Presignify

Do you ever want to send those close to you the same delightful cookies and brownies your grandmother baked for you when you were young? Cheryl & Co makes this happen. Regardless of where in the USA the receiver resides, they deliver a huge variety of bakery goods directly from the oven. Each and every one of their exceptional gift boxes, baskets, and brilliantly colored tins is attractively packaged and is taken directly to your loved one’s address. It is a comforting and affordable means to make the special individuals in your life smile.

The original bakehouse opened its doors in Ohio in nineteen eighty one. Just seven years later they had already dramatically enlarged their product range. They soon began selling via a mail-order catalogue and department stores and a corporate gift section to serve medium and large businesses. Their internet site proved a great success and now they have joined the 1800Flowers.com group, who provide a variety of floral arrangements and edible gift options globally. Conserving the top-notch quality of their old fashioned recipes is the cookie provider’s first priority. The bakery put a lot of effort into making sure their cookies are always sent at the peak of freshness perfect for eating right away.

All the bakery items are made only from natural ingredients. Varieties include best-selling goodies such as snickerdoodles and raisin, as well as some more extraordinary flavor combinations, such as cinnamon pumpkin. Just as wonderful as their delicious baked goods are the beautiful boxes they come in. When you are pressed for time, lots of carefully chosen gift baskets are featured on the internet. On the other hand, simply decide on an arrangement and then choose the recipient’s favorite treats. The brownies are available in buttercream iced, nut and sugar free varieties, and also include tiny sample sizes.

Choose a formally packaged cookie selection to thank a client or business associate. A playful or seasonal hamper is a wonderful gift to let friends know they are in your thoughts. As you would expect when it comes to holidays and special occasions, they offer beautifully made treats just for the occasion. When you consider the fabulous range of cookies and brownies on offer and the huge variety of ways to pack your choice of gourmet treats, you’re certain to find something brilliant for everybody!

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When the time comes to send a present to a friend, family member, business connection, or colleague, 1800Flowers has created a revolutionary new web store: 1800Baskets. Better yet — they’ll deliver internationally, meaning that no matter where the recipient is, you’ll be sure to get their gift to them without trouble.

Baskets designed by this Internet store include all sorts of lovely treasures for all occasions. Their cuisine is, in particular, a treat for gourmands everywhere. Meats, crackers, cheeses, and fruit are combined by skilled hands to produce tasty platters everyone can enjoy. Factor in the bottle of wine included in many baskets and you’ll soon understand where their outstanding reputation comes from. Should you have a sweeter tooth, they still have a number of baskets to peruse in addition. Sweets are sent on their own or mixed with a variety of treats so associates, colleagues, and loved ones can sample the wares. Treats including e.g. cakes are equally delicious and offer some variety with which to enrich the basket. Even those of us with a sweet tooth pay attention to health issues and so forth. As a result, they have made sure to introduce a number of hampers to provide a sweet taste without refined sugar. These include hampers of fruit varieties like pears, tropical boxes, and baskets of cheese & fruit, ensuring there’s something for everyone. And of course there are non-edible variations, like the spa set containing treats for your bath.

If you need in-depth information, you are advised to visit our #1 source for gourmet gift baskets advice!

Several of the gifts are tailored with the holiday season in mind. An assortment of cookies, trinkets, treats, mints, wine, and more unusual delectable goodies are put together in beautiful containers. The look can vary, from sedate baskets intended for workmates and work events to simulated Santa Clauses that your children will love. The thought focused on Christmas is also brought to every major holiday, and others beside — signing a contract, funerals, closing a business deal, weddings, even birthdays. Dispatching to anywhere, they guarantee with confidence to send out simply the very best. Without even having to leave your laptop you can choose an order, knowing it will arrive at the end of its journey still in superb condition and in absolute compliance with the most fickle conceivable demands on quality.

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The healthiest way to set about any weight loss program is to start with a cleansed body. Body cleansing is a powerful method you can employ to encourage your weight loss efforts. Whether you know it or not, our bodies accumulate toxic waste materials, which are stored in our blood, lymph fluid, organs and fat cells. The toxic waste we contain in our body is in fact one of the single greatest reasons for weight gain and also one of the biggest obstacles to reducing our weight and keeping it from coming back.

When we cleanse our body with a body cleansing program, we are acquiring an ideal environment in our body for effective weight reduction and management. A well-timed body cleanse, in which we cleanse our body of held toxins will furnish some degree of rapid weight loss. As we cleanse toxic waste from our cells, they reduce in size. Purifying our colon of built up waste material will likely reduce bloating, bringing down as much as a few inches from our waistline. Detoxing our lymphatic system of collected toxins will result in better supply of nutrients to our cells and organs, causing us to feel and look better. A healthy body will operate more efficiently, and our metabolic rate will increase, meaning that your body will burn more calories for the same amount of activity.

A vital first step in long-term weight loss is to detox your body. If possible, this should be approached with the oversight of a health practitioner, however, this isn’t needed if you do a bit of research and planning to insure that you detox safely. The safety of your detox program cannot be overemphasized. Many body detox regimens target only one area of the body. An appalling amount of cleansing programs can really do more harm than good. Long-term fasting with a lack of nutrition is problematic, and many herbal detox kits promise big results are made of extraordinary amounts of intense purgative herbs. Select your detox plan cautiously. This will effect your success and the level of detox side effects you will most likely experience.

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About UK Aqua:
UK Aqua installs, repairs maintains and rents plumbed in water coolers and dispensers across the UK
Click HERE: Water Chiller

UK Aqua Ltd was formerly part of the Office Champions group which was established by breakaway senior management from one of the UKs largest employers and facilities management businesses a recognised plc. By October 2006 UK Aqua Ltd reached a size where separation from the parent group was a logical step to allow management to focus on continued increasing growth rates.

Activated carbon is carbon that has been processed to make it extremely porous. One of the most obvious areas where we realize the importance of drinking water is in aiding digestion. Sadly progress has made well water unsafe to drink and so well owners have had to find new ways to purify and filter the contaminants from their well water to ensure well being.

Many tests have proved that showers will lead to a greater exposure to the toxic chemicals present in public water supplies than the drinking water. These minerals are essential for your body. Water coolers- both mains fed and bottled- dont just come in one shape and size- youre probably used to the classic bottled variety.

Water purifiers are not only the most affordable and convenient but also the best way to ensure purity in the water that you are drinking. Modern research shows us that it can now have harmful side effects and the amount should be lowered. The only way to get the water back in is to drink it.

Contact Us

Company Name UK Aqua Ltd
Registered Office,7 Park Road, Egham, Surrey,TW20 9BJ
Registered In England no 0596736

Website: ukaqua.com

Phone Number: 01784 300 134
Email: enquiries@ukaqua.com

V.A.T. Registration No.: 822 1697 34
Company Registration No.: 4746342

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Weight reduction is a challenge most folk contend with sooner or later. The quest for the top-quality diet or the most effective exercise regimen can continue for years. Absent examination, it seems as if the search is about looking physically fit for others.

You will go out of your way to make a good impression on “them,” right? To be successful, blissful, and attract your life-time spouse, its required that you look pleasing to them. Hmmmm.

In reality, this is somewhat true, even so, looking fit (worthy) is in truth just about getting in tune with your own self-respect, getting at a greater worth that is not derived from your appearance. “How to lose fat” must not be the singular question you ask. You should not let go of the quest to lose fat, but at minimum consider this question: “How do I go about feeling worthy and fit inside, disregarding my outward appearance?”

You probably are already asking such a question, unconsciously.

During your fat loss attempts, the above question usually lies beneath your on-going weight battle. Seeing as how it remains there anyway, why not make it top of mind. Make it your obsession (in a good way). Make self-pride exactly as worthy in importance to a fast weight loss diet. Then see what happens.

After making improved self-pride the target, along with a weight loss program, you are on the road towards feeling much better inside. You start to visualize that there are some other ways to resolve this task, beside just diets and exercises. Going for true self-worth drives you to stare the problem right in its eyes. You then start to unveil the core issues.

It is imperative that you get professional help if many wounds are being exposed. There are numerous great books and resources on weight loss, self-pride, body image, and true self-acceptance that will elevate you to new heights.

But the issue and its solution originate with you. What I am telling you is that the actual problem is not finding the best weight loss program, or what to eat, etc. the real problem is self-judgment. It is wise to start there.

You only feel bad in the eyes of others if you are looking at your self through judgmental eyes. When you free yourself from self-judgment, no matter how distressing it was, then you will have arrived at the source of the problem. You come out from that state by electing to do so. You stay away from self-judgment about your body image or anything for that matter, by noticing how unhelpful it is, and at the same time acquiring ways to feel more self-esteem.

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The real facts about benefits of Vitamin C may surprise you. First of all what is Vitamin C? Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin. Unlike the oil soluble vitamins such as A and E, Vitamin C cannot be stored by your body. Since Vitamin C is not stored by your body, we need to get it from our diet or from supplements.

But Can’t Our Bodies Just Make Vitamin C?

Great question! Most animals have the ability to make their own Vitamin C. And make it they do… lots of it. It is estimated that if we had the ability to make our own Vitamin C we would make between 3000 an 10,000 mg every day… and 3 to 4 times that amount if we were being stressed by infection.

Unfortunately, humans along with guinea pigs, fruit bats and gorillas are the only mammals that need to ingest our daily dose of Vitamin C. The only vitamin we humans have the ability to make is Vitamin D… and we need the sunshine to help us do that.

Some very exciting facts about Vitamin C have sprung up within the last few years. First off, Vitamin C along with Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), have been called the most essential of the “essential nutrients.” That is, without an adequate supply of these two, you die. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but certainly years sooner than the folks with optimal levels of both in their bodies.

Arrrrr!!! Shiver Me Timbers!

Remember the stories about the sailors of old and the disease they contracted during long voyages called scurvy? Scurvy was nothing more than not having enough Vitamin C in their bodies. Without an adequate supply of Vitamin C, the blood vessels did not have enough collagen to repair themselves. Some of these sailors literally bled to death through cracks in their blood vessel walls.

Fortunately, in 1747 a Scottish doctor got a clue about Vitamin c and linked citrus fruits with a decreased incidence of Scurvy. Towards the end of that century, the Brits began sending along lime juice with their sailors on long voyages. Now you know why British sailors are called “limeys.”

Facts About Vitamin C and its Antioxidant Properties

If you’ve read the section of my site on the facts about Vitamin E, you’ve no doubt read about what an antioxidant does. If not we can review quickly.

The cells of your body are under a lot of stress… oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when highly unstable molecules called free radicals roam freely throughout your body.

Free radicals are a by-product of not only the normal metabolic processes of your cells but also your environment… things such as air pollution, sun exposure, industrial chemical exposure, ozone, nitrous oxide (from auto exhaust), cigarette smoke, alcohol consumption and so on.

Free radicals damage cell membranes and DNA and can result in changes to your cells that cause life threatening chronic diseases down the road. When your cells are being damaged by these free radicals, we say your cells are experiencing oxidative stress… and one of the facts about Vitamin C is that it is an antioxidant and can significantly neutralize the free radicals and the damage to your cells that cause oxidative stress.

Facts about Vitamin C and Heart Disease

One of the facts about Vitamin C that we feel is most significant is the role Vitamin C plays in the production of collagen.

Collagen is a protein. It is the connective tissue that holds our bodies together and keeps us from falling apart. Collagen is found in your skin, bones, ligaments, tendons, liver, cartilage, bone marrow and blood vessels.

Collagen is essential for the repair of our bodies. Without collagen our bodies don’t heal. And without Vitamin C we don’t make collagen.

What Does Collagen Production Have to Do With Heart Disease?

Remember the facts about Vitamin C above and the sailors with scurvy? They weren’t getting any Vitamin C. So when their blood vessels cracked, no collagen was being produced to repair the cracks.

Why do your blood vessels crack in the first place? Well consider this. Your heart beats about 4000 times every hour. That’s 96,000 times a day and 35,040,000 times every year (yes that’s million)! The blood vessels of your heart are being squeezed and released that many times as well.

Imagine you were to run over a garden hose laying in your driveway that many times. Do you think it might soon develop some cracks?

Although your body has a difficult time repairing those cracks in the complete absence of Vitamin C (and hence scurvy), most folks in the developed world get just enough Vitamin C to keep scurvy at bay… but not much more.

Problem is, as this sub-optimal amount of Vitamin C in their body is repairing with collagen, it’s not quite enough. Your liver then determines that the repairs are not being made quick enough and sets about to produce a special form of LDL called lipoprotein-a.

Lipoprotein-a is very sticky and acts as a putty to fill in the cracks that the lack of collagen left behind. Great right? Leak stopped.

Well the leak is stopped yes, but being as sticky as it is, lipoprotein-a catches and glues down all the other LDL (bad cholesterol) that floats by. This action results in plaque build-up inside the vessel walls and can eventually close off these blood vessels… and we all know what that means!

Facts about Vitamin C and Cholesterol

Can Vitamin C lower cholesterol? A relationship has been shown experimentally between high levels of Vitamin C and low levels of cholesterol. An article appearing in the National Library of Medicine shows that Vitamin C provides the same mechanism for inhibiting the production of cholesterol as do cholesterol lowering statin drugs.

The American Heart Association also reported that Vitamin C lowered LDL cholesterol in children who were predisposed to high cholesterol.

The facts about Vitamin C also show that Vitamin C lowers cholesterol without the dangerous side effects of these statin drugs. Statin drugs have been shown to inhibit the production of another essential nutrient called Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Decreased levels of CoQ10 result in significant muscle myopathy (wasting away). And since the heart is a muscle, statin drugs have been linked to Congestive Heart Failure (CHF).

More Facts about Vitamin C

Vitamin C has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s when taken with Vitamin E and cut your chances of having a stroke.

Why is that? Remember the facts about Vitamin C above as an antioxidant? Well, most researchers agree that Vitamin C’s powerful antioxidant properties are responsible. By neutralizing the cell damaging effects of those free radicals running around in your body, Vitamin C works to keep your cells healthy and free of damage. And if your cells are healthy, you are healthy!

Vitamin C is also known to protect the immune system. Vitamin C aids in the manufacture of white blood cells. White blood cells destroy viruses and bacteria.

Also remember the facts about Vitamin C as aiding in the manufacture of collagen? Well collagen being the connective tissue that holds our skin together, our skin is what keeps pathogens out in the first place.

Yeah, But I Drink My Glass of Orange Juice Everyday… Well Almost

What are the facts about Vitamin C concerning the amount you should take? Well who do you want to believe? The official U.S. Government RDA for Vitamin C is 60 to 90 mg. Some would argue that this level does nothing more than ward off scurvy. They would also argue that these levels do nothing to prevent chronic, long term, debilitating diseases.

An article in the American Journal for Clinical Nutrition reports on a study done on antioxidant vitamins and coronary heart disease risk. The study looked at 9 other studies which included participation by Harvard School of Public Health and Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Conclusions: “The results suggest a reduced incidence of major CHD (coronary heart disease) events at high supplemental vitamin C intakes.”

How high was the daily Vitamin C intake of the 293,172 patients during this ten year study? Above 700 mg!

Ok, But Is Vitamin C Safe?

In an article titled “Vitamins E and C Are Safe Across a Broad Range of Intakes” published in THE AMERICAN JOURNAL of CLINICAL NUTRITION, a large study concluded that Vitamin C supplements of up to 2000 mg per day were safe for most adults. Exceeding that limit could result in gastrointestinal upset or mild diarrhea.

You can learn much more about the remarkable facts on Vitamin C at http://www.health-supplements-advisor.com/facts-on-vitamin-c.html

There is much more to learn about the benefits of Vitamin C at

www.health-supplements-advisor.com/facts-on-vitamin-c.html

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Martha Vinyard Detox Diet
When people hear the term body detox, they may not fully understand what this process consists of. As individuals take in various negative items on a daily basis, it is easy to see how one’s body can use a cleansing every once and awhile. It is important to detox your body on a regular basis in order to purify yourself, on the inside and out. Therefore, detoxification is the process of cleansing one’s self through various body detox means. There are a few different ways to engage in body detox and reasons to detox your body which will be described in the paragraphs which follow. Powerade Energade Lucozade etc, and diet with Master Cleanse. The reason juice fasting is great for our health is because with juicing we are able to get a lot of nutrients into our system without putting much stress on our digestive system. Master Cleanse program is highly popular with celebrities in Hollywood. The main idea of a detox diet is to eliminate nearly all foods and restrict the body to only water and veggetables for a few days usually around 5 or 6 days is adequate, which is the reason why you must be on the Master Cleanse

Why Use Master Cleanse Program
These systems usually work adequately, but the increasing toxicity of modern life necessitates artificial intervention. What is eliminated during detoxification is dead, dying or diseased cells, unwanted fatty tissue, hardened coating of mucous on intestinal wall, toxic waste in the lymphatic system and blood stream toxins in spleen, liver and kidney, mucous from lungs and sinuses, and excess cholesterol. See more on Master Cleanse at Master Cleanse Saunas are another effective method of getting rid of toxins in the body. A particular procedure known as the far infra red sauna (FIR) first invented by the Japanese has been shown to be a very effective method of detoxification.

Master Cleanse Benefits:
Master Cleanse is the world most popular diet program. Do I believe in detox? Well most of it is plain simple commonsense - proper diet judicious supplementation adequate rest exercise stress-relieving techniques. Every year, more than 24 billion pounds of toxic substances are released into the environment, only a fraction of which have been tested for safety or how they interact with each other. At the same time, chronic degenerative diseases are on the rise. The CDC estimates that 1 out of 2 men and 1 out of 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. 70 million American’s have been diagnosed with some form of cardiovascular disease and 16 million adults are suffering from asthma. So, do start your master cleanse diet today. This search has brought many medicines to our markets some of which are described here.

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Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid was first isolated from lemons in 1932. The
C in this very important vitamin is debatable and may stand for citrus,
cold, or collagen for the following reasons.

Fruits found with the highest concentration of Vitamin C are citrus fruits,
rose hips, cherries, papayas, cantaloupes, and strawberries. Common
vegetable sources are red and green peppers, broccoli, sprouts,
tomatoes, asparagus, parsley, dark leafy greens, and cabbage.

The most important function of Vitamin C is the formation and
maintenance of collagen, the basis of connective tissue, found in skin,
ligaments, cartilage, vertebral discs, joint linings, capillary walls, bones,
and teeth.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant vitamin. It blocks the oxidation of water-
soluble molecules, which lead to the creation of free radicals, the culprits
responsible for making our bodies prone to cellular injury and disease.

A most popular disease associated with Vitamin C deficiency is scurvy.
Lack of Vitamin C in the body impedes collagen formation, causing
reduced health of the tissues. Early symptoms are poor resistance to
infection and very slow wound healing. In addition, many medical
problems have been found to be associated with low blood levels of
Vitamin C. These are common infections, colds, depression, high blood
pressure, arthritis, vascular fragility, allergies, ulcers, and even
cholesterol gallstones.

The RDA for adults is 60 mg. Only 10 to 20-mg. of Vitamin C are
required to prevent scurvy, and there is more than that in one portion of
most fruits or vegetables. For most people the minimum dosage is
between 100-150 mg. daily.

Vitamin C is the most commonly consumed nutrient supplement and is
available as regular or chewable tablet or as time-release capsule, as
well as in powder, effervescent, and liquid forms.

Lorna Mclaren has an informational website http://www.123-nutrition.com where you can find out all about health food supplements and vitamins.

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Endurance Sports are like music concerts. They start at a low key, setting a steady rhythm and culminate into a crescendo that enthralls the spectator and the athlete. And not unlike an orchestra, endurance demands a flawless performance from every organ, testing the limits of their resilience. As each system, conducted by the human will, endures a pace bordering on fatigue, the athlete begins to hear music from the heart. What’s often neglected, and considered unnecessary, in endurance sports is a high-protein diet that can expand the aerobic capacity and power the performance.

To sustain effort and delay fatigue, the body needs an adequate supply of oxygen and fuel without accumulating waste products, acids or heat. Greater the intensity of the workout, greater is the efficiency required. The capacity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, the fuel stores in the muscle, the hepatic and renal support systems must all expand exponentially to perform in endurance sports. If any of these prerequisites are not met, the internal milieu becomes uncomfortable. Metabolism slows down, to allow excretion of wastes, acids and heat, as fatigue sets in. The aerobic stress of endurance sports provides the necessary stimulus for growth and development. The body is ready to build. All that is needed are the building blocks-the Proteins.

Given an adequate and appropriate supply of proteins, the body remains in a state of positive nitrogen balance. Sufficient protein consumption, along with a high-energy diet also influences the carbohydrate and fat metabolism. In the well-fed state, with sufficient physical activity, dietary proteins stimulate the simultaneous release of the growth hormone and insulin. The combined hormonal influence redirects dietary carbohydrate and fat to the aerobic muscle fibers where they are stored as fuels for exhausting workouts. The consequent increase in muscle stores of glycogen and lipid allows sustained activity for a longer time. With enough proteins, the lean body mass, stamina and performance increase throughout the training program.

Proteins and amino acids also directly supply between 1 to 6 % of the energy needs during a workout. The proportion of energy derived from proteins increases with the intensity of the exercise. Given their role in bodybuilding, proteins are too important to be used as fuel and attempts should be made to minimize this percentage. Studies by Bowtell and Tarnopolsky, report that a high-energy (carbohydrate) diet, when combined with an ample protein intake and hydration, has a protein sparing effect under aerobic conditions. However, when the protein intake is inadequate, the high-energy diet fails to protect proteins from being used up as fuel. Therefore, endurance athletes need to ensure high levels of protein intake not only to supply amino acids for growth, but also to make sure that the amino acids don’t get burnt up as fuel.

Endurance athletes need proteins but do they need protein supplements? The answer, till recently, was negative for recreational and modest athletes. Protein supplements were advised only for professional athletes and for sportspersons with a diet deficient in proteins. However, these recommendations, based on a parameter called ‘nitrogen balance’, have often been questioned. Young and Bier propose that there exists a subtle state of protein deficiency, called the ‘accommodative’ state, where an inadequate protein intake is masked by the breakdown of body proteins. Measurements based on nitrogen balance do not take the accommodative state into account and are therefore are not accurate enough to calculate protein requirements. Mark Tarnopolsky, in a recent review on Protein Requirements in Endurance Athletes, also raises similar questions.

Epidemiological studies, by McKenzie and others, also suggest that the dietary protein intake of up to 20% of athletes may be below levels recommended for sedentary individuals. Then there is always the ambiguous quality and absorbability of a dietary protein. Just eating proteins in diet does not ensure that they will provide all the essential amino acids in adequate quantities. Given the vital role that proteins play in the metabolic and physiological response to aerobic stresses of endurance sports, and the uncertainties regarding dietary protein intake, a protein supplement like Profect®, can go a long way in improving performance.

Adequate training and a Profect diet will take endurance to its limits, to levels where aerobic metabolism stimulates the release of enkephalins, the human equivalent of opium. These enkephalins produce the natural high that is often referred to as the ‘flow’. As long as metabolism remains aerobic, the mind is flooded with enkephalins and the systems function in harmony. In ‘flow’ capacity seems endless and fatigue non-existent. Profect, the perfect protein supplement can do that for you.

About Protica

Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm with offices in Lafayette Hill and Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Protica manufactures capsulized foods, including Profect, a compact, hypoallergenic, ready-to-drink protein beverage containing zero carbohydrates and zero fat. Information on Protica is available at www.protica.com. You can also learn about Profect at www.profect.com.

References

1. Tarnopolsky M.:Protein Requirements for Endurance Athletes
Nutrition 200420:662- 668.

2. McKenzie S, Phillips SM, Carter SL, Lowther S, Gibala MJ, Tarnopolsky MA:Endurance exercise training attenuates leucine oxidation and BCOAD activation during exercise in humans. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2000278:E580

3.Bowtell JL, Leese GP, Smith K, et al. Effect of oral glucose on leucine turnover in human subjects at rest and during exercise at two levels of dietary protein.J Physiol 2000525(pt 1):271

4. Young VR, Bier DM, Pellett PL. A theoretical basis for increasing current estimates of the amino acid requirements in adult man, with experimental support. Am J Clin Nutr 198950:80

Copyright 2004 - Protica Research - http://www.protica.com

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Folic Acid & Vitamin B12

B vitamins are essential to the body, being that it supports bodily functions such as aiding in the release of energy from carbohydrates, fat, and protein. B vitamins are all co-dependent on one another, and the deficiency of a single B vitamin can upset the balance and functioning of organ systems in the body.

Folic acid is part of the B complex vitamins and is found in green leafy vegetables, which the American diet typically lacks. Basically, folic acid is involved with protecting our cells and chromosomes, in addition to protecting our system against intestinal parasites and food poisoning. It also helps with cell growth, the utilization of sugar and amino acids, and according to the FDA, it can actually prevent Spina Bifida. Aside from this, folic acid also helps promote healthier skin, as well as aids in converting Vitamin B12 to its coenzyme form.

Folic Acid Deficiency

Folic acid deficiency is caused by taking certain medications such as aspirin, barbiturates, choline magnesium and salisylates, corticosteroids, NSAIDS, oral contraceptives, primidone, ranitidine (Tritec), etc.

Deficiency in folic acid can result in impaired cell division and protein synthesis, which can lead to anemia and a decreased function of the gastrointestinal tract. On top of this, deficiency in folic acid can also lead to cervical dysplasia, elevated homocysteine, headaches, fatigue, hair loss, anorexia, insomnia, diarrhea, nausea, increased infections, and birth defects, if one is pregnant.

Meanwhile, deficiency of Vitamin B12 will cause a difficulty in the regeneration of the myelin sheath that covers the nerve cells in the body.

Vitamin B12 & Folic Acid

Folic acid is useless without Vitamin B12. Folic acid should always be taken with Vitamin B12 for optimal function and absorption by the body, working together to execute metabolic functions such as amino acid conversion and the methylation of choline, methionine, serine, histidine, & nicotinamide.

Health Benefits

HEART HEALTH

Studies have shown that folic acid taken with Vitamin B12 can help with cardiovascular diseases. This is because folic acid and vitamin B12 can lower the damaging levels of homocysteine, which are linked to certain cardiovascular diseases in the body. People with high levels of homocysteine are more prone to stroke, heart attack, and other heart diseases.

According to Dr. Jeffrey A. Tice, UCSF assistant adjunct professor of medicine, “The evidence for the beneficial effects of vitamins B12 and folic acid is much stronger than for garlic, vitamin E, and other dietary supplements promoted for heart disease prevention.”

“For most people, especially those with heart disease, taking a folic acid and vitamin B12 supplement is projected not only to be safe and save lives, but also to save money because it prevents heart disease and the costs associated with expensive medical treatments and procedures.” This is according to Dr. Lee Goldman, professor and chair of the UCSF Department of Medicine. He also adds that an estimated 24 billion dollars in the U.S. could be saved between the years 2001-2011 by simply treating patients who have heart disease folic acid and vitamin B12.

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