Green Tea Extract

Green tea has been shown is recent studies to have numerous health benefits. The green tea extract, called Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is the main catechin of green tea that helps fight against aging related diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Green tea extract and it’s main constituent, EGCG have been shown to have strong antioxidant activity, enhance metabolism and fat oxidation and promote mouth health. EGCG has also been shown to help in maintaining healthy glucose levels.

A lot of herbal green tea extracts are out now on the market, but they are not created equally. Some may have little or no EGCG extract in them at all. Also, some green tea extracts may have pesticides; caffeine and herbicide residues so it’s best to first consult with your country’s bureau of food and drugs as well as scrutinize the ingredients and country of origin.

In a more recent study, ingestion of tea rich in catechins lead to a reduction of body fat in men. Meanwhile, EGCG was shown to maintain oral health by inhibiting growth bacteria that cause dental caries, periodontal diseases, halitosis and bad breath. Its antioxidant properties possess anti-inflammatory property, inhibit vascular smooth muscle growth, counteract vasoconstriction and prevent stroke as well as hypertension.

Six Useful Guidelines In Buying Health Supplements

Herbal medicines are very popular these days, but great caution must also be undertaken due to some of the ingredients in fact be harmful to our body or may interact with the prescription medicines we are taking. Here are six useful guides in buying herbal supplements.

1.) Whenever possible, look for standardized herbal supplements. It should posses the United States Pharmacopeia’s seal of manufacturing standards. These standards include a guarantee for it’s cleanliness and freedom from contaminants such as lead, mercurials or other drugs.

2.) Buy only single herb products. It should contain how much of the herb is contained per dose. Avoid products with multiple ingredients with unknown properties and numerous effects.

3.) Be on the watch for too many claims of benefit. No drug can be a panacea for a multitude of conditions.

4.) Avoid taking herbal supplements if you are already taking an over-the-counter and or a prescription drug for fear of drug interactions. If a proven drug is available for your medical condition, there is no reason for you to take a herbal supplement since the former has an established record of safety and effectiveness.

5.) In the event that you are to undergo surgery, avoid herbal medicines since it may decrease effectiveness of anesthetic agents, cause undue bleeding and provoke hypertension.

6.) Avoid such supplements if you are younger than 18 or older than 65 years. Older individuals metabolize differently and herbal medicines have not been tested for safety and efficacy among children.

Natural Does Not Necessarily Mean Safe

Most people assume that just because it’s natural, it is safe. But that’s not always the case I herbal medicines. Most people take herbs for various indications. However, two thirds of people who use herbal supplements take them without the benefit of any scientific proof, according to a recent study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings medical journal. Consumers maybe just wasting their money and risking their health by taking these supplements indiscriminately. It is a known fact that herbal medicines do not undergo the same rigorous testing and labeling process as over the counter and prescription medicine. Some of these substances to include those labeled as natural do posses drug like effects hence, potentially dangerous.

Popular herbal ingredients like Gingko biloba, a popular memory pill can interact with blood thinners such as warfarin and aspirin increasing bleeding time. St. John’s Wort has been shown to reduce depression but has been associated with some serious drug interactions. Research on dietary herbal supplements has shown some benefits but may also pose serious side effects. But the most serious threat is that patients may be drawn away from taking prescription drugs that have been validated scientifically to benefit disease conditions.

Fish Oil Capsules | Omega 3

Recent new studies indicates that fish oil capsules and fatty fish do an equally good job of enriching the blood and other body tissues with healthy omega 3 fatty acids. But as good news as this may seem, the findings cannot be interpreted to mean that capsules and fish are equally good for the heart. There are things that can change the blood lipids but don’t do anything for the heart and vice versa. Omega 3 fatty acid consumption is recommended by the American heart association and several other groups to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and consumption of fatty fish and fish oil capsules have similar effects.

But there has been little research whether the body process fatty acids from fish oil capsules and fish in the same way. To investigate, researchers had 11 women eat two servings of tuna or salmon each week, with an additional 12 women took in the same amount of omega 3’s, an estimated 485 milligrams daily in capsule form. After 16 weeks, the amount of omega 3 fatty acids in the red blood cells of women in both groups has risen by 40 percent to 50 percent, while omega 3’s in the plasma had risen by 60 to 80 percent.

Prior to this study, it is assumed that fish would be a better source of healthy fatty acid, but based on the findings, it does not make a difference whether you get your omega 3 fatty acids from a concentrate in a capsule or from a fish, the effect in the same. But whenever possible, researchers state that eating fish is still better because fish brings with it protein and minerals and other factors that are good for our health that the capsules don’t bring.