Preserve Precision Vision With Multi-Nutritional Supplements Containing Carotenoids
Filed Under Anti Aging Supplement, Anti Aging Vitamin, Cancer, Enteric Coating, Lutein, Natural Supplements, Nutritional Supplements, Total Balance Supplements, Zeaxanthin | Leave a Comment
What are the side effects of lutein? What are the benefits? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? You will find the answers to those questions and more in this article.
When researchers evaluate the benefit of drugs, they also look at the risks, in order to establish a risk-benefit ratio. If the benefits outweigh the risks, the drug is typically approved.
While it is not a drug, it is not unusual for people to be concerned that there might be negative side effects of lutein intake. At this time, no negative side effects have been reported by people taking “SAVISION”, “Opti-sharp” or other supplements containing it.
If you are taking a supplement and you have a health complaint, you should report it to your doctor. It is highly unlikely that the supplement is the cause, which means that something else is going on. If you have noticed a decrease in visual acuity, it is important to contact your ophthalmologist right away. It is an absolute surety that the supplement would not cause decreased visual acuity, which again means, something else is going on. The sooner you get treatment, the more effective the treatment will be.
So, what are the benefits or “positive” side effects of lutein? These may be several.
It is a member of the carotenoid family. Carotenoids are naturally occurring pigments found in fruits, vegetables and other plants. When nutritionists advise you to eat lots of fruits and vegetables in a wide assortment of colors, it is because of the different carotenoids that each color provides.
At one time, we believed that only beta-carotene, the pre-cursor to vitamin A, responsible for the color of carrots, was essential to the human diet and the health of the eyes. It was also believed that retinol, the animal form of vitamin A, was just as beneficial as beta-carotene, but that was many years ago. Now, we know that retinol can be toxic, because the body can’t get rid of it. Beta-carotene, on the other hand, is converted by the body on an as-needed basis to retinol or vitamin A. Any unneeded amount is simply discarded as waste.
The value of the other carotenoids has only been discovered in recent years. When it comes to the health of the eyes, particularly as we age, two of the most important carotenoids are lutein and zeaxanthin.
It is believed that the positive side effects of lutein and zeaxanthin include the prevention of age-related macular degeneration, as well as the formation of cataracts. The benefit of the nutrients for cataract prevention is not as important as wearing sunglasses that filter out UV light or avoiding cigarette smoke. But, for preventing macular degeneration, increased intake of those nutrients is very important, especially for people that have a family history of the disease.
Many ophthalmologists and optometrists suggest the supplements for all of their patients. Luckily, there are multi-nutritional supplements that contain both of these carotenoids, along with beta-carotene and other essential nutrients. So, you won’t have to take lots of different pills.
There’s no need to worry about any negative side effects of lutein. It’s good for you. So, go ahead and take it.
Valerie Rosenbaum has made it her mission to provide the public with information supporting the use of natural and clinically tested ingredients in their anti aging supplements. The best nutritional supplements will include a full complement of over 70 bio-active ingredients to create a healthy balance of nutrients and antioxidants within the body. If you want to look and feel younger then visit http://www.NaturalBalanceSupplements.com to learn more.
Zeaxanthin and Lutein Supplements to Prevent Blindness in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
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Zeaxanthin is one of the two pigments found in the back of the eye. The back of the eye is something like a movie screen. Images are projected on to it as light passes through the eye’s lenses. This image is transmitted to the brain and that’s how you see what is in front of you.
This film screen in the back of the eye is called the retina. There is a small highly sensitive area within the retina that is called the macula. A disease called “age-related macular degeneration” or AMD is the most common cause of blindness among the elderly.
Within the central macula, zeaxanthin is the predominate pigment. The pigment in the surrounding retina is primarily lutein.
Zeaxanthin and lutein are in the carotenoid family, which also includes beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is converted within the body to vitamin A. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient. Insufficient intake causes a variety of diseases, starting with dry flaky skin and sometimes ending in blindness or death.
The other carotenoids are not (yet) considered essential, since there is no specific acute disease that is caused by their absence in the diet. However, there is growing evidence that many chronic, life-threatening and age-related diseases are caused by low intake of various carotenoids and other “micronutrients”.
Micronutrients are those that are present in many different foods, but only in small amounts. The roles that they play in the human body are not yet fully understood. Many health experts believe that these micronutrients are lacking in most people’s diets, particularly the typical American diet.
Approximately 1.2 million Americans are affected by AMD. In a six year study, the National Eye Institute in Maryland found that lutein and zeaxanthin protect against blindness in those people that have AMD. Several studies indicate that the micronutrients reduce the risk of AMD, altogether.
There are several other risk factors, including family history. The lifetime risk of developing AMD is 50% among people who have or had a relative with the condition, versus 12% of people with no family history of the disease. Yet, even the family prevalence may be related to the body’s ability to create specific nutrients.
For example, ATP is a nutrient that is not considered essential because, it is created within the cells of the human body. But, in people with a family history of AMD, there is often a mutated gene that interferes with the body’s ability to synthesize or make ATP. ATP is the cell’s energy. When ATP production is inadequate, cellular function is negatively affected.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, high intake of dietary fat and oxidative stress all contribute to age-related macular degeneration. In the typical American diet 42% of the caloric intake is from fat. 30% should be the max and 20-25% is probably healthier.
But, regardless of how healthy your diet is, it is a relative impossibility to get all of the important micronutrients in quantities sufficient to protect your long-term health, without supplementation. Most experts recommend 50mg of lutein and 10 of zeaxanthin for daily supplementation.
Valerie Rosenbaum has spent years researching the claims of anti aging supplement products and skin care products to find out which ingredients and products are most effective at slowing or even reversing the aging process. If you are interested in restoring your youthful vigor and appearance then visit her website http://www.NaturalBalanceSupplements.com to learn more.
Stop Degeneration of Eyesight With Complete Anti Aging Supplements That Include Zeaxanthin & Lutein
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Researchers often look at the benefits of zeaxanthin, lutein and other carotenoids at the same time, rather than individually. This family of pigments is responsible for all of the colors that we see in plants, as well as the colors we see in egg yolks, bird feathers, animals and in people’s eyes. Plants produce these pigments. People and other life forms must get them through their diet.
When it comes to zeaxanthin benefits to human health, researchers have primarily looked at age-related eye diseases, although new studies indicate that the benefits of zeaxanthin, lutein and other carotenoids include a reduced risk of various types of cancer and the “metabolic syndrome”.
Metabolic syndrome is a term that doctors and researchers use to describe a group of health problems that are often seen accompanying each other. They include obesity, insulin resistance or high blood sugar, gout, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. If the syndrome is not reversed, it leads to type II diabetes.
Many health problems are associated with type II diabetes, including heart disease and kidney failure. So, you may say that zeaxanthin benefits or may help to prevent a host of illnesses. An eye disease that is the most common cause of blindness among the elderly (age-related macular degeneration or AMD) is just the best known.
The zeaxanthin benefits to the rest of the body are likely due to its antioxidant activity. But, in the eye, it and lutein serve to absorb blue light. They are the primary pigments that are found in the retina, one of the areas of the eye that are essential for vision.
Researchers began to look at the benefits of zeaxanthin and lutein for AMD when it was noted that low blood concentration of the carotenoids was associated with the disease. In other words, people that have AMD often have low blood levels of zeaxanthin, lutein and other carotenoids. Researchers believe that supplementation or increased intake of foods containing the carotenoids reduces the risk of AMD. Basically, what they are telling us is to eat our vegetables.
You can get the zeaxanthin benefits by eating kale, turnip greens, collard greens, romaine (but not ice-burg) lettuce, and broccoli, zucchini, garden peas, Swiss chard, spinach or Brussels sprouts. If you are like many Americans, you don’t see anything on this list that you eat every day. So, the only way for you to get the benefits of zeaxanthin is by taking a supplement.
Even if you do eat a lot of vegetables, there is no way to determine exactly how much of a specific nutrient you are getting when you eat them. Nutrient content varies from plant to plant. There is no doubt that fruits and vegetables are good for your health and you should strive to get 7-9 servings per day.
But, in order to get zeaxanthin benefits, researchers suggest an intake of 10mg per day. A cup of raw spinach contains only 331mcg of the nutrient. Can anyone eat 20 cups of spinach per day? Obviously, the only way to be sure to get the benefits of zeaxanthin is by taking a supplement.
Valerie Rosenbaum has made it her mission to provide the public with information supporting the use of natural and clinically tested ingredients in their anti aging supplements. The best nutritional supplements will include a full complement of over 70 bio-active ingredients to create a healthy balance of nutrients and antioxidants within the body. If you want to look and feel younger then visit http://www.NaturalBalanceSupplements.com to learn more.
Benefits of Taking Lutein in Supplements – Clinical Studies
Filed Under Anti Aging Supplement, Anti Aging Vitamin, Cancer, Enteric Coating, Herbal Supplements, Lutein, Natural Supplements, Nutritional Supplements, Total Balance Supplements | Leave a Comment
There are thousands of published research papers concerning the benefits of taking lutein. Most of the benefits of lutein are associated with eye health. In particular, the antioxidant is believed to reduce the risk of age-related eye diseases and the risk of blindness that can be caused by them. But, that’s not the only thing that researchers have looked at.
This may be a new term for you; “diet-related cancer”. Are scientists saying that food causes cancer? Not really, but they are saying that certain dietary habits are associated with an increased risk of the disease. The latest study indicates that there are benefits of taking lutein, vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, beta-carotene and zeaxanthin for reducing your risk of cancer, especially, if you happen to be Mexican American.
Observational studies have shown that there is a higher incidence of cancer among Mexican Americans that adopt the typical American diet than among those that stick with the more traditional Mexican diet. Researchers took blood samples from 2400 Mexican American men over a period of six years. They found the levels of the nutrients mentioned above were much lower in those men that had adopted American eating habits.
Another recent study showed that the benefits of lutein include a decreased risk of invasive breast cancer among women of all nationalities. Samples were taken from thousands of women in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. They were asked about their diets and their smoking habits. The results are similar to those found in other studies. Low intake of beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer.
Another study supports others in saying that the benefits of taking lutein include the prevention of age-related macular degeneration. Macular degeneration can be caused by other things. But, when it occurs late in life, it is, for all intents and purposes, a nutritional disease. The carotenoids lycopene, zeaxanthin and beta-carotene are also beneficial for preventing this eye disease that often results in blindness.
Some people feel that the benefits of lutein and other carotenoids can be gotten through diet, alone. But, recent research conducted first in Canada and then in the US has shown that fruits and vegetables are not as nutrient-rich as they were only 50 years ago. Did you realize that the data for nutrient content that you see published on the internet and printed on the labels of processed foods are based on measurements taken years ago?
It is safe to say that you should probably eat more fruits and vegetables, for many reasons, but if you want the full benefits of lutein, you need a standardized supplement. The better companies test each raw ingredient and batch for nutritional value, rather than taking an average that was measured some 50 years prior. They also test each completed batch for purity.
Green Tea Dosage – Clinical Studies and Scientific Results
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Many of my readers have asked about the appropriate green tea dosage. There are dozens of different supplements on the market, with dosages varying from 100-500mg or more. The amount that you should take really depends on why you are taking it.
According to the latest research, the antioxidants in the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant may help reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. It may help you achieve healthy cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels. It might help you lose some inches from around your waist and burn more calories. The strongest evidence lies in the areas of heart disease and cancer, although the results of clinical research have at times been contradictory.
For example, one study found a 26% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, but no reduced risk of mortality due to cancer. But, that’s a little different than a reduced “incidence” of cancer. One study showed a 50% lower risk of stomach cancer among regular green tea drinkers.
Using these studies to estimate the correct green tea dosage is difficult, if not impossible. Most of them followed people that drank five or more cups every day. The active components of the tea leaves are believed to be gallic acid and catechins. The amount of these antioxidants that is present in a cup varies greatly. That’s why many scientists say that the studies are not “well designed”.
In a well designed study, the antioxidant content would be measured and controlled. One such study was conducted at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Volunteers with unhealthy cholesterol levels were given either a placebo or 375mg green tea dosage every day for 12 weeks. At the end of the study, those participants that had taken the extract had significantly lower LDL (bad) and total cholesterol levels than those given placebo. The average reduction in LDL cholesterol was 16.4%.
Some scientists would still say that this study was not well designed, because the participants’ diets were not controlled. Actually, the amount of cholesterol in a person’s diet accounts for only 25% of the cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream. The rest is produced by the liver. In other words, diet is only a small factor.
According to nutritionists and doctors of naturopathic medicine, the appropriate green tea dosage for a person that is in relatively good health is 50-100mg per day. For a person with diabetes, the recommended daily dose goes up to 500mg per day, but they recommend a number of other nutrients for that condition, including quercetin, rutin, milk thistle and bitter melon.
For everyone else, they recommend increasing your nutrient intake by taking a good supplement that includes essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids, as well as a variety of different extracts. They make this recommendation, because most people do not get enough nutrients in their diets. They get lots of empty calories, but their nutritional intake is inadequate for even moderately good health. The best supplements contain an appropriate green tea dosage, along with more than 70 other nutrients that support your efforts to live a longer, healthier life.
Valerie Rosenbaum has made it her mission to provide the public with information supporting the use of natural and clinically tested ingredients in their anti aging supplements. The best nutritional supplements will include a full complement of over 70 bio-active ingredients to create a healthy balance of nutrients and antioxidants within the body. If you want to look and feel younger then visit http://www.NaturalBalanceSupplements.com to learn more.
