Vitamin Report

Is Nopalea Really a Miracle Juice?

Anyone who stays up late enough to catch glimpses of the current infomercials has undoubtedly run across the infomercial for a new health beverage called Nopalea. The makers of this beverage present all of the typical claims that supplements advertised on late-night television tend to claim. They say it is a "miracle supplement" and that is reduces body inflammation that leads to all types of health problems. They even claim that this product slows down aging. How many times have we heard these claims about new health products on the market? They present a "free trial" offer where you pay nothing for your first bottle except $9.99 in shipping fees. Is Nopalea really effective?

Nopalea's main ingredient is the juice from the Nopal cactus fruit. This juice is known to contain potent antioxidants. Can drinking Nopalea on a daily basis benefit your health? Sure. Antioxidants are great for your body. Is drinking Nopalea going to cure all of everyone's illnesses and slow their aging dramatically? Not a chance.

This company also charges close to $40 for a 32-ounce bottle of juice that can likely find under another brand name at your local health food store for a fraction of that price. They have padded the price because they are selling this product with an MLM strategy, which means that there has to be a hefty profit built in for their representatives to make money. If you would like to try Nopal cactus juice, I would look for some at your local health food store and not purchase Nopalea brand.

Everyone is always looking for a "miracle cure" for all of their ailments, and because of this, more supplements like Nopalea will keep being introduced to the market. As soon as everyone realizes that this is not a miracle supplement, the same company that manufactures it will likely introduce another product with the same claims. Do your research before purchasing any "miracle" product, and you will save yourself money and disappointment.

Pro-Biotiks Bio-35: Miracle Supplement or Snake Oil Pill?

I recently took advantage of a free trial offer from Pro-Biotiks for a supplement called Bio-35. This was not one of those "scam" trial offers where they make you pay $10 for shipping and then charge your card for an unauthorized $80 a month that are all over the Internet and television today. This was a true, no credit card required, no shipping charge free trial. It was like a breath of fresh air to see a supplement company that is not trying to scam people out of money, so I give the company credit for that. I ordered the stress formula, but they have many other formulas available. I have only taken it for several days now, but here is my opinion on the supplement‘s formulation:

The label on this product says to take one pill, three times a day. Bio-35 contains vitamins, minerals, Omega oils and trace minerals from the Great Salt Lakes. Having not taken a basic vitamin supplement for a few months now, I knew that I had to begin taking one again, and figured why not try this supplement and get a little extra with my vitamin? This supplement is a little low on vitamins A, D and magnesium, but other than that contains a good balance of vitamins and minerals. The omega oils in this supplement add up to less than 2,000 mg, which is pretty low. It is a good start for someone who has never taken flax oil before, but a tablespoon of flax oil contains at least seven times as much good fatty acids as three of these pills, so keep this in mind. Overall, it is a good vitamin supplement and the small amount of omega-3 oils is pretty low, but better than none for someone who is not going to gulp down flax oil alone.

We now get to the Great Salt Lake trace minerals. What are they? Beats me. I can find little information online about what benefits these have to the human body. The more I search online, the more frustrated I become with the lack of information I can find on this component of this supplement. I am starting to believe they are little more than a marketing gimmick. If I find any information on them, I will update everyone.

A bottle of this supplement costs approximately $17 for a one-month’s supply, which is a reasonable price for what you get. I just wish the company would explain their Great Salt Lake mineral theory in greater detail.

Forget Prescription Antidepressants: Try These All-Natural Mood Boosters

Fish oil supplements, SAM-E, Vitamin D, and Light Therapy

A growing number of Americans are taking prescription antidepressants. While these antidepressants can be very useful in helping someone who is suffering from a depressive disorder, there are all-natural mood boosters that can be just as effective as prescription pills. Society is brainwashed to believe that a prescription medication is the only answer to common ailments. If physicians did not only care about their bottom lines, they would prescribe some of the following depression treatments:

1. Fish oil supplements. Studies have shown that fish oil supplements are just as effective at treating depression as many prescription medications are. They also have other beneficial effects on the heart, brain and the rest of the body as well. The omega-3 fatty acids in these pills are what do the work. If you do not like the thought of taking fish oil, look for other sources of omega-3s, such as flax oil.

2. SAM-E. This supplement is available over the counter in the United States, but is a prescription medication in many parts of Europe. It has proven mood-boosting effects, and you will see a mood improvement very quickly with this supplement. It has a speedy effect on some people, so be prepared for this effect.

3. Vitamin D. Many Americans suffer from vitamin D deficiencies, especially during the winter months. Much of our vitamin D is produced when our skin is exposed to the sun's rays. There is little sun in the wintertime, especially in the Northern states. Vitamin D deficiency can cause a type of depression called Seasonal Effective Disorder, or SAD, during the wintertime. Take a vitamin D supplement daily during the wintertime to see if it helps improve your mood.

4. Light Therapy. This is not a supplement, but I snuck it on the list because it can be great for treating winter depression. With extremely short days, it is no surprise that people become depressed during the winter. Light therapy is another great SAD treatment. You can purchase a light box online for $60 and up. The light box must be 10,000 lux, or it will not be as effective. You simply place this light next to you, at arms length, while you work on your laptop or read for about a half hour to an hour every morning. You will then notice an increase in energy and a boost in spirits for the rest of the day.

All-Natural Weight-Loss Supplements

"Many all-natural weight-loss supplements can aid a person in losing weight with no harmful, undesirable side effects."

Many Americans need to shed a few pounds, myself included. Those who would like to lose weight typically fall into one of two groups; there is the group that believes that the only path to weight loss is diet and exercise, and there is the group that uses prescription and over-the-counter weight-loss pills and aids that are far from healthy.

What many do not realize is that they do not have to rely on only diet and exercise, or rely on only unhealthy diet aids. Many all-natural weight-loss supplements can aid a person in losing weight with no harmful, undesirable side effects. I have tried all of these supplements. Here are several natural, harmless weight-loss aids that you can add to your daily supplement regime:

1. Hoodia Gordonii. I am hesitant to recommend this supplement to others because I know that consumers have had mixed experiences with it. I am including it because I am one that had great success with it. I took it religiously for a couple of years, and during those couple of years, I was the thinnest I have ever been. I noticed a substantial dulling of my appetite, and ate very little without feeling hungry. I did not feel speedy nor drowsy. Once I took a break from it for a few months and then began taking it again, I did not experience the same weight suppressing effects as when I first had taken it; I have no idea why. So, I would say try this supplement, and if it works for you, great. If it does not, you have not lost anything except a few dollars. I may try it again soon.

2. High-dose L-Glutamine supplementation. This supplement is really useful if you are one of those people who have sugar cravings that lead to eating candy and pastries. I am one of those people, and L-Glutamine is great to take when I have one of those cravings. It takes the craving away fast. I am not going to go into the complete information on how it works, but for me it just works. About one gram of L-glutamine added to a protein shake is the easiest way to take this supplement, or you can take it in pill form.

3. Green Tea. I drink green tea on a regular basis, but there are also green tea supplements and extracts available for those who do not like the taste of it. It does contain caffeine, but not all that much. It is said to speed your metabolism because of several of the natural chemicals contained in it. I drink it casually, but others who make a habit of taking the supplements have experienced help in losing weight. This tea also contains many antioxidants, so even if you do not lose weight while taking green tea supplements, at least you are aiding your health in other ways.

Sublingual Vitamin B-12: All-Natural Energy

I used to be one who took many vitamins and supplements every day. I have since slacked off and plan to integrate these supplements back into my daily routine. I felt healthier, weighed less and was happier when I stuck to my supplement regime. One supplement that I have taken steadily for many years and would not dare to eliminate from my daily routine is sublingual vitamin B-12. I have taken this every morning for over eight years, and if I miss one day, I feel it. If that does not prove that this is almost a miracle vitamin, I do not know what does. I tried liquid B-12 on a whim, not really expecting much energy from it. Honestly, I do not remember how many days it took to build up in my system before I noticed a big change in my energy levels, but it was not long. This is my B-12 experience:

I first began with the liquid that is available at many drugstores, vitamin stores and even Wal-Mart. The sublingual B-12 liquid that is sold at GNC probably tastes the best, but I had always purchased the Wal-Mart version because it does not taste bad and is a couple of dollars cheaper. Most importantly, both brands have the same amount of the actual vitamin in it. Recently, I switched to the under-the-tongue, dissolvable tablets, because they are even more affordable and seem easier to hold in my mouth longer. That is the key to this supplement -- do not swallow it immediately. Hold it under your tongue as long as possible, from 30 seconds to one minute.

Each tablet that I take each morning has 41, 667 percent of my daily recommended value of vitamin B-12. No, that is not a typo! Over 41 thousand percent! It contains 2.5 mg of B-12, or 250 mcg. Do not purchase a brand that has less than this, or it will not provide the dramatic energy that you want. In my opinion, sublingual vitamin B-12 is the most natural, most affordable energy supplement that you can buy. Try it for yourself, and let me know what it does for you.