Just thought I’d quickly share a couple of bits of news and research with you!

Sugar can eat away your brainpower!
According to US scientists from UCLA (University of California Los Angeles), who recently published consuming too much sugar can eat away your brainpower!

The study which introduced high-fructose corn syrup (a common ingredient in processed foods) to the diet for six weeks, noted that there was a significant reduction in memory and brain function at the end of the period, compared with the control group.

“Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss” Gomez-Pinilla said.

The average American consumes more than 40 pounds (18 Kg) of high-fructose corn syrup per year, according to the US Department of Agriculture. “Our study shows that a high-fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body. This is something new!”, “Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think,” said Gomez-Pinilla.

I know this study won’t come as a big shock to most of you, but I do find it slightly worrying as more and more American processed food hits our shores!

This is why we have NO SUGAR in 99% of our products!

Multivitamin Supplements Boost Brain Function, say UK Researchers!
No, this doesn’t mean that you can have a high sugar diet and then just take a multivitamin! lol

In a series of studies published in the British Journal of Nutrition, Psychopharmacology, and Human Psychopharmacology, teams of British neuroscientists investigated the effect of multivitamin supplementation on mood and cognitive function.

The researchers monitored groups of healthy children, men and women who took commercially available vitamins and minerals supplements daily for 12 weeks, and tested their cognitive performance through tasks requiring attention, memory, accuracy and/or multitasking ability. The mood or stress levels of participants were also assessed.

Their findings indicated that taking a multivitamin supplement daily can improve cognitive performance in both children and adults, after only a few weeks of supplementation.

Men taking high dose B-Complex vitamins showed improved performance on cognitive tasks, were less mentally tired and showed improved vigor. Women taking multivitamins & mineral supplements were demonstrated to have increased accuracy and speed on multitasking. Children, aged 8-14, showed increased accuracy in attention-based tasks.

These findings add solid evidence indicating that good quality multivitamin supplements offer significant and varied benefits. According to the UK’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey, the general population in the UK has vitamin deficiencies or insufficiencies across most vitamin groups.

Multivitamins aren’t the only supplements that have an impact on brain activity. In a study the same group of scientists found that supplementing with 1-2 grams of fish oil containing DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) was associated with increased cerebral blood flow, and therefore an influence on brain function, especially as we age!

I hope these studies have got you thinking and maybe even considering a daily multivitamin!

Sources:
Yahoo! News UK: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/sugar-dumb-us-scientists-warn-18091874.html
Nutra Ingredients.com: http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/628612.html

Here’s a few interesting studies I’ve recently found and saved until we launched our new products. But today I’ll just focus on three of the ingredients.

The products that these studies will relate to are: Turmeric Plus, Vitamin D and Mega Multi Probiotic!

Curcumin may have a Parkinson’s promise!
Intake of the Turmeric spice curcumin could help to reduce clumping of proteins associated with the onset of Parkinson’s disease, according to new research.

The study – published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry – reports that the compound found in the spice Turmeric could one day be effective in preventing or reducing Parkinson’s by blocking the clumping (aggregation) action of proteins involved in the disease. The researchers from Michigan State University, found that the spice prevented aggregation of a protein known as alpha-synuclein by forcing it to scatter.

“Our research shows that curcumin can rescue proteins from aggregation, the first steps of many debilitating diseases,” said Professor Lisa Lapidus, who co-authored the paper.

Curcumin, the natural pigment that gives the spice Turmeric its yellow colour, has increasingly come under the scientific spotlight in recent years, with studies investigating its potential health benefits. As a result, curcumin has been linked to a range of health benefits, including potential protection against prostate cancer, Alzheimer’s heart failure, diabetes, arthritic and IBS.

Curcumin may slow tumour growth!
Intake of curcumin at ‘physiologically attainable’ doses could help slow the development of prostate cancers by jamming receptors linked to cancer tumour growth, say researchers.

The study – published in Cancer Research – reports that isoflavones found in Turmeric could help slow the growth of tumours in prostate cancers by blocking the receptors of certain molecular pathways that have been shown to play a role in the development of prostate cancers.

By blocking the receptors p300 and CPB (or CREB1-binding protein), the team found that the spice extract was “a potent inhibitor of both cell cycle and survival in prostate cancer cells.” Dr Karen Knudsen said the findings may also have implications beyond prostate cancer, “since p300 and CBP are important in other malignancies, like breast cancer.”

Vitamin D supplements may help you live longer!
Vitamin D supplements may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and boost survival for older people, suggests a new analysis.

The greatest benefits of the supplements were observed in people with vitamin D deficiency, researchers from the University of Kansas report in the American Journal of Cardiology. The findings could have implications for current guidelines, said the researchers, since supplements providing at least 400iu per day may be needed to avoid deficiency.

“Because vitamin D deficiency is widespread, strategies directed at population-based supplementation programmes could prove beneficial,” wrote the researchers.

Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors – D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol. Both D3 and D2 precursors are transformed in the liver and kidneys into 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the non-active ‘storage’ form, and 1.25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1.25(OH)2D), the biologically active form that is tightly controlled by the body.

While our bodies do manufacture vitamin D on exposure to sunshine, the levels in some northern countries are so weak during winter months that our body makes no vitamin D at all, meaning that dietary supplements and fortified foods are seen by many as the best way to boost intakes of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency in adults is reported to cause osteopenia, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, auto-immune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascuar diseases. There is now also more evidence that the vitamin may reduce the incidence of several types of cancer and type-1 and -2 diabetes.

Probiotic intake linked to fewer birth complications!
Regular consumption of probiotic formulations are associated with a 20% reduction in the risk of pre-eclampsia, suggests new data from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

The potential benefits were even more pronounced when researchers studied severe pre-eclampsia, with daily intakes associated with a 39% reduction, according to results published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

“This large observational study indicates an independent protective association between intake or probiotic products and pre-elampsia, especially when severe, suggesting that probiotics might specifically ‘target’ and modify the type of inflammation underlying severe pre-eclampsia,” wrote the authors, led by Dr Anne Lise Brantsaeter.

The Norwegian researchers analysed data from 33,399 women participating in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort study. Results showed that a daily intake of strong probiotics was associated with a 20% reduced risk of pre-eclampsia, with even more pronounced effects for severe pre-eclampsia, showing a 39% reduced risk!

So, that’s four great studies across three great products, I hope you found this interesting!

Sources:
Nutra Ingredients.com: http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/623140.html
Nutra Ingredients.com: http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/612115.html
Nutra Ingredients.com: http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/624036.html
Nutra Ingredients.com: http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Probiotic-intake-linked-to-fewer-birth-complications.html

If you haven’t visited www.healthplus.co.uk recently (but I’m sure you have), you might not have seen the great new products that we’ve launched in the last couple of weeks. Yes, even in the economic climate of 2012, we’re still working hard to bring you new and innovative products to help you make the most of your health and live life to the full.

Let’s take a quick look at what’s new:

Vitamin D3 400iu and Vitamin D2 800iu
the ‘sunshine’ vitamin, which has been in the news a lot lately because we’re not getting the sun exposure we need to manufacture what our bodies need. | More details: Vitamin D 400 : Vitamin D 800

Mega Multi Probiotic
takes the 5 billion bacteria of Multi Probiotic and super-sizes it: 20 billion bacteria per capsule. Five strains with 4 billion bacteria each. | More details: Mega Multi Probiotic

DiabetACE
a one-a-day formulation of nutrients, including Alpha Lipoic Acid, Co Enzyme Q10, Glutathione and more designed to be ideal for people living with diabetes. | More details: DiabetACE

Liver Kind
support the health of your liver with this formulation of key lipotropic nutrients that help detoxify the body. | More details: Liver Kind

High Potency Omega-3 EPA
a massive 330mg EPA and 220mg DHA fatty acids in a capsule no bigger than the normal Omega-3 EPA. | More details : High Potency Omega-3 EPA

Turmeric Plus
a combination of herbs and spices – including Turmeric, which provides Curcumin, Black Pepper and Ginger Root – to maintain joint and digestive health. | More details: Phospha-Max Granulised Lecithin

Phospha-Max Granulised Lecithin
takes Lecithin Granules to the next level, with its standardised content of Phosphatidyl Choline and Phosphatidyl Inositol for proper brain function, as well as liver health and fat metabolism. | More details : Turmeric Plus

Hyaluronic Acid 100mg
the latest addition to the joint health arsenal, Hyaluronic Acid is a major ingredient of synovial fluid – which helps keep joints mobile and supple. | More details : Hyaluronic Acid 100mg

Vitamin K2 100µg
a fat soluble vitamin that is important for calcium transportation – and thus bone health and blood clotting. | More details : Vitamin K2 100µg

Xtra-Slim
combines Green Tea, Guarana, Açaí and other nutrients into an advanced weight management capsule. | More details : Xtra-Slim

Tranquility Pack
a new Daily Pack to help you achieve a relaxed and healthy mood and emotional balance. A daily combination of 5-HTP Complex, High Potency Omega-3 EPA, Lecithin 550mg and Multi Vits ‘n’ Mins. | More details : Tranquility Pack

Diabesity Pack
another new Daily Pack, and a step up from DiabetACE for a comprehensive and high potency product that’s ideal for those wanting to balance blood sugar and glycemic load. A daily combination of Omega-3 EPA, DiabetACE, Cinnamon and Alpha Lipoic Acid. | More details : Diabesity Pack

And, if you order before the end of April and use code WEBNEW2012, you’ll save 10% off the price of these great new products.

So, which of these new ones is on your ‘must have’ list?

This week I’d like to do a couple of women based stories, all about good health!

Maternal Supplementation Could Aid Unborn Baby Growth!
A newly released study from the Prince Leopold Institute of Tropical Medicine has suggested that supplementation with multiple vitamins and mineral throughout pregnancy could help to boost the growth of unborn babies. The study followed the growth of 1500 babies.

Dr Dominique Roberfroid and his colleagues gave 1500 pregnant women either a daily supplement of 15 micro-nutrients, or the usual WHO (World Health Organisation) recommended Iron & Folic Acid only supplements. The tablets were designed to look identical to exclude possible placebo effects.

The team reported that the babies in the group with the multiple micro-nutrients on average were heavier, adding that the effect of the micro-nutrients seemed cumulative – with a linear dose response. i.e. The longer the multivitamin was taken the heavier and larger and healthier the baby, adding that with the multivitamin and mineral the odds for a small baby birth, reduced by 40% in mothers who had been taking the supplements longest. Leading to a suggestion that supplements pre conception could be of major benefit! Many women avoid vitamin A when pregnant, but at RDA levels retinol is perfectly safe, in fact not enough vitamin A is worse than too much vitamin A!

Dr Roberfroid said ‘whilst there was pretty good evidence that the multivitamins and minerals improve growth even more than iron and folic acid, there needs to be further research in the area…’ ‘we still don’t know the added value, stating that further research on the long term benefits as the child develops needs to be done!’

This study is great news for mothers or mothers to be that wish to take charge of their own and the the life with-ins development, and we would heartily recommend our Pregnancy Formula!


Pycnogenol May Ease Menopause Symptoms!
A daily supplement of Pycnogenol (French Maritime Park Extract) may ease the symptoms of the menopause and ease digestive problems, says a new Italian study.

A daily intake of Pycnogenol for eight weeks was associated with improvements in signs and symptoms associated with the menopause including hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, irregular periods, loss of libido and vaginal dryness, according to the findings of the Pescara University, published in the PubMed-listed journal Panminerva Medica.

‘Pycnogenol may arguably represent a very good basic, daily dietary supplement for menopausal women due to an extended range of health benefits,’ wrote researchers led by Dr Gianni Belcaro. ‘Menopausal women live at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease and the improved endothelial function related to Pycnogenol may prove helpful for women at this stage in life. Pycnogenol normalises elevated platelet activity and was shown in high risk individuals, male and female, to help prevent thrombosis.

Dr Belcaro and his co-workers recruited 70 peri-menopausal women aged 40-50 and randomly assigned them to either receive a placebo or the Pycnogenol for eight weeks.

Results indicated that those receiving the Pycnogenol had a significant reduction in menopausal symptoms, as well as showing a reduction of levels of oxidative stress.

OK, that’s it, short but sweet this time, I hope you found it interesting!

Sources:
Nutra Ingredients.com: http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/620408.html
Nutra Ingredients.com: http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/619004.html

Extracts from the New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel may benefit joint mobility and reduce pain more than fish oil supplements, report researchers from Poland.

According to findings published in Rheumatologia, the official journal of Rheumatology and the Polish Rheumatological Society, a daily dose of 1.2 grams of a green lipped mussel (Perna Canaliculus) produced ‘significantly less pain, greater joint mobility and no side effects’ in all the people taking the supplements for 12 weeks.

The New Zealand Green Lipped Mussel, ranked among the top ‘eco-friendly seafoods’ according to the US environmental agency Blue Oceans Institute’s list, is already used as a source of nutraceuticals.

The extract, a rich source of iron, betain, and glycoaminoglycans (including chondroitin sulphate) has gained a reputation amongst consumers as a natural product with anti-inflammatory properties – an effect that has been attributed to a body of science to its lipid factions.

Bio Nutrition has been touting the benefits of Green Shelled Mussel on joint health for many years now and it’s finally nice to see a bit of research that supports us!

Sources:
Nutra Ingredients.com: http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/575988.html

The sudden cold snap that has hit the UK seems to have taken many people by surprise, including us!

But to help try and keep you all in good health over the next coming weeks, I would recommend strengthening your immune system!

As always I would recommend a good basic vitamin & mineral nutritional foundation, heavy on the antioxidant to help stimulate the immune system. In the Health Plus range there are really two ways to go here, firstly Immuno Power for a one-a-day single tablet, or the more complex Immunade Pack, which contains the Immuno Power plus more antioxidant nutrients, to give the ultimate antioxidant vitamin & mineral programme.

Once you have this basic foundation there are many other supplements you can take on top of these to really boost your immune system and improve general health and fitness! These include Co Enzyme Q10, Echinacea, Mushroom Complex and many other products found in our Antioxidant website section. But, of course if you don’t want to take a multivit then we would always recommend Vit C and Zinc.

And in other news, not totally related!

Study Unlocks Pycnogenol®’s Skin Health Mechanism!
A daily supplement of an extract from the French Maritime Bark, called Pycnogenol®, may boost skin elasticity by 25% and skin hydration by 8%, according to a new study!
Twelve weeks of supplementation with Pycnogenol® was associated with increases in skin elasticity and hydration, and an increase in the production of hyaluronic acid in skin by 44%, according to findings published in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology. These increases have now been associated with a 3% reduction in skin wrinkles, said the researchers from Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF) in Dusseldorf, Germany.

This is not the first time that Pycnogenol® has been linked with skin health benefits, with the study being carried out on a group of healthy women aged between 55 and 68.

Sources:
Nutra Ingredients.com: http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/606714.html

If you’ve visited the main site at all in the last few days, you might have noticed the new sign:

That’s right. In response to requests from many of our customers we’ve added the option to use PayPal for every order that you place at www.healthplus.co.uk. Just select the ‘PayPal’ option when presented with the available payment methods.

When you’re taken out to the PayPal site, you’ll get the option to pay using your PayPal account, if you have one, or with your credit / debit card.

Let us know if you’ll be using PayPal, as we always welcome your feedback.

With obesity and diabetes being quite high on the health news agenda recently, I thought I’d let you know about a couple of studies that make very interesting reading!

Low Vitamin D Status May Be Associated With Diabetes Development!
A study of obese and non-obese children in the USA has found that low vitamin D levels were significantly more prevalent in obese children – and were associated with risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including insulin resistance.

The study team measured plasma vitamin D levels, blood sugar levels, serum insulin, BMI and blood pressure, and the participants were asked to provide dietary information – including daily intake of fizzy drinks, juice and milk, average fruit and veg intake, and whether or not they routinely skipped breakfast.

The team found that 92% of the obese subjects had a 25 (OH) D level below the ‘adequate’ levels of 75 nmol per litre, whilst 50% were classed as deficient – with levels below 50 nmol per litre.

“Our study found that obese children with lower vitamin D levels had higher degrees of insulin resistance,” said Dr Micah Olson of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center – the lead author of the study.

“Poor dietary habits such as skipping breakfast and increasing soda and juice were (also) associated with the lower vitamin D levels seen in obese children,” revealed Olson.

High rates of vitamin D deficiency have been found in obese populations and past studies have linked low vitamin D levels to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

However the authors noted that the mechanics by which obesity and its related illnesses are related to vitamin D deficiency are not fully understood and needed more research!

Living in a more northerly hemisphere as we do, with less sunshine in winter months and kids propensity to not play out as much, we feel that a vitamin D supplement is well worth the investment!


Grapefruit compound may boost diabetic kidney health!
Naringenin, responsible for the bitter taste in grapefruits, lemons and tomatoes, has already been reported to offer potential benefits for people with diabetes, arteriosclerosis and hyper-metabolism.

A new study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, adds to this body of science, and suggests that the compound may boost kidney health in people with diabetes, and it has been suggested that inflammation may contribute to its development.

It’s because of this effect on health and blood sugars that we have added Grapefruit powder to our Acai Berry Extract product to help people control blood sugar levels whilst helping them to lose weight effectively!

Sources:
Nutra Ingredients.com: http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/594785.html
Nutra Ingredients.com: http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/583599.html

Health Plus would like to wish customers and friends a Happy New Year and good health and prosperity for 2012!