A recent meta-analysis examined a group of studies concerning the use of probiotics with antibiotics.  Researchers found a clear effect in favor of probiotic use.  In studies where people used probiotics for at least the duration of the antibiotic treatment, patients had a marked reduction in antibiotic associated diarrhea.  

This was true even for patients who were not  infected with the dread Clostridium Difficile.  C. Difficile is an opportunistic bacteria that can colonize the gastronintestinal tracts of people who have taken antiobitics and is a cause of severe post-antibiotic diarrhea. 

Order this product at SundropsOnline.com:  A Sundrops Recommended Probiotic

Aliment Pharmacol Therapy 2012

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.

They were given either three 20 gram protein shakes or 20 gram carbohydrate drinks every day for four weeks.  Those who were in the protein group had significantly lower blood pressure than the carbohydrate group at the end of the study. 

We here at Sundrops have always stressed the importance of protein at every meal for a variety of health reasons and this study just goes to show how vital it is to our health.  Great sources of protein are lean red meats, chicken, fish and eggs.  You could also try a high quality whey protein powder to make shakes like the ones in the study as well.

Order this product at SundropsSports.com Whey Protein.

Am J Clin Nutr April 2012

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.

This past Friday, Dr Oz gave us a recap of his very favorite supplements for this season of the Dr. Oz show.   

The Belly Blasters

Dr. Oz named  thermogenic 7-keto DHEA and Forskolin, as well as stress-busting Relora as the standouts in the belly busting arena.  Check out our original post on 7-keto and forskolin titled "Dr. OZ: 7-Keto, Forskolin, And Saffron."

Relora is a combination of two herbs, magnolia and philodendron, that can substantially reduce the the stress hormone cortisol.  Cortisol can push your metabolism out of whack, leaving you chubby and hungry.

The Appetite Suppressant

Satiereal Saffron took home the prize for best appetite suppressant.   We talked about the serotonin upping ability of saffron and its capacity to help you stop snacking in our original post here.
 

Dr. Oz's Top Cancer Fighters

Dr. Oz named IP-6 and Vitamin D as prime cancer prevention and support.  Inositol hexaphosphate, or IP-6, has been shown in animal studies to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, including colon, liver,  lung, and skin cancer.  Dr. Duncan  recommended taking 500mg of IP-6 twice daily, once in the morning and once at night.

As Dr. Oz has pointed out, vitamin  D is definitely good news for women:  Higher vitamin D levels are associated with a significantly lower risk of breast cancer as well as a better outcome for those who are already diagnosed.  Vitamin D is also associated with a lower risk of cervical cancer.  For both men and women, higher vitamin D levels are linked to a substantially lower risk of colon cancer.

World J Gastroenterol 2006.  Anticancer Res 1999. Carcinogenesis 2012.  Cancer Causes Control 2012. Anticancer Res 2012. Endocr Relat Cancer 2012.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.

A  study based on data collected  from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has concluded that Americans come up short in a range of nutrients.  97% of Americans were short of potassium, a nutrient that can be found in abundance in many fruits, vegatables, and other plant-based foods.   65% of Americans had diets deficient in vitamin K.  American diets were also low in calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A,D,C, and E.

People who took supplements were significantly less likely to be short in various nutrients.  It was also very uncommon for people to have consumed too much of any vitamin or mineral. In fact, the researchers concluded that without supplementation or fortification, few Americans would consume recommended nutrient intakes.

A multivitamin will give basic levels of all the vitamin and mineral micronutrients.  A high quality multivitamin will generally include higher amounts of these nutrients, often close to what has been found most beneficial in studies.  Good multivitamins also include forms of nutrients believed to be most absorbable and useable by the body.  

For example, SelenoExcell or selenomethionine selenium at a dose of 200mcg a day is thought to be ideal, whereas the form of selenium called sodium selenite is thought to be inferior. Zinc monomethionine, known as OptiZinc, is the most bio-available kind of zinc, while Chromemate chromium, also known as chromium polynicotinate, is the best kind of chromium, better than the picolinate form.  Magnesium oxide is poorly absorbed as is calcium carbonate.  Try calcium citrate and magnesium aspartate, glycinate, or taurate instead.

Order these products at SundropsOnline.com:    Recommended Multivitamin     Calcium/Magnesium     Chromemate Chromium    OptiZinc     Magnesium Aspartate

J Nutrition 2011.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.

Both vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 enhanced the bone-building effects of calcium and vitamin D.  Women eating a vitamin D and calcium fortified yogurt experienced an overall increase in bone density, but only those who also supplemented with vitamin K1 or K2 had an increase in bone density in their vertebrae and lower back.

Vitamin K2 activates a protein called osteocalcin that helps hold calcium and other bone mineral in place, thereby increasing bone density.  Vitamin K1 is an alternate version of the vitamin that can be transformed by gut bacteria into vitamin K2.

Order this product at SundropsOnline.com:  Vitamin K2

Calcif Tissue Int 2012.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.

Order this product at SundropsOnline.com Folate.

Am J Clin Nutr June 2012

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.

A recent article in  the journal Nutrition, researchers found that giving fish oil to kids with ADHD could improve their symptoms.  The more the omega-3 fatty acid called DHA  rose in the children's blood cells, the more their ability to read improved and the lower their measures of oppositional behavior.  Kids with learning disabilities had even greater improvement, showing gains in spelling, ability to divide attention between tasks, and parental ratings of hyperactivity and restlessness.

Order this product at SundropsOnline.com:  Kids' Fish Oil

Nutrition 2012.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.

In a study at the University of California Los Angeles, scientists provided one set of mice with water to drink while offering another set of rats only water sweetened with fructose.  The fructose water was designed to mimic the nutrient content of soft drinks.  

All rats had been trained how to find their way out of a special maze, but the fructose fed rats forgot their way out and navigated the maze much more slowly that the standard fed rats. 

The researchers linked the mental impairment seen in the fructose fed rats to changes in brain structure that reduced the rats' ability to learn and remember.  The high sugar diet damaged synapses, the connecting points between brain cells.

By chronically feeding the rats sugar, the scientists altered the metabolism of the rats, including the metabolism of their brains.  This sort of negative change in metabolism is termed the Metabolic Syndrome. It  occurs with too much carbohydrate in the diet and too little exercise.  Some of the health dangers of metabolic syndrome include obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.  Metabolic syndrome is a huge and growing problem in the United States.

What is becoming more apparent, however, is the damaging effect of metabolic syndrome on brain function.  Studies link excessive carbohydrate consumption to heightened risks for Alzheimer's disease and depression.  The research is beginning to show that when brain cell metabolism comes under too much pressure from the food you choose to eat, subtle brain damage can occur and lead to tangible illness.  

One more reason to eat well.

Interestingly, fructose fed rats who were also fed omega-3 fats from fish oil did nearly as well as the rats fed the standard diet.

Omega-3 fats may protect human brains as well.  Omega-3 fats seem to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's according to several studies, and have also been shown in numerous studies to lower the risk of depression and even to help treat mood disorders.

Order this this product at SundropsOnline.com:  Omega-3s

Journal of Physiol 2012.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.

Pycnogenol For Skin On Dr. Oz

Well before Dr. Oz's May 15 show, Sundrops.com published a post on the amazing skin effects of Pycnogenol.  You can find our original post here.

On the Dr. Oz show yesterday, audience members guessed the age of guest dermatologist Dr. Joely Kauffmann. The average guess was 31 years old.  Dr. Kauffman's real age?  41!

Dr. Kauffman credited 50mg of  Pycnogenol Extract twice daily with keeping her skin looking so very young.

The Research

Pycnogenol is great in part because it increases a compound in the skin called hyaluronic acid.  Hyaluronic acid plumps skins and guards against oxidative damage and wrinkles.  After about age 30, our natural hyaluronic acid levels begin to decline.  In a 2012 study, three months supplementation with Pycnogenol increased hyaluronic acid by 44% in skin and significantly boosted elasticity and hydration.

Pycnogenol also helps to regenerate vitamins C and E in the skin to help fight free radical damage.

Applied topically, Pycnogenol has been studied for helping with discoloration and wrinkle prevention.  In a 2011 study, a mixture of vitamin C, vitamin E, evening primrose oil, and Pycnogenol was applied to the skin of hairless mice.  This study found that this antioxidant mixture reduced UV light induced wrinkles and skin hyperpigmentaton.  Scientists feel hopeful that this combination may similarly benefit human skin.

Order this product at SundropsOnline.com:  Pycnogenol

Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2012. Photodermatol PhotoImmunol Photomed 2007.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.