BestBuyHealth Guide to Healthy Living

Going Beyond Muscle Building with Whey Protein

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:50:00 GMT

Going Beyond Muscle Building with Whey Protein

In addition to building muscle and boosting antioxidant levels in healthy people, whey protein might be the best supplement today for liver and immune health!

So Much More from Whey

When you get to the topic of whey protein, you receive much more than simply increased muscle mass—for those seeking immune or liver health support in particular, the whey protein story gets especially exciting.

It’s well documented that whey supplementation and proper exercise helps the body to lose fat and retain or build lean muscle. The latest study was published in the August 4, 2009 online edition of Clinical Nutrition and looked at patients with recent hip fractures. It showed that whey increases insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) by nearly 30 percent in elderly hip fracture patients. IGF-I is necessary for stimulating muscle and bone growth and repair and is associated with human growth hormone levels.

Whey Bests Soy and Casein Proteins in Recent Study

So many new studies have come out in support of whey protein over other protein sources. One of the most exciting recent studies matched whey against casein and soy isolate, two other common sources of protein. Whey left its competitors in the dust.

The September 2009 Journal of Applied Physiology compared whey with soy and casein and found it to be far superior for muscle synthesis. The study took place at McMaster University and was designed to compare the acute response of mixed muscle protein synthesis (MPS) to rapidly absorbed protein powders both at rest and after exercise. Three groups of healthy young men performed leg resistance exercise followed by the consumption of a drink containing whey protein, casein or soy protein isolate.

The differences were enormous. Amazingly, the MPS after consumption of whey was approximately 93 percent greater than casein and approximately 18 percent greater than soy. “A similar result was observed after exercise (whey > soy > casein); MPS following whey consumption was approximately 122 percent greater than casein and 31 percent greater than soy. MPS was also greater with soy consumption at rest (64 percent) and following resistance exercise (69 percent) compared with casein.”

Strengthening Immune Health

Shoppers might not realize whey is rich in immunoglobulins, protein molecules called bioactive peptides, that play a role in your body’s immune defense. Whey has a fabulous ability to raise antioxidant activity throughout the body. This is important for all of us but especially for select population groups, as we will share in a moment.

Glutathione (GSH), one of the body’s primary antioxidants, protects your liver and other organs; it also helps your white blood cells to proliferate and to do their job. A few select supplements have been shown to elevate glutathione levels. Whey, however, might be best of all, as reported in the February 2001 issue of the European Journal of Nutrition, “Supplementation with whey proteins persistently increased plasma glutathione levels in patients…” In September 2007, the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, reported that among 18 healthy men and 18 healthy women over a two-week period, “Whey protein supplementation of 45 g/day for 2 weeks can increase lymphocyte GSH by 24%.”

Attention, Liver Health Patients more Good Antioxidant News

The June 2009 issue of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology reports that whey is critical for liver health patients. Many people have fatty inflammatory liver disease due to obesity, diabetes, environmental toxicity, alcohol abuse, or use of street and prescription drugs. They note glutathione depletion contributes to liver injury and development of steatohepatitis, otherwise known as inflammatory fatty liver.
The following study evaluated the effect of oral supplementation with whey protein on patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
In an open-labeled clinical trial, 38 patients (18 male, 20 female) were given a daily dose of 20 grams whey protein isolate for 12 weeks. Researchers found that overall liver health improved with a significant reduction in previously elevated levels of liver enzymes coming to the conclusion, “Plasma glutathione and total antioxidant capacity increased significantly at the end of study… The results indicate that oral supplementation of cysteine-rich whey protein isolate leads to improvements in liver biochemistries, increased plasma GSH, total antioxidant capacity and reduced hepatic macrovesicular steatosis in NASH patients.”

Very Good for Your Heart

The July 2009 issue of Nutrition Journal reports whey protein is also a source of bioactive peptides and helps improve the vascular endothelial response of healthy individuals by supporting nitric oxide production, which helps to relax blood vessels. This could help people to maintain healthy blood pressure.

At the 11th International Congress on Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy (held in 2002 by the International Society of Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy, May 18-21 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) researchers reported that whey supplements resulted in a significant reduction in blood pressure levels by the end of the first week of treatment. This effect was maintained throughout the study. Treatment significantly reduced acetycholinesterase (ACE) activity while ACE activity remained mostly unchanged by the control protein. “In our study, hydrolyzed whey proteins significantly reduce BP, likely by altering ACE activity and bradykinin levels,” concluded the team. A 5 mm Hg decrease in blood pressure has been equated with a 16 percent decrease in heart disease, the leading cause of death globally.

These great studies are just the beginning of the vast health benefits from whey. It truly is a super food. So how do you get the best?

How to Find a Quality Whey Supplement

Finding a quality whey supplement doesn’t have to be difficult. Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM) has made it their mission to produce the highest quality supplements on earth.

First, let’s look at their standards. They combine ultra-filtered, low temperature processed whey protein concentrate with crossflow microfiltered whey protein isolate. These specialized processing systems provide a High Biological Value (HBV) whey supplement in the form of short and long chain peptides to increase protein retention. Their whey is remarkably high in branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), including leucine, the most necessary for maintaining metabolic rate (energy) especially during dieting or periods in between meals. In addition, so many protein supplements either don’t taste very good or use artificial flavors or sweeteners among other additives. MRM’s products come by their great taste using quality all natural ingredients with no added sugar. They offer pure whey in vanilla and chocolate; however, they continue to match their exceptionally high quality whey with other health promoting partners. You get to pick and choose which formulas serves your needs—and this is where their approach becomes so unique.

Here are their two latest:

Fruit-N-Whey™ delivers over 3500 ORAC units per serving of natural potent antioxidants, plus BCAA-rich whey protein in a delicious mix great for the blender or shaker.

Most of us have an increasingly hectic lifestyle, which makes meeting nutritional needs more and more difficult. Getting the recommended daily amount of fruits is vital to providing your body with potent antioxidants to counteract free radicals and prevent the damage they inevitably produce. Equally important is maintaining proper protein intake throughout the day to maintain optimal metabolic function.

Everyday stress, environmental pollutants, natural metabolic processes and exercise generate different types of free radicals. MRM’s BeneFruit Blend combines the vitality of 10 fruits all known to be packed with an assortment of antioxidants to provide a broad spectrum of antioxidant protection. The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assay demonstrates the total antioxidant power of a sample, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommending a daily intake between 3,000 and 5,000 units.

Flax-N-Whey™ should also be worked into the mix because it provides both whey and omega-3 fatty acids. The key ingredient Flax3™ contains a gently processed, solublized flax meal combined with an ultra-refined stabilized source of marine omega-3 fatty acids to deliver a robust matrix of 36 mg of EPA and DHA combined with 540 mg of ALA from flax per serving. Stability of these essential fats is maintained by an array of natural antioxidants found in flaxseed which act synergistically to protect these precious oils. Flax3™ contains large amounts of phytoestrogens, known as lignans, which provide tremendous estrogen balancing support. This is a great supplement since everyone should be obtaining omega-3s from both marine and terrestrial sources such as flax.

Making whey protein part of your diet is a great way to maintain your overall antioxidant levels and health while building lean muscle and maintaining good circulatory and heart function—all of this from a most amazing supplement.

Resources

Whey Protein from MRM combines the nutrients and phytonutrients detailed into a formula that represents value and quality. All MRM formulas are available at health food stores, natural product supermarkets, and from natural pharmacies. To find a store near you or for more information, please call  1-800-948-6296, or visit  www.mrm-usa.com.

Digest Gluten with Ease

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 03:12:00 GMT

Uncomfortable stomach sensation just after eating—that is how many people describe their first sign of gluten intolerance—if they have ever heard of gluten intolerance at all!
Discoveries from nutritional science, research, and media attention have greatly increased public awareness of gluten intolerance and its symptoms, which include gas, bloating, muscle cramping, headaches, and fatigue. Health experts have linked gluten intolerance with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease (CD), Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, and other gut-wrenching disorders. But now thanks to extensive research, health experts say that these symptoms and others can be helped by gluten-free living.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein substance that remains when starch is removed from cereal grains; it gives cohesiveness to dough. Gluten includes the proteins gliadin and glutenin, which are found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. Its proteins and proline-rich peptides are surrounded by enzyme-resistant carbohydrate-based molecules that defy digestion by the body’s supply of gluten-digesting enzymes. Once shepherded into the stomach, gluten’s peptides pass through the gastrointestinal membrane. They have been linked with unfavorable alterations in the immune cells such as leukocytes, leading to allergic, autoimmune and immune overreactions.

Difficult to Avoid

Yet, even the most dedicated shoppers find it nearly impossible to eliminate gluten from their diets. Although gluten is not found in oats, cross contamination of oats during post-harvest handling and production can lead to traces in finished oat products. Gluten is not listed on labels, but is found in many additives, thickeners and stabilizers such as malt vinegar, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, soy sauce, cereal products, modified starch, and vegetable gum. Also, dining out can present problems when it comes to avoiding gluten. This makes gluten-free living trying, at best.

Help is on the Way

Many of the world’s leading gluten experts and researchers are now finding that gluten-related health conditions, especially IBS and CD, respond favorably to digestive enzymes that work by assisting the body in breaking down difficult-to-digest peptides found in gluten. The body has a gluten-specific digestive enzyme known as dipeptidyl peptidase or DPP IV that, when supplied in supplement form, “plays a significant role in the hydrolysis of prolyl peptides and assimilation of proline-rich proteins,” say researchers reporting in the July 1993 issue of American Journal of Physiology. The use of DPP IV is further supported by research in the October 2002 issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology (283;4:G996-G1003). Researchers found that DPP IV was instrumental in the breakdown of gluten’s peptides. “These results suggest a possible enzyme therapy strategy for celiac disease, for which the only current therapeutic option is strict exclusion of gluten-containing food.” In the May 2007 issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers noted that people with gluten intolerance have “deficient activity” of gluten-digesting enzymes.

MRM’s Gluten FREE™ to the Rescue

Gluten FREE™ from MRM provides a valuable proteolytic enzyme blend with DPP IV activity. But, what makes the Gluten FREE formula different than any other is that it also has a contingent of carbohydrate- and cellulose-digesting enzymes that breakdown the carbohydrate outer cover protecting the gluten peptide, allowing DPP IV to do its job

more efficiently. Plus, it also contains lactase, necessary for proper digestion of milk sugars, which can play a role in exacerbating gastrointestinal membrane permeability.

Going gluten-free is extremely difficult these days because of the widespread, undisclosed presence of gluten in prepared foods. But with the help of MRM’s Gluten FREE to digest the very peptides that are the cause of your discomfort, you can make a huge change in your life and truly eliminate gluten intolerance.

Oral Chelation Therapy and Heart Health

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 18:56:00 GMT

Oral Chelation Therapy and Heart Health

Oral chelation works to "cleanse" the blood of metallic pollutants in the bloodstream, thus preventing their concentration in the arteries. This alternative approach to heart and circulatory health includes ethylenediamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA)—a stabilizer used in the food industry for years to maintain food color and flavor—as a premiere oral chelation agent. It appears to be completely safe, nontoxic, and actually works, according to studies.

It was in the 1950s when doctors using EDTA chelation to treat patients with lead poisoning noticed the simultaneous disappearance of cardiovascular symptoms. Dr. Norman Clarke noted that after several chelation treatments, one patient experienced complete relief of angina pectoris pain. Between the years of 1956 and 1960, Dr. Clarke’s patients showed an impressive 87 percent improvement in symptoms of coronary artery disease following a series of chelation treatments.

How does chelation therapy work? A recent study indicated that EDTA treatment of lead poisoning reduced lead blood levels. It was later theorized that EDTA removes other unwanted toxic metals, such as calcium from arterial plaque. This might be so. But there is another explanation of how EDTA helps support heart and circulatory health. The very removal of lead and other heavy metals certainly aids blood flow and reduces blood pressure. It is important to realize that some essential nutrients necessary to heart health can be displaced or bodily absorption impaired by toxic metals. Chelation using EDTA has shown the unique ability to bind to many of the minerals involved in free radical pathology, and free radical pathology causes damage to the lining of the arteries. What we do know is that respected physicians throughout the United States use chelation therapy, both orally and intravenously, and enough patients love the results to make this a thriving area of complementary medicine.

In the early 1980s, 2,870 patients at the Clinica Tuffik Mattar in Sao Paulo, Brazil, were treated with EDTA chelation. The results were impressive, with 89 percent of all treated patients showing marked or good improvement in atherosclerosis symptoms. Also in the early 1980s, Dr. Richard Casdorph, then Chief of Medicine at Long Beach Community Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at University of California, Irvine, observed similar results in patients with arteriosclerotic heart disease and reduced cerebral blood flow. All of the patients in his studies showed significant clinical improvement as well as enhanced blood flow.

Advantages of Oral EDTA

Studies suggest oral EDTA is an effective chelator for removing toxic heavy metals and minerals from the body, and that it also works to promote heart and circulatory health. According to some doctors, the absorption and effectiveness of one month's consumption of an oral chelation product produces effects similar to one three-hour intravenous chelation session.

"Take a man who is 80. His aorta has 140 times more calcium than when he was a child of 10," says one medical expert. "This means that over time, his arteries are turning to stone. In fact, we could live to 120 years or our full life span if we could avoid such hardening of the arteries, the skin and other collagen-based tissues."

This further accumulation of calcium and other toxic metals in the arteries leading to their hardening is thought to be reversible with oral chelation. Many of the toxins drawn out by EDTA also stimulate excessive free radical damage to the body's tissues. (Free radicals are unstable molecules, missing an electron, that zip about the body’s tissues, seeking a matching electron. They end up damaging cell membranes and DNA. Because EDTA removes these free radical-causing toxins, your body’s arteries, cell membranes, DNA, enzyme systems, and cholesterol all benefit.)

"I, too, have seen and heard of dramatic clinical improvements in very debilitated patients who had used only oral chelation as a treatment," says longevity expert Ward Dean, M.D. "I doubt whether such reversals of what were considered irreversible conditions (atherosclerosis, dementia, diabetes, hypertension) would be due only to EDTA's anticoagulant effect. I believe oral EDTA also positively influences mineral metabolism (similar to the effect of intravenous chelation), and it may have other effects as well. I'm not sure whether we really know exactly what all of the mechanisms (and/or benefits for that matter) of EDTA chelation are."

But there are many more benefits to oral chelation, adds Robert J. Rowen, M.D., of Second Opinion newsletter. "There's scientific evidence that long-term exposure to low levels of lead may contribute to chronic renal disease, and that chelation therapy may slow or reverse the progression of kidney impairment," he says. "Of course, low-level lead is also associated with brain dysfunction, cancer development, dementia, bone marrow disease, organ dysfunction, and more. The bones are the greatest reservoir of lead in the body. You can be exposed to a very toxic load of lead today, easily measurable in the blood for just a few days. It then disappears from measurement, as it's taken up and stored in bone (actually the body's short-term means of reducing toxicity), only to be slowly released over the years, as the bones remodel or thin. (Hence, a static single blood or urine measurement is a very poor way to assess total body burden of lead). If you have osteoporosis, oral chelation is something you need to seriously consider. A 2002 article from Harvard researchers indicated osteoporosis patients are exposed to a significant release of the lead, which was released from their failing bones. I've observed significant improvement in the mental well-being of my chelation patients. A recent report in a psychiatric journal confirms improvement in a wide variety of such symptoms. Neurasthenic (mental) and nonspecific multi-organ symptoms improve significantly following oral EDTA chelation therapy, resulting in a marked improvement in the overall quality of life."

References
Uhl, H.S.M., et al. "Effect of ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDT) on cholesterol metabolism in man. Preliminary report of effect of parenteral and oral administration of disodium and calcium salts." Am J Clin Pathol, 1953; 23:1226-1233.

Heart Health Complements

MRM, who has a reputation for quality and innovation and value, supplies two other healthy-heart supplements you might want to consider using along with Cardio-Chelate. ChoLESStat is an all-natural supplement that promotes normal, healthy cholesterol levels with no negative side effects by combining nutrients and phytochemicals.

"One of the most important aspects of products like ChoLESStat is the inclusion of nutraceutical science in supporting healthy levels of cholesterol," says Mark Olson, MRM president and chief executive officer. "We include ingredients like policosanol, which some doctors believe to represent a nutraceutical breakthrough in that it actually outperforms conventional drugs in a number of head-to-head clinical studies." Of course, these studies are all preliminary. But nutraceutical science is clearly detailing effective, safe approaches to support normal cholesterol.

Nutrients in this formula include policosanol, guggulipid, inositol hexaniacinate, beta-sitosterol and Flaphenol™ (an olive leaf/citrus flavonoid-rich extract). Flaphenol is a bio-enhanced mixture of highly absorbable flavonoids and polyphenols, enabling the body to synthesize cholesterol more effectively. Its materials include Spanish olea and other citrus plants to help support cardiovascular health.

Like policosanol, early but preliminary evidence suggests Flaphenol supports normal cholesterol levels as well as some medications—but without any side effects. Again, while the head-to-head contests require more detailed investigation, it is a supportive ingredient in its own right—and fits with the guidelines of natural health and cholesterol. Nutraceutical science is being moved ahead by companies throughout the world, especially in the area of healthy cholesterol.

ChoLESStat also includes beta-sitosterol, a component found in soybeans and rice that has the ability to decrease the absorption of cholesterol into the digestive system. Obtaining optimal amounts of beta-sitosterol through both foods and dietary supplements can help promote a healthy heart and blood circulation.

Vitamin E is a known promoter of health. This fat-soluble vitamin exists in eight different forms, four tocopherols and four tocotrienols, each metabolized into other important compounds. Each form has a specific measure of potency or functional use in the body, and all can be found in Complete E. This is arguably the best vitamin E product today.

Gamma-tocopherol, locked inside of Complete E, has strong anti-inflammatory properties and works to increase the superoxide dismutase, or SOD, a super antioxidant. Meanwhile, gamma-tocotrienol helps inhibit a liver enzyme involved in cholesterol production. These types of tocotrienol-rich supplements work to significantly reduce total cholesterol levels as well as low-density lipoproteins and even triglycerides. Some clinical studies have even shown that tocotrienols might help prevent and even to reverse narrowing of the arteries. Complete E is a full-spectrum vitamin E supplement that also includes the powerful potato-derived antioxidant alpha lipoic acid, and vitamin C. It functions like a super antioxidant, protecting cells from the potentially damaging free radicals (or metabolic byproducts), which can cause the type of cellular damage that contributes to cardiovascular disease and even cancer.

Recommended EDTA-based Formula
Editor's Note: Cardio-Chelate™ from Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM) was created to meet the needs of those interested in the "alternative" approach to heart and circulatory health. Besides EDTA, the formula also supplies methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), N-acetyl-cysteine and vitamin C.

While EDTA stands alone in its ability to remove toxic metals and abnormally metabolized minerals from the body, its effects can be enhanced by including vitamin C, MSM and N-acetyl-cysteine. These nutrients are vital for supporting the liver during the detoxification process. MSM and NAC are precursors to glutathione, a powerful free radical scavenger involved in the liver’s detoxifying enzyme system. Vitamin C is a proven antioxidant and has been shown to prevent free radical damage to cells in the arteries.

It is important to note that EDTA is sold as a nutritional supplement. It is not a medical drug and it is not intended to cure disease. (It is a preventive in all ways that helps the body maintain healthy function.) Anybody using medical drugs or with any other condition should consult a qualified medical or health expert before undertaking any change in their health program.

Availability
Cardio-Chelate and other MRM products are available nationwide at health food stores and natural product supermarkets, and from health professionals. To find a natural health center in your community carrying them, contact MRM toll-free at (800) 948-6296 or visit their website at www.mrm-usa.com.

LiverX

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:01:00 GMT

Healthy Cholesterol & Blood Sugar start in Your Liver

Your liver influences your levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, insulin sensitivity, detoxification, nutrient utilization, and many other key aspects of health. You just cannot be optimally healthy with your liver health on a downward spiral.

"More than one-third of all people that have heart attacks have total serum cholesterol levels below 200 milligrams per deciliter [mg/dL]," notes Brian Sanderoff, a natural pharmacist who also teaches herbalism and alternative medicine at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. "The truth is that…oxidation of the LDL [low-density lipoprotein or harmful] cholesterol in the body…starts the very complicated cascade of events that leads to the formation of plaques that eventually causes a clogged artery. Usually, the offending substances, the molecules that are oxidizing the LDL cholesterol, are heavy metal toxins that we pick up from our environment, from the food we eat, the water we drink and the air that we breathe." Sanderoff recommends both weight loss and natural agents for lowering cholesterol for reducing overall levels of circulating LDL cholesterol. But he adds: "You must understand, and I can’t stress this enough, an inflated cholesterol level is not about diet; it's about liver function. When the liver is not functioning properly or optimally, that is when the body has a tendency to show the symptom of high cholesterol."

About one-third of the U.S. population who suffer from type 2 diabetes mellitus have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can lead to cirrhosis.

LiverX^TM from MRM (Metabolic Response Modifiers, a company known for value and quality in your local health food store) contains powerful yet completely safe liver support nutrients and botanicals recommended by experts.

N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is an altered form of the amino acid cysteine, which is commonly found in food and synthesized by the body. In animals, the antioxidant activity of NAC protects the liver from the adverse effects of exposure to several toxic chemicals. NAC also protects the body from pain medication toxicity and is used in hospitals for patients with acetaminophen poisoning. It has also been shown to be effective at treating liver failure from causes other than acetaminophen poisoning (e.g., hepatitis, and other drug toxicity).

Alpha-lipoic acid (lipoic acid) is a universal antioxidant. It works in both fatty and watery regions of cells to quench free radicals. It also helps to recycle other antioxidants, including vitamins E and C, CoQ10, and glutathione, extending their metabolic life. According to one expert, "Alpha-lipoic acid has been used successfully for the maintenance of liver health and as a treatment for several toxin-related illnesses. Alpha-lipoic acid has been used extensively in Europe for years as a non-toxic nutrient to treat various chemical overdoses such as mushroom poisoning, radiation poisoning and alcoholic hepatitis. It has also been used to treat diabetic neuropathy and elevated liver enzymes. Elevated liver enzymes, which can indicate liver damage, can be a serious problem for people with life threatening diseases. For people who take prescription medications, these same drugs can cause increased liver enzymes. Alpha-lipoic acid may help protect the liver so that you can take certain drugs. Another benefit of alpha-lipoic acid may be its ability to elevate the levels of glutathione (GSH). Low levels of glutathione may cause oxidative stress, and cause inflammation and damage organs." Glutathione is the key antioxidant for maintaining liver health.

Another key liver-health supplement is silymarin. Unfortunately, the body's absorption of this active phytochemical of milk thistle is usually very poor. The type of milk thistle used in LiverX is combined with phosphatidylcholine and proven to be five times more absorbable than non-phytosome formulas. This is important for optimal results. Usual benefits include improvement in aminotransferases and liver function tests.

"Literally hundreds of research studies, mostly in Europe, have confirmed the remarkable ability of milk thistle to protect the liver against virtually all types of damage: from accidental exposure to chemical pollutants, toxic side effects of medications, liver diseases like hepatitis and even the self-inflicted damage from overindulgence of rich food and alcohol," says liver expert Ralph Napolitano.

Picrorhiza kurroa is a well-known herb in the Ayurvedic system of medicine and has traditionally been used to treat disorders of the liver and upper respiratory tract, reduce fevers, and to treat dyspepsia, chronic diarrhea, and scorpion sting.

The hepatoprotective action of Picrorhiza kurroa is not fully understood but may be attributed to its ability to inhibit the generation of oxygen anions and to scavenge free radicals. In rats infected with malaria, Picrorhiza kurroa restored depleted glutathione levels, thereby enhancing detoxification and antioxidation, and helping maintain a normal oxidation-reduction balance. Like milk thistle, Picrorhiza kurroa has been shown to stimulate liver regeneration in rats, possibly via stimulation of nucleic acid and protein synthesis. Although the mechanism is unclear, animal studies indicate the herb's constituents exhibit a strong anticholestatic activity against a variety of liver-toxic substances, appearing to be even more potent than silymarin. Picrorhiza also exhibits a dose-dependent choleretic activity, evidenced by an increase in bile salts and acids, and bile flow. Numerous animal studies, primarily in rats, have demonstrated that the active constituents of Picrorhiza kurroa are effective at preventing liver toxicity and the subsequent biochemical changes caused by numerous toxic agents.

Andrographis paniculata is a native shrub from the Indian subcontinent, where its common name is Kalmegh. In Ayurveda, andrographis is used primarily for sluggish liver and to protect the liver against toxins. Laboratory and clinical trials have demonstrated its effectiveness in cases of toxic liver damage, poor liver function and hepatitis. Traditionally the herb is also used for high blood pressure and modern research has also confirmed its gentle and safe hypotensive effects.

Although the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recognized it as an essential nutrient only relatively recently, in 1998, choline is essential to liver function. Choline deficiency promotes lipid (fat) accumulation in the liver. Choline deficiency in humans can produce liver abnormalities in just a few weeks, and prolonged deficiency of choline can produce severe liver damage. Health experts believe many people’s diets currently may not deliver enough choline. Fortifying foods and supplements are therefore important.

By addressing your liver health, you are definitely addressing your overall health. If you are overweight or have other signs of NAFLD, consider the use of a quality liver support formula with each of these ingredients. People with high cholesterol and diabetes will especially benefit by supplementing with liver support antioxidants such as found in LiverX. Take care of your liver, so it can take care of you.

The diagnosis of NAFLD is usually suspected in individuals found with asymptomatic elevation of aminotransferases (liver enzymes), radiological findings of fatty liver or unexplained persistent changes in liver texture. Also, obesity, insulin resistance, elevated triglycerides and cholesterol are often signs of NAFLD-afflicted individuals.

Intensive Digestive Care

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:39:00 GMT

Probiotics & Digestive Enzymes Team Up for Your Benefit

The importance of maintaining a healthy balance of intestinal flora is well documented. In fact along with digestive enzymes, probiotics are considered one of the primary supplements to soothe a disturbed gastrointestinal tract.

Both probiotics and digestive enzymes can save the gut from symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome, maldigestion, nutrient malabsorption, and help maintain cell health.

Probiotic supplementation supports healthy digestion and natural immune function by replacing vital intestinal tract organisms lost to antibiotic use, disease, poor diets, stress, viral or fungal infections, or various other digestive problems.

Especially these days, value and quality are both equally important. Unfortunately, finding a quality digestive enzyme and probiotic supplement has never been easy and usually requires a trip to your local health food store. Even there with so many good brands, it is difficult to find one that truly represents value and quality. Plus, to our knowledge, a quality probiotic-digestive enzyme blend combined into a complex, sophisticated formula with proven delivery and benefits has never before been available.

Where Did My Enzymes and Bacteria Go?

Most foods today are so heavily processed and cooked that few of their digestive enzymes or beneficial bacteria remain. Our food—unless we eat raw and organic—is basically sterile and rather than promoting it, it frequently robs the life from our bodies.

Also, when we go to the health food store, unfortunately there are obstacles to delivering active cultures from the shelf to the gut because probiotics have sensitivities to temperature, moisture, air, and pH.

The experts at Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM) have addressed our concerns with Digest-All IC with patented BIO-tract® delivery technology and a patented LiveBac® tableting process that all work to ensure probiotic viability and benefit. Because of the company's commitment to quality and value throughout its line, we've reported on and recommended MRM's Digest-All formula in past articles in The Doctors' Prescription for Healthy Living. We observed the formula’s mastery of digestive enzymes—the fact that the blend digests all types of food in a necessarily wide pH range unlike other formulas that digest only limited families of nutrients such as fats, carbohydrates, or proteins.

Digest-All IC offers intensive care for your lower GI tract by improving the original formula with a patented delivery technology designed to create a protective barrier between the fragile probiotics and the harsh stomach environment. Once in the small intestines, the protective layer releases the digestive enzymes and live probiotics. Bypassing the harsh stomach environment is essential for the introduction of active cultures to the intestines and cannot be achieved by traditional capsules, powders, or even food.

Digest-All IC's probiotic protection starts long before it gets ingested. The patented LiveBac tableting process was designed to combat the negative effects of heat, air and moisture present during conventional tableting methods. The result is a product that overcomes these obstacles to provide high-viability probiotics with an increased shelf life, even without refrigeration.

Digest-All IC is the nutrition industry's next-generation digestive care complex. Designed to promote a healthy digestive system, its full-spectrum of digestive enzymes is perfectly complemented by the most reliable, shelf-stable bio-delivery system for probiotics available.

This comprehensive collection of enzymes supports optimal digestion, minimizes gas and bloating and maximizes the assimilation of nutrients. With added probiotics, you can also expect improved immune health. Finally, the formula’s unique proprietary blend of ginger, peppermint and triphala soothes, comforts and balances the digestive process. It truly is intensive care for your GI health—and we expect a lot more good things ahead for this formula’s success in helping health-conscious consumers live a truly healthy life with added value and quality.

MCHC Earns Good Calcium Press

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:46:00 GMT

According to the National Institutes of Health, the average American woman gets less than half her needed calcium from her daily diet. Additionally, people who drink a lot of caffeine, drink alcohol excessively or consume extremely high-protein diets are prone to reduced calcium levels because these are known to deplete the calcium in the body. The National Institutes of Health recommends daily health supplements with calcium for most adults.

Truth be told, everybody needs to supplement with calcium. Even teens. Especially teenaged girls—after all, the teen years are a key period for building a solid foundation of bone health.

But now that doctors around the world are recommending exercise, calcium supplements and vitamin D for bone health, many people buying supplements do so without knowing all of the facts or the science. Here’s one fact that might surprise you:

A type of calcium most women probably don’t even know about is receiving many good reviews in the medical press lately. It might even outperform typically available calcium.

Known as microcrystalline hydroxyapatite, this mineral-rich mixture might well outperform many of the most popular forms of calcium and actually help some of the commonly used prescription drugs for osteoporosis to do an even better job, according to the latest studies.

The November-December 2008 issue of Menopause (15;6:1132-8) featured an article by researchers from the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain, who wanted to compare the efficacy and safety of adding microcrystalline hydroxyapatite compound (MCHC) or calcium carbonate (CC) to raloxifene (RLX) therapy for controlling bone loss in postmenopausal women. (Raloxifene is an oral selective estrogen receptor modulator [SERM] that has estrogenic actions on bone and anti-estrogenic actions on the uterus and breast.) Ninety postmenopausal women were assigned to treatment with RLX plus MCHC or RLX plus CC for up to 3 years in an open-label, comparative study. Ultrasound measurement was used to evaluate mean changes in bone mineral density. The researchers concluded that the use of MCHC “appears to be more effective in controlling bone loss than RLX plus CC for the control of bone loss in postmenopausal women.”

The long-term benefits of hydroxyapatite compounds, used in Europe for osteoporosis prevention, had not been previously reported widely until another recent study from Clinical Drug Investigations was published in 2007 (27;4:227-32).

The aim of this study was to assess the long-term efficacy of MCHC in postmenopausal women with bone mineral density (BMD) in the osteopenia range. (Osteopenia is a pre-osteoporotic condition of rapid bone loss.) Some 112 postmenopausal women participated. Again, the researchers said that MCHC “could be an effective and safe agent for the prevention of bone loss in postmenopausal osteopenic women, with significant increases in BMD being observed in this group of patients.”

Even more convincing, we see the beneficial changes occurring within the body’s own bone remodeling processes. In the March 2004 issue of Climacteric (7;1:33-40) in an article titled “Comparison of the effects of two different types of calcium supplementation on markers of bone metabolism in a postmenopausal osteopenic population with low calcium intake: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial,” researchers from the Centre for Metabolic Bone Disease, University of Hull, Hull Infirmary, UK, compared the efficacy and tolerability of 500 mg/day of calcium in the form of MCHC versus 500 mg/day of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and placebo in the prevention of postmenopausal bone loss. The researchers opined that while both MCHC and TCP “were well tolerated and significantly reduced bone turnover markers,” the effect of MCHC “seems slightly superior to that of tricalcium phosphate.”

“What we have found is that MCHC contains not yet well characterized proteins and peptide fragments that we believe are working with the bones’ osteoblasts stimulating reuptake of calcium into the bones,” says Mark Olson, CEO of Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM).

If you’re going to try MCHC, one rule of thumb is to avoid MCHC from China, due to potential lack of quality control. Seek MCHC from Australia and New Zealand. This provides an extremely active peptide-rich source of bone-building nutrients.

Bone Maximizer™ III from MRM supplies not only 4,000 milligrams of peptide-rich MCHC from Australia and New Zealand in only three capsules, but also supplies the sunshine vitamin D, which is absolutely essential for calcium absorption and overall immune health; magnesium, boron and zinc, major and trace minerals critical to bone and collagen health; glucosamine sulfate and methylsulfonyl methane for maintaining healthy flexibility and cushioning; and vitamins C and K, for building the bone matrix. N

Resources

Bone Maximizer III is available at natural health retailers nationwide. To find a store near you or for more information, please call 1-800-948-6296 or visit www.mrm-usa.com.

The Holistic Pathway to a Perfect Heart

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:55:00 GMT

The death rates for heart disease and stroke each dropped by about 30 percent between 1999 and 2006, allowing American Heart Association to reach its 2010 goal of a 25 percent reduction in deaths four years early.

While it’s wonderful news, there’s still much progress to be made in terms of fighting heart disease. “Although death rates are declining, several of the risk factors leading to heart disease are increasing,” says Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, an American Heart Association spokeswoman. “There is an increase in obesity, diabetes and physical inactivity, which all lead to heart disease and stroke.”

Prevention—The Best Approach

The best strategy remains prevention—and that means taking a holistic approach to your health that incorporates diet, lifestyle, exercise, stress reduction, and maintaining emotional and mental well-being.

Diet, in particular, plays a key factor in heart disease prevention. The foods you eat and your nutritional intake can go a long way in supporting heart health.

For example, garlic and wild salmon are two powerfully healthy foods for your heart and your blood circulation.

No question that bananas and orange juice, rich in potassium, deliver powerful heart health benefits. Pomegranate juice and green tea are also heart healthy beverages. Both of these powerful foods supply extra antioxidants to your body, and antioxidants are major long-term protectors of your heart and arteries.

However, although there are many foods that are part of a heart-healthy diet, you might not always eat them often enough to get optimal amounts of their nutrients.

Organ meats are rich in coenzyme Q10, but most people won’t eat organs. Similarly, sardines and salmon are rich in not only heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids but also acetyl-l-carnitine, which is critical to maintaining the health of your heart cells, but not enough of us consume enough seafood or other meats and dairy that also contain these nutrients. Ditto for another important heart-health antioxidant called alpha-lipoic acid. Good food sources of alpha-lipoic acid include spinach, broccoli, beef, yeast (particularly brewer’s yeast), and certain organ meats (such as the kidney and heart).

As for vitamin E, another important heart-health nutrient, you would have to consume a pound of butter daily to obtain enough!

Supplements for a Healthy Heart

Supplements are designed to keep you staying healthy and to avoid costly problems down the road. Their cost is insignificant when compared to their benefits in helping to prevent and delay the onset of challenging health conditions.

Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM) offers three vital supplement formulas that, taken together, will provide your body with all of these heart-healthy nutrients.

ChoLESStat—MRM’s formula designed to support healthy cholesterol levels contains Flaphenol, a homogeneous extract derived from the Spanish olea and other citrus plants, that delivers the antioxidant and cholesterol health benefits of flavonoids and polyphenols. The plant matter is intricately mixed before extraction, then crystallized to enhance the water-soluble properties. This bio-enhancement makes the flavonoids and polyphenols highly absorbable, enabling the body to synthesize cholesterol more effectively. Preliminary evidence suggests Flaphenol supports normal cholesterol levels just as well as prescription medications but without drug-related side effects.

Policosanol, also part of ChoLESStat, is a mixture of fatty acids derived from sugar cane, rice bran, or the wax of honey bees. These fatty acids work to support healthy cholesterol by several mechanisms, including blocking the formation of cholesterol in the liver.

ChoLESStat’s guggulipid, a resinous herb from India, supports healthy cholesterol levels in the blood. In recent clinical trials, patients using guggulipid had an overall cholesterol decline in the range of 14 to 27 percent. Inositol hexanicotinate is a variety of niacin that does not cause skin flushing and risk of liver damage, like some other forms of niacin. It decreases free-fatty-acid mobilization and synthesis of very low-density lipoproteins in the liver; this results in a decrease in LDLs, total cholesterol and triglycerides. Finally, ChoLESStat contains betasitosterol, a component found in soybeans and rice, that has been shown to decrease the absorption of cholesterol into the digestive system.

Co-Q10 with L-Carnitine—MRM delivers one of the highest quality L-carnitine products you can find in liquid form for maximum absorption and combines it with coenzyme Q10 for maximum heart health support. Studies suggest that people who take L-carnitine supplements soon after suffering a heart attack may be less likely to suffer a subsequent heart attack, die of heart disease, experience chest pain and abnormal heart rhythms, or develop congestive heart failure (CHF). (CHF is a condition that leads to a backup of blood into the lungs and legs because the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently.)

In addition, people with coronary artery disease who use L-carnitine along with standard medications may be able to sustain physical activity for longer periods of time.

In addition to reducing one’s chances of developing heart failure after a heart attack, some studies suggest that L-carnitine may help treat CHF once it has set in. These studies have shown that L-carnitine may improve exercise capacity in people with CHF.

In several studies, people who took L-carnitine supplements had a significant lowering of their total cholesterol and triglycerides, and an increase in their HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels.

Decreased blood flow to the legs from atherosclerosis (plaque buildup) often causes an aching or cramping pain in the legs while walking or exercising difficult. This pain is called intermittent claudication and the diminished blood flow to the legs is called peripheral vascular disease (PVD). At least one well-designed study suggests that carnitine supplements may improve muscle function and exercise capacity in those with PVD. In other words, people with PVD may be able to walk farther and longer if they take carnitine.

Complete E—When someone mentions vitamin E, most of us never consider the fact that vitamin E is actually a family of related compounds and that many of these close cousins are also very powerful health promoters.

The vitamin E family consists of at least eight different compounds: four tocopherols and four tocotrienols (designated as alpha, beta, gamma, and delta). Each of these is metabolized in the body into other important healthful compounds. Tocotrienols are most abundant in cereal grains including barley, rice, rye, and wheat, and the fruit of palm.

Unfortunately, the common commercial sources of natural vitamin E (soy, corn, cottonseed, canola, and sunflower oil distillates) contain little or no tocotrienols. What’s more, synthetic vitamin E contains only alpha-tocopherol, and one of the other tocopherols and tocotrienols.

We now know that:

Gamma-tocopherol has stronger anti-inflammatory properties than alpha-tocopherol and appears to be more potent than alpha-tocopherol in increasing activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), a major antioxidant enzyme, in plasma and arterial tissues.
Gamma-tocotrienol inhibits a specific liver enzyme involved in cholesterol production, which results in less cholesterol being manufactured by liver cells.

MRM’s full-spectrum vitamin E supplement is one of the best available today and comes highly recommended by our health researchers. Not only is it rich in all of the known tocopherol isomers of vitamin E, it also supplies all of the known tocotrienols, along with vitamin C palmitate and a small amount of alpha-linolenic acid, which aids the body’s utilization and recycling of vitamin E.

Resources

To find the nutrients discussed in this article, look for ChoLESStat, Co-Q10 with L-Carnitine, and Complete E from Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM). Known for delivering extremely high quality supplements, their products are available at health food stores and natural product supermarkets nationwide. To find a natural health center in your community carrying them, contact MRM toll-free at 800-948-6296 or visit their website atwww.mrm-usa.com.

Fighting the ‘Disease’ of Aging

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:33:00 GMT

by L. Stephen Coles, M.D., Ph.D.

While aging may not be technically classified as a disease—at least not by conventional medicine—the process itself is certainly unpleasant; yet, there is a great deal we can do, nutritionally speaking, to stem the tide.

While some people have opted for human growth hormone (hGH) injections à la Barry Bonds and other athletes and anti-aging enthusiasts, a more holistic and better approach, we think, would be to use an integrative or complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) approach. We want to address major organ systems that typically decline with age, such as the brain, kidneys, liver, cardiovascular, and sexual, among others. And we want to do so safely and with good evidence of efficacy.

Protect Mitochondrial Function

One of the key methods to fight aging is to protect mitochondria, the body's cellular energy factories. Anti-aging researchers have identified a group of nutrients that can directly or indirectly protect mitochondria from oxidative damage and improve mitochondrial function, and they named them "mitochondrial nutrients."

The direct protection includes preventing the generation of oxidants, scavenging free radicals or inhibiting reactive oxidant species, and elevating cofactors of defective mitochondrial enzymes (with an increased Michaelis-Menten Constant) to stimulate enzymatic activity, and also protect enzymes from further oxidation; the indirect protection includes repairing oxidative damage by enhancing antioxidant defense systems either through activation of Phase-2 enzymes or through increases in mitochondrial biogenesis.

Writing in the January 2008 issue of Neurochemical Research, researcher Jie Liu of the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, University of California, notes that the use of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) with acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) can "...improve the age-associated decline of memory, improve mitochondrial structure and function, inhibit the age-associated increase of oxidative damage, elevate the levels of antioxidants, and restore the activity of key enzymes." In fact, the use of all three "...appears more effective in improving cognitive dysfunction and reducing oxidative mitochondrial dysfunction. Therefore, administering mitochondrial nutrients, such as ALA and its derivatives in combination with other mitochondrial nutrients to aged people and patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, may be an effective strategy for improving mitochondrial and cognitive dysfunction."

Interestingly, it is probably best to supplement with ALC and the closely related l-carnitine. Both are adept at transporting fatty acids into cellular mitochondria.

Brain Energetics

Dr. Paris Kidd, writing in the December 2005 issue of Alternative Medicine Review, discusses brain energetics, noting, "Degenerative brain disorders (neurodegeneration) can be frustrating for both conventional and alternative practitioners. A more comprehensive, integrative approach is urgently needed. One emerging focus for intervention is brain energetics." He says that electron leakages inherent to mitochondrial energetics generate reactive oxygen free radical species that may place the ultimate limit on lifespan. Exogenous toxins, such as mercury and other environmental contaminants, exacerbate mitochondrial electron leakage, hastening their demise and that of their host cells.

Orthomolecular nutrients involved in mitochondrial metabolism provide clinical benefit. Among these are the essential minerals of the B vitamin group, vitamins E and K, and the antioxidant and energetic cofactors ALA, CoQ10, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced (NADH). He says that ALC provides mitochondrial support, conserves growth-factor receptors and has improved cognition in double-blind trials. The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is also beneficial. He recommends "...integrating these safe and well-tolerated orthomolecular nutrients into a comprehensive dietary supplementation program for brain vitality and productive lifespan."

Taking Care of Your Heart

In the January-February 2006 issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, B. S. Kendler says that conditionally essential nutrients (CENs) such as ALA, ALC, and CoQ10 "...have demonstrated favorable clinical effects in…chronic heart failure, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and in [cardiovascular disease] risk factors, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and Lipoprotein(a) [LP(a)]. Limited research has pointed to possible benefits in CVD therapy accruing from supplementation with several CENs in combination. Additional controlled clinical studies of CENs in CVD are urgently needed. In view of the efficacy and safety of appropriate supplementation with CENs, it is strongly suggested that health care professionals become knowledgeable about these potentially important additions to the CVD therapeutic armamentarium."

Preserve Kidney Health

Although we often think of environmental pollution as a cause of cancer, intake of lead and mercury also affects kidney and cognitive function, as well as being a contributor to high blood pressure. In the December 2007 issue of Nature Clinical Practice Nephrology, researchers from the Division of Nephrology and Poison Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, found that chelation therapy with ethylene diamine tetracetic acid (EDTA) was extremely helpful. They note that, “Previous research suggests that repeated lead-chelation therapy decelerates progression of renal insufficiency in non-diabetic (non-DM) patients with high-normal Body Lead Burden (BLB).” In their most recent study, a total of 116 non-DM patients with chronic kidney diseases were randomly assigned to a chelation or control group in this four-year clinical trial. During the ensuing 48 months, repeated chelation therapy was administered weekly to chelation group patients. Their conclusion? “Repeated chelation therapies can, over a four-year period, slow progression of renal insufficiency in non-DM patients with high-normal BLB.” Fortunately, for preventive and health-maintenance purposes, we also know that oral EDTA use can reduce mercury and lead body burdens.

The Doctors’ Prescription

Do you want to stay healthy for as long as possible and fight the aging process? If you do, seek out these important nutrients. They’re available to help you maintain great health for as long as possible. Quality and scientific validation are a priority, but if you can combine these with value, then you have a great anti-aging line. That’s what we found with Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM), one of our favorite companies, which combines quality with value. They also just happen to have one of the most fantastic lines of anti-aging nutrients we have yet discovered.

Let’s start with MRM’s liquid Acetyl L-Carnitine. Not only is ALC one of the most important trophic and anti-aging nutrients, its liquid form is probably the most body-ready and bioavailable.

Combine Liquid ALC with MRM’s Alpha-Lipoic Acid 300 milligram (mg) capsules for superb anti-aging benefits. Similar to ALC, as mentioned, l-carnitine also helps to transport fatty acids into cellular mitochondria for energy production, and works closely with ALC to amplify its benefits. MRM has combined l-carnitine with CoQ10 in another excellent liquid supplement known, not surprisingly, as Co-Q 10 100 mg with L-Carnitine 1000 mg.

For fighting environmental toxicity, Cardio-Chelate™ with EDTA is another excellent supplement. The Food and Drug Administration approved its use 50 years ago for the treatment of lead, mercury, aluminum, and cadmium toxicity. This is due to its ability to bind to, or “normalize,” the distribution of metallic elements within the body.

Besides these important anti-aging supplements, you should also know about their LiverX™ with highly absorbable silymarin for liver health, Bone Maximizer™ III with microcrystalline hydroxyapatite concentrate and other vital bone and joint nutrients, and Neuro-Max™ II, a “state of the art” brain-enhancing formula with phosphatidylserine and other phospholipids, Ginkgo biloba extract, ashwagandha, Bacopa monnieri, cytidine diphosphate choline, vinpocetine, and niacin. Each of these will help you to address additional age-related conditions.

It’s true that pharmaceutical companies would benefit financially by developing a whole host of anti-aging drugs for you to spend your money on. But for now, the nutritional approach is smart, economic, safe, and proven to provide real health benefits. As an anti-aging expert, I use these nutrients myself. They’re the best that Nature has to offer.

Resources

MRM’s cutting-edge supplements are available nationwide at health food stores and natural product supermarkets. MRM is one of the top nutrition companies, recognized for combining value and quality. For more information or to find a store near you, call 800-948-6296, or visit at www.mrm-usa.com.

Take Charge of Menopause & Osteoporosis

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:26:00 GMT

One of the landmarks in women's health history that ought to be celebrated was the unexpected 7 percent decline in breast cancer for the year 2003 announced in 2007.

According to researchers, the decline appears to be closely correlated with a 68 percent decline in use of hormone replacement therapy between 2001 and 2003 as a result of dramatic adverse findings and the early termination of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study. The WHI was the largest study ever conducted on HRT and was abruptly terminated in July 2001, due to a finding of significant increases in the risk of breast cancer, stroke, and heart attacks by women using PremPro, manufactured by Wyeth, that had been prescribed for decades since the 1950s. These women were shown to have a 26 percent higher risk of breast cancer than those taking a placebo. While the WHI showed the combination drug PremPro lowered the risk of colon cancer and hip fracture, it raised the number of strokes by 41 percent and the number of heart attacks by 29 percent.

However, the Surgeon General's Report on bone health, issued in 2004, forecasts that by the year 2020 half of all Americans over the age of 50 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis.

I know how important bone health is for women, and I want to see them using the safest and most effective methods for addressing menopausal symptoms and bone loss. That would mean use of black cohosh, for example, to address menopause symptoms, and time-tested standards like calcium and vitamin D (as well as exercise) to promote bone health.

I have been a big fan of formulas from Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM)—and they indeed provide two formulas that I think women ought to know about.

Special form of Calcium

Not all calcium supplements are created equal in terms of their bioavailability. One specific form—which is clinically tested and proven effective—is microcrystalline hydroxyapatite calcium (MCHC). According to a recent medical journal, MCHC outperformed standard calcium carbonate in the management of postmenopausal bone loss.

This special supplement—found in Bone Maximizer™ III—supplies calcium in the form that it occurs in the body and is therefore absorbed quickly. Plus, it provides phosphorus and other bone-building nutrients, which is very important.

Our bone cells use protein and other nutrients to produce collagen. Through a crystallizing process, minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and many others attach to the collagen fibers. This hardens and strengthens bones. MCHC provides collagen protein and stimulates crystallization processes. Plus, it's an excellent source of trace elements too, like boron, copper, zinc and silica, also crucial to building strong bones. Dietary deficiencies of these trace elements can lead to increased risk for osteoporosis, and many women's diets are deficient in them too.

In a study from Current Medical Research and Opinion, mineral retention was measured in patients with nutritional osteomalacia (in which the essential problem is a lack of available calcium or phosphorus [or both] for mineralization of newly formed bones) or late rickets. "Mineral retention was markedly enhanced by supplementation with microcyrstalline hydroxyapatite compound (MCHC)," they reported.

According to a July 1999 report in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, continuous administration of a form of MCHC "prevents bone loss in postmenopausal women, suggesting that this 'drug' may be useful in the management of postmenopausal bone loss." This study showed it outperformed calcium carbonate. (Actually, in the United States, MCHC is not considered to be a drug but rather a nutritional supplement.)

The aim of a 1995 study, published in Osteoporosis International, was to evaluate whether MCHC is more effective than calcium carbonate in preventing further bone loss in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Forty osteoporotic patients were monitored for 20 months. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups and treated in a double-blind manner with 1,400 mg calcium per day, in the form of either MCHC or calcium carbonate. After 20 months of treatment, the difference between the groups was statistically significant and showed MCHC "is more effective than [calcium carbonate] in slowing peripheral trabecular bone loss in patients with manifest osteoporosis."

Phosphorus Critical

Beyond calcium, additional nutrients are critical to your bone matrix. I mentioned phosphorus. Most women don't realize when they take calcium, it blocks absorption of phosphorous. According to a report in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (2002;21:239-244), individuals taking calcium supplements are at risk of developing phosphorus deficiency.

In this study, researchers studied the effect of different levels of calcium intake on the absorption of phosphorus by healthy men and women between the ages of 19 and 78. They found that for each 500 mg per day increase in calcium intake, the absorption of phosphorus decreased by 166 mg per day. "For an elderly person taking 1,500 mg of supplemental calcium per day, that would translate to approximately a 45 percent reduction in the amount of phosphorus absorbed," comments physician and nutrition expert Alan Gaby, M.D. "Supplementing with large amounts of calcium could lead to a phosphorus deficiency in people who are consuming marginal amounts of the mineral."

To prevent calcium-induced phosphorus deficiency, the authors of this study recommend that at least a portion of an older person's calcium supplementation be taken in the form of a calcium-phosphate preparation, instead of the more commonly used calcium carbonate or calcium citrate.

They point out that one of the most successful clinical studies of calcium supplementation in elderly people used such calcium-phosphorous supplements as the calcium source. Fortunately, MCHC contains both calcium and phosphorous in a two-to-one ratio. This makes a supplement like Bone Maximizer III unique, so with this supplement we address these issues, too.

Plus, Bone Maximizer III's dosage is only three capsules daily compared to five or six for other brands.

Soy & Black Cohosh for Menopausal Symptoms

Recently, researchers have revealed that dietary modifications as well as nutritional supplementation may play a key role in easing the natural transitions throughout a women's lifetime—and that these can easily replace needlessly dangerous use of synthetic hormone replacement therapy. This is where MRM's Menopause Rx™ can play a major supportive role.

Phytoestrogens are compounds that are derived from natural sources and are similar in structure to the body's own estrogen. The most recognized phytoestrogens are derived from soy and black cohosh. Soy provides two vital phytoestrogens, genestein and daidzein, with proven anticancer and bone-building benefits, as well as the ability to alleviate menopausal symptoms.

Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) is a particularly safe and effective menopause support herb. It "relieves many symptoms, especially cramps, irritability and depression," notes Ann Louise Gittleman, M.S., C.N.S. Many experts believe that the herb is "more effective than Premarin in dealing with anxiety, depression and vaginal dryness," says Gittleman.

Also added to the formula is an herbal blend of chaste tree extract and dong quai. The purple-flowered herb known as chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) has been used as a remedy for thousands of years, mostly by women to ease menstrual problems and to stimulate the production of breast milk. In the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, it is listed as a potentially helpful therapy right alongside conventional medical treatments such as antidepressants, hormones and cognitive therapy.

Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) has a long-standing tradition in Asia as a remedy especially suited to women. Dong quai has been used in conditions such as dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), metrorrhagia (abnormal menstruation), menopausal symptoms (especially hot flashes) and to assure a healthy pregnancy and easy delivery. The pharmacology of dong quai is related to its high coumarin content.

In addition, St. John's wort, 5-HTP and l-taurine are added to the formula for mood-enhancing effects. Both St. John's wort and 5-HTP are mild antidepressants. To round out the formula, Panax Ginseng is added to keep energy levels high.

During a time when our budgets are often stretched, it is reassuring to know that MRM formulas deliver proven health benefits along with value. What's more, they are a smart alternative to toxic prescription medications and ought to be a first choice for all women.

—L. Stephen Coles, M.D., Ph.D.

Resources

Both Bone Maximizer III and Menopause Rx from MRM are available nationwide at natural health centers and from health professionals. Contact MRM directly to find a store near you. The toll-free number is 800-948-6296. You can also visit www.mrm-usa.com.

Get More out of Your Golden Years

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:21:00 GMT

Your Guide to Improving Health as You Age

by L. Stephen Coles, M.D., Ph.D.

In sports, there is a saying that the best defense is a great offense. And that saying is just as true for healthy aging as it is for winning at sports.

As the years go by, our health can stay just as golden as our age if we are careful to watch our diet, exercise, and use the correct anti-aging supplements that will tip the odds for staying healthy and vibrant in our favor. As an anti-aging physician, I have found that by taking care of long-term health with a good proactive plan, you can live a long and healthy life and enjoy your golden years. Of course, eating low on the food chain with plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and lean protein sources such as wild salmon, as well as exercise should be part of your daily health program. In addition, I also recommend key dietary supplements to address specific health concerns.

Epilobium for Men's Health

Taking care of the prostate is critical for men. Prostate problems afflict approximately half of all men near age 50, but early signs of prostate problems, such as difficulty urinating, dribbling, frequent trips to the bathroom and pain in the low back region, can plague men even in their 30s or 40s. The problems occur when the prostate enlarges and squeezes on the urethra, blocking the passage of urine from the bladder.

While many men seek help with prescription medications such as finasteride (Flomax), as I've stated in the past, this is a medicine fraught with side effects and complications. I have found an herb—epilobium—that I think works equally well and perhaps even better at supporting men's health.

Epilobium, contained in the supplement ProLobium™, has been celebrated for its health successes throughout Europe for decades, and has just recently been "rediscovered" as a potent support pathway for a variety of male (and female) maladies.

Attention was originally focused on epilobium for its beneficial effects regarding prostate health for men and urinary-tract health for women. The use of epilobium (from the family Onagraceae) was widespread in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in certain areas of North America for centuries to treat conditions of the genitourinary system. Furthermore, epilobium has been and continues to be the subject of numerous studies throughout Europe. Further study showed that it is more potent than saw palmetto and has similar, yet more powerful effects for blocking dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the most common cause of enlarged prostate and also of male-pattern hair loss.

In traditional herbal medicine, epilobium has been proven to have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. It has been used successfully for bladder health maintenance, male health maintenance, hormonal balance, and urinary system health.

Researchers from the Department of Pharmacology at the Medical University of Warsaw studied aqueous extracts of Epilobium angustifolium and its main component Oenothein B, a dimeric macrocyclic ellagitannin. They found that they were specifically able to induce a neutral endopeptidase (NEP), thereby inhibiting the proliferation of human prostate cells. This result may partly explain the effectiveness of epilobium extracts after centuries of empirical folk medicine. Other researchers located in the Department of Pharmacology of Natural Substances and General Physiology at the University of Rome have studied epilobium as a treatment for benign prostatic hypertrophy and also found that it inhibits proliferation of human prostate cells.

ProLobium from MRM (Metabolic Response Modifiers) is the premier source for epilobium. This is definitely a supplement men will want to take daily.

Bone Health

Bone health is a critical issue not only for women; doctors now recommend bone health screening for aging men as well. The key supplements here are calcium and vitamin D. However, not all supplements are created equal in terms of their bioavailability. You can improve your calcium absorption by using a specific form—which is clinically tested and proven effective—called microcrystalline hydroxyapatite calcium (MCHC). According to a recent medical journal, MCHC outperformed standard calcium carbonate in the management of postmenopausal bone loss.

This all-natural source provides calcium in the form that it occurs in the body and is therefore absorbed quickly. Plus, it provides phosphorus and other bone-building nutrients, which is very important.

Our bone cells use protein and other nutrients to produce collagen. Through a crystallizing process, minerals such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium and many others attach to the collagen fibers. This hardens and strengthens bones. MCHC provides collagen protein and stimulates crystallization processes. Plus, it's an excellent source of major and trace elements too, like phosphorous, boron, copper, zinc and silica, also crucial to building strong bones. Dietary deficiencies of these trace elements can also lead to increased risk for osteoporosis, and many women's diets are deficient in them as well.

In a study from Current Medical Research and Opinion, mineral retention was measured in patients with nutritional osteomalacia (in which the essential problem is a lack of available calcium or phosphorus [or both] for mineralization of newly formed bones) or late rickets. "Mineral retention was markedly enhanced by supplementation with microcrystalline hydroxyapatite compound (MCHC)," they reported.

According to a report in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, continuous administration of a form of MCHC "prevents bone loss in postmenopausal women," suggesting that this completely drug-free and natural supplement "may be useful in the management of postmenopausal bone loss." This study showed it outperformed calcium carbonate.

The aim of a 1995 study, published in Osteoporosis International, was to evaluate whether MCHC is more effective than calcium carbonate in preventing further bone loss in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Forty osteoporotic patients were monitored for 20 months. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups and treated in a double-masked manner with 1,400 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day, in the form of either MCHC or calcium carbonate. After 20 months of treatment, the difference between the groups was statistically significant and showed MCHC "is more effective than [calcium carbonate] in slowing peripheral trabecular bone loss in patients with manifest osteoporosis."

So when you think of calcium, think MCHC—specifically Bone Maximizer™ III from MRM, a reliable, quality-driven company.

Bone Maximizer III delivers phenomenal benefits in only three capsules daily versus other bone health supplements.

Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading killer of older Americans. Women are even less likely than men to survive a heart attack. For this reason, I strongly recommend supplements aimed specifically at heart health. Many doctors continue to recommend drugs such as the statins to lower cholesterol even though these medications have side effects and are burdensome on the liver and kidneys. (In fact, many people with heart disease have underlying liver disease, making statins unwise to take.)

You can take a natural approach to lowering cholesterol levels by eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet, getting regular exercise, and taking specific nutrients that help your body maintain healthier cholesterol levels.

Chelation is a natural process by which metals or minerals bond to another substance—in this case ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)—and are transported from the body. When EDTA is infused into a person's bloodstream, it bonds with unwanted metals (iron, lead, mercury, cadmium) and pushes them into the urine and/or feces. Incredibly, for the most part, EDTA leaves intact essential vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. But by flushing out the bad stuff, EDTA gives vulnerable arteries, capillaries, and blood vessels the opportunity to function normally.

Dr. Elmer Cranton, a champion of chelation therapy, reports that on average, 85 percent of chelation patients have improved significantly, and the number grows much higher when therapy is combined with a healthy lifestyle. Chelation is particularly adept at removing iron, which is now linked with a high risk of heart disease.

"EDTA not only binds lead and cadmium, both closely associated with vascular disease, but also picks up free iron," notes Robert J. Rowen, M.D., in the Second Opinion newsletter. "You already know that iron can be as deadly as it is life giving. Iron, when it's bound by enzymes and proteins, is healthy in the right amounts. When the iron isn't bound, it's a powerful generator of highly destructive free radicals, but it's also available for EDTA binding and removal!"

Excess free iron is now widely recognized as an important contributor to heart disease. Thus, we need to be able to remove iron from the body. Meanwhile, lead and cadmium are seriously underrated for their contribution to heart disease. These must also be removed.

Sadly, medical insurance companies continue to let politics get in the way of medicine, denying reimbursements for chelation therapy—which until recently could only be delivered intravenously in a doctor's office. Chelation therapy costs can run past $4,000, deterring many patients from benefiting from it.

Finally, however, EDTA is available in pill form, enabling all of us to enjoy the benefits without the prohibitive costs. Cardio-Chelate™ is a natural formula that can help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels without negative side effects.

MRM not only includes 400 mg of EDTA in each Cardio-Chelate pill, but also 100 mg of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), 50 mg of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), and 100 mg of vitamin C. The result is a formula that achieves all the benefits of oral chelation, but with a few extra bonuses thrown in for good measure.

MSM is naturally occurring sulfur that makes cell walls more permeable to allow nutrients in—and let toxins out. NAC, like MSM, is an antioxidant sulfur and a chemical precursor to glutathione, a molecule that plays a pivotal role in the body's (and particularly the liver's) detoxification processes. Vitamin C is a proven antioxidant, and also protects the arterial lining from building up plaque.

By removing lead from the body we also help to support healthy blood pressure since high lead levels are strongly linked with hypertension.

For anybody with an underlying cholesterol health challenge, ChoLESStat™ combines several nutrients and phytochemicals that can play an important supplemental role in supporting healthy cholesterol levels. These include policosanol, guggulipid, inositol hexaniacinate, olive leaf/citrus flavonoid-rich extract, and beta-sitosterol. In fact, several of these cholesterol-modulating agents actually will outperform medical drugs even though they are classified as dietary supplements, and they should by no means be regarded as drugs intended to cure or treat disease.

The combination of these formulas working at multiple biochemical sites produces synergistic results. So be sure to eat plenty of organic fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and lean meats, exercise at least a half-hour to an hour daily, and take your supplements.

With the right lifestyle and supplement plan, the healthiest years of your life may be those yet to come.

Resources

Nutritional supplements from MRM are available at natural health centers and from health professionals. You can contact MRM to find a store near you. Call them toll-free at 800-948-6296 or visit www.mrm-usa.com.

Looking Out for Your Liver

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:11:00 GMT

Your liver works hard taking care of you. The right formulation of nutrients and herbs can help you to take care of it.

While you have been enjoying the celebrations and indulgences of the season, your liver has been working harder than ever. The holidays are a time of cheer, but can also be a time when we don't get enough sleep, forget to exercise, and are under a tremendous amount of stress. Combine this with rich foods, alcohol, and cold and flu season (and all the medications that go with it), and your liver is working overtime. Our livers can have a hard time keeping up with all of our frolicking. One could say that the liver is the body's underappreciated workhorse.

by Scott Olson, N.D.

Show your liver you care. Taking a supplement specifically designed to support liver function is a great way to start the New Year in good health.

What Does the Liver Do?

There is a joke that medical students have about their exams: If you don't know the answer to a question on any test, just write "the liver," and you will be right most of the time. Saying that the liver does everything is a bit of an overstatement, but it is close to the truth. While medical science can mimic the functioning of the kidneys with dialysis, and even make a passable heart, the many complex functions of the liver simply cannot be copied by a machine.

The liver has over 500 functions; some of the more important are:

Whenever we eat something and the food is absorbed into our bloodstream, its first stop is the liver. The liver is largely responsible for carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism.
When your body is done with something, like a hormone, it goes to the liver to be broken down before being reused or eliminated from the body. Stress hormones, estrogen and other sex hormones are all eliminated by the liver. The liver also helps to regulate hormones like insulin.
It is commonly thought that cholesterol is the result of how much fat you eat, but your liver makes most of the cholesterol in your body as well as other fats like triglycerides.
The liver produces and regulates clotting factors. These factors are the reason our blood clots whenever we get a cut. It also creates some of the proteins necessary for our immune systems to function.
The liver stores a large part of our energy reserve as a molecule called glycogen, which is easily turned back to glucose (sugar) for energy; it also stores many important vitamins and minerals like vitamin B12, iron, copper and others.
Probably the most vital role the liver plays is in detoxification. It is the liver's job to remove harmful substances that we have encountered. This includes toxins in the foods we eat, in the air we breathe, and even those that come into contact with our skin. The liver protects us by first making toxins less harmful, and then removing them from the body.

Modern World Meets Liver

The liver has amazing powers to handle the large amount of junk that we throw at it—it can really handle a lot of abuse. It is the only organ in the body that regenerates itself; doctors know they can cut away over half of a person's liver, only to have it grow back.
But saying the liver is tough does not mean that you cannot damage it. The liver is particularly sensitive to things like alcohol and certain chemicals in our environment. Artificial chemicals in foods, like preservatives, coloring, and other additives, all place a load on the liver. Any drug you are taking, prescription or over-the-counter, also adds to the work of the liver.
Likewise, if you haven't been eating as well as you should, your liver pays the price. Maybe you have been tempted by too many seasonal treats and drinks. The more food you are eating, the more the liver has to work. Even being under stress and not getting enough sleep can create problems for the liver.
The modern world can make your liver work extra hard to keep up, and it needs a helping hand. Thankfully, that can be easy to provide.

Providing High-Octane Fuel for the Liver

Scientists have uncovered just what nutrients your liver needs to function optimally. Just like your car's engine needs a good-quality gas to run its best, your liver needs these nutrients.
Key among these nutrients are N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) and alpha lipoic acid (ALA). These can be supplemented and are the perfect fuel for the liver.
NAC is actually used by emergency room physicians when people overdose on certain drugs (like acetaminophen). NAC is a powerful antioxidant, and works to supercharge the liver's abilities.
ALA is known as the "universal antioxidant" because it can work both inside and outside of cells. It has excelled in studies that focus on the liver, including alcohol-induced liver damage, mushroom poisoning, heavy metal poisoning, and carbon tetrachloride poisoning.

A Step Better

LiverX™ is a product by the nutritional pioneers at Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM). Not only have the biochemists at MRM created a great product for supporting liver detoxification that includes NAC, ALA, and other necessary nutrients, they have also gone a step further by adding liver-supporting herbs.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is the jewel of liver herbs. It has been prized for its beneficial effects on the liver for over 2,000 years. Modern science has backed up the amazing liver-protective abilities of this seemingly humble herb with hundreds of clinical studies. Milk thistle is known to protect the liver from damage, support liver function, act as a powerful antioxidant, and help eliminate toxins from the blood.
MRM has created a highly absorbable form of milk thistle called BioSorb™ Silymarin. Clinical studies of this form of milk thistle show that its absorption is five times that of normal extracts.
Also added to the LiverX formula are Picrorhiza kurroa and Andrographis paniculata. These two herbs come from Ayurvedic traditional medicine. Andrographis has strong antioxidant capabilities and liver-protecting abilities. Picrorhiza has likewise excelled in studies on the liver, and it may have even more powerful effects than milk thistle for protecting the liver.

A Helping Hand

MRM is a company dedicated to bringing the best natural products to the market. Using only the finest ingredients, they strive to create formulas that are not only helpful, but also highly absorbable.
Modern life alone puts stress on your liver, and if you've spent the holidays enjoying yourself a little too much, making a resolution to support your liver is an especially good idea. Give your hard-working liver a helping hand with LiverX, now and throughout the year

Resources

MRM products are available nationwide at natural health centers and from health professionals. Contact MRM directly to find a store near you. The toll-free number is 800-948-6296; online at www.mrm-usa.com.

A Synergistic Combo for Longevity

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:07:00 GMT

Why do CoQ10 and L-carnitine belong together in a single supplement? Is it because of their closely linked roles in the biochemistry of metabolic energy? After all, both are found in almost every cell of the body and they are necessary for our metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. L-carnitine helps transport long chain fatty acids into the cell energy factories known as mitochondria, for which CoQ10 supplies the spark. Together, these two vital nutrients are considered to be important anti-aging nutrients.

A Synergistic Combo for Longevity

CoQ10 & L-CARNITINE ARE

IMPORTANT FOR EVERY DIET

In an article I wrote for this publication last year, I explained that the vitamin known either as coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) or ubiquinone is "one of the most powerful cardio-protective nutritional supplements on the market." Furthermore, it has virtually no known toxicity even at the very highest doses. Its safety record is unparalleled at virtually any dose.

CoQ10 is essential for the generation of all of the energy molecules within the trillions of cells in our bodies. It facilitates the synthesis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the cells' spring-loaded energy-transport molecule located inside the cytoplasm of every cell. This chemical molecule is necessary not only for our muscles but also for nearly all enzymatic reactions and for respiration. Thus, CoQ10 supplementation can contribute to one's health and overall stamina. It serves as a powerful antioxidant and acts as a cell-membrane stabilizer against free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS).

CoQ10 is a member of the quinone family of molecules, with a chain of ten carbon atoms that functions in the electron transport chain along with other cytochromes in the Krebs Cycle of the mitochondria. Recall that our mitochondria are double-walled cytoplasmic organelles—shaped like microscopic kidney beans—that function like little cellular toasters to maintain our body temperature at a constant level no matter what the outside temperature may be. Therefore, vitamin CoQ10 has become established as a product that will increase one's cellular energy.

If you lack CoQ10, your body's most important source of metabolic energy will slowly become depleted, you will start to feel cold when others nearby feel comfortable, and a variety of preexisting medical conditions will become aggravated. Because of the density of mitochondria, CoQ10 is most concentrated in the heart and the liver. The best source for CoQ10 is in a high-quality liquid multivitamin, as absorption is fast and complete (five times more efficient than pills).

The Many Benefits of CoQ10

Numerous studies have shown that CoQ10 helps promote cardiovascular health, and we have now learned that it is also good for promoting gum health. But the most dramatic new studies show that by blocking free radicals and inflammatory cytokines, while simultaneously promoting immune function and energy levels in healthy cells, CoQ10 may help block or slow the growth of breast tumors and protect healthy tissues from the ravages of chemotherapy.

The discovery of CoQ10 dates back to 1957, so this compound has just celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last year! It is naturally synthesized as a native molecule in the body, but rarely in sufficient concentrations to confer significant health benefits for patients with cardiomyopathies. Therefore, CoQ10 needs to be taken as a nutritional supplement for those who suffer from heart disease. It is widely recommended to repair heart damage and to boost the contractility of the heart (as measured by ejection fraction). It can be taken as a preventative to safeguard against chest pain on exertion (angina pectoris). It also helps with valvular damage, such as mitral-valve prolapse.

CoQ10 has been found to be effective in cases of congestive heart failure (CHF) in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. By taking at a dose of 100 mg a day, CoQ10 increases aerobic activity and protects the cardiomyocytes. It has also been shown to be beneficial in helping to maintain cognitive function due to its antioxidant qualities (in the ubiquinol form), quenching free radicals in the brain before they can exert harmful effects.

Taking CoQ10 compensates for many of the serious side effects of statin drugs (medications used to lower cholesterol, which in turn lower plasma concentrations of CoQ10) as well as other prescription drugs, like beta blockers. Oral anti-diabetic medications can also potentially inhibit the effects of CoQ10. CoQ10 reduces hypertension and blood lipids. It has been shown to ameliorate chronic fatigue syndrome, and when administered at higher doses it helps strengthen the immune system.

While this vitamin does occur naturally in many fruits and vegetables, it is difficult if not impossible to get enough of it on a daily basis from food alone. Men who have been diagnosed with coronary heart disease should consider taking 300 mg of CoQ10 a day, as should women with breast cancer. This dose has been shown to increase survival times in women with breast cancer.

CoQ10 has also been found to be useful in Parkinson's disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease, affecting approximately 1 percent of the population older than 50 and which rises exponentially with age thereafter, up to age 80. Note that you should consult your doctor before taking CoQ10 if you have liver or kidney disease or if you suffer from diabetes.

It may even be useful in ameliorating other diseases, including muscular dystrophy and AIDS. Recent evidence demonstrates that it may also increase sperm motility in men. In summary, CoQ10 possesses a wide assortment of benefits, especially as we age.

L-Carnitine—Key Energy Factor

L-carnitine is an amino acid responsible for the metabolism of fatty acids in the body. Specifically, it transports fatty acids to the innermost section of the mitochondria where they can be metabolized and converted to ATP. Thus, it operates synergistically with CoQ10 in synthesizing ATP and producing energy. L-carnitine protects against neurodegenerative diseases and depression, stimulates nerve growth, and improves heart function. It has also been studied for its role in reducing cellular oxidative damage and potentially reducing the risk of cancer.

In terms of longevity, L-carnitine supplementation is excellent for supporting healthy brain metabolism and other cognitive functions, especially memory problems associated with aging. In particular, it has been shown to reduce damage to brain cells in the brains of patients suffering from Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative conditions.

I have personally taken both of these supplements for the more than 10 years, ever since I saw the results of a controlled laboratory congenic experiment that we performed in the UCLA Pathology Department in the early 1990s.

Best Liquid Supplement

You can receive the benefits of both CoQ10 and L-Carnitine in one supplement with the superior formula, CoQ10 100mg with L-Carnitine 1000mg. Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM) provides this supplement in liquid form because, as previously mentioned, absorption is fast and complete and, it is most easily absorbed by aging digestive tracts. The body of research suggesting the anti-aging effects of CoQ10 and L-carnitine makes it an important supplement to ensuring healthy longevity. MRM is also a company I recommend as it is driven by the solid values to create products that are of the best quality and prices.

Resources

MRM is one of the top nutrition companies today, recognized for combining value and quality. CoQ10 100mg with L-Carnitine 1000mg is available at health food stores and natural product supermarkets. For more information or to find a store near you, call MRM at 800-948-6296 or visit their website at www.mrm-usa.com.

Stephen Coles, M.D., Ph.D. is a co-founder of the Los Angeles Gerontology Research Group (http://www.grg.org) which maintains a current table of the World's Oldest Living Supercentenarians on its website with the help of 40 international experts and consults for the Guinness Book of World Records in the category of Longevity. The GRG also sponsors an Internet Discussion Group of 192 worldwide participants on Biogerontology. Dr. Coles is a Co-founder and Director of the 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Supercentenarian Research Foundation (SRF) to study the genetic basis for the longevity of the world's oldest old. He has participated in the autopsies of five California centenarians (of eight such autopsies that were done worldwide) to establish their true causes of death, which is not always the same as what gets written on Death Certificates.

Anti-Aging Arsenal–DHEA and Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:02:00 GMT

by L. Stephen Coles, M.D., Ph.D.

If we were going to pick two of the most important scientifically solid anti-aging supplements today, DHEA—whose full name is dehydroepiandrosterone—and acetyl-L-carnitine would be at the top of our list. These two are some of the most powerful anti-aging tools—and when it comes to anti-aging nutrients, no company compares to Metabolic Response Modifiers, also known as MRM, for value and quality.

DHEA is a natural pro-hormone, secreted by the adrenal cortex. Discovered in 1934, DHEA's many benefits—including weight loss and improving lean-muscle mass—weren't realized until the 1980s. Today, DHEA is recognized as a powerful anti-aging nutrient. While our bodies produce DHEA naturally, as we age, the levels decline until we are in our seventies when the body produces less than a tenth of the hormone that it did in youth.

Although scientists still have a very incomplete understanding of how DHEA functions in the human body, clinicians think of it as a buffering master hormone that supports optimal circulating levels of various steroid hormones; because of its ability to convert to androgens, it is also a buffer against the jarring effects of other adrenal hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.

Lean Muscle Connectio

Most impressive has been a 28-day study in which men using the nutritional supplement lost 31 percent of their mean body fat without changing body weight. DHEA suppresses the appetite, and particularly suppresses hunger for calorie-laden fats. The anti-obesity effect of DHEA may be based on the hormone's inhibitory effect on the fat-producing enzyme glucose-6-dehydrogenase (G6DPH), which is known to produce fat tissue and promote cancer cell growth. Another effect of DHEA seems to be its stimulation of cholecystokinin (CCK), which signals the body to feel satiated as if having completed a full meal, according to an online site.

Helps with Adrenal Dysfunction

Studies suggest that DHEA may improve well-being, quality of life, exercise capacity, sex drive, and hormone levels in patients with insufficient adrenal function, either Addison's disease or with what alternative medicine calls "adrenal burnout."

According to the Mayo Clinic, "Restoring DHEA levels to young adult values in those with partial androgen deficiency seems to benefit the age-related decline in physiological functions, but however promising, placebo-controlled trials are required to confirm these preliminary results."

Benefits for Emotional Well-Being

The majority of clinical trials investigating the effect of DHEA on depression support its use for this purpose under the guidance of a specialist. As for mood and well-being, in a 1994 double-blind controlled study conducted by Dr. Arlene Morales, Dr. Samuel Yen, and their associates at the University of California School of Medicine in San Diego, 17 women and 13 men between the ages of 40 and 70 were divided into two groups: one received 50 milligrams of DHEA orally for three months and the other group received placebos. The group receiving the DHEA had significant results in that 82 percent of the women and 67 percent of the men reported an improved sense of well-being, including better quality of sleep, increased energy, more relaxation, and increased capacity for handling stress. In another study, a group of middle-aged and elderly men taking DHEA for one year reportedly experienced a greater sense of well-being, improved ability to cope with stress, increased mobility, reduced pain, and improved sleep. Research by Owen M. Wolkowitz, M.D., and colleagues in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, determined that DHEA was effective in treating depression and that the improvement was dose-related, with greater improvement noted for participants taking larger doses of DHEA.

Approximately 30 to 50 percent of total androgens in adult men are derived from DHEA. In women, an estimated 70 percent of estrogens before menopause and nearly 100 percent after menopause are derived from DHEA.

In addition, high levels of DHEA in men correlate with low incidence of impotence.

For women, DHEA appears to offer many of the benefits of estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), but without the unwanted side effects. Relevant research in this area was conducted by Dr. Pierre Diamond in a study at Le Centre Hospitalier de l'Université Laval in Quebec City involving 20 postmenopausal women aged 60 to 70 years who were not receiving estrogen and who instead received DHEA in topical creams daily, with reported positive effects on insulin resistance, improved body mass indices, increased bone density, and reduced cholesterol. In Europe, DHEA has a long history of use as a postmenopausal antidepressant.

There is preliminary evidence that DHEA helps lupus patients and might prevent some forms of heart disease and cancer as well.

In addition, DHEA is reported to rejuvenate virtually every organ system, restore energy, improve mood, increase sex drive, relieve stress, reduce body fat, and make the skin softer and the hair shinier. No wonder so many users report a sense of improved emotional well-being.

ALC for Your Mind

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is formed by acetylation of the amino acid carnitine via an enzyme called carnitine acetyltransferase. ALC can be freely exchanged across membranes and can provide acetyl groups from which to regenerate acetyl-CoA, a vital memory nutrient.

ALC was first considered a vital memory agent because of its structural similarity to acetylcholine, reports the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. The abstract for this report further observed that experimental studies demonstrate that ALC promotes acetylcholine synthesis and release. Moreover, ALC is also able to reverse hippocampal and prefrontal neuronal loss and lipofuscin (cellular debris) accumulation in aged animals, even improving learning and memory.

The studies on this vital nutrient are extremely impressive. Researchers studied the efficacy of long-term (one-year) oral treatment with acetyl-L-carnitine in 130 patients with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. They employed 14 outcome measures to assess functional and cognitive impairment. After one year, both the treated and placebo groups worsened, but the treated group showed a slower rate of deterioration in 13 of 14 outcome measures. The analysis for patients with good treatment compliance showed a greater benefit than for the overall sample. Reported adverse events were relatively mild, and there was no significant difference between the treated and the placebo groups either in incidence or severity.

MRM for Quality DHEA & ALC

MRM's DHEA and ALC products are among the best you'll find on the market. Their ALC product comes in a liquid delivery system that is the most easily absorbed by aging digestive tracts. Two years went into its development and it's the only liquid form of ALC available. Prior to MRM's ALC liquid delivery system consumers would have to digest several capsules for it to be effective. MRM has pioneered alternative delivery methods for a number of supplements. Although DHEA is currently offered by a number of companies, MRM is one of the few manufacturers that has produced a high quality form of DHEA dating back to 1996.

About MRM

MRM sources their raw materials from around the world so that they can deliver consistently high-quality products while staying competitively priced. Skilled researchers coupled with intelligent manufacturing processes help to preserve the product quality and offer the best bioavailability for maximum efficacy. The MRM team of professionals have authored and collaborated on several university funded trials which have been published in international research journals. Hence, you can trust a high level of quality and value in any MRM product.

Resources

Acetyl L-Carnitine and DHEA from MRM are available nationwide at health food stores and natural product supermarkets. For more information or to find a store near you, call 800-948-6296, or visit at www.mrm-usa.com.

HL11/11 Digest-ALL

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:53:00 GMT

Digest-All for the Holidays

The last thing one wants is to have the pleasure of a holiday feast turn into something painful and unpleasant due to digestive problems. Perhaps, in the past, eating large meals and tempting snacks may not have been a problem, but now you are experiencing pain associated with overindulgence, or even from combinations of different types of foods. This condition is more common than one might think, and more prevalent as people age. The good news, though, is that there is a real solution that actually addresses the real problem. Using a quality natural supplement with the right combination of digestive enzymes and herbs can actually help your body better digest the many rich foods it faces this time of year. Why not take a few extra steps to ensure you can enjoy those delicious holiday meals?

by Scott Olson, N.D.

If you have heartburn, or you wake up in the morning with a sore throat (another sign of heartburn), or you have stomach pain, gas or bloating, or even diarrhea when you indulge in holiday foods, think twice before you reach for an over-the-counter remedy. The remedies that you can buy in the pharmacy come in two forms. The first are the antiacids, like Tums or Rolaids. These remedies typically contain a mineral like calcium, aluminum, or magnesium. These treatments work because they neutralize the acid in your stomach. This usually takes care of the problem pretty quickly, but it doesn't provide any lasting relief.

The other form of heartburn relief is a group of medications that can be bought over-the-counter at low doses but need a doctor's prescription for higher doses. The two main groups of these types of medications are called histamine-2 blockers and proton-pump inhibitors, and both come with a long list of side effects. What these medications do is stop the production of hydrochloric acid in your stomach. This may sound like a good idea, but it actually has disastrous consequences on your long-term health because it stops digestion.

Take a moment to think about what you are doing when you take any of these medications to stop the production of stomach acid. Your body needs stomach acid to properly digest food. When you neutralize stomach acid, you actually impede the whole digestive process. Remember that it is through the digestive process that we get all the nutrients and energy our bodies need.

Let's take a trip back to high school biology class and review what we learned about digestion. Stomach acid breaks down a lot of chemical bonds (mostly proteins) in food. Acid in the stomach sends a message to the pancreas to release digestive enzymes. So when you stop the production of acid, or neutralize it, then you are shutting off the entire digestive process. Result? Poor digestion.

Bacteria Love Poor Digestion

There are billions of beneficial bacteria in your gut; you may even take some of these in supplement form. These bacteria are there to help us digest food and provide us with many nutrients. When they are in balance, they are very helpful. However, when you have poor digestion, then there is lots of undigested food around for these bacteria to eat, and they can over-multiply, causing digestive distress.

To understand this, let's visit a common form of poor digestion. Most people have heard of lactose intolerance. Many adults don't have the ability to digest lactase, the sugar found in milk. If your body doesn't digest lactase, then you have sugar left in your gut that is perfect food for bacteria. These bacteria gobble up the sugar you can't digest. These bacteria then multiply because there is so much food around for them. As these bacteria grow, they can produce lots of gas and other toxins. This can make the person with lactose intolerance feel bloated, have stomach aches, be gassy and even have diarrhea. Sound familiar?

The same thing can happen with other carbohydrates, fats and proteins. If you are not digesting these, then they become food for bacteria. If you feel bloated or gassy or have heartburn after a meal, you can bet that your body hasn't digested all the food, and the bacteria are having a meal of their own.

A factor in the real reason why you might have gas, bloating, pain, heartburn or even diarrhea can also have to do with aging. Our digestive systems lose power as we age. It is suggested that by the time we hit our sixtieth birthday, we have lost over half of our digestive ability, making the chance of poor digestion even greater.

The Solution

Don't reach for those over-the-counter medications that stop your digestive system from working. Instead, make your digestive system work even better. The easiest way to do this is to use digestive enzymes. Digestive enzymes are easily replaced through supplementation, and most people who take them report that they can't believe how well they work.

You really don't have to be overindulging to need digestive enzymes. Since we are all losing the capacity to digest, taking one or two digestive enzymes per meal can be an important part of your daily health routine.

How to Choose a Digestive Enzyme

The best digestive enzymes will cover a wide range of foods. Since foods come in three major types—carbohydrates, fats, and proteins—you need a digestive enzyme that will help you with all of these. When you look at the label, you are looking for lipase to digest fats, protease to digest proteins, and the wide variety of enzymes that focus on specific types of carbohydrates, such as amylase, maltase, lactase and cellulase.

If you are looking at the bottle, and it has all these, that's a great start. Next, you want to make sure that you are getting the enzymes in concentrations high enough to make a difference. While you can learn the complicated biochemistry behind the grading and concentrating of different enzymes, it is far easier to just choose what you know to be a quality product from a quality manufacturer.

Digest-All to the Rescue

Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM) is a company known for its high-quality supplements. Digest-All is an all-natural product designed to help you not only through the holiday season, but throughout the entire year.

Digest-All's vegetarian capsules contain a unique, full-spectrum digestive enzyme, and MRM ensures that the digestive enzymes are at the proper strength to do their job. They have ingeniously created a digestive enzyme that is active at a wide range of body pH levels, so it doesn't matter what you are eating—these enzymes will do their job. MRM has also included a special cellulase enzyme that acts as an anti-gas enzyme. Plus, MRM adds ginger, peppermint and triphala to the formula to make it a truly unique digestive ally.

Ginger is one of the best-known and well-researched herbs in the world. It is loved for its wonderful effects on the digestive system, and has been used to combat nausea, and to settle and tonify the digestive system for thousands of years. Peppermint is a well-known gas and stomach cramp reliever. Triphala is a combination herbal formula from the Indian traditional medicine called Ayurveda. It is well known to improve digestion and nutrient assimilation as well as provide a mild internal cleansing.

Get Back to Enjoying the Holidays

There is a lot you can do to overcome the discomforts associated with eating this holiday season. While overeating is not the healthiest way to live year-round, you do want to enjoy your life. It is good to know that when you are tempted, there is a solution as easy and as effective as taking the right digestive enzymes.

Resources

References

Ghayur, M.N. & Gilani, A.H. "Pharmacological basis for the medicinal use of ginger in gastrointestinal disorders." Dis Sci, 2005;50(10):1889-97. Kligler, B. & Chaudhary, S. "Peppermint oil." Am Fam Physician, 2007;75(7):1027-30.

Enjoy Holiday Meals with Digestive Enzymes

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:49:00 GMT

We don't blame you for enjoying culinary delights this holiday season. If you must, you must (sigh). What are the holidays for anyway, if not to enjoy the company of friends and family and with good food?

It's time to live well. After all, living well is the best revenge.

Digestive Enzymes

Alleviate Indigestion

Changes in diet, including overindulging in certain foods and beverages such as red meat, organ meats, red wine, beer and shellfish, can cause indigestion as well as gout attacks this time of year.

Be sure to eat as lightly as possible and enjoy basic good wholesome foods. Watch out for the desserts especially. Try to avoid overindulging.

Look for a variety of supplemental digestive enzymes to take regularly this time of year; each type, from amylase to maltase and lipase, is designed to break down a particular type of nutrient or dietary substance. Regular use before meals and during the day provides support for continuously healthy digestion during the holiday season. There are some good supplements with high-quality ingredients to choose from. One of the best and most powerful is Digest-ALL™, from Metabolic Response Modifiers (MRM).

Digest-All is designed to support the digestive process so that you can avoid symptoms of indigestion altogether.

Digest-All works well with holiday meals in particular because that tends to be the time when your own digestive system is fully taxed.

When you consume foods, your body breaks them down by using various enzymes specific to the different macromolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The more food you consume, the more enzymes are used and your body has only a limited supply; so, during a large holiday meal, you may exhaust your bodies' immediate supply of enzymes, leading to indigestion due to your body's inability to break down already consumed foods.

Unlike other digestive aid products that help with enzymes specific to breaking down fat, cellulose or protein, Digest-All helps you to digest all of the food groups. Digest-All has all the enzymes you need.

Amylase breaks down starches, but that's just where digestion begins. Glucoamylase completes the hydrolysis of starches by turning maltose into glucose.

Lactase digests milk sugars into glucose and galactose. This action is especially important in individuals who consume milk products and have a lactase deficiency (known as lactose intolerance), says an article in the June 2003 issue of Original Internist. This group may include up to 70 percent of the world's population and over one third of the U.S. population.

"Invertase (sucrase) breaks down sucrose (refined table sugar) into glucose and fructose. (It is theorized that undiagnosed sucrose intolerance contributes to many allergies.)

"Alpha-galactosidase hydrolyzes certain types of sugars called oligosaccharides found in certain vegetables, legumes, and grains. These sugars, including raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose, are indigestible because humans do not produce alpha-galactosidase to break them down. Undigested, these sugars remain in the intestine and are fermented by certain bacteria, which may result in gas and bloating.

"Cellulase is a complex of three enzymes that convert the cellulose in plant fibers to glucose. Hemicellulase will hydrolyze hemicellulose, a polysaccharide that binds certain enzymes and decreases the rate of nutrient digestion. Phytase digests phytate, a major component of wheat bran that binds minerals such as zinc, iron, and calcium, hindering their absorption. Phytase catalyzes the hydrolysis of phytate (phytic acid) into its component parts, releasing beneficial inositol and ortho-phosphate.

"Proteases are enzymes that digest proteins and polypeptides. Since different proteases function at different pH ranges, several different proteases may be needed to aid in the digestion of protein at a full range of pH conditions that exist in the entire digestive tract, from the stomach to the various segments of the small intestine. Optimal protein digestion begins in the stomach, with its lower pH. To support healthy protein digestion several different proteases are needed to work across the entire range of pH from 2.0 in the stomach to 8.0 in the distal small intestine.

"Peptidase FP selectively hydrolyzes protein molecules at the ends of a peptide chain and liberates amino acids. Bromelain, which has a range of activity, is a mixture of enzymes from ripe and unripe pineapple fruit and plant stem.

"Bromelain breaks down proteins to form peptides and amino acids.

"Papain is derived from the papaya plant (the latex of the unripe fruit), and has been used as an aid to digestion since the 1880s, to relieve dyspepsia and other common digestive disorders.

"Lipase is the enzyme that specifically digests both saturated and unsaturated fats (triglycerides) into free fatty acids and glycerol, enabling absorption of fat soluble nutrients through the intestinal mucosa. Improper fat digestion is a very common ailment in populations, such as in the U.S., where large amounts of fats and oils are consumed. Significant discomfort, such as bloating, gas, and a 'full' feeling, is common in middle-aged and elderly people who lack sufficient lipolytic enzymes. As much as 1,000 LU of lipase may be required to assist in the normal digestion of meals containing large amounts of fat."

Finally, for low-carb lifestyles, Digest-ALL provides enough active amylase to assist in the digestion of 30 potatoes, 9 ounces of protein and 60 grams of fat. In fact, this product is so detailed in its design that MRM has engineered their proprietary blend of enzymes to include a series of proteases, with each being specific to a certain pH range, thus, the formula is effective at each specific stage of digestion—a necessary function that is not standard in most digestive supplements.

A few tips when shopping:

Be careful of unit measurements that are by weight or other unique abbreviations instead of the standard FCC measurement coding. And we don't recommend single enzyme formulas because they are designed to digest one type of food (like fats or starches), but most of us eat a wide variety of foods at our holiday meals and have overall enzyme deficiencies.
A well-rounded formula provides enzymes necessary for all types of digestive needs. Plus, a formula has to work at a wide pH range and provide enough enzyme power to truly digest your food well.
Finally, a proprietary blend of ginger, peppermint and triphala provide a soothing, comfortable and balanced digestion process.

Resources

Digest-ALL is available nationwide at natural health centers and from health professionals. To find a natural health center in your community carrying them, contact MRM toll-free at 800-948-6296.

Alcohol Bad for Digestion and Gout

Alcohol, especially beer, can also increase symptoms of indigestion and gout. Beer, as with any carbonated beverage, causes carbon dioxide build-up, and in some people hydrogen sulfide, which has the potential to be embarrassing.

Gout sufferers should put strict limitations on their alcohol intake. Whether eggnog, wine, beer, or cocktails, alcohol critically hinders the excretion of uric acid, which is the underlying cause of gout symptoms.

Enzymes for the Holidays

These enzymes, contained in Digest-ALL, support your digestion of holiday fare and can help you to avoid irritable bowel, gas, bloating, and other symptoms of overeating. Be sure they're in your formula.

Amylase (breaks down carbohydrates including starch and glycogen)
Lactase (breaks down milk sugar)
Maltase (breaks down carbohydrates, malt and grain sugars)
Invertase (breaks down carbohydrates, especially sucrose and maltose)
Hemilase (breaks down carbohydrates)
Lipase (breaks down lipids and improves fat utilization)
Cellulase (breaks down cellulose and chitin—cell wall fibers in foods and toxins)
Protease (breaks down protein)