Vitamins and supplements like melatonin and fish oil offer health benefits but can cause side effects if misused. Learn about the impact of saw palmetto on blood pressure and find the best multivitamins for young women and adults over 50.
The acai berry cleanse starts by reducing ingestion of high-fat, high-sugar content foods, junk food and desserts, and to curtail such foods from the diet for approximately three days before starting the cleanse. Individuals are encouraged to drink plenty of water (at least 64 oz. a day).
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Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, and are essential to many mechanisms of the body. They may also be viewed as the building blocks of bones, tissues, joints, and skin.
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The reaction of potassium permanganate with sodium oxalate proceeds via a classic oxidation-reduction reaction. Two half-reactions make up the full reaction. In each half-reaction, chemicals either lose or gain electrons.
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Lack of sleep can have a negative effect on your life. It can make you irritable, emotional and affect your ability to concentrate. If you suffer from insomnia, there are several options to help induce sleep.
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Low levels of vitamin D can cause muscle weakness and bone pain. The vitamin is stored in the liver where it is then metabolized. Because vitamin D is needed for bone formation and growth, deficiency decreases calcium absorption in the body and often leads to musculoskeletal pain.
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Vitamin D refers to two different forms of this vitamin: vitamin D-2 and vitamin D-3. Vitamin D-3 is synthesized when skin absorbs sunlight, while vitamin D-2 is made by plants. Your body converts both forms into the same hormone, so they fill the same roles and they are referred to collectively as vitamin D.
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Peripheral neuropathy is a common condition of nerve damage characterized by pain, numbness or tingling in the nerves leading from the brain and spinal cord to the body.
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The amino acid N-acetyl-cysteine, or NAC, has powerful antioxidant properties. It is a slightly modified version of N-acetyl-L-cysteine and appears to offer the most optimal form of this antioxidant. Antioxidants help prevent inflammation and cell damage, making it potentially useful for a number of conditions.
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Numbness and tingling in the extremities is an annoying symptom with many causes. Diabetes, tight shoes and a vitamin deficiency can all be culprits. Before talking to your health-care provider, take careful note of your other symptoms to help indicate a diagnosis.
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Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is a naturally occurring vitamin that you need for a number of bodily functions. Vitamin C is important for bone, muscle, cartilage and vascular health.
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Numerous conditions can cause low potassium and low calcium levels. Low levels of potassium in your blood is called hypokalemia, and low levels of calcium in your blood is called hypocalcemia.
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Retinol is just another name for vitamin A, an essential nutrient found in many foods. Both vitamins A and C are necessary to the body's health and proper functioning--deficiencies in either can lead to significant health problems.
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Lager beers vary from brewery to brewery, but the term lager generally refers to a beer that is fermented with yeast at much lower temperatures than other styles. The lager brewing process was first developed in Germany and has become one of the most popular styles of beer in the United States.
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Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are two food preservatives with very similar chemical formulas, but different properties in the body. Sodium nitrate, with the formula NaNO3, helps prevent bacterial colonization of foods. Sodium nitrite, with the formula NaNO2, is a strong oxidizing agent used as a meat preservative.
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Red ginseng and maca are both reputed to be aphrodisiac herbs. The two herbs, in fact, are reputed to have many effects that are similar, including the potential to boost sexual function, improve well-being and combat menopausal symptoms.
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The U.S. National Institutes of Health classify magnesium as "an essential mineral for human nutrition." Many people, however, don't get enough of it. Research shows that a magnesium deficiency can have serious consequences, including low serotonin. That's right: a lack of magnesium can make you sad.
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According to "Conn's Current Therapy 2010," acute tubular necrosis can result due to the effects of computed tomography, or CT, contrast material. Acute tubular necrosis is a condition where the kidneys begin to fail at a rapid rate and the urine becomes a muddy brown color because of the dying of kidney tubular cells.
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Vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, helps make DNA and keeps nerve and blood cells healthy. A deficiency in Vitamin B-12 can cause irreversible damage to the nerve cells and impair the quality of life. One in five adults over age 51 has a vitamin B-12 deficiency. Adults get 2.
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Olive leaf extract and the phenolic component oleuropein can carry various health benefits. The journal "Life Sciences" published a study conducted at the University of Messina, Italy, which reports that oleuropein may be a source of microbial agents protective against intestinal and respiratory tract infections.
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Probiotics are a type of dietary supplement consisting of live bacteria. Bacteria naturally live in our intestines and help promote health by destroying yeast and harmful bacteria that enter our bodies. When this good bacteria are eliminated, sickness and other problems may occur.
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