Have A Heart ... Help It Out

The American Heart Association recommended a supplement that I am behind 100%.

It's important that healthy people get adequate nutrients by eating a variety of foods in moderation. In addition to an 81Mg Aspirin, one supplement that I have been taking is for omega-3 fatty acid.

As someone who has had multiple bypass surgery, I am convinced that I can lower my probability of more cardiovascular disease and/or lower my risk factors by taking vitamin or mineral supplements.

I know that eating more fish has been associated with decreased risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends that patients without documented heart disease eat a variety of fish, that contain omega 3, at least twice a week. Examples of these types of fish include salmon, herring and trout.

Those with documented heart disease should consume about 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids, preferably from fish, but my doctor said supplements could also be considered.

Since my triglycerides, or blood fats were on the high side I take 2 or 3 capsules of fish oil a day. I read that the Japanese average of over 3000 mg of fish oil per day, and their incidence of heart problems is way lower than the rest of the world.

Since I am not overly fond of herring and I can't always get salmon or trout, I rely on supplementation to keep my heart healthy.

Because I am also on a tighter budget these days I found an online store that has a coupon deal. If you go here you can get 5% off your order when you check out by entering the code vip5off.

Try it ... You'll like it!

The Myth Of Vitamin E

Vitamin E is not to be avoided but appreciated for promoting health. If you eat sufficient vegetable oils, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals, you probably have enough vitamin E. but the average American is well below recommended amounts, which means we might need a supplement.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. The current recommendations by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) for vitamin E range from 9-300 IU per day for children 1-3 years of age and 28.5-1,500 IU per day for lactating mothers.

The vast majority of published reports show the benefits of vitamin E in using free radicals and helping control inflammation which cuts down chronic diseases.

Other research has been released cautioning the dangers of vitamin E. In 2005 a review of 19 states found that 400 IU per day of vitamin E increased the risk of dying of any cause. They were small samples, but one with a large target population (nearly 21,000), concluded “no significant differences in all-cause mortality”.

The 2005 study also neglected to publish 12 excluded studies in which fewer than 10 patients died, which made the results less reliable. Even the researchers concluded that they could not evaluate the findings to healthy adult populations” but only those who were already sick when the supplementation was done.

What was not well known at the time was a study showing up to 1,600 IU of vitamin E per day to be safe and other research showing women with the highest vitamin E intakes had a 30-40% lower incidence of heart disease than those with the lowest vitamin E intakes.

Bad news always seems to get more attention.

More recently in 2007, a classic example of conflicting data was one study finding vitamin E to be protective against prostate cancer and another finding no benefit. Further analysis of the studies shows that the one with a protective benefit was far more rigorous than the other study. It lasted over 5 years, giving more reliable results.

Other research has backed up the protective vitamin E study by finding a 32% reduction in prostate cancer risk with vitamin E supplements.

Many times when thinking of dietary or nutritional supplements, we assume if one is recommended, two must be better, and then take four just for good measure.

The secret to being healthy is to use the optimal quantity over time. This is difficult to gauge sometimes because the optimal dose for the majority of dietary supplements have not been defined, but research in this area is growing.

So is vitamin E safe? Yes.

How much should you take?

If we are in good health and eat all our veggies, nuts, and seeds, we may not even need to use vitamin E supplements. But if you decide to use them you can go here to get them cheaper.

There is a short video about vitamin E, as we get older. Click here to see it.

Two Out Of Three Is Too Much

The percentage of Americans aged 20 and older who are overweight or obese is 66.3 percent. This is roughly 132 million adults who weigh too much.

Obesity drugs are certainly not a viable solution, despite the fact that a recently released report, the Booming Global Obesity Drug Market, says that Americans spend billions each year on weight-loss drugs, medications which have serious (and embarrassing) side effects and are for the most part are ineffective.

The report estimates that globally, by 2012, more than two billion people will be overweight and 600 million will be obese.” Wired magazine writes that, “The FDA is under public pressure to slow down its drug approval process and ensure that new drugs are safe”.

What the world needs is an appropriate, and responsible, solution to the problem. That will require lifestyle changes in what we eat and how much exercise we get.

As part of an overall lifestyle approach to achieve our body-weight goals, it makes sense to choose foods, drinks and dietary supplements that promote healthy weight, safely curb hunger and increase satiety (feeling “full”).
According to Steve Mister of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), “There is a legitimate role for dietary supplements as part of an overall weight-loss management program.” Mister added that, “Consumers [must] understand [however] that these products need to be incorporated into a wellness regimen in combination with [a] healthy diet and regular exercise.”

On the negative side, the weight-loss category has attracted a few unethical companies that see this market as a lucrative opportunity. These fringe feeders prey on the hopes and dreams of unsuspecting consumers who, in many cases, sought a “magic pill” solution to their weight loss problems.

All in all, the Federal government's offensive against questionable weight-loss products, claims and companies is good (to weed out cowboy marketers and irresponsible claims), but this attention could be bad if consumers are shunted over to side-effect-ridden OTC and prescription weight-loss products and away from high-quality nutritional supplements, including those that help people achieve their weight-management goals as part of an overall lifestyle approach, such as 7-KETO® and other promising nutrients.

So, if a late-night-only weight-loss infomercial sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Stick to legitimate, high-quality products from trusted manufacturers that are available in your local health-food store.