Want To Fight Free Radicals? Then Give The Xanthophyll Astaxanthin A Try
Astaxanthin is a xanthophyll and phytonutrient (plant based chemical compounds with health boosting properties) that is mainly found in orange and red coloured fish, fruits and vegetables. Early research indicates that this natural nutrient has a long list of benefits in humans. In this article I will be taking a deeper look at these benefits and providing you with a full overview of astaxanthin.
1) DISCOVERY:
Astaxanthin was discovered in 1970 by the British Chemist Basil Weedon.
2) HEALTH BENEFITS:
Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant that can keep your body’s cells safe from dangerous free radicals (harmful by-products that get released into your body’s cells during oxygen based reactions).
Early studies indicate that this xanthophyll may also have a wide range of further health benefits in humans. Additional research is required before these benefits can be confirmed but the available evidence suggests astaxanthin may be able to act as an anti-inflammatory (a substance that minimises unnecessary inflammation), boost the reproductive system, prevent Alzheimer’s disease (a mental disease that leads to problems with memory, thought and speech), prevent cancer (a health disorder where your body’s cells start to grow in a rapid, out of control way), prevent heart disease and prevent the common cold and the flu. In addition to this, it might be able to prevent cataracts (clouding on the lenses of the eyes), prevent glaucoma (a disease where the optic nerve gets damaged), prevent macular edema (a health disorder where fluid protein causes the macula of the eye to thicken and swell), prevent kidney damage, reduce high blood pressure and treat diabetes (a health disorder where your blood glucose levels become dangerously high).
3) RECOMMENDED DAILY ALLOWANCE (RDA):
Astaxanthin is not believed to be essential for human survival so no official RDA has been set. However, numerous experts believe that consuming 4 milligrams (mg) of this xanthophyll daily will promote optimal health.
4) FOOD SOURCES:
Red fish such as crab, lobster, salmon and shrimp are amongst the best food sources of astaxanthin with farmed salmon containing 1.8mg of this nutrient per 100g and wild salmon containing 4mg of this nutrient per 100g. Red fruits and vegetables including carrots and red peppers are also a good source of this natural nutrient but the exact amounts they contain are not known.
5) SUMMARY:
Astaxanthin has some seriously promising health benefits. Although more research is required before they are fully confirmed, you should definitely include this xanthophyll in your diet. Red fish in particular are a great source of health boosting omega 3 essential fatty acids which means by eating them you will be getting the antioxidant protection of astaxanthin, the health benefits of omega 3s and the potential additional astaxanthin benefits discussed in this article.
Tom Parker owns Free Fitness Tips – a fantastic source of free, impartial fitness advice. You can learn more about astaxanthin, the xanthophylls and the many potential xanthophyll benefits by visiting his website.
Alkaline Food Chart – Your Best Friend To Be Fit
Some of the results of over acidification are obesity, lack of energy and degenerative diseases. An acidic person will benefit those health and fitness conditions if there is no enough alkaline in the body. You will need to ensure that your body has more alkaline than acid to avoid getting all these health and fitness conditions. Knowing the proper ways on how to achieve a healthy body is an important goal you will have to do.
The alkaline diet has been developed to help individuals avoid being too acidic. You can easily adopt this diet program. An alkaline food chart with the determination to achieve a better overall health are the things you need to possess. An alkaline food chart is a list of foods that are categorized either acid or alkaline foods. Moreover, an alkaline food chart is categorized into two food groups. Those groups are acid foods and alkaline foods. This food chart consists of specific names of foods and beverages which you have to consume on a regular basis. You will know the levels of acidity or alkaline of vegetable and fruit. It is a fact that not all fruits and vegetables are alkaline producing foods. There are only some of them that can be regarded as alkaline foods. Therefore, you make it a habit to consume more alkaline foods and beverages.
Alkaline foods are very vital to our body needs. The body has the need of balancing the pH level to maintain a normal body system. That why there is the diet the encourages people to eat alkaline foods and beverages to maintain the needed pH level. The lower pH your body has, the more chance of becoming acidic. However, you can get a higher pH level if you have more alkaline in your body. The neutral pH level, which is 7., is what you need to improve or maintain. A lower ratio of 7. pH is a sign of over acidification. Monitoring what you eat and drink is a guide to maintaining a balanced pH level.
Keeping all these facts into your mind can offer the encouragement to start living a healthy life. Thus, you have to get an alkaline food chart to identify the best foods to eat and beverages to drink. Living a healthy life is the best thing you can achieve in the world.A few of the standard consequences of over acidity are degenerative diseases, low energy and obesity.
An acidic person lacks enough alkaline which gives him a chance to inherit these health problems. You will have to ensure that your body has more alkaline than acid to prevent those problems. Knowing the best ways to achieve a healthy body is important to do.
Kathy Jenkins gives suggestion about Alkaline Diet in addition to Alkaline Recipe. To find out Acid Alkaline Diet click here.
We Are Going To Be Checking Out Low Carb Diets And The Risks And Benefit
With regards to shedding weight you are going to discover that there are many different weight loss programs and methods that individuals use. You are going to find that for the majority of weight loss programs, they require you to count the calories that you take in on a daily basis. But simply because this can end up taking so much time to shed the pounds you are looking to lose, many individuals are searching for other options which will help them lose weight faster. I am certain you have heard of a low carbohydrate diet, but you might not recognize that this is in fact the fastest method to get down to the weight you wish to be. Obviously with this sort of diet there are health risks and we will be discussing some of them here.
When it comes to a low carb diet you will find that this can in fact be one of the fastest ways for you to lose some weight. Some individuals prefer to take the no carbohydrate approach, as they are able to actually end up losing weight faster than just going with low carb. If you do a search online for success stories for low carbohydrate diets you are going to realize that more people have been successful with this program than with other weight loss programs. The best part is you can in fact wind up shedding weight even faster if you opt to add an exercise routine.
While there are advantages with this type of diet program you are additionally going to realize that there are disadvantages which can negatively affect your health. You might or may not have heard of vitamin C deficiency, but this is in fact one of the unwanted side effects of a low carb diet. I am certain you might have heard of the disease known as scurvy, and this is a thing that a lack of vitamin C can end up causing.
Even though many individuals believed that scurvy was abolished years ago, the truth of the matter is that folks today still suffer from scurvy, and low carbohydrate diets may be to blame. When men and women begin a low carbohydrate diet they are essentially cutting out any foods that have carbohydrates in them. You are also going to find that these low carbohydrate foods do not contain vitamin C. Potatoes as well as oranges are two of the foods that are absent in low carb diets, they also wind up containing large amounts of vitamin C. And mainly because men and women are not obtaining the vitamin C they need, they are suffering from vitamin C deficiency, and are at risk of scurvy.
To help avoid a number of these health risks that you could wind up having mainly because of a low carb diet, taking daily supplements is important. You ought to also be aware that a multi vitamin may not be offering you enough nutrition in order to maintain your state of health. So before starting this type of diet it is always best to consult with a Physician in order to make certain you are going to be acquiring the nutrition your body needs in order to remain healthy.
Kathy Jenkins writes suggestion about Low Carb Diet as well as Alkaline Recipes. To be familiar with Acid Alkaline Diet just click here.
Learn About The Effects Alcohol Has On The Body
The available research on alcohol is very confusing. On the 1 hand studies suggest that it can reduce your heart disease risk, act in a protective capacity and more. However, plenty of other studies suggest that it is very dangerous and can cause a long list of diseases. In this article I will be looking at both sides of the argument and discussing the exact effects alcohol has on the body.
CALORIES IN ALCOHOL:
Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram which does not stack up well when compared with the 3 macronutrients. Only dietary fats at 9 calories per gram contain more calories. Both carbohydrates and protein contain a much lighter 4 calories per gram. When you consider that most alcoholic beverages also contain a lot of added carbohydrates and sugar, the picture gets even worse. Some cocktails contain over 600 calories per glass which can lead to you quickly gaining weight.
ALCOHOL BENEFITS:
There are a number of studies that suggest various positive effects alcohol has on the body. Moderate consumption has been linked with improved general health, an extended lifespan, cancer prevention, diabetes prevention, a reduction in heart disease risk and much more.
However, it is very difficult to say that alcohol alone is behind these benefits because there are so many other lifestyle factors in play. For example, moderate drinkers generally have better sleep patterns, better diets and get more physical activity than none drinkers. So these potential benefits could be down to any 1 of these lifestyle factors.
ALCOHOL DISADVANTAGES:
In contrast to the benefits, there are plenty of confirmed disadvantages associated with both mild and heavy alcohol consumption. Moderate consumption has been linked with poor sleep patterns, an increased risk of breast cancer and an increased risk of liver damage in people with hepatitis C. Heavy consumption has been linked with a whole range of health risks which include arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats), brain damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), depression, high blood pressure, mental problems, organ failure, skin problems, weight gain and much more.
SUMMARY:
The negative effects alcohol has on the body are pretty substantial and unfortunately the studies behind its health benefits are quite weak. That does not mean you cannot enjoy yourself and let your hair down every once in a while. A drink or 2 a couple of times a week or even the occasional heavy night on the tiles should not do any long term damage. However, when it comes to alcohol and fitness you need to moderate your consumption and keep it under control.
Tom Parker owns Free Fitness Tips – a fantastic source of free, impartial fitness advice. You can learn more about the link between alcohol and fitness and the effects alcohol has on the body by visiting his website.
Want Strong Vision? Then Check Out These 4 Carotenes Benefits
The carotenes are a group of phytonutrients (plant based, health boosting chemical compounds) that can be found in orange and red fruits and vegetables such as carrots, grapefruits, tomatoes and watermelons. They have been linked with healthy vision, diabetes treatment and much more. In this article I take a deeper look at these claims and examine 4 carotenes benefits.
1) BOOSTING YOUR VISION:
1 of the most important carotenes benefits is that they are a provitamin A. This means that your body can convert them into vitamin A. Vitamin A’s main role is to protect and support healthy vision and night vision. By eating the carotenes you can take advantage of this benefit and ensure that your vision remains strong.
2) FIGHTING TOXINS:
Toxins are natural poisons that can be found inside your body. Fortunately, the carotenes may be able to protect you from their harmful effects by acting as antitoxics (substances that fight toxins within the body). However, more evidence is required before this benefit is confirmed.
3) PREVENTING GENETIC MUTATIONS:
Genetic mutations are normally caused by mutagens (nasty substances that alter the genetic makeup of an organism and increase the chances of a genetic mutation occurring). Some examples of environmental mutagens include cigarette smoke and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The good news is that another of the notable carotenes benefits is that they may be able to shield you from these nasty substances by acting as an antimutagenic (a substance that prevents the growth of mutagens). However, further studies are needed before these protective properties can be confirmed.
4) TREATING DIABETES:
Diabetes is an unpleasant disease where your blood glucose levels become dangerously high. It develops when either your body’s cells stop responding to insulin (the hormone that allows them to take glucose from the blood) or your pancreas stops producing enough insulin. If it is left untreated, diabetes can cause significant long term damage to your cells and vital organs. Fortunately, early research suggests that the carotenes might be able to treat diabetes. However, additional evidence is required before this can be confirmed.
SUMMARY:
The carotenes are a nutrient that you should definitely be including in your diet. They are a provitamin A and can help ensure that you get your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of that vitamin. Additionally, they have a wide range of promising benefits based on provisional studies.
To get the carotenes into your diet simply make sure you have some natural red and orange colours on your plate each day. Carrots, grapefruits, oranges, watermelons are just some of the many carotene rich fruits and vegetables available. By eating them regularly you will supply your body with plenty of these natural nutrients and be able to enjoy all the carotenes benefits discussed in this article.
Tom Parker owns Free Fitness Tips – a fantastic source of free, impartial fitness advice. You can learn more about the carotenes and the potential carotenes benefits by visiting his website.