A lower than normal testosterone level in a man can cause low energy levels, low sex drive, anger, irritability, sadness, nervousness and many other problems.
A doctor can check testosterone levels with a simple blood test. Saliva self-tests are also available. There are many products that claim to boost testosterone levels. These are herbal supplements and vitamin products. Some have supporting clinical trials and research and some are folk remedies. Others contain other hormones or steroids.
Two products were recently banned by the FDA, because they were found to contain anabolic steroids, which are controlled substances and cannot be sold without a prescription. Safety and quality assurance of “nutritional supplements,” including those that boost testosterone levels, is completely up to the manufacturer.
The FDA hears about a product first when the manufacturer sends a copy of their disclaimer statement “these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease” and second when serious problems are reported by consumers.
This leaves the consumer pretty much on his own when trying to maintain a normal testosterone level without using prescription products.
Reputable manufactures are concerned about the quality of their products, not only because it is the “right” thing to do, but because they want to maintain their customer base. They want customers to be happy with the products they sell.
When purchasing products to boost testosterone levels or to correct symptoms associated with a lower than normal testosterone level, select a reputable company that guarantees satisfaction and quality.
Even if the listed ingredient is one that is known to be effective, some companies try to cut cost by using chemical additives. Pure all natural herbs are expensive, so cheap products often mean cheap ingredients.
Two herbs to look for if you are interested in maintaining a normal testosterone level or if you are experiencing symptoms related to a low testosterone level are tribulus terrestris and eurycoma longifolia. These are known to boost testosterone levels naturally and are not known to cause any dangerous side effects.
Tribulus terrestris was first used in China, India and Greece to treat many conditions including headache, nausea and sexual dysfunction. More recently it has been used by athletes to enhance performance and muscularity. It is believed to boost testosterone production by stimulating the body’s production of Luteinizing Hormone which, in turn, stimulates the body’s production of testosterone.
Eurycoma longifolia, also known as Longjack and Tongkat Ali, was originally used in Asia to treat mental as well as physical fatigue. It is said to “support” the body’s natural production of testosterone and improve blood circulation.
Maintaining a normal testosterone level is important to maintaining an overall sense of health and well-being. Choose products to boost testosterone levels carefully.
Learn more about normal testosterone level and how to boost testosterone at http://www.testosterone-booster-guide.com
Dietary Supplements
Some manufacturers are marketing supplements that have substances and effects similar to drugs. The FDA is attempting to impose drug status on these supplements and is being challenged in the courts by supplement manufacturers. In this article, I examine the legal debate surrounding the definition and regulation of substances - whether as a drug or a dietary supplement. First, I outline some key differences in the regulation of drugs and supplements and examine the two provisions of DSHEA that blur the distinction. Second, I describe recent attempts by the FDA to clarify the guidelines for defining supplements and their associated health claims, as well as court actions challenging these attempts. Third, I discuss future litigation and other regulatory actions regarding the drug or dietary supplement debate and its implications for marketers, consumers, and policy makers.
Supplements are not required by the FDA to have premarket approval or safety testing, as are necessary for new drugs and food additives. For example, prior to release, a new drug must obtain FDA drug approval through an extensive process that involves preclinical testing on animals, three phases of investigational new drug testing, a new drug application review, and postmarketing surveillance research. Conversely, product testing is not required for any supplement with ingredients that have been present in the food supply prior to October 15, 1994, or that have a history of use or other safety evidence in labeled conditions.
Many supplements were not required to submit evidence because the ingredients were found in food or had been used safely prior to the passage of DSHEA. For those supplements that do not meet these requirements, evidence of safety must be submitted to the FDA 75 days prior to market release. However, this safety information, which could include any citation to a published article may be of questionable quality potentially biased study conducted by the manufacturer, an in vitro rather than human. As a result, the FDA has been put in a policing. Furthermore, DSHEA has made market removal of unsafe supplements more difficult for the FDA.
To be a dietary supplement adulterated and attempt to remove it from the market, the FDA must prove that the product’s ingredient poses a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury, whereas previously, it simply had to show that the ingredient was not generally recognized as safe. In all cases, the FDA now bears the burden of proof on each element to demonstrate that a supplement is adulterated. Furthermore, the safety of a supplement can be judged only against its labeled conditions of use and not unintended or actual consumer uses. If no suggested uses are printed on the supplement label, the FDA must try to prove actual conditions of usage in its enforcement actions.
Dr. M. Cooper provides research and term paper assistance at http://www.TermPaperAdvisor and http://www.TermPapersMadeEasy.com on the world-wide web. Dr. Copper has a M.S. degree in data communications and a Ph.D in Computer Information Systems. He is a retired Army officer and a Vietnam veteran.
We know that pesticides are definitely dangerous to human health. We also know
that one of the best things we can do to avoid pesticides is to consume organic
food. However, this isn’t always possible due to several restraints: availability, price,
etc.
There’s another thing we can do, however, to reduce our pesticide exposure: avoid
the fruits and vegetables that are the most contaminated.
When organic is not available, eat fruits and vegetables with consistently low
pesticide loads.
It’s been shown that you can lower your pesticide exposure simply by avoiding the
top 12 most contaminated types of fruit and vegetables, and eating the least
contaminated instead.
Eating the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables will expose a person to
nearly 20 pesticides per day, on average. Eating the 12 least contaminated will
expose a person to a fraction over 2 pesticides per day.
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The Black List
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So, what are the most contaminated fruits and vegetables? Here’s the black list,
according to the most recent data analysed:
—> The top 4 are fruits, in the following order:
#1 (Most Contaminated): Peach
#2: Strawberry
#3: Apple
#4: Nectarine
—> The other highly contaminated fruits in the top 12 are:
#5 Pears
#6 Cherrie
#7 Red raspberries
#8 Imported grapes (Chile, Mexico, etc.)
Some of these fruits, such as peaches and nectarines and raspberries, can contain
up to 45 different pesticides! Overall, studies show that those fruits have a high
chance of being contaminated with a good number of different pesticide residues.
As for the vegetables, those that are the most likely to expose you to pesticide
residues are:
#1 Celery
#2 Spinach
#3 Potatoes
#4 Sweet Bell Pepper
Those vegetables have a high chance of containing pesticide residues, some of them
containing several!
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The Least Contaminated Produce
—————————————————————
—> Now, for the “good” vegetables, here’s the top, least contaminated, in order of
purity:
- Sweet corn
- Avocado
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Onions
- Peas
- Broccoli
—> The least contaminated fruits are:
- Pineapples
- Mangoes
- Bananas
- Kiwi
- Papaya
Very few mangoes and pineapple have pesticide residues on them, and when they
do they usually contain only one type. Bananas do often contain pesticide residues,
but rarely multiple ones.
—————————————————————
Conclusion
—————————————————————
To avoid pesticides, the best thing is to consume organic foods. When that is not
possible, select the foods that have the least pesticides on them, and avoid those on
the “black list.”
—> Other importance tricks to help reduce our pesticide exposure:
* Peel non-organic fruits, whenever possible*: That means pears, apples, etc. I know
many nutritionists say that the peel contains the most vitamins, but it isn’t quite
true. The peel of fruits is indigestible, so even though it may contain many vitamins,
they are not assimilated as well as the vitamins in the flesh of the fruits.
*Wash your produce with a non-toxic soap*. You can buy a non-toxic soap for
washing produce in most health food stores. Use this soap to wash your non-
organic peaches, or other fruits if you happen to buy them.
Remember however that eating non-organic fruits and vegetables is still better than
drinking organic beer or eating organic pizza!
Young entrepreneur, Frederic Patenaude, is the author of the best-selling e-book “The
Raw Secrets” and is known for his no-gimmick, BS-free approach to health and
nutrition. To learn more about “The Raw Secrets,” and to read his FR*EE how-to articles
and newsletter, visit http://www.askfrederic.com
Eat Fruit, Live Life - Discover how fruit can help fight joint pain and fight the aging process.
Eating healthy is fast becoming a way of life for many Americans. Studies show people are living longer and enjoying more active lifestyles. For this reason, consumers are starting to search for natural ways to stay healthy. It turns out that simple everyday fruit may be the fountain of youth (no matter what age you are).
Studies show that fruit contains many natural health benefits. Due to advances in food technology, we are only just beginning to discover the many health secrets Mother Nature has placed in simple everyday fruit. In fact, in early 2005, the U.S.D.A. revealed the updated version of the food pyramid that suggests five to nine daily servings of fruit and vegetables.
Fruit is a great-tasting, antioxidant-rich food that can help maintain healthy joints, help support brain function and even assist in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system. All of these health benefits and more are available in the multiple colors, sizes and shapes of fruit.
Apples to Oranges, grapes to strawberries, each offer unique health benefits that that will lead to an active and healthy lifestyle. Here are a few everyday fruits for healthy living:
Cherries - The Supercharged Fruit:
Are cherries truly fruit for a healthy you? Recent studies have revealed that cherries offer an assortment of health benefits including the ability to offer natural relief from joint pain caused from gout, arthritis and joint inflammation. Many are choosing to drink cherry juice concentrate, eat dried cherries or consume tart cherry fruit supplements to enjoy the natural benefits of this tiny red fruit.
Geoff Ficke is a living testimony of the soothing affects of tart cherries on the joint pain in his knees. “After fifteen years playing sports my knees had enough. After a friend recommended Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry, I am now able to play sports again. Within three weeks of taking the cherry supplements I am back on the court, what a difference,” says Ficke.
In addition, to Mr. Ficke, consumers across America are reporting more active lifestyles after using Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry (www.fruitadvantage.com).
Blueberries - Nature’s Top Antioxidant Fruit:
Blueberries emerged as the top antioxidant capacity fruit in a laboratory testing procedure called ORAC - Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity developed by the USDA*. ORAC has become the definitive measurement of antioxidant capacity.
Terry Johnson, a resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan, munchies on dried blueberries for the convenience and taste. “I work behind a computer for eight hours a day and I like to snack. I began eating dried blueberries instead of a candy bar from the vending machine. Now I feel good when I snack because I am eating fruit instead of candy.”
Strawberries:
Studies have shown that strawberries can help promote a healthy digestive system and may help lower cholesterol. A handful of strawberries can go a long way to a helping you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The Michigan-based company Traverse Bay Farms (www.traversebayfarms.com) offers free shipping on all three pound orders of dried organic dried blueberries.
In fact, a website called Orchard of Health (www.orchardofhealth.com) encourages increased daily consumption of fruit. Orchard of Health.com provides research information on the health benefits offered by everyday fruit. In addition to the research, the site also offers great-tasting recipes made with antioxidant-rich fruit.
Tony Anderson is a health writer.