Glyconutritional Supplements

'Glyco' means 'Sugar' in Greek. Many people think that sugar is bad for health. However, if you look closely, there are 2 types of sugars. One type of sugars is 'intracellular' which can easily be found in vegetables and in fruits and provide our body with all the nutrition it needs. These types of sugars, which are known as complex carbohydrates, have been researched thoroughly for years together. However, only in recent times we have begun to discover their purpose in our body. The other type of sugars is 'extra cellular' which is been long linked with human disease.

A large number of researchers and scientists believe that some carbohydrates signify the next cutting edge solution in our search for safe and non-toxic treatments for many degenerative conditions. Moreover, even as we have just begun to realize, the full possible uses and cures of these carbohydrates, the study which has been reported in just the last decade, has proved a new level of hope and optimism with the world's top immunologists.

Healthy cellular bodies, which are made up of various parts working together in complicated synchronization, must have some internal communication among themselves to function harmoniously and correctly. This communication between cellular bodies, in its most basic structure, occurs at the cellular level.

So to maintain a fit and healthy body and mind, cells must communicate or talk with each other. To simplify, their language is one similar to touch, written in simple sugars on the cell surfaces. These simple sugars join with other molecules to become glycoforms. If they combine with proteins, they become glycoproteins and if they combine with lipids, they become glycolipds. So out of 200 monosaccharides (glyconutrients), which occur very naturally in plants, eight of those have been discovered to be parts or components in cell surface of glycoforms.

Similar to thousands of diverse "keys" projecting out from the cell surface, some will either unlock the necessary functions of the adjacent cell or may be not. If the right keys are present, the body functions very smoothly. If they are not present, the body does behave erratic. In some research, it states that these simple sugars do have a complex coding system which is superior to that of amino acids.

So these glyconutritionals provide the necessary cellular communication which is needed for a healthy body.

Only 2 of the 8 glyconutrients (monosaccharides) are found in modern diet. Our food intake has changed tremendously because of our appetite and demands for cheaper and quicker foods. Therefore we are not eating the healthy foods our body needs and which contain the necessary fuels for our cells to talk to each other in an effective and healthy manner. Whereas, our body has the ability to build these simple sugars, the exchange process is very complicated. During the exchange or conversion process, your cells are uncovered to hundreds and thousands of hits from free radicals floating every day. This requires energy, time and also participation from other micronutrients so that the conversion can be done smoothly. Many times viruses interfere with our body's natural capacity to create these conversions easily.

Because your body has more that some trillion cells and it fully regenerates or manufactures all of its various cells in approximately one year, any slowdown or miscommunication can cause some major health troubles. With some millions cells regenerating every day, it is very easy to visualize what would happen if the cells did not regenerates properly. That is why glyconutritional supplements are so much important to our food diet.

The Pros & Cons of Using Body Building Supplements

There are so many great body building supplements on the market today, which can prove to be a powerful ally to a good exercise regime. Unfortunately, there are other products that are not only a complete waste of money, but could be potentially deadly. So how do you know which one is which?

Supplements: when the hard times hit
Everyone reaches a workout wall at times. The scales stay the same, or muscles don't seem to respond in the way you would like. That's where supplements come in.

Not only can they improve the health of the body, by supplying vital nutrients, but they can also boost energy, enabling a workout to go for longer, and with more intensity.

Some supplements provide vital amino acids, such as Glutamine. Many scientific research studies have shown that Glutamine helps to build muscle mass by not only increasing the levels of growth hormones, but is also responsible for transporting as much as 35% of muscle-building nitrogen into the muscles tissue.

Protein powders provide the building blocks for muscles. As carbohydrate intake has been shown to largely go to fat cells, protein powders are a handy way to take in calories that will be used by muscle tissue instead. Protein powders, simply put, help to build muscle tissue without adding 'empty calories' which can increase fat.

Vitamin and mineral supplements can also be a valuable part of any good health regime. As the body secretes some minerals and vitamins more easily than others, being deficient in some vital nutrients is common in many people – even more so in people who train hard.

Know your supplement
Not all supplements are created equal, and unfortunately some are, at best, completely useless or, at worst, downright dangerous.

Before taking any body building supplement, it's a good idea to get an all-over health check first, and get advice from a health professional. Some energy-boosting supplements contain caffeine, which is fine for some people, but for others they can have adverse side effects.

Importantly, supplements containing some ingredients have been banned from sale in other countries, such as Ephedra in the US. A derivative of the plant ephedra sinica, Ephedra is an alkaloid chemical compound, which contains two main active ingredients—pseudoephedrine and ephedrine.

In 2002, the company Metabolife, which made a Ephedra supplement, was forced to hand over to the US Department of Justice well over 15,000 reports of adverse cases related to Ephedra, ranging from insomnia to death. Fortunately, the ban of Ephedra has spawned the increase of "Ephedra-free" energy supplements.

Supplements that focus on hormones are also a common area of confusion for many. Unlike anabolic steroids, which are dangerous for a user as they increase hormones way above the normal human levels, many supplements only increase hormones within a safe range. Some supplements increase testosterone, which helps to build muscle mass and is commonly used to increase sports performance. Others block oestrogen, the 'female' hormone.

Excess testosterone can have some very unfortunate side effects, however, including hair loss and acne. In some cases, the body will convert excess testosterone to oestrogen, which can affect virility in some males. Fortunately, there are other supplements that can inhibit this, such as antiaromatics, or Milk Thistle.

When buying supplements online, it's important to check their origins. Just because an ingredient has been banned in one country, does not mean it has been banned in others, and the accidental importation of banned substances can lead to big trouble. Fortunately, there are very good online retailers based in Australia. They do the importing for you, making sure that not only are the products safe, but also allowed.