Are you aware of the important role that your thyroid plays in your overall health?

The thyroid gland is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located in the base of your neck just below the Adam’s apple. Although small in size, it is responsible for producing hormones that help regulate metabolism; and it affects the function of many other important organs including the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and skin. Thyroid disease affects approximately 200 million people worldwide, and it remains undiagnosed in far too many. 

Be Aware:
• Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid and hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid.
• Some of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism include heart palpitations, heat intolerance, weight loss, anxiety and insomnia.
• Some of the symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, hair loss, sensitivity to cold, constipation, poor memory, muscle weakness, and persistent fatigue. 

• Goiter is an additional thyroid condition that causes a visibly enlarged thyroid gland that may impact swallowing or breathing.
Many symptoms of a thyroid imbalance may be difficult to recognize and can often mimic other conditions. 

Making sure that your thyroid gland is healthy is important to your body’s overall health and well-being. If you’re having symptoms that you think may be related to a thyroid condition call your doctor get it checked!!

Checkout the following articles on https://askthescientists.com/ : https://askthescientists.com/iodine-deficiency-pregnancy-r…/ https://askthescientists.com/iodine-content-quality-prenat…/
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Article provided by USANA Education and Science Department

Multivitamin/Mineral Supplementation May improve Aspects of Brain Function in Healthy Children

It is well known that adequate levels of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential for optimal neural functioning. A significant percentage of individuals, including children, suffer from deficiencies in one or more vitamins or minerals.  

This study investigated whether daily supplementation with multivitamins could alter cognitive performance and mood in healthy children.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 81 healthy children aged 8-14. The children were reportedly all healthy and free from food allergies. None of the children used other dietary supplements during the three months prior to the study. Participants were randomly assigned to daily multivitamin and mineral supplements or placebo for 12 weeks.

The children underwent laboratory assessments of their cognitive performance and mood pre-dose and at 1 and 3 h post-dose on the first and last days of the trial. Assessments were also completed at home after 4 and 8 weeks at 3 hours post-dose. Cognitive performance was measured using a battery of laboratory assessments, which included tasks assessing mood and the speed and accuracy of attention and aspects of memory. 

The children in the vitamin/mineral group performed more accurately on two tests of attention. No effects were observed on measures of the children’s mood.

Although the results of this study require further investigation, it suggests that vitamin/mineral supplementation has the potential to improve brain function in healthy children.

Haskell CF et al. Cognitive and mood effects in healthy children during 12 weeks’ supplementation with multi-vitamin/minerals.  Br J Nutr 2008 Nov;100(5):1086-96.

Article provided by www.askthescientists.info  

Low Vitamin D Levels and Cognitive Decline in the Aging Process

Extra Vitamin D Pays Off Big Time During the Aging Process

It is well known that vitamin D is essential for maintaining healthy muscles and bone, and plays significant roles in the immune system and cardiovascular function. More and more research is showing that it plays a significant role in supporting healthy brain function.

A study published in The Journal of Gerontology included 1,202 Chinese adults over the age of 60. Baseline levels of vitamin D were measured at the beginning of the study, and cognitive tests were administered over 2 years.

Regardless of the age or gender of the subjects, individuals with lower vitamin D levels at the start of the study were approximately twice as likely to have significant cognitive decline over time. In addition, low vitamin D levels at baseline also increased the risk of future cognitive impairment by 2-3 times.

This was the first large-scale prospective study in Asia to study the association between vitamin D status and risk of cognitive decline and impairment in the Chinese elderly.

The results of this study give support to the idea that vitamin D is neuroprotective by supporting healthy brain aging, and improved vitamin D status may be beneficial in supporting healthy cognitive function in aging populations.

Matchar DB, Chei CL, Yin ZX, et al. Vitamin D Levels and the Risk of Cognitive Decline in Chinese Elderly People: the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2016;71(10):1363-8.

Note:  Article produced by USANA: www.askthescientists.info 

Five Tips for Healthy Hair and Nails

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE HEALTH OF HAIR AND NAILS

This is by no means a comprehensive overview of nails and health. And, there are numerous factors that affect hair and nails, including environment, genetics, medications, trauma, and diet. But, I hope you find this interesting and informative.

The average human with a full head of hair contains between 85,000 to 150,000 hairs.
It's normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs a day but anyone who notices thinning hair should see a dermatologist.

Hairstyles that pull the hair, like ponytails and braids, can cause hair loss.
Fingernails grow 0.1 millimeters each day and toenails grow 1 millimeter a month. Fingernails grow faster than toenails, and nails grow faster in a warmer climate than in a colder climate.

Omega-3s from salmon, mackerel, anchovies and sardines are beneficial for your overall health, but your body also needs them to grow hair and keep it shiny and full.

Protein, containing all the essential amino acids, provides the building block of your hair and nails. By the way, it is not true that gelatin (either eating it or soaking nails in it) are great for your nails. Gelatin is a protein, but is not of very good quality and is considered incomplete (missing one or more essential amino acids). Any other complete protein source would provide better nutrient support for your nails and hair than gelatin (despite the marketing on gelatin packaging).

Along with very low protein, a severely calorie-restricted diet can also cause temporary hair loss.
Cells that build hair rely on zinc to help them work their hardest.

Foods and activities that increase blood flow, or circulation, help bring oxygen and nutrients to your hair follicles.

Your body turns beta carotene into vitamin A. That helps protect against dry, dull hair. It also encourages the glands in your scalp to make an oily fluid called sebum.

When you don't get enough protein, hair growth "rests" and older hairs fall out, which can result in excessive hair loss.

Getting too little iron can lead to hair loss. You can find this important nutrient in fortified cereal, grains, and pastas, and in soybeans and lentils, and dark green leafy vegetables (note: spinach is not a good source of iron. Only about 1% of the iron in spinach is bioavailable because it is tied up by the high level of oxalates contained in spinach. It also binds most of the calcium).

Vitamin A (or beta-carotene), iron, folate, and vitamin C work together for a healthy scalp and hair. They help keep the scalp and hair moisturized so it doesn't break.

Two other B vitamins, pantothenic acid (B5) and biotin, play important roles in hair health, and deficiencies of either can affect hair health or cause hair loss.

Most vitamin deficiencies can lead to hair loss. All the vitamins and minerals are important, but that doesn't mean that you necessarily need to buy special supplements for your hair or nails. Of course there are exceptions, but eating a healthy mixed diet, taking a quality multivitamin/mineral supplement, getting adequate hydration, protein and calories will generally provide all the nutrients you need to support healthy nails and hair.

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From Deanna:  Personally, I am thankful for USANA's CellSentials and Health Pak, since both provide a wide variety of essential nutrients for healthy hair and nails.

Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation and Male Fertility

Previous research has shown that Coenzyme Q10 is present in measurable levels in human seminal fluid, where it most likely exerts important metabolic and antioxidant functions.

In a paper published in Fertility and Sterility, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of CoQ10 treatment in improving semen quality in men with idiopathic infertility. Idiopathic infertility is defined as infertility without a defined or known cause.

The placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized trial included 60 male infertility patients aged 27-39 years. The participants took either 200 mg/day of CoQ10 (ubiquinone) or a placebo for 6 months, with 3 months of follow-up.

Coenzyme Q10 and ubiquinol increased significantly in both seminal plasma and sperm cells after treatment, as well as increasing sperm motility. Patients with lower baseline values of sperm motility and CoQ10 levels had a greater likelihood of responding positively to the treatment.

Coenzyme Q10 supplementation increases the level of ubiquinone and ubiquinol in semen and is effective in improving sperm motility in patients affected by unexplained infertility.

Balercia G, Buldreghini E, Vignini A, et al. Coenzyme Q10 treatment in infertile men with idiopathic asthenozoospermia: a placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized trial. Fertil Steril. 2009;91(5):1785-92.

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Article from:  www.askthescientists.com   Nutrition Spotlight

5 Health Benefits of Practicing Gratitude (And How to Start Today!)

Written by Samantha Thayer November 4, 2016 in Health & Fitness 

 


Since November is the month of giving thanks in the United States, I thought this subject of gratitude and well-being would be a great idea for the blog.  Little did I know just how much information on gratitude and health was out there.  Gratitude not only has the power to change our day, but research also shows it has some amazing benefits for our health.

“Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other,” Randy Paul said in his memoir, The Last Lecture.

Over the last few years, I have seen a challenge pop up during November on social media.  In this challenge, you write every day in November about one thing you’re grateful for. Many people write about family, friends, traditions, and health.  By the time you’re done reading this post, you might just convince yourself to give it a try—and not only for this month but for the rest of the year!

How does gratitude affect our health?

1. Gratitude can improve physical health. People who are grateful are more likely to take care of their physical health.  They exercise more, are more likely to attend regular check-ups, and they experience fewer aches and pains.
2. Gratitude can improve relationships. A study of couples found that individuals who took the time to express gratitude for their partner not only felt more positive toward the other person but also felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationship. [1]
3. Gratitude can reduce stress. If you experience high levels of stress, combat it with gratitude.  This WebMD article states “Gratitude, it turns out, can help us better manage stress.” Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress,” Emmons says.
4. Gratitude helps with sleep. A study found that individuals who kept a daily gratitude journal at night reported half an hour more sleep than the control group. Focusing on things we’re grateful for before we go to bed instead of focusing on our worries will lead to an easier time falling and staying asleep. [2]
5. Gratitude will make you happier. When you acknowledge the good things you have in your life, it helps you connect to something larger than yourself. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. [3]

With all the benefits that gratitude can have in our lives, it’s important that we try to foster an attitude of gratitude every day.

How do we cultivate gratitude?

• Keeping a journal.  One study found subjects who wrote down one item that they were grateful for every day reported being 25 percent happier for a full six months after following this practice for just three weeks!
• Show people you appreciate them.  Be sincere and specific when you say “thank you” to someone.  Recognize the work others do and let them know how it has helped you.  Thank you notes can be a fun way to communicate this, and you’ll find the more you write, the more detailed your thank-you notes will become.
• Talk with friends or family. When talking with your family, ask them what the best part of their day was.  What made them happy?  Making gratitude a discussion can help promote positive connections and community.
• Meditate. Meditation is a great way to help calm your mind and think on things you are grateful for.  Even if it’s just for five minutes, try to focus on your day and what you’re thankful to have.
• Make a gratitude board.  What’s a gratitude board, you ask?  It’s similar to a vision board, but the purpose is to use images that depict what you’re grateful for.  Find sayings that reflect gratitude and include pictures of family members and activities you love.

That was a lot of information, so just to recap:

 Gratitude can influence how well we take care of our physical health, improve our relationships, reduce stress levels, help us sleep better, and make us happier.

After researching these benefits of gratitude I will be challenging myself to appreciate others more and show gratitude.  For starters, I’m grateful for this USANA family and the amazing community everyone has built together.
Now, how about that 30-day challenge?

What are you grateful for?

Do You Know Which Substances and Foods are Toxic to Your Health?

How Do I Know Which Substances are Toxic?

Written by Russ Barton MS, CNS, CISSN November 3, 2016 in Ask the Scientists, Scientifically Speaking with 0 Comments

Editor’s Note: Check out the Ask The Scientists blog for more articles like this!

Toxic or Not?

The plant in the picture is natural, beautiful, and yet its seeds contain ricin, one of the world’s most lethal toxins.
Toxicity is one of the least understood concepts in popular health information, and you are constantly bombarded by sensational and inaccurate information. I know, because I consistently get questions stemming from this messy topic. So, let’s start with a quiz. Of these 10 items, how many are toxic?

1. Water
2. Oxygen
3. The sun
4. Titanium dioxide
5. Iron
6. Cyanide
7. Alcohol
8. Vitamin A
9. Formaldehyde
10. Chocolate

The answer to all of them is: it depends.

Whether something is toxic or not depends on the dosage, the route of exposure, and sometimes, the length of exposure.

Be aware that just because two chemicals sound the same, does not mean they have similar safety characteristics (propylene glycol and ethylene glycol as an example). And just because something is “almost” the same structure, does not make it similar. Water is H2O, and adding a single oxygen makes is H2O2, or hydrogen peroxide.

Water

We all know we’re supposed to drink plenty of clean water. Without adequate hydration you will die. But, if you inhale it, it can be deadly. There are also cases of death related to intake of too much water too fast.

Oxygen

We need a certain level of oxygen in the air we breathe to survive. The mixture in the atmosphere is about 20%, along with nitrogen and other gases. But, breathing pure oxygen too long can cause cell damage and death, especially in the central nervous system, lungs and eyes.

Sun

Obviously we need the sun to survive, for many reasons. And an adequate level of exposure to sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D for most people on earth. On the other hand, solar radiation is a class 1 carcinogen, meaning it is known to cause cancer.

Titanium dioxide

Too much lung exposure to nanoparticles can cause cancer. This is typically associated with inhalation due to industrial chronic exposure. It is not absorbed orally or dermally, and is basically inert through those routes of exposure.

Iron

Iron is an essential mineral absolutely necessary for survival. It is also one of the top causes of poisoning deaths among children.

Cyanide

We all know cyanide can be deadly. But small amounts are easily complexed and excreted through the urine, and it does not accumulate. And that is good, because many healthy foods contain cyanide: spinach, bamboo shoots, flax seeds, cassava, and others.

Alcohol (ethanol)

Moderate intakes may be beneficial for health, yet it is also classified as a class 1 carcinogen.

Vitamin A

Excessive amounts can be toxic to the liver, yet vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of childhood blindness in the world. By the way, toxic effects of vitamin A are not known to occur in adults with intakes below about 25,000-30,000 IU. The upper limit of 10,000 IU, especially during pregnancy, takes into consideration a huge margin of safety. Vitamin A is not nearly as toxic as it is often implied.

Formaldehyde

Also a class 1 carcinogen, but you may not be aware that formaldehyde is found in significant dosages in many fruits, berries, seafood and mushrooms. In addition, formaldehyde is involved with methylation reactions and biosynthesis of some proteins and nucleic acids in the body and is a normal constituent in our blood.

Chocolate

With the exception of gaining weight, too much chocolate won’t do you any harm. However, it can be highly toxic to dogs and some other animals. The point is, that just because a specific poison works to kill a plant or an insect, does not automatically mean it is poisonous to humans.

Propylene glycol and ethylene glycol

Propylene glycol is absorbed and metabolized rapidly in the liver to lactic acid and pyruvic acid (normal components of the citric acid cycle) and then further to carbon dioxide and water. On the other hand, ethylene glycol is acutely toxic and can severely damage the kidneys.

Don’t judge a substance by its name

A statement I’ve heard consistently over the past 35 years. “If you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.” The length or complexity of a name has no relation whatsoever to its safety, function or benefit. Nor does the fact that it is natural or synthetic. Simple to pronounce Polonium 210 is deadly at dosages of less than 1 billionth of a gram. While the scary sounding chemical 2-methyl-3-[(2E)-3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadec-2-en-1-yl]naphthoquinone is also known as Vitamin K.

What do we do now?

I hope this helps illustrate that “toxic” is a relative term. Most healthy substances are potentially toxic, and most “toxic” substances are potentially harmless. It’s the dose, route of exposure, and length of time exposed and other factors that is the difference between harmless and harmful.
Yes, we are exposed to a lot of various toxic and unhealthy compounds as a part of normal life, which is part of the reason it is important to exercise and get sufficient nutrients through diet and supplement to support the function of our lungs, liver and kidneys (our normal routes of detoxification).
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