Then there are all the supplements that are touted to dramatically increase natural growth hormone production. I do believe that nutritional supplements like the amino acids L-Arginine and L-Ornithine do increase the natural production of HGH. That sounds really good, but the fact is that the amount of HGH that is increased by these supplements is not enough for effective anti-aging therapy.

If you are approaching fifty years old and are in a financial position to afford HCH I highly recommend this life extension therapy, but do not be fooled into thinking there is a cheap and oral alternative. It really makes me mad that these companies are preying on the uninformed.

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There has been a lot interest in chia seed lately for its health benefits so I thought I would relay to you what I know. Chia seed was first cultivated by the Aztecs in ancient Mexico. The Aztecs considered it a power food and used it often in there diet.

Chia is one of the richest plant sources of omega 3 fatty acids, very similar in composition to those found in the better known flax seed. Both chia and flax can be used as an alternative to fish oil as an omega 3 source. And like flax seeds chia seeds are also a great source of dietary fiber. Both can be used in smoothies and sprinkled on all kinds of food such as yogurt, cereal and salads.

I do really like the benefits of chia seed, but there is one point I would like to make. In my opinion it is no better than flax seed, and right now it is substantially more expensive. If you are currently using flax I see no reason to switch. If you are considering a plant based omega 3 I would still recommend flax over chia because of the price difference.

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Magnesium is a critical part of a healthy diet, and many of our over processed food these days have very little. You would not think so, but human magnesium deficiency is surprisingly common, with only 32% of people of the United States meeting the United States recommended daily allowance.  Low levels of magnesium in the body have been linked to the development of a number of chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

The foods that are the most abundant with magnesium are generally your green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli. Nuts, seeds, peas and beans are also high in magnesium. Whole grain breads are a good source, but when flour is refined to white when processed, the magnesium in the whole grain is removed. If your drinking water is “hard”, meaning high levels of minerals than it can also be a good magnesium source, but “soft” water is very low in all minerals.

I regularly recommend magnesium for my clients that are having any type of anxiety or stress, which seems like just about everyone these days. The nice thing about magnesium is it seems to have a calming influence on the body without making people feel totally zonked out and too tired to function. If you ever feel overwhelmed with life sometimes should definitely try magnesium supplementation.

Magnesium is also commonly used in conjunction with other natural sleep aids as an effective insomnia cure. For some people magnesium alone will do the trick to induce better sleep, but I have generally found that for better sleep it is most effective when combined with other natural supplements like melatonin, theanine, valerian root, passion flower and hops only to name a few. Because of its ability to relax the nerves and muscles it really can be an effective and safe way to help get a good night sleep.

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One softgel of Krill Oil supplies 90 milligrams of Omega 3 fatty acids. From my perspective that is almost worthless to take. What a joke. These companies making these claims should be ashamed of themselves.

Two softgels of a typical Omega 3 product contain 690 milligrams of Omega 3 fatty acids. So by just following the recommended dosage on the bottles you will be getting more than 7 times the Omega 3 by just continuing to use the good old fashioned fish oil.

The sad thing is that many usually reputable supplement companies are advertising this scam. Most notably is Schiff with its MegaRed product. What a bunch of junk that product is! Do your homework and don’t get fooled!

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To make it as simple as possible, just think of the herbal capsules as the plant ground up and put inside the capsule. With basic herbal capsules there is very little control over potency or the active ingredients within the product. There is a great deal of natural variation that occurs within different parts of plants. There is also a lot of variation of potency due to growing conditions of the plant during a particular harvest season. For this reason I generally recommend herbal extract products.

Herbal extracts are precise active ingredient extractions of the plant. The quantity and potency of the active ingredients are tightly regulated and will have little or no variation from bottle to bottle. You can be confident that the bottle you purchase today will work as effectively as bottles you bought in the past. You can not always have this confidence with regular herbal capsules.

All things considered herbal extracts are going to be stronger and more precisely dosed than regular herbal pills.

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Bromelain is an enzyme from pineapple that has amazing generalized anti-inflammatory properties. Many people also will use Bromelain inflammation of the joints and arthritic conditions. But Bromelain is particularly effective for reducing inflammation in the sinus membranes. Usually1000mgs two times daily is effective.

Quercetin is a citrus bioflavonoid that has been shown to naturally inhibit histamine release. It works as natural anti-histamine without the side effects of Benadryl like medicines. When histamines are released the sinus membranes become irritated and inflamed and breathing becomes difficult. Usually 1000mgs two times daily is effective.

From a naturalistic approach to sinus problems these two nutrients are the best things going.

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In 90% of the cases prostate enlargement is benign and not cancerous. Saw palmetto berries are4 amazing effective for treating this annoying problem. Saw Palmetto is cheap and without side effects. Don’t let your doctor immediately try to get you on some prescription medication with potential side effects. Try Saw Palmetto for a month first.

I recommend a standardized extract. They usually come in little soft gel capsules. Natures Way makes a very effective and popular Saw Palmetto extract. If you are experiencing severe symptoms I would double up on you dosage for a few weeks until your symptoms diminish and then go down to a one a day maintenance dosage.

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The main difference between fish oil and cod liver oil is that cod liver oil is high in vitamin D. The cod liver oil has the advantage of providing vitamin D, which is necessary for most of us in the United States in the cold months of winter, when we don't get very much sun exposure on our skin in order to make vitamin D.

Many people get confused about the difference between fish oil liquid and cod liver oil. You can consider cod liver oil as fish oil+. The 2 are the same except that cod liver oil contains natural vitamin D and A.

For people who already take a multiple vitamin that supplies Vitamin A and take supplemental Vitamin D I recommend a fish oil. And for those people that don’t take any additional supplements I generally recommend cod liver oil.

Either one of these sources of omega 3 fatty acids is one of the best things you can do for your health. The list of benefits is ever growing and truly amazing.

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