Thursday, April 11, 2013

Lypo-Spheric & Liposomal Vitamin C


What is Vitamin C? 

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant, helps wounds to heal and helps the immune system to protect the body from disease. Most mammals make vitamin C in the liver by converting glucose into ascorbic acid (including the worlds longest living mammal - the bowhead whale with a life expectancy of 200 years +), but we humans are one of a handful of species that are unable to do this. We’ve had to rely on our diet to provide us with this essential vitamin. It was not until 1934 that we discovered how to synthesise ascorbic acid from glucose. Supplementary Vitamin C comes in various forms, including ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, and calcium ascorbate.

Natural vs. synthetic vitamin C

Natural and synthetic L-ascorbic acid are chemically identical and there are no known differences in their biological activities or bioavailabilities.

What is Liposomal Vitamin C? 

Liposomal vitamin C is Vitamin C stored inside ‘phospholipids’ - microscopically small fat particles which are used in nature to help deliver life sustaining nutrients in breast milk.

Phospholipids are easily absorbed by our cells which makes them very helpful in delivering hard to absorb nutrients to the cells.

Ascorbic acid is not easily absorbed by our digestive systems, and when we try to take even relatively small amounts we can encounter bowel intolerance (diarrhea).

Before the advent of Liposomal encapsulation  the only way to effectively administer high dose Vitamin C was to inject it straight into the bloodstream, a procedure known as vitamin C Megadosing, or ’Very High dose intravenous Vitamin C’ (VHDIVC).

VHDIVC has been used for many years to safely deliver doses comparable to the amounts produced by the livers of most other mammals - as much as 200,000 milligrams (200 grams) of Vitamin C per day to seriously ill patients.

Vitamin C in animals 

200 grams may seem like an incredibly high dose but when we take into account that most mammals produce the equivalent in humans of 2,000 to 13,000 mg (2 to 13 grams) of ascorbic acid per day when they are in good health, and that this can increase up to 100 fold under disease or stress, these amounts are put into perspective.

Vitamin C in Medicine 

For some unfathomable reason, mainstream medicine has avoided the use of Vitamin C like the plague since its discovery in the 1930’s, so we have to rely on the work of a few independently minded doctors for most of the clinical experience with VHDIVC therapy.

Frederick R. Klenner, a general practitioner from Reidsville, North Carolina, was the pioneer. In the 1940s and 1950s, he found that viral diseases, notably pneumonia and polio, could be cured or greatly improved by intravenous sodium ascorbate of up to 200 grams a day. Vitamin C was first isolated in 1932 and first synthesized in 1934, so Klenner was a very early adopter.

In the Polio epidemic of 1948 and 1949 Klenner applied his maxim that the patient should get large doses of vitamin C in all pathological conditions while the physician ponders the diagnosis. The sicker the patient, the higher the dose. Massive Vitamin C doses cured every one of 60 polio cases Klenner saw. He published his report in Southern Medicine and Surgery in July of 1949. All patients were well in three days. None had any paralysis.

He also presented a summarization of his work on polio at the Annual Session of the American Medical Association on June 10, 1949 in Atlantic City, New Jersey to a totally unresponsive audience of doctors.

Klenner soon realised that, “Some physicians would stand by and see their patient die rather than use ascorbic acid because in their finite minds it exists only as a vitamin.”

Two recent 60 minutes documentaries on Vitamin C show that nothing has changed in the ensuing 60 years (Google ‘60 minutes Vitamin C’). They detail the full recovery of ’Terminally ill’ Swine Flu victim Alan Smith. His life support was about to be switched off, but a compassionate Doctor agreed to let the family try VHDIVC as a last resort. Award winning investigative reporter Melanie Reid relates the battle that ensued when his symptoms started to rapidly resolve.

Subsequent independently minded researchers and advocates of Vitamin C include Doctors Irwin Stone, Linus Pauling (winner of 2 Nobel prizes), Robert Cathcart, Mathias Rath and Patrick Holford. Their collective view on Vitamin C is that we are no different from other mammals in that we benefit from increased amounts of Vitamin C when we are exposed to toxins, disease, or trauma, and that Klenner’s maxim, “The sicker the patient, the higher the dose”, holds true.

Vitamin C in our diet

A colourful diet of raw, organic fruits and vegetables can provide you with your day to day Vitamin C needs; the best ones are as follows, in descending order:

Vegetables: Sweet peppers, Chilli peppers, Brussels sprouts, Brocolli, Artichoke, Sweet Potato, Tomato, Cauliflower, Kale.

Fruits: Blackcurrants, Pawpaw, Strawberries, Orange, Kiwifruit, Grapefruit.



Where does Liposomal Vitamin C fit into the picture?

There are 4 rungs on the Vitamin C ladder:

1: Dietary Vitamin C (typically up to 200 mg/day)
2: Vitamin C tablets and powders. (up to 2000 mg/day. This limit is set by bowel intolerance)
3: Liposomal / Lypospheric Vitamin C. (no bowel intolerance limit)
4: Very High Dose Intravenous Vitamin C. (10 to 200 grams)

Liposomal Vitamin C offers a convenient and effective way to supplement your diet when you are seeking to rapidly and significantly increase your levels of Vitamin C.

Liposomal Vitamin C’s significantly improved bio-availability and bowel intolerance characteristics mean that although it costs a little more to buy, it can be a more responsive and even more cost effective option than normal Vitamin C. This is because your body can absorb significantly more of the Vitamin C in Liposomal form than it can in conventional tablet or powder form.

In addition to using Liposomal Vitamin C for your occasional high dose requirements, you can also use it as a daily supplement (one or two capsules a day).

Livon Laboratories Lypospheric Vitamin C comes in sachets with 1,000 mg of Vitamin C per sachet. It uses Lecithin from Soy, and contains the Sodium Ascorbate form of Vitamin C.

Dr Mercola’s Liposomal Vitamin C comes in capsules with 500 mg of Vitamin C per capsule. It uses Lecithin from Sunflower oil instead of instead of Soy, and contains the Ascorbic acid form of vitamin C instead of Sodium ascorbate.

Sodium ascorbate is Ascorbic acid with added sodium. It offers reduced bowel intolerance in higher doses because it is less acidic, but when Vitamin C is delivered in Liposomal / Lypo-Spheric form bowel intolerance is not an issue.
The cheapest form of Vitamin C is Calcium Ascorbate. It is not recommended by leading Vitamin C advocates due to poor bioavailability of the Calcium in this form, which can be harmful.

What is the difference between Liposomal and Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C?

There is no difference. Both terms refer to the practice of encapsulating a nutrient (in this case Vitamin C) with phospholipids which greatly improves the body’s ability to absorb it.

The inspiration for this idea came from nature, which uses phospholipids to deliver nutrients in breast milk.


The information provided in this publication is presented for educational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment or advice of a qualified, licensed professional. You should not use the information provided to self diagnose a health problem or otherwise delay seeking medical advice.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Love your liver


The liver is your largest internal organ and is a vital one with many functions including changing food into energy and cleaning alcohol and other poisons from the blood. Your liver also makes bile, a yellowish-green liquid that helps with digestion and produces 80% of the cholesterol in your body. As such it is necessary for survival and there is currently no way to compensate for absence of liver function. Your liver has so many vital functions if your body was a car then you could consider your liver to be the engine.

It may be a sign that your Liver needs support if you experience any of the following:


  • Allergies - sinusitis, hay fever, asthma, dermatitis, hives, etc.
  • Bad breath
  • Bloating
  • Cellulite
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Coated tongue
  • Constipation
  • Fatigue
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Haemmorhoids
  • Hayfever
  • Headaches
  • Indigestion
  • Irritable bowel
  • Itchy skin
  • Psoriasis
  • Reflux
  • Skin rashes & inflammations
  • Sneezing
  • Sugar cravings
  • Excessive sweating


There are over 100 liver diseases but your liver has a remarkable ability to repair itself and create new healthy liver tissue. Damage from liver diseases such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, fatty liver disease, and alcohol-related liver disease can be repaired, but when the onslaught of poisons is too prolonged and too great, the liver will succumb. Liver disease is currently one of the top 10 causes of death in the U.S.

Maintaining a healthy liver can be broadly broken down into two steps. Firstly there are things to avoid or carefully manage such as poisons that can affect the liver and secondly there are lifestyle and diet related measures which give your liver everything it needs to perform.

How to avoid damaging your liver


According to the American Liver Foundation there are 5 categories of substances to be careful of regarding liver health and function.

Alcohol

Alcohol is a poison, it can damage or destroy liver cells. Consuming too much alcohol can cause the liver to swell and lead to cirrhosis which is scarring of the liver tissue and cause poor liver function. Limiting the amount of alcohol you drink is the best way to avoid this.

Medications

Medications can have harmful side effects related to the liver, particularly when taken incorrectly in terms of dosage or mixing or taking the wrong type. As there are so many types of medication and medication interactions, learning more about any medicines you take and how they affect your liver is your best defence. Also mixing alcohol and medicines can harm your liver even if they are not taken at the same time.

Chemicals

Chemicals from cleaning and aerosol products, insecticides, paints, and additives in cigarettes must all be removed from your bloodstream by the Liver . It is best to limit your direct contact with these substances as they can injure liver cells.

Chemicals can enter your bloodstream via your skin and your lungs so it pays to wear protective clothing and a mask when you are exposed to them.

Viruses and Pathogens (Personal Hygiene )

Hepatitis A is a liver disease that can be spread when someone does not wash their hands after going to the bathroom and then touches something that you eat.

Excess Fats

Fatty liver disease can be caused through obesity, so here is yet another reason to limit your intake of sugars, empty calories and high GI foods.

Measure your stomach! Run a tape measure around your fully relaxed stomach. If this measurement is not less than 50% of your height it can indicate you are overweight. You can also use a Body Mass Index calculator like the one found on the Weight Watchers website, a BMI over 25 is considered to indicate being overweight and over 30 is generally considered very overweight.


Eat Healthy foods to support your liver

As mentioned earlier your liver has a remarkable ability to repair itself, but there are some lifestyle choices and nutrients which can support your liver and help it to repair damage caused by chemicals, alcohol, medication, viruses and excess fats.

As is often our message the best way to support an organ’s ability to repair itself is to create a healthy environment for it with regular exercise and a healthy diet which includes all the food groups: grains, fruits, vegetables, meat and beans, milk, and oils in balance.

There are some foods which are recognised as particularly useful in supporting the liver and promoting detoxification in your liver.

Garlic is a wonderful food with many health benefits and the sulphur compound called allicin which is produced when garlic is chopped, or chewed is the part which is particularly useful for your liver to help in detoxification. Articles like this one from Disabled World are worth reading to learn more about the many benefits of garlic.

Beets are used to help blood purification and clean up heavy metals

Cruciferous Vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage also help in detoxification of the liver and contain chemicals which can help neutralise some toxins.

Lemons when freshly squeezed in the morning can help cleanse the liver and promote bile production.

Bitter greens like rocket, chicory and endive all help the liver to promote bile production.

Fruits high in antioxidants such as prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, oranges, pink grapefruit, cantaloupe, apples and pears can help fight free radicals. Free radicals can build up as your liver goes through the normal process of detoxification and antioxidants are useful to help defend the liver and help clean up these harmful free radicals.

Supplementing your diet with Healthy herbs that support your liver

You can further optimise your diet with dietary supplements which offer more concentrated food sourced compounds that have been specifically selected for their liver supporting properties.

Milk Thistle Seed: Contains some of the most potent liver protecting substances known. Prevents free radical damage by acting as an antioxidant, protecting the liver. Also stimulates the production of new liver cells and prevents formation of damaging leukotrienes. Protects the kidneys. Good for all liver disorders, such as jaundice and hepatitis. Also beneficial for psoriasis.

Dandelion Root: Has a significant cleansing effect on the liver by stimulating the production of bile, which ultimately results in increased transport of a variety of potentially noxious compounds to the stool. This makes it useful for people with sluggish liver function due to alcohol abuse or poor diet. Good for cirrhosis of the liver, fluid retention, hepatitis, jaundice and rheumatism. Cleanses the liver and bloodstream and increases the production of bile. Improves functioning of the liver, kidneys, pancreas, spleen and stomach. Used as a diuretic and digestive aid.

Mandrake Root: Is a strong glandular stimulant. It is used for treatment of chronic liver diseases, skin problems, bile flow, digestion and eliminating obstructions. Is often combined with supporting herbs to regulate liver and bowels, for uterine disorders and intermittent fevers.

Blessed Thistle: Heals the liver. Increases appetite and stomach secretions. Alleviates
inflammation, improves circulation and purifies the blood. Stimulates bile production in the liver.

Uva Ursi Leaf: Acts as a diuretic and helps disorders of the liver, spleen, pancreas, and small intestine.

You will find all of the above and 14 other herbs that were personally selected and synergistically blended by the herbal genius Jim Strauss, in his Liver capsules.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Top 5 tips for a healthy 2013

Welcome to 2013! We hope everyone had a wonderful time celebrating with family and friends. A few days into the new year and it is a great time to pause and reflect on the year gone by and to make plans for the year to come.

For those thinking of their health in the new year we have compiled our top 5 ideas to make 2013 a healthy and happy one. If you are still looking to fill your new years resolutions list here are some ideas to consider.

1 - Made to move

Humans are made for movement. While not very fast compared to the rest of the animal kingdom most humans can, with little specialist training, run relatively long distances. In a hot climate humans can beat a horse in a marathon and though a horse will often win they require breaks and vet check-ups along the way while a human does not. We are the champion long distance runners of the animal kingdom.

It is not surprising then that several studies have shown that avoiding a sedentary life can greatly decrease the risk of chronic illness such as heart disease and cancers.

So for a healthy year make sure this is an active one. If you have a job which is sedentary even small breaks involving movement every hour can make a difference and getting at least 3 hours of good exercise per week can greatly reduce health risks like diabetes and heart attacks.

2 - Abundant nutrition

Nutrition is fundamental to your health. It is also a complex topic as we have described in other articles. Vitamins and minerals interact with each other and are most easily digested when in certain combinations and ratios. The most easily prepared and readily accessible food for many people today is highly processed which results in reduced nutrient content. Soil depletion and modern farming practices also contribute to further loss of nutrients. So it is important to make an effort to optimise your nutritional intake.

Here are some key things to consider.

The freshness of your food matters: Fruit and vegetables are generally most nutrient-packed when they are ripe and fresh, so buying produce that is ripe, fresh and in season is the best way to ensure they are highly nutritious. Buying frozen vegetables can actually be best for out of season produce as frozen produce that was picked ripe maintains a high concentration of nutrients. Certain vitamins are less stable and more water soluble such as Folate, Thiamin and Vitamin C, so these can degrade fastest in frozen or out of season produce. Also steaming vegetables or eating them clean and raw rather than boiling them can minimize the loss of water soluble vitamins.

Choose bio-available supplements: Many people take vitamin or mineral supplements but most products are single vitamin or single mineral supplements which cannot address multiple deficiencies or hope to offer optimal absorption due to nutrient nutrient absorption dependencies. So researching your vitamin and mineral supplements and choosing multi vitamin/mineral formulas which are highly bio-available is recommended.

In summary while being nutritionally deficient can have serious health effects, your body can happily and safely handle more essential nutrients, so make an effort to include as much fresh produce in your diet as possible and supplement your diet with a highly bio-available multi vitamin/mineral formula such as Naturezone Micronutritionals rather than single vitamin or single mineral products.


3 - Consume less processed sugar and carbohydrates

Unlike ensuring abundant and optimal nutrition it is very easy to find a lot of sugars and processed carbohydrates in food all year around.

Carbohydrates are important and are turned into glucose in the blood to provide you with readily available energy. But because of the easy access to them and their year around availability we can easily consume too much. Elevated blood glucose levels are the primary stimulus for insulin production so excessive carbohydrate consumption is a likely contributor to problems like insulin resistance and diabetes.

It is all too easy in a typical day for every meal to be carbohydrate rich and to treat yourself to something sweet in between meals, but this is a recipe for continually high blood glucose and best avoided.

So look to replace some of your carbohydrate rich recipes with more lean meats, fish and vegetables and less potatoes, pasta, rice and sweet treats to avoid being part of the growing number of people who suffer from high blood glucose and the related problems like insulin resistance and diabetes.


4 - Watch the additives

Have you ever looked at the ingredients in daily use products like shampoos, conditioners, soaps, deodorants, creams, hair care products and make up? They often contain a large list of additives designed to preserve the product, make it thicker, more fragrant or colourful but which can also be toxic in higher dosages. These ingredients are in small dosages in each product and while your skin is a good barrier we are using more and more products that contain them. So try to use less of these types of products and replace the ones you do use with products that do not contain additives such as the Strauss range of hair care and skin care products.


5 - Take time to enjoy it

People intuitively know that there is such a thing as a healthy outlook and there is an interesting link between your body chemistry and your mood. While healthy living and optimal nutrition can balance your body chemistry and thereby your mood it is also true that simply focusing on things that bring you joy changes your body chemistry. So take time to dwell on the things that bring you joy in 2013 and have a great and healthy year!