Pharmacentre Limited > Blog > Natural Remedies
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Wiley’s Finest Prenatal Omega 3 DHA

Good for Mum and Baby!

Omega 3 DHA is an essential nutrient required during pregnancy.  It is necessary for normal and healthy development of the baby’s brain, eyes, and nerves while in the womb.  Eating foods containing DHA during pregnancy has long-lasting benefits for the child as well as the mum as it has been seen to lower the risk of post natal depression. Omega 3 DHA is found naturally in fatty fish, such as salmon and herring, or in dietary supplements.

Babies only get DHA from their mums

The developing baby is completely dependent on its mother for DHA especially during the last trimester of pregnancy, because the brain and eyes are developing rapidly during this time. The baby’s need for enough DHA is so strong that he or she will deplete their mother’s DHA if the supply is low. This is why women need to consume enough DHA during pregnancy for both of them. In addition, eye development and vision are not completely developed by their birth, so feeding the baby healthy levels of DHA from breast milk or formula helps vision continue to develop. Healthy levels of DHA have also been shown to help improve moods in women before and after birth.

How much do you need?

Neither mom nor baby can make DHA in the body so it must be consumed through the diet or from supplements. Experts recommend getting at least 200 – 300 mg DHA per day, and some recommend up to 900 mg per day to cover the needs for both mother and child

Why Wiley’s Finest?

Wiley’s Finest Prenatal DHA provides a concentrated dose of EPA and DHA essential fatty acids in every serving.
  • Concentrated Wild Alaskan Fish Oil made at their family owned and operated cGMP Refinery
  • Each serving contains 120mg EPA, 600mg DHA for a total of 720mg Omega-3s
  • Take 2 softgels per day; 60 count bottle is a 1 month supply!
  • Sustainable Alaskan Fish caught by American Fishermen

Wiley’s Finest has partnered with national charity Baby Lifeline.

During the months of August and September 2017, Wiley’s Finest will be donating 5% sales of Beginners DHA and Prenatal DHA to Baby Lifeline which supports the care of pregnant women and their unborn and newborn babies, ensuring the best possible outcome from pregnancy and birth.

Sam Wiley, Managing Director of Wiley’s Finest says:
“We are honoured to partner with Baby Lifeline, a charity dedicated to supporting babies during their first precious moments in this world. Our family believes supporting the nutritional care of every mother, both pre and postnatal and her baby is essential. As a father with young children, I am touched to think we can be a part of their mission.”

 

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Living Nutrition Your Flora Family

Is there anything better than feeling healthy and protected? Is there anything healthier than organic fermented food? Probably not. Because only correct fermentation creates healthy microorganisms for our digestion, and these are one of the best allies we have in our health naturally.

We need to have symbiosis – harmony with nature. That’s why I’m taking Living Nutrition Your Flora Family a symbiotic, naturally evolved microorganism supplement. It helps keep your digestion in great shape which in turn helps to keep us healthy.

Living Nutrition Your Flora provides 35 different strength probiotics, enzymes and nutrients which helps to create the right environment in the gut. It plays a great role in digestive and immune system,  enhance nutrient absorption and are involved in some vitamin production. Also keeps great balance in terms of yeast overgrowth, helps with skin issues and so much more.

In addition the Living Nutrition Your Flora Family is great for the whole family.

Living Nutrition have a range of sypmbiotics for all digestive complaints. Find out more about the rest of the range here

Written by Joanna Kanownik – Product adviser and dietitian in our Putney Store

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Viridian 7 Day Sugar Detox

Say Goodbye to Sugar and Hello to Better Health, Better Sleep and Better Vitality

Sugar is addictive. There is no doubt about that. It comes in various disguises and it seems impossible to give up. it is human nature to respond positively to rewards. When you eat sugar your brain “rewards” you by producing Dopamine  – a chemical that is responsible for feeling pleasure. Good? You would think so, but in actual fact the body becomes less responsive to the dopamine and you therefore eat more sugar to get the reward feeling and this becomes a vicious cycle of highs and blood sugar crashes leaving you feeling absolutely rubbish. Sound familiar?

But we need sugar!

True. Sugar is digested and turned into glucose – one of the main fuel sources for the body. Again you would think that’s good but our body’s aren’t meant to cope with the quantities of sugar the average first world person consumes, and this is what happens:

Once your food is digested, the glucose is absorbed through the intestine, you produce insulin which acts as a transportation for the glucose to various parts of the body to be used as energy. The more simple the sugar, the faster this happens.

Once you’ve got enough energy in the cells, the leftover glucose is stored in the liver, muscles and fat cells to be used in between meals. Your body won’t waste energy and it has an endless storage supply in fat cells, so when you eat more sugars than you use, you grow more fat cells to store it.

Eventually your body develops an insulin resistance which is the pancreas producing less insulin. This leaves the body with too much glucose in the blood and nothing to transport, it and you’re left with a good chance of getting type 2 diabetes if you do not get the sugar consumption under control.

Sugar affects your immune system

Glucose is a food source for our cells but also for Candida yeast,  bacterias, and even cancer cells. This is not to say that the consumption of sugar causes these problems, only that it fuels them. Sugar is also seen to reduce the effectiveness of your immune system. A study done in the 1970’s found that eating simple sugars decreases the immune system’s effectiveness to kill bacteria and viruses it finds in the body.

Sugar affects our sleep.

Blood sugar levels that are too high or too low cause our sleep to be interrupted. Lack of a good night sleep then also causes problems with our blood sugar. Tiredness leads to the body dumping glucose into the blood stream, insulin having to transport it, and you get a cycle of cravings, mood highs and lows, and energy and exhaustion.

The average person in large cities has the following daily routine:

  • A bad night sleep leaves you slow to start, running late and grabbing a cup of coffee and chocolate muffin for breakfast – Sugar high.
  • You then have a sugar crash, so it’s a cup of tea and a biscuit to boost you, giving you another sugar high.
  • Another crash comes just in time for lunch, so you have meal deal with a chocolate bar and fruit smoothie (hidden sugars)
  • Another low in the late afternoon, so it’s another tea and biscuit
  • You get home feeling exhausted so you warm up a ready meal containing as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar.
  • Another sugar crash before bed and you’re on your way to another restless night sleep to do it all over again the next day.

Had enough?

We have too, so our product of the month is the new Viridian Sugar Detox Kit.

Start your Sugar detox

Once you decide to quite sugar. Viridian have developed a 7 day Sugar detox program supporting you with supplements and a 7 day plan to help you get over your sugar cravings for good!

The 7 Day Sugar Detox pack supplement contains Chromium, Cinnamon and Alpha Lipoic acid.

Chromium is an important mineral that contributes to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels. Cinnamon, also known as “sweet wood,” has been well studied clinically and has a long history of traditional use. Alpha lipoic acid is found in all cells and is in this formula as it has a balancing effect on blood sugar levels in the body.

You can also download the app, get free meal plans, recipes and even a shopping list to help you through program on their 7 day sugar detox website

It’s time for a better you, so give up refined sugars and have a healthier summer and future.

 

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MAG365 Magnesium Powder

Another favourite in at least 2 of our stores is MAG365 Magnesium Powder. Andrea in our Watford store and Joanna in Putney highly recommend these products.

Andrea says it always manages to help her relax after a long day. “A small amount in the evening and I sleep like a baby. It is also fantastic to help with recovery after exercising. I particularly enjoy the lemon flavour”

Joanna in Putney recommends MAG365 Bone Formula – this is the original Magnesium powder with vitamins and minerals. Joanna says “I call it: My perfect minimum. Perfect because of the combination of vitamins and minerals.  Minimum because this is the most important thing I like to take every single day for to make sure I’m absorbing the calcium which I obtain from my diet. Vitamin. D3 should always be taken together with K2. Again perfect for me because this product contains the best Vitamin K for the right absorption -MK7.

Finally perfect and minimum because there are 8 nutrients, all of which work synergistically, so there are a lot of more benefits.

The magnesium is also ionic which is a great form of magnesium. I like to drink it hot instead of a cup of tea during the day. Sometimes warm with even some more lemon and honey. And cold – after my workout.

MAG365 Magnesium supplement is a powder with a highly bio-available active ingredient magnesium citrate. It is all natural and contains no fillers. Magnesium is foundational to good health and used in over 300 body processes, but most commonly used as it helps promote a better sleep and a natural calm effect.

Also available in Plain or Passion Fruit flavour, Plus Calcium, and for Kids ranges

 

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SunChlorella ‘A’

Ioana in our Edgware store loves SunChlorella and uses it every day. She says “It is amazing for digestive function. It is a good source of vitamin D and other essential nutrients. It gives me an instant boost to any physical activity. I love to recommend it to our customers”

Why not Spirulina?

Unlike spirulina, chlorella is a complete unicellular organism, and the richest source of chlorophyll on earth. Chlorella only grows in fresh water, which means that unlike sprirulina, it contains little or no salt or iodine. Chlorella

Both algae are recognised for a wide range of health benefits. Traditionally chlorella is  used for promoting the normal function of the immune system and the high yield of chlorophyll is now known to be a natural detox/cleanser.

From as early as 1930′s, chlorella was the subject of international research as a good quality staple food at times of food shortages.

Lets get Technical…

Click here for a full nutritional breakdown of SunChlorella “A”

SunChlorella is available in easy to swallow tablets or granules and is suitable for all ages

 

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Higher Nature Citricidal

Santha in our Kingston store recommends Higher Nature Citricidal drops.

What is it?

Citricidal was originally developed by a German physicist and immunologist, Jacob Harish, as an antiparasitic. In the 1960’s Dr. Harish was able to convince researchers at the University of Florida to experiment with the use of grapefruit extract as an alternative to then-current chemicals for the protection of fruit and vegetables. They are quickly won over with it’s amazing ability to inhibit the growth of not only parasites, but fungi and bacteria as well.

How can I use it ?

Citricidal has many uses. The versatile liquid is commonly used for digestive support when travelling either by using diluted Citricidal to gargle or by consuming a few drops as directed on the bottle, in water or juice. It is also now regularly being used to treat Candida problems. A Polish study published in 2001 found that a 33 percent grapefruit extract has a potent anti fungal effect against Candida albicans strains taken from patients with candida symptoms.

Grapefruit seed extract is also a natural cleanser. Regularly recommended especially as a mouthwash, on the face and nails, and as a household cleanser.

  • Laundry — to kill fungi and bacteria, add 10 to 15 drops to the final rinse
  • Carpet cleaners — to kill pathogenic organisms
  • Humidifiers — 1 drop per litre of water to prevent algae growth
  • Disinfecting surfaces — Mix with water in a spray bottle. It’s great for disinfecting chopping boards and other kitchen and bathroom surfaces.

Higher Nature Citricidal is available in store as a liquid or a tablet form.

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Nature’s Plus KalmAssure Magnesium

Yogini in our Edgware store recommends Nature’s Plus KalmAssure Magnesium.

Each serving of KalmAssure Magnesium Powder delivers 400 mg of highly bioavailable Magnesium Citrate. Magnesium is the most effective mineral at opening ion channels in nerves and muscles, Nature’s Plus say you can literally rest assured that you are giving yourself the right nutrition for healthy relaxation. Magnesium is used for over 300 processes in the body including inflamation, stress and energy.

Yogini says “I have used this product for energy and inflammation in my knee which is painful after I had a fall earlier this year. I found this product very helpful plus it is very good for the teeth, bones, and physical and mental stress.”

Nature’s Plus KalmAssure is Gluten Free and Vegan and available in an orange flavoured powder or capsules.

 

 

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Terranova Dandelion, Artichoke and Cysteine Complex

Your liver and the festive season

One of the largest and most important organs of the body. It acts like a giant filter to remove waste and toxins from the blood. The liver also produces bile for fat digestion and toxin neutralisation, metabolises alcohol, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, supports the immune system and stores vitamins. It is therefore important to keep the liver functioning and healthy especially during this time of year where alcohol consumption is higher and foods are richer and eaten in large quantities. Terranova Nutrition has developed a formula which can supports you during this time.

Terranova Nutrition is a multi-award winning supplement company with a range of more than 60 different nutritional and botanical products. Formulated and manufactured in Britain, Terranova is one of only a few large-scale supplement companies in the industry that does not use fillers, binders and other manufacturing additives in its products, and one of even fewer such companies that is 100% suitable for vegans. The Dandelion, Artichoke and Cysteine complex is no exception

This complex contains some of the following essential ingredients:

Dandelion Root:

This common weed has many health benefits, including aiding digestion and improving liver function. In this formula, dandelion would be most beneficial for increasing bile flow for fat metabolism making it perfect for the festive season when meals are often high in fats.

Artichoke Leaf:

Artichoke has long been used for its digestive benefits however research has found that it’s benefits extend to more than just digestive discomfort. It helps the liver with fat breakdown, repair of liver cells, and beneficial in cholesterol metabolism in the body

L-Cysteine:

One of the biggest benefits of this amino acid is that it is used in the detoxification process. Toxins and impurities are removed so that better health is achieved. It is also used in fat breakdown and repair of cells in the liver and body.

Turmeric Root:

The curcuminoids in turmeric root have been heavily researched for their powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Antioxidants help with the breakdown of free radicals that are especially damaging to the body. There is also evidence that turmeric may enhance the activity of enzymes that are crucial to liver health and production of bile.

Schisandra Berry:

Long used in Traditional Chinese medicine for its health benefits, modern Chinese research has found that this not only helps with liver function , but that it also helps with protection of the liver cells from free radical damage.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA):

A powerful antioxidant that is uniquely both water and fat soluble which can therefore be used in all parts of the body and it is known to enhance the effects of other antioxidants in the body. ALA is also a key component for cellular energy in the body and has also been used for blood sugar regulation and immune system support

Aside from these ingredients, The Terranova Dandelion, Artichoke & Cysteine Complex contains:

Sea Buckthorn Berry/Leaf, Green Tea Leaf, Kale, Green Barley Grass, Stabilised Rice Bran, Vitamin C, Taurine, Larch Tree, Selenium

Terranova contains no fillers, binder or excipients and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans

Contains barley grass – consult physician if coeliac.

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Higher Nature Immune Plus

The armour against cold before winter time brings weakness

Winter is around the corner and the most common viral infection is ready to “attack” as soon as people’s immune system drops its defence.  This popular enemy is the common cold and everyone has suffered its symptoms once in their lifetime – sore throat, coughing and sneezing, high temperature, mild to severe headache or blocked or runny nose.  Any prevention for the body has to be considered as welcome.  Thus, boosting of the immune system is a priority in autumn and winter time. For this reason, Higher Nature does a fantastic product to protect against the cold and to reinforce immunity.  It is called Immune +

Long working hours, not enough time to prepare good food, too much coffee and tea, excess pressure at work and sleepless nights slowly compromise our health every day, and at some point the body collapses.  Supplementation can be an effective solution for supporting health.  It is true that people can get all required minerals and nutrients within their diet, but nowadays food is highly processed, animals are full of steroids and antibiotics, and vegetables and fruits are picked before they are mature causing depletion in their goodness.  Organic food could be a great alternative, but realistically not everyone can afford to buy organic products.

Higher Nature Immune + is a great combination of vitamin c, zinc and three of the most powerful antioxidant fruits: blackcurrant, black elderberry and bilberry.  Immune + could help to prevent and treat colds as it supports the immune system, maintains elasticity of the skin, heals wounds, and has been seen to be beneficial in symptoms of asthma and some cardiovascular conditions.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is well known for its role as an antioxidant and limits the damage effects of free radicals, such as smoking or pollution of our contaminated world.  Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that humans cannot create or store it. Therefore, it has to be received through food or by supplements.

Zinc

Higher Nature Immune + contains zinc which is involved in the activation of T lymphocytes cells (T cells).  These T cells play an important role in the control and regulation of the immune response, and attacks infected cells or harmful toxins in the body.  It is remarkable that Higher Nature uses zinc citrate, one of the easiest absorbable forms.

Immune + also combines blackcurrant, black elderberry and bilberry to support and strengthen the antioxidant action of billions of cells.

Blackcurrant

Blackcurrant is known as the “superstar” vitamin, despite of popular misconception, because concentration of ascorbic acid is higher than in oranges. Its anti-inflammatory effect could prevent inflammation-related fevers and help the immune system function better and to enable faster recovery.

Elderberry

Elderberry provides a good  amount of bio-flavonoids preventing quick breakdown of vitamin C and allows the body to reap more benefits. Its anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties build a consistent fence for those “foreign and opportunist enemies” that take advantage when the immune system is weak.

Bilberry

Bilberry contains a compound called anthocyanosides which promotes blood vessel strength, supports lowering of cholesterol and prevents cell damage, among other benefits.

Two tablets of Immune + provides 1000mg of vitamin C, 5mg of Zinc, 80mg of black elderberry and 50mg of blackcurrant and bilberry, respectively.

As prevention 1 or 2 tablets daily should be enough to make strong armour for anyone. However, if the “enemies” are already conquering and compromising the vital immunity of the body, up to 6 tablets are allowed daily. Safety and effectiveness has been proved after many years in the market with a great feedback from customers.  One of the main ethical points for Higher Nature is that the company would not market a product, even a bestseller, if Higher Nature was not convinced of its health benefits.

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Manuka Health MGO Manuka Honey

What makes MGO™ Manuka Honey so special

New Zealand Manuka Honey is renowned throughout the world as one of nature’s most prized foods.

In 2008, Professor Thomas Henle of University of Dresden, Germany found that it is  Methylglyoxal (MGO) that gives Manuka honey its unique antibacterial properties. Methylglyoxal is only found in high levels in some manuka honey and is a compound found in the pollen of the Manuka tree’s flowers which has a short flowering period. This makes the placement of hives and the timing of the harvest crucial. If done correctly, the Methylglyoxal present in the manuka honey will be much higher.

In contrast, other honeys tested worldwide have low levels of methylglyoxal, ranging between 0 to 5mg/kg.

MGOTM Manuka Honey – A Science-Based Quality System

Manuka Health was the first company in the world to certify manuka honey according to methylglyoxal content.

 

Not all Manuka Honey is equal

It is important to know that the level of methylglyoxal can vary greatly in manuka honey, so you want to be sure you know what you are getting.

That is why Manuka Health test and certify every batch of MGOTM Manuka Honey to guarantee the level of methylglyoxal present, as indicated on the label.

               

Advantages of MGO™ Manuka Honey Grading System

Scientific

 Precise and reliable MGO™ Manuka Honey Quality System is based on the ground-breaking scientific research of German scientist Dr Thomas Henle, Technical University of Dresden.

Transparent

 Every batch of MGO™ Manuka Honey is tested and certified, guaranteeing the minimum level of methylglyoxal as clearly indicated on the label.

Easy to Understand

 MGO™ 400+ Manuka Honey means there is at least 400mg methylglyoxal per kg of Manuka honey in the product.

 

Quality Assurance you can trust

Each batch of  Manuka Honey is rigorously tested to ensure quality and purity, then carefully packed in their specialised honey facility in Te Awamutu, New Zealand.

Sustainably sourced from beehives in remote and pristine areas of New Zealand, every batch of MGOTM Manuka Honey is fully traceable from beekeeper to shelf.

Great care is taken to protect the natural properties of the honey, with temperatures in the processing plant similar to the natural temperature of the beehive.

How does UMF and MGO compare?

UMF and MGO measure the strength of Manuka honey in different ways, but there is a relationship between the level of Methylglyoxal and the Non Peroxide Activity, as measured by the UMF. 

MGO 30+ = UMF 5+

MGO 100+ = UMF 10+

MGO 250+ = UMF 15+

MGO 400+ = UMF 20+

MGO 550+ = UMF 25+

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