Studies show that girls who supplement with magnesium as adolescents may be investing in the strength of their bones for the future.

For 1 year, a double blind test which involved a group of Caucasian girls between the ages of 8 & 14 was performed. During the test, the girls were given either a daily 300 mg supplement of magnesium oxide – divided in two doses – or a placebo.

According to the researchers, the girls who took the magnesium supplement had significant increases in body mineral content in some parts of the body, meaning stronger bones. Along with an “increased accrual” of body mineral content in the hips, a slightly increased accrual of body mineral content in the spine was apparent as well.

While the magnesium supplements in this study were easily tolerated, it should be noted that magnesium taken in extreme amounts can cause diarrhea.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the daily recommended intake of magnesium is 240 mg for boys and girls age 9 to 13, and 360 mg for girls ages 14 to 18, leveling off at 300 mg as adults. Boys between the ages of 14 and 18 should take in 410 mg and keep it up as an adult.

According to the web site of the federal National Institutes of Health, roughly 50 percent of the magnesium found in the average human is within the bones.

According to the study’s summary, “Limited studies suggest that dietary magnesium intake and bone mineral density are correlated in adults, but no data from interventional studies in children and adolescents are available.”

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Folks, magnesium is another essential mineral. An increased intake of the mineral can help prevent depression, dizziness and muscle weakness. Studies have also demonstrated that magnesium supplements can reduce birth defects when taken during pregnancy. The bottom here is that a magnesium deficiency can mean a possible manifestation of health problems.

Magnesium is also found in many foods. Rich sources include apples, apricots, avocados (the healthy fat), bananas, brown rice, cantaloupe, garlic, grapefruit, and green leafy veggies.

Are you getting a sufficient daily intake of zinc?

Further evidence that zinc can help preserve the health of the heart was revealed during a study evaluating the relation of zinc to fighting athlerosclerosis.

The study, which was conducted by scientists at the National University of Singapore, involved two sets of white New Zealand rabbits that were tested by being fed a high-cholesterol diet over an eight week period. One group however, was also fed zinc supplements.

Researchers concluded that while an increased intake of zinc had no effect on the amount of cholesterol in blood, it greatly impacted the reduction of the amount of buildup on arterial walls from old cholesterol. Simply put, zinc was helping clean out the rabbits’ arteries.

If you don’t know by now, it is essential to keep the arteries free of cholesterol “debris” as a severe heart attack or stroke can occur if an artery becomes completely blocked.

The RDA for Zinc is 15 mg per day. In my opinion, the RDA simply isn’t enough for essential nutrients.

The zinc requirement for vegetarians may be substantially higher than the RDA because they are likely to absorb less zinc because their diet doesn’t include meat. Nutritional supplements will help meet this need.

Aside from helping clean the arteries, this essential mineral can aid in treating many conditions such as macular degeneration, depression, colitis, acne & the common cold. It also has powerful antioxidant properties.

Some foods to consider include fish, oysters, lima beans, mushrooms, lentils, Brazil nuts, almonds, whole grains and, to a much lesser extent, other foods like animal meat.

Supplementing with selenium may aid in the reduction of heart disease risk. According to a small human study, the antioxidative element in selenium shields against oxidation of low density lipoprotein, the bad cholesterol, which is known to be a risk for developing atherogenesis.

The Italian study concluded that the 14 people that were studied experienced less oxidative modification of LDL when taking a daily selenium supplement compared to when not supplementing with the mineral. Oxidatively modified LDL would have a 2 percent increase after mealtime when the supplement was not taken.

According to the researchers from the University of Udine and the University of Padova, the major finding is that the postprandial increase in both LDL minus and oxidation of LDL in the subjects was prevented when supplementing with selenium.

Oxidative modification of LDL has been linked to increased risk of conditions such as atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.  

“According to the most widely accepted theory of atherogenesis, oxidatively modified LDL activates a series of cellular events in the arterial wall ultimately leading to plaque formation,” said lead researcher Fausta Natella at the National Research Institute for Food and Nutrition.

The journal of Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, reported a study which involved 14 participants between the ages of 25 & 40 that were assigned 110 micrograms per day of selenium in the form of selenium yeast. Prior to and following the 10-day supplementation, blood samples were drawn and analyzed.

Aside from the inhibitory effect on oxidation of LDL cholesterol, selenium supplements also suppress the production of a reactive compound as an end product of liquid oxidation called malondialdehyde. Prior to supplementing with selenium, the compound in the blood would incur a 10 percent increase after mealtime.

For adolescences aged 14 to 18 and adults older than 18, the recommended daily allowance for selenium is 55 micrograms per day. In my opinion, the RDA is simply not good enough. Taking up to 200 micrograms of selenium per day is considered safe for most people.

This “miracle mineral” as I like to call it, plays a key role in a number of many important physiological functions. Deficiency has also been linked to cancer.

Another study concluded that men who took 200 micrograms of this trace mineral on a daily basis for a period of 10 years had approximately half the risk of developing lung, prostate and colorectal cancer as compared with men who did not.

If you’re looking for a tasty snack jam packed with selenium, try some Brazil nuts. More great choices include broccoli, brown rice, garlic, onions, and whole grains.

If supplementing with selenium, I recommend combining it with Vitamin E. This “dynamic duo” works together to aid in the producing antibodies, which help keep the heart and liver healthy.

While obesity and lack of physical activity are both contributors to elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes in women, researchers report in the journal Diabetes Care that the more important factor seems to be obesity.

Dr. Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, and colleagues note that the link between obesity and inactivity to the elevated risk of developing type 2 diabetes remains a topic still up for debate.

To investigate further, a large ongoing study which evaluates women’s health over time known as Nurses’ Health Study took place involving 68,907 women with no history of diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer when the study began. In the 16 year follow-up period, 4,030 incident cases of type 2 diabetes occurred.

Even with things such as age, smoking, and other diabetes-associated factors being accounted for, the risk of type 2 diabetes increased progressively with increasing body mass index. Increased risk also occurred with waist circumference, and decreased with physical activity levels.

The reference group, which consisted of women who had a healthy weight (BMI of less than 25) and were physically active were compared to the relative risks of type 2 diabetes being 16.75 in inactive women with a BMI of 30 or more. In obese women who were active, the corresponding risk was 10.74. In women who were lean but inactive, the relative risk was 2.08.

While both variables were key contributors of type 2 diabetes, the association for waist circumference was substantially stronger than that for physical inactivity according to the researchers.

They researchers conclude that “the magnitude of risk contributed by obesity is much greater than that imparted by lack of physical activity,” and therefore “weight loss and maintenance of healthy weight should be emphasized as an eventual goal to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.”

What does this all mean? Well, essentially it means that while both obesity and lack of activity elevate risk of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity raises more risk.

I say kill two birds with one stone by using exercise to reduce obesity. Upon approval from a naturopathic doctor, begin participating in a regular cardiovascular exercise program, which will reduce your odds of developing type 2 diabetes by helping you stay active and losing weight in the process. Just 30 minutes per day can yield substancial health benefits.

It’s no secret that folate and vitamin B-12 are both key contributors to maintaining a healthy functioning nervous system. The “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” recently performed a study, which indicates the interaction between these nutrients and how they may play a significant role in the protection of cognitive function as a person gets older.
 
Conducted by the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, the study found that high levels of blood folate were associated with better cognitive function among seniors with adequate vitamin B-12 levels. Conversely, in seniors with low B-12 levels, increased folate levels lead to decreased scores on tests of cognitive function.
 
One of the study’s authors, Martha Savaria says “For seniors, low vitamin B-12 status and high serum folate was the worst combination.”
 
During the research conducted between 1999 in 2002, data on people over the age of 60 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was studied. Tests of response speed, attention span, visual spatial skills, associative learning and memory were used to measure cognitive function.
 
“Our findings support the often-expressed idea that many seniors would benefit from more folate,” said senior author Jacob Selhub, “but the research shows that we must look at the effects this would have on seniors with age-related vitamin B-12 deficiency …. There are also indications that too much folic acid and too little B-12 is a general phenomenon that affects other systems in the body, and might be a factor in some other diseases.”
 
Folks, adequate intake of folate and Vitamin B-12 should be part of EVERYONE’S regimen, not just seniors. Time and time again they have both been proven to play a key role in brain function.

The major UK pharmacy chain Boots launched a pilot program on February 14th, which involves selling the anti-impotence drug Viagra over the counter. This will be the first time the drug will be available without a prescription from a medical doctor.

From this point on, after a short consultation with a pharmacist, men between the ages of 13 and 65 can purchase four Viagra pills for £50 ($100). Things such as the man’s medical history and symptoms, as well as tests of his blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels will be discussed during the consultation. The name and address of himself as well as his primary care physician will also be required but no form of identification is required.

As long as the pharmacist feels that Viagra is appropriate and doesn’t involve any health risks to the patient, nothing else is required. Notes pertaining to the consultation will then be sent to the man’s doctor as well as other Boots stores to prevent the patients from making “first” visits on more than one occasion.

Once the initial purchase is made, a visit to a private specialist for a thorough medical exam is then required to obtain more of the medication. Ponce the specialist gives the green light; the patient can continue buying Viagra for £21.25 ($41.37) per four pills.

Where do I begin? So first off, we can all clearly see that Big Pharma is now taking measures to get drugs in the hands of people at a faster rate by cutting doctors out of the picture. Are they concerned that perhaps there are a handful of doctors that may actually be concerned about the side effects of drugs like these which include headache, dizziness, palpitations and prolonged, painful erections?

Or perhaps they just want to eliminate as much time for thought as possible. Perhaps they’re concerned that with adequate time to think about what they are doing, people may actually come to their senses and run from this stuff like the plague.

Whatever their reasons are, they can’t be for the well-being of the patient. That’s for sure.

And what’s the purpose of requiring the name and address of the person as well as his doctor but not requiring ID? Well, it’s obvious they simply want to “pretend” they are interested in controlling any misuse of the drugs but clearly they wouldn’t mind the extra profits that would result from it.

If you suffer from impotence I suggest avoiding Viagra and be sure to consume a healthy diet and exercise on a daily basis. You may also want to consider supplementing with Arginine, which is an amino acid that improves blood flow. However, if you are taking the heart medication nitroglycerin, you should not take arginine as it may cause very low blood pressure.

The herb Ginkgo Biloba has also been shown to provide benefits by enhancing blood flow without the side effects of Viagra.

Following the rise in child obesity, some parents are turning to a solution which still remains relatively unexplored for their children known as stomach stapling.

In recent years, the popularity of stomach surgeries has risen among adults going from 12,775 to 70,256 surgeries in the U.S. from 1998 to 2002 according to the monthly Archives of Surgery journal. That number has now increased to more than 120,000 a year.

According to federal statistics only 350 children in America had operations such as these in 2004. Doctors have been hesitant to perform the surgeries for a few reasons: First off, most stomach surgeries involve making the stomach smaller by cutting it. Procedures such as these put developing children at risk. In fact, the death rate among children who have this surgery performed on them is around 1 in 50, which is twice as much as adults who have bariatric surgery.

Aside from that, in 2004 childhood obesity was not nearly as prevalent in American society compared to today. Along with the gain in weight, there’s also been a gain in interest for these types of operations.

This is pretty disappointing actually. What happened to the days of actually working to achieve a result?

The sad but true fact is that we live in a society today that revolves around instant gratification. No one is willing to invest the time, discipline & diligence to get to where they want to be.

The problem is that it’s now at a point that people are actually risking their lives to avoid a little good old fashioned work.

I’ll tell you this much. If it was my child that was overweight, surgery would not even be an option. Things like a healthy diet and a good exercise regimen would do just fine. In the end, these things would improve my child’s quality of life rather than putting it at risk.

And just because everything goes as planned during her surgery, it doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods just yet. In July, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported that 40 percent of weight-loss surgery patients develop problematic complications within six months following the surgery.

In the end, you’re better off taking a closer look at your child’s health regimen. Plus, you can take the $30,000 that the hospital stay and surgery would have ran you and put it toward your child’s education.

Known as nopal in Mexico, the prickly pear cactus, which is naturally found in Arizona, Mexico and other parts of the American Southwest; has been shown to have multiple medicinal effects. The prickly pear can aid with diabetes, lower blood sugar levels and offer other health benefits writes professor of nutrition Winston F. Craig, Ph.D.

The ability for the prickly pear cactus (nopal) to lower blood sugar is actually nothing new. In traditional Mexican medicine, type-2 Diabetes is treated with nopal. According to Mexican researchers, a decline in blood sugar levels in people with non-insulin-dependent diabetes occurred as a result of being given broiled nopal stems.

Other research has shown that daily consumption of 250 grams of this plant will lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.

Apparently, people in Mexico aren’t the only one’s who recognize the power of this plant. The cactus has also been used to treat whooping cough and asthma in places such as India.

What’s great about this treatment is the simplicity of using it. Prickly pear fruit and other elements of the cactus are edible as a jelly or jam, as a fruit or as a cooked dish.

The nopal is a great alternative for people coping with diabetes. Without causing any side effects or damage to the liver, this “miracle plant” can regulate blood sugar.

So why haven’t you heard about it before? Two reasons. One: Doctor’s aren’t given any courses on natural herbs in medical school. Two: This is a natural plant, not a chemical that can be portrayed as the best treatment available and sold to the public for large amount of money.

Because that’s exactly what Big Pharma is doing with conventional medications for treating diabetes, a solution like this would position them to lose billions of dollars.

Instead, they’d rather keep information like this buried deep where no one will find it and keep you spending money on things like insulin, which is portrayed to be your only option.

Folks, if you suffer from diabetes and high cholesterol I suggest you visit the Good Cause Wellness website and pick up some Organic Nopal Powder from Good Cause Wellness. Do not halt prescription drug use except under the direct supervision of a naturopathic physician.

The New England Journal of Medicine published a study that has discovered a significant link between the air pollution around a woman’s home and the risk of her developing heart disease.

Only women were studied, but researchers believe that air pollution has the same effects on men as well. Women however, are at greater risk for heart disease in general, because their arteries are narrower and can become blocked more easily.

More than 65,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 living in 36 different U.S. cities for nine years were studied by researchers in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational. When the study began, none of the women had heart disease. When the study was finished, the frequency of heart disease among participants in the different cities was studied along with information on local air quality. What they discovered was a substantial link between the density of particulate matter in the air and the occurrence of cardiovascular disease.

Lead researcher Joel Kaufman of the University of Washington says “These soot particles … are typically created by fossil-fuel combustion in vehicles and power plants, ” “The tiny particles – and the air pollutant gases that travel along with them – cause harmful effects once they are breathed in.”

The average particulate levels which varied city to city, ranged from four to nearly 20 micrograms per cubic meter of air. An increase in particulate concentration of 10 micrograms corresponded to a chance of a woman dying from cardiovascular causes, including heart attacks and strokes of 76 percent.

Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director for the British Heart Foundation says the British Heart Foundation is funding research on how to minimize the harm from air pollution. “This adds to the mounting evidence that air pollution should be taken seriously as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease,” he said. “In the meantime,” he said, “when localized air pollution is particularly high, people with … coronary heart disease should avoid staying outside for long periods.”

Where is the government in all of this? Nowhere to be found. Clearly they have the power to enforce stricter emissions for a situation such as this where people’s lives are at risk.

It’s unfortunate that the reality of it all is that the government is a business concerned more with making money than protecting the lives of people.

Folks, there are natural ways to protect yourself. For example, Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects against the harmful effects of pollution and helps prevent cancer. If you reside in an area where the air pollution is high, begin increasing your intake of Vitamin C immediately.