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:
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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
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September 1, 2009 at 12:19 am (Health News)
Tags: antioxidant, fertility, OPC-3, pregnancy, Pycnogenol, Vitamin D, Vitamin K
In the United States over 6.2 million women struggle with infertility and the numbers are climbing. Up to 60% of couples have difficulty conceiving due to poor sperm mobility. Supporting overall nutrition with high-quality, bioavailable nutrients is a safe, simple, and inexpensive approach to improving this condition. Clearing up underlying nutritional weaknesses will not only benefit fertility, it will improve overall health and increase longevity.
Two powerful health and fertility supplements for both men and women are Vitamin D and Oligomeric Procyanthocyanidins or (OPC’s).
Vitamin D continues to to be in the health spotlight due to the staggering number of people who are deficient in this important nutrient. The alarming correlation between hundreds of different illnesses/disorders and low levels of vitamin D has persuaded many health care professionals to encourage supplementation.
A recent study conducted with 84 infertile women found significantly higher rates of pregnancies occurred when blood serum levels of vitamin D were increased. Fertility specialist, Dr. Anne Clark, found that one third of men tested with fertility problems had below normal levels of vitamin D.
Adequate supplementation can fall short even though approximately half of the US population consumes some type of multi-vitamin. Many people don’t know that the US RDA (recommended daily allowance) of vitamins and minerals was established as minimum amounts to prevent the onset of disease due to severe deficiency for average healthy adult males. RDA’s were not intended as sufficient nutritional amounts to establish health in the general populace or to combat disease. So using only a basic multi-vitamin may still leave many people nutritionally malnourished.
Oligomeric Procyanthocyanidins (OPC’s) are a potent combination of bio-flavonoid antioxidants that inhibit cellular free radical damage. Additionally, OPC’s provide anti-inflammatory activity, cardiovascular and joint health, plus maintenance of healthy cholesterol, vascular, and blood glucose levels. OPC’s have been found to improve fertility in both men and women.
Isotonix® produces drinkable and delicious isotonic forms of both of these fertility enhancing supplements. Isotonix® Vitamin D with K2 provides 5000 iu’s per dose of active and bioavailable vitamin D3 enhanced with vitamin K2.
Isotonix OPC-3® contains the only isotonic form of Pycnogenol® in the world. Pycnogenol® is a patented form of French maritime pine bark. A 2002 published study found sperm mobility was increased by 38% after just 90 days of supplementation with Pycnogenol®.
An isotonic formula dramatically increases nutrient delivery into the small intestine, which in turn improves the rate of absorption by as much as 95%! Drinking these nutrients in an isotonic form requires far less digestive effort and delivers more value than typical liquid, capsule, or tablet forms.
Rapid absorption, easy digestion, and great taste are just a few reasons why Isotonix® supplements, including the Isotonix® Prenatal Multivitamin and the line of Isotonix® Children’s vitamins, are so popular.
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July 2, 2009 at 7:49 am (Health News)
Tags: antioxidant, CoQ10, eye, Omega-3, OPC-3, Pycnogenol, vision
Macular degeneration is an eye disease that affects over 10 million Americans. Age-related Macular Degeneration
(or AMD) is the most common form found in adults over the age of 55. As the “Baby-Boom” generation continues to age the number of people affected by AMD is anticipated to explode. In 1997, Dr. Carl Kupfer, who was then the Director of the National Eye Institute, publicly stated that macular degeneration will soon take on aspects of an epidemic.
Essentially, macular degeneration is caused when part of the retina deteriorates. The retina is the layer of the eye that transmits light signals to the optic nerve and brain. The macula is the center portion of the retina that renders detailed vision and acuity.
Macular degeneration is considered incurable, however several studies show great promise using oral antioxidants in preventing or impeding this terrible disease.
One such study published March 2009 was conducted by the Friedlander laboratory with mice. The study found that even healthy eyes incur cellular oxidative damage from light. Even small increases in oxidative stress went on to cause cellular retinal damage. Orally-administered antioxidants were remarkably effective at stopping the deterioration.
“People have thought before that antioxidants could have benefits for these conditions, but these data demonstrate clear proof of concept for this treatment approach,” says Dr. Michael Dorrell, a research associate in the Friedlander lab.
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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.
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April 3, 2009 at 6:29 pm (Health News)
Tags: Alzheimer's, crohns, digestion, IBS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Pycnogenol, resveratrol
Michael J. Fox was recently on Oprah discussing the progress his Parkinson’s research foundation has made 
seeking treatments for this degenerative disease. He referenced promising results Dr. Benjamin Wolozin discovered using the grape skin extract known as resveratrol.
In the grant abstract written for Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s Research Foundation, Dr. Wolozin discusses synthetic resveratrol formulas which are under production by the biotech-nology company Sirtris and states: “Despite its popular appeal, resveratrol suffers as a pharmacological compound because it is not absorbed by the body well”.
Fortunately another company has already tackled the absorption issues related to natural compounds like resveratrol and pycnogenol. The company is Isotonix® and they have addressed the human digestive process by providing nutrients in patented natural isotonic solutions. If a vitamin or antioxidant is delivered in an isotonic form, the body can receive maximum value in the shortest amount of time. Providing resveratrol, vitamins and other antioxidants by isotonic delivery is ideal for our digestive systems – natural, gentle, potent and effective.
Isotonix® Resveratrol is a combination of three patented ingredients combined in a synergistic formula. They are Resveravine®, BioVin®, and VitaBlue®. A detailed description of this amazing combination is chronicled in my post “What makes Isotonix® Resveratrol Special“.
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February 13, 2009 at 5:53 pm (Health News)
Tags: antioxidant, Cancer, curcumin, fibromyalgia, glutathione, multiple sclerosis, OPC-3, Pycnogenol, resveratrol, Vitamin D, Vitamin K
The elusive nature of multiple sclerosis has been a source of clinical studies for years. Researchers at the VU 
University Medical Center in Amsterdam released the results of a study treating 14 multiple sclerosis patients with a combination of antioxidants and other nerve-protecting agents. The treatment resulted in reductions of relapses by two to three fold, plus decreases in corticosteroid medications.
The study concluded that oxidative stress can be counteracted by naturally occuring antioxidant enzymes which go on to provide protection against future oxidative damage to cells and tissue.
Glutathione is a naturally occuring antioxidant which is produced within the cells of our bodies providing protection against toxins. Lack of glutathione is seen in virtually every instance of disease, including multiple sclerosis.
Glutathione can only be internally generated, therefore it is important to ingest supplements which will stimulate glutathione production. Vitamin D3, vitamin K, pycnogenol, alpha-lipoic acid, curcumin, resveratrol, B vitamins, and L-tryptophan all stimulate the cellular production of glutathione.
Isotonix® D with K2
OPC-3®
Curcumin Extreme™
Isotonix® Resveratrol
Isotonix® B Complex
Isotonix® L-tryptophan
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January 28, 2009 at 11:38 pm (Health News)
Tags: antioxidant, diabetes, neuropathy, OPC-3, Pycnogenol, resveratrol
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Several studies have shown neuropathy symptoms such as pain, numbness, burning and prickling sensations significantly improved after subjects suffering from diabetes were given antioxidants.
Dr. Feldman, Professor of Neurology at the University of Michigan, noted that excessive sugar in the blood plasma creates free radicals which damage the DNA in nervous system cells. Oxygen transport in the DNA is halted by the build up of free radicals. This resulting DNA damage is a major contributing factor in diabetic neuropathy.
The key to counteracting free radicals is introducing antioxidants.
Remember, free radicals are charged molecules that attack neighboring molecules in order to steal their electrons. Free radicals punch through cell membranes and tear apart DNA structures in these neighboring cells. This, in turn, creates more damaged cells which generate more free radicals and the wave of cellular destruction continues. This process is a form of oxidation or oxidative stress.
Antioxidants prevent and inhibit oxidation.
Protecting sensitive nerve cells from free radical damage is a safe, natural, and effective means of coping with neuropathy while repairing existing oxidative stress.
Michigan Pain Consultants Study
Mayo Clinic Study
Isotonix® Antioxidant
Super antioxidants: Isotonix OPC-3® and Isotonix® Resveratrol
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January 23, 2009 at 8:15 am (Health News)
Tags: anti-aging, antioxidant, arthritis, OPC-3, Pet Health, Pycnogenol
After experiencing the benefits of potent antioxidants like Isotonix® OPC-3 and Glucosatrin®, people petitioned for the similar products for their dogs and cats. In response to those requests, a line of products called PetHealth™ was created.
PetHealth™ has unique vitamins, antioxidants and safe and effective grooming products that your dog or cat will thrive on. In particular, the PetHealth™ OPC with Glucosamine also contains Pycnogenol® and is an amazing anti-inflammatory for animals that are experiencing joint pain and/or age related issues.
A friend of mine has a dog that had been suffering from chronic ear infections for over 6 months. The vet had tried a variety of medications including several rounds of prednisone which only worked temporarily. At her wits end she called me and asked about the PetHealth™ OPC. I told her that steroids work by suppressing normal immune response which inhibits swelling and inflammation. Unfortunately that suppression is accomplished through a massive free radical release. So basically, the steroids temporarily reduce inflammation, but long term they create more cellular damage.
Apparently her dog had scratched his ears until they were bleeding, so my friend decided to try the PetHealth™ OPC rather than another round of steroids. After giving her dog double doses, twice a day, she noticed improvement in less than a week. After two and a half weeks her dog had healthly ears again and he was bounding up stairs that he hadn’t been able to climb since he was a much younger dog!
If you don’t really like the overpowering floral scent in a lot of dog shampoos, try the PetHealth™ Hypoallergenic or Medicated Shampoo. These shampoos are sulfate-free, phosphate-free, alcohol-free, preservative-free and paraben-free leaving the dog witha silky coat and a subtle woodsy lavendar scent.
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usually seen in the hips, knees, feet, low-back and hands.
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