Archive for the ‘antioxidants’ Category

Lately, one of my friends felt a small lump in her breast. She ignored it at first. She thought it was probably some allergic reaction or pus and that it would subside in a day or so. Instead, to her surprise, she noticed that the lump in her breast was growing larger.

Ultimately she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The 38 year old woman was one of the estimated 200,000 plus cases of breast cancer in the United States.

Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lives. Breast cancer kills more women in the United States than any other cancer, except lung cancer. No one knows why some women get breast cancer, though there are a number of risk factors.

All we can do is to eat healthy, exercise and live a healthy lifestyle so as to reduce the chances of this horrifying disease. One way of eating healthy is to include food that has lots of antioxidants and vitamins such as Vitamin A, C and E.

There are several studies on breast cancer and from 51 such studies it has been concluded that the risk of breast cancer is reduced by 17 percent in those with the highest vitamin A intake (compared to the lowest, pooled OR= 0.83). Furthermore, dietary Vitamin A, dietary Vitamin E, and total Vitamin E intakes, all reduced the risk of breast cancer when results from all the studies were pooled, and became insignificant, when data from cohort studies was pooled. The authors thereby conclude, “…the total intake of Vitamin A and retinol could reduce the risk of breast cancer.”

“KNOWING IT EXISTS IS NOT ENOUGH. GET INFORMED, PASS IT ON”

NIH: National Cancer Institute

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/39843 “Retinol, vitamins A, C, and E and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis and meta-regression,” Fulan H, Changxing J, et al, Cancer Causes Control, 2011, [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Department of Epidemiology, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, 157, Baojian Street, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang, People’s Republic of China).

For some, fall means crisp, clean air, beautiful walks through the foliage and a plentiful and delicious Autumn harvest.  But for many, fall instead represents the madness of back-to-school activities, shopping and carpooling, not to mention the crazy fiscal 4^th quarter dash to make year-end company goals, all racing toward the hectic holidays and a spanking new year so we can do it all over again.

It’s enough to tire even superwomen out.

So what can you do to help keep calm and centered in the face of utter scheduling chaos?  Make a list.  It sounds simplistic, but it works.  Keep a small notebook in your purse and write tasks and appointments down as you think of them.  You’ll feel better and less stressed out as you cross them off your list.  And if you don’t get to everything, don’t worry. Tomorrow is another day.

Exercise your right to say “no”.  Sometimes in life, we just have to learn when to say when.  Taking on an extra project at work, throwing that dinner party for 12 of your closest friends, and volunteering to help paint sets for the school play may not all fit into your regular (and busy) schedule.  Pick and choose what is most important to you, and let go of the rest.  You will be amazed at how liberating it is not to feel overextended.

Say yes to “me” time.  Even if you can only carve out 2 hours a week to start, do it.  Make that manicure appointment.  Window shop with abandon.  Take that spin class and then a luxurious, candlelight bubble bath.  Go see a first-run movie in the theater, and buy your concession stand favorites.  In other words, quiet your mind and remind yourself that life can be fun, silly, and joyful.  You’ll feel a lot less stressed and better able to handle all of life’s responsibilities.

To help keep stress at bay, try our natural Relora®  nutritional supplement.  For superb free radical protection and enhanced energy, take our Super QNol®  CoQ10 with Ubiquinol.

We all know that Curcumin (an extract of Turmeric), is a delicious spice that can brighten up many dishes, but a new study now concludes that supplementing with Curcumin can also help reduce the chances of colon cancer:

So go ahead and spice things up!  Not only does it taste great, but Curcumin may very well help us increase our immune power.

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To help ensure joint and cardiovascular health try our Curcu-Gel Ultra 500, with natural supplement properties.

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/39284 “Chemopreventive effect of dietary curcumin on inflammation-induced colorectal carcinogenesis in mice,” Villegas I, Sanchez-Fidalgo S, et al, Mol Nutr Food Res, 2010 Sept 16; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Seville, Seville, Spain).

When it comes to either chronic health conditions or a troubling diagnosis, many of us feel powerless in the face of what is happening to us or to a loved one.

But the fact is the body is an amazing, resilient piece of equipment, and given the proper fuel, rest, and care, it can help us fight disease and perhaps overcome insurmountable odds.

We, however, need to help our bodies.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep.  The body regenerates as we rest, and if we can’t squeeze in more than a few hours, we may lose some of this benefit.  Lack of sleep can also affect how (and what) we eat, stress level, and our motivation to exercise, which in turn can make us even more lethargic.

Don’t underestimate a daily walk or a trip to the gym a few times a week.  Exercise helps to keep our blood pressure and stress level down, it can contribute to a stronger immune system, and can make us produce more endorphins, the “feel-good” hormone.  Not to mention, exercise tends to keep our weight in check, making us look and feel great!

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables and cutting back on sugar and fats can help give your body the proper nutrition and fuel it craves.  Taking nutritional supplements can also contribute to better health.

If you or a loved one is struggling with a health condition or disease, eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising as much as possible all help to empower our bodies to be as strong and resilient as they can be, even when facing adversity.  Be strong and be well.

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To help enhance brain function and strengthen your immune system, try our omega-3 fatty acid supplement Omega-Gel®.  And for superior and powerful antioxidant protection, take our Rubi QNol® CoQ10 with Ubiquinol.

Many of us enjoy a nice, hot cup of green tea on a daily basis.  Its delicious taste can range from subtle and sweet, to nutty and forceful.  However you choose to brew it, a recent study shows that green tea has significant genoprotective effects:

In a controlled, crossover study involving 18 healthy adults, results indicate that green tea intake may protect against DNA damage. Using a crossover design (with a 6-week washout period) subjects were assigned to 2 x 150 ml/d (2 cups) of 1 % (w/v) Longjing green tea or ’screw-shaped’ green tea or water (control) for a period of 4 weeks. Green tea intake was associated with a 20% reduction in DNA damage. Thus, the authors of this study conclude, “The results indicate that green tea has significant genoprotective effects and provide evidence for green tea as a ‘functional food’.”

So let them call you “teetotaler”, you don’t mind.  You’re able to call yourself something much more impressive:  Healthy.  Cheers to green tea!

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For super antioxidant protection and improved immune system function, try our Omega-3 fatty acid supplement Omega-Gel® with Vitamin E.

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/39257, “Genoprotective effects of green tea ( Camellia sinensis) in human subjects: results of a controlled supplementation trial,” Han KC, Benzie IF, et al, Br J Nutr, 2010 Sept 1; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Department of Health Technology and Informatics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong).

The next time you cheerfully chop up avocados, tomatoes, crisp lettuce and anything else you’d put in your “healthy” salad, beware.  Even if you’re using olive oil and not ranch or blue cheese dressing, there are still calories that add up.  For example, a tablespoon of olive oil has about 120 calories.  Not so bad in and of itself, but stop to consider how many tablespoons you are using for a whole salad.  2? 3?

And as much as we LOVE beautiful, creamy avocados, it’s important to think about how caloric they are too.  A medium sized avocado can contain up to 300 calories.  This velvety fruit is a favorite and is considered a “good” fat, full of antioxidants, but again, if you’re trying to cut back on the calories, avocados aren’t going to help you.  Substituting a cucumber, or a few toasted walnuts, shelled edamame, or flavorful herbs like tarragon or basil can liven up any salad without busting the calorie bank.

Or if you must have your avocado and eat it too, add less olive oil, and cut the avocado in half, which not only helps your waistline, but also your pocketbook.

It’s a really wonderful thing to commit to eating more vegetables and consuming fats that are mono-saturated, but remember if you decide to “just eat a salad” for dinner, you might be consuming many more calories than you intended.

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For superior omega-3 fatty acid antioxidant protection, try our Omega-Gel® supplements.

It turns out that the powerful antioxidant, Vitamin E, has something else up its sleeve.Vitamin E is thought to be very good for the immune system, and can enhance both skin and eye health, it is also one of the best anti-oxidants.

The effect of vitamin E supplementation on the immune response of healthy older adults was studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Subjects (n = 32) resided in a metabolic research unit and received placebo or vitamin E (800 mg dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) for 30 d. Alpha-tocopherol content of plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), delayed-type hypersensitivity skin test (DTH), mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation, as well as interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, prostaglandin (PG) E2, and serum lipid peroxides were evaluated before and after treatment. In the vitamin E-supplemented group 1) alpha-tocopherol content was significantly higher (p less than 0.0001) in plasma and PBMCs, 2) cumulative diameter and number of positive antigen responses in DTH response were elevated (p less than 0.05), 3) IL-2 production and mitogenic response to optimal doses of concanavalin A were increased (p less than 0.05), and 4) PGE2 synthesis by PBMCs (p less than 0.005) and plasma lipid peroxides (p less than 0.001) were reduced. Short-term vitamin E supplementation improves immune responsiveness in healthy elderly individuals; this effect appears to be mediated by a decrease in PGE2 and/or other lipid-peroxidation products.

It seems that now is the time to start (or continue) a healthy, easy-to-take vitamin regimen that includes a high quality, super absorbable, full spectrum vitamin E supplement to help ensure continued good health.  In this case, “e” stands for excellent immune system protection!

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Experience free radical protection while promoting heart health with our full spectrum Tocospan Vitamin E.

Reference: Vitamin E supplementation enhances cell-mediated immunity in healthy elderly subjects. Meydani SN, Barklund MP, et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990 Sep;52(3):557-63.

The birds are singing and the sun is shining brightly.  So why are you feeling down again?  Is it because you can’t squeeze yourself into your bathing suit, no matter how much sun tan oil you slather on?  Or is it that your summer shorts make you feel like a stuffed sausage?

Yep. We’ve been there.

When the hot weather hits and the layers of winter clothes come off, there’s no place to hide.  It’s frustrating we can’t shrug off the extra winter pounds as easily as our heavy overcoats.

However, the great news about summertime is that it stays warmer and lighter in the evenings.  Even if you’re working like the dog days of summer, there’s still enough daylight to take a walk after work, or depending where you live, swim or even hike.

And if you live somewhere really warm, chances are your appetite may be affected.  You may crave things like cold salads for dinner, and choose to eat lighter based upon what your body tells you and not just predilections for certain foods.  You’ll undoubtedly drink more water and other liquids too, which can help fill you up and facilitate weight loss (as long as they’re not too sugary).

Keeping your immune system strong is key.  By eating as healthy as possible, getting plenty of sleep and taking quality supplements, you are providing your body with the fuel it needs to hike, bike, swim and workout.  Beware of insidious summer colds-nothing is more miserable than lying in bed on a beautiful, sunny day.  Strive to stay healthy and active and you’ll be surprised how quickly those shorts and bathing suits magically become the right size for you again.

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To ensure restful, peaceful, healthy sleep patterns, try our Dual-Release Melatonin®.  Experience enhanced energy while strengthening the heart with our Carni QNol® supplement.

It has been well established that Omega-3 fatty acids have strong antioxidant properties.  And new research is showing that for some cancer patients, consumption of Omega-3’s can significantly improve the instance of systemic inflammatory response syndrome, as well as the length of hospital stay.

In a randomized, controlled study involving 203 patients with gastrointestinal or colonic cancer who underwent gastrointestinal cancer surgery, results indicate that intravenous supplementation with fish oil may significantly reduce SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) and length of hospital stay. The patients were randomized to isocaloric and isonitrogenous intravenous infusions of either soybean oil alone (1.2 g per kg bodyweight per day; n=103) or soybean plus fish oil emulsion (1.0 and 0.2 g per kg per day respectively n=100) over 20-24 h daily for 7 days after surgery. Significantly shorter length of hospital stay and fewer cases of infectious complications and SIRS were observed in the treatment group, compared with the control group. Thus, the authors of this study conclude, “Fish oil emulsion-supplemented parenteral nutrition significantly reduced SIRS and length of hospital stay. These clinical benefits may be related to normalization of cellular immune functions and modulation of the inflammatory response.”

Omega-3 fatty acid can also help improve cardiovascular health and guard against stroke.  It fights free radical damage and can also make your skin look great.  Omega-3 fatty acid  is one nutritional supplement that has us hooked!

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To enjoy the benefits of a safe, pure omega-3 fatty acid nutritional supplement, try our Omega-Gel®.

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/39051, “Randomized clinical trial of intravenous soybean oil alone versus soybean oil plus fish oil emulsion after gastrointestinal cancer surgery,” Jiang ZM, Yu K, et al, Br J Surg, 2010; 97(6): 804-9. (Address: Department of Surgery and Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, and Centre for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China. E-mail: jiangzm@imicams.ac.cn ).

All fats are not created equal.  Our “good fat” friend Omega-3 fatty acid has once again proven that it is one of the heart healthiest substances around.  A new study involving 51 men and women with mild hypertriglyceridemia shows that supplementing with Omega-3 fatty acids can improve cardiovascular health.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study involving fifty-one male and female mildly hypertriglyceridemic patients, consumption of omega-3 LC-PUFA-supplemented dairy products was found to significantly improve cardiovascular risk factors (such as omega-3 fatty acid index, AA/EPA ratio, total cholesterol, and TAG). Both groups received treatment with a) dairy products enriched with 3 g/d omega-3 LC-PUFA (intervention); and b) dairy products (control), consecutively for fifteen weeks with a ten-week wash-out phase between the two treatments. Blood samples and 24-h urine were obtained at the start and at the end of each phase. A reduction in cardiovascular risk factors was found to be associated with consumption of omega-3-enriched dairy products, as compared to control. These results add to the large body of evidence linking omega-3 fatty acid consumption to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Buy some safe, pure Omega-3 fatty acid supplements from a trusted source and load up on seeds, nuts, salmon and even collared greens and Brussels sprouts and you’ll be on your way to better cardiovascular health.  And the healthier you are, the more energy you will have to enjoy all the beautiful things in life!

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Try our Omega-Gel® nutritional supplement for better cardiovascular health and enhanced immune system protection. And for powerful antioxidants and increased cell energy, our Super QNol® with Ubiquinol is unsurpassed.

Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/38987, “Omega-3 LC-PUFA-enriched dairy products are able to reduce cardiovascular risk factors: A double-blind, cross-over study,” Dawczynski C, Martin L, et al, Clin Nutr. 2010 Mar 19. [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Department of Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Nutrition, Friedrich Schiller University, Dornburger Str. 24, D-07743 Jena, Germany).