Tuesday, August 25, 2009

What is L-Glutamine?




Glutamine is an amino acid (building blocks of protein) found in the muscles of the body. In fact, it is the most abundant free amino acid.

Technically, glutamine is classified as a semi-essential amino acid, which means that under normal circumstances the body can manufacture it on its own to meet the physiological demands.

However, there are times that glutamine becomes an essential amino acid due to metabolic stress situations like trauma (including surgical trauma), cancer, burns, and sepsis. Under such conditions, it is important that there is an adequate intake of glutamine to meet the increased demand created by these situations.

With that being said, let’s move to more l glutamine facts and L- glutamine benefits.

L Glutamine Facts: Health Benefits of L Glutamine

General Info

  • Serves as a source of fuel for cells lining the intestines
  • It's involved in more metabolic processes than any other amino acid.
  • Some experts point out that glutamine can pass through the protective blood-brain barrier and, because of this, it is known as brain fuel.
  • Aids in protecting the body from ammonia toxicity.
  • Appears to be necessary for normal brain function.
  • Essential for maintaining amino acid balance in the body during times of severe stress.
  • It's used by white blood cells and contributes to normal immune-system function.

    L Glutamine Facts: Health Benefits of L Glutamine

    General Health Benefits

  • Promotes the maintenance of a healthy digestive tract.
  • May promote mental alertness and improve mood and memory.
  • May boost immune function and fight infection.
  • May decrease sugar cravings and the desire for alcohol.
  • Helps to prevent the kind of muscle loss (wasting) that can accompany prolonged bed rest or illnesses such as cancer and AIDS who may be incapable of manufacturing their own supply of glutamine. Side Note: It's important to note that stress an injury (including surgical trauma) cause the muscles to release glutamine into the bloodstream. In fact, some experts state that during the time of stress as much as one third of glutamine present in the muscles may be released. As a result, stress and/or illness can lead to the loss of skeletal muscle if not enough glutamine is available. Therefore, one of the benefits of L glutamine is to ensure enough of it is available in the body to help prevent muscle loss (wasting).

    Are there any side effects and precautions?

    The Benefits of L Glutamine

    Glutamine supplement is considered safe when used in accordance with proper dosing guidelines. At the time of this writing, the most commonly experienced side effects while taking glutamine include: constipation and bloating.

    However, anyone with cirrhosis of the liver, kidney conditions, Reye’s syndrome, or any type of disorder that can result in an accumulation of ammonia in the blood are advised to avoid supplemental glutamine.

    In addition, because of the potential for side effects and interactions with medications it is crucial that you always speak to a knowledgeable healthcare provider before taking any dietary supplements, including glutamine. This advice is also recommended for anyone suffering from a health condition

  • http://www.nutritional-supplement-educational-centre.com/benefits-of-l-glutamine.html


  • Friday, August 14, 2009

    New Recipe Blog

    http://www.staylean.blogspot.com



    Here is a new Blog my wife and I are putting together for the purpose of providing my clients with healthy recipe alternatives. They are particularly yummy (I am biased though). My wife will be posting a new one everyday until there are a good amount to choose from. Enjoy, and email me with any questions.

    -Jared

    Saturday, August 1, 2009

    Cost of Treating Obesity Soars



    Here is an article I found that is very interesting. We need to take care of ourselves because whether or not we pay for health care by choice or universally, we all pay for each other in the end. Take care of yourself and we all benefit. The responsibility is ours alone and no one elses. Anyways, enjoy!
    -Jared

    "The medical costs of treating obesity-related diseases may have soared as high as $147 billion in 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday, as its new director set a fresh tone in favor of more aggressively attacking obesity.

    The cost of treating obesity doubled over a decade, signaling the rising prevalence of excess weight and the toll it is taking on the health-care system. The medical costs of obesity were estimated to be $74 billion in 1998, according to a study by federal government researchers and RTI International, a nonprofit research institute in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

    The findings were released at a conference on obesity held by the CDC in Washington, D.C. The prevalence of obesity rose 37% between 1998 and 2006, and medical costs climbed to about 9.1% of all U.S. medical costs, the researchers said.

    Obese people spent 42% more than people of normal weight on medical costs in 2006, a difference of $1,429, the study found. Prescription drugs accounted for much of the increase.

    The numbers underscore the urgent need for deeper interventions in society and the environment that will make it easier for people to maintain normal weight, Thomas Frieden, the CDC’s new director, told conference attendees. While obesity rates among some population groups have shown signs of leveling off, that is of little comfort, he said: The average American is about 23 pounds overweight. Obesity is causing disabilities and exacerbating health disparities, he said. The average American consumes about 250 calories more a day now than two or three decades ago.

    “Obesity and with it diabetes are the only major health problems that are getting worse in this country, and they’re getting worse rapidly,” he said.

    Change is needed on many fronts, he added. “Reversing obesity is not going to be done successfully with individual effort.”

    While the CDC is not a regulatory agency and has only a $43 million budget this year for nutrition, physical activity and obesity programs, it is now stepping up its efforts to combat obesity. Last week, the agency released a set of recommendations to help communities prevent and combat obesity. They include discouraging the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, instituting smaller portion-size options in venues such as government facilities, and requiring physical education in schools.

    As New York City’s health commissioner for more than seven years, Dr. Frieden was known for measures such as banning artificial trans fats in some foods and requiring certain chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus. In an article published in April in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Frieden and Kelly Brownell, a professor at Yale University, proposed a penny-an-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, arguing that those drinks “may be the single largest driver of the obesity epidemic.”

    In his speech Monday, Dr. Frieden said measures that had worked to control tobacco, such as taxes and reducing exposure, could help control obesity, too. Those could include a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. A 10% price increase on sugared beverages could reduce consumption 7.8%, he said.

    But he didn’t express the proposal as a policy of the Obama administration. The CDC doesn’t officially endorse an increase in taxes on soda, but cites price increases as a proven strategy for tobacco control and says they should be considered as a strategy for obesity control.

    The beverage industry opposes soda-tax proposals. “It’s overreaching when government uses the tax code to tell people what they can eat or drink, said Kevin Keane, a spokesman for the American Beverage Association. “It’s hard to make the connection that there’s a unique tie between soft drinks and obesity.” "


    http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970204563304574314794089897258.html
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/23065375@N05/2234743107/