Vitamin Supplements

Phytochemical

Plants are a rich source of nutrition, but everything that is found in plants is not necessarily a nutrient.

Nutrients are things that our bodies need to grow and function correctly. If you think of a person’s body as a chessboard, nutrients are the chess pieces that are needed to play the game. Sometimes, however, the plants also contain some substance_s that are not chess pieces, although they can influence the game.

Many plants contain chemicals that, just like prescription medicines, have a modifying effect on the body’s processes. About 25% of prescription medicines come from plants. Aspirin, for example, comes from the bark of a type of willow tree, but is a chemically purified and modified form of the original salicylate. Read the rest of this entry »

Who benefits from supplements?

The answer is simple: Everyone. Many of my colleagues will probably want to burn me at the stake for this but there is enough evidence to prove that most people today do not eat a balanced enough diet to get all the vitamins they need. In addition, the fast pace, stress and pollution of modern society result in a greater need for vitamins and other nutrients. Read the rest of this entry »

Food supplements are here to stay and can give you a kick-start when you need it, but the utter confusion they sometimes cause does more harm than good

One of the fastest growing sections of the health industry is that of vitamin preparations. However, there is still a great deal of ignorance among both the public and health workers as to their desirability and meaningful use. The budget that most people have for “luxuries” like vitamins and health literature is limited. Read the rest of this entry »

The discovery of leptin, a hormone produced by the most unlikely of endocrine organs, fat, prompted researchers to look again at our blubbery stuff, and in 2001 it was announced that another hormone had been found. Adiponectin has a role in regulating energy balance, seemingly raising metabolic rate. Its production is not distributed evenly across our fat, but concentrated in our love handles and other unsavoury bulgy bits that migrate to our middles. Read the rest of this entry »

There is a male brain type and that this brain type is not about gender; rather, it is about the level of testosterone during fetal life. Baron Cohen, whose work on autism is highly respected, believes that one form of autism, Asperger’s syndrome, represents an extreme of the male brain type.

Asperger’s syndrome is often called high-functioning autism, because intelligence is not affected — in fact, it may be higher than normal. Indeed, some AS individuals may be supremely gifted, but they also have great difficulties with relationships and with empathy. Read the rest of this entry »

They keep hormones in check

These essential fats also help to control the sex hormones in both men and women. In adolescents, they help to alleviate the hormone fluctuations so common during puberty, and thus prevent against outbreaks of acne, mood swings, and even ‘growing pains’. In adults, they help to stimulate fertility, decrease the severity of pre-menstrual syndrome and regulate menstrual cycles. In menopausal women, they alleviate mood swings and depression, and make this rather rocky ride a little easier to cope with.

They indirectly help to improve insulin resistance

For this reason they are used in fat loss programmes. Read the rest of this entry »

Onion

The humble onion has a variety of health-protective and cleansing benefits. The pungent flavor of onions helps to improve circulation and reduce excess mucus in the respiratory tract and throughout the body. They are rich in sulfur, which promotes detoxification from heavy metals and parasites. Natural compounds in onions help to regulate blood pressure and eliminate damaging LDL cholesterol while increasing levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol. For the most powerful benefits, eat onions both raw and cooked. Red and yellow onions contain quercetin, a potent antioxidant that neutralizes carcinogens and has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Read the rest of this entry »

Although the trend in recent years has been toward low-fat diets, the truth is that fats are essential for health. Eating the wrong types of fat damages cells, causes cancer and heart disease, and speeds up the aging process. But eating healthy fats provides protection against cancer, heart disease, and other degenerative diseases, and helps to keep you young.

Unhealthy fats include polyunsaturated oils, saturated fats, and hydrogenated oils. Polyunsaturated oils such as safflower, corn, sesame, soybean, and sunflower oils are extremely detrimental to your health. They quickly oxidize when exposed to oxygen and create free radicals, mutant molecules that destroy healthy cells. Read the rest of this entry »

How Much Vitamin B3 Do You Need?

The body’s requirements for vitamin B3 can be met in part by the conversion of tryptophan to niacin. Even so, most people need to consume additional niacin to meet the RDA guidelines.

Optimal Daily Vitamin B3 Allowance

To select an optimal daily allowance (ODA) of niacin, we examined the energy needs of men and women and chose a level to meet the needs of the most active individuals. We believe that 20 NE (niacin equivalent) per day—the highest RDA—is an optimal amount. Read the rest of this entry »

Vitamin B3 Basic Functions

In concert with a variety of enzymes, niacin participates in a variety of metabolic processes. It helps convert energy derived from carbohydrates, fats, and protein into a form that the body can use.

In large doses, niacin (specifically, nicotinic acid) positively affects fats in the blood: it can decrease total cholesterol, while increasing the HDL (”good”) component of cholesterol. Read the rest of this entry »