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Crow’s feet, wrinkles, arthritis — all these and more are the hallmarks of aging. And with a large part of the baby boom generation starting to reach retirement age, anti aging natural supplements are in high demand. Aging is a natural process, and most of us want to reach a ripe old age in a healthy condition. What we don’t like are the effects that we see and feel as the cells become less healthy and as the organs decrease in function. And this is why many of us think popping a pill or several pills becomes necessary as we grow older.

One thing you have to remember is that anti aging natural supplements are not magic solutions that will keep you looking eternally youthful. What they will help do is help keep the cells healthy, promote intracellular communication, so that the body functions smoothly and become resistant to diseases. You will still age, but you will look good as you do so — and in a lot of cases, you may even look young for your age. Most importantly, you will look and feel healthy. Just remember that anti aging natural supplements will work best if you eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and follow a healthy lifestyle.
Many anti aging supplements contain antioxidants, which play a major role in keeping us healthy and looking young. Everyday we are exposed to substances called free radicals, which damage the cells and cause the emergence of diseases. Vitamins and minerals play a key role in defending the body from these free radicals, and many supplements provide us with the vitamins and minerals that are missing from our daily meals. Vitamin E, for instance, is a powerful antioxidant that keeps the skin looking supple and young, and it protects the body’s fatty cells from free radicals as well. Vitamins C and B are likewise important antioxidants which we should be getting in adequate amounts each day. The members of the family of B vitamins are especially helpful in battling stress; and anyone knows that the less stressed you are, the younger you look and feel. Remember, however that some vitamins can cause side effects if taken in excessive doses; you should read the supplement labels and consult your primary physician regarding appropriate dosages for you.

Some natural supplements contain herbal ingredients that have been proven to be very effective in countering the effects of aging. Green tea extract, for instance, is particularly helpful since certain studies show that it is more potent as an antioxidant than vitamins C and E combined. It contains substances like flavonols and catechins, which are very good for disease prevention. Some supplements containing herbs like golden root or rhodiola rosea belong to a category called adaptogens, which are effective in relieving stress and promoting a more youthful aura. Ginseng is another herb that can be called an adaptogenic herb. Many other herbs have anti-aging benefits. These include polygonum, which promotes the body’s production of an antioxidant called superoxide dismutase; schisandra helps the liver flush out toxins and is another anti-stress agent; and gynostemma, a Chinese tonic herb, promotes cardiovascular health and blood flow to keep the skin looking young and healthy.

Another popular ingredient in many anti aging natural supplements is a hormone called Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). DHEA occurs naturally in the body, but levels decline sharply with age. Once this happens, a condition known as metabolic syndrome may occur. Some symptoms of this disorder include an increase in cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which can lead to complications such as diabetes, stroke, and myocardial infarction. Taking a DHEA supplement will result in numerous anti aging benefits over time. It can relieve stress, increase lean muscle mass and strength, boost the immune system, sharpen mental clarity, promote weight loss, increase antioxidant enzymes in the liver, and enhance sexual performance.

Anti aging natural supplements are available in pill, liquid, or powder form and sold under many brand names. Most of them have a preventive effect in addition to keeping the body’s systems functioning in optimum condition and to hold back the negative effects of aging. But just because they are readily available does not mean you can indiscriminately just buy any that takes your fancy. Be an informed and wise consumer; talk the subject over with your physician first and become informed about the advantages and disadvantages of certain supplements before you make your choice.

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. Yet despite this label it still gets overshadowed by creatine, whey protein, and lately, nitric acid.

One of 22 Glutamine is one of the 22 amino acids that make up protein in the human body. Until scientists started taking a close look, amino acids were considered either essential or nonessential. Essential amino acids cannot be made by the body and must be consumed in the diet. Nonessential amino acids are those that can be manufactured from other amino acids. Glutamine doesn’t fit neatly into one of these categories. In fact the term “conditionally essential” is used, as while the body can manufacture it from other amino acids, there are times when demands outstrip supplies. For bodybuilders, glutamine’s primary role is combating the various stresses brought on by overtraining.

Overtraining is one of the biggest problems facing bodybuilders. The condition occurs when intense training is followed by inadequate rest periods. Instead of new muscle tissue being rebuilt, existing muscle tissue may be utilized as a fuel source. Glutamine can combat this by keeping the body in what’s called positive nitrogen balance. Essentially for protein to be turned into muscle tissue, nitrogen levels must be high. If they drop, muscle wasting can occur.

Intense exercise also causes the release of such catabolic hormones as corticosteroids. These compounds contribute to the depletion of muscle glutamine levels by increasing the release of glutamine from muscle cells. These catabolic steroids can cause glutamine levels to drop even after exercise has stopped. The result is that the muscle becomes severely glutamine depleted.

Supplementing with glutamine has been shown to keep the body in positive nitrogen balance as well as fight the muscle wasting effects of corticosteroid release.

Immunity system booster

Another benefit of glutamine is its role as an immunity system booster. Most bodybuilders will admit that they catch colds and flues a lot easier when they train hard but don’t rest properly. Glutamine can help prevent this because it serves as a precursor to many of the immunity system’s anti-viral and anti-bacterial cells. In fact hospital patients, particularly burn victims, are routinely given glutamine to help fight off infection.

Is it safe?

Like creatine, there have been few side effects attributed to glutamine usage. A few users report gastric, upset but this is usually caused by taking the full 10 to 20 gram dosage all at once. It makes far more sense to spread the daily dosage over smaller but more numerous dosages.

Given its relatively low cost, safety, proven anticatabolic properties, immunity boosting abilities, and great track record in combating overtraining, bodybuilders would be wise to experiment with glutamine.

The previous information has been created by experts to help you increase your knowledge base about bodybuilding supplements. Be knowledgeable. Be informed. Make the right choice!

Bob Howard expert on bodybuilding and steroids. Are you looking for more of his Glutamine articles?

http://www.bodybuilding-news.net
© Bob Howard 4/7/2006

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Researchers working at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center state that DPA and DHA, primary components of fish oil, provide substantial protection against coronary heart disease. This study involved more tha six thousand middle-aged men who had samples of their blood taken between 1973 and 1976. During the next seven years, 94 of these men had a heart attack or died suddenly due to heart disease. The 94 men were matched with 94 healthy men and the fatty acid profile of their blood samples compared.

The researchers discovered that the 94 men with heart disease tended to have a higher serum level of the saturated fatty acid palmitic acid and stated that a high level of this acid increases the risk of CHD by 68 percent. Palmitic acid is the main saturated fatty acid in most diets. This acid is known to cause an increase in both total cholesterol and low-density cholesterol levels; the researchers, however, found that the detrimental effect of a high intake of palmitic acid persisted even after allowing for its cholesterol- increasing effect.

The researchers also determined that men with a higher blood level of the Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid had an almost 50 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than did men with lower levels. Furthermore, the researchers found that men with CHD tended to have a higher serum level of Omega-6 fatty acids derived from linoleic acid. Fish oil seems to restore the balance.

Fish Oil may reduce heart attack fatalities by balancing certain electrical rhythms in the heart, thus preventing blood clots from forming. George Billman, professor of physiology at the Ohio State Univ., says that omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil make the tissues in the muscles of the heart less susceptible to damage caused by a lack of blood flow. “It looks like omega-3 fatty acids protect against the changes induced by ischemia,” said Billman. Billman, along with researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University Medical School, published the results of the study in a recent issue of the journal ‘Circulation’. The omega-3 fatty acids in the study seemed to do the work of anti-arrhythmic drugs. This work was funded by the American Heart Association, Ohio Valley Affiliate, and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Barry Sears, a leading authority in the field of fish oil, drug delivery systems and dietary control of hormonal response, states that Research is increasingly emphasizing the broad benefits of high-grade fish oil.

About The Author

Aaron Wilmont is an author and researcher of health topics. To find out more about the benefits of

fish oil, go to http://omega3zone.biz/fishoil

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When I first started down this path I was looking for something to reduce my cholesterol levels without giving me a heart attack. My doctor recommended Lipitor, but I had read an article in the American Heart Associations web site that indicated Lipitor and other statin drugs may possibly be worse for me than my high cholesterol. (The article that I read is here: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3001036 )

Subsequent research led me to two compounds that have been clinically proven to improve cholesterol levels without side effects. Being a chemical engineer myself, I was skeptical about any claim that did not have sufficient research behind it. However, the two compounds that I found have been clinically verified to be effective in improving cholesterol levels. It was these two compounds that have dramatically changed my condition, and motivated me to solicit this challenge.

What are the two compounds? Well, the first is niacin. That’s right, the inexpensive mineral that is occasionally listed on the food label of our bread, breakfast cereal, sports drinks, or other enriched food. The other compound is pantethine. Strangely enough, pantethine is a compound that our body makes as it created Co-Enzyme A which eventually creates cholesterol.

Between these two chemicals, extensive research has demonstrated dramatic, statin-like, effects on cholesterol levels. In addition, because they are already needed by your body, the two compounds don’t create the dangerous side effects that have been demonstrated with statins.

The two compounds act together to balance out the levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol and good (HDL) cholesterol in your blood stream. Clinical trials have demonstrated that niacin is effective in reducing the level of bad cholesterol in your blood stream. In addition, clinical trial on pantethine in Japan have demonstrated that the compound significantly improves the level of good (HDL) cholesterol in your blood stream. Subsequently, the combination of the two may have an amazing effect on your overall cholesterol level.

So what is the challenge? If your doctor have recommended that you lower your cholesterol level or worse, is threatening to put you on a statin drug. Try using these compounds instead. For eight weeks, on a daily basis take 500 mg of pantethine and 400 mg of niacin and see what effect it has on your cholesterol level. I know you will be as pleasantly surprised as I was

These compounds are effective, and there is data to back up that claim. However, a word of caution, with niacin. When you go to the drug store or natural foods market, make sure you buy niacin that is labeled time-release. Niacin is effective on cholesterol, but niacin supplements have a harmless side effect known as a niacin flush. This is the equivalent to a vitamin hot flash. Although harmless, a niacin flush can be uncomfortable for about a half hour. If the form of niacin that you take is not in a time-release dosage, a niacin flush may ensue. So be wary. Other than that, with any supplement do not exceed the recommended dosage.

If you have questions about the two compounds, do what I did. Start with research on the net, then move to reading clinical abstracts and reports. Just remember the challenge. I challenge you to lower your cholesterol to a healthy level without using a statin drug. Good health and good luck

About The Author

Barrett Niehus is a principal of IP Ware http://www.freetrainer.com and a technical associate of Compound Solutions http://www.compoundsolutions.com in Escondido, California.

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