Flouride Water - Helpful or Harmful?

Good strong teeth in a child is a priority to conscientious parents. Yet, in spite of the improvements in dental care in recent years, a quarter of two to five year olds and half of children 12-15 have had one or more cavities. Many agree with studies that seem to indicate that adding fluoride to public water will decrease the problem of tooth decay. Others say it will do more harm than good.

Fluoride is the 13th most common element in the Earth's crust and exists naturally in water. Some water has sufficient natural fluoride. But what if it is not naturally present? Should fluoride be added to water systems? The debate about fluoride won’t be settled here. Rather, the purpose of this article is to consider a few of these points, and to give you some options. Do you need fluoride treatment for your drinking water?

One side says, “Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20-40%.” “It is well known that fluoride helps prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay.” These statements have the authority of a trained doctor. This one also: “For over 60 years, water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental caries.”

The pro side claims that fluoride combats tooth decay in two ways. First, it becomes part of the structure of developing teeth. Second, it also works when it comes in contact with the surface of the teeth. Fluoride prevents the acid produced by the bacteria in plaque from dissolving, or demineralizing, tooth enamel, the hard and shiny substance that protects the teeth. Fluoride also allows teeth damaged by acid to repair, or remineralize, themselves. Fluoride cannot repair cavities, but it can reverse low levels of tooth decay and thus prevent new cavities from forming.

Those on the other side of the debate claim that a greater quality of fluoride actually increases tooth decay. At least, they said, this is true:  “. . . there is no difference in the tooth decay rates of the fluoridated and nonfluoridated areas surveyed.”

Fluorosis, a discoloration or mottling of the permanent teeth results when children 8 years of age or younger take in too much fluoride. During these years teeth are forming. To add fluoride to water along with what children get in toothpaste and dental treatments might well exceed this limit.

At times the studies have not considered the long range effects of fluoride. The con side says it has been directly linked to cancer, changes in bone structure and strength, has caused birth defects and perinatal deaths, has impaired the immune system, caused initial stages of skeletal fluorosis, caused osteoarthritis, inhibits key enzymes, suppresses thyroid function and several other adverse problems.

How do opponents answer to evidence mentioned above that fluoride is good for dental hygiene? They say the studies are flawed in several ways.  First, the studies did not consider the fact that other minerals were in the water and they might have been the real factor in decreased instances of tooth decay. Second, they failed to differentiate between "natural fluoride" (like CaF) and added fluoride (like NaF). Third, the studies lacked statistical proof. Fourth, only dental fluorosis was included as safety experiments.

If your conclusion from these points is that fluoride should not be in your drinking water, what can you if it is? Some opt for bottled water but this gets expensive. A better alternative is to purchase a water filter that removes fluoride. Some expensive units do this. Other less expensive units have optional fluoride filters. The Berkey Water Filter, for example, has available an additional filter that can we attached below the regular charcoal filters and will remove fluoride from the water. If you don’t want fluoride, you don’t have to drink it.

Beef Up Your Burger’s Nutrition

Diets tend to be pretty strict about cutting out red meat. If a good burger is your weakness, then you may be tempted to cheat. No need! There are delicious hamburgers you can create at home that are healthy and taste good.

Beef Up the Fiber

Adding fiber to your burgers can make them healthier and block seven calories for every gram of fiber.

Try adding fine-grind bulgur to your hamburger before cooking it. Bulgur adds three grams of fiber to the meat and subtracts two grams of fat and one gram of saturated fat. To make it taste good, soak half a cup of fine-grind bulgur in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water out and add the bulgur to a pound of lean ground chuck. Mix them together, form patties, and cook them like any other burger.

You can also try this with rolled oats for a meatloaf-type burger. Add a cup of rolled oats and half a cup of tomato paste to the meat and mix well. These burgers will take a little longer to cook, so cook them on a lower heat.

Beef Up the Vegetables

Another way to add fiber, nutrition, and cut the fat is by adding vegetables to the meat before you form the patties. Diced tomatoes, corn, and dash of hot sauce mixed with the meat make great fiesta burgers. Chopped bell peppers and onions are another good choice as a burger mix-ins.

See, no need to give up your burgers. Just make them healthier and your waistline and taste buds will both be happy.

For more tips on losing weight, try reading a good weight loss guide such as this Fatloss4Idiots review.

The author, Aaron Patterson, went from couch potato to kickboxer in less than a year! His favorite passion is helping people get off their butts and start leading healthier, more active lives through his Website, http://www.eliminatetheweight.com

How to Eat More Vegetables

You probably know that eating more vegetable helps you lose weight. What you may not know is how to get more vegetables into your diet. Here are some tips to sneaking in your veggie servings without a lot of effort.

·        Add a can or two of mixed vegetables to casseroles and soups. Usually you won't have to adjust the recipe to accommodate the extra veggies, and you boost the nutrition of the dish.
 
·        Buy precut vegetables. Most of us are too lazy to cut up veggies. If we don't want to cut them up, we probably won't eat them. So, avoid the extra work and buy them precut.
 
·        Keep a fresh vegetable tray, complete with low fat ranch dipping sauce, handy for snacks. Most stores carry veg trays that are personal sized as well as party sized.
 
·        When picking up sandwiches at a deli, make sure to ask for extra lettuce, tomatoes, and any other vegetable you can think of. Fast food places such as Subway offer a wide range of good-for-you choices.
 
·        When ordering pasta at your favorite restaurant, opt for tomato based red sauce instead of white. The chunkier the sauce the more real vegetables it has in it.
 
·        Make sure to eat salad as a side dish at least a couple of nights a week. Prewashed salad fixings from the grocery store can make making a salad a snap.
 
·        Drink a vegetable juice, like V8, with breakfast or for a snack.
 
·        Eat baked vegetable chips, such as Flat Earth. They give you half a serving of vegetables in each serving.
 
·        Eat a baked potatoes instead of bread with dinner. Make sure to eat the skin, though. That's where most of the nutrition lies.
 
Of course, you don't have to implement all of these tips at once. Pick one tip a week and built up your vegetable tolerance little by little. Before you know it, your waist will be getting smaller and you won't be able to pass a vegetable by.
 
Ebooks such as the one in this No Nonsense Muscle Building review can help you learn more about how to get healthier and eat better.

The author, Aaron Patterson, went from couch potato to kickboxer in less than a year! His favorite passion is helping people get off their butts and start leading healthier, more active lives through his Website, http://www.eliminatetheweight.com

Lipoic Acid Is A Powerful Antioxidant

nutritional value

You've heard of antioxidants and how they neutralize harmful chemicals called free radicals in the body. You may not be aware of an antioxidant that occurs naturally inside every cell of the body and is found in some green vegetables, organ meats, rice bran and Brewer's yeast. Lipoic acid or alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is produced in small amounts by our bodies. Used in nutritional supplement form, it treats such ailments as diabetic neuropathy, coronary heart disease and other serious illnesses.

What makes ALA unique and gives it nutritional value is that it is both water and fat soluble, unlike the more common antioxidants vitamins C and E, and it appears to be able to recycle and extend the metabolic lifespan of antioxidants such as of vitamin C, glutathione, and coenzyme Q10, and it indirectly renews vitamin E. Vitamin C lessens oxidative stress while glutathione helps detoxify the liver. Coenzyme Q10 helps convert food energy into energy inside every cell while vitamin E helps with nerve conduction.

Lipoic acid is used to treat a common complication of diabetes called peripheral neuropathy. It speeds the removal of glucose from the bloodstream, at least partly by enhancing insulin function, and it reduces insulin resistance, the basis of many cases of coronary heart disease and obesity. It significantly and rapidly reduces the frequency and severity of diabetic neuropathy symptoms like burning and sharply cutting pain, prickling sensations and numbness.

Free radical damage is thought to contribute to aging and chronic illness. ALA helps neutralize those harmful chemicals. ALA can cross the blood-brain barrier; a wall of tiny vessels and structural cells, and pass easily into the brain. It is thought to protect brain and nerve tissue by preventing free radical damage and is used to treat Alzheimer's disease. Because of those reasons, ALA is also used as a nutritional supplement to treat a myriad of other illnesses and diseases like cataracts, hardening of the arteries, hepatitis, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, high cholesterol levels, and even human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Lipoic acid has very few side effects. Some that have been reported include headache, tingling or a "pins and needles" sensation, skin rash, or muscle cramps. Since ALA may improve blood sugar control, people with diabetes who are taking medication to lower blood sugar should only take ALA under the supervision of a qualified health professional and have their blood sugar levels carefully monitored. It may alter thyroid hormone levels, so people taking thyroid medications should be monitored by their healthcare provider.

Getting An Understanding On Antioxidant Nutrition

nutritional supplements

The word antioxidant is used to describe a group of vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and carotenoids whose job it is to protect the body from destructive free radicals. Vitamins A, C, E and the mineral selenium are the most well known of the antioxidants. Carotenoids like lutein, beta-carotene and lycopene have high antioxidant nutrition and give a myriad of fruits and vegetables their bright colors. The reason carrots and pumpkins are orange is due to their high beta-carotene content. Green leafy vegetables contain a high concentration of lutein, which is essential for eyesight. You can find lycopene in most red fruits and vegetables, like tomatoes. Color in your diet not only adds variety, it has high nutritional value as well.

So why are they called antioxidants? The name represents the mechanism by which they help prevent disease. In humans, a small but significant percentage of oxygen molecules in the body will become electrically charged due to natural cellular activity and/or exposure to environmental factors like tobacco smoke and radiation. The oxygen molecule becomes a "free radical" as it undergoes this process of oxidation. Free radicals are highly reactive as they try to steal electrons from other molecules, including DNA and cellular membranes. This chain reaction of free radicals can damage cells, which may play a role in the development of certain conditions like heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants, however, stop the chain-reaction by giving up electrons and neutralizing free radicals so that they cannot induce any more oxidative damage.

Many studies have shown the link between free radicals and several degenerative diseases associated with aging. Thus, it is possible that antioxidant nutrition can be beneficial in reducing the incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, immune dysfunction, cataracts, stroke, and macular degeneration.

There is an abundance of Vitamin A in liver, dairy and fish. Vitamin C is found in bell peppers and citrus fruits while Vitamin E is plentiful in oils, fortified cereals, seeds and nuts. The mineral selenium can be found in Brazil nuts, meats, tuna and plant foods. You will find lutein in green vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, peas and kale. Tomatoes, watermelon, pink grapefruit and papaya are all good sources of lycopene. Beta-carotene is abundant in sweet potatoes, carrots and squash. If you are not getting enough in your diet, the next step you may want to consider is nutritional supplements.

To find more information regarding antioxidant nutrition, you can use a search engine on the web, or do some research at your local library. Getting solid nutritional information regarding supplements is the first step in creating your knowledge base. Another great source of data is a nutritionist. They can appraise your diet regimen and give you suggestions with regards to the need for supplementation.

Single Celled Chlorella Can Give Ones Diet A Nutritional Boost

Each food we eat has a different, specific effect on the body.  Meat and fish are rich in protein and help to build the body’s muscle structure, while carbohydrate foods like bread, rice, potatoes, and pasta are rich in sugar and are instantly converted to energy and also stored for energy.  Vegetables and fruits have an abundant amount of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiver, and antioxidants that help other foods to do their jobs.  Because each food has its own role in the body, getting the correct amount of each food is vital. 

One doctor suggests that what and how much to eat should be determined by the number and shape of the teeth.  Since humans have four canine teeth for chewing meats, eight incisor teeth for vegetables and fruits, and 20 molar and pre-molar teeth for grinding staple foods, the ration should be meat one, vegetables two, and staple foods five for a well balanced ratio of eating.

However, today’s typical diet is far from being well-balanced.  Vegetables are usually what lack most in diets, which regulate the body.  Because of this, meat dishes and staple foods can’t do their jobs and instead, remain in the body as fat, making improperly metabolized food cause disease.  This unbalanced diet means that food becomes body fat and increased body fat causes hyperlipema, which clogs the blood with fat, but also raises the risk of diabetes, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis. 

Chlorella can be used to effectively supply the body with nutrients that are identical to vegetables.  With eating being one of life’s joys, it is only human instinct to want to eat a lot of delicious food.  This desire often influences our lives.  However, eating an unbalanced diet can increase excessive body fat, leading to a variety of diseases.  Along with balancing the diet, chlorella is able to cleanse the blood by eliminating the excess fat and making blood vessels more flexible.  This helps to lower cholesterol in the blood and liver.  Chlorella also has the ability to improve hypertension, improve diabetes, protect against arteriosclerosis, prevent stomach ulcers, and prevent anemia.

The human digestive system is responsible for taking in necessary nutrients for the maintenance of life.  The intestines can be considered the entrance to the body, where nutrients from food are absorbed.  However, intestines are also the entrance for toxins, which can lead to various diseases such as colon cancer, arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, cystitis, poor skin, headaches, dizziness, stiff shoulders, stomachaches, insomnia, anorexia, hemorrhoids, allergies, and lowered immunity.  Some common toxins include dioxins, heavy metals, residual agricultural chemicals, food additives, and prescription drugs.  All of these materials are highly absorbable, highly residual in the body, and not easily detoxified by just the liver. 

It’s necessary to improve liver metabolism to detoxify and regulate the environment inside the body.  Chlorella is able to detoxify the body by boosting liver metabolism and detoxify the poisons that are highly residual and not able to be detoxified by the liver.  As a detoxifier, chlorella is responsible for the detoxification of PCBs, excretion of dioxin, detoxification of heavy metals, and improvement of constipation.  Have you had your chlorella today?

What Makes Alpha Lipoic Acid Unique?

nutritional supplement

You've heard of antioxidants and how they neutralize harmful chemicals called free radicals in the body. You may not be aware of an antioxidant that occurs naturally inside every cell of the body and is found in some green vegetables, organ meats, rice bran and Brewer's yeast. Alpha lipoic acid (or ALA) is produced in small amounts by our bodies. Used in nutritional supplement form, it treats such ailments as diabetic neuropathy, coronary heart disease and other serious illnesses.

What makes ALA unique and gives it nutritional value is that it is both water and fat soluble, unlike the more common antioxidants vitamins C and E, and it appears to be able to recycle and extend the metabolic lifespan of antioxidants such as of vitamin C, glutathione, and coenzyme Q10, and it indirectly renews vitamin E. Vitamin C lessens oxidative stress while glutathione helps detoxify the liver. Coenzyme Q10 helps convert food energy into energy inside every cell while vitamin E helps with nerve conduction.

Alpha lipoic acid helps treat the symptoms of a common complication of diabetes called peripheral neuropathy. By speeding the removal of glucose from the bloodstream, ALA enhances insulin function and reduces insulin resistance. A large number of cases of coronary heart disease and obesity are a direct or indirect result of those two factors. Symptoms such as prickling sensations, numbness, burning and sharply cutting pain are relieved by this very useful nutritional supplement.

Free radical damage is thought to contribute to aging and chronic illness. ALA helps neutralize those harmful chemicals. ALA can cross the blood-brain barrier; a wall of tiny vessels and structural cells, and pass easily into the brain. It is thought to protect brain and nerve tissue by preventing free radical damage and is used to treat Alzheimer's disease. Because of those reasons, ALA is also used to treat a myriad of other illnesses and diseases like cataracts, hardening of the arteries, hepatitis, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, high cholesterol levels, and even human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Alpha lipoic acid has very few side effects. Some that have been reported include headache, tingling or a "pins and needles" sensation, skin rash, or muscle cramps. Since ALA may improve blood sugar control, people with diabetes who are taking medication to lower blood sugar should only take ALA under the supervision of a qualified health professional and have their blood sugar levels carefully monitored. It may alter thyroid hormone levels, so people taking thyroid medications should be monitored by their healthcare provider.