YOUR INTESTINAL HEALTH IS IMPORTANT AND WHY

The health of your intestines is vitaly important to your overall health, because this is the main way your body absorbs vitamins and minerals through the food you eat. Obviously you have to eat the correct food in the first place, which has been correctly cooked to have high vitamin and mineral levels.
Processed food is off no use and when it comes to vegetables they lose their nutritional value when they are overcooked by excessively boiling. Steaming is the best method to cook vegetables as this will maintain high levels of vitamins and minerals and give vegetables cooked in this method a high nutritional value. Most frozen vegetables lose their nutrition in the process of freezing with the exception of peas and some of the new style packets of frozen vegetables available to steam.
Raw vegetables have not lost any nutrition in the same way fruit hasn’t. Most fruit with the exception of some desserts is eaten raw, a lot of vegetables are able to be eaten this way, most people eat raw carrots, and for example raw cabbage is eaten raw along with raw carrot in coleslaw.
Tinning fruit and vegetables also destroys them, with the exception of pineapple which has the same enzymatic qualities from the bromelain if it is tinned or fresh.
Fish and meats can both be overcooked and when burnt do not offer any health benefits and in fact in this state they can be a carcinogen.
Without the vitamins and minerals you absorb through the lining of the intestines your body would not e able to function properly.
The amino acid Glutamine is necessary for your intestinal health, because it is found in every cell in your body and is essential in the cells of the intestine lining keeping them protected and healthy. This allows the villi (part of the intestines) to asborb the nutrients. Glutamine is readily available in most foods especially vegetables. However as with most nutrients and explained it is easily destroyed by the process of cooking, good sources when eaten raw are cabbage, spinach and parsley.

Homocysteine and its importance to heart problems

Homocysteine is a non essential amino acid not obtained from food which is biosynthesised by Methionine by the removal of its terminal methyl group. The resulting Homocysteine which can cause health problems can be converted back into Methionine or Cysteine which is a precursor to Glutathione required by the liver, by using the B Vitamins, Folic Acid B9, Pyridoxine B6 and Cyanocobalamin B12.

If you are low in these B Vitamins and consume a high protein diet, this will result in Methionine being converted into Homocysteine. Supplementing with the B Vitamins B6, B9 and B12 will help to lower Homocysteine levels (1.). This is more powerful when Trimethylglycine TMG also known as Glycine Betaine is taken in combination with the B Vitamins.

High blood levels of Homocysteine are one of the causative agents of heart problems like Atherosclerosis, a build up of plaque from cholesterol and fats, cellular debris and calcification on the artery wall. The Homocysteine combines with the LDL Cholesterol, (Low Density Lipoprotein), known as bad cholesterol to assist and further contribute to the plaque build up and damage to the artery wall. This build up of plaque has a narrowing effect on the artery and means the heart has to work harder to pump the blood through the narrower artery, putting pressure and stress on the heart.

Women have 10% to 15% less Homocysteine during their child bearing years than men of a similar age. This goes some way to explaining why women generally suffer heart attacks, (Myocardial Infarction) and heart problems like Atherosclerosis 10 to 15 years later than men.

Homocysteine degrades and damages long living collagen, elastin and life long proteins, (Fibrillin) which are major structural parts of the artery wall. This collagen damaging effect can also contribute to an increase in fractures in the elderly (2.), (3.). When a person ages their ability to absorb Vitamin B12 from their diet decreases, this is true for most Vitamins. With Vitamin B12 being water soluble, as are all B Vitamins and Vitamin C the small amount which is absorbed from the diet is very easily excreted naturally from the body through functions like sweating and urination. Vitamin supplementation will increase levels of this important B Vitamin which is also needed by the body for healthy nervous system and CNS function, the formation of red blood cells and aids in the energy process.


1. Coen DA Stehouwer, Coen van Guldener (2001). "Homocysteine-lowering treatment: an overview". Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy 2 (9): 1449–1460.
2. Loscalzo J (2006). "Homocysteine Trials — Clear Outcomes for Complex Reasons". N Engl J Med 354 (15): 1629–1632.
3. McLean RR et al (2004). "Homocysteine as a predictive factor for hip fracture in older persons.". New England Journal of Medicine 350: 2042–2049.

What is the difference between minerals and vitamins

What is the difference between minerals and vitamins

Both Minerals and Vitamins are necessary for the body to function normally and even work synergistically together, e.g. Selenium and Vitamin E, Calcium and Vitamin E. A Mineral cannot be made by the body, most Vitamins cannot be made by the body with the exception of Vitamin D which is produced in the body by the ultra violet rays from the sun and Vitamin K which is made in the intestines.

Minerals are inorganic naturally occurring substances, whereas a Vitamin is an organic compound.

The difference between the inorganic and organic is the organic compound has carbon in its chemical structure. Originally it was believed organic compounds were unique in that they could not be reproduced by man, however this is now known not to be true and there are thousands of organic compounds which are routinely made for both medicine and research. This is why whilst Vitamins do occur naturally they cannot specifically be classed as natural unless the original source is known and stated, for example Vitamin C is available from Oranges however a Vitamin C supplement will probably not have oranges as the source of the Vitamin.

Minerals are sometimes referred to as Elements which is also correct as an Element is a substance in its simplest chemical form meaning it cannot be split any further. All the 112 elements of which 96 are naturally occurring make up the periodic table. The dietary Minerals are found in the 96 naturally occurring Elements, along with other Elements used in medicine like Barium, Lithium and Bismuth.

The Vitamins are:
Vitamin A - Retinol
Vitamin B1 - Thiamin
Vitamin B2 - Riboflavin
Vitamin B3 - Niacin
Vitamin B5 - Pantothenic Acid
Vitamin B6 - Pyridoxine
Vitamin B7 - Biotin also known as Vitamin H
Vitamin B9 - Folate / Folic Acid
Vitamin B12 - Cyanocobalamin
Vitamin C - Ascorbic Acid
Vitamin D - Calciferol
Vitamin E - Tocopherol
Vitamin K - Phylloquinone

The main Dietary Minerals:
Calcium
Chromium
Copper
Fluoride
Iodine
Iron
Magnesium
Manganese
Molybdenum
Phosphorus
Potassium
Selenium
Sodium
Zinc

The unique amino acid L-theanine explained

L-theanine is an an amino acid which is unique in that it is almost exclusively only found in the plant that is used to make tea. All teas come from the same plant Camellia sinensis, and depending on how the producers treat the leaves after cultivation determines which of the four basic types of true tea are black tea, oolong tea, green tea and white tea you are drinking. The leaves to produce White tea are un-wilted and unoxidized, Green tea are wilted and unoxidized, Oolong are wilted, bruised, and partially oxidised and Black tea are wilted, crushed, and fully oxidised. The advantage of drinking tea as a calming agent is that there are no side effects and importantly there tea will not cause drowsiness, tea is the second most popular beverage in the world, second only to water.

This unique amino acid L-theanine also referred to simply as theanine and also known as Suntheanine, has been studied and found to produce relaxation and calming effects it is suggested it produces these effects by increasing the level of gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) production, caffeine decreases GABA production. Theanine also increases brain serotonin, dopamine, GABA levels and has micromolar affinities for AMPA, Kainate and NMDA receptors. [1] People suffering from stress, anxiety or depression can try this product.

L-theanine crosses the blood brain barrier, this ability allows it to inhibit glutamic acid excitotoxicity, this is the pathological process by which nerve cells are damaged and killed by glutamate and similar substances. Glutamate induced neuro toxicity is a major cause of degenerative brain diseases like Multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease.

Other reported benefits of L-theanine are improving memory and learning capabilities, its antioxidant properties, healthy cardiovascular function and lowering blood pressure.

In one study taking 200mg of L-theanine showed that alpha waves, one type of brain waves, commonly detected by electroencephalography (EEG) or magnetoencephalography (MEG) and predominantly found to originate from the occipital lobe during periods of waking relaxation with the eyes closed. were observed from the back to the top of a person's head the occipital and parietal regions of the brain, and were detectable after 30 minutes. [2] The alpha waves are responsible for relaxation, superlearning, memory and relaxed focus.

People under stress can prevent many of the harmful effects of stress with L-theanine without becoming sedated in the process. L-theanine does not cause drowsiness or promote sleep, because this amino acid does not produce theta waves in the brain.

References:

1. ^ a b Nathan P, Lu K, Gray M, Oliver C (2006). "The neuropharmacology of L-theanine(N-ethyl-L-glutamine): a possible neuroprotective and cognitive enhancing agent". J Herb Pharmacother 6 (2): 21–30

2. Mason R. 200 mg of Zen; L-theanine boosts alpha waves, promotes alert relaxation. Alternative & Complementary Therapies 2001,April; 7:91-95

Iodine for the thyroid

What the thyroid gland is and what it does
The thyroid is controlled by the hypothalamus and pituitary. The gland gets its name from the Greek word for "shield", after its shape, a double-lobed structure.
This gland is found in the neck below the mouth and at approximately the same level as the cricoid cartilage which is just above the middle of your collarbone. The thyroid controls how quickly the body burns energy, makes proteins, and how sensitive the body should be to other hormones.
Your thyroid gland needs iodine to make thyroid hormone, which maintains normal metabolism in all cells of the body.
Dietary iodine deficiencies were common before iodine was added to table salt. You need to check your table salt has added Iodine.
Iodine deficiency causes enlargement of the thyroid, a condition known as goiter. However, if you are not deficient in iodine, taking extra iodine will not help your thyroid work better, and it might even cause problems.

For reasons that are not clear, supplementary iodine might also be helpful for cyclic mastalgia.


Seaweed and Kelp are excellent sources of Iodine
Kelp refers to several species of large, brown algae that can grow to enormous sizes reaching upto 80m in length which grows mainly in the oceans of the northern hemisphere. Kelp also known as Kombu is a type of seaweed, but not all seaweed is kelp the term seaweed loosely describes any type of vegetation growing in the ocean, including many other types of algae and plants.

Kelp is a regular part of a normal human diet in many parts of the world, such as Japan, Alaska, and Hawaii. It is also incorporated into some vitamin and mineral supplements because of its nutrient value. Kelp is a good source of folic acid (a B vitamin), as well as many other vitamins and minerals, especially iodine

One type of seaweed which also has high levels of iodine is Bladderwrack (latin: Fucus vesiculosusin), this was the original source of iodine, discovered in 1811. It is one of the most common algae found on the shores of the British Isles, as well as being found on the coasts of the North Sea, the western Baltic Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.