Acai Berry

Hi. Acai berries from the rainforrests of South America are amazing and well worth your time to try. The Acai berry is not your regular fruit. One of the reasons for this is its high antioxidant content. You have probably heard over and over that there is consistent evidence in research that diets rich in fruit and vegetables and other plant foods are associated with lower mortality rates and lower death rates from cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. Sound familiar? Probably. So why is that?

This association is partly given to the high content of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables, which protect our bodies against chronic disease by decreasing free radical oxidative damage. Our bodies are in constant attack by free radicals, which are a common by-product of normal metabolism. In our day to day lives, we are further exposed to high amounts of free radicals through increased physical activity, stress, pollutants, chemicals and toxins. Antioxidants which are obtained through our diet act like scavengers, which seek and “relax” the free radicals. Once the free radicals are “relaxed”, they do no further damage.

So what kinds of antioxidants are in Acai?

Acai is rich in anthocyanins, compounds that provide colour to the fruits and serve as natural antioxidants. Those are the same compounds found in red wine. However, Acai pulp has 10-30 times more. Organic Freeze dried Acai contains more, 70-210 times more!

Acai;s royal purple pigment not only makes the fruit appealing to eat, but studies have shown that berry anthocyanins are beneficial in reducing age-associated oxidative stress (or the free radical damage). If berries can combat premature aging with 25 to 40 times less antioxidants than Acai, then just imagine what organic freeze dried Acai can do!

The US food industry is now labeling the antioxidants in food with ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). Data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests a serving of fresh fruit and vegetables has between 890 and 2,500 ORAC units. Just one 5g serving of organic freeze dried Acai will provide you with around 4,695 ORAC units!

Source: riolife.com.au

Immune Boosting Foods

Greetings eveyone.
Winter is well and truly upon us in Australia and as I have already written previously on what supplements and herbs help with keeping the immune system healthy, I thought I would write today on the best immune system supporting foods. These are everyday foods that we can consume that have a proven positive influence and properties relating to your immune system. This will help keep those winter colds and flu at bay.

Chicken Soup
Chicken soup has been shown to contain many active immune support ingredients such as the amino acids these form the foundations of immune cells. Believe it or not, a 2000 study published in the journal Chest found that chicken soup might actually have some beneficial medicinal properties due to its anti-inflammatory effect. Another study, also published in Chest, found that eating chicken soup, compared to simply ingesting cold water or hot water, made participants noses run faster — which is a good thing, since this helps rid the body of bacteria.

While these findings are preliminary, a warm bowl of soup can be a good idea when you’re sick. It will help you stay hydrated, the hot liquid can help relieve nasal congestion, and it’s an easy way to get something nourishing into your body when you don’t feel like eating.

Berries
Berries have a highly potent form of antioxidants in them. These as we know scavenge free radicals from our system. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and cranberries have long been known to be an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, folic acid, potassium, lutein, phytochemicals and antioxidants. Antioxidants are the free-radical fighters that help prevent cancer. Phytochemicals are components that are being shown more to prevent disease. Berries are high in Vitamin C, which is a key nutrient to build a healthy immune system. It is also responsible for building strong connective tissue. This is important for more than wrinkle prevention. Your skin is your largest organ and is your first line of defense that keeps out invaders such as bacteria, virus and other pathogens.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms – increase production of white blood cells and makes these protector cells more aggressive. Shiitake and maitake mushrooms really kick-start immunity with nutrients like riboflavin, niacin and selenium, all of which work with Vitamin E to protect our cells. Shiitake mushrooms have been used for centuries to treat colds and flu. Lentinan, a compound found in shiitake, appears to stimulate the immune system and help fight infection. Seems as always our Asian cousins were onto what was good for us long before the west was.

Carrots
Lovely wintertime vegetable for soups and stews as well as roast vege slads. Carrots are good for you because they are a rich source of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a powerful immune booster that actually strengthens defenses against both bacterial and viral infections. Studies show that the more beta-carotene consumed, the greater the increase in protective immune cells, including those natural killer cells. If you start getting carrot overload, you can get your beta-carotene from other great sources, such as mangoes, papaya, oranges, melons, and green leafy vegetables.

Garlic
Garlic wins the “power food” of the year. People of tradition and holistic health practitioners have known the benefits of garlic for years and now modern science has finally proven it. Garlic is a powerful and broad antibiotic. In addition – the body does not build a tolerance to it so it can be eaten and the benefits reaped for the entire flu season. Garlic is great in soups and stews, stir fries and much more…eat it with a friend.

Meat
Although we are told continuosly about the dangers of red meat and how bad it is for us, it has immune boosting properties. The key to eating meat is moderation. Meat contains zinc, iron and proten all of which contribute to a healthy immune system and wellbeing. Red meat a couple of times per week or chicken, fish or pork is a great way to ensure you are getting these nutrients. Vegetarians get these nutrients from dairy, or fortified cereals but be aware that one of the primary reason vegetrain get “sick’ is they do not get the proper amino acid ratios in their protein intake so supplement if needed.

Tea
Black or green tea is very good for you. Tea is a great source of polyphenols, antioxidants which combat free radicals. Polyphenols clean up free radicals, damaging compounds that can hurt your DNA and accelerate aging. As the immune system works to kill off invaders, by-products may be left over including free radicals which can cause cancer. As the immune system is in full swing this time of year, drinking green tea daily will help protect you and ensure your immune system is running smoothly.

Juices
Fresh squeezed fruit and vegetable juice or alternatively, soups, are a great way to get a good dose of winter time vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants. Easy to make and use, these should be a staple for anyone during winter months.

Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are high in beta carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A by our bodies. This is another component needed for our bodies to make strong connective tissue to protect the skin against bacteria, virus, and other possible invaders. The proteins of the sweet potato seem to be responsible for its healing properties. They are also high in Vitamins C and B6, making this vegetable not only important to the immune system but also anti-inflammatory which lessens the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Water
You would be amazed how easily you dehydrate in winter. Ensure you are drinking plenty of fresh water and that your kidneys and associated areas are well flushed will help immensly with keeping your system healthy generally.

The overall thing to remember is balance and vigilence. Eating a well balanced diet and keeping up the daily multivitamin and mineral complex will go a long way towards ensuring that your system is ni good shape to ward off the winter natsties.

Have a great day!


Craig Hitchens. B.HSc. NESCP. Dip. Massage. Dip. Reflexology.

Carnitine

Greetings folks.

Understanding what nutrients do for you, where to get them and how much is useful goes a long way to helping you enjoy your life in a healthy way. Information in this section comes fom many and varied sources and is provided as guide to help you gain an understanding of how supplements and vitamins help you. this is not a replacement for professional advice. Enjoy!

Carnitine information

Carnitine is really not an amino acid, but because of the close structural sameness, it is normally classed with amino acids, and is also known as vitamin BT. It is available as D-carnitine, L-carnitine, DL-carnitine as well as acetyl-L-carnitine, but with L-carnitine being the most popular type. L-Carnitine is synthesized from the essential amino acids lysine and methionine, but enough vitamin B1 (thiamine) and B6 (pyridoxine) must be available.

Carnitine required for

Unlike a true amino acid, it is not used in protein synthesis nor as neurotransmitter, but is used for long-chain fatty acid transport and is required for entry of these long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria of the cell, as well as for the removal of short-chain organic acids from the mitochondria, which frees the intra-mitochondrial coenzyme.

It is therefore important for the energy supply within the cell, as well as muscles, assists in preventing fatty build-up in areas such as the heart, liver, and skeletal muscles.

It may also reduce the risk of poor fat metabolism in diabetes, alcohol-induced fatty liver as well as the risk of heart problems. Carnitine has also been shown to improve the antioxidant effect of vitamin C as well as E.

Deficiency of carnitine

Primarily, carnitine deficiency occurs because of a genetic defect preventing carnitine transport and a deficiency may result in confusion, heart pain, muscular weakness as well as obesity.

Dosage

Dosages listed is the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), but be aware that this dosage is the minimum that you require per day, to ward off serious deficiency of this particular nutrient. In the therapeutic use of this nutrient, the dosage is usually increased considerably, but the toxicity level must be kept in mind.

Since carnitine can be manufactured in the body, supplementation of carnitine is not essential.

Most infant formulas that do not contain carnitine and could be supplemented with carnitine to the levels found in human milk, 11.3 mg/L (70 mmol/L) – but consult your medical professional regarding this matter.

Men normally require more carnitine than women, because of heavier body mass.

Toxicity and symptoms of high intake

None known but supplements in excess of 3,000 mg (19 mmol) of carnitine per day may cause diarrhea and/or “fish odor” syndrome.

When more may be required

Because of more muscle mass, men normally require more carnitine.

Other interesting points

Carnitine may have functions in cellular metabolism such as plasma membrane fatty acid remodeling, gene regulation and modulation of cytokine concentrations in experimental sepsis and cancer cachexia.

Esters of carnitine (acetyl- and propionylcarnitine) may have pharmacological value, by virtue of their antioxidant properties and/or ability to deliver readily oxidizable carbon units to mitochondria, in chronic disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and ischemia-induced myocardial dysfunction in angina pectoris.

The long-term administration of acetyl-L-carnitine to aged rats restores a synaptic pattern comparable to that of young rats. With the exception of the tocopherols all the antioxidants had lower concentrations in the Substantia nigra, which showed the most severe neuronal depletion with age. Acetyl-L-carnitine is being investigated as a determinant of neuronal longevity.

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR), is regarded with interest because of its capacity to counteract several physiological and pathological modifications typical of brain aging processes. In particular, it has been demonstrated that ALCAR can counteract the age-dependent reduction of several receptors in the central nervous system of rodents, such as the NMDA receptor system, the Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) receptors, those of glucocorticoids, neurotransmitters and others, thereby enhancing the efficiency of synaptic transmission, which is considerably slowed down by aging and appears to reverse age-associated deficits in cellular function, in part by increasing cellular ATP production.

Food sources

Carnitine is found in good amounts in red meat, while fish, chicken and milk are also high in carnitine, while vegetables and grains contain very little of this nutrient.

Source: www.anyvitamin.com

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