Saturday, October 9, 2010

Prozac safety and benefits

Prozac is one of several antidepressant drugs known as Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors or SSRIs.

Serotonin is a naturally occurring chemical found in the pineal gland, blood platelets, digestive tract and most importantly the brain. It is believed to play an important role in the regulation of sleep, sexuality appetite and general mood. A lack of serotonin in the brain is directly linked to several forms of depression including Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SSRIs such as Prozac work by increasing the levels of serotonin and therefore helping relieve feelings of depression.

There remains little over the effectiveness of Prozac. Over 40million people in the UK and throughout the world have been prescribed the drug and a very high percentage reported improvements in their mood.

So what's the problem with Prozac? Well, like almost all other drugs, Prozac has a long list of possible side effects including nausea, headaches, dry mouth, irritability, reduced libido, low energy, anxiety and insomnia.

However, the greater concern surrounds reports that the drug may encourage suicidal thoughts. Certainly children should not prescribed Prozac but this is the same for all antidepressant drugs. But for adults, there is no conclusive proof of any direct links between the drug and suicide. Of course there are many cases of people taking their own lives whilst on Prozac but you have to remember why these individuals were prescribed the drug in the first place - to help alleviate strong feelings of depression.

FInally, despite what you may've heard, prozac is not addictive. Very few people experience any difficulties coming off the drug once their depression has lifted.

Aspirin & Strokes

Does aspirin really help protect against stokes and heart attacks?

Many older people take an aspirin every day in the belief that it will prevent strokes and heart attacks.

But is there any scientific evidence to back this up? The answer, you may be surprised to learn, is yes. When an aspirin enters the body it essentially thins the blood thereby discouraging a blood vessel blockage - the main cause of strokes and heart attacks.

Research has constantly shown that taking an aspirin every day for a sustained period of time will lower your risk of suffering one of these potentially life threatening events.

However, before you rush of to the chemists, you should know that the reduction of risk is only very small. But any reduction is good, right? Well, not if there's a long list of possible side effects to take into account. Taking an aspirin on a regular basis can cause indigestion, prolonged bleeding and in some cases stomach ulcers.

Diet and lifestyle choices have a far greater effect on your likelihood of suffering a stroke or heart attack but with none of the side effects of popping an aspirin a day. So really the best advice is to eat healthily, exercise regularly and leave that of aspirin bottle alone.

Liquid Herbs

Why a Liquid Herb is Better Than Tablet Supplements
Herbal remedies and vitamins come in many forms, capsules and tablets being the most common, but liquid herbal remedies are found to be much better and far more effective than the same remedy in capsule and tablet form.

So why is a liquid herb better than a herbal remedy in tablet or capsule form? Well it's because of the absorption rate. With traditional tablets and capsules they need to first be digested in the stomach, something that liquid herbal remedies do not. While these tablets are in the stomach, the stomach acid is breaking down some of the herbal values and by the time it gets to the small intestine to be absorbed into the blood stream most of the properties of the remedy have been lost. But a liquid herb does not have to go through this process, it is automatically absorbed into the bloodstream meaning it is more effective and the concentration that reaches the blood stream is much higher.

Most products out there now are available in liquid form as it is also far more convenient. As we know it is a nightmare to try and get a child to take a tablet or capsule, but with a liquid herbal product it is quick and easy and also stress free for the child, so when you want to make sure your child has all the vitamins and minerals they need then a liquid herb is the way to go.

It is also a great help for the elderly or those that have problems swallowing and digesting tablets so you know that the maximum amount of supplement is being absorbed and put to good use in the body, helping the elderly users stay healthy. So these liquid herbs are great for all the family and a simple way to orally take a supplement and if you like to dilute the liquid herbal remedy it can be added to water or if it's to help you sleep a cup of hot chocolate on a night.

The great thing about liquid herbal supplements is that they are found in a highly concentrated form, so rather than having to buy large packs of tablets or capsules, a small bottle of liquid herb will last far longer and take up less room and is easy to carry with you where you are on the run, and as there is less packing in the capsule or tablet it is often much more cost effective.

Liquid herbal remedies are the way forward in delivering high quality and highly concentrated supplements, with a higher amount of supplement being released into the blood stream and no capsules clogging up your gut it's a purer more effective method of taking your health supplements.

Forget the old tablets and capsules for your daily health supplements, liquid herbs and vitamin supplements are the way forward, with a greater absorption rate than tablets and capsules, liquid herbal supplements are easy to administer and good for the whole family, young and old alike.