nutritional supplements

Agave vs. Maple Syrup – Which should I use?

Agave vs. Maple syrup

Agave vs. maple syrup: agave nectar and maple syrup, both have a thick fluid-like consistency that is sweet. However, they both are different in many ways. Almost all of us are aware of the harmful effects of sugar on our bodies. It is the reason behind many people choosing some other ways to satisfy their need for sugar. Two of those ways are agave nectar and maple syrup. But you’re probably wondering which of these two is better. Let’s find out.

Today, we will discover all the details about the two, and then we will conduct a detailed comparison between agave and maple syrup based on a variety of different factors.

For the ease of readers, this topic is divided into the following sections:
1. Agave nectar: Taste, production, and benefits
2. Maple syrup: Taste, types, production and benefits
3. Detailed comparison of Agave vs. Maple syrup

agave vs maple syrup

Agave nectar: Taste, production, benefits, and varieties

Agave is a plant with more than 100 species. It is a large plant with many spikes that resemble cactus but from the family of the aloe vera plant. The agave nectar that we are discussing today is produced from a species of Agave, known as Blue Agave. 

Agave plant
  • Taste of agave nectar

Agave nectar can be compared with the taste of honey and maple syrup. However, it is not identical to any of them. It has a unique sweet taste that doesn’t leave a bitter aftertaste. Generally, there are two colors associated with agave nectar. One is dark, and the other is light. The dark shade of agave nectar indicates strong nectar that is less filtered so that some of the solids remain in the nectar. On the other hand, the light shade represents a thorough filtration process of agave nectar. It includes long heating proves and has a neutral flavor, unlike the dark nectar. 

  • Production of agave nectar

Agave production is a very interesting phenomenon, and at the same time, it will disclose many things that a plant has to go through to give us such a pure and yummy sweet syrup. When an agave plant has grown to the age of 7 to 10 years, it’s the time to cut it leaves. Yes, the plant has to go through this step to give us the sweet nectar. However, after cutting the leaf, the core is visible that has fluid in it. The next step is to extract the fluid from the core, and heat it on the low flame until the carbohydrates break into sugars, and a sweet taste is achieved. 

  • Benefits of agave nectar

Many people use agave nectar for centuries, and there are multiple health benefits associated with it that no one can ignore. In addition to the health benefits, it has numerous other benefits too.

The following are the topmost benefits of using agave nectar:

· Agave nectar contains dietary fiber: Agave nectar is rich in dietary fiber, which is very healthy for our body. In addition to this, it has a positive impact on the digestive system, and it helps the body to easily absorb calcium and magnesium. Agave has a naturally sweet taste, which is very healthy compared to other forms of artificial sweetness.
 
· Easy on the wallet: Agave syrup is very economical, and at the same time, it can enhance the taste of many sweet dishes.
 
· Agave syrup is vegan: If you are a vegan or you know vegan people, then you must be surprised and happy to know that agave syrup is vegan. It is purely plant-based, and there are no additives and artificial flavors in it, so it is the best option for vegan people.
 
· Natural substitute for sugar: Sugar is not healthy for our body, but due to our taste and love for sweet items, we are unable to cut it off from our lives. What if there is a substitute for sugar that is tastier and healthier than sugar? If you are searching for any such product, then agave nectar will be your ultimate favorite.
 
· Heavenly taste: Other than its various health and economic benefits, agave nectar is very tasty, and it is almost twice sweeter than sugar, which means you need a little amount of agave nectar to substitute sugar.

Maple syrup: Taste, types, production and benefits


The maple tree is the origin of maple syrup, and one of the species that is responsible for the production of maple syrup is Acer saccharum. Maple syrup is very common in use by people around the globe due to its heavenly taste. 

Maple tree

Taste of maple syrup

Maple syrup has a sweet taste that has the capability to enhance the flavor of any dish. One can compare it with the taste of honey. However, it’s just has a honey-like consistency but has a unique flavor.

In other words, maple syrup has a complex and rich flavor with the hints of caramel and has the ability to enhance the flavor of pancakes, ice-creams, and other dished. However, it is better to only add it onto your dishes when you are ready to eat something heavy because maple syrup is heavy on the digestive system. 

Production

Maple syrup is usually harvested during March and April, depending on the area and season. When there’s a swing in the temperature, the roots of the maple tree draw water from the soil and store it into the tree’s trunk.

After this process, the harvesters bore a hole in the trunk, and collect the sap into a bucket. This sap from the maple tree is responsible for the production of maple syrup. Maple sap has a bit of sweet flavor mixed with a high concentration of water. However, for converting it into the maple syrup, it has to be cooked on a slow flame until thickened. 

Types of maple syrup

There are multiple types of maple syrup, depending on the color and flavor:

  • Golden color: golden-colored maple syrup is the lightest syrup with a delicate taste. It is the syrup that usually people use for drizzling over multiple sweet dishes like pancakes and waffles.
  • Amber color: the Amber color of maple syrup represents a rich flavor and works perfectly when you are using it for cooking or baking.
  • Dark Amber color: It is more intense and has a robust flavor, which is usually used in recipes that require heavy flavor of maple.
  • Very dark color: It is the darkest shade of maple syrup that has a strong flavor and is usually used for making maple candies. 

Health benefits

It has a high zinc quantity, which is very healthy, especially for men’s reproductive system.
· It acts as a natural energy booster due to the presence of manganese in it.
· Maple syrup is perfect for a healthy heart.
· It is good for people who have issues with blood sugar levels because it regulates the level of sugar in the blood.

Detailed comparison of Agave vs. Maple syrup

Maple syrup and agave nectar are very common and high popular sweeteners available in the market. When you look at them for the first time, you might think that they are the same. However, they are different in many ways. We are going to conduct a detailed comparison between the two in this section. 

We are comparing the agave nectar and maple syrup based on:

  • Flavor

Maple syrup has more like a caramelized flavor, which is very rich. It is very sweet and gives a sense of caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon when consumed directly on with other dishes like pancakes. On the other hand, agave nectar has a more organic and natural flavor that makes it very popular among people who want to add it as a sugar substitute in the dish without changing its flavor. 

  • Health benefit

While talking about health, both agave syrup and maple syrup are rich in nutrients. However, some aspects can’t be overlooked. One such health aspect is the percentage of fructose. Agave syrup has 90% fructose, which is not very healthy for the body. While maple syrup has only 35% of it. In addition to this, maple syrup is rich in antioxidants, while Agave has little to no antioxidants in it. 

  • Refinement

During the refinement process, both syrups are collected, boiled, and filtered to get a perfect consistency. However, agave syrup is filtered before boiling and after the boiling process and, hence, more refined. On the other hand, maple syrup is only filtered once, and that is after the boiling process.

  • Price

While talking about price, we can clearly say that agave syrup is much more economical than the maple syrup. Also, it takes more than 150 liters of raw sap to produce around 5 liters of maple syrup.

Final thoughts: Agave vs. maple syrup . which should I use?

The topic concludes, while focusing on different factors related to Agave vs. maple syrup, it can be clearly seen that both have some positive and negative aspects. However, most stevia on the market is processed. It contains only its active substances, along with a number of excipients and additives.
Like artificial sweeteners, stevia stimulates the body’s desire for additional food or. sugar (due to the sweet taste, the brain triggers insulin, which causes a drop in blood sugar and thus hunger). Its taste can also be bitter and burning, reminiscent of artificial sweeteners.

Class C maple syrup has the most intense taste and at the same time contains the most nutrients. Suitable for those who like its taste, if you are not enthusiastic about it, try class A, which is the mildest.

Honeydew Honey Health Benefits

What is honeydew honey?

Honeydew honey is a type of honey that is made when the bees bring home the nectar they gathered from their outings. This particular type of honey comes form the secretions of bugs, usually aphids that are found on leaves, branches, tree trunks, and underneath trees. It is formed from the sap of the tree or plant. In this article we’ll look at various honeydew honey health benefits.

Honeydew honey health benefits

While bees are out collecting nectar to take back to the hive they gather the honeydew as well, either intentionally or not, and make honey with it. This type of honey is not overly sweet and has no bitterness. It is used by the bees in the same way that nectar from flowers is used, and sold as honeydew honey or forest honey. It has a slightly different flavour then other types of honey, and will age well with less crystallization then some others. As more is learned about the properties of honeydew honey it’s uses are expanding into skin care and health food applications.

How is honeydew made?

Honeydew is created when small bugs, and even some small lizards in warm areas, drink the sap of the trees. Their bodies pull out all the nutrients that they require from the sap and then expel the rest. As the protein levels in the sap is very low they must drink a lot of the sap, and as they keep drinking it pushes the sap out the other end of the bug, leaving behind a trial of honeydew.

This sap will have all the nutrients except a few amino acids that have been consumed, and the sweetness and sugary content can attract bees and other small bugs and mosquitos. Bees, honey bees, wasps, mosquitos, and some of the small birds are all attracted to the honeydew and will find it to consume.

It can also drip off the leaves and trees onto vehicles and things like garden furniture, proving sticky and difficult to remove from a vehicle. Some flying insects will collect the honeydew and take it back to feed their own larvae. Sap itself can not be used to make the same honey, as the process removes some amino acids and changes the substance of the sap into the honeydew itself. This is then processed by the bees and turned into honey.

Bee collecting honeydew

As the honey is created from the sap of trees, it has many other names that differentiate it from other honey. It is also referred to as tree honey, forest honey, or even by the name of the tree that that it originated from such as fir, pine, or others such as date trees or eucalyptus, chestnut trees, willow, white poplar, and beech. Occasionally cotton plants and sunflowers will also produce a honeydew.

Sometime there is an overflow of sap that continues after the bug has moved on, and this is called the manna. It is a sugary layer that will coat an area of the tree or the leave, and attract not only flying insects and birds, but other small animals as well. The sweetness is very attractive to these animals and insects, and they may consume it, take it back to their nest, hive, or home, and may even feed it to their own larvae or babies to help them grow.

Some bees will search out the honeydew intentionally, while others will come across it while they are gathering nectar from other plants and flowers. They will consume it and mix it with their own secretions, then store it in their honey stomach to take back to the hive, just as they would nectar from any flower. There it is regurgitated into the hive and used for creating honey. The honey is then collected like any other honey, and will be treated just like any other honey, but labelled as honeydew honey.

Characteristics of honeydew honey

This specific honey will have its own colour and taste. It is shaded in a warm golden like most other honeys, with a medium level of sweetness, and will form crystals slower then other honeys because of the lower water content found.

Due to the origin of the honeydew, this particular honey has been described as a woodsy smell and taste, or as having earthy flavour. It will store well without crystalizing quickly, remain sweet, and has many uses.

Honeydew on the leaf

Honeydew honey health effects

The high antibacterial content, due to the content of the ingredients, makes it a wonderful addition to any diet and even on the skin. Honeydew honey health benefits, especially it’s antibacterial properties make it well suited to uses on skin irritations or even small burns or cuts.

In addition to antibacterial it also has a high antioxidant content. That makes it not only healthy to consume, but also for skin care and hair care. It will help to maintain a healthy glow to the skin while decreasing the likelihood of outbreaks caused by bacteria build up on the skin as well as helping the skin cells grow and repair themselves after any damage. This helps to keep skin looking younger and healthy no matter the age of the person using it.

As antibacterial foods are consumed they can help the body fight off minor illnesses and infections, and honey is often recommended for a cold or cough due to its ability to coat the throat. By coating the throat it reduces irritation and the increased antibacterial properties of honeydew honey make it especially well suited for this purpose. It can help to hinder the bacterial reproduction and growth.

Honey is a great option to replace sugar in many recipes due to its sugary base, but lack of additive and additional sugars. Combined with the honeydew honey health benefits it is a much better choice when substituting out a white sugar. These benefits may be found to help reduce pain levels, aid in weight loss as a substitute for other sugars, and also reduce the growth of unwelcome bacteria on and in the body.

Pancakes with honey as a sugar substitute

Where does honeydew honey come from originally?

Honeydew honey is often found in New Zealand and other similar climates. It is collected, processed, jarred, and shipped all over the world. It can be distinguished from other honeys both by where it is made and the name that it is sold under.

Fir honey, forest honey, chestnut, are all forms of honeydew honey that is being sold under the name of the trees it was made from. This is the fastest way to determine what type of honey you are purchasing, and there will be a place on the label for where it was made.

As this honey can have a negative affect on the bees over the winter, by not supplying their nutrient needs and can even make the bees ill. For this reason the hives and homes but all be cleaned out before winter, and the bees must be provided a supplement during the year. This can cause it to be a bit more expensive then some other honey products, but the benefits can outweigh that.

Summary: Honeydew honey health benefits

Honeydew honey is a specific type of honey that is made not from the nectar of flowers but form the honey dew found on trees, leaves, and sometimes sunflowers and other plants.

It is formed when the insects, bugs, or even some small scaled animals, consume the sap from the plant. This sap is processed through the body and all the necessary nutrients are removed it is pushed out by the consumption of more sap. As the sap passes through the insect it leaves a trail behind of sweet, shiny honeydew, and any that leaks out of the plant afterwards leaves a coating of manna on the leaves or branches, which will attract animals to it’s sugary treat.

When the honeydew drips onto a car or other surface it will be extremely sticky and can be very difficult to remove. Bees enjoy the sweetness of the honeydew and will consume it as they do nectar, storing it in the honey stomach until they get back to the hive. There they regurgitate it just as they would any other nectar and leave it for other bees to form it into honey. This causes it to be mildly sweet in flavour, and can have a wood type smell and taste that is very natural and enjoyed by many.

Due to its root ingredient it is also higher in antibacterial and antioxidants then other honeys and is growing in popularity in health foods and even some treatments. When shopping this honey can be picked out by its colour, warm amber, as well as the labelling of honeydew honey, forest honey, or it may be named after whatever other tree the honeydew came from.

Fish Collagen Benefits for your Health

Benefits of Fish Collagen


Collagen is a naturally occurring protein present in the body. This specific nutrient helps support bone density and strength, improve hair health and growth, and encourage skin to be healthy, stay hydrated, and hold its elasticity. For these reasons, it is becoming a more frequently used supplement, as well as being found in skin care products. There are a few sources of collagen, fish being the easiest and most effective at being absorbed and used by the human body, it is often preferred. In this article, Organicbodydetox.com looks at the fish collagen benefits associated with supplementation.

Fish collagen benefits and collagen supplements

There are many types of collagen and the body needs proper levels of all of them to maintain overall health, as it is the main component of the connective tissue on the body. As collagen has an active role in every part of the body, every function of the building blocks that form a body from muscles to bones and skin, it is becoming a popular supplement to maintain both physical health and to keep the appearance of health and youthfulness.

How to increase collagen levels

There are several ways to increase the collagen in the body from supplemental vitamins to drinks to injections, and several purposes from healthy skin and hair to medical procedures and increased healing speeds.

While collagen can be used from many animals, bovine and chicken being popular ones, they are harder for the human body to use and to absorb, while fish collagen may be harder to locate and harvest it easily crosses the boundary to arrive in the blood stream and begin affecting the body quickly. Results can be seen quickly but vary on the delivery method, injections bringing faster results than skin care products.

What parts of the body contain collagen?

Every part of the body has a portion of collagen in it, and that collagen adapts to serve it’s intended purpose from strong and rigid collagen building bones and tooth dentin, a composite of pliable to rigid for the body cartilage, and flexible for tendons, muscles, blood vessels, and others.

It’s necessary to maintain all of the functions of the body not only in people but in all animals. When the body is not producing enough many choose to supplement. When using a supplement it is only useful if the body is able to absorb it and use it in normal functions, and while there are many sources of collagen fish moves through the digestive system walls and into the bloodstream faster and easier then collagen from other sources.

The most efficient source currently is a supplement made of fish collagen, due to its compatibility and ease of use.

Connective tissue that contains collagen and elastin fibers

Collagen deficiency symptoms

As skin ages, it slows in production of collagen and this can lead to wrinkles, age spots, and a dryer skin than in younger people. To slow this process collagen can be supplement by consuming it in either fluid or pill form, or through application directly to the skin from skin care.

Many skin care products that contain collagen will use such that has been sourced from fish so it can easily be absorbed through the skin and into the body. Once assimilated the collagen will help t build up the levels in the skin as it passes, as well as other areas of the body. It will help to lessen wrinkles, to improve skin elasticity, and help maintain levels of hydration.

Fish collagen benefits and ways to take it

As fish collagen works easily with human DNA it is often the best choice for all purposes, but it is especially productive for use on skin and hair. Other sources of collagen may help more with bone growth and density, or muscle tissues. Using the correct form of collagen for each purpose assures the best results with the least reactions and effort.

Collagen allows skin to maintain its form, which not only reduces wrinkles but also helps to maintain the form and shape of the face. As we age gravity will pull the skin down, this process forms both the wrinkles in the skin but also loosens the skin on the chin and neck. Creating a dropping in the shape of the skin, decreasing the strength in the lines of the chin and jaw line, perhaps changing the shape of the entire face.

Collagen injections

An older appearance results from this process, and only by adding collagen back into the skin will the process be reversed. Plastic surgery focuses on this process even more by using needles to inject collagen or products that boost the production of collagen into and under the skin. Avoiding skin removal or a face lift can reduce scars and expense, while still reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Injections are a more advanced method that is employed but the results are quickly seen and the side affects and chance of reaction are small. It must be done by a cosmetic surgeon at a professional office, though cosmetic surgery home parties have occurred. No matter how the collagen gets into the body it still does the same things.

Skin will heal faster from not only wounds but from discoloration and other natural aging factors. While providing skin the needed nutrients to replace damaged skin cells, which can both replace elasticity lost and reduce wrinkles, as well as help with healing injuries. Including minor injuries and sunburns, this can also improve the appearance of scars from past injuries and reduce the likelihood of new scars forming.

Dietary collagen supplements

Since there are so many benefits to the skin for maintaining the proper balance in the skin it is worth the effort to maintain whether it be through injection, supplemental vitamin, or even with a drink. Creating a skin graft with increased collagen will speed the healing of many types of injuries and specifically burns of all types.

Rather than heal the surface layer of skin collagen will help to heal all the layers of the skin as well as underneath and do so while preventing scar tissue from developing.

Hydrolyzed collagen is collagen that is broken down or “cut” into smaller particles called peptides by a special method. These are composed of the same amino acids, so the cells of our body later “assemble” them back into collagen where they need them. To put it simply: the body will absorb many smaller particles much more easily than larger ones. Therefore, it advisable to take dietary supplements with hydrolyzed collagen.

Woman drinking collagen peptides

Bone grafting

Another use is in a bone graft. Often it is used to help in a bone graft as it will help to make the graft strong, resilient, and will not cause a reaction or rejection of the graft necessary. In the same way, collagen is necessary to help the tissues regenerate, whether it be from a burn or surgery site. This may even involve a sheet of collagen added under the skin before the area is closed to help the cells grow back damage-free and heal the wound without scarring.

By assisting new cells to grow and damaged cells to repair, it will speed the healing process while discouraging infection, and the faster a wound heals the less likely there is to be an infection of any type. These properties make it an obvious choice for surgeries that are reconstructive in nature and can even be used as a substitute for natural skin when it is formed into a substitute.

Encouraging healing, lessening scarring, and providing the body with the right tools for successfully repairing the site of the surgery. Fish collagen benefits and the medical benefits of using collagen are growing, and versatility makes it a valuable investment.

Final thoughts

Few nutrients, even proteins, affect so many factors in a body as much as collagen. It is vital for the operation of the organs, blood vessels, builds the skin and helps grow healthy cells in all areas. It not only has surgical and medical applications but can assist in maintaining skin and hair growth.

Reduction in wrinkles is the main use for collagen in all forms, including a supplemental vitamin, a drink, skin care products, or injection. The medical community uses collagen in products such as gel or synthetic skin to encourage healing and growth of new cells. It can reduce scars on operation sites, help maintain dental health through boosting the strength of dentin, reduce the appearance of scars already in place, and can aid in the correct healing of bones as well as tendons and skin.

Much of the connective tissue in the body is made of collagen, and the easiest form of that to cross into the human blood system is fish collagen. This is collagen that has been derived from removing collagen from fish and formulating it for humans. While the rarest source of collagen fish collagen is the best suited for cosmetic surgery and medical purposes due to it’s added benefits for skin and hair, tendons and bones, and it is the easiest assimilated by humans.

The benefits are many and side affects non existent, with only minimal chance of reaction during certain procedures such as injections. As a safe way to boost healing and the appearance of skin it is becoming more popular and the uses are increasing.

Best Protein Powder for Autoimmune Disease

Combating autoimmune diseases with supplementation

Autoimmune disease causes your body’s immune system to attack your organs rather than help defend them. Therefore, good nutritional supplements such as the best protein powder for autoimmune disease are sometimes needed to improve the condition.

The issue that occurs in autoimmune disease is that the immune system can’t differentiate between cells that need to be killed and cells that should remain. So, the autoimmune disease will attack the good cells as well as the bad cells in your body. This can affect many areas of your body, such as your organs or your skin.

There are different types of autoimmune diseases and some only target one specific organ. Some autoimmune diseases that you’ve likely heard of are lupus, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis or MS, inflammatory bowel disease, and more. Certain demographics are more prone to autoimmune diseases than others, and women as a whole are twice as likely to suffer from an autoimmune disease than men. Some are genetically linked as well.

Supplement pills for autoimmune disease in a pill organizer

How autoimmune disease symptoms can be mitigated

But it’s not all doom and gloom, there are ways to mitigate the effects of many autoimmune diseases due to modern research and one of the most notable ways to mitigate the symptoms is by being on the AIP or autoimmune protocol diet. The autoimmune protocol diet exists to help ease the inflammation caused by autoimmune diseases. This diet often draws comparisons to the paleo diet, which is a diet based on how our ancestors lived and ate thousands of years ago.

However, the autoimmune protocol can be even more prohibitive than the paleo diet. Some researchers have drawn the conclusion that autoimmune diseases may be caused by miniscule holes in your digestive system that allow food to escape into your body, thus being attacked by the immune system and possibly confusing it.

Gut health and immunity

The goal of the AIP is to heal the gut and reset your immune system. It does this by utilizing a diet full of vitamins and nutrients, including omega 3s. In terms of what the autoimmune protocol prohibits, those groups include bread, legumes, dairy, processed food, sugar, vegetable and canola oil, eggs, nuts and seeds, sugar substitutes, and even some vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers.

Autoimmune diseases are not curable, but taking steps to combat them, such as the autoimmune protocol, can cause the disease to go into remission and make symptoms unnoticeable. It doesn’t work for everyone, which is why those with autoimmune diseases should try plans such as the AIP and take a close look at how their body responds to it with medical professional guidance.

For those who are on the AIP or who are interested in trying the AIP, one supplement that is commonly used to help along the progress of the AIP is protein powders. But taking supplements on a highly restrictive diet can be tricky, since there are ingredients to avoid. For that reason, we’ll go over some of the most vital and recommended supplements that you can take while on the AIP or while battling autoimmune disease. You should always try to be getting your nutrients and protein from your diet, but that can be easier said than done, and many times supplementation is better than failing at a diet altogether.

Protein powders that help those with autoimmune disease

When considering a protein powder, you first should distinguish whether it is a gelatin or collagen peptide powder. These are both animal byproducts as opposed to other plant-based protein powders. Once you have identified which type of protein powder it is, you can then determine if it’s the right fit for you since both can be helpful, but to different autoimmune diseases.

Gelatin works well with improving your gut and lessening inflammation in your digestive system as well as sealing up those miniscule holes in your intestines that we mentioned earlier.

Collagen can also help in these areas but is even more helpful for joints, hair, and skin, three areas that are commonly attacked by numerous autoimmune diseases.

A drink made with best protein powder for autoimmune disease in a cup

Neither of these types of protein powder is necessarily better than the other, and in fact, they perform many of the same functions, but how they’re made can make a big difference on how much they help you. Just as processed lunch meat isn’t as good for you as grass-fed farm-raised meat, your protein powder can vary greatly in terms of its quality and manufacturing process.

You should be looking for the best protein powder for autoimmune disease that is made from grass-fed, pasture-raised cowhide. You don’t want your protein powder to be flavored since that can introduce extra chemicals and sugars that you don’t want to be ingesting while on the autoimmune protocol. You want your protein powder to be free of artificial flavors and sugar, in fact, your label should just have one ingredient.

And lastly, double-check that your protein powder is compliant with all of your AIP restrictions. It can’t hurt to double-check. Some protein powders that are recommended by asquirrelinthekitchen.com are Vital Proteins, Great Lakes, Primal Kitchen, Orgain, and Garden of Life. But, if you follow the guidelines laid out in this paragraph, you should be okay to go with any protein powder that checks all of those boxes.

Other supplements that can help those with autoimmune diseases

In addition to the best protein powder for autoimmune disease, there are other supplements that can help combat any autoimmune disease. While there are specific solutions for specific diseases, these supplements will help your overall immune system, meaning that these supplements will certainly help anyone who is struggling with any type of autoimmune disease.

The AIP is more of something to try and see if it works for you, and it has done wonders for many people, but all of these supplements should absolutely help. These recommendations were found on amymyersmd.com and are thus coming straight from a medical professional who has seen autoimmune conditions many times.

  • Her recommendations include glutathione, which can help to detox your body and rid it of toxins. If you don’t eat properly, if you’re overly stressed, or if you’re sick, your body will drastically decrease how much glutathione it produces. This cessation of glutathione production can lead to inflammation. Glutathione is a recommended supplement for a variety of conditions and even for those people who have no existing conditions. You can take glutathione through an IV, although it can be pricey, or you can take it orally. The recommended form of ingested glutathione supplements is acetylated, as many other forms will be broken down before they’re absorbed and thus, they essentially don’t help you much.

  • Another recommended supplement is curcumin, which helps prod your body towards healthily dealing with inflammation rather than attacking it in a damaging manner. You should take curcumin that is fat-soluble, such as a micelle option. Micelle envelopes the liposomal curcumin in fat helping it to be absorbed into your body better and boosting its benefits.

  • Another great supplement is resveratrol, which can track down free radicals and neutralize them, slowing the effects of autoimmune disease and even aging (just an added bonus). It’s also known to help your heart, which is a big plus since many who suffer from autoimmune disease are in turn more prone to heart disease. Resveratrol is found in red wine, but red wine isn’t AIP friendly since its sugar content is high, so play it safe and stick to a supplement.

  • Immune boosters are a supplement that you might guess are good for autoimmune disease just by their name. They’ll boost the antibodies in your system to help combat unhealthy bacteria and viruses. In addition to helping your body produce more antibodies, it also can promote a healthy response to inflammation, similar to many of the other listed supplements.

  • And the last supplement on Amy Myers’ list is L-Glutamine, an amino acid that helps to cover those areas that could be contributing to a leaky gut. You’ve seen inflammation and holes in the gut mentioned many times throughout this article, and that’s because a gut in disrepair is often the main antagonist to your immune system. So, if you’re interested in boosting your immune system or fighting autoimmune disease, first focus on improving the health of your gut.

Final thoughts: Best protein powder for autoimmune disease

Autoimmune diseases vary in severity and symptoms, but they can all be helped through supplementation and eating a diet such as the AIP. And for those of us who don’t have an autoimmune disease, many of these supplements are beneficial to us as well, since some autoimmune diseases come about as a result of mismanaging the health of your immune system and your gut, while others are genetic.

We can all take a lesson in better immune health from these tips. Autoimmune diseases probably affect a greater portion of the population than you’d guess, the numbers aren’t small. So, tips like these can go a long way to helping a lot of people, and that is the goal. Do your research and stay diligent in supporting your immune health.

Electrolyte Drinks for Elderly

Dehydration in seniors: Why the elderly are prone to dehydration, why they’re at risk and how to prevent it

Elderly people are more prone to dehydration for a multitude of reasons. With this in mind, it’s important if you’re a senior or caring for a senior, that you ensure to pay close attention to fluid intake and any symptoms of dehydration. In this article, we gathered information to help seniors avoid dehydration with electrolyte drinks for elderly.

An old woman is drinking electrolyte drinks for elderly to prevent dehydration

The elderly are more prone to dehydration than anyone else because, for starters, they carry less water in their body naturally. As you age, the percentage of body mass by water decreases. This can make adapting to changes in temperature more difficult. Furthermore, your sense of thirst becomes less responsive as you age, meaning that by the time a senior is thirsty, it’s possible that they’ve already reached a point of dehydration.

Certain medical conditions can also become factors in dehydration in seniors. Dementia can lead a person to forget to consume enough fluids to battle dehydration, and dementia can even affect someone’s ability to swallow in extreme cases.

Drugs such as diuretics, laxatives, antipsychotics, and corticosteroids can increase the frequency of urination, leading to depletion of water and essential electrolytes. Many seniors who are prone to incontinence experience overcompensation to the amount of fluids they intake for fear of that leading to accidents. Thus, it’s important to remember that denying water or food under any instance when you need them can be critically dangerous and can lead to worse health effects than incontinence.

Symptoms and effects of dehydration

Being able to detect signs of dehydration early can be extremely helpful in preventing any serious medical emergencies. If you do notice any symptoms of dehydration appearing, consult a doctor.

Some signs of early indication of dehydration can be key to avoiding larger-scale issues. It’s important not to rely on sense of thirst to determine when you’re consuming fluids, especially at an older age. Signs that dehydration might be present include headaches, constipation, muscle cramping, dry mouth, and sleepiness. Urine color can be a useful gauge for hydration. The urine of a healthily hydrated person should be clear to light yellow, darker tints of yellow to amber could indicate dehydration.

If dehydration is ignored it could lead to seizures, low blood volume in the body, kidney failure, heatstroke, and coma or death in extreme cases.

Beyond early indications of dehydration, signs of severe dehydration might be more noticeable. These signs include infrequent urination that is dark or amber-colored, dry skin that doesn’t return to its shape when pinched, dizziness or disorientation, low blood pressure, fast breathing and heartbeat, weak pulse, and cold hands and feet.

For diagnosis of dehydration in seniors, generally the most accurate way of diagnosing is through blood tests. Tests, like administering fluids to a senior and seeing if their symptoms and mood improve within 10 minutes, might indicate an issue, but it’s not enough for a diagnosis. Also, be aware that urine testing has been found to be too inaccurate to be a qualified form of diagnosis of dehydration, although the color is still something to pay attention to.

==> BEST RATED ELECTROLYTE POWDER

Tips to increase fluid intake

There are multiple methods for increasing fluid and electrolyte drinks for elderly intake, it isn’t as simple as drinking massive amounts of water, although drinking water might be the most effective way to do so. It’s recommended that seniors take in 64 fluid ounces per day, and this mark can be reached through various ways.

Watermelon as a great source of water
  • If a senior isn’t keen on drinking large amounts of plain water, you can try clinically formulated electrolyte drinks for elderly or infusing water enhancers, trying flavored water, mixing juice with water, or squeezing fruit or adding fruit slices, such as lemons, into the water. To combat electrolyte deficiency, sources such as Pedialyte, milk, and orange juice can boost your intake of electrolytes and potassium, which are key helpers for boosting nutrient replenishment.

  • To vary taste profiles, you can try consuming fluids through sweet or savory sources as well. On the savory spectrum, chicken, beef, or vegetable broth can not only help hydrate but can provide essential electrolytes. If a senior has a sweet tooth, milkshakes and smoothies might be a viable source of fluid intake.

  • Just because one source of fluids isn’t preferable doesn’t mean that any source of fluids will be denied. In fact, chances are there’s an optimum source of fluid out there for any senior who’s struggling with fluid intake. You can modify the temperature the fluids are served at, and this might also help make the fluids easier to consume.

  • Even things as small as presentation of the drink can make them more desirable, such as a drink in a fancier glass or prepared with a slice of fruit on the rim. If spills might be an issue, there are cups available with handles and spill-proof lids.

  • Alternative to fluids, food can also help to hydrate. Fruits and vegetables can be a great source of fluids as many of these are made up almost entirely of water. Vegetable slices such as cucumber, celery, tomato, bell peppers or fruits such as watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, oranges, and apples can all be great sources of water.

  • If raw fruits and vegetables don’t work either, adding these items into other foods can help make them easier to take in. Adding fruit to yogurt or cereal, adding lettuce and tomato to a sandwich or burger, methods like this can help someone to receive fluids even in their meals. Thus, a senior can combat dehydration without increasing the amount of liquid that they drink on a daily basis.

  • There are certain sources of food and drink that hinder hydration as well. Although these don’t need to be avoided entirely unless in a dire battle with dehydration, they should be monitored and compensated for. These include high protein drinks, coffee, and alcohol, as they have a diuretic effect and can lead to more fluid loss than gained. If you intake these, just be sure to replenish your fluids and drink these in moderation.

  • Seniors should be careful not to spend time in the heat of the day, especially in the summer. Excess sweating can lead to quick dehydration. Staying in the shade often isn’t enough to keep you from sweating excessively on a very hot day. The safest times to be outdoors during the hot summer months are before 10 am and after 4 pm.

  • Using a moisturizer on your skin can help you stay hydrated as well, believe it or not. After all, your skin is where water is given off throughout the day. Use a water-based moisturizer on your skin to combat dry skin.

Final thoughts: Electrolyte drinks for elderly

In summary, if you pay close attention to yourself or seniors around you, it can help massively in avoiding dehydration. Pay close attention to the signs of dehydration and ensure you’re taking in enough fluids through the methods stated above.

If you might need an increased amount of fluids due to an unusual amount of exercise or exposure to hotter temperatures for a long time, make sure to up the amount of fluids you intake even more, as these moments are when you’re most prone to encounter dehydration.

If you’re caring for a senior, offer them electrolyte drinks for elderly often and make sure that they’re drinks that they tend to enjoy. Don’t expect them to drink a large amount of liquid in one sitting, it’s much easier to intake your daily amount of water throughout the day in small amounts, around 8 ounces at a time. If the senior has trouble accessing fluids on their own, such as in a nursing home where fluid might have to be brought to them, try to find ways to make the staff more attentive to this or find ways to provide the senior with their own way to receive water, by stocking them with filled spill-proof cups or something similar.

Be aware of any medication that might be exacerbating dehydration. Awareness is key to prevention. And as always, if you’re experiencing any medical complication due to dehydration, please consult a medical professional, as their advice could be the difference between a disaster and perfect health.

Best Quality Bee Pollen for Immunity

Bee pollen: the superfood of tomorrow

When you think of healthy “food,” you might not immediately think of anything that comes from bees, except for perhaps honey. However, honey isn’t the only useful food product that bees produce. In fact, bee pollen is considered one of the best modern-day superfoods available, with some experts going as far as to consider it a medicine. So, what does the best quality bee pollen have to offer us? How is it produced? And with the dire straits that the bee population is facing, how does that affect the outlook for bee products and can we reverse that trend? All these items and more will be discussed in the following paragraphs.

Bee collecting flower pollen

What is bee pollen?

You’re probably aware that bees are one of the biggest pollinating species in the world and many plant species, such as cherries, are heavily dependent on bees to pollinate their flowers. But what exactly is bee pollen, and why should we be consuming it?

Bee pollen if created by adolescent bees that interact with flowers. Bee pollen is a combination of pollen, honey, and their saliva. The pollen is transported back to their hive and that the pollen, after fermentation, is what feeds their hive. Beekeepers are capable of harvesting this pollen from their bees by installing combs at the entrances of the hives that can whisk the pollen off of the bees’ legs.

The bees play a vital role in the fertilization process of the plants since this pollination process is what carries pollen from the male part of the plant to the female part, which allows fertilization to occur and for the plant to bear seeds. Without the bees and their tireless work, many plant species don’t survive and certainly don’t repopulate as quickly.

When you purchase bee pollen, it comes in the form of crunchy little pieces. Its nutritional value is extremely high, even for just a tablespoon or two. Bee pollen contains a lot of protein, carbs, and hundreds of vitamins, nutrients, and more. The recommended consumption for adults is 3-5 tablespoons each day, and for children just 1 to 2 tablespoons daily.

Benefits of bee pollen

The benefits are wide-ranging and numerous. Here are a few.

Best quality bee pollen in the jar
  • First, bee pollen helps to reduce inflammation, and even offers similar results to many anti-inflammation pharmaceuticals, making it a great natural remedy if you’re dealing with inflammation in areas such as your liver.

  • It also acts as an antioxidant, along the same lines as fermented items, and it contains vitamins A, C, and E along with compounds found in wine, tomatoes, and more. If you’re unfamiliar with the benefits of antioxidants, they help you to maintain your health by fighting pollutants that you inhale, such as smoke, chemicals, and pollution.

  • Going along with the theme of filtering out pollutants, bee pollen also helps to keep your liver functioning at top efficiency and can even reverse liver damage to a certain extent.

  • It can help to boost your immune system, which you might’ve guessed when you read that it contained a good amount of vitamin C. Bee pollen can help supplement your immune system to be able to fight viruses and illnesses as well as bacterial infections.

  • There have even been links to bee pollen and the health of babies conceived by those who regularly consumed bee pollen, and even lifespan increases.

  • It can also help to increase circulation of blood throughout your nervous system, which helps to lower your stress levels and increases your energy. And this increase in circulation also helps in many other areas, such as your skin’s ability to heal and even the moisture and hydration of your skin.

  • It’s also shown to decrease your bad cholesterol levels and increase your heart health.

  • For those who deal with menopause and the effects of that, such as hot flashes, bee pollen has been shown to ease many of these symptoms, which 71% of women included in a study reporting that bee pollen helped ease their menopausal symptoms.

  • And lastly, pollen can help boost your metabolism and help your body to distribute vital nutrients better, meaning that the nutrients that you consume aren’t going to waste when combined with bee pollen.

Please note that almost all of these benefits have only been confirmed in animal studies, and very few human tests have been completed, since this product is a relatively new trend.

Possible side effects

As with all good things, it doesn’t always work for everyone, and there are possible side effects associated with bee pollen consumption. You should also ensure that your bee pollen is coming from a company that has a strict quality assurance program since there are companies that have been found to be filling their bee pollen with dangerous fillers that offer worse side effects than normal.

Even for quality bee pollen, the risk of side effects exists, and they include itching, lightheadedness, breathing complications, and swelling. For this reason, you should speak with your physician before taking bee pollen, and you should immediately stop taking it and speak with them again if you notice any of these side effects. Very few people report these effects, and most people take it without noticing anything but positives, but you should always be aware of negative side effects to look out for.

Bee pollen shouldn’t be mixed up with other bee products, such as honey. It’s possible that your honey contains bee pollen, but it’s also possible that it doesn’t and it might also include other ingredients that don’t benefit you and might actually outweigh the positives of any bee pollen that might be contained in it.

So, now that you know the wonders that bee pollen can work, you probably want to purchase some, but as we warned previously, you don’t want to just buy from any random source, since it could contain dangerous filler ingredients.

We’ll recommend a few companies that make their pollen without any additives or processing, so that you know that you’re getting only the best quality bee pollen without any dangerous fillers. When it comes to bee pollen, and most food items, less processing and less ingredients are better.

Trusted bee pollen brands

Stakich Bee Pollen is a great example of a company that does bee pollen right. They don’t process their pollen; they don’t even dry it either. The bee pollen that you get from them is the same bee pollen that they harvested, and that’s the greatest assurance you can get that there aren’t any unhealthy manufacturing or ingredient mixtures included with your pollen.

They have been in business for 95 years and have been producing bee products such as honey the whole time, so they’re experts when it comes to this stuff.

You can get it on Amazon for $17.95 for a 16-ounce pouch, which equates to about 20 to 30 adult servings, so you’re paying a fraction of a dollar for each serving, not too bad.

Another great company that is a little bit cheaper than Stakich is YS Eco Bee Farms. They also avoid processing their bee pollen and you can buy their pollen in bulk, so you can stock up for a few months and pay less over the long term, and bee pollen isn’t incredibly expensive to begin with, considering you’re paying anywhere from $15-20 per month for all of those incredible benefits.

Where to buy bee pollen:

You should also be able to buy best quality bee pollen at any supplement or nutrition store, such as GNC or Vitamin Shoppe. And many drugstores also carry bee pollen in their supplement section. And it’s available through online sources such as Amazon.

Bee pollen might be the next wave of superfoods that can work wonders for you in terms of making sure that your organs are functioning at peak efficiency, your nutritional intake is high, your immunity is high, and you’re feeling energized and relaxed. Hopefully more confirmation can come in the coming years to show the validity and magnitude of some of these benefits through human studies.

In the meantime, you’ll just have to try it for yourself and see how much it helps and how much better you feel after taking it. There are many doctors that have come out in support of bee pollen and many satisfied customers who have also claimed it works wonders.

Save the bees!

And lastly, a short PSA to remind you that the wonderful insects that give us bee pollen are in danger, and without them, we not only won’t have honey or pollen, but we won’t have one-third of the food that we currently consume.

Bees are dying off at an alarming rate due to factors such as pollution, pesticides, drought, habitat destruction, and more. To help, you can look at greenpeace.org or you can buy products that don’t use dangerous pesticides and you can help to preserve habitats.

Hemp Oil Pros and Cons List

Hemp seed oil and the benefits and side effects it might offer

Since a farm bill was enacted in 2018 that enabled hemp products to be sold legally nationwide, throughout the United States, and since then the market has been flooded with hemp products. Since this bill was passed and new hemp products have been released, many major outlets and businesses have taken notice of the value that hemp offers. The reality is that hemp is a fantastic product that we’ve been missing out on for decades because of the stigma that surrounded the plant, although hemp is not psychoactive and shouldn’t be put in the same boat as psychoactive marijuana. Here’s what we currently know about hemp oil pros and cons.

Hemp has been used in a wide range of applications and is known for its ability to produce strong textiles. Also, hemp often has a positive impact on the environment that it grows in because it can clean the water and soil around it and can replace fossil fuels through biodiesel. In addition to the uses that it has in the textile industry, hemp seeds also have an incredible nutritional value, and hemp seed oil has been used in foods, cosmetics, and health markets.

Hemp plant, hemp seeds and hemp oil pros and cons explained

What’s the difference between cannabis, hemp, and hemp seeds?

You might be wondering what the differences between the cannabis, hemp plant, and hemp seeds are since the hemp and cannabis plant look exactly the same at first observation.

Cannabis is psychoactive and generally contains a substantial percentage of THC, which is the psychoactive substance in marijuana that creates a high. In general, cannabis contains around 17% THC. Cannabis is known for its ability to remedy ailments such as pain, sickness, and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Cannabis contains under 0.15% CBD, which is a common compound used to prevent seizures, pain relief, acne treatment, anxiety, and even cancer treatments.

The hemp plant on the other hand varies greatly from the cannabis plant in terms of its chemical makeup, even though they look identical. Hemp contains under 0.3% THC, which is such a negligible amount that it offers no psychoactive response. And its CBD contents are much higher, anywhere from 12-18%. And the hemp plant can be used to make products such as clothing, rope, biodiesel, paper, and more. Hemp seeds come from the hemp plant and are often saved to be pressed for hemp seed oil. This oil is used in food for cooking, cosmetics and skincare, paint, and health products.

Although the hemp plant has large amounts of CBD, the seeds hardly contain any CBD, so you shouldn’t confuse CBD oil with hemp seed oil since hemp seed oil contains almost no CBD. In fact, you should be aware that some companies are marketing their hemp seed products as CBD products, which they are not. And CBD oil is much more expensive than hemp seed oil, so there’s a chance you’re overpaying if you’re buying hemp seed oil at CBD oil prices. Do your research to make sure you’re getting the right product for the right price.

Potential benefits of hemp seed oil:

So, what does this hemp seed oil have to offer us, and are there any drawbacks to it? Let’s dive into the hemp oil pros and cons list. Starting off with the benefits, there are many, and some are similar to CBD benefits, while others are exclusive to hemp seed oil.

Hemp plant
  • First, hemp seed oil can be great for skin care and skin health. This is because the hemp seeds are high in nutritional value, containing fatty acids and protein as well as essential vitamins. When applied to skin, these nutritional elements help to combine to treat symptoms of eczema, psoriasis, and more. It can also have preventative effects in addition to the treatment side, through its ability to reduce inflammation and it can even offer anti-aging properties. Even for those of us who might not suffer from chronic skin conditions, it can still help to hydrate your skin and prevent dry skin without causing your skin to become too oily. This helps to keep your pores from getting clogged and can prevent outbreaks of acne. That is something that we all can benefit from.

  • Hemp seed can also help boost your brain function and health. Hemp seeds contain fatty acids, which can help to protect your brain. It’s been shown through animal testing that hemp seed oil can fight inflammation in the brain. There haven’t been any significant human studies yet, but the signs are looking good that hemp seed oil can work wonders for your brain health.

  • Hemp seed oil has properties within it that can also boost your heart health and function, by treating high blood pressure and regulating cholesterol. Also, a 2014 study concluded that a certain fatty acid contained in hemp oil can reduce your susceptibility to cardiovascular disease. This same fatty acid is the same one that is found in fish oil and flaxseed oil, both of which are known to help heart health. Aside from the 2014 study, there haven’t been a lot of completed studies on heart health yet either, although things are looking good for it. Since hemp products didn’t hit full-scale production since 2018, the spotlight has only recently shifted to hemp products, so more studies should be concluded in the near the future, offering more insight into the full range of capabilities of hemp seed oil.

Full-spectrum hemp oils

There are hemp oils out there that that are known as “full-spectrum hemp oil.” These hemp oils don’t just contain hemp oil, but also include added compounds, including CBD. These oils can be the best of both worlds by combining the positive effects of CBD and the positive effects of hemp seed oil. The benefits of full-spectrum hemp oil are nearly boundless, and they begin with pain relief. Since CBD has an incredible ability to reduce inflammation, many pains caused by inflammation can be reduced or remediated by full-spectrum hemp seed oil. As with most of the hemp benefits, there are still human studies to be done, although results have been positive on mice.

Full-spectrum oil also offers help with acne, due to its ability to remediate inflammation. And lastly, it can help to relieve muscle tension and stress. This can help anyone who is suffering from natural stiffness due to stress and it can also help those who are recovering from exercise. Hemp oil will come in a roll-on form that you can apply where you’re experiencing tension to help find relief and relaxation.

Potential drawbacks of hemp seed oil:

Since we’ve talked about the wide range of benefits of hemp seed oil, we would be remiss not to mention the potential negatives and side effects of it. As with many products used for their medicinal qualities, every person has a different response to it, and some might not be positive.

  • Hemp oil can worsen the effect of blood clotting, and anyone who has a history of issues with blood coagulation should avoid using hemp seed oil.

  • Also, hemp oil can act as a laxative, and likely will soften your stool, so if you’re prone to digestive issues, you should steer clear of hemp seed oil unless approved by a physician.

  • Hemp seed oil should not be used by those with continually developing brains, such as children since it contains omega-6 fatty acids, which have positive effects such as regulating your metabolism and improving your bone strength and health, but it can also hinder brain development.

  • Those who suffer from psychomotor issues should steer clear of hemp seed oil as well since a small study identified that there may be a link between hemp seed oil and worsening side effects of those who have these existing conditions. 

Final thoughts: hemp oil pros and cons list

As time wears on, hopefully more studies will be completed on hemp seed oil so that the full range of benefits and the extent of them can be discovered. Also, the manufacturing and regulation of hemp seed oil is still being refined, and although producers are supposed to keep THC content below 0.3% to sell it, there have been instances where this regulation isn’t followed by some manufacturers.

Just like the food we eat sometimes has recalls and manufacturing flaws, so too does hemp seed oil. For this reason, make sure to purchase hemp seed oil from a reputable source to ensure that it’s the highest quality production. A product containing as little as 1% THC can lead you to fail a drug test, so the manufacturers don’t have to be off too much to put you at risk. But if you purchase from a reputable source, you should be sure that they keep the THC content below 0.3%.

If you’re unsure of whether or not hemp seed oil might work for you, talk with your physician about hemp oil pros and cons to receive the best possible information according to your medical condition.

Best Vegan Multivitamin for Athletes

How vegan athletes can ensure that they’re performing their best through supplementing with multivitamins and more

If you are an active vegan, it is not always easy to find suitable food. Although plants are incredibly healthy, they do not provide all the nutrients you need. So in this article, we will discuss the needed nutritional supplements and award the title of the best vegan multivitamin for athletes.

A glass of water in which the best vegan multivitamin for athletes is dissolved

Vegan and vegetarian lifestyles have started to become more mainstream due to environmental, animal rights, and health concerns. As of 2018, according to a Gallup poll, 3% of the United States was vegan while 5% was vegetarian. Aside from those two statistics, those who aren’t on plant-based diets have shown a greater likelihood to purchase plant-based alternatives for their daily food items, such as milk. Plant-based milk alternative sales increased by 9% from 2017 to 2018.

Furthermore, vegan alternatives to meat grew by 24% in that same timeframe, telling of a food revolution that is occurring even in those who still indulge in animal byproducts from time to time. As this trend has continued to grow, it has only become easier to follow these diets, as there’s more money poured into the industry by consumers, food companies are more willing to provide these alternatives as long as they’re selling well. Now, restaurants, grocery stores, and more are all offering plant-based sections and menus in their businesses.

Since it can be difficult to cut entire food groups out of your diet without experiencing any deficiencies, a lot of those who switch to plant-based diets try to do so with supplementation that makes up for any vitamins or minerals that were easier to get through eating meat. That’s not to say you can’t have a healthy, well-rounded diet by eating plant-based, but there are certain nutrients that are simply easier to obtain in meat than in plants and vice versa.

For the group of vegans and vegetarian athletes, supplementation is of great importance. They are constantly in need of more essential nutrients to fuel their active lifestyle, as compared to someone who isn’t active at such a high level on a daily basis. For this reason, all athletes, and not just vegans, should look into using a multivitamin to help them obtain proper nutrition in the midst of their busy and active life.

For the vegan athletes, their options can be limited when it comes to multivitamins, though, since many multivitamins are delivered in a gelatin capsule, which is not a vegan-friendly method. So, it’s important to review the options for vegans and determine which vegan multivitamin can supplement these athletes the best.

In which areas do vegan athletes need the greatest supplementation?

It’s also important to identify which vitamins and minerals vegan athletes might be most in need of, based on those vitamins and minerals that might be easier to obtain when not on a plant-based diet.

The Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that vegetarians and vegans were more prone to be deficient in “protein, n-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, and vitamins D and B-12.”

All kinds of vitamins and dietary supplements suitable for vegans

Again, this is not to say that the vegan diet leaves a lot to be desired, quite contrary actually. And if someone had switched from an omnivorous diet to eating solely meat, they would experience deficiencies as well. It’s important to be aware of these deficiencies nonetheless to safeguard against them by supplementing. These deficiencies, if they manifest, are especially concerning to athletes as well. This often causes female athletes to become anemic or even leads to low bone density. It could also be difficult for someone with these deficiencies to maintain a constant source of energy.

To combat these potential issues, it’s advisable to take a supplement of B12, vitamin D, iron, iodine, calcium, zinc, and foods such as nuts and avocadoes and oils for additional fats. Additionally, creatine is listed as something that should be noteworthy to vegan athletes since it is something generally included in red meat and can be a performance and recovery booster.

The best supplements for vegan athletes

So, now it begs the question, what is the best vegan multivitamin for athletes or what supplements should vegan athletes be taking?

  • Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi: the most useful and necessary supplements for vegan athletes are those that contain vitamins, such as Performance Lab Whole-Food Multi. This is a highly recommended multivitamin supplement and they’re offered in formulas for men and women. They contain riboflavin, calcium, iodine, iron, zinc, and vitamins B12 and D in varying amounts for the men’s and women’s formulas. These cover most of the essential possible deficiencies that vegan athletes might face, so this is a great option.

  • Plant-based protein powder: if an athlete wants to go for more than just the bare minimum and continue with further supplementation, they can do so by incorporating a plant-based protein powder into their daily routine. This will help the athletes to gain muscle and power to increase performance in their respective sports.

  • Male athletes might consider taking some Centra Peak test booster: this is because research has shown that vegan diets can lead to lower testosterone levels in men than their omnivorous counterparts. Decreased testosterone can make for many visible differences in male athletes. Some of these include a negative impact on recovery and muscle growth, also inhibited sleep quality, greater inability to think clearly and your ability to remember clearly, and can negatively impact mood and libido. The Centra Peak test booster contains only legal supplements to boost testosterone in those who need it.

  • And for post-workout routines, vegans can consider using the Performance Lab SPORT Post-Workout, which contains creatine and can assist with recovery and performance.

Other tips for vegan athletes

In addition to these great supplements and the best vegan multivitamin for athletes, there are other considerations that vegan athletes should think about when going through their day to give them the best possible results on the field, court, track, or in the pool.

  1. First, they should try to vary their protein intake as much as they can. Although the vegan diet might not pose as many issues as some might think of achieving a healthy amount of protein, diversity of proteins can be important in order to incorporate all amino acids into your diet. There are 20 kinds of amino acids, and not every one of them is incorporated into every protein source, which is why it’s important to get that protein diversity.

  2. Also, vegan athletes should make sure to eat enough to fuel their rigorous workouts. Some vegans have reported difficulty in consuming enough to make up for the energy depleted in their workouts. But this is critical. Eating greens that are dense in calories can be the key to replenishing the massive amount of calories burned in a demanding workout. A good example of this is peanut butter.

  3. Everyone knows the massive importance that sleep has on everything we do throughout our day, and it’s no different for recovering from a sporting event, practice, or workout. And vegans can be at a disadvantage in the sleep category if they have decreased testosterone levels. For this reason, vegan athletes should make sure that they’re getting at the very minimum of seven hours of quality sleep each night to allow their body to recover and regenerate.

  4. To make sure that your vitamins and supplements are being effective to their full potential, you should generate a routine for taking them. These supplements won’t work if taken sparingly throughout the week or month, they need to be taken daily to establish themselves in your system and so your body can start adapting and recovering easier. Establish a time of day when you’re going to take your supplements and do so at that time every day, whether it’s before you get ready for bed at night or before you eat breakfast in the morning, routine is key to making sure that you’re not skipping days of supplementation.

  5. You can also look into good vegan pre-workout supplements such as Motion All-Natural Pre-Workout Powder. Not many pre-workouts out there are vegan-friendly since many have BCAAs, which are frequently (but not all the time) animal by-products. And for that reason, you should also be careful to read product labels of what you’re supplementing with to make sure that the ingredients fit into the vegan lifestyle.

Final thoughts: the best vegan multivitamin for athletes

In conclusion, you shouldn’t be using these supplements as a crutch for a poor diet. You should be trying to get as much nutrients and replenishment from your diet as you can and supplement with any areas that you have trouble meeting those dietary requirements. These supplements can also help to cover you if you have a bad meal or two and don’t get all the necessary nutrients that you should be getting.

If you supplement right, stay on top of your dietary needs and vary your proteins, you’re doing everything you need to recover and perform just as well as any omnivorous athlete. It might take some extra care and consideration, but you’re probably on the vegan diet for the right reasons and you’ll feel better for it in the end.

Activated Charcoal for Stomach Bug and Detox

Activated Charcoal: What this detox wonder supplement helps with and how to take it

Activated charcoal is a new health trend that has broken into the mainstream recently. However, activated charcoal for stomach bug has been known to be a useful supplement for quite some time. Some coffeeshops are offering activated charcoal shots, and other markets are offering it in the form of juices.

It’s been known for its ability to treat those contaminated with poison, heavy metals, and toxins. The activated charcoal helps to flush these toxins out, making it great for treatment but also great for other things such as anti-aging and heart health.  Activated charcoal might be beneficial for you if you’ve recently eaten a not so nutritious meal and need a detox.

Activated charcoal powder used for detoxification and treating and preventing the stomach bug

What is activated charcoal?

Activated charcoal is created from burning a carbon specimen such as wood or coconut shells. The “activation” occurs through high temperatures that remove all oxygen and alter its chemical makeup to create tiny particles that as a whole yield greater surface area. This new product is incredibly fine charcoal with numerous tiny pores that are capable of capturing, binding, and removing toxins, chemicals, gases, and more.

The activated charcoal works due to its negative charge that attracts charged toxins. This same technology is used in many popular water filters, such as Brita filters. The activated charcoal doesn’t remove the toxins in your body on its own. It’s not a toxin incinerator, it adsorbs the toxins, meaning that it simply binds them.

What benefits does activated charcoal offer?

Activated charcoal for detox

Activated charcoal can offer you a plethora of benefits. First, it can aid you with detoxing. This detox could lessen the damage of processed food, environmental and air pollution, and more. These toxins can cause your body to fatigue quicker and can decrease brain function and cognition.

If exposed to these toxins for extended periods of time, it can be as devastating as cellular damage, allergic reactions, weakened immunity, and aging. Activated charcoal can have a quick effect on these toxins, and you can start feeling better in a matter of minutes.

Activated charcoal for stomach bug

Activated charcoal has also been found to help with some intestinal disorders and issues. Digesting certain disagreeable foods can create gas or diarrhea. Activated charcoal for stomach bug remedies these issues as it runs throughout your digestive tract.

Activated carbon can also adsorb poisons, pesticides, and dangerous chemicals from your body. Certainly, most of these things require a hospital visit, but if you have activated charcoal on hand, it can’t hurt to pop a capsule before you leave. This can even help in instances where you accidentally take too much of a medicine. But consult a doctor or emergency room as fast as possible if you encounter any dangerous intake of poison, medicine, or chemicals.

Activated charcoal and aging

Since activated charcoal assists with cell repair and cell function, it can help you to age slower. Studies have shown that activated charcoal can increase the lives of animals up to 34 percent. It also makes your brain less sensitive to toxins and increases overall clarity of your mind. It also boosts your body’s toughness by improving the function and immunity of key organs such as your liver, kidneys, and adrenals.

It lowers cholesterol levels and increases heart health

Activated charcoal supplements have been found to lower cholesterol levels and increase heart health. One study found that patients who consumed 8 grams of activated charcoal three times a day lowered their cholesterol count by 25%.

Furthermore, they also lowered their LDL cholesterol by 41 percent and increased their HDL (good cholesterol) by 8 percent. Scientific research on tissues at the microscopic level shows that daily doses of activated charcoal can counter abnormal hardening in heart and coronary blood vessels.

How should I take my activated charcoal for stomach bug?

The harder that you try to keep your body clean and toxin-free, the quicker that you’ll realize how prone you are to toxins in your food and environment around you, and how hard it is to stay clean. It can be made even more difficult when you’re traveling or when you have a busy schedule. Things like commercial flights make you vulnerable to high levels of airborne toxins, and much of the food you eat has harmful chemicals and processing applied to it.

Once you have a poor-quality meal or are traveling or doing something that makes you prone to toxins, you should take some activated charcoal. Once taken, it generally only takes around 10 minutes to work and you might even be able to feel the difference in that time span. Activated charcoal can also help you when you drink poor-quality coffee, drink alcohol, if you feel fatigued or under the weather, or if your mood is off.

Aside from these specific situations, a daily dose of activated charcoal is a good way to stay on top of things and ensure that you stay guarded against toxins in the environment around you. Activated coconut charcoal is perfect for this. Take it between meals and a few hours after taking any vitamin or mineral supplements, since the activated charcoal can hinder how well these vitamins are absorbed by your body.

Activated charcoal powder

There are some activated charcoal products for your skin and teeth that are topical. The effectiveness of these products hasn’t been backed up by any research. So, if you’re looking for something proven, stick to taking your activated charcoal by mouth.

It’s important to think of activated charcoal as a sponge, meaning if you take some other useful substance via ingestion, such as a medicine or a vitamin, the activated charcoal can bind to that just as easily as it can to toxins in your body. So, after you take medicine or vitamins, give them some time to absorb before you start consuming your daily dose of activated charcoal for the stomach bug.

It’s advisable that you talk to a doctor if you’re interested in consuming activated charcoal regularly. Your doctor can help you to gauge the correct dosage and schedule for you. Every person reacts differently to activated charcoal, so you might need more or less than the average person. To start with, here are some baseline values you can expect.

How much should I take?

  • For a dosage, two 500mg capsules is helpful for dealing with processed food or alcohol consumption. Note that this might be higher than a recommended daily dosage and more of a corrective dose after you consume something harmful.

  • A recommended daily dose most likely starts somewhere around 25-100 grams. You can even add your activated charcoal to recipes and get your supplement through the meals you eat.

  • If you’re on prescription medication, be extra sure to speak to your doctor about how and when you should take activated charcoal. A window of two to three hours is generally advisable between taking your prescription and consuming activated charcoal.

  • Make sure that you’re consuming plenty of fluids. Aside from drinking water being generally one of the best things you can do, activated charcoal can cause constipation if you consume too much. As with anything, it’s best in moderation and you can get too much of a good thing. You can counteract this constipation with 300-400 mg of magnesium glycate a few hours after taking your activated charcoal.

  • Also note that activated charcoal may turn your stool black, in fact, it probably will. This can be helpful because it shows you how long it takes for your digestion to cycle after eating. 

Final thoughts: Activated charcoal for stomach bug and detox

There are many ways to remove toxins and parasites from your body, and the use of activated charcoal for stomach bug is just one of these methods. Keep in mind that you should also be trying to reduce the amount of sugar and inflammatory foods that you intake. A healthy sleep schedule and stress maintenance is also key to staying healthy and strengthening your immunity. Sometimes people can use supplements as an excuse to lack in other areas. While it can be a useful tool, you should still be actively trying to improve your health in other ways other than supplementation.

If you’re dealing with intestinal issues, lack cardiovascular health, eat bad foods from time to time, or have been feeling depressed or moody lately, activated charcoal supplements might be your friend. It’s an effective method that’s been used since the 1800s and is still working for people today.

Flush toxins out of your body by binding them to the charcoal and letting your natural digestive process carry them out of your body through your stool. And as always, if you’re dealing with a chronic or persistent issue, don’t try to diagnose yourself, see a doctor immediately and mention activated charcoal if you think it could be a useful tool for you.

Low Fructose Sweeteners for Fructose Intolerance

What is Fructose Malabsorption?

Fructose intolerance or fructose malabsorption could be the cause of many puzzling health issues that you’ve been experiencing. Fructose malabsorption is when your intestinal cells can’t digest the fructose entirely. Fructose is a simple sugar that is found mainly in fruits and vegetables but is also produced in honey, nectar, and processed foods. According to healthline.com, since high fructose corn syrup consumption increased over 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990. If you aren’t watching how much fructose you’re consuming and are experiencing digestive issues, you might want to consider low fructose sweeteners to replace your sugar and syrup intake.

Low fructose sweeteners for those who suffer fructose intolerance

Fructose malabsorption occurs in one-third of the population, so it’s not entirely unlikely that you don’t have this intolerance. However, if your symptoms are more extreme, there is also hereditary fructose intolerance, which only affects about .004% of the population. This extreme intolerance can lead to repercussions as traumatic as liver failure. Usually, this condition is detected early in childhood, though, due to its obvious health effects.

Fructose malabsorption can be exacerbated by eating processed foods, lacking good bacteria in your stomach, digestive complications such as irritable bowel syndrome, or even stress. If you think that you might have fructose malabsorption, common symptoms are nausea, gas, stomach pain, diarrhea, and inability to absorb other nutrients that might be positive, such as iron. Malabsorption has even been linked to low tryptophan levels which can cause depression.

Those who have existing digestive and gut disorders are at a higher risk for fructose malabsorption. Many people confuse gluten complications with fructose malabsorption, so if removing or lessening gluten from your diet isn’t fixing your issues, consider looking into fructose malabsorption.

How is it diagnosed?

The diagnostic process of fructose malabsorption is painless and easy. Usually, the physician will order you to limit your carb intake the night before and not eat the morning of your appointment. At the office, you’ll be administered a high fructose drink and the hydrogen levels in your breath will be monitored in 20 to 30-minute intervals since unabsorbed fructose increases hydrogen levels in your intestines. Another obvious test is to simply remove or greatly lessen fructose from your diet and see if your complications lessen or go away.

How can I lessen my fructose intake?

An effective method of tracking your fructose intake is by journaling or noting every meal and everything you eat. Then you can track your symptoms with your food consumption and see if you notice a correlation.

Lowering your fructose intake generally begins by eliminating sugar from your diet. You can start with products that contain high levels of fructose such as pop, sugary breakfast bars, fruits, honey, and desserts. According to healthline.com, when reading nutritional labels, be aware of contents such as high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar, crystalline fructose, honey, sorbitol, fructooligosaccharides (FOS), corn syrup, and sugar alcohols.

As with any health complication, the best step to take to see better results is to see your physician. They will help refer you to helpful resources and identify a treatment plan that helps you to resolve any complications that go along with fructose malabsorption.

Another great way to minimize your daily intake of fructose is to use low fructose sweeteners in anything that you put sugar in. These substitutes are natural, can be healthy, are low calorie, and still offer the sweet taste of sugar despite being low in fructose content.

Keep in mind that often keeping your fructose levels in check is as simple as checking the labels of the food that you buy and the food that you eat. This can be difficult when eating out, but there are usually resources online to tell you the contents of what you’re eating. Also, as you begin to watch for high fructose foods, you’ll eventually get into a rhythm and you’ll be able to identify high and low fructose recipes without even looking them up.

Healthy choices as simple as getting more sleep can decrease your desire to gorge yourself on sweet snacks. Low amounts of sleep have been linked to high intakes of sugary junk foods. Here are some natural sweeteners that can help you to lower your fructose intake:

Low fructose sweeteners

Stevia:

Stevia is a popular natural substitute for sugar that can not only lower your fructose intake but can also have positive impacts on your health. Stevia is grown in South America from the stevia leaf. The stevia leaves contain many sweet compounds. These compounds are sweeter than sugar, so you can get similar levels of sweetness with much lower mass of sweetener.

Furthermore, stevia has been shown to lower high blood pressure in study participants that have preexisting high blood pressure, although no impact was shown on the blood pressure of those with moderate to low blood pressure. These positive blood pressure impacts also extend to those with diabetes. In studies performed on rats, stevia was shown to lessen plaque buildup in arteries and to increase insulin sensitivity.

The only downside to stevia, as with many healthy things, is that many people don’t prefer the taste of stevia to sugar. There are various types of stevia, however, and trying various types of it might be worth the time it takes to settle on one you like.

Stevia sweetener

Rice Syrup:

Popular in Asia, rice syrup is one of the low fructose sweeteners that is mostly made of glucose and maltose. It is similar in taste to honey with a more caramel tint to it. As opposed to stevia, however, rice syrup can be a substantial source of carbs and calories and doesn’t necessarily contain any beneficial nutrients.

However, if fructose intake is your main issue, rice syrup can help you to lower your intake. Also, if you have complications with blood pressure, rice syrup can raise blood pressure even more than sugar due to its high glycemic index.

In Summary:

When it comes down to it, identifying a low fructose sweetener will require some trade-offs. However, it will be worth the effort in the long run when you feel better due to the alleviation of digestive issues.

Stevia is a great option for removing fructose and increasing your overall health, but you might sacrifice some of the addicting sugar taste in return. Rice syrup is effective in lowering fructose levels and tastes great but isn’t ideal for anyone who has blood pressure issues.

The best way to lower your fructose content and maintain your health is of course to simply cut out sweets from your diet entirely. It can be a tough transition since most of us are literally addicted to sugar and the comfort that it brings psychologically. To do this, beware of the amounts of sugar that are in low-fat options of many of your foods such as yogurt and salad dressing.

Often, fat in low-fat foods is simply substituted with sugar. Cut out processed foods, cooking for yourself from scratch is nearly always a healthier alternative than buying something pre-made or processed. It’s generally cheaper too, so your body and budget will thank you.

Although many health forums and websites might offer various sugar alcohols such as xylitol and erythritol if fructose intolerance is your issue you should avoid these alternatives at all costs. These sugar alcohols are usually identifiable by their organic suffix of “-ol” as in alcohol. They are high in fructose and will only exacerbate your complications.

This also goes for high fructose substitutes such as yacon syrup. However, if you’re attempting to lower your fructose intake solely due to high blood pressure, sugar alcohol substitutes can effectively lower your blood pressure despite their high fructose content. But if digestive and stomach complications are plaguing you, stay away from sugar alcohols.

Also, popular sugar alternatives such as honey, molasses, or syrup aren’t going to benefit you significantly either. These may have slightly lower levels of fructose, but it’s an insignificant difference and chances are your complications will persist.

Monosaccharide and net fructose content of common foods and ingredients

Final thoughts: Low fructose sweeteners for fructose intolerance

Hopefully this article has helped you to identify a path to lower fructose intake and a healthier life overall. Stay strong in cutting back on those sugary foods and research other healthy choices you can make outside of your diet, such as getting sleep and exercise or drinking enough water.

If you begin to combine multiple healthy choices together, you’ll be surprised at how much clearer your mind is, how much more energy you have, and how great you look. The road to a healthy life can appear to be long but taking it one step at a time can be the key to great results.