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Oat Bran Can Help Prevent High Cholesterol.....

The natural antioxidants in Oat Bran can significantly reduce blood
cholesterol levels by suppressing the adhesive molecules which make blood
cells stick to artery walls, researchers reported last month.

When blood cells stick to artery walls and cause inflammation, plaque
deposits build up and narrow the passageways through which blood flows. But
the Oat Bran antioxidants (known as avenanthramides) can suppress this
plaque, and in turn they reduce the gradual constriction of vessels that
leads to hardening of the arteries.

The study was conducted by nutritionist Mohsen Meydani and fellow scientists
at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) at
Tufts University in Boston. The research was funded by the Agricultural
Research Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Meydani found that the ability of blood cells to stick to arterial wall
cells was significantly reduced.

“Adding Oat Bran products as part of an overall healthy diet and cutting
down on high-fat, high-cholesterol foods are important to gaining these
benefits,” said Meydani. His team filed a patent on the function of
avenanthramides present in Oat Bran, based on their anti-inflammatory and
antiatherogenic effects. The study was reported in the June issue of USDA’s
Agricultural Research magazine.

Vitamin Power’s Oat Bran Tablets are a convenient and effective method of
adding Oat Bran providing beneficial antioxidant compounds, beta-glucan to
your daily dietary intake.

Mastering Migraine Headaches.....

Feverfew

inflammatory activity Promotes proper circulation and fluid balance Feverfew is a flower from the daisy family that has long been used for medicinal purposes. Feverfew's most abundant ingredient, parthenolide, may interfere with serotonin release from platelets, a suggested cause of migraines. In addition, feverfew extracts may produce an inhibition of histamine release and prostaglandin production to achieve anti-inflammatory effects. In the United Kingdom, feverfew is widely used to help prevent migraine headaches.

MASTERING MIGRAINE HEADACHES

Estimates of the number of Americans suffering from migraine (migrane) headaches range from a conservative 26 million proposed by the American Medical Association to an alarming 48 million (6% of men and 18% of women), based on data from Lipton and Stewart, published in Neurologic Clinics.

Despite this prevalence, migraines remain a mystery to many, even to those who suffer most from these headaches unlike any other. There is no medical test for determining what is or isn't a migrane headache, but guidelines do exist for differentiating between migranes and other severe headaches.

According to an FDA Consumer article based on information from the American Medical Association, nausea and sensitivity to light, sound and odors are characteristics of migraine headaches which don't usually accompany tension or cluster headaches.

Although partial remedies do exist once the pain starts, heading off your headache before it hits you hard is probably the most effective game plan for vanquishing migraines. Learning to recognize the warnings signs of migraine onset and avoiding so-called "triggers" are essential.

WARNING SIGNS
Writing in the FDA Consumer, Tamar Nordenberg notes "About 15 to 20 percent of migraine sufferers experience visual and other disturbances about
15 minutes before the head pain." In such cases, the migraines which follow are known as "classic" and the disturbances referred to as "aura." Where immediate treatment is possible when aura manifests, prognosis for avoiding an all-out migraine can be improved.

AVOID TRIGGERS-
BE HAPPY
Identifying the specific or compound triggers for your migraines, and avoiding them, is another way you can help keep your "head happy." Such triggers, according to the FDA, with information from the American Council for Headache Education, may include foods containing tyramine (certain cheeses, dried smoked fish, sour cream, yogurt and others), fatty foods, chocolate and too much, or too little, caffeine.

Food additives such a nitrites (often used in prepared meats), MSG and aspartame are well known triggers for many. As might be expected, lifestyle factors such as stress, sleep deficiency, smoking and irregular eating also play an important role. For women, three times as likely to suffer from migraines as men, hormonal changes such as those accompanying menstruation, menopause or the onset of puberty are often implicated.

WHEN THE PAIN COMES
Just what causes migraine pain is not clear, but a general consensus exists that dilation of blood vessels (as opposed to constriction, as with standard headaches) is responsible. For this reason, headache medication itself may provoke migraines. For the same reason, seeking the advice of a physician before taking drugs or other remedies is very important; the wrong diagnosis could easily make your migraine worse!

LEARN MORE
Migraines are not, by any means, unique to the United States. For example, a study by F. Sakai and H. Igarashi, published in Cephalalgia, reported an 8.4% prevalence of migraines in Japan. With so many migraineurs in pain, government and medical bodies have multiplied efforts to make information and resources available to both patients and health care providers.

Two good places to begin looking for help are the FDA migraine page and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Migraine Information Center. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1998/398_pain.html
http://www.ama-assn.org/special/migraine/index.htm

Homocysteine: Heart Attack Risk & Weakens Bones!.....

Heart disease, breast cancer and osteoporosis (weakening of the bones) are the leading health issues facing women in America. Although deaths from heart attack in men have been decreasing for 15 years, they have remained steady for women. Most women are aware of the risk factors of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, abnormal blood fats, cigarette smoking, diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity. The body’s own production of homocysteine has been linked to increased risk of heart attack, stroke and blood clots.

Researchers found that high blood levels of homocysteine also increase the risk of hip fractures in older adults. Women with high homocysteine concentrations had a nearly 200 percent greater chance of sustaining a hip fracture than those with lower levels. Consuming adequate amounts of B Complex Vitamins (including Folic Acid) is the best way to lower homocysteine. Good food sources include asparagus, avocado, beans, beets, broccoli, liver, cereals, corn, peanut butter, peas, spinach and tofu. (New England Journal of Medicine, 350:2033-2041, 2004).

For your reference . . .
The following Vitamin Power products provide the full range of B Complex Vitamins, including Folic Acid, to help assure optimum daily intake:

Mega Multiple 85 Capsules (prod. no. 266)

Power Source 100 (prod. no. 3090)

Super-Vite (prod. no. 1034)

Ultra Multi 90 Plus (prod. no. 1090)

Super B Complex - 50 mg. Tablets (prod. no. 1036)

Super B Complex - 100 mg. Tablets (prod. no. 1038)

Super B Comlpex - 150 mg. Tablets (prod. no. 1049)

Nutra Stress 1200 Formula Tablets (prod. no. 445)

Pure B Complex - 50 mg. Nutra-Caps (prod. no. 262)

Pure B Complex - 100 mg. Nutra-Caps (prod. no. 263)

Nutra Stress Factors Nutra-Caps (267)

The information presented is for information purposes only. It is based on scientific
studies or traditional usage. Consult a health care professional before using supplements or making any changes in prescribed medications.

Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.