February 9, 2010 at 7:36 am (Health News)
Tags: Alzheimer's, anti-aging, antioxidant, arthritis, bone, Cardiovascular, eye, IBS, Inflammation, insomnia, multiple sclerosis, OPC-3, psoriasis, Pycnogenol
Prednisone is a synthetic form of corticosteroid that can be administered in topical, injectable, or oral form. Corticosteroids are a class of steroid’s which act like hormones that are produced by the adrenal gland.
Prednisone is prescribed to very effectively suppress immune system response when treating a variety of inflammatory diseases and disorders. This includes arthritis, eczema, some cancers, irritable bowel symptoms, asthma, allergic reactions, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, chronic pain conditions and many others.
When our bodies are under stress, a natural steroid hormone called cortisol is a released. Cortisol is part of the “fight or flight” response which causes changes to blood pressure, blood sugar, immune and inflammatory response. These changes are not harmful when the body has a chance to recover from the stress inducing event. Stress responses can become very problematic if triggered too frequently.
The immune system cannot operate properly under the influence of excessive cortisol. Impaired immunity leaves the door open to illness and disease. Because prednisone is a synthetic corticosteroid it should be used cautiously, infrequently, and sparingly to reduce the likelihood of complications. When used judiciously, it can be a wonderful drug.
However, when prednisone is taken for more than a few weeks, it causes the adrenal gland to shrink, producing fewer natural steroid hormones. That is why discontinuing prednisone and other corticosteroids much be done slowly so that the adrenal gland can return to normal production. Sudden drug withdrawal can trigger dangerous side effects. There are also some terrible possible side effects and complications which can occur when using prednisone:
Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments
November 8, 2009 at 10:55 am (Health News)
Tags: anti-aging, antioxidant, OPC-3, skincare
“It seems like you’re getting younger! Why aren’t you getting wrinkles? What are you using on your skin?”
Lately, those type of questions keep coming at me from female friends and co-workers. After forty or so, fighting wrinkles can be quite a catalyst for conversation.
Several years ago, I started having trouble with hormone-triggered skin discolorations on my face. My dermatologist told me it was a common problem that many people experience and instructed me to avoid sunlight, use sunscreen and incorporate “fade creams” into my daily skin care. The only other option was to try expensive laser treatments.
Unfortunately, none of those options were fool proof because the discolorations were hormonally triggered. The splotchy spots would only truly stop once my hormones stabilized (after menopause) which might take 10-15 years.
So I dealt with the my “age spots” with concealer and foundation. It was a real drag because I was very self conscious of the splotches on my face and didn’t feel comfortable leaving the house without makeup. The spots would slowly disappear in one area only to emerge in another. I used a prescription fade cream for more than 6 months but noticed no difference. A couple years and several product attempts later, I was seriously considering coughing up some big bucks to try laser treatments.
Fortunately that was about the time that I discovered the Isotonix® nutritional line for my inside and a skin care product called Pentaxyl® for my outside.
Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment
November 2, 2009 at 3:35 am (Health News)
Tags: ADHD, Alzheimer's, anti-aging, antioxidant, bone, Cardiovascular, depression, isotonic, ocd, SAD, Vitamin D, Vitamin K
A study conducted by the Department of Medicine at the Union Memorial Hospital in Maryland compared photolight therapy to the use of vitamin D on a group of subjects with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).
The randomized controlled trial found that after one month the subjects who received phototherapy showed no significant improvements in their vitamin D levels or in their depression. However, the group who received vitamin D experienced significant reductions in their depression and showed increased levels of vitamin D in their blood serum.
The study concluded that vitamin D3 may be a valuable treatment for SAD.
Multiple studies on the use of vitamin D for depression, anxiety and cognitive disorders have been listed at the Vitamin D Council site.
Isotonix® Vitamin D with K2 provides 5000 iu’s per dose of highly bioavailable vitamin D3 with the additional benefit of vitamin K2 for increased bone and vascular health. Many people who were disappointed with vitamin D in capsule form have enjoyed the ease of use and up to 95% absorption provided in this delicious drinkable isotonic solution.
Leave a Comment
September 22, 2009 at 6:18 am (Health News)
Tags: ADD, ADHD, Alzheimer's, anti-aging, antioxidant, arthritis, curcumin, depression, glutathione, ocd, serotonin, Vitamin D
Curcumin is the most biologically active ingredient found in the herb, tumeric, which is part of the ginger family. 
Used for centuries in Indian cooking, this potent phytochemical (plant chemical) has been identified as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, anti-amyloid (inhibits abnormal protein deposits – like brain plaque), anti-tumor (causes apoptosis or cell death in cancerous cells) and enhances immune system function by increasing the production of glutathione.
If that wasn’t enough – there’s more!
A recent study published in Psychopharmacology on curcumin found that it behaves like a natural antidepressant by increasing serotonin as well as dopamine levels.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), is often treated with antidepressants to balance MAO’s (monoamine oxidase enzymes). A safe and natural compound like curcumin could be a very welcome option for many.
Unfortunately, most natural forms of curcumin are not very bioavailable. By the time they pass from the stomach into the small intestine for absorption the active ingredient is quite degraded and has lost its potency. However, a naturally-occurring and patented form of curcumin has been developed called BCM-95®, which delivers six times more bioactive curcumin into the blood than typical curcumin.
Curcumin Extreme™ contains this optimal type of pharmacologically bioactive curcumin known as BCM-95® in a unique synergistic formula.
The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease published study results recommending that vitamin D3 be used in conjunction with curcumin to prevent Alzheimer’s and cellular damage/destruction to brain cells caused by free radicals through oxidative stress.
According to Dr. Milan Fiala, study author and a researcher at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, “We hope that vitamin D3 and curcumin, both naturally occurring nutrients, may offer new preventive and treatment possibilities for Alzheimer’s disease.”
Isotonix® Vitamin D with K2 is a drinkable, highly bioavailable and active form of D3. Using Isotonix® Vitamin D with K2 along with Curcumin Extreme™ would be an excellent response to Dr. Fiala’s suggestion.
Leave a Comment
September 5, 2009 at 2:52 am (Health News)
Tags: anti-aging, antioxidant, CoQ10, migraines, Omega-3, OPC-3, Pycnogenol, Vitamin D
Migraines plague approximately 30 million people in the United States with 75% of that number consisting of women.
The treatment of migraines has spurred the creation of a myriad of pain management centers, medications, books, diets, procedures and approaches. Addressing the physiological and/or environmental causes and then determining the appropriate solution can be daunting at best. Fortunately, many people have found relief from migraines by using nutritional antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
Free radicals destroy and damage cells. Our bodies are equipped to handle free radicals to a certain degree, but factors such as illness, toxins, and stress can overwhelm the normal production of cellular antioxidants. This results in an imbalance that can set the stage for migraines. Supporting cellular function and immune response with potent and well-researched antioxidants can not only inhibit migraines, it also contributes to disease resistance and anti-aging.
Using isotonic formulas are a terrific way of ingesting anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. Isotonic solutions are the perfect balance of solids to liquids which allows them to pass rapidly from the stomach to the small intestine for maximum absorption.
Some highly effective anti-inflammatories and antioxidants that migraine sufferers are often lacking in are:
- Calcium and magnesium
- B-Complex
- Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPC’s)
- Vitamin D
- Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
- L-Tryptophan
- Omega 3 Fish Oils
Fortunately all of these recommendations (except the Omega 3 oils and headrest™) are available in isotonic form through Market America. Drinkable, delicious and up to 95% absorbed these Isotonix® products, and the others, are amazingly effective.
Isotonix® Calcium Plus
Isotonix® Advanced B-Complex
Isotonix OPC-3®
Isotonix® Vitamin D with K2
Isotonix® Coenzyme Q10
Isotonix® L-Tryptophan
HeartHealth™ Essential Omega 3 Fish Oil with Vitamin E
headrest™ – Head Comfort Formula
Leave a Comment
August 16, 2009 at 6:42 am (Health News)
Tags: Alzheimer's, anti-aging, antioxidant, Cardiovascular, cholesterol, CoQ10, depression, multiple sclerosis, OPC-3, statin
The Wall Street Journal published the first allegations of cholesterol lowering statin drugs being associated with dementia. In the article, Dr. Orli Etingin (vice chairman of medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center) stated that Lipitor “makes women stupid.”
Dr. Etingin was referring to several of her patients using statins that were unable to focus, recall words and displayed other cognitive deficiencies. According to Dr. Etingin, the impairments vanished when use of the statin drug was discontinued and returned when the statins were reintroduced.
Two British experts in Alzheimers and dementia, Louise Morse and Roger Hitchins, note that the most common causes of memory loss they see in both men and women are due to depression, poor nutrition and statin drug use.
Some doctors have suspected that certain cognitive disruptions are triggered when statin drugs (like Simvastatin) cross the blood brain barrier and interfere with the central nervous system. Another possibility is that because the brain is composed largely of cholesterol, lowering cholesterol could slow thought and memory connections. Statins have also been linked to abnormal tau proteins forming in the brain, as seen in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
A new study may provide even more disturbing evidence as to the impact statins have on cognitive function.
This fascinating study published July 2008 in Glia by Dr. Steven Goldman and Dr. Fraser Sim discovered that statin drugs inhibit a specific type of brain cell.
These specialized brain cells are called glial progenitor cells. Glial progenitor cells function much like stem cells. They spring into action when the brain has experienced some type of distress and transform into any type of cell needed by the brain. These adaptive cells help restore white matter after strokes, infection, trauma, or inflammation brought on by the aging process, or diseases like multiple sclerosis.
Statins negatively impact glial progenitor cells by switching off their adaptive capabilities. After statin exposure the glial progenitor cells permanently became oligodendrocytes cells.
Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments
August 3, 2009 at 8:56 pm (Health News)
Tags: anti-aging, antioxidant, bone, Cardiovascular, cholesterol, CoQ10, Omega-3, OPC-3, osteoporosis, statin, Vitamin D
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a vitamin-like substance naturally secreted by liver enzymes in our bodies. CoQ10 initiates cellular energy production. Critical systems (like the heart, brain and liver) rely on this energy to maintain proper functioning. CoQ10 is a biochemical catalyst that supplies vital energy.
The interesting thing about a catalyst is that it initiates an event, but is not consumed nor incorporated into the activity. Consequently, a biochemical catalyst can perform its function repeatably. Over 90% of the cellular energy generated in the human body is produced this way.
The energy that CoQ10 initiates becomes an organic molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is known as the ‘energy currency of life’ because all cellular functions need ATP to store or transport their energy requirements.
Cholesterol is a soft waxy substance that composes over 50% of all cell membranes. Cholesterol is necessary for regulating hormone activity, breaking down fats, building bone, enabling immune response, plus absorbing vital nutrients like vitamin D and calcium. We get cholesterol from food and from enzymes produced by the liver.
Statin drugs lower cholesterol by blocking the production of a natural liver enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase. This enzyme enables cholesterol and CoQ10 production. Statins work by attacking HMG-CoA in the liver, which forces the liver to pull cholesterol requirements from the blood. Dr. Gerald Gau (a cardiologist and cholesterol management expert at Mayo Clinic) states that “When you start a statin, your coenzyme Q10 level in your blood drops by 50 percent.” This may explain why 72% of U.S. cardiologists polled recommend dietary supplements.
A common side effect for people who use statins is muscle pain and weakness called ‘myalgia‘ or ‘myopathy‘. A double-blind study published in 2007 found that supplementing with coenzyme Q10 for 30 days reduced myopathy by 40%. Researches at the University of California in San Diego found that the second most common reported complaint was memory problems.
Statins definitely reduce unhealthy cholesterol levels, but they also reduce very healthy and desirable CoQ10 as well. Insufficient levels of CoQ10 may be a contributing factor in the high rates of congestive heart failure among statin drug users. Additional adversaries to cardiovascular health are oxidation and arterial inflammation.
Karl Folkers was a chemist for Merck (a large pharmaceutical supplier of statin medications). Dr. Folkers warned that prescribed statin drugs should include supplemental CoQ10 to prevent unintended damage to the patient.
Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment
May 27, 2009 at 6:25 am (Health News)
Tags: ADHD, anti-aging, antioxidant, Cancer, Cardiovascular, CoQ10, diabetes, digestion, OPC-3, pregnancy, Pycnogenol, resveratrol, serotonin, Vitamin D
In 2009 a group of researchers in Italy conducted a study to see if an isotonic formula of a known highly effective 
antioxidant behaved differently on the body compared to the same antioxidant in tablet form.
Isotonix OPC-3® is a powdered antioxidant blend that when mixed with the appropriate amount of water becomes “isotonic“. Isotonic means “same concentration” and is an ideal ratio between solid and liquids that our bodies convert what we ingest into before it can pass into the small intestine.
The four hour test compared Isotonix OPC-3® in a tablet form to Isotonix OPC-3® in its standard isotonic form. The amount of water that was consumed with the tablet was equal to the amount of water used in the isotonic version.
Results of the test were startling. Levels of free radicals were measured in the blood plasma of test subjects. The isotonic OPC-3® reduced free radicals six times more in just 10 minutes compared to the tablet version. The tablet form did eventually reduce free radicals substantially as well, but seriously lagged behind the isotonic form thorough out the four hour test .
Researchers concluded that ”the findings demonstrate that the flavonoid mixture provided in isotonic OPC-3® is significantly more bio-available in humans, in terms of antioxidant activity than an equivalent mixture in tablet form.” Overall the isotonic OPC-3® formulation resulted in a stronger antioxidative effect than an equivalent tablet form.
The results of this test highlight the importance of leveraging the advantage of isotonic formulas for established nutritional supplements like: CoQ10, Resveratrol, ORAC formulas, Vitamin D, Calcium, B Complex, Vitamin C, Acai, Probiotics, Skin & Beauty formulas, Multivitamins, PreNatals, Children’s vitamins, Digestive Enzymes, L-Tryptophan, Blood Sugar and Vision formulas. Reducing the amount of work the body needs to do in order to receive the nutritional benefits of these products provides significant “bottom line” results.
8 Comments
March 12, 2009 at 2:24 am (Health News)
Tags: ADHD, anti-aging, antioxidant, multiple sclerosis, ocd, resveratrol
The aging process, along with several neurodegenerative diseases, causes synaptic deterioration in the brain. As neurons and brain cells die off, connections are lost impacting learning and memory retention. Doctors studying Alzheimer’s and other types of age-related dementia are encouraged by a new study on how resveratrol reversed cognitive deterioration in laboratory tests.
In addition to protecting cell health and longevity, SIRT1 is a gene that our bodies trigger when under various types of stress. SIRT1 activation was initiated in mice that had developed comparable human neurodegenerative diseases. The mice were treated with resveratrol, which reduced the rate of neuron and cell death and restored learning abilities back to the same level as the normal healthy mice.
“Thus, resveratrol is not only neuroprotective, it also improves cognitive function after severe neurodegeneration,” says Li-Huei Tsai, the research team leader and professor of neuroscience at MIT.
Previously it was thought that resveratrol could not cross the blood brain barrier, however a study done in 2002 indicated otherwise. In fact, the final summary line stated: ”This study demonstrated for the first time that resveratrol, a polyphenolic antioxidant, can cross the blood-brain barrier and exert protective effects against cerebral ischemic injury.” (An ischemic injury is caused by insufficient oxygen or blood flow).
Resveratrol offers yet another safe and natural benefit that could actually improve cognitive function in cases of neurodegenerative disease.
Isotonix® Resveratrol
2 Comments
March 5, 2009 at 5:53 pm (Health News)
Tags: Alzheimer's, anti-aging, antioxidant, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, resveratrol
Resveratrol is a potent antioxidant compound found in red wine grape skins and seeds. Resveratrol is also found in various amounts in several other types of plants and acts as a protective agent defending the plant from harmful environmental elements.
Several studies show that resveratrol also enhances human immune function and potential longevity. Well, the news on resveratrol continues to pour in with yet another significant benefit provided by this compound being touted in a new study.
A normal function that cells perform is folding proteins. When cells misfold proteins and the immune system doesn’t catch them, the misfolded proteins set the stage for trouble.
Cells that experience stress, respond by producing “heat-shock proteins”. These proteins were called SIRT1. These SIRT1 heat-shock proteins were given that name when it was observed that cells exposed to elevated temperatures generated these special proteins to protect and repair DNA and extend the life of the cell. Cells with SIRT1 activated are stronger, live longer and continue to perform their functions under stress.
Other types of cellular stress like calorie reduction and oxygen-deprivation also triggers SIRT1. Resveratrol has shown a unique ability to stimulate SIRT1 production by as much as 8 fold without the presence of typical cell stress like heat, food reduction or reduced oxygen.
Resveratrol is plant compound found in grapes that has antioxidant abilities which neutralize free radicals and has demonstrated cancer preventative properties. By triggering SIRT1 production, it holds the potential for increasing life span by protecting cells and inhibiting age related disease.
Neurodegenerative diseases like Type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s all present significant amounts of misfolded protein cellular damage. When SIRT1 levels fall cells are unable to properly respond to stress and systems of the body start to fail. This also happens during the aging process.
According to research team leader, Richard I. Morimoto, professor of Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences “When SIRT1 levels are high, you are in a high-protection mode”. Resveratrol contributes to high SIRT1 levels.
“We now have a powerful way to think about addressing neurodegenerative diseases,” said Morimoto. “We have identified a pathway that can be manipulated to alter lifespan. Discovering this new basis for therapeutics is very exciting.”
Isotonix® Resveratrol
Leave a Comment
« Older entries
click to subscribe