Health Food Supplements - Consumer Guide

Health food supplements are one of the hottest selling products in the market these days. Their total consumption values billions of dollars in the U.S. alone. Recent surveys show that more than half of the adults in the U.S. consume health food supplements in different forms, such as tablets, capsules, powders, soft gels, gel caps and liquids.

 

The increased consumption of health food supplements can be attributed to public awareness of health issues and improved standard of living in our society. Many studies have shown that there is a close correlation between health and nutrition. Insufficient supply of nutrients can weaken our body defence mechanism, causing medical problems from common ailments to more severe illnesses in the long term.

 

There are different types of health food supplements, including macronutrients (amino acids, proteins, essential fatty acids), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), enzymes (digestive enzymes and antioxidant enzymes), probiotics (beneficial bacteria in the gut), and herbal supplements. These supplements have unique functions in our body. They are either essential for life and good health, modulate our immune system or help with liver detoxification, digestion, mental clarity, etc.

 

Many people argue that there is no need to consume health food supplements as long as you have a healthy lifestyle and eat a balanced diet. While this may be true, the fact is maintaining a healthy lifestyle and proper diet is difficult to achieve by many people.

 

Over the past few decades, the green revolution has changed the farming practices over the world. We use more chemical fertilizers, more pesticides to grow the food produce in order to increase harvest and shorten the growth period. As a result, soil nutrients and the population of beneficial soil bacteria are depleted rapidly, and the produce we grow today contain less micronutrient than before.

 

A stressful lifestyle, improper eating habits, imbalanced diet and increased exposure to chemicals such as environmental pollutants (air, water) and pesticides, drugs, hormones, heavy metals in foods also weaken our body gradually.

 

Although health food supplements can be beneficial to our health, consumers should still choose the products carefully. Currently, there is little regulation on the quality of health food supplements. Composition of some health food products may not match the label claims and the quality of raw materials and finished products is not guaranteed. Therefore, consumers should only buy from reputable health food manufacturers, read the labels carefully and read more related literatures.

 

Here are some general rules for buying health food supplements:

 

1) Supplements made from whole foods, natural sources are better than the synthetic ones. They are more bioactive, can be absorbed readily, and less likely to be contaminated by chemicals such as coal tars used in chemical synthesis.

 

2) Protein-bonded vitamins and minerals (vitamins and minerals in organic form, binding to amino acids) are more bioactive than the inorganic forms.

 

3) Buy supplements using safe extraction methods, such as cold pressed extraction or supercritical extraction. This can avoid the harmful residue from chemical extraction.

 

4) Herbal concentrate and extract are usually more effective than the raw herbs.

 

5) Organically grown or wild crafted herbs are less likely to be contaminated by heavy metals, pesticides and other chemicals.

 

6) Read the labels, do not consume more than the recommended dose.

 

7) Be careful when consuming certain herbal supplements, such as Ma Huang / ephedra, Kava Kava, comfrey, etc. Some studies have shown that these herbs may cause severe side effects to some people. Stop use if unusual signs appear after consumption.

 

8) Some health food supplements may interact with drugs, either by decreasing or increasing their effects. Consult your doctor if you are currently taking medications.

 

9) Pregnant and nursing women, people with specific medical conditions such consult the doctors when consuming health food supplements.

 

10) If in doubt, contact the supplement manufacturers or distributors for more information of their products.

 

11) Health food supplements are available in many places, such as grocery stores, health food stores, drug stores, pharmacies, supermarkets, department stores, online stores, etc. Be a smart consumer, compare the price and service before purchase.

 

To learn more about health food supplements, please visit http://vitaminstores.4reviews.net.

Benefits Of Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a safe, reliable and inexpensive vitamin. For health-conscious individuals, a regular intake of a prescribed amount of vitamin B12 is a key element for preserving a balance in the human body. B12 could be obtained from food sources or could be taken in the form of supplements orally or via injections. 

 

In combination with other B-group vitamins, vitamin B12 ensures the smooth functioning of vital life processes of the human body. It is important for maintaining a healthy nervous system and DNA production. Vitamin B12 helps to regulate the formation of red blood cells in the body. Other benefits of vitamin B12 include its role in maintaining and increasing energy levels in the human body. 

 

Vitamin B12 is highly beneficial in various forms. Methylcobalamin, the coenzyme form of vitamin B12 is a body-friendly version, which means that no metabolic steps are required for its ingestion and it can be used it in its normal form. It is available as a sublingual tablet that dissolves under the tongue (because the digestive system might modify this molecule). Through this method, vitamin B12 can directly penetrate the bloodstream and yield numerous benefits. Hydroxocobalamin is another form of vitamin B12 that has been recognized as an effective cure for cyanide poisoning. 

 

Research studies reveal a clear, inverse correlation between homocysteine (an amino acid found in the human body) levels and vitamin B12 levels. Blocking the formation of homocysteine leads to endothelial dysfunction (a narrowing of the arteries) and is a precursor of atherosclerosis; vitamin B12 helps to curb atherosclerosis. A supplement of vitamin B12 also augments the efficiency of folic acidís capacity to lower homocysteine levels. Researchers are of the opinion that in conjunction with folic acid, an adequate dose of vitamin B12 helps to counter heart diseases and thrombosis. The synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), a compound involved in immune function and mood, depends on the association of folate and vitamin B12.

 

Studies indicate that absorption of Vitamin B12 decreases with an increase in age. Hence, an increased intake of vitamin B12 is extremely useful for adults above fifty. The recommended form of intake is in supplement form, since elderly people absorb this form better than food forms of vitamin B12. A supplementation of vitamin B12 aids in the cognitive function and heals neurological impairment within this group. 

 

In most cases, vitamin B12 should be taken in conjunction with a folic acid supplement and a B-Complex vitamin. The good news is that while an intake of vitamin B12 facilitates functions necessary for everyday existence, an extra dose causes no harm but instead could be stored for future use.

Benefits of Supplementing With St. John's Wort

What is St John's Wort?

 

Extracts of Hypericum perforatum L. (St John's wort) are now successfully competing for status as a standard antidepressant therapy. Because of this, great effort has been devoted to identifying the active antidepressant compounds in the extract. From a phytochemical point of view, St John's wort is one of the best-investigated medicinal plants. Researchers in Europe have studied St John's Wort for decades. They discovered a combination of elements in the plant, foremost of which is "hypericin", react with specific chemicals in the brain to temper emotional discomfort, lift depression, and calm the nerves. Working very much like the common synthetic prescription antidepressants (maprotiline hydrochloride and imipramine), natural extracts from St. John's Wort have shown to relax and soothe the psyche with minimal side effects

 

St John's Wort Benefits

 

St. John’s Wort today has been found to be very beneficial in healing wounds and is especially good for dirty, septic wounds. St. John’s Wort has been used in case of putrid leg ulcers, that noting heals. Like the leach that was used not too many years ago for wound cleansing it does not destroy the healthy tissues and healthy cells but it cleans the dirt out of septic wounds. It helps reduce the inflammation in septic sores, in boils, in cellulite and lymphangitis.

 

The compound Hypericin was isolated from St. John’s Wort in 1942 and has been used as an anti-depressant for emotionally disturbed people. This tranquilizing quality from small quantities hypericin increase blood flow to stressed tissue. There is a reduced capillary fragility and enhanced uterine tone due to the increased Hypotensive blood flow.

 

St John's Wort Side Effects

 

The use of St. John’s Wort has been shown to demonstrate a side effect producing a photosensitivity. Hypericin is absorbed in the intestines and concentrates near the skin. An allergic reaction takes place when those with light fair skin are exposed sunlight. That exposure causes tissue damage and in some cases death has resulted. While taking St. John’s Wort one should avoid strong sunlight whether the skin is dark or light. There is a photosensitizing substance produced under the skin by this exposure to sunlight that causes the skin to burn.

 

Benefits

 

• relieves mild to moderate depression and anxiety.
• promotes restful sleep.
• improves capillary circulation.
• increases cardiac circulation.
• eases gastrointestinal distress.
• relieves discomfort associated with premenstrual syndrome.
• fights retroviruses.

Benefits of Supplementing With Creatine

What is creatine?

 

Creatine is an amino acid (amino acids are the building blocks of protein) which is made in the body by the liver and kidneys, and is derived from the diet through meat and animal products. Creatine (creatine monohydrate) is a colourless, crystalline substance used in muscle tissue for the production of phosphocreatine, an important factor in the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the source of energy for muscle contraction and many other functions in the body.

 

What does creatine normally do in the body?

 

In the body, creatine is changed into a molecule called "phosphocreatine" which serves as a storage reservoir for quick energy. Phosphocreatine is especially important in tissues such as the voluntary muscles and the nervous system which periodically require large amounts of energy.

 

Why do athletes take creatine?

 

Studies have shown that creatine can increase the performance of athletes in activities that require quick bursts of energy, such as sprinting, and can help athletes to recover faster after expending bursts of energy. Creatine is best for the serious bodybuilder. It helps increase muscle mass, rather than muscle endurance, so it’s not well suited for athletes participating in endurance activities. However, the increase in muscle mass may be due to water retention and not an increase in muscle tissue.

 

Why have I been hearing so much about creatine and neuromuscular disorders?

Two scientific studies have indicated that creatine may be beneficial for neuromuscular disorders. First, a study by MDA-funded researcher M. Flint Beal of Cornell University Medical Center demonstrated that creatine was twice as effective as the prescription drug riluzole in extending the lives of mice with the degenerative neural disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease). Second, a study by Canadian researchers Mark Tarnopolsky and Joan Martin of McMaster University Medical Center in Ontario found that creatine can cause modest increases in strength in people with a variety of neuromuscular disorders. Beal's work was published in the March 1999 issue of Nature Neuroscience and the second paper was published in the March 1999 issue of Neurology.

 

I want to start taking creatine -- is it safe?

 

For the most part, athletes haven't experienced adverse side-effects from taking creatine, although recently there have been a few reports of kidney damage linked to creatine usage. No consistent toxicity has been reported in studies of creatine supplementation. Dehydration has also been reported to be a problem while taking creatine.

 

Athletes generally take a "loading dose" of 20 grams of creatine a day for five or six days, then continue with a "maintenance dose" of 2 to 5 grams of creatine a day thereafter.

 

What are the side effects?

 

Little is known about long-term side effects of creatine, but no consistent toxicity has been reported in studies of creatine supplementation. In a study of side effects of creatine, diarrhoea was the most commonly reported adverse effect of creatine supplementation, followed by muscle cramping. Some reports showed that kidney, liver, and blood functions were not affected by short-term higher amounts or long-term lower amounts of creatine supplementation in healthy young adults. In a small study of people taking 5-30 grams per day, no change in kidney function appeared after up to five years of supplementation. Muscle cramping after creatine supplementation has been anecdotally reported in some studies.

 

Benefits

 

• increases athletic performance
• increases muscle mass
• beneficial for muscular disorders

Good Nutrition in School Can Help to Fight Childhood Obesity

Perhaps you are trying to help your child lose weight, or you feel he or she may be in danger of becoming overweight or unhealthy because of their eating and exercise habits.

 

If so, it is important that you consider the impact of your child’s time at school as you think about what you need to change.

 

As the U.S. government has studied obesity, many of their agencies have produced reports and established guidelines to help parents and school systems understand how to make important changes.

 

These guidelines are designed to encourage our children to eat healthy foods and get plenty of exercise.

 

Across the country, schools are beginning to offer more good food choices, and look at their physical education and extra-curricular activities to ensure that they encourage good habits.

 

Of course your involvement and understanding is important if your child is going to get the right support while she or he is in school during the day.

 

And, you need to ensure that your child understands the importance of CHOOSING the healthy foods and participating in exercise programs, but the first step is to make sure these choices are AVAILABLE to your child.

 

Working with medical organizations, the USDA published ‘Prescription for Change’, and ‘Healthy School Nutrition Environments’.

 

These reports were meant to be used by schools to improve their nutritional program.

 

Here are some of the recommendations included in those reports.

 

The Serving and Dining Environment

** The Federal, State and local government must provide adequate funding for food and eating environs to support healthy eating.

 

** Dining space will be adequate, pleasant and socially accommodating, and will accommodate all students and staff scheduled to eat at a certain time of day.

 

** Serving areas will be sufficient to ensure that every student has access to meals with a minimum of waiting time, so that they have plenty of time to eat before their next class.

 

** The staff and administration of the school, AND the students and parents will analyze the current environment, working together to create a space that matches the needs of all parties.

 

Nutritional Concerns Regarding Meals and Foods

 

** Meals should comply with USDA nutritional standards and guidelines, and students should have plenty of food choices, with new foods introduced to keep the menu interesting and healthy.

 

** Food preparation and preferences should be varied enough to comply with various tastes and ethnic preferences or religious requirements.

 

** Additional food and drink offered, over and above meals served, e.g. vending machines and packaged snacks, will represent the 5 major food groups in the Food Guide Pyramid.

 

** Students must have designated lunch periods, long enough for them to get their food and eat at a healthy pace.

 

** Lunch periods should be as close to the middle of the day as possible and should allow time for socialization and a relaxed eating pace.

 

** All decisions made by the school system regarding the type, variety and quantity of food and drink to be sold in the school will be based on nutritional goals and sound guidelines, NOT on the profit the school can make.

 

Nutrition and Health Focused Curriculum

 

** Kindergarten through Grade 12 classes should include education and information on healthy eating habits and the types of foods a child should eat to stay healthy and help them grow.

 

Now that you understand the concerns and recommendations of the USDA and the national medical organizations, go to a school board meeting and talk to the board members about what they are doing to comply with these guidelines.

 

If you don’t know what your child’s eating environment and food choices are, visit the school and find out. Get involved with the PTA or PTO in your school system and get to work!

Finding A Diet That Works

Searching for a new diet that works? If you’re a habitual dieter, wouldn’t it be nice to stop changing diets? Is there a diet that actually works?

 

Everyone has a habit or a vice. Some people smoke. Some people bite their fingernails. Some people cannot resist having a piece of chocolate before bed time, and others snore when they sleep. Others are habitual dieters, always looking for a new diet that promises astonishing results.

 

How many new diet plans have you tried? Some people can tick off a list of new diet after diet that they have tried. They yo-yo back and forth. Atkins, weight watchers, the grapefruit diet, the soup diet, the salad diet, the low-fat diet: some people cannot even count every new diet they have tried.

 

Often, each new diet is punctuated by a day of binge eating. Sure, you lost weight on that latest low-carbohydrate new diet, but now you’re craving a baked potato, French fries, and a big piece of garlic bread. Wouldn’t it be great to find a new diet that allows you to eat all the foods you want while still losing weight?

 

The bottom line is that the best option isn’t actually a new diet. It’s a concept that has been around for ages, but people fail to overlook it with so many new diet choices on the market. If you talk to most doctors, however, they will agree that fad dieting is not the smartest choice to lose weight.

 

However bombarded we may be with new diet choices; there is one fact that cannot be ignored. We lose weight when we limit our caloric intake. This isn’t about grapefruit, carbohydrates, fat-free products, or even following a strict new diet plan. It’s about eating in moderation. You don’t have to go hungry, but you need to use willpower to make sure you don’t overeat. Limiting your calories means shedding those unwanted pounds.

 

What happens when you don’t have willpower? Face it; some of us just don’t have that extra willpower that we need to turn down a second serving of our favourite food. It’s hard to do, especially when your new diet has left you hungry.

 

Willpower cannot be bottled and sold, but there is a new diet concept that will give you the willpower you need to follow through with your weight loss goals. I’m not talking about appetite suppressants. Many of these products still leave you hungry and leave you feeling jittery or overheated.

 

If you missed the expose on 60 Minutes or Today show, then you probably haven’t heard about a new vegetable that could jumpstart your diet. This means no more signing on for a new diet every month because you’ll finally have found something that works safely and long term. I’m talking about Hoodia Gorgoniid. This cactus like plant was introduced to the market recently, but it has been around for centuries. Bushmen in Africa used it for warding off hunger during long expositions.

 

What does this mean for you today? It means you can limit your calories while not being at all hungry. You’ll feel as if you have already eaten. I know, it sounds almost too good to be true, but it actually works. The best news is that Hoodia is all natural, making it totally safe to incorporate this as a part of your daily diet. Stop stressing over food, the latest new diet, or losing that unwanted weight. Watch those pounds melt off safely and quickly.

Fight Cancer With These 10 Foods

More than a third of all cancers could be prevented by changes in diet and exercise. One of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk is lose excess weight - and one of the best ways to lose weight is through a filling, fibre-rich diet including plenty of fruits and vegetables. 

 

But that's not the reason why the National Cancer Institute recently approved the dietary guidance: "Diets rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce the risk of some types of cancer and other chronic diseases." These foods are packed with antioxidants and other compounds that protect your DNA and fight free radical damage. 

 

Since these substances work synergistically, it's best to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables rather than relying on one particular produce item to serve as a magic bullet against disease. That said, recent studies have uncovered specific benefits in the following foods that would recommend making them a part of any healthy diet.

 

1. Tomatoes: Lycopene, also found in watermelon and pink grapefruit, has been linked to lower risk of prostate, ovarian and cervical cancer. It also targets the free radical that is implicated in lung and digestive cancers. 

 

2. Broccoli sprouts: One forkful triggers a cascade of antioxidant activity that lasts for days. 

 

3. Berries: Blueberries, cranberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes - all rich in anthocyanins that repair and protect DNA.

 

4. Soybeans: Isoflavones such as genistein may help prevent and treat prostate cancer and may reduce breast cancer risk

 

5. Tea: Both black and green contain powerful compounds shown in countless studies to lower the risk of several types of cancer. 

 

6. Pumpkin: This unsung super-food is a super-rich source of both beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, two hard-working carotenoids that combat lung and ovarian cancer. 

 

7. Spinach: Popeye's favourite may help ward off cancers of the liver, ovaries, colon and prostate. The active antioxidant lutein is also found in kale and other leafy greens.

 

8. Garlic: Allium veggies (which also include onions and scallions) work to get your body's own antioxidant defence systems in gear. This process provides protective benefits against stomach, oesophageal and breast cancers. 

 

9. Pineapple: The enzyme bromelain may inhibit the growth of malignant cells in both lung and breast cancer, while the phenolic compounds also provide a protective benefit. 

 

10. Apples: Can one a day help keep cancer at bay? Studies show quercetin may reduce the risk of lung cancer and impede growth of prostate cancer cells. Other antioxidants together with pectin help halt colon and liver cancer cell replication.

Fibre-Rich Food is the Best Nutrition for Dieting

In this article I will reveal some little known facts about the fibres and the beneficial effect they have over your body.

 

First of all let me explain what fibre is:                                                                 

 

Fibre is an indigestible part of all plant foods. It is found in fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Your digestive system cannot stomach fibre, so it is excreted undigested. Well, you may think you don’t need fibre, because it’s excreted undigested, but that’s not true.

 

Let's imagine the following picture:

 

You overeat at least once or twice a week, more often at weekends, and your regular menu doesn't include much fibre. Well, this might be your life style; however you should consider that it may cause you lots of health problems like:

 

• indigestion
• discomfort stomach aches 
• gases in the digestive tract 
• constipation
• haemorrhoids
• you got tired faster 
• can't concentrate on what you're doing 

 

I mean you become less productive at work and more irritable at home. Besides all this, you gain weight and that’s the moment when you realize you have a problem.

 

In order to solve a problem, you should first find the reason for it. In this case it’s the lowered intake of fibre-rich foods and respectively - the higher intake of foods containing no fibre (like meat). The average amount of fibre intake is about 25-30 grams per day. Unfortunately most people regular diets include less than 10-15 grams daily. 

 

You should start consuming more fibre-rich foods:

 

• all bran cereal 
• beans
• peas
• spinach
• sweet corn  
• wholemeal brown bread 
• red cabbage 
• carrots
• baked potato with skin 
• apples, bananas, oranges and all fruits 

                                                                                    

There are two types of fibre - soluble and insoluble. If you start eating more food rich in fibre, you’ll be amazed of its beneficial effects over your body, health and way of life. 

 

Soluble fibre forms glue like gel in the intestinal tract. The gel softens stools (no more constipation) and improves your digestion (no more indigestion).

 

Fibre slows down stomach emptying and you feel fuller longer. This effect helps you eat less, your body burns additional calories to digest fibre and you can lose weight.

 

Insoluble fibre is an excellent natural laxative, because of its abilities to hold onto water and to push waste faster along the intestines - this way fibre decreases the risk of colon cancer. 

 

In conclusion, I'd like to tell you that you won't be sorry if you start eating more fibre-rich foods. Like many other people I used to take not enough fibre, and I suffered stomach aches. Then I started to eat more fruits and fibre-rich foods in my daily menu. I must admit that it really worked for me, and now fibre-rich food is the most important nutritious part of my regular diet.

Elements of Good Nutrition

With the amount of information that exists about good nutrition, you would think it was a big mystery. The truth of the matter is, there is no mystery involved in getting the proper nutrients that your body needs. Why should you care about getting the proper nutrients? Many people are under the misconception that eating healthy is for the young because they are growing. Tissue and cells are constantly being renewed in both children and adults. The failure for these elements to repair themselves can result in diseases of lifelong misery or worse, death. To lower your risk of developing a disease, you simply need to follow three simple steps of good nutrition. 

 

Proper Hydration

 

Plain and simple, your body needs water. Being properly hydrated will benefit you from head to toe. Water keeps your cells hydrated and flowing throughout your body. It doesn't take long to witness the benefits of drinking sufficient water. Just a week of being hydrated and your skin will have a new glow. If you need to lose weight, water can help you achieve your goal. In many instances, people misinterpret thirst for hunger. Unless it's been a few hours since you have eaten, have a glass of water the next time you have hunger panes.

 

There are numerous guidelines for how much water to drink. Consuming eight glasses of water each day is the most popular guideline. People have different needs. A better indication of how hydrated you are is your urine. When you are properly hydrated your urine is almost clear. There is the possibility of water intoxication so you don't want your urine to be completely colourless.

 

Eating Healthy

 

In addition to being hydrated, you need to eat a variety of foods. Forget fad diets that restrict certain foods. The key to healthy eating is to eat in moderation and variety. Your food choices should include a large percentage from complex carbohydrates, which is sufficient for energy. You should also consume several servings of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy every day. You should limit your servings of protein and fats to two or three servings each day. By including all of these food groups in your diet, you are less likely to be hungry or have cravings for sweets and other non-nutritional foods.

 

Vitamin Supplementation

 

As long as you live in a country where food is plentiful and produced safely, you should have no problem obtaining the amount of vitamins and minerals your body needs. However, food allergies, dislikes, and illness may prevent you from eating certain foods. Some people, for example, are lactose intolerant and cannot consume dairy products. In these instances, supplementation should become a part of a plan for healthy nutrition. You don't need a prescription to purchase vitamins, but it is a good idea to discuss your particular needs with your medical doctor. Consuming excessive amounts of some vitamins can cause toxicity and unpleasant side effects.

 

To check out the supplement we take daily and highly recommend, be sure to check out http://www.nutritional-supplement-guides.com/what-we-use.html.