The 200 Essential Enzymes That Prove Zinc Is Vital For Health

Zinc is one of the many trace minerals required by the
body, but the fact that it's required in relatively small
amounts should not be allowed to obscure its significance.
It's required by the body for the production of more than
200 essential enzymes, one of the most crucial of these
being superoxide dismutase, a vital anti-oxidant.

The particular importance of superoxide dismutase lies in
its role in mopping up the superoxide free radicals which
are released upon the metabolism of oxygen within cells,
literally with every breath we take. Superoxide free
radicals react with other by-products of energy production
to form hydroxyl, the most damaging free radical of all,
and to attack the mitochondria of the cells themselves.

Since it is the mitochondria which ultimately produce the
energy for all the body's vital reactions, mitochondrial
damage due to free radicals can only mean the production of
less and less energy and the gradual deterioration and
degeneration of the entire organism.

As well as being vital for the body's manufacture of
anti-oxidants, zinc also helps the immune system to
regulate the process by which defective or worn out cells
are killed off by the body before they have chance to
multiply themselves and perhaps ultimately become
cancerous. These functions alone would make it one of the
key micronutrients which are vital to the body's long-term
health.

But there's much more to zinc than this, because it's now
known to be necessary for the production of the white blood
cells which are one of the body's first lines of defence
against infection, and for the proper functioning of the
thymus gland which is heavily involved in the regulation of
the immune system. So zinc is crucial not just in staving
off long-term degeneration, but in fighting off acute
infections.

And this well documented value as an immune system booster
has given zinc great popularity as a cold and flu remedy,
although the effectiveness of the many lozenges sold for
this purpose once illness is established remains open to
question. But the importance of a healthy immune system in
preventing infection in the first place is not in doubt.
And it's here that an adequate supply of zinc is essential.

Although the typical requirement for zinc is only 15 mg a
day, it is surprisingly easy to fall below this. Indeed
some estimates suggest that typical dietary intakes may be
as low as 9 mg for women and 13 mg for men, and even this
may be poorly absorbed so some nutritionists recommend
aiming for an intake of around 25 mg to ensure an adequate
supply.

It also needs to be remembered that certain groups of
people with depressed immune systems, such as HIV
sufferers, diabetics and alcoholics may have an increased
requirement for zinc. But by far the largest such group is
comprised of the over 65s. And it should be realised that
the consequence of a zinc deficiency may be much more
serious for these older individuals, given that their
immune systems are likely in any case to be less effective
than those of healthy young adults.

So the conclusion appears to be straightforward: ensuring
that the diet is adequate in zinc is vital to the
efficiency of the immune system, and therefore to long-term
health and well being. But as always with the human body,
the full story isn't quite so simple. The body functions
holistically, and an excess of any one nutrient may well
lead to a deficiency in another. Taking in too much iron,
for example, may in itself lead to a deficiency in zinc.
But in the case of an excess of zinc (defined by the US
Food and Nutrition Board as more than 40 mg a day), the
associated deficiency is of copper.

Deficiency in copper is rarely severe enough to produce
clinical symptoms, but this should not obscure the
important functions of this trace mineral. As with zinc,
adequate supplies of copper are vital for the production of
anti-oxidant enzymes and energy within the body's cells.
Sub-clinical deficiencies have also been implicated in
cases of mild anaemia and depression of the immune system.

The best way to counter these risks is, of course, to
consume a diet rich in both zinc and copper. Red meat,
particularly beef, and shellfish are known as good animal
sources, whilst nuts and beans offer a useful source for
vegetarians. Whole grains are a useful additional plant
source of copper. Plant sources of zinc, however, are
less well absorbed by the body than those derived from
animal sources, and so this is a nutrient which may require
particular attention for those following a vegetarian diet.

But given the poverty of modern Western diets in both
vitamins and minerals, supplementation may in any case be
necessary to ensure the health of the immune system,
particularly, as discussed above, for the over 65s.
Various forms of specific zinc supplement are readily
available, but it is probably wiser to ensure that any
supplementation of zinc is taken in a properly balanced
multi-mineral formulation also containing an appropriate
amount of copper.

----------------------------------------------------
Steve Smith is a freelance copywriter specialising in
direct marketing and with a particular interest in health
products. Find out more at
http://www.sisyphuspublicationsonline.com/LiquidNutrition/In
formation.htm

Examining Your Office Building and Fitness Center Services They Provide

Many office building and fitness center services are
focused on attracting high quality employees to a certain
company. With the ability to workout and vent any stresses
of the day, employees are less prone to burnout and
frustration. These office building and fitness center
services also allow a place for coworkers to congregate
after and before work to relate in a better way when
they're in the office. Here are some of the services that
your employer may want to consider adding to your building.

One of the easiest ways to make health and fitness
convenient for an employee is to offer office building and
fitness center services. By including a simple room or
rooms with gym equipment, weights, weight machines and even
a small running track, an employer will give their
employees the added benefit of being able to maintain their
fitness levels. When these fitness levels are maintained,
the employee is going to have fewer sick days, fewer mental
health days, and less expenditure in terms of their health
insurance. This all adds up to a business that has higher
morale and happier employees that are willing to do their
work well.

To make office building and fitness center services
convenient, these areas should include a daycare area for
any children of the employees. Some employers offer these
childcare services throughout the day, but even having some
childcare professionals just during the gym hours would
help the employee use the facilities when it's convenient
for them. Children will be able to have their own fitness
classes or perhaps just a fun playtime with other
employees' children. Instead of paying for high cost
childcare in their own homes, the employees will be much
more likely to use their employer fitness center, which
increases their health benefits.

Other fun additions to the office building and fitness
center services can include personal trainers, a swimming
or lap pool, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and
exercise classes. By giving employees a lot of options in
their fitness, you increase their attendance. Not everyone
likes to use weights or machines – and not everyone can use
them when you have a larger group of employees. When you
add more options to the fitness center, you create enough
fitness to go around for everyone.

When you find an employers with office building and fitness
center services, you can tell that this is someone that
truly cares about you as a person – not just an employee.
Employees that stay healthy in their jobs will stay with
the company for longer, produce more, and be assets to the
profitability of their employer. It's not just about the
health of the company, but that's certainly something that
adds up for the employer.

----------------------------------------------------
Machelle Lee owns and operates, The Invisible Gym in Santa
Cruz, CA. Her mission is to inspire people to become
physically active and enjoy the benefits of a balanced,
healthy lifestyle. For more information and questions you
can visit her website.

http://www.the-invisible-gym.com/

Liquid Vitamins and Dr. Oz

Liquid vitamins and Dr Oz are a likely pair. Both are
committed to giving you the best advice for living a
healthy and energetic life. And with liquid vitamins and Dr
Oz, you can be sure that their advice is reliable and not
the latest fad.

Who is this Dr. Oz?

Mehmet Oz is a cardiac surgeon and the co-author of "You:
On a Diet" as well as other helpful books geared toward
improving the life of the patient. By using his medical
background and combining advice from alternative therapies,
people are seeing remarkable change in their lives. Liquid
vitamins and Dr Oz are making their way into homes across
the country, across the world.

Dr. Oz is trying to let people know that they do have a
role to play in their own health – often more so than their
physicians do. He wants people to realize that we can
change our health by making small changes in our life.

Why this connection?

Liquid vitamins and Dr Oz just make sense. With our fast
paced lives, it's become harder to get the nutrients that
we need in our everyday diet. But by supplementing our
diets with liquid vitamins, we can fill in those gaps that
our stressful lives create.

And when we make sure that we're getting our vitamins and
minerals, our bodies can handle a lot more than they can
when they're running on empty. We have more energy and
vitality and we can face our days head on.

To add even more benefits, liquid vitamins also includes
antioxidants that allow the body to fend off the effects of
pollution and free radicals in the air. These damaging
elements in the air can cause cellular damage that often
leads to cancer – but this can be offset with Liquid
vitamins and Dr Oz agrees.

What does this mean for you?

When you hear advice about liquid vitamins and Dr Oz agrees
with the recommendation, you need to start listening.
Liquid vitamins aren't just the latest 'fad' to follow;
they're something that you need to get ready for the stress
of the world around you.

Of course, you should also try to eat right and exercise,
but if you don't' have the time (and many of us don't),
these liquid vitamins can help to protect you until you do
find the time.

By giving you antioxidants, quality ingredients, and health
benefits, liquid vitamins and Dr Oz all work together to
make a healthier new you.

----------------------------------------------------
Vemma is positioned to make a huge, positive difference for
countless people all over the world. And we're doing it the
best way we know how. Through people helping people.
Through a product that delivers on the promise of better
health and a product you can believe in.
http://liquid-vitamin-wellness.com

Cats Claw herb

Cats claw is a large woody vine with small thorns at the
base of the leaves. These thorns resemble the claws of a
cat – a fact that has given rise to its name. The thorns
help the vine to attach itself to neighboring trees and
climb up to heights of 100 feet. Cats claw is grown mainly
in the Amazon rain forests, tropical and jungle areas of
South and Central America, and in parts of Asia. Countries
where the Cats claw vine is found include Peru, Colombia,
Ecuador, Guyana, Trinidad, Venezuela, Suriname, Costa Rica,
Guatemala, and Panama. Peru has recognized cats claw as a
valuable medicinal resource and given it protected status.

Cats claw has a long history of use that extends to over
2000 years in central Peru and other South American
countries. Recent research has confirmed many traditional
beliefs and uses. Traditionally Cats claw herb has been in
use to treat a variety of diseases including asthma,
arthritis, rheumatism, bone pain, urinary tract
inflammation, gastric ulcers, hemorrhages, irregular
menstrual cycles, cirrhosis, abscesses, diabetes, tumors
and cancer. Cats claw herb has also been used to heal deep
wounds, and to help in recovering from childbirth. Some
tribes have also been known to use the Cats claw herb as a
contraceptive, though this seems to require a very large
dosage.

The use of Cats claw since the 1990s as an adjunctive
treatment for cancer and AIDS shows its acceptance by
modern systems of medicine as a serious contender in
strengthening the immune system. The extract from the bark
of Cats claw has been used along with AZT in clinical
studies for the treatment of AIDS. Apart from cancer and
AIDS, the herb's immune stimulating effects have made it
useful in preventing strokes and heart attacks, reducing
blood clots, and for treating irritable bowel syndrome.

Cats claw contains many groups of plant chemicals that
account for its curative properties. These include oxidole
alkaloids that are responsible for its antileukemic and
immune stimulant properties. Other groups of chemicals and
compounds are responsible for its anti-inflammatory and
anti-viral properties. A third group of compounds known as
carboxyl alkyl esters contribute to its anti-cancerous and
cell-repairing properties.

Cats claw has understandably evoked keen interest among
medical researchers in the western world. The interest in
Cats claw herb, which contains several groups of chemicals
and compounds that bestow it with many curative properties,
was natural, and has resulted in the preparation and
marketing of several Cats claw extracts in many European
countries. In the US, patent applications are pending for
procedures that concern extracting immunity enhancing drugs
from cats claw. With more researchers joining in from
Spain, France, Japan, Germany, and Peru, the curative
properties of this herb appear to have gained overwhelming
acceptance by modern medical practitioners.

The inner bark and roots of Cats claw are used for the
preparation of medicines. Cats claw is available to the
consumer in the form of capsules and tincture. The tincture
is prepared from pure Cats claw extracted in distilled
water and 40% alcohol, and can be taken under the tongue or
in water or juice. The recommended dosage is 60 ml twice a
day, or as required.

----------------------------------------------------
Patricia McDougall B.Sc. is a Chartered Herbalist and
graduate of the Dominion Herbal College, British Columbia,
Canada. Originally from Peru, Patricia is the Director of
Research and Development for Amazon Botanicals LLC of
Newark Delaware.
http://www.amazon-botanicals.com/Cats_claw_herb_s/86.htm

GOOD DIGESTION IS ESSENTIAL FOR GOOD HEALTH

A healthy digestive system is crucial to your overall
health. Today more and more people have reported having
problems like indigestion, acidity and poor waste
elimination. The reason is the fast paced life style, and
lack of adequate sleep or lack of nourishing diet. Our fast
food diets contain refined sugar, preservatives,
antibiotic, and hormones that interfere with digestion and
health in general. So called "junk food" is contributing to
a vast variety of ailments and obesity.

Natural digestive supplements, vitamins, herbs and
probiotics are well known to provide people with fast
relief from problems like indigestion, acidity and poor
waste elimination. Since conventional synthetic drugs are
often very difficult for the body to absorb and carry
undesirable side effects, an effective alternative is the
use of all natural enzymes, fiber, vitamins, supplements,
herbs, and probiotics that are derived from natural
sources. All natural digestive aids are fast acting and
easily absorbed by the human body. Natural digestion
chewable wafers or liquids help your body to better absorb
food nutrients from the foods you eat and the supplements
you take - plus you're able to break down dairy products
and other hard-to-digest foods. Natural digestion enzymes,
fiber, supplements, vitamins, herbs, and probiotics help
balance and ease digestive discomfort.

Enzymes are proteins that are a vital energy factor needed
for every digestive action and reaction that our body needs
for proper health. Enzymes combine with coenzymes forming
almost 100,000 different substances in the body that make
it possible to see, hear, feel, move, digest food and allow
the brain to function efficiently. All organs, tissues and
all the 100 trillion cells in our bodies depend on the
interaction of metabolic enzymes and the energy they help
produce. Enzymes break down food particles that are too
large or have begun to putrefy. When food particles are too
large or have begun to putrefy, our bodies are unable to
absorb them and they become like invaders to our blood
stream, cells and intestines. Then our immune system begins
to attack them in order to protect us. The results may take
the forms of nausea, runny eyes, headaches, acid reflux,
heart burn, fatigue, allergies or respiratory difficulty,
leaky gut, weight gain, candida, or constipation.

Conventional cooking, cooking with a microwave, processed
foods and some freezing destroy the enzymes naturally
contained in food. At times our own body's enzyme producing
capacity gets overwhelmed and our metabolic digestive
ability is compromised. The use of antibotics also destroys
beneficial micoflora in our intestines. Research indicates
that as we age, the cells in our pancreas becomes less
efficient causing an enzyme deficiency that weakens the
trillions of cells in our bodies. This enzyme deficiency
then, in turn, speeds the aging process creating an
undesirable cycle. We can counteract the effects of food
preparation, aging, and digestion overwhelm by using all
natural enzyme supplements and formulas that increase the
amount of enzymes in our body and create a healthy,
properly functioning digestive system.

Probiotics derived from natural sources enhance the growth
of beneficial microflora in our intestines. Mircoflora
helps process vitamins, nutrients and enzymes that enhance
digestive process. The microflora protects our bodies by
removing harmful foreign materials that our bodies cannot
remove and prevent harmful bacteria from growing in our
intestines that causes illness. As we age, the health
microflora in our intestines decreases. Our common
complaint as we age, is that we cannot eat the way we used
to eat or the foods we used to be able to eat. We may
develop lactose intolerance, have difficulty with waste
elimination, experience respiratory difficulty, acid
relux,and feel less energetic or perhaps toxic. Regular
replacement of beneficial microflora with the use of all
natural probiotics helps us to continually breakdown dairy
products or other food that are difficult to digest
enabling us to avoid experiencing acid reflux, weight gain
and other digestive difficulties that actually speed the
aging process.

Of course, all natural fiber is extremely important for
good digestion. Soluble fiber attracts water during
digestion. This slows down the digestive process and allows
you stomach and intestine to absorb more of the nutrition
from the food you have eaten. All natural insoluble fiber
allows food to move through the digestive tracts of your
body and then enables waste and toxins to be eliminated
through the bowel. Insoluble fiber removes any blockage in
the intestines that may lead to constipation. Fiber is
essential for your body to absorb vital vitamins, minerals,
and other nutrients and to facilitate the removal of waste
materials.

All natural enzymes, fiber, vitamin, supplements, herbs,
and probotics help our body to better absorb and utilize
the food we eat. They also help us experience proper waste
elimination which is vital for removing toxins that could
cause us harm and speed the aging process. A well
functioning, healthy digestive system is vital to our well
being. All natural digestive aid products are an enormous
advantage over the use of conventional synthetic drugs.
Together, all natural probiotics, digestive enzymes and
fiber are a powerhouse for healthy digestion.

----------------------------------------------------
Jennifer has over twenty years experience with all natural
health care products. She provides the highest quality all
natural health care products through
http://www.sweetmedicineessentials.com