Why We Need Amino Acids
Friday, March 27, 2009
AMINO ACIDS are the building blocks of the body. Besides building cells and repairing tissue, they form antibodies to combat invading bacteria & viruses; they are part of the enzyme & hormonal system; they build nucleoproteins (RNA & DNA); they carry oxygen throughout the body and participate in muscle activity. When protein is broken down by digestion the result is 22 known amino acids.
As the building blocks of protein, amino acids are vital to health. Next to water, amino acids in the form of proteins make up the greatest portion of our body weight. They comprise tendons, muscles and ligaments; organs and glands; hair and nails; important bodily fluids, and are a necessary part of every cell in the body.
There are over 20 amino acids, separated into two categories - essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids are those that cannot be manufactured by your body, hence, it is essential that you obtain them from your diet. Non-essential amino acids can be manufactured by your body, however, your body must have the right combination of essential amino acids and supporting nutrients to optimize healthy protein maintenance, so supplementation may be desirable. Twenty amino acids are needed to build the various proteins used in the growth, repair, and maintenance of body tissues. Eleven of these amino acids can be made by the body itself, while the other nine (called essential amino acids) must come from the diet. The essential amino acids are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Another amino acid, histidine, is considered semi-essential because the body does not always require dietary sources of it. The nonessential amino acids are arginine, alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine. Other amino acids, such as carnitine, are used by the body in ways other than protein-building and are often used therapeutically.
Who is likely to be deficient?
Dieters, some strict vegetarian body builders, and anyone consuming an inadequate number of calories may not be consuming adequate amounts of amino acids. In these cases, the body will break down the protein in muscle tissue and use those amino acids to meet the needs of more important organs or will simply not build more muscle mass despite increasing exercise.
Amino acids are not only absolutely integral to life, but they can have a profound impact upon how clearly we think and how well we feel.
Benefits
• builds cells and repairs tissue
• assists with wound healing
• increases athletic performance
posted by Healthy Life @ 3:54 AM,
Ginko Biloba - How It Helps Memory and Circulatio
Friday, March 20, 2009
Ginko Biloba
Ginkgo Biloba is one of the oldest living tree species, dating back over 300 million years. Individual trees can live for over 1,000 years. Ginkgo Biliboa is the best selling herbal product in the world. It is an extract from the green leaves of the Ginkgo tree which is native to Asia, however, is grown worldwide. The active ingredients in the extract are the Ginkgoflavoneglycos, Bilobalide, and terpenelactones including ginkgolides A, B and C. In Asia, ginkgo tree extracts have been used for over 5,000 years to treat cardiovascular problems as well as lung disorders.
Ginkgo's most powerful effect is on the circulating system. Ginkgo flavenoids directly dilate the smallest segment of the circulating system, the micro-capillaries, which increase both blood circulation and oxygen levels in the brain as well as in other critical organ tissues. Ginkgo also prevents platelet aggregation or clumping inside the arterial walls. This increases arterial wall strength and flexibility and decreases the opportunity for the formation of arteriosclerostic plague. Since ginkgo increases oxygen flow to the brain and enhances the brains uptake and utilization of glucose it also is being researched for its role in the senility, forgetfulness, headaches and Alzheimer's disease and its role in improving alertness, memory and mental performance. Recent studies indicate that some patients exhibiting the symptoms of these ailments enjoyed marginal improvement in cognitive abilities after using Ginko. In addition to the benefits provided to the brain by Ginko, it has been shown that Ginko can also help reduce the frequency and intensity of depression.
Related to circulatory improvement, German researchers have also been studying ginkgo as a treatment for atheroclerotic peripheral vascular disease. This disease impairs walking and ginkgo has been shown to help blood flow to the legs allowing people to walk further with far less pain. Ginkgo is a highly important antioxidant shown to have a special affinity for scavenging the superoxide radicals.
Benefits
• Increases circulation to the brain and lower extremities
• Treats senile conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease
• Treats loss of concentration and emotional fatigue in the elderly
• Treats hardening of the arteries
• Treats depression
• Treats allergies
• May treat tinnitus and vertigo
• May reduce vision loss due to aging
• May reduce symptoms associated with Raynaud’s disease
• Possible assistance in the treatment of peripheral vascular disease
posted by Healthy Life @ 3:54 AM,
Why We Need Amino Acids
Friday, March 13, 2009
AMINO ACIDS are the building blocks of the body. Besides building cells and repairing tissue, they form antibodies to combat invading bacteria & viruses; they are part of the enzyme & hormonal system; they build nucleoproteins (RNA & DNA); they carry oxygen throughout the body and participate in muscle activity. When protein is broken down by digestion the result is 22 known amino acids.
As the building blocks of protein, amino acids are vital to health. Next to water, amino acids in the form of proteins make up the greatest portion of our body weight. They comprise tendons, muscles and ligaments; organs and glands; hair and nails; important bodily fluids, and are a necessary part of every cell in the body.
There are over 20 amino acids, separated into two categories - essential and non-essential. Essential amino acids are those that cannot be manufactured by your body, hence, it is essential that you obtain them from your diet. Non-essential amino acids can be manufactured by your body, however, your body must have the right combination of essential amino acids and supporting nutrients to optimize healthy protein maintenance, so supplementation may be desirable. Twenty amino acids are needed to build the various proteins used in the growth, repair, and maintenance of body tissues. Eleven of these amino acids can be made by the body itself, while the other nine (called essential amino acids) must come from the diet. The essential amino acids are isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Another amino acid, histidine, is considered semi-essential because the body does not always require dietary sources of it. The nonessential amino acids are arginine, alanine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine. Other amino acids, such as carnitine, are used by the body in ways other than protein-building and are often used therapeutically.
Who is likely to be deficient?
Dieters, some strict vegetarian body builders, and anyone consuming an inadequate number of calories may not be consuming adequate amounts of amino acids. In these cases, the body will break down the protein in muscle tissue and use those amino acids to meet the needs of more important organs or will simply not build more muscle mass despite increasing exercise.
Amino acids are not only absolutely integral to life, but they can have a profound impact upon how clearly we think and how well we feel.
Benefits
• builds cells and repairs tissue
• assists with wound healing
• increases athletic performance
posted by Healthy Life @ 3:53 AM,
The Importance of Minerals for Health and Well-Being
Friday, March 6, 2009
Minerals are as important as vitamins when it comes to overall health and well-being. Since all enzymatic activities in the body require minerals, your body wouldn't be able to use vitamins and other nutrients without them. Calcium, Magnesium, Chromium, Iron, Selenium and Zinc are just a few of the numerous minerals essential to continued health.
For years the supplement market has been dominated by vitamins, but vitamins and amino acids are useless without minerals because all enzyme activities involve minerals. Minerals for healthy bones, organs, and tissue minerals are needed to maintain the delicate cellular fluid balance, to form bone and blood cells, to provide for electrochemical nerve activity, and to regulate muscle tone and activity (including organ muscles like the heart, stomach, liver, etc.)
Minerals act as catalysts for many biological reactions within the body, including muscle response, the transmission of messages through the nervous system, the production of hormones, digestion, and the utilization of nutrients in foods.
Minerals are primarily stored in bone and muscle tissue so toxicity is a possibility. Toxicity risks increase when one isolated mineral is ingested without any supportive cofactor nutrients. Such situations of mineral toxicity are quite rare, because toxic levels accumulate only if massive overdoses persist for a prolonged period of time.
Benefits
• maintains healthy bones, organs and tissue
• regulates muscle tone
• assists with the formation of bone and blood cells
posted by Healthy Life @ 3:51 AM,