Vitamin Information Center

BALTIMORE, March 27 (UPI) — Folate — vitamin B 9 – potentially may be used to limit the damage of a heart attack, U.S. researchers say.The study, scheduled to be published in the April 8 edition of the journal Circulation, finds the vitamin blunted the damage from heart attack in animal studies.

“We want to emphasize that it is premature for people to begin taking high doses of folic acid,” senior study investigator Dr. David Kass, of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore says in a statement. “But if human studies prove equally effective, then high-dose folate could be given to high-risk groups to guard against possible heart attack or to people while they are having one.”

“We do not know how much or how little of it is needed to be effective,” Kass cautions. A large amount could yield unpredictable side effects and studies have linked folic acid supplements to increased rates of colon and prostate cancer, Kass says.

Folate — naturally found in leafy green vegetables, beans and nuts — is sometimes used as a general term to include folic acid — the form of vitamin B9 put in supplements and added to foods, especially grain products.

If you are trying to lose weight, gain lean muscle, and improve your overall health, there are 6 rarely spoken of things through out the “Lose Weight” community you need that effectively and rapidly improve your health. Losing weight and embarking on a healthier lifestyle is a battle, inputing the following six weapons into your arsenal can help you win the battle outright!

The first is: Apple Cider Vinegar: Lower cholesterol, weight loss, increase metabolic rate are just some of the benefits of this great supplement, and to top it all off, it’s natural! You can take ACV up to three times daily. It’s best to take it before each meal as it will help in curbing your appetite thus reducing the amount of portions you would usually get with your meals. The recommended amount to take is 1-3 tablespoons (3 is recommended), mixed with a glass of water and a little honey to lower the acid taste. Make sure to consult a physician before taking this or any other supplement.

Second: Fish Oil or (Omega 3 Fatty Acids) Fish oil have two main fatty acids: DHA (docosahexanoic acid) / EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). Make sure the supplements you purchase contain an adequate amount of these two fatty acids. They are also found in fish such as salmon. Fish oil is important to take on daily basis as it helps with mental health, helps in prevention of colon, prostate & breast cancer, also, heart health, and overall health. Make sure to consult a physician before taking this or any other supplement.

Third: Multi-Vitamin Just about everyone has heard of Multi-Vitamins. But, most don’t realize how important taking this supplement actually is. Due to busy lifestyles, and/or poor eating habits, most of us are lacking in important vitamin and mineral intake that our body need for optimum functionality. Choosing multi-vitamin brands can be a little tough. I recommend to search around and do good research on the different types of vitamins on the market today. Also, try to get multi-vitamins that are more tailored to you, i.e. (active lifestyle, for men, for women, for seniors, etc.). Make sure to consult a physician before taking this or any other supplement.

Fourth: Ice Cold Water I know, I know, who else doesn’t know that you need to drink plenty of water daily if you want to stay/get in great health! But, did you know that drinking ICE COLD water is really what does the trick with helping you lose weight? When you drink ice cold water your body begins to burn fat so that it can warm the water you’ve just drunk to body temperature. This is also known as the thermogenic effect. You won’t burn a large amount of calories, but drinking large amounts is still incredibly important for your health.

Fifth: Olive Oil Olive oil consist of unrefined monounsaturated fats, which is healthy for your body. Olive oil can also increase fat burning, healthy HDL cholesterol levels and more! Replace all of your usual cooking oils with olive oil. You can also use it as a base for salad dressing. Refer to healthy salad dressing recipes for more information on how to make this healthy alternative dressing to the usual high calorie and carb dressings on the market today. Before you take any type of supplement, even Multi-Vitamins, it’s important to consult with your physician first.

Sixth: Green Tea Green tea is highly recommended daily. Powerful antioxidants that helps cleanse your body, plus lowering cholesterol levels, weight loss, speeding up your metabolism, helping in treatment is skin disorders and so much more! In conclusion, as with any program, supplements, etc., nothing is going to work correctly without maintaining a consistent routine of exercising.

Most individuals who are interested in colon cleansing do so for health related reasons. However, colon cleansing can also be a good tool to help one lose weight. You won’t be able to lose 30 pounds with a single colon cleanse, but a drop of two to five pounds isn’t out of the question.

Being overweight has become an epidemic in America. Busy lives, fast food, and meals full of preservatives and little nutrients, has created a nation that continuously struggles with their weight. Add to this, a lack of consistent exercise, and the problem becomes hard to overcome.

For other individuals, a familial tendency to be over weight exists and it is harder to take the weight off. People who have at least one overweight parent, have an eighty percent chance of being overweight or obese themselves. However, it is important to note, that being overweight is not a terminal condition. One can turn it around by adopting a healthier lifestyle and exercise. A good colon cleanse is also a great way to kick off any weight loss effort.

Instead of following fad diets or the latest weight loss craze, it is important to deal with some of the issues that might be making it more difficult to lose weight. Having a healthy and clear intestinal tract that is free from toxins and other harmful substances will help one restore balance to their system and will allow the body to run more efficiently, which will enable one to lose weight long term.

It is believed that at all times, we have a three meals worth of extra food in our colons. This can lead to bloating and a few extra pounds. Colon cleansing will help you get rid of this extra waste and those extra pounds. Once your digestive tract is clean, you will be able to move food and waste through your system much more efficiently. It won’t get backed up and you won’t experience as much bloating. A clogged system will release toxins into the body and will cause of your bodily functions to slow down and not work as well as it should. This includes your metabolism, which is, in large part, responsible for how well your body burns calories.

A sluggish, clogged up colon results in problems with digestion and also stymies the absorption of important vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to function efficiently. This indirectly can lead to weight gain. A good colon cleanse can help your waist line and stomach slim down, while helping to jump start your metabolism.

Colon cleansing has a number of very good benefits. It is great for general health to have a clear and toxin free colon. Weight loss is another benefit. Besides getting rid of old waste, which can add some extra pounds, good intestinal health can help the metabolism work more efficiently. This allows us to continue to lose weight long term.

* Always consult your doctor before starting any medical or exercise program *

With the growing awareness of the importance of healthy food, many people are also becoming vegetarian because it matches the kind of low fat, high fiber diet recommended by dieticians and doctors. Concern about the environment is another factor as people become more aware of the effect raising animals for their meat is having on the environment. Or you may be concerned about wasting world food resources by using land to raise animals for meat instead of growing crops that can feed more people directly.

Animals need far more water than grain crops. According to the USDA, growing the crops necessary to feed farmed animals requires nearly half of the United States’ water supply and 80% of its agricultural land. Additionally, animals raised for food in the U.S. consume 90% of the soya crop, 80% of the corn crop, and a total of 70% of its grain.

One acre of pasture produces an average of 165 pounds of beef; the same acre can produce 20,000 pounds of potatoes.

Vegetarian diets have been found to satisfy the nutritional needs for all stages of life, and large-scale studies have shown vegetarianism to increase longevity, improve health, and significantly lower the risks of many diseases.

Studies show that vegetarian diets help to keep body weight under control and reduce the risk of heart disease, osteoperosis and many cancers - particularly lung cancer and colon cancer. Vegetarians tend to have lower levels of cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and less incidence of dementias such as Alzheimer’s. Vegetarian diets that are low in saturated fats have been successfully used to reverse severe coronary artery disease.

It was once widely believed that vegetarians had to carefully combine plant protein sources in each meal in order to obtain all the essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids needed to stay healthy. However, scientific studies have shown that the human body can store essential amino acids and combine them as necessary. So, while combining beans and rice, or peanut butter and bread produces a complete protein, it’s not necessary to consciously do this at every meal. If you eat a varied diet and adequate calories, combining proteins is not an issue.

Vegetarian diets are lower in saturated fats, cholesterol, and animal protein. They’re also high in folate, anti-oxidant vitamins like C and E, carotenoids, and phytochemicals.

Some famous vegetarians are Leonardo Da Vinci, Charles Darwin, Socrates, Plato, Sir Isaac Newton and Thomas Edison. Famous modern day vegetarians include Bryan Adams, Alicia Silverstone, Liv Tyler, Jerry Seinfeld, Kim Basinger, and Paul McCartney.

If you are new to vegetarianism, The Higher Taste by Srila Prabhupada is a great beginners booklet. Not only does it explain vegetarianism clearly but it also gives some delicious easy to follow recipes.

There are many vegetarian websites today that provide many delicious recipes. There are a large variety of vegetarian recipes available from Italian and Greek cuisine to Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese cuisine.

Are vitamin pills good for you or not? Forty years ago, I was taught in medical school that they were useless, because you got all the vitamins you needed in a typical diet. What my teachers meant was that you got enough of the vitamins in your diet to prevent well-recognized vitamin-deficiency diseases. For example, you got more than enough vitamin C in your diet to prevent the disease called scurvy. Continue Reading…

If you take a close look at the average lifestyle that people have these days, you will find out that we are constantly subjecting our bodies to unnatural chemicals and substances that may not always be beneficial to our health.

For instance, a lot of the foods that we eat these days have been processed in some form or contain artificial ingredients such as preservatives. The average diet also contains more saturated fats and refined sugars than are needed by the body.
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You see them all over TV and the internet. “The only way to detox is the new blah blah blah.” They claim to be the latest and greatest in your body detox program, but are they actually worth it? Learn about some of the greatest fads in natural body detox today and if they are worth looking at.
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One of the reasons that many people choose body detox diets is because they think that it will actually help them and their bodies fight off infections, strengthen their immune systems, as well as give them a whole host of other benefits. Even though it’s true that these are some of the possibilities of a detox diet and process, there is one element of the human body that these individuals are underestimating, and that is the organs of the human body themselves. Continue Reading…

You see them all over TV and the internet. “The only way to detox is the new blah blah blah.” They claim to be the latest and greatest in your body detox program, but are they actually worth it? Learn about some of the greatest fads in natural body detox today and if they are worth looking at.
Continue Reading…