Tag: Amino Acids

Top Nutritional Tips to Support Healthy Hair Growth

1. Eat adequate amounts of protein.

Protein is composed of the amino acids essential for the building of new cells, including hair. Five amino acids are of particular relevance to hair growth – cystine, cysteine, methionine, arginine and lysine.

Inadequate protein intake over a lengthy period can force hair into the resting phase with shedding a few months later.

It is obvious then that sufficient portions of protein rich foods should form part of your daily diet. The best sources of dietary protein are lean meats, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, soy, nuts, grains and seeds. At least 15% of your daily calories should come from protein-rich foods.

2. Eat adequate amounts of useful carbohydrates.

Carbs are an essential source of energy and help in the growth of body tissues, including hair. They are an important source of the B vitamins that are vital to healthy hair.

It is important that you concentrate on consuming non-refined carbs rather than the sugars and white flour that are so prevalent in many over-refined carb products. You should place an emphasis on consuming vegetables, fruits, whole grains, brown rice and potatoes. It is recommended that you obtain 55-60% of your daily calories from the carbohydrates found in these foods.

3. Achieve a healthy balance of dietary fats.

Fat is used in energy production and can be found in both animal and plant foods. Your body needs sufficient levels of fat to maintain good health. That fat should be obtained from a mixture of lean animal and plant sources. Roughly 25-30% of your daily calories should come from these sources.

4. The right nutritional balance is one that suits your personal circumstances.

How much of each food group you eat depends on a host of factors including age, sex, health and level of physical activity.

When choosing meals and snacks, take account of the following key principles of sound nutrition:

– Eat a variety of foods.

– Apply moderation to your consumption of junk foods.
– Choose natural and lightly processed foods as often as possible.

– Do not over cook.

5. Support a nutritious diet with a few carefully chosen supplements.

Following a nutritious diet is essential for good hair health, but on its own this may not be sufficient for a number of reasons:

– Modern farming methods may deplete the nutrient quality of food.

– High stress levels may diminish nutrients in your body.

– Dieting may affect nutrient levels.

– Aging reduces the ability of our bodies to utilize certain nutrients.

– Exercise can deplete some nutrients.

It may be sufficient to supplement with a well-balanced multi-vitamin / mineral product but a number of products are available that specifically cater for the requirements of healthy hair.

Provillus Hair Loss Treatment

Provillus is a non-prescription oral supplement to aid hair growth and reverse hair loss. Provillus for men does this by blocking the production of an androgen called DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), which clogs up hair follicles, leading to increasingly thinner hair an eventual baldness in men.

Provillus also claims to revive dormant or nearly dead hair follicles, which most other hair loss products will not vouch for. Provillus for women uses a slightly different formula which focuses more on cleansing the scalp and supplying nutrients to the hair follicles, enabling scalp hair to grow faster and thicker.

Ingredients: Vitamin B6, Biotin, Saw Palmetto, Nettle, Gotu Kola, Pumpkin seed extract, Eleuthero Root, Uva-Ursi and Muria Puama

While Saw Palmetto, Nettle and Gotu Kola are common to most hair fall control solutions, the pumpkin seed extracts, which contain carbohydrates, amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids are unique to Provillus, and provide a natural form of nutrient supplements to help nourish and revive nearly dormant hair follicles.

Usage: Recommended usage is one to two capsules a day, for about 6 to 8 weeks. If no results are apparent by then, you would likely need to increase the dosage. Provillus for men and women are different products, to be used in different circumstances.

For women, it is mostly to control temporary hair loss due to hormonal changes, such as heavy menstruation or after pregnancy. Provillus for men will block an excess production of DHS by the body, and put a stop to hair loss, while some ingredients of the formula try to trigger increase in the hair growth rate.

Side Effects: According to the company, there are almost no known side effects. No loss in sexual appetite for men, no scalp problems and nothing in their extensive studies hints at any signs of bodily disorder specifically due to the use of Provillus.

Some people may experience mild stomach disorders initially, but as the body gets used to the excess saw palmetto contained in the Provillus solution, these symptoms, if any, will fade away.

That said, the very effectiveness of Provillus, as a hair loss control solution, is in doubt by some people who have used the product and found no apparent change in the rate of their hair loss. No decrease, no increase, no side effects Nothing.

A lot of their customers have indeed benefited from a significant decrease in hair loss, and even increased hair growth. Point is, that it could go both ways. So maybe you should study the ingredients and consult your physician before you make a decision to opt for Provillus.

As stated above, Provillus is FDA approved, has a 100% money back guarantee and has no known side effects. So, there should be, ideally speaking, no harm or loss, in trying out Provillus.

What Are the Different Type of Kidney Stones

There are 4 kinds of kidney stones and these are formed by different salts found in your urine. What makes each one different is what caused it.

One of the most common is the calcium stone.

These stones can easily be identified because it looks spiky or at times large and smooth. The reason why these are called calcium stones is because these are made from calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate.

You may have calcium stones if you have excess levels of Vitamin D or an overactive parathyroid gland. This occurs frequently to people suffering from cancer or kidney disease.

The second type of kidney stone is the uric acid stones. These are smooth, soft and color brown and you get it from eating too much meat products. People who are at risk of this are patients who have just undergone chemotherapy.

The third type is the struvite or infection stones. These are big and appear like a horn like shape that often develops when you have excess amounts of ammonia in your body.

You are at risk of this if you already have UTI or urinary tract infection because the bacteria that causes this infection generates ammonia. Unlike the first two types of kidney stones, this one is generally found in women.

The fourth and last is the cystine stones. This is easy to tell because it is color yellow and crystalline. You can also have cystine stones if you have high levels of cystine in your urine. But this is very rare because it can only happen if you have a genetic order known as cystinuria. This occurs when kidney tubules are not reabsorbing the amino acids adequately.

The good news is that kidney stones can be treated and prevented. Sometimes drinking lots of water and taking some medication will help flush it out of the body. If the stones are too big, then surgery will be needed.

If you have had kidney stones in the past, remember that they can be happen again so you should take preventive measures. You should drink lots of water daily and make changes in your diet.

For instance, if you want to reduce the risk of developing calcium stones, you have to reduce your intake of certain vegetables such as asparagus and cooked spinach. You should also drink less tea and limit the chocolate you eat.

Since uric acid stones come from eating too much meat products, cut down your fish, meat and poultry intake. Should you be at risk for cystine or struvite stones, ask your doctor for preventive medication.

You will never know what kind of kidney stones are in your body unless you go visit a doctor. From there, he or she can tell you what it is and then recommend the proper treatment. Most of the time, you can flush it out yourself but if there is no other choice, you may have to undergo surgery.

Believe it or not, in most cases doctors do not know what causes kidney stones to appear. They may have an idea what caused it after identifying what kind of stone it is and only recommend what preventive measures you can take so it does not happen again. If you dont take this seriously, remember they do come back.

Kidney Stones

There are different kinds of kidney stone and it forms from different salts in our urine. There are 4 different types around and here they are.

The first is called a calcium stone and among the 4, this is the most common. It looks spiky or large and smooth. This is made from calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate.

It is very common because there are a lot of people who have excess levels of vitamin D or have an overactive parathyroid gland. This may also develop in people who are suffering from cancer or kidney disease.

Next you have uric acid stones which are smooth, soft and color brown. You can get this from eating a lot of meat products. Patients who have undergone chemotherapy are at risk of getting uric acid stones. Both the calcium stones and the uric acid stones commonly occur among men.

You also have struvite or infection stones. These are usually large and have a horn like shape and often develop when there is too much ammonia present in your urine. This occurs if you have UTI or urinary tract infection because the bacteria that causes this infection generates ammonia. This type of stone is found generally in women.

Lastly, you have cystine stones. What makes this different is the fact it is color yellow and crystalline. From the name itself, you can only get it if you have high levels of cystine in your urine.

In some cases, cystine combines with arginine, lysine and omithine. This is a genetic disorder known as cystinuria which happens when the kidney tubules are not reabsorbing the amino acids adequately. This is very rare and it can happen to anyone between the ages of 10 and 30 regardless of gender.

The good news is that despite the different types of kidney stones around, it can be prevented. The best way to do that is to drink lots of water which is equivalent to about 3 liters of water everyday because this helps make the urine clear rather than the color yellow.

Since more people are at risk from developing calcium stones, you should reduce your calcium intake and cut down on vegetables like asparagus and cooked spinach. Do the same for the amount of tea that you drink and the chocolate that you eat.

To prevent having uric acid stones, you should cut down on fish, meat and poultry products. If necessary, your doctor may also prescribe some medicine to help you along the way which is the same to reduce the risk of developing cystine or struvite stones.

Should you already have kidney stones and it is causing problems, you have to see your doctor so both of you can figure out what treatment option is best suited for the situation. You have to remember that the doctor has to figure out first what type of stone is in your system.

With that, he or she will be able to tell you what needs to be done. Your response to this should be more questions so you know what you are getting yourself into. Yes there are ways to deal with kidney stones but you have to know how effective is the medication or treatment, what measures you have to take to prevent this from happening again and if there has been any permanent damage.