by Judith Allison

Acne, sometimes known as Zits, is a menace to people who suffer from this condition; although it undoubtedly causes distress, a number of topical remedies are available. Medical investigation and research is ongoing and making interesting discoveries; in fact many new remedies are proving very effective. For those people that require treatment, the acne skin care products required fall broadly into a number of categories including:

- Preventative: Creams, lotions etc. to help cleanse and tone the skin - Over-the-counter - Specialized, on-prescription acne products

The preventative products are formulated to treat the skin in an effort to prevent acne from arising like skin cleansers and makeup removers. Many people use products similar to this every day as part of their skin care regime irrespective of whether or not they have the condition.

More specialized cleaners are designed in the same way as acne skin care products; they clean out the pores to help stop sebum or oil which clogs up the pores. These types of products are reducing the chance of oil staying in the pores and aiding the growth of harmful bacteria which assists the formation of the skin condition.

This type of skin care treatment also includes those which exfoliate such as skin peels; most can even be purchased over the Internet in addition to normal outlets. Dead skin cells and other atmospheric pollutants are removed cleaning the pores which reduce the chance of any bacterial growth.

There are specialized acne skin care products available over-the-counter, they do not require the need of a prescription. Products that contain the chemical benzoyl peroxide and the naturally occurring salicylic acid are used in vanishing creams. They work by removing the excess oil from the skin and halt the growth of acne.

It is often a good idea to start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5 percent) to see how the skin responds; an alternative to this includes products which contain alpha hydroxy acid. As with any type of zit cream, you may need to try a few acne skin care products until you find one that will suit your skin; however, if nothing you try seems to work, you should contact a dermatologist.

There are benefits of seeing your doctor or dermatologist, they can prescribe you with a prescription for treatments not available over the counter, for example a course of antibiotics. In some case your doctor may suggest the pustules are drained of harmful contents under local anesthetic; although this is a minor procedure, if it were performed by the person themselves it could result in skin damage.

Your doctor could prescribe a hormone-based treatment to treat your skin problem. Hormonal changes are known to cause acne and such skin care treatments are sometimes known to be effective. With all the treatments available, tackling acne is not that difficult as there are many new products available to help.

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If you are looking for up-to-date information on all issues related to health, beauty and wellness be sure and check out Prohealth News.

by Steve Pallovy

Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and of life itself. They make up 75% of the body and are essential for every function in the body. Ten of the twenty essential amino acids come from the food we eat, while the rest are produced naturally in the body.

Here are a few of the essential amino acids: histidine is necessary for tissue regrowth, lysine helps with calcium absorption, phenylalanine affects memory and nerve functions, methionine breaks down fats, and tryptophan aids in sleep and serotonin production.

When the digestive system is not working properly, there are several ways in which we will become aware of this condition. Heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion are some of the more common effects which can cause quite a bit of discomfort. It has now been discovered that the underproduction of HCL acid can actually be the cause of indigestion.

Achlorhydria, which is the technical term for the underproduction of acid, results when undigested protein is sitting and is basically rotting away in the stomach. This in turn causes burping and bloating and is very uncomfortable when food is forced back up the esophagus. Telltale signs that your food is not being broken down properly and is not producing the amino acids that your body requires, are excessive burping, feeling heavy and nauseated, suffering with either diarrhea or constipation and bad breath.

Digestive systems can malfunction for a variety of different reasons. At the basic level, the body isn’t receiving the chemical signals needed to stimulate waste removal, amino acid absorption, mineral use and protein use.

Body chemicals can be affected by heavy duty workouts or stress — which seems to command all of your body’s attention, thus taking it away from other processes that may need neurotransmitters. Age also naturally diminishes hydrochloric acid production : a 65 year old individual has only 15% of the HCl that he or she had at the age of 35. Sleep deprivation, eating disorders and a poor diet can also affect digestion in significant ways.

Drugs like Prilosec, which has been the top selling prescription medication in recent years, appeal to us by promising to stop acid production, even though acid production is a much needed natural process. While these drugs provide temporary relief, they still don’t deal with the underlying issue - that the body simply isn’t digesting foods properly and therefore is not generating the necessary amino acids that it requires for proper functioning.

For this reason many people take supplements of amino acids to control their digestive processes. These supplements can kick start the removal of wastes from the body and control the production of stomach acid and the absorption of minerals. We need to remind ourselves that our bodies will not perform as designed without the proper nutrition.

About the Author:

Steve Pallovy has done research and written articles on nutrition and dieting for several years. Learn more about the importance of amino acids at Simplygreatnutrition.com

by James Beckett

In 1972 a doctor by the name of Robert Atkins published a famous, albeit controversial diet. The new approach to dieting Atkins taught mixed high proteins with low carb intake. The publication of this diet sparked a fad in dieting that lasts even now. So let’s look at what the secrets we can learn about the Atkins diet.

Probably the core teaching of Atkins is also the most dramatic change in how you eat because taking Atkins calls for us to virtually take carbohydrates out of the diet entirely. The concept Atkins teaches is that the body will burn the sugar that comes from carbohydrates first, by the time that part of our diet is burnt off, the body is satisfied so it never gets around to burning off fats. So Adkins takes carbs out of the equation.

The Atkins diet emphasizes the importance of eating foods high in protein like red meats, pure cheeses, fish, poultry, and eggs. It also says that it’s okay to eat meals high in fats and oils like butter, mayonnaise, and salad dressings since the body will burn it quickly.

There is a transition the body goes through when we pull carbohydrates out of the diet called “ketosis” which means the body starts burning other things for energy, mostly fats. This is the heart of Atkins because as the body turns to fats to compensate for the lack of carbohydrates to burn, not only does weight loss occur but visible fat disappears.

Most diets don’t last because when the person goes out to eat they are not bold enough to demand a “diet” meal. When you are on the Atkins Diet, you have to be bold enough to tell a server exactly what you wish for in your dish. Let’s say you feel like a burger. Since Atkins requires that you reduce carbohydrates, you will want to tell the waiter to hold the bun, and give you more lettuce. You have to give up your fries as well. You obviously can’t order a pasta bowl or a baked potato with cheese because both of those meals are high in sugars.

Many dieters will feel ashamed by these odd requests-those are the people who will not grasp the secret of the Atkins Diet. You have to be brave and forceful about your food plan to be successful at this diet. Just as with anything, you need to put in the effort if you want to succeed.

If you are going to embark on this dieting plan, you have to learn every element of the Atkins Diet first. Buy a good book on it so that you can learn the little tricks and tips that allow you to enjoy good food while still sticking to the diet. You can also get free recipes online so you will never be stuck for meal ideas.

It has been proven again and again that the Atkins diet can work for a broad range of people, there is a short transition period where your body adjusts - but isn’t it worth it in the long run if you can find a diet that works in the long term? Start off strict with the diet and then ease off slightly when you have reached your target weight so it is easier to stick to.

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by Keith Woolley

Peoples’ preoccupation with anti-ageing skin care products that claim to make you look younger is not surprising; it is only natural that as people get older they want to continue looking young so will use products that help them achieve this. This is achieved in beauty products by promoting the growth of connective tissue using the protein collagen which is the most abundant in the skin of all animals; almost 25 percent of the protein in skin is actually collagen. This category of skin products is in fact related to another group of everyday products that help reduce the signs of aging; this group is called antioxidants which are natural chemicals found in many foods and our body. The latest product on the market to dleay the ageing process and prevent cell and DNA damage is Solgar’s AC-11.

Although the benefits of vitamin C (an anti-oxidant) are well documented, it is still debated as to what our daily amount should be. Unfortunately all skin care treatments that use vitamin C have the problem of atmospheric oxidization to contend with once the product is exposed to the air.

More stable skin care treatments are now available that are almost as efficient and actually cost less to manufacture. However, these anti-ageing skin care treatments are not as effective vitamin C based products, although vitamin E and lipoic acid are also anti-oxidants and have similar effects. This is where Solgar’s AC-11 is revolutionary!

The body uses vitamin E as an antioxidant and is also used to increase the natural defense we have against disease, including many types of cancer, it is a fat soluble vitamin in people’s blood. Lipoic acid which is found inside every cell of the body helps generate the energy that keeps us alive and functioning. It is known to combat the signs of ageing very effectively by reversing skin damage caused by the ageing process.

Phytochemicals form the other category of anti-ageing skin care products which are special chemicals that are extracted from plants with a variety of that are used in skin care today. A secondary but more important use of phytochemicals is the effect they have on the prevention of breast, prostate and colon cancers.

It has also been discovered that there are anti-ageing benefits to vitamins B5, B6 and B12. The use of anti-ageing skin care products is a huge scientific field to research and has far greater potential than just producing goods that reduce the visible signs of age. It should be noted that one the best sources of these vitamins come from the brand Solgar.

There is no doubt that what has been learned so far is only a small part of the jigsaw puzzle but research is moving forward rapidly and it is only a matter of time before a new generation of products becomes available. With the research that is now taking place, many people are confident that in time, more effective, cheaper anti-ageing skin care products will be discovered.

At the moment though, science is still behind the field of natural anti-ageing methods and it might take some time to replace them. Drinking plenty of water, getting a good night’s sleep, exercising regularly, maintaining healthy eating habits and keeping stress at bay are an essential means of delaying the ageing process.

About the Author:

Before you buy any anti-ageing product online, make sure you check Keith Woolley’s articles on delaying the ageing process using Solgar AC-11 , and Ageing Well

by Bart R

When your doctor is talking about GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), you will more commonly know it as acid reflux disease. This particular health problem is caused by the leaking of liquid formed in the stomach after food has been digested back up in to a person’s esophagus.

Unfortunately should a person choose not to treat this problem it could lead to other health issues and complications for them. The main one of these being that the lining of the esophagus will become damaged and will then become inflamed.

The main reason for the lining becoming damaged is that the liquid, which has been regurgitated from the stomach, contains acid along with an enzyme known as pepsin. It is this enzyme that helps to break down the proteins in the food that you eat so your body is able to absorb them more easily and they therefore contain caustic properties. Although the pepsin’s can cause damage it is commonly believed that the main culprit for the discomfort and pain felt with acid reflux is the acid contained in the liquid that has been regurgitated.

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