Five Beauty Products to get you Bikini Season Ready!

That’s right ladies, it’s National Bikini Day! And that means summer is officially in full swing. Are you feeling ready to flaunt the hard work you’ve been putting in at the gym in that hot bikini you’ve been eyeing since winter? If not, you are not alone! It seems like no matter how drop dead gorgeous one may be may be, all women have their insecurities rocking a bathing suit nevermind a TWO PIECE! And no matter how much time you spent doing an extra set of squats are if you followed our TLS 21 Day challenge to the T, there are still natural blemishes that may have you feeling a little bikini shy. Well lucky for you, our beauty product developers source only the highest quality formulas with powerful ingredients from all over the globe! Read on to see which beauty products will have you Bikini  Day ready in not time!

If you suffer from stretch marks and wrinkles, you’ll want to get your hands on one of our most popular beauty products with amazing results, Pentaxyl! Pentaxyl is a proprietary blend of herbal extracts and the breakthrough formulas of the Matrixyl® Complex and Argireline, which reduce the appearance of wrinkles and furrows, help skin look thicker and firmer, and gives the skin a youthful glow. We’ve seen some of the most dramatic transformations with this revolutionary product! Learn all about Pentaxyl here.

Lumière de Vie Intensive Hand & Body Crème is an intensive rich crème that saturates skin for long-lasting hydration. With nutrient-rich ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil and sunflower seed oil, this powerful crème helps break the cycle of dryness and dehydration to give skin a new softness and suppleness perfect for beach days!

We’re obsessed with Motives Liquid Gold Shimmer this season! It’s a lightweight, liquid shimmer that adds a touch of radiance and a sheer glow to your skin. With the easy-to-use, roll-on applicator, you can create accentuate your eyes, cheeks, shoulders and even down the center of your thighs for slimmer looking legs.

Of course we always recommend using an SPF anytime you plan to be out in the sun. We recommend an SPF of 50 or higher for optimal protection from harmful sun exposure. Try Cellular Laboratories® De-Aging Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50+and apply on your face and body on your bikini days!

Last but certainly not least, if you’re looking for a little more chisel in your physique, particularly in the abdomen area, you can always Contour! Use Motives Color Perfection Quads in a shade slightly darker than the skin where you want to look more toned. Follow this helpful guide by @MakeupMeri on where to contour and highlight to get instant abs! And remember to stay out of the water if you plan to try this technique.

 

Are you planning on spending time this summer showing off some skin? If so, share with us in the comments below which products you use to get yourself bikini ready!

10 Fat-Burning Foods to Add to Your Shopping List

Fight fat with food simply by picking the right snacks and ingredients. Peta Bee shows you how

Want to lose weight but don’t have the time or the energy to do more at the gym? Then the solution could be to fill your shopping basket with the right fat-burning foods. Here we reveal the top ten foods that are guaranteed to give you a head start in the fat-loss stakes:

GRAPEFRUIT

Remember the grapefruit diet of the 1980s? Well, it wasn’t as faddy as you might think. A study, published in Nutrition & Metabolism showed that a pre-meal snack of grapefruit or grapefruit juice really can boost weight loss. Researchers at Vanderbilt University found that obese adults who consumed half a grapefruit or a glass of 100 per cent grapefruit juice before their three main reduced calorie meals, lost an average 7.1 percent of their body weight - or 15 pounds per person - in 14 weeks.

BLACK PEPPER

When you are asked if you want black pepper sprinkled onto your food, you should always answer ‘yes’. Why? Because Korean scientists reporting in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry showed that piperine - the flavoursome substance that gives black pepper its characteristic taste - can block the formation of new fat cells in the body.

CINNAMON

Add a sprinkle of this spice to your breakfast cereal and coffee every day and you could offset some of the ‘fat’ calories you consume. That was the outcome of a study conducted by Penn State University researchers who showed that cinnamon and turmeric reduces the body’s negative responses to high-fat meals. “Normally, when you eat a high-fat meal, you end up with high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood,” said Sheila West, associate professor of biobehavioral health, who led the study. “We found that adding spices to a high-fat meal reduced triglyceride response by about 30 percent.”

EGGS

Long derided as unhealthy, eggs have transformed their image in recent years and are now among the foods most widely accepted to help you shift body fat. Last year, experts at the University of Missouri found that a breakfast rich in protein, such as eggs, significantly improves appetite control and reduces unhealthy snacking on high-fat or high-sugar foods in the evening. Being low in calories (an egg contains only around 75), an egg or two is a great way to fill up without packing on the pounds.

APPLES

When you eat apples, always keep the peel on. Why? Because it is an excellent source of a substance called ‘ursolic acid’ that has been shown to aid fat-burning. Trials on obese rats have shown that those fed ursolic acid (also found in cranberries, rosemary, lavender and prunes) were able to eat more than their counterparts who weren’t given the substance but still lose more weight and gain a greater amount of lean muscle tissue.

GREEN TEA

There have long been rumours that green tea aids weight loss by triggering the body to burn abdominal fat, but can they really be true? Many scientists think so thanks to specific tphytochemicals in green tea called catechins. In 2013 a group of Korean scientists showed how extract of green tea not only aided weight control, but improved symptoms of Type 2 diabetes. Effects were amplified when the green tea was consumed with a compound called polyethylene glycol and researchers said you could easily drink your way to good health by sipping several cups a day.

BLUEBERRIES

Blueberries for health

They are packed with beneficial antioxidant vitamins, but that’s not all you get from eating blueberries regularly. Scientists at the University of Michigan showed that obese rats given meals enriched with blueberries lost fat from their stomachs and, they say, the same could be true for humans. In the study, researchers used freeze-dried blueberries crushed into a powder and added two per cent of the preparation to the animals’ meals. ( try Isotonix Orac or Isotonix OPC-3 ) After 90 days, they had less abdominal fat and lower cholesterol. Benefits were linked to the high level of phytochemicals - naturally occurring antioxidants - contained in the fruit. Why not try Vicki Edgson’s blueberry and almond milk smoothie recipe?

ALMONDS

If you have a snack attack, then you could do worse than opt for some almonds. A team of scientists from Pennsylvania State University looked at the effects of consuming a small handful (30 grams) of almonds compared with a calorie-matched, high carbohydrate snack on body weight in 52 adults with raised cholesterol. After 6 weeks, weight loss did not differ between the two groups, but the almond diet proved to be a fat-buster, reducing overall abdominal fat, and waist circumference compared to the other snack.

CHILLIS

Eating chilli peppers, or even milder red peppers to your menu can actually increase your body’s consumption of calories and “oxidise” layers of body fat, found researchers at the University of California. The ‘heat’ in peppers comes from an active ingredient called capsaicin - the hotter the peppers, the more of it you get. Other trials have shown that capsaicnoids in peppers not only boost fat burning but also trigger the stores of ‘good brown fat’, which gobbles calories, into action.

COFFEE

Marley Coffee - 100% Organic

As long as you take it black, then your coffee could aid fat-burning. But so could cola or another caffeinated drink. Sport scientists have previously shown that caffeine consumption prior to exercise can help the body to utilise fat stores before relying on carbohydrate (glycogen) for fuel. And last year, a paper in PLOS One journal that analysed how cyclists responded to a java jolt found those who drank caffeine or coffee moved almost 5 per cent quicker during a workout than those who hadn’t taken the caffeinated beverage. A greater workout output translates to greater calories burned, so it’s a double winner on the fat-burning front.

Bromelain Benefits Have Power to Heal

Bromelain Benefits 
Have Power to Heal

Research suggests that this pineapple-sourced ingredient can help you protect, repair and recover from injury and illness. 
By Deedra Mason, N.D., Clinical Faculty Member 

Fruits have always brought with them a plethora of health benefits. Vitamins, antioxidants, phytonutrients and more come from just about any fruit imaginable. And yet, science is always finding new, amazing benefits around every corner.

Take the pineapple. Not only is the fruit rich in vitamins and minerals, but its stem contains a mixture of enzymes known as bromelain — one of the most researched ingredients in the nutritional supplement world over recent years thanks to its variety of benefits.

Bromelain Infographic - Try it Here

Healing, Inflammation Benefits
Therapeutic doses of bromelain have been shown to “[reduce] edema, bruising, pain and healing time following trauma and surgical procedures” until the body has completely healed, according to published studies in Alternative Medicine Review.
As a treatment for injuries such as muscle strains and torn ligaments, bromelain proved to be successful in “[reducing] swelling, pain at rest and during movement, and tenderness” while also reducing “effects of unaccustomed exercise and accelerate [the] recovery of muscle tissue.”
Bromelain’s inflammation benefits go beyond sore muscles and exercise, though. Those with sinusitis, an inflammation of the sinus cavity due to infection, allergies or autoimmune issues, have also benefited from bromelain. One study found that 85 percent of individuals who took bromelain “had complete resolution of [sinusitis] and complete resolution of breathing difficulties.”

Arthritis Benefits
Numerous studies have been conducted
on the benefits of bromelain as it relates to arthritis; in particular, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. And, with more than 50 million Americans affected by some form of arthritis, it’s not hard to find someone looking for relief. For many of those people,

bromelain could be a key to rediscovering their old selves.
Researchers have found that bromelain research “looks promising” and “may provide a safer alternative or adjunctive treatment for osteoarthritis.” 

One study found that a four-week regimen of bromelain supplementation “resulted in significant decrease in pain and stiffness in patients with knee osteoarthritis.”

Cancer Benefits
Perhaps most promising is bromelain’s potential for cancer patients. This exciting research — while still in its infancy — could provide the basis for new non-invasive treatments that can help millions upon millions struggling with the variety of forms this disease takes on.
For example, research out of Norway has found bromelain demonstrates the ability to “significantly and reversibly reduce adhesion, migration and invasion” of primary brain tumors, or gliomas. The study’s authors wrote that, “to hinder the migration of the invasive glioma cells without negative impact on neighboring bystander cells represents an attractive treatment approach ... [Bromelain] may provide a complementary treatment strategy in combination with surgical removal.”

Another recent study supports the hypothesis that bromelain does more than support
more conventional cancer therapies; rather, it directly affects a specific genetic marker associated with cancerous inflammation. According to researchers, bromelain causes
cancer cells to die while not affecting healthy, outlying cells.
This is due to bromelain’s properties as
a protease enzyme, which helps dissolve non-needed structures, such as scab
material once healing has occurred. Cancer cells “protect” themselves from detection by shielding themselves in a protein layering. Protease enzymes like bromelain help break down that layer, thus making it easier for your body to fight off the cancerous cells. These enzymes activate a so-called “cellular house cleaning” important to the maintenance of cellular health.
The potential benefits of bromelain are astounding. Helping everything from
daily aches and pains to some of modern medicine’s most concerning health conditions, bromelain can provide not only a treatment, but a preventative measure that can keep us healthy day in and day out. 

Why Omega-3 Fatty Acids Are Important to Your Health

Are you like me with a goal to always be the #1 advocate for your own health? Then read this post. You have probably already heard about omega-3′s, which are “essential fatty acids” we all must consume for consistently good health. The problem is that our bodies do not make omega-3′s on their own, leaving it up to us to actively seek omega-3 fatty acids through our diet and supplements.

Foods That Fight Inflammation

Why Omega-3 Fatty Acids Are Important to Your Health

• Reduce inflammation in the body
• Lower lipids in the bloodstream
• Inhibit thickening of your arteries
• Improve the body response to insulin, which can regulate weight and metabolism
• Help prevent cancer cell growth

If you’ve been dealing with depression, chronic pain, heart disease, clotting issues or hormone imbalances, talk to your doctor about focusing on your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. I rely on this fish oil supplement as well as organic foods like walnuts, salmon and flaxseeds (which naturally have omega-3′s) to cover my bases!

Do you take a fish oil supplement? Have you noticed any benefits?

Are All Multivitamins Created Equal?

A multivitamin easily serves as one of the critical foundation products for optimal health. It is no secret that our diets today are significantly lacking the basic vitamins and minerals needed by our bodies. Not only are our diets deficient, but our soil is diminished of the key nutrients it once carried.

Because a multivitamin can help fill the nutritional gaps that our diets leave open, it is important to choose one that provides the right ingredients at adequate amounts, while also being delivered in a way to provide the maximum benefits. All multivitamins are NOT the same; certain aspects should be considered when choosing a product.

Try Isotonix MultiVitamin 

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a multivitamin is the delivery system. Many products in the form of tablets and capsules exist on the market today, but do these provide the most effects? Optimal nutrient absorption is easily attained when ingredients are delivered in an isotonic form. Isotonic solutions help control the rate at which nutrients move from the stomach to the small intestine, allowing for the appropriate amount of time for proper absorption. Ideally, multivitamins should be delivered in a way where little nutritive value is lost and efficiency of nutrient absorption is at its best.

In addition to the product’s delivery form, it also helps when the nutrients themselves are in a form which allows for maximum absorption and usability. For example, some of the B vitamins are available in forms which allow some conversion steps to be eliminated and optimal utilization to occur. Specifically, the liver must convert cyanocobalamin, the form of B12 most commonly used in supplements, into methylcobalamin, before it can be properly utilized by the body. By supplementing with methylcobalamin in your daily multivitamin, this step can be eliminated.

This is also the case with folic acid. Folate (or folic acid) must go through a series of chemical conversions before it becomes metabolically active to be properly utilized. Folinic acid is an active derivative of folic acid and does not require the action of certain enzymes, again eliminating this step the body would usually have to complete.

Some minerals, like iron, also offer more bioavailable forms. Combining highly bioavailable ingredients with an advanced delivery system gives a unique advantage for your multivitamin.

It is imperative to choose a multivitamin which contains each of the key vitamins and minerals. Not only are these nutrients necessary components for numerous processes within the body and assist in the normal functions of our bodies, but deficiencies in these key vitamins and minerals can have detrimental effects on your health. Vitamins A, C, D, E and each of the B vitamins each help contribute to the basic micronutrient foundation. A multivitamin should contain each of these.

Additionally, including a variety of minerals such as calcium and selenium in your multivitamin can help establish a more rounded multivitamin complex. A formula that simply contains the vitamins and minerals is not enough; you must ensure your product contains 100% or more of the recommended daily values (also known as DVs). A multivitamin helps lay the basic foundation for your dietary supplement regimen, but it must contain the key nutrients at effective amounts.

Isotonix MultiVitamin

Exemplary quality control is a critical component when choosing any dietary supplement, not just a multivitamin. High standards and adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are mandatory for ensuring the highest level of quality control is being performed. Only choose health and nutrition products that are produced under strict GMP standards and feel confident knowing this high quality control system helps guarantee your product meets specifications and ensures consistent manufacturing with regard to purity and performance.

Now more than ever, good health begins with the practice of good nutrition, and a multivitamin has become a key component of this practice. Directing a careful eye towards not only the quantity of ingredients in multivitamins, but also their quality, is one of the surest steps towards a healthier lifestyle.

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Crystal Shelton

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

Vitamin D Deficiency In Sick Kids Could Make Them Sicker

NPR's Health Blog by ELIZA BARCLAY

If you're an adult, and a relatively healthy one at that, then you've probably been confused in recent years about whether or not you're getting enough vitamin D. Indeed, a series of reports from some of the top medical institutions – including the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – have said most adults aren't deficient, even as other top researchers have said most are.

Where there seems to be a little less controversy is vitamin D for kids, who need it to build strong bones and a strong immune system. The IOM in 2010 said children and most adults need 600 international units of vitamin D a day. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a slightly different take: It suggests kids get a lower dose — 400 IU per day — and that they take a daily vitamin to make sure they're getting it.

Now new evidence from two studies finds that not only is vitamin D deficiency common among critically ill kids, but it's also associated with the severity of their illness.

In one study published today in Pediatrics, researchers at Harvard University tested the vitamin D levels of 511 children, up to 17-years-old, who were admitted to six different pediatric intensive care units between November 2009 and November 2010.

They found that 40 percent of the sick kids they tested had less than 20 nanograms of vitamin D per milliliter of blood — meaning they were deficient. This led the researchers to conclude that kids deficient in vitamin D were more likely to be sick than kids with sufficient levels of the vitamin. The kids deficient in vitamin D were also more likely to be in the hospital longer than the other kids.

Isotonix Vitamin D with K2

Another study from researchers in Ottawa, Canada, of sick kids at six Canadian PICUs from 2005 to 2008 came to a similar conclusion.

While both groups of researchers were hesitant to blame vitamin D deficiency for making the kids sick, they called for more studies on whether giving sick kids big doses of the vitamin in the early stages of their illness might be beneficial.

In addition to supplements, vitamin D is readily available in foods like eggs and oily fish and fortified foods such as milk, cereal, orange juice, yogurt and margarine.

From Shop.com

What makes Isotonix® Vitamin D with K2 product unique?

Isotonix Vitamin D with K2 contains vitamin D3, the metabolically active form of vitamin D, along with vitamin K2, a form of vitamin K which supports vascular health and calcium utilization. Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health, heart health and immune support while working with vitamin K to support normal absorption of calcium and promote healthy arteries. Isotonix Vitamin D is the first of its kind to deliver both of these powerful vitamins with isotonic delivery.

Vitamin K is included in Isotonix Vitamin D with K2 because of its unique partnership with vitamin D. Vitamins K and D work together to support calcium absorption and utilization. Vitamin K supports the normal delivery of calcium to the bones and promotes healthy arteries.

Know the basics: Good nutrition plays a vital role in overall good health.

Know the basics
Good nutrition plays a vital role  in overall good health.

Good nutrition is essential to life long health.  A proper diet means replacing unhealthy foods with nutrient rich options. Fad diets often promise quick but short live results.  Instead, you can help ensure overall health with wise food choices that will soon become habits.
According to the US Department of health and human services, healthier eating habits could reduce cancer deaths in the United States by as much as 35%.  Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet also helps reduce the risk of stroke.

Bottom line:  Eat right. Feel good.

Fruits and vegetables- Harvard studies have shown that for every extra serving of fruits and vegetables you add to your diet, you lower your risk of heart disease by 4%.  Center dishes around vegetables rather than meat. Colorful vegetables carry more nutrients.

Fats- Not all fat's our bad.  While essential fats help supply energy, saturated and trans fats can raise "bad" cholesterol.  Cook more often at home to avoid the trans fat found in commercially prepared foods.

Grains and fiber- Whole greens are better than refined grains, because they include plenty of the fire that promotes digestive health.  Incorporate fiber rich foods such as strawberries interbrand to hope reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Meats and beans- Choose lean beef, such as top round and sirloin, or skinless chicken.  Six ounces of fish per week has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from heart disease by 36%.  The US Department of agriculture recommends 5.5 ounces a day of food from the meats and beans group, which also includes eggs and nuts.

Salt- More than 75% of sodium comes from processed foods.  Replaced canned items with fresh fair.  Use herbs and spices to flavor meats instead of salt.

Dairy- Eat Dairy products such as low-fat yogurt and skim milk to sustain strong bones.
Although each person's calorie needs differ, the nutrient facts label provide a common difference.

Being more aware of what you eat will help sustain a healthy life style.  Be sure to schedule regular checkups with your doctor to discuss a balanced diet because each person's needs are different.

No "Magic" bullet - Here are ways to propel you from chubby to chic

No "Magic" bullet: 
Ways to propel you from chubby to chic

With summer just around the corner, the advertisements for weight loss programs are ramping up. But despite what some diet programs promise there is no easy answer or “magic” bullet to quickly propel you from chubby to chic without any hard work on your part—despite what some of the diet programs promise.

But it can be done, over a period of time if you develop the right healthy habits:

1. Eat plenty of foods that are rich in fiber, especially plant-based fiber found in fruits, vegetables, oat bran, lentils, chickpeas, and more. 

2. Increase your intake of healthy-fat foods, including coconut oil, palm oil, and the essential fatty acids found in foods like salmon and sardines. 

3. Drink lots of clean, filtered water—strive for at least eight glasses a day. 

4. Consume large amounts of green foods, including green “superfoods” supplements. 

5. Exercise regularly with activities you really enjoy, like walking, dancing, or swimming. 

6. Get adequate rest and sleep every day. 

7. Maintain a wholesome balance between work, play, and family time. 

8. Strive to reach, and maintain, emotional and spiritual well-being. 

9. Supplement your diet with a good, daily, natural multi-nutrient preparation. 

Now it’s your turn: Which of these healthy habits do you practice?


 

Bioavailable curcumin matches prescription drug for joint health benefits

Bioavailable curcumin matches prescription
drug for joint health benefits
Supplements of a patented, high bioavailability curcumin may match a prescription rheumatoid arthritis drug for joint health benefits, but with fewer side effects, suggests new data. 

Eight weeks of 1 gram per day of the patented curcumin ingredient BCM-95 provided the same reductions in swelling and pain as 100 milligrams per day of the prescription drug diclofenac sodium, according to findings published in Phytotherapy Research.
In addition, Dr Ajay Goel from Baylor University Medical Center (USA) and Dr Binu Chandran from the Nirmala Medical Centre (India) report that there were no drop outs due to adverse effects in the curcumin group, but 14% of participants in the diclofenac sodium group withdrew due to adverse effects.
“The drugs used for people with rheumatoid arthritis can have severe adverse effects,” explained Goel. “Our study is the first to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of curcumin in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis, and highlights the need for future large-scale trials to further validate these findings in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritic conditions.”

Try This Curcumin with BCM-95

To read more about joint health, glucosamine, curcumin and the anti-inflammatory effects click here

Bottom Line is:

“Our observations that curcumin alone was able to alleviate symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in this study are quite encouraging, and these results provide an ideal springboard for investigating the potential of curcumin in other chronic diseases arising in the setting of dysregulated chronic inflammation."  

      

Omega-3s tied to lower risk of heart arrhythmia

By Kerry Grens

NEW YORK | Wed Feb 1, 2012 1:17pm EST

(Reuters Health) - In a new study of some 3,000 older adults, those with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood were 30 percent less likely to develop an irregular heartbeat over the next 14 years than peers with the lowest blood levels of omega-3s.

"A 30 percent lower risk of the most common chronic arrhythmia in the United States population is a pretty big effect," said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, senior author of the new report and a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.

According to some estimates, up to nine percent of Americans will develop atrial fibrillation, a heart-rhythm abnormality that can lead to stroke and heart failure, by the time they reach their 80s.

There are few treatments for the condition and they largely center on preventing strokes with blood-thinning drugs.

Some previous studies have suggested that people who eat a lot of fish have a lower risk of developing atrial fibrillation to begin with. But others haven't found the same link.

The omega-3 fatty acids measured in the new study -- eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - are found in oily fish and some enriched foods, like eggs, as well as in fish oil supplements.

The earlier studies relied on questionnaires about how much fish people ate, which can only estimate the levels of omega-3s they ingested, Mozaffarian noted.

"Any given fish species can vary in its omega-3s by 10-fold," he told Reuters Health.

To get a more accurate measurement of how much fish oil the people in the study actually ingested, the researchers sampled blood from more than 3,300 adults over age 65.

Over 14 years, they tracked the seniors' health and found that 789 had developed atrial fibrillation.

Those with top-25-percent omega-3 levels in their bloodstreams at the beginning of the study were about 30 percent less likely to end up with the arrhythmia compared to those with bottom-25-percent blood levels of the fatty acids.

The difference in risk isn't huge, but "these are meaningful reductions in risk" said Dr. Alvaro Alonso, a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health who was not involved in this study.

A 30 percent reduction in risk would mean that instead of 25 out of every 100 people developing a condition, only about 17 out of every 100 people would get it.

Another study from Finland used the same approach of measuring fatty acids in the blood and found a similar reduction in the risk of atrial fibrillation among those with the highest levels.

Mozaffarian's group tried to tease out which of the omega-3 fats might be responsible for the lower risk, and found that high DHA levels were linked to a 23 percent lower risk for atrial fibrillation while EPA and DPA were not tied to any reduced risk.

DHA is highly concentrated in heart muscle cell membranes, Mozaffarian and his colleagues point out in their report, published in the journal Circulation.

Alonso cautioned that this study doesn't prove eating fish is responsible for the lower rate of atrial fibrillation, but he said there is some idea that the fatty acids found in fish could work by stabilizing the excitability of heart muscle cells.

He said that the results seem promising enough to warrant further studies experimenting with using fish oil as a potential preventive measure against atrial fibrillation.

An earlier study of fish oil pills found that they didn't help the symptoms of atrial fibrillation in people who had already developed the arrhythmia (see Reuters Health story of November 15, 2010).

The American Heart Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other groups recommend eating fish at least twice a week.

Mozaffarian said most Americans don't meet those goals.

He said his study "doesn't change current guidelines, but I think this should change people's motivation."