Why Take Multivitamins

post from Fitness Health and Diet Tips on 08 August 2007 09:56:00 PM. © Fitness Health and Diet Tips

Vista Magazine is a great source for many alternative medicine info and I always pick up the latest magazine when I am near a health food store. I read through the latest copy and found a great article that talks about the importance of multivitamins.

As you know from some of my past posts I am a firm believer in multivitamins although I do not think that they are in any way a replacement for good healthy whole food.

Ensuring that your family's nutritional needs are met can be a pot and pan-noisy event. Add to that the challenge of guiding your family through the piles of nutritional information available and you may feel overwhelmed.

Quiet the noise and feel sure that your family's requirements are satisfied by discovering what there is to know about multivitamins.

We all know that multivitamins are a combination of nutrients (vitamins and minerals) that are essential for general health and well-being. The body is a symphony of chemical reactions, each requiring particular nutrients to occur properly. By ensuring that all of these nutrients are present, the body can function optimally, resulting in feelings of energy, vitality and health.

Are all multivitamins the same?

No. There are more than a dozen multivitamins sold in Canadian stores. Investigate the differences to decide which one is best for you.

There are two main groups: synthetic and whole food multivitamins. Synthetic multivitamins are formed by creating all of the essential vitamins and minerals in a laboratory and combining them into a capsule or tablet. Whole food multivitamins also contain all of the essential vitamins and minerals, but because they are made from concentrates of whole fruits and vegetables, they also contain additional nutrients. Many of these additional nutrients are necessary for the body to be able to absorb the essential vitamins and minerals. For example, vitamin C is more efficiently absorbed in the presence of bioflavonoids, which are naturally present in oranges and other whole foods. By using whole fruit and vegetable concentrates, whole food multivitamins offer a more complete nutritional source, and are more bioavailable (better absorbed by the body).

Some multivitamins contain more than just vitamins and minerals. Today, multivitamins may contain green foods, mushrooms, essential fatty acids and amino acids. All of these nutrients play a part in ensuring that the symphony of reactions in the body is functioning optimally.

Who needs a multivitamin?

Nutrients are essential to every reaction in our body. However, there are some age groups that have greater nutritional needs than others.

Kids and teenagers
Growing bodies are working hard to create new cells while still maintaining energy and health in existing cells. As a result, they are in great need of essential vitamins and minerals. Children, teenagers, athletes and pregnant women's bodies face these growing nutritional challenges. A multivitamin can offer all of the vitamins and minerals needed to promote healthy growth.

Another area of the body that experiences rapid growth is the immune system. During the invasion of an infectious microbe, the ability of white blood cells to rapidly multiply is drastically affected by nutritional status. Multivitamins have been shown to enhance many aspects of the immune response (Nutrition, Oct. 2001).

Adults
Adults also need multivitamins. In your 20s, ensuring your diet contains lots of vitamins and minerals can correct any nutritional deficiencies you have developed in your teens and reduce your risk of developing long term deficiencies such as osteoporosis. In your 30s, running after the kids and trying to manage a career can cause you to reach for convenience foods which lack essential nutrients. A multivitamin can help address the potential nutrient deficiencies. In your 40s, fine lines start to appear and a desire to focus on anti-aging emerges. The antioxidant power available in a multivitamin can help prevent the aging damage caused by free radicals in the body.

The elderly
As you age, the body's ability to digest and absorb nutrients decreases. This can lead to nutritional deficiencies. The risk of malnutrition increases the risk of infection. Studies have found that multivitamins can reduce the mean annual number of days spent with infection in the elderly (BMJ, July 2005). Daily multivitamin use in the elderly has been recommended by scientific reviews (Clin. Infect. Dis., Dec. 2001).

Now that you know who needs multivitamins I should tell you what I am taking daily and why. I take a fairly good multivitamin (but not one of those expensive ones), a calcium for my teeth and bones (Idon't drink much milk), a B50 to supplement the B vitamins that are always short in a multivitamin, and an Omega 3-6-9 vitamin for the healthy fish oils.

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http://www.nadraszky.com/fitness/archives/why-take-multivitamins.html

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Toxic Detergent

post from The Nutrient Rich Blog on 08 August 2007 07:59:00 PM. © The Nutrient Rich Blog

Posted By Gerald PuglieseFrom Disease-ProofMaybe clean, isn’t so clean. That’s Fit points out some laundry detergents are toxic. Look:Putting on your clean clothes when they are still just a little warm from the dryer is such a guilty pleasure, and the fresh scent evokes all things cozy.But did you know that scent that you [...] Tags: Disease Proof

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http://www.nutrientrich.com/blog/?p=1642

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Fruity Desserts

post from The Nutrient Rich Blog on 08 August 2007 07:59:00 PM. © The Nutrient Rich Blog

Posted By Joel FuhrmanFrom Disease-ProofFruit and Berry Compote2 cups cubed fresh pineapple1 cup fresh organic strawberries, halved1 cup frozen cherries (pitted), thawed1 cup dried fruit of choice, chopped (optional)1/4 cup orange juice2 oranges, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces1 pear, peeled and cubed1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)Combine all ingredients except coconut. Chill [...] Tags: Disease Proof

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Coumadin, Vitamin K, and a Plant-Based Diet

post from The Nutrient Rich Blog on 08 August 2007 07:59:00 PM. © The Nutrient Rich Blog

Posted By Joel FuhrmanFrom Disease-ProofFrom the September 2004 edition of Dr. Fuhrman’s Healthy Times: I have been asked by multiple individuals to give a complete answer with guidelines for patients on Coumadin (Warfarin is the generic name) who have been told by their health professionals to avoid green vegetables because of the interaction between [...] Tags: Disease Proof

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Bad News Bionic Burgers

post from The Nutrient Rich Blog on 08 August 2007 07:59:00 PM. © The Nutrient Rich Blog

Posted By Gerald PuglieseFrom Disease-ProofWhat makes people eat McDonald’s? Why is garbage food so tempting? Maybe McDonald’s uses enchanted wrappers, because according to new research food in a McDonald’s wrapper tastes better—even veggies! The Associated Press reports:Anything made by McDonald’s tastes better, preschoolers said in a study that powerfully demonstrates how advertising can trick [...] Tags: Disease Proof

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http://www.nutrientrich.com/blog/?p=1640

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BPA Baby Bottles

post from The Nutrient Rich Blog on 08 August 2007 07:59:00 PM. © The Nutrient Rich Blog

Posted By Gerald PuglieseFrom Disease-ProofRaising kids is hard work—not that I know firsthand or anything, I’ve seen it done on television—you feed them, clean them, shelter them; basically, you do all you can to ensure they grow up strong and healthy. Now, add this to list, protecting your kids from the harmful chemical BPA—found [...] Tags: Disease Proof

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To protect and preserve your vision

post from The Diabetes Blog on 08 August 2007 06:37:00 PM. © The Diabetes Blog

Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Drugs, Research, Products

Diabetes is known for the toll it can take on the small vessels of the body at a rapid rate, including eyesight. MacularProtect Complete is an all-in-one formulation that offers a simple solution to protect vision and the whole body.

MacularProtect Complete is appropriate for individuals concerned about preserving their eyesight and maintaining overall body health. This formula is based on the findings of the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS). The AREDS trial showed that supplemental antioxidants with zinc had a significantly better chance of retaining their macular health. Evidence shows that eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables improves the health of diabetics. MacularProtect Complete provides many of the nutrients at the forefront of nutrition and health research, such as the important antioxidant lycopene - concentrated in tomatoes, and protective bioflavonoids from such diverse sources as bilberry, grape seed, Ginkgo biloba, citrus, as well as quercetin, found in apples and onions.

ScienceBased Health is focused on clinical evidence. As an empirical study - I've been taking MacularPtorect Complete the last month. So far I've noticed a little improvement in my night vision but I can't call it vision resurrection just yet. If you care to test a product out for yourself - they are available through eye care physicians, or by visiting their website.

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http://www.thediabetesblog.com/2007/08/08/to-protect-and-preserve-your-vision/

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How do biological therapy drugs work

Filed under: Drug

Biological therapy involves using your body's immune system to fight cancer. Depending on how well your immune system is currently functioning, it can simulate it, fix it or work in conjunction with it in the fight against cancer cells. Biological Response Modifiers (BRMs) use immune-system properties like antibodies and cytokines to bolster the immune system and help improve the health of the patient, particularly when undergoing chemotherapy. Some common BRMs include:

Interferons: Helps cancerous cells transform into normal ones
Interleukins: Stimulates some white blood cells to attack cancerous ones
Monclonal Antibodies: Helps your body recognize harmful cancerous cells from normal ones
Colony Stimulating factors: Helps produce immune system cells

To find out more about Biological Therapy drugs, click here.

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http://www.thecancerblog.com/2007/08/08/how-do-biological-therapy-drugs-work/

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Napping Makes You Smarter

Two studies from Harvard show that napping make you smarter. I learned this for the first time when I was in the 7th grade. I would be in school from 8 AM to 3PM, go to work in the afternoon, and then come home at 6PM, eat supper and try to study and learn nothing. I would spend more time lying in bed thinking about studying than actually studying. So, in the seventh grade at age 12, I started a lifetime habit of sleeping every afternoon, even if I think that I don't need to sleep. I find that after just 30 to 60 minutes of sleep, I can think more clearly and do more work. If I don't sleep, I cannot write or think clearly.

Matthew Walker's study supports what I learned almost 60 year ago. He taught people to type a long list of words on a computer. He showed that those who were trained at night and were tested after a long night's sleep did far better than those who were trained in the morning and tested 12 hours later without sleeping. Thus, those who were tested after a night's sleep did much better than those who were tested after 12 hours being awake.

In the second study, Sara Mednick reported that she compared a person's ability to learn after no sleep, a 30-minute nap, or a 60 minute nap. Those who had a 30-minute nap did better than those who didn't nap, while those who took a 60-minute nap did far better than those who took only a 30-minute nap. When you start a nap, your eyes are kept still, called non-rapid-eye-movement sleep. You drop down from stage one sleep into a deeper stage two, then a deeper stage three, and then your eyes start to move rapidly back and forth. This is called Rapid Eye Movement sleep, also know as REM sleep. You learn best if you wake up right after non-rapid-eye-movement sleep (stage 2). And you get more non rapid eye movement sleep (stage 2) in a 60-minute nap than a 30-minute nap.

If you feel tired most afternoons, you are normal. In many parts of the world it is traditional to take an afternoon nap or siesta. Studies of office workers and school children show that people work best in the early morning. As the morning progresses, they lose their ability to concentrate, go out to lunch and function way below their capacity for the rest of the day. A study from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital shows that pilots, who sleep just 20 minutes during flights while their copilots take over, are more alert, attentive and responsive than those who don't nap.

It gets worse as you age. Older people fall asleep while you talk to them in the afternoon. An article in the medical journal, SLEEP, shows that a regular afternoon nap can help older people remain awake afternoon and evenings. They took a planned nap for 90 minutes between 1:30 and 3:00 in the afternoon. They were hooked up to special machines that showed that most slept for about one of the one and a half hours they lay in bed. These people had a remarkable improvement in their alertness in the afternoon and evening. They did not sleep as deeply at night and did awake a little earlier in the morning, but felt that the gain in alertness afternoons and evenings was far more important than this slight loss of sleep at night. Their sleep cycles however remained unchanged, so they still went to bed at their usual times.

Tiredness is a signal that your brain needs a rest. If you suffer from afternoon tiredness, find a quiet place to lie down during your lunch hour and take a nap. There is no data to support exercising when you feel tired because exercise does not perk you up. Recommendations to eat protein-rich foods and avoid carbohydrate ones are not based on solid data. Eating does not prevent afternoon tiredness and the drop in mental and physical performance. The only effective treatment for tiredness is rest. Set a radio to wake you to music, rather than a harsh sound that will jolt you, and expect to be far more productive than you were when you struggled to get through the afternoon and evenings without napping. Journal references; free fitness and health newsletterFeedburner

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http://drmirkin.blogspot.com/2007/08/napping-makes-you-smarter.html

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Cancer cluster found in Delaware near power plant

Filed under: Environment, Daily news

Delaware officials have confirmed a cancer cluster near the Indian River power plant; the rate of cancer cases in the area is 17 percent higher than the national average. Indian River is a coal-fired power plant.

Despite this finding, the Division of Public Health is unlikely to study the cluster further. The Department cited a lack of resources and historical difficulty in connecting environmental causes to cancer rates.

Resident activists say that this decision is not acceptable and that more study is needed.

"We are saying, you need to spend the money and do it right," said Pat Gearity, spokeswoman for Citizens for Clean Power. Gearity said that the state is responsible for this investigation, not private citizens.

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