SOS - Save Our Supplements!

The Consumers for Health Choice (CHC) group have long been campaigning to protect the higher-strength supplements that could be banned under the Food Supplements Directive 2002/46/EC. The directive has already come into force, but CHC are lobbying to ensure that the decision due in December 2007 allows many of the specialist supplements to remain legal and freely on sale. They have an online petition set up, so go there, stick your name on, and Save Our Supplements! Sign the petition here: http://www.consumersforhealthchoice.com/phpPETITION/

Some simple advice for allergy sufferers

Each year over 6,000 people in England are admitted to hospital with allergy-related ailments. Over a quarter of these patients are suffering from anaphylaxis - a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction involving breathing difficulties. Allergic reactions are caused by substances in the environment known as allergens, of which the most common are pollen from trees and grasses, house dust mites, wasps, bees and food such as milk and eggs. The lack of effective advice about allergies is part of the problem - which manifests itself as a huge strain on the NHS.

Allergic reactions are all inflammatory states. If your diet feeds your body’s inflammatory state, the worse your allergy symptoms will be. And if you eat anti-inflammatory foods, you’ll help calm symptoms down. So cut down on alcohol, smoking, coffee, sugar, white bread and junk food which all encourage inflammation. Instead eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds with several servings of oily fish a week – as these are packed with anti-inflammatory Omega-3 oils.

Hay fever sufferers should try a wheat and dairy-free diet for a few months to see if their symptoms improve. Pollen, wheat and milk all originally come from grass. It may be that some hay fever sufferers become sensitive to proteins that are common to grains, grasses and possibly milk. If you suffer from hay fever or other allergies and have irregular or irritated bowel movements, consider taking a probiotic supplement such as Acidophilus Plus+. Researchers in Finland have linked high levels of good gut bacteria to a reduced risk of allergies. These bacteria also strengthen and balance your overall immunity, which is vital for allergy sufferers. Large amounts of Vitamin C, a natural anti-histamine, are useful too – researchers in Italy found hay fever sufferers who took 2000mg daily, had less congestion and wheezing than those who didn’t.

The complete version of this article can be found in our Health Articles library (dated 3rd June 2007): http://www.justvitamins.co.uk/HealthArticles/Default.aspx

Magnesium aids heart patients

The European Journal of Nutrition is reporting results of a trial whereby patients hospitalised with heart failure were treated with Magnesium Citrate. Heart failure symptoms include breathlessness and fatigue, and almost half of all patients die within five years of diagnosis.

Prior to the treatment, levels of inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP) were three times higher than patients hospitalised for other reasons. The patients in the trial were given 300mg of Magnesium Citrate daily for five weeks, after which time the levels of CRP decreased by about 40%.