of the ingredient, but this is not just for K2 but all ingredients.”

Beyond food

PL Thomas’ Badmeav said that the company had successfully filed for self-affirmed GRAS status for its vitamin K ingredient. In Europe, NattoPharma’s MenaQ7 has been awarded novel foods approval, which opens up the European food and beverage industry for vitamin K2.

Sundstø said that a dairy product fortified with vitamin K2 is expected to be launched in 2011.

Health conditions

The main health conditions targeted by vitamin K2 are bone health and cardiovascular health. Indeed, Blue California’s McCollum said that “people understand now how critical and devastating a fall can be for an older person; that a fracture can in fact reduce not only the quality of life but actually the life of the patient. Consumers are beginning to understand that supplementation Vitamin K2 (MK4 or MK7) can prevent serious bone density problems, can ensure stronger bones and better cardiovascular health.”

Dr Badmeav expects the vitamin to be linked to an increasing range of health conditions over the coming years. “As with any ingredient with a central position in health we will have more and more research.”

New areas of interest include potentially reducing the risk of prostate and lung cancer, protecting against the onset of diabetes , and extending skeletal health to the cartilage in joints.

However, Dr Badmaev noted that, while the understanding of vitamin K’s benefits is growing, “many health care professionals do not understand the role beyond coagulation”.

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[sumisu]

The Awful Truth About Coenzyme Q10

by Dennis on November 23, 2009

http://doctorschoicewellness.com/2009/11/the-awful-truth-about-coenzyme-q10/

[SPARK]

Why Nutrition And Exercise Are The Secret To A Longer And Better Life!

"Take exercise: for whilst inaction weakens the body, work strengthens it; the former brings on premature old age, the latter prolongs youth." -Cornelius Celsus (ca.10-60)

Exercise as it exists today is presented predominantly in advertisements as a way to look younger and more attractive. It is presented on the covers of magazines promising a smaller waist, and by celebrity fitness instructors on television guaranteeing a more attractive body in a few weeks or your money back.

Many view an exercise routine as a luxury that enables celebrities to look good, and long for shortcuts in the form of miracle diet pills and plastic surgery to obtain this youthful luster without all the hard work and occupation of what already seem to be busy schedules.

At the same time, modern medicine constantly pushes the boundaries of science to stave off chronic diseases and increase the lifespan and well-being of the population. What every modern person seems to crave is an attractive body, youthfulness and vigor, and a longer, better life. On closer inspection, this makes sense.

Modern humanity has become more physically inactive than any of its predecessors have ever been. With the advent of convenience technologies and packaged food, humanity has begun to suffer a degeneration that has produced this dissatisfaction with appearance, widespread chronic disease, and lack of youthfulness and vigor.

The answer to these problems, however, is very simple. Though exercise is marketed today as a means of improving appearance, it has always been much more than this. More important than any shedding of inches it might bring about, exercise is the most effective way to increase life-span and improve quality of life.

Exercise Is The Most Effective Way To Increase
Life-Span And Improve Quality Of Life.

Negative Impacts Of Modern Lifestyle

Our modern lifestyle has produced a multitude of inactivity related chronic diseases and mass physical deterioration (Penedo and Dahn 189). Since the industrial revolution, the machine has taken the place of the human body as the primary laborer. Where once we plowed our own fields and reaped our own wheat to feed ourselves, we now plow fields with tractors and go to the drive-through window at McDonald's to eat.

Modern conveniences allow a level of sedentary living that was impossible to achieve even a century ago. The shift to industrial efficiency has caused developed nations to explode in terms of economic productivity, but this occurs at the cost of physical activity.

Now it is common to drive half a mile rather than walk that distance, use a remote to change TV stations rather than stand up, and buy prepackaged food rather than cook a meal with fresh ingredients. In addition, instead of finding diversions outdoors in the form of swimming, hiking, or sports, many have become completely content to stay at home and watch television or browse the Internet.

As they have progressed, modern innovations have put the human body onto the car seat, the office chair, and the sofa for longer and longer.

The result is that the human body degenerates with lack of use, and more of the population grows ill with perfectly avoidable ailments such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. As new conveniences are devised to aid current conveniences, the situation forms a downward spiral and these health issues reach epidemic proportions.


Correlation Between Lifestyle And Health Care Costs

With chronic disease plaguing developed nations, modern research has been called upon to find a cure. In attempting this, it has reinforced the known benefits of diet and exercise, and expanded upon them. As sedentary populations continue to rise, the cost of health care used to treat chronic disease becomes a burden upon the entire nation.

Frank J. Penedo, a clinical Health Psychologist and associate Professor at the University of Miami and Jason R. Dahn, a clinical Psychologist at Michigan State University, illustrate this in their article "Exercise and well-being: a review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity" when they state: "Studies have shown that physical inactivity doubles health risks and adds a disease burden to society comparable with smoking" (Penedo and Dahn 189).

With a societal welfare hurdle this large to face, many governments have been pushed into action, trying to educate the public on nutrition and exercise by way of charts like the Food Guide Pyramid, but to little effect. With all the global issues facing modern administrations, these attempts at improving domestic health have been under promoted and under funded, allowing the situation with the public to remain the same.

A Self-Perpetuating Problem

More people than ever suffer from chronic ailments and poor health, and though information on attaining good health has been made widely available, these same individuals continue to avoid lifestyle changes and look for cures to their problems in the pharmacy, as well as cures for their aesthetic woes in fad diets, weight loss pills, and under the surgeon's knife.

This desire of the masses to seek modern cures for modern diseases only perpetuates the problem. Often individuals with injuries or health problems cite their condition as the reason they avoid physical activity, but this only makes matters worse. Penedo and Dahn observe this phenomena in their review of exercise related studies as well:

A recent study evaluated a 12-month community-based water exercise program in older (i.e. aged at least 60 years) sedentary men and women with knee-hip osteoarthritis... participants randomized to the water-exercise program showed significant improvements in physical function and reductions in the perception of pain, relative to control participants... Furthermore, exercise participants displayed significantly better performance ascending and descending stairs and hip range of movements (Penedo and Dahn 3).

In this study exercise improved the physical conditions of participants, whereas those who avoided activity because of their ailments saw no improvement. In addition, the participants in exercise saw improved physical ability on top of the reduction of their disease, displaying yet another benefit.

The popular belief that exercise is for the young and fit is a tragic one, for these individuals are the ones that need its benefits the least. Everyone, young or old, benefits from regular exercise, and since exercise is the best means for increasing both youthful vigor and lifespan, the belief that exercise is for the young is an unfounded one.

The Power Of Adaptation


The human body is an extremely adaptive organism, and flourishes under exertion. Like that of any organism, the human body has evolved over millions of years to adapt to changing environments and changing demands in order to survive.

In the wild, anything that cannot adapt to survive is quickly weeded out by predators or famine. Because of this, each of our bodies is an amazing mechanism capable of substantial changes in response to specific demands. If one routinely carries heavy loads, one's skeletal muscles grow stronger to make the task easier.

If one frequently travels vast distances on foot, one's heart and lungs grow more efficient at providing oxygen throughout the body to make that task easier. The body has, over millions of years, evolved the ability to rid itself of unnecessary material to be as efficient as possible (Bryant and Green 22).

For example, if a person with large powerful muscles often walks great distances but seldom carries heavy loads, the body will over time reduce the size of its muscles so as to reduce the amount of body weight that must be carried great distances and reduce the energy cost of maintaining all that muscle.

Negative Impacts From Adaptation

These incredible abilities of adaptation have proved to be a curse to many modern individuals. The human body in all its efficiency reacts to a sedentary, convenience-laden lifestyle by eliminating all the muscle mass that goes unused, and weakening all the bones and joints that seldom carry any strain. By doing this, it saves energy on maintaining these tissues.

Also, because the human body is so adaptive to changing conditions, when food is plentiful it allows any unused energy to be stored for times of famine in the form of body fat (Randall et al. 674).

With so little energy needed to sustain weak muscles and joints, and so much energy being consumed in the form of packaged foods, obesity in society has grown exponentially. Not only that, but because sedentary individuals rarely strain themselves to the point of elevated heart rate and respiration, the heart and lungs are also reduced to save energy and stay as efficient as possible (Bryant and Green 12).

What results are millions of individuals carrying excess body fat on frames composed of weakened muscles, bones, and joints, and powered by weak and inefficient hearts and lungs: the modern health condition.

Exercise Benefits At The Genetic Level

This may sound like a daunting condition to overcome, but the solution is miraculous in its simplicity. Even modest exercise can prevent and sometimes reverse these conditions, and it does so even at a molecular level in each of our cells.

Every cell in our bodies contain DNA, the blueprints for us. While each cell has a full set of blueprints, it only uses the particular instructions it needs, and the vast majority go unused.

This flexibility of expression allows cells to alter which genes from the DNA they express in response to changes in their environment, utilizing new instructions to redesign themselves or alter their functions. For example, consistent physical activity will stimulate the body to express some amazing genes that are otherwise dormant when the body is often inactive. Some of these genes improve our ability to perform during exercise, while others help our bodies use the energy we eat as fuel rather than storing it as fat (Randall et al. 7).

Until recently, little was known about the molecular basis for the health benefits we derive from exercise. Now, however, direct observation in laboratories around the world is teaching us more about some of these exercise-influenced genes and their beneficial effects.

Ana Navarro and her fellow molecular biologists and biochemists at the Universities of Cadiz, Spain and Buenos Aires, Argentina observed several of these in their research, "Beneficial effects of moderate exercise on mice aging: survival, behavior, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial electron transfer."

After comparing the gene expression of mice that exercised to mice that didn't, Navarro and colleagues concluded that "moderate exercise induced an increase in the activity of DNA repair systems and in the resistance against oxidative stress... It is important to note that the exercise effect seems to extend to humans" (Navarro, et al. R510).

Our DNA repair genes function to keep us youthful and active by maintaining the integrity of our genes, so the exercise-induced increase in their activity in a complex mammal, such as the mice in the above article, provides us with a clear, scientific basis for the fact that humans who exercise tend to live longer, healthier lives than those who don't.

Cells in any organism perform reactions using food energy in order to do their job as well as to divide and grow. However, these reactions can occasionally cause minute damage to the area of the cell where they occur (namely, the mitochondria).

Even if the cell repairs this microscopic damage perfectly 99.9999% of the time, damage will still accumulate over a lifetime and result in an 'older' cell that cannot function as well as the original did, just as an automobile with 100,000 miles is 'older' and less functional than it was when it was brand new (Masoro 917).

In their article, Navarro et al. explain that exercise improves the body's ability to make perfect repairs, therefore prolonging the time it takes for cells to become 'old', and if it takes longer for cells to grow old, it follows that the entire organism will enjoy an extended lifespan.

Our DNA Repair Genes Function To Keep Us Youthful
And Active By Maintaining The Integrity Of Our Genes.

Exercise Benefits At The Molecular Level

In addition to this activation of repair genes, exercise has been found to alter many other molecular changes that occur during normal aging, with the end result being prolonged youth. An example of this is the alteration of gene expression that occurs in the heart as it ages.

Possibly in response to accumulation of molecular damage, as the heart ages it begins to turn on more of some genes and to turn off others. While it is still able to function, these changes make the heart less strong and efficient than it was in youth. Some have been show to cause arterial hardening, increased plaque formation, and allow for a stronger inflammatory response, all of which are negative changes that increase the risk of heart disease.

A.M. Bronikowski and his colleagues from the biology departments of several major universities observed these changes and the response to exercise in their article "Lifelong voluntary exercise in the mouse prevents age-related alterations in gene expression in the heart."

They found that "lifelong exercise can retard cardiac aging at the transcriptional level." (Bronikowski, et al. 134). Put more simply, they found that hearts which receive frequent exercise make changes to the genes they express (or the DNA blueprints they follow) more slowly, amounting to a heart that more closely resembles its younger self as time goes by.

In addition to this remarkable discovery, Bronikowski et al. also found that "physical activity promotes extended life expectancy at the transcriptional level "(Bronikowski, et al. 135). A more slowly aging heart and improved gene transcription are clear benefits in the road to a longer life, but being molecular in nature they can be difficult to fathom.

While all these benefits of exercise may seem abstract due to their minuscule scale, there are many large scale, readily observable benefits that occur as well.

Exercise Alters Many Molecular Changes That Occur
During Normal Aging, With The Result Of Prolonged Youth.

Exercise Benefits On A Whole Body Level

The human body adapts itself to changing environments and the demands or lack of demands placed upon it, causing frequent activity to keep the body operating at a more functional level for longer. These adaptations are often the very same changes the sedentary individuals searching for miracle cures to their aesthetic woes crave.

Exercise has been shown time and again to reduce body fat, tone and strengthen muscles, tighten skin, and increase energy and function. The best of newly developed modern aesthetic products cannot even come close to claiming this much.

On top of this, exercise has been proven to make other notable changes. Even with individuals not following the new sedentary lifestyle, the changes in gene expression of every cell amount to an increasing rate of physical deterioration beginning in the 30s and accelerating as time passes (Finch).

Though these changes are to some degree an unavoidable part of life, adhering to an exercise plan aids in maintaining youthful muscle mass, stronger bones, and a more efficient cardiovascular system.

Ana Navarro and her colleagues observed this in their research, stating, "It is apparent that moderate exercise at middle age in mammals may increase life span, likely by... preventing the... age-associated decline of physiological functions" (R511). By adhering to a consistent exercise regimen, even beginning in middle age, youthful body function is regained and/or maintained, and ultimately lifespan is increased.

The Best Modern Aesthetic Products Cannot Even
Come Close To The Benefits Of Exercise.

Exercise Effects On Happiness

In addition to the substantial physical benefits of exercise, there are positive changes it induces elsewhere as well. Recent studies have shown what any fitness enthusiast takes for granted, but which may surprise less active individuals: exercise improves quality of life, and generates happiness.

After even a very brief session of exercise the brain releases hormones called endorphins, elevating mood and improving neural connections. Endorphins are opiate molecules produced by the pituitary glad which create a feeling of well-being similar to that of plant-based opiates (Ernst et al. 88).

In addition to this free and perfectly healthy high, exercise causes a number of other, more long term changes to occur within the brain and central nervous system. It has been shown in studies to increase mental performance, particularly in older individuals.

In their joint study "Fitness Effects on the Cognitive Function of Older Adults: A Meta-Analytical Study," researchers of psychology at Beckman Institute, Stanley Colcombe, and Arthur Kramer examined the effects exercise had on the cognitive performance of sedentary elderly individuals.

They stated: "We examined whether aerobic fitness training can have a robust and beneficial influence on the cognition of sedentary older adults... the answer provided by the present analysis is an unequivocal yes" (Colcome and Kramer 128).

The two men compared performance on mental tasks of many individuals before and after implementing an aerobic exercise routine and found that "Fitness training increased [mental] performance... regardless of the type of cognitive task, the training method, or participants' characteristics"(128).

This illustrates in real life exercise's impact on the brain: the reduction of loss of brain cell mass associated with age, and the improvement of existing neural connections, amounting to a younger, faster brain.

After A Session Of Exercise The Brain Releases Endorphins,
Elevating Mood And Improving Neural Connections.

Exercise Effects On Stress

Aside from these alterations within the brain and body, exercise has a vast number of less tangible but equally important affects as well. Stress is said by many to accelerate aging and irritate many health conditions, and while exercise does not eliminate stress altogether, it provides a reliable outlet for venting frustrations and returning to a more calm and healthy mindset.

In addition to this, exercising regularly improves mood and promotes happiness. Kerry Stewart and his colleagues from the Department of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins University comment on this in their study "Are Fitness, Activity, and Fatness Associated With Health-related Quality of Life and Mood in Older Persons," stating:


Among both genders, individuals with greater fitness and less fatness reported lower levels of anger, depression, and total mood disturbance, as well as less bodily pain, more vitality, fewer problems with daily physical activities resulting from health limitations, and fewer limitations of social activities resulting from emotional or health problems (119).

By serving as an outlet for stress, sharpening mental focus, releasing mind soothing endorphins, and providing individuals with goals to achieve and a routine to follow, exercise goes beyond producing positive physical changes in the body to improve quality of life and elevating mood.

This is also illustrated in the article "Long-Term Impact of Preventive Proactivity on Quality of Life of the Old-Old" by Eva Kahana and her colleagues in the field of Sociology and aging at several major universities, in which they state "physical exercise was associated with greater self-reported meaning in life... and goals in life" (Kahana, et al 391).

Clearly regular exercise goes above and beyond improving physical appearance, bodily function, and increasing lifespan. It also undeniably elevates mood and makes that increased lifespan more worth living.

Exercise Provides A Reliable Outlet For Venting Frustrations
And Returning To A Calm And Healthy Mindset.

Exercise And A Healthy Lifestyle

While regular physical activity is clearly the best way to achieve all these benefits of health and happiness, it is even more successful and enjoyable when implemented in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle. Exercise unmistakably makes the body function better at just about everything, but as it does this it also places greater demand on some areas.

Without the aid of a healthy lifestyle, exercise is more difficult, less enjoyable, and yields slower results. In this situation it is understandably much more likely to be discontinued, and studies have shown that beginning exercisers who avoid making lifestyle changes have a much lower rate of adherence and consistency to exercise routines than those who embrace healthier alternatives to their habits (Bryant and Green 374). Therefore, in order to fully reap the many benefits of exercise, a healthy lifestyle is essential.

Regular Physical Activity Is The Best Way To Achieve
All These Benefits Of Health And Happiness.

Nutritious Diet

While the definition of a healthy lifestyle varies between cultures and even individuals, it includes many universal factors including outlets for stress, companionship, and diet. While all of these are vital to health and happiness, for the purpose of this discussion a nutritious diet stands out from the others.

Proper nutrition allows the body to function at its optimum potential. For the same reasons premium fuel is used in cars instead of a lesser fuel, complete nutrition is vitally important in allowing the human body to perform and recover from the demands of exercise and daily life.

While any physical or mental activity places demands upon the body that must be met in part by nutrition, exercising for the express purpose of increasing the body's capabilities and function creates even higher demands, and adequate nutrition becomes essential in meeting them.

Complete Nutrition Is Vitally Important In Allowing
The Human Body To Perform And Recover.

Nutrition's Benefits At The Molecular Level

In addition to its vital role as fuel for an exercising body, a nutritious diet has in recent years been found to offer many of the health benefits that are achieved through consistent exercise. One such example can be found again at the molecular level.

While exercise has shown to increase a cell's ability to repair itself from cumulative damage and therefore retard the effects of aging, recent research has discovered certain nutrients can actually protect cells from sustaining damage in the first place.

An article that illustrates this is "Long-Term Dietary Strawberry, Spinach, or Vitamin E Supplementation Retards the Onset of Age-Related Neuronal Signal-Transduction and Cognitive Behavioral Deficits" by J.A. Joseph and his fellow researchers at the US Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition Center.

Through researching how aging is affected by foods rich in antioxidants at the cellular level, Joseph and his colleagues found "The results of these experiments have provided such evidence and have suggested, for the first time, that dietary supplementation with foods identified as being high in antioxidant activity (via ORAC) can retard the effects of aging" (Joseph, et al. 8052).

Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables have long been known to be part of a healthy diet, but the ability of modern science to view the affects of specific nutrients on a micro-scale has shed light on this phenomena.

Antioxidant-Rich Fruits And Vegetables Have
Long Been Known To Be Part Of A Healthy Diet.

The Effects Of Calorie Restriction

Some might argue that diet is not only a strong promoter of longevity, but one even better than exercise. In clinical studies researchers have found the number one factor in increased lifespan is not routine exercise, but diet, and more specifically, calorie restriction.

Countless studies done involving species from insects to primates have all found that decreasing the daily amount of calories consumed by roughly 30% leads to major increases in lifespan. This is due to the fact that the cells of the body are processing significantly smaller amounts of energy, and therefore sustain less damage that accumulates to cause aging.

In addition, it is theorized that survival genes are activated, which improve genetic repair mechanisms much the way exercise has been shown to do (Ernst et al.). The results of these studies inarguably prove that calorie restriction is the strongest promoter of longevity, but when applied to people the point becomes moot.

The amount of people willing to subject themselves to lifelong hunger is undoubtedly infinitesimal, and in addition calorie restriction does not provide the numerous other benefits of a sustained exercise routine. Exercise not only increases lifespan through a number of routes, it also improves physical ability (which declines with age), mental performance, and quality of life.

Decreasing The Daily Amount Of Calories Consumed By
Roughly 30% Leads To Major Increases In Lifespan.

Nutritions Effects On The Immune System

Nutrition may not upstage exercise in the increased longevity of any human populations, but it is still the premier factor of a healthy lifestyle that with the addition of an exercise routine, can produce miraculous health benefits. For example, while most take mom's advice that an apple a day keeps the doctor away on good faith, it has long been an observable fact that people with healthier diets do not get sick as often.

With the rapid decline in the quality of many people's diets in recent years, scientists have set out to discover why. Jaime Miquel, a professor in the Department of Biotechnology at the University of Alicante, Spain is one such scientist. In his article "Can Antioxidant Diet Supplementation Protect against Age-related Mitochondrial Damage", Miquel tested the theory of aging of the immune system due in part to oxidative cell damage. He found:


Because immune decline contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality in the elderly, the finding that administration of TP [an antioxidant] to mice for only five weeks improves several immune functions recommends this compound for clinical study of its potential contribution to the attainment of a longer and healthier human life span (Miquel 513).

In short, Miquel observed that a diet rich in antioxidants greatly reduced normal immune system decline due to aging, and went on to discuss that since immune decline plays a large part in mortality, this research holds promise for increasing the human life span.

A Diet Rich In Antioxidants Greatly Reduces
Normal Immune System Decline Due To Aging.

The Need For Discipline

In addition to these examples of the positive effects of nutrition on a molecular scale, there is also the longstanding knowledge that those who eat healthier diets in proper proportions also tend to exhibit more youthful, attractive bodies and vigor.

With all these seemingly miraculous health benefits of proper nutrition on top of the long-standing knowledge that a diet rich in whole grains and vegetables promotes healthy body weight and energy, nutrition is fast being realized as an extremely important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, for anyone to reap these rewards the discipline to follow a healthy lifestyle is necessary.

Awareness of the importance of nutrition on health has been steadily rising in developed nations for the better part of a century, yet the populace of these same nations continue to ignore or disregard this information in favor of a more immediately gratifying unhealthy snack (Penedo and Dahn 189). This is deleterious to public health and needs to be halted.

While many individuals cite the taste of food as an excuse for avoiding a nutritious diet in favor of a less healthy one, well prepared food with fresh ingredients can form a banquet few would refuse. Also, when one takes into account not only the taste of the food during the instant it is consumed, but the feeling after the meal and the knowledge of the health benefits or detriments it will produce, a healthy meal readily becomes the favorable option.

Proper diet provides excellent fuel, protects the cells of the body from damage, and helps maintain the immune system, it's easy to see why it complements an exercise routine's ability to improve the body's repair mechanisms, increase fitness and function, and improve mood and quality of life so well. All one needs is a little dedication, and the rewards are nearly endless.

For Anyone To Reap The Rewards The Discipline
To Follow A Healthy Lifestyle Is Necessary.

Conclusion

The human body evolved in harsh and dangerous environments to become the amazing mechanism it is today; but as amazing as it is, it still cannot cope with the blinding speeds of innovation, nor can it adjust to a life of inactivity and poor diet.

Because of this modern populations are plagued by chronic disease, and people everywhere feel the need to attain more vitality, both in physical form and physical and mental function. It is unfortunate that these people turn to doctors and advertisers to cure themselves of these perfectly avoidable problems when the safest and best solution lies within their own bodies.

The human body may not be able to cope with today's detrimental lifestyles, but it can with a little use make each and every person smarter, happier, and healthier.

The answer to the call for a longer and better life is a simple one: exercise, especially in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle and nutritious diet, can make the body better at virtually everything it does; from physical function and performance, to cognitive performance, to maintained youthfulness and vigor. All the body needs is for the mind to command it to get up out of that chair and move.

[westeffer]

They have some great presentations, sign up and they email a scedule where you can sign up for the ones you like.

[SPARK]

Omega-3, vitamins C and E may boost pancreatic health
By Stephen Daniells, 09-Sep-2010

Increased intakes of omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins C and E may reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer by over 30 percent, suggests new research

Data from residents in the San Francisco Bay Area found that consuming at least 850 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids per day was associated with a 53 percent reduction in the risk of pancreatic cancer, compared to intakes of between 330 and 580 milligrams per day.

According to findings published in the International Journal of Cancer, benefits were also observed for intakes of vitamin C and E, the highest average intakes associated with 31 and 33 percent reductions, respectively, compared with the lowest average intakes.

On the flip side, researchers from the University of California San Francisco report that high intakes of saturated fats and certain monounsaturated fatty acids may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer – the fourth most common cause of cancer mortality in the US and the cause of 33,400 deaths among men and women in 2007.

“Results from this large population-based case-control study provide additional evidence that dietary factors and use of supplements may affect risk of pancreatic cancer,” wrote the researchers, led by Paige Bracci from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

“Our results showing increased risk of pancreatic cancer with increased saturated fatty acid intake and decreased risk with high intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acid and of vitamin C and E from supplements contribute new data to the epidemiologic literature on pancreatic cancer,” they added.

Study details

Bracci and her co-workers analysed data from 532 people with pancreatic cancer and compared this with data from 1,701 cancer-free individuals.

High intakes of saturated fats were associated with a 60 percent increase in the risk of pancreatic cancer, while intakes of palmitoleic and oleic monounsaturated fatty acids were associated with 60 and 40 percent increases, respectively.

Furthermore, linolenic acid – a polyunsaturated fatty acid – was also associated with an increase in cancer risk, added the researchers.

In terms of benefits, however, the San Francisco-based researchers calculated that increased intakes of omega-3s. Furthermore, high intakes of vitamins C and E from supplements were also associated with a decrease in cancer risk.

Biologically plausible?

Commenting on the potential mechanisms, the researchers noted that the antioxidant properties of the vitamins may explain the benefits since they “are known to have anticarcinogenic effects. Vitamins C and E can block reactive oxygen species, reducing oxidative stress and thus reducing cancer-causing mutations.

“Vitamins C and E may also alter pancreatic cancer risk through their ability to stimulate immune function,” they added.

Regarding the role of fats, Bracci and her co-workers stated that the “biologic mechanisms to explain how dietary fat may affect risk for pancreatic cancer remain to be elucidated”. They did note, however certain fatty acids have been linked to increased production of bile acids which could increase the reflux of bile in the pancreas and promote cancer formation.

Source: International Journal of Cancer
Volume 127, Issue 8, Pages 1893-1904
“Intake of fatty acids and antioxidants and pancreatic cancer in a large population-based case-control study in the San Francisco Bay Area”
Authors: Z. Gong, E.A. Holly, F. Wang, J.M. Chan, P.M. Bracci



© 2000/2010 - Decision News Media SAS - All right reserved.

[SPARK]

Nice one~

[westeffer]

A valuable source of seminars on various health topics is

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[SPARK]

Citrus compounds may reduce cancer risk: Study


Breaking News on Supplements & Nutrition - North America
Citrus compounds may reduce cancer risk: Study
By Stephen Daniells, 10-Sep-2010


Daily consumption of citrus may reduce the risk of a range of cancers, especially pancreatic and prostate cancer, suggests a new study from Japan.

Eating citrus daily was associated with a 11 and 14 percent reduction in the incidence of all types of cancer for men and women, respectively, according to a study with 42,270 people living in North Eastern Japan.

Findings published in the International Journal of Cancer also indicate that co-consumption with one cup of green tea a day produced an enhanced protective effect.

“Because of the popularity of citrus and green tea among the Japanese people, these findings suggest that a possible joint effect between them may have implications for public health,” wrote the researchers, led by Wen-Qing Li from Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine.



A daily serving of citrus may reduce the risk of cancer
“However, we have no information on the difference between a second cup made from the same or another set of leaves, the same as most epidemiological surveys in Japan. In any event, the mechanism responsible for this joint effect needs to be clarified further.”

Global crisis

“Cancer represents a crisis for public health, with a global estimated 12.4 million incident cases and 7.6 million deaths from cancer overall in 2008,” state the Japanese researchers. Some “basic studies” have indicated the potential for citrus to reduce the risk of cancer, linked to the compounds in the fruit exhibiting antioxidant potential.

Despite such links, actual studies of citrus intakes and the incidence of cancer are not abundant.

Study details

The Japanese scientists analysed data from 42,470 people in the Ohsaki National Health Insurance Cohort and correlated the effect of citrus and green tea consumption on the overall incidence of cancer. The average age of participants was 59.

After nine years of follow-up, the researchers documented 3,398 cases of cancer. Citrus consumption was divided into five groups: ‘never’; ‘occasionally’; ‘1 to 2 times per week’; ‘3 to 4 times per week’; and ‘daily’.

The results showed that daily consumption was correlated with significant reductions in the risk of all cancer, and especially for prostate and pancreatic cancer. In these cases, the risk reduction was calculated to be 37 and 38 percent, respectively, for daily citrus intakes.

Furthermore, people who drank one cup of green tea a day the reduction in the risk of overall cancer was 17 percent, said the researchers.

“These findings suggest that citrus consumption is associated with reduced all-cancer incidence, especially for subjects having simultaneously high green tea consumption,” wrote the scientists. “Further work on the specific citrus constituents is warranted, and clinical trials are ultimately necessary to confirm the protective effect.”

Article continues below.

Mechanism

Commenting on the biological plausibility of the links, the researchers note that data from lab studies have indicated that compounds within citrus fruit, like lycopene, lutein, hesperidin, nobiletin, auraptene, and lime flavonoids and limonoids have shown potential to protect against both prostate and pancreatic cancer.

“Further work on the contributing constituents of citrus is warranted, and clinical trials are ultimately necessary to confirm the protective effect of citrus consumption against cancer,” concluded Li and co-workers.

Source: International Journal of Cancer
Volume 127, Pages 1913–1922
“Citrus consumption and cancer incidence: the Ohsaki cohort study”
Authors: W-Q Li, S. Kuriyama, Q. Li, M. Nagai, A. Hozawa, Y. Nishino, I. Tsuji

[SPARK]

10 popular drinks that are sure to destroy any diet!

Most of us pay a great deal of attention to the foods we are putting in our bodies. We read labels, read information on nutrition, and probably take a multivitamin just for a little extra insurance. When it comes to our diets, food is well covered.

One aspect that often gets overlooked, however, is what we choose to quench our thirst with. No doubt you've got a good protein powder in place for your pre- and post-workout meals, but what about the beverages you choose to drink throughout the day? You may be quite amazed at the harmful effects they could be having on both your health and your body composition.

What We Choose To Quench Our Thirst With Is Often Overlooked.

Here are some specific ones you should consider, not only for yourself, but also for parents and what your kids may be consuming as well.

Red Bull:

Favored by many as a quick pick-me-up when you feel that afternoon crash hit in, or for some, used as a mixer with alcohol, this is anything but conducive to your dietary attempts.

Each 8.3 oz can is going to send 27 grams of sugar flowing into your body, causing your insulin levels to go up. For those on lower carb diets, one can could constitute an entire days worth of carbohydrates.

If you're looking for a healthier alternative to boost your energy mid-day, why not try out BSN's Endorush Drinks. You can get them in Fruit Punch, Grape, Lemon-Lime, or Orange, and not only are they almost calorie free, but they also will boost your energy, performance, endurance, mental focus, cognition, and serve to make sure your electrolytes are where they need to be.

It's definitely a better option than the former choice.

Sunsweet Prune Juice:


Packaged to look healthy, prune juice states it's not from concentrate. This must mean it's healthy, right? Wrong. For each 8 oz. serving you drink down, you'll be adding 180 calories and 24 grams of sugar to your daily intake. That's more calories and just about as much sugar as what's found in a cup of cola!

Do note, prunes are actually fantastic as a post-workout food due to their sugar content, so instead of opting for this beverage, have some fresh prunes washed down with Noni Juice, which contains the trace minerals you need to function optimally.

Hawaiian Punch:


If you're a proud parent, you've likely sent your kids off to school with one variety of Hawaiian Punch before. While it may seem like a better option than them purchasing a Pepsi from the vending machine, that's far from the truth. Each 8 fluid oz serving of this red beverage will contain 120 calories and 28 grams of sugar.

Not only does this affect their body weight, but it will also create an energy high followed by a crash. As you've probably experienced a few times before, when you get an energy crash, your concentration level goes with it. The last thing you want is for your kids to be having trouble focusing in their afternoon classes.

Not to mention that this product also contains high-fructose corn syrup, one of the leading causes of weight problems amongst kids today.

If you're looking for a fruity tasting drink, instead of having one of these high-sugar options, consider one of the fruit-tasting protein powders. Syntrax's Nectar line is especially good.

Hershey's Chocolate Milk:


While milk is definitely a better option than many of the 'juices' that are available, if you opt for pre-made chocolate milk, you're getting more than you bargained for. Each cup of this drink will contain 270 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 45 grams of sugar.

There will be some protein - which is great, but that is just too much sugar to be consuming. Instead, opt for a ready to drink meal replacement in chocolate flavor such as EAS Myoplex. This is available in regular and light, low-carb versions, so there will be a product to match anyone's dietary needs.


Glaceau Vitamin Water:


More and more you are starting to see flavored water beverages coming to supermarkets and vending machines as an alternative to soda. While many of these are good replacements and are low calories (some even containing electrolytes for those involved in physical activity), some varieties you need to watch out for.

The Glaceau brand of vitamin Water will supply you with 125 calories per 20 oz and a whopping 33 grams of sugar. You might as well just have eaten a candy bar!

If you need to get your vitamins in, choose a good multivitamin that will help you meet your nutrient needs. Then, if you're looking to flavor water, have a look at some of the flavored amino acid products out there such as SciVation Xtend. By mixing this product with water, not only will you enhance the taste of plain water, helping it go down, but you'll also be providing essential amino acids to the muscles, helping with recovery and growth.

Starbucks Frappuccino Blended Double Chocolate Chip Crème:


Coffee lovers rejoice! Coffee has now been proven to have beneficial effects on the body, especially as it relates to exercise when consumed in moderate doses.

How you choose your coffee beverage though can mean the difference between you losing body fat and you rapidly expanding outwards.

If you choose to have your caffeine in a more dessert-like fashion, choosing Starbucks' ever popular Frappucino in the Venti size, you can tack on an additional 550 calories, 11 grams of fat and 79 grams of sugar to your daily diet.

For you women out there dieting and taking in between 1200-1500 calories a day, that will constitute a third to almost a half of all the calories you can have! Definitely not a sound way to diet.

If you are looking to get a dose of caffeine in, consider purchasing a caffeine supplement and then serving that up with a cappuccino flavored protein powder such as Dymatize Café Mocha.

Jamba Juice Green Tea Blast:


If you decide you're in the mood for a smoothie, you need to choose your options very carefully. While green tea offers many beneficial health benefits, taking it in the form of a Jamba Juice will leave you with 67 grams sugar. While post-workout this may pass as okay (if combined with a good source of protein), at any other time of the day, it is definitely not what you want.

If you're looking for the fat loss benefit of green tea, consider buying Designer Supplement's Lean Xtreme. It'll give you a good dose of green tea extract and is great for those who are both trying to lose fat or build muscle.
Gatorade:


A very common choice among athletes involved in hockey, soccer, or track and field, Gatorade is known for its electrolyte balancing properties that keep muscular contractions occurring as they should.

While this is essential, if you consume the regular version of Gatorade, you're also going to be getting 125 calories and 35 grams of sugar. For those doing endurance activities, this may be okay as they are burning this sugar off.

For those of you who aren't out there running miles at a time, opt for Now's Arginine Power Super Stack. It will still help replenish your electrolyte balance just as Gatorade does, but will only contribute a measly 60 calories to your diet. This is much more appropriate for those who are looking to control their weight.

Tropicana Fruit Smoothie:


This is another one you may have sent your kids off to school with, or perhaps something you've reached for when you're in the mood for a fruity-tasting beverage. You definitely should include a few pieces of fresh fruit in your diet, but not from a drink such as this.

Each 11 oz. bottle consumed will contribute 220 calories and 44 grams of sugar to your daily diet. Do this every day on a regular basis (in addition to the other foods you'd normally eat) and you've just gained 1/2 a pound a week.

Not the best way to control your weight.

Instead, create your own smoothie by blending up fresh or frozen fruit, some low-fat, low-sugar yogurt, and adding in Syntrax Matrix 5.0 in Simply Vanilla flavor. This will give it that creamy taste of a real smoothie but really boost the protein content.


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Baskin Robins Heath Cappuccino Blast:


Finally, coming in as the worst possible beverage you could consume, is the Heath Cappucino Blast from Baskin Robins. While it definitely will be tasty, if you decide to really treat yourself and go for a large, it's almost 1/2 pound's worth of calories! Each of these blended beverages ranks in at a massive 1240 calories, 55 grams of fat, and 161 grams of sugar.

Talk about a diet disaster.

You could always go for a small, but even then you are still packing away 600 calories, 25 grams of fat, and 78 grams of sugar. That's more calories than most people need in an entire meal!

If you hope to have any control over your weight, a drink like this better be a one-time occurrence, and considered your 'cheat' meal of the week at that.

[SPARK]

"There was a Scandinavian man named Steffason in the mid 1800's who decided to live with these Eskimos for 20 years and he wrote a book called "Not by bread alone." He was a scientist that for 20 years that ate fat, blubber, intestines, and liver the same diet as the Eskimos. He came back at the age of 80 to the Presbyterian Medical Center in New York and was in perfect health."


Let's dispel some myths right now. Cholesterol is not poison and is absolutely necessary for our body. Keep an open mind as you read and learn more about eggs, history of research, drug company priorities, how carbs are involved, and much more..

Let's begin with how important cholesterol is to the human body. Cholesterol belongs to a group of fats referred to as Sterols. Chemically it is not a fat, although Sterols are found in all fats and oils especially animal fat.

The chief sources are eggs, egg yolk, liver, kidney, brain, fish oil and oysters. It is also found in a lesser degree in meat, whole milk, cream cheese and butter. Cholesterol is commonly thought of as a poison and something to be avoided at all cost. Nonsense! This is a mistruth. Let me explain.


Did you know that the majority of the dry weight of the brain is comprised of cholesterol?


Did you have any idea that the sheath nerve endings from the top of your head to the bottom of your spine are wrapped in cholesterol?


Did you know that cholesterol serves as a conductor for the transmission of all nerve ending throughout the body?


Did you know that if you received even the slightest 1/4 inch cut, you would bleed to death if not for cholesterol?

Johns Hopkins University studied children that were fed low cholesterol diets from birth. The study concluded and confirmed that this was the reason they all suffered stunted brain growth.

Cholesterol manufactures every hormone in the human body, every one of them: progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, T1, T3 by the thyroid, etc. It's a natural function of your body. Your liver manufactures cholesterol all day long. You couldn't have sex without cholesterol.

It is the very important part of fluid in the body. If you eat an egg or butter, your liver ceases to produce the same substance, cholesterol. When you don't eat eggs, butter, or cheese, your liver starts to manufacture cholesterol. If you eat vegetables, it will start to manufacture cholesterol.

So you see that your body has a check and balance, it's a very wonderful thing. The medical profession doesn't know much about it because it's nutritionally based information and medical doctors are only given 30 hours of nutritional guidance during their entire medical education.

In fact, most Americans are even unaware that medical doctors know nothing about nutrition. Fortunately some are now beginning to look at nutrition as more and more patients with chronic illnesses show no improvement under the care of pharmaceutical drugs. Very few average Americans even know that most medical schools were created and are subsidized by large pharmaceutical companies.

In the late 1800's drug companies literally bought out medical colleges, universities and hospitals. They moved in and put an end to homeopathic and herbal medicine and created a massive drug empire. Prior to that most colleges were homeopathic and herbal, that's how we practiced natural medicine then. Harper Grace Hospital and U of M were homeopathic hospitals in the late 1800's. Sadly, this information has been kept from us.


Statin Drugs


In my opinion, there are only two reasons that man as a species lies:


Personal Gain.
To make money.

Drug companies desire to scare Americans using this controversial cholesterol hysteria because they want to sell you cholesterol-lowering drugs. They are referred to as Statin Drugs.

It is documented that the use of Statin drugs lower the brain's ability to function, hence lowering intellect levels. Statin drugs destroy Vitamin E and prevent COQ10 from being absorbed by the body. COQ10 and Vitamin E are essential for good and correct heart function.

The Shute Clinic, located in Canada, proved that point 70 years ago however, we dismissed this by commenting,


"Those Canadians are crazy."

So the madness spirals when the heart starts to fail. Then you go to a heart doctor and he'll put you on more medication. The fact is that Statin drugs made 14 billion dollars in this country last year.

You wonder why the company you work for will no longer pay for your health insurance benefits. Benefit premiums are on the rise, primarily due to the cost of an ever-increasing population and an ever-increasing amount of prescriptions. Someone has to pay for the increase in prescription drug use, so once again you see, you pay!

Another part of the problem today is that medical doctors are not reading their own medical journals. Go to the public library and look up the medical book "Tabers 16th edition" page 1909. This states that the true cause of arterial sclerosis and heart attacks is the ingestion of an excess amount of carbohydrates, which go into the liver.

The carbohydrates that we eat are no good for the liver, including cookies, donuts, pop, pretzels and candy bars. When these types of foods go into the liver the liver then properly tries to convert them to good cholesterol, as that is its function. The liver converts them to the only thing they can be converted to which are Triglycerides and Diglycerides. These are poison!

Triglycerides and Diglycerides are an unnatural sticky form of fat that the liver then pushes into the arteries. What happens when they go into the arteries? You get a rise in the bad cholesterol. When you get the bad cholesterol too high you then have a heart attack.

For eighty years now we've been on oleomargarine, which is a form of polymer plastics and high in trans fatty acids, which are poison to our body. In fact heating up margarine and bad oils is how BIC makes their pens. The body just does not have the ability to process and use oils and margarines that are heated.

Once every sixty seconds someone in America has a heart attack and we wonder what is the reason for this? It is due to the ingestion of bad fats and carbohydrates.


A Nation Of Mis-Truths


Where did this theory that Cholesterol is a poison and causes heart disease start? Bear with me a moment. John Wayne told the American public in his westerns that the Indians were savages that scalped people. Wounded Knee told us that the U.S. Government created scalping because they offered buffalo hunters 10 dollars a piece for Indian scalps. Columbus claims that he discovered America.

This is just an impossibility because Erik the Red sailed up the Hudson River 400 years earlier, and came in contact with an indigenous people who had populated the land for the previous 1400 years. Not to mention that Columbus, who we celebrate yearly, enslaved the Native Americans to mine for gold and then lopped off their hands if he thought they were stealing it.

Of course genocide followed soon after. The white man's desire to run and own everything was the Native Americans ultimate demise and the demise of our entire health care system also. It's all about capital. Our nation was founded on mistruths! I welcome you to investigate any of this information.

I challenge you to research for yourself and find your own truths. Do not rely on anyone's opinion find out for yourselves. Its sad that lies have become truths and truths have become lies in our history and in our lives.


Good Or Bad Cholesterol


In the late 1800's a Russian researcher wanted to prove that Cholesterol was no good for you.

He promptly set out to prove it and did. He took a group of rabbits and fed them what would be an equivalent of what a human would eat in a quart of butter or animal fat a day. The experiment went on for 3 months and at that time he destroyed the animals and opened them up. When he opened them up he found that the arteries were corroded. There were lesions, arterial sclerosis, and the findings brought out the determination that cholesterol was not good for you.

Then societies viewpoint changed. Cholesterol lowering drugs were invented, low-fat cheese, low-fat milk, and the thought evolved to throw the egg yolk away. If God intended a yolkless egg he would have made one. An egg white cannot be properly digested if not consumed without the egg yolk. It becomes a sugar and not healthy for the body either.

If you look at any animal, in nature, you will find 4 to 5 % butter fat content in their milk. This is also true of mother's milk. This is one of thee great benefits of breast-feeding. Meanwhile, all the data was accepted as fact and truth.

Another researcher came along years later, and said this data is a lie! "You cannot take animal fats and protein and feed it to a herbivore." Rats, pigs, monkeys and humans are omnivores. They can eat anything; they can survive on anything and are completely capable of eating animal fats.

This researcher created his own test. He fed rats the same amount of lard and butter as the previous test and did his test for a three-month period. Then he opened up their arteries and do you know what he found? Close your eyes, what do you see? Exactly, nothing! Because we as humans are perfectly capable of ingesting fats, metabolizing fats, and utilizing fats.


Fats yield twice as much energy than carbohydrates do. If you eat a high fat diet in the morning it will sustain your energy straight through to lunch. When this researcher took his new research to the powers that be, he was stunned. Too much money is made off of the production of low fat products and cholesterol lowering drugs.

Lard Sandwiches:

As a side note, when my grandfather would go out to plow all day long, my grandmother would pack him lard sandwiches on whole wheat bread. He wasn't a nutritionist, so didn't know that what he was doing was a good thing. However, he did live to be 98 years old and was slender and muscular his entire life.


What Is Lard?
The white solid or semisolid rendered fat of a hog.



My Diet:

Today if you tell someone that you eat eggs they think you are going to die. When I was weight training I ate between 4 and 5 eggs a day and all the men I worked with at General Motors felt sorry for me. They were sure: I would die of a heart attack, while they consumed bagels, donuts, crackers, etc.

I am sorry to report that the majority of those men are no longer with us as they died form heart attacks. FACT: When I was bodybuilding with the great Vince Gironda, I was on a six-week bulk-training course, where I was trying to gain size. I was eating up to 35 eggs a day. At the end of the 6 weeks I had my cholesterol levels checked and they had actually gone down 5 points.

I still eat 3 to 5 eggs every morning. I've done so for the last 30 years of my life. I have an omelette with raw milk, cheese, mushrooms and onions. Hippocrates states that the word protein means "most important." The three finest proteins for the human body are eggs, raw milk and liver.

I supplement with liver tablets from Argentina, every day along with the five eggs a day that I eat. Mother Nature gives you about 200 to 250 edible foods in nature that we are capable of consuming. When I was a child and grew up on a farm in Illinois, they lived predominantly on a high fat diet including sausage, fish, bacon, eggs, turkey, cheese, milk, cottage cheese and butter.

They put butter on everything. My grandfather lived to be 98 and my grandmother 101. Indian Joe was a man that lived with my Grandparents and worked for food and shelter. He consumed only meat products, never any fruits or vegetables and he lived to be 115.

A Vicious Circle:

When somebody tells you that cholesterol is bad for you, they tell you that so that they can make money. Then they can sell you prescription drugs, while you support companies like Coca-Cola that sell you pop, cookies, and donuts that increase your cholesterol.

It's a big vicious circle and it is all to make the almighty buck. We put our children on Ritalin and people take Prozac or Statin drugs. Of course it all makes money and it is all affecting your health, negatively. Some wise man once said about 2000 years ago, "The love of money is the root of all evil." Medical doctors and drug companies wouldn't lie to you, would they?

Let's remember that doctors only receive about 30 hours of nutritional education during their entire tenure as a medical student. You do not need to be anti-government to realize that doctors prescribe you drugs because they mean to help, but instead because they are encouraged to by a drugs rep.

A drug rep comes to a doctors office, buys the office staff lunch, courts the doctor and then encourages the doctor to hand out free samples of the latest and greatest drug. Then eventually write prescriptions of the drug. I'm sure you've seen these people while waiting in a doctor's office.

They come in toting large cases on rolling wheels and wait patiently in the waiting room for their opportunity to have a quick three-minute conversation with the doctor between appointments. Let's take Synthroid for example, commonly prescribed to those who have thyroid issues or have had their thyroid radiated or removed, this drug has never even been approved by the FDA!

How does this happen you ask? This is the reality of pharmaceutical drugs. There is a natural cure or supplement for everything that ails you, you just need to find the courage to open your mind and seek out alternative health care and nutrition options.

Always seek an alternative health professional or homeopathic doctor by referral of someone you trust and have experienced positive results.


World Cultures


Now let's discuss five cultures of the world.

The Primitive Eskimo:

There was a Scandinavian man named Steffason in the mid 1800's who decided to live with these Eskimos for 20 years and he wrote a book called "Not by bread alone." He was a scientist that for 20 years that ate fat, blubber, intestines, and liver the same diet as the Eskimos. He came back at the age of 80 to the Presbyterian Medical Center in New York and was in perfect health.

The Rocky Mountain Men:

Ate what they killed, meat.

The American Plains Indian:

Lived off of the Buffalo. The Indian was threatened with starvation as the white man killed off the buffalo because they were mainly meat eaters and buffalo was their primary food source.

The Maisi In Africa:

Meat eaters.

The Balari In South America:

Meat eaters.

All of these people have no history of heart disease, arthritis and no diabetes. These people did not eat processed and refined foods. We ought to hear the other side of the story because we've only heard one side of the story.

Propaganda:

There was a man in Nazi Germany, his name was Joseph Goebbels, and he was a minister of propaganda. He knew that if you control what people see, television, and movies, what they hear on the radio, and what they read in magazines and newspapers, that you can control people.

The churches in the middle Ages called it propagate, and that is where the word propaganda derived from. The Oriental culture refers to it as brainwashing. What do we call it today? We refer to it as marketing, TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines. All of these sources say that cholesterol is evil and everyone believes it and we never hear the other side of the story, but again it makes trillions of dollars.

The five cultures in the world that are meat eaters are slim muscular people. If you look at carbohydrate eaters, they will be fat fleshy people, like Americans.


The Processed American Diet


Americans subsist on more carbohydrates than any other country in the world.

We've been advocated to eat polyunsaturated oils. Polyunsaturated oils are of an incomplete chemical structure so they combine with other chemicals around them, including cancer cells. The saturated fat molecule is already complete and thereby less susceptible to combinations with other compounds. It had been demonstrated that heating of polyunsaturated oil, increased it's toxicity by causing it to form polymers, these chemical compounds then are used to produce varnish, shellac and plastics, including the BIC pen your holding right now.

The processed food industry has made trillions of dollars for the last 80 years, selling us low fat food. What are low fat foods high in? Carbohydrates. It all comes back to excess sugars and starches. As Hippocrates said,


"Protein is most important,
carbohydrates are secondary."

Of course fruits, vegetables, and grains are wonderful for you, but you've got to have protein first.

Most people who are Christian have no idea what the bible says. In Deuteronomy it states,


"You cannot live by bread alone."

In Acts 10: 13 it says,


"Peter kill and eat."

He talked about the land of milk and honey, that we may eat birds of the sky, reptiles of the earth and creepy crawly things. The best guidelines come from the bible. I suggest you educate yourself on this also. The bible says many other things, Ezekiel 47:12 says,


"Use the fruit for food and the leaf for medicine."

Controlling Cholesterol:

The proper approach to controlling one's cholesterol is to stay away from all processed and refined foods. Pancakes, cookies, pies, cakes, candies, pretzels, donuts, pizza, pop tarts, slurpees, sugar frosted flakes, bagels, pasta, spaghetti, beer, and fast food.

Increase your antioxidants, Vitamin E and Magnesium, which prevents the formation of arterial sites of cholesterol build up and lesions in the arteries. (Make sure to get high quality Vitamin E from a health food store. Make sure the label reads d-tocopherol. Most E is actually the synthetic version (dl-tocopherol) which the body cannot use, so it is useless to take.)

Get plenty of good minerals in your body and Vitamin B complex. Exercise to some degree, but the most important thing is diet, it is what you eat that counts.

Even the average bodybuilder has to know something about nutrition. I am not referring to people who take steroids though. Bodybuilding is 85%-95% nutrition and if a bodybuilder doesn't accept that fact they will fail, so they have to know nutrition.

Leading Causes Of Death:

Years ago I was training a young teenage boy. I had this young man on liver tablets, milk and egg protein, meat, and cheese etc. His mother found out about it and she called me up and was outraged that I would feed her son such fat. I tried to explain to her about good fats and bad fats and she would not hear me. She had spoke with her family doctor, and he informed her that eating all that fat would cause her son to have a heart attack.

Then I found out that her son was on Ritalin. Ritalin is a Class II addictive drug that cannot be distinguished by chemists from cocaine, Prozac, and Zoloft. Channel 2 reported in November 2001, that Ritalin could cause permanent brain damage. The young man also had asthma and was on Prednisone.

If you look at the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) it states that Prednisone can cause diabetes and heart failure. I was being accused of giving the boy things that could kill him; all the while the medical doctor had him on drugs that could cause brain damage, diabetes, and congestive heart failure.

I spoke to the mother and made the statement, "That drugs in America kill 350,000 to 400,000 people every year." She got very angry with me and wanted to know where I got my tremendously outrageous data. I said, "If you pull out the Journal of the American Medical Association, April 15, 1998, medical doctors admitted that prescription drugs of all kinds are the fourth leading cause of death in America. Right behind Cancer, Diabetes, and Heart attacks." She didn't have much to say to me after that.

Protein Digestion:

All the protein companies that sell protein drinks say mix your protein powder with juice, zero fat milk, or water. The simple fact is that you cannot digest protein without fat. If you get rid of the yolk of an egg and, swallow only the white, the body cannot utilize it as protein; it is converted into sugar and stored in the liver as glycogen.

Even the so-called experts do not investigate this, so they wouldn't know. The reason the egg yolk is so good for you is because the yolk is the nucleus of all cells, and all life as we know it. Without RNA/DNA and protein amino acids we couldn't have life. You also should not mix your protein with fruit juices of any kind as the enzymes necessary to digest protein will dominate and while the protein is being digested the fruit ferments. This is not good for digestion and is the cause of gas.


Because we process and refine food we destroy the B complex. Homocystine is a good amino acid, but without the B complex it becomes deadly to our body.

Dr. Harry Eidiner Jr. is the foremost nutritional biochemist in America. He has eight degrees and is a brilliant person. He has written medical journals and he has confirmed that you cannot digest protein without fat.

Always try to buy scratch eggs (from the health food store) or Amish eggs. Commercial eggs, as you probably know, are just like all other food in our country they are injected with hormones and antibiotics, and we all know that's not good for us.


Conclusion


I hope this article has helped you. I hope you have a better understanding of why things are done in this country. Why lies are told. I hope that you go back to eating your eggs; they are the most phenomenal food that you can eat. They are only second to Mother's milk in the quality of nutrition.

[SPARK]

Bodybuilding and diabetes.

You read information about bodybuilding, and then you read information about diabetes. But very rarely do you read information about the two together.

One thing many people miss is the connection between bodybuilding and diabetes. While if you have diabetes, getting involved in bodybuilding is not automatically going to cure you - but the benefits of a regular strength training program as far as diabetes is concerned are tremendous.

Not only will bodybuilding help to prevent the onset of adult diabetes, which is one of the most prevalent diseases today, but it will also really play an important role in controlling it in those who are already affected.

Here is why bodybuilding is a must if this disease is something you are concerned with.

1. Decreased Total Body Weight:


One of the first reasons why weightlifting is helpful when trying to manage diabetes is because of the fact it helps to decrease the total body weight through the reduction of body fat tissue.

Unlike cardio training which has a higher tendency to reduce both fat and muscle mass, weight training really helps with the promotion of lean body mass while dieting, thus helps prevent this muscle mass loss.

Since having a high body fat level is strongly correlated with the onset of diabetes, keeping this factor under control is extremely important

2. Increased Blood Glucose Control:


Next, bodybuilding dramatically increases your blood glucose control as when weight lifting, the muscle tissues are primed to suck up any excess glucose in the blood.

Furthermore, since carbohydrates are stored in the body as muscle glycogen, an increase in muscle mass means more storage room, reducing the chances these carbohydrates are floating around in the bloodstream or converted to body fat.

3. Increased Attitude Towards Food Intake:


The third reason why there is a strong connection between bodybuilding and diabetes is simply the mindset that those who are very involved with bodybuilding adopt.

Due to the nature of their training and the desire to build muscle, they are paying very close attention to their meal frequency.

Since one of the big treatment methods of those who do suffer from diabetes is eating in regular intervals to never let blood sugar levels get too low or too high, this fits right in with the bodybuilder's diet set-up.

4. More Care Paid To Meal Frequency:


In addition to paying more attention to meal frequency, bodybuilders are also a lot more likely to take more care in their meal choices.

Whether it's limiting the amount of saturated fat they consume or only eating slow-burning carbohydrates apart from the post-workout period, most of the eating habits adopted by the bodybuilding lifestyle are very in accordance with those recommend for preventing or treating diabetes.

Furthermore, those who decide to utilize a lower carb approach to match their workouts take things one step further, as this especially can help manage diabetes.

It is important to note though that intense exercise cannot be performed unless carbohydrates are taken in at some point, so make sure you don't write them off completely.

You do need carbohydrates to function and workout properly, so it's important to learn how to do so properly if you are dealing with diabetes.

5. More Glucose Storage In The Body:


Finally, the last big reason why bodybuilding will help with the prevention and treat diabetes is the increase glucose storage that occurs in the body as a result.

Muscle tissue is the storage house for glucose in the body and when running low, will suck it up from the bloodstream. As referred to above, this is good for keeping total blood sugars under control, especially if you eat a meal that is higher in carbohydrates.

So, the more muscle you are able to build through bodybuilding, the more storage house capacity you'll have for this glucose, hence the more carbohydrates you should be able to eat without having as much of a problem.

[seabreezing]

Thanks . will do..I be taking more notes though,lol sea

[SPARK]

Welcome sea..feel free to post anything interesting you come across~

[SPARK]

Glutamine part 2

Last week I explained how glutamine can directly help your training as an athlete and I briefly mentioned some other areas in which supplemental glutamine can help improve an overall healthy lifestyle. You might not be interested in all of these benefits but even so I think it would be hard to disagree that glutamine can help anyone function at an overall higher level, regardless of whether one is an athlete or just your typical average Joe whose never seen the inside of a gym! Now for the goods.

Improved Brain Functioning

Wow so glutamine can help me study too? YEP! Glutamine is highly concentrated in the brain (10-15 times more than in the blood) and acts as a modulator between the inhibitory effects of GABA and the stimulating effects of glutamate. It is an important fuel for the brain, and can provide adequate energy in the absence of glucose.

For this reason it is helpful with focus, concentration, memory, intellectual performance, alertness, attentiveness, improving mood and eliminating brain fog. For these reasons it is not surprising to see the popularity of glutamine among athletes/bodybuilders who follow low carb diets. Some of the low mental energy symptoms of a low carb diet can be avoided with supplemental glutamine.

Improves And Stabilizes Blood Sugar

Glutamine does this through several mechanisms. When the blood sugar is low, glutamine suppresses insulin to stop the further decline of the sugar levels. It also stimulates glycogen to be released to help increase the blood sugar to normal levels. Further, glutamine is a glycogenic amino acid which means it can convert to sugar for energy production, a process called gluconeogenesis.

Providing abundant glutamine through diet and supplementation means that less muscle tissue (if any) will be broken down to provide glucose. This is of importance to people on calorie restricted diets, whose main problem is losing muscle mass moreso than fatty tissue.

Decreases Alcohol And Sugar Cravings

The blood sugar stabilizing effects may partly explain why it decreases sugar and alcohol cravings. In studies with alcoholics, 2 to 3 grams given 3 times daily decreased the desire to drink, decreased anxiety, and improved sleep. It works best given between meals. Giving glutamine to rats decreased their voluntary alcohol consumption by 34%. When the glutamine was stopped their alcohol consumption returned to baseline levels.

Some healthcare providers have noted success rates as high as 80% when using the protocol with alcoholic patients. Many people can vouch for the almost instant effect glutamine has at killing a sugar craving. If you normally get sugar cravings try taking a 5-10 gram serving of glutamine about 30 minutes prior to the time when you normally get your cravings and see what happens.

Maintains Health And Function Of The Lining Of The Gut

Due to the frequency and volume that most athletes consume food they put a heck of a lot of stress on the digestive system and glutamine can help ensure everything is functioning properly here. Many medical professionals believe that most chronic diseases originate from the gut. The problem starts when, for a variety of reasons, the lining of the gut becomes leaky, which allows pathogens, food particles, bacteria, fungi, and parasites into general circulation where they can cause problems such as autoimmune diseases, food allergies, and a host of other chronic ailments.


"Glutamine is the chief source of energy for the cells of the gut lining."
Even without a leaky gut an impaired gut can cause digestive disturbances, bowel problems, yeast infections, ulcers, ulcerative colitis, and crohn's disease. People who use glutamine virtually ensure superior health of their gut lining. In fact, when it was first discovered, glutamine used to be called "intestinal permeability factor." Glutamine is the chief source of energy for the cells of the gut lining. Most glutamine in the diet is metabolized by the intestines where it maintains the structural integrity of the intestinal lining, supporting its quick turnover.

Those who use non-steroidal anti-inflammatories or antibiotics may have a special need for supplemental glutamine. Both can damage the gut lining and set up gastrointestinal disturbances or leaky gut syndrome. Fortunately, sufficient glutamine can undo the damage caused by antibiotics or NSAIDs, maintaining permeability at a healthy level. For those with any disturbance of the gut the soothing effects of glutamine taken as powder dissolved in water makes itself known quite soon after ingestion.

Strengthens Immune System

Glutamine is the primary source of energy for the various cells of the immune system. Strenuous exercise, viral and bacterial infections, and stress in general cause glutamine depletion that starves the immune cells. Up to 40 grams per day can be used to sustain the immune systems of AIDS or cancer patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation. Very ill patients suffer both a decrease in glutamine levels and muscle loss. The use of glutamine has been documented to aid the survival of severely ill surgical and burn patients. It also speeds up wound and burn healing and improves recovery in general.



Glutamic Acid Formula

In addition, glutamine is a substrate for glutathione, an amino acid which acts as one of our master antioxidants and helps enhance the immune function. Large doses of glutamine stimulate the immune response even under heavy stress. Dosages of 2-5 grams per day should be sufficient for healthy sedentary people to boost immune system function although athletes may want to increase their dosage on an as needed basis if they tend to succumb to infections after heavy exercise.

Helps With Wound Healing

The cells of connective tissue in the body called fibroblasts use glutamine for protein synthesis and also for 30% of their energy needs. Glutamine is required for their proliferation and is therefore critical in wound metabolism and healing. The implications for athletes here are in the healing of damaged joint tissue and also damaged muscle tissue after intense training.

Helps The Heart

It has recently been discovered that glutamine is an important source of fuel for the heart muscle. It can be converted to glutamate, which then enters the Krebs cycle to produce ATP, our energy molecule. In heart patients, glutamate infusions can be used during heart surgery to ensure a better outcome.

In addition, glutamine serves as a substrate for the synthesis of a special type of beta-endorphin, glycyl-l-glutamine.

This dipeptide appears to be important for the regulation of blood pressure and prevention of cardiorespiratory depression. Although you might not worry about your heart, the application of this to athletes is that by increasing function of the heart it can help during exercise of cardiovascular nature by increasing endurance.

Possible Cancer Benefits

Immune cells require glutamine for proper functioning and since an illness such as cancer depletes the body of glutamine, such depletion will impair immune function and interfere with the body fighting the cancer and associated infections if glutamine is not given. Cancer bearing rats were able to maintain normal immune function when given glutamine enriched nutrition without increasing tumor size.

Animal studies also showed glutamine enhanced the selectivity of anti-tumor drugs. It did so by helping to protect normal cells from the chemotherapy while making the tumor cells more sensitive to the chemo. Further, when given to patients undergoing abdominal radiation it protected the intestinal mucosa from injury and accelerated the healing of the bowel. Helps maintain acid/alkaline balance

Due to the high ratio of calories and protein in a typical athlete's diet along with increased stress from exercise the acid/alkaline balance in the body can sometimes be disrupted. Glutamine can help here by the production and metabolism of glutamine in the kidneys. The more severe the acidosis is in uncontrolled diabetes, starvation, kidney disorders, decreased oxygen in the body, fluid and electrolyte loss, the greater the rate of glutamine metabolism in the kidneys. In acidotic conditions there is low glutamine, low alanine and an increased production of ammonia. In studies 2 grams of glutamine produced a quick increase in plasma bicarbonate (which elevates alkaline reserve).

By now I hope I've convinced you of the importance of glutamine intake. What's really interesting is that more benefits of this miraculous supplement seem to surface all the time and I believe it won't be long before glutamine will be found in the vitamin cabinet of practically every household and used by every member of the family. So pretty soon you'll probably have to hide your glutamine stash away from every other family member!

Now who needs to avoid glutamine? Diabetics need to exercise caution, since they have an abnormal glutamine metabolism. A much higher percentage of their glutamine is broken down for the production of glucose by the liver and kidneys. A diabetic considering glutamine usage should discuss the matter with his/her physician.

[SPARK]

Glutamine a wonder supplement? I think so~

Everyone, regardless of lifestyle, can derive supplemental benefits from its use. Here is a brief list of the possible applications of supplemental glutamine.


Improves athletic performance
Improves brain functioning
Stabilizes blood sugar
Helps the heart function
Strengthens the immune system
Maintains the health and functioning of the gut lining
Decreases alcohol cravings
Decreases sugar cravings
Helps with wound healing
Helps maintain proper acid/alkaline balance
Possible cancer benefits

Here starts the first article:

In my last installment on BCAA usage for athletes I touched a bit on supplementation with l-glutamine and how it can benefit athletes and weight trainers. Truthfully, I feel a one page report on l-glutamine does this supplement a bit of a disservice as its potential benefits and applications are extremely diverse and far-reaching. If you're an athlete then you probably already know that glutamine can benefit your training and muscle building efforts.

What you probably don't know is just how great of an overall supplement it really is, not just for athletes and bodybuilders, but for ALL people. I thoroughly believe that glutamine should be on the vitamin shelf in EVERY household right next to the Vitamin C!

What's amazing is how everyone, regardless of lifestyle, can derive supplemental benefits from its use. Here is a brief list of the possible applications of supplemental glutamine.


Improves athletic performance
Improves brain functioning
Stabilizes blood sugar
Helps the heart function
Strengthens the immune system
Maintains the health and functioning of the gut lining
Decreases alcohol cravings
Decreases sugar cravings
Helps with wound healing
Helps maintain proper acid/alkaline balance
Possible cancer benefits
Quite a long list isn't it? So you might be wondering how exactly glutamine exerts all these benefits? Recall that glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in circulation. In a healthy individual, the concentration of glutamine in the blood is 3-4 times greater than all other amino acids. It is actively transported and metabolized in nearly all tissues.

It is particularly found in high concentrations in the brain, muscles, gut lining, lungs, heart, kidney, and liver where it has multiple and critical functions.

Glutamic Acid

We primarily obtain glutamine from the conversion of glutamic acid from food, although some is also found in food. The average amount supplied from a healthy diet is 5-8 grams per day. Among medical practitioners who use blood tests to determine amino acid status, glutamine is one that is often found to be lacking, especially in patients with either chronic illness or mood and cognitive symptoms. For this reason glutamine has become extremely popular, not just with athletes, but among holistic medical practitioners who use it in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments.



Glutamic Acid Formula

As an athlete glutamine can help you directly in many ways. I've already touched briefly on this in my BCAA article but to recap, glutamine in muscle is a regulator of muscle protein synthesis or muscle building and supports muscle glycogen accumulation. When there is glutamine depletion, there is a breakdown in muscle. Studies indicate glutamine counteracts cortisone steroid induced muscle atrophy.

Skeletal muscle in the body accounts for approximately 30-40% of the total body mass. A 150 lb male would ideally have about 60 grams of glutamine in these muscles. Free stores of glutamine in muscles exceed those of any other amino acid. Surgical and injury trauma, infections, burns, stress, cancer, and most major illnesses dramatically deplete and alter the production and flow of glutamine causing movement of glutamine out of the muscle and decreasing glutamine blood levels.

Intense Training

Under these circumstances the net glutamine consumption exceeds the production and there is a decrease in muscle protein synthesis. This contributes to the muscle wasting seen in severe illness and trauma and can also happen with intense exercise.

Research has shown a significant correlation between survival in severely infected patients and the muscle glutamine concentration. Supplying glutamine helps the metabolic processes associated with recovery. So as an athlete glutamine can help you in the following areas:


Stimulates muscle protein synthesis by donating nitrogen to build proteins.
Increases growth hormone which can induce positive body composition and mood changes (Note: A study done in 1995 by LSU College of Medicine showed that a surprisingly small oral dose of 2 grams of glutamine raised GH levels more than 4X over that of a placebo. Age did not diminish the response of the volunteers who ranged in age from 32 to 64 years.)
Decreases muscle catabolism during exercise
Increases endurance by replenishing glycogen under conditions of glycogen depletion
Decreases muscle recovery time
Decreases the chances of illness/infection by boosting your immune system
Prevents over-training from high loads and long duration activities (recall that blood glutamine levels are an excellent marker of anabolic status).
These are some of the direct roles in which glutamine can boost your performance. What is just as important, if not more so in my mind, are the indirect roles that glutamine can play in building a healthy body. These are things that may not make you into a physical powerhouse but will still aid in keeping your body healthy and free of disease and give you some other benefits now and in the future.

These benefits are why I look at glutamine as a "wonder supplement" and I feel just about everyone should be using it. Next week I'll cover these other important areas.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/inmag6.htm

[seabreezing]

Nice informative board..marked. seabreezing

[lowman]

Yeah, if you've ever experienced it firsthand, it's a total drain on the 'forgotten' loved ones. For the inflicted though, it's really not a bad way to go. Me granny reverted to childhood, dying with a teddy bear clutched in her arms and repeating, "I jus' wanna to go home".

Funny how she did a whole circle...childhood-adulthood-back to childhood.

[SPARK]

Dementia/Alzheimers is horrid thing for the victim and the entire family..This might just be the break they have been looking for..further research in this direction hopefully will lead to a complete cure/prevention~

[lowman]

Thanx, SPARK! Me granny had dimentia (she used to always complain that someone was stealing her salt and pepper shakers. When she passed away, we found dozens of 'em stashed in the bottom of her clothes drawer. lol), so naturally it's one of those things I'm concerned with.

Been taking a multi-B for a couple years but I can see it wouldn't hurt to take a bit more.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...if/when there even IS a cure!

[SPARK]

Vitamin B is revolutionary new weapon against Alzheimer's Disease
>
> Vitamin B tablets could slow and even halt the devastating march of Alzheimer's Disease in the elderly, a breakthrough British study suggests.
>
> By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent
> Published: 5:00AM BST 09 Sep 2010
>
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7989889/Vitamin-B-is-revolutionary-new-weapon-against-Alzheimers-Disease.html
>
> The research showed that the larges doses of the supplement could halve the rate of brain shrinkage – a physical symptom associated memory loss and dementia in the elderly.
> The effects were so dramatic that the scientists behind the work believe it could revolutionise the treatment of the disease.
>
> Brain shrinkage or atrophy is a natural part of ageing but it is known to be accelerated in people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) – a kind of memory loss and forgetfulness – and Alzheimer's.
>
> Scientists at the University of Oxford conducted a trial on 168 people and found that taking high doses of three vitamin B supplements every day reduced brain shrinkage associated with dementia by up to 53 per cent.
>
> They said the results were so strong that it should open up a debate as to whether the tablets should be prescribed to everyone with MCI – half of which develop Alzheimer's disease.
>
> MCI affects 16 per cent of people over 70 – 1.5 million people in the UK.
>
> Professor David Smith, a pharmacologist who co-authored the study, said the results were "immensely promising".
>
> "It is a very simple solution: you give someone some vitamins and you protect the brain," he said.
>
> "This is the first trial that has shown a glimmer of hope and success. It is the first one of its kind that has worked so clearly. I think it will change the whole direction of Alzheimer's research.
>
> "500 people a day develop Alzheimer's in the UK. If we can cut that down by just 10 per cent it will have a big impact. I personally believe that it will."
> The research, published in the journal Public Library of Science ONE, is controversial because it defies current scientific dogma about the way to tackle Alzheimer's.
>
> It suggests simply taking vitamins can achieve results that have so far evaded pharmaceutical companies, despite millions of pounds being spent on experimental dementia drugs.
>
> The brain naturally shrinks in volume as we get older and when you get to 60, it is shrinking by as much as half a per cent a year.
>
> But in those with MCI it is accelerates to one per cent a year and in Alzheimer's Disease by 2.5 per cent a year. This is accompanied by severe memory problems, slower thoughts and confusion.
>
> Current research centres around tackling so-called tangles in the brain which are thought to "silt up" the brain's thought processes.
>
> The team at the University of Oxford set out in a new direction – targeting the abnormal physical shrinkage of the brain.
>
> They knew that a substance called homocysteine, an amino acid found in the blood, was associated with this shrinkage.
>
> Elderly people with higher levels of homocysteine, had higher levels of brain shrinkage.
>
> They also knew that vitamin B regulated levels of homocysteine and that the more vitamin B in the blood, the lower the levels of the harmful amino acid.
> The researchers used an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to study brain shrinkage in 168 volunteers over the age of 70 with diagnosed MCI.
>
> Over a period of two years, half were given a daily tablet containing high doses of the B vitamins folic acid, B6 and B12. The rest received a "dummy" placebo pill with no active ingredients.
>
> At the end of the trial the effects of the vitamin treatment were found to be dramatic, and most pronounced in participants who started out with the highest rates of brain shrinkage.
>
> On average, taking B vitamins slowed the rate of brain atrophy by 30 per cent, and in many cases reductions was as high as 53 per cent were seen.
> Prof Smith said: "This is a very striking, dramatic result. It's much more than we could have predicted.
>
> "It is our hope that this simple and safe treatment will delay the development of Alzheimer's disease in many people who suffer from mild memory problems."
> Although the trial was not designed to measure thinking ability, the researchers found that individuals with the lowest rates of shrinkage had the highest mental test scores.
>
> Prof Smith said it was still early to say exactly how vitamin B worked.
>
> "The treatment lowers homocysteine, lower homocysteine reduces brain shrinkage and that reduces cognitive decline," he said.
>
> The scientists stress that the doses of B vitamins used in the trial are much higher than would be obtained from diets and additives or normal health supplements.
>
> The "TrioBe Plus" pills, prescribed under medical supervision in Sweden but not available in the UK, contain around 300 times the recommended daily intake of B12 and four times recommended folate levels.
>
> However it is possible to copy the dose by buying three separate supplements from health food shops in Britain for as little as 10 pence a day.
>
> The long-term effects of taking big doses of the vitamins were not known, and there was some evidence that high folic acid intake could be linked to cancer, he said.
>
> While Prof Smith said anybody thinking of taking them should consult their doctor first, he personally felt they would be effective.
>
> He said: "These are big doses. Should we take it? The person must be worried about their memory and then I would recommend going to their doctor first. But if I had MCI I would take it."
>
> Professor Helga Refsum, his co-author at University of Oslo who is a visiting academic at Oxford, said more trials were needed but the evidence was strong.
> "As a scientist I am not happy with just one trial and there will be a large debate. But as a clinician sitting in front of a patient I would say vitamin B supplements are fairly safe, they are not expensive and what we have found here is extremely convincing. It is very difficult to argue against its use."
> The study was cautiously welcomed by other scientists although they said more studies were needed to back up the findings.
>
> Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, which co-funded the study, said: "These are very important results, with B vitamins now showing a prospect of protecting some people from Alzheimer's in old age.
>
> "The strong findings must inspire an expanded trial to follow people expected to develop Alzheimer's, and we hope for further success.
>
> Chris Kennard, chair of the Medical Research Council's Neurosciences and Mental Health Board, which also provided funding, said: "The findings are very encouraging and we look forward to further research that is needed in order to test whether B vitamins can be recommended as a suitable treatment."
>
> Paul Matthews, Professor of Clinical Neurology, Imperial College, London said: “This well-conducted study adds substantial new data to previous information suggesting that dietary B vitamins could have beneficial effects on neurodegeneration with ageing."
>
> A spokesman for the Alzheimer’s Society said:"This is an interesting study which could change the lives of thousands of people at risk of dementia.
> "However, previous studies looking at B vitamins have been very disappointing and we wouldn’t want to raise people’s expectations yet, as we have not specifically seen any benefits in preventing the onset of the symptoms of dementia."

[SPARK]

Me too..I drink lots of coffee~

[Max Power]

spark, i saw that list, good stuff. i like #1 lol

[SPARK]

25 Best Nutrition Secrets

1. Drink a second cup of coffee. It might lower your risk of adult-onset diabetes, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

2. Keep serving dishes off the table. Researchers have found that when people are served individual plates, as opposed to empty plates with a platter of food in the middle of the table, they eat up to 35 percent less!

3. Think before you drink. The average person drinks more than 400 calories a day--double what he or she used to--and alone gets around 10 teaspoons of added sugar every single day from soft drinks. Swap out sweetened teas and sodas for no-cal drinks and you could lose up to 40 pounds in a single year!

4. Practice total recall. British scientists found that people who thought about their last meal before snacking ate 30 percent fewer calories that those who didn't stop to think. The theory: Remembering what you had for lunch might remind you of how satiating the food was, which then makes you less likely to binge on your afternoon snack.

5. Eat protein at every meal. Dieters who eat the most protein tend to lose more weight while feeling less deprived than those who eat the least protein. It appears that protein is the best nutrient for jumpstarting your metabolism, squashing your appetite, and helping you eat less at subsequent meals.


6. Choose whole-grain bread. Eating whole grains (versus refined-grain or white bread) has been linked to lower risks of cancer and heart disease.

7. Think fish. Consuming two 4- to 6-ounce servings of oily fish a week will sharpen your mind. Among the best: salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, and trout. They're high in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which may reduce your risk of Alzheimer's. Study participants who had high blood levels of DHA also performed better on noverbal reasoning tests and showed better mental flexibility, working memory, and vocabulary than those with lower levels.

8. Sign up for weight-loss e-mails. Daily e-mails (or tweets) that contain weight-loss advice remind you of your goals and help you drop pounds, researchers from Canada found. We're partial to our own Eat This, Not That! newsletter, and to the instant weight-loss secrets you'll get when you follow me on Twitter here.

9. Cut portions by a quarter. Pennsylvania State University researchers discovered that by simply reducing meal portions 25 percent, people ate 10 percent fewer calories—without feeling any hungrier. Serving yourself? Think about what looks like a reasonable portion, then take at least one-quarter less than that. (By the way, studies show today's restaurant servings are 2 to 5 times bigger than what the government recommends!)

10. Turn off the TV. Scientists at the University of Massachusetts found that people who watch TV during a meal consume, on average, 288 more calories than those who don't eat with the tube on.

11. Put your fork down when you chew. Or take a sip of water between each bite—eating slowly can boost levels of two hormones that make you feel fuller, Greek researchers found.

12. Choose rye (not wheat) bread for breakfast toast. Swedish researchers found that rye eaters were more full 8 hours after breakfast than wheat-bread eaters, thanks to rye's high fiber content and minimal effect on blood sugar. As a result you'll want to snack less and eat less for lunch.

13. Eat a handful of fruit and vegetables a day. In one study, people who ate four or five servings scored higher on cognitive tests than those who consumed less than one serving. (Remember: Salad isn't always the healthy choice.

14. Sip green tea. It might help you build a strong skeleton, say researchers in China, and help protect you from broken bones when you're older. And one study found that it helps fight bad breath, too.

15. Work out before lunch or dinner. Doing so will make the meals you eat right afterward more filling, according to British researchers—meaning you'll eat fewer calories throughout the day.

16. Hung over? Choose asparagus. When South Korean researchers exposed a group of human liver cells to asparagus extract, it suppressed free radicals and more than doubled the activity of two enzymes that metabolize alcohol. That means you'll feel like yourself again twice as quickly.

17. Sleep 8 hours a night. Too much or too little shut-eye can add extra pounds, say Wake Forest University researchers. Not there yet?

18 Discover miso soup. Brown wakame seaweed (used in miso soup) can help lower your blood pressure, especially if your levels are already high, say researchers at the University of North Carolina.

19. Drink two glasses of milk daily. People who drink the most milk have about a 16 percent lower risk of heart disease than people who drink the least. (I recommend nonfat or 1 percent milk.)

20. Take a zinc supplement. Just 15 milligrams of zinc a day (the amount found in a Centrum Ultra multivitamin, for example) will motivate your immune cells to produce more of a protein that fights off bacterial infections.

21. Go ahead, eat your favorite foods. Good eating doesn't need to be about deprivation—it's about making smart choices. Why eat a 1,000-calorie cheeseburger if a 500-calorie burger will satisfy you just the same? The bottom line: Eat foods that you enjoy, just not too much of them.

22. Choose foods with the fewest ingredients. There are now more than 3,000 ingredients on the FDA's list of safe food additives—and any of these preservatives, artificial sweeteners and colorings and flavor enhancers could end up on your plate. Do you really know what these chemicals will do to your waistline or health? Of course not. Here's a rule of thumb: If a 7-year-old can't pronounce it, you don't want to eat it.

23. Snack on popcorn. In a 2009 study, people who ate 1 cup of microwave popcorn 30 minutes before lunch consumed 105 fewer calories at the meal. Just choose the kind without butter.

24. Or snack on walnuts. Eating a handful of walnuts each day may boost your HDL (good) cholesterol fastest, while lowering your LDL (bad) cholesterol.

25. Scramble your breakfast. People who ate eggs in the morning instead of a bagel consumed 264 fewer calories the rest of the day, according to a Saint Louis University study. That’s because protein is more filling than carbs.

[Max Power]

been enjoying a lot of fresh fruit lately, especially pineapple,,,thought this was interesting:

The pineapple is a herbaceous short-lived perennial plant which grows to 1.0 to 1.5 metres (3.3 to 4.9 ft) tall. The plant only produces one fruit and then dies. Commercially suckers that appear round the base are cultivated. It has 30 or more long, narrow fleshy, trough-shaped leaves with sharp spines along the margins.30 to 100 centimetres (1.0 to 3.3 ft) long, surrounding a thick stem. In the first year of growth the axis lengthens and thickens bearing numerous leaves in close spirals. After 12 to 20 months the stem grows into a spike-like inflorescence up to 15cm long with over 100 spirally arranged, trimerous flowers each subtended by a bract. Flower colours vary, depending on variety, from lavender, through light purple to red.
The ovaries develop into berries which coalesce into a large compact, multiple accessory fruit. The fruit of a pineapple is arranged in two interlocking helices, eight in one direction, thirteen in the other, each being a Fibonacci number.[6]
Pineapple carries out CAM photosynthesis fixing carbon dioxide at night and storing it as the acid malate and then releasing it during the day, aiding photosynthesis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple

[SPARK]

EAT BY THE CLOCK FOR MUSCLES LIKE ROCK~

[SPARK]

IRON, from Details Magazine
By Henry Rollins

I believe that the definition of definition is reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. Completely.

When I was young I had no sense of myself. All I was, was a product of all the fear and humiliation I suffered. Fear of my parents. The humiliation of teachers calling me "garbage can" and telling me I'd be mowing lawns for a living. And the very real terror of my fellow students. I was threatened and beaten up for the color of my skin and my size. I was skinny and clumsy, and when others would tease me I didn't run home crying, wondering why. I knew all too well. I was there to be antagonized. In sports I was laughed at. A spaz. I was pretty good at boxing but only because the rage that filled my every waking moment made me wild and unpredictable. I fought with some strange fury. The other boys thought I was crazy.

I hated myself all the time. As stupid at it seems now, I wanted to talk like them, dress like them, carry myself with the ease of knowing that I wasn't going to get pounded in the hallway between classes. Years passed and I learned to keep it all inside. I only talked to a few boys in my grade. Other losers. Some of them are to this day the greatest people I have ever known. Hang out with a guy who has had his head flushed down a toilet a few times, treat him with respect, and you'll find a faithful friend forever. But even with friends, school sucked. Teachers gave me hard time. I didn't think much of them either.

Then came Mr. Pepperman, my advisor. He was a powerfully built Vietnam veteran, and he was scary. No one ever talked out of turn in his class. Once one kid did and Mr. P. lifted him off the ground and pinned him to the blackboard. Mr. P. could see that I was in bad shape, and one Friday in October he asked me if I had ever worked out with weights. I told him no. He told me that I was going to take some of the money that I had saved and buy a hundred-pound set of weights at Sears. As I left his office, I started to think of things I would say to him on Monday when he asked about the weights that I was not going to buy. Still, it made me feel special. My father never really got that close to caring. On Saturday I bought the weights, but I couldn't even drag them to my mom's car. An attendant laughed at me as he put them on a dolly.

Monday came and I was called into Mr. P.'s office after school. He said that he was going to show me how to work out. He was going to put me on a program and start hitting me in the solar plexus in the hallway when I wasn't looking. When I could take the punch we would
know that we were getting somewhere. At no time was I to look at myself in the mirror or tell anyone at school what I was doing.
In the gym he showed me ten basic exercises. I paid more attention than I ever did in any of my classes. I didn't want to blow it. I went home that night and started right in.

Weeks passed, and every once in a while Mr. P. would give me a shot and drop me in the hallway, sending my books flying. The other students didn't know what to think. More weeks passed, and I was steadily adding new weights to the bar. I could sense the power inside my body growing. I could feel it.

Right before Christmas break I was walking to class, and from out of nowhere Mr. Pepperman appeared and gave me a shot in the chest. I laughed and kept going. He said I could look at myself now. I got home and ran to the bathroom and pulled off my shirt. I saw a body, not just the shell that housed my stomach and my heart. My biceps bulged. My chest had definition. I felt strong. It was the first time I can remember having a sense of myself. I had done something and no one could ever take it away. You couldn't say mess to me.

It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have
learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was
wrong.
When the Iron doesn't want to come off the mat, it's the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn't teach you anything. That's the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you.

It wasn't until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can't be as bad as that workout.

I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn't ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you're not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.

I have never met a truly strong person who didn't have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone's shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character. It is the difference between bouncers who get off strong-arming people and Mr.Pepperman.

Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart.

Yukio Mishima said that he could not entertain the idea of romance if he was not strong. Romance is such a strong and overwhelming passion, a weakened body cannot sustain it for long. I have some of my most romantic thoughts when I am with the Iron. Once I was in love with a woman. I thought about her the most when the pain from a workout was racing through my body.

Everything in me wanted her. So much so that sex was only a fraction of my total desire. It was the single most intense love I have ever felt, but she lived far away and I didn't see her very often. Working out was a healthy way of dealing with the loneliness. To this day, when I work out I usually listen to ballads.

I prefer to work out alone. It enables me to concentrate on the lessons that the Iron has for me. Learning about what you're made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. The Iron had taught me how to live. Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it's some kind of miracle if you're not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole.

I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron Mind.

Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind.

The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it's impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you're a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds

[toddao]

I also like raw organic xvirgin coconut oil for skin lotion. amazing how it just disapears. everything you put on your skin goes into the blood stream so you want to make sure it's totally healthy.

[westeffer]

Only product I have ever found that heals skin infections/rash/abrasions and so forth is a combination of Aloe and Emu Oil.....unreal how well it works.

Younger and healthy looking skin as you age also comes from having excessive oiliness of the skin (IMHO).

[SPARK]

If you want younger, better looking skin, think beyond the sunscreen (but use that too) and tinker with your diet. “Good nutrition is a fundamental building block of healthy skin,” says Leslie Baumann, MD, a dermatologist in Miami Beach. The natural ingredients in food help do everything from speed the pace of exfoliation to protect skin from the UV damage that causes brown spots and wrinkles. Here, 7 everyday foods that are guaranteed to make you glow.

1. Romaine Lettuce
Why You'll Glow: Six leaves provide more than 100% of your DV of vitamin A, which revitalizes skin by increasing cell turnover. The mineral potassium in romaine “gives skin a refreshing boost of nutrients and oxygen by improving circulation,” says Lisa Drayer, RD, author of The Beauty Diet.

Health Bonus: That same serving of romaine contains 45% of the DV of vitamin K, which a recent study shows activates a protein that supports vascular health--making a future with bulging leg veins less likely.

2. Tomatoes
Why You'll Glow: Eating red helps keep skin from turning red. Volunteers who consumed 5 tablespoons of high-in-lycopene tomato paste daily for 3 months had nearly 25% more protection against sunburn in one study. Even better, skin had more collagen, which prevents sagging. Another reason to toss an extra tomato into your salad: German scientists report that higher skin levels of this antioxidant correlate to fewer fine lines and furrows.

Health Bonus: Research suggests that lycopene may also lower your chances of heart disease: In one study, women with the highest levels of it had a 34% reduced risk.


3. Strawberries
Why You'll Glow: A cup has up to 130% of the DV of vitamin C, a potent antioxidant that boosts production of collagen fibers that help keep skin smooth and firm. More C may mean fewer fine lines too: Women with lower intakes were likelier to have dry, wrinkled skin. Early research also shows that ellagic acid, an antioxidant abundant in strawberries, protects the elastic fibers that keep skin from sagging.

Health Bonus: Strawberries may lower your risk of cancer by inhibiting the development of malignant cancer cells. In one study, people eating the most strawberries were 3 times less likely to develop the disease.

4. Apples
Why You'll Glow: Quercetin, an antioxidant in the peel of many varieties, provides hefty protection from the “burning” UVB rays that trigger skin cancer. A few offering the biggest dose: Monroe, Cortland, and Golden Delicious.

Health Bonus: Eating two or more apples a week for 1 year reduced the risk of dying from heart disease by 15% in one study of 34,000 healthy postmenopausal women. Whatever variety you choose, be sure to eat the peel, the source of nearly all the antioxidants.

5. Eggs
Why You'll Glow: Lutein and zeaxanthin, two antioxidants found in eggs, more than quadrupled protection against the UV damage that leads to lines, brown spots, and cancer in one study on women. Skin was also markedly softer, firmer, and better hydrated.

Health Bonus: Eating just one egg a day significantly increases blood levels of lutein and zeaxanthin (but not cholesterol), which may stave off macular degeneration by protecting the retina from light damage, finds a study in the Journal of Nutrition.

6. Almonds
Why You'll Glow: “Eating a handful of almonds every day boosts levels of vitamin E, one of the most important antioxidants for skin health,” says Baumann. You'll get a surge in moisture too--a boon for those prone to dryness.

Health Bonus: Though nuts are high in calories, women who ate them at least twice a week were less likely to gain weight than those who rarely did, in a new study of over 50,000 women.


7. Walnuts
Why You'll Glow: These nuts are storehouses of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that's a key component of the lubricating layer that keeps skin moist and supple. A 1/2-ounce serving of walnuts provides 100% of the recommended daily intake of ALA.

Health Bonus: Eating walnuts at dinner may deliver better shut-eye. Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center discovered that walnuts contain melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep

[SPARK]

Breakthroughs in Nutrition and Health seem to occur daily. Methods of training and building muscle have seen much change. Food and healthy recipes are cool also~

Feel free to post the latest and newest~

No spamming please~

[westeffer]

I am familiar with all those methods. I am very allergic to strong fragrances and can only use Extra Virgin Coconut oil.

[SPARK]

Nice one~

[toddao]

olive leaf extract is very good for candida and most any kind of disease. candida feeds on sugar or carbohydrates.

this is the one I buy, (below), been using it for years for the flu, colds, and any kind of virus, germ, bacteria, infections, even parasites or fungus. a freind of mine had hepatitus C and started taking 500mg caps of olive leaf extract, in about 2 months, the doctor could no longer find it. it never came back. 4 to 8 caps 6 to 8 times a day

for the liquid which will act faster:
2 or 3 eye dropper fulls in about 3oz warm water, add seperatly
after water is warm. on empty stomach is best or in between meals.
you can take as much as you wish it won't hurt you or your children, take often like every 2 hours but it's better to take when you think you are getting sick right away. when you've been around some one who is sick or comming from the hospital.

read the book "olive leaf extract" by Dr Morton Walker, I could not belief how effective it is.
http://www.vitacost.com/Natures-Answer-Alcohol-Free-Oleopein-Olive-Leaf

also while I'm on it lol, oil of oregano is very good for the same thing. I make my own.

hope this helps. candida has alot to do with diet. another good thing for candida is Extra virgin, raw cocnut oil, only organic, non processed, highest grade possible.

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/board.aspx?board_id=13355

[westeffer]

I was on a conference call with the Dr. who isolated Acemannan in Aloe and ordered the formula last night.

I am very interested to use it as a possible treatment for Candida.

[toddao]

I learned about this aloe plant also for cancer, has the same name
Aloe Arborescens, I guess it's the same one. thankx for the information.

[westeffer]

I learned about an unusual cancer treatment regimine from Father Romano Zago utilizing a proprietary mixture of Galenia Aloe Arborescens...scroll down to the recipe. I have a bottle of the Galenia recipe in my fridge and it's expensive $75 for 16 ounces.

http://www.pdazzler.com/archives/851

[SPARK]

‘Forbidden’ rice may rival blueberries as antioxidant source

The anthocyanin content of black rice may rival that of the blueberries and blackberries, and be available for a fraction of the cost, suggests new data from Louisiana.

Black rice, or ‘Forbidden Rice’ as it was known in ancient China, is a rich source of anthocyanin antioxidants and could offer food manufacturers an alternative to berries for a range of products, including breakfast cereals, beverages, cakes, cookies, and other foods. The results were presented at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS)

“Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants,” said Zhimin Xu, Associate Professor at the Department of Food Science at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge.

“If berries are used to boost health, why not black rice and black rice bran? Especially, black rice bran would be a unique and economical material to increase consumption of health promoting antioxidants,” added Dr Xu.

Market potential

Data from Leatherhead Food International (LFI) shows that the world functional antioxidants market is increasing year on year by around 3 per cent, and was valued at US$ 400 million in 2004, and US$ 438 million in 2007. Europe, the US, and Japan account for 90 per cent of this market.

With flavonoids and polyphenols reported to be 45 per cent of this functional antioxidant market, equivalent to almost US$ 200 million,

Black rice

Dr Xu and colleagues analyzed samples of black rice bran from rice grown in the southern United States, and found that, in addition to high contents of gamma-tocotrienol (vitamin E), and gamma-oryzanol antioxidants, black rice bran possess higher level of anthocyanins antioxidants, which are water-soluble antioxidants.

The Louisiana-based scientists also told attendees at the ACS meeting that pigments in black rice bran extracts may also produce a variety of different colors, ranging from pink to black, and offer ‘natural’ options for foods and beverages.

Dr Xu noted that farmers in Louisiana have already expressed an interest in growing black rice and that he would like to see people in the country embrace its use.

Structure is key

Polyphenols, and flavonoids in particular, are not all created equal. For example, scientists from The Ohio State University reported that the structure of anthocyanins, the antioxidant pigments from a range of fruit and vegetables, is key to the cancer fighting abilities.

According to findings published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (doi: 10.1021/jf8005917), certain types of anthocyanins have greater activity against colon cancer than others.

“The chemical structures of anthocyanins do have a significant impact on their biological activity, and data suggest that non-acylated monoglycosylated anthocyanins are more potent inhibitors of colon cancer cell growth proliferation,” wrote lead author Pu Jing.

The researchers cautioned that more research is necessary to explore the role of anthocyanin structure and the chemo-protective effects.

Copyright - Unless otherwise stated all contents of this web site are © 2000/2010 - Decision News Media SAS - All Rights Reserved - For permission to reproduce any contents of this web site, please email our Syndication department: Administration & Finance - Full details for the use of materials on this site can be found in the Terms & Conditions

© 2000/2010 - Decision News Media SAS - All right reserved.

[westeffer]

Nutribiotic makes a wonderful product GSE. It is tremendous to use about 3-4 drops in water as a rinse to keep your gums in perfect shape.

[SPARK]

Grapefruit extract shows anti-diabetes potential

An antioxidant extracted from grapefruit may help the liver break down fat and improve insulin sensitivity, according to new data from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Naringenin, a compound derived from the bitter flavor of grapefruits and other citrus fruits, was found to mimic the actions of the established pharmaceuticals Fenofibrate (lipid-lowering action) and Rosiglitazone (anti-diabetic action), according to findings published in the online journal PLoS ONE.

If the results can be repeated in human studies, the dietary supplement may become a staple for people with elevated blood lipid levels (hyperlipidemia), type-2 diabetes, and perhaps metabolic syndrome.

Naringenin science

It is not the first time that naringenin has been reported to have potential for people suffering from the metabolic syndrome and related conditions. Indeed, last year scientists from the University of Western Ontario reported positive results in mice (Diabetes, Vol. 58, pp. 2198-2210), while the cholesterol lowering potential of grapefruits has also been reported (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2006, Vol. 54, pp 1887-1892).

"It is a fascinating find," said Yaakov Nahmias, PhD, from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. "We show the mechanism by which naringenin increases two important pharmaceutical targets, PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma, while blocking a third, LXR-alpha. The results are similar to those induced by long periods of fasting".

According to the researchers, on eating a meal the blood is flushed with sugars, which activates LXR-alpha and causes the liver to create fatty acids for long-term storage. This processed is reversed during fasting, they note, and fatty acids are released by fat cells, thereby activating PPAR-alpha in the liver, and are broken down to ketones. A similar process, involving PPAR-gamma, increases sensitivity to insulin, they said.

"Dual PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma agonists, like naringenin, were long sought after by the pharmaceutical industry," added Nahmias, "but their development was plagued by safety concerns. Remarkably, naringenin is a dietary supplement with a clear safety record. Evidence suggests it might actually protect the liver from damage."

Study details

Nahmias and his co-workers studied the effects of naringenin in liver cells at concentrations ranging from zero to 240 micromoles. Results showed that the citrus compound activated both PPAR-alpha and PPAR-gamma, while also binding to LXR-alpha, which effectively blocked its activation.

“The potential of using a naturally occurring dietary supplement to regulate lipid metabolism is appealing as this by product of the grapefruit juice industry is non-toxic, cheap, and has demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties,” said the researchers.

“This is especially important in the context of the rising costs of cardiovascular care, estimated by the [American Heart Association] to rise above $500 billion this year.

“Naringenin ability to inhibit [a] target of statins, while upregulating PPAR-alpha, the target of fibrates, suggest it can naturally find its place in the routine treatment of hyperlipidemia,” they concluded.

Source: PLoS ONE
Published and available online, http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012399
“Transcriptional Regulation of Human and Rat Hepatic Lipid Metabolism by the Grapefruit Flavonoid Naringenin: Role of PPARa, PPARc and LXRa”
Authors: J. Goldwasser, P.Y. Cohen, E. Yang, P. Balaguer, M.L. Yarmush, et al.

Copyright - Unless otherwise stated all contents of this web site are © 2000/2010 - Decision News Media SAS - All Rights Reserved - For permission to reproduce any contents of this web site, please email our Syndication department: Administration & Finance - Full details for the use of materials on this site can be found in the Terms & Conditions

© 2000/2010 - Decision News Media SAS - All right reserved.

[toddao]

cancer information

http://www.healthfreedom.info/

look all over this site, it has great information

[SPARK]

Nice one..thanks for sharing~

[westeffer]

Hey spark, I started using a supplement with Flora Glo Lutein (patented process) and it has been very beneficial to my vision.
Here is a great video describing their process

http://www.floraglolutein.com/benefits.cfm

[SPARK]

Healthy cocoa butter alternatives show novel food applications
By Nathan Gray, 26-Aug-2010

Sustainable, healthy, cost-effective cocoa butter equivalents may be produced from enriched sunflower oils, and enable formulation of chocolates with higher melting points.

Sunflower oil enriched with stearic and oleic acids could produce cocoa butter equivalents with higher melting points, according to new research published in Food Chemistry.

“These fats could be used as confectionery products when higher melting points are required, as is the case of cocoa butter improvers,” reported the researchers, led by Joaquín Salas from the Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Spain.

Valuable fats

Cocoa butters are valuable fats, extracted from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. The authors state that the tropical nature of cocoa butter, and susceptibility to pests, can make cocoa supply uncertain and variable.

The rising the price of cocoa butter has also increased interest in developing cheaper, more readily available alternatives.

Cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) are fats with a similar composition and melting profile as cocoa butter, and are usually prepared by blending palm oil fractions and stearate-rich tropical butters.

CBEs are healthier and more promising as a cocoa butter alternative than other options such as lauric acid substitutes and hydrogenated oil replacers - known to raise levels of LDH cholesterol and be associated with risks for atherosclerosis.

It would be of great commercial interest to source triglyceride (TAG) rich oils from reliable, sustainable sources – such as oil crops in temperate climates, rather than realying on palm oils and tropical butters.

Enriched oils

The new study assessed the potential of high stearic and high oleic (HSHO) sunflower oils as a producer of CBEs.

Enriched sunflower oils were fractioned using solvents, to produce solid fractions that could be used in CBE formulations.

The research used 17 and 20 per cent stearic acid enrichments and studied properties of the oils and oil/solvent ratios. The resulting solids were isolated and chemically compared to CB and CBE sources like mango and shea butters, as well as also determining the melting intervals of the resulting fractions.

The authors found oils with different stearic acid contents produced similar stearins but at different yields depending on the initial TAG content.

They reported solid fractions containing between 65 and 80 per cent saturated-unsaturated-saturated (SUS) displayed properties similar to cocoa butter - consistent with the characteristics of CBEs.

Additionally, mixtures of sunflower CBE and CB were observed to be “fully compatible”, indicating they could be suitably used as cocoa butter equivalents.

Researchers concluded that HSHO sunflower oils could be used as confectionery products, especially when higher melting points are needed as these could be used in products to avoid chocolate blooming.

Source: Food Chemistry
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.06.053
“Production of stearate-rich butters by solvent fractionation of high stearic–high oleic sunflower oil”
Authors: J.J. Salas, M.A. Bootello, E. Martínez-Force, R. Garcés

Copyright - Unless otherwise stated all contents of this web site are © 2000/2010 - Decision News Media SAS - All Rights Reserved - For permission to reproduce any contents of this web site, please email our Syndication department: Administration & Finance - Full details for the use of materials on this site can be found in the Terms & Conditions

© 2000/2010 - Decision News Media SAS - All right reserved.

[SPARK]

Broccoli and banana fibers show Crohn’s potential:

Dietary supplementation with soluble plant fibers could reduce the effects of Crohn’s disease, whilst emulsifiers in processed foods could be exacerbating the problem, new research reports.

The study, reported in the BMJ journal Gut, suggests translocation of Escherichia coli in gut mucosal M-cells is reduced by plantain and broccoli soluble fibers, but increased by the emulsifier Polysorbate-80.

“This implies that dietary supplementation with such fibers might have a protective effect against Crohn’s disease relapse by preventing bacterial invasion of the mucosa,” wrote the researchers, led by Dr. Barry Campbell and Dr Jonathan Rhodes, both from the University of Liverpool.

Low fiber link?

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disease that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, causing a wide variety of symptoms including abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss.

Crohn’s disease is common in developed nations where the typical diet is low in fiber and high in processed food. Its incidence has been rising, with diet believed to be linked to higher prevalence in industrialized countries.

Increased numbers of E coli have been found in association with Crohn’s mucosa by previous research. A bacterial invasion of gut epithelium cells is known to occur initially through specialized microfold epithelial cells (M-cells).

Researchers reported that parts of the world - like as Africa, India and Central America - where plantains form an important part of the staple diet have low rates for inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease.

The new study aimed to assesses the effects of soluble plant fibers and food emulsifiers on translocation of Escherichia coli across M-cells in Crohn’s disease and from non-Crohn’s patients.

The effects of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) plant fibers from plantain, broccoli, apple and leek were assessed and compared with the effects of food emulsifiers Polysorbate-80 and Polysorbate-60 - commonly used in the food industry.

Reduced translocation

The study reports plantain and broccoli NSP distinctly reduced E coli translocation across M-cells, whereas apple and leek NSP had no significant effects.

“Plantain NSP was shown to significantly block translocation of Crohn’s disease E coli through M-cells, both at 5 and 50 mg/mL. Likewise, broccoli NSP significantly inhibited bacterial translocation across M-cells in a dose-dependent manner,” reported the researchers

At high concentrations Polysorbate-80 was seen to increase E coli translocation across M-cells.

Similarly, E coli translocation across human Peyer’s patches was reduced by over 4,500 percent by soluble plantain NSP, whereas translocation was doubled with polysorbate-80 emulsions.

Achievable reductions

“Soluble plant fibers, particularly those present in plantain and broccoli, are shown to inhibit translocation of Crohn’s mucosa associated E coli isolates across M-cells, at concentrations that should be readily achievable in vivo,” wrote the researchers.

The researchers suggest the effects of food emulsifiers on E coli translocation could offer potential explanations for the association between the modern ‘Western’ diet and Crohn’s disease.

“Different dietary components may have powerful and contrasting effects on bacterial translocation across intestinal M-cells. These effects may be relevant to the role of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease and suggest possible novel therapeutic approaches

“These effects occur at relevant concentrations and may contribute to the impact of dietary factors on Crohn’s disease pathogenesis,” reported the authors

Intervention studies are needed to assess the effects of dietary changes in soluble plant fiber and emulsifier intake on Crohn’s disease activity, conclude the researchers.

Source: Gut

Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1136/gut.2009.195370

“Translocation of Crohn’s disease Escherichia coli across M-cells: contrasting effects of soluble plant fibres and emulsifiers”

Authors: C.L Roberts, A.V Keita, S.H Duncan, N. O’Kennedy, J.D Soderholm, J.M Rhodes, B.J Campbell

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[SPARK]

The science of skin health

By Stephen Daniells, 26-Aug-2010


Antioxidants

The carotenoids lycopene, lutein and astaxanthin all have growing science to support their claims. Indeed, at the recent NutraIngredients Antioxidants 2010 conference in Brussels, Dr Regina Goralczyk from DSM Nutritional Products presented on the topic of Antioxidants and Skin Health.

Dr Goralczyk identified vitamins C and E, carotenoids, some selenium-containing enzymes, EGCG from green tea, hydroxytyrosol from olives, and resveratrol from grapes as

Indeed, vitamin E is an important part of cell membranes, including skin cells, said Dr Goralczyk, while vitamin C plays a role in the synthesis of collagen.

In terms of the carotenoids, a significant and growing body of science supports the potential of lycopene to support beauty from within.

The world’s largest food company Nestlé also has an interest in lycopene. The company produced a form of lacto-lycopene with high bioavailability, giving the company a patentable form of an existing nutrient. This resulted is Nestlé's innéov lycopene supplement for skin health and beauty - the company's first and only move into dietary supplements, produced in collaboration with L'Oreal.

British researchers have previously reported that consumption of a lycopene-rich tomato paste may protect against sunburn and sun-induced skin ageing, with the tomato paste associated with 33 per cent more protection against sunburn, compared to the control group (presented at the British Society for Investigative Dermatology in 2008).

Israel’s LycoRed has also played a strong role in developing lycopene-rich ingredients for the skin health segment, and obtained patent protection for the lycopene, phytoene, and phytofluene-containing ingredient in Australia in 2008.

Another carotenoid receiving significant attention is lutein. Data from a randomised, double-blind placebo-controlled, multi-centre study, co-funded by Kemin Health found that oral supplements of lutein and zeaxanthin provided a four-fold increase in protection from UV radiation-induced skin damage.

When used in combination with a topical lutein, zeaxanthin application, a six-fold increase in protection was also observed, in addition to significant boosts in skin hydration, elasticity and superficial lipids of skin (Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, Vol. 20, pp. 199-210).

Beyond carotenoids and vitamins

Antioxidant-rich chocolate has also been reported to provide skin health benefits. Work with Barry Callebaut’s Acticoa ingredient, for example, reported that eating flavanol-rich chocolate may help protect the skin from the damaging effects of UV light (Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, Vol. 8, pp. 169-173).

In 2006, German researchers led by Wilhelm Stahl from the Heinrich-Heine University in Dusseldorf reported that a daily flavanol-rich chocolate drink, providing 326 milligrams of flavanols per day, may could thicken skin and reduce reddening by 25 per cent (Journal of Nutrition, Vol 136, pp 1565-1569).

The antioxidant Pycnogenol – an extract from the bark of French Maritime Pine – also has strong to support its skin health benefits. The ingredient has been reported to bind and protect collagen and elastin in the skin (Free Rad Biol Med Vol. 36, pp. 811-822), increase blood flow to the skin (Angiology, Vol. 56, pp. 699-705), and protect against UV damage (Free Rad Biol Med. Vol. 30, pp. 154-160).

Earlier this month Korean scientists reported that extracts from berries and pomegranate may also protect the skin from the detrimental effects of UV exposure. A study with human skin cells showed that ellagic acid may prevent the degradation of collagen, which would maintain skin structure and slow the formation of wrinkles (Experimental Dermatology, Vol. 19, pp. e182-e190).

Collagen, HA, et al.

The importance of collagen for skin health is well established. Scientifically supported ingredients include a hydrolysed collagen from France’s Rousselot. Results of a study presented at Vitafoods 2009 suggested that the company’s Peptan-branded ingredient may improve skin hydration by 28 per cent, and reduce the wrinkles by 30 per cent.

Californian company BioCell Technologies also has a collagen-containing ingredient with scientific substantiation. The company released results of a bioassay in 2006 to support the effectiveness of its dietary ingredient BioCell Collagen II in preventing wrinkles.
The ingredient provides a matrix of bioavailable hyaluronic acid (HA, 10 percent), depolymerized chondroitin sulfate (20 percent) and collagen type II (60 percent).

HA is a glucosaminoglycan extracellular matrix constituent which occurs naturally in the human body up until the age of 30, after which levels start to decrease. This decrease is understood to play a large role in the aging process. Hence, it is often used as an ingredient in both joint and skin health formulations.

German researchers reviewed the skin health science of HA in 2004, noting that “HA is a major component of the extracellular matrix of skin, joints, eye and many other tissues and organs […] Biological activities in skin, however, are also due to its interaction with various binding proteins (hyaladherins)” (Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, Vol. 17, pp. 207-213). However, it is not yet known if dietary supplements of HA can directly benefit skin health.

Oils

The potential of omega-3 fatty acids has also been reported in the literature. Supplements containing flaxseed or borage oil, for example, have been reported to offer protection against skin reddening and decrease skin roughness and so-called skin scaling, according to findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition (doi: 10.1017/S0007114508020321).

Beauty From Within 2010

NutraIngredients.com and CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com have combined resources to bring you the Beauty From Within 2010 conference. Taking place in Paris on 11th October this one day event aims to help companies harness the potential of the category.

The conference program will look at the science behind the ingredients and the important issue of marketing claims, as well as exploring how to bring successful products to a highly competitive market. For more information please click here .

Disclaimer: This list of ingredients in this article is not exhaustive and we apologise for any omissions.

Copyright - Unless otherwise stated all contents of this web site are © 2000/2010 - Decision News Media SAS - All Rights Reserved - For permission to reproduce any contents of this web site, please email our Syndication department: Administration & Finance - Full details for the use of materials on this site can be found in the Terms & Conditions

© 2000/2010 - Decision News Media SAS - All right reserved.