by Dan-N on November 23, 2010
Spirulina
In the supplement and natural food industry, everyone is always trying to find the next big superfood. Of course, there was the Acai Berry – a gem from the Amazon Rainforest. Noni and Mangosteen are more tropical fruits that lay claim to being a super food. However, not all superfoods are new and come from a tropical rainforest, in fact one of the healthiest superfoods has been growing in the water for 3.5 Billion Years!
Spirulina – The Oldest Superfood in the World
Spirulina is one of the world’s oldest plants. The microalgae grows in both fresh and sea water and may be the most nutrient rich food in the world.
Here are some of the highlights on Spirulina:
- 65% Protein By Weight
- 97% Digestible Protein (beef is about 20%)
- A Complete Protein (contains all essential Amino Acids)
- 100x the Vitamin A of Carrots
- 50x the Iron of Spinach
- 10x the Beta Carotene of Carrots
- 7x the Calcium of Milk
- 6x the Protein of Eggs
- 3x More Iron Than Beef
- Excellent Source of GLA
If You Are Going To Space – Take Spirulina!
[click to continue…]
by Dan-N on August 10, 2010
Wow we are publishing a lot of articles on Resveratrol! It is not intentional, there have just been a slew of published studies on resveratrol released this summer.
The latest study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (yes it really is as exciting as the name makes it sound), shows that a relatively low dosage of resveratrol in humans can have significant health benefits.
Best Resveratrol Dosage Much Less Than Previously Reported
Husam Ghanim, PhD, of the University of Buffalo found that a dosage of 40 milligrams of resveratrol, taken once a day for six weeks, was able to reduce inflammation in test subjects. Inflammation in humans can lead to heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes – so anything that reduces inflammation is of great interest.
In the study, Dr. Chanim took twenty volunteers and broke them into two even groups of ten. One group received a placebo pill for 6 weeks. The second group received a Polygonum cuspidatum extract (Japanese Knotweed) pill that contained 40 milligrams of resveratrol.
Fasting blood samples were taken throughout the study and here are the results…
“Results showed that resveratrol suppressed the generation of “free radicals” — unstable molecules known to cause oxidative stress and release pro-inflammatory substances into the blood, resulting in damage to the blood vessel lining.
People taking resveratrol also showed suppression of the inflammatory protein tumor necrosis factor, or TNF, and other compounds that increase blood vessel inflammation and interfere with insulin action, causing insulin resistance and the risk of developing diabetes.”
- WebMD, Resveratrol May Slow Aging in Humans, By Bill Hendrick
As for the placebo group – they showed no change in blood levels.
Why This Resveratrol Study is Significant
There are three elements that we believe make this study significant. First, the study was done with humans. Human studies are always more significant that mouse studies (sorry to any mice readers we have). Second, the study used only 40 milligrams of Resveratrol. This shows that resveratrol can be effective in a relatively small dosage. Third, the study used a Japanese Knotweed extract and this therefore lends credibility to resveratrol supplements currently on the market that are made with Japanese Knotweed.
So, is 40mg the Best Resveratrol Dosage for Humans?
Not sure. First, a much larger study would need to be done to draw really significant conclusions on the best resveratrol dosage for humans. Second, it is possible that something else in the extract was helping along with the resveratrol. Third, it would be interesting to see if 100mg or 200mg produces even better results.
In the end, this study does not prove that any one dosage of resveratrol is best – but it does put to rest the claim that you need to be taking mega-doses of resveratrol (400mg and up) to see any health benefits. In addition, the best way to avoid resveratrol side effects is to take the minimum amount required to produce positive results.
Resveratrol Update – 10/8/10
As you know we try to keep things non-commercial here on the blog, but our friends at Perfect Supplements sent us samples of their Perfect ResGrape (200mg 99% Trans-Resveratrol per serving) and it is amazing. We said if we mention this to our readers, we need to give them an incredible coupon! They came through – 15% off the Perfect ResGrape! Just Click Here to Learn More and Order and enter COUPON CODE: SECRET15 at checkout for the exclusive savings!
Additional Resources:
“An Antiinflammatory and Reactive Oxygen Species Suppressive Effects of an Extract of Polygonum Cuspidatum Containing Resveratrol.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jun 9.
When you think of whey protein you tend to think of body builders and people looking to “bulk up”. The idea of drinking down 50 grams of protein shakes a day does not bring up images of people looking to lose weight.
New Study Shows Whey Protein May Help Overweight People
A new study done by Associate Professor Sebely Pal and colleagues from Curtin University and funded by Dairy Australia, evaluated the effects of whey protein supplementation on a number of health risk factors in a group of overweight or obese adults. What they found was that whey protein improved a number of health risk factors in overweight or obese adults.
“The subjects – 70 overweight or obese men and women – were randomly allocated to replace a portion of their normal diet with whey protein, casein or glucose for 12 weeks.
After the 12 weeks, the researchers found that the whey protein group showed improvements in their cholesterol levels, insulin levels, blood pressure and artery stiffness.”
- Dairy Australia Study – May 10, 2010
Is Dairy Australia Really An Objective Source?
We are with you – we had the same reaction when we read the story, however, the study looks like it is for real. The study is set to be published in two peer-reviewed journals – Obesity and the British Journal of Nutrition. Yes, it was only done with 70 subjects, but it does show that whey protein has more health benefits then we may have imagined.
Whey Protein – Not Just For Body Builders Any More
Is Whey Protein really some diet miracle – no. The study does not show people lost weight when using whey protein, but it did show that overweight and obese people who consume whey protein have less health issues. It does seem that if you are looking to lose weight the idea of replacing a high calorie meal with a good whey protein shake can help you shed some pounds and reduce some of the health risks associated with being overweight.
by Dan-N on April 21, 2010
We love clinical studies – the more clinical studies the better, we just can’t get enough of them. The only problem is that we seem to spend a lot of money and time to conduct studies that just prove what we already know – eating crap is bad for you!
Healthy Diet Plays a Role in Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease
A study in the April 2010 edition of Archives of Neurology finds that consuming a diet high in fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish (basically the Mediterranean diet) appears to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, when compared to individuals who eat a diet made up of more high-fat dairy products and red meats.
“The results of the current study indicate that higher consumption of certain foods (salad dressing, nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, cruciferous vegetables, fruits, dark and green leafy vegetables) and lower of others (high-fat dairy, red meat, organ meat, and butter) may be associated with a decreased risk of developing AD via a more favorable profile of nutrients (ie, lower ingestion of SFA and higher ingestion of PUFA, vitamin E, and folate). Our findings provide support for further exploration of food combination–based dietary behavior for the prevention of this important public health problem.”
- “Food Combination and Alzheimer Disease Risk”, Archives of Neurology – April 2010
Don’t Get Us Wrong – This is Excellent News and a Sound Study
Don’t get us wrong – this is a gret study – done by researchers at Columbia University. Obviously, anyone who is at risk for Alzheimer’s should seriously consider changing their diet to help reduce their risk. Our point is simply this – this study shows what most of us in the natural food world know and what our mother’s have told us for generations – eat well to feel well!
How Much More Proof Do We Need that Natural Foods are Good for Us???
While pharmaceutical companies deal with more and more of their drugs being pulled from the market for being unsafe, study after study are proving the obvious- our diet directly effects our health! You want to live longer – eat a healthy diet and avoid taking pharmaceuticals that may have unpleasant side effects… like death!
So, keep the studies coming – keep doing research on the health benefits of eating more fruits and veggies and less Big Macs – let’s see all the “shocking” results. Maybe someday soon cutting edge, on the fringe doctors will prescribe crazy experimental “drugs” like lettuce and broccoli to keep their patients healthy and feeling great.
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