Why Zinc Is Important To Your Health

Why Zinc Is Important For Your Body’s Health

(THP) Along with calcium and iron, zinc is probably the most important mineral to the human body.

A zinc deficiency can cause, or certainly exacerbate, everything from acne to diabetes. This is because zinc is needed by the body to make insulin (the hormone that regulates glucose levels in the blood), eliminate harmful toxins, and to maintain a healthy immune system.

Men especially should give real thought to this essential mineral because their zinc levels are depleted every time they have sex due to the very high concentration of zinc in sperm.

Zinc is contained in a wide range of foods but the richest sources are meat (lamb in particular), oats, eggs, nuts and oysters.

A good source of zinc is derived from all natural sources in 9 A Day Plus Vitamin Supplements.

To learn more about the benefits of all natural sources of zinc click here>>

True Healthy Products, LLC
915 N Courtenay Parkway
Merritt Island, FL 32953
USA
Email: support@truehealthyproducts.com
Toll Free: 888-400-2920
Fax: 321-821-1310

Vitamin Supplements – Do They Work? – The Case For 9 A Day Plus

Do Vitamin Supplements work?

Written by Jessica Smith

Wednesday, 09 September 2009

Vitamin Supplementation is huge worldwide. Most of us take vitamins now or have taken vitamins in the past.

Here are some statistics compiled by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) on supplementation:

The US ranks top in dietary supplementation globally.18.9% of Americans had taken at least one dietary supplement in 2004. Over 100 million Americans use vitamin and mineral supplements everyday.

The “global self-medication market” has become a multi-billion dollar industry and the dietary supplement sector is growing the fastest – 16% in 1998 alone. In the US, retail sales of supplements reached $11.3 billion in 2000.

The most common reason for supplement use is “to improve overall health and general well being.” It is a popular belief that vitamins are antioxidants and can therefore protect us from oxidative stress that causes many health conditions.

The most common health conditions that call for supplementation are menopause, cough, cold, flu, sore throat, and allergies or sinus conditions.

The third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 1988–94 reported that about 40% of Americans, starting at age 2 months, have taken some kind of dietary supplement.

The most common supplements taken are:

• multivitamin/multiminerals – 22%
• multivitamins plus vitamin C – 15%
• vitamin C as a single vitamin – 13%
• herbal and botanical supplements – 7%
• vitamin E as a single vitamin – 6%

Over the years, more and more reports on the health benefits of vitamin supplements have emerged, ranging from cardiovascular benefits to cancer prevention. This is mainly due to the antioxidant properties of vitamins that can protect us from oxidative stress. As a result several studies have been conducted to confirm these reports. Some of the latest studies summarized below reveal surprising results to say the least.

Disease prevention and mortality
One of the very first studies to comprehensively investigate the health effects of vitamin supplements was conducted by Danish researchers in 2007. They performed a meta-analysis on data pooled from several clinical trials which used supplementation of the antioxidant vitamin A, vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C and selenium used as stand-alone or as combination supplements to treat a wide range of health conditions, from cardiovascular disorders to cancer. Their results were surprising, even troubling. For one, no benefits of these “antioxidant supplements” were found. Second, supplementation with vitamins A and E and beta-carotene (but not vitamin C and selenium) actually increased overall mortality. This study prompted other researchers to take a second look at the benefits of vitamin supplements.

In a more recent review paper, the same researchers performed another meta-analysis of more data from several clinical trials, this time involving over 200,000 people who are healthy as well as those with existing health conditions. The researchers only considered studies which compared the efficacy of antioxidant supplements against placebos in the primary and secondary prevention of different medical conditions. The authors reported that they “found no evidence to support antioxidant supplements for primary or secondary prevention. Vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin E may increase mortality.”

Cancer
Another meta-analysis investigated the anti-cancer properties of antioxidant supplements, particularly against gastrointestinal cancers. They looked at data of trials which studied beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, and E and selenium. The authors concluded that “we could not find convincing evidence that antioxidant supplements prevent gastrointestinal cancers.”

One of the most recent developments in vitamin supplement research is the long-term SELECT (Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial) study of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The study evaluated the efficacy of selenium and Vitamin E in preventing prostate cancer and enrolled 35,000 male participants in the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada. The participants were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: group 1 were given vitamin E supplements only, group 2 were given only selenium, group 3 took both supplements in combination, and group 4 were given placebos only. Five years into the study, the NCI decided to stop the trial because of some “concerning” findings, namely:

1. The analysis found no lower risk of prostate cancer in men taking the supplements, either alone or together.

2. Men who were taking only vitamin E actually had a slightly higher risk of developing prostate cancer.

3. Men taking only selenium seemed to have a slightly higher risk of developing diabetes.

Another study evaluated the efficacy of combined folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 in reducing cancer risk among women. Their result show that combined folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 treatment had no significant effect on overall risk of total invasive cancer or breast cancer among women during the folic acid fortification era.

A study published in December 2008 evaluated whether vitamins C and E and beta carotene supplementation have an effect on overall cancer risk. The data was taken from the Women’s Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study and involved 8,171 women who were cancer-free at the start of the study about 9.4 years ago. The findings of the study showed that “supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E, or beta carotene offers no overall benefits in the primary prevention of total cancer incidence or cancer mortality.”

Cardiovascular disorders
The Women’s Health Initiative Calcium/Vitamin D Trial evaluated the effects of vitamin D and calcium supplements on blood pressure and risk for hypertension risk of 36,252 healthy postmenopausal women. The women were assigned in 2 groups: one group received a daily supplement of 1000 mg of calcium plus 400 IU of vitamin D3 daily. The other group received placebo only. The researchers reported that “in postmenopausal women, calcium plus vitamin D3 supplementation did not reduce either blood pressure or the risk of developing hypertension over 7 years of follow-up.”

The Physicians’ Health Study II evaluated whether vitamin E or vitamin C have cardioprotective properties that can reduce risk for CVD in men. A total of 14,641 American doctors were enrolled in the study, aged 50 years and older, and were followed up for 8 years. The study results showed that “neither vitamin E nor vitamin C supplementation reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events. These data provide no support for the use of these supplements for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in middle-aged and older men.”

This study evaluated whether antioxidant (vitamins E, C and/or beta-carotene) supplements can prevent atherosclerosis. The researchers performed a meta-analysis of 22 trials which involved 134,590 participants. The researcher conclude that “…the majority of studies included in this review does not support a possible role of antioxidant supplementation in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease … no definite conclusion can be drawn to justify the use of antioxidant vitamin supplements for the prevention of atherosclerotic events.”

Folic acid is routinely prescribed for pregnant women to prevent birth defects such as spina bifida. It has also been thought that folic acid, which reduced the levels of homocysteine in the blood, can prevent cardiovascular disease. Homocysteine is an amino acid used as a biomarker for cardiovascular disorder. This trial investigated whether a vitamin combination pill with folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 (vs. a placebo) can reduce cardiovascular risk. It enrolled more than 5,400 American women with a history of cardiovascular disease or with moderate to high risk profile for cardiovascular disease. After 7.3 years of treatment and follow-up, a combination pill of folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 did not reduce a combined end point of total cardiovascular events among high-risk women, despite significant homocysteine lowering.

While most of the evidence from studies summarized here does not seem to support the health benefits of vitamin supplements, there are some studies which indicate that vitamin D supplementation is worthwhile, even essential.
Vitamin D is unique because we cannot get our vitamin D requirements from food alone. Instead, vitamin D is synthesized by the body upon exposure of the skin to the sun, thus earning it the title “sun vitamin.” However, since the sun is said to cause skin cancer, people tend to avoid exposure leading to widespread vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a large number of health problems including osteoporosis, rickets, cancer and autoimmune disorders.

American health experts are convinced of the necessity of vitamin D supplements and thus, routinely prescribe vitamin D supplements even for newborn babies. Milk and other dairy products in the US are fortified with vitamin D but not in many parts of the world. Last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidelines for vitamin D supplementation to recommend the doubling of the dose for babies and children from 200 IU to 400 IU per day.

According to a review paper, “vitamin D is not only important for calcium metabolism and maintenance of bone health throughout life, but also plays an important role in reducing risk of many chronic diseases including type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, deadly cancers, heart disease and infectious diseases.”

To learn about quality organic sources of vitamins – click here>>

True Healthy Products, LLC
915 N Courtenay Parkway
Merritt Island, FL 32953
USA
Email: support@truehealthyproducts.com
Toll Free: 888-400-2920
Fax: 321-821-1310

The High School Athlete Power Diet – Fission Fruit Bars

(THP) Schuylerville parents filled classrooms at the Junior-Senior High school on Wednesday night, September 9 for Meet the Coaches Night and a special seminar about athlete diets.

John Underwood, founder of the American Athletic Institute, spoke to Schuylerville parents and athletes about healthy choices for athletic teens. This year’s seminar was “Proper Nutrition and Diet for Optimum Athletic Performance for Student Athletes.”

Underwood has coached or advised World and Olympic Champions, and is a former NCAA All-American athlete and International-level distance runner. He knows first-hand why athletes require a special diet and how student athletes should fuel their bodies.

“Kids are restricted by their knowledge level of food. They get locked into eating the same foods they see on their kitchen table; they need to broaden the spectrum,” Underwood said.

Underwood discussed his TR3 formula: Train, Refuel, Rehydrate, Rest. He explained that rest is the most important part of the formula. According to a national study, the average teen only gets six hours and forty-five minutes of sleep every night.

“If you care about sports and physical performance, you need to get eight hours. You are more successful if you prioritize, which means you need more down time. Recovery is the most important part of any athlete’s training,” he said.

According to Underwood, athletes recover 70 percent within the first hour after training; another 20 percent within two and 100 percent recovery takes a full twenty-four hours.

Athletes need to stay hydrated and need to constantly snack to give their bodies enough energy to perform.  They should be putting food in their bodies every three to four hours. Underwood suggests snacking on healthy foods like raisins and energy bars.

Athletes cannot run on an empty stomach. Healthy snacking prevents low blood glucose levels, which in turn promotes healthy muscles by reducing cortisol release. Cortisol is a stress hormone that tears down muscle capacity. Without fuel, muscles will “actually begin eating themselves,” as the body typically turns to burning body fat, which most athletes have little of.

“Twenty-three percent of high school athletes have borderline low blood sugar levels prior to training at 3:00 p.m.,” Underwood said. “And blood sugar is absolutely critical for you to function mentally and physically.”

Sugary drinks like soda contain sixteen spoonfuls of sugar, which actually has a negative effect on blood sugar levels. Underwood presented graph slides of how sugar induces drastic “ups and downs” in energy, causing insulin levels to fluctuate. This is why people “crash” after a “sugar high,” whereas fructose and glucose keep insulin levels regulated.

Underwood explained that sports bars like fission fruit bars, which is exactly what athletes need to function properly.

Fission fruit bars are made from real fruit, are healthy, and they taste great too!

“They should be drinking Gatorade over water,” he said. However, Underwood stressed the importance of sipping and not gulping the sugary-tasting drink.

Some athletes may find sports drinks to be “hypertonic,” or too sweet. Rather than buying a watered down version, like G-2, Underwood recommends mixing a solution that is 1/2  water and 1/2 regular Gatorade.

For refueling, student athletes need plenty of carbs; in fact, 2/3 of their diet should come from carbohydrates. One third of their diet should come from protein and fats, which is typically the reverse proportion for most football players trying to build body mass. Consuming too much protein leads to chronic fatigue.

Fission Fruit Bars Are The Perfect Meal Replacement

(THP) In today’s on-the-run society, where sitting down for a meal is sometimes an impossible luxury, the emergence of nutrition bars may seem to be just what the doctor ordered. Though these pocket-sized bars once found favor primarily with serious athletes looking for a competitive edge, now anyone who feels the need for a nutritional boost may keep a few stashed in a purse or a briefcase.

In the current bar-wars environment, there are literally hundreds of these prewrapped and portable products competing for shelf space at gyms, health-food stores, and supermarkets, with names ranging from PowerBar and Luna Bar to Balance Bar and MET-Rx. But nutritionists agree that not all bars are created equal.

There are high-carbohydrate bars, protein bars, energy bars, breakfast bars, brain-boosting bars, meal-replacement bars, diet bars, and women-only bars. And with so much to choose from, consumers hungering for a quick nutritional fix — whether they’re recreational athletes, workaholics tied to their desks, or over-committed moms with barely a moment to spare — may feel dizzy from all the product overkill and heavily hyped claims.

Each Fission Bar is packed with morsels of 100% natural, real fruit, including blueberries, strawberries, apples and cranberries. This delicious, wholesome alternative to unhealthy salty or sugary snacks is a powerful source of phytonutrients – the health supporting compounds and anti-oxidants that protect your body’s cells from damage. Fission Bars contain no refined sugar, no trans fats and are just 150 calories.

What really sets the Fission Bar above other health bars is its delicious taste. Fission Bars are the convenient, yummy way to boost your energy and endurance!

Nutrition Facts

*All natural sugar.

Ingredients: Soy Nuggets (Soy Protein Isolate, Tapioca Starch and Salt), Agave Nectar,Inulin (Chicory Root Extract), Cranberries, Dried Strawberries, Dried Blueberries, Whey Protein Concentrate, Almond Butter, Sunflower Seed Butter, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Soy Protein Isolate, Fruit Powder (Banana, Strawberry, Pomegranate, Acai, Blueberry, Cranberry, Raspberry, Blackberry), Beet Root Powder.

Allergen Warning: Contains Milk, Soy, Tree Nuts. May contain traces of peanuts and/or other nuts.

To learn more about the perfect meal replacement click here>>

True Healthy Products, LLC
915 N Courtenay Parkway
Merritt Island, FL 32953
USA
Email: support@truehealthyproducts.com
Toll Free: 888-400-2920
Fax: 321-821-1310

Natural Vitamins Vs Synthetic Vitamins

(THP)

Not all vitamins were created equal – or natural. To be more specific, over 90% of the vitamins purchased by consumers, whether in a supermarket, pharmacy or health food store, are substances formulated in a laboratory. These synthetic, fractionated vitamins simply cannot be easily absorbed by the body which means that when you take them you are literally flushing money down the toilet.

How do you know if you are ingesting a synthetic vitamin or one made from all natural fruits and vegetables? It’s easy really, just read the label. If your vitamin’s ingredients sound like something from a chemistry lab then that’s exactly what they are; chemically created synthetic vitamins.

For example, here is a list of the major ingredients of a leading vitamin brand found in just about every grocery store and pharmacy in America and taken by millions of unsuspecting consumers every day: magnesium oxide; dicalcium phosphate; ascorbic acid; di-alpha tocopheryl acetate; ferrous fumarate; croscarmellose sodium; potassium chloride; calcium panthenate; pyridoxine hydrochloride; hypromelose; polyethelene glycol; manganese sulfate; pytonadione and cyanocobalamin (a synthetic form of vitamin B-12). Do you have any idea what any of those things are? You’d have to be a chemist to know what you are putting in your system with a list like that.

Now look at the list of ingredients on a box of 9 a Day Plus where the vitamins come from these natural sources: carrots; acerola cherry; soy; sunflower; corn; spinach; blueberry; raspberry; apple; cranberry; grape; aloe vera; beets; etc. It is easy to see that there is a difference so now you need to understand why that difference really matters to your health.

The truth is that even though they are often called natural, most non-food vitamins are isolated chemical substances which are crystalline in structure. And most vitamins in these supplements are made or processed with petroleum derivatives or hydrogenated sugars. Vitamins naturally found in food are not crystalline and never isolated. Vitamins found in any real food are chemically and structurally different from those commonly found in “natural vitamin” formulas. Since they are different, you should consider non-food vitamins as vitamin “analogues” or imitations and not actually vitamins.

The body treats these isolated – or fractionated – vitamins as they would any foreign or chemical substance: it rejects them. This is why the bulk of the content simply passes through the body and is never assimilated into your system. This is why over-consumption of these kinds of vitamins can actually be detrimental to your health as they can build up in the liver or kidneys and do more harm than good.

You may be thinking that your vitamins are different because you buy them at a health food store. You are probably wrong. Here is a list of ingredients from a bottle of vitamin C from a major brand found in a local health food store: ascorbic acid; cellulose gel; corn starch; hydropxypropyl cellulose; hydroxypropyl methylcellulose; magnesium state; silicon dioxide; stearic acid;polyethylene glycol. The front of the label says all natural and it’s on a shelf in a reputable health food store, but the ingredients label doesn’t lie – there’s nothing natural about this product at all.

You may have noticed that a common ingredient is ascorbic acid. Some of you may be thinking that ascorbic acid is in fact vitamin C but here is another myth about the vitamins we waste money on. Though the FDA allows Ascorbic Acid to be labeled as vitamin C, it really is NOT vitamin C. It is only part of the vitamin C complex and what is known as a fractionated vitamin. This is true for many of the vitamins you may be taking now. Instead of getting the entire benefit of the vitamin you are buying you are probably getting only part of the vitamin, which is like taking no vitamin at all. The body cannot use a vitamin unless it is in its entirety. It doesn’t use the isolated parts properly so you might as well not bother taking it at all.

9 a Day Plus uses complete, natural vitamins from fruits and vegetables that your body can easily absorb and put to use.

To learn more click here>>

True Healthy Products, LLC
915 N Courtenay Parkway
Merritt Island, FL 32953
USA
Email: support@truehealthyproducts.com
Toll Free: 888-400-2920
Fax: 321-821-1310

Belly Fat Reduction Is Possible Through The HCG Fat Release System – Exercise Strengthens Abdominals For Definition

(THP) Belly fat is a common problem among people in modern society. This happens mainly because of the wrong choice of foods, and lack of physical exercise in the daily routine. Many people want to get rid of belly fat mainly because they like to get back the attractive shape of their body. It is also essential because excessive belly fat may lead to health problems like high blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol, and many other diseases. If one starts taking measures for belly fat reduction at the early stages, then the chances of getting the desired result is greater. Otherwise, reduction of belly fat becomes slightly difficult, as the fat in this section of the body is quite stubborn.

Thousands Of People Have Had Success
With This Fat Loss And Re-Sculpting Process

This protocol can be done in 22 to 40 days depending on how much fat you may want to loose. It is common to loose at least 1 pound of fat each day on this program.

Some people have called it the cure to obesity, along with short-term fat loss it is common to have long-term control of your weight forever because of an adjustment made to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland.

This process is in use today and is quite time-consuming and costly. A 22 day treatment can cost as much as $1,500 and requires shots and daily trips to a clinic to receive the protocol.  This is just not possible for most people.

Dr. Sherrill Sellmen, an accomplished naturopathic doctor, has teamed up with True Healthy Products to create a cost effective and simple homeopathic version of an Oral HCG protocol. Dr. Sherrill has been implementing this program with several of her clients and getting remarkable results.

To learn more click here>>

Belly Fat Reduction Exercises

Bicycle Exercise: Lie flat on your back on the ground. Lift one leg 10 inches above the ground. Place your hands at the back of your head. Then try to twist the elbow in the direction of the bent knee and hold the position till you finish counting 10. Then change the position and lift the other leg and move the other elbow in its direction. When you change the position of the leg and the arm continuously, it will look as if you are riding a bicycle. Throughout the exercise make sure your body remains straight and do not form an arch. Here are a few more exercises to lose belly fat.

Exercise is a natural way of reducing belly fat. When you are looking for belly fat reduction, you have to focus on fat burning exercises for the entire body, because you cannot reduce fat from one particular portion of the body only. The main aim of the exercises is to strengthen the core muscles of the body. Aerobic exercises, swimming, and cycling are good for belly fat reduction. Here is a list of some simple workouts that you can do at home, to lose belly fat:

Plank for Belly Fat Reduction: This is the most simple exercise for belly fat reduction. Lie down on the ground with your face downwards. Then try to raise your body above the ground on your feet with the support of your hands. Make sure the hands are right under the shoulders. Tuck the navel inside and hold this position as long as possible. In this way, all the muscles of the body get stretched.

Stability Ball Curl: Take an exercise ball and lie your back in such a way that the ball supports the middle of your backbone. Lower your body in the backward direction over the ball. Then curl your body at the front. Repeat this forward and backward curls of the body at least 15 times. During the exercise, do not let your feet rise above the ground and do not bend your shoulders.

Crunches for Belly Fat Reduction: Crunches are considered as one of the best exercises for fat loss.

Lie on your back on the ground and bend your knees. Put your hands at the back or side of the neck and curl your shoulders in the direction of the pelvis. Hold the position for as long as you comfortably can. Make sure you do not put any pressure on the neck with your hands, as it can cause a bad neck injury. The hands should be kept on the neck only for the purpose of providing support to the head.

True Healthy Products, LLC
915 N Courtenay Parkway
Merritt Island, FL 32953
USA
Email: support@truehealthyproducts.com
Toll Free: 888-400-2920
Fax: 321-821-1310