MCVitamins News

Your Nutritional Education Site

 

1. The Incredible Edible Egg
2. Fiber - It Can Lower Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Levels
3. How to Know What Vitamins are Best for You
4. Vitamin C - The Missing Vitamin

 

The Incredible-Edible Egg!

About 10 years ago a negative advertising campaign was run concerning eggs. There were ads on TV and on billboards, with images of four eggs being led into a jail cell, and another ad showing the four eggs behind bars.

This was part of a campaign to tell the public that eating eggs was dangerous and could contribute to heart disease (which was incorrect). As a result, many people stopped eating eggs or greatly reduced the number of eggs they ate.

Even today, many people still remain afraid of eating eggs or eating too many eggs, due to that false campaign.

Today, what do nutritional experts say regarding eggs in the diet?

"The egg is nearly the perfect food for health and weight loss. It is easily digestible as well as a complete food. Eggs give your liver the building blocks it needs to repair your body. Cholesterol levels are not increased by eating them and you can lose weight by including them in your diet."

"Eggs contain ingredients to develop a healthy body including nearly all of the essential nutrients such as B-l, B-6, folic acid and B-12. They contain such minerals as calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron. Choline and biotin, which are important for energy and stress reduction, are also found in eggs. Eggs are also complete in all amino acids (protein building blocks), which are found in the yolk."

"The fat in the egg yolk is in nearly perfect balance. These essential fats are very important in the regulation of cholesterol. This is because the antidote [Definition: something that counteracts.] to cholesterol is lecithin, which helps dissolve cholesterol and the yolk is loaded with lecithin. Make sure not to overcook the egg yolk, as this will destroy the lecithin. These yolk fats in your diet lower the risk for heart disease."

"Eggs have almost zero carbohydrates and have the highest rating for complete proteins (containing all the amino acids) of any food. Amino acids are necessary for repairing tissue as well as making hormones and brain chemicals."

"As a side note, many people are afraid of eating egg yolks because of cholesterol. The fact is that most of the cholesterol found in our blood is not there because of what we eat. It's our livers that make approximately 75% of the cholesterol that exists in our blood."

"The more cholesterol we eat, the less the body will make. The less cholesterol we eat, the more the body will make. If cholesterol were so bad for us, why would our bodies make so much?"

"The body is an incredible system that knows exactly what to do to create a natural balance. When we consume foods containing cholesterol, we only absorb 1 to 2 mg of cholesterol per pound of body weight per day. So even if we were to eat a dozen eggs each day, we would only absorb about 300 mg of cholesterol, which is, by the way, the recommended maximum daily amount."

"On a personal note: I have been eating four organic eggs every morning for the past 6 years and never felt better. My cholesterol is also within the normal range (below 200)."

excerpted from Dr. Berg's BODY SHAPE DIETS
by Dr. Eric Berg

Yes, eggs are a very safe and excellent source of nutrition for the whole family, and should be made a regular part of the diet. But not all eggs are the same, so let's look at how to choose your eggs from another expert on nutrition:

"You can kiss your fear of eggs good-bye. There have been a number of previous studies that have supported that eggs do not increase your risk of heart disease. So go ahead and have your eggs as they are one of the healthiest foods on the planet."

"While you are at it, please be sure and purchase healthy eggs as they are not that much more expensive than commercial factory raised chicken eggs. Please be sure to look for 'free range organic' on the box."

"Just as important as where you buy your eggs is how you prepare them for eating."

"If you want to fine tune eating your eggs, it is best not to cook them. This helps preserve many of the highly perishable nutrients, some of which are very effective at preventing the most common cause of blindness, called 'age related macular degeneration.' [Definition - Macular Degeneration: the gradual blurring of the center of your field of vision, which continues to get worse, eventually resulting in blindness]."

"Some may be concerned about the risk of salmonella [Definition: a type of bacteria which can cause food poisoning.] from raw eggs, but I analyzed the risk a few years ago and most people have a better chance of winning the lottery than contracting salmonella from eggs from healthy chickens. Personally I consume three raw eggs nearly every morning as part of my breakfast and believe it has enormously contributed to my health."

Excerpted from Dr. Joseph Mercola's comment on an article appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 4, 855-861, October 2004

So, be sure to include eggs as a regular item in your daily diet or certainly in your weekly diet, for improved health and nutrition.

Fiber - It Can Lower Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Levels

A diet rich in fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol and blood sugar in diabetics. Many diabetics can significantly lower their blood sugar, and as a result, reduce their diabetic and cholesterol medications or stop taking them altogether, by eating lots of high fiber foods.

A recent study published in the May issue of The New England Journal of Medicine found that blood sugar levels were reduced by 8.9% on a high fiber diet. It also lowered cholesterol and triglycerides.

Fiber comes from the cell walls of plants. Additionally, fiber and water work together to keep the bowels regular.

Unfortunately, the majority of high fiber foods also contain a high amount of carbohydrates, and if you are diabetic, those will increase your blood sugar levels dramatically.

Below are lists of low-carb foods that are also high in fiber, along with the approximate number of grams of fiber they contain.

The fiber content shown is for a quantity of 1/2 cup.

Low-Carb Fruits

Low-Carb Vegetables

Including more of the above foods in your diet will help in lowering blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

You should make changes to your diet to include more high fiber foods, and do it gradually. Just add a few grams at a time so that your digestive system can adjust.

It’s best to increase the amount of fiber in your diet over several weeks. This prevents problems with stomach-aches, bloating, gas, and diarrhea.

The message is, increase the amount of fiber in your diet!

How to Know What Vitamins Are Best for You

Most of the supplements on the shelves of health-food shops, drug stores and supermarkets contain “vitamins” that are man-made chemicals and “minerals” that are ground up rocks or mineral salts.

For example, most of the “vitamin C” sold in the US is ascorbic acid. This is a man-made chemical found nowhere in nature. There is no ascorbic acid in an orange, tomato or broccoli, or any fresh fruit or vegetable.

Ascorbic acid is manufactured in chemical plants by applying heat and pressure and additional chemicals to glucose (sugar), which converts the glucose to ascorbic acid. Not exactly like drinking orange juice, is it?

Ascorbic acid, being a chemical, isn’t absorbed or utilized the same way as food, and can often upset the stomach and digestive tract because it is an acid.

Vitamin C as it is found in nature is not acid - it is neutral! The acid taste in oranges and other citrus fruits is caused by their citric acid content.

Some companies will combine ascorbic acid with other chemicals to “buffer” it (make it less acid). This results in the “sodium ascorbate” or “calcium ascorbate” forms of ascorbic acid.

The bottom line is that these forms of “vitamin C” as well as most other “vitamins” you find on store shelves, are man-made chemicals. They are nothing like the true vitamins found in fresh fruits, vegetables and meat.

Now, let’s take a look at the “minerals” that are available on store shelves. For example, 70% of the “calcium” supplements sold in the US is calcium carbonate. This is factually finely ground up limestone rock, seashells or coral.

Only 4-7% of calcium carbonate taken as a supplement is actually absorbed by the body. Calcium carbonate is sometimes combined with other chemicals to try and improve this very poor absorption rate.

Regardless of the many different chemical forms calcium carbonate can get changed into, none of them are the same as the calcium found in a cabbage. Not even close!

These man-made chemical vitamins and ground up rock and mineral salts are called “USP” vitamins and minerals. (USP stands for United States Pharmacopoeia, which is a set of standards these vitamins and minerals are measured by.)

You may also come across vitamins and minerals that are labeled “food based”. These are USP vitamins and minerals that have been physically mixed in with alfalfa or soy or some other food.

This mixing with food is done in an attempt to increase the absorption of these chemicals and ground up rock into the body. That is why you often see “take with food” on their labels.

Occasionally these “food based” products will be labeled “organic”. This simply means that the alfalfa or soy the USP chemicals were mixed in with was grown organically.

Today you can find vitamins and minerals dissolved in liquid form. If the product is made with USP vitamins and minerals, you’re just pumping man-made chemicals into your body.

When you place a cabbage plant in the ground, its roots grow down into the soil and rocks, and they pull up from the ground calcium and other minerals in a form that you and I can’t eat.

Then through the normal life processes of the plant, it converts these minerals into a part of the plant body itself. Now the calcium has actually become a food we can eat, and our body knows how to absorb and utilize it.

To be effectively absorbed and utilized, vitamins and minerals must be the way they are in food.


For a list of Whole Food Supplements go to http://www.mcvitamins.com/Order_WSN.htm 

 

Vitamin C - The Missing Vitamin

As a place to start, you need to understand, there are only 3 mammals on planet earth that have bodies that do not manufacture vitamin C. These are the guinea pig, the rhesus monkey, and humans. The way all three must acquire the vitamin C they need is through their diets and/or supplementation.

If you are diabetic, taking vitamin C is essential. Your body attempts to protect itself from high blood sugar levels by converting excess glucose in your bloodstream to sorbitol, which is a form of sugar that is initially less damaging to your body.

But over time, sorbitol travels to certain parts of the body where it builds up. Research indicates that this buildup of sorbitol is a factor in the long-term complications of diabetes.

These complications are cataracts, neuropathy (nerve damage), retinopathy (going blind) and nephropathy (kidney failure).

Studies have shown that taking 2,000 mg/day of vitamin C reduces the production of sorbitol and strips sorbitol out of the body.

Another study presented at the Nuffield College of Ophthalmology [Definition: the branch of medicine concerned with the eye and its diseases] of Oxford University, England, showed that vitamin C actually slowed and stopped the development of cataracts, and how natural vitamin C was more effective than synthetic ascorbic acid.

If you have high blood pressure, taking vitamin C is a must! A study done by scientists at the Boston University School of Medicine and the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, showed that people with high blood pressure had their blood pressure levels fall by an average of 9.1% by taking 500 mg of vitamin C each day for a month.

A 10-year study from UCLA showed that in a population of more than 11,000 US adults aged 25-74, men who took 800 mg of vitamin C daily lived about six years longer than men who took only 60 mg of vitamin C daily. Increased vitamin C intake was likewise associated with greater longevity in women. Higher vitamin C intake reduced cardiovascular deaths by 42% in men and 25% in women.

WSN  Vitamin C is now available for you and your family. A 90-tablet bottle is $24.70. Order 2 or 3 bottles and save on the shipping.

To read more about Vitamin C  http://www.mcvitamins.com/Vitamins/Vitamin-C.htm

 

 

Side Bar:

Things That Slow Down Nerve Damage Repair

There are some things that can lengthen the time it takes to see an improvement in one's neuropathy symptoms.

For example, heavy drinking of coffee, tea and soft drinks (including de-caffeinated coffee, tea and soft drinks). These beverages cause the loss of both water and water-soluble B vitamins from the body. 

B vitamins are needed to repair damaged nerves.

Heavy smoking or drinking of alcohol, use of antibiotics and birth control pills, as well as stress can all burn up B vitamins.

And of course, there are many prescription medications that are associated with neuropathy as a side effect. 

If you are taking one or more of the medications listed below, it can greatly add to the amount of time it will take for you to see results in repairing and reversing your neuropathy.

Blood pressure medications that can cause neuropathy:

Aceon, Altace, Hydrochlorothiazide (HCT), Hydrodiuril, Lisinopril, Perindopril, Prinivil, Ramipril, Zestril, Lasix, Furosemide, Bumetanide, Bumex, Ethacrynic Acid, Edecrin.

Cholesterol medications that can cause neuropathy: 

Advicor, Altocor, Altoprev, Atorvastatin, Baycol, Caduet, Cerivastatin,
Crestor, Fluvastatin, Lescol, Lescol XL, Lipex, Lipitor, Lipobay, Lovastatin, Mevacor, Pravachol, Pravastatin, Pravigard Pac, Rosuvastatin, Simvastatin, Vytorin, Zocor. 

Fortunately neuropathy can often be reversed with the correct nutritional support and even gotten rid of entirely when using the WSN Nerve Support Formula.

Here is what some of our customers are saying about using the WSN Nerve Support Formula:

*******************

"I am both amazed and delighted with the results I am experiencing from my first order of the Nerve Support Formula! After only 19 days of taking the 4 capsules a day I no longer have that awful constant burning in my feet." 

From Jeff Hadfield in Manitoba, Canada 

*******************

"Within just three weeks of starting on your Nerve Support Formula my neuropathy and the pain has decreased dramatically. I am so pleased!" 

From Betty Latham in Nevada

*******************

"From the first time I took your nutrients I could feel an ever-slight improvement. I had a stubborn case but have noticed a vast improvement in the almost two months I have been taking the product. Thank you for giving me my life back!"

Eileen Rickard in California

*******************

The WSN Nerve Support Formula is a medical food that is specifically formulated for the dietary management of neuropathy, and it works extremely well.

You can order the WSN Nerve Support Formula and find out more go to:
http://www.mcvitamins.com/neuropathy.htm 
: 
Or you can call me at (888) 758-5590