Activia yogurt by Dannon is advertised on television with Jamie Lee Curtis stating it helps you regulate your digestive system.  The active ingredient called Bifidus Regularis is supposed to help people with slow intestines digest better when the product is eaten daily for 2 weeks.  It is recommended to do this together with a nutritionally balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Bifidus Regularis contained in Activia yogurt is a natural probiotic culture.  It is described as friendly bacteria to your digestive system that will regulate your intestinal transit time.  The result will be maintaining a balance of the good bacteria that should naturally reside in your digestive system, almost as good as an herbal colon cleansing, but it’s really more of a maintenance thing, because it’s eaten every day, but yet doesn’t have the same colon cleansing properties that provide that initial “clean” feeling.
Factors that can throw off this balance are age, diet, hormonal changes and stress levels.  Within our human digestive tract, there are billions of bacteria termed intestinal microflora.  Within the colon, there can be as many as 500 species of bacteria and one of them is the bifidobacteria that is available in Activia.
This is why the scientists at Dannon selected the Bifidus Regularis as it survived passage in the digestive tract to the colon and stayed a living culture.  Dannon scientists have been studying the health benefits of probiotic foods for 20 years and have worked in partnerships with independent laboratories.
A probiotic is, by definition, a microorganism that when given in recommended amounts, give the host health benefits.  Scientific studies are increasingly supporting the claims that dairy foods containing live cultures have healthy beneficial properties.
Bifidus Regularis found in Activia is a true probiotic that is safe to eat, remains alive for the shelf life of the product and is in a high enough quantity to provide health benefits.
Activia yogurt comes in 6 different flavors to make it a tasty addition to incorporate into a healthy balanced diet.
 

Everyone knows the cliche about fish, how it is supposed to be a “brain food”, and many researchers have concluded that fish high in omega 3 fatty acids indeed does help boost brain power in both men and women, since there is some correlation between omega 3 acids, which is a beneficial fat also found in the best omega 3 supplements, to the human body, and better brain function. 

Well, now they are saying that pregnant moms who consume at least two servings of fish, preferably low mercury fish, which means wild-caught and not farm raised where mercury levels can run rampant, had children who performed better in cognitive and reasoning testing as youngsters (by youngsters, I mean around 3 years old or so).  Not only that, they also performed better on motor skills tests, which means the fish may have helped with motor development as well, which is another crucial brain function.

The results of the test basically back the notion that mercury consumption during pregnancy is not a good thing, and high mercury fish should be totally avoided while pregnant, however, mothers that consumed fish without mercury and had lower mercury levels in their blood during gestation of the fetus did have babies with higher levels of aptitude and motor skills.  Mothers that did not consume fish during pregnancy had lower mercury levels, but also did not have youngsters that performed as highly as mothers who consumed low mercury fish.

Fatty fish, which are tuna and salmon amongst them, two of the most popular fish varieties in the US, are the highest in beneficial omega 3 fatty acids, but also unfortunately are the most likely to contain high levels of mercury.  Some larger fish like mackerel, swordfish and other large varieties that live a long time are supposed to be avoided all together by pregnant women, since they have the potential to store much more brain-toxic mercury that may harm a developing brain in the fetus. 

Well, there’s a new product for the new year that we’ve been meaning to get a review up for, and it’s actually one that helps the body to regulate it’s blood pressure and cholesterol levels safely and naturally.  Yep, that’s right, hopefully this stuff can prevent you from ever having to go on those pesky and oftentimes hard to wean blood pressure and choleserol medications!

It is called Hypercet, and we’ve reviewed how the product works with the body’s natural defenses and rhythms in maintaining a healthy level of the “healthy” type of cholesterol while keeping bad cholestrol down.  The Hypercet review includes product information like ingredients and what they are supposed to help the body do, and in tandem with it’s other product which is designed to regulate cholesterol. 

So, start the new year off right, and if you have been concerned about your blood pressure or cholesterol because of health issues or perhaps a hereditary likelihood of getting either one, then these Hypercet blood pressure and cholesterol supplements may be right for you as an addition to your (hopefully) healthy lifestyle! 

Ginseng has long been used in Asia as an energy booster.  Ginseng is an adrenal tonic and it is useful for people who are tired and are faced with complex tasks.  Ginseng can enhance performance and combat stress and fatigue.  Physiologically, the mode in which ginseng works is by stimulating the pituitary gland to release ACTH or adrenocorticotropic hormone. 

ACTH is a hormone that helps us battle fatigue and stress.  Ginseng benefits us by increasing strength and endurance.  Ginseng is meant for short term use, however, and is not to be taken daily for long periods of time.  High doses of ginseng for long periods of time should never be done.  Possible side effects of ginseng could include anxiety,hypertension and nervousness.  Possible side effects for women are changes in the menstrual cycle or breast pain. 

Either lowering your dosage or cessation of ginseng should ensue if you experience side effects.  Ginseng may be purchased in and oil base, as a tea, tablets, capsules or as a tincture.  It is important, no matter which form you use, to ensure you buy the ginseng without added sugar or coloring.  As with any herbal product, make sure you read the label for the standard amount of the active ingredient.  If you are looking at Panax ginseng, the active ingredient would be ginsenoside.

Read the label for the recommended minimum for the purpose of stimulating the adrenal glands.  For short term use, when added energy and stamina is required, ginseng could give you the boost that you need.

Calcium supplements are highly recommended, especially for women in the premenopausal through postmenopausal years, to protect against bone loss.  Keeping as much density to your bones is an important factor to maintaining physical health as we age and will help to avoid stress fractures from brittle porous bones later in life. 

There’s no doubt as to the value of calcium supplements, particularly for those who are constantly dieting and consume very little dairy products.  What type of calcium supplement will work best for you is another decision to make.  Within the category of calcium supplements, there are anumber of varieties.  There are the coral calcium,  calcium carbonate, calcium citrate and plant calcium supplements. 

Algaecal is a plant derived calcium supplement that states it is more easily absorbed because it is drawn from sea water making it more accessible for your body.  Algaecal calcium supplements also contain zinc, manganese, copper, boron and strontium to assist in bone growth.
When reading labels on calcium supplements, be certain to look for the amount of elemental calcium in the product.   Elemental calcium is the amount of calcium that our bodies can actually absorb and use.  

The amount of calcium we absorb from a supplement is dependent on a number of factors including estrogen levels, vitamin D intake, amount of acid in our intestines and the type of calcium supplement we take.
 Calcium carbonate is one kind of supplement that is best to take after meals for best results. This type of supplement relies on a heavy acidic content in the stomach for best absorption. 

Calcium citrate supplements already provide an acidic environment for calcium absorption.  These supplements may be taken at ant time of day.  Calcium citrate supplements are not recommended for people with acid reflux problems.  Calcium supplements made with unrefined oyster shell, bone meal or dolomite should be avoided as they may contain toxic substances such as lead or mercury.

Although calcium supplementation is more dominantly publicized for use by women, men should be aware of bone density issues as they age also.  Men experience bone loss as they advance in age so older men would benefit from consuming more calcium.  Men, like women, should look into supplemental calcium and vitamin D if they are not getting the recommended amounts from dietary sources and sunlight.