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| | September 2007 Â | Â Â
Enrich your health with daily "GEMs"Â Â 
If a glance down the supplement aisle of your local health food store leaves you a little overwhelmed or confused, don't worry - you're not alone! With an ever-increasing array of natural health products on the market, many people simply don't know where to start when it comes to a good daily supplement regimen.
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The trio of greens, EFAs and a multivitamin is a great foundational supplement regimen.
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If you're one of these people - or even a seasoned "health nut" - remember the letters "G-E-M": they stand for Greens, EFAs and a Multivitamin. No matter what your age, race, gender, diet or state of health, you will benefit greatly by taking these three "foundational" health supplements, every day.
Greens: Energize and detoxify
While ingredients may vary among brands, all quality greens products offer a potent mix of phytonutrients, such as wheat and barley grass, sea vegetables, chlorella, herbs and berries, to help restore energy, cleanse the body of harmful toxins, support the immune system and aid in the prevention of chronic illness.
In a recent Canadian study, subjects using a greens product experienced greater energy levels an increased sense of vitality, and also noticed improvements in mental health. Earlier research on barley grass - a common ingredient in greens products - showed it reduced LDL-cholesterol levels and harmful free radicals. The researchers concluded that barley grass "in combination with antioxidative vitamins can reduce some major risk factors" of heart disease.
EFAs: Good fats for heart and mind
The amazing health benefits of essential fatty acids (EFAs) are too numerous to detail, but include proven protection against some of the most common health complaints and disorders: cancer, heart disease, dementia, depression, allergies and arthritis, to name a few. EFAs are termed "essential" because our bodies cannot manufacture them; they must be supplied through the diet or supplements, such as fish or flax oils. However, the North American diet is typically high in bad fats and low in good fats. In fact, experts estimate 80% of the population is EFA-deficient. Changing dietary habits to include more greens and EFAs is a great idea, but in many cases would still not supply the levels achieved from supplements.
Multivitamins: Easy health insurance
Should everyone take a multivitamin? Experts ranging from nutritionists to naturopaths to Harvard Medical School researchers to the editor of the New England Journal of Medicine say yes. For pennies a day, a high-quality multi provides a broad range of basic nutrients. It can help fill any gaps that may exist in the diet, or bolster deficiencies in the body's ability to properly absorb or metabolize certain nutrients. Studies verify that a daily multivitamin can help alleviate stress, reduce the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancers, help avoid birth defects, and more.
Everyone is different, and only a trained healthcare practitioner can help determine your individual supplement needs. But if these "GEMs" are the basis of your supplement regimen, you'll feel better, look better, and you'll be that much further toward achieving your optimum health.
Echinacea cuts cold risk by 60%Â Â
We've all heard that echinacea helps fight the common cold. But does it really? New research says yes.
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At the University of Connecticut and Hartford Hospital, researchers conducted a review of 14 published studies in efforts to assess this controversial herb. Echinacea may reduce the risk of catching the common cold by almost 60% and can cut the duration of a cold by 1.4 days, the researchers found.
"Published evidence supports echinacea's benefit in decreasing the incidence and duration of the common cold," they concluded.
In another study, researchers at Bastyr University set out to determine whether echinacea given to children for the treatment of upper respiratory infection (URI) would reduce the risk of subsequent URI.
About 500 children ages two to 11 years old were randomized to receive either echinacea or a placebo to treat any incidents of URI during a four-month period. Among the 401 children with at least one treated URI, almost 70% in the placebo group developed a second URI. Echinacea use reduced the risk of subsequent URI by almost 30%.
Although more study is needed, "echinacea purpurea may be effective in reducing the occurrence of subsequent URIs in children," the researchers concluded.
Probiotics can help heal ulcers Â
Probiotics or "friendly" bacteria are often used to improve digestion and treat gastrointestinal disorders. Now a new animal study suggests they enhance ulcer healing.
Researchers at the University of Hong Kong gave a probiotic strain called Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG directly to rats with ulcerated stomachs for three days.
L. rhamnosus GG successfully colonized and "significantly and dose-dependently reduced gastric ulcer area," the researchers found. The ratio of cells dying to proliferating was reduced and the development of new blood vessels increased.
"When administered orally, L. rhamnosus GG adheres to the mucous membrane of the intestine and may help to restore the balance of the GI microflora; promote gut-barrier functions; diminish the production of carcinogenic compounds by other intestinal bacteria; and ... enhance adaptive immunity, especially during infections."
What are probiotics?
Probiotics are the healthy or "good" bacteria found in the intestines and vagina which protect against the entrance and proliferation of "bad" organisms that can cause disease
Ensure bone health after menopause Â
Genistein and vitamin K can both help preserve postmenopausal bone health, new research suggests.
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Lower estrogen levels after menopause can set the stage for osteoporosis.
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Italian scientists at the University of Messina assessed the effects of genistein, an estrogen-like substance found in soy, on bone metabolism in about 400 postmenopausal women. The women were all "osteopenic," meaning they had decreased bone mineral density (BMD) but not as severe as in osteoporosis.
They were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or 54 mg of genistein daily for two years. Both the genistein and placebo tablets contained calcium and vitamin D. At two years, "BMD had increased in genistein recipients and decreased in placebo recipients" at the primary measuring points, located at the small of the back and the upper part of the thigh (femur) bone close to the hip joint.
Genistein supplementation for two years "has positive effects on BMD in osteopenic postmenopausal women," the researchers concluded.
Similarly, Dutch researchers found that vitamin K supplementation improves hipbone geometry and bone strength in postmenopausal women. In this study, 325 postmenopausal women received either a placebo or a very high-dose of vitamin K2 (MK-4, menatetrenone) for three years. Bone mineral content and femoral neck width increased in the vitamin K group compared to the placebo group. As well, hipbone strength remained unchanged in the former group but significantly decreased in the latter. The researchers said a comparable effect may be achieved using a standard dose of the MK-7 form of vitamin K, found in natto supplements.
Vitamins reduce vision loss in seniors Â
Low vitamin B12 may increase the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a degenerative eye disease and common cause of vision decline after age 60. High vitamin D levels, meanwhile, may reduce the risk.
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At the University of Sydney in Australia, researchers found that low blood levels of vitamin B12 were associated with an increased risk of AMD among more than 2,000 participants in the Blue Mountains Eye Study, a population-based assessment of visual impairment and common eye diseases among older Australians.
As well, high levels of homocysteine in the blood were associated with an increased likelihood of AMD in study participants over age 75. Homocysteine is an amino acid the body derives from the digestion of protein-rich foods.
"Increased homocysteine and low vitamin B12 were independently associated with an increased risk of AMD in this study population," the researchers concluded.
The possible role of vitamin D in protecting against AMD comes to light from the United States, where researchers scrutinized relevant data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Individuals with higher levels of vitamin D were less likely to develop early AMD, the researchers found. Intake of milk and fish, both sources of vitamin D, seemed to reduce the risk; and vitamin D supplements seemed to help those who consumed little milk.
"This study provides evidence that vitamin D may protect against AMD," the researchers concluded, although acknowledging that more research is needed to confirm their findings.
Green tea boosts "detox defense"Â Â
Compounds derived from green tea dramatically boosted production of a group of key detoxification enzymes in people with low levels of these beneficial proteins, according to US researchers at the Arizona Cancer Center.
The findings suggest that a green tea concentrate might help some people strengthen their metabolic defense against toxins capable of causing cancer.
In a study of 42 people, the concentrate - composed of chemicals known as green tea catechins in amounts equal to that found in 8-16 cups of green tea - boosted production of the enzymes by as much as 80% in some people.
The enzymes are believed to be crucial to the body's defense against cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins, said lead investigator, H.-H. Sherry Chow, PhD.
"They actually convert known carcinogens to non-toxic chemicals, and studies have shown a correlation between deficient expression of these enzymes and increased risk of developing some cancers," Chow said.
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