Vitamin E - Tocotrienols and Tocopherols

Vitamin E is a collective term used for a group of chemically similar compounds. All forms of Vitamin E are related with each being fat soluble and possessing antioxidant capabilities. The Vitamin E family contains two subgroups, tocopherols and tocotrienols, each of which can be found in four separate molecular forms (alpha-, beta-, gama-, and delta-). This short article will explain the differences between the two subgroups of Vitamin E: tocopherols and tocotrienols.

Both tocopherol and tocotrienol molecules have a "head" section and a "tail" section. The composition of the head section determines whether vitamin E is in its alpha, beta, delta, or gamma form. The head section is also the location of the vitamin's antioxidant activity. All vitamin E molecules have the same type of head, meaning they are all antioxidants, but to varying effectiveness.

The tail section identifies the molecule as either tocopherol or tocotrienol. Tocopherols have longer tails without double bonds - meaning that their tails are more rigid. This leads to a very immobile molecule that is confined to a localized area of the cell membrane. The tocotrienols, on the other hand, have shorter tails comprised of three double bonds. This means that tocotrienols have much more flexible tails which ultimately creates a very mobile molecule capable of protecting a large surface area of the cell membrane.

Dr. Barrie Tan, the foremost expert on Vitamin E research, makes the analogy of tocopherols being like the local police. They have antioxidant activity which allows them to catch the "bad guys" (free radicals), but are limited in the distance they can travel along the cell membrane because of their rigid tails (much like how local police can only act in their jurisdiction). Tocotrienols, on the other hand, are able to catch free radicals in a much larger area because they are anchored down less than their tocopherol brothers. This makes them the "state troopers" of the Vitamin E family. It is this mobility that gives tocotrienols approximately 50x the antioxidant ability of tocopherols.

Up until recently, most of the studies done on Vitamin E were that of tocopherol, especially alpha-tocopherol. Even most of the vitamin E supplements in the market are made mainly of alpha-tocopherols. A fury of Vitamin E studies began in the 1980's when it was theorized that Vitamin E possesed cholesterol lowering abilities. Most of the studies were conducted on tocopherols, however, which actually was shown to increase one's cholesterol when given in high doses. These findings took Vitamin E out of the limelight for a while until recently when more attention was given to the other form of Vitamin E: tocotrienols.

Unlike tocopherols, tocotrienols have been shown to have cholesterol lowering abilities in addition to its antioxidant capabilities. In fact, the pressence of tocopherols somehow interferes with the function of tocotrienols. Up until recently, the main natural sources of Vitamin E were rice and palm oil. Since these sources contained a significant percentage of both forms of the vitamin, it was difficult for researchers to study the full effects of tocotrienol Vitamin E. This was until Dr. Barrie Tan discovered that the annatto plant contained 99% tocotrienol and only 0.1-0.2% of tocopherol making it the purest known source of tocotrienol on the planet.

Studies of tocotrienols are now being conducted in earnest. Much of the excitement that faded away from the disappointing results from tocopherol studies has returned due to the potential of tocotrienols. In addition to being an antioxidant, tocotrienols have been demonstrated to lower cholesterol, help manage diabetes, reduce the risk of certain cancers, and have certain brain benefits.

Cholesterol Medication - The Real Deal of Cholesterol Medication That You Must Know

There are times when exercise and diet aren't enough to keep the cholesterol levels down so the doctor prescribes cholesterol medication. For those who have pre-existing conditions with high cholesterol levels one cholesterol medication may not be enough and the doctor has to give more than one. The instructions in taking these medications should be strictly followed because they may have adverse bad effects. It is very important to know these side effects.

Generally, cholesterol medication such as those under the classification of statins will decrease low density lipoproteins (LDL) in the blood. But this kind of cholesterol medication has side effects that could affect the person taking it. It would be best to know these side effects because there might be a possibility that these effects are signs of a hidden or worse kind of danger.

The first top side effect of statins is muscular problems. Most people who take statins complain of suffering from bouts of numbness. Sometimes there is also a decreased sensitivity to pain or temperature. Second, people also experience dizziness and weakness. This is due to the effect of statins which lower the blood pressure dramatically. Although statins helps but this cholesterol medication really have side effect on you.

The third bad effect of statins is they cause heart abnormalities. It is known that statins cause muscular problems but many forget that the heart itself is a muscle. The drug decreases the stored Coenzyme Q10 in the heart which is very important to keep the heart working efficiently. The fourth common bad effect of statins is memory loss. People who take this may have bouts of being forgetful and sometimes even complete memory loss. This is the worst effect you can get from this cholesterol medication.

The fifth side effect (and perhaps one of the worst) is depression. The brain needs certain amounts of cholesterol and too much limitation of it to the brain could cause a person to have mood swings. This could very well create a lot of other problems in terms of relationships with other people if this goes on for a long time.

There are other bad effects that remain unlisted in this article. Cholesterol medication is just like other medications has side effects which people taking them should know. Knowing these side effects can help a person to know if his or her feelings are actually a different problem altogether. Sticking to the doctor's prescription of cholesterol medication coupled with a good exercise routine and a healthy diet can keep a person steer clear of cardiovascular problems.

Natural Colon Cleansing - Natural Way to Cleanse

Natural Colon Cleansing is completely safe.

I believe that colon cleansing is the start to your recovery. And in choosing your method, be sure to use the one that is NATURAL. This method is called NATURAL COLON CLEANSE.

When your colon is cleansed and have balance restoration good and bad bacteria, plus, If you have a healthy diet, surely you will notice some great changes in your health.

When your colon is cleansed, you will not just have healthy inside but on outside too. Yes, when you have a healthy colon, your appearance will improve. Your skin will look vibrant, your blemishes have disappeared and the white of the eyes regain youthful clearness.

Waste materials if not removed from our bodies will cause us to be prone to some serious ailments.

Irritation and inflammation of the colon are effects of this poisonous residue and it is easily observed to a greater number of people. People who suffer from diarrhea, constipation, headaches, dull eyes, fatigue, poor skin, spots, aching of muscles and joints and even DEPRESSION.

It is considered because it circulates in the blood through the lymphatic system to all parts of the body. Reasons why each and every one of us needs colon cleansing.

There are some methods that we can use to have our colon cleansed yet I considered any natural colon cleanse method to use because I believe that sticking to natural way is a wise decision since it is proven that using natural colon cleanse leaves no side effects to our body.

It is very good for our body's health to use and intake everything that is natural, the same with cleansing our colon. The way we should cleanse our colon are by the use of a natural method. In this case, WATER THERAPY is the safest among all other methods.

Bowel movements are the basis of your health. If you don't have at least 1 bowel movement per day, you are already walking your way toward disease. Man's body has not changed very much in the past several thousand years... however man's diet has certainly changed a lot. All the refined sugar, white flour, hormone/antibiotics-filled meats we constantly ingest constitute an assault on our bodies. We are continuously violating our bodies by eating unhealthy foods.

Having a unhealthy colon can lead to a colon cancer. A disease which is deadly. Avoid this situation by taking good care of your colon-CLEANSE IT!

Formula For Effective Fat Loss

A mix of nutrition and exercise promotes fat loss.

There is a relationship between the exercise intensity we do and the type of fuel our bodies then burn to supply the required energy to our body. The most efficient way our bodies have of supplying energy is by converting stored fat, as there's more energy per ounce of fat than per ounce of carbohydrate, the other principal energy source used by our muscles during exercise.

Let's say at this moment you're sitting at a desk reading this article, your energy needs are low. Reading is therefore a low intensity fat-burning activity.

Chocolate fix?

So you now decide to walk to your local store for your favourite bar of chocolate. Be aware that walking requires a faster rate of energy supply than sitting around reading and is one of the many fat-burning activities, slightly higher one than just sitting. When you are walking back you buy a bar of chocolate - eating and burning fat - suddenly you remember you have forgotten a business appointment - You could decide to jog home and therefore use some of your stored energy.

Then you break into a run. In doing so, your slow but efficient fat stores can't give up their energy quickly enough. As a result, your body provides further, more rapidly liberated energy from stored carbohydrates. But while fat is no longer the only energy source fuelling your exercise, that doesn't mean during higher paced exercise you burn no fat at all.

The body doesn't switch from getting 100 per cent of our energy from burning fat at one exercise intensity to getting 100 per cent from carbohydrates at another intensity. Our bodies know how to adjust the mix of fat, carbs and other fuel sources burnt by our muscles as the intensity changes and the fuel supply needs change too.

Running and Rushing

When you're running really fast, the rate of fat burning drops as the quicker delivery of carbohydrates take over. But only when you're running really fast. However, just by rushing around to get the housework done before your friends come around, you could be burning a mix of carbohydrates and fat.

In reality if you've got limited time - 20 to 40 minutes, say - to run, swim, dance or burn energy in any way you do as part of your exercise routine, you're probably better off going a little quicker, rather than easing off the pace in the belief that you'll burn more fat. Just maximise the amount of energy burnt and the fat will look after itself.

If you've got more time to exercise, go slower and do it for longer.

How to Increase Your Height?

If you are one of those who acquire a small stature then you are obviously unhappy with your height. It is not usually fair on the short people's life that people who are tall get better jobs or faster promotions or get noticed better than other shorter people in general, but it is accepted as a sad part of life. Many online advertisements advice you to take in pills or perform special exercise to become taller, but such types or ads have many cons. However, in reality, there are scientifically proven ways to increase height and that does not involve indulging in dangerous drugs, surgery or exercises.

Wear Flattering Shoes-It always amazes me when short people wear flat soled shoes. Many people always avoid wanting to be identified as a person who wears 'elevator shoes' instead one can choose and wear shoes or sandals with high heels. It will enhance your height and not make it obvious that your stature is short. Generally bulkier shoes or sandals give an illusion of being taller than you actually are.

Hairstyle- it is important to keep your hair off the neck and short as it makes your neck look longer. A more substantial look is given to your profile. Whereas many people wear long hair and unknowingly 'disappear' within their locks and make you look shorter.

One can't refuse what Mother Nature has given you or has not given you. I have many pet dogs but for the fact of the matte, the shortest one absolutely busts with confidence and patrols around the house as if he 'owns' the place!

Standing up straight is one of the basic and foremost rules that most people both tall and short, forget on a routinely basis. There is no chance that one can permanently increase height by sitting or walking with good posture; the only way that will make you look tall is by making a habit of positioning your body correctly.

Correct dressing sense, styling your hair short and off your neck, practicing and trying to maintain a good posture and keeping a right attitude will make you look taller in everyone's eyes and especially your own eyes.

Stopping Underarm Sweat Tips

Everyone knows that some people sweat a lot more than others and this can actually become a serious problem. If you suffer from excessive sweating then you are likely to encounter a great deal of social embarrassment as a result. Of course, there are things that you can do to combat this issue. Consider these simple remedies on stopping underarm sweat.

It may be a good option to shave your armpits and then take a shower. Make sure that the shower is warm and then splash cold water under your arms to close the pores. Dry your underarms off and then put some baking powder onto them. Do this properly and the baking powder should soak up some of the perspiration.

Your diet is fairly important. You should, therefore, spend a bit of time evaluating what you currently eat. If you are not getting enough fibre in your diet then you need to change it around. Green vegetables, wheat, grains, and other such foods are important and will help the prevention of perspiration.

It is also a good idea for you to remove all sorts of other types of food from your diet as well. If, for example, you eat lots of processed food and food that is high in sugar then these should be removed. Caffeine should only be taken on board in moderation as well.

Using a decent antiperspirant is certainly going to be a good option. If you drink is used to mask the smell of your sweat, while an antiperspirant is actually used to prevent you from perspiring too excessively. You may even be able to get a prescription antiperspirant from your Dr if the problem is deemed to be excessive.

It is certainly a good idea to get a proper diagnosis as well. Excessive sweating can be a medical problem and therefore your Dr should help you find the right remedy to get through this issue. I personally managed to get rid of all my sweat problems with a step by step sweat removal guide.

Do Vegetarians Have Smaller Brains Than Meat Eaters?

If we look around nature it sure looks like the carnivores have an intellectual advantage over herbivores. It makes sense though. After all, how smart do you have to be to eat grass? In one way, I think it may even turn out that the plants are perhaps a little smarter than the animals who eat them (More on that in a minute).

OK, we all know that you will probably never see a bomb sniffing cow at the airport. But, what does this have to do with people? More specifically, what does it have to do with the sizes of brains between meat eaters and vegetarians? Well, as it turns out, being a vegetarian may actually shrink your brain.

About 3 years ago some scientists at Oxford University published the results of a test they had conducted on vitamin B12 and brain size. They didn't set out to alarm vegetarians, it just sort of turned out that way.

They started out with a group of people ages 61 to 87. They gave them physicals, memory tests and brain scans. They also did blood tests to measure their vitamin B12 levels.

5 years later they performed the same tests on this group. The people with the lowest level of B12 had a 6 times more chance of brain shrinkage than those with higher B12 levels.

Since the best sources of B12 are from fish and meat, these scientists recommended including them in your diet as a preventative measure. Below is a link in case you are interested in reading this study for yourself.

http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2008/080909.html

While it's difficult to get much B12 in a vegetarian diet, it's not impossible. You can eat a lot of tofu. Tofu is made from fermented soy bean curd and contains quite a bit of B12. There is, however, a disadvantage. This is where I think the plant world really shines.

Plants don't particularly like to be eaten either. Since they can't run, hide or aggressively fight back, they have developed various other defense systems. Some have thorns, some taste bad, some are poisonous, and some (like the soy bean plant) have phytoestrogens.

Personally, I think this is the most interesting defense mechanism of all. Phytoestrogens are actually an herbivore birth control. It's the plants way of controlling the herbivore population. "Phyto" means plant and estrogens are a female animal hormone. What happens when a male herbivore ingests a lot of female hormones? It's not just his brain that shrinks. His libido is decreased and his sperm count goes down.

Now, I'm not saying that if you eat a lot of soy products your tallywhacker is going to shrink, your sperm count will drop or that you won't be interested in sex. I'm just saying that the soy bean plant has an interesting defense system and that meatalso contains a huge amount of B12 without the phytoestrogens.

I'm sure the vegetarians of the world might have something to say about this research. So please feel free to leave a comment.