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Archive for the 'Nutritional Supplements' Category

The Immune-Boosting Power of Colostrum

Bovine Colostrum is the form of “milk” taken from dairy cows, within 24 hours of giving birth to a calf. The liquid is known for its high protein immunoglobulin and antibody contents, and numerous immune and growth factors that can be highly beneficial to humans.

Although many animals have some sort of colostrum, a lot of scientific research conducted in the last decade has shown that the combination of immune and growth factors in bovine colostrum are almost identical to those in human colostrum. Research has also shown that the substance of bovine colostrum is not species specific, and can work effectively to benefit humans as well as other mammals.

Colostrum is highly beneficial to humans because of the fact that once puberty has passed, out bodies gradually produce less and less of the important immune and growth factors that help us heal damaged body tissue, and fight off dangerous diseases. It is due in part to the loss of these essential immune components, our bodies age and eventually die. Colostrum is the only completely natural source of these vital components, and has demonstrated the ability to kill viruses and bacteria, stimulate tissue repair (especially that of the bowel lining), stimulate fat utilization for fuel, optimize cellular reproduction, and ultimately slow down the aging process.

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Colostrum May Help Prevent Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

A 2003 study by the Health Sciences Department of the University of South Australia suggests that taking concentrated bovine colostrum supplements could reduce the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections.

The study involved subjects being randomly allocated to consume 60g/day of Colostrum for eight weeks, then examining their occurrence of symptoms. Results from the first week were kept separate from those from the last seven weeks.

The results showed that during the first week of supplementation, there was no measurable difference in symptoms in the proportion of subjects taking the supplement as opposed to those who didn’t. During the subsequent seven weeks, however, a much lower percentage of the subjects taking Colostrum reported upper respiratory infection related symptoms.

Symptom duration, however, did not differ. This suggests that the immune benefits achieved by Colostrum can be very good in terms of being a preventative, but that it does not have any measurable effect on an infection once it has already taken hold. That is why it is important to use Colostrum properly, as a preventative, and not depend on it to cure illness.

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Beta-Glucan May Prevent Anthrax When Taken Orally

In a 2002 study, a group of researchers used oral Beta Glucan to treat mice infected with Bacillus Anthracites. With the high incidence of anthrax vaccine complications, an alternative preventative approach is sorely needed to deal with this frightening disease. Non specific immune stimulation methods, such as macrophage activation would be an excellent option.

The way that anthrax works is by secreting two toxins: edema toxin and lethal toxin. The first of these stimulates an outpouring of fluid into the lungs, while the latter inhibits nuetrophil phagocytosis and triggers destructive intracellular reactions, destroying macrophage cells. This is especially threatening because of the fact that the lethal toxin prevents the macrophages from releasing their immune messengers, including TNF-alpha.

The study in question showed that orally administered Beta Glucan greatly stimulates the levels of TNF-alph released from the macrophage, which overcomes the inhibition caused by the anthrax lethal toxin. Because of this, the mice that were treated with Beta Glucan experienced a significantly higher survival rate.

Beta Glucan was also shown to stimulate the effectiveness of neutrophils. In fact, one study indicated that the efficiency of neutrophils was increased as much as 50-fold by this powerful supplement, allowing for much faster and more precise immune reactions.

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Beta-Glucan Information

Beta-Glucan is an extremely potent, immune activating substance taken from the cellular walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast). The extraction is so pure that consumption of Beta-Glucan is harmless, unlike consuming large amounts of yeast. So, even if you have yeast related problems, including overgrowths and infections, Beta-Glucan is a perfectly safe immune supplement to take.

In the late 1980s, Dr. Joyce Czop of Harvard University describes how cells known as macrophage, which are the front line defense of the immune system, contain a special receptor for yeast in Beta-Glucan. In addition to recognizing and eliminating tumor cells throughout the body, macrophage cells also produce several essential cytokines that help to fortify the immune system’s natural defences against infections and viruses. The more activated macrophage cells there are in the body, the better the immune response, thus the medical community has a great ongoing interest in Beta Glucan.

According to an article by Donald J. Carrow, M.D., in a 1996 Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, “There is now evidence to show that Beta-Glucan is, from an evolutionary point of view, the most widely and most commonly observed macrophage activator in nature.”

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Vitamin B1 and Its Importance to Mental Health

Vitamin B1 also called as thiamine is one of the eight vitamins that make up the powerful group called as the Vitamin B complex. Like all of the B vitamins this nutrient plays a great role in the good health of the body as well as a sound mental health. Proper care and caution should always be considered when it comes to taking in these nutrients especially when it comes to dosages as some may tend to overdose which is never really a good thing and is actually quite as bad as not having any at all.

Vitamin B1 serves many purposes in the body. It is an essential part of converting carbohydrates to energy and necessary to the proper functioning of the nervous system, the heart and the musculature system of the body. Thiamine is very important to the brain particularly in terms of emotional health and well being as well as being useful for focus and concentration.

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Research on Hyaluronic Acid Knee Injections

Hyaluronic acid, a key component of human tissue, aiding the body’s flexibility, mobility and moisture retention is a popular component of many anti-aging products but can also provide a wealth of benefits in the medical sphere. Recently, in an attempt to find effective treatment methods for arthritis, scientists have found a strong association between levels of Hyaluronic acid and severe knee and hip arthritis known as osteoarthritis or OA.

The study, conducted by researches from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University Medical Center, utilized a diverse subject base of blood samples from 753 white and black American men and women. This research is part of the hope that early identification and intervention can improve outcomes for people with OA, a common cause of pain and disability among older Americans. The findings suggest that measuring levels of Hyaluronic acid could allow doctors to help prevent joint destruction before it can be measured on an X-ray image. In a similar vein, Hyaluronic acid injections have been prescribed by doctors for over 20 years as a method for treating osteoarthritis of the knee. Hyaluronic acid is thought to restore elasticity to the synovial fluid that surrounds the knee joint, which is depleted in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. However, there is continued debate as to the efficacy of these treatments. Recently, French researchers compared the safety and effectiveness of the NRD101 Hyaluronic acid knee injection with an orally administered drug, Diacerein, shown by past research to have a structural benefit in hip osteoarthritis.

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An Overview of Hyaluronic Acid Products

Hyaluronic acid is available in a variety of products ranging from vitamin supplements to beauty creams. Hyaluronic acid products are manufactured by a number of different sources from natural food retailers to pharmaceutical companies. Scientific tests are ongoing as to new methods of isolating HA and potential new uses.

Hyaluronic acid liquid supplements are absorbed faster into the body than capsules, providing you with all the benefits associated with HA use. An example of a hyaluronic acid liquid supplements is Synthovial 7 (Hyaluronic Acid) by Hyalogic - 1oz.

Hyaluronic Acid Knee Injections
Although study results are not definitive, data do exist suggesting long-term efficacy of Hyaluronic acid knee injections in a significant number of patients. Future indications may expand to other joints and other forms of arthritis. The treatment is very expensive, the wholesale cost for the Hyaluronic acid treatment series is about $620, plus the cost of the outpatient facility and the physician.

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The History of Hyaluronic Acid Treatments

While HA has dramatically increased in popularity and use within the cosmetics community, the vast majority of people remain unaware of its unique history.

Also known as hyaluronan and glycosaminoglycan, it plays a key role in both tissue hydration and lubrication. Stated simply, the compound takes years off the life of skin; it helps make it vibrant, supple and moist. The popular name is derived from “”hyalos”", which is the Greek word for glass, which accurately characterizes its transparent, glassy appearance.

The molecule has recently enjoyed increased attention for its wrinkle-removing abilities, and as new products appear each week, it has gained quite a reputation as a restorer of youth. Many women continue to choose facial injections as a method for decreasing wrinkles; however, more and more women are becoming interested in less-invasive products and procedures. Therefore, products like lotions - and especially oral supplements and pills - are enjoying great attention in the media and marketplace.

It may surprise many readers to learn that the motivation for HA oral supplements originated outside Tokyo in a small Japanese village named Yuzuri Hara, which has lately enjoyed the moniker “”Village of Long Life.”"

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How Effective are Oral Hyaluronic Acid Supplements?

There is a paradox of sorts when dealing with injections versus oral supplements. Many people would much rather take an oral supplement than have an injection administered. However, the efficacy of injections has been proven to a greater extent than oral supplements.

Part of the reason hyaluronic acid is so effective is that it has a very large molecular weight, which reflects its ability to hold water, and thus its great moisturizing power. When HA is injected, the absorption of the heavy HA molecules is easily taken care of ? which is not necessarily the case when oral HA supplements are taken.

Many scientists agree that the stomach has a hard time absorbing the heavy HA molecules. One source from the University of Connecticut Medical School explained, "Hyaluronic acid itself is not absorbed when taken orally and therefore its use at this point is limited to an injectable form."

Meanwhile, several commercial sites that boast chemically enhanced HA molecules for oral supplementation, which have a lower molecular weight, and thus will have an easier time being absorbed.

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Side Effects of Hyaluronic Acid Products

Currently, there are no known side effects for most hyaluronic acid products including pills, serums, creams and liquids. However, there are some side effects associated with knee and facial injections.

Some of the less common side effects for knee injections of hyaluronic acid include: blue color or flushing or redness of skin, cough, difficulty in swallowing, dizziness or feeling faint, fever, redness or pain at place of injection, skin rash, hives, and/or itching, stuffy nose, swelling of eyelids, face, or lips, as well as tightness in chest, troubled breathing, and/or wheezing.

Some of the more common side effects for knee injections of hyaluronic acid include: diarrhea, headache, itching of the skin, large blue or purplish patches in the skin, loss of appetite; nausea and/or vomiting, stomach pain and swelling of the knee.

Facial injections of hyaluronic acid gel to combat aging do not pose an allergy risk for patients. However, hyaluronic acid gel does not contain lidocaine, an anesthetic, so injections can be painful. In addition, there is usually temporary inflammation that produces swelling and redness following injection with hyaluronic acid gel ? especially in the lip area.

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