New Supplement for Joint Health Help

I went to a press conference last week that along with some staggering statistics (80% of over 70’s have osteoarthritis) provided a very splendid lunch – just getting my ‘expenses’ up front, unlike our MP’s- and news of a new and unique formulation designed for maintenance of joint health.

Two doctors fronted the information, and although frankly I don’t find the medical profession to be the best informed on supplements, or nutrition, they set the case out fairly clearly. If you can avoid getting old, you can probably avoid osteoarthritis – any takers?

Osteoarthritis is a painful, often crippling, condition and the main news from the press conference was that prevention was a darn sight better than cure which involves either pain ful injections into the joint or replacement surgery.

If you have been relying on chondroitin for your joint health then the other surprising fact to emerge was that current research does not show it to be that effective and Regenovex® contains no glucosamine or chondroitin but depends instead on two natural ingredients – Natural Marine Bionovex Oil and Hyaluronic Acid.

Natural Marine Bionovex® Oil may be more familiar to you as Green Lipped Mussels (GLM) which has been popular for joint health for a number of years as it contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3s, and is particularly rich in eicosatetraenoic acid (ETA), an omega-3 unique to GLM. ETA has been scientifically shown to have special properties to help maintain joint health and the Bionovex Oil in Regenovex has a concentration of ETA that is up to 40 times greater than in conventional GLM powders.

Marine lipids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity in laboratory studies and , of benefit to joint health in various clinical studies. Marine lipids have been shown in studies to inhibit both the cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) inflammatory pathways, which means they support your body’s normal processes to relieve discomfort. Unlike non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs – a common painkiller prescribed for osteoarthritis) marine-derived lipids do not seem to have any of the stomach or digestive problems associated with NSAID’s such as bleeding.

The other key ingredient is hyaluronic acid® (HA) and it works in a different way. It is naturally found in the body in a wide range of tissues, to cushion joints and supplementing fluid within the joint, which helps to stimulating the joints’ own HA production, supporting the strengthening of cartilage structure, and generally maintaining joint health. In people with joint problems, particularly osteoarthritis, as the cartilage becomes more and more damaged both the amount and molecular weight (or structure) of HA in the joint changes. This results in further cartilage damage, increased inflammation and a reduction in the synovial fluid function and Regenovex® helps maintain joint health by providing the joint with the type of HA it needs to supplement the synovial fluid,.

As well as helping maintain the health of joints and the supplement claims to also tackle the two main causes of joint wear and tear:

• Physical Damage
• Internally released harmful chemicals which affect joint comfort, which can happen after physical damage, wear and tear or aging.

Glucosamine and chondroitin can be helpful for joint health but they are only effective with one aspect of joint discomfort. The combination of Bionovex oil and Hyaluronic in Regenovex® help to harness the nutritional benefits of both hyaluronic acid and omega-3 fatty acids to help maintain joint health.

In a recent trial, 74% of users who took the one-a-day capsules who noticed a difference did so within 30 days and further trials and a scientific study are currently being undertaken It comes in three forms: one-a-day capsules, . a gel for targeted application to individual joints and a flexible patch which continues to work for up to 12 hours and is ideal for day and night time use.

CAUTION: because it contains marine oil it should not be used by anyone who has an allergy to shellfish.

Preparing Your Body for Christmas the Mediterranean Way

Whatever we tell ourselves there is no doubt that Christmas – and indeed all of December – is a time for over-indulgence and it might be sensible to give your body an MOT in preparation.

Detoxing has long been a favoured naturopathic tool and Vital Detox has taken the principles of the Mediterranean diet and applied them in a very convenient way. The traditional Mediterranean detox is based on three things:

1. Reducing the amount of food consumed in order to give the digestive system a rest and allow energy to be diverted to cleansing rather than digesting.
2. Introducinge extra greens to provide the important additional nutrients needed to help quell the accumulated winter toxins being thrown from the cells
3. Take traditional herbal recipes to ensure the natural, seasonal detoxification process works efficiently.

Developed by a Naturopathic Physician in Italy, vitalDETOX is based on this herboristic tradition to allow a gentler detox approach and ensure the effectiveness of the immune system during the process and so prepare you for the festive season.

Some of the herbs included are well known to us such as Milk Thistle which has a beneficial effect on the liver, and Artichoke which improves digestion. Less common in the UK are ingredients such as Rosemary which stimulates the adrenal cortex and is diuretic, Boldo leaves, traditionally used to produce the bile needed for the breakdown of dietary fats, and Radish roots and Agrimony, used for centuries to support the liver. The plant extracts arethen dissolved in an organic solution of the juice extracted from the Mexican cactus Agave salmiana, which is rich in calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium.

During December, instead of having a glass of sherry as an aperitif, you can add one 5ml spoonful of vitalDETOX to a small glass of water with an added a dash of lemon juice before your meal. You should find it in health stores, but if not then visit the website at www.simplyvital.com.

Warfarin and Supplement Interactions – and What About Food?

Way back in 1988 I was Editor of a book called The Medicine Chest which was a straightforward examination of the interactions between drugs, supplements and foods. It had a lot of good advice that hasn’t changed much over the years so I was surprised to receive a ‘news’ item that warned that Warfarin when taken with vitamin E and large doses of vitamin C can decrease effect of the drug.

I was not surprised at the effect because I was writing about it over 20 years ago, but that it was news came as a surprise. However, it never hurts to repeat a good piece of information and scientists never turn up a chance for a grant to research something we already know.

This time it is researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah who want to point out the dangers. Warfarin is a commonly prescribed drug used to prevent blood clots from forming and given to people with certain types of irregular heartbeat, those with prosthetic heart valves, and those who have suffered a heart attack.

The study consisted of interviews with 100 atrial fibrillation patients to determine their understanding of potential interactions between supplements and medications such as Warfarin. This is not really a study about interactions but of people’s understanding of them and generally people do not know enough about how supplements, and everyday foodstuffs react with their medication.

In this study more than half were unaware of potential interactions and they also found that of the 100 most-used supplements (vitamins, glucosamine/chondroitin, fish oil and coenzyme Q10) 69 percent interfere with the Warfarin’s effectiveness.

Warfarin and herbal and dietary supplements “compete” in the liver and this competition changes the way the blood thinner works — either intensifying its active ingredients, thereby increasing the risk of bleeding, or by reducing its effectiveness, increasing the risk of stroke.

All true, and the lead researcher is urging that doctors do a better job of teaching patients about the dangers of mixing Warfarin with these products. Now I entirely agree with him, but what he doesn’t mention is that this particular drug is also seriously affected by certain foodstuffs and other drugs.

Given what the average doctor knows about nutrition I hold out little hope they will also pass on this advice so that instead of increasing or decreasing their drug prescription they could suggest changes to their patients diet. In addition, the effectiveness of Warfarin is impacted by other drugs – particularly antifungals, barbiturates and beta blockers which all decrease the drugs effectiveness.
Conversely, antibiotics, some diabetes drugs, gout medicines, tricyclic antidepressants and asprin and paracetamol – among others – all can increase the drug’s effectiveness, making it more potent.

On Warfarin? Avoid These:
Warfarin is affected by large doses of vitamin E, vitamin C, bioflavanoids and calcium and a large intake of fats or oils. If the diet is also high in vitamin K rich foods this can cause an imbalance in the body which could decrease the anticoagulant effect.

Vitamin K is needed to allow your blood to clot normally, to protect your bones from fracture and postmenopausal bone loss, to prevent calcification of the arteries and provide possible protection against liver and prostate cancer.

Vitamin K is a fat soluble vitamin and only a small amount is able to be stored in the body. It is destroyed by light and acids and alkalis such as vinegar or baking soda. A deficiency of it can lead to increased blood clotting time, easy bruising and excessive bleeding.

Significant food sources include: green leafy vegetables including spinach, Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, kale and also cauliflower, cow’s milk, eggs, fish liver oils, green vegetables, kelp, liver, molasses, polyunsaturated oils, tomatoes

Everyone responds differently to drugs, foods and supplements so if you have any concerns, or if your diet is high in vitamin K rich foods, then you should discuss with your doctor how this is affecting your medication.

Coconuts – the source of the new low GI sweetener and more

As an all round health food coconuts are hard to beat – you try knocking them off their perch at the fair! We use their milk, oil and flesh in cooking and the milk straight from the shell is a refreshing health drink. A rich source of fibre, vitamins, and minerals it is classified as a “functional food” because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content.

Now coconut sugar is emerging as an environmental and nutritional champion of low glycaemic sweeteners. This is promising news for those concerned with health issues such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, cancer, and gallstones.

Low glycaemic foods are important to overall health since they do not create rapid spikes in blood glucose levels. Increased blood glucose triggers the pancreas to increase insulin and when this becomes excessive then you have the groundwork for diabetes, hypoglycaemia, and insulin resistance.

The benefit of low gycaemic foods is that they keep blood glucose levels more even, whereas when a high glycemic food is consumed, excess insulin is secreted and blood glucose levels drop lower over the next few hours. This is one of the reasons that eating high glycaemic foods contributes to weight gain and obesity as you get hungrier faster than someone which encourages over eating and snacking.

High glycaemic intake has also been linked with increased serum levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation that is an accurate predictor of heart disease as well as increased risk for breast cancer, colorectal cancer and gallbladder disease.

Coconut sugar is high in potassium, magnesium, iron, boron, zinc, sulphur, and copper and it also plays an important part in natural healing and has been used to treat a wide variety of health problems including abscesses, asthma, , bronchitis, bruises, burns, colds, constipation, cough, , dysentery, earache, fever, flu, gingivitis, kidney stones, nausea, rash, skin infections, sore throat, tuberculosis, ulcers, upset stomach, weakness, and wounds.

Nor is its use confined to traditional healing, modern medical science is never slow to latch on to a good thing and they now there are now published studies in medical journals showing the benefits of coconuts for a wide range of conditions. These include killing the viruses that cause influenza, herpes, measles, hepatitis C, SARS, AIDS, and other illnesses and the bacteria that cause ulcers, throat infections, urinary tract infections, gum disease and cavities, pneumonia, and other diseases as well as killing the fungi and yeasts that cause candidiasis, ringworm, athlete’s foot, thrush, diaper rash, and other infections.

I hope that shows you the health value of the humble coconut, and for anyone still using artificial sweeteners – really, haven’t you been reading my articles at all – then this might be the time – please – to give up them up for the natural, nutritious sweetener that coconut sugar provides.

Dark Chocolate Is Good For Diabetics – Oh Really?

You may have seen a similar headline that in your daily newspaper this week (without the boom really of course) and it relates to results from a study by a group of researchers from the University of Hull and the Hull York Medical School.

I never thought I would be the one to try and dissuade anyone from eating chocolate, but there are some serious drawbacks to my mind with this research.

The study reports that dark chocolate has significant health benefits for people with Type 2 diabetes as HDL (high density lipoprotein) or ‘good’ cholesterol is improved and overall cholesterol balance is enhanced when patients consume 45g of dark chocolate each day over 16 weeks.

The patients were given 85% cocoa solids or a placebo which contained no cocoa solids but was dyed the same colour as the dark chocolate. No mention is made of how the poor group, placebo fared, rather than having to consume something that sounds quite unpleasant.

Steve Atkin, Professor of Diabetes and Endocrinology, who led the study says: “People with Type 2 diabetes are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease and since one of the main contributory factors to heart disease is a low level of HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol, the findings that dark chocolate can improve this, means the results of this study are hugely significant.”

Hmm, I agree with the first part of the sentence but not at all convinced about his conclusion. He goes on to say “Chocolate with a high cocoa content should be included in the diet of individuals with Type 2 diabetes as part of a sensible, balanced approach to diet and lifestyle. This study demonstrates that it can offer a potential reduction in cardiovascular risk without detrimental risks on weight, insulin resistance or glycaemic control.”

I do wonder about doctors I do really — however as he is a professor perhaps he is slightly different — but firstly there is rarely such a thing as a sensible approach chocolate intake for many people and secondly I do not see how a chocolate bar does not have a detrimental risk for weight or glycaemic control.

I’m certainly no expert, but Dr. Iain Frame, Director of Research at leading health charity Diabetes UK, is and takes the same view and he should know what he’s talking about. This was his response to that piece of research:

“On no account should people take away the message from this study, conducted in only 12 people, that eating even a small amount of dark chocolate is going to help reduce their cholesterol levels. The tiny health benefit of this compound found in cocoa-rich chocolate would be hugely outweighed by the fat and sugar content. The design of the study is also somewhat unrealistic as they asked participants to eat only around half the size of a normal, dark chocolate bar every day for eight weeks.

That is something that I can agree with, but the really critical element for me in this research is that yet again it is being paraded as a result on an incredibly tiny sample. 12 people might make up a jury but they do not weigh very heavily for me against the 3 million diabetics estimated in the UK.
This research is on far too small scale to draw such a huge and potentially damaging conclusion from and although there certainly might be some benefit in investigating further. I will let Dr. Iain Frame, of Diabetes UK, have the last word. “It would, however, be interesting to see if further research could find a way of testing whether polyphenols could be added to foods which weren’t high in sugar and saturated fat such as chocolate.”

Until then by all means each chocolate if you are diabetic, but very little and not very often would be my advice and if you would like further information on diabetes please visit www.diabetesuk.org

No Time For Breakfast – Power Up!

It is probably tedious by now for my regular readers to hear yet again of my quest for the perfect breakfast, both nutritionally and in time and effort. However I now have found a pretty good combo that I think could work through my combination of two new healthy products. One of them amazingly has been developed by professional wrestler — that’s not something you see in the health world everyday.

Seed Stacked are one of those advertising miracles where the name tells you exactly what it is — a flapjack bar full of seeds. Chris Thompson had no plans to develop a healthy, natural snack bar when he was travelling the world as a professional wrestler but a shock diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease, changed all that. That led him to discover the power of seeds as his research showed him how many nutrients were packed into seeds, and the fact that they are truly superfoods.

He started to develop the Seed Stacked flapjack and entered a ‘Dragons Den’ style competition with Peter Jones on the panel and won! Chris sourced a factory and the 100% natural bars went into production with three varieties including yoghurt and carob topped.

Naturally he is delighted with the success of his idea, but probably even more grateful that he is Crohn’s Disease is in remission and he is happy, healthy and back in training for the wrestling ring.

We know seeds are essential for our health and generally speaking we do not eat enough of them. Anyone can benefit from them but they will be of particular interest to women going through menopause as the particular combination of Pumpkin, Sunflower, Sesame and Linseeds, oats and honey provide naturally occurring plant estrogens (phytoestrogens). These can help to balance hormones and the sunflower seeds in particular are high in vitamin E which has shown to help reduce the dreaded hot flushes.

And To Wash It Down?
If there is a drawback to the seed bars, and they are certainly delicious, it is that you do need something to wash them down with. Breakfast drinks are usually coffee or tea but a much healthier option would be a glass of tart cherry juice.

Cherrygood juice contains US grown Montmorency cherries which have the highest antioxidant level of any fruit with a whopping 17 different antioxidant compounds in them. It’s also giving you the equivalent health benefits of around 20 portions of fruit and vegetables in a carton. Think of all that peeling and chopping you could save!

Don’t be deluded by the fact it is called tart cherry juice; it is certainly not sweet, but nor is it sharp but actually has a very nice refreshing taste. It’s certainly packs in the benefits as a glass contains more antioxidants than five portions of banana, tomatoes, watermelon, peas and carrots. Antioxidants are vital to helping the body to fight free radicals and cherries contain 19 times more beta-carotene than blueberries or strawberries along with Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron and folate.

If you do have trouble sleeping, then you might want to take your glass of the juice at night as tart cherries are one of the very few known food sources of melatonin, which is crucial to the maintenance of regular sleep patterns.

So if, like me, you are looking for a healthy and fast way to start the day then this is a good combination to try out. If you have any difficulty locating them in your supermarket or health store then go to their respective websites at www.seedstacked.com and www.cherrygood.com

Krill – a better form of Omega 3?

The health benefits of Omega 3 are well known for helping with cardiovascular and cholesterol support as well as anti-inflammatory properties which may help arthritis and joint pain and is linked to improvements in memory and brain function.

If you already are a convert then you certainly have a huge variety of supplements to choose from and here is a new one from Silvertown Health and their source is pure Antarctic Krill.

The Krill population of the world has been estimated as outweighing the human population of the world which certainly came as a surprise to me, as the only thing I really know about krill is that it is a favourite food of whales. This particular variety of small crustaceans is found in the Antarctic peninsula and apparently, their Omega-3 oils are in a phospholipid form which is suggested as far more beneficial and potent than the triglyceride structure found in normal fish oil supplements.

Krill oil, unlike fish oil, also contains Astaxanthin, one of the most powerful antioxidants known to man (or indeed woman) and said to be 300 times more powerful than the antioxidant vitamins A & E and 34 times more powerful than Co Q10.
Antioxidants are vital in supporting the immune system and reducing DNA damaging free radicals.

It seems that Silvertown Health Krill Oil is harvested ethically by a leading European krill oil harvester (though I would have thought that the whales had first claim on that as it is one of their most essential forms of food) and has Novel Food Approved status-whatever that may be. I would have thought anything that was essential to health was hardly novel, but perhaps the krill are great readers.  However, as they are monitored by the World Wide Fund for Nature and the Marine Stewardship Council to ensure strict environmental standards that probably balances itself out.

If you want to try Krill oil you should be able to find it in most good health stores and you only need one 500mg capsule a day to feel the effects. If you want to go the ethical route as well – buy it online from Silvertown here: Krill Oil

Why Black Rice is not just a gourmet fad but has health benefits too

You may have noticed when strolling down the aisles of your supermarket that in the “exotic foods” section that among the ordinary everyday types of rice — of which there are already quite a few — you may have noticed something called Black Rice. What you may not know is just how special it is and what a treasure house of nutrients it contains.

In ancient China, nobles commandeered every grain of a variety of black rice known as “Forbidden Rice” for themselves and – as is the way with rulers all over the world — issued an order forbidding the common people from eating it. Well now you can take your revenge and raid the supermarket shelves to treat yourself because new scientific research has discovered that a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, plus the rice bran has less sugar, more fibre and an abundance of vitamin E.

In case you think this is a propaganda press release on behalf of the Chinese Department of Agriculture let me assure you this comes from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, USA. Many fruits are known to be rich sources of anthocyanin antioxidants and these phytochemicals show promise for fighting heart disease, cancer, and other diseases but this is the first time that black rice has been shown to have the same properties. . As part of a healthy diet many people have switched to brown rice — which is certainly an improvement on white rice — but it seems that black rice could be even more beneficial.

Brown rice is the most widely produced variety of rice in the world and has a brown colour because only the outer husks, or “chaff”, are taken off the rice grains during milling. When rice is processed more, and the underlying nutrient-dense bran is removed, the result is white rice. If you eat brown, not white, rice you are making a far healthier choice as the bran contains higher levels of gamma-tocotrienol, one of the vitamin E compounds, and gamma-oryzanol antioxidants, which are lipid-soluble antioxidants.

A large body of research has concluded these antioxidants can reduce blood levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL, the so-called bad cholesterol) and potentially lower the risk for heart disease. Indeed scientists at Temple University, Philadelphia have found that a specific natural compound in brown rice can reduce high blood pressure and protect blood vessels and Harvard University research suggests that eating brown rice may prevent type 2 diabetes.

An interesting side effect of their research was the discovery that pigments in black rice bran extracts can produce a variety of different colours, ranging from pink to black. Looking ahead, they think this may provide a healthy, natural alternative to the artificial colourings often added to some food and drink. This could certainly be beneficial as several studies have found an association between such colourings and cancer, behavioural problems in children, and other health concerns.

The Louisiana State researchers focused on testing black rice bran as this has the most potent effects, but I do not believe this to be commercially available anywhere. At least I have not been able to find it, if you do please let me know, so in the meantime it would still make sense to add black rice to your diet.

Black Rice has been promoted as a gourmet treat — which at its retail price it certainly is — and is more commonly used as decoration or for visual effect or mixed with either white or brown rice. However to get the maximum health benefits it would certainly pay you to add a tablespoon of black rice whenever you’re cooking any kind of rice.

More Good Reasons To Drink Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice is a staple in most women’s store cupboard either as a preventive, or treatment, for cystitis but it now seems it has even wider applications as new research shows it has promise in blocking Staph Infections. These are very common and caused by a Staphylococcus (or staph) infection that often begins with a small cut, which then gets infected with bacteria.

Normally around a quarter of the population carry staph in the nose, mouth, genitals, and anal area but the prime area is usually the foot — especially if you go barefoot as it is very easy to pick up bacteria from the floor. Strains of S. aureus can cause a range of staph infections from minor skin rashes to serious bloodstream infections and one particular strain, known as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, (MRSA), is a growing problem in hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions because it doesn’t respond to most antibiotics. As we have recently seen, because of the overuse of antibiotics, our bodies have developed resistance to them which renders them relatively ineffective.

So the good news is that researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts have recently carried out a small clinical study that appears to show that a cranberry juice cocktail blocked a strain of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) from beginning the process of infection.

Terri Camesano, professor of chemical engineering at WPI, has done previous work with cranberry juice studying its effects on E. coli and urinary tract infections, but they included Staphylococcus aureus in this latest study because it is a very serious health threat. Although it is in its early stages, the results of the study are surprising.

Their analysis showed that subjects who had recently consumed cranberry juice cocktail significantly reduced the ability of E. coli and S. aureus to form and that Staphylococcus aureus showed the most significant results in this study.

These results do appear to create more questions than answers, according to lead researcher Camesano, but it seems to me that taking out some natural health insurance in the form of a daily glass of cranberry juice couldn’t hurt.

Entirely Free – and Effective – Weight Loss Aid

One of the things I have found most aggravating about getting older is how often my mother has been proved right. It was never used as a weight loss aid in our house for as we were on a very low income indeed it was used to fill us up and make us less hungry. What is this magical weight loss ingredient that costs you nothing and has absolutely no side-effects?

Something that I hope you already have plenty of every day in your diet — plain, simple, water. It’s something that’s been around for a long time and suggested as a way of losing weight that you drink a large glass of water before each meal and now scientists have documented that it really is true. There has been a clinical trial of this amazing weight loss-promoting liquid and the results were reported at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Boston.

Previous studies had already shown that middle aged and older people who drank two cups of water immediately before eating a meal consumed between 75 and 90 fewer calories during that meal. In this recent 12 week study, dieters aged between 55 and 75 who drank water before every meal lost about 5 pounds more than those who did not increase their water intake.

You have to love scientists as they are incapable of taking anything at face value and so here we now have the scientific proof from a randomized, controlled clinical trial that drinking water before you eat will make you feel fuller, so you will eat less. Also research from Columbia University School of Public Health and the Harvard School of Public Health had previously found that when overweight teenagers substituted water for sweetened drinks such as squashes and colas they could eliminate an average of 235 excess calories per day.

The trick here of course is to actually get teenagers to switch from their favourite caffeine and sweetener laden soft drinks to plain water but the free report mentioned below might just help.

Free Reports

For a useful free factsheet on weight loss please cut and paste this link into your browser: http://www.naturalhydrationcouncil.org.uk/content/cmsGoAssets/Documents/Stored/30/Water%20and%20Weight%20Management%20factsheet.pdf

And if you want to do more to help children and their water consumption there is also an excellent free downloadable factsheet ‘Hydration for Children – Back to School’ which explains the importance of adequate hydration for children both from a health perspective and from an educational perspective in terms of maximizing cognitive performance in the classroom.

It contains many helpful facts, tips, and information that will be very helpful for anyone wanting to improve the health and alertness of children. You can download it from this website www.naturalhydrationcouncil.org.uk and then click on the link to Hydration for Children – Back to School.

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