Create A New Body By Fighting Free Radicals

By Dr. Jerimiah Crossderd

The acai fruit is a tasteful, fresh, organic fruit that comes with a wealth of antioxidants. In order to prevent damage to the body as well as slow the aging process, antioxidants are needed as part of a regular diet.

The process of the body's cells consuming oxygen, creates a by-product known as a free radical that can do lots of harm to the body. Antioxidants play a huge role in preventing and repairing the damage done by these free radicals. Adding antioxidants to your daily diet is the best way to protect yourself from these free radicals.

When free radicals are left unchecked, they can wreak all kinds of havoc to our bodies. Free radicals are responsible for the breakdown of our DNA as well as causing cancer. These by-products can invade our cells and cause them to break down or even worse stop functioning all together.

Depending on where the damage was created by these toxic radicals, the range of destruction can lead to neurological damage all the way to hormonal problems. The acai berry produces enough antioxidants that when taken as a regular part of your diet can prevent and fight off these free radicals.

Studies have revealed for years that when antioxidants are taken as part of a regular diet, the body has the ability to repair, and maintain resistance to free radicals as well future attacks.

Dr. Perricone is the one who introduced the mainstream audience to this amazing fruit by writing a book entitled, the Perricone Promise. In this book he writes that the acai berry is the most perfect food on the planet.

When it comes to a food that will make you look and feel young, Dr. Perricone says that the acai berry has all of the ingredients needed to accomplish this. Also, when looking for a diet that will revitalize your health and slow the aging process Dr. Perricone says look no further than the acai fruit berry.

The acai fruit is known as a super food that contains every nutrient your body needs in fighting harmful free radicals. If your goal is to improve your overall health, as well as strengthen and maintain your body, then you should look further into the numerous benefits of the this amazing fruit.

So, if you are looking for a diet that will provide energetic health, a reduction in aging, and a free radical fighter then look no further than the acai fruit berry.

Fruits like the acai berry that have a natural purple pigment, may assist in preventing obesity as these pigments may hold the key to preventing obesity according to a group of scientist in Arkansas.

The scientist concluded through animal studies that the extract of the fruit is more effective than actually eating the fruit when it comes to weight loss.

According to Mr. Prior and his peers, the compound called anthocyanins that is found in dark colored fruit is shown to prevent obesity in mice that are fed a high calorie diet.

the mice also tested well from other health benefits related to their purple food diet. Anthocyanins are found in acai berry, blueberries, black berries, and many more foods that are dark in color.

The study reports that researchers discovered mice that are fed a high-fat diet for 8 weeks, drinking water, and taking purified anthocyanins from blueberries and the acai berry gained less weight and had lower body fat levels than a control group.

The study found that anthocyanins extract proved to be the only way the effects of weight prevention could be met. When the mice were fed the whole berry, they tended to gain weight.

The article "Whole Berries versus Berry Anthocyanins: Interactions with Dietary Fat Levels in the C57BL/6J Mouse Model of Obesity" can be read in full in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Colorful pigments found in the skin of blueberries, strawberries and other fruits and vegetables may help prevent obesity, according to recent animal studies from the USDA Agricultural Research Service. - 17268

About the Author:

For more information on the amazing benefits ofacai fruit,you can look on Dr. Jerimiah Crossderd's web site which provides a wealth of knowledge pertaining to this subject as well as an acai fruit berry review of the most reputable on the market and which ones to avoid as there are many companies that have been found to be fraudulent as a result of acai fruits popularity.

How to Build Pecs: My Secret Method

By Frank Hommes

If you are new to weight lifting, you might feel like you're missing something when you're trying to learn how to build your pecs. You may do all of the same exercises you see other people doing , but still have trouble building your pecs up. The reason for this, is that it's not all about about the exercise itself, there are other matters to consider.

1. Eating the proper types of food is just as important as doing the necessary exercises. This is because without certain nutrients, muscles can't be properly built. Protein is what muscle is made up of and therefore to build the muscle, you need to be eating a lot of protein. Carbohydrates are also a big help because they will provide your body more energy for the workout.

Overall health is a big part of how to build pecs so having a well balanced diet will be useful. Along with eating a lot of protein a person should be eating many fruits and vegetables. The body will be able to focus on building new muscle as long as it is healthy.

2. The second secret is stretching. A person trying to build their pecs should do stretches that get the upper chest ready to do some hard work. One can do something as simple as mimicking the motion of a push-up while standing can stretch out the pectoral muscles.

You should avoid overworking your pecs for the same reason they should stretch. Over activity on the pecs can put extra strain on the muscles, which can cause them harm as opposed to making them stronger. It could also lead to an unappealing appearance, which you probably wouldn't like.

3. The third tip is to perform the proper types of exercises if want to build up your pecs. An exercise such as push-up, can properly work the pecs and can be done right at your home. Also, if you have access to a weight lifting bench you can do bench presses in addition. - 17268

About the Author:

On my personal website I tell you about the proven training method focused on how to get huge pecs. Make sure to read this great post: how to build pecs really fast.

A Healthy Energy drink is a good Alternative For Teenagers

By Julieanne van Zyl

It is a good thing that a healthy energy drink exists for teenagers, so we have a solution for the over-use of these drinks. Lately , the wish for a quick fix is causing more problems than it is solving. While it might look like we have speedy answers to our problems, they are often short-term | temporary | short-range | immediate solutions, which do nothing to mend the situation permanently. Unfortunately , one of the "quick fixes" that we are becoming increasingly addicted to and which seems to be the favorite of many folks is the energy drink.

But because of the abundance of these drinks, it is constantly available to teenagers and kids who can purchase them for a few dollars each. Sadly, research has shown that kids who drink profuse amounts of energy drinks are at a risk of exhibiting rowdy behaviors and increased violence levels. According to the Journal of American College Health, "Miller and colleagues found that a compilation of behaviors known as "toxic jock syndrome" was correlated with high consumption of energy drinks.

Toxic jock syndrome contains symptoms such as substance abuse, unprotected sex and violence". With this research proven in different related studies, it is only natural to see that teenagers and frequent energy drink consumption is not a good combination. So, if you have got a teenage son or daughter, try as much as possible to discourage them from drinking these drinks too frequently and instead teach them to live healthy lives by adopting healthy lifestyles.

As if obtaining excess energy drinks are not enough, research has shown that an astonishing 49% of all teenagers are into some kind of substance exploitation. This basically indicates that about 1 in every 2 teenagers you find in high schools are into some kind of drugs. Not only are they into drugs, a superior majority are into alcohol abuse. A recent survey among youths explained that British girls were known to be the most aggressive females in the world. When you look at the rate of alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom, you will understand why this is so.

The usual British chap somehow gets involved in binge drinking at least once a week. Binge drinking is simply drinking lots of beer right away -this could be between 5-20 bottles in one sitting. At the moment teenagers have discovered a very powerful combination that will get them just as high as drugs or marijuana. This is the mixture of energy drinks and alcohol. This lethal combination makes it a lot more risky for teenagers because of the health implications.

A survey carried out in ten schools located in North Carolina showed that students who took a combination of these drinks often needed medical attention and were virtually unaware of the fact that they were drunk. This is not startling as it is possible that the large amounts of caffeine in most energy drinks is responsible for high energy levels regardless of how much alcohol you drank. So, if you find your teenager son having most these, maybe you had better be on the lookout.

They found that students who mixed the drinks got drunk twice as often, were more likely to be injured or require medical treatment while intoxicated, and were more likely to perpetrate or experience sexual assault than students who drank alcohol alone. The effect was not related to the amount of alcohol consumed.

Some researchers have implied that because the caffeine in energy drinks tends to make people feel more energetic, people who mix the drinks with alcohol do not comprehend how intoxicated they are and are more likely to take foolish risks.

"You're every bit as drunk, you're just an awake drunk," said researcher Mary Claire O'Brien of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Therefore, a healthy energy drink is going to make a significant difference to a teenager's life. - 17268

About the Author:

Julieanne van Zyl operates a site about a healthy energy drink where you can find current information about energy drinks. If you would like to to buy a healthy energy drink, which is a Mangosteen Juice product with an energy blend, go here: Verve Energy Drink

What I Can Eat on a Detox Diet

By Jesse Regan

Many people are very much aware of the varying options that are present. If there is reported information that came out rather successful, it's sure to be a big hit, upon the discovery. This comes very much applicable especially when it comes to diet practices. It wouldn't be as a surprise then to know that those who have tried getting into diets have tried a couple " and even more.

Detox diets are among this successful discovery. From the definition of detoxification, it is practice of getting the waste and toxins out of the person's body. These detox diets usually are short-term ones, and were first introduced for the treatment drug and alcohol dependent people, usually during their rehabilitation period. It became viable option for many people especially after seeing direct results of those who undergone this diet.

So what are the available intakes when you are in a detox diet?

Water As it has constantly been incessantly been emphasized, that 8 glasses of water, and more, is very much needed by the body. It has been recommended to take them best in lukewarm or room temperature.

Fruits & Vegetables " glow foods would perhaps be incessantly present in whatever diet, simply because they contain the nutrients that are much disregarded by many people. It is particularly recommended to take in those green leafy vegetables and those red ones, as cauliflower, broccoli, garlic, beets, onions, among the best detoxifying food.

Nuts about nuts... and grains Unsalted of these nuts can be mixed with those salads. There are walnuts, cashews, sesame seeds and almonds being the more popular choice, as well as, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and lax seeds. Rice are best recommended, too. However, for some that are not comfortable with this, there's the selection of substitutes as buckwheat, millet and amaranth.

Beans " they are among the most that require little time to digest. You can find split yellow, green peas, lentils, kidney beans, pinto beans and gabanzo for them.

Better care for your body is what these intakes are all about. But you have to chew them well when you are at it, as you'd really want to get in those nutrients absorbed by your system than putting them to waste " and literally just coming out as that.

But as detoxification is, you need to get a lot of things to come out " ideally just those pesky wastes, and not those nutrients. As the body naturally excrete toxins, as that ammonia when protein are break down, it is as important to get them out along with those toxins you get from the environment " from additives in meals, to those pesticides and cleaning products, as well as that smoking , and drug use.

A lot of people understand and know that they have options. And if these selection would not only set to make you achieve that weight loss, but accordingly get that optimal health condition, then why not take those chances, right? After all, what's a greater risk, then getting into that right routine. This stands no matter what type of diet you are following. - 17268

About the Author:

If you are looking for more valuable information about diet, healthy diet respites then you will like this site. It is about joining Jesse in taking care of yourself and experiencing the great any benefits of being a Beachbody Coach. If you are into health and fitness and want to find a way you can make a living getting in the best shape of your life, then contact Jesse now.

Why Trace Minerals Are Important For Your Body

By Neil Butterfield

As the name implies, trace minerals are minerals required in very small quantities each day. Don't underestimate the importance just because you don't need a lot of them. You cannot continue to be healthy without them.

While you might be taking a trace mineral supplement, if you're taking the compound or even chelated kind, you are getting less than 20% of what the supplement contains. On the other hand, water-soluble liquid trace mineral supplements will give you almost 100% of what they say they will give you.

Lets have a look at the various trace minerals and their importance within the body.

Selenium " This mineral protects your body from disease and works to keep you healthy. It will control free radical cell damage and it strengthens your immune system. It also prevents the formation of dangerous blood clots in your body. You can find selenium in fish, grains, and some nuts.

Chromium " This mineral will lower high blood pressure, and even prevent it from ever developing. It works with the insulin in your body and metabolizes blood sugar. It is also directly involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, and fat and it is necessary for your glucose tolerance. If you are deficient in chromium you can find yourself either diabetic or hypoglycemic. You can find chromium in whole grains, orange juice, grape juice, and broccoli.

Zinc " This trace mineral has become much more awareness especially since weve heard so much about it in the prevention of colds. Studies have seen zinc reduce the duration of a cold by half and many will tell you zinc lozenges at the first sign of a sore throat will stop it dead in its tracks. Zinc helps the body fight infections which is why its so good in wound healing, infectious diarrhea, and infections in the blood. Alcoholics are usually about 50% deficient, and mothers breast feeding need extra zinc. Zinc can be found in oysters, nuts, whole grains, dairy products, and fortified breakfast cereals.

Copper -is found mostly in whole grains, dark chocolate, oysters, leafy green vegetables, cherries, nuts, fruits, and poultry. Copper is crucial for bone growth, processing sugar and nervous system function as well as producing a healthy and flawless skin color and blood health.

Boron -You probably know that phosphorus, calcium and magnesium are important for strong bones. However, it is boron that regulates these minerals. It also regulates the hormones of both men and women. In addition to strengthening the brain, memory, cell wall strength, and prevents arthritis. Sources of Boron are tomatoes, pears, prunes, apples, and raisins.

Sulfur - in addition to helping with healthy skin, hair and nails, sulfur helps with brain function, sustainable energy and controlling bacterial infections. Sources of Sulfur are fish, eggs, garlic, onions and cabbage.

Trace minerals are essential to your body allowing it to remain healthy, vibrant, energized, and more youthful. Lack of the appropriate trace minerals can lead to illness. Take liquid trace minerals and relax knowing that you have done the right thing to enhance overall health. - 17268

About the Author:

Neil Butterfield is the mineral supplements expert from Mineralife . To obtain the facts about mineral supplements, get your absolutely completely FREE audio CD at www.mineralifeonline.com

Common Parts of a Quality Juice Extractor

By Aaron Benjamin

A regular juice extractor will have to be able to operate correctly in order to obtain the juices from fruits and vegetables and so they will be gathered properly. With this in mind, it will be important to use each of the special juice extractor parts. These parts are the blade, motor, baskets for foods, and a cover. Usually, a plunger will be part of the assembly as one of these juice extractor parts. A great model to consider is the Breville Juice Fountain Plus.

The motor is likely to be the most crucial part of the extractor in the typical situation. The motor is one of the main juicing tools since it is used to properly run the blade and other interior parts of the juicer. A standard motor will be able to work at about six thousand revolutions per minute. It will also provide about a third of a horsepower in terms of its power and will need to be compatible with electricity. In a number of instances, these motors can be on the quiet side as long as they are insulated properly.

The blade that is put in the extractor will be important, as well. The blade has to be one that is simple to deal with and can move in full revolutions at a quick period of time. One of the most important factors here is the keenness of the blade. If the blade is sharpened correctly, it will be able to cut through the foods put in the juicer with ease.

Baskets are quite frequently placed in juice extractors. The big basket for juices is considered one of the most important juicing tools in that it will work to contain the juices that begin flowing. A pulp basket is required so that it may contain most of the pulp and other chunks that might come out of the extractor.

A strainer is necessary for gathering any pieces that are not fully juiced. This is so that you won't have to deal with clumpy ingredients slipping into the juice basket.

The plunger is the last of the juicing tools. A plunger will be needed for helping to make the fruits and vegetables fit nicely into the juicer. The juicer will need to be turned off you can use it properly and safely so that all parts of the foods for juicing may be nicely ground up and juiced. A nice model that you can purchase is the Breville Juice Fountain Plus.

When hunting for a juice extractor, it will be vital to take a look at these juice extractor parts. These parts are the motor, a plunger, and the blade. Other parts are different baskets for juices and pulp and a strainer, which will be necessary to help with giving you clean, pulp-free juices. With all of these juicing tools, it will be simpler to gather the most delicious juices from a juice extractor. - 17268

About the Author:

Visit Aaron Benjamin's site to read reviews and get great deals on Breville Juice Fountain Plus, and build a healthy lifestyle for yourself and your family.

Bodybuilding Tips, Achieving A Great Abdomen

By Ricardo d Argence

You can work your abs forever, but they will never present themselves and be visible if there is a layer of fat covering them. The stomach area is the place where we store most of our fat and unfortunately it is also the most stubborn area to lose fat from.

There is no magic when it comes to getting ripped abs. You have to bring your body fat ratio down to 10% if you want to get the best results, and this can be a difficult task if you aren't sure of what you're doing.

Adhering to simple guidelines that allow effective burning of excess fat around your stomach is the correct way to achieve a six-pack. This will help to show your hidden abdominal muscles and let your six pack be seen.

The only way to get ripped six pack abs and to effectively lose the extra fat around your stomach is to maintain a healthy diet, over 90% of your results will begin to show from what you eat. Tight restrictions never work to remove body fat, so you need to maximize your metabolism, so you can eat and burn fat. That means eating smaller meals more often. The consistent digestion of these foods will actually stimulate your metabolism to increase.

There are a lot of processed foods and you may be a junkie with them. The problem is that they're full of chemicals that actually slow down the process of losing fat. Stick with real food and you'll have real results.

To breakdown unwanted body fat and flush it from your body drink lots of water. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day helps your body digest foods, absorb nutrients and also flushes toxins from your body.

A much more effective method than normal endurance cardio to build muscle and lose weight is high intensity cyclic training. The product will accelerate your general metabolic rate and it will assist you in burning fat long after you finish your exercise routine. Around 4-5 times a week you should perform 20 mins of intensity interval training.

A combination of cardio, weight training, and diet will help you get the six pack abs that you desire, quicker that just crunches alone.

No doubt about it, when you can take off your shirt and look at those incredible abs, you won't regret the effort for a moment. - 17268

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Stop Asking "How Can I Grow Taller" And Follow These Steps Now!

By Shaun Davids

Are you constantly wondering "how can I grow taller", without finding a solution? Well, gaining a few inches in height is actually easier than you think. All you need is the right exercise program to follow, which will help you achieve your desired height quickly.

For growing and how to look taller, you have to eat the right food, have a complete eight hour sleep and perform the right exercises. You may not find deep breathing and massage that much concentrated on your bones and spine but, this could definitely help in stimulating your hormones and glands to work double time for you to grow taller.

Deep Breathing for growing taller:

So "How can I grow taller" with deep breathing? This should be done while you perform your exercises and stretches to become taller. It helps fill your lungs with oxygen, which is then circulated along your bloodstream. And as your blood is oxygenated, it is easier for it to transport growth hormones to the necessary parts of your body.

To answer your question on "How can I grow taller", let's say that you are performing your daily stretches, accompany it with deep breathing exercises. Through deep breathing alone, you need to focus on inhaling, holding your breath, and then after, exhaling. This exercise would involve your nose and your mouth.

When you perform the right deep breathing exercises, you should breathe in air using your nose, hold the air with your mouth, and then exhale the air out of your mouth. This should help you with growing tall.

Grow Taller with Massage:

"How can I grow taller?" Have you considered massage? Massaging has been one way of relaxing the body, through massaging, the reflex points which is concentrated on the different parts of our body may stimulate the production and functions of the hormones related to growth.

By stimulating your pituitary gland through a reflex point, it could trigger your thyroid to start producing more growth hormones, which are then sent to various parts of your body for you to become taller.

In fact, your growing taller hormones can be stimulated by two main pressure points - one being on the soft part of your thumb and the other on your neck. For best results, these pressure points should be massaged in a clockwise direction.

Deep breathing and massage are only 2 of the many natural methods for growing taller. Now that you know them, you no longer will be asking "how can I grow taller", but applying what you just learned. - 17268

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Discover How Can I Grow Taller now, and increase your height by 2 to 4 inches in 6 weeks - with long-lasting effects! Otherwise, here is another article on how to get taller.

The Extraordinary Siberian Chaga

By Dr. Markho Rafael

Chaga grows as a black cankerous mass on birch, dead or living. It may rarely be found on beech, elm, ash or hornbeam as well.

Eurasians have used it for centuries to treat tuberculosis, digestion, and cancers of the heart and liver. [121]

The black "skin" was removed and the lighter inside boiled as tea. Being such a compact natural medicine made it a valuable, portable remedy for healers of old.

Modern research on chaga has mainly focused on its potential application as an anti-cancer remedy. In Russia, this usage was already approved as early as 1955 to treat lung, stomach, breast and cervical cancers. [122]

One modern study from 1998 showed that chaga extract did in fact inhibit growth of cervical cancer cell lines under lab conditions. [123] Another study from 1995 reported that an isolate of the active compound betulin first inhibited growth of melanoma cells in a lab, and then killed them. [124, 25]

Further research has confirmed that some of the active compounds of Siberian chaga do decrease cancer cell growth. [125, 126]

Although traditional healers used to peel off the black outside (probably because it looked unappetizing), the skin actually contains 30% betulin, a highly prized medicinal compound, [127] while the inside is rich in fungal lanostanes. So both parts would be valuable in preparing the tea.

Better yet are chaga extracts made with both the mycelium ("root") and the whole mushroom fruit body. The mycelium is richer in medicinally active proteins than the mushroom itself.

Research on chaga has also reported potent anti-viral properties. Two studies on influenza virus [127] and HIV [128] were published with positive results in 1996. Chaga probably works on viruses indirectly by enhancing the human immune system, as indicated by two papers published in 2002 and 2005. [25, 129] Historical use of chaga as an anti-inflammatory may be attributed to that same mechanism. [130]

Furthermore, alcohol extract of chaga mushroom has been found to lower blood sugar levels. [131] Chaga also demonstrates significant antioxidant properties that help protect the genetic integrity of the cells. [132, 133]

As an interesting aside unrelated to human health, a Quebec arborist uses a chaga poultice to cure chestnut blight. The trees later even become immune to the blight and resistant to future infections. [134]

In his book Mycelium Running, Stamets also lists the following areas where research has shown chaga extract to have a beneficial effect: Bacteria; liver conditions; uterine cancer. [134]

Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Never use any herb (or mushroom) except as advised by a licensed medical practitioner.

Credit: Thank you to Paul Stamets for source material. - 17268

About the Author:

Dr. Markho Rafael has worked with natural health since finishing Chiropractic College in the mid-90's. He currently focuses on medicinal mushrooms in cooperation with Cordyceps Reishi Extracts, LLC, an NC business offering Siberian Chaga Mushroom Extract and much more. For the research references to this article, go to the Chaga Extract page and click on any number indicating a reference.

Natural Bodybuilding Facts & Tips

By Ricardo d Argence

When performance enhancing drugs like anabolic steroids or HGH are not used to help build muscles, it is called Natural Bodybuilding. The correct way to gain muscle mass is through a natural bodybuilding regimen.

Natural bodybuilding helps you to look and feel great without the harmful side effects of excessive use of supplements. Not only will you get more reliable and consistent results this way, you will have a sense of pride in what you have accomplished, as opposed to relying on monthly bills to keep your physique.

It is very important to be persistent during natural body building course, you might not see quick results, but the results appear and they last for longer time. Building natural muscle mass takes a lot of time sometimes a lot of time, so it is very important to have patience.

Besides being patient, it is crucial to establish objectives that are clear and concrete. You need to set goals so you have a means to measure the results in your body. Committing to achievable goals helps you on your path to natural body building.

Getting the results you want from natural bodybuilding starts with developing a solid routine. Developing a routine that works takes time, but it's more than worth it because you won't have to worry about unnecessary exercises, injuries or lack of motivation. Once you choose a plan, it is essential that you stick to it.

Nutrition is another important part. Eat a diet rich in lean protein, fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. In general it is recommended to eat 12-13 calories per pound of your body weight or to loose 17-18 calories per pound of your body weight. It is an imperative to keep a track on what your are eating. 30% of your calories should come from protein, 20% from healthy fats like olive oils, flaxseed oils ,and the rest 50% of calories intake should come out from natural carbohydrates.

You must try to avoid sugary and processed food as they will result into fat gain and not in muscle gain. Use of protein is very important as hard core muscle building programme breaks down muscles fibers, and it can be recovered by natural proteins only.

There are no shortcuts, but at the same time there are many obstacles. But at the end when you achieve results you will be satisfied that you did it all naturally, without taking harmful steroids that can prove lethal for your body. - 17268

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Obtain the number one natural bodybuilding program, the Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail Method and achieve the best results in some weeks. Fitness Articles

Shiitake Extract's Many Uses

By Dr. Markho Rafael

In America and Europe, the everyday "food mushroom" is the common button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), commercially cultivated in France since the 1600's. In the Far East, however, the likewise centuries old cultivation of gourmet mushrooms has been primarily focused on an entirely different species - the Shiitake. Only in the last few decades has Shiitake become a common household name in the West.

Known alternately as Black Mushroom or Chinese Mushroom, wild Shiitake grows in Asia only. The name derives from the Shii Tree, its preferred host, although Shiitake may also grow on oaks and beeches. Shiitake has been cultivated in China and Japan for a thousand years.

Increasingly recognized in the West as a culinary mushroom, few westerners are yet aware of the medical applications of Shiitake. In Asia, it has a long tradition as a medicinal mushroom going back to the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644) and the Chinese physician Wu Juei, who recommended it for conditions of the liver, respiratory and circulatory systems. Shiitake is also the most commonly studied mushroom in modern medical research, with special focus on its anti-tumor [94] and anti-viral properties. [93]

The preferred part of Shiitake to use medicinally is the mycelium (the "roots") because they contain compounds that either don't exist in the fruit body ("mushroom"), or are much more concentrated in the mycelium.

The most researched Shiitake extract is known as LEM, short for Lentinula Edodes Mycelia. (Shiitake's Latin name is Lentinula edodes.) Research has found LEM to enhance the immune system, [95, 96, 97] especially against bacterial infection. [98, 99] It's also been reported to be anti-tumoral. [100] A 2005 study published findings that it killed melanoma cells while sparing non-diseased tissue. [101]

Another active compound of Shiitake extract that has been much studied is Lentinan; a protein-free polysaccharide, so named after Lentinula, the Latin genus name for Shiitake. Lentinan does not directly kill tumors but has been shown to stimulate the tumor fighting mechanisms in the body of test subjects, [102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110] and is in fact in use in Asia as an injected cancer medication.

Arabinoxylanes, compounds resulting from Shiitake-on-rice fermentation, have also demonstrated significant anti-viral activity. [111, 112, 113]

Specifically herpes simplex virus type 1 [114] and more importantly HIV have responded to Shiitake extracts in several studies. [115, 116, 117] However, the previously mentioned Lentinan polysaccharide, by itself, has no significant effect on the replication of HIV. [25]

Additional studies have reported positive results with Shiitake extract in conditions of chronic fatigue syndrome [119] and Candida [118], as well as for septic shock prevention. [120]

And last but not least, in his book Mycelium Running, foremost U.S. medicinal mushroom expert Paul Stamets also lists the following areas where Shiitake has been reported as having a therapeutic effect: Blood sugar; blood pressure; kidney support; cholesterol; liver health; stress; sexual dysfunction; breast cancer; prostate cancer; liver cancer. [134]

Note: The statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Always consult a licensed medical practitioner before using any herb (or mushroom) for medicinal purposes.

Credit to Paul Stamets for research and source material. - 17268

About the Author:

Dr. Rafael has worked in the natural health field since finishing Chiropractic College in 1996. He currently specializes in to research and write about medicinal mushrooms, including Shiitake extract. For research references to this article, go to the Shiitake mushroom extract page. Click on the number indicating a reference.

What Body Builders Understand About Muscle

By Dr. Dorothy Nevelestein

Whey protein isolate and whey protein powder concentrate is an examination very frequently sought. This question without a doubt is one that has crossed the minds of a lot of hopeful weight lifters when glancing at the shelves of an assortment of kinds of whey protein powder on hand in the health food supermarket.

Which one is right for you; concentrate or isolate?

The most imperative differentiation amid the two is that Isolate is processed at deeper levels so that the fat and lactose are removed. This more involved system provides a higher quality of protein. The fact is that over 90% of whey protein powder isolate is protein calculated by weight.

This is important as lesser levels of fat are a help for the regular daily diet of bodybuilders and when whey is used for the purpose of getting rid of excess weight.

Decreased lactose levels are also a positive for individuals who are lactose intolerant and can also diminish the chance of that bloated feeling that can go along with some protein supplements. There are some side effects to using whey protein isolate nonetheless.

Since it is high in protein ratio, isolate powder requires you to pay a higher retail price. The filtering procedure isolate goes through is significantly more intensive to remove the components that are known as alpha lactoglobulins and lactoferrins which is significant immune boosters.

Whey concentrate has lower protein availability that can range from anywhere between 29% and up to 89% in some instances. Concentrate is elevated in levels of lactose and anyone in distress with lactose intolerance needs to be very wary.

Concentrate does have an advantage because it cost less so this can be a better alternative depending on what your financial plan is. Whey concentrate protein powder also is small in levels of cholesterol, which is another positive to consider for your diet.

On the whole, dietary and medical circumstances call for action to be taken into consideration when choosing the type of whey protein powder you choose.

Isolate whey powder may have the slight edge in regards to the biological value (BV) and will make available to you with more value for your money if you are needing a higher dosage per serving of whey protein. - 17268

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For the past 25 years, Dr. Nathaniel Millsby PHD has exploredinto all of the benefits of protein shake. He currently has an informative site that gives insightful information about everything that is protein shake