LeQuadrillage Family Health & Wellness Center
Your internet omnibus for health & wellness information
SUPPLEMENT SOURCES
As a service to our visitors who might be impatient with all our irrelevant commentary, we're providing links to the manufacturers we know to live up to all claims made and unconditionally provide product exactly as represented. The roster of manufacturers who meet these conditions is severely limited and below you will find three of the very best.
FOR THE WORLD'S BEST SUPPLEMENTS AT ANY PRICE (THEY'RE NOT CHEAP), GO HERE.
FOR VERY HIGH QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS AT THE BEST PRICES AVAILABLE ANYWHERE,GO HERE.
FOR THE FINEST, AILMENT SPECIFIC NATURAL, HOMEOPATHIC AND HOLISTIC REMEDIES, GO HERE.
THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
IF THE VITAMINS YOU'RE TAKING AREN'T ABSORBED YOU'RE THROWING YOUR MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN!
The most important thing to look for when shopping for vitamins is not price, which absolutely must take a secondary position to (1) bioavailability, (2) accuracy in the amounts of ingredients stated on the label, and (3) age and quality of the ingredients.
The most crucial aspect to consider when evaluating any supplement is its bioavailability (which is synonymous to absorption). If you buy any supplements strictly on price, you're getting short changed. Guaranteed!
Most supplements are manufactured to a price standard rather than a best science standard, and bioavailability is left in the hit or miss section of this perspective. And the result is that the active ingredients, released into the stomach, are attacked by stomach acids and mostly destroyed.
Another factor is the use of excessive amounts of binding agents in cheap, low quality mass produced tablets. Here the tablets only partially disintegrate and pass through the digestive system without being absorbed, a universally common problem.
Ingredients like L-Glutathione, enzymes, SAMe, and herbal extracts are particularly vulnerable to stomach acids. They really need a better delivery system than what is commonly afforded.
After a tablet has been swallowed it is transported by peristaltic contractions of the esophagus (on the illustration that's the long "tube" you see running down from the mouth) into the stomach. The stomach (at the end of the esophagus) acts as a food reservoir during the early stages of digestion. The stomach churns its contents with digestive secretions such as the enzyme pepsin, and hydrochloric acid. (By the way, if you have heartburn, it's not because you have too much stomach acid; it's because you have too little. But that's the subject of another discussion.) In general, food stays in the stomach for 45 minutes to 2 hours. Plenty of time for the acid to destroy sensitive nutrients, which it does, even in food other than the tablets we're concerned with here. Not all nutrients are destroyed though; if they were, we'd all starve to death. The thing is though, when we pay a lot of money for a tablet, we neither want any of the active ingredients destroyed, nor do we want the tablets to pass through without being absorbed.
Eventually the stomach contents are transported into the upper small intestine (right below the transverse colon - we should all be able to recognize it from the "sausage links" across the entire abdomen . This is called the duodenum. It's about 20 to 23 feet long and actually consists of three distinct segments (you can't really see them on the image here). Each of these segments is about 10 inches long, the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum.
Now if we're talking just about a vitamin tablet here, then the tablet releases its ingredients into the more alkaline environment after about 20 minutes to an hour. From there the ingredients pass through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. Unless they're still locked up in the hard binders of a cheap tablet.
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS TO A NORMAL
GOOD QUALITY TABLET
The active ingredients are released into the stomach.
The stomach acids attack the ingredients and break them into smaller particles.
Depending on the ingredient, most of it is destroyed by the acid (not all ingredients are affected; some are impervious to stomach acids.
The remaining ingredients pass through to the small intestine.
WHAT ABOUT PRESCRIPTION DRUGS/
Pharmaceutical drugs always work because the FDA requires proof that they do! Not so with vitamin supplements. Pharmaceuticals cannot be manufactured to a price standard. Most vitamin supplements are. Pharmaceutical drugs are manufactured to a standard of best science, This is often a very expensive process. The drugs you buy will be absorbed just about 100%, while in contrast, some experts believe that only about 10% to 15% of vitamins taken are absorbed. Routine in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals is the addition of an enteric coating on the ingredients whenever needed. This is rarely done with vitamins and supplements.
ENTERIC COATINGS
An enteric coating on a tablet provides a protective layer on the ingredients which permits them to pass through the stomach into the duodenum intact. Once in the duodenum (the small intestine), the coating reacts to the alkaline environment and strips away, releasing the active ingredients. There is only one manufacturer of vitamin supplements with the knowledge, the equipment, and the will to do this! You can visit them by clicking here.
Most supplement companies are merely marketers, not science based companies, so they have neither the will, nor the facilities, nor the technical know how to put enteric coatings on their products. The technology itself is very expensive and the resulting products require continuous testing to assure proper impermeability and correctly timed breakdown of the coatings.
JUST WHAT IS AFFECTED?
In general, vitamins and minerals are not affected by stomach acids. Pancreatic enzymes, some vegetable enzymes, and expensive, beneficial ingredients like L-Glutathione, alpha lipoic acid, SAMe and herbals, are. Supplements that do not contain ingredients susceptible to stomach acids, do not need any protective coating. But if you're buying L-Glutathione, for example, you would definitely want this product to come with an enteric coating. L-Glutathione is extremely important for the health of your cells and wil be severely damaged by release into the stomach. Other ingredients that are severely impacted by stomach acids include, but are not limited to: L-Carnosine, Aloe Vera Polysaccharides, Adenosine Triphosphate, (ATP), Resveratrol, ALL enzymes, Ribonucleic Acid RNA).
BIOAVAILABILITY
Many factors contribute to the bioavailability of a supplement ingredient. Lets look at some of them.
Disintegration time; dissolution percentage; types of excipients used; nutrient forms; presence of co-factors or inhibitors in the formula; interactions with drugs; time of the day taken; supplement delivery system; level of absorption; and of course, your own body's nutritional needs.
DISINTEGRATION: The tablet needs to break apart and fragment into small pieces. If that fails to happen, it will pass through your digestive system intact and end up in the local sewage system in the same condition it was in when you swallowed it. And even if it does disintegrate, the ingredients won't do you much good if they don't dissolve! That's called dissolution.
Once a supplement reaches the intestinal tract, it has a limited time in which to dissolve into solution and in this way, pass into the bloodstream. Forty-five minutes in the intestinal tract is about the outside limit for supplement formulations to remain in the intestinal tract without disintegrating and going on to dissolve.
So basically we need a tablet to disintegrate in the stomach, avoid destruction of sensitive ingredients by stomach acids, and then have the active ingredients transported into the small intestine where they are then dissolved into solution.Since not all ingredients in a supplement formulation are sensitive to stomach acids, there is no need to apply an enteric coating to every supplement, but where it is necessary, failure to do so will produce a useless product; at least where the included sensitive ingredients are concerned.
COMMON INGREDIENTS SUBJECT TO DESTRUCTION
Listed here are a few of the more important ingredients which are highly sensitive and vulnerable to stomach acids
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)
Aloe Vera Polysaccharides
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Amylase (An Enzyme: ALL enzymes are easily destroyed.)
Betaine Hydrochloride
Bromelaine (Another enzyme)
DMAE
Enzidase (enzyme)
Isolase (enzyme)
L-Carnosine
L-Glutathione
Lipase (enzyme)
N-Acetyl L-Cysteine
Phosphatidyl Choline
Resveratrol
There are many other factors to consider when selecting a supplement, and we will be examining them here at LeQuadrillage as time goes on. Meanwhile we'd like to introduce you to one outstanding supplement that nearly everyone should be taking as a matter of routine. It will avoid a lot of health issues as well as alleviate or cure many that already exist. This is a supplement that does in fact incorporate an enteric coating as part of its formulation.
Manufactured by a little known New Zealand company with an impeccable reputation for consistently producing product that exceeds United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and British Pharmacopeia (BP) standards, this particular supplement is used routinely by the entire LeQuadrillage staff and their families. The supplement is called Total Balance and you can learn more about it by clicking here. This is one product that, when taken regularly is certain to avoid countless health issues that could arise and meanwhile, keep you feeling totally at the top of your game. Really. And while you're there, be sure to check out their ailment specific supplements too.
HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS
Over the years, a large number of studies concerning the effectiveness of herbal supplements in the treatment of various ailments have been conducted. These studies have nearly always yielded very positive results, and today, research into them is intensifying. While we recommend consulting a knowledgeable doctor before embarking on any natural supplementation regimen, most herbs are pretty harmless if obtained from an ethical and reliable supplier. Herbal supplements should always contain complete instructions regarding their use on the labels, and these instructions should be faithfully followed.,
If you do decide to take herbs to treat a particular ailment, pay careful attention to what your body tells you as you proceed. Watch for any signs that the treatment may not be working and quit if your body seems to be rejecting this option. Then it's probably time to find a good alternative physician. In that case, go to out Links page and find the direct link to The American College for the Advancement of Medicine.Their world wide roster of participating practitioners is available to you there without charge.
THE TWELVE MOST RECOMMENDED NATURAL REMEDIES
To learn about their use, click on the text in the yellow box below to be taken to our most trusted and knowledgeable supplier of these products. Information about them is freely given here without cost or obligation.
LeQuadrillage demands that our advertisers back up product performance with an indisputable money back guarantee. Please take note however, that natural products, unlike drugs, take time to produce results. Give our recommended products the time they need; take them in accordance with the instructions on the labels, and these natural products will unfailingly produce the positive results represented.
CoQ10 NECESSARY FOR LIFE
ESSENTIAL TO HEART HEALTH, CoQ10 is a fat soluble, vitamin like nutrient essential for the production of the body's energy molecule. CoQ10 helps the body avoid damage from free radicals during exercise, improves cardiac function, supports healthy circulation and maintains a healthy capillary circulatory system. To be short about this, if you don't have enough CoQ10, you're going to have heart problems! CoQ10 is naturally made by the body, but production declines steeply after forty.
Some studies indicate that CoQ10 production starts declining at age 20. This leaves the heart muscle subject to fluctuations in people experiencing this decline. Other age related symptoms are fatigue, reduced stamina, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, and related illnesses.
Cardiologists are now recommending CoQ10 for patients with congestive heart failure. Certain prescription drugs deprive the body of CoQ10. Statins for cholesterol and beta bloickers for high blood pressure lead the way in this process of CoQ10 deprivation.
CLICK THE BOTTLE
CoQ10 helps the body turn food into energy, raises levels of Vitamin E, protects against damage from high transfat diets, and provides antioxident potection. The active form of CoQ10 is Ubiquinol, which when in this form, saves the body an extra step in making CoQ10 more bioavailable. This is the product depicted by the image above.
TYPICAL DAILY DOSAGES
General Health: 30 - 100 mgs
Heavy Exercise: 90 - 160 mgs
Family History of Heart Problems: 60 -160 mgs
Mild Heart Problems: 100 - 200 mgs
People With Congestive Heart Disease: 300 - 360 mgs
Patients with Parkinson's Disease: 1200 mgs
TRIPHALA
Triphala is the most popular herbal remedy in India. It is also revered as a general tonic. All over Asia, Herbalists universally suggest it to everyone regardless of any health issues they may have before them.
Consisting of three fruits found in India, amla, bibi paka, hara taki, triphala is recognized as a nutritive tonic, a laxative, an aphrodisiac, a cure for diarrhia, respiratory conditions such as asthma, a cure for mouth ulcers, and general detoxification
Due to the wide range of ailments it treats, Triphala is known throughout asia as The King of Medicines. This fruit combination has an extremely high vitamin C content as well as several very beneficial chemical compounds. Among them are the very strong digestive aids, anthro-quinones.
In 2006, scientists discovered that triphala can induce cytotoxicity in cancerous tumor cells while sparing normal cells They also found that triphala also killed cancer cells before they could spread. A very important property that has been unreservedly affirmed is that triphala causes pancreatic cells to die from apoptosis - programmed cell death, with no side effects!
Triphala is available as a powder in Indian Food Import Stores, and several companies manufacture and distribute it in capsule form. One excellent and reliable source is represented here and can be accessed by clicking on the bottle. If you have cancer, discuss this with an alternative physician before using this. Your conventional oncologist is sure to nix it, so be certain to see an alternative physician. If you need help in finding one, contact us.
PERIWINKLE - EXTRAORDINARY PROPERTIES Used to Treat Cancer, This Simple Plant Can Cure a Host of Illnesses
Periwinkle: This simple little plant is the source of most common chemo drugs used in the treatment of cancer. The properties which linked Periwinkle to the treatment of cancer were discovered inadvertently by the Lily company while they were looking for a drug to control blood sugar in diabetics. Common folk lore attributed such a property to Periwinkle, but painstaking research revealed that the plant had no effect on blood sugar levels. Instead, the research by Lily uncovered the antineoplastic effects of plant extracts, prominent among them, the extraordinary properties of periwinkle and components in its makeup which form the basis of our common chemotherapy drugs.
The plant components, vincristine and vinblastine, in periwinkle, were found to bind to tubulin in cellular microtubules. The short story here is that the process arrested cellular division and killed the cells.
But the embarrasing factor in this that keeps getting swept under the rug is that these drugs don't particularly discriminate between healthy cells and cancer cells. As a result, numerous healthy cells are killed in the course of chemotherapy as these drugs go about causing general and widespread cell death, including the cells that comprise our immune system, in their mission of killing off cancer cells. It's like using a shotgun to kill a fly on an elephant. Not good.
The logic of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer just doesn't make any sense at all. That is, as far as curing cancer is concerned. Or curing any other disease for that matter. Our immune system is designed to attack and destroy any harmful invading organisms. So where is the logic of killing the immune system in order to cure a disease?
But there is still a very solid logic to the use of chemotherapy. It is the most profitable therapy in medicine. Profitable to the pharmaceutical industry, profitable to all segments of the medical business involved in the treatment of cancer. And this seems to explain why the many extraordinary properties of periwinkle are being quietly passed over in favor of the logic of profit in chemotherapy.
THERAPEUTIC USES NOT LIMITED TO CHEMOTHERAPY
The therapeutic uses of the periwinkle plant are not limited to its derivations of the chemo drugs. The plant itself was introduced in Europe during the mid 1700s, as an ornamental plant. Today it grows throughout the world, mainly in the warmer climates, and it has been widely used in tropical folk medicine. Besides being useful in the treatment of cancer, decoctions of the plant have been used for maladies ranging from ocular inflammation, diabetes, hemorrhage, and insect stings.
Research conducted by several pharmceutical companies, and later abandoned, show derivatives of periwinkle to be a high octane fuel for the brain. This is due to an almost miraculous brain booster called vinpocetine. It is so effective against fading mental processes that it is being used routinely in supplemental form by nearly 50 countries.
Vinpocetine has been shown to improve blood circulation to the brain, reducing senility and age related dementia. It has been used successfully to improve hearing function by relieving that ringing and buzzing in the ears known as tinnitus, and it has eliminated vertigo (dizziness). Vinpocetine is also used extensively in Europe for improving visual function, including night vision, and in preventing or relieving glaucoma and age related macular degeneration.
Periwinkle is also an excellent, all around astringent that may be used internally and externally. Mainly it is used in the treatment of excessive menstrual flow. And as in other remedies that can affect the uterus, it can be used to address similar processes in the urinary system. Digestive problems can also benefit from treatment with periwinkle; problems such as colitis or diarrhea where it will act to reduce the loss of fluid or blood. Nose bleed, bleeding gums, mouth ulcers, and sore throats, all benefit from the use of periwinkle.
There are few health hazards associated with the use of periwinkle as a therapeutic drug, although anyone wanting to avail himself of this drug would be well served to consult a homeopathic physician who understands its uses. Overdosage can result in a severe drop of blood pressure. Other than that, the side effects seem to be very minimal, being largely limited to gastrointestinal complaints and skin flushing. The drug is usually made available in the form of ampules, capsules, coated tablets, and compound preparations.
It seems totally ironic that the USFDA continues to "protect" us from the perceived dangers of such a beneficial plant, in spite of its internationally proven safety and effectiveness while at the same time, allowing virtually unrestricted use of the same plant's well known most toxic elements.
VINPOCETINE AS BRAIN FOOD
European doctors have known about the periwinkle's miraculous IQ boosting power for years and recommend it to millions. In the U.S it is still nothing more than a pretty garden flower. The vinpocetine contained in periwinkle is in fact, a high octane fuel for the brain. It is so effective against fading mental powers that nearly 50 countries, exclusive of the U.S. are now using it in supplemental form. Research has shown time and again, and proved conclusively that vinpocetine:
Boosts blood circulation in the brain by zeroing in on the rain's tiny blood vessels so the can deliver oxygen more efficiently
Preserves adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the fuel needed by every cell in the body for proper functioning.
Reduces senility and age related dementia.
Supports nervous system health
Keeps the brain stocked with the "feel good" compound dopamine which helps direct thinking, behavior, and motivation.
Improves hearing by relieving tinnitus and vertigo.
Prevents or relieves glaucoma and age related macular degeneration.
Improves cardiovascular function by diminishing atherosclerotic plaque, improving cadiac output and nutritive blood flow to the various organs, improving dilation of blood vessels, increasing the flexibility of red blood cells, and scavenging toxic metals such as aluminum and lead.
THE GARDEN VARIETY PERIWINKLE Is It Safe?
Many visitors to LeQuadrillage have Periwinkle growing in their gardens, and we're frequently asked if it is safe to make a tea our of it and drink it. The answer to that is, theoreticaly yes. Many cultures have been doing it for centuries. But as far as specific plants in home gardens are concerned, we're not so sure and would not advise it. We would suggest consulting a local herbologist before consuming any brews made out of garden plants. There are many unknown factors here, and some of these plants could contain serious toxins. Our advice on this? Play it safe and buy a formulation produced by a lab you can trust. An example of a serious mistake that can be made is shown here at right. This is the Vinca Major Periwinkle, the source of the chemo drugs we've been talking about and it is very advisable to know exactly what you're doing before ingesting any part of this plant. This is just one of the many traps the home gardener is likely to fall into when thinking about using a herb garden as the source of supplements.
DOSAGE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR
In the case of vinpocetine, as with many other substances, even though it is essentially harmless, more is not necessarily better, and a formulation containing the proper dosage along with other synergistic elements is really the best and most effective way to get it. Most nootropics (supplements that positively effect cognitive function) have ideal dosage levels for positive effects. These may vary slighty from person to person, but they generally follow what is nown as a dose-response curve.
The desireable effects may decline if too much of the supplement is taken. Many of the sudies done with vinpocetine show the dose-response curve levelling off or declining avove 40 mg/day. That's maximum! Ten to thirty milligrams daily seem to produce optimum results when taken in the absence of other synergistic substances, and most, if not all, alternative practioners recommend against this manner of ingesting vinpocetine.
SO THE QUESTION BECOMES...
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY OF GETTING IT?
Vinpocetine is an extremely expensive extract of the Vinca Minor Periwinkle plant. It is most effective when combined sparingly in a synergistic compound. And, remember what we said about enteric coatings? This is especially important with vinpocetine.
Total Balance contains the appropriate amount of vinpocetine coupled with the correct combination of substances for turning your brain fog into brain power - and then some. The product comes in seven different versions, all with enteric coatings, and you will need to click here to determine what's best for you.
DEPRESSION A PROBLEM TOO?
In the event you're suffering from depression too, then vinpocetine can come to the rescue there too.In this case, Neuro-Natural-Serenity taken together with Total Balance and Omega3DHA Fish Oil for maximum effectiveness. We agree that this combination is expensive. It comes down to how much is your health and well being worth? Only you can answer that..
Neuro-Natural-Serenity contains 43 key ingredients which can contribute to the general health of your brain and nervous system. And in addition to those ingredients, it also contains specific herbal extracts and amino acids which have a calming effect. Valerian is inclded to help mood disorders, anxiety, and psychological stress. Hops are a part of the formulation because they may relieve feelings of nervousness and irritability. All of this in an enteric coating.
Omega3 DHA Fish Oil, should be taken along with any of these supplements and you can find the purest fish oil on the planet by clicking here.
Periwinkle: This simple little plant is the source of most common chemo drugs used in the treatment of cancer. The properties which linked Periwinkle to the treatment of cancer were discovered inadvertently by the Lily company while they were looking for a drug to control blood sugar in diabetics. Common folk lore attributed such a property to Periwinkle, but painstaking research revealed that the plant had no effect on blood sugar levels. Instead, the research by Lily uncovered the antineoplastic effects of plant extracts, prominent among them, the extraordinary properties of periwinkle and components in its makeup which form the basis of our common chemotherapy drugs.
to make a tea our of it and drink it. The answer to that is, theoreticaly yes. Many cultures have been doing it for centuries. But as far as specific plants in home gardens are concerned, we're not so sure and would not advise it. We would suggest consulting a local herbologist before consuming any brews made out of garden plants. There are many unknown factors here, and some of these plants could contain serious toxins. Our advice on this? Play it safe and buy a formulation produced by a lab you can trust. An example of a serious mistake that can be made is shown here at right. This is the Vinca Major Periwinkle, the source of the chemo drugs we've been talking about and it is very advisable to know exactly what you're doing before ingesting any part of this plant. This is just one of the many traps the home gardener is likely to fall into when thinking about using a herb garden as the source of supplements.