Archive for September, 2008

Coenzyme Q10 is a naturally occurring compound found in every cell in the body. Sometimes it is called the energy that drives the body. It plays that much of a key role. It is used for heart failure, high blood pressure, diabetes, gum disease, kidney failure and more.

People with Parkinson’s disease were found to have lower levels of Co Q10. Co Q10 was also found to protect brain cells from free radicals. A small study showed it also helped in the prevention of gum disease.

Statin drugs like Lipitor and Zocor lower the lever of Co Q10 so if you are taking statin drugs you should take more Co Q10.

The average dosage is between 60 and 100 mg a day although in some studies patients were given 200 to 300 mg a day. But this should be under a doctor’s supervision.

If you are taking ACE Inhibitors, Beta Blockers, or Calcium Channel Blockers you should be aware that Co Q10 also lowers blood pressure and may interfere with these drugs.

As you grow older your body produces less Co Q10, so by the time you reach 50 you may want to be taking more.

Further information can be found by going to Google and search for Co Q10

Many years ago I read about, let’s say an experiment, where orphaned babies were put into two groups. In the first group not only would the nurse feed and bathe the baby she would also hold and attend to it physically. The second group were fed and bathed but not touched otherwise. The first group of babies grew and flourished. A number of babies in the second group died and there was a distinct difference with those that survived. The study suggested that the human touch with the first group made all the difference.

Now I’m reading the book Quantum Touch by Richard Gordon. Quantum touch is a method of hands-on healing employing only a very light touch on yourself or others. The process employees breathing techniques, body awareness and hand position.

My understanding is that this is some form of energy healing. I am just beginning this study and have had some success. So I would appreciate comments from those of you who are more experienced in this field than I am.

To your health and wellness!

Researchers from Norway and France showed studies where higher levels of omega-3 may benefit mortality rates and cognitive function. The Norwegian study had 254 frail, elderly patients and measured their dietary consumption of omega-3. The study was over a three year period.

The French study took 1215 patients over a four year study and found that only 65 participants developed dementia.

Another study of only 26 weeks didn’t find improvement. So it seems to be a long term effect.

An international team of researchers found that fish oil supplements may protect against the heart against certain effects of air pollution.

Studies of fish oil and soy oil supplements showed the greater protection from fish oil because fish oil contains both EPA and DHA whereas soy oil only contains ALA.

The full article is can be found at www.nutraingredients-use.com. September 2008

This month’s Journal of Nutrition showed that moderate amounts of dark chocolate, not more than 6.7 grams every day, lowered the risk of heart disease. More than that could hinder the good properties of dark chocolate.

Since the cocoa bean has large amounts of antioxidants the Italians who conducted this study felt the benefit of eating up to 6.7 grams a day was healthful. It lowered the risk of heart disease by 33 percent among women and 26 percent among men.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the diseases connected with heart problems accounted for about 30 percent of deaths worldwide thus making it the world’s number one killer.

Read the complete article in www.Nutraingredients-usa.com, September 25, 2008

Researchers in the UK are exploring the potential of using seaweed granules to replace sodium chloride (salt) in processed food. Seagreens is a joint Anglo-Norwegian company and they are the company behind this venture. They want to establish if seaweed granules will replace salt and still let food keep its shelf life.
Many scientists are saying that our salt content is too high and responsible for hypertension.
In the UK, Ireland, and the USA, over 80% of salt intake comes from processed food.
Salt is a major ingredient in formulation and taste of foods.

Here we are on the cutting edge of solving several problems if this study shows good results after being tested by a larger segment of the food processing industry.

Further information on this topic can be found at www.NutraIngredients.com “Seaweed granules may replace salt in foods” by Stephen Daniells, September 23, 2008.

One of the buzz words on television these days is probiotics. Everyone needs probiotics. At first I thought this just another gimmick to sell some drug. But looking into the situation I find that probiotics is another name for good bacteria. Probiotics is added to food or occurs naturally in some yogurts and fermented dairy drinks.

Scientists are not exactly sure how probiotics work but some feel they displace germs or bad bacteria in the intestinal tract. Our digestive tracts are lined with more than 400 different kinds of good bacteria that help fight off infection. By eating probiotics you can increase the number of good bacteria and build up your immunity.

Not all probiotics are the same. One good source is yogurt which has live and active cultures.

For more information you can check out www.MedicineNet.com and the article “Probiotics may be a healthy addition to your diet” by Kathleen Zilman, MPH, RD. LD

A new study on Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound used in plastic packaging for food and drinks, found there were some links with heart disease, type 2 diabetes and abnormalities in the liver. BPA is found in some packaging materials for baby food bottles. And also is found in epoxy resins for protective linings for canned food and metal lids.

Although I’ve been told it is not safe to continually reuse plastic water bottles BPA is not used in their manufacturing process. We continually hear hints that plastic packaging of food may be dangerous. Much more study needs to be done in this area.

If you are concerned keep your eyes peeled for more reports on this subject.

The final word is yet to come.

In a study from the University of North Dakota and the University of Manitoba it was found that flax oil could increase blood levels of EPA and DPA but not DHA.

This study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (September 2008, Volume 88, Issue 3, pages 801-809), and compared the intake of different flax oil doses with different doses of fish oil.

My concern with this study is that the flax oil dosage was 2.4 grams and 3.6 grams of flax oil per day and this corresponded to the dosage of omega-3 fish oil at 0.6 and 1.2 grams of fish oil per day. In other studies I mentioned previously with omega-3 fish oil in acting as an anti-inflammatory agent the dosage of fish oil from 3 grams to 5 grams a day.

This again is something that needs more study because this study with flax oil resulted in a much lower dosage of EPA than in the studies with fish oil.

So the ALA of flax oil is able to raise the omega-3 fatty acids levels in the blood cells. This is probably sufficient if the individual is perfectly normal. But if there is chronic inflammation then the dosage probably needs to be raised considerably.

For your review:
EPA –eicosapentaenoic acid
DPA – docosapentaenoic acid
DHA – docosahexaenoic acid

Acai berries have been found to have a powerful antioxidant effect because of the high level of anthocyanins (the same pigments found in red wine). This has been a staple diet of Indian tribes for a long time. This study was done on a small group of people. It will be necessary to have more study done on a larger scale to be able to say for certain the positive effects of acai berries. If the studies support the current claims it may be a good source to lower chronic inflammation in your system. Chronic inflammation has been linked to heart disease, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s, type-2 diabetes, and arthritis.

Personally I have been getting many emails daily for free trials with acai-rich juice. My caution on this is frequently those who do the most advertising have the least benefit. Try it if you like but make sure your supply is highly controlled and that you are getting what the claims say. Remember “Smiling Bob” with his male enrichment ads has just filed for Chapter 11 for all its false claims.

More information on Acai berries at www.nutraingredients-usa.com

A study conducted on rats shows that virgin olive oil is beneficial for the heart and the circulatory system. Researchers looking for answers as to why the Mediterranean diet containing high levels of virgin olive oil were effective in reducing cardiovascular risk found that olive oil consumption is associated with lowering the risk of clotting and blockage of the arteries.

Virgin olive oil is obtained only from the olive using mechanical or other physical means in conditions, particularly thermal conditions, which do not alter the oil in any way. It has not undergone any treatment other than washing, decanting, centrifuging and filtering. Virgin olive oils can fall into several classifications according to their taste and aroma and their degree of acidity.

For example extra virgin olive oil has a free acidity of not more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams. But this only accounts for about 10% of oil in many countries. Virgin olive oil has a free acidity of 2 grams per 100 grams. The extra virgin olive oil is used in many restaurants for dipping.

Complete information on this article can be found at:
newsletter@nutraingredients-usa.com