Boron is a trace mineral often overlooked in discussions concerning nutrition, yet, it plays a vital role in maintaining overall health and well-being. While it may not be as well-known as some other essential nutrients, it has gained increasing attention in recent years for its potential benefits in supporting various bodily functions. From bone health to cognitive function, hormonal modulation and beyond, boron supplementation has emerged as an area of interest for those seeking to optimize their health. In this article we will delve into its potential health benefits, dietary and supplemental sources, recommended intake levels, and safety considerations.
If you are like me beets aren’t exactly your favorite vegetable to eat let alone drink. It’s not that it tastes bad I just don’t care for it. So, when I started hearing about all the supposed benefits I had to take a hard look at it. Fortunately I don’t actually have to eat beetroot or juice it to drink though those are certainly options for many. Thankfully beetroot powder is readily available.
Unless you have been living off the grid you have probably heard of a diabetes medication that appears to cause significant weight loss. Maybe you read that some of your favorite celebrities have been using these to get super thin. I know shocker right? Possibly you’ve seen the commercials for a blood sugar medicine for diabetics that also helps you lose weight. Then of course there are the news reports that said medications are in limited supply for those that actually need them because people are using them for off label weight loss.
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It is found in bone, skin, muscle, tendon, connective tissues even in the eyes. The fibrous nature of collagen gives structure to your skin and bone working like a type of scaffolding. It helps to make our skin and connective tissues better hydrated, stronger and more elastic. Unfortunately, as we age we begin to produce less and less collagen.
Losing weight can be a difficult endeavor, but nowhere near as difficult as keeping the weight off. Once we begin to eat what we consider to be a normal amount the weight just seems to go back on. If you have experienced this for yourself you would be correct and also not at fault. You see our bodies survival programing takes over and it takes diligent effort to overcome.
So, we all know that in order to lose some weight we need to make changes to our diet. That change usually means cutting something out like calories. If cutting calories is the goal how many should we cut? For instance should a 250 pound guy who wants to lose weight eat the same amount of calories as a 150 pound gal? How many calories are too much, how many is too low? Is there a minimum of calories I should eat? Is there a benefit to cutting out more or am I just spinning my wheels? All of these are good questions.
Dieting seems to be a rite of passage as we age, at some point we almost all seek a dieting plan out; some sooner than others. The weight loss industry has grown into a massive business as we seek a remedy to our expanding girth. Every year there seems to be a whole stack of new books claiming to be the answer you were looking for. We see pundits on TV complete with before and after photos telling you of their success, then there’s the pill pushers selling a product that not only helps you lose the weight you want, but you can do it all without exercise or changing your diet. Still others tell you it’s not your fault, apparently someone or something else made you eat that late night calorie fest.
Proteins on the other hand tend to be somewhat more satisfying. Proteins when broken down by the digestive system are reduced to amino acids before they can be utilized by the body. This process of mastication, digestion and utilization requires significant energy, about 30% of the proteins caloric value. This energy is released as heat called the thermic effect.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body with 99% being stored in our bones and teeth. We all know that calcium is important in children for proper bone and teeth formation and as we age for bone density. Did you know that calcium also has many other functions in the body? Calcium is important for muscle contraction, nerve signal messaging, and in blood vessels for circulation. Calcium also regulates heart rate, fluid balance within cells and the release of hormones and enzymes affecting many body functions. The body doesn’t produce calcium so demands must be met by diet and supplementation.
If you are an occasional dieter or a perennial dieter, whether you want to lose a few pounds or maybe a lot more than a few you have probably heard about low carb diets. You have also probably heard that very low carb diets are the fastest way to lose weight. While this is true - are they right for you and if so which one is best? You have many low carb diets to choose from such as the rock star Atkins, the Keto Diet, new kid on the block Paleo Diet, the South Beach Diet and the barely low carb Zone Diet.
For most people with a desire to lose weight or maintain weight loss metabolism seems in come into question. Most will say there metabolism is too slow. All of us will notice with age that we can’t eat the same way we did when we were younger and get away with it. For some reason now the calories leave their mark in added body fat when they wouldn’t have even just a few years ago. Many with a history of excess weight point to a lifetime of slow metabolism as the root cause. Can one truly have a slow metabolism?
Open a health or celebrity magazine or look online for healthy tips and you’ll be sure to find countless articles expounding about the benefits of drinking celery juice. Read enough of these claims and you’ll believe we found the Holy Grail. Touted benefits include: prevents cancer, lowers cholesterol, heals leaky gut, prevents kidney and gall stones, treats insomnia, aids weight loss and keeps skin and hair youthful. I skipped a few, but you get the idea.
A recent study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill led by Dr.Seth Crockett tracked over 2,000 people while assigning participants into 4 groups. One group was given calcium supplements, another Vitamin D, a third group took both and the last group took neither for 3-5 years. On follow-up 10 years after the start of the study those who took calcium alone or with Vitamin D were more likely to have developed polyps.
Who doesn’t enjoy a great glass of wine? It’s fun to share with a friend; it takes the edge off a long day and can be quite enjoyable. Just think of those deep notes of black cherry and plum, fruity yet not too big with hints of vanilla and oak...you get the picture. Well, as if we needed another reason to have a glass of wine, here’s one. A new study cited in the journal “Scientific Reports” shows that small amounts of alcohol can lower inflammation and aid the brain in clearing away toxic waste products including Beta-amyloid (a protein fragment associated to Alzheimer’s).
A team of researchers from the UK are recommending that labels on foods include the amount of exercise required to burn it off. The terminology used is, “activity-equivalent calorie labeling.” Shirley Cramer (chief executive for the Royal Society for Public Health in London) has recently commented on the subject in the British Medical Journal. Calling labels too confusing for most people, she recommends a graphic that would illustrate how much activity you would need to burn off the calories you would consume from the product. The obvious goal would be to encourage healthier choices as a way to combat obesity which continues to grow.
On October 26 the World Health Organization released a sweeping review listing processed meat as a group 1 carcinogen. For those keeping track that puts processed meats in the same category as cigarettes and x-rays. This category means sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity to humans. Red meat in general was listed as Group 2B meaning possibly carcinogenic. So, what does this mean for you? Is this the end of hot dogs at the ballpark? Is it time to become a vegetarian and if not what are really the risks?
