Folic acid in pregnancy tied to lower autism risk

Folic acid in pregnancy tied to lower autism risk

By Genevra Pittman (Reuters Health) 

Women who took extra folic acid in the weeks before and just after becoming pregnant were less likely to have a child with autism, in a new study from Norway.

Because lack of folic acid has been tied to brain and spinal cord birth defects, groups including the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) already call for women who may become pregnant to take daily supplements containing the B vitamin.

The new study "provides an additional reason to take folic acid, in addition to the preventive effect that we already know it has against neural tube defects," said Dr. Pal Suren from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in Oslo, who led the research.

"It underlines the importance of starting early, preferably before the pregnancy," he told Reuters Health.

One in 88 children in the U.S. has an autism spectrum disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That number has risen in recent years, but it's unclear whether that's due to more kids with symptoms or doctors who are more likely to recognize and diagnose autism.

The new study, which appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association, doesn't prove low folic acid in pregnant women causes their babies to develop autism, or that high doses can prevent it. And Suren and his colleagues didn't see an effect of folic acid on other autism spectrum disorders, such as Asperger's.

They followed just over 85,000 women and their children, born between 2002 and 2008.

When women were about halfway through their pregnancies, they reported on any supplements or vitamins they'd taken in the few weeks before becoming pregnant and the two months afterward - the time when folic acid is thought to have the strongest effect on development.

By the time their kids were between three and 10 years old, 270 had been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, including 114 with autism itself.

Isotonix Activate B Complex (w/Folic Acid)

Suren's team found one in 1,000 babies born to women who reported taking folic acid early in pregnancy had autism, compared to about two in 1,000 of those whose moms didn't take folic acid. On the other hand, there was no link between fish oil taken during pregnancy and autism risk.

That suggests it's something about folic acid, in particular, that influences a baby's autism risk.

"The biggest problem we have is, how do you know it's folic acid and not just a more health-conscious mother?" said Cathrine Hoyo, who has studied folic acid supplementation at the Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.

"Doing that (analysis) really added another layer toward convincing us that there is something to it," Hoyo, who wasn't involved in the new research, told Reuters Health.

BEFORE PREGNANCY, TOO

Researchers said folic acid's effects on genes and DNA repair could explain its role in brain development disorders in growing babies, including autism.

Isotonix PreNatal --Healthful diets containing adequate folate may reduce a woman’s risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect

The USPSTF recommends all women who are planning to or could become pregnant take between 400 and 800 micrograms of the vitamin daily. The U.S. and Canada have also required flour to be fortified with folic acid since the late 1990s to cut down on birth defect risks.

Still, "The message for folic acid before pregnancy has been a little bit lost," said Rebecca Schmidt, who has studied prenatal vitamins and autism at the University of California, Davis.

"If you are not even just planning a pregnancy, but able to get pregnant, then you should be taking some sort of folic acid supplement," she told Reuters Health.

SOURCE: bit.ly/JjFzqx Journal of the American Medical Association, online February 12, 2013. 

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Isotonix® Activated B-Complex

What Makes Isotonix® Activated B-Complex Unique?

Isotonix Activated B-Complex delivers metabolically active forms of several vitamins and minerals. This is important because traditional forms of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid found in most other B complex products must undergo chemical changes in order to be utilized by the body. Several factors including age and nutritional status may decrease the body’s ability to activate these vitamins. By providing the metabolically active forms of these vitamins in isotonic form, you can be certain that your body is getting the vital nutrients it needs quickly and effectively.*

A vitamin B-complex is a mixture of the eight essential B-vitamins that play a critical role in metabolism at the cellular level. B-vitamins are important for hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body. B vitamin deficiency can lead to fatigue and lethargy, which is why B-complex supplements are excellent energy boosters and anti-stress formulas.*

Isotonic, which means “same pressure,” bears the same chemical resemblance of the body’s blood, plasma and tears. All fluids in the body have a certain concentration, referred to as osmotic pressure. The body’s common osmotic pressure, which is isotonic, allows a consistent maintenance of body tissues. In order for a substance to be absorbed and used in the body’s metabolism, it must be transported in an isotonic state.

Isotonix dietary supplements are delivered in an isotonic solution. This means that the body has less work to do to in obtaining maximum absorption. The isotonic state of the suspension allows nutrients to pass directly into the small intestine and be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. With Isotonix products, little nutritive value is lost, making the absorption of nutrients highly efficient while delivering maximum results. Try it here

Pill Coatings Interfere with Absorption By Olivia Mungal

Pill coatings, also known as enteric coated pills, have been long believed to protect the stomach, but there is little evidence the coating protects the stomach better than a non-coated pill. Authors of a new study by the University of Pennsylvania found most, if not all of assumed drug resistance cases may actually be caused by pill coatings.

For over a decade, cardiologists and drug researchers have claimed that anywhere from 5% to 40%  of the population is “aspirin resistant”.  In the study, researchers did not find a single case of true aspirin resistance out of the 400 healthy people who participated in the study. Instead, they found the coating on aspirin interfered with the way that the drug entered the body, making it appear in tests that the drug was not working at all.

These studies question the value of coated, low-dose aspirin. This product adds cost to treatment, without any clear benefit.” said Dr. Garret FitzGerald, chairman of pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Although the study was partially financed by the world’s largest aspirin manufacturer, Bayer, this study leaves many doctors and pharmacologists wondering if enteric coating could be blocking or reducing absorption for other pharmaceuticals and supplements. Bayer claimed there was no difference between the effectiveness of a coated or uncoated aspirin, but Dr. FitzGerald argued there was no reason patients should use anything other than uncoated pills. Taking supplements without binders or coatings may make all the difference.  Not all supplements are created equal. Learn More 

Acai counteracts oxidative stress, lengthens lifespan in fruit flies

Source from: Emory University

Bewildered by the array of antioxidant fruit juices on display in the supermarket and the promises they make? To sort out the antioxidant properties of fruits and berries, scientists at Emory University School of Medicine turned to fruit flies for help.

They found that a commercially available acai berry product can lengthen the lives of fruit flies, when the flies' lives are made short through additional oxidative stress. Under certain conditions (a simple sugar diet) acai supplementation could triple flies' lifespans, from eight to 24 days. Acai could also counteract the neurotoxic effects of the herbicide paraquat on the flies.

The results were recently published by the journal Experimental Gerontology, which awarded the paper its inaugural "Outstanding paper" prize. The lead author is Alysia Vrailas-Mortimer, a postdoctoral fellow in Emory University School of Medicine's department of cell biology.

Vrailas-Mortimer says she didn't start out focusing on acai. But acai worked better than several other antioxidant products such as vitamins, coenzyme Q10 and lutein.

"One thing that makes our work distinctive is that we tried commercially available supplements," she says. "We went to a health food store and filled up a basket."

She says she began the project with the help of undergraduate student Rosy Gomez, and narrowed her focus after initial success with acai. Vrailas-Mortimer took advantage of a discovery she had made working with Subhabrata Sanyal, assistant professor of cell biology. They had previously found that flies with mutations in the "p38 MAP kinase" gene have shorter lives and are more sensitive to heat, food deprivation and oxidative stress.

P38 mutant flies lived an average of only eight days when they were given a simple sugar water diet. However, their lifespans tripled when their diet was supplemented with acai. Ginger was used as a control for the diet supplements.

Acai also protected normal flies against oxidative stress, in the form of hydrogen peroxide or paraquat. Acai can protect against oxidative stress when flies are exposed to hydrogen peroxide before being given acai, but the protective effect does not hold up if the order is reversed.

The effects of paraquat on circadian rhythms are visible here.

Paraquat is an herbicide that has neurotoxic effects that resemble Parkinson's disease. Under the influence of paraquat, flies' sleep-wake cycles gradually become chaotic (see graph). Acai can also help soften the effects of paraquat on flies' circadian rhythms.

"I think this is important," Vrailas-Mortimer says. "We show that whatever is in acai that is lengthening lifespan, it can also keep the flies functioning better for longer when faced with paraquat exposure. It is maintaining quality of life rather than just preventing them from dying."

When flies were fed a more enriched diet of a standard cornmeal/molasses mush, the effects of supplementation with acai were more pronounced in males than in females. Males' lifespans were almost doubled with acai (20 to 40 days) but the effects on females were not as strong (30 to 34 days). On an enriched diet, male flies were more sensitive to paraquat than females as well.

Implications for human clinical trials of antioxidants

Isotonix Acai

Large clinical trials studying the effects of antioxidants such as vitamin C and E have not shown clear benefits on human health. Using fruit flies under oxidative stress as a model can be a way to dissect which components of acai are beneficial. Probing the effects on flies' circadian rhythms can be a way to quickly screen several compounds or regimens, since the effects are apparent even before most of the flies die.

Acai berries contain a variety of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, such as anthocyanins. Sanyal says it may be better to study the components of acai together rather than in isolation.

"There may be a combinatorial effect, and if you separate the components from each other, you may lose the active principle," he says. "In addition, it seems to me that anti-oxidant therapy will not work after the damage has been done. So human clinical trials that don't take this into account are likely to have disappointing results."

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Isotonix Açai is an isotonic-capable dietary supplement, made from a combination of açai berries, guarana, yerba maté, mangosteen, pomegranate, green tea and essential amino acids. The proprietary blend of Isotonix Açai works to increase energy, support immune functions, promote cognitive health and support weight control. The antioxidant properties set Isotonix Açai apart from most energy drinks on the market. Isotonix Açai will help the body stay energized and active while providing a sound antioxidant formula. Containing other antioxidant-laden ingredients like mangosteen and pomegranate, which have high ORAC values, Isotonix Açai is an asset to daily dietary supplementation. Click Here

How Genetics Play a Role in Your Health

How Genetics Play a Role in Your Health

When it comes to our bodies, we want to make choices that have a positive impact on our health. But some of those decisions – eating the wrong foods, making certain lifestyle choices, even the way we exercise – could impact our body's ability to maintain optimum health. Even if we think we’re making the right choices, there are other factors that help determine our overall picture of health.

Genetics play a huge role in how our bodies process nutrients, how they respond to activity and how we react to our environment and surroundings. When it comes to your health, the answers are in your genes. Your DNA tells a story: how you process foods, how you react to exercise, how your environment affects your body, how your family history plays a part in your health.

What if you could learn about your health with a simple test, one that could give you realistic and reasonable recommendations to promote your quality of life? It’s time to make informed decisions about your health – no more guesswork, just facts.

The Gene SNP DNA Analysis combines your individual diet, lifestyle and environment information and is scientifically merged with your genetic background to provide an exclusive Health Action Plan designed specifically for you. It will help provide practical suggestions intended to promote your health and wellness. Based on variations in your DNA and lifestyle factors, the Gene SNP DNA Analysis will make recommendations based on how your body metabolizes food, utilizes nutrients, removes toxins and responds to physical activity. By understanding how your genetic profile affects your well-being, the Gene SNP DNA Analysis will help you take charge of optimizing your wellness. The Gene SNP DNA Analysis examines a wide variety of genes and SNPs, providing a customized Health Action plan that focuses on diet, nutrition, exercise and supplementation based on your genetic profile.    

Now you can be sure your personalized Health Action Plan includes the best possible supplementation, thanks to the integration of the most advanced nutraceutical products available, Isotonix. Each product has been carefully chosen to provide you with the best supplementation based on your individualized Health Action Plan. By integrating the Gene SNP DNA Analysis with the Isotonix product line, you’ll be receiving the very best supplementation support to maintain the healthiest of lifestyles.

No longer will you have to accept a “one-size-fits-all” vitamin and nutrition regimen. Using our exclusive patent rights to screen genetic variations, Gene SNP DNA Analysis uncovers the ability of your genes to respond to nutritional and environmental factors that affect various areas of your health.

The best part is that the results remain accurate throughout your life, since your gene makeup does not change. Since your genes don’t change, you have the ability to optimize the function of your genes through diet, exercise and nutritional supplementation. And while you can’t change your genes, you can change your lifestyle. As you progress through your Health Action Plan, following the recommendations specifically suited for you and your body, you can make changes to your online customer profile and receive an updated Health Action Plan with recommendations based on your new, healthier lifestyle.

What Makes Gene SNP™ Isotonix® Custom Cocktail Unique?

Your Gene SNP Isotonix Custom Cocktail is carefully formulated based on a thorough analysis of your diet, lifestyle and genetics. Combining up to 17 Isotonix products, your Gene SNP Isotonix Custom Cocktail helps you achieve optimal nutrient intake, taking the guesswork out of nutritional supplementation.

With your personalized health recommendations from the Gene SNP DNA Analysis and your personalized supplement recommendations, there is no more guesswork, just the facts – and the proper supplements with Gene SNP Isotonix Custom Cocktail.

Primary Benefits of the Gene SNP™ DNA Analysis:

• Learn about your genetic risk based on variations in your unique genetic code
• Understand how your current nutrition, exercise and lifestyle choices interact with your unique genetic code
• Make informed decisions regarding eating habits, lifestyle choices and exercise based on your genes
• Learn how market-leading Isotonix® nutraceutical supplementation recommended in your personalized Health Action Plan can help you maintain your optimum health
• Track changes and progress in your Health Action Plan and, after following recommendations, update your Online Customer Profile to determine whether you have new nutrition, exercise, lifestyle or supplementation recommendations

Try it today --- Click Here

How to Choose a Multivitamin

How to Choose a Multivitamin 
from Scientific Affairs

While it’s generally agreed that a balanced diet is the best foundation for health, some studies suggest that to receive the required amounts of all vitamins and minerals we would need to consume approximately 3,000 calories worth of very specific fruit and vegetable combinations on a daily basis. For anyone who is not free to cook—and eat—for the majority of the day, this is not a viable option.

For these reasons among others, it’s no surprise that a study conducted by The Council for Responsible Nutrition shows that a daily multivitamin is the first choice among dietary supplements. Adding to healthy eating with the missing vitamins and minerals not only helps prevent deficiencies related to disease; it also promotes optimal performance in everyday life. As a result, multivitamin supplementation continues to increase, as do the available choices. When it comes to making the right choice, the following points will provide solid guidance.

MultiVitamin

• Most multivitamins will contain approximately 100 percent of the RDA recommendations for 20-25 individual nutrients—in general, the most important of these are the B-complex vitamins, Vitamin D and Vitamin E, and these can certainly be present in higher amounts.
• Biotin is critical for B-complex absorption, but is often included in minimal amounts for reasons of cost—a quality multivitamin will contain 100 percent of the RDA.
• Zinc is regarded as increasingly important in recent studies, and obtaining the entire RDA from food can be challenging; a quality multivitamin should contain approximately 50 percent of the RDA to make up the difference.
• Iodine helps to ensure proper thyroid function, which is foundational to proper metabolism—a sound multivitamin formula will contain 100 percent of the RDA.
• Despite debate about iron supplementation, it is almost certainly advisable for pre-menopausal women; their RDA is set at 18mg, while men require 8mg.
• Selenium has demonstrated particular potential for men’s health, specifically prostate function, but intake must be moderate, regardless of gender—a balanced formulation will contain 75 to 100 percent of the RDA.

As the last two points suggest, varied vitamin and mineral needs have been shown in certain populations, such as higher amounts of B-complex for athletes, Vitamin D for adults over 65, and other categories based on individual genetics and lifestyle habits. Assessing those needs and taking the next step towards custom nutrition may prove useful for those individuals.

All of the above, however, will definitely prove useful in selecting a good general-purpose multivitamin. In times when many of us find ourselves struggling to reach the top of the food pyramid, this simple measure can deliver a much-needed nutritional boost.

7 Ways to Become Healthier Today

7 Ways to Become Healthier Today

7 things to do starting today 

" One thing we Americans have going for us: We are always up for a challenge. So try these healthful Blue Zone-and Cold Spot-inspired ideas.

• Take 20% off. "In every Blue Zone, they eat less than we do, by at least 20%," Buettner says. One trick for slashing portions: "Instead of putting big platters of food at the center of the table, fill each plate at the counter," Buettner says.
• Pile on the plants. Not only are plant-based diets rich in antioxidants and other good-for-you nutrients, they're also better for your waistline. "A plate of food in Okinawa has one-fifth the calorie density of a typical American meal," Buettner says. "You can chow down for a fraction of the calories." Buettner suggests thinking of meat as a condiment rather than the main event, and subbing in more beans, legumes, and nuts.
• Learn to love the foods that love you back. A diet of berries and elk or tofu and sea vegetables might seem utterly foreign-but taste buds can be retrained. "Americans love fat, salt, and sugar because that's what 9 of 10 we're used to," Katz says. "But studies show that if you eat more wholesome foods, you can learn to prefer them." An easy way to start: Search for stealth sugar, which Katz says is found in many packaged foods. "Once you get rid of that hidden sugar, you'll start to prefer less-sweet foods," he notes.
• Sit down-and slow down. It might be too much to cook every meal. But we can sit at a table to eat our takeout instead of scarfing it down in the car. Savor each bite as the French do; stretch your meals out for 20 whole minutes. You'll end up eating less and enjoying more.
• Get up. "The longest-living people don't think of exercise as a chore," Buettner says. Instead, little bits of movement are a constant part of their everyday lives. Make like a French woman and take a short walk after dinner. Shovel your own snow instead of paying the kid next door; make extra trips carrying laundry up and down the stairs.
• Get out. Every Blue Zone is known for its strong social and family bonds. Besides spending quality time at home with family, surround yourself with healthy-living friends-good health habits are contagious, research shows. Be sure to get involved in your community, too, whether it's at church, a gardening group, or a volunteer organization. These connections can add years to your life, Buettner says.
• Take it easy. Even the world's healthiest people get stressed out sometimes. What they all have, Buettner says, are daily strategies to shed stress. Meditate, go for a run, make a dinner date with your best friend-and don't worry about your inability to be a French woman or a Greek farmer.

It's OK to enjoy the occasional cheeseburger. What matters is a cumulative lifestyle pattern of enjoying healthful food, staying connected to others, and keeping yourself moving. That's how I plan to live to be 100 in the Brooklyn Blue Zone.
to read more click here

Study unlocks Pycnogenol’s skin health mechanism

A recent study of 20 women between the ages of 55 and 68 shows that taking 75mg of Pycnogenol for 12 weeks improved skin elasticity. 

Twelve weeks of supplementation with the Pycnogenol branded part was related with increases in skin agility and hydration, and an enlarge in the prolongation of hyaluronic acid in skin by 44%, according to commentary published in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology.


Hyaluronic acid is a component of the pattern between cells (extracellular matrix) that occurs of course in the body until the age of about 30, after that levels beginning to decrease. The lessen is accepted to fool around a purpose in the aging process, specific a relapse in the extracellular pattern and an enlarge in the arrangement of wrinkles.

Indeed, the hunger bellow remove was moreover related with a 3% shrinking in skin wrinkles, according to researchers from Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF) in Dusseldorf, Germany and Horphag Research, the firm at the back the ingredient.
“The present investigate confirms at a molecular turn the profitable belongings Pycnogenol supplementation might supply to human skin,” wrote the researchers. 
Read more here:
Study unlocks Pycnogenol’s skin health mechanism

Isotonix OPC-3 (OPC-3) contains the only isotonic form of Pycnogenol(r) in the world. Pycnogenol is a natural plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree and the most clinically researched and potent bioflavonoid.* Isotonic, which means; same pressure & bears the same chemical resemblance of the body & blood, plasma and tears.  All fluids in the body have a certain concentration, referred to as osmotic pressure. The body & common osmotic pressure, which is isotonic, allows a consistent maintenance of body tissues. In order for a substance to be absorbed and used in the body & metabolism, it must be transported in an isotonic state. Isotonix(r) dietary supplements are delivered in an isotonic solution. This means that the body has less work to do to in obtaining maximum absorption. The isotonic state of the suspension allows nutrients to pass directly into the small intestine and be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. With Isotonix products, little nutritive value is lost, making the absorption of nutrients highly efficient while delivering maximum results.

Isotonix®: Shop Your Favorite Brands at SHOP.COM

The Science and

Advantage of Isotonix

Healthy supplementation is about more than just ingredients; it’s about delivery and absorption. by Dr. Jim Wilmer

The Advantage

When we eat food, drink a beverage, or ingest most nutritional supplements, the stomach must secrete diluting juices, enzymes, hydrochloric acid and at least one vitamin-binding protein to begin the process of digestion. This process requires both energy and time — about 40 minutes or more, depending on the size of the meal. Isotonix products are delivered into the small intestine nutritionally concentrated, maximizing the opportunity for absorption of nutrients across cell membranes.

What Is Isotonic?
Isotonix® is a word, and that’s all to a lot of people. What does it mean? Broken down to its roots, “iso” means “the same” and “tonic” means “pressure” or “tone.” When isotonic is used to describe solutions for human consumption, it means having the same fluid pressure as body fluids. Tears, blood, plasma, lymph and other body fluids are all isotonic.

When we ingest food, gastric (or stomach) juice is secreted onto the food and muscular contractions of the stomach mix the contents until a reasonably uniform solution is achieved. The solutions of food (or chyme) that enter the small intestine for absorption are made isotonic by the action of the stomach in a time-consuming process. The fluid pressure of food or isotonic solutions across semi-permeable membranes, such as the walls of the small intestine, is generally referred to as having a particular osmolarity or tonicity. It can be said that when solutions on opposite sides of the membrane have the same osmolarity, they are iso-osmotic or iso-tonic. Normal human blood serum (the fluid portion without cells and platelets) has an osmolarity of 288mOs/kg, as do most other fl uids in the body. Therefore, in physiological terms, when a solution’s osmolarity is the same, or nearly the same, as that of normal human blood serum, it is referred to as isotonic.

Gastric Emptying Time

Why is gastric emptying so important? The answer is simply this: the longer the supplements stay in the stomach, the longer the time before absorption can begin, because no appreciable absorption occurs from the stomach.  Why is gastric emptying time stressed when talking about Isotonix?  Because the fastest emptying time occurs when isotonic solutions enter the stomach.  When the biological sensors in the gastrointestinal tract detect that the ingested solution is isotonic and at a correct pH, the pyloric or duodenal valve at the lower end of the stomach remains open and the solution is squirted into the small intestine. Absorption of the nutrients by the intestinal mucosa then starts to occur.

Concentration and Absorption

Concentration and absorption are factors that go hand in hand for the proper use of nutritional supplements.  Concentration, the amount of nutrient dissolved in a given amount of solution, is directly related to the efficiency of nutritional absorption. It is known that the greater the concentration (as milligrams of nutrient per milliliter of solution at the absorption site), the greater

the rate and amount of absorption. Because Isotonix solutions experience little dilution in the gastrointestinal tract, they arrive at the absorption sites in high concentration to assure effi cient absorption.  Isotonix®

Jim L. Wilmer, Ph. D. is Chief Science Officer at Market America and has been employed by the company for over 15 years. He earned a doctorate from Cornell University in environmental toxicology (1991), a master of science in biolog y from East Tennessee State University (1974), and a bachelor of science from Wofford College (1972). Dr. Wilmer has 44 peer-reviewed publications in journals, including Cancer Research, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Mutation Research, Environmental Mutagenesis, Cell Biology and Toxicology, Cytogenetics and Cell Genetics, Angiology, and Phytotherapy Research.