Natural Health Products

Consuming a variety of natural health products (NHPs) is like exercise... a wise and intelligent thing to do. They reinforce the body with essential nutrients, clean non-contaminated macronutrients, antioxidants and can provide enormous adaptogenic value.

It’s amazing how many people are scared to take vitamins (even at moderate doses), yet they won’t hesitate to swallow prescription medication, smoke tobacco, drink alcohol or eat junk food loaded with trans-fats, refined sugars and synthetic chemicals.

The subject of protein consumption, especially from animal sources, always stirs up public controversy and heated scientific debate. Athletes think about muscle and performance. Vegetarians are often concerned about kidney and liver damage, cancer risk and osteoporosis.

Whey protein isolate (WPI) was first introduced into the North American health food marketplace in the late 1980s, and then became really popular in the early 1990s. Although athletes popularized it, whey protein was first isolated and used for medicinal purposes in Germany, France, Switzerland and England, where research scientists discovered its remarkable healing and restorative properties.

Ever wonder why most physicians don't prescribe herbs, antioxidants or homeopathic remedies as a primary defense and treatment against disease? In this article I will attempt to provide a rational explanation. Dr. Matthias Rath, MD is a leading expert in cardiovascular disease and nutrition.

Although it's assumed by countless individuals that they get "everything" they need from food alone without supplements, no study has ever confirmed this notion, at least with respect to standards needed to achieve optimum health and prevent the premature degeneration of the mind and body, or prevent the disability we all can see in the geriatric population.

If someone you know is infected, obese, depressed, chronically ill or just plain sick, check their water intake. Almost everyone today is dehydrated but accepts this state as "normal". The good news is that the solution, literally, is simple and cost effective. So how much water does a human being need?

Don’t be intimidated by the technical terminology. HMB (beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate) is a water-soluble metabolite produced in everyone’s body from the essential amino acid leucine. Leucine is a branched-chain amino acid, possessing undeniable value in the context of muscle function and athletic performance.

As outlined in the CHI Hierarchy of Athletic Supplements Pyramid I classify HMB as one of the “Big Four” which also includes whey protein isolate, creatine monohydrate and L-glutamine. In a nutshell, these are the ones that work.

In 1830 a Dutch chemist named Mulder published the first studies on nitrogen-containing compounds derived from egg white, silk, blood and gelatin. He named these substances "protein" and wrote "It is without doubt the most important component of living matter and without it, life would not be possible."