Did You Know...
07/13/2010
Furci Home / Fitness Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
A column by Mike Furci that brings you research, trends and other info to help you with your fitness, health and nutritional needs.
…eggshell membrane can reduce arthritis pain? Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative arthritis, can be painful and debilitating. It's caused by the breakdown and eventual loss of cartilage. OA is the most common form of arthritis out of more than 100 different types, and affects nearly 27 million people. With a third of people over 65 being diagnosed with OA, traditional treatments, as with western medicine in general, address only the symptoms. More and more people, in an effort to try and prevent as well as treat the disease, are turning to alternative methods.
Natural eggshell membrane (NEM) is an alternative dietary supplement that contains hyaluronic acid, chondroitin and glucosamine. NEM was investigated for its effects and safety for pain and stiffness in osteoarthritis of the knee in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. Sixty-seven study participants took 500 mg of NEM daily for eight weeks. They were evaluated at 10, 30 and 60 days for joint pain.
After 60 days, 32% of the NEM group had more than a 50% reduction in pain. Their stiffness also continued to get better, with an average 27% reduction compared to the placebo group. By the end of the trial, natural eggshell membrane had reduced stiffness by half for the majority of the patients.
In a related study in which researchers evaluated the use of eggshell membrane extract in people who had joint and connective tissue disorders, 39 patients received 500 mg once daily for four weeks. After seven days, patients reported a 27.8% improvement in flexibility. After 30 days, the participants reported a 72.8% reduction in general pain, a 43.7% increase in flexibility, and a 75.9% reduction in pain associated with range of motion. As with the above study of eggshell membrane extract for osteoarthritis, the patients in this study tolerated the supplement well.
…a review of 51 separate studies published in 2006 concluded that flu vaccines work no better than a placebo in 260,000 children ranging in age from 6 to 23 months? A report published in 2008 found flu vaccines in young children made no difference in the number of flu-related doctor and hospital visits. They are equally useless for adults.
The additives in flu vaccines include thimerosol (contains mercury), aluminum hydroxide (a neurotoxin), formaldehyde, MSG (used in a growth medium), and other adjuvants including squalene (has rendered animals crippled and paralyzed). (Enig, Mary,. And Sally Fallon. "Caustic Commentary." Wise Traditions 2009; 10(3): 15)
…some of the most common drugs to treat people with supposed high cholesterol levels like Lipitor, Zocor and Crestor inhibit more than cholesterol production? Formally referred to as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, these drugs (statins) work by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. Inhibiting this enzyme does reduce cholesterol levels but also reduces the production of CoQ10 (Co-enzyme Q 10). CoQ10 is a vital component to all cells in our body and is a very powerful antioxidant (50 times stronger than vitamin E).
After age 20, our synthesis of CoQ10 starts to decline, with a fall strikingly after age 50. Combine our decreased ability to synthesize CoQ10 with statins and you have a recipe for disater. Depletion of this essential enzyme can lead to fatigue, muscle soreness, muscle weakness and heart failure, which happen to be the most common complaints of statin users. CoQ10 has been shown to be essential for a proper functioning heart as well as preventing heart disease and stroke. (1,2)
- "A Physicians' Update on Coenzyme Q10 in U.S. Medicine." A summary of a recent PubMed search and other materials.
- Langsjoen, Peter. "Introduction to Coenzyme Q10."
…you should lose weight before you start to train with weights or you'll just bulk up? WRONG! This is a myth I've been hearing since my early days in the gym. That was more than 25 years ago. All right, enough with the old jokes. Anyway, lifting weights is exactly what you want to do if you're overweight. As a matter of fact, if you had to choose only one type of exercise, weight training would be it by a long shot. Some of you are asking, "What about cardio?"
It's muscle that drives the metabolism. The less muscle we have, the slower our metabolism and visa versa. The only way to preserve or build muscle, which is what you really want and need to stay strong and get lean, is through weight training. (Fitness Myth Busters)
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