0 Dietary supplements

Dietary supplements are foods marketed as capsules, tablets, ampoules , capsules, teas , oral solutions ... whose purpose is to supplement the normal diet . They are concentrated sources of nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect. They are designed to meet a specific need : digestion, sleep , weight loss, tone ...
These are not drugs so they do not heal . Their goal is to improve the well-being and maintain good health. Dietary supplements are not essential in sports nutrition . A varied diet can ensure complete intake of nutrients essential to good physical condition. The problem often comes from deficiencies in the quality of our food , which is often depleted or unbalanced diet. The frequency and intensity of training sessions and competitions can theore increase the risk of disability.

Are there a risk to consume dietary supplements ?
It is recommended to take these supplements on a defined period following employment recommendations on the label length . The choice of supplements should also be based on demonstrated need . Consuming dietary supplements in excessive doses , without a healthy supply of basic or no real need is certainly not without health consequences . This is the problem of self -medication ...

0 B Vitamin Supplements May Advance Kidney Decline In People With Diabetes

About 40% of people with diabetes will develop kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy); 44% of cases of renal failure are linked to diabetes.

B vitamins lower blood homocysteine levels, high levels of which are thought to raise the risk for diabetic nephropathy.

Can taking B vitamins lower the risk of kidney disease among diabetics? Researchers from Canada set out to answer that question:

Effect Of B-Vitamin Therapy On Progression Of Diabetic Nephropathy, Journal of the American medical Association, April 2010

They reported that people with diabetes and nephropathy who took supplemental vitamin B had a greater decline in kidney function than those taking placebo. Supplementers also had a higher rate of heart attack and stroke.

Patients took a tablet containing placebo or:

• Folic acid (2.5 mg/d)
  
• Vitamin B6 (25 mg/d)
  
• Vitamin B12 (1 mg/d)

The RDA for those vitamins:

• Folic acid (400 mcg/d = 0.4 mg/d)
  
• Vitamin B6 (1.3 to 1.7 mg/d)
  
• Vitamin B12 (2 to 3 mcg/d = .002 to .003 mg/d)

Note the high doses in the supplement.

Not only was the folic acid/B6/B12 blend not helpful, it likely did harm.

Science Daily has a good summary:
High Doses of B Vitamins Associated With Increased Decline in Kidney Function for Patients With Kidney Disease from Diabetes
________

0 No evidence drugs vitamins supplements help prevent cognitive decline in healthy older adults

A review of published research has found no evidence that drugs, herbal products or vitamin supplements help prevent cognitive decline in healthy older adults.

The review, conducted at St. Michaels Hospital, found some evidence that mental exercises, such as computerized memory training programs, might help.

"This review provides some evidence to help clinicians and their patients address what strategies might prevent cognitive decline," said Dr. Raza Naqvi, a University of Toronto resident and lead author of the review.

The issue is of particular importance given that mild cognitive impairment affects 10 to 25 per cent of people over age 70. Mild cognitive impairment is characterized by reduced memory, judgment, and decision-making skills compared to someone of a similar age, but not enough to interfere with daily activities.

The annual rate of decline into dementia, such as Alzheimers disease, is about 10 per cent. Given that rate and the aging population, its estimated the number of Canadians with dementia will double to more than 1 million in the next 25 years.

Researchers including Dr. Sharon Straus, head of the Knowledge Translation Program at St. Michaels, reviewed 32 randomized clinical trials involving about 25,000 patients.

They found no strong evidence for pharmacologic treatments such as cholinesterase inhibitors that were developed to improve the effectiveness of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that assists memory, thought and judgment.

Nor was there strong evidence that herbal supplements such as gingko improved cognitive functions or vitamins and fatty acids such as vitamin B6 or omega-3 fatty acids.

Some studies on estrogen actually indicated an increase in cognitive decline and dementia.

Evidence on the value of physical exercise, such as strength-training, was weak.

The strongest evidence was for the value of mental exercises such as computerized training programs or intensive one-on-one personal cognitive training in memory, reasoning, or speed of processing.

Dr. Naqvi said future studies should address the impact of cognitive training on the prevention of cognitive decline.

"We encourage researchers to consider easily accessible tools such as crossword puzzles and sudoko that have not been rigorously studied," he said. "The studies in this review that assessed cognitive exercises used exercises that were both labour- and resource-intensive, and thus may not be applicable to most of our patients."

0 Protein supplements

Athletes are increasingly concerned about the potential benefits of nutritional supplements. Many people are increasingly more aware of the new studies in nutrition and not doubt the importance of eating high quality protein and biological value as the basis for their daily meals. Thus , protein is the nutritional key that opens the doors of muscle growth .

The proteins are involved in important cellular processes such as the formation of enzymes , hormones , antibodies, contractile tissues (actin , myosin, tropomyosin , etc.), etc. .

Along with carbohydrates and lipids are the immediate principles which provide energy to our diet . Also provide the body elements regenerators plastics body tissues.

Proteins are macromolecules consisting of nitrogenous basic units called amino acids (joined in long chains ) . These amino acids can be of 2 types :

Essential : are amino acids that the body can not synthesize and must obtain them from the diet. They are:

- Isoleucine .
- Leucine .
- Lysine .
- Metiomina .
- Phenylalanine .
- Threonine .
- Tryptophan .
- Valine .
- Histidine .

Non- essential :

- Alanine .
- Arginine .
- Aspartic acid .
- Asparagine .
- Cysteine ​​.
- Glutamic acid .
- Glycine .
- Proline .
- Serine .
- Tyrosine .

Low levels of the 9 essential amino acids limit protein synthesis in the body, hence the importance of not only the quantity but the quality of the ingested protein. The protein -based animal products like eggs, milk , etc. . provide near optimum mixtures of amino acids . As to the amount below 20 % of total calories ingested intakes athlete maintain a state of muscle catabolism , totally inadequate for the athletic progress situation .

Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein.

Initially no attention to the nutritional quality lent disparate figures were given. Subsequently international organizations gave figures 1g . per kilogram of body weight specifying which should include proteins of animal and plant origin . Current recommendations vary committees nutritional experts worldwide , according to WHO 0.6 g / day / kg body weight.

The CDR is the RDA to ensure not suffer deficiency diseases and are based on some general statistics and be taken as baseline values. But athletes deviate from the average individual, both physical activity and the effects of exercise physiology has on your metabolism. So many sports dietitians recommend that a figure around 2gr/día/kg body weight.

I hope you find it helpful, comment and suggest . And do not forget to share !

0 Why It Is Sometimes Wise To Use Protein Supplements

Walk into any health food store, or supplement store attached to a gym, and you’ll see that the world is not crying out for lack of protein supplements! But who’s consuming all those proteins, and if you can simply get this nutrient from food, why bother with supplementation at all? These are all valid questions, which will be addressed.

But first, let’s have a look at proteins. What are they, and what do they do? Biologically speaking, they are peptide-bonded chains of amino acids. They are broken down in the stomach and intestinal tracts by digestive enzymes, into their component amino acids. Amino acids are then used for a variety a purposes, the most important of which, at least for athletes and bodybuilders, is building new muscle mass, and repairing cells that have been damaged through exercise.

But why use supplements? The fact is that most people don’t necessarily need supplementation, since they get all the proteins they need from dietary sources (i.e. food). Proteins can be found in a wide variety of food types, including meat, fish, seafood, as well as in beans, lentils, soy, and much more. The complications start when you need a lot of proteins, like athletes and bodybuilders do.

Protein in meat is of high quality, but it comes with a high price: fat, and not the good kind. Regular steak will, on average, have anywhere from 20 to 35% protein by weight. It will have a similar percentage of fat, even if it looks lean. If you are so muscular that you need, say, the amino acid equivalent of 5 steaks a day, you would be eating so much fat along with the proteins that it would become completely counterproductive to your efforts.

This is where protein supplements come in. Most supplements are available in the form of powder, which are then mixed with milk or water to form a delicious shake. The available flavors are somewhat predictable: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and more. Most are tasty enough, after a fashion. You can also purchase protein supplement in the form of bars, which have similarly predictable flavors, except that they’re usually not that great-tasting. There are exceptions, of course.

The most popular type of protein used in supplementation is whey, closely followed by casein, as well as egg albumin and soy. Whey and casein are both complete proteins, derived from milk. They offer similar amino acid profiles, rich in anabolic, or muscle-building branched chain amino acids.

Whatever you chose, supplementation gives you choice and control; you don’t have to rely on fatty meat proteins, or their starchy vegetal equivalents. You can enjoy almost pure protein, with tiny, almost negligible fat and carbohydrate content. You can thus get all the nutrients your body need without exposing yourself to an unhealthy or unbalanced diet. It should be noted that you should always get your baseline nutritional intake through dietary sources, and supplement with whey or casein proteins. Those shakes are not snacks, nor are they meal replacements! In short, eat a healthy and balanced diet, then supplement as needed.

Authors Resource Box

Cecil D. Murphy is a writer and online marketer specializing in wellness, health and nutritional products. He was drawn to this field because of his own dark past both as a smoker, and as one who struggles with his weight. Visit his website to learn more about ViSalus http://planvisalus.com/, or even to join ViSalus, either as a customer or distributor, if youre ready to make a massive positive change in your life!

Article Source : Why It Is Sometimes Wise To Use Protein Supplements

Author : Cecil D.