What's Really in Your Supplements?

Hi and welcome to this week’s look at what’s making headlines in natural health on iHealthTube.com…

Do you really know what’s in your vitamins and supplements?  A study published last week indicates a large number of them may contain unapproved drug ingredients.

The study found nearly 800 over the counter supplements sold from 2007 to 2016 contained these ingredients.  Most of the products were marketed for either sexual enhancement, weight loss or muscle building.  The tainted products contained either ingredients in prescription medications, banned pharmaceutical ingredients or anabolic steroids.  Any of those ingredients could cause specific health issues when used or mixed with other products.  More than half of adults in this country use dietary supplements which is currently a 35 billion dollar industry.

More evidence that help for your brain could start in your gut… 

A study out of Kentucky is showing another link between diet and cognitive health in animals.  The study fed 2 groups of mice either a ketogenic diet… which is a high fat, low carbohydrate diet… or a regular diet.  The results showed that the ketogenic mice had significant increases in cerebral blood flow and improved balance in the gut micro biome as well as lower blood glucose and body weight.  That group also had an increase in the process that clears amyloid-beta from the brain, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

The group also generated another study to study caloric restriction on the mice.  Those results showed that caloric restriction turned back the clock for aging mice.  Their neurovascular and metabolic functions were better than younger mice in an unrestricted diet.

The lead author said it’s too early to tell if these modifications will have the same benefits in humans but a study could follow soon.

Finally… There might be more than you think to that advice we got to ‘sit up straight’.

A study in Europe looked at electrical activity in the brain of subjects performing visual working memory tasks while at rest and during exercise and different postures.  The results showed that both aerobic exercise and upright posture improved visual working memory compared to passive and seated positions.  

The lead author said that even though we've become more sedentary… our brains likely perform better while our bodies are active.

That’s a look at what’s making headlines in natural health this week.  Make sure to go to iHealthTube.com and sign up for our free email newsletter so you stay connected to the latest in natural health.