Xtend-Life-Questionst
Issue 4th April 2006
Please click on the question of interest...
Homocysteine... I am impressed by the new website, but even more impressed by the philosophy of providing a top class caring organization dedicated to healthcare. Whilst I feel that I benefit from taking Total Balance I am aware that Dr Sears (U.S.) states that to control HOMOCYSTEINE one needs a daily amount of VitB6 75mgs, VitB12 400mcg and Folic acid 800mcg.
Meat and Cancer… I was reading a newspaper article the other day about the carcinogenic chemicals formed when meat is browned. The higher the temperature the more carcinogenic, the brown coating on the meat! Barbecuing being even worse than frying or grilling at high temperatures!
Cod Liver Oil Contaminants… You'll read about this soon, but I work at a newspaper and it has just come off the news wires. Thankfully, I bought your Omega 3 esters a while ago... BATCHES of cod liver oil and other food supplements were being pulled from shop shelves today due to chemical contamination. Seven Seas Ltd recalled some of its own-brand products after the discovery of dioxins at levels above the legal limits.
Question: from James (Subject: Homocysteine...)q1
I am impressed by the new website, but even more impressed by the philosophy of providing a top class caring organization dedicated to healthcare.
Whilst I feel that I benefit from taking Total Balance I am aware that Dr Sears (U.S.) states that to control HOMOCYSTEINE one needs a daily amount of VitB6 75mgs, VitB12 400mcg and Folic acid 800mcg. The amounts in the daily dose of 6 tablets fall far short of this and my concern is that in good faith you have determined numerous beneficial ingredients with my concern being are they of sufficient quantities to be totally effective..?....
Answer: from Warren
The level of vitamins that we use in our supplements and in particular our Total Balance are based on accepted levels by most international regulatory authorities. In many countries it is illegal to have higher amounts than those which we have in Total Balance. We do have 500mcgs of folic acid which is the upper limit for most countries, although 800mcgs is allowed in the US.
Whereas it is OK to have higher amounts of the B Vitamins and folic acid over a short period for a specific problem it is not a good practice to have a high intake over an extended period as they could have a negative impact on your health.
In the case of Total Balance there are a number of other ingredients present that assist in maintaining healthy homocysteine levels. Also there are many additional vitamin like substances, such as alpha-lipoic acid, so there is no need to take extra in order to maintain healthy levels. There is a much safer way of achieving optimum levels than high doses of isolated vitamins.
If on the other hand, you have been diagnosed with excessively high homocysteine (which is highly unlikely if you have been on TB for a year or two) you could take higher doses for a short period…but please consult a knowledgeable Doctor before doing so.
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Question: from Cherry (Subject: Meat and Cancer…)q2
I was reading a newspaper article the other day about the carcinogenic chemicals formed when meat is browned. The higher the temperature the more carcinogenic, the brown coating on the meat! Barbecuing being even worse than frying or grilling at high temperatures!
This is as opposed, obviously to cooking something like an Irish stew, where the lamb, potatoes and onions are put in the pot completely raw, with no meat browning, then either baked or simmered slowly at low temperature. Has this factor been taken into account in the China study?
Could it be the ‘browning' that is carcinogenic, rather than the meat itself?
Answer: from Warren
Yes, you are correct in that BBQ'ing meat is believed to create a carcinogenic substance. Baking is definitely a better option.
However, this is a different situation to the promotion of cancer that I was referring to in the articles. The thrust of the articles was not so much the intake of carcinogens but rather the excessive intake of proteins that seems to activate the promotion of cancer based on the presence of carcinogens in the body.
In the China study they were not actually studying meat or the way in which it was cooked but rather the protein content from all sources.
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Comment: from Michael (Subject: Cod Liver Oil Contaminants…)q3
You'll read about this soon, but I work at a newspaper and it has just come off the news wires. Thankfully, I bought your Omega 3 esters a while ago...
CODLIVER-OIL-xyz 14 Mar 17:04
By Louise Barnett, PA
BATCHES of cod liver oil and other food supplements were being pulled from shop shelves today due to chemical contamination. Seven Seas Ltd recalled some of its own-brand products after the discovery of dioxins at levels above the legal limits.
The move affects different sized pots of high and extra strength cod liver oil capsules, plus some "joint care" and "ProBrain" capsules.
Dioxins are chemicals that get into food from the environment, according to the Food Standards Agency. They have no immediate effect on human health but can cause problems if they are absorbed into the body at high levels for long periods.
The FSA said consumers' health would not be put at risk from eating the recalled food supplements. A spokesman said: "The Seven Seas products have slightly exceeded legal limits for dioxins in food but the levels reported in these products do not pose a risk to health." Seven Seas have contacted the relevant retailers asking them to withdraw the affected batches from sale.
Response: from Warren
Thanks for sharing this. At least you have no worries about our product. We test for dioxins in every batch along with other contaminants. Not only are there none present in the finished product but there are none in the fish itself either.
Cod liver oil is notorious for contaminants. It is considered to be the sewer of the ocean. The oil should come from the body of the fish, however, many people take cod liver oil for the Vitamin D and A that it contains. Personally, I think that there are better options for getting your A and D.
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