Engineered for Health

Most people know of the many benefits which omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil can provide. Improved cardiovascular health, blood pressure, cognitive performance, skin, and joint health are just a few. However, omega 3 fish oil also offers significant benefits if a health crisis like cancer emerges.

Studies noting the benefit of omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil in relation to cancer have been going on for many years. Several human trial studies have found that omega 3 oils are not only anti-inflammatory, they also discourage the proliferation of cancer by inhibiting its cellular development and ability to capture blood supply. In short, omega 3 fatty acids act as anti-cancer agents in humans.

Some studies combined omega 3 fish oil with Vitamin D3 and observed interesting cancer-fighting benefits. Other studies found that omega 3 fish oil assists chemotherapy treatments by increasing the sensitivity of chemo-resistant cancer cells and triggering apoptosis (natural cell death) in the cancerous cells.

Dr. Elaine Hardman and Dr. Ivan Cameron conducted research for the American Institute of Cancer Research (AICR) from the University of Texas Health Science Center. They explain this ability of omega 3 fish oil to target chemoresistant cancer cells as follows:

“The polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish oil are used by both normal cells and cancerous cells in making up their cell membranes,” says Dr. Hardman, the study’s principal investigator. “Studies suggest that the more types of these fatty acids the cancer cells incorporate, the more sensitive they become to damage by certain chemotherapeutic drugs. Left unchecked, this damage can initiate a chain reaction that ultimately kills the cancer cell.”

The AICR trials noted that normal healthy cells were unaffected by the omega 3 fatty acids while the cancerous cells regressed and died.

AICR Vice President, Ritva Butrum stated:

“These findings are very promising. It may soon be possible for cancer patients to dramatically increase the effectiveness of their chemotherapy simply by making a few dietary adjustments. Such a direct and non-invasive way to augment current treatment is sorely needed, and would represent a great leap forward.”

In addition, high quality omega 3 fish oil fatty acids were found to reduce side effects related to chemotherapy like dry mouth, sore throat, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and weight loss.  Participants using omega 3 fish oil had lower side effects plus improved appetite and energy levels. “Increasing the amount of fish oil in a patient’s diet may delay or eliminate such side-effects,” says Dr. Hardman, “allowing effective doses of chemotherapeutic drugs to be administered with a greater margin of safety than ever before.”

When selecting an omega 3 fish oil there are some important factors to consider. First, small body fish are preferable because they have shorter lives and harbor much lower heavy metal and/or mercury levels. Sardine and anchovy are better sources of high quality omega 3 oil than large fish like cod or krill (which are tiny but lower in omega 3 fatty acids) . An omega 3 fish oil should also have independent laboratory analysis that verifies its content, purity, and potency. Finally, a therapeutic amount of daily omega 3 fish oil is 3 grams (not milligrams). Heart Health™ Essential Omega III Fish Oil with Vitamin E possesses all of these attributes. If you’d prefer a non-capsule omega3, the Might-A-Mins® Spectrum Omega 3 is a delicious, cream,y orange-vanilla, whipped pudding-like option.

The term “isotonic” means “same concentration”. This condition occurs when the amount of dissolved particles inside of a semi-permeable membrane equals the amount of dissolved particles on the outside of that membrane. Body fluids like tears, blood plasma, and lymph all have varying degrees of tonicity.

When we eat food or swallow supplements, the stomach uses muscle contractions and secretes extra fluids (or absorbs excess fluids) until the contents reach an optimum ratio between the solids and liquids. At that point the solution is in an isotonic state and is ready to cross semi-permeable membranes in the small intestine. The amount of energy required to achieve this state varies based on the type of food (or supplement), amount of food, quality and quantity of digestive enzymes, and stomach pH. This digestive process usually takes 6-8 hours.

The unique aspect of products made by Isotonix® is that the digestive process is acknowledged and addressed by providing nutritional supplements that the stomach doesn’t have to work on. Isotonix® nutrients are delivered into the stomach ready to be absorbed because they are already in an isotonic state. Therefore the beneficial elements are immediately available and quickly absorbed.

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This particular post is very near to my heart. We have three wonderful children but I was as sick as a dog when I was pregnant with all of them.  My doctors were unable to resolve my hyperemesis gravidarum (severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy).  In fact, the anti-nausea medications they tried actually made my symptoms worse.

Desperate, I tried every other treatment I could find including ginger tea, acupuncture, B-vitamin injections and chiropractic adjustments.  Nothing worked.  Finally, I was hospitalized for about 10 days during my first pregnancy and put on an i.v. for hydration.  With my other two pregnancies I’d go to the hospital for a few hours once or twice a week for i.v. hydration. It was miserable! I wish I knew then what I know now about isotonic nutrients.

Recently my sister-in-law became pregnant and was suffering from hyperemesis as well.  My brother had told her about my pregnancies, so she contacted me for suggestions.

Hyperemesis seems to be exacerbated by low B vitamins. Many women are unaware that their bodies naturally have difficulty assimilating B vitamins. In fact, many people in general have difficulty utilizing B vitamins in the form of folic acid. Many would benefit much more from using an activated form of B vitamin called folinic acid.

Kenneth Bock, who wrote Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies stated: “Folinic acid is metabolized differently than ordinary folic acid; and it is important for autistic children to take it in its exact form, instead of just taking folic acid. Also, some kids don’t tolerate folic acid well. The important contribution that folinic acid makes in the methylation process is to help produce methyl-B-12, or methylcobalamin. It helps attach methyls to cobalamine. Folinic acid can become trapped and disabled, and this appears to contribute to a decline in methylation. When it is taken in sufficient amounts as a supplement, however, this problem can be overcome.”

Approximately 30% of the population has difficulty metabolizing folic acid and would benefit from using folinic acid instead. This is especially true during pregnancy when B vitamin deficiency becomes much worse and can trigger nausea and vomiting. At that point, it’s nearly impossible to keep regular prenatal vitamins down, so the deficiency gets even worse. My doctors tried to break this cycle by putting me on daily injections of B vitamin.

Unfortunately, the daily injections didn’t work either, because I am most likely one of the 30% who needs folinic acid. Since then I’ve met other people who also tried vitamin B injections without success. The problem likely stemmed from poor bioavailabilty.

I suggested that my sister-in-law to try the Isotonix® Prenatal Activated Multivitamin for a few reasons.  The Isotonix Prenatals are isotonic (which is an ideal solution that can be immediately sent from the stomach to the small intestine), they can be taken on an empty stomach, and contains activated B vitamins and folinic acid.  The Isotonix® vitamins are in a powdered form that, when mixed into a specific amount of water, becomes a delicious drinkable and highly bioavailable isotonic solution. Up to 95% of the nutrients are absorbed in minutes.

So I sent her a bottle of Isotonix® PreNatals Activated Multivitamins as a gift.  After making sure she received them I didn’t hear from her until she had been out of the vitamins for a few days (a bottle of Isotonix® Prenatals lasts for 1.5 months).

She told me that right after she started drinking the Isotonix® Prenatal Activated Multivitamins she began to feel better. Within 4-5 days she actually felt great.  In fact, she felt so good that she thought her nausea must have subsided because her body had adjusted to the hormones.  She liked the taste of the Isotonix® Prenatal and never got an upset stomach (like she had with her other “easy to digest” brand of prenatal vitamins). Consequently, she kept drinking the Isotonix® Prenatals until they were gone.

Within four days of running out of the Isotonix® vitamins the nausea and vomiting was back with a vengeance.  That’s when she was convinced that her hyperemesis had been controlled by the Isotonix® PreNatal Activated Multivitamins. She ordered another bottle express!  After she was back on the product, my sister-in-law felt great again and made sure not to run out for the remainder of her pregnancy.

After my beautiful nephew Jaden was born, she continues to use the Isotonix® supplements post pregnancy because she loves the way these products make her feel.