Body Building Supplements – Are They Necessary?

Anyone who has ever lifted weights knows it’s tough on the body, and your muscles become torn-down. Consistent weight training instigates a process of repeatedly breaking down the muscles; when they body repairs them, they come back even stronger. The really demanding part is when you do this everyday, or nearly every day of the [...]

Boost your athletic performance with this proven amino acid

(NaturalNews) Getting that extra push in the gym or out on the sports field might be as simple as supplementing with an important, nitric oxide-producing amino acid. In a recent study out of the University of Exeter (UE), researchers discovered that L-arginine, one of the 20 most common natural amino acids, helps increase exercise capacity by 20 percent and race times by up to two percent. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important substance produced by the body that regulates blood flow, fights harmful pathogens and assists in cell communication. NO also helps to improve the efficiency of food and nutrient delivery into muscle tissue, which is why high levels of it help athletes perform better. When L-arginine is processed by the body, it converts into NO, resulting in improved athletic performance. The amino acid is also a precursor to metabolites in the body like collagen, connective tissues, enzymes and hormones. “The research found that when the dietary supplement (L-arginine) was used there was a striking increase in performance by altering the use of oxygen during exercise,” explained Professor Andrew Jones from UE’s School of Sport and Health Sciences. “This is important for endurance athletes as we would expect the supplement to bring a one-to-two percent improvement in race times. While this may seem small, this is a very meaningful improvement — particularly at elite levels where small gains can be the difference between winning and losing.” When tested on a group of healthy males, L-arginine not only improved performance levels, but it helped to lower blood pressure and reduce the amount of oxygen needed during exercise. L-arginine is naturally found in protein-rich foods like nuts and meat. Chickpeas and coconuts, for instance, are rich in L-arginine. L-arginine supplements are also available, including powders that can easily be added to protein or meal-replacement smoothies. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/uoe-spa082610.php

If you use pharmaceuticals, you are polluting the water

(NaturalNews) Any personal use of pharmaceutical products can lead to dangerous water pollution, even if drugs or cosmetics are applied only to the skin, researchers have found. Researchers have known for several years that after a person ingests a drug, their body may excrete residues of the chemical that remain biologically active. Thus, internal drug use, combined with improper disposal of unused drug stores, has been blamed for residues of everything from antibiotics to painkillers to hormones found in municipal and natural water supplies across the country. Because drugs are specifically designed to produce biological effects at very low concentrations, this pollution is considered a major threat to human and environmental health. Now a study conducted by researchers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Touro University in Henderson, Nev., and presented at the American Chemical Society annual meeting in San Francisco has shown that the shower and washing machine may be even more potent sources of pharmaceutical pollution than the toilet. “We’ve long assumed that the active ingredients from medications enter the environment as a result of their excretion via urine and feces,” study co-author Ilene Ruhoy said. “However, for the first time, we have identified potential alternative routes for the entry into the environment by way of bathing, showering and laundering.” “These routes may be important for certain APIs found in medications that are applied … to the skin,” she said. “They include creams, lotions, ointments, gels and skin patches.” The researchers reviewed hundreds of studies analyzing the body’s use and metabolism of drugs, and concluded that drugs including acne medicine, antimicrobials, narcotics and steroids are entering the water system by being washed directly from people’s skin in baths and showers. In addition, many medications dissolve in sweat and wash off the body into people’s clothing, only to enter the water system when those clothes are laundered. It is the first study to show a link between bathing or laundering and pharmaceutical pollution. In contrast to ingested drugs, which are broken down by the liver and kidneys and then released in less-potent form, drugs that wash off the human body enter the water completely unmodified. “Topical [active pharmaceuticals] from bathing and showering … are released unmetabolized and intact, in their full-strength form,” Ruhoy said. “Therefore, their potential as a source of pharmaceutical residues in the environment is increased.” Ruhoy advised consumers to do their part to reduce pharmaceutical pollution by always following directions exactly, not applying more of a topical drug thinking that if a little is good, more must be better.” She suggested that doctors always prescribe the minimum effective dose for the shortest possible time. Researchers should work on developing drugs that can be absorbed more quickly and thoroughly, leaving little or no residue behind on the skin. “We need to be more aware of how our use of pharmaceuticals can have unwanted environmental effects,” Ruhoy said. “Identifying the major pathways in which APIs enter the environment is an important step toward the goal of minimizing their environmental impact.” The EPA further encourages consumers to always properly dispose of all medications, carefully reading the information on drug labels and accompanying documentation, and taking advantage of drug take-back or hazardous waste disposal programs where they live. In areas without take-back or household collection programs, state or local waste management authorities should be able to provide guidelines for disposal of pharmaceutical products. Protecting water from household pollution need not end with pharmaceuticals. The EPA advises that consumers use non-toxic household cleaners and other chemicals wherever possible, and limit pesticide and other toxin use. Leftover chemicals should never be disposed of by flushing. Sources for this story include: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/637163.html; http://www.themedguru.com/20100326/newsfeature/medications-released-while-bathing-pollute-water-say-experts-86133416.html; http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,589976,00.html; http://www.wateronline.com/article.mvc/Bathing-And-Showering-Under-Appreciated-0001?VNETCOOKIE=NO ; http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/faq.html.

SAMe supplement effective at treating depression, study finds

(NaturalNews) Researchers recently completed a study revealing that the increasingly popular supplement S-Adenosyl Methionine (SAMe) is an effective treatment for people with depression. The substance, which occurs naturally in the body, exerts influence on the brain in ways that improve brain function, alleviate stress and feelings of depression and reduce inflammation. For the study, scientists administered either 1,600 milligrams (mg) of SAMe or a placebo on top of participants’ existing medication regimens for six weeks. Following this period, the team found that those participants taking SAMe experienced better relief from depression that did those simply taking conventional antidepressants. And since SAMe is naturally produced in the body, there are no negative side effects from taking it like there are from taking chemical antidepressant drugs. According to Dr. George Papakostas, author of the study and psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the results are “exciting because [SAMe] works differently than what we have now — it doesn’t seem to be associated with the kind of side effects that FDA-approved treatments for this niche have.” And this is good news for many who have experienced devastating side effects from taking antidepressants. SAMe is not only a viable alternative to these pharmaceutical drugs, but it exerts many other positive changes within the body as well. “SAMe is a naturally occurring molecule present in all living cells, and is made in the body by a reaction between methionine and another compound called adenosyntriphosphate (ATP). It has many incredible benefits, including a positive effect on depression and arthritis pain…it helps the liver to replenish important substances, notably the all-important glutathione,” explains Johny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S., in his book The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What Treatments Work and Why . Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67C30P20100813 http://www.naturalpedia.com/Methionine.html

Scientists say salmonella helps immune system to destroy cancer cells

(NaturalNews) Scientists from Italy and the U.S. claim to have found a new therapeutic way to assist the body in defending against and killing cancer cells — salmonella bacteria. Based on initial tests in mice and human cancer cells, the team observed that small doses of salmonella actually trigger the immune system to better find and hunt down cancer cells in order to kill them. “We did experiments first in mice and then in cancer cells and immune cells from human patients, and found that the salmonella was doing exactly the same job,” explained Maria Rescigno from the European Institute of Oncology in Milan. The team explained that the type of salmonella they used was a special form that does not actually cause the disease to infect the body. On the contrary, the bacterial fragments seemed only to help increase immune system levels of connexin 43, the unique protein that assists cells in communicating with each other in order to defend against foreign invaders. Typically, the human body is able to fight off cancer cells during their early stages of their development. But as they spread throughout the body and multiply, the body is eventually unable to keep up with making enough connexin 43 to fight them all, which results in the cancer taking over the body. The scientists hope that their discovery will lead to the development of new immunotherapy drugs for cancer patients. Editor’s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and well-being of all living creatures. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67A40Q20100811

Achieving muscle fatigue, not lifting heavy weights, key to building healthy muscle

(NaturalNews) A new study out of McMaster University says that lifting heavy weights is not the best way to gain healthy muscle mass. Lifting lighter weights until your muscles are tired is better, they say. “Rather than grunting and straining to lift heavy weights, you can grab something much lighter but you have to lift it until you can’t lift it anymore,” explained Stuart Phillips, associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster. “We’re convinced that growing muscle means stimulating your muscle to make new muscle proteins, a process in the body that over time accumulates into bigger muscles.” Many people struggle with the idea of having to lift heavy amounts of weight in order to gain strength. But this new research offers a viable alternative that is not only easier to achieve, but that will put less strain on other areas of the body that are prone to being damaged by heavy lifting regimens. The team examined subjects by giving them “heavy” weights that represented 90 percent of what they could physically lift, as well as “light” weights that were about 30 percent of what they could lift. Muscle fatigue occurs after between five and ten lifts of a weight that is 80 to 90 percent of what a person can lift, but according to study results, the same muscle fatigue is achieved after lifting the lighter weight about 25 times. This is good news for everyone, especially for elderly and otherwise ill or injured people that are working towards building much-needed muscle mass. Now they can perform muscle building exercises that are easier for them but that will help to achieve the same results. “We’re excited to see where this new paradigm will lead,” emphasized Phillips. Sources for this story include: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-08/mu-bmd081110.php

Even a low-dose vitamin D pill cuts breast cancer risk by 24 percent

(NaturalNews) A recent research study on vitamin D has shown that even low-dose vitamin D supplementation plays a big role in preventing breast cancer. According to the study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , women who take at least 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day lower their risk of developing breast cancer by 24 percent. Over 6,500 patients participated in the study, which study authors believe points to vitamin D’s ability to regulate and control the growth and spread of malignant cancer cells. According to Laura Anderson, one of the study authors, breast cells have their own receptors for vitamin D, so it makes perfect sense that vitamin D exerts a positive influence on the body in terms of warding off cancer. Several other recent studies have also shown a definitive link between vitamin D intake and decreased cancer risk, highlighting this nutrient’s powerful health-promoting and disease-preventing capabilities. The research team also noted that vitamin D assimilates very well when coupled with calcium, and vice versa. The two vitamins work in tandem for maximum absorption of both in the body, so it is important to get plenty of both. And although it was not specifically mentioned in the report, vitamin D is easily obtained through natural sunlight exposure. Your skin is fully capable of absorbing sunlight and processing it into vitamin D. In fact, just 15 to 30 minutes of exposure a day during the warmer months will ensure that you get the maximum amount of vitamin D for maintaining optimal health, without the need for a supplement. During the winter months when sunlight exposure is limited, you can supplement with natural vitamin D3 as an alternative. It will effectively achieve the same results as if you were getting natural sunlight, however natural sunlight is preferable when available. The governmental recommended daily intake of vitamin D is a mere 400 IU for adults, which many now consider to be far too low. To get a significant therapeutic effect from vitamin D, dosages upwards of 10,000 IU a day are far more appropriate. Because the body absorbs roughly 20,000 IU from the sun before shutting off for the day, it is safe to assume that supplementing with vitamin D3 in roughly this amount is safe as well. Sources for this story include: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63S4GH20100429

New cooling therapy to help cardiac arrest patients avoid brain damage

(NaturalNews) Emergency responders in New York City will soon start to use a new “cooling” therapy on cardiac arrest patients that will help to decrease their likelihood of brain damage. Therapeutic hypothermia, as it is being called, works to lower patients’ body temperatures so their brains will require less oxygen, resulting in less potential damage to brain cells. In January 2009, twenty hospitals in New York City first began using therapeutic hypothermia on patients. Today, 43 of the 50 city hospitals are using it. The therapy involves applying cold packs to patients, injecting chilled saline solutions into their bodies, as well as some other more advanced techniques. According to a New York Times article, the goal of therapeutic hypothermia is to lower injured patients’ body temperatures six degrees for 24 hours in order to slow the body down and give it time to recover. “We know that cooling your body’s temperature slows everything down,” explained Salvatore J. Cassano, New York City fire commissioner. “It brings your body out of that panic mode, and it actually reduces your body’s need for blood. That buys us time.” The practice has been so successful that now the city wants to bring the practice on the road, and is currently training first responders to be able to apply the technique in an ambulance. In those critical moments after a patient is revived, responders will be able to do everything possible to prevent further injuries by slowing that patient’s body reaction. Since first being applied in hospital settings, therapeutic hypothermia has increased cardiac patient survival rates from 10 percent to 16.7 percent. Sources for this story include: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/nyregion/03cardiac.html

Modern Western diet leads to allergies in children

(NaturalNews) A team of researchers from Florence University in Italy have found that the modern Western diet of high-sugar, low-fiber processed foods is contributing to allergies and other problems not seen in those who eat more primitive diets. According to study results, junk foods alter beneficial gut bacteria, which in turn disrupts normal digestive function. Compared to children in a small village in Burkina Faso, Africa, who eat primitive diets, children in industrialized countries who consume lots of modern junk food are more prone to allergies, based on study findings. In fact, the bacterial compositions found in junk food-eating children are actually causing obesity, allergies, eczema, inflammation, autoimmune disorders and other illnesses. Primitive diets composed mostly of cereals, beans, nuts and healthy vegetables — the kind eaten by the African children — help to properly balance gut bacteria. But diets rich in bad fats and processed sugars — the kind eaten by most industrialized children today — disrupt this healthy bacteria and replace it with harmful bacteria. Interestingly, only industrialized children who were still being breastfed by their mothers had a bacterial composition that even somewhat resembled the composition of what the African children had. The rest had an entirely different bacterial makeup in their systems. According to the report, gut bacteria is a vital “organ” that processes food, protects the body from disease and inflammation, and maintains health and immunity. When this bacteria is disrupted by regular consumption of bad foods, the floodgates are thrown wide open for disease to proliferate in the body. “The gastrointestinal microflora plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of [inflammatory bowel disease] IBD and recent studies demonstrate obesity is associated with imbalance in the normal gut microbiota,” researchers explain in their study paper. Sources for this story include: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7922504/Junk-food-diet-puts-children-at-higher-risk-of-allergies.html

Adult stem cells treat a host of diseases, say doctors

(NaturalNews) Doctors and researchers are hailing the successes of adult stem cell treatments, which are treating everything from heart disease and diabetes, to leukemia and blindness. Adult stem cells — the kind harvested from adult bone marrow and other tissues — can be injected into the body to help regrow and repair organs, tissues and skin. Unlike controversial embryonic stem cells which are harvested from aborted, human embryos, adult stem cells are extracted from living, adult humans. And based on years of experience using innovative therapy treatments, adult stem cells are proving to be highly successful in treating otherwise “incurable” diseases. Dr. Thomas Einhorn, chairman of orthopedic surgery at Boston University Medical Center, for example, successfully used a man’s pelvic bone stem cells to heal the same man’s broken ankle. By drawing bone marrow from the pelvis and condensing it into an injectable liquid, Einhorn was able to spur a complete ankle healing in four months. Then, there is the case of a patient whose damaged vision was restored after receiving adult stem cell treatment. A recent Denver Post article explains that adult stem cells are being used to treat people with leukemia, lymphoma, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and diabetes. The possibilities are endless with adult stem cells, say numerous doctors and medical experts. Adult stem cells can literally turn into bones, blood vessels and tissues that are diseased or damaged, and they seem to adapt to whatever is needed by the body to heal a specific area. “That gives adult stem cells really a very interesting and potent quality that embryonic stem cells don’t have,” explains Rocky Tuan from the University of Pittsburgh. Sources for this story include: http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_15655878

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