Omega-3… Yep, you are herring me correctly (Fab Five Part 3)

Omega-3 is an Essential Fatty Acid and it’s essential because the body can’t make it, so it needs to be consumed in our diet.  Normally the drug industry and the supplement industry are like oil and water, but the research behind the benefits of Omega-3 is so overwhelming, they actually made an Omega-3 drug called Lovaza!  Sales from that drug are over a Billion dollars a year... yep, I said the “B” word.


This email will be a little different.  Since Omega-3 fats have so many benefits, I’ll touch on what they do, and then just give you a big list of benefits with a load of resources.


Omega-3 fats are found in the cell membranes (housing) of every cell in your body.  Deficiencies will result in the cells becoming less flexible (compromising cell functioning and overall health) and less permeable (impacting release of waste products).


 photo by jbangelo

Here are the big three... Ready?... INFLAMMATION, INFLAMMATION, INFLAMMATION... ok, I guess that’s just one.  Don’t get me...

Ibuprofen May be Providing Dangerous Pain Relief

Millions of people across the world rely on Ibuprofen and similar pain relieving medications everyday. These drugs are used to deal with a sore back, an aching knee, or even after a rough night on the town. Ibuprofen falls under the family of non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) that work by blocking the hormones known as prostaglandins. Blocking the prostaglandins makes the NSAID effective at treating inflammation but it also has the  potentially adverse effect of removing a protective barrier in the stomach lining. This lining requires the presence of prostaglandins to be effective and without it the person becomes susceptible to gastrointestinal problems, gastric bleeding, and ulcers. Recent news reports claim that these complications are responsible for the deaths of 2,500 people annually in the United Kingdom alone. Other complications from Ibuprofen use include increasing the stress to the kidneys and may causing fluid retention.  Fluid retention has negative consequences for people with high blood pressure and those at risk for cardiovascular incidents/stroke. Yet another source of complication can arise from the blocking of prostaglandins for females who are pregnant or are trying to become...

Inflammation’s Role In Developing Alzheimer’s Disease

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Turmeric Shows Promise in Treating Arthritis

Turmeric is an ancient spice that lends the yellow color and delicious flavor to curry. There are other uses for this spice including the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Turmeric has long been believed to have anti-inflammatory properties and now studies of the elements available in turmeric supplements support this belief. The active ingredient in turmeric is known as curcumin. This ingredient has both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Since curcumin has both of these properties it is being studied at a treatment for both arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It is thought that free radicals are responsible for a great deal of the inflammatory response in our bodies. A study was conducted using the rhizome, or root, of the plant that turmeric is derived from. The study was to evaluate how turmeric works in the body to stop arthritis. What was discovered was that it inhibits the NF-KB factor from being activated in the joints. If this factor is activated then it activates production of proteins that cause inflammation. The compounds in turmeric can stop this inflammation from ever happening. This is good news for people suffering from arthritis who...