Body absorbs make-up chemicals, study finds

22nd June 2007

Women who use make-up on a daily basis are absorbing almost 2.3kg of chemicals a year into their bodies, it is claimed.

Many use more than 20 different beauty products a day, and nine out of 10 apply make-up which is past its use-by date.

Some synthetic compounds involved have been linked to side effects ranging from skin irritation to premature ageing and cancer.

“We really need to start questioning the products we are putting on our skin and not just assume that the chemicals in them are safe,” said Richard Bence, a British biochemist who spent three years researching various products.

However, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association said there was no reason for concern because European Union rules required the products to be safe.

Source: West Australian

About Mannatech, Incorporated
Mannatech, based in Coppell, Texas, is a wellness solutions provider that sells more than 24 proprietary and scientifically validated glyconutritional supplements and products for adults and children that address health and wellness issues, weight management and skin care products, through a global network-marketing system throughout the United States and the international markets of Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Denmark. For additional information about Mannatech, please visit its corporate Web site: www.mannatech.com

Dangerous allergies soaring among pre-schoolers

June 17, 2007

THE number of pre-schoolers with potentially life-threatening food allergies has soared five-fold in the past decade but experts are at a loss to explain it.

A new report has found a dramatic increase in national hospital admissions for anaphylaxis, particularly among children under the age of five.

Peanut allergies are the most common, followed by egg, cows' milk and cashews.

Between 1994 and 2005, the number of admissions for allergy attacks rose from 39 in every million youngsters to 194.

Allergy specialist Professor Raymond Mullins, the author of the report published in the Medical Journal of Australia, said the huge increase had been reflected in private allergy practices nationwide and was probably just the 'tip of the iceberg'.

"People like myself are seeing this kind of extraordinary increase on a smaller scale all over the place so there's a very clear trend, but we just don't understand it," Prof Mullins said.

A survey of his own Canberra clinic showed the number of children seen for allergic problems rose four-fold over 12 years. But while there was little change for eczema and hay fever, and a drop in asthma complaints, visits for proven food allergies went up 12-fold.

The increase was seven-fold for the most serious type of reaction, anaphylaxis, an immediate, often violent, whole body response which requires urgent medical treatment.

"It's important for people to realise that were not talking about tired or hyperactive kids, or a child with a snotty nose. That's not an allergy," Prof Mullins said.

"We're talking about proven allergic reactions soon after food, such as severe facial swelling and rashes, vomiting and in some cases, potentially dangerous breathing difficulties or collapse."

He described food allergies as the 'new kid on the block', a relatively recent phenomenon unfamiliar to older generations, and it is poorly understood.

"We know it's specific to the Western world and that it's more and more common but we don't know why," Prof Mullins said.

The most popular explanation - that humans have become too clean for their own good - could justify environmental allergens like dust, but not food.

Other options are links to breast milk, an increase in older mothers or more exposure to potentially allergenic foods.

The report calls for urgent, large-scale studies to confirm the increase, evaluate the impact on the nation's health budget and plan for better prevention and new treatments.

"One day we hope to be able to say that we have a way of desensitising to food, like we already can with hay fever and venom allergies," Prof Mullins said.

Article from: AAP

Medical research acknowledges that eight glyconutrient sugars are needed at the cellular level for optimum immune system function. Considering that six of these glyconutrients are often lacking in modern diets, Mannatech sought new and better sources of the nutrients. The effort culminated in the Ambrotose complex. Twenty patents – including one from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office – have been issued to Mannatech for technology related to the Ambrotose complex.

Red Cell Alert

June 22, 2007

Tired? Vague? Maybe you're anaemic.

Given that most people have hectic work, home and social lives, it's easy to blame exhaustion on an over-full schedule. Yet data collected by the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health shows that up to a third of Australian women under 50 have had iron deficiency diagnosed at some stage, so there may well be more to it than just being busy.

But what does it mean to be iron deficient? Are there any clues to alert you to its presence apart from tiredness?

Dr James Biggs, an expert in iron metabolism and a part-time lecturer in the faculty of medicine at the University of NSW, says it's perfectly possible to be iron deficient and still have normal levels of hemoglobin.

"The majority of iron is in the form of hemoglobin in the blood, but there are also a lot of iron stores in the body, particularly in the liver," he explains.

"A normal person might have as much as 1.5 grams in storage, so when you lose those stores you're said to be iron deficient."

The symptoms of iron deficiency are so general they're difficult for people to recognise, says Dr Greg Anderson, head of the Iron Metabolism Laboratory at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research.

"If you go into the street and ask 100 people if they consistently feel tired, you'll probably find that most will say 'yes'," he says. "This has been shown in a variety of studies. The symptoms are so non-specific that just as many non-iron-deficient people will say they suffer from chronic tiredness as those with iron deficiency."

Iron deficiency can have negative effects on a person's immune system, ability to think clearly, work performance and body temperature. But often these symptoms are attributed to lifestyle issues - working too much, partying too much - so the underlying problem isn't discovered.

Adam Walsh, a dietitian and associate lecturer in the school of exercise and nutrition sciences at Deakin University, says that because the symptoms of iron deficiency appear gradually, people assume they are caused by things such as a decrease in their fitness level or an over-busy life.

"You tend to find that the activities that you may once have accomplished without feeling too exhausted are now becoming quite hard, and that the recovery phase is a lot longer," he says. "Concentration becomes harder. People vague out a little bit - they find that halfway through a conversation they're very easily distracted. They might also be a bit pale, especially children.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

To consumers, the basic building blocks of nutrients are well known: essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. What Mannatech has discovered is a brand new category of important nutrients: glyconutrients. Following their initial breakthrough discovery, Mannatech filed patents across the globe. Ambrotose® complex has now been issued patents in 29 countries, including the United States. Securing its position of leadership, Mannatech dedicates approximately 30 employees to its science department, and continues to develop new technologies, review research, and conduct studies.

Why use supplments?

Lack of Sunlight

Invalids, shiftworkers and people whose exposure to sunlight is minimal can suffer from insufficient amounts of vitamin D, which is required for calcium metabolism, without which rickets and osteoporosis has been observed.

Bio-Individuality

Wide fluctuations in individual nutrient requirements from the official average vitamin and mineral intakes are common, particularly for those in high physical demand vocations, such as athletics and manual labour, taking into account body weight and physical type.

Air Pollution

Air pollution exposes the human body to substances capable of endangering health and depletion of vitamin reserves. These substances include carbon monoxide, aldehydes, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxides and positive ions (also found in air conditioned rooms). Vitamin A helps to protect the body from air pollutions toxic effects. Vitamin E protects against the toxic effects and oxidation reactions caused of many of the chemicals found in Air Pollution and Vitamin C may help facilitate the detoxification of the constituents of Air Pollution.

For consumers looking to live healthier and nutritionally enriched lives, Mannatech Inc. offer hope. Based in Coppell, Texas, Mannatech sells more than 24 proprietary and scientifically validated glyconutritional supplements and products for adults and children that address health and wellness issues, weight management and skin care. Steve Lemme, senior vice president of sales and marketing, says Mannatech has been entrusted with a divine technology.

Why use supplments?

Poor Digestion

Even when your food intake is good, inefficient digestion can limit your body's uptake of vitamins. Some common causes of inefficient digestion are not chewing well enough and eating too fast. Both of these result in larger than normal food particle size, too large to allow complete action of digestive enzymes. Many people with dentures are unable to chew as efficiently as those with a full set of original teeth.

Hot Coffee, Tea and Spices

Habitual drinking of liquids that are too hot, or consuming an excess of irritants such as coffee, tea or pickles and spices can cause inflammation of the digestive linings, resulting in a drop of secretion of digestive fluids and poorer extraction of vitamins and minerals from food.

Alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol is known to damage the liver and pancreas which are vital to digestion and metabolism. It can also damage the lining of the intestinal tract and adversely affect the absorption of nutrients, leading to sub-clinical malnutrition. Regular heavy use of alcohol increases the body's need for the B-group vitamins. Particularly thiamine, nicotinic acid, pyridoxine, folic acid and vitamins B12, A and C as well as the minerals zinc, magnesium and calcium. Alcohol affects availability, absorption and metabolism of nutrients.

Smoking

Smoking too much tobacco is also an irritant to the digestive tract and increases the metabolic requirements of vitamin C, all else being equal, by at least thirty per cent more than the typical requirements of a non-smoker. Vitamin C which is normally present in such foods as paw paws, oranges and capsicums, oxidises rapidly once these fruits are cut, juiced, cooked or stored in direct light or near heat. Vitamin C is important to the immune function and is a protector vitamin.

For consumers looking to live healthier and nutritionally enriched lives, Mannatech Inc. offer hope. Based in Coppell, Texas, Mannatech sells more than 24 proprietary and scientifically validated glyconutritional supplements and products for adults and children that address health and wellness issues, weight management and skin care. Steve Lemme, senior vice president of sales and marketing, says Mannatech has been entrusted with a divine technology.

Encourage Your Kids To Be Active

Activities for kids don't seem to involve as much activity these days; television and playing computer games don't do much for fitness. So what can we do to make a difference?

Here are some tips for trying to make kids more active and getting them into the healthy habit for life.

Turn off the television!

At least restrict the time spent watching TV. Sitting on the couch gulping down sugar-laden drinks and munching on potato chips and chocolate bars doesn't help either! Encourage healthy snacks. Mannatech Manna•Bears™ are designed as scrumptious, chewy, sweet treats in colourful, gummi-bear shapes—a snack food that kids will come back for again and again.

Supervise your children's activity wherever possible

If the area you live in is safe then encouraging children to walk or ride their bike around the streets or at a playground is not an issue. Realistically, the need to supervise your children's play outside the home can often limit some opportunities for exercise.

Encourage participation in sports

Exercise is the goal here; not a "win at all costs" attitude. Team or individual sports at school or local clubs often involve some structured training as well as competition. Involvement in these sports encourage social gatherings and activities.

Be an example to your children

If you adopt healthy eating and exercise habits, your children will get the message. Giving them the opportunity to live healthy early will help protect them against the inactivity-related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes later in life.

Many Mannatech associates actively support MannaRelief Ministries, a not-for-profit organization founded by Sam Caster in 1999. According to Mannatech, MannaRelief has aided children in more than 30 countries and has distributed glyconutritional enhancement products through more than 300 ministries worldwide.

Eat Almonds, Reduce Cholesterol

People with high cholesterol can reduce the risk of suffering from heart disease by snacking on almonds.

As one of the key factors responsible for causing blockages in blood vessels, high blood cholesterol is linked to coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. Although cholesterol is required in our bodies for the production of hormones, excessive amounts are not desirable.

Having total blood cholesterol levels above 5.5 mmol/L (millimoles per litre) increases the risk of developing CHD. In addition to the circulating level of cholesterol, the other related factors that influence health risk are which ‘lipoprotein' the cholesterol is attached to (either low or high density lipoprotein), and the degree to which it is oxidised.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are the high-risk blood cholesterol carriers whereas the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) carriers are sometimes called ‘good' cholesterol. Increased levels of blood HDL are associated with a protective effect against CHD.

Nuts are usually not recommended as snacks for people with high blood cholesterol (hyperlipidaemia) because of their high fat content. The American Heart Association recommends replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats - and almonds are a rich source of healthy monounsaturated fat.

Mannatech products are at the cutting edge of nutritional science. They are designed to offer unique capabilities based on proprietary technologies. The breakthrough innovation found in many Mannatech products is Ambrotose® complex, which is designed to provide the supplemental glyconutrients (the scientific word for “carbohydrates” or “Sugars” generally missing from our diet but necessary for optimal health in humans).

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

When there is an enlargement of the sacs in the lungs and a destruction of the walls, the condition has developed into emphysema. The two causes for the airflow obstruction in Chronic Obstruction Pulmonary Disease are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking cigarettes is the main cause of emphysema, but smoking cigars and pipes are also causes. The environment and the workplace may contribute to the cause if there are dangerous chemicals or excessive dust present. A mild persistent cough is one of the first signs of emphysema and chronic obstruction pulmonary disease, and this can happen after as little as ten years of smoking. As age advances to the sixties, the person begins to be breathless after a short walk. This progresses faster until the person is not able to handle daily activities. There can also be severe loss of weight.

The most effective treatment is to eliminate the cause, which is smoking. If smoking is stopped in the early progress of emphysema it may stop the progression of developments in the disease and in some cases reverse it. However, any time smoking is stopped it will be beneficial. If a person with chronic obstruction pulmonary diseases is infected by influenza or pneumonia, it can severely increase the condition; therefore, the person should have an influenza vaccination every year and a pneumococcal as often as a doctor directs it. Colds and any other respiratory infections should be avoided for the same reason. In addition to quitting smoking, a healthy lifestyle of nutrition and as much exercise as permitted by the doctor will also be beneficial in relief of symptoms and extension of life.

Glyconutrients, or plant-based "health sugars," are a key factor in Mannatech's products. They support your body's natural ability to reach optimum nutritional levels and play a role in enhancing the quality of life. Mannatech are the leaders in this industry and want to share this exciting opportunity for maintaining good health with you! Mannatech’s proprietary products redefine wellness and are designed to give you assurance of nutritional health.

Communication Breakdown

So why are these sugars high on our bodies’ list of “must-haves”? The answer is that every cell in every system of our organs requires them for communication.

The process of cell-to-cell communication can be compared to the shapes we use to form the letters in our alphabet.

We combine these letters into almost limitless variations to form words, which are then assembled into sentences to communicate messages. In our bodies, sugars are necessary to form the shapes that construct the letters, words and sentences that express the “language” of our cells. Each word, or glycoform, conveys a message of its own, and virtually every cell in our body is coated with these glycoforms. By communicating properly therefore, our cells can function at their best and lead to a better quality of health.

When these essential sugars are missing, however, our cell either cannot “talk” to one another or they miscommunicate. The result of this communication breakdown, some experts believe is disease.

If glyconutrients are found in plants, does that mean we can simply increase our intake of plant foods to get enough of them? The answer is yes and no.

“While plants do contain essential glyconutrients, we generally do not consume rich enough sources of these materials, or as wide an assortment as our ancestors did as hunter-gatherers,” explains Sinnott. “Additionally, the way that food is processed can deplete it of these glyconutrients. Even moderate cooking can destroy a large amount of the essential nutrition from plants and these days we cook just about everything except salad.”

You may not be receiving these beneficial sugars in the right amounts from the food you eat. That’s where Mannatech offers hope. Mannatech leads the industry in glyconutrient technology around the world and strives to offer better solutions for global health.

Not all sugars are Equal

One area of nutrition which has come under the spotlight in recent years is glyconutrients. These are dietary nutrients composed of sugars, also known as saccharides or plant sugars. But they shouldn’t be mistaken with the white stuff you spoon into your coffee each morning.

These sugars come from raw, unprocessed plant foods, and are important for nutritional health. They are also regarded as a “missing link” in nutrition.

Although research into this field started to emerge in the 1960s, it wasn’t until about a decade ago that the specific role of glyconutrients first became known in 1996, a study published in Harpers Biochemistry reported that the body needed eight specific sugars, and that only two of them were prominent in our diets.

Robert Sinnott, chief science officer and vice president of research and development of US based Mannatech, a company that specializes in glyconutritional science, explains “The sugars which we receive in abundance in our modern diets are glucose and galactose. Glucose is by far the most abundant of these two, since the most common sweeteners in foods – sugar and corn syrup – contain very high proportions of glucose.

“People who consume substantial quantities of milk products get rather large amounts of galactose, since lactose, as known as milk sugar, is composed of one glucose molecule and one galactose molecule bonded together.” The “missing” sugars come from a diverse array of plant and animal sources. “Particularly rich sources of these materials include fresh, uncooked fruits, vegetables and seeds, and also plant gums and certain types of algae.”

Mannatech products are at the cutting edge of nutritional science. They are designed to offer unique capabilities based on proprietary technologies. The breakthrough innovation found in many Mannatech products is Ambrotose® complex, which is designed to provide the supplemental glyconutrients (the scientific word for “carbohydrates” or “Sugars” generally missing from our diet but necessary for optimal health in humans).

Glycomica is Top 10 technologies that will change the world

GLYCOMICS IS LISTED IN TOP TEN EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES!!!

The February 2003 ‘Technology Review’, published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has in this months issue (Feb. 2003) a FRONT PAGE article on the ten emerging technologies that are predicted to change the world in the near future, by having such a tremendous influence upon our lives.

These are completely new technologies that could soon transform computing, medicine, manufacturing, transportation, and our energy infrastructure. For each, we’ve chosen a researcher or research team whose work and vision is driving the field. The profiles, on the following pages, offer a sneak preview of the technology world in the years and decades to come.

The Scripps Research Institute Professor Featured in Technology Review as Industry Pioneer in Glycomics is Professor James Paulson, Ph.D. The field Paulson represents, "glycomics," [Glyconutrients] is the scientific pursuit of identifying and studying all of the carbohydrate molecules produced by an organism such as a human or mouse. Like proteomics, the study of all the proteins produced by an organism, glycomics is important for unravelling the mysteries of the recently solved human genome because more than half of all the proteins in the human body have carbohydrate[glyconutrients]moleculesattached.

Unlike proteins, which are produced for the most part from a single template, carbohydrates are made by a cascade of chemical reactions inside our bodies. The complex, branched structures of carbohydrates have prevented the development of efficient and routine methods that are key to unravelling the rich information content and biological roles of sugar molecules," Paulson says. Paulson's "Consortium for Functional Glycomics" promises to change that by bringing together a large group of scientists from leading academic centres across the country.

“The Consortium will dramatically accelerate progress in understanding the roles of carbohydrates (glyconutrients) in cell communication and lead to novel therapeutic approaches for treatment of human disease."

Mannatech products are at the cutting edge of nutritional science. Now that MIT has agreed that the study of these essential glyconutrients will change the world.

Mannatech leads the world in this amazing new field.

Chemicals in Bloodstream

Taken from Artical by Mark Townsend Sunday October 24, 2004
The Observer

Findings have been described as proof that no one is safe from the build-up of harmful chemicals in the environment, even if the actual contamination occurred decades ago.

Michael admitted that his results served as evidence that everybody in Britain was being exposed to chemical contamination, but said the levels were extremely low and should not be a cause for immediate alarm. 'It does demonstrate the range of chemicals to which we are exposed,' he added.

The precise health implications remain unknown because many of the chemicals have never been tested on humans. In addition, a method for calculating the cocktail effects of chemicals once they are in the bloodstream has yet to be devised.

Sir Tom Blundell, the biochemist appointed by Tony Blair to chair the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, warned that Michael's results would fuel a growing consensus that the prevalence of untested chemicals in the environment could become a major public health issue. Blundell said he had repeatedly warned ministers that the issue could become the 'next tobacco'.

'We are conducting a huge experiment on ourselves and I am not surprised that a large number of chemicals have accumulated in the tissues of Mr Michael,' he said.

One of the substances found in the minister's body belongs to a family of chemicals including perfluorooctane sulphonate, used in chrome plating and fire-fighting foam, which the minister banned only last Tuesday.

Announcing his decision to start phasing out the chemical, which has linked to bladder cancer, Michael described it as a substance that 'presents a real and significant risk to the health of the population and the environment in the UK. I am concerned that a substance with these intrinsic properties is still used.'

A company called Mannatech is doing some good research in the area of cellular communication with a glyconutrients formula. Mannatech are the world leader in the research of these nutrients.

Essential glyconutrients are produced by Mannatech providing optimal health and wellbeing for all humans.

The building blocks for better health

Achieving wellness isn’t only about what we eat, but also what we do

When Haru Naito first laid eyes on the Hunza valley, surrounded by the towering peaks of the Himalayas, he thought he had walked into paradise on earth. Perhaps that’s a reason why the Hunza is one of the world’s sites with the healthiest and longest-living natives – residents simply don’t want to depart from its beauty.

As breathtaking as the valley in Northeast Pakistan is, Mr Naito sought other clues to residents’ longevity. At the behest of the Dalai Lama, he tested the cold, clear water that bubbled from the ground. Analysis showed the water hydrates and detoxifies the body faster than normal water, that is contains a high concentration of negative ions and that is has elevated levels of soluble silica – a mineral found in the nearby mountains.

Seven years later the Japanese native developed a filter that conferred upon water many of the qualities found in the Hunza region. The Japanese Ministry of Health has verified the unique properties of Mr Naito’s bacteriostatic water – a water in which bacteria and fungus cannot grow.

It is this amazing discovery upon which Mannatech Incorporated – a global health and wellness company based in suburban Dallas, Texas – built its proprietary and preservative-free Optimal Skin Care System, which launched in Japan in May. In less than four weeks, the company sold more than $1 million of the skin care line.

In a world market where nearly every skin care product contains either synthetic or natural preservatives – some of which are said to age skin three times faster than normal – Mannatech stands alone.

“Mannatech’s wellness products can be summed up in a simple phrase – proprietary and unique,” says Sam Caster, Mannatech’s founder, CEO and chairman of the board. “Store shelves are bending under the weight of products that have no efficacy. We differentiate ourselves by providing products based in science that can be verified and tested.

“In November, for example, Australia and New Zealand will be the first recipients of Mannatech’s new PhytoMatrix – the nutritional supplement industry’s first all-natural multivitamin containing multiple all-natural minerals and powerful phytochemicals.”

The bottom line to the Mannatech mantra is that people must take responsibility for their health. But in a world where fast is good and instant is even better, millions overlook what should be one of life’s top priorities: providing the body with the nutrients it needs to function optimally and repair itself.

“In the industrialized nations, the vast majority of the population has unhealthy diets,” says Stephen Boyd, M.D.,Ph.D., medical director at Mannatech.

In New Zealand, a 1997 Nutrition survey revealed that less than half the population consumed enough fruit and a third did not eat enough vegetables each day and 41 percent ate less than the two servings of fruit, according to the popular New Zealand Website www.5aday.co.nz.

Yet Mannatech’s leaders are well aware that a proper diet can be very difficult to maintain. That’s why the company is dedicated to the proposition that wellness is the reward of a well-rounded lifestyle that includes proper nutrition, exercise and other healthy choices – it’s not something that comes as a quick fix.

“Mannatech has taken the lead in researching and developing unique supplements that help restore important nutrients in the diet,” Dr.Boyd says. “But in addition to that, we would like consumers to realize that their actions and lifestyle choices determine, to a great extent, if, when and how they may fall ill.”

Mannatech is hardly alone in taking this stance. For decades, scientists have been saying that ailments most people consider a normal part of aging – heart failure, stroke and diabetes, for example – are in fact “diseases of civilization” brought on by frantic contemporary lifestyles. Comparisons of disease rates show that in pre-industrial communities surviving in remote parts of the globe, those ailments are relatively rare.

Among culprits regularly cited as contributing factors in the poor health of civilized cultures are stress, lack of exercise, smoking and pollution, along with extreme dietary imbalances. Alcoholic drinks and preservatives in processed foods are also thought to be responsible for killing beneficial, essential bacteria in the digestive system.

The message finally seems to be sinking in, gaining wide acceptance among the population. Today, approximately 60 percent of New Zealanders take some form of dietary supplementation.

“In New Zealand, the baby boom generation is making wellness one of its top priorities,” says Mr Caster. “Overall, societies are gradually moving toward healthy lifestyle changes, and we want to continue to be a company leading the health conscious in the right direction. Nutrition is a key part of that lifestyle adjustment.”

Fish oils, vitamins, herbs helpful for depression

November 23 , 2006

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Diet and nutrition may play a key role in helping people fight depression, Australian researchers report.
A number of nutrients, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, St. John's Wort and several B vitamins, have the potential to influence mood by increasing the absorption of chemical messengers in the brain, Dr. Dianne Volker of the University of Sydney in Chippendale and Jade Ng of Goodman Fielder Commercian in North Ryde, New South Wales note in the journal Nutrition and Dietetics.
There is a wealth of epidemiological, experimental and circumstantial evidence to suggest that fish and the oils they contain, in particular omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, are protective against depression, Volker and Ng write. They point out that the balance between omega-3 and omega-6 may also be important, given that the latter can prevent the body from absorbing the former.
Another candidate for dietary prevention of depression is the amino acid tryptophan, which is found in foods, including turkey, and is responsible for the drowsiness people feel after eating a hearty Thanksgiving dinner. The body converts tryptophan to the neurotransmitter serotonin, suggesting the amino acid may have modest effects on mood.
But studies investigating whether the B vitamin folate, vitamins B6 and B12, and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) play a role in depression have had conflicting results, the researchers write.
And while European studies have found that St. John's Wort has antidepressant effects, US clinical trials have shown the opposite, which some think may be due to the herb's interaction with other medications.
Volker and Ng conclude: "The role of balanced nutrition in mental health should be recognized," thus allowing for the use of nutrition and relevant nutrients in the maintenance of good mental health.
SOURCE: Nutrition and Dietetics 2006.

For consumers looking to live healthier and nutritionally enriched lives, Mannatech Inc. offer hope. Based in Coppell, Texas, Mannatech sells more than 24 proprietary and scientifically validated glyconutritional supplements and products for adults and children that address health and wellness issues, weight management and skin care. Mannatech was founded in November 1993 by current CEO and Chairman Sam Caster. During its first two years, the company focused on products that contained aloe vera extract. Mannatech announced its flagship product, Ambrotose, 1996 based on the discovery that the body’s immune system needs eight plant-based sugars – also known as glyconutrients – to function properly.