Is there any evidence that arginine can prevent heart disease?

There is some evidence that daily intake of arginine may help prevent heart disease. However, these beneficial affects do not occur immediately and you must be on the supplement daily for many months and even years. It is believed that arginine prevents plaque formation and opens up blood vessels. If you have heart failure, then you are out of luck- Arginine has no benefit. Remember manufacturers advocate this supplement for many medical disorders but they only have one goal in mind- how to get you to spend money on their bogus supplements.

Which type of foods are rich in arginine?

Foods rich in arginine include brown rice, buckwheat, salmon, chicken, coconut, corn, dairy products, meats, oats, peanuts, raisins, sesame seeds, walnuts, and barley. There are also many arginine supplements. For people who eat healthy, there is ZERO need for arginine supplements

What is the exact role of arginine in the body?

Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid, meaning that the body also makes enough amounts so that even if you do not take any, you will be fine. Arginine has been in the news for the past decade because it is known to be a precursor of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator but has a very short half-life- a few microseconds. There is a lot of information indicating that NO may help prevent heart disease, atherosclerosis, reverse erectile failure and resolve headaches.

The manufacturers of arginine now claim that it can cure almost everything under the sun, including the messed up economy.

Are there any differences in the fish oil supplements? Part 2

While the products did meet the labeled amount of omega 3 fatty acids, some products did contain traces of contaminant, which did not exceed standard sets by the US pharmacopeia. In simple words, the supplements did meet all the applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

So far, the FDA has not undertaken any action against any manufacturer because the contaminants do not seem to be a health risk. The study was more intended to let consumers know what is in the products- which is a requirement in the state of California and has nothing to do with health risk.

The final word- consumers should be careful where they buy their health supplement pills. While online food stores may appear cheap, you never know what you are getting. To play it safe, always buy your prescriptions and health supplements from bona fide stores with a good reputation

Are there any differences in the fish oil supplements? Part 1

Millions of people consume mega doses of fish oil every day. There is a very strong belief among the public that this food supplement is the “Holy Grail.” The exact number of people who buy fish oil supplements is not known but it is a billion dollar industry. Fish oil supplements are available almost everywhere. While most supplements are available in health food stores, today one can buy these supplements from retail grocery stores, pharmacies, online and in almost any alternative healthcare store. There are even some doctors who market their own formulas of fish oil supplements.

Now there is Consumers Report, which claims that not all fish oil supplements are equal. Experts indicate that poor quality product is a major problem because much of the health food supplement industry remains unregulated.

I have uterine fibroids but do not want to undergo surgery. Are there any herbal formulas I can take to reduce them?

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths which are quite common. It is estimated that nearly 2-40% of women have fibroids but not all have symptoms. Fibroids may cause symptoms when they become large and are often associated with heavy menstrual periods, pain and pressure in the lower abdomen. The treatment of fibroids has always been surgery. In some cases, the blood vessel supplying the fibroid can be blocked using a radiological procedure and the fibroid will shrink with time. Some hormonal drugs have also been used to shrink fibroids but do not always work.

Two Chinese herbs- huoxue Sanjie and Nona Roguy have been evaluated. Compared to established therapy these herbs did work in some women but the shrinkage of fibroids was mild. The fortunate thing was that the herbs were safe. So far there is no evidence to support or refute the use of these herbs for fibroids, if you want to try them, then there is nothing wrong. You need to take them for at least 6 months and get follow up ultrasound to determine if the fibroids are shrinking.

All my friends claim that consuming CoQ10 can help control blood pressure. Is this true?

CoQ10 is one of the most widely sold health supplements on this planet. The people who make CoQ10 claim that this nutrient can cure every medical disorder under the sun and even improve the recession. As far as high blood pressure is concerned, the few studies that have been done reveal conflicting results. No double blind study has ever shown that CoQ10 can lower blood pressure. Some studies have been conducted for only 6- 8 weeks and involved 24-36 participants.

The current treatment of high blood pressure is a change in lifestyle and use of medications. If you want to live a long and healthy life, I suggest you dump this CoQ10 crap and take whatever medications your doctor ordered. High blood pressure is a silent disorder but it has real complications that are deadly.