Friday, February 27, 2009

The 13 Essential Vitamins

There are 13 essential vitamins that the body needs for normal functioning. A vitamin is a nutrient that is an organic compound. They are considered essential, as the human body is unable to manufacture them on its own.

These vitamins assist with several important bodily functions such as the production of hormones, creating red blood cells and producing nervous system chemicals.

Here's a brief list of the 13 essential vitamins:

Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin important for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, soft tissues and skin. This vitamin is important for a healthy immune system.

Vitamin B1. This vitamin, also known as thiamine, helps your body to convert carbohydrates into energy. It is also needed for a healthy heart and nervous system.

Vitamin B2. This vitamin, also known as Riboflavin, helps the body produce energy and maintain healthy skin, eyes and nerve cells. It is also responsible for the production of red blood cells.

Niacin. Nicin helps to convert food into energy and is needed for normal functioning of your brain. It also helps to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that is needed for a healthy immune system. It also assists with wound healing and helps to produce collagen, an important soft tissue component.

Vitamin D. This item helps the body to absorb calcium, both in the bones and in the blood.

For more on the 13 essential vitamins, click:

13 Essential Vitamins

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

The Benefits of Caffeine

According to recent research, it is now known that there are numerous health benefits of caffeine. Regardless of what you've heard about caffeine, it may actually prevent several serious diseases.

Or at least prevent the likelihood that you will develop them.

First of all, according to a 2002 study in the European Journal of Neurology, those individuals consuming caffeine in midlife were less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease as they aged. Furthermore, laboratory mice that had Alzheimer's and were given caffeine, were better able to navigate through a maze, while the remaining rats exhibited signs of confusion.

Number two of the health benefits of caffeine is it reduces your risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease afflicts approximately one out of every 272 people. But, according to another study, those individuals drinking caffeine-rich coffee in midlife were 2-3 times less likely to develop Parkinson's than those who didn't. Also, a study of 8000 men published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, revealed that those drinking 2-3 cups of coffee daily, starting in midlife, were less likely to develop Parkinson's than those who didn't.

Third on my list of health benefits of caffeine is it minimizes your risk of developing diabetes. In one five-year Japanese study, scientists learned that drinking caffeine reduced your chances of developing diabetes by 33%. Moreover, the scientists learned that these caffeine benefits were greater for women, than they were for men.

For more on the benefits of caffeine, visit:

Benefits of Caffeine

Friday, February 20, 2009

Health Benefits of Caffeine

While once thought to be unhealthy, recent research reveals there are now numerous health benefits of caffeine. In fact, it can prevent you from developing numerous serious disorders.

First of all, caffeine minimizes your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. In one study done in 2002, it was learned that those individuals drinking caffeine-rich coffee, were less likely to develop Alzheimer's as they age. Furthermore, laboratory rats with this condition could easily navigate through a maze, while those not given caffeine had difficulty doing this.

Next, caffeine reduces your risk of developing Parkinson's disease. In one recent study of middle-aged men that didn't drink coffee, it was found that they were 2 to 3 times to develop Parkinson's than those who did.

The next of the benefits of caffeine is it decreases the likelihood you will develop diabetes. According to a recent Japanese study, drinking three or more cups of coffee a day reduced your chances of developing diabetes by 42%.

For more on the benefits of caffeine visit:

Benefits of Caffeine

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Boosting the Immune System

Boosting the immune system so that it functions at optimum capacity, becomes even more important as we age. Many times, individuals become depressed as they age, which has a negative impact on how well their immune system works.

Anytime you see an insect bite that is red and inflamed, you see your immune system working. Specific types of immune system cells rally to the injured area as they attempt to destroy any foreign bacteria.

In most cases, your immune system does its job well. However, there are times when a specific germ gets past it, such as whenever you develop a cold or get the flu.

Fortunately, there are numerous nutritional strategies that can help with boosting the immune system.

First of all, you should eat lots of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables as they can strengthen immune system function. Any produce eaten, that is of a dark color contains large amounts of a powerful antioxidant known as flavonoids.

All antioxidants, in addition to strengthening our immune systems, also help to destroy free radicals, altered cellular structures that attempt to alter other cells. Free radicals can lead to heart disease, even cancer.

There are several herbs that can help with boosting the immune system. One such herb is the herb echinacea. Echinacea contains polysaccharides which inhibit a virus's ability to replicate itself.

Another herb that may help is the herb ginseng. In clinical trials, those taking ginseng saw increases in certain types of immune cells, when compared to those taking a placebo.

For more information on boosting the immune system, click:

Boosting the Immune System - Naturally

Monday, February 16, 2009

Home Remedies for Depression

Home remedies for depression are often overlooked as treatments for this condition, given the abundance of anti-depressants currently on the market. However, for mild cases of depression, home remedies are a viable alternative.

The first home remedy for depression I will discuss is St. John's wort. St. John's wort has a long history as a treatment for the condition, although there are some studies that indicate it does little to help with this condition.

Another remedy that may help is folic acid. Folic acid is a member of the B family of vitamins, and functions to help the brain to produce more of a neurotransmitter called SAM-e. This neurotransmitter occurs naturally in the brain and helps produce other neurotransmitters such as serotonin.

The next of the home remedies for depression I will cover are the omega-3 fatty acids. There have been numerous studies indicating that supplementation with extra Omega-3 fatty acids can help treat depressed individuals.

The last remedy for depression I will cover is 5-HTP. 5-HTP occurs naturally in the brain and is the intermediate compound between Tryptophan and serotonin.

For more depression remedies, click here:

Home Remedies for Treating Depression

Preventing Heart Attacks

Preventing heart attacks is possible even after a lifetime of bad habits. Yes, it is possible to prevent, even reverse heart disease, no matter how old you are. Here is a list of a few things that will help keep your heart healthy for many years to come.

1. Quit smoking. If you smoke cigarettes, you're at greatest risk for having a heart attack. In fact, by smoking you are at 2 1/2 times greater risk from dying of a heart attack. Even those that have smoked for years can improve their cardiovascular health by quitting.

2. Reduce your cholesterol levels. By watching your diet, not only can you reduce cholesterol levels, but you can reduce levels of saturated fat as well. Saturated fat causes your body to produce cholesterol, so reducing your intake of it can lower your risk factor for heart attack.

3. Take an aspirin. By taking an aspirin, you reduce the likelihood of having a blood clot. Also, if you've already had a heart attack, taking an aspirin each day will decrease the likelihood of having a second one. There is even some evidence that taking aspirin can help with preventing heart attacks in those with no previous history of them.

4. Lower your blood pressure. Hypertension places undue pressure on your arterial walls and places extra stress on your heart muscle. If you have high blood pressure, you are more than two times as likely to have a heart attack as someone who doesn't. Try to reduce salt levels in your diet, while increasing fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in potassium.

5. My last tip for preventing heart attacks is to exercise regularly. By participating in a regular exercise program, not only do you strengthen the heart muscle, you increase levels of the good cholesterol, while lowering levels of the bad cholesterol. It also strengthens the arterial system and helps to prevent blood clots.

For more tips on preventing blood clots, visit:

Preventing Heart Attacks - 10 Steps to Help You Live a Long, Healthy Life