We have noted many times that the difficulty with supplements is not only to know what type to take but how much to take. We direct you to the numerous US Government sites that give excellent guidance and the latest knowledge. On these sites the skeptic can find much information on what is efficacious and what is definitely not.
Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids are getting a lot of press. The situation is far from clear and some studies appear to be contradictory. Some say increase omega 3 and lower the intake of omega 6 to get the omega 3 to 6 ratio more in line with our ancestors, somewhere in the region of 1 to 12. And then a reputable study supports the idea that omega 6 is useful in of itself and an effort should not be made to cut back on foods high in omega 6 fatty acids.
The omega fatty acid debate seems to be heading in the cholesterol direction, a marker for general good health with lower instances of many chronic diseases. By reducing inflammation, omega-3 fatty acids are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, both in persons with a history of heart disease and in healthy individuals.
Most of us have heard the suggestion that we eat more fish, particularly those with a high fat content.
So, it would seem the key is to know how much omega 3 is in your system and what the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 is.
Our Favorite Health Products is now selling the HS-Omega-3 Index® Test on its website. This is a new test that measures blood levels of protective omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA in relation to all omega fatty acids. The desired HS-Omega-3 Index® is 8%, but most of us have an index in the range of 3 to 4%.
With the results of the HS-Omega-3 Index one can know how effective the fish oil supplements one is taking are and adjust ones intake accordingly.
If your HS-Omega-3 Index is between 4% and 8%, the recommendation would be to increase your intake by 500 to 1000 mg per day, either by eating more oily fish or taking omega-3 fish oil supplements. With an HS-Omega-3 Index of less than 4%, the recommendation would to increase the intake by 1000 to 3000mg per day.
The personal HS-Omega-3 Index report allows you to determine the success of your current omega-3 intake or adjust your ongoing intake to achieve a desired level.
The HS-Omega-3 Index® is an accurate, precise and validated measure of your red blood cell omega-3 level. The assay is reproducible and highly responsive to changes in omega-3 intake. Individual variability in the HS-Omega-3 Index® is very low.
The HS-Omega-3 Index® Test is available at our website.
We urge you to go to the US Government sites mentioned in out prior post and visit the American Heart Association site for the latest information on omega 3 fatty acids.
John Oram
Friday, November 13, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Probiotic? Prebiotic? What’s the difference? Are they useful?
A probiotic is a supplement or food containing live bacteria that provides a health benefit. A prebiotic is food for the bacteria.
Ingesting live healthy bacteria of a preferred strain can be beneficial, sometimes. A medical intervention or condition that decimates the gut flora, as we like to call it, will leave us in difficulty until the gut is repopulated with these little friends who are greatly missed when not in place to help with the passage of waste through the colon. They give their all for our benefit, at least the good ones do. So, an active repopulation effort is very worthwhile.
The bacteria in our system are not all to be welcomed home. But normally the good outweigh the bad.
A probiotic can also solve a problem by producing what the body does not produce or does not produce enough of. The most obvious example is lactose intolerance. The body does not produce sufficient lactase; a bacterium can produce lactase to make up the difference.
The bacteria in our bodies can be classified in three different groups, the beneficial, the harmless and the pathogenic, those that cause diseases. The diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria include cholera, diphtheria, leprosy, syphilis, tuberculosis, typhoid fever and food poisoning, to name a few.
Studies supporting the claims of probiotic efficacy are many. A symptom of lactose intolerance is diarrhea. A probiotic, added to milk, reduces the incidence of diarrhea in children. It also appears that strengthening gut flora gives generally positive results in situations where groups congregate for long periods, such as schools, with more apparent benefit for the young.
The natural benefits have resulted in efforts to improve nature. We now have GM bacteria.
But what of GM modified bacteria? Genetically modified, that is. The development of GM bacteria is a large and ever growing part of the pharmaceutical industry. The hope is that the GM bacteria will do its good work as designed and not become a rogue or pathogen. These GM bacteria are in a sense drugs and the initial results are very promising. The most studied and therefore the most modified bacteria are Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, both found in fermented milk products.
So, some strains of gut bacteria are useful and many are hyped and oversold.
Read the label and head for a .gov web site.
John Oram
Ingesting live healthy bacteria of a preferred strain can be beneficial, sometimes. A medical intervention or condition that decimates the gut flora, as we like to call it, will leave us in difficulty until the gut is repopulated with these little friends who are greatly missed when not in place to help with the passage of waste through the colon. They give their all for our benefit, at least the good ones do. So, an active repopulation effort is very worthwhile.
The bacteria in our system are not all to be welcomed home. But normally the good outweigh the bad.
A probiotic can also solve a problem by producing what the body does not produce or does not produce enough of. The most obvious example is lactose intolerance. The body does not produce sufficient lactase; a bacterium can produce lactase to make up the difference.
The bacteria in our bodies can be classified in three different groups, the beneficial, the harmless and the pathogenic, those that cause diseases. The diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria include cholera, diphtheria, leprosy, syphilis, tuberculosis, typhoid fever and food poisoning, to name a few.
Studies supporting the claims of probiotic efficacy are many. A symptom of lactose intolerance is diarrhea. A probiotic, added to milk, reduces the incidence of diarrhea in children. It also appears that strengthening gut flora gives generally positive results in situations where groups congregate for long periods, such as schools, with more apparent benefit for the young.
The natural benefits have resulted in efforts to improve nature. We now have GM bacteria.
But what of GM modified bacteria? Genetically modified, that is. The development of GM bacteria is a large and ever growing part of the pharmaceutical industry. The hope is that the GM bacteria will do its good work as designed and not become a rogue or pathogen. These GM bacteria are in a sense drugs and the initial results are very promising. The most studied and therefore the most modified bacteria are Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, both found in fermented milk products.
So, some strains of gut bacteria are useful and many are hyped and oversold.
Read the label and head for a .gov web site.
John Oram
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