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Gimme The Grease - Omega 3 Benefits

Omega 3 fish oils have received some negative publicity recently. There were scares over potential contamination in fresh oily fish by mercury, though this has been refuted as an overly exaggerated issue. And more recently, a meta study, which is a 'study of studies', was published online that seemed to suggest that omega 3 benefits for heart health and cancer were not true.

But Dr Ray Rice, a food scientist, dismissed the results. He said that despite the claim that 48 studies were reviewed, only 12 actually were, and of that 12, 3 or 4 should not have been included. He described the report as being "conceptually flawed", having a faulty technique, and being misleading to the public.

There is an abundance of scientific data to support the health benefits of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish oils, from oily fish such as salmon, and of course, good quality (non rancid) fish oil supplements.

The omega 3 benefits for heart health have been well documented.

General omega 3 benefits include:

* protecting against cardiovascular disease and improving heart health
* improving joint health
* improving moods and behaviour, including ADHD
* good development of the fetus during pregnancy
* the inhibition of some cancer cells

The Omega 3 Benefits For Heart health

The omega 3 benefits for heart health have been well documented. The Food Standards Agency and the British Nutrition Foundation recommend that people eat 2 servings of fish a week, one being an oily fish like salmon that is rich in omega 3 fatty acids.

A small study of 18 white men, from ages 68 onwards, who had a heart attack from 3 months to 5 years previously, found omega 3 fish oils benefited their hearts and potentially reduced the risk of further heart attacks.

These men took a supplement containing 810mg of fish oil a day for 4 months, and those taking a placebo took a mixture of corn oil and olive oil. The participants didn't know whether they were taking a placebo or not.

Their resting heart rate at rest and after exercise was measured. It was found that those taking the omega 3 fish oils had a lower resting heart rate, and their heart rate returned to normal more quickly after exercise. Those men that have a high heart rate when resting have a greater chance of having a heart attack, and dying from one.

A study designed to assess the combination of 3 supplements that have been found to individually protect against cardiovascular disease found that when used together, the benefit was much stronger. The 3 supplements were omega 3 fish oils, niacin, and vitamin E. Niacin, due to side effects at high doses, was a low dose component. Despite this low dose, the study found that those taking the niacin, fish oil, and vitamin e combination had a greater benefit than those taking fish oil and vitamin e alone.

The study was a double blind, placebo controlled study, with a control group taking none of the supplements. 57 volunteers took the supplements over a 4 month period. After this period, it was found that the total antioxidant capacity of the volunteers taking either 2 or 3 of the supplements increased, with the greatest increase being in the group taking the omega 3, niacin and vitamin e combination. This third group also had significantly higher levels of vitamin e, whereas those not taking niacin did not have this benefit. This is because niacin, and another component of that supplement, gamma-oryzanol, preserve vitamin e in the body.

The study also found that cellular agents that are involved in inflammation, were reduced in both of these groups taking the supplements. In particular, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) was reduced for both, but only in the group taking the additional niacin and gamma-oryzanol component was the reduction of the inflammatory agent interleukin 1-beta (IL 1-beta) significant.

Combination Omega 3 Supplements

It's not just omega 3 fish oils with the benefits however. For specific conditions, a combination of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are very helpful.

At the start of the study, the inattentiveness of these students was measured at an average of 94%. After 3 months of taking a supplement containing a high quality omega 3 fish oil and the omega 6 fatty acid, evening primrose oil, the inattentiveness of the students had fallen to an average of 17%.

With regards to impulsivity, there were similar benefits. From an average score of 89%, impulsivity scores fell to an average of 28% by the end of the trial.

The evening primrose oil was also a high quality one, being made from virgin evening primrose oil. And the study participants were aware they were taking the supplements, so it was not a double blind study. But the results are still excellent. The EPA content of the fish oil component was 500mg taken per day, which in this case was the equivalent of 6 capsules, though this will vary according to different formulations. EPA simply means eicosapentaenoic acid, and is a kind of active constituent in fish oil essential fatty acids.

References:
1. nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=66694&m=1NIU328&c=qgtqmovbyiaxdub
2. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=66816&m=1NIE403&c=qgtqmovbyiaxdub
3. nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?n=67062&m=1NIE413&c=qgtqmovbyiaxdub
4. foodnavigator.com/news/ng.asp?n=66658&m=2FNE329&c=qgtqmovbyiaxdub

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A study recently published found that teenagers aged 12 to 15 years taking a supplement containing both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids had a remarkably improved attention span. These teenagers had been clinically diagnosed with moderate to severe ADHD and had persistent problems with both impulsiveness, and attention and concentration.

Vitamins and Your Body

Have you ever wondered why the word 'essential' usually precedes the term, 'vitamins'? The reason is simple. Vitamins as well as minerals ensure that our bodies function as they were designed. Interestingly, as important as vitamins are, the body lacks the ability to manufacture most on its own. Instead, it must rely on outside sources to meet its nutritional needs.

Vitamins are organic compounds and as such they're found naturally in many of the foods we consume. They're also available in the form of vitamin supplements. Thirteen different vitamins are needed to perform such crucial functions as helping protect against infections and disease, helping the body's metabolism, helping the body grow and helping the body remove waste.

Vitamins are a lot like building blocks. A healthy body is able to put these blocks together to create the enzymes and hormones that, among other things, control heart rate, blood pressure, glucose levels and other chemical reactions.

How Much is Enough?

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of the various vitamins is different depending on a person's age and current state of health. Women who are pregnant for example, need a different combination of vitamins to protect the fetus against birth defects. Adult men have different requirements than adult women. Children, teenagers and the elderly all have different nutritional requirements as well.

Thinking about food as a source of fuel is helpful. Give your body the right type of fuel and it will perform at optimum capacity. Fuel it with the wrong things, and over time, performance will begin to decline.

Problems Associated with Vitamin Deficiencies

Although perhaps not noticeable at first, vitamin deficiencies can lead to serious health issues further on down the road. Few people today eat what would be considered a nutritionally-balanced diet. Many in fact, have developed some pretty poor eating habits. High fat foods, processed foods, fast food and restaurant food have taken the place of healthy foods.

Because people can't see what is going on inside the body, it's difficult to get a good understanding of the negative effects a poor diet can have on the body. Generally, it's not until the body begins putting on excess weight that the effects start to become visually noticeable. But long before the excess weight settles in, trouble is already brewing inside.

What types of problems are associated with vitamin deficiencies? Insufficient Vitamin D can cause weak or even deformed bones. Not enough Vitamin E can lead to the destruction of red blood cells. Not enough Vitamin C can cause tiredness, weakness, sore muscles and can cause gums to bleed. An overall vitamin deficiency can even lead to death.

Vitamin supplements are an effective way to fill in the nutritional gaps caused by poor eating habits. But beyond that, the only accurate way of knowing if the body is getting enough vitamins is with a blood test. If you don't think you're getting enough vitamins, you probably aren't. Do yourself a favor and find out soon.

Click here for more information about vitamins

Herbs: Medicinal Herbs

Culinary herbs are safe to use in the kitchen without any need for caution, as the majority have been used in food preparation for countless generations and these include the well known sage, garlic, rosemary, thyme and parsley. But the range of these traditional herbs is ever increasing beyond the locally grown herbs as we import them from all over the world and venture into new taste experiences for our palates. Many of these familiar culinary garden herbs can also be safely used as cottage remedies for common complaints so are included amongst the range of medicinal herbs from which our medicines are produced. Therefore herbs such as chamomile, valerian, lavender and many others are quite safe to use in cottage healing.

Medicinal herbs and plants, however, gathered for the production both of modern drugs and of herbal remedies are not generally found in garden cultivation, but are gathered from the wild in many countries throughout the world, or cultivated in commercial plantings for specific purposes. Their use in the manufacture of medicinal drugs is limited as this method aims to make synthetic replicas of the active ingredients by chemical means. In contrast, great volumes of raw herbs and plants are required for drying for herbal teas, for powder used in tablets or for the liquid plant extracts which provide the bottled medicines we find in health food shops and in herbal dispensaries.

Professional herbalists have the responsibility of undertaking considerable study in order to learn which herbs are best prescribed and in what doses, as well as learning the cautions which are required as to those plants which are best avoided. Their professional recommendation is therefore generally advised.

Each herbal substance possesses specific properties, whether it is the root, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits or seeds or the whole plant itself. There can be some variance in the quantities and qualities of these properties, depending upon the growing conditions and methods used in plant production. Appropriate information is detailed, for the benefit of consumers, upon the label of every product.

Constituents of Medicinal Herbs:

The most well known medicinal herbs have been thoroughly researched as to their active constituents. This information provides us with a reason why these plants have been satisfactorily used in traditional medicine for so many centuries but this is not the only reason. It is because when the plant substances are administered in their entire form with the organic chemicals arranged and proportionate to nature's recipe, it provides a natural balance and a mysterious 'x' factor or life factor, known as 'synergy' which no amount of analysis or scientific investigation has been able to explain. Isolating the identified 'active constituents' is not as effective as methods which keep the plant whole.

Herbalists depend upon their herbal material being of high quality, organically grown where possible. It is either dried for use in teas, powdered for tablets or produced as liquid extracts or medicinal tinctures. These methods guarantee their success in healing as the vital ingredients are supported by other properties which provide a safe chemical balance with no 'side effects'.

As well as the mineral, vitamin and protein content of plants the most important of the active constituents found in medicinal herbs fall into certain categories, each with special function in healing.

Phenols - anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antioxidant and perhaps antiviral. Flavonoids - help circulation, are antioxidant and protect the liver. Volatile Oils - from which come our essential oils each with a wide variety of applications.

Tannins - these astringent plants are used to stop bleeding and check any infection.

Coumarins - have a wide range of actions some keeping the blood the and in others are muscle relaxants.

Saponins - similar to chemicals in body hormones, oestrogen and cortisol - caution is required. Proanthocyanins - compounds which are antioxidant and help the heart and circulation Anthraquinones - these have irritant laxative action used to ease bowel movements.

Glycosides - cyanogenic, in high doses are poisonous - but in small doses to treat cancer and lung problems.

Glycosides - cardiac, affect the heart and also are diuretic.

Polysaccharides - in roots, bark and seeds soothe irritations and some help the immune system. Glucosilinates - found only in the brassicas - radish, cabbages etc.

Bitters - stimulate the salivary glands and digestive organs to improve appetite.

Alkaloids - give mixed reactions - with a strong effect in pain relief but care must be used to avoid negative reactions.

Generally the herbalist relies upon the traditional uses as a basis for prescribing herbal medicine or herbal supplements. Because most herbs have a wide range of therapeutic use, both external and internal, there may sometimes be a confusion or even an apparent contradiction as to choice of a remedy. For example, thyme, is a natural antiseptic, but also relieves headaches and gotu kola can be applied externally to eczema or as a tonic for brain and nervous system. Traditional uses often vary in the different countries of their origin.

However, many herbs remain in the Materia Medica used by orthodox doctors and so can be referenced there as well as in the Herbal Materia Medica now available from Britain. Research into herbs is also very advanced in Australia and some European countries. In addition, the extensive research commenced by the Russians may soon be available to the west. The ancient systems of both Chinese medicine and the Indian Ayurveda are becoming known to us to add further growth and a new dimension to the healing sciences.

For those who wish to avoid modern medicinal drugs and the side effects which are common to all of them, safe herbal medicine is the answer. When used as a supplement to a healthy diet with plenty of naturally produced fresh fruit, salads, vegetables, nuts and grains it provides a natural way of supplying the body with the variety of elements required both in maintaining physical health and relieving any symptoms of illness.

Public confidence in using herbs as a safer and more natural alternative to the artificially produced drugs is growing steadily. Millions are now enjoying the benefits of a healthier and more natural lifestyle as their health is gradually built up and physical discomforts diminish.

There is usually no sudden reaction as experienced with drugs, but if you take medicinal herbs you will find a steady improvement and will be inclined to continue to follow the safe, sure ways which are closer to Nature and as many believe, closer to the divine intention in providing us with access to simple remedies in 'the herbs of the field'.

Michael Russell

Your Independent Herbal guide.

Antioxidate Your Supplement List

Antioxidants is a word that you will hear flowing around the bodybuilding and fitness world and very few people know what they are and where they come from. Antioxidants can be found in many of the multivitamins you purchase as well as some of the natural foods you consume. This article is going to clarify the common methods of consuming antioxidants, what antioxidants are, and best supplements to get your antioxidant needs.

Antioxidants are a classification of several organic substances, such as Vitamins A, C, and E, selenium, and carotenoids. These substances are formed together to create the name "antioxidant," and are effective in helping to prevent cancer, stroke, and heart disease. At the molecular and cellular levels, antioxidants serve to deactivate certain particles known as free radicals. In humans, free radicals usually come in the form of oxygen. The oxygen wants to be oxidized and this process can be carcinogenic. Free radicals are the natural by-products of many processes within your cells. They are also created by radiation, cigarette smoke, and other harmful environmental factors.

One of the biggest uses of antioxidants for bodybuilders is its role on the metabolism. In the body, energy is produced safely in the presence of antioxidant intake, which are able to be neutralize any excess of free radicals. Free radicals destroy muscle tissue in search of electrons. The antioxidants then sacrifice themselves for body tissue by donating an electron to a free radical. If your body is depleted of antioxidants, then your body will be suffering tremendously. The production of excess free radicals causes damage to the immune system, blood vessel linkage, the nuclei of cells, and cell membrane stability. This damage from free radicals can be seen as being directly related to the increased risk of cancer, auto-immunue syndromes, and cardiovascular disease.

Now you can get an adequate supply of antioxidants by just drinking tea, but if you`re like me and cannot stand the taste of tea, then you should get your antioxidant needs from supplementation. Having heard various opinions and my own personal opinion of the best antioxidant supplements, I conducted the following list as the best antioxidant products.

* Nature Made Antioxidants
* NOW Super Antioxidants
* Optimum Super Antioxidants
* ProHealth Ultra Antioxidant
* Syntrax Radox
* Nature Made 50+ Multivitamin with Calcium & Antioxidants Dietary supplement.

You simply cannot rely on a standard multivitamin to get all of your antioxidant needs because most multivitamins do not carry enough of them. Too much of a good thing can trun out bad so make sure that you find a happy medium and not go overboard with ingestion of them. You may also believe that you are getting enough antioxidants by eating enough fruits and vegetables, but nothing could be further from the truth! Fruits and vegetables do contain a small amount of antioxidants, but they do not contain enough of them. Antioxidants should be in the front of everybody`s supplement droor if you are looking for improved health, fat loss, and bigger muscles.

*http://www.quackwatch.org/03HealthPromotion/antioxidants.html
*http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antioxidants.html
*http://www.healthguidance.org/articles/1323/1/Why-Do-Liquid-Vitamins-Contain-Antioxidants%3F
*http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0830.html
*http://www.google.com/search?
hl=en&lr=&defl=en&q=define:antioxidants&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title

MY SITES: http://www.mightybody.com and http://www.geocities.com/bashore69/bodybuildingarticles.html

Ginseng - Is It Really Beneficial or an Asian Myth?

For thousands of years, ginseng has been revered in the Orient as an almost magical natural supplement with amazing benefits for those who use it regularly. It is said that ginseng will boost the immune system, enhance vitality, increase physical endurance, increase mental alertness, and treat illnesses like colds, fevers, headaches, and vomiting. It is even believed to be an aphrodisiac.

Let's face it, if ginseng actually had the properties to give all the benefits it is believed to give, people would be taking it with every meal. The fact is however, the benefits of ginseng fall a far sight short of its claims.

Commercially, ginseng is taken as tea, in capsules, in liquid form from viles, or even by eating the root itself. Usually it is taken in doses of around 5 grams at a time. Ginseng is most commonly grown in Asia, particularly in China, Korea, and Japan, although it can also be found in wooded areas from Quebec to Missouri.

Ginsenosides, which is the active substance in the root, has been shown to increase endurance and decrease fatigue in mice when given to them in large amounts. One study where large amounts were given to humans noted a small improvement in the endurance levels of those who took it. Also, "Chinese herbal medicine", published by the US National Institute of Health, claims the use of ginseng can raise unusually low blood pressure and can help prevent shock after heart attacks.

However, there is no good scientific evidence to support any of the claims made of these alleged benefits of consuming this root. It is also very likely that when you buy ginseng at the store, it will have a low concentration of ginsenosides in it. This means that even if ginseng does have some marginal benefit to offer, you will probably not receive any of them.

The lancet, a British medical journal, published a study done in Sweden which showed that most commercially sold ginseng products contained only trace amounts of ginsenosides. These findings concluded that the amount of ginsenosides found in these products was too insignificant to be of any benefit. Some of the products, including two sold in the US ("Siberian Ginseng" and "Up Your Gas"), had almost none of this substance at all.

For the most part, taking small to moderate amounts of ginseng will not be harmful to you, but you have to ask yourself if dollar for dollar it is worth taking something which is of no real value or benefit to you. We all can fall victim to hype made about a product, especially one that has been around for thousands of years, but when there is no good, proven science to support that products claims, save your money for a more useful purpose.

Jim O'Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free 7 part mini e-course at: http://www.mrgymfitness.com/minicourse.php

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> > > More coming soon!

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