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Mitochondria: The Key To Good Health

We all know that we take vitamins because they are good for us and give us the nutrients that we need. A better question to ask is why we need a daily supplement and what does our body do with all of these nutrients? If you can remember back to you high school biology class, the job of divvying up nutrients belongs to a specific part of our cells called mitochondria. If you think it is a lot of work for just one part of a cell, then you can rest at ease since you have 1000-2500 mitochondria in each one of your cells!

If you are wondering why this is so important, then imagine if USPS, UPS and FedEx just decided to stop delivering mail tomorrow. Things would begin to pile up, nothing would get where it needs to and we honestly might go into a state of economical collapse since so much depends on E-commerce and the methods that deliver them. Think of your mitochondria as the mailman for your cell. If your mitochondria decided to stop delivering, then the rest of your cell would begin to starve and eventually die!

This is why recent research all points towards mitochondrial health to be a major factor of our own personal health. The mitochondria needs enough supplies to hand out to the rest of the cells components and it also needs enough for itself to keep functioning at a high rate of efficiency. This is a serious issue in the health world today since so many people are nutrient deficient as well as mineral deficient.

Nutrients are easy enough to find and replace, you just need to remember that nutritional supplements can only last in your body for a maximum of 12 hours, so it doesn’t matter if you take a pill, drops, or even a patch, so long as you are getting your nutrients once every 12 hours, you are likely to have happy and healthy mitochondria. Minerals could be a bit harder to come by though.

More and more doctors are seeing patients that have plenty of minerals and metals in their blood stream from the foods they are eating and the supplements they are taking, but the cell isn’t absorbing them. That is probably due to the fact that the only way we can properly digest and absorb minerals is through plants that have already done the hard work for us. Unfortunately it isn’t as simple as eating some more broccoli to correct this issue

The soils have been depleted for quite some time in the United States and many other countries that use aggressive farming methods that don’t use proper crop rotation and ultimately drain the soils of all their useful minerals. There is hope though! A line of supplementation called Oligo exists and they use a patented process to bind plant proteins and sugars to the minerals so that our body can actually digest them. Since it is patented, that means they are the only brand out there that is doing this process making it the best option for absorption!

Armed with this knowledge we hope you go forward and share with your friends the importance of nutritional balance and supplementation and how it is key to their mitochondrial health and overall longevity.

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How do Multi-Vitamins Effect Your Mood?

We all know how hard it is to get all you daily nutrition in just from the foods that you eat, and while we have discussed how the fields are stripped of nutrients and minerals before, we have yet to discuss newer studies that show a massive correlation between proper nutrients and minerals and their effects on your mood as well as other major brain functions.

The study was done by the Journal of Nutrition and Intermediary Metabolism and followed 58 individuals were gathered and were offered a multi-vitamin for the course of the study to see how it would effect people. The study was double blind and had controlled placebos in the test to make sure their results were as accurate as possible.

The results are nothing short of amazing as subjects who were on the multi-vitamin were not just healthier physically, but in just four weeks their depression score had been decreased on their tests. To validate this, subjects who had improved mood and brain function had higher level of vitamin b and lower counts of homocysteine.

Here are a list of ingredients you should be on the lookout for when it comes to supplements! Follow this list and research shows that it could be the difference maker in many individual’s lives that are struggling to take control of their mood:

 

  • Folic acid — Studies have shown that folic acid (a B-vitamin) can relieve certain symptoms of depression, particularly women suffering from the post-partum variety.
  • S-adenosyl-L-methionine — Known as SAMe, the substance helps regulate mood by allowing for the steady production of several neurotransmitters involved in mental stability.
  • Gingko biloba — The herbal supplement has been shown to improve symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It has also been shown to be useful in alleviating antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction.
  • Valerian — Unlike benzodiazepines, the herb can relieve anxiety and sleep problems without the associated side effects.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids — Data prove the positive interaction between the fatty acid and mental health. Omega-3 fatty acids are especially useful for the elderly and people with multiple medical conditions. This is because the supplement is potent while having limited interaction with other medicines.
  • St. John’s Wort — One of the more popular alternative remedies for depression, St. John’s Wort has been shown to help people with mild or moderate symptoms of the mental disorder. It is not recommended for those with severe forms of the disease, however.
  • Melatonin — The supplement can improve the sleep quality in people with schizophrenia, major depression, and those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD). (Johansson, 2018)

 To read more on the study, simply go to https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352385915001747 to become further educated on the subject!

Johansson, R. (2018, May 4). Taking a multivitamin has beneficial effects for your brain function, mood. Retrieved May 30, 2018, from https://www.science.news/2018-04-05-taking-a-multivitamin-has-beneficial-effects-for-your-brain-function-mood.html

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Metabolic Syndrome: Are You at Risk?

This little known and non-symptomatic condition is a growing threat to your health.
While not a disease, metabolic syndrome is a combination of risk factors that may
predict serious health issues.
Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors that raises your risk for heart
disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and stroke.
The term metabolic refers to the biochemical processes involved in the body’s normal
functioning. Risk factors are traits, conditions, or habits that increase your chance of
developing a disease.
This condition is so common that one in three adults in the U.S. is at risk. If you are over
50 years old, it is more likely one in every two meet the criteria for metabolic syndrome.
If not you, then someone you know is likely affected. And, like high blood pressure,
there are no perceived side effects – until they manifest. Then it may be too late to fully
correct.
Now let’s get into the details – these indicators are extremely important. You will likely
need your doctor to order blood work to get the info you need.
 Body Mass Index: also known as BMI can be measured. If it is 30+, then you are
at risk. Another guideline is midsection dimension. Over 35 inches for women
and over 40 inches for men is an indicator.
 Triglycerides: over 150 mg/dL
 HDL Cholesterol: less than 50 mg/dL for females and less than 40mg/dL for
males.
 Blood Pressure: Find out if you are over 130/85
 Blood Sugar: The big one – look into if over 100 mg/dL
These are meaningless numbers for many, but important to assess. Yes, you need a
medical consult to get and understand your individual situation. If you have three or
more of these indicators, you likely have metabolic syndrome.
While this is a bit deep in the weeds, you can see the importance of getting on top of
this issue. There is hope. Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of risk factors
that raises your risk for heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes and
stroke.
There are specific ways to deal with this condition. There is one natural blood sugar
support – called GC Control. Plus, there are other nutritional and weight management
techniques to consider. The important thing is to check your numbers and get started
before it becomes more serious.