The benefits of Omega 3 fatty acids, commonly found in fish, are becoming more apparent. Similar to the movement in the late 90's that required manufacturers of cereal, breads, flour to include Folic Acid, now Omega 3 fatty acids are being introduced to foods such as infant formulas, breads, and even orange juice.
Yes, fish oil in your morning OJ.
Luckily, the health benefits of Omega 3's are well-researched and proven, and they process the fish oil they are adding to foods to remove any fishy taste. Omega 3 fatty acids help support brain development, proper cholesterol levels, support cardiac health, and help reduce inflammation.
MSNBC's article was pretty explicit -- the title is "Want to live longer? You need this nutrient."
Over time our diets have included higher level of Omega 6 fatty acids. Sources include soy, corn and canola oils. While Omega 6 is helpful, the quantities in which we consume them overshadow the levels of Omega 3 fatty acids in many of our diets. The trick is to re-adjust the ratios of the fatty acids we consume, both by increasing Omega 3 and reducing (but not eliminating) Omega 6.
Until more foods are supplemented with Omega 3 fatty acids, our choice is to either eat fish a few times a week, or select a supplement with Omega 3. As I mentioned in a previous entry, good, fresh fish can sometimes be hard to find in land-locked states (Vermont included). This makes the supplement option a bit more appealing. We do have a great Omega 3 supplement, EPA 1000. It combines the benefits of both Omega 3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA in a coated soft-gel capsule.
We certainly can't make any claims about EPA 1000 making you live longer, but it is an easy option for those of us trying to give our brains and hearts a bit of a boost.
To healthy fats,
Rebecca
Mountain Naturals Blogger
*MSNBC is not affiliated with Mountain Naturals, nor do they endorse any Mountain Naturals products.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
B Vitamins and Eye Health -- In The News
B Vitamins fall under the category of water-soluble vitamins. This means that they need to be consumed on a daily basis, as they don't have a long-term storage solution in our bodies. Not only that, but there are 11 different B vitamins.
As you can imagine, it can be a challenge to include all the B vitamins in your diet on a daily basis. B vitamins are used for creating some hormones, are needed for proper nerve function, to help convert food into energy, to create new red blood cells, are crucial in prenatal development, and are needed to support proper metabolism of fat and cholesterol, amongst other things. Busy B's, indeed.
Without adequate supply of B Vitamins, there are biological processes in our body that come to a screeching halt. Luckily our bodies are designed to deal with these setbacks for short periods of time, but now they are showing that supplementing the diet with B vitamins may be more beneficial than we realized.
MSNBC released an article today describing how researched showed that supplementation of B Vitamins helped reduce the risk of macular degeneration -- a condition of the eyes that can lead to a loss of vision.
So take a look at what you can do to support your eye health.
Mountain Naturals offers a B-Complex that contains all 11 B Vitamins, including the three types of B Vitamins (B6, Folic Acid, and B12) that were used in the macular degeneration study.
To seeing things clearly,
Rebecca
Mountain Naturals Blogger
*MSNBC is not affiliated with Mountain Naturals, and does not endorse Mountain Naturals products.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
As you can imagine, it can be a challenge to include all the B vitamins in your diet on a daily basis. B vitamins are used for creating some hormones, are needed for proper nerve function, to help convert food into energy, to create new red blood cells, are crucial in prenatal development, and are needed to support proper metabolism of fat and cholesterol, amongst other things. Busy B's, indeed.
Without adequate supply of B Vitamins, there are biological processes in our body that come to a screeching halt. Luckily our bodies are designed to deal with these setbacks for short periods of time, but now they are showing that supplementing the diet with B vitamins may be more beneficial than we realized.
MSNBC released an article today describing how researched showed that supplementation of B Vitamins helped reduce the risk of macular degeneration -- a condition of the eyes that can lead to a loss of vision.
So take a look at what you can do to support your eye health.
Mountain Naturals offers a B-Complex that contains all 11 B Vitamins, including the three types of B Vitamins (B6, Folic Acid, and B12) that were used in the macular degeneration study.
To seeing things clearly,
Rebecca
Mountain Naturals Blogger
*MSNBC is not affiliated with Mountain Naturals, and does not endorse Mountain Naturals products.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Supplement Highlight -- Primrose Oil
Here is a fun fact -- dogs and humans both possess the enzyme to convert the fatty acid Linoleic Acid into Gamma Linoleic Acid (GLA). However with age, illness, or poor health, or other issues, we lose the ability to convert Linoleic Acid into Gamma Linoleic Acid.
Cats, on the other hand, do not possess the enzyme to convert Linoleic Acid to GLA. For them, GLA is considered an Essential Fatty Acid, which means that they have to receive GLA on a regular basis to maintain their health.
OK -- so maybe only a supplement nerd like myself considers this to be a "fun fact." But it is relevant to your health!
Primrose Oil, which contains both Linoleic Acid and Gamma Linoleic Acid, is one of those really useful fatty acids formulas that helps support skin and nerve health. It also helps balance out the the trans fats that we may consume. Even though I know better, some foods with trans fats are just too darn tasty for me to completely avoid. While Primrose Oil doesn't have the magical ability to erase the nutritional damage of a deep-dish pizza, it is certainly helpful to have some good fatty acids on my side.
Primrose Oil has also been used easing the symptoms of PMS, and is also great for persistent dry skin issues. Anyone in the northern half of the continent who hasn't had problems with dry skin so far this winter, please raise your hands. Yeah, I thought so.
Unfortunately a lot of companies are selling poor quality nutritional supplements, and Primrose Oil is not excluded from this issue. A good thing to know about Mountain Naturals, and our parent company FoodScience Corporation, is that we have been selling nutritional supplements for a very long time. Certainly that means we are doing something right. We choose high quality nutrients for our supplements, have a strict quality control program, and we don't cut corners when it comes to choosing our suppliers. We absolutely stand by our label claim, both for human and animal products. And we have a PhD Nutritional Biochemist who works just down the hall. We were one of the first companies to sell Primrose Oil in 1980, and developed testing protocols to determine the quality of the oil.
Right now we have an overstock on Primrose Oil, so we are passing along the benefits to you -- for a limited time we are offering a Buy 1, Get 1 Free sale. Visit our website for more information.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Cats, on the other hand, do not possess the enzyme to convert Linoleic Acid to GLA. For them, GLA is considered an Essential Fatty Acid, which means that they have to receive GLA on a regular basis to maintain their health.
OK -- so maybe only a supplement nerd like myself considers this to be a "fun fact." But it is relevant to your health!
Primrose Oil, which contains both Linoleic Acid and Gamma Linoleic Acid, is one of those really useful fatty acids formulas that helps support skin and nerve health. It also helps balance out the the trans fats that we may consume. Even though I know better, some foods with trans fats are just too darn tasty for me to completely avoid. While Primrose Oil doesn't have the magical ability to erase the nutritional damage of a deep-dish pizza, it is certainly helpful to have some good fatty acids on my side.
Primrose Oil has also been used easing the symptoms of PMS, and is also great for persistent dry skin issues. Anyone in the northern half of the continent who hasn't had problems with dry skin so far this winter, please raise your hands. Yeah, I thought so.
Unfortunately a lot of companies are selling poor quality nutritional supplements, and Primrose Oil is not excluded from this issue. A good thing to know about Mountain Naturals, and our parent company FoodScience Corporation, is that we have been selling nutritional supplements for a very long time. Certainly that means we are doing something right. We choose high quality nutrients for our supplements, have a strict quality control program, and we don't cut corners when it comes to choosing our suppliers. We absolutely stand by our label claim, both for human and animal products. And we have a PhD Nutritional Biochemist who works just down the hall. We were one of the first companies to sell Primrose Oil in 1980, and developed testing protocols to determine the quality of the oil.
Right now we have an overstock on Primrose Oil, so we are passing along the benefits to you -- for a limited time we are offering a Buy 1, Get 1 Free sale. Visit our website for more information.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
MSNBC * had an interesting article in their Health section today -- 9 Foods to Eat for Killer Immunity.
Personally, I don't necessarily have enough free time to plan my meals ahead in order to support my immunity. And my cooking skills, to be honest, are a bit lacking. But their suggestions do show that the nutrients we consume can have an impact on our health.
1st food: Yogurt. We know that the probiotics in yogurt are great for supporting gut health. We unknowingly consume bacteria and viruses on a regular basis -- a healthy GI tract keeps potentially harmful material moving right along, while allowing beneficial nutrients to be absorbed. My two favorite probiotics products are Mega Probiotic Plus (chewable and tasty!), and Mega Probiotic ND (great for folks who are lactose intolerant).
2nd food: Sweet Potatoes. Vitamin A supports skin health, and our skin is another big barrier between our bodies and the various germs we encounter on a daily basis. I actually do make roasted sweet potatoes with a bit of garlic oil (yum!), but we do have an option that does not require washing, peeling, cutting, and cooking -- Beta Carotene Soft-Gel Capsules. Not as tasty, but it goes much better with my morning coffee!
3rd food: Tea. Again, I am more of a coffee girl myself, but in this weather I like any tasty, hot beverage. But for those days that I don't want to be wigged out on caffeine, we have a convenient caffeine-free option -- Green Tea Extract Capsules.
4th food: Chicken Noodle Soup. OK, so we don't exactly have chicken noodle soup in capsule form. But one of the beneficial nutrients in chicken noodle soup is the amino acid Cysteine, and we do have a vegetarian capsule that contain Cysteine. N-Acetyl Cysteine is great for supporting lung health, and may help remove mucus from the body.
5th food: Beef. This is a tricky one for those of us who don't eat meat. For vegetarians, there are a lot of nutrients that we have to get a bit creative about working into our diets. This one is a cinch with Zinc Lozenges. Don't worry, they are lemon flavored, not beef flavored.
6th food: Mushrooms. This blog is making me hungry. I love throwing mushrooms in the slow-cooker. Unfortunately, the amount of mushrooms you would need to consume to match the strength of our Maitake-DMG Liquid would likely require you to invest in more than one slow-cooker. My coworkers have been rescued from near cold/flu disasters while on business trips by using the Maitake-DMG Liquid. It combines the benefits of the Maitake Mushroom Extract with our patented DMG for a double-boost to your immune system.
7th food: Fish + Shellfish. I grew up in Boston, and as much as I love Vermont I find it very challenging to find really fresh, delicious seafood this far away from the coast. Frozen fish just isn't the same to me. Besides, women have to be careful about which fish they eat due to mercury issues. Two of the important immune-supporting ingredients in fish are Selenium and Omega 3 fatty acids.
8th food: Garlic. Garlic is delicious and good for you, but has the unfortunate side effect of scaring off coworkers, friends, and loved ones. The article mentions eating 6 cloves a week, which seems a bit daunting. We've got you covered -- we have enteric-coated Garlic Tablets so you can support your immune system without worry.
9th food: Oats & Barley. Oats, particularly oatmeal, is a great excuse to break out the dark brown sugar. But it is also a good source of Beta Glucans, which have immune-supportive properties. We included Beta Glucans in our Immuno-DMG. Immuno-DMG also contains our Maitake Mushroom Extact, in addition to DMG and Beta Glucans.
There are a lot of ways to support your health and immune system. Eating a well-balanced diet is of course an important component, but it is nice to know that there are more options for getting those key nutrients that support specific aspects of our health. The important part of creating a healthy lifestyle is to find a balance that works for YOU!
*MSNBC has no affiliation with Mountain Naturals, nor do they endorse Mountain Naturals products.
Personally, I don't necessarily have enough free time to plan my meals ahead in order to support my immunity. And my cooking skills, to be honest, are a bit lacking. But their suggestions do show that the nutrients we consume can have an impact on our health.
1st food: Yogurt. We know that the probiotics in yogurt are great for supporting gut health. We unknowingly consume bacteria and viruses on a regular basis -- a healthy GI tract keeps potentially harmful material moving right along, while allowing beneficial nutrients to be absorbed. My two favorite probiotics products are Mega Probiotic Plus (chewable and tasty!), and Mega Probiotic ND (great for folks who are lactose intolerant).
2nd food: Sweet Potatoes. Vitamin A supports skin health, and our skin is another big barrier between our bodies and the various germs we encounter on a daily basis. I actually do make roasted sweet potatoes with a bit of garlic oil (yum!), but we do have an option that does not require washing, peeling, cutting, and cooking -- Beta Carotene Soft-Gel Capsules. Not as tasty, but it goes much better with my morning coffee!
3rd food: Tea. Again, I am more of a coffee girl myself, but in this weather I like any tasty, hot beverage. But for those days that I don't want to be wigged out on caffeine, we have a convenient caffeine-free option -- Green Tea Extract Capsules.
4th food: Chicken Noodle Soup. OK, so we don't exactly have chicken noodle soup in capsule form. But one of the beneficial nutrients in chicken noodle soup is the amino acid Cysteine, and we do have a vegetarian capsule that contain Cysteine. N-Acetyl Cysteine is great for supporting lung health, and may help remove mucus from the body.
5th food: Beef. This is a tricky one for those of us who don't eat meat. For vegetarians, there are a lot of nutrients that we have to get a bit creative about working into our diets. This one is a cinch with Zinc Lozenges. Don't worry, they are lemon flavored, not beef flavored.
6th food: Mushrooms. This blog is making me hungry. I love throwing mushrooms in the slow-cooker. Unfortunately, the amount of mushrooms you would need to consume to match the strength of our Maitake-DMG Liquid would likely require you to invest in more than one slow-cooker. My coworkers have been rescued from near cold/flu disasters while on business trips by using the Maitake-DMG Liquid. It combines the benefits of the Maitake Mushroom Extract with our patented DMG for a double-boost to your immune system.
7th food: Fish + Shellfish. I grew up in Boston, and as much as I love Vermont I find it very challenging to find really fresh, delicious seafood this far away from the coast. Frozen fish just isn't the same to me. Besides, women have to be careful about which fish they eat due to mercury issues. Two of the important immune-supporting ingredients in fish are Selenium and Omega 3 fatty acids.
8th food: Garlic. Garlic is delicious and good for you, but has the unfortunate side effect of scaring off coworkers, friends, and loved ones. The article mentions eating 6 cloves a week, which seems a bit daunting. We've got you covered -- we have enteric-coated Garlic Tablets so you can support your immune system without worry.
9th food: Oats & Barley. Oats, particularly oatmeal, is a great excuse to break out the dark brown sugar. But it is also a good source of Beta Glucans, which have immune-supportive properties. We included Beta Glucans in our Immuno-DMG. Immuno-DMG also contains our Maitake Mushroom Extact, in addition to DMG and Beta Glucans.
There are a lot of ways to support your health and immune system. Eating a well-balanced diet is of course an important component, but it is nice to know that there are more options for getting those key nutrients that support specific aspects of our health. The important part of creating a healthy lifestyle is to find a balance that works for YOU!
*MSNBC has no affiliation with Mountain Naturals, nor do they endorse Mountain Naturals products.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Resveratrol -- in the news
Resveratrol is a nutrient that has been in the news lately -- most notably on 60 Minutes* last month. It is a nutrient that has some pretty interesting antioxidant properties that seem to help support cardiovascular health. Resveratrol is found in smaller amounts in red wine, blueberries, peanuts, and cranberries.
Taking a Resveratrol supplement may be a great option to increase our intake of this potentially beneficial polyphenol, and support cardiovascular health.
While diet and exercise are important components to any healthy lifestyle, there are those of us who are reluctant to impose restrictions on our chocolate intake. Besides, dark chocolate has its own set of health benefits. **
Resveratrol is now available through Mountain Naturals. We have carried the formula for years through our sister company, DaVinci Laboratories, but are now offering it direct to our customers.
It is exciting to see that research is showing the benefits of Resveratrol.
Of course, this won't stop me from having the occasional glass of red wine with dinner.
*Note: CBS/60 Minutes is neither affiliated with Mountain Naturals of Vermont, nor do they endorse Mountain Naturals products.
** Note: WebMD is not affiliated with Mountain Naturals of Vermont.
Taking a Resveratrol supplement may be a great option to increase our intake of this potentially beneficial polyphenol, and support cardiovascular health.
While diet and exercise are important components to any healthy lifestyle, there are those of us who are reluctant to impose restrictions on our chocolate intake. Besides, dark chocolate has its own set of health benefits. **
Resveratrol is now available through Mountain Naturals. We have carried the formula for years through our sister company, DaVinci Laboratories, but are now offering it direct to our customers.
It is exciting to see that research is showing the benefits of Resveratrol.
Of course, this won't stop me from having the occasional glass of red wine with dinner.
*Note: CBS/60 Minutes is neither affiliated with Mountain Naturals of Vermont, nor do they endorse Mountain Naturals products.
** Note: WebMD is not affiliated with Mountain Naturals of Vermont.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
I wanted to take a minute to introduce the new Mountain Naturals of Vermont blog.
Part of working for FoodScience Corporation, the parent company of Mountain Naturals, is having that sense of working within a community. As a group we all care about our health, and are eager to learn about new ways to support the health of ourselves, our families, and our pets. Whenever someone in the company has a success story with one of our formulas, that is passed, word of mouth, through our work community.
I am guessing that there are other people out there who are as enthusiastic as we are about supplements, and new ways to support our health. With the economy not being particularly warm-and-fuzzy right now, I think this is the perfect time for us to remember how valuable our health is. Before we set off to save the world every morning (or get the kids up and out to school, get to work, get home and make dinner, pay the bills, do some laundry, etc.), I think it is important to do something for ourselves. Even if that involves simply remembering to take a daily multi-vitamin; or a joint support formula to help our knees while chasing the kid around the house trying to convince them to wear mittens.
And how about the animals in our lives? The stress-relieving powers of pets are well known. It is only fair that we do our best to support their health, as well. Their joints likely are feeling a little stiff in the cold weather, too.
The goal of this blog is to keep folks up-to-date on what is new at Mountain Naturals -- promotions, special events, new products and the like. Even if you aren't in the next cubicle over from me, you are part of the Mountain Naturals community, and deserve to be kept in the loop.
As an added bonus, use the coupon code BL4 on your next Mountain Naturals order, and receive 15% off!
Part of working for FoodScience Corporation, the parent company of Mountain Naturals, is having that sense of working within a community. As a group we all care about our health, and are eager to learn about new ways to support the health of ourselves, our families, and our pets. Whenever someone in the company has a success story with one of our formulas, that is passed, word of mouth, through our work community.
I am guessing that there are other people out there who are as enthusiastic as we are about supplements, and new ways to support our health. With the economy not being particularly warm-and-fuzzy right now, I think this is the perfect time for us to remember how valuable our health is. Before we set off to save the world every morning (or get the kids up and out to school, get to work, get home and make dinner, pay the bills, do some laundry, etc.), I think it is important to do something for ourselves. Even if that involves simply remembering to take a daily multi-vitamin; or a joint support formula to help our knees while chasing the kid around the house trying to convince them to wear mittens.
And how about the animals in our lives? The stress-relieving powers of pets are well known. It is only fair that we do our best to support their health, as well. Their joints likely are feeling a little stiff in the cold weather, too.
The goal of this blog is to keep folks up-to-date on what is new at Mountain Naturals -- promotions, special events, new products and the like. Even if you aren't in the next cubicle over from me, you are part of the Mountain Naturals community, and deserve to be kept in the loop.
As an added bonus, use the coupon code BL4 on your next Mountain Naturals order, and receive 15% off!
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