Anti aging vitamins should contain ingredients that address the bases of aging at the cellular level.   Here you will learn about those causes and how best to address them.

Free radical damage is a primary cause of aging that is often discussed.   You hear a lot about it, because there are numerous anti-aging antioxidants available to prevent it and possibly reverse it.

Free radicals are naturally present in the cells of our bodies.   You might be surprised to learn that they perform some vital functions, such as the wipeout of intracellular bacteria.

They are called “radicals” because their behavior is irregular.  They react strangely with a number of things, including environmental toxins and UV radiation.

If free radicals are allowed to behave badly, they can damage cellular membranes and lead to the mutation of cellular DNA.   These cells with damaged DNA are the kinds of cells that cause cancer.

Chronic inflammation is another cause of cellular aging.   It too plays a role in cancer, but it is best known for the role that it plays in age-related diseases like arthritis.

You don’t hear too much about inflammation, because there are not that many natural anti-inflammatories.   To even insinuate that a nutrient has anti-inflammatory effects can get a vitamin company in trouble with the FDA.  It is clear that one of the most potent anti-inflammatories is omega-3 fish oil, though the quality and purity of the fish oil is important.

Other natural anti-aging supplements with anti-inflammatory effects include curcumin and resveratrol, which are also potent antioxidants.  Other potent antioxidants include lycopene, astaxanthin and coenzyme Q10.   As is the case with fish oil, the quality of the supplement makes a big difference.

One of the causes of cellular aging made the news recently when researchers found that it also caused wrinkles.   The reporters were talking about AGEs. AGEs is short for “Advanced Glycation End Products”.  Vitamin makers scarcely mention them because carnosine is the singular nutrient that can prevent AGEs from forming.  Carnosine is expensive.  It must be provided in exactly the right form or it will not be effective.

Xtendlife makes the highest quality anti aging supplements on the market, today.  Visit their website to learn more about the causes of and cures for cellular aging.

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So far, studies on cancer and resveratrol are primarily in the early stages.   The studies have used laboratory animal models or individual cells.

Clinical trials on humans will need to be completed before the compound can be thought of as a treatment for disease.   Dietary vitamins containing the extract are available today.   Thousands of people are buying them because they believe they can prevent or heal disease.

There is even talk about how the compound may help you live longer.   It is one of the nutrients thought to have anti aging effects.

Two of the main causes of cellular aging are widespread inflammation and oxidation.  Resveratrol can act as both an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. It is no wonder people are so excited about it.

In studies concerning life extension, research has shown that restricting caloric intake increases the lifespan by turning on specific longevity genes.  Resveratrol is thought to be a calorie-restriction mimetic.  It has the capacity to turn on those same longevity genes even when caloric intake is not restricted.

Widespread inflammation and oxidation have been linked to the formation of tumors, their growth and the progression of the disease.  Many nutrients have been evaluated for their anti-cancer potential, primarily because of their antioxidant or anti-inflammatory properties.

This is why the resveratrol and cancer studies were performed.   Similar studies have been done on the vitamins A, C, D and E.

Tests have also been performed on some plant extracts, which include green tea and curcumin.  Particular antioxidants like astaxanthin and lycopene have been also been studied.

As a whole, the studies have shown that supplementation may be beneficial.   Too many factors are involved to say for certain that any single anti aging supplement is more beneficial than any other.   They all seem to help.

If you are suffering from a disease, you must first and foremost listen to your doctor.   If you decide that supplementation is something you want to do, don’t forget to tell your doctor which supplements you are taking.   Some natural compounds can interfere with the activity and effectiveness of all kinds of medications.

Chronic inflammation and oxidation are not the only causes of cellular aging.   Now that you have learned a little more about resveratrol and cancer, perhaps you would like to learn about some of the highly rated anti aging natural supplements on the market today.

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Finding the best fish oil capsules is simple, if you know what to look for. The factors that are most important include purity and freshness, omega-3 content, DHA content and anti-inflammatory activity.

Some of those things will be listed on the label. You may have to do a little digging to learn about the others, but you should be able to find the information that you need on the manufacturer’s website. If they don’t make the information easy to find, then choose a different brand. There are lots of different brands on the market. So, there is no reason to settle for second-best.

The omega-3 and the DHA content should be clearly listed on the label. Simply stating that the capsule contains 1000mg of fish oils is not sufficient. Only a portion of the oils found in fatty fish are omega-3s.

DHA or Docosahexaenoic acid is the longest-chained fatty acid. Within the body, it can be easily converted into any of the other omega-3s, such as Eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA, but the reverse does not hold true. The best fish oil capsules provide a minimum of 28% or 280mg of DHA per cap.

DHA deficits are associated with learning and behavioral disorders, as well as depression and dementia. There’s a lot of fat in the human brain and about 40% of it is DHA. There’s a reason that fish is called brain food. There are no other natural dietary sources of DHA. Small amounts of omega-3s are found in plants and in grass-fed livestock, but DHA is only present in fatty fish.

Information concerning purity and freshness should be available at the manufacturer’s website. The best fish oil capsules are free of contaminants and have very low levels of oxidation (spoilage). The manufacturer should have had testing conducted by an independent laboratory to prove that the oils are fresh and pure. You cannot take the company’s word for it. You should look for a COA or certificate of analysis.

Oxidized oils cause fishy aftertastes and burping. When oxidation levels are very low, then the product will be burp-free. The better manufacturers guarantee it.

Fishy burps are annoying, but the worst part is that oxidized oils contain free radicals. We should make every effort to reduce the body’s free radical burden. The best fish oil capsules help us do that, because they have anti-oxidant activity. Antioxidants neutralize free radical molecules before they can damage the cells.

Laboratories can examine the anti-inflammatory activity of the oils inside of a capsule. Researchers have seen that some oils have more anti-inflammatory activity than others.

Some manufacturers have had their supplements tested for anti-inflammatory activity. But, if the supplement is manufactured in the US, there’s no reason to have the testing done. The FDA does not allow manufacturers to make specific claims concerning anti-inflammatory activity, because that would make it a drug.

But, whether the FDA wants us to know or not, the best fish oil capsules do have a high degree of anti-inflammatory activity and the manufacturer can prove it.

Valerie Rosenbaum thinks taking omega 3 fish oil supplements is the easiest and most effective way to improve your health. Visit her site now to discover the pure, fish oil product she uses and recommends: http://www.TakingFishOil.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Valerie_Rosenbaum
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Best-Fish-Oil-Capsules-Contain-DHA-Omega-3s&id=2418422

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Salmon fish oil might not be your best choice for omega-3 supplementation. While Wild Alaskan salmon is the most commonly recommended food choice, because of all of the nutrients that it provides, some of the oils on the market are high in omega-9 fatty acids. Those can have negative health effects.

According to the lipid (fat) analysis provided by one of the major manufacturers, the oils contain an average of 288mg of oleic acid. Some studies indicate that oleic and other monounsaturated fatty acids are associated with an increased breast cancer risk. Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated.

It could be that the omega-3s counteract the negative effects of oleic acid, but ideally, you would want a supplement that contained less. Other species are higher in omega3s, low in omega9s and very low in omega6s.

Researchers feel that typical Western diets are too high in omega6 and too low in omega3. They suggest decreasing omega6 intake while increasing intake of omega3s. One of the easiest ways to lower your intake of omega6s is to cut corn oil out of your diet. It contains 40 times more omega6s than 3s.

Of the lipids in the salmon fish oil mentioned above, only about 60mg are omega6s, which is pretty good, but there are some brands that contain less than 40mg of omega6s. That’s even better.

You see, omega6s and 3s compete for conversion into hormones within the body. The hormones produced from omega6s are pro-inflammatory. The ones produced form omega3s are less inflammatory and stimulate the production of molecules that end the inflammatory process.

Everything within the body is about balance. Inflammation is a necessary function of the immune system, but in recent times there has been a noted increase of autoimmune diseases, in which the inflammatory process turns on healthy cells.

Does salmon fish oil have a high degree of anti-inflammatory activity? The clinical trials and laboratory studies have used oils from other species. So, the answer to that question is unclear.

What one scientific study did show was that one concentrated salmon fish oil supplement contained high levels of mercury. At the recommended dosage, the weekly intake of mercury would be higher than amounts known to cause impaired cognitive skills, tremors and sleep disturbances.

The biggest drawback to including more fish in our daily diet is increasing our intake of mercury. There are some species that cannot be safely consumed, at all, because of mercury contamination. Those species include wild bass, bluefish, wild sturgeon, king mackerel and blue-fin tuna. Other species, like Atlantic and Washington salmon, croaker and flounder should be limited to no more than one serving per month due to PCBs, cancer-causing chemicals.

Food and supplement manufacturers are not required to evaluate a catch for mercury or PCB contamination. It is up to the consumer to look for health alerts from the Environmental Defense Fund and other public health organizations.

Instead of buying salmon fish oil, you might want to consider looking for one that comes from the New Zealand hoki, a small species that swims in very clean waters. It might be a little harder to find, but it is the safest choice.

Valerie Rosenbaum thinks taking omega 3 fish oil supplements is the easiest and most effective way to improve your health. Visit her site now to discover the pure, fish oil product she uses and recommends: http://www.TakingFishOil.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Valerie_Rosenbaum
http://EzineArticles.com/?Salmon-Fish-Oil-and-the-Ratio-of-Omega-9,-Omega-6-and-Omega-3-Make-All-the-Difference&id=2386407

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Don’t buy cod fish oil to get your omega3s. There are much better choices, today. This article covers why using the Atlantic Cod as a source of omega3s is a bad idea.

The North Atlantic is heavily polluted with mercury, PCBs and dioxins. Mercury poisoning has occurred due to eating fish contaminated with it. Since it is in the water, it is in the fish.

The Atlantic Cod and similar species feed on smaller fish. Because of this, the concentration of contaminants increases over the course of the fish’s life. Adults would have a higher concentration of contaminants and their livers would be particularly contaminated, because the liver is the dumping ground for heavy metals.

Most cod fish oil is advertised as cod-liver oil, but it is actually derived from the entire body. A large market for fish meal exists. It is used in animal feed and to fortify certain foods. In order to make the meal, the fishes are ground up and the oils are removed. So, what you actually have is a byproduct of fish-meal production.

From there, the oils will need to be distilled and refined. The act of distillation reduces contaminants, but also reduces the nutritional value. While heavy metals are easily removed with the process, chemical contaminants like PCBs and dioxins may still be present. Manufacturers are not required to test each batch for contamination.

But, assuming that the oils have been purified, there is still a risk associated with cod fish oil. It contains retinol, the animal form of vitamin A.

Retinol is toxic at high doses. It causes birth defects. Regular intake of excessive amounts of vitamin A is associated with osteoporosis and bone fractures. Vitamin A competes with vitamin D for absorption and it interacts with parathyroid hormone which regulates calcium absorption. It has been estimated that 75% of people in developed countries take in more than the recommended daily allowance of retinol on a regular basis.

If vitamin A supplementation is desirable, it is best to take beta-carotene, the vegetable form. Beta-carotene is non-toxic. The body converts it on an as-needed basis to retinol. It is not possible to get too much beta-carotene in the diet.

From an environmental standpoint, taking cod fish oil is not recommended because of over-fishing. The popularity of specific species as food sources has rendered their populations unsustainable. Depletion of one population often affects other populations that feed on it, as well as the entire underwater ecosystem. People don’t often realize how much life on earth depends on life in the oceans.

Right now, the best choices for supplement manufacturers are species such as anchovy and hoki. They are small, reproduce quickly and are low on the food chain. They feed, to a great extent, on sea algae, with is rich in DHA, an important omega3 fatty acid.

The manufacturer should guarantee that their products are free of contaminants and rich in omega3 fatty acids. So, that’s why you shouldn’t buy cod fish oil. Spread the word and save the species.

Valerie Rosenbaum knows that taking omega 3 fish oil supplements is the easiest and most effective way to improve your health. Visit her site now to discover the pure, fish oil product she uses and recommends: http://www.TakingFishOil.com

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