Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Iron

What is Iron?

Iron is a pretty common metal. You’ve probably interacted with at least three or four things made out of iron just so far this morning. With a chemical symbol Fe, and an atomic number of 26, Iron is one of those trace elements that we need to go about our lives as organic beings. It is an integral part of a lot of those enzymes and proteins that we’ve talked about before.

Where are you going to find iron in your body? Well, around two-thirds of it you’ll find in hemoglobin. I bet you’ve heard of that before at a doctor visit, but this hemoglobin is the protein in your blood that ferries oxygen around in your body.

What’s In It for Me?

Well, for one, the ferrying of oxygen around your body is kind of important. Our bodies need a lot of oxygen and getting it where it needs to go is just all kinds of important. Making sure you’ve got enough iron in your body will make sure you don’t feel drowsy all the time and help to increase your performance. It also helps maintain your immune system so you don’t catch all those nasty diseases going about!

Do You Want Some in Your Diet?

Head on over to http://www.berryshot.com/ for more information!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Lycopene

What is Lycopene?

Lycopene, with the chemical composition of C40H56, is one of those chemicals that are not a necessary part of your diet. You’ve probably had a little bit of in your diet from time to time. You know tomatoes? Of course you do. You know that red color? That pigment is lycopene. It functions as an antioxidant, like a number of other chemicals, but it also has a variety of other effects that it can have on the body.

What’s In It for Me?

Well, we’ve already covered what’s so great about the antioxidant effect on your body. Reduction of free radicals, lowering of damage on your cells, we’ve already tread this ground. So what else can lycopene do for you?

There have been studies that indicate that lycopene can lower your risk for prostate cancer. I think there are a lot of people, myself included, that would like to avoid that. In addition, it can also help prevent cardiovascular disease. On top of that, it can also decrease your risk for being sun burned… and I know I really hate getting a nasty sunburn.

Do You Want Some in Your Diet?

Head on over to http://www.berryshot.com/ for more information!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Magnesium

What is Magnesium?

With the chemical symbol Mg, Magnesium is a pretty awesome mineral. On the whole, Magnesium is the eleventh most prevalent mineral in your body right this second. Magnesium, because of its chemical makeup, is a very reactive material. This is a good thing because there are a lot of enzymes in your body right this second that need this reactive quality to perform their chemical duties!

Did you know that only about 33% of the American public meets their daily recommended allowance of Magnesium? That’s not exactly a lot of people, believe you me. So now you’re sitting there thinking to yourself, “Why would I want to be in that 33%?” Well, there’s a pretty easy answer to that.

What’s In It for Me?

To understand how this is important, let’s discuss what these enzymes do. An enzyme in your body acts as a catalyst. Do you remember what a catalyst does from high school chemistry? You do? That’s great! But there are others out there that don’t, so let me explain: a catalyst lowers the energy necessary for a chemical reaction.

So let’s talk about a chemical reaction… like the one that needs to happen for your muscle to contract and move your finger to click the mouse. The enzymes in your body make it easier for you to do this. And the magnesium in your body is making the enzymes lives’ easier by helping power this reaction.

Do You Want Some in Your Diet?

Head on over to http://www.berryshot.com/ for more information!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Trace Minerals

What are Trace Elements?

I know what you’re thinking. “Trace Elements of what?” Well, what we mean by Trace Elements are the other materials your body needs other than the primary four elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen.

These are the chemicals that can be found in any balanced diet… but come on, between you and me… how balanced is your diet really? That’s why products such as Seven+ can be so valuable. These products will help to replace the precious trace minerals that you burn off during the process

What’s In It for Me?

In general, these minerals are going to be replenishing your body by creating new, strong cells. They are the building blocks of our biology. By rounding out your diet with the proper balance of these materials, you can easily live stronger and healthier. All of these chemicals are positively vital to your health.

Do You Want Some in Your Diet?

Head on over to http://www.berryshot.com/ for more information!

Friday, September 18, 2009

The Power of Zinc

What is Zinc?

Zinc is a mineral that occurs throughout nature. You’ve probably seen it on the periodic table back in chemistry class. Right there, under its chemical symbol Zn. You can find it in most meats, fish, nuts, and grains. It is one of the numerous trace minerals that your body needs on a daily basis to do what it does so well.

What’s In It for Me?

To best understand what zinc can do for you, it helps to know how it’s already working on your body. As you read this, you’ve probably got around two to four grams (or so) of zinc in your body. Most of it is located in your muscles, your bones, your kidneys, your liver, and your brain.

Think about where those are located for a second. Those are all pretty important areas of the body, aren’t they? I think we can both agree that you would be sunk without those particular organs; myself, I’m quite partial to my brain. It also speeds the healing of wounds and fortifies the immune and reproductive systems. Your liver will be stronger and your sense of smell and taste will be sharper.

Do You Want Some in Your Diet?

Head on over to http://www.berryshot.com/ for more information!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Multiple Vitamins

What are All These Vitamins?

If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times. “This is a strong source of Vitamin A!” “Contains 100% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C!” For many of us, not a day goes by that we don’t hear that in one form or another from the media that surrounds us at all times. But do you really have any idea what all of that means? That’s what I’m here for; stick with me, we’ll get you through.

What is Vitamin A and What Can it Do for Me?

Vitamin A, in the form of retinol is a vitamin of important to vision and bone growth. When taken in recommended amounts, it can have a number of positive effects on the body. These include improving of vision and skin health.

What is Vitamin B Complex and What Can it Do for Me?

A collection of eight different types of the B Vitamin, Vitamin B Complex has a variety of effects on the body. It can increase your rate of metabolism (great for shedding those pounds), maintaining a healthy skin tone, fortify your immune system, promote cell growth, and even reduce the risks of certain types of cancer.

What is Vitamin C and What Can it Do for Me?

Vitamin C is another type of antioxidant (see the previous articles for information on this) and is not naturally occurring in the human body. In addition, it is required to form collagen (a protein responsible for repairing damage to the human body). It’s quite important that a body get the daily suggested amount of Vitamin C.

What is Vitamin E and What Can it Do for Me?

Another type of antioxidant (they’re everywhere you want to be) that performs this function by reinforcing cell walls. In addition to this, it acts as a means to prevent or at the very least delay heart disease in the human body.

Do You Want Some in Your Diet?

Head on over to http://www.berryshot.com/ for more information!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Antioxidants

What is an Antioxidant?

Well, to understand what an antioxidant does, you have to first understand what the oxidation process is. Oxidation, is the transfer of electrons (one of the building blocks of every atom that makes up your body) from one cell to another. This is a chemical reaction that is probably taking place in your body even as you read this.

This reaction can cause the creation of free radicals (highly reactive chemicals in the body that can damage cells). The reactions then caused by these free radicals can be harmful over long periods of time.

What's In It for Me?

Antioxidants have found their way into numerous dietary supplements. The goal is to essentially create a balance in the human body to prevent (at least as much as is possible) the degradation of your cells. This promotes a healthy cellular system in the long term. People who have a healthy amount of antioxidants in their diet have a lower risk of heart disease, as well as some neurological diseases.

I, for one, would certainly like a lower risk of cardiac pain and arrest... wouldn't you?

Do You Want Some in Your Diet?

Head on over to http://www.berryshot.com/ for more information!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Phytochemicals

What is a Phytochemical?

A phytochemical is a very interesting chemical that will naturally occur in plants. As a blanket, it is a term that is used to refer to a chemical that modern research is indicating can have a benefit on the human body. This can range from a reduction of swelling to a relief of pain in some cases.

A number of the fruits and vegetables have these medicinal properties. However, these chemicals may be damaged or even destroyed during processing… which can even include cooking. In addition, studies indicate that an absence of these chemicals in the body can increase your risk of getting preventable diseases.

What’s In It for Me?

These chemicals have been in use by people for generations. The most common of these is a chemical known as Salicin. This chemical has an anti-inflammatory effect (which is to say a process to remove irritation in the body) on the human body, as well as a pain-relieving effect. I’m sure that all sounds very complicated, but you might have heard of the mass-produced drug created from this chemical, Aspirin.


Do You Want Some in Your Diet?

Head on over to http://www.berryshot.com/ for more information!

Monday, September 7, 2009

More About Xanthone

What is a xanthone and how can it help control my blood pressure?

Xanthones work with your countercurrent system by way of nephrons.

Don't feel bad. I had to look up most of those words too.

A nephron is the basic structural and functional unit of the kidneys. One of the many jobs that your kidneys perform is controlling how much water is rushing about in your bloodstream. I know... I know... "Why didn't you just say so?". What if you're ever on "Jeopardy" and that's the final answer? You can thank me later.

So, your kidneys are reabsorbing critical ions and water by means of your body's countercurrent system. This prevents loss of water. By using these methods, your body is better able to maintain a suitable blood pressure. Lower blood pressure means a healthier heart. Healthier heart means a healthier you. Healthier you means more energy while everyone else is lamenting that their get up and go has long since got up and went.


Do You Want Some in Your Diet?

Head on over to http://www.berryshot.com/ for more information!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Xanthone

What is Xanthone?

To understand this happy chemical, the first thing you should know is a little bit about its chemical makeup. What follows is going to be just a little bit of bland textbook chemistry. Be with me on this one, I won’t lead you astray.

Xanthone is an organic compound (meaning it contains carbon) that has a molecular structure that you might remember from chemistry class as C13H8O2. This chemical can have a positive effect on the human body, such as acting as an antioxidant, which prevents damage to cells.

What’s In It for Me?

To understand what an antioxidant such as Xanthone can do for you, you first have to understand what a free radical is. A free radical is a highly reactive atom that, because of its unpaired nature, can easily cause a chemical reaction in an environment. This can lead to all sorts of unpleasant chemicals that can cause cellular damage.

Those cells that are damaged by the free radicals? They’re in your body. I don’t want my cells damaged. I don’t suppose you want your cells damaged? No? That’s kind of what I figured. By introducing an antioxdant into the body, such as Xanthone, you can decrease potential damage to your cells.

Do You Want Some in Your Diet?

Head on over to http://www.berryshot.com/ for more information!