SOLGAR'S BEETROOT EXTRACT - THE ALTERNATIVE TO...HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

We are often asked for help with reducing high blood pressure at Elixir, and you can’t help but wonder if it is something more of us suffer with than in the past. High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects 16 million Britons - one in five - and is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. Although it is sometimes due to known causes such as steroid medication or the contraceptive pill, there are also a number of life-style factors which contribute, such as:

• smoking
• obesity
• drinking a lot of alcohol – especially binge drinking
• lack of exercise
• poor diet

If someone else in your family has high blood pressure, you also have a higher risk of developing it. Fortunately, we are able to help with a remarkably simple, yet astonishingly fast and effective solution: beetroot!

SO HOW DOES IT WORK?
The effect has been traced to nitrate in the beetroot which reacts with bacteria in the mouth. This leads to chemical changes which result in blood vessels dilating to increase blood flow. In tests, healthy volunteers recruited for a study at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London were asked to drink either half a litre of beetroot juice or water. Those who had the juice started to show reductions in blood pressure after just one hour, with optimum results after three hours. They also found that only a small amount of juice is needed - just 250ml - to have this effect, and that the higher the blood pressure at the start of the study the greater the decrease caused by the nitrate.

Scientists have also shown how drinking beetroot juice can boost stamina. Some of the benefits even surpass those gained from the strict training routines followed by professional sportsmen, and the researchers admit to being stunned by the results.

WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE BEETROOT?
Since the earthy tang of the juice might not be to everyone's taste, you will be glad to know that Solgar has come up with a solution with their Beetroot Extract neatly wrapped up in capsules, which provides the same benefits. And just like the juice, we have seen remarkably fast results including people who have been turned down for surgery due to their high blood pressure, yet within 24 hours reducing it so much that surgery could be carried out.

There are no side effects from Beetroot Extract (although some people may experience a discoloration of their urine in the first couple of days), and it could have a big impact on everyone from athletes training for big events to pensioners who lack the energy to walk to the shops!

To buy this product click on the following link: Elixirhealth.co.uk. You can also view this product at our Solgar Health Store website. If you wish to speak to a customer advisor, you an telephone us on 01208 814500 for further information. We're always there to help.

Solgar Nutri Nano Co Enzyme Q10 - For Statins and Other Uses

Co Enzyme Q10 is a compound which plays a vital role in the production of energy. When you have a Co Enzyme Q10 deficiency, it will interfere with this process and can leave you feeling tired and lifeless.

Studies have shown Co Enzyme Q10 to be effective in the treatment of chronic fatigue and as a general energy 'booster'. It may also enhance athletic performance. If you are prescribed statins, in discussion with your health care practitioner, consider supplementing with Co Enzyme Q10 as research shows that stores of this compound is depleted, causing for many people a loss of energy. It’s not for nothing that Co Enzyme Q10 is considered to be the spark plug in the body’s cells - the chemical catalyst helping with energy production. As an antioxidant it's good for cell membranes, cholesterol, fatty acids and tissues of the brain and helps with the healing and repair of gums tissue (that's why you'll find it in some toothpastes).

Co Enzyme Q10 has many other uses and you might want to read up on it yourself. The vitamin company Solgar has a form of Co Q10 called Nutri Nano Coenzyme Q10, which I especially like. Why is that? Well, strength, purity and absorbtion. Per tablet it's about three and a half times more potent than other brands of Co Q10. It's more cost effective since you only need one 30mg tablet a day as opposed to three 30mg tablets of other makes. And since quite a bit of the active ingredient is lost in transit through the stomach you should be taking around 100mg anyway. Nutri nano is a 'nano' form of Co Q10. That doesn't mean genetically modified, only that the particles are very fine, much smaller than other types. The advantage of that is that there is more absorbtion, allowing a greater amount of 'packagages' of the Co Q10 to reach the right sport without the traditional loss in transit.

In any event, consult your doctor if on any medicine and particularly if you are on heart medication.

To buy this product click on the following link and visit us at elixirhealth.co.uk or telephone us on 01208 814500 for further information.

Solgar's Fish Oil Concentrate Capsules - Brains, Heart and Joints

Not all of us can climb the Matterhorn but we could all benefit from taking a good Fish Oil. The health benefits are well researched and accepted. For example, heart diseases, high cholesterol, depression, anxiety, AHDH, inflammation, arthritis, eye disorders, macular degeneration and…well read up on it yourself. Most of fish oil’s benefits can be attributed to its Omega 3 essential fatty acids particularly DHA. Being 70% fat, or thereabouts, your brain will thank you for it!

To visit the Elixirhealth.co.uk website or buy Solgar's Fish Oil Concentrate, click on the link below or telephone us on 01208 814500 for further information. Click here.

Keeping Healthy Skin, Hair and Nails - Solgar's Skin, Hair and Nails Formula and Quest's B Complex Vitamins

Many factors determine the condition of hair, skin and nails. As well as heredity, there are causes such as poor circulation, acute illness, surgery, radiation exposure, skin disease, sudden weight loss, high fever, iron deficiency, diabetes, thyroid disease, drugs such as those used in chemotherapy, stress, poor diet, the change of life and vitamin deficiencies.

In general the health of your hair can vary throughtout your life as a result of many factors, such as above, but the circulation to the root of the hair and the amount of nutrients present in the blood play a big part too. Women often experience temporary hair loss after childbirth and the menopause but a lack of protein in the diet can also affect your mane. Hair loss among younger age groups is becoming all to common and at Elixir some of the main causes we see is increased stress. It may be in treating hair loss, for some categories of people, we consider products such as a good B Complex Vitamin to help calm the nervous system and promote healthier hair growth. The B's are also clever at promoting growth and helping to extract nutrients from food.

If you are concerned with a prolonged hair loss, do speak to your health care practitioner. However, in many cases natural products can be used internally and naturally to improve the health of hair, skin and nails. Below are a few of the products you may consider using. If in any doubt we're only a phone call away. Call one of our experienced staff and we'll do everything to try and assist you with the right choice of product.

As a final comment it may also be prudent to look at your shampoo. Many of our customers are discovering that conventional (and not just 'cheap' brands - many so-called 'expensive' ones as well) are riddled with unhealthy chemicals which dry and irritate the skin and overtime can cause dematological problems, such as eczema. They say up to 80% of what goes into the scalp penetrates the blood stream.

If you wanted just two products that may help with Skin, Nails and Hair and help combat stress in general, I can recommend two products by Solgar and Quest Vitamins. There are many other products by other good manufacturers for Skin, Hair and Nails of course and a good look through our website may help in this area but on the whole with the fast lifestyles people lead today, simplying our choice is often practical.

Click on the links below:

- Solgar's Skin, Hair and Nails Formula
- Solgar's or Quest's B Complex Vitamins

To visit the Elixirhealth.co.uk website, click on the link below or telephone us on 01208 814500 for further information.

Elixirhealth.co.uk