Calcium is absorbed in the small intestine; this process is dependent on vitamin D. To provide the rigid structure of the skeleton calcium is vital, around about 3lb of the body’s weight is calcium, 99 per cent being in the teeth and bones. It is important in growing children to help bones grow and the elderly as the ability to absorb calcium becomes impaired with age. Together with magnesium it is needed for nerves and muscles to function properly. It also helps to maintain the right acid/alkaline balance and blood to clot. An adult needs a daily calcium intake of between 700 and 1000mg. Those at risk of osteoporosis may need as much as 1500mg a day. This protection is boosted when combined with linoleic acid from evening primrose oil. Calcium and phosphorus work together on a ratio of two to one for healthy teeth and bones and calcium and magnesium work together for cardiovascular health. The two most deficient minerals in a women’s diet are calcium and iron.

Calcium supplements have shown to protect against pre-eclampsia which is high blood pressure in pregnancy. It is a good idea to increase calcium consumption during the last three months of pregnancy and the first few months of lactation to ensure that the baby get sufficient amount of calcium to help bone development and growth. If the baby doesn’t get enough calcium from its mother, it will be withdrawn from the mothers bones, possibly leading to bone disease in the future.

Signs of calcium deficiency are rickets, osteomalacia and osteoporosis.

Calcium like sodium and potassium contribute to both extracellular and intracellular cell environment. Calcium is also needed as intercellular cement to keep the cells of the body together. It also controls fluid to allow enzyme reaction to take place. Calcium is vital for the contraction of muscle. The brain sends nerve impulses that release calcium in the muscle which triggers muscle reactions. Calcium also helps to control cholesterol.

Calcium helps in the process of secretion, bile, pancreatic fluid, gastric, intestinal, hormonal and mucous all rely on calcium to move the small droplets through the cells boundaries and cell walls.

The AMP (adenosine monophosphate) is calcium dependent. This maintains the balance of proteins in the body.

Calcium is also needed in the release of neurotransmitter. These are vital for a proper functioning nervous system.

Calcium is one of the ‘buffers’ in blood that helps to keep the levels of acid/alkaline. Calcium levels in the blood are affected by hormones. If levels drop then Tetany could occur; this is a condition that causes tremors and involuntary contractions of the muscles.

Osteoporosis, which means “porous bones”, is at epidemic proportions particularly in women after the menopause. It is a painful and potentially crippling disease which is due to the loss of calcium in the bones. By the age of fifty up to 25 per cent of the skeleton could be missing due to Osteoporosis, this can increase the risk of bone fractures, loss of height and formation of a “dowager’s hump” all due to the soft and thinning bones. This will affect one in three women and one in twelve men by the age of seventy.

The conventional explanation of why Osteoporosis affects women of a certain age more than men is that once a women stops menstruating she produces only a small amount of the oestrogen which helps to keep calcium in her bones. This is why women are recommended to take hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This is not the case as research has shown that Progesterone stimulate osteoblasts to produce new bone and that by taking Progesterone it increases bone density by four times, oestrogen which stimulates osteoclast cells only stops the loss of old bone.

A women stops ovulating in the time before and after the menopause. Even though the body still produces a little amount of oestrogen if no ovum is released then no progesterone is produced. Scientists now believe that it is the deficiency of progesterone not oestrogen that is precipitating osteoporosis.

This is not the only factor in the cause of osteoporosis; diet is also a strong factor which is why it is uncommon in some cultural groups. The lack of calcium in the diet is thought not to have a huge baring on osteoporosis, in fact the Bantu tribes of Africa have on average a calcium intake of 400mg and their women suffer little osteoporosis whereas the Eskimos have a substantial higher intake of calcium in their diet but their women suffer from high incidents of osteoporosis. The problem seems to be too much dietary protein.?

The Eskimos have more protein in their diet than the Bantu tribes. Protein-rich foods are acid-forming. The body cannot tolerate acid level changes and it uses the alkaline agents - sodium and calcium to neutralise the acid effect. When all the sodium reserves are used up by the body it takes calcium from the bones. This is why a high protein acid forming diet leads to calcium deficiency and may also be the primary cause of osteoporosis. This may well explain why vegetarian women suffer less from osteoporosis. In fact vegetarians in general need less calcium than those who eat meat because of the reduce intake of protein.

Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which are found in fish oil and evening primrose oil if taken in large doses increase the absorption of calcium from the gut like vitamin D does. Not only do they increase calcium absorption but they also reduce calcium loss in the urine. PUFAs prevent the abnormal deposition of calcium in soft tissue and increase calcium levels in bones. PUFAs can help with the bone loss at menopause.

In summary, calcium is a very important mineral in the diet especially with women at menopausal age. It can stop the onset of osteoporosis and reduce bone loss and fragility. It is also important for pregnant women, growing children and the elderly.

Stewart Hare C.H.Ed Dip NutTh

Bespoke consultations for a healthier natural life

website: http://www.newbeingnutrition.com
Get a free initial nutritional therapy diagnosis now…

Comments Off

These days, there are plenty of pills out there offered by your local pharmacy to cure what ails you. But you can never be too sure that the products pushed on us by the food and drug administration are the best thing for you. A lot of these pills have side effects, and some of them are not tolerated well by certain people.

To that end, there are numerous alternative health supplements offered that can help your body get into the best shape it’s ever been. Here are the facts on some of them:

Coral calcium- This supplement is great to help your body. You probably know that your body needs calcium to maintain its bones and teeth, but most people don’t realize that you need a certain level of calcium in your bloodstream as well.

If you don’t keep replenishing this calcium, your body will begin to sap the calcium from your bones and teeth to maintain the level in your blood. This can result in bone and teeth shrinkage, and can make them brittle and cause movements to be painful. Coral calcium is a source of calcium that surpasses most of the others. Available in supplement form, coral calcium can be a great buy.

Another one of the alternative health supplements offered is fish oil. Harvested from fatty fish, this oil contains substances known as omega-3 essential fatty acids. Containing the fatty acids DHA and EPA, fish oil has been linked to memory improvement and general brain health, considering DHA is a substance that needs to maintain its presence in the brain. Also, the American Heart Association recommends that you take fish oils to help maintain heart health. It can help to decrease your risks of heart disease or cardiac arrest!

These are two of the alternative health supplements offered these days that can help lead your body to great health. Hopefully they can help you!

Why not check out our nutrition guide at http://www.nutritional-supplement-guides.com/nut-ebook.html

and also what supplement we personally use for our nutrition needs at http://www.nutritional-supplement-guides.com/what-we-use.html

John Gibb is the owner of Nutrition guides, a website offering free nutrition advice and a quality nutrition book for newsletter subscribers.

Comments Off

Recently there has been a lot of buzz regarding a hot new weight-loss
product called hoodia. With all the conflicting information out there, it
can be difficult to choose the right hoodia diet pill for you.

Before shopping for a hoodia diet pill, you need to be properly informed.
Read on to find out more about hoodia and how it can help you lose weight.

Hoodia is a prickly cactus-like plant called a “succulent.” It grows about
18 inches tall and features large, creamy blossoms that are unpleasantly
scented. The San tribe, also known as African bushmen, have used hoodia to
suppress their appetites for centuries.

Hoodia works in a way similar to glucose, except that it is 100,000 more
effective than glucose in suppressing unhealthy food cravings. Researchers
from Rhode Island’s Brown University discovered that hoodia suppresses
appetite by tricking the brain into thinking you’re full.

The only place hoodia can legally be exported from is the Western Cape of
South Africa in the Kalahari desert. After 30 years of study, the South
African national lab was able to identify and isolate the component in
hoodia, called P57, that caused the appetite suppression. Once they did,
they got a patent and licensed it to a corporation called Phytopharm for
millions of dollars. Phytopharm is currently working on producing bars and
shakes that are made with pure hoodia. These products are expected to hit
the market by 2008.

There are many different products on the market that contain hoodia. Before
buying a hoodia diet pill product, be sure that what you’re buying is either
pure hoodia gordonii or contains a high concentration of it.

There have been no reported side effects from taking hoodia. So, if you
experience unpleasant effects after taking a hoodia diet pill, they are
coming from the other ingredients and not from the hoodia itself.

Gary Stephens is known as the king of diet products. After losing over 60lbs with the use of certain diet products, he now writes informative articles and reviews of popular weight loss products. To learn more about Hoodia please see http://www.hoodiahaven.com

Comments Off

Supplements, taken daily or when you feel “something” coming on, are an effective and inexpensive way to get your immune system functioning. Even if you take a vitamin after you feel a cold coming on, it can give the feel of wellness on its way — IF you make some other adjustments to your usual routine as well.

To get your immune juices flowing, here are five tried and true formulas that can
work for cold cures or flu onset.

1. Be aware of a seasonal change.

We often keep moving at our same speed even though the seasonal environment is
changing around us. Some things to keep an eye out for:

• Being prepared with proper clothing, more or less depending on the seasonal
change.

• Our body energy is affected by the change in light.

More light = More energy.

2. Rest.

Be sure to be getting the proper amount of rest for your body. If for some reason
you do not receive the amount you need, find a time to make it up. If you are having
trouble falling asleep or sleeping through the night, look into natural methods that
will help you be able to rest. This is crucial for ongoing health and prevention of
colds and other illnesses.

3. Eat for Energy.

Eating certain foods will keep your immune system functioning at a high level. Try
the following:

• Large leafy greens (especially watercress)

• Garlic

• Anis

• Citrus peel

• Sage

Avoiding or using certain foods in moderation will also help ward off colds. The big
ones are:

• Salt

• Dairy

• High levels of caffeine

• High levels of refined sugar

Eating certain foods will boost your immune system. Try the following:

• Parsley (fresh, simply chew)

• Basil (fresh, brewed into a hot tea)

• Ginger (fresh)

• Garlic

• Kudzu

• Lemmon

• Pepper

• Cinnamon

Eat less. Immediately reduce food intake and move to a liquid based diet (soups,
broths, tea) when you feel a cold or flu coming on.

4. Take a hot (as hot as you can stand it) bath.

Not a shower. Soak for at least 15 minutes. After getting out and toweling off, put
on big, warm socks (or double layered), comfortable sweats and sweatshirt, a hat on
your head and get in bed. Sweat it out. If you are really sweating, change your
clothing before falling asleep.

5. Herbs.

Hold any in the following list in your mouth for 20 - 30 minutes before swallowing.

• Dandelion

• Burdock

• Chamomile

• Honeysuckle

• Echinacea

• Golden seal

• Citrus seed extract

One Final Note:

Remember that your number-one goal is to “block” your cold right away! We’re all
bombarded with tons of germs and every day, so you have a limited amount of time
to “keep something at bay”.

Your best bet is to keep yourself laying low within one or two hours of not “feeling
right”. I can hear you saying, “BUT …”. I know, we all have lots to do. Would you
rather do it feeling really great or sniffling, sneezing and coughing? Do well by you;
you deserve it.

Want to use this article on your website or your own ezine? You absolutely can!
But here?s what you MUST include: Heather Dominick, “The Energy Expert”, is
founder of the EnergyRich Lifestyle Program, the proven step-by-step
program to help you achieve your best health and most energized life. To sign up
for her freebie how-to articles and no-charge teleclasses on creating your best
energy life, visit http://www.individual-health.net

Comments Off

The human heart is an extraordinary organ. Many of us take our hearts for granted and forget how important our hearts are. One thing for sureif our hearts stop pumping, we stop living.

Therefore, it seems logical that a number one priority for us would be to take care of our hearts every day of our lives so that we are gifted with as many days of life as possible.

Most Americans not only ignore their hearts, but actually abuse their hearts. Unfortunately, our ignorance and our abuse can be fatal.

The human heart is an awesome wonder.

The heart beats sixty to eighty times a minute.
The heart beats about 100,000 times a day.
The heart beats 2.5 billion times in a 65 to 70 year lifetime.
The heart pumps 2,000 gallons of blood a day.
The heart pumps 50 million gallons of blood a lifetime.
The heart never stops working for us. It never rests or sleeps or takes a break.

Just how big a problem is heart disease in this country?

50% of all Americans or approximately 1,000,000 people die from heart disease every year.

1.25 million people suffer from heart attacks every year.

4,000 heart attacks occur every day.

50% of all heart attacks are fatal.

50% of all fatal heart attacks had no prior symptoms.

Over 50% of all heart attacks occur in people under 65 years old.

Let’s take a closer look at the miracle that we call the human heart.
The heart muscle stays healthy by receiving oxygen and nutrients from the two major blood vessels, the coronary arteries, which resemble two trunks of a tree.

The heart muscle is also feed by the tiny branches that come from the two major arteries, called the arterioles. These little branches spread out over the surface of the heart to get the nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood to the heart cells.

Exercise increases the number of arterioles. In other words, the more one exercises, the more arterioles are created to meet the demands of getting oxygen to the body. A sedentary person can actually grow more arterioles, or blood vessels, if he or she starts exercising more.

The blood brings life-giving elements, nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and carries away toxins, carbon dioxide and disease causing agents, like viruses and bacteria away from the cells.

The condition of your vessels and your blood has everything to do with what you eat and what you breathe.

The most common misconception about heart attacks is:

Most heart attacks are caused by blockages of the two major coronary arteries.

The truth is about 95% of all heart attacks are not caused by blockages of large coronary arteries but by blockages in the smaller arteries, the arterioles.

In fact, most heart attacks occur in people whose major arteries are open, not closed.

How does a heart attack occur?

Heart attacks are caused by a two step process as described by Dr. John McDougall, M.D., in his book, The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart:

1. The formation of atherosclerosis in the blood vessels

Blood vessels consist of three layers: The outer tough layer, the inner smooth membrane to allow the free passage of the blood, and the layer between the two which is made of strong, elastic muscle.

The inner lining gets damaged from radiation, smoking, trans fatty acids, animal protein, fat, and cholesterol, coffee, processed foods, and refined carbohydrates.

Sores (plaque) form in the arteries and fat and cholesterol collect underneath this damaged lining. These sores fester and get inflamed. These sores are like little boils or pimples in the blood vessels.

2. A crack or fissure happens in the surface of the plaque or pimple and the contents spurt out. The body rushes to repair the damage by making a clot around it to contain it. If the clot gets too big due to sticky platelets caused by excess fat in the diet and sluggish blood, it can and does block off the blood supply. The result: a heart attack, stroke, blood clot in the legs or lungs, kidney failure, impotence, macular degeneration, or even deafness.

So you see? The major cause of death in this country is not heart attacks or heart disease at all. It is the disease of the blood vessels that can and does affect all parts of the body and lead to early diseases and conditions and premature death.

Dr. Leslie Van Romer is a health motivational speaker, writer, and lifestyle coach. Visit http://www.DrLeslieVanRomer.com for more inspiration.

Comments Off

With today’s time constraints, stressful jobs, and “thin is in” mentality, the bottom line is that many people become overweight simply because they have no time to exercise. By the way, you already knew that. I need to tell you something about improving your diet overall… but first you must know something about diet pills:

What’s Wrong With Diet Pills?

Appetite suppressants such as Phentermine 37.5 are only a temporary solution. At Shoppe.MD online pharmacy, we do not promote continual and unnecessary refills of prescription diet pills. Our site and free newsletter provide useful diet, weight loss, and exercise tips in an effort to help both customers and visitors achieve their weight loss goals and improve their health.

How Can I Stop Craving Unhealthy Foods?

Because prescription Phentermine from cannot provide a permanent solution to being overweight, I recommend that you muster up all the will power you have - and then some! - and use 10 minutes of your free time to go outside and walk. Power walking has been known to be at least as effective as jogging, so don’t feel like a loser if you can’t walk fast for very long. It may use the same amount of energy as jogging.

Remember, I’m only asking that you walk briskly for 10 minutes. I’m young and 168lbs and I can only jog for about 8 minutes! But, I’m gradually working up my endurance and cardiovascular health.

How Often Should I Weigh Myself?

I do not weigh myself. I decide whether I’ve made progress based on the way I feel. In fact, I’ve been jogging for a few minutes each day, and making sure not to eat high-calorie foods (heavy in carbs, fats, or sugars); and my favorite new pants are now too big for me! Now that’s great that my ‘love handles’ have shrunk, but I like those pants.

Now, regardless of how much weight you lose as a result of lowering your intake of calories, this diet change in combination with exercise should set you up to think about food in a new light. You may now realize that the food you eat is the fuel for your body; just as gasoline fuels your car. If you put the wrong kind of gas in your car, it will run badly. The same concept applies to your body.

What’s The Secret?

I’m about to ask you to do something outrageous. Imagine drinking gasoline, and getting it in your nose at the same time. Now add your favorite snack foods to the picture, as if you they are forced into your mouth at the same time you are being forced to drink gasoline. Smell the fumes of the gasoline along with the smell of the snacks. Imagine a pain between your eyes and deep within your nose. You are beginning to feel like you might vomit soon. It’s too bad you’re sitting, watching television rather than getting away from the gasoline, snacks and vomiting with headache.

Back To Reality:

Unfortunately, you might as well be doing the above in reality when you drink a coke, eat Doritos, or even full meals that appear to be healthy. It’s all about balance! After all, too much gasoline going into your car’s engine will cause problems too.

What Should My Diet Plan Include?

Starting your diet with small amounts of cardio-vascular exercise in addition to better eating habits should make it much easier to continue eating better. Within a few days, you should begin to view food as a way to make your body function properly. Because you will have more energy and, most likely, a brighter outlook on life, you will feel like vomiting when you imagine your previous lifestyle and diet.

I know the method I’ve suggested is strange, but dieting successfully is not only a physical task, but psychological as well. So don’t forget to think analyze your improvements, thinking about why you feel better than before. That will help you make permanent changes.

Copyright (C) Shoppe.MD and Ian Mason, 2004-2005

Learn more about health, diet and exercise at our weight loss forum.

PhenForum.com is a popular discussion forum for weight loss programs, diet advice, and tips to help you burn fat.

All the best,

Ian Mason

Comments Off

Did you know that there might be poison in many of your favorite foods found on grocery store shelves everywhere? Breads, crackers, cookies, energy bars, tortillas, frozen pizza are just a few examples of these dangerous foods. The poison in these items is called partially hydrogenated fat, often referred to as trans-fatty acids.

A trans-fatty acid is usually made from a vegetable oil- corn, cottonseed, or soybean, for example- that has been treated by a process called hydrogenation to make it a solid at room temperature. Originally, when margerin first appeared in supermarkets, consumers were led to believe they could lower their risk of heart disease and cancer by replacing butter with this product. What became evident later is that the chemical process that made vegetable oil “look” like a saturated fat by solidifying caused it to act like one as well, making high levels of either fat a health risk.

Some of the harmful effects of trans-fatty acids include:

Cause you to store fat and burn sugar

Increase levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol

Decrease levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) or “good” cholesterol

Increase your perception of pain

Thankfully, trans fats are starting to appear on nutrition information on some food products. This trend will continue to rise as the law goes into affect next year forcing brands to disclose the amount of trans fat per serving.

Still, I’m betting you will see foods advertised as “low in trans fat.” Don’t fall for it.

Small amounts of trans fats are more harmful than larger amounts of saturated fats. A small increase in saturated fats results in a 17 percent increase in coronary artery disease. A similar increase in trans fats leads to a 93 percent increase!

As a general rule, avoid all foods containing trans-fatty oils. Most of these include foods that have to sit on a shelf, such as baked goods, snack chips, some national brands of peanut butter, candy bars, cookies, etc. Even some supposedly healthy diet products that are marketed as a food to help you lose weight contain this poison!

Don’t make the mistake of eating these product just because they’re there, or because “everyone else is.” Take your health into your hands and make sure you read those labels!

Author Information
Kevin is a personal trainer and triathlon coach in San Diego. He has owned a personal training company, and consulted in the fitness field for over 9 years. Author of the E-Book, The Healthy Burn, a comprehensive fat-burning plan for couch potatoes, competitive athletes, and anyone in between.

For more effective ways to lose weight and get in shape, check out http://www.thehealthyburn.com/

Comments Off