About Amino Acids And Their Importance

Anyone who takes any interest in nutrition and improving health through, for example, natural dietary supplements will almost certainly come across a mention of amino acids. Articles or promotional literature tell you how important amino acids are and how a product ‘contains all the amino acids you need.’

So what are amino acids and why are they important?

Protein is the most common substance in the human body after water. The body’s muscles, organs and functions all rely on proteins to function at all as do tissues, enzymes and antibodies. A lack of this important substance will result in a person feeling run down, suffering from more illnesses and perhaps suffering muscle atrophy. Protein is created from amino acids, each different protein needing a different combination.

Some amino acids rely on the food we digest and so are absorbed through the wall of the large intestine. They then form large molecules known as peptides or polypeptides. It is these molecules that then create the proteins. Amino acids can thus be described as the building blocks of protein.

In total there are twenty amino acids, separated into essential and non-essential. In fact both sets are required for optimum health, the two groups indicate those that are gained from outside the body (essential) and those manufactured from other chemicals within the human body (non-essential). Every one has different features and advantages.

One example of an essential amino acid is Histidine, which is very useful. Histidine is essential to the lowering of blood pressure, removing heavy metals from the body, helping the growth and repair of tissues, protecting the outer shell of nerve cells and producing blood cells. It is used to combat ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, anaemia, ulcers and allergies. Histidine is an important constituent of haemoglobin.

The remaining essential amino acids are valine, leucine, tryptophan, isoleucine, threonine, lysine, phenylalanine and methoinine. Three of these (valine, isoleucine and leucine) are vital, as they comprise thirty percent of the body’s skeletal muscle. The other benefits of essential amino acids are varied and include the control of blood sugars, preventing certain mental problems, producing collagen, detoxifying the body and the repair of muscle, skin and bones.

Of the non-essential amino acids, glutamine is possibly the best known with arginine, glutamic acid, proline, cysteine, tyrosine, glycine, serine, alanine, aspartic acid and asparagine making up the others. Again, their benefits are wide-ranging and include repairing cartilage, affecting our moods, reducing the loss of collagen, helping the correct functioning of the heart, assisting in the formation of cells and DNA, boosting the immune system and strengthening joints, tendons and heart tissue.

As they build the vital proteins in our bodies, it is clear amino acids are themselves very important to our health. It is completely understandable why they are mentioned so much in health advice and why it is so important to keep their level maintained through, for example, natural dietary supplements.

To find out more about health and beauty topics and an exciting range of natural health and beauty products (including natural dietary supplements containing amino acids), please visit BeRavishing.com

How Sunbeds Can Damage Your Health

Around 40 000 new cases of skin cancer are reported every year in Great Britain alone and some 2000 turn out to be fatal. The main cause is over exposure to the sun but the use of sunbeds would seem to contribute.

Having used sunbeds since the age of 15 to top up her tan, Justine Sheils has developed malignant melanoma (skin cancer) and had to suffer two operations to remove tumours. When interviewed by the BBC she said, “I get so angry when I hear young celebrities say having a tan makes you look sexy. It’s only when you get older you understand the risks.”

The fashion for a healthy tan started in the twentieth century when previously a pale skin was considered a mark of high social standing. In countries such as India this is still the case.

Interestingly there is no such thing as a healthy tan. An excess of ultra violet radiation (UVR) causes the skin to turn brown which is actually an indication of skin damage. Those who spend too long in the sun develop extreme photoaging or premature aging of the skin. This results in wrinkled, leathery and sagging skin. A suntan is simply the early stages of this. The damage is caused to the lower layer of skin, the dermis, which contains collagen and elastic fibres to give support and elasticity to the skin. With photoaging solar elastosis occurs, which involves the disorganization of the collagen fibrils and the accumulation of elastin material. Unfortunately the damage remains even after the tan fades.

Most forms of skin cancer are benign and not life threatening: these are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. However the risk of the serious malignant melanoma cancer is ever-present. According to Cancer Research UK the number of skin cancer cases has quadrupled between the 1970s and today.

The debate over sunbeds is difficult to divide from the effects of over exposure to the sun or, more specifically to UVR. The Sunbed Association has reacted to skin cancer figures by pointing to the regulations already in place for the use of sunbeds and the lack of evidence connecting sunbed use alone to skin cancer. Of course no one uses a sunbed in isolation: users tend to lie in the sun as well. It is generally felt however that sunbeds have at least contributed to cancer levels, especially given that some sunbeds can give out levels of UVR comparable to a midday Mediterranean sun.

Incidences of skin cancer increase with age but malignant melanoma is more common in younger people. The condition is now the most encountered cancer in those aged between fifteen and thirty four with young women twice as likely to suffer from it as young men. Not surprisingly the British Medical Association is looking for a ban on the use of sunbeds by those who are under eighteen years old. Similarly the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health is campaigning for the removal of all sunbeds from local authority premises.

It seems the fashion for a tan will not go away so is it possible to get a safe tan? In fact self-tanning lotions are more effective than they were previously and bronzers and tanning pills also give alternative methods to find that brown skin. It is often difficult to find the best brand among the many on the market so research is needed. Natural tanning products may well be the best choice however.   

Too many people take risks to get a ‘healthy’ tan, sometimes with dire consequences. Common sense would dictate that safer alternatives to lying in the sun or using sunbeds should be explored.

To find out more about safe natural tanning and other health and beauty issues, as well as the opportunity to try a quality range of natural health and beauty products, please visit BeRavishing.com

Why Lecithin Is Important To Health

The French chemist and pharmacist Theodore Nicolas Gobley was the first to recognize lecithin during an examination of pure phosphatidylcholine extracted from egg yoke.




Lecithin really describes a group of fatty substances from plant and animal tissues and is a very useful food additive, recognized as safe by the United States Food And Drug Administration and the European Union. It has many uses including controlling sugar crystallization, breaking down and reducing fats in the form of a non-stick cooking spray, helping the flow of chocolate, stabilizing fermentation and breaking down and dispersing the fat in ice cream producing a creamier texture.



Lecithin is widely used in non-food areas too, particularly in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries where it is useful in helping emulsification and as an antioxidant. Its properties help enrich protein and fat in animal feedstuffs and make it a good anti-sludge additive in motor oils. Lecithin is used extensively in paint manufacture too, enabling the formation of a protective surface, the intensification of colours, the elimination of foaming in water-based paints and generally helping to mix and spread the paint.



How The Human Body Benefits



Cholesterol levels in the body can be controlled by lecithin. It increases the good HDL cholesterol and reduces the bad LDL cholesterol although the reasons for this are unclear.



Further advantages have been found in one of the constituents of lecithin – choline. A study in 1949 by C H Best and his team in Britain discovered an increase in hypertension and arterial damage, with fat droplets forming on the arterial wall, where there was a choline deficiency in the body. Fatalities among sufferers of coronary thrombosis were also reduced by a supplement of choline, as a later three-year study discovered.



For some time it was believed lecithin entered and broke down the body’s fat cells or adipose tissue, but it has now been found that it actually breaks down dietary and blood fats into smaller molecules, which form fatty acids and are more likely to be used as energy by the body rather than tucked away in the adipose tissue.



Lecithin is especially welcome in the liver. Best and his team found that cirrhosis, normally associated with chronic alcoholism, is frequently a secondary result of dietary deficiency. During their experiments the team discovered the abnormality showed in the presence of excess alcohol and nutritional deficiency but when choline was introduced with the alcohol the condition did not appear. The choline must remove any excess fat.



The gall bladder manufactures bile, which is comprised of lecithin, bile acids and cholesterol, its purpose is to emulsify fats. It is the lecithin that emulsifies the fats but it also controls the harmful effects of the acids. A reduction in lecithin leads to gallstones.



Evidence also shows lecithin aids the performance of the brain and has been used in the treatment of dementia. It also helps the male sexual function, particularly as lecithin is found in the male ejaculate.



Conclusion



There have been reports of side effects from lecithin. These tend to involve low blood pressure, dizziness and fainting, but these symptoms result from excessive use of the substance. Moderation is important with a daily dose of no more than 3.5 grams of choline.



Lecithin is nonetheless an important constituent of the human body so it is worth keeping its levels up. Not eating enough eggs, for example, can cause a reduction so it may well be wise to take one of the appropriate natural dietary supplements to restore the level of this useful substance.





To discover more about nutritional substances, natural dietary supplements and a range of high quality natural health and beauty products, please visit BeRavishing.com.

How Our Diet Is Letting Us Down

The Formula One racing circus recently reached Monte Carlo for the principality’s annual race. Australian Mark Webber won the subsequent incident-packed race after a perfect drive, but how would his car have fared if it had been filled with the wrong fuel?

The human body is just the same: it works best when filled with the correct fuel. Fill it with rubbish and it will not perform. Yet this is what most people do every day.

Figures showed in 1960 that the chances of a woman developing breast cancer were 1 in 20 and today statistics have brought this down to 1 in 8. In Great Britain alone new cases increased by twenty five percent between 1975 and 2004. The chance of contracting any form of cancer has recently been reduced to 1 in 2 from 1 in 3. In 1940 the sperm count of the average male was recorded as 100 million per millilitre, this was revised down to 50 million in 1990 and now some experts believe this figure is nearer 5 million. If the trend continues many men will be infertile within 50 years.

Diabetes is a problem too. The World Health Organization predicts the number of cases of the condition to more than double from 171 million in 2000 to 366 million in 2030. Similarly, obesity cases are likely to increase from 400 million in 2005 to 700 million in 2015.

Such worrying figures have started many to wonder what it is we are doing wrong. The answer may well lie in what we eat. In 1940 a serving (180 grams or a cupful) of spinach contained 150 milligrams of iron whereas now it is nearer two milligrams.

What Are We Eating?

The reduction in nutrients is largely caused by mass production. Food is now produced in huge quantities very quickly and at the lowest cost: this means the goodness usually found in food does not accumulate. The soil also loses the nutrients we need. To improve production, fertilizers are introduced but unfortunately these simply help remove the vitamins and minerals from the ground.

Animals used in meat production fare no better. On most farms they consume less grass, relying instead on silage, hay or artificial feeds. Many are routinely dosed with steroids, antibiotics and other drugs to improve their yield and health. The charity Compassion In World Farming believes that two out of every three farm animals are now reared on factory farms.

Perhaps the saddest examples are broiler chickens grown on factory farms. Reared in cramped conditions ten percent have cancer and twenty percent are disabled. They too are given antibiotics and other drugs. The priority of economics before health means consumers have little idea what they are digesting.

Expert marketing tells us that biscuits, sweets and cakes are ‘treats’ and ready meals convenient. Consumers buy into this and so consume far too much sugar, salt and fat. This fat tends to be artificial, which is stored by the body as it is unable to process it. This, along with our less active lifestyle, explains the increases in heart disease we also experience.

The Time Is Right To Eat Healthily

The accepted recommendation for a healthy diet is five portions of fruit and vegetables a day however the World Health organization has recently suggested this should be increased to eight to fourteen portions. Some nutrition experts believe this should actually be twenty.

This higher figure would be difficult to achieve. Probably the best solution is to remove unnecessary processed food from our diet and eat more organic produce grown at home, in an allotment or from a local farm shop or farmers market. To bring the diet up to the correct level, natural dietary supplements could be used.

There is a wide choice of natural dietary supplements available but one of the best is Green Magic from Proto-col. This product is in the form of a powder, making it easier to absorb, and contains all the vitamins and minerals we require.

To find out more about Green Magic, other natural dietary supplements and quality natural health and beauty products, please visit BeRavishing.com

How Spirulina Can Make You Healthy

The Aztec and other native American peoples were found by a soldier serving with Hernan Cortes to be eating condiment cakes made from spirulina harvested from algae on the shores of Lake Texcoco. Even earlier than that however the residents of Chad in Africa were reported using spirulina in the ninth century, the source this time was Lake Chad.

In more recent years the properties of this alga and its benefits to health and nutrition have been exciting scientists. In 1974 the United Nations World Food Conference decided that spirulina was ‘the best food for the future.’

Spirulina is amongst the most advantageous of the natural dietary supplements available. It is an extremely rich source of iron and non-animal protein and contains all the amino acids we need plus chlorophyll and beta-carotene. Spirulina also aids the digestive process by encouraging the friendly bacteria in the gut. Many strains are also concentrates of antioxidants, phytonutrients and enzymes to help the body’s processes.

Also to be found is the GLA essential fatty acid, which may stimulate growth and help improve the strength and health of skin and hair. GLA also has anti-inflammatory properties so helping to minimise the symptoms of arthritis.

Anti-Viral Properties

Further research into this most interesting of the natural dietary supplements has revealed even more benefits. An ongoing study commenced in April 1996 and conducted jointly by the Laboratory of Vital Pathogenesis, Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Institute discovered that extracts of spirulina inhibited the replication of HIV-1 (the AIDS virus) in human cells. High concentrations of the extract were needed but even these did not damage the cells. Another study in Japan announced that the Calcium-Spirulan extract they had used inhibited the operation of not only the HIV-1 virus but also the Measles virus, the Mumps virus, Human Cytomegalovirus (a cause of birth defects), Herpes Simplex and the Influenza A virus.

For a virus to do its destructive job it has to attach itself to the human cell and puncture the cell membrane. Spirulina prevents the puncturing so leaving the virus useless and exposed to the body’s natural defences.

Spirulina can also help AIDS sufferers further by increasing their body weight and combating anaemia.

Further Benefits

This amazing food has been found to inhibit some cancers and repair cells after radiotherapy. It also encourages the immune system by helping the creation of bone marrow, blood cells and stem cells among others. Children affected by anaemia and damaged bone marrow after eating radioactive fruit and vegetables in the region of Chernobyl are now given spirulina by Russian medical teams.

If this was not enough spirulina has been shown to give protection against hay fever and help in the treatment of victims of arsenic poisoning. A Mexican study carried out in 2007 also found the alga can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.

There seems to be no doubt that spirulina is one of the most remarkable natural dietary supplements and it could even have more qualities to reveal.


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Are Dietary Supplements Worth Using?

Many supposedly objective studies on vitamin supplements tend to complicate discussions on the subject as they are too often guided by sponsorship from a vested interest. One health professional told me he had received the results of one study, which concluded vitamin C had no influence in preventing the common cold. This contradicted other research and seemed strange until the doctor noticed a manufacturer of cold remedies had sponsored the study.

Arguments against the use of supplements include the belief that all the vitamins and minerals the body needs are to be found in a healthy diet. This is absolutely true, of course, but how many people really eat a healthy balanced diet? There are even differences of opinion as to what constitutes a healthy diet. Until recently the consumption of five portions of fruit and vegetables was considered the correct diet but recently it has been suggested that eight portions might be the better number.

The situation is further complicated by environmental challenges, which change nutritional requirements. These include smoking, heavy pollution, stress and other lifestyle factors. Medical conditions can also alter the level of vitamins and minerals needed.

Most people now buy fruit and vegetables from the supermarket. Research is now starting to question the level of nutrition in many mass produced lines. Having worked for a large supermarket chain I have heard anecdotal evidence that growing, transportation and storage can adversely affect the benefits of certain lines. Much produce is grown in a controlled environment where the length of the growing day is reduced to increase the yield. As a result the vitamins and minerals expected do not have time to accumulate.

Concern has also been expressed over the possibility of vitamin poisoning or vitamin overdoses (Hypervitaminosis). Vitamin A seems to be the main culprit and is found in the livers of animals. Curiously the livers of seals, polar bears, walruses and huskies have dangerously high levels, which is now well known to the Inuit! Vitamin C should also be treated with care as excesses can lead to a laxative effect and some strains of vitamin B may have adverse affects in large quantities. Despite this, statistics show that the USA has had seventeen out of the last twenty-five years clear of any hypervitaminosis related deaths. Indeed more people die of eating laundry products! Nonetheless vitamins should be taken in moderation.

The brands of supplements available vary greatly. The coating of any tablets is one feature worthwhile understanding. Some cheap lines have a sugar coating to keep the shape of the tablet but this can cause the tablet not to dissolve at all but pass straight through the gut. There is a simple way to test for this: simply place a tablet in a glass of water and see if it dissolves.

As is so often the case the cheaper brands of supplements may not perform as well as the more expensive natural dietary supplements available. Some of these lines using natural ingredients even come in powder form so helping the absorption process.

Natural dietary supplements can be an essential aid to health but it is worthwhile researching your requirements and the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for each vitamin or even consulting a health or nutrition professional before deciding on a particular product.

If you are interested in trying a quality range of natural dietary supplements, please visit LookRavishing.com .

The Truth Behind Mineral Cosmetics

Modern consumers are becoming more aware of the ingredients in the products they buy and the effects they have on the human body, whether used externally or consumed internally. We should not be surprised therefore that natural alternatives to cosmetics are becoming increasingly more popular.

Until recently mainstream makeup brands have included chemicals that have had unfortunate side effects, including clogging pores (comodogenic), and many women have simply decided not to wear cosmetics at all. To be fair, it is not that long ago that women wore arsenic to whiten their faces so the trend towards health has been going on a long time!

Natural mineral cosmetics help improve the condition of the skin and so enable women to look good without sacrificing their health.

Mineral powder makeup has been around for over thirty years but it is only recently it has started to be seen as a naturally effective alternative to mainstream makeup. Over the time they have developed natural mineral cosmetics have removed harmful ingredients such as fragrances, dyes, talcs, parabens, waxes, fillers, oils and other chemicals.

Talc is related to asbestos and has been shown to have links with ovarian and lung cancer. Parabens are preservatives found in food and cosmetics and can increase the incidence of breast cancer and reduce testosterone and male reproductive abilities. It can therefore affect both sexes.

Many natural mineral cosmetics contain natural sunscreen and are non-comodogenic as well as hypoallergenic. Some have added vitamins A, C and E, which help to lend a healthy glow to the users skin. Vitamin E is an effective anti-oxidant and protects the skin from ultra-violet light, pollution and drugs. It also has the intriguing property of preventing too much production of vitamin A. Vitamin A improves the production of collagen and the renewal of skin cells. Vitamin C enhances the immune system but also has some of the properties of vitamins A and E.

Often natural alternatives can be impractical but this is not the case with natural mineral cosmetics. They are waterproof and hard wearing and enable the skin to breathe. This means of course that they do not have to be removed last thing at night, enabling the wearer to wear them in bed. Frequently natural mineral makeup powder contains an anti-inflammatory such as zinc oxide, which guards against blemishes.

If there is a disadvantage of these cosmetics it is they are more difficult to apply. This can be overcome however by application of thin layers in circular motions using the appropriate brush.

As the ranges have developed a wide variety of bronzers, concealers, eye shadows, lip-glosses, mascara, blushers and foundations have become available so the choice is wide. This is enhanced by the ability of the powders to be mixed to match an individuals skin tone. This might well be the time to try natural mineral cosmetics.


If you would like to find out more about and try a high quality range of natural mineral cosmetics as well as other health and beauty products, you will benefit from visiting BeRavishing.com.

Understand About Collagen

Six years ago the captain of the British modern pentathlon team, James Greenwell, suffered a tendon injury in his ankle at the peak of his career. Originally told it would take three months to recover, so virtually ending his career, James decided to do some research himself to see if he could improve the situation.

His investigations took him to John Moore’s University in Liverpool where he spoke to Professor Greg Whyte, Professor of Applied Sport and Exercise Science. Following his advice, James went on a course of fifteen tablets a day of collagen hydrolysate. After an amazing twenty-two days, James returned to training and, as a result, other Olympic athletes use a similar treatment to deal with injuries.

Collagen makes up around 76% of the skin, muscles and connective tissues so making it the most encountered structural protein in the human body. Collagen is lost by the body at a rate of 1.5% a year after the age of 25, which means 30% is lost by the age of 45.

This loss is what creates the ageing of the skin and a loss of top physical performance, especially if more vigorous exercise is required. Support for the joints is reduced as a result of the collagen loss in cartilage, muscles, ligaments, tendons and connective tissues leading to such conditions as arthritis and muscular skeletal injuries. A reduction in the abilities of the immune system can also result. The state of collagen health is of great importance to the body.

A study of four hundred patients with arthritic knees from Britain, Germany and the USA was undertaken by Cape Western University. Some patients were given a placebo while others received collagen. Of the collagen group 93% showed positive improvements: some in just two weeks. There was a general improvement in joint mobility and reduction in pain. Later a very similar project at Harvard Medical School resulted in 90% of respondents who were treated with collagen feeling increased movement.

In a further study carried out by the University of Munich and Stamford University, two thousand sufferers of hip and knee osteoarthritis from both sexes were studied. In this case 75% reported increased mobility and a reduction in pain.

Collagen health can be increased through the use of supplements. Several ways of administering collagen are used including injections and creams. The use of collagen capsules taken orally does seem to be the most effective however.

Finally retiring from athletics, James Greenwell once more sought out Professor Greg Whyte and together they began marketing a collagen health supplement tablet under the brand Proto-col. This together with other natural health and beauty products are distributed from the company’s headquarters in Bradford-Upon-Avon in Wiltshire. It is hardly a surprise to find celebrities and beauty professionals taking an interest.

If you want to find out more and try Proto-col products for yourself, please visit BeRavishing.com