Joint Supplements for Dogs?

Tim wrote into MyAchingKnees with this comment and question: "Well thanks for such a nice blog. It's precise and to the point. I'm looking for some glucosamine supplements for my dog and I came across a couple of sites which said that human glucosamine could not be give to dogs because it might be harmful to them. I've checked out a new glucosamine supplement at Amazon but I'm not sure if I can give it to my dog without consulting the vet....can you please help me?? "

MyAchingKnees response: Tim, you are an animal lover same as me. Most people won't even give their dog's the recommended vaccines let alone provide them supplements as needed or indicated.

I have given three of my dogs Glucosamine. Even though my Vet recommended Rimadyl to control joint related pain - this is just masking the symptoms and does nothing to build joint or connective tissue health. Same as when us humans take Motrin or something stronger.

The problem I see with the product (on the Amazon link you sent) which is K9 Joint Relief is that 1 - it contains Chondroitin which does nothing for joint health; and, 2 - it contains MSM which is a natural pain reliever and anti-inflammatory - and I like to minimize pain relievers on my dogs since it can masks the pain and they can injure that joint worse.

The good ingredients on the product are Glucosamine and Grape Seed Extract. Glucosamine is believed by researchers to directly help cartilage health (both heal and build) while Grape Seed extract is a powerful anti-oxidant.

However, unless manufactured under a Pharmaceutical Grade Good Manufacturing Process, the potency and purity of the product are suspect. This product, K-9 Joint Relief, advertises that they are made under GMP which is a food grade process and not guaranteed. They also list that they are FDA inspected,..no kidding everyone is, but are you a FDA registered lab? It looks to not to be the case. They also state they are recommended by Veterinarians. The product I use for myself and my dogs are recommended by over 100 Vets, most prominently Drs. Rick Lusk and Scott Echols in Texas.

For my joints I take three tablets a day of totaling the following nutrients and doses: Glucosamine (1500 mg), Vitamin C (225 mg) , Manganese (5 mg), Magnesium (43 mg), Potassium (94 mg), and Meriva (Bioavailable Curcumin) (247 mg). On a couple of my dogs, I give one tablet per 40 lbs of body weight. One dog gets two tablets a day the other dog, just one tablet.

Even if the K-9 Joint Relief and what I take were the same quality, I pay $27.95 for a 28 day bottle and the K-9 Joint Relief is $37.95 for what would be a 32 day supply for me.

If you are interested in seeing more about the product I take, contact me back with your e-mail and I'll send you a video and a pdf file explaining how nutrients can help joint health. Oh, the picture at top is one of my dogs who is on the supplements. He's about 70 lbs and lays on the couch during the day time, and in bed with my wife and me at night...in between naps, which is 80% of the dog's life as you know, he chases rabbits.   



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Blood Pressure History May Affect Brain Function in Old Age

Blood pressure is an often overlooked diagnostic tool for a person's overall health.  This article, from Kathleen Doheny a reporter for Health Day, helps keep blood pressure in focus, albeit from a different perspective.  

For years, doctors have preached that the lower the blood pressure, the better for preventing heart disease and stroke. But a new study suggests that having low blood pressure in later years may be linked with worse memory, at least in those diagnosed with high blood pressure in middle age.

On the other hand, researchers linked high blood pressure in later life with greater risk of brain lesions for people who didn't have high blood pressure in their middle years. Brain lesions indicate damage and boost stroke risk. "Our findings bring new insight into the relationship between a history of high blood pressure, blood pressure in old age, the effects of blood pressure on brain structure, and memory and thinking," said study researcher Lenore Launer, chief of neuroepidemiology at the U.S. National Institute on Aging.

History of high blood pressure appears to be the critical element in the link between blood pressure in old age and brain function, according to the study, published online June 4 in Neurology. It is also important to note that the research reveals links, not cause-and-effect relationships, between blood pressure levels, brain changes, and memory and thinking.

The research suggests two take-home points, said Dr. Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

First, those who develop high blood pressure later in life can benefit from treatment, said Kennedy, who was not involved in the study. Second, those with high blood pressure in midlife who take medication to lower it should keep monitoring blood pressure in later life, he said. If the pressure becomes low, this study suggests it might put you at risk of dementia, he said.

The study didn't look at the mechanism, but Kennedy suspects the thinking and memory problems linked with lower blood pressure in old age may be linked with a decline in oxygen to the brain. However, Kennedy cautioned against simply stopping your blood pressure medicine. "Check with your doctor," he said.

For the study, researchers measured the blood pressure of more than 4,000 adults in middle age, aged 50 on average. All were dementia-free at that time. The men and women had blood pressure measured again, at 76 years on average. At that time, MRIs assessed any damage to small blood vessels in the brain. The researchers also tested memory and thinking skills.

It's known that the relationship between blood pressure levels at middle age and later brain problems, including dementia, is complicated, Launer said. Blood pressure levels tend to decline with age, and also decline when people experience dementia. Launer's team decided to look at midlife blood pressure and track the effects of both high and low blood pressure on the brain. The researchers found that those who had high blood pressure in middle age but low diastolic pressure -- the bottom of the two readings -- in later life had brain shrinkage. They scored 10 percent lower on memory tests.

Meanwhile, those without high blood pressure in midlife who had high diastolic pressure in later life were 50 percent more likely to have severe brain lesions than those with low diastolic pressures. Diastolic pressure measures pressure in the arteries between heartbeats. Systolic pressure, the top number, measures pressure when the heart beats. Blood pressure readings at or below 120 over 80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) are viewed as normal.

Experts suggest treatment with medication when blood pressure reaches 140/90 mm Hg. An expert panel last year recommended looser guidelines for most people age 60-plus, suggesting medication not be prescribed until readings reach 150/90 mm Hg. Until more research is in, Launer offers this advice to keep the heart and brain healthy: "Monitor blood pressure, exercise, control your weight and eat healthy."

MyAchingKnees comment:  I had high blood pressure in my 30's and 40's.  My average blood pressure was 138/96.  These numbers alarmed my medical providers, especially the diastolic rate which again is the resting (between heart beats) pressure on the arteries.   This was during the peak of my physical life, lifting weights, running and swimming.   About 9 years ago when I started on a healthy life style journey my blood pressure is routinely 118/76 - all without blood pressure medications.  It seems to be true that one of the side effects of eating better and getting your nutrients is a more normal blood pressure - at least in my case.      



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Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

I was happy to see this well written article on Vitamin D Deficiency and the symptoms explained from Natural News. I take about 5,000 IU daily in supplement form as I think Vitamin D is very important for the immune system and bone strength which helps maintains good joint health. A good quality Vitamin D supplement is actually pretty cheap and easy to take (small tablet). I'd like to see more senior citizens being placed on Vitamin D by their primary care managers. I'll just bet it would help reduce bone injuries related to falls and other trauma, as well as good for heart disease, blood pressure and joint pain.

I'm 55 years old with a usual BP in the range of 118/74.  I am told by my Doctor that I am in the bottom 1/6th of the population for risk of heart disease.  I haven't been sick in 9 years.  So even a skeptic would have to believe that there is a benefit to consuming high quality supplements which would include Vitamin D.        

The importance of vitamin D is well known. As far back as the 1930s, doctors first recognized the link between a vitamin D deficiency and the skeletal disease called rickets. Rickets causes a softening of the bones and teeth. Even if someone's diet has adequate levels of calcium, without enough vitamin D to properly control calcium and phosphate levels in the blood stream, demineralization of the bones can take place. The symptoms of rickets include bowed legs, bone pain, dental problems, a widening of the wrists, frequent bone fractures and skull deformities.

Because rickets is seldom seen in first-world countries, it's easy to think that vitamin D deficiencies are a thing of the past. However, new research has recently shed light on other, more subtle, symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency. Many illnesses which, at first glance, seem totally unrelated to something as physically obvious as rickets actually may have their roots in a lack of vitamin D.

Just what is vitamin D?

The term vitamin D, according to the Mayo Clinic's Drugs and Supplements site (1), actually refers to several different forms of the vitamin, including D2, which comes from our diet, and D3, which is manufactured by our skin when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D's main purpose in the body is to regulate blood levels of calcium and phosphorous.

The sunshine vitamin?

It's actually hard to get enough vitamin D from a normal diet. It's found at the highest concentration in fatty fish such as tuna, mackerel and salmon. Some mushrooms are also high in D, and their level of the vitamin actually increases when exposed to ultraviolet light.

While our skin does manufacture some of the vitamin D that we need daily, sun exposure alone is usually not enough. Factors such as the time of year, the angle of the sun, cloud cover, pollution levels and even the use of sunscreen can greatly limit the amount of D made by our skin.

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms explained: the top 9 warning signs

Some people who have a vitamin D deficiency have no immediate symptoms. Those who do have symptoms may experience restless sleep, muscle cramps, general fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain or weakness, inability to concentrate, headaches, constipation or diarrhea, and bladder problems. Here are nine other serious medical conditions that have been linked to a vitamin D deficiency.

1.  Asthma - Vitamin D supplementation of 1,200 IU daily has been shown to lessen asthma attacks and reduce their severity.

2.  Depression - Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to depression and other psychiatric illnesses. Even a woman getting enough D during pregnancy has been shown to lessen the chances that her unborn child will develop mental illness later in life.

3.  Heart disease - An article published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (2) reports that cardiovascular disease is much more common in people deficient in vitamin D. Some children, according to the article, with severe heart failure have also responded well to vitamin D treatment.

4.  High blood pressure - High blood pressure has been associated with deficiencies in calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin D.

5.  Rheumatoid Arthritis - RA is a devastating disease that causes systemic inflammation, severe pain and joint damage. Studies have shown that vitamin D can ease the pain and stiffness associated with RA.

6.  Multiple sclerosis - Studies have shown that geography matters when it comes to the odds of getting MS. The farther from the equator you live -- and the less sun exposure you get -- the more likely you are to develop the disease. This suggests a strong link between MS and vitamin D.

7.  Cancer - Several different kinds of cancer have been linked to D deficiencies, including breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer. The causal link is so strong, in fact, that the Mayo Clinic  lists separate recommended dosing levels of the vitamin for both cancer prevention and prostate cancer treatment.

8.  Periodontal disease - This inflammation of the gums can cause pain, bleeding and tooth loss. Vitamin D helps in the formation of defensins and cathelicidins which, in turn, can lower the number of harmful bacteria in the mouth.

9.  Diabetes - An article from World's Healthiest Foods (4) lists poor blood-sugar control as a symptom of vitamin D deficiency. This, in turn, can increase the risk of developing diabetes.

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Why Vitamin D deficiency may be killing you

This article came out on Natural News with the long title: "Why vitamin D deficiency may be killing you: how cancer, heart disease and diabetes are all made worse when you lack vitamin D".

Most clinicians and even many people understand that getting the right amount of vitamin D is important for good bone health. In fact, up until the 1930s, the bone disease rickets was a serious health threat, thanks to inadequate levels of the D vitamin. But until recently, few understood the other significant roles that vitamin D plays in maintaining good health and preventing diseases.

To date, low levels of the vitamin have been linked with increased risks of cancer, heart disease, immune system disorders, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and diabetes.

Multiple studies have been conducted to examine why vitamin D deficiency may be playing such a major role in these serious health problems, and what researchers have found is surprising.

The Role of Vitamin D in Preventing Cancer

Researchers have been interested in the role of vitamin D in preventing cancer for years, ever since epidemiological studies revealed that people who lived in southern latitudes where sun exposure was more prevalent also had lower levels of certain cancers. Because exposure to UV rays helps the body synthesize vitamin D, researchers theorized that it was these increased levels of vitamin D that helped prevent the development of cancer.

Scientific studies of the effects of the vitamin on cancer cells have found that vitamin D acts in several ways, including decreasing the growth of cancer cells and stimulating the death of those cells.

Other studies have shown a direct link between levels of vitamin D and the development and prevention of colorectal cancer, and some clinicians recommend that cancer patients take vitamin D supplements in order to improve their chances of fighting the disease.

The Role of Vitamin D in Preventing Heart Disease

Several studies have been conducted linking low levels of vitamin D to an increased risk of heart disease including heart attack, peripheral artery disease, congestive heart failure and atherosclerosis, and many studies have also shown that taking vitamin D supplements may play a role in reducing that risk. For instance:

•  A study conducted by researchers at Harvard found that people who had low levels of vitamin D were twice as likely to have a heart attack as those who had adequate levels of the vitamin.

•  Researchers in Utah looked at vitamin D levels and heart disease in nearly 30,000 men and women and found that those with lower levels of the vitamin were more likely to have cardiovascular disease than those with adequate levels.

To date, the cause-and-effect mechanism between vitamin D and cardiovascular disease remains unclear, but researchers believe that the vitamin may work to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease by preventing some of the symptoms and conditions that cause it, such as helping to control blood pressure and preventing damage to the arteries.

The Role of Vitamin D in Preventing Type II Diabetes

Type II diabetes occurs when the body has difficulty managing and using sugar intake. Left unmanaged, type II diabetes can cause loss of vision, poor circulation, high blood pressure and other health issues, and it can contribute to the development of heart disease.

Several studies have supported a link between adequate levels of vitamin D and better tolerance and management of blood glucose, or sugar. Although researchers are not entirely clear how vitamin D accomplishes its role in preventing diabetes, they believe it may have to do with the vitamin's ability to help the body synthesize calcium, which plays a major role in glucose and insulin regulation.

Ignoring your vitamin D intake can result in an increased risk of many diseases, so making sure that you're getting enough is important. To make sure that you're getting enough, eat foods that are high in vitamin D (fatty fish are the primary source). Sun exposure can also help the body produce vitamin D on its own, but prolonged exposure to UV rays comes with its own set of risks, and during the winter months, getting enough sunlight can be problematic for most people.

Because of the limited natural sources of vitamin D, many men and women find that they can enjoy the benefits of adequate vitamin D levels by taking a supplement. When choosing supplements, make sure that they're from a reputable source to ensure that concentration levels are stable and correctly represented.

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Do You Have High Cholesterol?

This is an article from Natural News, titled "High cholesterol levels easily managed with these five nutritious foods". If you have high cholesterol, you have inflammation in your arteries and very likely inflammation in the rest of your body that often manifests itself in joint pain. That's why many people feel they incur a surprising benefit for aching joints when they go take a quality Omega 3 supplement to help combat high cholesterol levels. My cholesterol level was 210 nine years ago before starting taking quality supplements including a Omega 3 product. Today, at 55 years old, my cholesterol level is always around the 150 to 160.......I would undoubtedly benefit from moderating my diet of milk products, but I certainly like my biscuits with a lot of butter and the I don't go more than a few days with a large chocolate milkshake!

Almost 15 percent of American adults have high levels of cholesterol, putting them at risk for stroke, heart disease and other serious health issues that can significantly increase the risk of mortality. For many, cholesterol-controlling drugs called statins have become a mainstay, yet despite the widespread use of statins, recent studies have shown that using them long-term may also pose serious risks.

Turning to medication for every ailment is a deeply entrenched habit associated with Western culture, but the fact is, there are alternatives for controlling cholesterol that don't include medicine. These approaches rely on a few simple dietary changes that can help reduce cholesterol significantly.

What is cholesterol anyway?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is derived from different types of foods -- both meats and vegetables. Some cholesterol is good for the body, playing an essential role in metabolizing some vitamins and minerals. But too much of the wrong kind of cholesterol can build up along the sides of blood vessels, impeding blood flow and often causing clots.

There are two types of cholesterol -- so-called "bad" and "good" cholesterols. Low-density lipoproteins, or LDLs, are considered "bad," because they can turn into artery-clogging plaque, a substance that sticks to vessel walls, blocking blood flow and making vessels less flexible. "Good" cholesterol is found in high-density lipoproteins, also called HDL. HDL actually acts as a scavenger, helping remove LDL from the bloodstream, so less plaque builds up.

For many people, high cholesterol levels are easily managed by just a few changes to their diet. Here are a few of the most common foods that can help you manage cholesterol:

Beans

"Beans, beans, the magical fruit...." Turns out, they actually are pretty magical when it comes to helping lower levels of LDL cholesterol. A recent study from Canada showed that just one 3/4-cup serving of beans, chickpeas or lentils per day could cut LDL levels by as much as 5 percent. Beans are full of soluble fiber which helps remove LDL from the blood. All that fiber can also help promote healthy digestion and even reduce the risk of colon cancer. Not crazy about the, ahem, side effect of eating beans? Turns out, incorporating beans more often into your diet helps your body adjust to the increase in fiber, so the gassy effects can also be reduced over time.

Oatmeal

Like beans, oats contain that LDL-lowering soluble fiber too. The fiber in oatmeal helps reduce the amount of "bad" cholesterol that can absorbed into the bloodstream. Many grocery stores carry products that are made with oat bran, but you can skip the middle man by simply eating more oatmeal. All it takes is about a cup and a half to get 6 grams of fiber. Experts recommend 5 to 10 grams per day to reduce LDL. Pump up the fiber by chopping up an apple or a banana for an additional 4 to 5 grams.

MyAchingKnees comment: I prefer Steel Cut Oats - pretty yummy!

Tea

Prefer to drink to your health? Then tea is the way to go. Just three cups of green or black tea each day are all that's need to get the maximum LDL-lowering benefits of tea, and tea also provides a significant source of antioxidants called polyphenols that can help ward off certain cancers. Tea also boosts levels of "good" HDL. Like to drink your tea iced? It makes no difference -- the benefits are the same.

Olive oil

It's true that many of the fats we eat contain high levels of LDL cholesterol, but one fat that can actually help battle "bad" cholesterol is olive oil. Olive oil is one of the mainstays of the "Mediterranean" diet that's been touted in the news recently for its substantial health benefits. You only need to add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to your diet each day in order to reap the benefits. Mix it with herbs to make a flavorful dip for bread or use it in a dressing for fresh vegetables. Choose extra-virgin olive oil to get the most benefits.

Fish

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines and even tuna contain heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, proven to reduce blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends at least two servings of fatty fish each week to keep your heart healthy. If you can't stand the taste of fish, you can find fish oil tablets to supplement your diet, but you'll miss out on many of the other minerals and nutrients found in fish. Another source of omega-3s: flaxseed. Grind it up first to release the healthful benefits and sprinkle the ground seed on foods before eating.

In addition to making a few dietary changes, don't neglect those other heart-healthy steps you can take that also help lower cholesterol, like regular aerobic exercise. Like dietary changes, exercise doesn't have to be complicated or extreme: Simply taking regular walks can yield amazing benefits.



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Dietary Supplements 101: Which Ones Work and How to Choose Them

By Augusta Falletta, Beauty High posted on Yahoo! Healthy Living.

The world of supplements is a vast one, and the more we learn, the more we realize there's a lot more to taking vitamins than just deciding you want longer hair or glowing skin. These days, it's easy enough to self-diagnose with the web and decide on which supplements you should be taking, but it's important to really do your homework. As easy as it may be to start taking supplements, you can just as quickly overdo it.

To get the scoop on dietary supplements - and particularly how young women should or shouldn't be using them - we sat down with Dr. Florence Comite, endocrinologist and founder of Comite MD, and Steven Michael Villagomez, an exercise physiologist. While chatting about the new Nature's Origin line of GMO- and gluten-free dietary supplements, they let us in on some little known but all-too-important information about supplements.

Why Our Bodies Actually Need Supplements:

Dr. Florence Comite: "Several years ago, my son had a food disorder. Supplements used to be something you hid in closets. But they're on a spectrum. We can't get what we need nutrient- wise from food. We don't live on the soil, the soil isn't healthy enough in today's world. So I started researching, and I have patients who want the purest supplements. The real limit in supplements is in sourcing. Every week I get a new email saying, "this one has something in it, this one has toxins in it." We test patients before we put them on anything. Almost every patient is nutrient poor and it effects their health dramatically. Then when we improve their health, they actually need more supplements because they're burning at a hotter rate just like an athlete. Some supplements are actually medication, and they should be considered as such."

How to Determine Which Supplements You Should Be Taking:

"It's really overwhelming, because you walk down an aisle at the pharmacy and you get overwhelmed. How do you pick and choose? One positive way to do it is to first figure out what's going on in your own system," Dr. Comite tells us. "That might require getting certain blood tests. For example, knowing if you're anemic. In women who are 15-25 years old, they're just getting exposed to birth control pills, they're active because they're trying to look good. They're not eating a ton of dairy because they're thinking it's a high fat content, so they'll be low on vitamin D. Many of them are not getting vitamin Bs, so absorption is going to be down. You want to take a good multivitamin, generally speaking. Vitamin Bs are important for energy. Many girls are going to be low in energy. Take vitamin Ds and Bs. Also, they should be looking for probiotics because a lot of girls have gastrointestinal issues."

What You Should Be Steering Clear Of:

"As far as what to stay away from, don't take anything that really speeds up your system. If you read something that says, "Lose 40 pounds in a week," don't believe it. If you take that, you're going to be sick. Either way, that's not good for you. I think people are smart enough, but sometimes they're desperate enough," she explains.

Signs You Should See a Specialist:

"If you're really having a problem with your weight, and you're like your friends and you do your best with living healthy, but your friends all around you seem to have a much easier time of being healthy and not gaining a ton of weight, you need to talk to your doctor," Dr. Comite says. "There are so many metabolic conditions that make it so much harder for some young women. They can't burn fat in the same way, and they may have metabolic syndrome, or they have early diabetes and they don't know it. They can easily turn that around, but you need to diagnose it first. Usually it's a combination of things, and it runs in the family. If you look around and your mother is struggling with weight, or even if you're the only one in the family, you need to dig into the details and you'll find a solution. It takes a lot of hard work, but don't give up. Supplements can really help."

How Your Body's Metabolism is Effected:

Steven Michael Villagomez: "Especially with women who are on birth control, you're shutting down your production of testosterone, and its role is to maintain lean skeletal mass. Throw that in with a protein deficiency with young women and that can create a metabolic disorder. You'll actually induce a metabolic disorder, especially if you're going through puberty while taking birth control. Self image is such a huge thing for young girls, and you need to make sure you're balanced, diet wise. A balanced diet is protein heavy. It must be alkalinic, and it has to be high in healthy fats. A really good balanced breakfast, for example, is a free range chicken egg, one that's high in beta keratine where the yolk is orange, and spinach for alkaline. You need to take B vitamins. Their role is for energy production. One of the most important things for young women is sleep. It'll effect neural functioning, so school will suffer, and performance in physical activity will suffer if you don't get enough sleep."

Questions to Ask Before Starting Supplements:

"There are three reasons why people should take supplements, and no one really thinks about these things," Villagomez explains. "First, is there a deficiency? Most people take supplements blindly, which all that really does is make their urine really expensive. The body doesn't absorb what it doesn't need. The body doesn't want to get it in supplement form. The reason you should take supplement is if there is actually a deficiency in what we're eating. Second, is it preventive? The best preventive supplement out there is fish oil. It helps with memory through neural functioning. Third, is it ergogenic? Is it going to enhance performance? Are you taking a protein shake after working out? There's all kinds of things. Once you figure out these three things, you can look at the supplements to take."

MyAchingKnees Comment: Is there a deficiency? Yes course you have deficiencies - it cannt be helped with today;s food supply. Taking quality supplements is the easiest thign to do to ensure you give your body and therefore your immune system the propert nutrients in the right doses to optimize your health. Is it preventative? Of course it's preventative! You bodies need nutrients to combat all sicknesses be it from common infections, stress or degenerating conditions. And I agree on the Fish Oil, but don't take any fish oil that isn't pharmaceutical grade because this supplements, if from non-USP sources have the highest chance of impurities and toxins.

Habits That Deplete Your Natural Health:

"As far as young women are concerned, girls are typically drinking a lot of alcohol, which is the number one depleter of vitamin B12," he explains. "If you get vitamin B12 low enough, you'll start having emotional and mental disruptions. Not disorders, but disruptions. You'll get cranky, you'll get moody, you'll get depressed. A lot of it is because you're drinking too much, so you can supplement with a B12 vitamin to curb these side effects."

Supplements for Hair, Skin, and Nails:

"Take Biotin for longer hair and better nails," Villagomez advises. "Skin wise? The best thing for your skin is what you eat. You want to eat a lot of healthy fats. People think, 'Oh it's fat, it's fried food.' No. Olive oil is great for the skin. Avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish. They all help with elastin in the skin so it keeps things tight. With Biotin, take it as directed. More isn't better, and that's simply the American view point on things. But a healthy fat content in the diet of omega-3 and omega-9, that's the best thing for hair and skin. If you think about it, show dogs are fed a lot of eggs, which helps with their nice shiny coats."

Foods That Aren't Actually Healthy:

"Agave nectar! It's highly processed," he says. "Use honey, and if you eat honey from bees that have been taken from your geographical area, you'll actually reduce your allergies during the season. Local honey is the best thing to use as a sweetener."

Alkaline Foods to Keep Your Diet Balanced:

"Green, leafy veggies, but be mindful of spinach. It's high in purines, and that rises uric acid, and if you get that high enough you can develop gout," Villagomez tells us. "With all vegetables, the brighter the better. Think about an orange or yellow bell pepper. For nature to create something so vibrant, you know it's good for you. When it comes to all vegetables, it's the preparation that really matters. Is a baked potato all that bad? No, not really, because it's still got the nutrition in it. When you fry the potato, that's when it becomes bad. Stay away from iceberg lettuce, too. There's no nutrition whatsoever. Most of it is genetically modified, so it's really got no nutritional value. Protein based, alkalizing foods, and healthy fats, which is the best thing for skin."



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Diet Supplement Causes Nearly 100 Hepatitis Cases

Original article, called Diet Supplement Causes Nearly 100 Hepatitis Cases, by Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer at Live Science

A popular diet supplement has caused an outbreak of severe liver disease, sickening nearly 100 people in 16 states since it was first reported in Hawaii last year, according to a new paper. The publication calls for a better system to remove dangerous supplements from the market.

As of February, OxyElite Pro, a dietary supplement manufactured by USP Labs that claims to help people burn fat, has been linked to 97 cases of hepatitis, including 47 people who were hospitalized, three who needed liver transplantations and one person who died, according to the paper, which was authored by Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a general internist at Cambridge Health Alliance.

Although people who took the supplement started getting ill in May last year, the Food and Drug Administration did not learn of the cases until four months later, in September, when doctors reported a cluster of liver illnesses in Hawaii. USP Labs stopped selling the product in October.

Health officials suspect that a new ingredient called aegeline that was added to the supplement caused the illnesses, Cohen said. Because the FDA regulates supplements only after they come to market, companies are not required to prove that their products are safe and effective before marketing them.

"This really points to the fact that there's no safety testing … before a new ingredient shows up in a supplement in the United States," Cohen said. "Guess who's the experimental animal — the consumer."

Dangerous supplements are supposed to be identified and removed quickly, but this is often not the case, as demonstrated by the hepatitis outbreak, Cohen said. Doctors can report adverse events tied to dietary supplements through an online portal called MedWatch.

But in most cases, the FDA does not receive reports of the harmful effects of supplements, Cohen said. Those cases might be reported to a poison control center, which does not communicate with the FDA, or they might not get reported at all, he said.

"Dangerous supplements remain on store shelves for weeks, months or years" because the FDA has a fractured system for monitoring supplements, Cohen said.

He proposes that all dietary supplements should be registered, and information about the supplements and their ingredients should be incorporated into a database maintained by the FDA and poison centers.

Under this organization, if a person has an adverse reaction to a supplement, it would be reported to a response team made of up doctors, toxicologists, pharmacologists and chemists. The team would then investigate the case, report to the FDA and offer advice about treating the patient.

"In the situation where we know that some supplements out there may be dangerous, we'd better have a really good system" to detect them, Cohen said.

While improved monitoring of supplements is needed, it is not the ultimate solution, Cohen said. Congress should change the law regulating supplements to require that all supplement ingredients undergo safety testing before they come to market, he said.

"Until that happens, consumers and physicians cannot be assured that the pills, powders and potions labeled as dietary supplements are safe for human consumption," Cohen wrote in the April 3 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

MyAchingKnees comment:  Let the buyer beware.  When you by non-pharmaceutical grade supplements without any certification or guarantee, you are taking a chance, possibly a large chance, on not getting what is on the label as well getting some ingredients that are not on the label.
 


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