Q: “What are the differences between whey protein supplements and protein from whole foods with respect to muscular reconstruction?” A: The main differences between whey protein supplements and protein from whole foods include the amino acid composition and absorption rate of the protein. You’ve probably heard that whey protein absorbs quite quickly relative to other […]
Various questions and answers by All Star health relating to new and lesser-known supplements, training principles, and much more.
Energy boosting products have exploded in popularity and are now one of the most popular types of dietary supplements. One thing that’s true about any type of energy booster is that the more you use it, the less effective it becomes. But by paying attention to how you use you energy booster and by taking certain accessory nutrients, you can get more, sometimes much more, out of your energy booster so you won’t have to use as much, as often.
People have used the power of foods and herbs to enhance their love lives since time immemorial. Some of these foods have more of a scientific basis for being effective (note the zinc content of oysters) than others (powdered rhino horn). But besides oysters and heart-shaped pizza, other foods and herbs can enhance your love life, too.
Dr. Robert Heaney is one of the leading researchers in the quickly-advancing field of vitamin D research. He recently gave a fascinating lecture at UC Berkley in which he summed up the most current information about vitamin D and took on difficult-to-answer questions about vitamin D deficiency and dose. Dr. Heaney’s information is compelling and commands a complete rethink of this crucial prohormone nutrient. The video has since been removed from YouTube, but we were able to see it and took some notes. Here’s what this leading researcher had to say about vitamin D.
Dear AllStarHealth,
I’ve always taken vitamin E because there’s a family history of heart disease and a few of my nutrition books say it’s beneficial. But in the last few years I’ve come across conflicting information about vitamin E including some recent news stories that say it doesn’t help and can actually be harmful to use vitamin E supplements. So what’s the story?
Dear AllStarHealth,
I’m a 30 y.o. female and new mother. Over the last year or so, I’ve become aware that my hair is growing much slower than it did while I was in college. It also seems to be thinner and drier and falls out more easily. My doctor seems unconcerned, just said to make sure to keep eating enough and take my prenatal. Believe me, I eat enough and I’ve been taking this prenatal for over a year now. There’s got to be something else? I ‘ve seen “hair vitamins” , should I use one of those or can you suggest any particular supplements that might help?
Thanks,
Gabriella
Malibu, CA
Dear Gabriella,
Congratulations! Well, on one hand there are indeed a few nutritional supplements that ‘work’, that people have successfully used to improve the growth and condition of their hair. On the other hand
By resupplying your body with “friendly” bacteria, Probiotics can be incredibly useful supplements to both keep you healthy and help you pull through a wide range of health problems. Probiotic supplements have been around for a long time, but recent high-profile ad campaigns for probiotics in yogurt as well as food poisoning outbreaks have really taken them prime time and renewed interest in these bacterial supplements. But although probiotics come in capsules and tablets just like vitamins, there are big differences between the two, you’ve got to regard them differently than inert vitamins. So we’ve put together a guide for buying, storing and using your probiotic supplements for the best possible results.
Along with losing weight, joining a gym and giving up smoking, another popular New Year idea is undergoing a detox program of some kind. but there are a lot of competing and overlapping schools of thought about detoxing, what toxins are, and how to best help the body eliminate them. Experts and quacks alike have written dozens of books on the subject, advocating this or that approach to get rid of toxins and waste. There’s no one universally agreed-upon definition or approach to detoxification. Yet, fundamentally all detox protocols have the same goal…
Dear AllStarHealth,
Maybe it’s been our typical Minnesota weather, or the Holidays, or something else, but we’ve really gotten into a rut with our training. My wife and I got the gym every other day faithfully but we don’t seem to be making the kind of progress we were just a few months ago. I think she’s losing her enthusiasm for it, and we’re kind of at a plateau. Are there any supplements that can help us get back on track?
We get a lot of variations on this theme. Most people who’ve made exercise a part of their life will get into a rut or hit a plateau sooner or later. Are there products that can help? Definitely!
