Antioxidants

If there is a fountain of youth, it probably flows through a stalk of broccoli or circles around in an orange. These foods are rich sources of antioxidants—food substances that slow down cell damage and may improve immune function and lower cancer risks. Every day more research emerges that supports the health benefits of an antioxidant-rich diet. So, read on to find out how you can get more of them.

What do antioxidants do, exactly? Consider car rust. The main reason that a car rusts is that over time oxygen starts to wear the car’s body down, allowing for damage in the most vulnerable places. Oxygen works on your body over time, too, and causes rusting of the human sort—wrinkles, cancers and heart disease.

Antioxidants work to capture “free radicals” or unstable molecules that are a byproduct of oxygen. These free radicals damage your body’s cells, tissues and DNA. Cigarette smoke and excess sun exposure can also form free radicals.

But you can bind the action of these free radicals by eating a variety of antioxidant-rich foods, protecting your skin from the sun and kicking the smoking habit. The table below details vitamin and mineral sources of antioxidants, how they protect the body and good food sources for them.

Antioxidants By Nutrient Type: Carotenoids, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Magnesium, Copper, Zinc

Antioxidants include plant chemicals called phytochemicals that fight disease. Lycopene (tomatoes) and liminoids (oranges) are among many phytochemicals that are found in the foods above. Additionally, red wine, tea and chocolates are all sources of antioxidants that are at the top of MyPyramid. So, drink unsweetened teas, occasionally enjoy a couple of pieces of high-quality dark chocolate and limit your intake of red wine to one glass per day for women and two for men. There are also many supplements that contain these nutrients, but it is always best to get them from food.

Cut your disease risks by enjoying a variety of antioxidant-rich foods. Drinking from the fountain of youth is as simple as munching on a red pepper.

Hope, Health and, Opportunity: these are the three components of a successful and happy life. Mannatech helps make these goals attainable through progressive, scientifically-proven nutritional products. Mannatech’s goal is to empower you with the nutrients your body needs to stay fit, active and successful. Take control of your health and share wellness solutions with others by learning more about Mannatech's cutting-edge technologies which help provide what every body needs for optimal health.

Doctors and Supplements

It is amazing when a patient asks his or her doctor if a dietary supplement is all right to take. MD’s, with very rare exceptions, do not have adequate training in the therapeutic use of dietary supplements. They often know less factual information than some of the general public. It is never surprising when a doctor, who has no clue what a supplement really is or what it does, tells is or her patient no to take the supplement or says it could be harmful. Don’t ask a plumber how to fix your roof. Ask about your MD or DO’s level of training in natural supplements before asking them or advice in those matters.

Medical doctors are taught objectivity, but for some of them it seems to be selective. MD's are people, exceptional people, but people nonetheless. They cannot be expected to know absolutely everything that relates to health. Some rare MD’s do take additional training in natural therapies. ND’s (Doctors of Naturopathy) or NMD’s (Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine) are trained specifically in the therapeutic use of dietary supplements, as well as all the other natural therapies. Some, but alas, not all Chiropractic doctors are trained in the use of natural therapeutics, but on a limited basis in line with their health philosophies. Yet Chiropractors recommend more dietary supplements than any doctors, except ND’s and NMD’s. Some ND’s and NMD’s have both allopathic (medical) and Naturopathic training and some do not. All Naturopaths have training in the use of dietary supplements but the levels of knowledge can differ considerably.

More medical schools are realizing that the public demands natural therapies. Among Americans over 50, for instance, 65% surveyed say dietary supplements are a necessity. More courses in integrative, complementary and alternative medicine are being taught in medical schools. MD’s who can talk nutrition are in demand and are fast becoming prosperous, even famous. ND’s and NMD’s for the most part struggle to make a living. The ideal doctor of the future will understand both allopathic and naturopathic medicine. Hopefully Naturopathy survives and allopathic medicine converts. Only time will tell.

In 1989 the National Academy of Sciences did a full and complete re-evaluation of all vitamins and mineral and their requirements.

Then, in 1998, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) commissioned a study that resulted in the now familiar, but rarely followed, recommendations for minimum antioxidant support from food. This study told us that we should be eating two to four servings of fruit, and three to five servings of vegetables every day to get the minimum antioxidant support from our food. Five to nine servings daily of fresh raw fruits and vegetables wasn’t terribly realistic. Of course, almost no one followed those recommendations. They were not only inconvenient, but the majority of Americans simply didn’t want to eat that much food each day. Even if they wanted to, it simply wasn’t economically feasible for millions of Americans.

Too often, refined food packages, with so-called nutrition facts labeled on the package, led people to think that they were getting more nutrition than they actually were. Our system of medicine has also conditioned people to think that as long as they are symptom free, they are well. Because people have no obvious symptoms and they believe they are getting adequate nutrition from refined foods, there has been no motivation to eat fresh fruits and vegetables in the levels recommended by USDA or NAS.

In the year 2000, the National Academy of Sciences evaluated only those nutrients that are known to be either antioxidants or catalysts for antioxidants. An antioxidant is a substance, which can neutralize and render harmless a free radical. Free radicals, which are not neutralized by antioxidants cause damage to your cells. These free radicals left unchecked, cause free radical oxidative stress disease such as cancer and heart disease. They also contribute to other illnesses such as diabetes, as well as the aging process itself.

The National Academy of Sciences issued a statement in January 2001. This statement said that Americans were getting approximately 50% less antioxidants from their food than had been previously estimated. They did not recommend a dietary supplement but recommended that Americans simply double their intake of fruits and vegetables. We were originally told to eat two to four servings of fruit, and three to five servings of vegetables daily. Do they want us to eat 10 to 18 servings of fruits and vegetables daily? Even if you wanted to become a cow grazing all day long on your 18 servings, can you afford to do that? Who has the time to do that? You’d spend so much time eating there would be no time for anything else. Foods have become so deficient since the fifties that some natural foods have to be consumed at more than 50 times the previous levels to get the same nutrition we got back in the 50’s. The foods may look the same but the similarity ends there.

All medical health care practitioners at every level are taught that we should be able to get our basic nutrition from food. This is based on outdated information that does not take into account the full spectrum of the threats and stresses to human health in the 21^st century. I want all people to eat right, fresh raw and natural as much as possible. Realistically, we know they won’t. But if they do not, their health will be compromised without essential nutritional support from scientifically validated dietary supplements.

Right now, the only thing that makes sense is to use dietary supplements to provide adequate antioxidant protection. Not all dietary supplements are created equal.

“Only 1% of the US population consumes a diet meeting the five food group recommendations that are the basis for the food pyramid in the Dietary Guidelines for America.” Am J Clin Nutr, 1997

Even the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) finally entered the modern age by publishing an article that stated “Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone…It appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements.” JAMA. 2002

That JAMA article was a huge step forward for medical doctors everywhere. There can be no doubt that dietary supplements are no longer a luxury. In the 21^st century they are a necessity!

Dietary supplements need to be in everyone’s monthly budget just you budget for food, fuel for your can, water, and all the daily necessities.

The Illusion of Health… “I feel fine”

Being symptom free is no the same as being healthy!!! The words “I feel fine” may be some of the most dangerous when it comes to health care.

When a virus, a parasite or bacteria enters your body you feel fine. When a cancer is growing in your body, you feel fine.

It is well known that 1 out of every two Americans will get heart disease. About half of those have no warning or symptoms. They “feel fine’ before they drop dead. Heart disease isn’t just about diet or lack of exercise. It is a free radical oxidative stress disease.

You must understand this point: we are not receiving enough nutrition from our food in any category, but particularly in antioxidants.

More than 75,000 synthetic chemical have been introduced into our environment since 1930. There are probably far more chemical compounds than that, because when two synthetic compounds meet in water and sunlight, they often create a new and totally unexpected compound. There is no way of knowing with certainly how many synthetic compounds exist on the plant today.

It’s shocking to know that only about 7% of the 75,000 have been tested for safety in adults, and only about 3% have been tested for safety in our children. Understand that the environment today is completely different than the environment our bodies were designed to exist in. No one can avoid exposure to synthetic chemicals and toxins, regardless of where you are in the world.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tested people around the world, chosen at random, to see if any of them actually had toxins in their blood. This test for only 27 toxins out of a potential 75,000+, was conducted for the first time in the year 2000. The study, published in 2001, found that 100% of the people tested had 100% of the toxins being checked. There were measurable, and sometimes significant, amounts of all 27 toxins evaluated, including mercury, heavy metals and the breakdown products of pesticides and plastics. Plastics when heated produce dangerous chemicals.

All human beings are genetically and chemically unique. An amount that has little effect on one person may have a profound effect on another. Humans were designed to live on a pristine pollution free plant. Therefore, no amount of toxin is really acceptable.

The reality is we are all carrying toxins and they will have varying effects on each of us. Also two very important points. First, we have too little data on the effects of toxins as they relate to the onset of disease to say it’s not a problem. Second, being symptom free is no longer accurate gauge of your health.

Scientists have gone to the North Pole and found pesticides and industrial chemicals. There are no farms, no villages, no industry, and no people at the North Pole. Yet toxins created in populated areas are found in one of the most desolate places on Earth. Other scientists went to the South Pole and found farm pesticides and industrial chemicals in the fatty tissues of penguins. Why fatty tissues? Most toxins are fat-soluble. The more fat you have, the more toxin you can store. That alone is a reason to lose body fat. Fish in all waterways tested so far have been found to have pesticides and industrial toxins in them as well. This includes fresh water and salt water, warm water and cold water, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, rivers, and lakes. There are no exceptions. No matter where you are on this plant, you cannot escape these toxins.

It is important to keep you immune system at peak function at all times. You cannot do that through diet alone. You cannot wait until you are diagnosed. You must be proactive about your body, about your health. You must always think as though you are under attack, because in fact you are. Think defensively. Eat defensively. Take care of yourself properly and you will maximize your potential for a long and healthy life.

Pollutants, questionable farming practices, stress – these factors increasingly contribute to a growing healthcare crisis. Around the world people from different cultures, backgrounds and walks of life face a single threat – a decreasing quality of life and wellness. But there still is time to guard yourself against these dangers. Mannatech has championed revolutionary discoveries designed to help boost your body’s ability to stay healthy.

Can Glycomics Change the World?

Glycomics Highlighted in MIT Publication

The prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) describes the burgeoning science of glycomics research on sugars and their impact on human health as “one of the ten technologies that will change the world.”

While mainstream scientists have recognised and are investigating the potential of synthetic glyco-drugs, their efforts may require years to produce results. But the increased interest in the role of sugars in human health can expand the market for glyconutritional supplements today!

In the February 2003 edition of Technology Review, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology profiled the science of glycomics as a new technology that “…could have an impact on health problems ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to the spread of cancer cells.” Glycomics is the study of sugars and includes glycobiology—the study of the effects of sugars on living organisms.

The article detailed at least six scientific experts who are hard at work, trying to synthesize the thousands of sugars made by the human body. These researchers are funded mostly by pharmaceutical companies that hope to turn these sugars into drugs that will boost the immune system and heal disease.

“The reason for the excitement around glycomics is that sugars have a vital function in the body,” the article explained. “By manipulating…sugars themselves, researchers hope to shut down disease processes, create new drugs and improve existing ones.”

Medical research acknowledges that eight glyconutrient sugars are needed at the cellular level for optimum immune system function. Considering that six of these glyconutrients are often lacking in modern diets, Mannatech sought new and better sources of the nutrients. The effort culminated in the Ambrotose complex. Twenty patents – including one from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office – have been issued to Mannatech for technology related to the Ambrotose complex.

* This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Health Tips

Do a Little, Get a Lot

The notion that good health can come in small tidbits is not really new. Research showing that making small changes can add up to a big difference has been quietly accumulating for a while.

For example, a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2004 found that adding just 30 minutes of walking per day was enough to prevent weight gain and encourage moderate weight loss.

And if 30 minutes is still too big a bite? Another study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found that three brisk 10-minute walks per day were as effective as a daily 30-minute walk in decreasing risk factors for heart disease.

But it's not only in fitness where small changes can make a difference. The same principles apply at the kitchen table (and the office snack bar).

Reducing fat intake, cutting down on sugar, eating a piece of fruit instead of a candy bar -- over time, these things can make a difference.

As long as the changes are moving you toward your goal -- be it weight loss, a reduction in cholesterol or blood pressure, or better blood sugar control -- you can get there by taking baby steps.

Try picking any three of the following 12 changes and incorporating them into your life for four days. When you feel comfortable with those changes, pick three others. Once you've incorporate all dozen changes, you should start to feel a difference within a couple of weeks.

To Improve Nutrition:

1. Buy whole foods -- whether canned, frozen, or fresh from the farm -- and use them in place of processed foods whenever possible.
2. Reject foods and drinks made with corn syrup, a calorie-dense, nutritionally empty sweetener that many believe is worse for the body than sugar.
3. Start each dinner with a mixed green salad. Not only will it help reduce your appetite for more caloric foods, but it also will automatically add veggies to your meal.

To Improve Physical Fitness:

1. Do a squat every time you pick something up. Instead of bending over in the usual way, which stresses the lower back, bend your knees and squat. This forces you to use your leg muscles and will build strength.
2. Every time you stop at a traffic light (or the bus does), tighten your thighs and butt muscles and release as many times as you can. (Don't worry, no one will see it!) This will firm leg and buttock muscles, improve blood flow -- and keep you mildly amused!
3. Whenever you're standing on a line, lift one foot a half-inch off the ground. The extra stress on your opposite foot, ankle, calf and thigh, plus your buttocks, will help firm and tone muscles. Switch feet every few minutes.

To Improve Stress Control:

1. Give your partner a hug every day before work. Studies show this simple act can help you remain calm when chaos ensues during your day.
2. Have a good cry. It can boost your immune system, reduce levels of stress hormones, eliminate depression, and help you think more clearly.
3. Twice a day, breathe deeply for three to five minutes

To Improve Sleep:

1. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water. The scent has been shown in studies to promote relaxation, which can lead to better sleep.
2. Buy a new pillow. Studies show that pillows with an indent in the center can enhance sleep quality and reduce neck pain. Also, try a "cool" pillow -- one containing either all-natural fibers or a combination of sodium sulfate and ceramic fibers that help keep your head cool.
3. Eat a handful of walnuts before bed. You'll be giving yourself a boost of fiber and essential fatty acids along with the amino acid tryptophan -- a natural sleep-inducer.

Sometimes it's smart to target certain areas of your body for a little extra help and support. Mannatech's Wellness Management products let you deliver targeted nutrients that help you keep all of your body's systems healthy. It's smart to have all your systems stay in peak condition with Mannatech’s Wellness Management products!

What is Asthma?

People with asthma have sensitive airways. When they are exposed to certain triggers their airways narrow, making it hard for them to breathe.

About Asthma in Australia

• Over 2 million Australians have asthma.
• On average, 6 Australians die from asthma every week.
• 1 in 6 children and 1 in 9 adults has asthma.
• The highest rat of asthma is amongst people aged between 15 and 24.
• 40% of children with asthma live with people who smoke.
• Nearly 25% of people with asthma are smokers.

Things you should know about asthma:

• Asthma is a serious condition, but is can be effectively managed.
• Asthma varies for each individual – so everyone needs their own written Asthma Action Plan. Most people with asthma don’t have this vital tool.
• Reliever medication should be carried at all times by people with asthma.
• Many people with asthma could benefit from regular preventer medication, but do not use it.
• People with asthma can learn the signs of worsening asthma, and how they can best manage their asthma triggers.
• Asthma first aid training is available and may save a life.
• People with breathing difficulties should be encouraged to ask – could it be asthma?

Mannatech was founded to provide a vehicle for those who desire a purpose driven opportunity that addresses the two biggest concerns families everywhere face: their health and their finances. One leading economist has predicted that the wellness industry will become the next trillion-dollar industry due to an enormous shift taking place in the healthcare industry. Mannatech has positioned itself through its nutritional discoveries and patents to play a significant role. Mannatech's record growth is a testimony to the efforts of those who have chosen to share this amazing story of hope with those so desperately looking for answers.

Glycobiology

Glycobiology has now established that every cell in the mammalian body requires eight necessary sugar molecules in order to function effectively. These sugars combine with protein and fat molecules into glycoforms that attach themselves to the surfaces of every cell in the body. Under an electron microscope, they look like weird trees growing on the cell surface. One of their most important functions there is to allow cells to communicate effectively with each other. To the degree that these “super sugars” are deficient, cell-to-cell communication tends to break down and some form of illness starts to develop. Inadequate cellular communication means internal confusion and breakdown.

To consumers, the basic building blocks of nutrients are well known: essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. What Mannatech has discovered is a brand new category of important nutrients: glyconutrients. Following their initial breakthrough discovery, Mannatech filed patents across the globe. Ambrotose® complex has now been issued patents in 29 countries, including the United States. Securing its position of leadership, Mannatech dedicates approximately 30 employees to its science department, and continues to develop new technologies, review research, and conduct studies.

One leading economist has predicted that the wellness industry will become the next trillion-dollar industry due to an enormous shift taking place in the healthcare industry. Mannatech has positioned itself through its nutritional discoveries and patents to play a significant role. Mannatech's record growth is a testimony to the efforts of those who have chosen to share this amazing story of hope with those so desperately looking for answers.