2010
WELCOME TO THE HOME OF THE "SQUATMONSTER"
2012
Gamma Linolenic Acid
Arthritis - Eczema and PMS
In the Middle Ages, people used borage, an herb with bright blue flowers, to treat heart disease and rheumatism and to reduce inflammation.
Today, it’s making a comeback for some of the same medicinal uses. Borage oil is one of three major supplemental sources of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), a polyunsaturated fat that is used to treat a number of conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Besides borage oil, GLA comes from the seeds of the evening primrose plant and from black currants. The human body also manufactures its own supply of GLA from linoleic acid, which is abundant in vegetable oils and meats, according to Elson Haas, M.D., director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California, and author of Staying Healthy Shoppers Guide.
In the body, linoleic acid is converted first to GLA and then to dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), a chemical that does wonders for our health. DGLA is essential for the production of prostaglandin E1, an important hormonelike chemical that reduces inflammation, boosts immunity, lowers blood pressure, keeps platelets from sticking together, and improves blood vessel tone, says Michael Janson, M.D., president of the American College for Advancement in Medicine, based in Laguna Hills, California, and author of The Vitamin Revolution in Health Care.
As we age, our bodies become less efficient at converting linoleic acid to GLA and therefore less efficient at producing the beneficial prostaglandins, says Dr. Janson.
Several diseases, including cancer, eczema, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes, also make the conversion less efficient. This doesn’t necessarily mean that supplementing with GLA will cure or prevent these diseases. In fact, some experts warn that GLA supplements have the potential to aggravate symptoms because GLA and DGLA can actually help promote inflammation.
"With GLA, an omega-6 fatty acid, the very strategy that you’re using to help yourself might actually be putting gasoline on the fire, unless you balance it with an adequate intake of omega-3’s," says William E. Lands, Ph.D., a long-time researcher in the field of essential fatty acid nutrition in Bethesda, Maryland.
Aiding the Achy and Itchy
In his practice, Dr. Janson commonly prescribes GLA supplements for cardiovascular health, PMS, menstrual cramps, rheumatoid arthritis, and eczema. For the last two—rheumatoid arthritis and eczema—there are numerous scientific articles supporting the value of GLA.
In one promising study, 56 patients with rheumatoid arthritis were randomly assigned to take 2,800 milligrams a day of either GLA or a sunflower oil placebo for six months. Researchers discovered that the patients taking GLA were more than six times more likely to have significant improvement in their symptoms, especially tender joints. Patients who weren’t getting GLA did not show any significant improvement. In fact, they were more than three times more likely to have their symptoms worsen.
For another six-month period, all of the patients in the study received GLA, and all showed improvement in their symptoms. For those who received GLA throughout the study, that improvement was progressive, and seven in this group reduced their reliance on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or prednisone.
SUPPLEMENT PROFILE
Gamma-Linolenic Acid
Also known as: GLA .
May help: Heart disease, lupus, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, eczema, fingernail problems, endometriosis, menstrual cramps, premenstrual syndrome, and sunburn.
Special instructions: Take after a meal.
Cautions and possible side effects: Do not use supplements without the supervision of a physician if you are taking aspirin or anticoagulants (blood thinners) regularly, have a seizure disorder, or are taking epilepsy medication such as phenothiazines.
Do not take borage oil if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. May cause headaches, indigestion, nausea, and softening of stools.
There was just one hitch: Most patients who finished the study found that their swelling and joint pain returned within three months of its conclusion, indicating that they would have to continue to take GLA to suppress their symptoms.
Before you try GLA for yourself, keep in mind that the doses used in this study were much higher than the typical daily dosage of up to 320 milligrams.
Proponents of GLA also believe the oil can help treat inflammatory skin disorders such as eczema. Research has come up with conflicting evidence: Two large studies have shown no benefit at all, but others have found improvement, particularly for patients with mild to moderate eczema.
One study involved 60 patients with atopic dermatitis, a chronic, recurring, inflammatory disease marked by eczema and itching. Researchers divided the patients into two groups. One group received 274 milligrams of GLA from borage oil twice a day, and the second group took a placebo.
After 12 weeks, patients in the GLA group reported significantly less itching, redness, oozing, and blistering than patients in the placebo group. They were also able to reduce the use of drugs commonly used to treat the disease, such as antihistamines and topical steroids.
Time-Honored Cure for Monthly Woes
Evening primrose oil, an herbal supplement that’s high in GLA, has also been examined for its healing properties. Woodson Merrell, M.D., a specialist in alternative and complementary medicine and assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, says that women he’s treated with evening primrose oil often get relief from the symptoms of PMS. They have less breast pain, cramping, and discomfort, he says.
"In my experience, it does seem to work for some women," he says. "I think it’s definitely worth trying."
Native American women apparently thought so, too. They chewed the seeds of evening primrose to combat menstrual problems. The Indians and early European settlers also used the plants to treat asthmatic coughs and stomach disorders. Beginning in the early nineteenth century, the leaves were applied as a poultice for skin conditions like ulcers and scabies.
Evening primrose oil is a hardy, biannual, native American flower. The plant found its way to Europe when the highly fertile seeds apparently hitched rides in the ballast tanks of ships sailing the Atlantic between the new world and the old one. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, evening primrose gained a reputation for relieving symptoms of gout, rheumatism, and headaches. In England, it earned the nickname King’s Cure-All because of its ability to heal skin diseases. Today, it is cultivated in more than 30 countries.
Is GLA for You?
Of the three oils, evening primrose has been the most studied, primarily in England, where it is an approved medical treatment for breast pain and eczema. Borage oil is the most concentrated source of GLA, however, which means that you have to take fewer capsules to get the same therapeutic benefits, says Dr. Janson.
Borage oil can come in 1,000-milligram capsules containing 240 milligrams of GLA, which falls within the range of the standard therapeutic daily dose of 180 to 320 milligrams, according to Dr. Janson.
2012
Facts About Alpha Lipoic Acid
Promotes healthy nerve function by preventing oxidative damage
Features & Benefits * Water and lipid-soluble antioxidant * Promotes normal nerve function * Promotes healthy pancreatic function * Helps maintain healthy eyes
Free Radicals: Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is an antioxidant co-enzyme found in foods and the body.1 It acts both as a water- and fat-soluble antioxidant, and therefore benefiting different body tissues.*2 Part of how it accomplishes this task is by chelating metal ions, such as copper, that tend to promote oxidation.1 Lipoic acid also regenerates other antioxidants, including vitamins C and E 2,3 and coenzyme CoQ10.*4 It accomplishes this by donating electrons to replace those given up by other antioxidants during free-radical scavenging activity.2
Nerves: Protection of neurons (nerve cells) appears to be a major role of lipoic acid.* In humans, amounts of 400-800 mg of ALA daily have been shown to promote healthy nerve function.*5,6 The first study (known by its German initials DEKAN) involved 39 people given 800 mg lipoic acid orally and 34 people given placebo for four months.5 The people taking lipoic acid showed a significant improvement in heart rate variability, an objective measure of the autonomic nerves serving the heart. This improvement was significant compared to the control group. There were no notable changes in adverse symptoms between the two groups. Oral doses under 600 mg daily have not been effective for nerve health in several studies.6
Eyes: Lipoic acid may also help maintain normal pressure of the fluid in the eye, according to one human study.*7 A group of 19 people given 150 mg of lipoic acid orally for one month were shown to have a significant improvement in visual function compared to a control group treated with placebo.7 A dose of 75 mg daily was not effective in this study. Oxidation within the lens of the eye may contribute to declining clarity of vision with age. Lipoic acid has been shown to protect animal lenses from such damage.*8 Human studies have not yet been performed confirming this benefit.
Glucose: Lipoic acid inhibits the enzyme aldose reductase.9 This enzyme produces sugars that can damage the lens and nerves, particularly in patients with diabetes mellitus. The ability of lipoic acid to limit aldose reductase activity may prove to offer protection for good eye health.* Lipoic acid promotes normal insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism in the body.*2,10 Actual insulin and glucose levels in the blood may not change while taking lipoic acid.
Energy: Preliminary evidence suggests lipoic acid promotes energy formation in the body.*11 Lipoic acid is a necessary cofactor in the enzyme complex central to the function of the citric acid cycle.* This cycle starts the process of energy production; one study suggests that oral lipoic acid therapy could improve energy formation by improving function of the mitochondria.*11 Further studies are necessary to validate and determine the importance of this possible lipoic acid benefit.
Safety and Toxicity
At a level of intake of 200-800 mg daily, no significant adverse effects have been reported. Thiamin deficiency may be aggravated by lipoic acid, so anyone at risk of this condition (particularly alcoholics) should supplement the two nutrients together. Diabetic patients should only take lipoic acid above 200 mg daily if under the supervision of a nutritionally-oriented practitioner to prevent possible episodes of hypoglycemia.*2 There is no information regarding safety in pregnancy or lactation.
2012
DMAE – (2-Dimethylaminoethanol)
The body manufactures an important neurohormone called acetylcholine from the B vitamin choline, Acetylcholine is needed to convey motor and sensory signals from one nerve cell to the next along the nerve path. It also regulates the flow of nerve signals and is essential for all brain functions, especially memory.
When there isn’t enough acetylcholine in the brain and nerve cells, a person experiences symptoms ranging from depression, sluggish behavior, fatigue, slowed reflexes, muddled thinking, and poor memory to nervousness, anxiety and hyperkinetic behavior. When acetylcholine is adequately supplied, these disappear as brain and nerve functions are normalized.
But when acetylcholine levels are further increased by supplementation, energy, reflexes, mental alertness, mood, memory, and learning ability often improve beyond the normal.
Despite good nutrition and plenty of dietary and supplemental choline, many people (perhaps up to 75% of the population) have acetylcholine deficiencies. This generally occurs because of membranous shields which keeps toxic waste products in the circulation from entering the brain and central nervous system can also block some necessary substances from gaining entry.
Choline must be converted by the liver into its lipid soluble form before it can cross these barriers and be turned into acetylcholine. If the body’s ability to produce this form of choline is less than ideal, acetylcholine levels are likely to be low.
There is an alternative way to increase acetylcholine, however, Dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE), also known as Deanol, is a safe, natural substance that easily crosses the barriers. In the brain and nerve cells it is converted first to choline and then to acetylcholine. In a sense DMAE may be regarded as a biochemical Trojan horse.
DMAE is a very efficient antioxidant and free radical deactivator, it stabilizes lyposome membranes, preventing rupture of these scavenger bodies, which would result in leakage of collected toxins and protein-damaging enzymes. It reverses the formation of lipofuscin that causes the so-called aging spots or liver spots. This pigment also tends to clog brain and nerve cells as we age. DMAE also helps prevent sludging or clumping of red blood cells and makes more of them available for carrying oxygen to the tissues.
DMAE also has several positive influences on red blood cells. It has been found that the addition of DMAE to whole blood stored for transfusion purposes doubles its storage life. When DMAE was added to the drinking water of mice that were already past their mean expected lifespan, their maximum lifespan was extended to 36.6% longer than the controls. This indicates that it may be one of the only life-extension substances that is significantly effective even when started late in life.
Because of its ability to improve muscle reflexes and increase oxygen efficiency, many top athletes now take DMAE to improve performance and gain a competitive edge.
Where is it found? DMAE is found as a supplement, although it is not widely available.
Who is likely to be deficient? No deficiencies of DMAE are reported or believed to occur.
How much is usually taken? DMAE supplementation is not recommended at this time.
Are there any side effects or interactions? Clinical studies of DMAE have used up to 1,600 mg per day with no reports of side effects,1 and for this reason DMAE is believed to be relatively nontoxic. However, one study using higher intakes for Alzheimer’s disease patients did report symptoms of drowsiness and confusion with the use of DMAE.2 A possible side effect of lucid dreaming (in which the dreamer is conscious and in control of a dream) is suggested with DMAE use.3
2012
1-7-2012
These are clips from youtube of a lifter out in California. You wanna talk about real raw power !!!
2012
Historical and modern uses Also called St. Mary's thistle and Holy thistle, milk thistle was used by first-century Romans to increase bile flow. It was also given to people who had consumed too much alcohol. In 18th-century England and 19th-century America, milk thistle was a 'specific' for liver congestion, jaundice and related conditions. Today, laboratory and clinical tests confirm milk thistle's significant liver-protective effects. Clinical trials indicate milk thistle's active constituents, silybin and silymarin, as well as the whole plant extract, can restore better liver function in patients with acute and chronic liver disease, including alcoholic fatty degeneration, acute toxin-induced hepatitis, and cirrhosis. In human trials, Milk Thistle protects and restores liver cells following acute viral hepatitis (A and B), toxin and medication-induced hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, and in chronic hepatitis/cirrhosis. The Liver's Bodyguard Milk Thistle Research · In double-blind studies, patients with acute viral hepatitis who were treated with silymarin reported both quicker liver enzyme normalization and recovery time. • Liver enzymes in patients on psychotropic drugs who were given milk thistle normalized, regardless of whether the drugs were discontinued or not. • 60 consecutive patients treated for Amanita poisoning with silymarin achieved a 100% survival rate. • Liver enzymes and bilirubin levels normalized during a six-month trial in which 140 mg of a silymarin product was given twice a day to patients who chronically abused alcohol and had chronic alcoholic hepatitis. • Of over 2,000 patients with chronic liver disease who were treated with 560 mg of silymarin daily for two months, over 60% reported complete remission of subjective symptoms, as well as decreased liver enzyme levels and palpable reductions to liver enlargement. How does the herb work? Milk Thistle has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It also aids in liver cell regeneration. These effects are attributed silymarin and silybin, which have been shown to protect liver cells from toxins, including ethanol (alcohol), acetaminophen (Tylenol), and carbon tetrachloride. Silymarin and silybin prevent lipid peroxidation of liver cell membranes, while protecting cells from glutathione depletion (glutathione is the body's most important intracellular antioxidant). Silymarin also blocks leukotriene formation and stabilizes mast cells and liver macrophages, Leukotrienes are among the most damaging inflammatory chemicals that the body produces; mast cells and macrophages also contribute to inflammation. Inflammation often leads to tissue destruction; reduced tendency toward inflammation allows cells to function at optimum levels. In addition, silymarin promotes liver cell protein generation, an effect that actually enhances the ability of the liver to make new liver cells to replace damaged ones. This process is extremely important in patient recovery from liver disease. It is also able to stop the lethal effects of Amanita (death cap) mushroom poisoning. Every day your body is exposed to toxins that can build up inside. Some experts recommend an internal cleanse 3 to 4 times a year to remove impurities and restore balance. As a result, you feel Healthy, Refreshed & Energized. Most likely other components of milk thistle are also at work in its effects, but it is clear that the milk thistle plant has a lot to offer by way of liver protection. In addition to the avoidance of as many chemical exposures as possible (especially alcohol, tobacco, unnecessary medications and recreational drugs) milk thistle is a wise choice in promoting liver health.