New Apple Ingredient Discovery Keeps Muscles Strong!

Natural Component of Apple Peels Found To Help Prevent Muscle Weakening

In search of an effective method to prevent muscle wasting that comes with illness and aging, researchers have located a natural compound that is very promising.

The findings reported in the June issue of Cell Metabolism (a Cell Press publication), identify a natural component of apple peels known as Ursolic Acid as a promising newnutritional therapy for the widespread and debilitating condition that affects nearly everyone at one time or another.

"Muscle wasting is a frequent companion of illness and aging," explained researchers from The University of Iowa, Iowa City. "It prolongs hospitalization, delays recoveries and in some cases prevents people going back home. It isn't well understood and there is no medicine for it."

The research team first looked at what happens to gene activity in muscles under conditions that promote weakening. Those studies turned up 63 genes that change in response to fasting in both people and mice and another 29 that shift their expression in the muscles of both people who are fasting and those with spinal cord injury. Comparison of those gene expression signatures to the signatures of cells treated with more than 1300 bio-active small molecules led them to ursolic acid as a compound with effects that might counteract those of atrophy.

"Ursolic Acid is an interesting natural compound," they said. "It's part of a normal diet as a component of apple peels. They always say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away..."

The researchers next gave Ursolic Acid to fasted laboratory subjects. Those experiments showed that ursolic acid could protect against muscle weakening as predicted. When ursolic acid was added to the food of normal subjects for a period of weeks, their muscles grew. Those effects were traced back to enhanced insulin signaling in muscle and to corrections in the gene signatures linked to atrophy.

The subjects given ursolic acid also became leaner and had lower blood levels of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides. The findings therefore suggest that ursolic acid may be responsible for some of the overall benefits of healthy eating.

"We know if you eat a balanced diet like mom told us to eat you get this material," the researchers explained "People who eat junk food don't get this." 

It is not yet clear whether the findings will translate to human patients, but the goal now is to "figure out if this can help people." If so, they don't yet know whether Ursolic Acid at levels that might be consumed as part of a normal diet might or might not be enough. 

One way to incorporate the benefits of apples is to include apple fiber into you diet. This can be done easily by just adding a spoonful of apple fiber into a shake or mix it into yogurt or applesauce. The NOW brand is a fairly cheap and good product.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_12511.shtml

Women and Strokes: Facts, Signs, Symptoms

(NewsUSA) – Imagine that you are out shopping with your mother, and she suddenly gets severe hiccups, shortness of breath or palpitations. Maybe you even notice sudden face and limb pain, nausea, chest pain or general weakness.

     Could it be a stroke? You think that some of these signs don’t fit common stroke symptoms, but you might not know that women can display different symptoms than men. According to the American Stroke Association, five warning signs for both men and women can include:
* numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg — especially on one side of the body
* confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
* trouble seeing in one or both eyes
* trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
* severe headache with no known cause

      However, some of the most common complaints among women without any of the five warning signs can be loss of consciousness or fainting, difficulty breathing, pain, nausea, migraines and seizures.
According to Eva M. Rzucidlo, MD, a vascular surgeon and chair of the Women’s Leadership Committee in the Society for Vascular Surgery, persons also may experience a different stroke warning sign called a transient ischemic attack, which lasts for a few minutes to one hour. A TIA can be similar to other stroke symptoms, but usually disappear within 24 hours.
     Sixty percent of people who have strokes are women. Call 911 if you notice someone having any signs of stroke. Patients can be treated with a clot-buster medication, if used within three hours after first symptoms. Your quick response may help one of the 100,000-plus women under the age of 65 each year who have a stroke and reduce possible long-term disability.
     Ask your vascular surgeon if you would benefit from a noninvasive vascular screening that may identify any blood flow issues or blockages in your arteries. Make sure your blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes numbers are under control. Be active, have a healthy diet, limit alcohol, watch your weight and do not smoke.
      To learn more about your vascular health, visit the Society for Vascular Surgery’s website at www.VascularWeb.org.

What is Glucosamine?

 
     Glucosamine is a natural compound that is found in healthy cartilage. Glucosamine sulfate is a normal constituent of glycoaminoglycans in cartilage matrix and synovial fluid.

     Available evidence from randomized controlled trials supports the use of glucosamine sulfate in the treatment of osteoarthritis, particularly of the knee. It is believed that the sulfate moiety provides clinical benefit in the synovial fluid by strengthening cartilage and aiding glycosaminoglycan synthesis. If this hypothesis is confirmed, it would mean that only the glucosamine sulfate form is effective and non-sulfated glucosamine forms are not effective. Glucosamine is commonly taken in combination with chondroitin, a glycosaminoglycan derived from articular cartilage. Use of complementary therapies, including glucosamine, is common in patients with osteoarthritis, and may allow for reduced doses of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents.

Click on the banner above or the picture below to try some out.

Deer Antler Velvet & Arthritis?

     Living in Oklahoma, I see deer at times. And, there is even an Exotic Animal Auction close by that has elk and other hoof stock run through. But, I have never heard of treating conditions in people with Deer Antler Velvet until now! Well, here is the article for you along with a link to the product. If you try it out, let me know how it goes!

"The first health care claim of deer velvet antler to be substantiated by scientific evidence, in compliance with US Food and Drug Administration dietary supplement regulations, was announced by the North American Elk Breeders Association (NAEBA) recently. Executive Director Ben Coplan said the determination, made by two consulting firms hired by NAEBA, Nutrinfo of Watertown, Massachusetts and Tradeworks Group, Inc. of Brattleboro, Vermont, is a significant breakthrough for the nation's 1,400 breeders of farm-raised elk.

According to Coplan, the Nutrinfo report states there is a reasonable basis to claim that velvet antler helps relieve the symptoms of arthritis. However, a disease claim may not be used for a dietary supplement in the US; therefore, the acceptable statement for product labels and advertisements of a dietary supplement would be "provides nutritional support for joint structure and function."

"This determination, by two of the leading dietary supplement firms in the world, is "just what the doctor ordered" for the members of our growing agricultural industry," Coplan said.

Many studies have shown most of the carbohydrate in antler is proteoglycan, which is a combination of protein and carbohydrate. The carbohydrate portion is primarily glycosaminoglycan, of which chondroitin sulfate is by far the predominant constituent. One study cited by the Nutrinfo report evaluated the clinical efficacy of chondroitin sulfate in knee osteoarthritis. Treatment with 3 X 400 mg doses per day for 90 days provided significant relief from symptoms as reported by patients. "We intend to research and substantiate other health benefit claims for velvet antler," Coplan said.

"We want to carefully research the potential benefits of velvet antler supplements for supporting the immune system, anti-aging, muscle strength and endurance, and sexual vitality."

Deer velvet antler has been highly regarded in traditional oriental medicine for two thousand years. It is consumed regularly by people of Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Hong Kong as a highly prized medicinal drug to treat blood loss, weakness, and chronic joint pain. Scientific studies in Canada and New Zealand are now verifying the health benefits of this important supplement.

"The scientific-backed health benefit claim will greatly expand marketing opportunities for velvet antler dietary supplements in the United States," Coplan stated.

The FDA in the United States regulates claims for dietary supplements through a process, which is different than for medicinal drugs; it does not "approve" dietary supplements, but allows producers to substantiate structure/function claims through critical review of scientific studies.

In North America, farmers and ranchers raise approximately 110,000 elk, the largest of the deer family. Historically, the velvet antler harvested by North American farmers has been exported to Asian countries. As the natural foods and dietary supplement market has expanded in the U.S., farmers have turned their attention to the domestic market. Association headquarters is in Platte City, Mo.

Copies of the scientific report on velvet antler are available from the NAEBA office.From: North American Elk Breeders Association.

Click on the bottle below to order some.

10 Natural Home Remedies for Constipation

      Constipation is a common disorder that is rampant among the American populace. Estimates have shown that over 3 million people have constipation annually in the United States. As if that were not enough, more than 2 million also suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The causes of constipation are multifaceted. There is also the added issue of poor diet. Many folks are into fast foods and other "instant" foods that do not benefit the gut in very good ways much of the time.
     There are varied methods in the meantime that will result in some form of relief for anyone who has got constipation. For the purpose of this write-up, we’ll focus a lot more on the natural home remedies useful in constipation relief around us. I have not personally tried out all of these methods, so apply them at your own risk.

1. Drink water regularly. At least 6 glasses of water a day would be very great and therapeutic. Large amounts of water aids quick digestion and enables easier bowel movement.
2. Adding roasted black gram powder to chapatti made of wheat including the husks too can enhance constipation relief.
3. Molasses which have high calorie content are also very good. Beware though as it has a strong taste and you’ll want to add fruit juice or milk to it when taking it. All you really need is two tablespoonfuls of blackstrap molasses just before sleeping at night.
4. Take half a cup of cabbage juice twice a day. This is very effective in treating and curing constipation.
5. If you have access to mango, take one in the morning right after brushing before breakfast, and one at night after dinner. Mangoes are very effective bowel movers. There is a sure guarantee that you’ll have to “go” at least twice before nightfall.
6. Create a mixture of Spiegel seeds and warm milk. This is done by dipping the Spiegel seeds (5-10g) in warm milk (200g). To this, mixture, add sugar and you have for yourself a highly effective treatment method.
7. If you are suffering from chronic constipation, take a drink of figs dipped in water in the morning. If taken in copious amounts, you’ll definitely find yourself reaching for the next available toilet.
8. If you want instant relief from constipation, drink water that has been kept in a copper container and has been left overnight. It acts as a superb constipation relief.
9. Get half a glass of water and mix one-quarter (¼) of Epsom salts with it for fast constipation relief.
10. Also try pouring a whole sachet of Andrew’s Liver Salt in a glass of water and gulp down immediately. This will also produce a fast constipation relief.