Dietary Supplement Industry. Healthy Treadmills Losing Weight

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All about the African Hoodia Cactus

The African hoodia cactus is known by many names. It is called xshoba or xhooba by the San Bushmen who have used it to treat indigestion, minor skin infections and as an appetite and thirst suppressant during long hunts. The scientific name is hoodia gordonii. It is actually a succulent so the names hoodia cactus and South African desert cactus are actually misnomers, but they are commonly used. The plant resembles a cactus when seen growing wild in the Kalahari Desert.

There are problems associated with growing the African hoodia cactus for commercial purposes. First, logically, is temperature. In order to thrive the hoodia cactus requires desert like temperatures. Second is time. It takes four or five years for the African hoodia cactus to reach full maturity. Quantities of the wild plant are extremely limited and are protected by the governments of South Africa from harvesting. Phytopharm, the first company to research the properties of the African hoodia cactus, has established plantations in South Africa, but will not begin to sell their patented product for at least a couple of years.

Safety is a concern because clinical trials have not been completed and effects of long-term use are not known.

In the meantime, supplement companies have begun marketing products which contain the plant in powdered or concentrated form. These African hoodia cactus products are being sold to dieters as appetite suppressants. There is research supporting the claims made by these companies, but there are some concerns about safety and cost. Because of the limited quantities available, at this time the African hoodia cactus is only being exported from certain areas of Africa, hoodia products are expensive. Safety is a concern because clinical trials have not been completed and effects of long-term use are not known. Phytopharm, who works with Unilever, does not want to be put in an “ephedra-like” situation, necessitating recalls and costing large amounts of money.

It is important to note that there are more than twenty different varieties of hoodia, but only hoodia gordonii is believed to contain the natural appetite suppressant. Some companies may be selling products that are purported to contain the African hoodia cactus, but if it is not hoodia gordonii, then it may not work. As with all health supplements, it is best to buy hoodia products from a reputable company that sells a complete line of products. In addition, dieters are advised to remember to drink plenty of water since hoodia suppresses thirst, as well as appetite.

By any name, the African hoodia cactus is a beautiful plant. Flowers are pale purple and appear after the plant reaches maturity. Even though dieters would love to have a large immediate supply, it is important to protect the wild African hoodia cactus from over-harvesting, so that it can be enjoyed by future generations.

For more information on African hoodia cactus visit http://hoodiainfo.blogspot.com

Many supplement companies are marketing hoodia gordoni, but Phytopharm (the first pharmaceutical company to do any research on the appetite suppressant qualities of the plant) is not yet ready to market their patented form of pure hoodia gordonii.

Hoodia Gordoni and Dieting

Pure hoodia gordonii supplements are being marketed all over the internet. Millions of Americans are overweight; it has been called a national health problem. So, the internet companies are aware of the sales potential for any supplement that suppresses the appetite. Hoodia gordoni is no exception. Weight loss products are big sellers. Everyone is looking for a miracle; some product that magically allows overnight weight loss. Pure hoodia gordonii supplements are not magic pills. They will only help suppress the appetite. Dieters should consider hoodia gordoni as part of a healthy weight loss program and not the weight loss program.

It is commonly accepted that anyone can lose weight if they reduce their caloric intake. Phytopharm, a British pharmaceutical company, studied the effects of the active molecule in pure hoodia gordonii in 2001. This was a double-blind study of overweight, but otherwise healthy individuals. Participants were placed on a reduced calorie diet for two weeks. Those participants who received the hoodia gordoni extract reported feeling less hungry than those participants who were given a placebo. Both groups lost some weight, but the group that received the hoodia gordoni lost a significant amount of body fat. It is believed that the active molecule in pure hoodia gordonii improves metabolism. This may explain the loss of extra body fat or it could have been caused by other factors.

Phytopharm says that clinical trials are not complete, long-term effects are unknown and necessary quantities are not yet available. Pharmaceutical companies have to be careful when entering a new market. Recalls are far too common and can prove disastrous for the companies. Supplement companies are apparently more willing to take the risk.

Manufacturers of dietary supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) handles all complaints related to hoodia gordoni and other supplements. The FTC has not reported any complaints related to pure hoodia gordonii products as of this writing. Other false claims concerning weight loss supplements have been investigated and some have been taken off the market. The FTC advises that the best way to lose weight is by reducing calories and increasing physical activity.

Most overweight people know that the only way to maintain a healthy weight is to watch what they eat and exercise, but for many, it is hard to stick to a low calorie diet long enough to see results. This is where hoodia gordoni may be helpful. If it does help to suppress the appetite and increase metabolism, then it may be easier for a person to lose weight. Another important thing to remember is that a low calorie diet has a tendency to have a negative impact on a person’s metabolism. If pure hoodia gordonii products can suppress the appetite, allowing a person to stick to a low calorie diet, without lowering that person’s metabolism, then dieters should not hit those terrible plateaus where they are unable to lose any more weight. No matter how hard they try.

So, if all the things that everyone is saying about hoodia gordoni are true and the research seems to support these statements, then it may be worth a trial. It is recommended that dieters remember to drink plenty of water, since pure hoodia gordonii products will suppress thirst, as well as appetite. Water is important to dieters, in any case. The average person needs about 64 ounces of water per day. Most people do not drink enough. So, if you need to lose some weight, see your doctor to confirm that you are in good health. Make some lifestyle changes that include an increase in physical activity and a decrease in high calorie, high fat foods. And, if you usually have trouble sticking to a diet, purchase some hoodia gordoni from a reputable company to help suppress your appetite.

For more information on hoodia gordoni visit http://hoodiainfo.blogspot.com

Athletes and Steroids: Their Lying and You're Buying It

Athletes are lying to us. They are lying and we believe their lies. Well, most of us do. You see, many Athletes that test positive for banned substances are blaming dietary supplements as the cause for the positive test. Lets examine the following statement from Iowa State linebacker Matt Robertson who was recently kicked off the Iowa state football team for testing positive for a banned substance.

"I take full responsibility for taking an over-the-counter supplement that is banned by the NCAA," Robertson said in a statement released Monday. "I am paying a heavy price for a very bad decision, as I will never again wear an Iowa State uniform. I hope my example will serve as a warning to others contemplating use of dietary supplements."

Statements like these are causing an unnecessary hysteria amongst the general public regarding dietary supplements. In Mr. Robertson’s quote, specifically notice the term “dietary supplements”. Dietary supplement is a very broad term, it covers literally thousands of different kinds of products. There is only one kind of dietary supplement that will cause a positive result for steroid tests. These supplements are called pro-hormones. Did a pro-hormone cause Mr. Robertson’s positive result? Possibly, but we will never know the truth.

Pro-hormones are used to raise the body’s testosterone levels, just like steroids, but at a much lesser effect. Any athlete who takes a pro-hormone knows what it does. They know that pro-hormones are designed to elevate testosterone resulting it more muscle mass and greater athletic performance. On top of that, pro-hormones say right on the bottle something to the effect of “Professional and amateur athletes subject to performance enhancing substance testing should consult with their sanctioning body before using this product as use of such may cause a reactive drug test.” Pretty clear isn’t it? You can’t tell me that Mr. Robertson can’t read, he is “an academic all-Big 12 performer who was as good in the classroom as he was on the field," according to his coach Dan McCarney.

Blaming a positive test on one of these products may be true because they can cause a positive on a steroid test. However, it would also be very easy to blame a positive test on a dietary supplement when they athlete was actually using a steroid. Since the actual supplements are rarely made public, it is easy to blame a positive test on a dietary supplement.

It doesn’t make a difference because a positive test is a positive test, right? Wrong. By these athletes blaming their positive test on dietary supplements instead of steroids they are in effect “passing the buck” That is, they are claiming ignorance, instead of taking responsibility, and they are hurting the multi-billion dollar dietary supplement industry in the process. This is not okay, not only because it creates false beliefs among the public about supplements, but also because it gives the federal government a reason to further restrict what you can buy without a prescription.

Would you like to have to go to your doctor to get a prescription for a multi-vitamin? What if you wanted to buy a protein supplement? Would you want to have to go to your doctor for that? I didn’t think so. These athletes and their organizations are being extremely irresponsible by using broad terms like dietary supplements when describing positive drug tests.

The NCAA and other governing organizations should be forced to reveal what exact substance these athletes are testing positive for. By not doing so these organizations are allowing athletes to save face at the expense of an entire multi-billion dollar industry. By forcing the NCAA and other governing bodies to name the specific substance that was tested positive for they would eliminate all confusion on what is and is not the cause of positive tests. Either that or governing bodies including the NCAA and the press should be educated in the proper terminology of the dietary supplement industry. Painting reactive tests with the term “dietary supplements” is inaccurate, unfair and irresponsible.

Take for example Rafael Palmeiro, everyone remembers his overly compelling capital hill testimony. How ironic that just a few weeks later Rafael tested positive for Stanozolol, a steroid. Palmeiro tried hard to pass the blame. He blamed “tainted” dietary supplements, and when that didn’t fly he blamed a vitamin B12 shot. Well stanozol is a very specific and popular steroid. There is no possible way that a positive for stanazolol can be from dietary supplements or B12. After people started realizing this, Palmeiro started claiming ignorance, saying that he never knowingly took steroids. Well I guess Rafael will be making a good living after baseball considering he is the only person on earth that knows where to find pills that jump off the table into your mouth on their own. What a cool idea, the little blue pill could be come the little blue jumping pill. That would be neat to see.

There needs to be some accountability among athletes for their positive tests. Those who test positive should not be allowed to pass the blame onto the dietary supplement industry. These athletes should be shown for what they really did. Did they take a pro-hormone because they were too stupid to read the label? Or did they take steroids? Knowing that if they were caught they could claim ignorance and blame “tainted” supplements. We will never know until the governing bodies start naming specific substances responsible for positive tests.

By: Andrew Frisella http://www.LowPriceSupplements.com

Benefits of Lutein as a Dietary Supplement

Lutein is an antioxidant that comes from the carotenoid family. This is logically found in some vegetables and fruits. Some of the examples of this antioxidant are corn, egg yolks, spinach and kale. Romaine lettuce and peas are also a good source of lutein.

The lutein safeguards the eyes and skin from harm since these two organs is exposed directly to the external world. The lutein has known to have a connection in supporting good eyesight. It was once even called the natural sunglasses since it shields the eyes from harm. It has also been linked in lessening the threat of macular deterioration, skin diseases and cataract.

The only difference of lutein from other vitamins and nutrients is that the human body cannot manufacture it. As a result, people must acquire the luteins that they needed through the sources of lutein such as foods or any kind of supplement.

Lutein is very important in our body because since it is an antioxidant, it comes out to extinguish or lessen any damaging free radical in some part of the body, which may cause different kinds of chronics illnesses.

Many of the Americans do not obtain a sufficient lutein in their food in takes and diets. According to some studies, the body needs six to twenty milligrams of lutein everyday in order to understand how it benefited the health of a certain individual.

The lutein is usually obtainable in dosages up to 20 twenty milligrams or so in a different dietary supplements, equipped foodstuff and beverages for persons who need to add on their food ingestion of lutein.

Below is a list of the proven benefits of lutein as a dietary or nutritional supplement:

1. This is a great antioxidant that offers defence from free radicals that roots many kinds of diseases.

2. Strains out damaging lights.

3. Shields the eyes against cataract.

4. If a person is already affected with cataract, it functions in treating them.

5. This also functions to avoid the growth of macular deterioration.

6. If there is already a sign of macular deterioration, the lutein helps in treating it.

7. This also serves as an anti-cancer instrument - this rip the danger of early signs of colon cancer. It is proved that colon cancer is placing second among the top cancer killers in the United States.

8. It also protects the body against bad cholesterol.

9. Lutein helps in maintaining the arteries clean.

10. This also lessens arthritis and reduces osteoarthritis pains.

11. It improves optical perception

Most of these benefits that can be acquired from lutein are explicable since lutein is a strong source of antioxidant, thus contradicting any free radical harm. If this is left unimpeded, those free radicals can cause damages directing to some serious diseases such as heart diseases, some types of cancer and untimely aging.

Therefore, in order to attain for the right dosages of lutein, it is important that you know how to chooser a proper lutein supplement. The following are tips in which you can use in choosing a lutein supplement.

• The pharmaceutical GMP compliant manufacturer is an authorized distributor of the lutein, so you are recommended to buy you lutein here. These amenities stick to the strictest rigid principles for the production of this dietary supplement.

• Make sure the lutein that you will buy does not have any protective materials or preservatives and any synthetic food colors.

• If the lutein is intended for you eye health, make sure that it is mixed with zeaxanthin and zinc. These minerals are vital in reducing the danger for macular deterioration.

As mentioned at the first part of this article, lutein is placed in to some various parts of the body but the body is not able to produce it. Therefore, to achieve the benefits of this lutein a person should consume the lutein or else apply it into his or her skin.

Lutein can be find in vitamins or any nutritional supplements, in raw foods and those foods that fortified. This means that this can be found in rich foods.

As a conclusion, in order to prevent yourself from diseases caused by not having the proper dosages of lutein, you should take in to consideration starting now that lutein is very important in your body. In addition, make some plans or actions on how you will add up lutein in to your everyday food intakes.

Remember, it is better late than never. Pack all that you need and start you day to day with lutein already in your life.

http://www.for-your-vitamins.com/Lutein.html

Long Term Benefits of Melatonin as a Dietary Supplement

People with sleeping problems cannot be able to start their day well. They suffer from a very stressful mood because of not getting good sleep. Usually, you can see them in grouchy faces and sagging eye bags. You cannot easily approach them because they are surely hot tempered.

Is there a remedy for insomnia? Good for you because there is. Melatonin comes to its way, at present this is the best remedy found out by doctors for persons who have difficulty in sleeping.

Melatonin is considered as one of the most used dietary supplements particularly in fighting against sleeping problems. People are guaranteed because of its effectiveness. Although there are some controversies arising about melatonin against other over the counter drugs, people still take it.

It is advisable that if you are planning to intake melatonin you have to secure your doctor’s permission first to take some precautionary measures if it is good for you or not.

Melatonin is a hormone that naturally occurs from the body.

Secretion takes place through a tiny pea-sized organ that can be found at the center of the brain that refers to a pineal gland. Its release is controlled by the body’s circadian rhythm, which is considered the body’s time keeping system, and it works for 24 hours a day. It is responsible in taking control of your system when you fall asleep and when you start to wake up.

The production of the melatonin in your body is generated when darkness falls and starts to hold back by the return of the daylight. The making of melatonin in a person’s body tends to become slower when they reach the age of forty. This makes the young individuals sleep earlier than the adult ones.

Melatonin is usually regarded as nature’s own sleeping pill. It already cured not only hundreds but also even thousands of people suffering from insomnia. Although insomnia can be treated through some of the natural remedies but they are still depending on the effect of melatonin.

Study shows that melatonin has come to its existence four decades ago. These can be found in various species that is why researchers believe that its origin starts from the moment that man were born.

There is an arising query whether melatonin as a dietary supplement is to be regarded either natural or synthetic. There is an explanation for these according thorough studies about melatonin.

They have isolated the hormone melatonin so there was a production of both the natural and synthetic melatonin.

The natural melatonin is produced from the extract of the so-called pineal glands of animals. The most common extraction comes from the sheep but it does not grantee that it is of a better quality and effect than with the other animals. There are cases that prove impurities on some of its contents that lead to taking off to some supplements in the market.

On the other hand, the synthetic melatonin is usually produced technically. It undergoes some of the laboratory control processes. The measurement should be exact. If it should contain 2 mg. of the melatonin then it should be because if not, there could be deficiency on the effectiveness.

The synthetic and the natural melatonin are greatly distinct from each other. However, the manufacturers of both ensure the people that the possibility of contamination is greatly reduced.

As of now, there are already melatonin tablets that can be buy in the drugstores. It offers numerous benefits to the people. In every tablet that you take, you are secured of nutritional supplement that your body needs.

Sometimes, the melatonin tablet is already combined with botanical extracts that will add for its more effective result. The person can also benefit with the long-lasting calming effect that will produce a good sleeping habit.

Melatonin are also available in varieties of flavours, one is the peppermint flavour. However, you do not have to worry about its effect because it will just be the same. Flavourings are just added to enhance your taste.

Aside from combating your sleeping problem, you can also take melanin as a supplement for maintaining a balance diet.

http://www.for-your-vitamins.com/Melatonin.html

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