Immunity Protection

Cold viruses may cause:

• Nose and throat irritation
• Headaches
• Fever and chills
• Muscle aches and pains

When flu takes hold, symptoms are accompanied by:

• High fever
• Hoarse cough
• Aching back, arms and legs

Good health is an expression of fine balance in the body. We have our own, innate ability to regulate, protect and heal our internal health challenges. If we therefore support our system with good nutrition, a balanced lifestyle and as required, appropriate vitamin and nutritional supplements, we can maintain the best health outcomes. Individuals who have an immune system under pressure regularly succumb to infections. Immunity protection vitamins and nutritional supplements assist by boosting the body's natural defences, and assisting in improving the general wellbeing and quality of life. Immunity protection is the ideal solution to persistent illness in an older person, improved resistance to infections as seasons change, and to resolve any lingering respiratory tract infection.

Bone Health

As we age, the loss of calcium and other minerals from the bone creates tiny holes that make the bones weak and porous, and susceptible to fractures as we get older. There are no signs or symptoms until a fracture occurs. This can happen to any bone - the hip, spine, ribs, pelvis or upper arm.

Osteoporosis is most common in women after menopause, when it's called postmenopausal osteoporosis, but may also develop in elderly men. It may occur in presence of particular hormonal disorder or due to presence of other chronic diseases due to medication.

Some people with osteoporosis experience:

• Backache
• A gradual loss of height and a stooped back
• Fractures and breaks that occur easily
• Loss of bone in the jaw

Calcium is crucial to maintaining health and wellbeing. Just about every cell in the body, including those in the heart, nerves and muscles, relies on calcium to function properly. Bones require calcium to maintain their strength. In the body, calcium is found in three places:

• Skeleton and teeth
• Cells
• Blood

Digestive Health

A healthy digestive system begins with the correct balance of good bacteria within our gastrointestinal tract. When we have adequate levels of "beneficial" or "good" bacteria, it will have a positive impact on our wellbeing. Interestingly, our gut is the centre of our wellbeing so we need to maintain a healthy and efficiently functioning digestive system. All the food we ingest will pass through the digestive tract, and therefore the absorption of nutrients will take place here.

Gastrointestinal disease and relative malabsorption play a significant role in determining the overall nutritional status of an individual. The best diet possible will be of little value unless digested and assimilated. Poor digestion and assimilation of food lead invariably to malabsorption induced malnutrition and ill health.

Poor digestive health can be characterised by symptoms such as those below:

• Altered bowel habits
• Constipation and/or diarrhoea
• Flatulence
• Symptoms generally, but not always, occur soon after eating or drinking

Eye Health

Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive, neurogenerative disease causing dimmed central vision. The retina loses function, causing painless loss of central vision, resulting in an inability to see fine detail, drive, read and recognize faces. Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of blindness and severe vision impairment in Australia. It affects one in seven people over the age of 50 years and one in three over the age of 75. It symptoms may include:

• Blurring of central vision
• Central, or detailed vision is blocked by dark or empty spaces
• Straight lines appear distorted or wavy
• Inability to recognise faces until very close to them

Skin Care

Acne is caused by an interaction between hormones, skin oils and bacteria, resulting in inflammation of hair follicles. Best results are achieved if our entire system is supported and strengthened against bacterial or fungal infection, as well as improving healing rates and reducing inflammation.

For reasons no one completely understands, follicles, often called pores, sometimes get blocked. Sebum (oil) which normally drains to the surface gets blocked and bacteria begins to grow. Both whiteheads and blackheads start out as a microcomedone.

When the trapped sebum and bacteria stay below the skin surface, a whitehead is formed. Whiteheads may show up as tiny white spots, or they may be so small that they are invisible to the naked eye.

Blackheads occur when the trapped sebum and bacteria partially open to the surface and turn black due to melanin, the skin's pigment. It is not dirt and cannot be washed away. Blackheads can last for a long time because the contents very slowly drain to the surface.

A papule occurs when there is a break in the follicular wall. White blood cells rush in and the pore becomes inflamed. A pustule forms several days later when white blood cells make their way to the surface of the skin. This is what people usually refer to as a "zit" or a "pimple".

Joint Health

According to Arthritis Australia nearly one in five Australians has arthritis. Today arthritis impacts directly on more than 3.85 million people and is usually localised in the knee, wrist and shoulder, however it can occur in any joint within the body.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that can be initiated by excessive sheer pressure being applied to the joint as may occur in sport or at work. Inflammation of the cartilage is often associated with poor nutritional status of bones or surrounding structures.

Glucosamine is required for the production of proteoglycans, mucopolysaccharides and hyaluronic acid, which are substances that make up joint tissue. Chondroiton provides raw material for the joint to repair itself. Chondroiton is an amino sugar polymer, responsible for maintaining the flexible matrix between the protein filaments in cartilage and connective tissue. These two substances normalize cartilage metabolism, thereby inhibiting the degradation of the joint structure, allowing restoration of normal function.

Sleep & Stress

Stress shouldn't be viewed in a negative context. It is not the stressor that brings on the response, but the individual's internal reaction which then triggers the response. Our system must be prepared to deal with stress. Nutritional and herbal support for the individual experiencing signs and symptoms of stress largely involves supporting the adrenal glands - two small glands which lie above each kidney. These glands control many body functions, and play a critical role in resistance to stress. Often, these adrenal glands become "exhausted" as a result of constant demands placed upon them. In turn, this results in feelings of being "stressed out" or anxious. This in turn reduces resistance to allergies and infections.

Physical symptoms of stress may include:

• Headache and Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Loss of appetite or overeating

Psychological symptoms may include:

• Tension or anxiety
• Anger or Withdrawal
• Lack of concentration
• Resentment and irritability

Heart Health

There are five types of cholesterol, but it is the high density and low density cholesterol (LDL and HDL) that are detailed below:

• LDL is linked to heart disease and is involved in the fatty build-up on artery walls - commonly known as "hardening of the arteries". This form of cholesterol is commonly known as "bad" cholesterol.
• HDL has the ability to clear built-up cholesterol from the arteries and help in its removal from the body - also commonly known as "good" cholesterol.

CoQ10 is a substance manufactured by the body, and plays an important role in the electron transport chain and good heart health. Poor energy production in heart muscle has been suggested as a contributing factor in heart disease and cholesterol levels.

CoQ10 also plays an important role in the stabilization of membranes by reducing free radicals that may damage the structural proteins and membrane lipids. CoQ10 deficiency may occur for a variety of reasons, and may be the result of increased requirements due to illness, or decreased production with advancing age.