Antioxidants Inc.

Red wine and something in red wine called resveratrol might be heart healthy. Find out the facts, and hype, regarding red wine and its impact on your heart.

Red wine, in moderation, has long been thought of as heart healthy. The alcohol and certain substances in red wine called antioxidants may help prevent heart disease by increasing levels of “good” cholesterol and protecting against artery damage.

While the news about red wine might sound great if you enjoy a glass of red wine with your evening meal, doctors are wary of encouraging anyone to start drinking alcohol. That’s because too much alcohol can have many harmful effects on your body.

Still, doctors do agree that something in red wine appears to help your heart, though it’s unclear just exactly what that “something” is. Researchers think antioxidants, such as flavonoids or a substance called resveratrol, have promising heart-healthy benefits.

Antioxidants aren’t the only substances in red wine that look promising. The alcohol in red wine also appears to be heart healthy. Find out what’s known — and not known — about red wine and its possible heart-health benefits.

How is red wine heart healthy?
Research studies on the heart-health benefits of red wine have reported mixed results. Some studies show that red wine seems to have even more heart-health benefits than other types of alcohol, while other studies show that red wine isn’t any better than beer, white wine or liquor for heart health. There’s still no clear evidence yet that red wine is superior to other forms of alcohol when it comes to possible heart-health benefits.

The studies supporting red wine suggest antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. These antioxidants come in two main forms: flavonoids and nonflavonoids.

Flavonoids. These antioxidants are found in a variety of foods, including oranges, grape juice, apples, onions, tea and cocoa. Other types of alcohol, such as white wine and beer, contain small amounts, too, but red wine has higher levels.

Nonflavonoids. These antioxidants found in red wine have recently been of particular interest because they appear to help prevent arteries from becoming clogged with fatty blockages. However, these studies mostly involved mice — not humans. Resveratrol is the nonflavonoid that’s received the most attention from researchers.

Resveratrol in red wine
Resveratrol might be a key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces “bad” cholesterol and prevents blood clots.

Most research on resveratrol has been conducted on animals, not people. Research in mice given resveratrol has indicated that the antioxidant might also help protect them from obesity and diabetes, both of which are strong risk factors for heart disease. However, those findings were reported only in mice, not in people. In addition, to get the same dose of resveratrol used in the mice studies, a person would have to consume 100 to 1,000 bottles of red wine a day.

Some research shows that resveratrol could be linked to a reduced risk of inflammation and blood clotting, both of which can lead to heart disease. More research is needed before it’s known whether resveratrol was the cause for the reduced risk.

Some companies sell supplements containing resveratrol. However, not enough is known about resveratrol’s effects to endorse resveratrol supplements. Research into the potential heart-health benefits of resveratrol is continuing.

Resveratrol in grapes and other foods
The resveratrol in red wine comes from the skin of grapes used to make wine. Because red wine is fermented with grape skins longer than is white wine, red wine contains more resveratrol. Simply eating grapes, or drinking grape juice, has been suggested as one way to get resveratrol without drinking alcohol. Some studies have suggested that red and purple grape juices have some of the same heart-healthy benefits of red wine.

Other foods that contain some resveratrol include peanuts, blueberries and cranberries. It’s not yet known how beneficial eating grapes or other foods might be compared with drinking red wine when it comes to promoting heart health. The amount of resveratrol in food and red wine can vary widely.

How does alcohol help the heart?
Various studies have shown that moderate amounts of all types of alcohol benefit your heart, not just alcohol found in red wine. It’s thought that alcohol:

Raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol
Reduces the formation of blood clots
Helps prevent artery damage caused by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol
Drink in moderation — or not at all
Red wine’s potential heart-health benefits look promising. Those who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, including red wine, seem to have a lower risk of heart disease. However, more research is needed before we know whether red wine is better for your heart than are other forms of alcohol, such as beer or spirits.

Neither the American Heart Association nor the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease. Alcohol can be addictive and is associated with other health issues.

Drinking too much increases your risk of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, liver damage, obesity, certain types of cancer, accidents and other problems. In addition, even small amounts of alcohol can cause cardiomyopathy — weakened heart muscle — causing symptoms of heart failure in some people. If you have heart failure or a weak heart, you should avoid alcohol completely. If you take aspirin daily, you should avoid or limit alcohol, depending on your doctor’s advice. You also shouldn’t drink alcohol if you’re pregnant. If you have questions about the benefits and risks of alcohol, talk to your doctor about specific recommendations for you.

If you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. Moderate drinking is defined as an average of two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.

A drink is defined as 12 ounces (355 milliliters, or mL) of beer, 5 ounces (148 mL) of wine or 1.5 ounces (44 mL) of 80-proof distilled spirits.

The limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol than women do.

One hundred percent of American adults, if they live long enough, have herniation of the bowel. The number one cancer among men and women together is colon/rectal cancer. The colon is the sewer of your body. If it’s not cleansed, the waste throughout the body can’t get out. According to some estimates, about 70 million Americans suffer from bowel problems. These statistics cover only those people whose problems are severe enough to cause them to consult a medical doctor. People who aren’t even aware that they have a bowel problem are often in the worst condition. When the colon is healthy, a person will have two or more well-formed bowel movements a day. Every morning, they’ll have a huge movement which should altogether be from 2 to 4 feet long. Later on in the day they’ll have another movement, which will be about half the size of the first. These stools should be expelled effortlessly–within seconds after they sit down. If you have to strain or if you have to read a magazine while you wait for a movement, then you are constipated. Another indication of poor bowel function is if your stools are small and narrow, or if they are short or hard. You shouldn’t see any mucus, half-digested food, or blood.

Bowel problems can cause nutritional deficiency, regardless of how good your diet is or how many vitamins you take. A poor diet creates sticky fecal matter. When there is not proper elimination, deposits of fecal matter build up along the wall of the colon or in the pockets of the colon. That’s why even a mild case of constipation is a serious problem. Normally, the body pushes wastes out of your colon in eighteen to twenty-four hours. However, when you’re not eliminating properly, these wastes may not leave for days. Usually the material deposits along your colon walls, it may not leave for months or years. These deposits of fecal matter in the colon get irritated. This may lead to a spastic or inflamed colon, conditions that interfere even more with nutrient absorption and also with proper bowel function. The feces that remain in one’s system begin to decay, releasing toxins and poisonous gases that seep out into the blood and poison all the organs and tissues. The blood stream itself gets polluted, preventing it from removing the cells’ wastes. So the whole system is poisoned by wastes.

The acai berry (ah-sigh-ee) grows in the Amazon Rainforest on acai palm trees and looks like a purple marble or purple grape. The Acaí berry (fruit) is 90% seed pit and 10% acaí pulp and must be carefully handled before it can be consumed. During the process the acaí berries with water are put into a machine and are agitated against one another. This process separates the acaí pulp from the seed to produce a thick acaí fruit pulp puree.

Acaí berry has a unique tropical fruit flavor and provides a high level nutritional benefits. The acaí berry contains high levels of antioxidants also known as anthocyanins. It also contains Omega Fatty Acids (healthy fats), Amino Acids, Fiber, Iron, along with many other vitamins and minerals (Nutritional Value of the Acai Berry and Acai Berry Juice). An amazonian traditional recipe mixes acaí fruit pulp and natural guarana seed, which gives energy and heighten mental clarity that has caffeine like effects when combined with guarana.

Natives living in the Amazon river region in Northern Brazil, have had as part of their diet the acai berry for hundreds of years for it’s nutritional value. It’s healing and wellness powers are legendary throughout the area. The popularity of the acai berry is starting to spread from Brazil to the rest of the Americas.

Acai Berry has the following nutritional, health and wellness properties:

* Antioxidant
* Antibacterial
* Anti-inflammatory
* Antimutagenic
* Cardiovascular System

Acai berries contain very high amounts of essential fatty acid & omegas proven to lower LDL & maintain HDL cholesterol levels. They also have a remarkable concentration of antioxidants to help combat free radicals and premature aging. Acai Berry is a source of a particular class of flavonoids called anthocyanins. The ORAC value of Acai Berry is higher than any other edible berry in the world! Acai Berry is also an excellent source of dietary fiber!

Acai is extremely rich in organic vegetable protein which does not generate cholesterol
during its digestion and is easier processed and transported to your muscles than animal protein
(such as in milk or meat). Besides its outstanding content of protein and unsaturated
lipids, acai is also rich in carbohydrates which provide your body with the necessary
energy while working or practicing any kind of sport. That is why acai is served in most gyms,
sport clubs and beaches all over Brazil.

According to medical research studies conducted on the acai berries, and cited
below, their analysis reveals:

An amazingly high concentration levels of antioxidants contributed to combating premature aging.

The proanthocyanidine contents in Acai Berries are 10 to 30 times the anthocyanins (these are the purple colored antioxidants) of red wine per volume. (1)

Although the French have a high fat diet, they have a low incidence of cardio vascular disease compared to the western countries. They contribute this factor to their consumption of red wine. (5)

Acai Berries can help a promote a healthier cardio vascular system and digestive tract, because of its synergy of monounsaturated (these are the healthily) fats, dietary fiber and phytosterols.

An excellent source of fiber! There are approximately 2 grams of dietary fiber in our Açaí Energy Mix. Fiber promotes a healthy digestive system. Research studies suggests soluble fibers may help lower blood cholesterol The insoluble fiber may help to reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancers. (5)

Essential amino acid complex along with trace minerals, which are vital for proper muscle contraction and regeneration.

Aside from the energy and fluid replacement, Acai Berries provide a nutrition profile complete with vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids (omega 3, 6 and 9).

The fatty acid ratio in Acai resembles that of olive oil. Studies suggest this is a contributing factor to the low incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean populations. (1,5)

Acai Berries contain plant sterols including beta-sitosterol. Today, sterols are being used to treat associated benign prostate dyperplasia. (6) These plant sterols have also been shown to help control cholesterol as well as act as precursors to many important substances produced by the body. (7)

Acai: The Amazon Acai Berry
With 10 times the antioxidants of grapes and twice the antioxidants of blueberries, the Brazilian Acai berry (AH-sci-EE) is considered to have the best nutritional value of any fruit on earth.

Nutritional Chemistry

* Polyphenols: 16 (14 – 212 mg/L)
* Anthocyanidins: Thirty times the amount in red wine.
* Phytosterols
* Monounsaturated (healthy) fats (fatty acid ratio resembling olive oil): including essential omega fatty acids: Oleic (omega 9)
* Polyunsaturated fatty acids: Linoleic (omega 6)
* Alpha-tocopherol: natural Vitamin E
* Trace minerals: copper, iron, calcium, cobalt, chromium and manganese
* Dietary Fiber: 7 grams / 100 grams
* Protein: amino acid profile similar to
* Low glycemic index

Content per 100 grams of Acai:

* Acid: 0.13%
* Brix: 45.90 g
* Protein: 6%
* Fiber: 16.9g
* Niacin: 0.40mg
* Phosphorous: 58mg
* Iran: 11.8mg
* Vitamin B1: 0.36mg
* Vitamin B2: 0.01mg
* Calcium: 9mg
* Vitamin C: 9mg
* ph: 5.21
* Calories: 247

OMEGA FATTY ACIDS;(Omega 9, Omega 6, and Omega 3). These mono-saturated
essential fatty acids help lower LDL (harmful cholesterol) while maintaining HDL (beneficial
cholesterol). This unique ratio resembles the same combination as olive oil. Omega fatty acids combat heart disease by increasing healthy cell development. Omega fatty acids are essential for healthy nervous system development and regeneration. They help rapidly repair and rejuvenate muscles after intense exercise.

AMINO ACIDS; the Acai berry contains an almost perfect essential amino acid complex. This is vital for proper muscle contraction and regeneration, and for endurance, strength, sustained energy and muscle development.

NATURAL VITAMIN E; to protect against aging.

THEOBROMINE; acts as a bronchial dilator to help open air passage ways in the lungs. This increased air capacity helps in oxygen intake, which increases endurance, strength, and athletic performance.

PHOTOSTEROLS; These complex compounds of plant cell membranes are used to treat symptoms associated with BPH, (benign prostate hyperplasia). Photosterols also help promote a healthy cardiovascular system and contributes to a healthy digestive tract.

ANTI-OXIDANTS; Acai is rich in antocyanins, an essential anti-oxidizer that helps combat premature aging. In fact, acai has 10 –30 times more anthocyanins (purple colored anti-oxidants) that a glass of red wine.

To know where you can get Acai Berry,  click here

Various studies have shown that moderate amounts of all types of alcohol benefit your heart, not just alcohol found in red wine. It’s thought that alcohol:

• Raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol
• Reduces the formation of blood clots
• Helps prevent artery damage caused by high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the “bad” cholesterol
• Drink in moderation — or not at all
• Red wine’s potential heart-health benefits look promising. Those who drink moderate amounts of alcohol, including red wine, seem to have a lower risk of heart disease. However, more research is needed before we know whether red wine is better for your heart than are other forms of alcohol, such as beer or spirits.

Neither the American Heart Association nor the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease. Alcohol can be addictive and is associated with other health issues.

Drinking too much increases your risk of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, liver damage, obesity, certain types of cancer, accidents and other problems. In addition, even small amounts of alcohol can cause cardiomyopathy — weakened heart muscle — causing symptoms of heart failure in some people. If you have heart failure or a weak heart, you should avoid alcohol completely. If you take aspirin daily, you should avoid or limit alcohol, depending on your doctor’s advice. You also shouldn’t drink alcohol if you’re pregnant. If you have questions about the benefits and risks of alcohol, talk to your doctor about specific recommendations for you.

If you already drink red wine, do so in moderation. Moderate drinking is defined as an average of two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.

A drink is defined as 12 ounces (355 milliliters, or mL) of beer, 5 ounces (148 mL) of wine or 1.5 ounces (44 mL) of 80-proof distilled spirits.

The limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol than women do.

Antioxidants are naturally occurring substances found in fruits and vegetables that play a critical role in promoting health. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals and help to prevent cell damage that can lead to disease. We’re all familiar with Vitamin C and Vitamin E, two important antioxidants.

However, in recent years, research has pointed to the exceptional health benefits associated with the less well known subclasses of “high-potency” antioxidants, such as:

• 
  Anthocyanidins (e.g., purple potatoes*, blueberries)
• 
  Flavan-3-ols (e.g., black grapes, Granny Smith apples)
• 
  Lutein (e.g., cantaloupes, kale)
• 
  Flavones (e.g., navel oranges)
• 
  Lycopene (e.g., tomatoes, watermelon)

*The Purple Majesty™ purple potato is Certified Antioxidant Rich™ with 235 mg per 148 gram serving.

Health Benefits of High-Potency Antioxidants

Studies have identified numerous benefits associated with specific subclasses of high-potency antioxidants, including:

• 
  Better circulation
• 
  Reduced age-related memory loss
• 
  Strengthened immune system
• 
  Reduced risk of cancer and heart disease
• 
  Reduced inflammation
• 
  Lower cholesterol

Distinguishing Products That are Antioxidant Rich

Products that can be independently certified by SCS as “Antioxidant Rich” under its Certified Nutrition Rich program can carry the SCS Certified Antioxidant Rich label. The label specifies the amount of health-enhancing antioxidants provided per serving. This label can appear on individual or packaged fresh produce items, as well as on store signs. The first Certified Antioxidant Rich product is the Purple Majesty™ potato (Farm Fresh Direct, LLC) containing extremely high levels of anthocyanidins – 235 mg per 148 gram serving.  Other products that could soon be certified include certain varieties of apples, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, tomatoes, melons and grapes.

It’s easy to get enough antioxidants by choosing a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables

and wholegrains. Here are some tips on boosting the antioxidants in your diet:

› Top your breakfast cereal with sliced strawberries and kiwi fruit

› Make sure you have two pieces of fruit every day

› Drink coffee in moderation, as a source of antioxidants

› Pack fruit salad for a vitamin and antioxidant-rich school snack

› Keep canned or frozen berries on hand for smoothies, or add to yoghurt for a delicious dessert

› Use tomato-based sauces and tinned tomatoes with your pasta

› Have tomatoes or mushrooms on toast

› Go Mexican and use red kidney beans in your bolognaise sauce

› Snack on mixed dried fruit and nuts

› Include carrots, pumpkin, eggplant, onion, garlic and capsicum in your Sunday roast

› Pile your plate high with red, yellow and green vegetables

› If you want to indulge occasionally , enjoy a small amount (about 20g) of high cocoa dark chocolate or hot cocoa/ hot chocolate.

An apple slice turns brown. Fish becomes rancid. A cut on your skin is raw and inflamed. All of these result from a natural process called oxidation. It happens to all cells in nature, including the ones in your body.

To help your body protect itself from the rigors of oxidation, Mother Nature provides thousands of different antioxidants in various amounts in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. When your body needs to put up its best defense, especially true in today’s environment, antioxidants are crucial to your health.

How Antioxidants Help Prevent Oxidation

As oxygen interacts with cells of any type – an apple slice or, in your body, the cells lining your lungs or in a cut on your skin — oxidation occurs. This produces some type of change in those cells. They may die, such as with rotting fruit. In the case of cut skin, dead cells are replaced in time by fresh, new cells, resulting in a healed cut.

This birth and death of cells in the body goes on continuously, 24 hours a day. It is a process that is necessary to keep the body healthy. “Oxidation is a very natural process that happens during normal cellular functions,” researcher Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, professor of nutrition at Tufts University in Boston, tells WebMD.

Yet there is a downside. “While the body metabolizes oxygen very efficiently, 1% or 2% of cells will get damaged in the process and turn into free radicals,” he says.

“Free radicals” is a term often used to describe damaged cells that can be problematic. They are “free” because they are missing a critical molecule, which sends them on a rampage to pair with another molecule. “These molecules will rob any molecule to quench that need,” Blumberg says.

The Danger of Free Radicals

When free radicals are on the attack, they don’t just kill cells to acquire their missing molecule. “If free radicals simply killed a cell, it wouldn’t be so bad… the body could just regenerate another one,” he says. “The problem is, free radicals often injure the cell, damaging the DNA, which creates the seed for disease.”

When a cell’s DNA changes, the cell becomes mutated. It grows abnormally and reproduces abnormally — and quickly.

Normal cell functions produce a small percentage of free radicals, much like a car engine that emits fumes. But those free radicals are generally not a big problem. They are kept under control by antioxidants that the body produces naturally, Blumberg explains.

External toxins, especially cigarette smoke and air pollution, are “free radical generators,” he says. “Cigarette smoke is a huge source of free radicals.” In fact, our food and water also harbor free radicals in the form of pesticides and other toxins. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol also triggers substantial free radical production.

Free radicals trigger a damaging chain reaction, and that’s the crux of the problem. “Free radicals are dangerous because they don’t just damage one molecule,” Blumberg explains. “One free radical can set off a whole chain reaction. When a free radical oxidizes a fatty acid, it changes that fatty acid into a free radical, which then damages another fatty acid. It’s a very rapid chain reaction.”

These external attacks can overwhelm the body’s natural free-radical defense system. In time, and with repeated free radical attacks that the body cannot stop, that damage can lead to a host of chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

Oxidative damage in skin cells is caused by cumulative sunlight. But if free radicals are in an internal organ – for example, if asbestos is in your lungs — it stimulates free radical reactions in lung tissue. “Cigarette smoke has active free radical generators,” says Blumberg. That’s why stopping smoking is the biggest step anyone can take to preserving their health.

Getting Antioxidants in Your Diet

In the 21st century, people need to get more antioxidants in their diet to offset all these assaults, he says. “These toxins are ubiquitous in the environment. If you live in a city, you breathe the air. The oxidative burden [on the body] is much, much, much higher than it was 200 years ago. It’s a fact of modern life, so we have to take that into consideration.”

When you follow the USDA’s advice to eat multiple servings of fruits and vegetables, you’re compensating for the effects of environmental toxins. Your body simply doesn’t produce enough antioxidants to do all that, says Blumberg.

What exactly do they do? Antioxidants work to stop this damaging, disease-causing chain reaction that free radicals have started. Each type of antioxidant works either to prevent the chain reaction or stop it after it’s started, Blumberg explains.

Types of Antioxidants

“For example, the role of vitamin C is to stop the chain reaction before it starts,” he says. “It captures the free radical and neutralizes it. Vitamin E is a chain-breaking antioxidant. Wherever it is sitting in a membrane, it breaks the chain reaction.”

Flavonoids are the biggest class of antioxidants. Researchers have identified some 5,000 flavonoids in various foods, Blumberg tells WebMD.

Polyphenols are a smaller class of antioxidants, which scientists often refer to as “phenols.” (Terms like phytonutrient and phytochemical are more generic terms that researchers sometimes use to describe nutrients and chemicals in plants.)

“We have clear science about antioxidants, that our bodies need a Natural Antioxidant Defense Network, for lack of a better term,” Blumberg says. “Just like a country needs a military system, the human body needs defense workers at all levels — lieutenants, corporals, generals, staff sergeants – in the form of antioxidants.”

Getting the Right Mix of Antioxidants

The body needs a mix of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, E, and beta-carotene, to neutralize this free radical assault.

“We can’t rely on a few blockbuster foods to do the job,” says Blumberg. “You can’t eat nine servings of broccoli a day and expect it to do it all. We need to eat many different foods. Each type works in different tissues of the body, in different parts of cells. Some are good at quenching some free radicals, some are better at quenching others. When you have appropriate amounts of different antioxidants, you’re doing what you can to protect yourself.”

Multivitamins and vitamin supplements can provide the body with an antioxidant boost. Yet getting too much of some supplements, like vitamin E, can be harmful. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts contain complex mixes of antioxidants, and therein lies the benefit of eating a variety of healthy foods, says Blumberg.

Researchers continue delving into the mysteries of fruits and vegetables, identifying the complex antioxidants they contain. Quercetin, luteolin, hesperetin, catetchin, even (-)-epigallocetechin are some of the stars they have found — the blockbuster flavonoids in our foods.

“Sure, you can live your whole life without getting epicatechin 3-gallate, a flavonoid found in huge quantities in green tea,” says Blumberg. “But if having it in your diet promotes better health, why not try it?”

Government scientists have released a ranking of Foods with the highest concentrations of antioxidants, which research suggests can help prevent heart disease and certain cancers, as well as keep your eyes, mind, and immune system sharp.

To come up with their results, researchers with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) extracted the antioxidants from 100 common foods using special solvents, then ran them through a device that uses fluorescent light to monitor a chemical reaction that measures antioxidant activity. Researchers then took the resulting numbers—what they call the total antioxidant capacity (TAC)—and compared them.

The good news: You don’t have to put your diet under a microscope to reap the benefits of the top 20. Rather than zeroing in on a particular food because it scored high, use the list to help you put a little variety on your plate.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE LIST

Vitamin C is instrumental in the formation of a protein which gives structure to bones, cartilage muscle and blood vessels. It also aids in the absorption if iron. Scientific researches have shown that there are no known advantages in consuming excessive amounts of Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables, and Scurvy, caused by lack of vitamin C for many weeks or months, wasn’t identified until people were separated from plants for long periods of time – and that first occurred when they built ships that could go on long voyages

The main dietary sources of vitamin C are fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables. Traces of vitamin C occur in fresh meat and fish but scarcely any in cereals, Germinating pulses contain good amounts. Roots and tubers contain small amounts. Amla or the Indian gooseberry is one of the richest sources of vitamin C both in the fresh as well as in the dry condition. Guavas are another cheap but rich sources of this vitamin.

People don’t usually have a toxic effect from vitamin C; it is a water-soluble vitamin and is washed away by water. The human body doesn’t store it. But taking more than 200 milligrams a day can make some people’s stomach sick and it may cause diarrhea in others. Vitamin C consumed in large amounts is thought to be bad for people with family members that have had kidney or gallbladder stones.

Basically, the C Vitamin is used by the body in the electron transport chain, and specifically the one that produces ATP. As regards wound healing, the C Vitamin is involved in connective tissue, and its connective tissue that is called to action in any wound (tissue and remodeling). Also, as collagen is present in the organic matrix of bone tissue, the C Vitamin is essential there too.

Vitamin C Deficiency. Low levels of this vitamin at first will produce swollen gums, nose bleeding, weakness and lassitude. If it gets more sever it can produce a condition called scurvy (scurvy’s symptoms include also irritability, ache and slow wound healing).

The most well-known result of a vitamin C deficiency is scurvy, a condition characterized by weakness, anemia, gum disease, and skin lesions. Fortunately, scurvy is very rare in our modern society although still found to a greater degree in areas of poor nutrition.

Evidence is showing there are benefits from taking vitamin E and vitamin C in combination. They work synergistically. They reinforce and extend each other’s antioxidant action. In other words these vitamins work together causing them to have a greater effect than if they work separately. Vitamin C attracts free radicals in biologic fluids while vitamin E scavenges for dangerous free radicals in cell membranes.

Swine influenza (also called swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu) refers to influenza caused by those strains of influenza virus that usually infect pigs and are called swine influenza virus (SIV).^[1] Swine influenza is common in pigs in the midwestern United States (and occasionally in other states), Mexico, Canada, South America, Europe (including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Italy), Kenya, Mainland China, Taiwan, Japan and other parts of eastern Asia.^[1]

Transmission of SIV from pigs to humans is not common. When it results in human influenza, it is called zoonotic swine flu. People who work with pigs, especially people with intense exposures, are at risk of catching swine flu. However, only about fifty such transmissions have been recorded since the mid-20th Century, when identification of influenza subtypes became possible. (Importantly, eating pork does not pose a risk of infection.) Rarely, swine flu can pass from human to human. In humans, the symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.

The 2009 flu outbreak in humans that is widely known as “swine flu” is due to a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1 that was produced by reassortment from one strain of human influenza virus, one strain of avian influenza virus, and two separate strains of SIV. The origin of this new strain is unknown, and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) reports that this strain has not been isolated in pigs.^[2] It passes with apparent ease from human to human, an ability attributed to an as-yet unidentified mutation.^[3] This 2009 H1N1 strain causes the normal symptoms of influenza, such as fever, coughing and headache.

The situation continues to evolve. As of 23:30 GMT, 1 May 2009, 13 countries have officially reported 367 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.

The United States Government has reported 141 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Mexico has reported 156 confirmed human cases of infection, including nine deaths.

The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths – Austria (1), Canada (34), China, Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region (1), Denmark (1), Germany (4), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (4), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8).

Further information on the situation will be available on the WHO website on a regular basis.

WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.

There is also no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products. Individuals are advised to wash hands thoroughly with soap and water on a regular basis and should seek medical attention if they develop any symptoms of influenza-like illness.

Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further.