Archive for the 'Supplements' Category

Scientific Anti-Aging Products

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Scientific Anti-Aging Products:

Life extension, also known as anti-aging medicine, experimental gerontology, and biomedical gerontology, refers to attempts to slow down or reverse the processes of aging to extend both the maximum and average lifespan. Some researchers in this area, and “life extensionists” or “longevists” (who wish to achieve longer lives for themselves), believe that future breakthroughs in tissue rejuvenation with stem cells, molecular repair, and organ replacement (such as with artificial organs or xenotransplantations) will eventually enable humans to have indefinite lifespans through complete rejuvenation to a youthful condition.

The sale of putative anti-aging products such as nutrition, physical fitness, skin care, hormone replacements, vitamins, supplements and herbs has become a lucrative industry, with the US market generating about $50 billion of revenue each year.


Much of life extension has been concerned with the use of nutrition, in the form of diets or supplements, to extend lifespan. The many diets promoted by anti-aging advocates are often contradictory. One of the few areas of consensus among nutritionists is the importance of keeping stable blood sugar levels, achieved in part by managing the glycemic indices of food choices. Two diets with different approaches and some support from scientific research are the Paleolithic diet and Caloric restriction.

The restriction of energy intake, or calories, in an otherwise healthy diet (a practice generally called Calorie restriction or simply CR) has been shown to extend the maximum life span of laboratory organisms from several species, including rats, yeast, fruit flies, and nematodes. In rodents, a roughly 50% maximum lifespan extension is seen with a roughly 50% restriction of calories from what would be consumed by freely-feeding animals. The results of calorie restriction experiments on laboratory rats may not be generalizable because years of inbreeding have made these animals different from those found in the wild, and because these results are applicable specifically to short-lived species that have evolved to respond to feast and famine with alterations in longevity. Proving that calorie restriction could extend human life is difficult because experiments with long-lived species necessarily take a long time to perform. Scientists propose that the results of calorie restriction experiments on animals also depend on the habitat, genetics, other aspects of nutrition and frequencies of feeding.

The idea that antioxidant supplements, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, lipoic acid and N-acetylcysteine, might extend human life stems from the free radical theory of aging. Other substances proposed to extend lifespan include oxytocin, insulin, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and erythropoietin (EPO). Resveratrol is a sirtuin stimulant that appears to extend lifespan in simple model organisms such as nematodes and short-lived fish.

Some supplements, including the minerals selenium or zinc have been reported to extend the lifespan of rats and mice, though none has been proven to do so in humans, and significant toxic effects were observed. Metformin may also extend life span in mice.

More information on Acai Berry detox

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

A comparative analysis reported that açaí has intermediate antioxidant potency among 11 varieties of frozen juice pulps, scoring lower than acerola, mango, strawberry, and grapes.

A powdered preparation of freeze-dried açaí fruit pulp and skin was shown to contain anthocyanins; however, anthocyanins accounted for only about 10% of the overall antioxidant capacity. The powdered preparation was also reported to contain twelve flavonoid-like compounds, including homoorientin, orientin, taxifolin, deoxyhexose, isovitexin, scoparin, as well as proanthocyanidins, and low levels of resveratrol.

In a study of different açaí varieties for their antioxidant capacity, a white species displayed no antioxidant activity against different oxygen radicals, whereas the purple variety most often used commercially was excellent against peroxyl radicals, good against peroxynitrite, and poor against hydroxyl radicals. Freeze-dried açaí powder was found to have high antioxidant activity against superoxide  and peroxyl radicals and milder activity for peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals. The powder was reported to inhibit hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidation in neutrophils, and to have a slight stimulatory effect on nitric oxide production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages in vitro.

Extracts of açaí seeds were reported to have antioxidant capacity against peroxyl radicals, similar to the antioxidant capacity of the pulp, with higher antioxidant capacity against peroxynitrite and hydroxyl radicals.

Recently, the açaí “berry” has been marketed as a dietary supplement. Companies sell açaí berry products in the form of tablets, juice, smoothies, instant drink powders, and whole fruit.

Marketers of these products make unverified claims that açaí provides increased energy levels, improved sexual performance, improved digestion, detoxification, high fiber content, improved skin appearance, improved heart health, improved sleep, and reduction of cholesterol levels. Açaí has higher levels of antioxidants, which are claimed to promote health, more than cranberry, orange, and apple juices, but less than Concord grape, blueberry, and black cherry juices. Apparently false claims include reversal of diabetes and other chronic illnesses, as well as expanding size of the penis and increasing men’s sexual virility and sexual attractiveness to women. Açaí is most commonly marketed as a weight loss product.

As of March 2009, there are no controlled studies backing up any of these claims. According to ABC News correspondent Susan Donaldson, these products have not been evaluated in the United States by the FDA, and their efficacy is questionable.  In late 2008, lawyers for The Oprah Winfrey Show began investigating alleged statements from supplement manufacturers who suggested that frequent Oprah guest Dr. Mehmet Oz had recommended their product or açai in general for weight loss.

But just use any of these free trials to test for yourself:

Healthy Weight 5-3-11 Year Old

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

There is no general rule to what the healthy weight of a 5, 3 or 11 year old kid should be. However, it is iportant to start with a healhty diet from a very ealry age. US supermarkets sell virtuallyu nothing of nutriotional value: nothing in a can and nothing that has been ripped in a warehouse has significant traces of vitamins and minerals. If you can not afford to shop at WholeFoods or other organic food stores, make sure to supplement your kids diet with vitamins and minerals.

Nutrients to Stop Sleep Apnea

Saturday, July 18th, 2009

There are some nutrients that may be able to stop sleep apnea such as Resveratrol (for a free trial click here). But you also may choose a standard sleep aid such as SomniemPM (for a free trial click here).

A nutrient is a chemical that an organism needs to live and grow or a substance used in an organism’s metabolism which must be taken in from its environment.Nutrient are the substances that enrich the body.They build and repair tissues,give heat and energy,and regulate body processes.Methods for nutrient intake vary, with animals and protists consuming foods that are digested by an internal digestive system, but most plants ingest nutrients directly from the soil through their roots or from the atmosphere. Some plants, like carnivorous plants, externally digest nutrients from animals, before ingesting them. The effects of nutrients are dose-dependent.

Organic nutrients include carbohydrates, fats, proteins (or their building blocks, amino acids), and vitamins. Inorganic chemical compounds such as dietary minerals, water, and oxygen may also be considered nutrients.[citation needed] A nutrient is essential to an organism if it cannot be synthesized by the organism in sufficient quantities and must be obtained from an external source. Nutrients needed in relatively large quantities are called macronutrients and those needed in relatively small quantities are called micronutrients.