According to UCLA’s Brain Research Institute and Brain Injury Research Center, “Omega-3 fatty acids support synaptic plasticity and seem to positively affect the expression of several molecules related to learning and memory that are found on synapses, Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal brain function”.
“Dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in humans has been associated with increased risk of several mental disorders, including attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia”. A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in rodents results in impaired learning and memory.
Omega-3 fatty acids — found in salmon, walnuts and kiwi fruit — provide many benefits, including improving learning and memory and helping to fight against such mental disorders as depression and mood disorders, schizophrenia, and dementia. Adding an omega-3 fatty acid supplement is a great way to balance out dietary deficiencies to insure your brain is firing on all Omega-3 cylinders.
The best time of the day to take your vitamins is generally when it is convenient for you is a good rule to start with. The producer of the vitamin will make general recommendations based on their product research. Some of us can take say a Multi-Vitamin with or without food and not have an upset stomach problem from the intense intake of condensed nutrients.
Generally though taking vitamins with a portion of food is recommended but the key is not to combine with a “full” meal. As the body is taking in nutrients from the food the vitamin supplement may not complement the nutritional value of the meal or the high nutritional value of the food may interfere with the intake of additional nutrients. Because of this some of the nutritional value of the Multi-Vitamin or supplement may be wasted. It would be like eating a ½ pound steak and drinking a protein shake in the same meal very redundant as you can see.
Your best bet to maximize the supplement is to follow the recommended advice from the Supplement company and then adjust to your schedule just remember that less can be more when combining with food.
The ultimate Multi-Tasker, a Multi-Vitamin.
Everyone hears sound bites and scientific studies surrounding a particular vitamin (nutrients) and the benefits it may have on health and longevity. It is great to understand the positive impact specific vitamins have on improving ones health because it gives us greater awareness to not only the importance of healthy eating habits, it can also give us a better understanding of what to eat to insure getting the proper daily intake of nutrients.
The information unfortunately does not always give us the greater understanding of how our bodies absorb and utilize the nutrient (vitamin). And the synergistic need to have other vitamin supplements present at the same time to have the body utilize it properly.
Synergy……A word to remember because a high quality nutrient dense Whole Food Vitamin is the answer. The best suppliers of multi-vitamins know this and there formulas take this into consideration. Some Multi-Vitamin formulas will also include herbs that support life style and age related needs. That is why a Whole Food based Multi-Vitamin should be the core nutrient supplement of choice. Multi-Vitamin “Synergy” the ultimate Multi-Tasker.
In a response to our recent post “The Omega Man” one of readers was concerned about getting omega 3 form fish derived supplements and it is a very valid concern. The concern was in respect to the pollution of heavy metals in our oceans. It is great to increase our awareness in general on how each of us can impact our environment with what we do and do not do in our daily lives that affect our food sources from the oceans.
With respect to Omega 3 supplements most but not all fish oil supplement companies purify their products to reduce or remove contaminants minimizing our exposure to mercury and dioxins . The higher quality producers will disclose this on the label, and we recommend that unless it is disclosed on the label that you choose another Omega 3 brand.
Another great choice especially for vegetarians or vegans is Flax seed oil, linseed oil, olive oil and vegetable oils. Although not as concentrated they are still a great source for omega 3. No matter which source you choose always remember that adequate daily intake of Omega 3 fatty acids is essential for good health.
Absolutely, “to B” is to be healthy. The safety record of the B-complex vitamins is extraordinarily good. Since their discovery, beginning with thiamin (B-1) in 1911, many thousands of studies have verified an unequaled therapeutic value of these essential substances. Side effects have been rare, and toxicity is nearly nonexistent, even at the highest doses.
Vitamin B comes in many forms, and all of them are necessary for healthy living. Getting plenty of B vitamins, usually much more than the recommended daily allowance is essential for optimal health. That is why high quality Whole Food multi-vitamins can help fill in the gaps in a daily diet. B vitamins can improve heart health, symptoms of depression; can also work to improve energy levels, brain function and much more.
In most cases the amount of b-vitamins found in a good complete multivitamin is enough. However during stressful times, poor health or a compromised immune system extra supplementation of b-complex should be considered. So to” B” or not to “B” is no longer a question.
New research from China adds to a small but growing body of evidence suggesting that getting more omega-3 fats and less omega-6s may reduce your cancer risk. Vanderbilt researchers analyzed data on 73,242 Chinese women in the Shanghai Women’s Health Study. They found that women with the highest ratio of omega-6s to omega-3s were nearly twice as likely to develop colorectal cancer as those with the lowest ratio.
What is the answer? Reduce dietary intake of omega 6 which is found in greatest amounts in foods such as poultry dark meat and organ meats, and also comes from eggs. Research suggests that Omega 6 an essential fatty acid, more specifically arachidonic acid may promote inflammation that’s associated with cancer.
Getting more Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, such as salmon, tuna, halibut and other marine life such as algae and krill, also certain plants and nut oils has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers. In addition omega-3 fatty acids also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development. Extensive research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent risk factors associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. There is a wide variety of Omega 3 supplements available that can be taken as a convenient and great alternative to assure you are getting enough Omega 3 in your daily diet. This also reduces the risk of consuming mercury and other heavy metals associated with eating to much of fish. So make sure you purchase supplements that are certified mercury free.
Over the past few weeks as I open the internet health news pages the redundant articles on the swine Flu is about all you see. Get a Flu shot is the solution to this alleged pandemic. The Alarmist’s out cries with predictions of unprecedented absences at schools this fall would give anyone the blues, and drive people to get a Flu shot. Has anyone noticed in the past years before this “Scary Pig Flu” arrived on the scene that people that get a Flu vaccination still get sick anyway? If not from a reaction to the shot, they contract a different strain of the Flu. There is no one size fits all Flu Shot and it does not guarantee that you will not get the Flu. And the statistics of illness and morbidity rate from the Flu are not accurate as they are bundled with other illnesses such as pneumonia and pre-existing conditions.
Now I am not saying that this vaccination does not have a place and a use for the elderly and immune compromised it may be appropriate. What has me all annoyed with all this hoop-la is the only option the media gives you is a profit driven vaccination.
No one is talking or writing about prevention through healthy lifestyle choices, especial during the Flu season. Wow what a novel Idea.
How about taking this opportunity to educate people on healthier food choices that boost the immune system. Fortifying the immune system with a good multivitamin for added nutritional insurance. Letting people know about the benefits of taking an extra serving of daily Super Green Food. Getting a little more rest and stay hydrated. All of these suggestions are backed by decades of scientific validation for their health benefits along with keeping you healthy. Even being isolated on an island can’t guarantee you won’t contract the Flu but proper prevention through dietary solutions will give you better odds. And if you do become ill it will help fight off the virus and speed recovery. Besides, good healthy foods taste better and is lot more enjoyable than vaccine shots.
Recession proof your health.
When the economy goes into the dumper usually our buying power goes with it. This can mean all too often having to resort to opting for less expensive nutrient deficient food choices in order to make ends meet. Combine that with the stress of perhaps longer work hours a second job or no job at all and it is a recipe for a health disaster.
One great option is to supplement your daily nutritional needs with a basic high quality whole food multivitamin to fill in the missing nutritional gaps. With ever increasing demand for supplements over the past several decades there is plenty of excellent options to too choose from at very affordable prices. For an average of 5 cents per day you can get the much needed daily vitamins and minerals to help keep you healthy when an optimal diet is not possible.
Research has validated time after time that vitamins such as b12 and antioxidants can help the body coop with stress along with other nutrients that can balance the immune system when under duress. Today’s whole food multivitamins offer a full spectrum of nutrients and herbal formulas that help the body and mind keep pace with the demands of the modern day world.
So be sure to take your daily multivitamins, after all where else can you get an all you can eat produce buffet for just 5 cents a day.
Balance-
Nutritional synergy is one of the most important reasons to supplement your diet with vitamins and one that is often over looked. There are volumes of note worth studies on how through a delicate balance vitamins, minerals enzymes, proteins and other vital nutrient components work together and rely on each other for proper absorption and utilization.
One example of this is Vitamin D and its relation to calcium absorption a major concern for, proper bone growth, prevention of osteoporosis and many other roles in human health.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods and is essential for promoting calcium absorption in the gut and maintaining adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations to enable normal mineralization of bone. Without sufficient vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, or misshapen.
Finding the proper balance and adequate amounts of vital nutrients in our daily diet can be nearly impossible at times. That is why a full spectrum multivitamin supplement can help fill in the gaps for missing nutrients optimizing our normal food intake during the day.
Always remember taking any supplement should not take the place of good eating habits and a well balanced meals.
You just might live longer and live healthier.
In a 2009 a study conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 586 women between the ages of 35 and 74 concluded that the length of the telomeres, a marker for aging, was 5.1 % longer in the vitamin takers, than in those that did not take vitamins.
Similar studies on the impact of health and healthy aging continue to point to the positive benefits of taking vitamin supplements, starting with a full spectrum multivitamin. And further studies have suggest that adding additional specific vitamins and minerals to offset factors such as genetic predisposition for health problems, environmental factors, age, and lifestyle can be very beneficial.
So live longer live healthier supplement your daily nutritional needs with a daily multivitamin.