Menopause

Resveratrol

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RESVERATROL: What You Are Not Meant to Find Out!

So what exactly is resveratrol and how come it is a really powerful natural plant product that has remained well under the radar until recently? I reckon it is time that resveratrol came out from under the radar!

Did you know Plants have an Immune Systems too?

If a plant contains natural chemicals that help to protect it from the harmful effects of bacteria, ultra-violet rays and chemicals, then the question needs to be asked:

Can it also be beneficial for us?

Resveratrol occurs naturally in at least 72 plant species, including some of the more well-known ones such as grapes, raspberries, walnuts, olives, tea leaves, mulberries and peanuts. It is particularly prevalent in the skin of red grapes. In fresh white grape juice you have up to 200 µg / litre and in fresh red juice, up to 1100 mg / litre. In red wine, it is estimated that the concentration of resveratrol is much higher, about 30 to 50 mg / litre. White and rosé wines contain lower concentrations of resveratrol.

What is Resveratrol?

Biologically, resveratrol is classified as a polyphenol. Polyphenols help to give fruits and vegetables and other plants their distinct colours and flavours. If you ever wondered why pumpkin tastes so pumpkiny and grapes taste like so grapey, then your answer is polyphenols! They help to establish the different plant tastes and flavours as well as the different colours.

Polyphenols are known as antioxidant substances which help to protect humans and plants from free radicals. Sometimes, free radicals are produced internally as a by-product of digestion, but they are also inhaled, ingested or absorbed through our skin in the course of living. Antioxidants are like the good guys that fight the invading baddies to banish them from causing us harm.

Some of the free radicals that plants and humans are exposed to are: bacteria, pollutants (cigarette smoke and car fumes), the ultra-violet rays from the sun, industrial waste products in the air, water or in products themselves, chemicals, sprays and parasites. We have an immune systems that activates in the presence of toxins and so do plants! The plant’s immune system works in a similar way, even though the substances that the plant uses differ from ours. One of the most effective plant immune antioxidant substances is considered to be resveratrol. It is like a high-grade plant protector!

So let’s recap again on this information so far, as sometimes these things can get a bit complex, when what we are really trying to say is simple! Each plant, vegetable and fruit has a slightly different colour and taste. This is determined by so-called polyphenols, which are classified as having antioxidant properties.

That basically means they help plants to stay healthy and fight off any cells that may damage them.

What can Resveratrol do?

Resveratrol is a special polyphenol, known as a phytoalexin. Phytoalexins help the plant to fight fungi, bacterial and viral infections, as well as protecting the plant from some environmental influences such as UV radiation and ozone pollution. The word 'phytoalexin' literally comes from 'phyt' meaning plant and 'alexin' from the Greek word 'alexin' meaning to ward off, to protect.

That makes Resveratrol a high-grade plant protector as it helps to fight fungi, bacteria and parasites in plants and is linked to having beneficial effects in our bodies as an antioxidant and a strong one at that!

Its value also increases as it is both water and fat soluble, and as such, it is considered to provide broad antioxidant protection. In a sense, resveratrol is like a natural antibiotic substance for the plant and is also linked to possessing a variety of potential health benefits including the prevention of heart conditions and is even linked to cancer prevention. Resveratrol is a highly thought of antioxidant. One of the plants with the highest known concentrations of resveratrol is the Japanese knotweed, whose Latin name is Polygonum cuspidatumis.

It is an interesting thought: 

If resveratrol can fight bacteria in plants, surely it can do that for us too!

The Secret's Out

THE SECRET’S OUT!

MEXICAN WILD YAM & MENSTRUATION:

Can't periods be easier?  

Does menstruation have to bring mood swings and cramps?

What is menstruation anyway?  What happens to my body during menstruation?

Are hormones really responsible?

Women start menstruating generally from the age of 12-14 through to when menopause starts.   

Sometimes it is earlier, sometimes it is later.

Either way, like it or not, we have to learn to live with the monthly cycle.

For some of us this means the blues, moods and cramps.

Sometimes we need a little helping hand to ease some of the more severe reactions and symptoms that can accompany menstruation.

Finding out what happens is the first step to improving conditions.

Natural support is available and it's good to know it is. 

How come women suffer with menstruation?

It is a fact that women have to go through an enormous range of hormonal changes, ups and downs as part of their life, especially with monthly cycles called periods or more technically menstruation.

For some women the period passes by almost unnoticed, but for most of us, it can have its share of ups and downs, cramps and blues. Haven’t you noticed that just before your period, life gets a little unbearable? Do you ever find you get a little bit more impatient with things you normally have loads of time for?  Blame it on the hormones!

What about mood swings? 

Does anyone suffer from mood swings? 

Or the monthly blues? 

How come we women have to put up with so much?! 

Well I guess that is the flip side of providing the beauty and sensuality in the world.  

The other side of the coin.  

Hormones and Menstruation

It is hard to believe that really tiny substances in our bodies can create so many powerful effects and these are called hormones. Hormones are small but powerful chemicals in the body that are made up of proteins. They have specific jobs to do, such as helping to ripen the eggs in the ovaries, helping to prepare the uterus for pregnancy, encouraging milk production in new mothers. Hormones are responsible for our periods, monthly moods and menopause blues! But they are so small! How can something so small be so powerful? And what controls them?

What happens During Menstruation?

Well basically, these little chemicals trigger chemical reactions and that is why the word ‘hormone’ derives from the Greek word ‘hormon’ literally meaning ‘that which sets in motion’, as hormones set off chemical processes in the body. Such as the ripening of a female egg in one of the 2 ovaries, the maturation of an egg and its release called ovulation which happens in the middle of the menstrual cycle usually about 2 weeks after the last period. Hormones are also responsible for helping prepare the lining of the uterus in the case that we get pregnant. During our ovulating years, each month our uterus prepares to become pregnant and becomes a little thicker inside, and then, unless we get pregnant, each month, this lining falls away in menstruation as well as the unfertilised egg. Hence the monthly bleed.

Women often have to learn to live with painful periods or being run down for days at a time before one’s period and often during it. Pain, cramps, upsets, moods are common symptoms of menstruation. But then some women are unfortunate enough to experience extreme symptoms, being sick, feeling faint, looking very pale and being wiped out by it.  A little bit like: Oh no! Not another one. It is true that sometimes, one’s period can be almost an overwhelming physical and emotional experience, at least for a day or 2.

Natural Support for Menstruation

Finding out what is happening to your body means you can start to look at natural ways to improve any symptoms you may experience during these days as well as finding new ways to enhance this time of the month. Interestingly enough, traditional North American Indian women turned for natural support during these days. They knew where to look! Perhaps if they’d have had internet access, Mexican Wild Yam would have been known about long ago! As it happens it only really started to become known about since 1950 when US research discovered that it contained a precursor to the hormone progesterone. The active plant chemical in Mexican Wild Yam is called diosgenin. It is linked to helping women to better survive through the trials and traumas of their monthly hormone shake-up.  Natural alternatives have always been there, it’s nice to know you can still get them today.

Mexican Wild Yam: 

THE WHOLE ROOT, NOT AN EXTRACT. 

No fillers, no additives, 

100% pure vegetable root. A tonic for women’s health. 

Women's health

Women"s Health

             

           Women’s Health: Mexican Wild Yam

        

How come Mexican Wild Yam is linked to women’s health?  Is the potency in the leaves or root?

The many uses of Mexican Wild Yam go back through the ages and cultures: it is not a new plant when it comes to traditional natural health, even though it only came to notice in America and Europe in the 1940s. North American Indians have been using Mexican Wild Yam for centuries to assist with women’s problems from menstruation through to menopause and since the late 1950s it was used to manufacture the first synthetic female contraceptive pill. Yet it is a product of Mother Nature and contains precursors to female hormones! Wild yams in general are a staple part of the Asian, African and Oceanian diet, where they act like potatoes. They are used in casseroles, chips, snacks, sweets and soups as they are nutritious and grow in abundance.

The Whole Root and Nothing But the Root!

Out of the estimated 600 varieties of wild yam, Mexican Wild Yam is one of the most well-known. Bought to us directly from Mother Nature, this plant keeps its best secrets hidden, underground! The actual fleshy roots or so-called tubers of the Mexican Wild Yam grow underground. The underground stem of a mature plant may have many tubers. These are the part of the plant that have the highest concentration of the plant’s chemicals and it is these that are linked to having a positive impact on women’s health.

WE THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT IT IS THE WHOLE ROOT THAT IS THE IMPORTANT FACTOR!

Why Nature Power’s Wild Yam is Special?

Mexican Wild Yam from Nature Power uses the whole root and not an extract, which makes it unique and far more beneficial. Nature Power’s Mexican Wild Yam uses the root of the plant only and is sourced in Mexico. On arrival in Europe, it undergoes specialised treatment that carefully avoids over-heating to maintain the potency of the plant chemicals and to ensure they are not destroyed. Over-heating can destroy a plant’s natural chemicals. Our product is 750mg of pure Mexican Wild Yam root encased in a vegetable capsule, so it is suitable for vegetarians.

Click here for Nature Power’s Wild Yam:

http://www.naturepower.co.uk/shop/home/a-z-products/home/mexican-wild-yam/

Minerals and Bone Health

           

     Minerals and Bone Health

Macro, micro, trace & essential minerals…what are they?

Which minerals are found in bones?

 Which vitamin is made in the skin on direct contact with sunlight?

Macro, micro, trace and essential are terms we often hear when it comes to minerals. But what do they mean and which minerals are really important for bone health? 

Macro minerals are needed in relatively large amounts. Micro minerals are required in small amounts and are the same as trace minerals. Essential minerals are required to be eaten as part of the diet as they are not made in the body.

The minerals found in bones include: calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, silica, iron, zinc, selenium, boron, phosphorus, sulphur, chromium, and others.  Calcium and magnesium are 2 of the macro bone minerals. 

Calcium has many important functions in the body including:

·       Calcium contributes to normal muscle function.
·       Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones.
·       Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal teeth.
·       Calcium contributes to normal neurotransmission.
·       Calcium contributes to normal energy-yielding
        metabolism.
 
Foods rich in Calcium
 
Calcium intake is vital as we do not produce it naturally, so our sources of calcium are dietary. Food sources of calcium include: Cow’s milk, yoghurt, cheese, broccoli, spinach, kale, oranges, Tofu, peanuts, baked beans, salmon, sardines, sesame seeds, black strap molasses, and almonds.

According to NetDoctor.co.uk, the RDA for calcium for an adult is 800mg/day. In the case of pregnancy or breast-feeding the RDA may differ, so it is worth checking this with a health professional.

Nature Power’s calcium magnesium drinking powder provides a good source of calcium: click here to buy some today!

http://www.naturepower.co.uk/shop/home/a-z-products/home/calmag-drinking-powder/

MSM

What can MSM do for skin, hair and nails?

MSM may help to increase the skin’s elasticity and is often used successfully for the treatment of acne, burns, fungal diseases and age-related skin changes.  MSM may strengthen chipped, weak or broken nails.

Skin, hair, nails, muscles, aches, pains, parasites and more

MSM is very important in the synthesis of collagen, the main component of connective tissue.  Alongside elastin, collagen helps the skin to maintain its elasticity. Collagen is often referred to as the ‘beauty mineral’ as it is used in many skin, nail and hair products.

MSM is used to give cartilage structure and flexibility in conjunction with sulphur-containing glucosamine and chondroitin.  Cellular elasticity allows the easy passage of oxygen and nutrients into the cells and waste products to move easily out of cells.

Help with pain of Osteoarthritis

Natural springs are rich in sulphur, which is why they have been used for centuries to bring relief to arthritic pain and the discomforts of rheumatism.  It is estimated that as much as 70% of women, as well as a large number of men, suffer from age-related arthritis of the joints. This form of arthritis begins with the degradation and degeneration of cartilage, resulting in painful inflammation of the affected joints and sometimes even cyst formation. Conventional medicine uses analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs, which often have unpleasant side effects. A comparative study of patients showed that MSM and anti-inflammatory drugs are extremely beneficial.

Rheumatism

40% of all people over 65 suffer from some form of rheumatism. MSM may help to reverse the swelling and inflammation associated with rheumatism, thereby alleviating pain and prevent joint stiffness.

Muscle pain

MSM is often used for the alleviation of aching muscles, leg and back cramps, muscle tension and general wound healing. MSM is therefore often used by athletes and in sports medicine.  It helps in over-trained muscles and overexertion. The convalescence time could be shorter and injuries could possibly heal faster.

Parasites

MSM is also used to treat parasitic skin infections be used with great success. It is also used to help remove intestinal worms.

Scar tissue

MSM applied externally (as a cream or gel) can improve the sometimes unattractive scars following surgery, burns or injuries visually. MSM helps to soften tissue and helps to prevent cell degradation. Smaller scars often disappear completely. MSM must be applied as a cream several times a day. One should try to ensure the purity of the MSM in the cream, avoiding products which have added chemical substances.