Herbs - Chicago Center For Anti-Aging

Are there any side effects from taking nutritional supplements and prescription medications at the same time?

This is a general question that is hard to answer because there are literally thousands of prescription medications and nutritional supplements. If you take prescription drugs and plan to supplement your diet with a nutritional formula, you should consult your own primary care doctor or our anti-aging center's primary care doctor .

Why are there different formulations for the same problems?

Each person’s body chemistry and metabolism are different. Some people may benefit more from the ingredients in one formula than from the ingredients in another. We try to offer as many natural options as possible. The recommended course of action is to take a given formula for a few months. If it doesn’t help, taking another formula for the same health problem may work better.

Can several all-natural products be used together?

Each person’s body chemistry and metabolism are different, so any concerns about interactions between different nutritional formulas should be discussed with your own primary care doctor or our anti-aging center's primary care doctor .

Why do some products come in tablet form and others in capsules?

The research and development teams have found that many natural formulas work better in a specific form, such as capsule, tablet, spray, or cream. Therefore, formulas are designed and offered in the form most easily absorbed. The drug companies are always working to offer more choices based on consumers’ preferred methods of supplementation, provided they can be sure the ingredients will still perform to their potential.

Are these products approved by the FDA?

Nutritional supplements do not require FDA approval, but each formula that we offer is triple-checked by a quality-control process conducted by independent laboratories that follow general FDA guidelines for testing.

How can I find out which product(s) will work for my specific condition?

Unfortunately, we can’t answer questions relating to personal health problems. It would be inappropriate for us to recommend a particular formula without knowing your specific symptoms and background. We encourage you to consult your own primary care doctor or our anti-aging center's primary care doctor if you want to learn more about how specific vitamins, herbs, and other natural substances might help your condition.

Why do you need Herbs & Vitamins?

Antioxidants

The purpose and function of antioxidants is to sacrifice themselves in order to disarm rogue free radicals so that your cells can live on and thrive. Free radicals are normally present in the body in small numbers.  Under normal circumstances, the body can keep them in check.  However, if there are excessive free radicals present, damage to cells and tissues can occur.  This is actually what is happening to your body when the phenomenon we all unfortunately know as "aging" occurs. Common sources of free radicals to the human body today are cigarette smoke, pollution, pesticides, herbicides, overexposure to the sun, automobile exhaust, and more.

Produced as by-products of daily life inside your body as well as by environmental assaults, free radicals roam from cell to cell - smashing through cell walls and tearing up DNA molecules. Antioxidants, on the other hand, act like your own personal “superheroes,” who mount a defense against free radicals.

Anti-Aging

As we age, there are many metabolic changes that occur to our body. For example, one of the changes that occurs is that the amount of DHEA in our body begins to steadily decrease as we age, so more must be obtained from our diets in order to maintain the levels we had during our youth. There is no question that DHEA extends the life spans of animals and holds promise as a defense against the degenerative attributes of aging. But can the hormone actually extend human life span? The definitive answer should come soon. Formerly relegated to a position of minor importance by the scientific establishment, DHEA has become the subject of intense research, underwritten by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging, and the American Cancer Society. Also, natural antioxidants help combat the effects of aging on our bodies by protecting our cells.

Bones & Joints

 Joints hold our bones together. Without them, we would be helpless to move about and function normally. There are many types of joints in the body such as the ones that are joined by fibrous tissue called fibrous joints; cartilaginous joints, where the bones are separated or cushioned with a protective material called cartilage; and synovial joints at your knees, shoulders, hips and other limb connections. Studies show that women are at greater risk than men for many types of joint and bone problems. If you're already getting mild complaints or pains from the joints around your body, you can take measures to ease the discomfort. Exercise at least three times a week (walking is excellent). Calcium is essential for maintaining strong bones. It also helps prevent osteoporosis or bone loss, which takes its toll when the bone around a joint begins to crack or deteriorate. Get plenty of calcium, and cut back on nicotine and caffeine, which are both believed to interfere with calcium absorption. Many natural anti-inflammatories such as Proanthenols, green lipped mussel extract, and other antioxidants may be beneficial.

Brain & Nervous System

It is important that you provide your brain cells with all the support you possibly can to help them maintain and promote optimal functioning. Eating the right foods and exercising can help. In addition, you may want to include dietary supplements to ensure your brain is getting all the nutrients it needs. Many products such as ginkgo biloba (especially good for memory and alertness) & vitamin B6 help promote circulation to the brain, which is vital for the body to create neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that allow brain cells to communicate with one another and maintain memory, including the ability to register, retain and retrieve information.

Cleansing & Detoxification

Support the natural cleansing processes of the liver and other cleansing organs of the body. Make sure you are eating the proper amounts of dietary fiber in your diet each day. This promotes the natural cleansing of your digestive tract. By promoting the cleansing process you are ensuring that your digestive tract can maximize its absorption of nutrients available from the foods you eat and the supplemental products you take. Although you can obtain fiber from your diet, you may not consume adequate amounts on a daily basis, so including some of our products in your daily routine ensures that you maintain sufficient levels needed for your daily cleansing.

Digestion

Support the natural digestive processes of the body. In order to obtain all the nutrients from your food, you need a properly functioning digestive system. Proper digestion of your food relieves discomfort from overeating and naturally aids in preventing occasional symptoms of improper digestion such as gas, bloating, burping, heartburn and indigestion. Products such as Gastricin and Soothex are formulated to provide support for the digestion of food in both the acid environment of the stomach and in the more alkaline intestines, by using time-released enzymes and special buffering agents released in the stomach and intestinal phases. If food is not digested properly, it can ferment in the intestines, producing hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Foods high in complex carbohydrates, such as grains and legumes, are the primary foods responsible for bloating, gas, and other stomach problems because they are difficult to digest, and therefore are more likely to yield undigested particles on which the intestinal bacteria act. Also, psychological problems such as stress, anxiety, worry, or disappointment can disturb the nervous mechanism that controls the contractions of stomach and intestinal muscles. A lack of digestive enzymes is often the problem with intestinal problems, indigestion, and bloating.

Heart & Blood Vessels

In order to properly care for our hearts, we should eat a balanced, nutritious diet that includes plenty of fiber and is low in saturated fats and cholesterol. It is also important to exercise regularly, minimize stress, and get plenty of rest. However, few of us are able to manage this on a regular basis in our busy lives. Researchers have known for years that fiber lowers cholesterol and help prevent colon cancer. They have now discovered that adding fiber to the diet helps reduce the chance of having a heart attack. Eating 20-35 grams of fiber a day (about two large bowls of wheat bran cereal) cuts the risk of having a heart attack by 20%. Eating 10 more grams of fiber reduces the risk by even more. In order to supply your body with the nutrients needed to maintain a healthy heart and circulatory system, consider taking Heart Power or Heart Shield on a daily basis.

Lung Support 

Breathing is something most of us don't think about. Believe it or not, you take 20,000 breaths a day--that's more than seven million times per year! The respiratory system gives us the breath of life. Air--and the oxygen in it--is as vital as food and its nutrients. Aerobic exercise improves breathing by opening up your airways and working out your diaphragm and chest wall muscles, which open your lungs. Try a 30-minute walk or stationary bike ride three to five times a week. Eat your fruits and veggies. People who get very little beta-carotene in their diets have two times more lung cancer than people who get plenty of it. The best sources of beta-carotene are brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as carrots and red peppers, as well as dark green, leafy vegetables.

 More Energy

How many times do you hear a friend or co-worker say, "I wish I just had more energy"? Eating the proper amount of fruits & vegetables each day is your best bet for increased energy, vigor, and vitality. Is your diet deficient in whole, fresh plant foods (fruits, vegetables, grains), and dominated by sugary, starchy refined foods (white bread, pastries, etc.) which offer only nutritionally empty calories? If not, you may still need more B vitamins, or minerals such as magnesium, obtainable from a high-potency multivitamin/mineral supplement. Also, consider an enzyme called CoQ10 to help your tiredness—it serves as a catalyst for energy production. And of course, exercising at least three times a week is vital to feeling good and maintaining optimal health. When you can't always eat right or exercise, products like Theragize, and NADH Energizer may help. Get plenty of rest, eat right, and supplement when necessary. To optimize energy and vitality and to support your immune system to help reduce accelerated aging, you should try to avoid environmental toxins and help your body detoxify daily. Thousands of phytonutrients and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables protect our cells. So, the National Academy of Sciences, National Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture tell us we must eat 5 to 9 servings every day. Yet the National Institutes of Health tell us that more than 3 out of 4 Americans are not eating the minimum daily amount of recommended fruits and vegetables. How many servings do you and your loved ones consume? Eating a well balanced diet consisting of generous portions of fruits, vegetables, low amounts of saturated fats, and adequate vitamins and minerals are your best for prolonged good health. Since most of us are on the go, and with the increase of fast foods and pre-packaged processed foods, supplementation may be a good idea for you and your family. Phytoplex health supplements contain unique plant enzymes and concentrated phytonutrients from concentrates from over 30 different fruits, vegetables and herbs. You'll feel the difference!

Natural Herbs

Scientific research into traditional medicinal herbs has been a foundation of modern medicine for more than 150 years. Even today, up to three-quarters of all pharmaceuticals contain compounds derived from plants, or variations on plant compounds. For example, aspirin is a synthetic variation on salicylic acid from white willow bark, a pain-relieving herb used by native Americans. And, many herbs are proving to be about as effective as synthetic drugs — examples include St. John's Wort for depression, soy, black cohosh, and natural progesterone for menopause, hawthorn for the cardiovascular system, kava kava for relieving stress, saw palmetto for prosatitis, and ginkgo for improving memory.

Immune System

The key to a healthy body is a strong immune system. An immune system is a complex system that, when functioning properly, fights bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Good nutrition is essential to developing and keeping the immune system healthy and strong. Critical nutrients that stimulate a strong immune system include vitamins A, C, E and essential fatty acids. The most important minerals required include manganese, selenium, zinc, copper, iron, sulfur, magnesium and germanium. These nutrients can be obtained from an organic whole-foods diet. This consists of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains. If you cannot always eat right, supplementation with products like Immune Excel may be very beneficial to maintaining a strong and healthy immune system.

Men’s Health

Men have health and well being issues that are far different than women. Very little has been written about natural health care for men. This is really a shame, because nature has so much to offer men plagued by such physical problems as prostate inflammation, impotence and infertility. Many of the problems unique to men are caused by imbalances in their hormone levels, especially in the level of testosterone. And on a different topic, there are more overweight men in the United States than women. Not only is this a problem from an appearance standpoint, but it creates a serious health hazard as well. It is now estimated that one out of five men will have a heart attack by age 60, and their excess pounds, poor eating habits, stress (often caused by too much work and lack of sleep), and lack of exercise are all contributing factors. Many nutritional supplements may be of benefit for today's busy males.

Stress & Anxiety

Each of us face tremendous challenges each day. As you get up each morning, you may face bumper to bumper traffic, getting the kids off to school, a career "make or break" report due to the boss, and much more. Everyday life can simply get us down, and cause many forms of stress, depression, and anxiety. Always consult your doctor for severe depression, anxiety, and stress. They know best how to deal with continual problems in this area. For normal situations where we simply need a form of release and relaxation, many alternatives exist. For example, many individuals are turning to massage, aroma therapy, yoga, herbal therapy, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to help overcome some of the damage caused by daily stress. Simple exercises such as walking, jogging, and light weight lifting can often be a great form of stress relief. Herbal supplements such as ginseng, kava kava, melatonin, and St. John's Wort are natural supplements that may be helpful to you. Eat right, get plenty of rest, and find what works best for you!

Managing Weight

If you’re like many people, you’re in a never-ending battle to lose weight and keep it off. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a miracle weight-loss supplement. Ninety-seven million American adults are overweight or obese. Extra weight puts a person at risk for developing diabetes, heart disease, and cancers of the breast, ovaries, uterus, prostate, and colon. In order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. You can do that by eating healthfully and exercising regularly. That means eating lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains so that your diet derives 30 percent or less of its calories from fat. For optimal weight control, you should also get 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, or cycling five to seven days a week. Just as fiber-rich fruits and vegetables can help you achieve that slender waistline, so can fiber supplements.

Women’s Health

Women have special needs and are affected from higher incidence of osteoporosis, anxiety, depression, and other gender-related problems. For example, because of the nutritional and hormonal differences between men and women, osteoporosis primarily affects females. Half of all women between the ages of forty-five and seventy-five show signs or some degree of osteoporosis. Bone mass (the amount of mineral in the bone) reaches it's peak in women between the ages of thirty and thirty five. After that, it begins a gradual decline. Between the ages of forty-five and seventy-five women experience a 30 to 40 percent loss in bone mass. There are no symptoms while this is occurring, so it goes unnoticed until the loss is significant. Many people have the impression that osteoporosis is caused solely by a calcium deficiency and that it can be remedied simply by taking calcium supplements. This is not quite true. Calcium is very important in dealing with Osteoporosis. However, Vitamins, C, D, E, and K all play a very important role. Regulating the amounts of minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, boron, zinc, manganese, and copper are very important for maintaining proper levels of calcium in the body. Getting plenty of exercise is also very important for the prevention of osteoporosis. Today there are tremendous resources available from nature—more than ever before thanks to an increase in alternative health research. No matter your what concern is—candida, osteoporosis, menopause, PMS, heart disease, cystitis, yeast infections, arthritis—there are safe, natural effective nutritional support products.

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