What the Heck is the ALCAT Food Sensitivity Test and Why Should I Care?

VeggiesMasahiro Ihara
This is a universal issue that we all need to be aware of.  Sensitivities to foods and other substances cause a reaction by our immune system and over time, this can result in a host of problems.  

Even though we sell the Alcat test, please don’t dismiss this as a sales letter... you never have to take the test to benefit from this article!  Below, I will cover:

  1. What is a food sensitivity and how can it affect me?

  2. How does the Alcat test work?

  3. What can I do today, even if I don’t take the test?

 

What is a food sensitivity and how can it affect me?

If you learn just one thing from this article, then let it be this... you can be sensitive to anything you put in or on your body.  The results of that sensitivity can be subtle and delayed, making it very tricky to figure out.  However, just being aware to the fact that you could be sensitive...

2 Minute Look at the Mediterranean Diet – Can it Lower Cardiovascular Risk?

Mediterranean dietnitdoggx

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published the results of a clinical trial that asked the question; Does eating a Mediterranean diet reduce the likelihood of having a cardiovascular event in people with high risk factor?

 

The trial included 7447 people age 55 to 80 (57% women) and spanned 4.8 years. None of the participants had known heart problems before the trial began, but all of them were at risk. This meant that everyone in the study had either Type II Diabetes or at least 3 cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, high LDL, low HDL, overweight, family history, or smoking).

 

Everyone was split into one of three groups: a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with mixed nuts, or a control diet (just advised to reduce dietary fat).

 

When the dust settled and they excluded the ones that didn’t stick to the diet, they found that the folks eating a Mediterranean diet had a 29% lower risk...

CoQ10 – Ubiquitous Ubiquinol and Ubiquinone… say that 3 times fast!

Just one of the two amazing jobs this supplement does is enough to land it on the Fab Five list.
First, let’s talk about energy... on a cellular level. Your computer runs on electricity, your car runs on gas and your cells (therefore your body) run on ATP. Much like the other fuel sources, ATP needs to be processed and is consumed. But instead of one power plant producing enough electricity to power millions of computers, your body is equipped with a power plant in each cell to produce ATP. Yep, we have trillions of little power plants using the calories we eat to produce the ATP we need.

 photo by paraflyer
There are a number of processes the body uses to produce ATP, but the main one by far is called the Krebs Cycle and CoQ10 is required. The Krebs Cycle is an amazingly elegant and complex system that creates about 30 units of ATP from just 1 glucose molecule. If CoQ10 is not...

Powerful Pills Of Resveratrol

It has been stated that red wine contains resveratrol which may extend life span. This chemical is naturally produced in plants and serves to help a stressed plant combat pathogens and return it to a normal state by acting like an antibiotic. Many plants and plant parts contain it including roots, vines, and stocks, but it is predominant in the skin of grapes. Because grape skins spend longer amounts of time during the making of red wine, it is considered to have more beneficial effects than its white counterpart. Due to its effects on free radicals, fats, and lipoproteins, red wine components have been touted as superior anti-oxidants. As an extension of these anti-oxidant properties, wine components are being examined for their anti-cancer capabilities. The plant antibiotic may be prevent blood platelets from clumping which in turn could prevent the blood clots that can cause heart attacks. It has properties that prevent extended damage of heart tissue following catastrophic events such as heart attacks. A lot of buzz has been generated about the chemical's benefit and now scientist, doctors, and consumers are looking...

Why Is The Mediterranean Diet Considered The Key To Longevity?

Americans are always searching for the next nutrition secret and the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet have come under close scrutiny. Perhaps the intriguing moniker and thoughts of far away lands started the curiosity. Looking at many popular supplements and recent nutrition fads, anything that is from foreign gains popularity and reigns supreme for many months. News coverage, magazines, and books frequently tout the latest secret that will be revealed. Why do the French have less disease? What grows in the Amazon that we are missing? And of course, what are the specifics of the Mediterranean lifestyle that lead to their healthier life free from many of the diseases that plague us? This diet has been making headlines for a while and all reports point to the increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and healthy sources of fat. It is thought that increasing the amount of these kinds of foods benefits the body because they are very nutrient dense and have essential components for our body. Scientists have been searching for the reason that this diet seems to extend longevity and the quality of life during those extra years. Scientific...

Strontium Ranelic Acid – Strong Results For Strong Bones

Osteoporosis is one of the main diseases affecting people around the world. One in three women over the age of fifty will suffer fractures due to osteoporosis and for men the statistics are one in five. With such figures, the search for treatments and preventative measures are a must. At the recent International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) World Congress, highlights included research into the use of strontium ranelate (a compound formed from ranelic acid), bisphosphonates and hormone therapy in the treatment of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes bone mineral to dissolve away. As a result, bones lose their density and break easily. Treatments aim to increase a patient's bone mass and strength.

Research Teams Show Promising Results

The ranelic acid compound has been found to strengthen and protect bones, thereby preventing fractures. Georges Boivin and his team at INSERM, France, investigated this. They found that the compound does not affect existing bone, but its benefits are seen in any new bone that is formed. It does not alter the bone minerals, but it changes the bone structure which results in an increase of bone density. These findings were corroborated by a...

Vitamin D Tops for Reducing the Risk of Fractures in Older Adults

Recent studies have shown that older adults can reduce the risk of non-vertebral (non-spinal) bone fractures by as much as 20% and that of hip fractures by up to 18% by taking vitamin D supplements. Although there have been several clinical trials around this possibility in the past, it is only a recent meta-analysis that has provided conclusive evidence of the link. (A meta-analysis is where the results of several studies on a related topic are combined.) Up until now, a number of factors have hindered acceptable findings, namely: participants not following the required treatment program, the use of a different form of the vitamin (ergocalciferol, or vitamin D2) which is weaker, or the use of doses that are too low to be effective. The meta-analysis was based on previous studies which had looked at the benefits of oral supplements of the vitamin in adults upwards of 65 years old. There were 12 studies with a total of 42,279 subjects where the average age was 78 years. 40,886 of these were considered specifically for hip fractures. In each case neither the participants nor the researchers were aware...

Resveratrol May Be The Key Elixir For The Fountian of Youth

Scientist may be one step closer to discovering the fountain of youth, and the key may be resveratrol. In an interview 1 on March 23, 2009, Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks of the ability of a person to live a longer healthier life. The body's adaptive response to insufficient calories may be to extend the life of the individual in an effort to extend the survival of the species. A decrease in calories may mean an inability to reproduce and in response the body extends the longevity of the affected individual. Cutting back as little as 15% of the calories ingested (ie decreasing from 2000 calories to 1700) may be enough to trigger this response. The idea is to cut back on empty calories that provide little or no nutrients. Opting out of sodas, donuts, and sugary snacks can make this cut back a reality. In addition to the above, Dr. Oz brings to light the possibility of tissue regeneration, organ rebuilding, and new artery development. All of these medical advances will permit the healthy extension of one's life. 

The Hidden Jewel Derived From Plants

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