Entries Tagged as 'Vitamins and Supplements'
Incredible - Essential - CoQ10
Mike Spencer
Deficiencies in CoQ10 (also known as Coenzyme Q10) can cause or aggravate many conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and periodontal disease.
“After age 20, levels of Coenzyme Q10 in your body decline
gradually.After 50, it plummets.”
Healthy levels of CoQ10 help to lower your blood pressure and assist circulation as well as maintain healthy muscle tissue in your heart.
CoQ10 is also one of the most powerful antioxidants known to man.
CoQ10 levels decline as we age. This is significant because evidence suggests that a vast number of diseases including dystrophy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Neurological disorders and certain cancers are not only treatable with CoQ10 but may in fact be caused, at least in part, by a deficiency in CoQ10.
What can CoEnzyme Q10 do for you?
Take a look at what Coenzyme Q10 can do for your health:
Slows down the aging process as it protects your body from the
damage of free radicals
Support your immune system defences
Is beneficial for promoting cardiovascular health
Plays a crucial role in the maintenance of periodontal health
Research has shown that your immune system function is reduced when your levels of CoQ10 are depleted.
What is CoQ10?
Coenzyme Q10 resists easy classification. Because it’s an organic
compound acting as an enzyme or coenzyme, necessary in small amounts for normal body function, most researchers consider it a vitamin.
CoQ10 is needed in every single cell in your body. It’s found in
meats and some protein-rich nuts, but the concentrations in these foods are normally weak.
How about fifteen pounds of peanut butter - or an equally improbable three-and-a-half pounds of sardines - which provide just 100 mg of Q10!
Now I love peanut butter - but fifteen pounds….. a day!
This is the amount the University of Washington School of
Medicine Physicians’ Update calls “a reasonable daily amount.”
To get optimal amounts of Q10, you need to take a supplement.
Why you need CoQ10?
Coenzyme Q10 is recognised as an essential component in your
body’s production of ATP (also known as “muscle fuel”).
Without ATP, our muscles cannot move. Without CoQ10, we can’t
manufacture ATP.
After age 20, levels of CoQ10 in your body decline gradually.
After 50, it plummets.
Coenzyme Q10 is also one of the most powerful antioxidants every discovered, and has been found to improve athletic performance, and help intensive training athletes recover quicker.
In short, CoQ10 may well be one of the most important and versatile nutrients ever discovered. The only downfall of CoQ10 relates to its oral absorption.
A Breakthrough in CoQ10 research
Fortunately, however, a recent breakthrough in CoQ10 delivery
technology was recently discovered, meaning you can now make the most of this amazing nutrient.
“When I coined the word vita-nutrient, I was thinking of Coenzyme
Q10. It is neither vitamin nor mineral nor amino acid, yet it is absolutely
vital to our health and vital that we get enough of it.” Dr Robert C. Atkins, M.D. from his book, “Dr. Atkins’ Vita-Nutrient Solution”
Although it’s present in virtually every cell in your body, very
few people are aware of how important it is or how many different health benefits CoQ10 provides.
In fact, CoQ10 plays so many different roles in health, you
really need a book to detail all of them!
CoQ10 combats effects of heart attack.
Coenzyme Q10 is shaping up to be a heart’s best friend. But only
a small fraction of people who could benefit actually know about it.
Mike Spencer is committed to helping people promote and protect
their health. Here Mike talks about the benefits of CoQ10 for heart
health. Read more about CoQ10 here:
http://www.heart-healthy-diet.com/articles/coq10.html
—————————–
The Amazing Health Benefits of Coenzyme Q10
Nicky Pilkington
Coenzyme Q10 has exploded onto the health scene. This powerful mineral has many health saving properties. It is responsible for essential chemical reactions in your body as well as being a dynamite antioxidant.
What’s more, Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10 occurs naturally in your body, (and that’s good), but unfortunately, as you age, have
nutritional deficiencies or get sick you are producing less of
this essential mineral.
And check this out…studies show that an estimated 25%
deficiency will cause serious metabolic health problems. At 75%,
death will follow and that would mean no more birthday cake for
you!
CoQ10 plays a key role in the production of adenosine
triphosphate (ATP) needed for energy production in every cell. It
also has a powerful antioxidant that helps guard against damage
from free radicals.
And that is just for starters, cardiologist Peter Langsjorn
explains “Like the vitamins discovered in the early part of this
century, CoQ10 is an essential element of food that can now be
used medically.”
It gets even better…
Here are just a few of the health benefits:
Weight Loss - stimulates your bodies metabolism
Healthy Gums - suppresses gingival inflammation
Male Fertility - improves sperm mobility and protects free
radical injury
Cardiovascular - improvement of symptoms in cardiac and
congestive heart failure patients
Immune System - significantly enhances function
In various other studies CoQ10 was a tremendous benefit in
lowering high blood pressure and helped with angina and
congestive heart failure.
So you may be asking yourself, “Wow, where do I find this
stuff??” well, good news and bad news. A small amount, 10 to 20
milligrams of CoQ10, can be found in fish and organ meats of
animals. Well…that slowed me down a little! I don’t like organ
meats of animals, do you? Yuck! Here is another solution. An
easily available source of this nutrient is in many high quality
nutritional systems.
Safe scientific formulated blends of vitamins and minerals
including CoQ10 are specially formulated for maximum absorption. For adults taking Coenzyme Q10 in a supplement, the optimal amount should be between 30 and 90 mg per day. Under a doctors care, higher amounts may be prescribed.
Regardless of age or health almost everybody would benefit from
taking CoQ10 daily. Our health and quality of life are based on
feeling good and having healthy energy supplies.
And really people… this is so much better for your energy
levels than a cigarette and a diet soda!
Find out more about Mental Health at www.healthandfinesse.com
Tags: Vitamins and Supplements
Antioxidants and their importance to good health
Zaak OConan
Everyone has heard the news about antioxidants and their importance to good health and proper nutrition. It seems the more scientists learn about antioxidants, the more their value and potential increases. Antioxidants have shown promise in everything from preventing heart disease to slowing the degeneration of the eyes and brain.
Antioxidants work in a fairly straightforward way. What makes them so effective is their ability to neutralize a group of highly reactive, highly destructive compounds known as free radicals.
The production of free radicals is a normal bodily process, and it is part of the process of breathing and living. Free radicals are normally neutralized by the body’s natural defense system, rendering them harmless. However, anything that weakens the body’s natural defenses weakens its ability to fight off these free radicals. Those weakening agents include environmental pollution, excess UV radiation and even excessive consumption
of alcohol.
When free radicals are not properly neutralized, the body is left open to damage. Free radicals can damage the structure and function of cells in the body, and recent evidence suggest that free radicals contribute to the aging process and may play a role in a great many illnesses, including cancer and heart disease.
While vitamin supplements containing antioxidants such as vitamin C can be important, there is no substitute for a healthy diet. It is estimated that foods contain more than 4,000 compounds that have antioxidant qualities. Eating a healthy diet is the only way to take advantage of these antioxidant
properties. In addition to the well known antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin E, healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains also contain lots of lesser antioxidants. Scientists are only now discovering the important role these lesser known antioxidants have in keeping the body healthy.
Let’s examine some of the dietary sources for the major antioxidant vitamins.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is probably the most studied of all the antioxidant vitamins. Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin found in all bodily fluids, and it is thought to be one of body’s first lines of defense against infection and disease. Since vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, it is not stored and must be consumed in adequate quantities every day. Good dietary sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits such as
oranges and grapefruits, green peppers, broccoli and other green leafy vegetables, strawberries, cabbage and potatoes.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin that is stored in the liver and other tissues. Vitamin E has been studied for its effects on everything from delaying the aging process to healing a sunburn. While vitamin E is not a miracle worker, it is an important antioxidant, and it is important that the
diet contain sufficient amounts of vitamin E. Good dietary sources of this important nutrient include wheat germ, nuts, seeds, whole grains, vegetable oil, fish liver oil and green leafy veggies.
Beta-carotene
Beta-carotene is the nutrient that gives flamingos their distinctive pink color (they get it from the shrimp they eat). In the human world,beta-carotene is the most widely studied of over 600 carotenoids that have thus far been discovered. The role of beta-carotene in nature is to protect
the skins of dark green, yellow and orange fruits from the damaging effects of solar radiation. Scientists believe that beta-carotene plays a similar protective role in the human body. Sources of beta-carotene in the diet include such foods as carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, collard greens, kale, cantaloupe, peaches and apricots.
Selenium
Selenium is one of the most important minerals in a healthy diet, and it has been studied for its ability to prevent cell damage. Scientists see this ability to protect cells from damage as possibly important in the prevention of cancer, and selenium is being studied for possible cancer preventative
properties. It is important to get the selenium you need from your diet, since large doses of selenium supplements can be toxic. Fortunately, selenium is easily found in a healthy diet. Good sources of dietary selenium include fish and shellfish, red meat, whole grains, poultry and eggs, and garlic. Vegetables grown in selenium rich soils are also good sources of dietary selenium
Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com
Tags: Vitamins and Supplements · Miscellaneous
Calcium: The Miracle Mineral
Charlene J. Nuble
We’ve heard it not only once or twice or even thrice but a lot
of times. If you want healthy bones and teeth then pack up on
the Calcium intake. While it is true that calcium is absolutely
necessary to the health and strength of bones and teeth, this
essential mineral also serves several other important purposes
in the body. Yet, many people still routinely fail to consume
enough calcium in their daily diets.
In addition to the benefits to teeth and bones, calcium plays a
role in blood clotting, muscle functions, and the cell membranes
maintenance. It is also important to the prevention of
debilitating bone diseases, such as osteoporosis.
Despite the known importance of consuming adequate amounts of calcium daily, some research have found that as much as 75% of Americans do not have a sufficient daily intake of calcium.
Comprising most of these numbers are those who are following
strict vegetarian diets.
Fortunately, there are several varieties of calcium supplements
available on the market. Adults need between 1000 mgs and 1300 mgs of calcium per day and should not exceed beyond 2500 mgs as overdose in daily calcium intake can cause other health
problems. Your health care professional can help you to choose
the amount that you need daily as preexisting conditions, such
as bone loss or damage due to previous deficiencies, can make a
difference in how much you should be taking daily. The most
common calcium supplements include calcium citrate, calcium
carbonate, oyster shell or bone meal based calcium supplements,
coral calcium, and calcium gluconate and calcium lactate based
supplements.
In choosing your supplement, you should be aware of how to read
the label to ensure that you are getting the amount of calcium
that you think you are. Elemental calcium is the term used for
the calcium that your body will be able to absorb. Some
supplements have this and other types of calcium, but it is
only the elemental calcium that can count towards your daily
intake. Calcium is absorbed best in acidic circumstances, which
is why many supplements are recommended for use after meals,
when the stomach acids are at higher levels.
Current research has found that calcium citrate is the most
efficient of the supplements because it can be absorbed easily
by the system. However, although it is absorbed easier and can
be taken at any time of day, whether or not there is food in
the stomach, this type of calcium supplement often contains
less of the elemental calcium, and thus more pills daily will
be needed. On the other hand, calcium carbonate is the most
common over the counter calcium supplement. It has a special
instruction though and that is it should be taken only after
meals when there is increased stomach acid production. These,
however, should be watched for sodium content.
Calcium is needed by our system to enable us to live healthy
and normal lives. Insufficient daily supply of this mineral in
our body can lead to numerous health problems causing not only
a lot of damage in the pockets but also an abnormal lifestyle.
To avoid these complications and inconvenience, it is therefore
essential to intake the right amount of calcium needed daily by
our body. A little research and consultation with a nutritional
specialist can help you to plan your daily diet so as to be able
to obtain the healthy amount of daily calcium.
About The Author: Charlene J. Nuble 2005. For up to date links
and information about Vitamins, please go to:
http://vitamins.besthealthlink.net/ or for updated links and
information on all health related topics, go to:
http://www.besthealthlink.net/
Tags: Vitamins and Supplements
How To Choose A Good Quality Vitamin Supplement For You And Your Family Without Getting Ripped Off
As you may have already experienced, figuring out how to choose a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement can be a confusing and time consuming task.
The purpose of this article is to look at several important factors that you should consider when looking for a good quality vitamin and mineral supplement and to provide you with resources where you can learn more.
CONSIDERATION #1: ABSORPTION
Here is one of the first questions you should keep in mind:
Will the ingredients in the vitamin and mineral supplement you are considering actually be absorbed by your body?
There are many steps that the ingredients in your vitamin and mineral supplement (referred to as supplement from now on) have to go through in order to make it all the way through your digestive tract, into your blood stream and ultimately to the location where your body can use them.
It’s a complex process and there are many opportunities for the process to not go quite right and prevent your supplement ingredients from getting to where they are supposed to. Let’s look at some factors that can affect the journey your supplement takes and also affect how well your body can absorb a supplement’s ingredients.
WHAT IS BIOAVAILABILITY?
Bioavailability is the degree to which a nutrient is available to the body for use. More specifically, for a nutrient to be bioavailable it must be within physical proximity to the cell so the cell can use it. Also, for a nutrient to be bioavailable it has to be dissolved in some sort of solution so that the nutrient can be transported across the cell membrane.
From a non biochemistry perspective, here’s a simple way to picture what needs to happen; the nutrient has to make it all the way from your mouth to the cell and be in a form the cell can use.
For bioavailability to occur, certain things have to happen once you put that supplement into your mouth. Here are two of those processes. One is dissolution which refers to how fast a supplement dissolves. An example to help you picture this process would be taking some sugar, putting it in a glass of water and stirring it with a spoon until the sugar disappears.
Another process is disintegration. This is similar to dissolution only disintegration refers to how fast the capsule or tablet breaks into smaller pieces so that the dissolution process can take place.
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR SUPPLEMENT WILL DISSOLVE
So how in the world are you going to be able to tell if the supplement you are considering does all this dissolution and disintegration stuff? Fortunately, it’s pretty straight forward to figure out. A good way to know that your supplement is meeting these standards is to make sure there is some sort of “USP” designation on the label of the product.
USP refers to U.S. Pharmacopeia, an organization that was established to create state-of-the-art standards to ensure the quality of medicines that humans use. This includes vitamin and mineral supplements.
An example of the kind of USP designation that you want to look for on the label of a product you are considering would be something like, “this product conforms to the USPXXVII requirements for disintegration and dissolution”.
WHAT CHELATION DOES
Chelation is very important when it comes to making sure that the minerals in your supplement are bioavailable. Chelation refers to a process that increases the absorption of minerals such as chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and zinc.
It can be hard to get minerals all the way to that bioavailable state that was discussed earlier. Chelation involves wrapping the mineral in an amino acid so that the body can more easily absorb it. This can improve the absorption of some minerals from only 10% absorption for a non chelated mineral to 45% and more for a chelated mineral.
So when you are looking at the label of a vitamin supplement and you find a trace mineral such as manganese as one of the ingredients, you want to see something like “Manganese (as Manganese Chelate)” on the label. This indicates that the manganese mineral has been chelated.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF YOU PICK THE WRONG SUPPLEMENT
If the vitamin supplement you are considering doesn’t meet the standards discussed above, it can pass right through your body and do you no good at all.
To give you an example of this, I have actually seen a photo of an x-ray taken of a person’s colon area with the vertebrae of their backbone off to one side. In this photo I could clearly see two supplement tablets, still intact, looking like they had just come out of the bottle. These supplement tablets were poorly made, never disintegrated and would soon end up in the toilet.
Photos like these are a graphic illustration of the fact that just because you swallow your vitamin supplement doesn’t mean your body is going to be able to use it.
ARE YOU WASTING YOUR MONEY?
With this in mind, let’s look at this useless, undissolved supplement from a another perspective; a financial one. Let’s say you find a great deal on a supplement and start taking it. We’ll call it Supplement X. Let’s also say this Supplement X costs $20 for a sixty day supply.
You think you’ve found a great deal, however what if it turns out that your Supplement X has been poorly manufactured and is only 10% bio available. What this means is that your body will be only able to use $2 worth of this supplement ($20 times 10%).
And what happened to the other $18 you paid for the supplement? It went right through your body, that’s what. Looking at it another way, you paid $20 for your sixty day supplement supply yet ended up completely wasting 90% of that $20 you spent. You literally flushed $18 right down the toilet.
Just like everything else in life, there is no free lunch. When it comes to choosing a supplement, don’t be cheap. Do your homework and find a good quality supplement that your body can actually use.
OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER
- Are the health benefit claims being made by the supplement company provable?
Vitamin supplement companies may claim that their product will do certain things or that the way they put their product together or package it will create a particular health benefit. This claim may very well be true but the only thing that matters is have they proven it. Are there proven health benefits from taking their supplement? In other words, have there been clinical trials that prove the health benefit claims?
- Is the supplement you are considering safe to consume?
Just because the supplement is in a bottle, the bottle has a fancy label and it looks like it comes from a big company doesn’t mean the ingredients in the supplement are pure and safe. There can be many substances in that capsule that can have an immediate harmful effect as well as a harmful effect over the long term.
WHERE YOU CAN LEARN MORE
Specific details on health benefit claims and whether or not the supplement you are considering is safe to consume are beyond the scope of this article.
However, if you would like to learn more about these health benefit and safety subjects, details on these topics can be found on web pages that I have provided a link to below.
http://www.ajpip.com/vitamin_supplements/res/ind.htm
On these vitamin resources pages you will also find:
* Organizations that can help you figure out what kinds of vitamins, minerals and other supplements may be right for you
* Where you can get unbiased evaluations on the product you are considering
* Some more interesting facts on absorption
* Surprising information on colloidal minerals
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you have gotten to the point where you are looking for a vitamin and mineral supplement to take, congratulations. You have taken a positive step towards improving your health and taking better care of your body.
However, make sure to continue that commitment to yourself by doing your homework and making sure that you choose a good quality supplement. It makes no sense to go that far then end up wasting your money on something that your body can’t even use.
- Andy Long
Author Info:
After years of extreme fatigue, severe digestion problems and frequent sickness, Andy Long now enjoys energy levels that allow him to windsurf in 30 mph winds for 3-4 hours at a time. He now shares with others what he did to completely regain his health through his health related web sites and newsletter. Note: Learn about a device that will tell you the antioxidant levels in your body just by scanning your hand. http://www.splinfo.com webadmin@bigplanet.com
Tags: Vitamins and Supplements
