Fight off Aging with Grape Seed Extract

It is possible to fight off aging with grape seed extract due largely to the antioxidant effect of the phytochemicals contained within the seed of the grape. The seed is rarely absorbed by your body because it is so difficult for your digestive juices to break down; significantly more difficult than the skin or the pulp. So what is specific about the seed that makes it so useful as a source of antioxidants? That shall be discuss shortly, but for now let’s discuss the causes of aging, and how antioxidants can help to keep them at bay.To fight off aging you have to understand what causes it, and the take steps to avoid these causes. It is fairly obvious that all causes of aging cannot be circumvented, but there are things that can be done to keep some of them at bay. Here, we are specifically concerned with the aging of your skin, which is the most visible form of aging. The first aspect of aging to understand is that there are two types: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic AgingIntrinsic aging is natural aging, and is largely genetic. Starting when you are fairly young, normally in the early to mid 20s, intrinsic aging is typified by wrinkling, hair loss or graying of the hair, hollowing of cheeks and other areas where the fat underneath the skin that normally contributes to your physical appearance is lost, and also bone loss that causes your skin to sag due a gradual loss of the structure that sculpts your physical appearance. The age at which this occurs, and its speed is determined by your genes; although the process generally begins around the mid 20s, the speed with which it progresses is genetically controlled. Extrinsic AgingThis is where grape seed extract can help. Extrinsic aging is not genetic, but environmental. Ten majority of this type of aging is due to exposure to the damaging UV light of the sun, which cause the typical ‘leathery’ look of the skin of people raised in areas such locations as the hotter parts of Australia and the USA, without the benefit of the native skin pigmentation that filters out these harmful ultra-violet rays. Other factors that can cause the same degradation of your skin cells are smoking, the way you sleep and gravity. The sun generates free radicals (more on these later) that can destroy skin cells, cause freckles, leathery skin and a blotched complexion and also skin cancer. Smokers are more likely to develop leathery and wrinkled skin than non-smokers, and as the elasticity of your skin reduces, gravity cause jowls to develop and also a more pronounced lower lip. Even your sleeping position can make you appear to age quicker, particularly using the same sleeping position on your pillow each night that cause what are known as sleep lines, that are really wrinkles that are difficult, if not impossible to remove. However, one of the most relevant factors is pollution, and the effects of car emissions, pesticides and other agricultural chemicals, paint fumes and 1001 other forms of chemical pollution that produce free radicals.Where grape seed extract is involved in fighting off aging is in extrinsic aging is by destroying the free radicals. All substances, from the air to the oceans, are formed of atoms that contain electrons. Stable molecules contain an even number of electrons, or what are known as ‘electron pairs’. When a molecule loses one electron it is known as a free radical, whose prime purpose in its very short life is to steal an electron from the nearest molecule. This ’short’ lifetime can as long as a day or as short as thousandth of a second: it depends on is size and the degree of steric hindrance to the reaction with the spare electron. Now that the reasons for aging and the nature of free radicals are better understood it is easier for you understand why grape seed extract can help to fight aging caused by the effects of free radicals on your skin.Grape seed is a waste product of the wine industry. You cannot make wine from grape seeds, so they are removed from the final product by filtration or sedimentation. It contains a large number of phytonutrients, the most important being polyphenols in the form of flavanoids, lipids and carbohydrates. It also contains proteins that don’t have much of an effect on aging. Flavonoids (also spelled flavanoids) are powerful antioxidants that destroy free radicals; they are twenty times as powerful as Vitamin E and over fifty times more powerful an antioxidant than Vitamin C. Both of these vitamins are regarded as strong antioxidants in their own right, which is an indication of how good grape seed extract is at killing free radicals. It’s like a combination of Harry Callahan, Paul Kersey, John McClane and the whole of the Magnificent Seven after the scavengers in your body cells. They succeed, and do it in spades!Not only do the ingredients of grape seed extract kill off free radicals with the efficiency of a Delta Task Force, but are also anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti just about anything else you can think of. However, let’s have an even closer look and find out exactly what polyphenols are present in this so-called wonder juice.Procyanadin was originally named Vitamin P in 1936 by its discoverer, Prof. Jacques Masquelier, and is believed to bond with collagen to protect you from premature aging by retaining and even improving the elasticity of your skin. An added benefit is that it also improves the elasticity of your blood vessels, and so helps to fight off the effects of high blood pressure and places less strain on your heart. The overall effect on your face is to practically give you a chemical face lift and also provide protection from the damaging effect of the UV component of sunlight through its lethal attitude towards the free radicals that UV radiation generates. Another component of grape seed extract particularly that of muscadine grapes is resveratrol; a phytoalexin that has strong anti-inflammatory properties and can also fight off the effects of aging. Phytoalexins are antibiotics produced by plants that are under attack, and, in addition to helping you age slower, confers other benefits to your body including helping your brain to carry out its work more efficiently.All in all, grape seed extract confers many benefits to your health and is also believed to possess powerful anti-cancer properties. However, it is for its ability to fight off aging that most people use it as a supplement, and in this respect it has been found to be extremely effective. Any antioxidant is of benefit to your body, but grape seed extract is of particular benefit due its high antioxidant potency.

Broccoli sprouts offer protection

A concentrated extract of freeze dried broccoli sprouts cut development of bladder tumours in an animal model by more than half, according to a report in the March 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.This finding reinforces human epidemiologic studies that have suggested that eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli is associated with reduced risk for bladder cancer, according to the study’s senior investigator, Yuesheng Zhang, MD, PhD, professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. “Although this is an animal study, it provides potent evidence that eating vegetables is beneficial in bladder cancer prevention,” he said.There is strong evidence that the protective action of cruciferous vegetables derives at least in part from isothyiocyanates (ITCs), a group of phytochemicals with well-known cancer preventive activities.”The bladder is particularly responsive to this group of natural chemicals,” Zhang said. “In our experiments, the broccoli sprout ITCs after oral administration were selectively delivered to the bladder tissues through urinary excretion.”Other cruciferous vegetables with ITCs include mature broccoli, cabbage, kale, collard greens and others. Broccoli sprouts have approximately 30 times more ITCs than mature broccoli, and the sprout extract used by the researchers contains approximately 600 times as much.Although animals that had the most protection against development of bladder cancer were given high doses of the extract, Zhang said humans at increased risk for this cancer likely do not need to eat huge amounts of broccoli sprouts in order to derive protective benefits.”Epidemiologic studies have shown that dietary ITCs and cruciferous vegetable intake are inversely associated with bladder cancer risk in humans. It is possible that ITC doses much lower than those given to the rats in this study may be adequate for bladder cancer prevention,” he said.Zhang and his colleagues tested the ability of the concentrate to prevent bladder tumours in five groups of rats. The first group acted as a Control, while the second group was given only the broccoli extract to test for safety. The remaining three groups were given a chemical, N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN) in drinking water, which induces bladder cancer. Two of these groups were given the broccoli extract in diet, beginning two weeks before the carcinogenic chemical was delivered.In the control group and the group given only the extract, no tumours developed, and there was no toxicity from the extract in the rats.About 96 percent of animals given only BBN developed an average of almost two tumours each of varying sizes. By comparison, about 74 percent of animals given a low dose of the extract developed cancer, and the number of tumours per rat was 1.39. The group given the high dose of extract had even fewer tumours. About 38 percent of this high-dose group developed cancer, and the average number of tumours per animal was only .46 and, unlike the other animals, the majority were very small in size.

Maintain Healthy Cholesterol Levels With Beta Sitosterol A Plant Phytosterol

Beta Sitosterol is a plant phytosterol that offers many benefits to your health. Many of these are due to its effect in reducing both total and LDL cholesterol in the blood, although that is not the only effect that phytosterols can have on your body. Phytosterol is one of many phytochemicals that are beneficial to your health, and the term ‘phyto’ simply indicates that the substance is obtained from plants. Phytosterols are not obtainable in your diet from animal sources, and beta sitosterol is mainly found in seeds, soy and corn oils. Because of this, most of the population do not have high intake, and so supplements are generally the most common source of this valuable material.There are commonly two types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL, and it is the LDL form that is said to be the ‘bad’ cholesterol. In fact the terms refer to the high density and low density lipoproteins that carry the cholesterol around the body. Cholesterol itself is fat soluble, and does not dissolve in water. It therefore cannot travel through the blood without the aid of a water soluble protein, which is what the lipoproteins are. Low density lipoproteins consist of a charged protein portion and a lipid, or fat, frequently a triglyceride. The charged protein portion is water soluble, and can carry the lipid and cholesterol round the blood. Cholesterol is not a bad substance, but carries out many useful functions, one of which is repairing damage to blood vessels: a bit like a sticking plaster. However, the LDL can become oxidized by free radicals in the body, and it is this oxidized LDL that reacts by depositing fatty plaques of cholesterol onto the arterial walls and ultimately blocking them. The HDL carries cholesterol from the blood to the liver where it is destroyed and then secreted, which is why it is sometimes termed ‘good’ cholesterol. Beta sitosterol significantly reduces the amount of both LDL and total cholesterol levels in the blood. Once the total cholesterol level has dropped to a certain level, then the body produces more HDL cholesterol and so maintains balance that is higher than normal in the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol. The way that phytosterols do this is believed to be by reducing the absorption of dietary cholesterol in the gut, because the sterols have a similar chemical structure to cholesterol and can occupy the cholesterol absorption sites. Beta sitosterol is particularly effective in this mechanism. Rather than the body absorbing cholesterol it passes it thorough the gut unchanged and eliminates it. The National Cholesterol Education Program has recommended that the optimum blood LDL cholesterol level is below 100 mg/dl and that the total of LDL and HDL be below 200 mg/dl. A regular intake of beta sitosterol can help to maintain these levels without reducing your cholesterol to a dangerously low level. As previously stated, cholesterol is an essential component of your normal biochemistry, and too low a level could be dangerous. What you need is natural regulation of the LDL form, and that is what beta sitosterol and the other phytosterols do. However, beta sitosterol does more than just control your cholesterol balance.It also supports the health of your prostate. Studies indicate that a daily intake of 60 mg – 130 mg beta sitosterol can reduce the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, the Sunday name for non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. This could be due to its effect on LDL cholesterol levels, since other studies have indicated a possible connection between high cholesterol levels and prostate enlargement. This might again be due to the occupation of receptor sites in the prostate cell membranes by the phytosterol. Saw palmetto, commonly used to treat prostate problems, contains beta sitosterol. It also appears to modulate the biochemical synthesis of cytokines, which are responsible for the inflammatory response of the immune system to foreign invaders and tissue damage. It also appears to boost the activity of NK-cells, and also of the proliferation of lymphocytes in general. Another effect of beta sitosterol is in normalizing the insulin and blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes. It does this by inhibiting the enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase that is responsible for the conversion of carbohydrates to D-glucose which raises blood sugar levels. The upshot is that the onset of age related Type 2 diabetes is delayed. In general, beta sitosterol displays many properties beneficial to your health. It displays anti-viral and anti-fungal properties, is believed to be responsible for the suppression of cancers of the colon and prostate, and lymphocytic leukemia. It appears to act as an anti-inflammatory, and has a beneficial effect on ulcers and cramps. There is even evidence that it can help to cure allergies, although more studies are required to confirm this. Those suffering from specific allergies have reported a lessening of the effects when taking beta sitosterol supplements, although it is possible that other dietary factors were also involved.Beta sitosterol is contained in some concentration or another in most plants, but those richest in the phytosterol are wheat germ, peanuts, soybeans, corn oil, pumpkin seeds and rice bran. None of these form a particularly large part of the western diet, and a supplement is likely the best way to ensure a sufficiently adequate frequent intake as to have a significant effect on your LDL cholesterol level. Although a daily intake of 300 mg has been cited by some sources as adequate, there have been no reported ill effects of taking this supplement at higher dosages. As already stated, your cholesterol levels are self regulating to a minimum level and you cannot completely block its absorption. Hence, it is not possible to take so much beta sitosterol as to reduce your LDL cholesterol to a dangerously low level.There is sufficient evidence for the effects of beta sitosterol on the body to indicate that if your diet is low in those seeds, nuts and beans that contain significant quantities, the a supplement will provide you with benefits to your health, particularly if you have high blood cholesterol levels or problems with your prostate gland.

Broccoli sprouts offer protection

A concentrated extract of freeze dried broccoli sprouts cut development of bladder tumours in an animal model by more than half, according to a report in the March 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.This finding reinforces human epidemiologic studies that have suggested that eating cruciferous vegetables like broccoli is associated with reduced risk for bladder cancer, according to the study’s senior investigator, Yuesheng Zhang, MD, PhD, professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. “Although this is an animal study, it provides potent evidence that eating vegetables is beneficial in bladder cancer prevention,” he said.There is strong evidence that the protective action of cruciferous vegetables derives at least in part from isothyiocyanates (ITCs), a group of phytochemicals with well-known cancer preventive activities.”The bladder is particularly responsive to this group of natural chemicals,” Zhang said. “In our experiments, the broccoli sprout ITCs after oral administration were selectively delivered to the bladder tissues through urinary excretion.”Other cruciferous vegetables with ITCs include mature broccoli, cabbage, kale, collard greens and others. Broccoli sprouts have approximately 30 times more ITCs than mature broccoli, and the sprout extract used by the researchers contains approximately 600 times as much.Although animals that had the most protection against development of bladder cancer were given high doses of the extract, Zhang said humans at increased risk for this cancer likely do not need to eat huge amounts of broccoli sprouts in order to derive protective benefits.”Epidemiologic studies have shown that dietary ITCs and cruciferous vegetable intake are inversely associated with bladder cancer risk in humans. It is possible that ITC doses much lower than those given to the rats in this study may be adequate for bladder cancer prevention,” he said.Zhang and his colleagues tested the ability of the concentrate to prevent bladder tumours in five groups of rats. The first group acted as a Control, while the second group was given only the broccoli extract to test for safety. The remaining three groups were given a chemical, N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN) in drinking water, which induces bladder cancer. Two of these groups were given the broccoli extract in diet, beginning two weeks before the carcinogenic chemical was delivered.In the control group and the group given only the extract, no tumours developed, and there was no toxicity from the extract in the rats.About 96 percent of animals given only BBN developed an average of almost two tumours each of varying sizes. By comparison, about 74 percent of animals given a low dose of the extract developed cancer, and the number of tumours per rat was 1.39. The group given the high dose of extract had even fewer tumours. About 38 percent of this high-dose group developed cancer, and the average number of tumours per animal was only .46 and, unlike the other animals, the majority were very small in size.

Fight off Aging with Grape Seed Extract

It is possible to fight off aging with grape seed extract due largely to the antioxidant effect of the phytochemicals contained within the seed of the grape. The seed is rarely absorbed by your body because it is so difficult for your digestive juices to break down; significantly more difficult than the skin or the pulp. So what is specific about the seed that makes it so useful as a source of antioxidants? That shall be discuss shortly, but for now let’s discuss the causes of aging, and how antioxidants can help to keep them at bay.To fight off aging you have to understand what causes it, and the take steps to avoid these causes. It is fairly obvious that all causes of aging cannot be circumvented, but there are things that can be done to keep some of them at bay. Here, we are specifically concerned with the aging of your skin, which is the most visible form of aging. The first aspect of aging to understand is that there are two types: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic AgingIntrinsic aging is natural aging, and is largely genetic. Starting when you are fairly young, normally in the early to mid 20s, intrinsic aging is typified by wrinkling, hair loss or graying of the hair, hollowing of cheeks and other areas where the fat underneath the skin that normally contributes to your physical appearance is lost, and also bone loss that causes your skin to sag due a gradual loss of the structure that sculpts your physical appearance. The age at which this occurs, and its speed is determined by your genes; although the process generally begins around the mid 20s, the speed with which it progresses is genetically controlled. Extrinsic AgingThis is where grape seed extract can help. Extrinsic aging is not genetic, but environmental. Ten majority of this type of aging is due to exposure to the damaging UV light of the sun, which cause the typical ‘leathery’ look of the skin of people raised in areas such locations as the hotter parts of Australia and the USA, without the benefit of the native skin pigmentation that filters out these harmful ultra-violet rays. Other factors that can cause the same degradation of your skin cells are smoking, the way you sleep and gravity. The sun generates free radicals (more on these later) that can destroy skin cells, cause freckles, leathery skin and a blotched complexion and also skin cancer. Smokers are more likely to develop leathery and wrinkled skin than non-smokers, and as the elasticity of your skin reduces, gravity cause jowls to develop and also a more pronounced lower lip. Even your sleeping position can make you appear to age quicker, particularly using the same sleeping position on your pillow each night that cause what are known as sleep lines, that are really wrinkles that are difficult, if not impossible to remove. However, one of the most relevant factors is pollution, and the effects of car emissions, pesticides and other agricultural chemicals, paint fumes and 1001 other forms of chemical pollution that produce free radicals.Where grape seed extract is involved in fighting off aging is in extrinsic aging is by destroying the free radicals. All substances, from the air to the oceans, are formed of atoms that contain electrons. Stable molecules contain an even number of electrons, or what are known as ‘electron pairs’. When a molecule loses one electron it is known as a free radical, whose prime purpose in its very short life is to steal an electron from the nearest molecule. This ’short’ lifetime can as long as a day or as short as thousandth of a second: it depends on is size and the degree of steric hindrance to the reaction with the spare electron. Now that the reasons for aging and the nature of free radicals are better understood it is easier for you understand why grape seed extract can help to fight aging caused by the effects of free radicals on your skin.Grape seed is a waste product of the wine industry. You cannot make wine from grape seeds, so they are removed from the final product by filtration or sedimentation. It contains a large number of phytonutrients, the most important being polyphenols in the form of flavanoids, lipids and carbohydrates. It also contains proteins that don’t have much of an effect on aging. Flavonoids (also spelled flavanoids) are powerful antioxidants that destroy free radicals; they are twenty times as powerful as Vitamin E and over fifty times more powerful an antioxidant than Vitamin C. Both of these vitamins are regarded as strong antioxidants in their own right, which is an indication of how good grape seed extract is at killing free radicals. It’s like a combination of Harry Callahan, Paul Kersey, John McClane and the whole of the Magnificent Seven after the scavengers in your body cells. They succeed, and do it in spades!Not only do the ingredients of grape seed extract kill off free radicals with the efficiency of a Delta Task Force, but are also anti-allergenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti just about anything else you can think of. However, let’s have an even closer look and find out exactly what polyphenols are present in this so-called wonder juice.Procyanadin was originally named Vitamin P in 1936 by its discoverer, Prof. Jacques Masquelier, and is believed to bond with collagen to protect you from premature aging by retaining and even improving the elasticity of your skin. An added benefit is that it also improves the elasticity of your blood vessels, and so helps to fight off the effects of high blood pressure and places less strain on your heart. The overall effect on your face is to practically give you a chemical face lift and also provide protection from the damaging effect of the UV component of sunlight through its lethal attitude towards the free radicals that UV radiation generates. Another component of grape seed extract particularly that of muscadine grapes is resveratrol; a phytoalexin that has strong anti-inflammatory properties and can also fight off the effects of aging. Phytoalexins are antibiotics produced by plants that are under attack, and, in addition to helping you age slower, confers other benefits to your body including helping your brain to carry out its work more efficiently.All in all, grape seed extract confers many benefits to your health and is also believed to possess powerful anti-cancer properties. However, it is for its ability to fight off aging that most people use it as a supplement, and in this respect it has been found to be extremely effective. Any antioxidant is of benefit to your body, but grape seed extract is of particular benefit due its high antioxidant potency.

Maintain Healthy Cholesterol Levels With Beta Sitosterol A Plant Phytosterol

Beta Sitosterol is a plant phytosterol that offers many benefits to your health. Many of these are due to its effect in reducing both total and LDL cholesterol in the blood, although that is not the only effect that phytosterols can have on your body. Phytosterol is one of many phytochemicals that are beneficial to your health, and the term ‘phyto’ simply indicates that the substance is obtained from plants. Phytosterols are not obtainable in your diet from animal sources, and beta sitosterol is mainly found in seeds, soy and corn oils. Because of this, most of the population do not have high intake, and so supplements are generally the most common source of this valuable material.There are commonly two types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL, and it is the LDL form that is said to be the ‘bad’ cholesterol. In fact the terms refer to the high density and low density lipoproteins that carry the cholesterol around the body. Cholesterol itself is fat soluble, and does not dissolve in water. It therefore cannot travel through the blood without the aid of a water soluble protein, which is what the lipoproteins are. Low density lipoproteins consist of a charged protein portion and a lipid, or fat, frequently a triglyceride. The charged protein portion is water soluble, and can carry the lipid and cholesterol round the blood. Cholesterol is not a bad substance, but carries out many useful functions, one of which is repairing damage to blood vessels: a bit like a sticking plaster. However, the LDL can become oxidized by free radicals in the body, and it is this oxidized LDL that reacts by depositing fatty plaques of cholesterol onto the arterial walls and ultimately blocking them. The HDL carries cholesterol from the blood to the liver where it is destroyed and then secreted, which is why it is sometimes termed ‘good’ cholesterol. Beta sitosterol significantly reduces the amount of both LDL and total cholesterol levels in the blood. Once the total cholesterol level has dropped to a certain level, then the body produces more HDL cholesterol and so maintains balance that is higher than normal in the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol. The way that phytosterols do this is believed to be by reducing the absorption of dietary cholesterol in the gut, because the sterols have a similar chemical structure to cholesterol and can occupy the cholesterol absorption sites. Beta sitosterol is particularly effective in this mechanism. Rather than the body absorbing cholesterol it passes it thorough the gut unchanged and eliminates it. The National Cholesterol Education Program has recommended that the optimum blood LDL cholesterol level is below 100 mg/dl and that the total of LDL and HDL be below 200 mg/dl. A regular intake of beta sitosterol can help to maintain these levels without reducing your cholesterol to a dangerously low level. As previously stated, cholesterol is an essential component of your normal biochemistry, and too low a level could be dangerous. What you need is natural regulation of the LDL form, and that is what beta sitosterol and the other phytosterols do. However, beta sitosterol does more than just control your cholesterol balance.It also supports the health of your prostate. Studies indicate that a daily intake of 60 mg – 130 mg beta sitosterol can reduce the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, the Sunday name for non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. This could be due to its effect on LDL cholesterol levels, since other studies have indicated a possible connection between high cholesterol levels and prostate enlargement. This might again be due to the occupation of receptor sites in the prostate cell membranes by the phytosterol. Saw palmetto, commonly used to treat prostate problems, contains beta sitosterol. It also appears to modulate the biochemical synthesis of cytokines, which are responsible for the inflammatory response of the immune system to foreign invaders and tissue damage. It also appears to boost the activity of NK-cells, and also of the proliferation of lymphocytes in general. Another effect of beta sitosterol is in normalizing the insulin and blood sugar levels in Type 2 diabetes. It does this by inhibiting the enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase that is responsible for the conversion of carbohydrates to D-glucose which raises blood sugar levels. The upshot is that the onset of age related Type 2 diabetes is delayed. In general, beta sitosterol displays many properties beneficial to your health. It displays anti-viral and anti-fungal properties, is believed to be responsible for the suppression of cancers of the colon and prostate, and lymphocytic leukemia. It appears to act as an anti-inflammatory, and has a beneficial effect on ulcers and cramps. There is even evidence that it can help to cure allergies, although more studies are required to confirm this. Those suffering from specific allergies have reported a lessening of the effects when taking beta sitosterol supplements, although it is possible that other dietary factors were also involved.Beta sitosterol is contained in some concentration or another in most plants, but those richest in the phytosterol are wheat germ, peanuts, soybeans, corn oil, pumpkin seeds and rice bran. None of these form a particularly large part of the western diet, and a supplement is likely the best way to ensure a sufficiently adequate frequent intake as to have a significant effect on your LDL cholesterol level. Although a daily intake of 300 mg has been cited by some sources as adequate, there have been no reported ill effects of taking this supplement at higher dosages. As already stated, your cholesterol levels are self regulating to a minimum level and you cannot completely block its absorption. Hence, it is not possible to take so much beta sitosterol as to reduce your LDL cholesterol to a dangerously low level.There is sufficient evidence for the effects of beta sitosterol on the body to indicate that if your diet is low in those seeds, nuts and beans that contain significant quantities, the a supplement will provide you with benefits to your health, particularly if you have high blood cholesterol levels or problems with your prostate gland.

What’s Health Supplements - Why Are They Largely Ineffective

You’re a savvy health conscious guy who believes in the importance of using mens health supplements to support your health, protect you from disease and allow you to be healthy when you’re older.BE VERY CAUTIOUS of which brand of supplement you choose!Because almost all mens health supplements fall well short in what theycontain and they FAIL on their promise to optimize your health and protect you from degenerative disease. That’s because they are manufactured to a price so the supplement companies can’t afford to include what should be there. Instead they stack them full of the cheapest of ingredients.SO WHAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR SUPPLEMENT?Well for starters you know that vitamins and minerals must be there. But since they’re the most obvious, and cheapest, ingredients I’ll talk about them further down.The most cutting edge, bio-scientist formulated supplements contain optimalamounts of special gender specific nutrients that address and protect against common health conditions that males typically encounter. Some of these absolutely key ingredients become even more important as you age, because your body naturally produces less of them (such as L-Glutathione) and for others it is just very difficult to get enough of them from your diet at any age.Some are powerful plant extracts, know as phytochemicals, and others are extracts from medicinal herbs (which you cannot get through your diet at all!)That’s why it’s essential that you use a professional grade, wide spectrum, gender-specific nutritional supplement which contains ALL of these vital ingredients. (Many of which are listed in this article.)And that’s the key difference between the market’s most power-packed supplements and the rest. As I mentioned above almost all mens health supplements are largely ineffective and do not live up to their manufacturers claims. This is because they don’t contain many, and in numerous cases none at all, of these critical disease busting specialty nutrients. WHAT SHOULD THESE SUPERSTAR NUTRIENTS BE ABLE TO DO? When it comes to mens vitamins there are three huge concerns that MUST be holistically addressed: enlarged prostate (BHP) prostate cancer breasts Yes breasts! Your levels of testosterone will gradually decline once you reach your midtwenties. Some men begin to notice symptoms of this in their thirties while others may not become aware of the decline until into their 50’s. It’s a very individual situation. So, less testosterone is produced and a significant proportion of this is converted to estrogen with various negative results. Too much estrogen plays havoc with your sex life as does too little testosterone!With increased estrogen levels, men begin to develop breasts (aka ‘Man Boobs’) and suffer from decreased masculinity. In fact most men fifty and over have greater estrogen levels in their bodiesthan their female partners because of this phenomenon! So the way to maintain a healthy level of testosterone is:1. To reduce the amount that is converted to estrogen 2. To help stimulate the body to increase its own production of testosterone INTRODUCING CHRYSIN - THE FIRST STAR INGREDIENT FOR EFFECTIVE MENS HEALTHSUPPLEMENTS!Chrysin is a bioflavonoid and natural aromatase inhibitor. This means it helps inhibit testosterone conversion. Vitamins for men must include Chrysin in their formulas and it’s vitally important that you don’t forget to check the potency. Low potencies are ineffective and a waste of money.Look for Chrysin at 90% or above potency. MORE KEY NUTRIENTSBecause of the serious and common prostate problems experienced by men youwill need A FULL TEAM OF POTENT PROSTATE PROTECTORS in your supplement.I’m sure you already know that prostate problems are a very serious concern for men. Did you know that prior to their 59th birthday, 1 in 2 guys will experience PBH (enlarged prostate). Just consider that statistic for a moment! One in two! Or 50%!And prostate cancer is extremely scary since it’s one of the deadliestdiseases among men and the success rate of conventional medicine cures is estimated at only 20 – 30% (with many negative pharmaceutical drug side effects). So, which are the best nutrients to protect your prostate? Let’s start with Zinc! You’ll find Zinc in all mens health supplements but nearly always as Zinc Citrate. Zinc Citrate is a helpful nutrient but what absolutely must be there is a generous dose of ZINC ASPARTATE.What supplement users don’t know (and can’t be expected to know) is that these two different biological forms of Zinc follow different metabolic pathways and ONLY ZINC ASPARTATE travels direct to the prostate where it is needed!There are several other clinically established nutrients which are effectivefor good prostate health :Beta Sitosterol Corn Silk Extracts Lycopene Saw Palmetto ResveratrolQuercetin In order to get powerful prostate protection and practice preventative health care against cancer and the other nasty prostate complications you need touse a multi ingredient supplement that contains ALL of these ingredients. Not just one or two which is the norm.VITAMIN AND MINERAL FACTSThe first thing to understand when talking about vitamins and minerals isthat ‘more is not better’. Apply this slogan instead to your daily intake of resh, raw vegetables and fruits.I’ve reviewed hundreds of nutritional vitamin supplements and can tell you that a majority of them are loaded with over the top amounts of vitamins and minerals under the guise of “optimal amounts”.This is a rip off!Yes, a supplement should provide a full spectrum of all vitamins and minerals, except iron which is a pro-oxidant. But you absolutely don’t need a supplement full of high doses of vitamins and minerals! Many of the so called best vitamin supplements are around 70 - 80% comprised of cheap vitamins and minerals This includes many of the really well-known, up-market products with expensive price tags.Don’t let manufacturers suck you into paying grossly inflated prices for cheap ingredients!Vitamins are the cheapest ingredients for supplement manufacturers to include. Good old vitamin C (ascorbic acid) costs around $15 per kilo. Manufacturers love to stash 500 mg or even 1000mg and more of vitamin C into a supplement while avoiding key ingredients, like certain phytonutrients,which cost upward of $1000 dollars a kilo.I know of several well known, leading mens health supplements in the US where 40% or more of their formulas are just vitamin C!If you use one of these you’re getting extremely poor value for money not to mention far less health benefits.The mass media has been used to bombard and scare Americans for years with the message “More is Better” and promoting the spin that high doses of certain vitamins and minerals are needed for good health.Supplement manufacturers who do this conveniently forget to mention thedanger that comes from consuming too much of any the fat soluble vitamins (which store in your muscles and become toxic over the long term).And any excess of water soluble vitamins ends up down your toilet! They display statistical graphs showing deficiencies in certain vitamins forlarge percentages of the population. I don’t believe for one second that health conscious guys who exerciseregularly and use quality mens health supplements are part of the population demographics displayed in those statistics. Those statistics consist primarily of low wage earners who consume poor diets (high in saturated fat/fast foods/processed foods and low in fiber and micro-nutrients) and who cannot afford supplements or are not interested in taking them. Vitamins and minerals should be there in lower doses to act primarily as co-factors to assist other key ingredients AND to top up what you’re missing from your diet. If you are diagnosed with a deficiency then you can add in extra.Health conscious guys such as you are already taking in reasonable amounts of vitamins and minerals but not quite enough. WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT IN YOUR SUPPLEMENT?You need a broad spectrum of efficious ingredients from all the different types of nutrients. This will ensure you receive maximum protection against lifestyle and environmental stressors/toxins and particularly from ever increasing levels of free radicals.Phytonutrients Medicinal herbal Extracts AntioxidantsAmino acids Enzymes Cofactors Trace elements Specialty nutrients Immunity enhancers Be sure to compare only supplements which clearly categorize ingredients under these types of headings. You want to be comparing apples with apples.Make sure potency levels and dose amounts ARE LISTED for each and every ingredient. If they’re not, ask yourself ‘why’ would they not list thisimportant information?If the potencies and dose amounts are good then the manufacturer will absolutely make sure you know about it.Be cautious of companies who hide ingredient information ehind “proprietaryInfo” headings. That always raises a red flag for me.One of the most important types of ingredients is the immunity enhancers.That’s because good health starts with a strong immune system which is your first line of defense against cancer and other killer diseases. The most effective mens health supplements contain the most powerful (and proven) Immunity nutrients.Here’s a list of them:Polysaccharides Quercetin Black CuminOlive LeafCoQ10Vitamin C Vitamin E Beta Carotene Zinc Manganese So naturally you want all of these, or at least most of them, in your health supplement.Polysaccharides are the cutting edge Immunity powerhouses in this list butthey’re very expensive so if your supplement contains them then this is a real bonus. (Mine does!)QUALITY ASSURANCE TIPS TO LEAD YOU TO THE BEST SUPPLEMENTHere are 5 extremely important criteria to follow when comparing mens health supplements. These factors exemplify the difference between effective supplements that will boost your health to exciting new heights and middle of the road less effective products offering low value for money.1. STANDARDIZATIONAll herbal extracts must be ’standardized’ so as to guarantee the amount of active ingredient from each herb (which can vary tremendously! ) Remember to check the potencies of all herbals when comparing brands. Medicinal herbs are powerful disease preventing ingredients but beware of supplements using herbal extracts all of which have low potencies. Take the time to check this. It’s absolutely worth your time to examine these fine details.Many companies avoid using standardized extracts at all or sneakily include only some as standardized because they are significantly more expensive than non-standardized ones. 2. NO CONTRACT MANUFACTURING A supplement company should manufacture its own products and control the manufacturing process through all stages. Contact manufacturing can (and does)open the door to a whole set of quality assurance problems, especially safety issues. That’s YOUR Safety!A company’s website should clearly set out who manufactures its products. All quality controls should be included.If these are first class you can bet they will listed there in large print. If not, well…..3. RAW MATERIAL QUALITYTo guarantee the contents, purity and potency of all ingredients there must be a CERTIFICATE OF ANALYSIS FOR EACH AND EVERY RAW MATERIAL USED! These certificates should be available for viewing if a customer requests.Furthermore all raw materials must be sourced from GMP registered and auditedfacilities. If this info is missing from a company’s website, send off an email (but I can already tell you the answer). Once again if the answer is yes these details would be clearly spelt out on the website.Lastly, all raw materials must be tested before being used for compliance with their certificates of analysis AND for microbiological contamination.4. PHARMACEUTICAL LEVEL MANUFACTURINGPharmaceutical level GMP (Good manufacturing practices) is the higheststandard possible for the manufacture of mens health supplements.This standard is way above the commonly used ‘food’ standard.Very few companies manufacture to pharmaceutical level. I kid you not when I say that you could count the ones that do on one hand! When considering which supplement to use be sure to check whether the manufacturer is GMP compliant at a pharmaceutical level.One more thing to check: Prior to releasing each batch of product a further microbiological analysis must be carried out along with a heavy metal analysis. Once again, this protocol should be clearly set out of a company’s website. 5. NO ARTIFICIAL ANYTHING Quality mens health supplements contain absolutely no artificial ingredients and this includes any excipients (also labeled as inactives or “other ingredients”) used. This means no artificial: Colors Flavors Preservatives Fillers BindersAnd no potential allergenic substances such as lactose, gluten, wheat and yeast. 6. 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE - NO RIDICULOUS CONDITIONS This last condition is one of the most important for me.If a mens health supplement is truly as good as its manufacturer claims it is then there should be no reason why an unconditional money back guarantee should not be offered.Reputable companies stand by their products and guarantees are becoming moreand more common these days. But watch out for some of the ridiculous conditions attached to money back guarantees such as “30 days”. This is a farce. To cure serious health problems naturally takes longer than 1 month. In fact, I know a famous bio-scientist in Australia (with a near perfect record for curing cancer) who says that for every month a person has had a health condition it takes 1 month for the cure.)In other words if you have had a problem for a year then it takes about a year to cure it (once you are taking in the correct nutrients AND eating a strictly healthy diet).And even if you are fairly healthy to begin with how can you judge subtle differences to your overall sense of wellness after just 1 month.Of course the manufacturers know you are going to wait longer than 1 month to judge your results!The multi ingredient mens health supplement I use naturally meets all these criteria. To discover its name please visit this page nutritional vitamin supplements

Herbal Treatments for Arthritis

Arthritis is a debilitating and disabling medical condition which can affect any joints in the body causing them to become swollen, stiff, painful to move and even sore to the touch. Arthritis can affect people of all ages however it becomes increasingly common however symptoms of Arthritis or Arthritic increases with advancing years. Joints become stiffer, less mobile and they swell as Arthritis attacks white blood cells weakening the tissues and causing solid deposits to build up in the joints. It sounds bad, doesn’t it? The good news is that you can alleviate many of the symptoms of Arthritis and maybe even prevent it from occurring at all through regular and long-term use of herbal arthritis treatments. The even better news is that these herbal treatments for arthritis are readily available and many of them you may already have in your kitchen cabinet or growing in your garden. Many of them are also included in pill, tea or tincture which can be easily purchased from your local health food store or even the supermarket.Now let’s have a look at a few herbal treatments for Arthritis.Turmeric is a wonderful anti-inflammatory that can really ease joints’ swelling which is a major part of arthritis and will help to lessen the pain of arthritis substantially. Turmeric is also very good for improving digestion while Cayenne pepper has similar positive effects in the treatment of arthritis. These effects have been endorsed by clinical trials.Ginger contains Zingibain and other phytochemicals which reduce swelling which can be very beneficial to arthritis sufferers. Long-term, Ginger is great for protecting the body from free radicals which do much damage including speeding up the damage of arthritis and causing cancer. Pineapple is not only delicious but it will significantly reduce the inflammation of Arthritis flare-ups. However Pineapple is most effective when combined with other herbal treatments in tablet form as most of its goodness is contained in the stem. Celery, especially the seeds have excellent anti-inflammatory properties that ease stiff joints which are a main characteristic of arthritis. The seeds work by helping to strip out the solid which induces a diuretic effect and helps remove deposits which collect in the joints of arthritis sufferers. The seeds can be taken in tea or tincture form. As far back at least as the Romans, it was known that nettles were good for easing joint pain as they are a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-histamine. Don’t worry though, you don’t need to be stung!. The best way to take nettles and benefit from them as an arthritis cure is internally, in a tea or tincture. Did you know that White Willow is actually where we get Aspirin from? Obviously, it’s a great pain reliever and using this purer form reduces side-effects. Ginkgo increases blood circulation which helps to ease pain and swelling in arthritic joints. Comfrey is a great anti-inflammatory boost to the immune system that will stimulate healing in damaged joints. So you can see that there are many herbal treatments for arthritis which tackle all of the distressing and painful symptoms. They are readily available and easy to take on a day to day basis.

So you have read everywhere about the magical outcome of detox on the health, but do not know how to begin or where to begin! Well, you have reached the right place! The article below will offer you a step by step guide to get started with a detox program.

So you have read everywhere about the magical outcome of detox on the health, but do not know how to begin or where to begin! Well, you have reached the right place! The article below will offer you a step by step guide to get started with a detox program.

Detoxification programs may come in different forms but all of them work towards a common goal and that is cleansing the body of toxins. Detoxification is targeted at different organs of the body, namely the kidneys, lungs, the liver or the blood—the organs involved in elimination of chemicals and toxins from the body.

Many detox programs may attempt to strengthen these eliminating organs by the enhanced supply of nutrient supplements. At the basic level, the detox program begins with diet.

Why do we need a specialized detox diet? Let%26#8217;s explain.

The body mechanism knows how to handle several natural substances that enter the body through foods, herbs and phytochemicals. As any foreign element enters the body the immune system is stimulated and starts working for their smooth elimination. Every substance has a certain level of toxicity and it is the duty of the liver to break the chemicals into elements that body can naturally flush out through the kidneys, skin, lungs and bowels as urine, sweat, expelled air and fecal matters respectively. So it is important to keep these detox organs in good state if you want to have a perfect health. A detox diet does just that; it helps to rejuvenate the natural detox mechanism of the body.

Since you are

going to undergo a detox diet for the first time in your life, here are some tips to help you get the best result from your detox program.

Choose the proper time

Select a weekend or holidays to get started with your detox plan. detox diet is extremely hygienic, yet it can make you slightly tired at first. So it is better that you stay at home and relax as you undergo the detox diet.

Relaxation

You will get best result from the detoxification, when your nerves are also relaxed. So even if you are at home, don%26#8217;t let the irritant stimuli cross your way. So switch off the mobile phones and fax machines. Put on a CD on the recorder to play soothing music, watch a favorite movie on the DVD or read the story books. Do whatever that relaxes your minds. A bit of meditation is also very good for the purpose.

Hydration

During the detox keep your inside hydrated as much as possible. Plain drinking water, fruit juice, vegetable broth, iced green tea-all will help to flush out the toxins from liver, the kidneys and colon.

Fiber rich foods

Supplement your juice intake by consuming fiber rich foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and cereals.

Last but not least, do not continue with the basic cleansing diet for more than two days. Stay away from detox if you happen to be a patient of heart disease, diabetes, low blood sugar, or kidney problems. Avoid three things: physical exertion, mental stress and artificial stimulants like alcohol, caffeine, carbonated cold drinks, chocolate, and cigarettes.

Article Source: http://www.BestToRead.com/

Acai Berry Drink
by Priya Gill

Nutritional Armor - It would be nice if you could put on armor everyday to protect your body from all those things which would harm it. Cell research has shown that free radical damage causes early aging, and free radicals come from the environment. The good news is that nature holds secrets like the Acai berry which can be consumed and become a natural armor against free radical damage.

When you read Acai facts, it’s hard to believe this amazing fruit has not been used in most health products. The berry contains an intense concentration of flavanoids called anthocyanins known to reduce the occurrence of heart disease. Acai also contains fatty acids which help the body absorb the fat soluble vitamins like A, D and E.

The nutritional armor you wear when using Acai also includes a variety of vitamins and other elements like phytochemicals. There is calcium, fiber and protein also packed into these little berries. You will find minerals like potassium and magnesium which are required by your body’s systems for efficient operation.

Knights on White Horses

When you read the facts about Acai, it’s easy to see that consumption of the berry will give you the ability to fight disease and increase your energy levels. When you put on Acai armor, it’s like having knights on white horses come to your defense. Except in this case the “knights” are essential nutrients and the “white horses” are the antioxidants.

Reading Acai facts presents an interesting story of a plant known to contain exceptional health benefits for years. In South America the Acai berry has been used in fruits drinks as a nutritional supplement. The fact is the berry has up to 30 times the number of anthocyanins as any other dark colored fruit.

Most people have read about the heart health benefits of drinking a glass of dark wine each day. Its the anthocyanins in the wine which are protecting your cardiovascular system. It’s amazing to think this natural remedy has been hiding in the Amazon for thousands of years.

A summary of Acai facts shows you the tremendous nutritional value of the berry. The berry is turned into a delicious drink that can be used regularly in your daily diet. It makes it easy to insure you are getting the nutritional supplementation you need to stay as healthy as possible.

Acai Facts You Never Knew!

Before we dig into the amazing acai facts, lets take a look at the famous acai story. Legend says that there lived an Amazon Indian girl called Iaca. Her father was the chief of the tribe. It so happened that their tribe faced acute shortage of food. Thus, the chief ordered every newborn to be killed in order to let the existing members survive. When the chiefs daughter, Iaca, gave birth to a baby, the tiny life had to be terminated too! Iaca couldnt overcome her babys death and wailed for many days in her hut.

One day, she heard a cry outside. Curiosity got the better of her and she followed the babys cry that led her into the forest. She came across a tall, attractive palm tree loaded with dark purple tiny berries. This came as a rude shock to her. Here was so much food for the tribe and she had to kill her baby! This harsh truth struck her like a bolt of lightening and she died right there against the tree.

The next day, the tribesmen found Iacas body and the treasure of food too. The rule was removed and the tribe became healthier and stronger after eating the wonder fruit, which was named as Acai after the chiefs daughter. Actually, its Iaca spelled backwards!

Among all the interesting acai facts, one especially intriguing is that out of all the native Indian tribes, only those who consumed acai berries survived; the rest perished due to European germs!

Astounding Acai Facts!

Acai juice is known popularly as the Wine of Amazon.

Acai cant be transported in its whole fruit form. It has to be processed into freeze dried powder or liquid form.

The amount of disease-combating antioxidants found in acai is higher than any other fruit found on the earth.

The ORAC value of acai berry is 1026 as compared to spinachs 150 and broccolis 130!

Acai berry contains anthocyanins that are 30 times more than that present in red wine!

This fruit is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, and E; minerals like calcium, iron, and phosphorus; protein, dietary fiber, and essential fatty acids like Omega 3, 6, and 9 that are also present in virgin olive oil.

This fruit with abundant health benefits and loads of nutrients is dark purple in color and just one inch in diameter!

Brazilians have been relishing on acai fruit for decades. A cold bowl of these rejuvenating berries for breakfast daily is your way towards a healthy and youthful life in the future. Chomp Chomp!

The fact is that using the Acai berry will increase your energy, improve organ function, strengthen the immune system and fight free radicals. It’s hard to find a single product which can accomplish so much in one drink. Read the facts and see for yourself all of the health benefits.Read more about the Acai berry…

http://www.antioxidant-berry-juice.com