Improving Health with Organic Vitamin Supplements

As I found myself approaching middle age, I realize the full extent of how important it is for my body to have the right vitamins, nutrients and minerals. I have always prided myself on eating a healthy diet, got an adequate amount of exercise and avoided smoking and alcohol. However, once I started going through menopause, I realized that I could experience a wide variety of health issues that could be alleviated with the right organic vitamin supplements.

In my search to find the right vitamin supplements, I searched the internet and local supermarket, and asked friends and family members for recommendations. I was surprised when my sister-in-law recommended a website called beyondprobiotics.net. When I searched the website I was amazed to find such a wide variety oforganic vitamins and mineral supplements, I was able to find exactly what I needed and was looking for and at prices that were comparable or less than what average places charged.

I found a product I love called “7-Keto DHEA,” which is a naturally occurring hormone already found in the human body. With the supplement I was able to reincorporate an all natural supplement without any of the obnoxious side effects that other synthetic products produced. I am an organic food and organic vitamin fan and to be able to find a complete product line produced from natural ingredients was like a dream come true.

I recommend the products offered by beyondprobiotics.net to all my friends, family members and co-workers. The company takes great pride in being able to offer such high-quality products at affordable and reasonable prices. Without these products I do now know how I would ever have made it through this delicate time of my life. I have been able adjust to the various side effects of menopause and preserve vital bone content, reduce hot flashes and night sweats all from using the products I purchased from this great website.

If you are seeking a place to find great, economical, all natural organic vitamins, I highly recommend you search the inventory available from beyondprobiotics.net. You will find any type of supplement you need and much more, the products are geared towards helping women like you and I adjust to difficult health issues and improves overall quality of life and health. I cannot say enough good about this company and will continue to sing the praises of the vitamins and other products offered, it has helped me and it can help you too.

Eating a Proper Diet for Better Nutrition

Most people are always on the go and have a tendency to grab something quick to eat -- but that's usually fast food. The American diet over the past twenty years has been poor to say the least. Many do not have the time to cook nutritious foods and usually go for dinner in a box or out of a can. By eating this way, there has been a steady increase of heart-related diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure and intestinal problems that are affecting a large portion of the American population. Studies are now finding out that a poor diet high in saturated fats, refined sugars and sodium are one of the leading causes of these diseases.

But some people are finally becoming more health conscious and learning more about proper nutrition and the importance of taking the right kind of vitamins. Incorporating organic whole food vitamins into the diet gives the body extra vitamins and minerals that it needs to stay healthy. For many of us that are on the go, this type of supplement puts back into the body that stress and a poor diet take out of us.

When shopping in the local supermarket, many of us are noticing the increase of organic foods that are available without having to shop at a specialty store. This is now becoming a new trend and making the public more aware of what they are putting in their bodies. The vitamin supplements should also be the same. When shopping for vitamins, they should be organic whole food supplements. These types of supplements are absorbed much more easily in the body compared to vitamins that contain unnatural chemicals.

Studies are showing an increase of foods and supplements that contain probiotics are also essential for good health. By adding these to the diet helps the immune system fights off free radicals and many other types of viruses that can attack the body. With this being said, it is crucial to incorporate probiotics into our diets especially during the cold and flu seasons. People with a healthier immune system can fight off these viruses more easily than one that does not take supplements or eat whole foods.

Better health can only be achieved by a changing to a healthier diet, exercise and becoming more aware of what we put into our bodies. Many companies such as Garden of Life carry such vitamins and many other products that can help on well on their way to a healthier lifestyle.

Antioxidants -- Best Natural and Whole Food Supplement Sources

As research goes on into diet and its implications for disease and health, one fact becomes more apparant -- antioxidants are essential for good health. Another fact is that most of us don’t get enough of them! Many people assume that if they don’t like blueberries or raw broccoli, their bodies will just have to go without. Well, antioxidants are found in a wide range of both raw and cooked foods, as well as in organic whole food supplement form. Today we are looking at the richest sources in food, and the best products to help you get the boost you need.

Food sources

Blueberries have been the poster child for antioxidants for some time now, but a recent scientific study showed that they are actually quite a way down the antioxidant list. Most of us buy cultivated blueberries, which have around a third less antioxidants than the wild variety. However, small red beans pack the biggest antioxidant hit, even more than in some organic whole food supplements. They have a capacity according to the study of around 13,700, compared to wild blueberries at 13,400 and cultivated ones at 9,000. Dried red kidney beans came in at 13,200, and pinto beans had around 11,800 in the study.

Here are some of the other foods involved in the study and their respective antioxidant capacities, rounded to the nearest hundred:

• Cranberries, 8,900
• Cooked artichoke, 7,900
• Blackberry, 7,700
• Raspberries, 6,000
• Strawberries, 5,900
• Red delicious apple, 5,900
• Pecans, 5,100
• Russet potato, 4,600
• Plum, 4,100

Best antioxidant whole food supplements

Garden of Life is one of the most respected names in the whole food supplement industry, and also makes two of the most popular antioxidant products. Vitamin Code Raw Antioxidants is just over $15 for a 30 capsule pack and contains:

• 100% daily intake of vitamin C, E, A and selenium
• Live enzymes and probiotics
• Raw formulation - no cooking, treating or adulteration

Another popular Garden of Life product is the Fruits of Life Antioxidant formula. You may have noticed that just about all of the super antioxidant foods on the list are fruits, and this whole food supplement brings them to you in a convenient form. All of the fruits are organic, and there is also oat bran fiber included with its beta glucans.

New Chapter's Supercritical Antioxidants is heavily discounted at Beyond Probiotics, and has been shown to elevate detox enzyme systems. It contains turmeric, green tea, rosemary, parsley, peppermint and ginger.

Multivitamins in Pregnancy Reduce Risk of Low Birthweight

A new study has shown that taking whole food multivitamins while pregnant can help reduce the risk of having a low-birthweight baby. While iron and folic acid supplementation is recommended by most doctors for pregnant women, replacing these with a multivitamin which contains the two could have more broad spectrum health benefits. Pregnancy is a time of massively increased demands on your nutrient stores, and taking natural whole food multivitamins has been shown by two recent studies to have benefits.

Whole food multivitamin study 1

One study was done at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto, led by Dr. Prakash Shah. It showed through synthesized results of 15 other worldwide studies that micronutrient supplementation helps prevent low birthweight over iron-folic acid supplements alone. The study showed that around 1.5 million babies born every year could have significantly higher birth weight if their mothers had taken a prenatal whole food multivitamin. However, the authors did note that the variability in study conditions limited the results somewhat, including the composition of micronutrient whole food multivitamins, timing of the supplementation, characteristics of the study participants and duration of the studies.

Whole food multivitamin study 2

The other study was a randomized trila by Piyush Gupta of University College of Medical Sciences in Delhi. It involved 200 women between 24 and 32 weeks at the beginning of the trial, who were either underweight or had low hemoglobin. Around half of the women received a calcium placebo, while the other half received a capsule with a combination of 29 micronutrients daily. Babies of the mothers who took whole food multivitamins weighed almost 100 grams more on average, and were almost a half-inch longer. The mothers, previously malnourished, also gained more weight during pregnancy (by around a pound).

Why do we care about low birthweight?

Babies who have a lower than average birthweight are more susceptible to a range of illnesses throughout their lives … despite a common conception by mothers that smaller babies hurt less during delivery, there is actually far more benefit in having an average or high birth weight baby.

Low-birthweight babies have been shown to be more susceptible to respiratory illness for the entire term of their lives, blindness, cerebral palsy, SIDS and kidney problems. Worth taking an organic whole food multivitamin for, certainly!

The Omega-3 Power Series: Conditions Omega-3 Can Help With

By now we've all heard of omega-3's, and most of us know that they come from oily fish (or at the least, from a clear capsule in a whole food supplement bottle!). Omega-3s are considered a super-nutrient by many dieticians and scientists -- today we begin the first of a two-part series looking at the conditions that omega-3 organic whole food supplements can help either treat or prevent, and how they do so.

Prostate cancer: This Western scourge kills tens of thousands of men every year -- it is one of the biggest male killers in the West, coming in after heart disease and lung cancer. However, omega-3 fatty acids help protect the body against advanced prostate cancer. In a study performed at the University of California San Francisco, researchers showed that men who had the highest intake of omega-3 fatty acids had a 63% lower risk of developing prostate cancer than those in the lowest consumption group.

Medical complications of obesity: Being obese by itself is not a negative for your health, but complications arising from it such as liver damage and insulin resistance certainly will. While people are busy following a healthy diet and exercising to lose weight, they can also protect themselves from the insulin resistance and liver damage that obesity causes with the protectins and resolvins in omega-3 organic whole food supplements. Switching to canola oil and eating lots more fish can help while on the path back to good health.

Depression: Dr Michel Lucas at the Universite Lamal studied 120 women for eight weeks, giving half three EPA-containing capsules daily, and the other half sunflower oil capsules. The first group had significant improvement in symptoms of psychological distress and mild depression.

Age-related macular degeneration: This is a leading cause of blindness among the elderly, but a diet high in omega-3s could help protect against the condition. Consumption of a diet high in omega-3 whole food supplements can help slow the progression of already developing macular lesions, also.

An enormous range of inflammatory-based conditions: The shift from a diet high in omega-3s to a diet high in omega-6, which comes from meat and vegetable oils, can be a leading cause of inflammatory conditions. The 2:1 ratio that omega-6 to omega-3 consumption has stood at for most of our evolution has increased to a 10:1 ration in modern times, and this can cause inflammatory conditions such as asthma, arthritis and diabetes. Correct the imbalance by reducing meat consumption, and increasing omega-3 organic whole food supplements.

6 Best Whole Food Supplements Under $20

You've probably heard about the benefits of supplementing your diet, especially if you are like the vast majority of Westerners throughout the world, and don’t eat enough fresh fruit and vegetables. Whole food supplements are the best way to add to your daily vitamin and mineral intake, providing you with a more natural form of the substance, and fewer potential side effects. Whole food supplementing doesn’t have to be expensive - today we're looking at six of the top nutritionist's whole food supplements under $20!

1. Chlorella regularis - 90 vcaps, $11.97

This is one of the richest natural sources of chlorophyll, missing from many people's diets and a potent antioxidant, just like spirulina. The regularis species is easiest for many people to digest -- and the price is equally easy for your wallet to digest!

2. NewChapter Every Woman's Mineral Complex, 90 tablets $17.97

This formulation delivers the minerals that women need every day, aimed at supporting bone strength and scavenging free radicals. The minerals are accompanied by herbs like orgenao cinnamon, rosemary, ginger and turmeric.

3. Garden of Life Perfect Cleanse, 10 Day Kit $17.97

This kit for a 10 day detoxification includes 3 patented Garden of Life formulation steps. Forst you purify, then capture, and finally remove with three different organic whole food supplement ingredients.

4. Garden of Life Primal Defense Probiotics, 45 caps $14.97

This product is so popular there is actually a waiting list -- it is the No. 1 selling probiotics across the whole food supplement industry. It contains homeostatic soil organisms, and promotes a healthy immune system and regular digestion. The soil organisms were once an everyday part of our diet, but modern farming and food processing has largely wiped them out.

5. Garden of Life Seasonal Relief, 63 caplets $17.47

This helps prevent and lessen the duration of colds and flus by supporting the immune system, with herbs such as elderberry, goldenseal and Echinacea. There are also plenty of supporting herbs such as garlic, onion, oregano, yarrow and peppermint leaf.

6. Garden of Life Tea Trio, 60 capsules $12.57

This blend mixes organic white tea, green tea and black tea for those who love the health benefits of the drink, but don’t like the yellowing teeth or running to the toilet every couple of hours! It can protect against many diseases, as well as increase energy and alertness.

Conditions That Science Believes Probiotics Can Treat

The very concept of probiotics was absolutely foreign to the general public, only 20 years ago. Now we know much more about how friendly bacteria in our gut help support the functions of our immune system, metabolism, and digestive health. If you’re having trouble keeping track of what probiotics have been shown to be able to treat, we have a rundown on recent developments in the probiotics research world for you today!

1. Probiotics fighting cholera

Although cholera has largely been eliminated in the Western world, it is still quite prevalent in the Third World. It produces toxins that bind to complex sugar receptors on cells in the human intestine. Reserachers have found a way to copy that process, using molecular mimics attached to probiotics that prevent the disease itself from binding to the cells' surfaces.

2. Probiotics fighting E.coli and traveler's diarrhea

The same mechanism of action has also been shown to help prevent traveler's diarrhea and the common pathogen E.coli. However, some studies have shown mixed results on probiotics treatment for diarrhea. While it shows promise, it would be safest to check with your doctor if you have persistent diarrhea.

3. Preventing allergy development in Cesarian-delivered babies

Friendly bacteria can replace the exposure to microbes which is often thought to be one of the reasons that some children develop allergies, while others do not. Cesarian-delivered babies are not exposed to microbes from the mother's vaginal passage, and so the probiotics replace these flora. There was no extra protection observed for vaginally delivered infants.

4. Bacterial vaginosis treatment boosted by probiotics

It seems contradictory, but taking probiotics supplements alongside antibiotic tablets actually helps improve outcomes in cases of bacterial vaginosis. Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is associated with increased risk of transmitting HIV.

5. Probiotics reduce sick leave time

Workers at the Tetra Pak factory in Switzerland who took a daily dose of probiotics were 2.5 times less likely to take sick leave for common illnesses such as colds and gastroenteritis than those who took a placebo. The effects were seen to be strongest in shift workers taking the whole food supplements.

6. Doctors to be washing their hands in Yakult rather than antiseptic

The reason that many doctors are reluctant to give their patients antibiotics is because of the possibility of creating drug-resistant forms of disease. However, antiseptic soaps used in hospitals may have the same effect. The current prevalence of methylcyllin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospitals is one striking example of what can happen in a highly antibiotic environment.

Also in recent research are some studies which note that probiotics don’t show a significant improvement in the condition of eczema patients, and they do not relieve all types of diarhhea.

University College Cork Researchers Show How Probiotics Help Prevent Disease

It has been difficult to find a negative word about probiotics in the scientific literature recently. From advantages with weight control, to vaginosis, to allergy prevention and assistance for gastric bypass patients, probiotics are the new wonder drug. Now University College Cork researchers have found that they have the potential to stop a huge range of pathogenic bacteria, simply by introducing probiotics at the site of infection or damage to the body.

The researchers studied bovine mastitis, porcine salmonellosis and listeriosis in mice. In all three disease models, the specially-developed probiotics preparation gave the animals significant resistance to the infections. In fact, the probiotics treatment was found to be as effective as the best antibiotics that were available for the disease … but without the problems of potential resistance developing. It helped resolve the symptoms as well as eliminate the source of infection, the pathogens.

The way that the probiotics worked, interesting, varied from disease to disease. In one case, the probiotics directly killed the pathogen, and in other cases, the probiotics had an effect on the host animal's immune system, which in turn was better able to fight the infection. The probiotics which killed unwanted germs directly was Lactobacillus salivarius, and it produced an antimicrobial peptide that simply killed the listeria bacteria. For the cows with mastitis, the Lactococcus lastis used could elicit an immune response that overwhelmed the bacteria.

Probiotic therapy could soon take over antibiotic therapy, if broad enough spectrum probiotics could be found to target a range of different diseases in one hit. Probiotics can be taken in smoothies or yogurts, or cultured into a huge range of other foods and drinks. They do not create resistant bacteria -- currently physicians often will not prescribe the antibiotics that could help patients feel better, because the potential for creating resistant bacteria is not in the interests of the general population.

The researchers were planning to begin studying the molecular mechanism of action of the probiotics, in order to develop artificial or chemical strategies for reproducing their results. However, natural health experts often say that the complete package is the most useful way to take a remedy.

The probiotics the team used were lactobacillus, however these were newly isolated from human volunteers in the study. The team did not use any particular commercial product, so unfortunately we can’t recommend any!

Dietary Supplement Cautions -- What Every Health Conscious Person Should Know

The reason that a varied, fresh, and healthy diet helps people feel so much better is that it generally provides the recommended daily allowance of an enormous range of minerals and vitamins that support our normal bodily functions. However, there is always the possibility of having too much of a good thing … and in that case, it turns quite rapidly into a bad thing. The FDA regulates prescription drugs, but doesn’t do the same for dietary supplements and herbal supplements, which can also be harmful to your health if taken in excess. Here we look at some guidelines for all dietary supplement takers.

Begin with one at a time

Unless you are taking a whole food supplement or one-a-day formulation, start on just one dietary supplement at a time. Take half the recommended dose for a week, then take the full dose for a week. Try to maintain a normal diet and exercise routine in these weeks. Note any unusual symptoms -- if you encounter negative side effects in these weeks, see if stopping the supplement makes them go away.

Exercise caution with fat-soluble vitamins

Water-soluble vitamins will simply be excreted by the body in most cases if you take too much. However, fat-soluble vitamins can accumulate in the liver, brain and other bodily tissues and cause symptoms like joint pain, depression, nausea and dry skin. Taking a whole food supplement or a one-a-day formulation helps decrease this risk, but if you notice any adverse symptoms get the advice of a health professional.

Always ask about prescription drug interactions

Vitamins and minerals have real health effects -- that is why so many people take them. Their actions can compound with those of prescription drugs to cause some dangerous situations. Ginseng and gingko biloba are both blood thinners, so definitely aren't compatible with warfarin. There are a host of other cautions like this.

Pregnancy cautions

Adults have relatively enormous bodies, well-developed drug and chemical tolerance and better excretory systems than a fetus does. When you are pregnant, a drug that is common and safe for you can be extremely harmful for your baby. Excessive amounts of vitamin A are an excellent example -- they can cause birth defects, yet most ordinary multivitamins contain more than the recommended daily allowance. Whole food supplements are generally safer than the chemical variety -- but talk to a health professional or your pharmacist before starting any dietary supplement if you are pregnant.

Top 5 Men's Whole Food Supplements - What a Boy Wants!

Men and women are different, and the vitamins and whole-food supplements that men and women need to support hormonal and bodily functions are different, too. Today we're looking at the top five whole food supplements and whole food multivitamin ingredients for men.

1. Saw Palmetto

Saw palmetto extract is taken for one of the most common conditions affecting older men, benign prostatic hyperplasia. The extract has few side effects in healthy people. It is FDA-approved, and some trials have shown a mild to moderate increase in flow measures and an improvement in symptoms.

2. Lycopene

Lycopene is found in tomatoes. It is great for slowing skin degeneration, but the main benefit of this carotenoid for men is it is thought to help relieve symptoms of cardiovascular disease, cancer, male infertility, and diabetes.

3. Panax ginseng (Korean Red)

This herb is related to the garden-variety ginseng found in many whole food supplements and whole food multivitamins. This variety is especially good for men's health because it has an unusually high concentration on ginsenosides, helping improve erectile function and increasing testosterone levels in general.

4. Green tea

Green tea contains some ingredients that can help fight belly fat, namely epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). You can sometimes find whole food supplements that include green tea extract, if drinking it doesn’t quite fit with your manly image!

5. Zinc

One of the best known minerals for men, zinc helps with ensuring good semen volume, which maintains prostate gland function and growth of the reproductive organ. It also supports the function of the brain, liver, bones and kidneys. Muscles depend on zinc, and if you are looking to bulk up, zinc should be an essential part of your diet and exercise plan.

Please note that the FDA has recently reviewed its recommendations on selenium for men at risk of prostate cancer. While it is still an essential nutrient for all around health, it is not necessarily believed to be beneficial against the disease. Whole food supplements will include it simply for all-round health.

The Good News Cont.!

As promised, here's the rest of the Fox News story that sings the praises of a probiotics regimen!

Good Bacteria vs. Bad

But with literally trillions of bacteria residing in the digestive tract, how do you know which ones are the good guys and which are the bad?

According to Renew Life’s so-called experts in digestive care, the two most prevalent probiotics are lactobacilli, which make up the majority of the probiotics in your small intestine, and bifidobacteria, which make up the majority of the probiotics in the large intestine.

Lactobacilli help regulate the immune system, digesting nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates and milk sugars; and produce compounds and acids that create an unfriendly environment for harmful bacteria. Lactobacilli are also the most prevalent in the vagina and help guard women from yeast infections.

Bifidobacteria, on the other hand, is located in the large intestine and are present in much higher in numbers. This is because there is less constant movement in the large intestine compared to the small intestine, which makes it easier for harmful bacteria to build up and multiply.

Bifidobacteria also ferment soluble fiber and produce compounds including short chain fatty acid, vitamin B and K. However, studies show that the population of bifidobacteria significantly declines with age and with unhealthy lifestyle practices.

"If its balance and function is thrown off by a poor diet, lack of proper hydration, overuse of antibiotics, overweight conditions, constipation and lack of exercise, you are setting yourself up for chronic illness and premature aging," said Pennesi.

So what are different kinds of ways you can get more healthy bacteria in your body?

Here are Pennesi's Top 3 recommendations:

— Consult with your health care professional and take a high quality probiotic supplement

— Enjoy foods with Fructo-oligo-saccharides (FOS), which feed the healthy flora (probiotics) of the body, like bananas, onions, garlic, artichokes, barley and tomatoes.

— Eat more kefir, sauerkraut, tempeh, umeboshi plum and yogurt that have the "live active bacteria" label on it.

However, Pennesi cautions that not all probiotics products contain both lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.

"The best thing to do is find a breakdown of what probiotics are in the product. I encourage people to use the phone numbers on the packaging and contact the company who manufacture the product. Most are happy to answer your questions", she said.

Minimizing the use of synthetic antibiotics, as they kill off healthy bacteria in the body, is also a great way to keep your healthy bacteria counts up.

Get the Good News!

So you’ve been toying with the idea of starting a probiotic regimen. Well, here’s something that may help catapult your interest. A recent story by Fox News indicates that probiotics ARE indeed a good choice for most people…

Recently, 57-year-old Anne Turner started researching gentle ways to treat her irritable bowl syndrome and chronic digestive issues.

"I was not getting any relief with conventional methods, so I went to my local natural food store and asked the nutritionist if she had any recommendations for my specific conditions," she said.

To her surprise, the answer was simple and pain-free—she needed to take a dietary supplement called probiotics to replenish her digestive flora.

Probiotics, meaning "for life," are the antithesis of antibiotics, which are designed to kill most bacteria in the body, both good and bad.

Probiotics are naturally occurring beneficial bacteria located in the intestines, whose job it is to help prevent the harmful bacteria from wreaking havoc.

After a few weeks of taking a recommended probiotic supplement and making small changes in her diet, Turner started feeling better than she had in years, affirming her decision to treat herself with probiotics.

According to holistic nurse Luanne Pennesi, almost everyone, especially in today's industrialized society, can benefit from taking probiotics to help strengthen the immune system, utilize certain vitamins effectively, and even possibly reduce the risk of developing cancer.

"Probiotics are vital for proper digestion of fats and proteins, synthesizing vitamin K, which is vital for the prevention of osteoporosis and many of our B vitamins, plus they detoxify the intestinal tract and reduce cancer risks," she said.

The digestive track is home to more than 500 million species of bacteria; ideally 80 percent should be beneficial bacteria and 20 percent harmful bacteria.

"Probiotics are helpful when it comes to maintaining the body's chemical and hormone balance. Their ability to protect the body from absorbing toxins from the GI tract also makes them vital to our health and longevity," said Pennesi.

There is more to this story…stay tuned to our next posting to read the rest of the report!