Archive for the ‘Supplement and nutrition’ Category

Diabetic Dietary Supplements – The Importance of Bitter Melon Extract in Managing Type 2 Diabetes

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Nutrition, exercise, and medication are the main tools used to manage type 2 diabetes. But sometimes these tools don’t seem to be enough, and this is where diabetic nutritional supplements and remedies may come in. Natural remedies for diabetes typically contain a variety of exotic-sounding plant extracts and nutrients. Each ingredient plays its own role in promoting better health. Let’s take a look at one ingredient that you may find in a supplement — bitter melon extract.

First, we need to understand how important it is for diabetics to keep tight control over blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and kidney disease in the U.S. Heart disease and stroke are epidemic among persons with this condition. Painful nerve damage is also a frequent result. However, all of these complications can be delayed or even prevented when diabetes is strictly managed.

It’s not easy to maintain balanced blood glucose levels, but it’s crucial. That’s why every diabetic supplement contains ingredients that help control or lower blood sugar and improve the way your body uses insulin. One such ingredient is bitter melon extract.

Used in traditional Asian medicine for many centuries, bitter melon is a tropical fruit that is gaining scientific attention. It seems to have several important benefits for persons with diabetes. First, it may lower fasting blood sugar and improve glucose tolerance. In addition, it appears to have properties similar to your own natural insulin. It may help repair cells in the pancreas, supporting the body’s natural production of insulin. Bitter melon may also assist the liver in utilizing glucose.

Bitter melon extract is only one of many botanical substances that appear to improve blood sugar control. Banaba leaf extract, cinnamon bark, and cayenne also seem to be helpful in this way. You are likely to find several or all of these ingredients (plus many others) in a properly formulated diabetic nutritional supplement. When you go shopping for such a product, review the detailed product information and note how many different ingredients it contains. In general, more is better, because the nutrients tend to work more effectively in combination.

The Best Bodybuilding Supplements To Take

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Sport nutrition supplements help promote muscle growth in bodybuilders. Nutritional bodybuilding supplements also enhance performance and workout routines that include physical exercises. Weightlifting programs or weight training with free weights or machines will benefit from the addition of body building supplements.

Whether you are body building, weight lifting or working out with body toning exercises, always read and review the nutritional information on supplements before adding them to your workout routine. There are many different kinds of nutritional supplements which can be used for bodybuilding, weightlifting or even the general exercise enthusiast.

Many body building supplements also work well for weightlifting programs and even certain diet programs. On the other hand, you may find some sports supplements and nutritional products work better for the specific style of workout routine you are following.

For body building enthusiasts working towards muscle growth, there are some excellent weight gainer whey protein supplements available to help meet your goal. Because these bodybuilding products help add weight and muscle, they may not be best suited for workout routines designed only to tone muscle.

Body Building Supplements

Building muscle mass while sculpting your body for the perfect look can be a long and difficult process. You can improve workout results with sports nutrition products like whey protein isolate, nor androstenediol, guggulsterones, amino acids, DHEA and meal replacement bars. Bodybuilders and weightlifters alike reach their goals as well as their limits while depending on quality bodybuilding supplements.

Weightlifting Supplements

Weightlifters are always pushing themselves to the limit or lifting weights to the point of ‘failure’. To ‘burn’ through these sets and increase muscle growth, weightlifters employ nutritional supplements. You can safely combine supplements, such as a whey protein isolate, Nitric Oxide and Testosterone Boosters, whether you are just beginning or wanting to reach your peak performance. Weight training programs at all levels benefit when bodybuilding supplements are used in weightlifting workouts.

Nitric Oxide

Nitric Oxide is a free form gas that is produced in the body and is used by the body to communicate with other cells in the body. To produce this gas, enzymes in the body break down the amino acid Arginine.

Nitric Oxide is a molecule consisting of one atom of nitrogen and one atom of oxygen. The production of Nitric Oxide occurs when the amino acid L-arginine is converted into L-citruline through an enzyme group known as Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS).

Everyone REQUIRES nitric oxide to carry out key physiological processes within the body. From a bodybuilder’s perspective, nitric oxide supplementation may prove useful in increasing growth due to increases in blood flow to certain areas of the body. Further, men suffering from erectile dysfunction may also find supplementing with nitric oxide helpful.

Signs of deficiency include the inability to achieve and sustain erections, physical weakness and extreme fatigue. Most “nitric oxide” supplements contain the amino acid Arginine-alpha-keto-glutarate.

With any amino acid containing product, overdose is a possibility. Dosing with too much arginine can lead to diarrhea, weakness and nausea. Clear dosing guidelines have not been established, so it is best to do what is known as “tolerance mapping”. Take a small dosage for one week, note the benefits and the side effects, and increase the dosage until the benefits are maximized and the side effects minimized. Over time the two will converge and you will hit the optimal dose. This process is similar to “receptor mapping”
for bodybuilders who use insulin.

Protien Powders

Many protein powders are fortified with amino acids, including arginine. With this in mind, pay particular attention to how much arginine you are ingesting from all supplements taken.

Protein powders are formulated to be the perfect meal in a quick and easy shake. It is easy to take them with you to work or school or anywhere that you need to get your protein or satisfy your hunger in a healthy way.

Need to eat one gram of protein per pound of body weight? Or maybe you are trying to eat six small meals each day? Sounds easier than it really is, huh? Protein powders like the ones listed below may be exactly what you are looking for.

How do you pick a protein out of the hundreds that we have for you to choose from? Basically, you are looking for a powder that has the right amount of protein, carbs, fat and the correct protein type for your goal.

If you are trying to lose fat, you will most likely want a low carb, low calorie protein. The extra protein will help you keep your current muscle mass. If you are trying to gain muscle, you would want a high protein, high calorie powder that is relatively low in sugar and fat. If you are simply trying to find a quick meal replacement, a protein powder with medium carbs and medium calories would most likely be for you.

The three most popular types of protein are whey, casein and soy.

Whey

Out of the many protein sources out there, whey protein is the ultimate. It comes from milk. During the process of turning milk into cheese, whey protein is separated out. Protein can be found in a variety of foods -mainly meats, such as fish, beef, and chicken.

Dairy products as well as eggs, cottage cheese, soy and vegetable protein also contain good amounts of protein.

Nevertheless, none of these sources compares in quality or ease of use like whey protein. Whey protein has the highest value in providing branched-chain amino acids, which result in building and retaining muscle tissue.

Whey protein (the highest quality and best form of protein) is incredible stuff. It provides the body with the necessary building blocks to produce amino acids that are used for building muscle tissue. Whoa! Nearly every bodybuilder knows the importance of protein supplementation. Studies have been conducted that compare whey protein to other sources. They have found that whey protein contains the perfect combination of overall amino acid makeup… and in just the right concentrations for optimal performance in the body. Both hormonal and cellular responses seem to be greatly enhanced with supplementation of whey protein, too! Not to mention the benefits whey protein has on the body’s immune system according to documented scientific research. Whey protein also plays a role as an antioxidant and helps support a health immune system. Most importantly, consistent whey protein intake coupled with exercise will result in consistent muscle building.

Training athletes often consume 25 grams of whey protein per day. Bodybuilders who want serious gains (and are burning serious calories), generally consume 150 grams per day. Extremely high doses of whey protein is not recommended, as this will cause the body’s liver to be overloaded and you won’t get the same benefits as with a consistent lower amount taken three to five times per day.