The Benefits of Berries

 By Ryan Saba

Berries have been shown to be some of the healthiest foods on the planet.  Low in calories, high in fiber, and containing vitamins and mineral your body needs to function optimally, berries are nutritional powerhouses.

Extremely powerful antioxidants, berries protect your body from inflammation.  With their high oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values – a method of measuring antioxidant capacities – berries help to prevent negative effects on the body by turning off inflammation signals, making them a vital part of our diet. These little power foods may be simple but they have been shown to poses a variety of amazing benefit from protecting the heart all the way to enhancing vision. Try Isotonix Maximum ORAC 

Heart Protection
One of the primary benefits of berries is their ability to improve heart health and blood flow throughout the body.  One way this is done is by reducing the buildup of harmful plaque on blood vessel walls, which reduces the risk of arteries hardening.  By keeping arteries clean and avoiding the buildup of plaque, the heart can work more efficiently, reducing the potential of heart attacks and other heart disease related conditions. 

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Below is Dr. Steven Lamm a practicing internist, faculty member at New York University School of Medicine, and the Director of Men's Health for NYU Medical Center discussing Pycnogenol and its amazing benefits in Isotonix OPC-3

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Also, incorporation of berries into your diet has been shown to reduce oxidation of LDL – or “bad” – cholesterol. Oxidation, the process by which cells and tissue break down, is a key factor in heart disease because oxidized LDL can inflame arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks. Reducing the oxidation levels of LDL cholesterol not only improves overall heart function, but also reduces long term risks of heart disease. Learn more about an exclusive isotonic form of Pycnogenol in (OPC-3)

Powerful Antioxidants
Even though taste is often what we like most about berries, their color is what makes them so good for us.  The rich blues, deep purples and bright reds are a result of a group of phytochemicals called flavonoids. These pigments help to counter cell damage in our bodies caused by free radicals.  Over time, free radicals contribute to disease and are one of the primary factors in the aging process.

Antioxidant compounds protect our bodies from the oxidative damage that is caused by everything from poor diet, environmental toxins and even vigorous exercise.  By neutralizing free radicals, flavonoids may help to reduce the risk of cancer and aid in memory and other brain functions that begin to decline as we age.

Vision Enhancement
Various forms of berries contain lutein, a carotenoid important for healthy vision. Reduced eye function and the degeneration of vision are some of the most common problems associated with aging.  With the ability to protect against glaucoma and cataract progression, berries have been show to promote overall eye health. Berries have also been shown to enhance vision, especially at night, by supporting the regeneration of rhodopsin in the eyes.  This process helps the eyes to adjust better during periods of darkness and also reduces the permeability of the fine blood vessel walls throughout the eye. Berries have also been shown to protect against retinopathy, a condition the leads to impaired vision and blindness due to blood accumulation in the retina.

Sometimes the simplest things offer the best benefits.  Berries are some of the most powerful (and delicious) disease-fighting foods available. Introducing them into your diet – ideally two or three types each day – can improve various areas of health and overall well being.

Living Well with Flavonoids

Natural Products Foundation – NPF Science Update: Flavonoids

NPF Science Update: Flavonoids

Posted Thursday, September 8, 2011

The NPF Science Update brings you news about scientific advances in the field of natural products. The Science Update features contributions from scientists, academics, doctors, healthcare professionals, industry veterans and other experts. To sign up to receive the monthly Science Update via email, please click here: NPF Science Update. OPC-3  Living Well with Flavonoids Nature, Inflammation and Osteoarthritis Botanical products have been used for medicinal purposes by human civilizations over the course of thousands of years. Not surprisingly, many of the pharmaceuticals used today are derived in part from natural substances. Flavonoids are an excellent example of a safe and effective botanical compound that has natural biological activity in physiologic processes. Isotonix OPC-3 Super Antioxidant In general, flavonoids are found in colored fruits, vegetables and spices as well as cocoa, teas and even red wine. When your parents said, “Eat your vegetables,” they really meant, “Eat your flavonoids, because they have health benefits!” Lycopene, resveratrol, baicalin, catechin, curcumin, and quercetin are examples of flavonoid ingredients with therapeutic effects which can be found OTC in dietary supplement products and by prescription in medical food products. Flavonoids have been known for decades to promote anti-inflammatory activity, and flavonoid molecules have recently entered osteoarthritis clinical trials with successful results. Why look at flavonoids in osteoarthritis studies? There are multiple underlying causes and contributing factors to osteoarthritis including trauma, repetitive motion, inflammation, obesity, genetic predisposition and diet. Recently, with a substantial increase in our understanding of the problem, the roles of nutrition and lifestyle have become important focal points for osteoarthritis concerns. Many scientific studies have shown that anti-inflammatory micronutrients like flavonoids help the body naturally manage inflammation and oxidation, two important factors in osteoarthritis. There are literally thousands of papers in scientific literature related to flavonoids. The goal of a nutritional, metabolic therapy for osteoarthritis is to manage inflammation and oxidation. Botanical flavonoid molecules have been shown to manage osteoarthritis as suggested by modulating the production of inflammatory oxidized lipids, while reducing and controlling induced inflammatory molecules. Unfortunately, by eating large amounts of processed food, too much red meat and few colored fruits and vegetables, we usually don’t get a high enough intake of the nutrients we need to nutritionally manage the chronic progression of osteoarthritis over time. So, make sure to eat plenty of colored fruits and vegetables, and consider dietary products that contain concentrated and purified flavonoids to either maintain joint health or to help to nutritionally manage the metabolic processes of osteoarthritis. Natural resources taken under the care of your physician may be very effective in helping osteoarthritis. Story Source: The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by Natural Products Foundation staff) from materials provided by J.D. Weir, President and CEO of Primus Pharmaceuticals and Secretary of the NPF Board of Directors. For more information, please click here: The Role of Flavonoids in Osteoarthritis, or on any of the Healthnotes links below: Healthnotes: Flavonoids Healthnotes: Osteoarthritis Healthnotes: Curcumin Healthnotes: Lycopene Healthnotes: Quercetin Healthnotes: Resveratrol

Isotonix OPC-3® is an isotonic-capable food supplement that is made from a combination of bilberry, grape seed, red wine and pine bark extracts, and citrus extract bioflavonoids, all found to be powerful antioxidants. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) are bioflavonoids (complex organic plant compounds) found in fruits, vegetables and certain tree barks that provide exceptional nutritional benefits to the human body. Studies have shown OPCs to be up to 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals. nutraMetrix Isotonix OPC-3 contains the only isotonic form of

Prime Joint Support Fomula

Pycnogenol® 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’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.