Saturday, May 31, 2008

Health and Nutritional Benefits of Eating Oily Fish



Anchovies
Rich in omega-3 oils, these fish contain calcium, iron and phosphorus. They also provide niacin, which helps with DNA repair, and selenium, for cell function.



Tuna
Yellowfin contains magnesium, phosphorus and potassium, and is a good source of protein, thiamine and vitamin B6. Albacore (bonito del norte) additionally contains vitamin B12, which helps maintain a healthy nervous system.



Herring
Herrings provide protein and vitamin B12, along with selenium and phosphorous, which contributes to DNA health.



Sardines
Sardines are a great source of calcium when eaten with the bones intact, especially for those who want to avoid a dairy-rich diet. Our sardines are fished at their fattest, tastier and with guaranteed levels of Omega 3.


Mackerel
Mackerel contains selenium, vitamin B12 and niacin, and is also low in sodium.

The use of organic cold pressed oils
Cold pressed oils are produced using traditional methods, which retain the oil's nutritional value and flavour. For example, cold pressed sunflower oil is rich in linolenic acid and vitamin E, while olive oil is rich in mono-unsaturated fats and helps to regulate cholesterol levels. Industrial oils are chemically treated and heated to high temperatures, which converts good fats into harmful trans-fats and destroys much of the oil's flavour too.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Food Suggestions for Blood Group Type

Following are a few examples of the three basic classifications (beneficial, neutral & avoid) for each blood type.


Type O
---------
Highly Beneficial: Beef, lamb, liver, eggs, salmon, whitefish, olive and flaxseed oils, onions, kale, garlic, spinach, plums and prunes, pineapple juice, to mention a few.

Neutral: Chicken, turkey, bass, shrimp, lobster, butter, goat cheese, cod. liver oil, almonds, pecans, string beans, rice, rye bread, many vegetables, most fruits, most juices, most spices, mustard, mayonnaise, chamomile tea, beer, red and white wine, plus many other items.

Avoid: Pork, ham, bacon, catfish, lox, milk, goat milk, cheese, peanuts, cashews, navy beans, lentils, wheat, oats, corn, white potato, cabbage, olives, oranges, honeydew melons, strawberries, apple juice, orange juice, vinegar, black peppers, ketchup, coffee (even decaffeinated), tea, and sodas.

Type O‘s have a hardy digestive tract and thrive on animal protein. Organic, free range meats are preferable.


Type A
---------
Highly Beneficial: Rainbow trout, sea trout, whitefish, salmon, soya cheese, soy milk, olive and flaxseed oils, peanuts, lentils, black eyed peas, buckwheat, amaranth, Ezekial bread, rice cakes, broccoli, carrots, kale, spinach and many other vegetables, apricots, grapefruit, pineapple, juice of these fruits, ginger, garlic, mustard, rose hips tea, coffee, red wine, and green tea.

Neutral: Chicken, turkey, ocean perch, sea bass, swordfish, goat cheese, yogurt, kefir, cod liver oil, almonds, filberts, macadamia nuts, green peas , snap beans, rice, corn flakes, gluten-free bread, wild rice, spelt noodles, cauliflower, celery, corn, apples, grapes, melons, peaches, pears, apple and grape juice, very many spices, pickles, jelly, dandelion tea, senna tea, and white wine.

Avoid: All red meats, anchovy, catfish, clam, American cheese, cottage cheese, brie, buttermilk, corn oil, peanut oil, brazil nuts, cashews, navy beans, kidney beans, red beans, grapenuts, shredded wheat, granola, whole wheat bread, white and whole wheat flour, cabbage, all potatoes, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, black pepper, catnip tea, beer, and distilled liquor.

Type A’s flourish on somewhat more vegetarian diets.


Type B
---------
Highly Beneficial: Lamb, rabbit, venison, cod, halibut, salmon, cottage cheese, goat milk, skim milk, olive oil, navy beans, oatmeal, puffed rice, Ezekiel bread, rice, kale, cabbage, carrots, and many other vegetables, bananas, grapes, pineapple, grape juice, cranberry juice, cayenne pepper, ginger, rose hips tea, and green tea.

Neutral: Beef, liver, turkey, whitefish, catfish, white perch, buttermilk, Monterey Jack, cod liver oil, flax oil, pecans, walnuts, white beans, snap beans, grape nuts, granola, gluten-free bread, oat bran muffins, quinoa, brown and white rice, garlic, cucumber, white potatoes, and very many other vegetables, apples, peaches pears, apricot juice, orange juice, most spices, mayonnaise, mustard, many herbal teas, coffee, and red and white wine.

Avoid: Bacon, ham, chicken, duck, pork, shrimp, lobster, anchovy, American cheese, ice cream, peanut oil, safflower oil, peanuts, cashews, filberts, lentils, pinto beans, wheat cereals, corn flakes, multigrain bread, rye bread, buckwheat, couscous, yellow corn, all olives, coconuts, rhubarb, tomato, black pepper, ketchup, senna tea, distilled liquor, and cola.

This type diet represents "the best of the animal and vegetable kingdoms."


Type AB
----------
Highly Beneficial: Lamb, rabbit, turkey, salmon, mackerel, sardine, cottage cheese, goat milk, olive oil, peanuts, walnuts, chestnuts, navy beans, green lentils, oatmeal, Essene and Ezekial bread, rye crisp, white and brown rice, broccoli, celery, kale, garlic, grapes, figs, pineapple, grape juice, carrot juice, horseradish, ginger tea, hawthorn tea, rose hips tea, coffee, and green tea.

Neutral: Liver, pheasant, catfish, carp, sole, snapper, skim milk, soy milk, cheddar cheese, peanut oil, cod liver oil, cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, green beans, northern beans, domestic lentils, grapenuts, seven grains, cream of rice, whole wheat bread, multigrain bread, couscous, quinoa, asparagus, carrots, red cabbage, white potatoes, and many other vegetables, apples, peaches, pears, various melons, apple juice, pineapple juice, prune juice, very many spices, mustard, mayonnaise, jelly from appropriate fruits, catnip tea, peppermint tea, beer, red and white wine.

Avoid: Anchovy, sea bass, lobster, haddock, lox, bacon, beef, pork, veal, venison, ice cream, whole milk, buttermilk, sherbet, corn oil safflower oil, filberts, sesame seeds, lima beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, kamut, buckwheat kasha, lima beans, all white and yellow corn, red and yellow peppers, bananas, oranges, rhubarb, white vinegar, cayenne pepper, ketchup, relish, fenugreek tea, senna tea, distilled liquor, diet and other sodas.


Exercise Suggestions
--------------------------
The amount and type of exercise recommended is related to how different blood types respond to stress. Each type attempts to overcome stress through a distinct, genetically programmed instinct. The ancient hunter ancestors of type O’s had an immediate, physical response to stress that goes directly to muscles. With a physical release at this time a positive effect may come from a bad stress. Type O’s then are suited for intense, physical exercise.

Diabetic patients to be treated with TCM at Hospital

As a practisioner in TCM, it is with great praise and gladness to note that finally, our Western practisioners are looking forward to try out the 'possible effectiveness' of Chinese Medicine as their next alternative. (See below extracts from a mass-media in Singapore).

In the current medical world, it is a known fact there are many areas where TCM has to 'bow' their heads to our western practice, namely; in term of their advanced and sophisticated equipment; indepth medical research; operating superiority; medical aids and medicines etc. This latest move is indeed a good sign in seeking a combined effort to treat and cure our fellow brothers & sisters who are sick.

*********************************************


60 diabetics in SGH trial to protect kidney with TCM

Lee Hui Chieh
Tue, Apr 01, 2008
The Straits Times

INSTEAD of just popping Western-medicine pills, some diabetic patients at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) will soon be drinking a concoction of medicinal herbs.

They will be taking part in a three-month-long study into how well traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can prevent kidney damage in diabetics, compared to the Western drug normally given.

All 60 patients in the study will be given the usual medication to lower their blood-sugar levels and for other conditions such as high cholesterol.But they will be split into two groups - with half getting enalapril, a commonly prescribed Western drug which protects the kidney, and the other half getting a concoction of nine TCM herbs.

The doctors running the study are Dr Bee Yong Meng, an associate consultant at SGH's endocrinology department, and Dr Xu Yue, an associate professor of endocrinology at the Shanghai TCM Hospital, now on secondment to the Bao Zhong Tang TCM Centre at SGH.

Diabetic patients whose urine already contains a certain protein - a sign of kidney damage - or whose blood pressure is high, are given medication to lower their blood pressure and protect their kidneys.

Without treatment, patients who already have some kidney damage can end up with kidney failure.

But the medication produces in some patients side effects such as cough, which can be bad enough for them to be taken off the medication, said Dr Bee.

He said if the study yielded favourable results, TCM could become a 'feasible option' for patients who cannot tolerate the medication.

'And if patients prefer TCM, at least we have some evidence to say if they should have it or not', he added.

Dr Xu said a similar study on 100 patients she is doing in Shanghai has shown, after a year, that the TCM prescription works as well as standard drugs in protecting the kidneys - without the side effects.

Dr Linn Yeh Ching, a senior consultant haematologist at SGH, will also be doing two studies to find out the effectiveness of TCM for patients with blood disorders.

The first study, lasting a year, will give TCM herbs to 10 patients with a disorder that causes a low platelet count and for whom conventional treatment has failed.

The second one, also lasting a year, will give TCM herbs to 30 patients with blood disorders that cause anaemia. Many of them tend to be elderly people unable to undergo bone marrow transplants, so they can be given only supportive treatment, Dr Linn said.

Associate Professor Ng Han Seong, who chairs SGH's medical board, said the hospital was looking to do TCM-related research in three areas - patients for whom conventional medicine has nothing left to offer, patients with chronic diseases, and cancer.

He said: 'If we are able to find an alternative, we can give patients another option'.

Monday, May 26, 2008

10 Types of Foods that build 'Bones'

[These information are extracted from MSN Health & Fitness]

1) Alaskan King Crabs


High in protein and low in fat, the sweet flesh of the king crab is spiked with zinc — a whopping 7 milligrams per 3.5-ounce serving. "Zinc is an antioxidant, but more important, it helps support healthy bone mass and immune function," says Susan Bowerman, assistant director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California at Los Angeles.


2) Dried Plums or Prunes


These dark shrivelers are rich in copper and boron, both of which can help prevent osteoporosis. "They also contain a fiber called inulin, which, when broken down by intestinal bacteria, makes for a more acidic environment in the digestive tract," says Bowerman. "That, in turn, facilitates calcium absorption." Enjoy four or five a day to strengthen your bones and boost your energy.


3) Bok Choy Vegetables


This crunchy cruciferous vegetable is more than the filler that goes with shrimp in brown sauce. "Bok choy is rich in bone-building calcium, as well as vitamins A and C, folic acid, iron, beta-carotene, and potassium," says celebrity trainer Teddy Bass. Potassium keeps your muscles and nerves in check while lowering your blood pressure, and research suggests that beta-carotene can reduce the risk of both lung and bladder cancers, as well as macular degeneration. Shoot for a cup a day.


4) Oysters


Shellfish, in general, is an excellent source of zinc, calcium, copper, iodine, iron, potassium, and selenium. "But the creamy flesh of oysters stands apart for its ability to elevate testosterone levels and protect against prostate cancer," says Bass.


5) Bananas


Athletes and performers are familiar with the calming effect of bananas — a result of the fruit's high concentration of tryptophan, a building block of serotonin. But their real benefit comes from potassium, an electrolyte that helps prevent the loss of calcium from the body.

"Bananas also bolster the nervous system, boost immune function, and help the body metabolize protein," says Bass. "One banana packs a day's worth of potassium, and its carbohydrate content speeds recovery after strenuous exercise."


6) Kiwi Fruits


Like bananas, this fuzzy fruit is high in bone-protecting potassium. "They're also rich in vitamin C and lutein, a carotenoid that can help reduce the risk of heart disease," says Bowerman. "I try to eat at least one or two a week after exercising." Freeze them for a refreshing energy kick, but don't peel the skin: It's edible and packed with nutrients.


7) Brocolli


One cup of broccoli contains a hearty dose of calcium, as well as manganese, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. And that's in addition to its high concentration of vitamins — including A, C, and K — and the phytonutrient sulforaphane, which studies at Johns Hopkins University suggest has powerful anticancer properties. Broccoli may also help reduce excess estrogen levels in the body


8) Spinach


A renowned muscle builder, spinach is also rich in vitamin K, which has been shown to bolster bone-mineral density (thus protecting against osteoporosis) and reduce fracture rates. Spinach is also high in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and even selenium, which may help protect the liver and ward off Alzheimer's.

One more reason to add it to your diet: A study in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that the carotenoid neoxanthin in spinach can kill prostate cancer cells, while the beta-carotene fights colon cancer.


9) Leeks


These scallion-like cousins of garlic and onions are packed with bone-bolstering thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and potassium. Leeks are also rich in folic acid, a B vitamin that studies have shown to lower levels of the artery-damaging amino acid homocystein in the blood.

What's more, "Leeks can support sexual functioning and reduce the risk of prostate cancer," says Michael Dansinger, MD, an assistant professor of medicine and an obesity researcher at Tufts-New England Medical Center, in Boston. "Chop the green part of a medium leek into thin ribbons and add it to soups, sautés, and salads as often as possible."


10) Artichokes


Lauded for centuries as an aphrodisiac, this fiber-rich plant contains more bone-building magnesium and potassium than any other vegetable. Its leaves are also rich in flavonoids and polyphenols — antioxidants that can cut the risk of stroke — and vitamin C, which helps maintain the immune system.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

What is Leukoplakia and its causes ?

[Extracted from MedHelp Website]

Leukoplakia is a precancerous lesion that develops on the tongue or the inside of the cheek as a response to chronic irritation. Occasionally, leukoplakia patches develop on the female external genitalia.

Causes

Leukoplakia is primarily a disorder of the mucous membranes of the mouth, caused by irritation. Lesions usually develop on the tongue, but they may also appear on the insides of the cheek.



Irritation may result from rough teeth or rough places on dentures, fillings, and crowns. It may also result from smoking or other tobacco use (smoker's keratosis). Pipe smoking involves a high risk for development of leukoplakia, as does holding chewing tobacco or snuff in the mouth for a prolonged period of time.

Leukoplakia patches may develop on the female external genital area, but the cause is unknown.

Like other mouth ulcers, leukoplakia may become a cancerous lesion.

The disorder is most common in the elderly.

"Hairy" leukoplakia of the mouth is an unusual form of leukoplakia that is seen only in HIV-positive individuals. It consists of fuzzy white patches on the tongue, and less frequently, elsewhere in the mouth. It may resemble thrush, a type of candida infection that, in adults, is also associated with HIV and AIDS. Hairy leukoplakia may be one of the first signs of infection with HIV.



Symptoms

The primary symptom of leukoplakia is a skin lesion with the following characteristics :

Location

-Usually on the tongue
-May be on the inside of the cheeks
-In females, occasionally on the genitals

Color

-Usually white or gray
-May be red (called erythroplakia)

Texture

-Thick
-Slightly raised
-Hardened surface

The symptoms of hairy leukoplakia are painless, fuzzy, white patches on the tongue.

Exams and Tests

The typical white patch of leukoplakia develops slowly, over weeks to months. The lesion may eventually become rough in texture, and may become sensitive to touch, heat, spicy foods, or other irritation.

A biopsy of the lesion confirms the diagnosis. An examination of the biopsy specimen may find changes that indicate oral cancer.

Treatment

-The goal of treatment is to eliminate the lesion. Removal of the source of irritation is important and may lead to disappearance of the lesion.

-Dental causes such as rough teeth, irregular denture surface, or fillings should be treated as soon as possible.

-Smoking or other tobacco use should be stopped.

-Surgical removal of the lesion may be necessary. The lesion is usually removed in your health care provider's office with the use of local anesthesia.

Some research has shown that vitamin A or vitamin E may shrink lesions, but this should only be administered with close supervision by a health care provider.

Treatment of leukoplakia on the vulva is the same as treatment of oral lesions.



Outlook (Prognosis)

Leukoplakia is usually harmless, and lesions usually clear in a few weeks or months after the source of irritation is removed. Approximately 3% of leukoplakia lesions develop cancerous changes.

Hairy leukoplakia is often a sign of HIV infection and an increased likelihood of developing AIDS.

Possible Complications

-Chronic discomfort
-Infection of the lesion
-Oral cancer

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you have any lesions resembling leukoplakia or hairy leukoplakia.

Prevention

Minimize or stop smoking or other tobacco use. Have rough teeth treated and dental appliances repaired promptly.

Safer sexual practices minimize the risk of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases, including HIV.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

What is Okra, or Lady Fingers ?

[From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]


Okra, also known as lady's finger, is a flowering plant in the mallow family (along with such species as cotton and cocoa) valued for its edible green fruits. Its scientific name is Abelmoschus esculentus.



The species is an annual or perennial, growing to 2m tall. The leaves are 10–20cm long and broad, palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes. The flowers are 4–8cm diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base of each petal. The fruit is a capsule up to 18cm long, containing numerous seeds.

The species apparently originated in the Ethiopian Highlands, though the manner of distribution from there is undocumented. The Egyptians and Moors of the 12th and 13th centuries used the Arab word for the plant, suggesting that it had come from the east. The plant may thus have been taken across the Red Sea or the Bab-el-Mandeb strait to the Arabian Peninsula, rather than north across the Sahara. One of the earliest accounts is by a Spanish Moor who visited Egypt in 1216, who described the plant under cultivation by the locals who ate the tender, young pods with meal.

From Arabia, the plant spread around the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and eastward. The lack of a word for okra in the ancient languages of India suggests that it arrived there in the Common Era. The plant was introduced to the Americas by ships plying the Atlantic slave trade by 1658, when its presence was recorded in Brazil. It was further documented in Suriname in 1686. Okra may have been introduced to the southeastern North America in the early 18th century and gradually spread. It was being grown as far north as Philadelphia by 1748, while Thomas Jefferson noted that it was well established in Virginia by 1781. It was commonplace throughout the southern United States by 1800 and the first mention of different cultivars was in 1806.

Abelmoschus esculentus is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world for its fibrous fruits or pods containing round, white seeds. The fruits are harvested when immature and eaten as a vegetable.

In Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Yemen, and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean, okra is widely used in a thick stew made with vegetables and meat. In Indian cooking, it is sauteed or added to gravy-based preparations and is very popular in South India. In Caribbean islands okra is cooked up and eaten as soup, often with fish. In Haiti it is use in rice and maiz and also with meat for sauce. It became a popular vegetable in Japanese cuisine toward the end of the 20th century, served with soy sauce and katsuobushi or as tempura. It is used as a thickening agent in gumbo. Breaded, deep fried okra is served in the southern United States. The immature pods may also be pickled.



Okra fruits used as a vegetable

Okra slices show the pentagonal cross-section of the fruit. Okra leaves may be cooked in a similar manner as the greens of beets or dandelions. The leaves are also eaten raw in salads. Okra seeds may be roasted and ground to form a non-caffeinated substitute for coffee. As imports were disrupted by the American Civil War in 1861, the Austin State Gazette noted, "An acre of okra will produce seed enough to furnish a plantation of fifty negroes with coffee in every way equal to that imported from Rio."

Okra forms part of several regional 'signature' dishes. Frango com quiabo (chicken with okra) is a Brazilian dish that is especially famous in the region of Minas Gerais. Gumbo, a hearty stew whose key ingredient is okra, is found throughout the Gulf Coast of the United States. The word "gumbo" is based on the Central Bantu word for okra, "kigombo", via the Caribbean Spanish "guingambó" or "quimbombó". It is also an expected ingredient in callaloo, a Caribbean dish and the national dish of Trinidad & Tobago. Okra is also enjoyed in Nigeria where okra soup (Draw soup) is a special delicacy with Garri(eba)or akpu.



Okra oil is a pressed seed oil, extracted from the seeds of the okra. The greenish yellow edible oil has a pleasant taste and odor, and is high in unsaturated fats such as oleic acid and linoleic acid. The oil content of the seed is quite high at about 40%. Oil yields from okra crops are also high. At 794 kg/ha, the yield was exceeded only by that of sunflower oil in one trial.

Unspecified parts of the plant reportedly possess diuretic properties.

Cultivation

Okra flowers range from white to yellowAbelmoschus esculentus is among the most heat-and drought-tolerant vegetable species in the world. It will tolerate poor soils with heavy clay and intermittent moisture. Severe frost can damage the pods. It is an annual crop in the southern United States.

In cultivation, the seeds are soaked overnight prior to planting to a depth of 1-2 cm. Germination occurs between six days (soaked seeds) and three weeks. Seedlings require ample water. The seed pods rapidly become fibrous and woody and must be harvested within a week of the fruit being pollinated to be edible.



The products of the plant are mucilaginous, resulting in the characteristic "goo" when the seed pods are cooked. In order to avoid this effect, okra pods are often stir fried, so the moisture is cooked away, or paired with slightly acidic ingredients, such as citrus or tomatoes. The cooked leaves are also a powerful soup thickener.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Benefits of Coconut Water



[Extracted from Living and Raw Foods]

Drinking coconut water has many benefits. Coconut Water is naturally :

• Low in Carbs
• 99% Fat Free
• Low in sugars

Coconut water contains organic compounds possessing healthy growth promoting properties that have been known to help :

1. Keep the body cool and at the proper temperature.
2. Orally re-hydrate your body, it is an all natural isotonic beverage.
3. Carry nutrients and oxygen to cells.
4. Naturally replenish your body's fluids after exercising.
5. Raise your metabolism.
6. Promote weight loss.
7. Boost your immune system.
8. Detoxify and fight viruses.
9. Cleanse your digestive tract.
10. Control diabetes.
11. Aid your body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes,
and AIDS.
12. Balance your PH and reduce risk of cancer.
13. Treat kidney and urethral stones.
14. Boost poor circulation.

Coconut Water

The English name coconut, first mentioned in English print in 1555, comes from Spanish and Portugese word coco, which means "monkey face." Spanish and Portugese explorers found a resemblance to a monkey's face in the three round indented markings or "eyes" found at the base of the coconut. On the Nicobar Islands of the Indian Ocean, whole coconuts were used as currency for the purchace of goods until the early part of the twentieth century.

Coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm, botanically known as cocos nucifera, with nucifera meaning "nut-bearing." The fruit-bearing palms are native to Malaysia, Polynesia and southern Asia, and are now also prolific in South America, India , the Pacific Islands , Hawaii and Florida. The light, fibrous husk allowed it to easily drift on the oceans to other areas to propagate. In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning "tree which gives all that is necessary for living," since nearly all parts of the tree can be used in some m anner or another. The coconut itself has many food uses, including milk, meat, sugar and oil as well as functioning as its own dish and cup. The husk was also burned for fuel by natives, but today a seed fibre called coir is taken from the husk and used to make brushes, mats, fishnets, and rope. A very potent fermented toddy or drink is also made from the coconut palm's sap. Coconut oil, a saturated fat made from dried coconut meat, is used for commercial frying and in candies and margarines, as well as in non-edible products such as soaps and cosmetics.

Although it takes up to a year for coconuts to mature, the trees bloom up to thirteen times a year, so fruit is constantly forming yielding a continuous harvest year-round. An average harvest from one tree runs about 60 coconuts, with some trees yielding three times that amount. The coconut's name is a bit of a misnomer, since it is botanically classified as a drupe and not a nut. It is the largest seed known.

If you've ever opened a fresh coconut, you will have seen the thin, opaque almost clear coconut juice or water which has a slight almond flavor. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the coconut milk.

However, the water is consumed as a drink fresh from the coconut by many, and it can also be used in recipes.

More information about Coconut Water

"It's a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It's the fluid of life, so to speak." In fact, during the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water - siphoned directly from the nut - to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers.

Most coconut water is still consumed fresh in tropical coastal areas - once exposed to air, the liquid rapidly loses most of its organoleptic and nutritional characteristics, and begins to ferment.

• Coconut Water is more nutritious than whole milk
- Less fat and NO cholesterol.

• Coconut Water is More Healthy than Orange Juice
- Much lower calories.

• Coconut Water is Better than processed baby milk
- It contains lauric acid, which is present in human mother's milk.

• Coconut water is naturally sterile
- Water permeates though the filtering husk.

• Coconut water is a universal donor
- Its identical to human blood plasma.

• Coconut Water is a Natural Isotonic Beverage
- The same level we have in our blood.

• Coconut water has saved lives in 3rd world countries.

"Coconut water is the very stuff of Nature, biologically Pure, full of Natural Sugars, Salts, and Vitamins to ward off fatigue and is the next wave of energy drinks BUT natural", according to Mortin Satin, Chielf of the United Nation's Food & Agriculture Organization.

• Coconut water contains more potassium (at about 294 mg) than most sports drinks (117 mg) and most energy drinks.

• Coconut water has less sodium (25mg) where sports drinks have around 41mg and energy drinks have about 200 mg.

• Coconut water has 5mg of Natural Sugars where sports and energy drinks range from 10-25mg of Altered Sugars.

• Coconut water is very high in Chloride at 118mg, compared to sports drinks at about 39mg.

[Data is based on a 100ml drink]

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Types of Medication for Diabetes Treatment

[Extracted from American Diabetes Association]

In people with diabetes, blood glucose levels are too high. These high levels occur because glucose remains in the blood rather than entering cells, where it belongs. But for glucose to pass into a cell, insulin must be present and the cell must be "hungry" for glucose.

People with type 1 diabetes don't make insulin. For them, insulin shots are the only way to keep blood glucose levels down.

People with type 2 diabetes tend to have two problems : they don't make quite enough insulin and the cells of their bodies don't seem to take in glucose as eagerly as they should.

All diabetes pills sold today in the United States are members of five classes of drugs : sulfonylureas (Glicazide), meglitinides, biguanides (Metformin), thiazolidinediones, and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. These five classes of drugs work in different ways to lower blood glucose levels.

Sulfonylureas

Sulfonylureas stimulate the beta cells of the pancreas to release more insulin. Sulfonylurea drugs have been in use since the 1950s. Chlorpropamide (brand name Diabinese) is the only first-generation sulfonylurea still in use today. The second generation sulfonylureas are used in smaller doses than the first-generation drugs. There are three second-generation drugs: glipizide (brand names Glucotrol and Glucotrol XL), glyburide (Micronase, Glynase, and Diabeta), and glimepiride (Amaryl). These drugs are generally taken one to two times a day, before meals. All sulfonylurea drugs have similar effects on blood glucose levels, but they differ in side effects, how often they are taken, and interactions with other drugs.

Meglitinides

Meglitinides are drugs that also stimulate the beta cells to release insulin. Repaglinide (brand name Prandin) and nateglinide (Starlix) are meglitinides. They are taken before each of three meals.

Because sulfonylureas and meglitinides stimulate the release of insulin, it is possible to have hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels).

You should know that alcohol and some diabetes pills may not mix. Occasionally, chlorpropamide, and other sulfonylureas, can interact with alcohol to cause vomiting, flushing, or sickness. Ask your doctor if you are concerned about any of these side effects.

Biguanides

Metformin (brand name Glucophage) is a biguanide. Biguanides lower blood glucose levels primarily by decreasing the amount of glucose produced by the liver. Metformin also helps to lower blood glucose levels by making muscle tissue more sensitive to insulin so glucose can be absorbed. It is usually taken two times a day. A side effect of metformin may be diarrhea, but this is improved when the drug is taken with food.

Thiazolidinediones

Rosiglitazone (Avandia) and pioglitazone (ACTOS) are in a group of drugs called thiazolidinediones. These drugs help insulin work better in the muscle and fat and also reduce glucose production in the liver. The first drug in this group, troglitazone (Rezulin), was removed from the market because it caused serious liver problems in a small number of people. So far rosiglitazone and pioglitazone have not shown the same problems, but users are still monitored closely for liver problems as a precaution. Both drugs appear to increase the risk for heart failure in some individuals, and there is debate about whether rosiglitazone may contribute to an increased risk for heart attacks. Both drugs are effective at reducing A1C and generally have few side effects.

DPP-4 Inhibitors

A new class of medications called DPP-4 inhibitors help improve A1C without causing hypoglycemia. They work by by preventing the breakdown of a naturally occuring compound in the body, GLP-1. GLP-1 reduces blood glucose levels in the body, but is broken down very quickly so it does not work well when injected as a drug itself. By interfering in the process that breaks down GLP-1, DPP-4 inhibitors allow it to remain active in the body longer, lowering blood glucose levels only when they are elevated. DPP-4 inhibitors do not tend to cause weight gain and tend to have a neutral or positive effect on cholesterol levels. Sitagliptin (Januvia) is currently the only DPP-4 inhibitor on the market.

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors

Acarbose (brand name Precose) and meglitol (Glyset) are alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. These drugs help the body to lower blood glucose levels by blocking the breakdown of starches, such as bread, potatoes, and pasta in the intestine. They also slow the breakdown of some sugars, such as table sugar. Their action slows the rise in blood glucose levels after a meal. They should be taken with the first bite of a meal. These drugs may have side effects, including gas and diarrhea.

Oral combination therapy

Because the drugs listed above act in different ways to lower blood glucose levels, they may be used together. For example, a biguanide and a sulfonylurea may be used together. Many combinations can be used. Though taking more than one drug can be more costly and can increase the risk of side effects, combining oral medications can improve blood glucose control when taking only a single pill does not have the desired effects. Switching from one single pill to another is not as effective as adding another type of diabetes medicine.

Can diabetes pills help me ?

Only people with type 2 diabetes can use pills to manage their diabetes. These pills work best when used with meal planning and exercise. This way you have three therapies working together to lower your blood glucose levels.

Diabetes pills don't work for everyone. Although most people find that their blood glucose levels go down when they begin taking pills, their blood glucose levels may not go near the normal range.

What are the chances that diabetes pills will work for you ? Your chances are low if you have had diabetes for more than 10 years or already take more than 20 units of insulin each day. On the other hand, your chances are good if you developed diabetes recently or have needed little or no insulin to keep your blood glucose levels near normal.

Diabetes pills sometimes stop working after a few months or years. The cause is often unknown. This doesn't mean your diabetes is worse. When this happens, oral combination therapy can help.

Even if diabetes pills do bring your blood glucose levels near the normal range, you may still need to take insulin if you have a severe infection or need surgery. Pills may not be able to control blood glucose levels during these stressful times when blood glucose levels shoot up.

Also, if you plan to become pregnant, you will need to control your diabetes with diet and exercise or with insulin. It is not safe for pregnant women to take oral diabetes medications.

There is no "best" pill or treatment for type 2 diabetes. You may need to try more than one type of pill, combination of pills, or pills plus insulin.

What about insulin ?

Although it is a common practice to try pills before insulin, you may start on insulin based on several factors.

These factors include :

how long you have had diabetes;
how high your blood glucose level is;
what other medicines you take;
your overall health;

Because diabetes pills seem to help the body use insulin better, some people take them along with insulin shots. The idea behind this "combination" therapy is to try to help insulin work better.

Using diabetes medications wisely

In general, diabetes pills are safe and work well. But like any other drug, they must be used with care.

All diabetes pills can interact with other medicines. Because of the chance of medication interactions, you need to tell your doctor about all medicines you are taking. While you're taking diabetes pills, you should check with your doctor even before starting anything new -- even over-the-counter items.

Any sulfonylurea or meglitinide can cause blood glucose levels to drop too low (hypoglycemia). Metformin or the glitazones rarely cause hypoglycemia unless taken with insulin stimulators (sulfonylureas or repaglinide) or insulin injections. Acarbose or meglitol, taken as prescribed, does not cause hypoglycemia. However, hypoglycemia can occur when acarbose or meglitol is taken in combination with other oral diabetes medications.

Two new injectable drugs have recently been approved by the FDA

Pramlintide (brand name Symlin) is a synthetic form of the hormone amylin, which is produced along with insulin by the beta cells in the pancreas. Amylin, insulin, and another hormone, glucagon, work in an interrelated fashion to maintain normal blood glucose levels.

Pramlintide injections taken with meals have been shown to modestly improve A1C levels without causing increased hypoglycemia or weight gain and even promoting modest weight loss. The primary side effect is nausea, which tends to improve over time and as an individual patient determines his or her optimal dose.

Because of differences in chemistry, pramlintide cannot be combined in the same vial or syringe with insulin and must be injected separately. Pramlintide has been approved for people with type 1 diabetes who are not achieving their goal A1C levels and for people with type 2 diabetes who are using insulin and are not achieving their A1C goals.

Exenatide (brand name Byetta) is the first in a new class of drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes called incretin mimetics. Exenatide is a synthetic version of exendin-4, a naturally-occurring hormone that was first isolated from the saliva of the lizard known as a Gila monster. Exenatide works to lower blood glucose levels primarily by increasing insulin secretion. Because it only has this effect in the presence of elevated blood glucose levels, it does not tend to increase the risk of hypoglycemia on its own, although hypoglycemia can occur if taken in conjunction with a sulfonylurea. The primary side effect is nausea, which tends to improve over time.

Like pramlintide, exenatide is injected with meals and, as with pramlintide, patients using exenatide have generally experienced modest weight loss as well as improved glycemic control. Exenatide has been approved for use by people with type 2 diabetes who have not achieved their target A1C levels using metformin, a sulfonylurea, or a combination of metformin and a sulfonylurea.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Interesting Facts About Water and Salt

[Extracted from Jim Clark's Potent Nutritional Supplements]

Salt Intake is Vital

Salt is vital to the extraction of excess acidity from the cells in the body, particularly the brain cells.

Salt is a vital substance for the survival of all living creatures, particularly humans. Water and salt regulate the water content of the body. Water itself regulates the water content of the interior of the cell by working its way into all of the cells it reaches. It has to get there to cleanse and extract the toxic wastes of cell metabolisms. Salt forces some water to stay outside the cells. It balances the amount of water that stays outside the cells. There are two oceans of water in the body; one ocean is held inside the cells of the body, and the other ocean is held outside the cells. Good health depends on a most delicate balance between the volume of these oceans, and this balance is achieved by salt - unrefined salt.

When water is available to get inside the cells freely, it is filtered from the outside salty ocean and injected into the cells that are being overworked despite their water shortage. This is the reason why in severe dehydration we develop an edema and retain water. The design of our bodies is such that the extent of the ocean of water outside the cells is expanded to have the extra water available for filtration and emergency injection into vital cells. The brain commands an increase in salt and water retention by the kidneys. This is how we get an edema when we don't drink enough water.

Initially, the process of water filtration and its delivery into the cells is more efficient at night when the body is horizontal. The collected water, that mostly pools in the legs, does not have to fight the force of gravity to get onto the blood circulation. If reliance of this process of emergency hydration of some cells continues for long, the lungs begin to get waterlogged at night, and breathing becomes difficult. The person needs more pillows to sit upright to sleep. This condition is the consequence of dehydration. However, you might overload the system by drinking too much water at the beginning. Increases in water intake must be slow and spread out until urine production begins to increase at the same rate that you drink water.

When we drink enough water to pass clear urine, we also pass out a lot of the salt that was held back. This is how we can get rid of edema fluid in the body; by drinking more water. Not diuretics, but more water !! In people who have an extensive edema and show signs of their heart beginning to have irregular or very rapid beats with least effort, the increase in water intake should be gradual and spaced out, but not withheld from the body. Naturally, salt intake should be limited for two or three days because the body is still in an overdrive mode to retain it. Once the edema has cleared up, salt should not be withheld from the body.

Salt has many other functions than just regulating the water content of the body. Here are some of the more vital functions of salt in the body :

1. Salt is most effective in stabilizing irregular heartbeats and, contrary to the misconception that it causes high blood pressure, it is actually essential for the regulation of blood pressure - in conjunction with water. Naturally the proportions are critical.

2. Salt is vital to the extraction of excess acidity from the cells in the body, particularly the brain cells.

3. Salt is vital for balancing the sugar levels in the blood; a needed element in diabetics.

4. Salt is vital for the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in the body. It is used for local power generation at the sites of energy need by the cells.

5. Salt is vital to the nerve cells' communication and information processing all the time that the brain cells work, from the moment of conception to death.

6. Salt is vital for absorption of food particles through the intestinal tract.

7. Salt is vital for the clearance of the lungs of mucus plugs and sticky phlegm, particularly in asthma and cystic fibrosis.

8. Salt is vital for clearing up catarrh and congestion of the sinuses.

9. Salt is a strong natural antihistamine.

10. Salt is essential for the prevention of muscle cramps.

11. Salt is vital to prevent excess saliva production to the point that it flows out of the mouth during sleep. Needing to constantly mop up excess saliva indicates salt shortage.

12. Salt is absolutely vital to making the structure of bones firm. Osteoporosis, in a major way, is a result of salt and water shortage in the body.

13. Salt is vital for sleep regulation. It is a natural hypnotic.

14. Salt is a vitally needed element in the treatment of diabetics.

15. Salt on the tongue will stop persistent dry coughs.

16. Salt is vital for the prevention of gout and gouty arthritis.

17. Salt is vital for maintaining sexuality and libido.

18. Salt is vital for preventing varicose veins and spider veins on the legs and thighs.

19. Salt is vital to the communication and information processing nerve cells the entire time that the brain cells work - from the moment of conception to death.

20. Salt is vital for reducing a double chin. When the body is short of salt, it means the body really is short of water. The salivary glands sense the salt shortage and are obliged to produce more saliva to lubricate the act of chewing and swallowing and also to supply the stomach with water that it needs for breaking down foods. Circulation to the salivary glands increases and the blood vessels become "leaky" in order to supply the glands with water to manufacture saliva. The "leakiness" spills beyond the area of the glands themselves, causing increased bulk under the skin of the chin, the cheeks and into the neck.

21. Sea salt contains about 80 mineral elements that the body needs. Some of these elements are needed in trace amounts. Unrefined sea salt is a better choice of salt than other types of salt on the market. Ordinary table salt that is bought in the super markets has been stripped of its companion elements and contains additive elements such as aluminum silicate to keep it powdery and porous. Aluminum is a very toxic element in our nervous system. It is implicated as one of the primary causes of Alzheimer's disease.

22. Twenty-seven percent of the body's salt is in the bones. Osteoporosis results when the body needs more salt and takes it from the body. Bones are twenty-two percent water. Is it not obvious what happens to the bones when we're deficient in salt or water or both.

Your Body pH Affects Everything

[Extracted from Jim Clark's Potent Nutritional Supplements]

Understanding pH Level and Why Many People Have Disease, including Cancer.

According to the research of Dr. Enderlein, total healing of chronic illness only takes place when and if the blood is restored to a normal, slightly alkaline pH. In case you missed it, let me say it again...

Total healing of chronic illness only takes place when and if the blood is restored to a normal, slightly alkaline pH.

pH : What does it mean ? pH is the abbreviation for potential hydrogen. The pH of any solution is the measure of its hydrogen-ion concentration. The higher the pH reading, the more alkaline and oxygen rich the fluid is. The lower the pH reading, the more acidic and oxygen deprived the fluid is. The pH range is from 0 to 14, with 7.0 being neutral. Anything above 7.0 is alkaline, anything below 7.0 is considered acidic.

The pH scale is from 0 - 14 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 healthy 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Human blood stays in a very narrow pH range right around ( 7.35 - 7.45 ). Below or above this range means symptoms and disease. If blood pH moves to much below 6.8 or above 7.8, cells stop functioning and the patient dies. The ideal pH for blood is 7.4

A healthy blood pH without cancer has acid + alkaline balance almost equal. Actually a healthy body is slightly alkaline measuring approximately 7.4. This ideal blood 7.4 pH measurement means it is just slightly more alkaline than acid.


0 is acid ------ blood pH ( 7.35 - 7.45 ) healthy ------ over 7 to 14 is alkaline

If you have a health problem, most likely you are acidic. Research shows that unless the body's pH level is slightly alkaline, the body cannot heal itself. So, no matter what type of modality you choose to use to take care of your health problem, it won't be effective until the pH level is up. If your body's pH is not balanced, you cannot effectively assimilate vitamins, minerals and food supplements. Your body pH affects everything.

The body has to have a balanced pH like most living things on earth or it does not function correctly. The alkaline level is very important because research has already proven that disease cannot survive in an alkaline state and yet they thrive in an acidic environment.

An acidic balance will: decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients, decrease the energy production in the cells, decrease it's ability to repair damaged cells, decrease it's ability to detoxify heavy metals, make tumor cells thrive, and make it more susceptible to fatigue and illness.

An acidic pH can occur from, an acid forming diet, emotional stress, toxic overload, and/or immune reactions or any process that deprives the cells of oxygen and other nutrients. The body will try to compensate for acidic pH by using alkaline minerals. If the diet does not contain enough minerals to compensate, a build up of acids in the cells will occur.

There are two factors that are ALWAYS present with cancer no matter what else may be present. Those two factors are Acid pH and Lack of Oxygen. Can we manipulate those two factors that always have to be present for cancer to develop and by doing so will that help reverse the cancer? If so, we need to learn how to manipulate those two factors.

Cancer needs an acid and low oxygen environment to survive and flourish within. Terminal cancer patients are around 1000 times more acidic than normal healthy people. The vast majority of terminal cancer patients possess a very low body pH. Why ?

In the absence of oxygen, glucose undergoes fermentation to lactic acid. This causes the pH of the cell to drop from between 7.3 to 7.2 down to 7 and later to 6.5 in more advanced stages of cancer and in metastases the pH drops to 6.0 and even 5.7 or lower. Our bodies simply can not fight disease if our body pH is not properly balanced.

The normal human cell has a lot of molecular oxygen and a slightly alkaline pH. The cancer cell has an acid pH and lack of oxygen. Cancer cells cannot survive in an oxygen rich environment. At a pH slightly above 7.4 cancer cells become dormant and at pH 8.5 cancer cells will die while healthy cells will live. Again, the higher the pH reading, the more alkaline and oxygen rich the fluid is. Cancer and all diseases hate oxygen / pH balance. The proper alkalinity pH of the blood ( 7.35 - 7.45 ) is critical for the overall health of the body. In other words... alkaline or die.

Remember that the pH number is an exponent number of 10; therefore, a small difference in pH translates to a big difference in the number of oxygen or OH-ions. A difference of 1 in a pH value means ten times the difference in the number of OH-ions, a difference of 2 means one hundred times the difference in the number of OH-ions. In other words, blood with a pH value of 7.45 contains 64.9% more oxygen than blood with a pH value of 7.30.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If your body pH is not balanced, you cannot effectively assimilate vitamins, minerals and food supplements. Also, mucus on the small intestine can block your body from vitamin and mineral absorption.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How To Test Your pH Level ?

Test your pH level : If you are sick or have cancer simply wet a piece of Litmus Paper with your saliva 2 hours after a meal. This will give a reflection of your state of health.

Salivary pH Test : While generally more acidic than blood, salivary pH mirrors the blood (if not around meals) and is also a fairly good indicator of health. It tells us what the body retains. Salivary pH is a fair indicator of the health of the extracellular fluids and their alkaline mineral reserves.

Optimal pH for saliva is 6.4 to 6.8. Spit upon arising before anything is put into the mouth. A reading lower than 6.4 is indicative of insufficient alkaline reserves. After eating, the saliva pH should rise to 7.8 or higher. Unless this occurs, the body has alkaline mineral deficiencies ( mainly Calcium and Magnesium ) and will not assimilate food very well. To deviate from ideal salivary pH for an extended time invites illness.

Acidosis, an extended time in the acid pH state, can result in rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, lupus, tuberculosis, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, most cancers and many more. If salivary pH stays too low, the diet should focus on fruit, vegetables and mineral water as well as remove strong acidifiers such as sodas, whole wheat and red meat.

Urinary pH Test : The pH of the urine indicates how the body is working to maintain the proper pH of the blood. The urine reveals the alkaline building (anabolic) and acid tearing down (catabolic) cycles. The pH of urine indicates the efforts of the body via the kidneys, adrenals, lungs and gonads to regulate pH through the buffer salts and hormones. Urine can provide a fairly accurate picture of body chemistry, because the kidneys filter out the buffer salts of pH regulation and provide values based on what the body is eliminating. Urine pH can vary from around 4.5 to 9.0 for its extremes, but the ideal range is 5.8 to 6.8.

Foods considered to be alkaline-forming and thus helpful to people with consistently acid pH include : almonds, aloe vera, apples, apricots, bee pollen, buckwheat, cabbage, cantaloupe, celery, carrots, cucumbers, dairy products except hard cheese, dates, dulse, poached eggs, figs, grapefruit, honey, lettuce, millet, parsley, raisins, peaches, fresh red potatoes, pineapple, soy products, sprouted seeds, cooked spinach, turnip tops, wakame miso soup, azuki beans, rice, mineral water.

People who remain too acid often display symptoms such as : anxiety, diarrhea, dilated pupils, extroverted behavior, fatigue in early morning, headaches, hyperactivity, hypersexuality, insomnia, nervousness, rapid heartbeat, restless legs, shortness of breath, strong appetite, high blood pressure, warm dry hands and feet.

Balancing the pH is a major step toward well-being and greater health. Acidosis (overly acidic body) is the primary indicator of Calcium Deficiency Disease. Scientists have discovered that the body fluids of healthy people are alkaline (high pH) whereas the body fluids of sick people are acidic ( low pH ). An acidic body is a sickness magnet. What you eat and drink will impact where your body's pH level falls. As nutritional support : coral calcium, fresh vegetable juices, alkaline forming foods and drinking high pH alkaline water can help balance your body pH.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Alkalinity Body - pH Support
[High pH Alkaline Water - Fresh Vegetable Juices - Coral Calcium - Alkaline Forming Foods]

1. How to drink water for MAXIMUM effectiveness: Drink ½ your body weight of water in ounces, daily. Example: 180 lb = 90 oz. of water daily. Divide that into 8 or 10 oz. glasses and that's how many glasses you will need to drink, daily. Use ¼ tsp. of Sea salt (celtic sea salt being the highest in mineral content) as seaoning on your food for every quart of water you drink. As long as you drink the water, you can use the salt. Avoid caffeinated or alcoholic drinks. These are diuretics and will dehydrate you. Every 6 oz. of caffeine or alcohol requires an additional 10 to 12 oz. of water to re-hydrate you. Interesting facts about water and salt... Click Here

The Minimum Recommendations For Water: (Use Sea salt same as above). Drink a minimum of 64 ounces (about 2 liters) of water every day. I know this is easier said than done. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink - you'll likely never get this much down. Instead, keep filled water bottles at your desk, in your car, by your bed, and near your favorite chair as a reminder.

2. Fresh Vegetable Juices: One of the best ways to raise body pH is making sure that adequate minerals, particularly calcium are present. In general, green vegetables are high in calcium. Kale, broccoli, and collard greens are good sources of calcium. As nutritional support, your best choice is a combination of water and fresh vegetable juices, one quart of each daily. (Buy a juicer and start juicing). Non-dairy Calcium Foods

[If you have congestive heart failure or kidney disease, or if you are taking diuretics, talk to your doctor before increasing your water and/or juice intake].

3. Coral Calcium has a pH of 10-12 which is extremely high on the alkalinizing side. This means coral calcium will help offset the acid / alkaline ratio within your acidic body, thereby will help return your body to the normal slightly alkaline level. Calcium does not cure disease. As nutritional support, it simply helps keep the pH level of our body fluids in sync so the body fights disease naturally, like it was meant to. Suggested Intake : See Chart, below.

4. To maintain health, the diet should consist of 60% alkaline forming foods and 40% acid forming foods. To restore health, the diet should consist of 80% alkaline forming foods and 20% acid forming foods. Balance is Key !!! A list of Acid / Alkaline Forming Foods.


Coral Calcium (1100 mg capsules)
Your pH level Suggested Intake to Increase Your pH
below 6.0 2 capsules, 4 times daily = 8800 mg
6.0 - 6.5 2 capsules, 3 times daily = 6600 mg
7.0 or higher 1 capsule, 3 times daily = 3300 mg

[Balancing the pH is a major step toward well-being and greater health. Acidosis (overly acidic body) is the primary indicator of Calcium Deficiency Disease. Scientists have discovered that the body fluids of healthy people are alkaline (high pH) whereas the body fluids of sick people are acidic (low pH). As nutritional support coral calcium, alkaline forming foods and drinking high pH alkaline natural spring or mineral water can help balance your body pH.

Calcium does not cure disease. As nutritional support, it simply helps keep the pH level of our body fluids in sync so the body fights disease naturally, like it was meant to. Your body pH affects everything. As the bio-available calcium and other alkalizing minerals get into the blood and cells the body pH begins to return to the normal slightly alkaline level. Your body must have a balanced pH - 7.35 to 7.45. Most disease thrives in an acidic environment.

Coral Calcium has a pH of 10-12 which is extremely high on the alkalinizing side. This means coral calcium will help offset the acid / alkaline ratio within your acidic body, thereby will help return your body to the normal slightly alkaline level].

Best Absorption : Your body absorbs calcium less efficiently as your intake increases, therefore it is best to take calcium in small doses throughout the day. It is recommended to take each capsule at a separate time. It is much easier for your body to absorb the calcium (actual calcium content), if no more than 500 mg is taken at one time. This is why it is recommended to drink quality water with ionic coral calcium through out the day, as opposed to all at once. The actual calcium content of our potent Above-sea coral is 333 mg each capsule. More good news... You cannot take too much of our above-sea coral calcium because whatever your body doesn't use, it passes.