Submitted by: Andrew Scherer

Astaxanthin is a substance that more and more people are hearing about due to its clinicaly proven beneficial effects as an ingredient in skin skin treatment products and nutritional suplements. Astaxanthin belongs to a class of phytochemicals called terpenes and it is a caratenoid as well as a powerful antioxidant. One of the aspects that differentiates astaxanthin from other carotenoids that are commonly used in supplements and topical skin care products is that astaxanthin does not change or convert to vitamin A once it is inside of the body as other types of carotenoids often will.

Another positive feature of astaxanthin as a carotenoid is that it has been found to have up to ten times the posetive effect of other common carotenoids found in supplement and skin care products on todays market. The fact that astaxanthin does not convert to vitamin A is a crucial aspect aspect for consideration due to the fact that vitamin A can have toxic effects on the system if it is present in high concentrations. While much has been made of the need for vitamin A for the maintainence of healthy skin, the truth of the matter is that Vitamin A is readily available in many foods and also in suplement form.

As it appears in nature in its pure form, astaxanthin is pinkish-red in color which is one of the reasons why many of the organisms that produce and contain it will tend to be red in color. At the present time the main commercial source for astaxanthin is red algae which grows in thousands of forms in every ocean on the planet. Red algae is prolific and varies in size from larger leafy varieties to small microscopic forms.

To answer the call of growing demand for red algae due to the astaxanthin and other useful substances that are derived from it, commercial aquaculture farms are now producing it in ever greater quantities worldwide. OceanGrown International is one company that is spearheading much of the research and development into new products that contain astaxanthin that is derived from commercially produced red algae and one of their most recent introductions to the skin care product market is their OAVE line of products.

OGIs visionary founding partner Travis Martin recently put forth in an interview the companies core strategy for the coming future. Our policy with regards to product development is to diversify based on growth. That is that we intend to develop and offer to the consumer effective nutrition and weight loss management product lines to fit the demand for complete health requirements. From his statement it is clear that OGI intends to stay on the cusp of research into and the development of skin and health care products that rely on astaxanthin as an essential effective ingredient.

There are many common foods that contain astaxanthin that are available at the grocery store including food items items such as salmon, shrimp and lobster. Research into the eating habits of native Alaskans has determined that it is their high rate of consumption of these seafoods that contain high levels of astaxanthin that is a major contributory factor to their low rate of ischaemic heart disease as well as other common health maladies in their overall population.

About the Author: Written by Andrew Scherer.

OceanGrown International

, also know as

OGI

, is a new direct sales and marketing company that produces skin care and nutritional products based on

astaxanthin

and other ocean-based ingredients. The company’s website can be found at

ogilife.com

.

Source:

isnare.com

Permanent Link:

isnare.com/?aid=220271&ca=Medicines+and+Remedies

Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease in Teenagers

by

Mel Joelle

Degenerative Disc Disease is a disorder that is commonly related to age and wear and tear upon the back. Sufferers most commonly experience its symptoms in their thirties or forties, which usually consists of pain, and possibly even numbness or weakness in the limbs if a nerve has been compressed. In many cases, however, people may experience no symptoms at all.

It is called “Juvenile” Degenerative Disc Disease when its sufferers are under twenty-one. The spine is made up of bones called vertebrae, which are separated and cushioned by little sacks of fluid called “discs.” As we age, these discs lose fluid and grow weak. Sometimes they are damaged. Unfortunately, discs can not heal themselves, so any damage to a disc can continue to cause problems for the rest of your life. Some people experience more disc problems than others. These are the conditions that lead to a diagnosis of Degenerative Disc disease. Some people are naturally more prone to disc problems; a genetic component to lumbar disc degeneration has been identified. Smokers, athletes and heavy lifters are also at greater risk for Degenerative Disc Disease. The lumbar region is that of the lower back. For disc problems in the lumbar region, one of the more common locations for disc disease, pain typically originates in the lower back, sometimes radiating into the buttock and thigh. In fact, studies show that approximately twenty percent of teenagers have lumbar discs that show early signs of deterioration. This disc deterioration accelerates rapidly with time – especially for boys. However, Juvenile Degenerative Disc Disease is believed to be experienced equally often in girls and boys. Although the typical population experiences no symptoms until at least their twenties, Juvenile Degenerative Disc Disease is a major cause of chronic lumbar pain in teenagers. In the past, doctors believed that chronic lumbar pain in the young was most likely due to cancer or a serious injury, but a recent study showed that this is not the case. Clearly, this type of problem in teenagers is of particular concern because of the life span remaining before them, during which their discs will continue to deteriorate. Although, usually Degenerative Disc patients can be treated without resorting to surgery, teenagers with this problem may be more likely to undergo surgery than the typical lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease patient, due to the age of disease onset. This is unfortunate, because back surgery is inherently risky. One way in which Juvenile Degenerative Disc Disease can become apparent is by loss of lordosis (or curvature) in the lower back. The disease, when present in juveniles, may co-exist with spinal stenosis – a narrowing of the spine, which can, eventually, put pressure upon the spinal cord. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a helpful diagnostic tool when attempting to diagnosis this problem, as it can show both narrowing of spaces between the vertebrae, as well as actual disc damage, such as the bulging disc. Since Juvenile Degenerative Disc Disease is inherently destructive to the back, parents should be watchful for signs of this potentially debilitating disorder.

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Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease

. If you enjoyed this article, you also might like our other stories about

Back Pain Treatments

.

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