Here in the west conventional medicine still seems to be the order of the day when it comes to receiving medical and health advice when visiting one’s personal physician with an ailment. However, that could be set to change in the coming years as Chinese remedies begin to enjoy a period of unrivalled expansion and support in many countries outside of Asia, especially in the field of health supplements.

Chinese medicines R&D.

Currently in Shanghai one company, Hutchison China Meditech, which produces traditional Chinese medicines has invested over $100 million in researching and developing medicines derived from the traditional roots and plants that have been in use for thousands of years. Although their sales for one year in China alone will cover those costs, the company is very excited about a compound they have developed coded - HMPL-004. Made from the traditional Chinese ingredients for curing stomach ailments, it is currently being tested by the FDA as a treatment for bowel inflammation and Crohn’s disease.

More to Chinese cures to follow.

Camptotheca Acuminata - the Cancer tree

Despite having access to the drugs that are so widely used in the west, the Chinese persist in using their own traditional cures and supplements. Other Chinese cures arousing interest in the west at present include the swine-flu drug Banlangen and a cardio-vascular drug composed of 15 different herbal extracts. Also one of the most effective cures for malaria and fevers is based on a herbal remedy from the star anise fruit and cancer drugs derived from Camptotheca Acuminata (also known as the Happy Tree and the Cancer tree), which is native to China. With over 10,000 natural substances used in traditional Chinese herbal preparations the research task is an enormous one. However, once completed it should provide the efficacy necessary to finally acknowledge the role that Chinese medicines can make to our overall health and welfare.

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Whether it’s the humble bread roll or salmon en croute that you have to avoid - being a sufferer of celiacs disease is not only no joke but is really no fun at all. OK, so I guess if you’re desperate to lose a few pounds then being able to say “no” to that slice of cake because you have to follow a wheat free diet may yet be of some help; however, I somehow think it will really be of very little blessing to you.

Celiacs - wheat intolerance.

Bread and pasta - two of the big no-no foods for celiacs.

Celiacs disease can vary from being only a slight intolerance to a complete aversion to eating any food products containing wheat. This ’sensitivity’ to eating wheat and the need to eat a wheat-free diet is seen as a psychological disorder as much as a physical one, but even so to dismiss a celiac as one with a particular food-fad is at unfair indeed. Whatever the underlying reason for the wheat intolerance - an intolerance exists which needs treatment to avoid the sufferer from becoming malnourished due to eating an inadequate diet. With wheat free foods being typically two and three times more expensive than the more common wheat containing ones, wheat free diets especially for anyone living on a budget can be a real problem. So what can vitamin or health supplements do for the celiac?

Vitamin supplements for celiacs.

Research from the University of Alberta has revealed that a wheat free, or even a low wheat diet, can result in vitamin D and K deficiencies, both of which are important for bone development in both women and men. Subsequently apart from recommending a general multi-vitamin supplement for celiacs ensuring that they at least take a vitamin D and a vitamin K supplement is essential - if they wish to avoid problems with their bones in later life. Using a vitamin supplement with children that have celiacs disease can also help to boost their autoimmune systems, which will also be affected by an unbalanced wheat free diet.

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Not all mothers to be succumb to morning sickness but those that do can find it at best an annoyance and in extreme cases downright debilitating. So, what can you do to set about controlling morning sickness and, hopefully, reducing its impact on your daily life.

Anticipating morning sickness.

Unpleasant in any way you want to consider it.

Before going on to consider if any vitamin or health supplements can help with morning sickness there are a couple of simple tricks you can apply to both monitor and reduce occurrences of morning sickness. First of all, as soon as the morning sickness manifests itself, start keeping a diary of the times of the day when it affects you. You will more than likely notice a pattern occurring showing that it is more likely to affect you at certain times of the day - rather than being constantly there throughout the day. Having established the times when morning sickness isn’t affecting you, those are the ‘windows of opportunity’ to eat your meals in with what should be some surety of not then immediately feeling sick. You’ll probably find that eating cold foods will be best, salads and the like, as cold food tends to have less odor which will help you in ‘keeping it down’.

Vitamins and health supplements for morning sickness.

One theory on morning sickness is that it is a form of allergic reaction. Received wisdom is that pregnant women should not be given anti-histamines or vitamin B6 for fear of damage to the fetus. However, talk to your health professional about this one as recent studies indicate that H1 receptor antagonist antihistamines are OK to use, especially Avomine and Valoid. Two other health supplements are ginger and ‘sea bands‘. Ginger is a well known, tried and tested health supplement for dietary disorders; whilst a ’sea band’ will apply pressure on the P6 point - three closed fingers above the wrist - which as well as helping with travel sickness is useful in combating morning sickness too.

Dehydration danger!

In extreme cases of morning sickness dehydration can occur. So, if you want to avoid an early hospital admission keep your fluid levels up regardless of how nauseous you might feel; even if it’s just drinking sips of water or if possible a specially formulated rehydration drink.

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If you like eating nuts and have high cholesterol then some good news for you this week is that by eating more nuts - you can now officially say “nuts to cholesterol“, as eating as little as 70 grams of nuts a day can help to lower your total levels of cholesterol. Even better, as you know we have good and bad cholesterol in our bodies, the nuts will work to reduce your ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and improve the ratio of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol in us.

Why you should add nuts to your diet.

Just 70g of nuts a day can help to reduce your cholesterol levels.

It has long since been suspected that nuts can help us to control the levels of cholesterol in our bodies and a recent report (Archives of Internal Medicine - May 2010), collating the results of 25 clinical trials, now offers conclusive proof. Apparently just 68 grams of any kind of nut(s) a day is associated with a drop in bad cholesterol of 10.4 milligrams per deciliter, approximately a 7.4% drop, and a 10.9mg/dl overall drop in total cholesterol levels - equivalent to a 5.1% overall fall. The reason is quite simple, nuts are rich in unsaturated fats - which are essential in reducing bad cholesterol levels. Nuts are also a great source of protein and also contain fiber to help fight cholesterol and phytosterols which will absorb cholesterol. One thing to be wary of when eating nuts to combat cholesterol is to stay away from things like salted peanuts, as a high salt content could be bad for your heart in other ways!

What else will help to reduce cholesterol?

Other health supplements you can take to help prevent high cholesterol levels include things like vitamin E and C vitamin supplements, while a mineral supplement of Chromium is also known to reduce bad and raise good cholesterol levels if you eat highly refined diet. Whilst the soluble fiber obtained from eating oats can be highly beneficial in reducing cholesterol levels, eating oats is not to everyone’s taste. However, the health supplement Beta-sitosterol is a viable alternative in reducing the absorption of cholesterol from food and bile discharges from the liver into the intestine. A dosage of 300mg twice a day is usually recommended.

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Did you know that there are three vitamin shortages in particular that your body could be suffering from? The three vitamins are the vitamin B complex, vitamin C and vitamin K - none of which can be stored in your body; giving rise to a potential shortage of them. As these three vitamins cannot be stored in the body, it is essential to take vitamin supplements containing them, if you are at any sort of risk of not receiving your daily doses of them through the food that you consume.

Signs of vitamin B shortage.

No girls - eating cake’s no way to combat the three vitamin shortages!

A lack of vitamin B in your body can manifest itself in many ways as the vitamin B complex is actually 6 different vitamins. However, many of the vitamin B components are associated with the ability of the body to perform well overall so watch out for things like irritability, depression, poor sleep patterns and a general feeling of apathy or malaise. Several skin conditions are also associable with vitamin B deficiency such as sore cracks at the corners of the mouth and even the development of eczema. A general loss of appetite is quite common in people with a vitamin B shortage, which can be accompanied by tingling sensations in the feet, headaches, irritability and even nervous disorders.

Signs of vitamin C shortage.

Vitamin C, or Ascorbic acid, is well known for its role in maintaining connective tissue and repairing body damage. So a deficiency of vitamin C will reveal itself in the inability of the body to recover from simple cuts and wounds as well as pains in body joints. Other effects of a vitamin C shortage can include bleeding gums and poor sleep and mood patterns. As a general rule a lack of vitamin C will start to cause the body to deteriorate within 3 or 4 weeks.

Signs of vitamin K shortage.

A shortage of vitamin K in the diet will usually only have a detrimental effect on people with poor fat absorption, meaning anyone already suffering from Crohn’s disease or with a severe gallstone problem. A lack of vitamin K in such people is quite dangerous as it means their blood will not clot easily and raise the risk of hemophiliac should they cut or injure themselves.

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Would you believe it, but in possibly as little as two years time anti-ageing drugs could be available, capable of providing a healthy lifestyle for all beyond the age of 100. Arising from research into age related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, cancers, diabetes and heart disease; Professor Barzali, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, has isolated exactly why some people can live to a “ripe old age” genetically whilst others can’t. The net result of which is that drugs to counter genetic defects that lead to premature cell death can be developed.

Antioxidants and staying forever young.

Don’t go under the knife to stay forever young.

Primary amongst the vitamins and supplements that have anti-ageing properties are anti-oxidant vitamins and minerals. The main ones you need to take are vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene; all of which will mop up those unstable free radicals, which are so damaging to the cells in our bodies. Both of these vitamins will also reduce the risk of heart disease, cancers and even cataracts from developing. Vitamin E has the added benefit of also helping to boost your immune functions. Two mineral supplements to consider are Zinc and Selenium. Selenium will help to fight off free radicals and maintain healthy skin, hair and eyes. A lack of Zinc will mean that your immune system isn’t working to full efficiency; so taking a Zinc supplement will both boost your immune system and help any wounds to heal quickly.

How else to stay forever young.

The importance of staving off osteoporosis as we get older is well known and the simplest way to do this is by maintaining a high intake of Calcium in the diet. However, with dairy products being a major source of Calcium, but not particularly food stuff that everyone enjoys, what other health supplements are there that can be taken instead to fight off osteoporosis? A combination of vitamin D and a Calcium mineral supplement are to be recommended. The calcium supplement will ensure that your calcium intake is what it should be and the vitamin D helps your body to absorb it to maximum effect into your bones.

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As if the politicians don’t want to control our lives enough already comes the astonishing news that the erstwhile Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman, from California of all places, has unbelievably managed to get an anti-vitamin amendment into the wall Street Reform bill currently passing through the House of Representatives. So, whether you take vitamins and supplements to help you to maintain a healthy body or actually need them for a medical condition - the time is fast arriving for you to fight for your vitamins.

How can he do that?

Sure looks mean to me, but is he the devil incarnate - as in effect he’d like to see all new vitamin and health supplements banned.

With the full title of the bill being the ‘Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act’ - Congressman Waxman has quite simply, in our opinion, abused his position to add into the act a personal vendetta against the vitamins and health supplements industry. How has he done this, well by adding an amendment to the bill that gives increased power to the FTC, not the FDA, to regulate and pass laws on health/dietary supplement companies. Now what exactly the Federal Trade Commission knows about health supplements that the Federal Drugs Agency isn’t better placed to pass judgment on - remains a complete mystery! One can only presume that Congressman Waxman is back in the days of the ol’ west and thinks that all vitamin and health supplement products are either being sold as miracle cures or simply must be snake oil! Of course you have to wonder if he’s ’sponsored’ by one of the major pharmaceutical companies - and is really trying to protect their interests, rather than those of his constituents?

The real problem for the vitamin and health supplements industry.

Joking apart there is a real problem here for the vitamin and health supplements industry. As things stand for a product to be sold as a vitamin or health supplement product they have to met well established and known FDA standards. However, under the FTC they can simply pronounce something as unfitting for labeling as a vitamin or health supplement product, without the manufacturer or vendor having any recourse to challenge their decision. Now then, supposing someone wanted to market the ubiquitous snake oil as a ‘cure all‘ for everything from anxiety to zits - fair enough. But to make something like recommending Garlic extract for high cholesterol to become an offence over-night is to say the least harsh. So, if you value being able to try out new vitamin and health supplements as they become available - time to let your congressman know now, and join the fight for your rights.

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If you have inflamed and tender gums, chances are that you are suffering from one of the periodontal diseases known as gingivitis. In extreme cases periodontal diseases can give rise to an increased risk of serious illnesses like heart disease and diabetes; so taking some simple health supplements, along with an improved teeth cleaning regime, would surely make sense to anyone with tender and inflamed gums.

The causes of gingivitis.

Inflamed and tender gums - taking vitamin C can help.

Basically gingivitis is caused by not cleaning your teeth sufficiently well to prevent the build up of plaque and then tartar on your teeth. The problem with the plaque is that it acts as a depository for bacteria which as well as being bad for your teeth is very bad for your gums as, amongst other things, the bacteria in the plaque produces free radicals and other toxins that cause the inflammation. The inflamed gum then promotes the production of cytokines in your body to fight the inflammation, which unfortunately only helps the plaque to strengthen its grip on your teeth.

Controlling gingivitis.

Gingivitis occurs not only because some people neglect to clean their teeth altogether, but it can be due to people only brushing their teeth. Now that might sound a bit odd “only brushing their teeth”, but the fact is that plaque will build up between the teeth and where the teeth meet the gums. It is therefore essential that you brush the gum as well as the teeth and, in order to clean between the teeth, use floss and those special inter-dental brushes - finishing off with a good quality anti-bacterial mouth rinse. Free radicals and oxidants arising from the bacteria are also part of the problem that can cause those painful gums, so you need to take some anti-oxidant health supplements as well. The simplest one to take is a vitamin C supplement. If you have sensitive teeth and gums a vitamin C supplement in tablet form is to be recommended over increasing your consumption of fruit or fruit juices which, although a good source of vitamin C, can cause further tooth decay and their acidity will make your tender gums quite painful. Vitamin C helps by being an anti-oxidant capable of removing the oxidizing free-radicals, it will also regulate the production of cytokine so that your body doesn’t produce an excess of it.

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As frequently blamed on the modern and busy lives we lead as much as anything physiological, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects and disrupts the lives of millions of people in the west. Although IBS arises from a gastrointestinal infection it can, and will, be exacerbated by a stressful lifestyle, depression and failing to following a well balanced diet and one that is high in roughage. To this end various health supplements, including those designed to deliver food roughage, are known to help to alleviate the symptoms of IBS.
 

IBS symptoms and diet.

The symptoms of IBS are typified by abdominal pain and anything from a simple change in the bowel habits to suffering either diarrhea or feeling constipated. In turn this can bring on backache, headaches and even fatigue and increased depression; due to the constant feelings of having a bloated stomach. A key factor in controlling IBS through the diet is to eat regularly, avoiding large gaps between meals, to slowly increase the amount of fiber in your diet, whilst avoiding processed foods and drinks that will exacerbate the irritation. If you like chewing gum - be warned to stay clear of any containing sorbitol, often found in sugar-less gums and sweets; which will provoke diarrhea.  

Have you got that IBS bloated stomach feeling?

Supplements for IBS.

Health supplements to look out for to help you to cope with IBS include; peppermint oil capsules - these can calm the abdominal spasms that give rise to the IBS pains. However, make sure you buy ones that are ‘enteric-coated’, so that they pass through the stomach and into the intestine before being released. Psyllium is a dietary fiber supplement that can be taken with water. It can help both IBS sufferers with diarrhea and constipation, as it can absorb water in the intestine and bulk form good stools. Finally, unless you’ve not seen any TV adverts for years, you must surely already be aware of how good for you Priobiotics are. Priobiotics are the ‘friendly bacteria’ that will both help us to digest food and combat any harmful bacteria in the gut.

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We all like to think that we have steadily beating and rhythmic hearts, when the reality is that at some time or other our hearts will literally skip a beat. For other people having an irregular heart beat is something that they are quite used to, with their hearts beating abnormally quickly or slowly for periods of time. These irregular heart beats are arrhythmias and should be investigated by a qualified medical practitioner. However, for those with an arrhythmia that isn’t serious there are health supplements that can help to control them.

What causes arrhythmia?

In serious cases an arrhythmia can be attributed to coronary heart diseases, thyroid gland problems or even kidney disease. However, they can just as easily be due to a chemical imbalance in the body or even your lifestyle if you’re a heavy smoker or drinker, drink a lot of caffeine or even if you’re just stressed out.

Supplements that can help reduce arrhythmias.

He might give some ladies a heart throb - but not necessarily an arrhythmia!

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