Echinacea cuts colds by 58%

Natural Products Magazine

Echinacea can cut risk of colds by 58% - June 29, 2007

New research from American scientists has shown that taking echinacea can reduce the risk of catching a cold by up to 58%.

The scientists, from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, recently reviewed 14 earlier clinical trials to find out how effective echinacea is at preventing and combating cold symptoms. They found that as well as halving the risk of developing a cold, taking echinacea reduced the length of an established cold by 1.4 days on average.

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Omega-3 again linked to Alzheimers protection

Omega-3 again linked to Alzheimers protection

Another study showing Omega 3 DHA and EPA fatty acids could help protect against dementia and Altzhiemer's disease.

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, with 174 patients with Alzheimers is yet another positive result for the fatty acids in relation to cognitive function. Last year the same researchers reported omega- may slow mental decline in people with very mild Alzheimer's disease (Archives of Neurology, Vol. 63, pp. 1402-1408).

The new study, led by Yvonne Freund-Levi from Sweden's Karolinska Institutet, divided the participants to receive omega-3 supplements (docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 1.7 g and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) 0.6 g) or placebo for six months. After this initial six month period, all participants received the omega-3 supplements for six further months.

The genotype of the participants was also measured to identify their apolipoprotein genes.

Cognitive performance declines naturally with age, but genetics does play a part in the complex progression of Alzheimers. Indeed, in 1993 scientists reported that people with a gene that codes for the blood lipoprotein, apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease at an earlier age than people with apoE2 or apoE3.

See more information on Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids

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Victoria Beckham - Posh New Weight Loss Diet

Victoria Beckham Posh New Weight Loss Diet - vegan algae and seaweed shakes


Victoria Beckham is in the news again for apparently embarking on an unusual weight loss diet. Victoria Beckham’s new diet is a posh mix of seaweed and algae.

Look magazine’s cover featured the headline proclaimed Posh’s Bizarre New Diet Regime! And promised the juicy shocking details!

Yvonne Bishop Weston Harley Street Nutritionist and founder of Foods for Life was asked to comment on Victoria Beckham’s new seaweed and algae diet. She explained that the diet is not as crazy as it sounds.

“Algae and seaweed are super-foods with many of the vital nutrients your body needs. Seaweeds and algae such as Chlorella aid detoxification help reduce water retention and break down fat deposits. As well as a useful weight management tool seaweeds and algae can be an excellent skin treatment too even helping with problems such as acne.” Yvonne told Look magazine.

Yvonne admits she often uses similar seaweed and algae shakes for clients at her Harley street nutrition clinics. “Particularly if people are aiming for weight loss but have hectic lifestyles and are struggling to fit 3 nutritious meals and 2 healthy snacks into their day” Yvonne reveals.

However Yvonne warns there is no magic weight loss diet pill. “Victoria is using algae and seaweed shakes as part of a personalised nutrition strategy. We are all different and there is no perfect one size fits all weight loss diet program. That is why so many weight watchers struggle with weight loss diets and why nutritionists and personalised nutrition based weight loss diet plans are becoming so popular.”

People struggling on weight loss diets are often referred for blood tests by nutritionists to check for food intolerance and nutrient imbalances which can hinder weight loss and cause other health risks.

Fortunately you don’t have to have Victoria Beckham’s posh bank balance to afford help from nutritionists such as Yvonne Bishop-Weston. Nutritionists typically charge around £95 per weight loss consultation (includes personalised strategy and diet plan) and a good algae and seaweed shake mix is only around £35 per pot per month supply.

For more info or to buy algae and seaweed shakes with chlorella algae and dulse seaweed please see - Seaweed and Algae Shake - Buy now or save 10% with special Foods for Life discount code.

See more about Yvonne Bishop-Weston’s Harley street and Croydon clinics here

http://www.optimumnutritionists.com/

weight Loss Diets - Harley Street Nutrition - Nutrition and Diet - Seaweed and Algae

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Milk Not Suitable for Kids

BBC NEWS | Health | Advertising ban on milk: " FSA's profiling model on all other supermarket milk and none of it would, by the FSA's definition, have been able to be advertised to kids.' " said a spokesman for Asda

London nutritionist Yvonne Bishop Weston says "Cows milk is not suitable for babies, and even if an older child is undernourished there are better foods they can eat that are still calorie dense but offer a better balance of the essential nutrients that humans need"

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ITV - Tonight- Secrets of Diet and Fertility

ITV News - About Tonight



How long have we been telling couples with Infertility problems they need to first look at diets for fertility ?? ("Improve diets with nutrition not IVF" Say Foods for Life June 2005)

ITV's Tonight programme with Sir Trevor McDonald tonight revealed that simple changes to diet can make a dramtic difference to fertility.

The ITV Tonight program took 11 men from the Lotus 11 Portsmouth Sunday Pub League and put the men and their sperm under the microscope with the help of London nutritionists.

The fast food burger, pizza and chip eating, vodka and lager swilling footballers admitted they lived for today and any fertility problems would be typically viewed as the women's problems.

Statistics expose the men's misconceptions, it's just as likely to be the men as the women with infertility problems. Of the 1 in 6 couples with fertility issues it's the man in need of help in 50% of cases. 3 million UK men are estimated to be infertile to some degree.

ITV Tonight programme tested the footballer's semen for; 1)Quantity of sperm, 2) The Motility (sperms' ability to swim) and 3) the Morphology (quality of sperm head and shape of the sperm). Tonight then put them on a special diet with an increased percentage of Vegan foods for 100 days (the shortest agreed time before benefits begin to be noticeable)

The footballers reported various improvements "feel really good", "awake", "I lost a stone" were some of the comments.

Of the 11 footballers, after 3 months many of them had seen dramatic improvements to their sperm despite many of them continuing to drink alcohol against the London Nutritionist's advice.

8 of them had an average increase in sperm motility of 32%, 5 of the men had an average improvement in morphology of 72% and 5 had increased their number of sperm by an average of 43% (one by 53%)

Although not conclusive evidence this should be more than enough motivation for infertility couples trying changes to diet rtaher than shooting straight into IVF treatment at an expensive London Clinic with all the side effects, inconvenience and cost that IVF brings.

For more information about natural alternative health alternatives to IVF ( or as a complementary treatment to enhance assisted conception and IVF Fertility Treatments please see Food for Life Nutritionists at London clinics at www.optimumnutritionists.com

Founder of Foods for Life Yvonne Bishop-Weston is the GMTV nutritionist assisting with Lorraine Kelly's The Baby Race on LK Today. She is registered with Foresight the preconceptual and fertility charity.

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