Thursday, May 29, 2008

The Benefits Of Fish Oil Continue To Grow!

Omega-3 Fish oil continues to grow in popularity with mounting research to back it; even main stream doctors are recommending this oil to help improve cardiovascular health. The active properties that give fish oil its benefit are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Research has demonstrated that these components of fish oil can support the health of the heart, eyes, skin, digestive system, immune system, joints, and the brain.

Omega-3 fish oil was originally discovered by researchers who noticed that a particular group of people had little to no heart disease in all its population. This group of people was the Inuit Indians in Greenland near the North Pole. They consumed high amounts of cold water fish which are rich in DHA and EPA.


Omega-3 fish oil can protect the heart in many ways starting with lowering triglycerides in those who consumed it on a daily basis. Triglycerides are fats that can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and dementia. Fish oil can reduce the risk of these as well as lower blood pressure and relax arteries allowing the flow of blood to circulate freely. Also, DHA and EPA have anti-inflammatory properties which may benefit those suffering from inflammatory disorders.

Furthermore, research has been mounting on the importance of DHA in the diet of expecting mothers both for the developing fetus as well as the mothers themselves. DHA is a major component of the brain and other neural tissue including light sensitive cells like the areas in the eyes. Infants that are born premature or still developing in the womb cannot adequately produce DHA in the body so it is critical that mothers consume fish oil on a daily basis for the health of their baby.

DHA is abundant in a mothers breast milk; studies have shown that breast fed babies have an IQ advantage over babies fed formula that lack DHA. Also, mothers who have just given birth can experience postpartum depression because of separation from the baby as well as the over abundance of hormones still flowing through the blood. DHA can ease this form of depression and help mothers move on to the next stage of life, the care of their new born child.

Adults who experience depression, memory loss, dementia, visual problems, and loss of energy may be lacking DHA and EPA in their diet. DHA and EPA are found in high concentrations around the cerebral cortex, mitochondria, synaptosomes, and synaptic vesicle. Supplementation of fish oil may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by as much as 70%. Those who are already experiencing Alzheimer’s disease may also benefit even thought they have already been diagnosed.

The most important benefits of fish oil may be experienced by those with inflammation issues. Inflammation, clotting, and exaggerated immune responses are seen in heart disease, cancer, arthritis, allergies, asthma, psoriasis and other chronic disorders which maybe linked to a DHA and EPA deficiency.

One may ask why not use another source for essential oils? Why don’t other oils work as well such as flaxseed oil or a marine algae source? Flaxseed oil contains the omega-3 alpha linolenic acid but does not contain any DHA or EPA. The cardiovascular and cognitive benefits of fish oil cannot be derived from alpha linolenic acid very well by the body so a direct supplementation of DHA and EPA gives the most benefit. Marine algae does contain DHA and EPA but in smaller amounts thus making one consume more marine algae making this type of product quite a bit more expensive than a pure fish oil supplement.

With all the benefits of fish oil being discovered, everyone with or without health issues can benefit from supplementing once each day with this important oil. If you are considering fish oil, remember that eating some fish will not give you the benefits listed above. One would have to consume 2 ½ - 3lbs of fish each day to reap the benefits of the DHA and EPA found in cold water fish. Consider a fish oil supplement 1000mg once daily. When shopping for fish oil, make sure that you find a fish oil that is pure and free from heavy metals, PCB’s and contaminates. Have you had your fish oil supplement today?

By: Darrell Miller-1603
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com
More information on omega-3 fish oil is available at VitaNet ®, LLC Health Food Store. vitanetonline.com/

Thursday, May 22, 2008

The Health Benefits Of The B12 Vitamin

By: Angela Epperley. Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

B12 is touted as a solution for everything from fatigue to a hangover – and those who promote it for these things are right. Vitamin B12 is a critical part of your body's cellular energy cycle, and when you don't get enough of it, you lose energy, your memory suffers, and you start to have mood problems, particularly with depression and irritability. Over the long term, B12 deficiencies can cause nerve damage and even death, though this is rare. Mostly, if you don't have enough B12, you lose a great deal of your quality of life.

In most people, vitamin B12 is produced in the gut, where a variety of friendly bacteria finish processing your digested food. However, as you age (or in some, when you have had liver damage), your lower intestines start suffering from a number of problems, and this decreases their ability to absorb vitamin B12 properly. Unfortunately, B12 supplements delivered orally cannot help either, as the only part of the digestive tract that absorbs them is the aging lower intestine.


Additionally, B12 surpluses are stored in the liver, where your body uses about 0.1% of a full supply each day. This doesn't seem like much, but as your stores of B12 start to drop, your liver function may also start degrading. If you have liver damage from alcohol, any disease, diabetes, smoking, or any of the myriad things that can cause liver problems, your store may be much smaller and its delivery to your body much reduced.

If you start taking a good B12 vitamin, you should notice a difference within a week or two. Your memory will improve, and so will your energy. Depression may disappear, and take a variety of cravings along with it. If you had any gastrointestinal issues with the lack of B12, those should clear up. In addition, you'll start feeling better overall, the opposite of that “general malaise” that is so often used to describe diseases. But it has to get into your bloodstream.

As you grow older, doctors may begin recommending vitamin B12 shots in order to get this vital substance to your blood, where it is badly needed. But B12, as a water-soluble vitamin, won't stay in your system very long, and your doctor is essentially repairing damage that has been done by a lack of vitamin B12. Compare that to a car leaking oil. If your car leaks oil consistently, even if you add oil regularly to it, it's going to see some damage and extra wear and tear, right? You can add oil to your car every day, but few people are willing to go to the doctor for a B12 shot frequently.

Sublingual B12 is a solution to this problem. Well-formulated B12 vitamins designed to dissolve under the tongue don't taste terrible (smell a bottle of B-complex vitamin if you don't know what I mean by that!) and they are not swallowed. Instead, they are absorbed by the complex of blood vessels under the tongue, and therefore enter directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the gut problem. No shots, no absorption problems, just a B12 supplement that works.

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Angela Epperley : A representative of Trivita, Angela Epperley knows all too well just how the B12 vitamin can help you. She is dedicated to helping people pursue healthy living. Visit her website to learn more about the B12 vitamin at www.trivitaproductsonline.com This article is free to use and reproduce anywhere provided this paragraph is reproduced intact with it.