Benefits of Iodine supplements

One of the most essential trace elements needed for the healthy functioning of the human body is Iodine. As it is a trace element we do not need to take a large quantity for it to be effective. However, we do still need to consume food items that contain naturally occurring Iodine to stay healthy. As the body cannot make it on its own we need to get it from external sources. Deficiency of Iodine can lead to a whole set of medical problems that could be prevented through the addition of Iodine supplements in our diet. Some of the benefits of Iodine supplements are:    

Enhanced cognitive ability:  Studies have proved that those individuals who suffer from cognitive   impairment, show remarkable improvement when they increase their intake of Iodine to recommended levels. While generally for most individuals their cognitive functions are normal, which can be attributed to adequate Iodine consumption in their diet. However, for those who have low levels of Iodine coupled with poor cognitive functioning, it becomes necessary to intake Iodine supplements like Detoxadine. The best way to determine if there is a need to take supplements is by undertaking a thyroid medical test. 

Help to detox fluoride: While we need to ensure that excess levels of Iodine are not consumed (it could pose a health risk), you need to ensure taking adequate levels to detox the body of harmful fluoride. Iodine effectively prevents the build-up of fluorides over time within the body, which could pose serious health issues. Iodine helps to effectively neutralize excess fluoride levels present in the human body. 

Help to enhance metabolism: A healthy metabolism is maintained and regulated by the thyroid gland in the body. Those who suffer from an Iodine deficiency will suffer from an underactive thyroid condition known as hypothyroidism, which will result in a sluggish metabolism. Once the Iodine levels are in place it will improve the metabolic rate. To determine if you are suffering from an Iodine deficiency, it is best to undertake a medical test. 

Helps to protect the thyroid: Our modern lifestyles make us susceptible to harm from free radicals through food, drinks, products etc. These in particular attack the thyroid among other body organs. When we consume the right levels of Iodine it assists in protecting these free radicals from damaging the thyroid. Iodine deficiency will leave the thyroid susceptible to damage, which would lead to additional medical ailments. 

Maintain hormone balance: A deficiency of Iodine will throw your hormones out of gear because of its direct impact on the thyroid gland that is responsible to maintain a steady balance of other hormones in the body. It also has a direct impact on the libido. The best way to determine symptoms of low Iodine is to visit a physician who will advise you to as to what test to undertake. 

Better hair growth: While it is not advised to take a large dose of iodine to try to treat hair loss due to male pattern baldness, it definitely is beneficial for the healthy growth of hair. Dull and coarse hair that does not grow normally could be just one indicator of Iodine deficiency.

Top green foods that offer amazing benefits

Those who are health conscious are well aware of the benefits of green food plants, which contain all the necessary minerals, trace minerals and vitamins needed to stay in good health. These can be called super foods, as they have all the necessary dietary components needed for the body maintain good health, and also assist in the digestion and assimilation of nutrients within the body. Apart from their nutritional value there are other health benefits as well:   

Barley Grass: One of the most well known green super foods barley grass has to be picked when young for the nutrients to be well assimilated in the body. While it can be drunk as a fresh juice it has a rather bitter taste. A better option is to have in the form of capsules, which contain the dried and powdered barley grass, like those sold under the brand Green Magma UK. In terms of nutrition green barley grass has 4 times the calcium as milk and an amazing 22 times more iron than spinach. It contains 13 vitamins, 12 minerals and approximately 23% of protein. It is also one of the best sources of natural cholorophyll. It is also easier on the stomach then wheat grass, which some users find harsh. 

Wheat Grass: Like Barley Grass or Green Magma UK, wheat grass also has to be picked when young to gain its health benefits. It can also be taken as fresh juice or taken in the form of capsules. It is known for its rich nutritional value and consists of more than 90 minerals, which include magnesium, calcium and potassium. It also helps to maintain optimal pH levels in the human body. It also has numerous vitamins and 19 essential amino acids. 

Chlorella: Chlorella is packed with protein, minerals, trace elements and vitamins and is single-cell green algae. It is very high in nutritional value and one of the healthiest whole foods for human consumption. It is known to boost the immune system and also helps to rid the body of impurities, heavy metals and toxins. Scientific research has shown that chlorella inhibits tumour growths in the human body and could be a potent food in the prevention of cancer. It is very effective in treating patients with radiation sickness and is known to lower cholesterol levels as well. Chlorella has a large content of chlorophyll, which works effectively to deodorise the breath as well as the body.  And one of the biggest benefits of its mineral and vitamin rich content is that it is easily absorbed by the human body. For effective absorption in the body its tough external shell needs to be removed. 

Spirulina: Another one of the most powerful natural wonder foods spirulina, are mono cell blue-green fresh water algae. It comprises of phytonutrients, minerals, vitamins and consists of more than 70% protein. As with other super foods its nutritional content is easily assimilated by the human body. Owing to its high nutrition to weight ratio, it is recommended by NASA as a dietary supplement for astronauts to take while in space.

Bring A Little Sunshine into Your Bones

Vitamin D3 is vital to our bodies.  It is one of the vitamins that our system can produce itself, providing there is enough sun.  In our climate sunlight is not always available and this is more of a problem for darker skinned people.

This vitamin is produced photo chemically when the upper layer of the skin is exposed to UV-B rays. Since you need to be in the sun every day for 15 minutes in the middle of the day, it is not likely that many people will want to be exposed to the harmful rays of the sun.

However, help is at hand and all is not lost.  There is a dietary supplement available called Suntrex which contains this vitamin.  Because it is made entirely out of plant substances, it is also suitable for vegans.

Why do we need this vitamin? It is responsible for aiding the digestive tract in the absorption of calcium and phosphates which promote strong bones and teeth. It will also help with repairing bones.  Furthermore many cells in the body utilise this vitamin for cell growth, immunity and it reduces inflammation.

Indications have recently emerged that it reduces incidences of various illnesses such as auto-immune disorders, diabetes and cardio vascular ailments.

Deficiency could lead to loss of bone density and brittle bones and a higher rate of breaks both in children and adults.

Older people and those who suffer Crohn’s disease are susceptible to bone loss as these groups have a diminished ability to make vitamin D3 and whose kidneys lose the ability to convert it into its active state.
There are not too many foods that contain it, but you will find it in limited amounts in oily fish, such as mackerel, mushrooms, cheese, beef and egg yolks.  Unfortunately if you are a vegan you won’t be able to eat most of these things.

It seems that the only way we will get enough of this vitamin is to supplement your diet with health products, drinking milk that has had vitamin D added to it and to be in the sun for a certain amount every day.

Candida: An Overview of this Pesky Fungus

In recent years, we have all become a little more aware of candida, although we might not know its name. Candida is a type of fungus that causes common ailments like thrush and nappy rash. Below, we are going to explore this fungus in more depth.

What is candida? 
As we mentioned above, it is a type of fungus. It lives on all of our bodies, where it usually causes no problems.

However, sometimes, the fungus can grow in excessive numbers, and this leads to the problems, such as nappy rash and thrush.

Why does candida grow excessively?
Under certain conditions, the candida fungus will grow to excess numbers. There are several reasons why this happens:

1. A recent course of antibiotics can cause you to lose the friendly bacteria that keeps the candida fungus at manageable levels. 
2. A compromised immune system means that the body cannot fight the infection (it’s common in immunology problems, such as AIDS). 

What are the Candida Symptoms?
There can be various signs of candida. These include:

• White, thick, patches in the mouth, nose, or genitals. 
• Pain and itching 
• Difficulty eating in the case of oral thrush
• Tiredness and lethargy
• Foggy thinking 

The latter two candida symptoms can be indicative of other problems, too. You are more likely to have candida if you also have the thick white patches.

How do you treat candida?
There are numerous ways of treating candida. You can buy anti-fungal medication over-the-counter. You can also buy products from health shops that can purportedly reduce the number of infection-causing candida spores. There is also a “candida” diet that can supposedly keep the fungus at bay; this usually involves cutting out sugars, which is the main source of fuel that the candida fungus uses.

Aging Disgracefully: 3 Supplements/Foods that Can Turn Back the Clock

OK, so we misled you. We can’t turn back the clock just yet, but we can certainly slow it down, and we can sort of reverse some signs of aging, albeit temporarily. Below, we’re going to look at some supplements and natural foods/drinks that can help you slow that clock right down.

Green Tea
This is revered in Eastern cultures, and now Western medicine is in agreement. Green tea is a powerful antioxidant that can help maintain brain health. A healthy brain is a happy brain, and happiness is one of the leading factors of longevity.

Active Digestive Enzymes
These help the body to process vitamins and nutrients better. This serves several different benefits. First, it means that our bodies work less hard. As a consequence, we conserve energy instead of wearing ourselves out. Secondly, active digestive enzymes allow us to process a greater number of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. Therefore, our bodies receive more of the good stuff. This contributes to faster cell repair on all levels.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ACL)
This is fantastic for brain health. One thing that it purportedly does is to increase the levels of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is directly implemented in Alzheimer’s disease. You might have heard recently that certain medications, such as Diphenhydramine-containing sleep supplements, contain anticholinergic. These damage the myelin sheath around brain neurons, which is needed for adequate communication and plasticity. Without these sheaths, the neurons become damaged.

Well, ACL helps to reverse the damage of anticholinergic products and processes, by boosting acetylcholine, which is protective to the myelin sheath. If you’re interested, there’s a fantastic TED Talk about demyelination in certain neurological conditions. It’s called “Minding Your Mitochondria”. There are some people that dismiss her diet, but much of what she says is accurate.

Bayberry V Wild Endive

Many synthetically produced medicines originate from botanical species with the most popular of all medicine; the humble aspirin, being a prime example.

A great many health benefits can be found in plants. And roughage that cleans the gut is found in green leafy vegetables that we should all eat some of on a daily basis.

Wild endive that grows in many parts of the world has always been considered beneficial in many ways including that roughage property. Some recent research indicates that the high inulin and fibre content helps bring down glucose levels in the blood along with cholesterol so it’s obviously beneficial to diabetics and obese people.

This plant also contains antioxidant properties with high levels of carotene and vitamin A, something that helps with skin and mucus membrane. It’s also an essential vitamin to help maintain good eyesight.

Some plants are like Jekyll and Hyde. There is a healthy and highly beneficial part and another part to be avoided at all costs. Rhubarb and Bayberry springs to mind here.

The latter is a plant that has been known to provide many benefits for thousands of years. The Greeks, the Romans and every apothecary following, has known of these benefits. For many years these beneficial components were reduced to a form that was available at all health outlets.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that just a small part of a particular type of this plant was considered dangerous, the whole family of them has been banned by some committee in the EEC.

As a result more work has been put into producing a commercial supplement containing the useful parts of the endive family.

This slightly begs the question as to whether we should make rhubarb crumble and custard illegal. Rhubarb stalks may be delicious but the leaves are known to be deadly.

As an aside, a Belgium once stored young endive in a dark storage area and covered them with a blanket hoping they would last throughout the winter.

When he went to check them they had not grown like ordinary endive and turned green but had remained slightly stunted with closed leaves and remained white; and are delicious.

Choose Supplements With Care

One of the problems with dietary and beauty products is that there are just too many to choose from and knowing the best from the rest isn’t easy.

Because dietary and vitamin products are taken by so many of us some unscrupulous producers have jumped on the bandwagon. In the UK alone it’s a three-quarter of a billion pound business every year.

So choosing the ones that work and avoiding the ones that are probably doing little good for you, is hard work.

The first tip is to buy from a reputable supplier that has been around for plenty of time. New suppliers that have very recently sprung up on the internet are best avoided. Ones that actually go into some more detail than others and are willing to offer unsolicited helpful criticism from customers are also more likely to be trustworthy.

Major manufacturers, like the makers of Biocare Products, are likely to be more effective than one product wonders that suddenly pop-up on the internet. If you look carefully you’ll find some suppliers of a multitude of products have been trading for decades.

These providers of supplements must have something right if they have been successfully trading a long time.

The internet means you can research very easily the basic attributes of products that are contained in the product. In other words, if a product reveals it contains an amount of aloe-vera in its skin cream then just research that plant and see if it really is good for skin.

As it happens in that instance the plant has been known for hundreds if not thousands of years to be good for skin. Many societies living in very hot countries where the plant grows have always known that if anyone gets sunburn then cutting with a knife through a thick leaf and rubbing the juicy end over the burnt skin brings instant relief.

Whether it’s taken orally or is a skin product there seems to be a supplement for every ill. But just do a little homework before buying a product that might just be a waste of money.

If you would like to know more visit Finchleyclinic,