[Information below from my Shaklee friend, Dr. Stephen Chaney, PhD.]
* * *
Every mom wants the best for their kids. Every mom would like to be able to give their kids an edge in life if they could.
According to a recent study there is one very simple thing that every mom can do to give her kids an edge.
A study published in the June 2009 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that when expectant mothers supplemented with DHA during pregnancy their infants had better problem solving skills at 9 months.
This was the very first study to look at the effect of DHA supplementation during pregnancy on problem solving skills at such a young age. Basically, the results of the study just mean that when the moms supplemented with DHA their kids were smarter - and were smarter at a very early age.
First, let me give you a little bit of background.
Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid that occurs naturally in fish oils. It is found in particularly high concentrations in specific regions of the brain, including the cerebral cortex, synapses and retinal rod photoreceptors.
DHA consumption is especially important during pregnancy, especially during the third trimester when DHA accumulates in the fetal brain at a very high rate. It is during that third trimester that the fetus forms the majority of brain cells that they will have for an entire lifetime.
In order to support brain development in the fetus, the recommended level of intake of DHA during pregnancy is 300 mg per day. Yet in the United States and Canada, DHA intake during pregnancy is only 10-15 mg/day.
Unfortunately, many food sources of omega-3 fatty acids in the American diet, even many omega-3 fortified foods and supplements, are primarily composed of the omega-3 fatty acid linolenic acid, and the conversion of linolenic acid to DHA is extremely limited.
Now let's look at the clinical study in more detail:
It was a double blind, placebo controlled study (the best kind of study) and was performed at the University of Connecticut.
The women were divided into two groups. The placebo group was consuming only 10-15 mg of DHA/day (normal for the American population). The other group received an additional 300 mg of DHA/day.
The women were given the placebo or DHA supplement starting at 24 weeks of gestation and continuing through delivery.
A two-step means-end problem-solving test was presented to all of the infants in their own homes at nine months of age to evaluate their ability to execute a series of steps to retrieve a toy.
The steps involved pulling a covered toy within reach and uncovering the toy. The UConn researchers found a statistically significant difference between the problem solving abilities of the two groups, with the infants whose mothers had consumed a DHA functional food during pregnancy faring better.
Michelle Judge, the scientist who conducted the study said: "Our finding of better problem-solving abilities in the group of infants whose mothers consumed a prenatal DHA supplement supports the idea that DHA plays an important role in the development of attention required for infant goal-directed behavior and suggests that DHA consumption during gestation is particularly important for infant cognitive development."
She went on to point out that: "These findings support previously published studies that have established links between prenatal DHA consumption and/or infant DHA consumption and improved attention and eye-hand coordination in toddlers and higher IQ later in childhood."
Of course, I always recommend a holistic approach to health. DHA alone won't substitute for good diet, avoiding potentially toxic substances and a holistic approach to prenatal supplementation.
However, if you are looking for that one additional gift that you could give your baby, DHA appears to be it.
To your health!
Dr. Stephen Chaney, PhD
[contact info available upon request]
P.S. In case you were wondering Vitalizer provides 180 mg of DHA, each Mighty Smart chew provides 100 mg of DHA and each capsule of OmegaGuard provides 125 mg of DHA.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
HOME BUSINESS OFFERS REFUGE FROM RECESSION
Local Entrepreneur Enjoys Flexibility and Financial Stability
[Grand Haven, Michigan]. – June 27, 2009 – The latest economic indicators for May bring some hopeful tidings, but also some significant concerns. The U.S. unemployment rate is as high as it has been in 25 years, and there is continued concern about sizable job losses to come. The recession has been a source of severe stress for many throughout the country.
According to the recent Multi-Sponsor Surveys’ 2009 Economic Impact Market Segmentation Study, 49% of employed adults expressed worry about potential job loss, while 32% admitted to “significant” financial troubles.
But amid numerous reports of havoc and despair created by the current economic climate, Cheryl Legg, a local small-business entrepreneur here in Grand Haven, reports a very different experience during this recession.
“If it weren’t for the additional income my health-and-wellness business generates, I think my family would probably be in a very different place,” says Legg, who operates a Shaklee business out of her home.
“My business helps us not only continue to pay the bills on time, but it also generates additional income which we save to have on hand for unexpected situations, or use when we want to do something special, like take a trip, buy a new car, or remodel the kitchen—things that would otherwise be outside of our budget.”
Legg credits her home business for helping to alleviate much of her family’s stress and says her business has eased financial concerns while providing flexibility—qualities that can insulate a family from the changing tides of the economy. Most people who run a business from home work only part time, so there’s freedom to plan business activities around the busy schedule of a young family.
“When I began my business,” says Legg, “it was on a very part-time basis. Since I started, I’ve increased the amount of time I spend working with it. Using the Internet and communicating my business online makes my work much more efficient and flexible at the same time, making it possible for me to work on my business pretty much whenever I have downtime from my other responsibilities. Plus, it was easy and inexpensive to get started, and there’s no need to make space in our home for any inventory since the company ships directly to my customers.”
Home businesses have drawn considerable interest from people who may be having a difficult time finding employment and from those looking for an income opportunity that also resonates with their personal beliefs—characteristics that most jobs likely do not offer.
“Because I recommend products that help people to be healthier, that help our environment to be cleaner, and for homes to be safer, I feel good about what I do. And because I also offer the chance for other people to do what I’m doing—to achieve independence in a way they may not have thought possible—there’s an incredible feeling of satisfaction in knowing that I can help make a real difference for people looking for extra income right now.”
According to the 2009 Economic Impact Market Segmentation Study, 60% of adults are now interested in operating a home business in response to the economic downturn.
“To me, there’s a great sense of security knowing that my business is backed by a company that has a proven track record and more than 50 years of experience giving people the means to thrive, even during the most difficult economic times,” says Legg. “Shaklee has grown during each of the prior recessions since it was founded in 1956.”
For more information about Shaklee, please visit www.shaklee.net/babyboomerhealth.
# # #
About Shaklee Corporation
Founded more than 50 years ago, Shaklee has been a leading provider of premium-quality natural nutrition products, personal care products, and environmentally friendly home care products. In 2000, Shaklee became the first company in the world to be Climate Neutral™ certified to totally offset its CO2 emissions, resulting in a net-zero impact on the environment. Through Social Marketing™, Shaklee offers an economic opportunity to anyone regardless of background or experience, and has paid more than $4 billion in commissions to its independent distributors worldwide. With a robust product portfolio, including over 50 patents and patents pending, Shaklee has more than 750,000 Members and Distributors around the globe and operates in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and China.
For information about Shaklee, visit http://www.shaklee.com/.
[Grand Haven, Michigan]. – June 27, 2009 – The latest economic indicators for May bring some hopeful tidings, but also some significant concerns. The U.S. unemployment rate is as high as it has been in 25 years, and there is continued concern about sizable job losses to come. The recession has been a source of severe stress for many throughout the country.
According to the recent Multi-Sponsor Surveys’ 2009 Economic Impact Market Segmentation Study, 49% of employed adults expressed worry about potential job loss, while 32% admitted to “significant” financial troubles.
But amid numerous reports of havoc and despair created by the current economic climate, Cheryl Legg, a local small-business entrepreneur here in Grand Haven, reports a very different experience during this recession.
“If it weren’t for the additional income my health-and-wellness business generates, I think my family would probably be in a very different place,” says Legg, who operates a Shaklee business out of her home.
“My business helps us not only continue to pay the bills on time, but it also generates additional income which we save to have on hand for unexpected situations, or use when we want to do something special, like take a trip, buy a new car, or remodel the kitchen—things that would otherwise be outside of our budget.”
Legg credits her home business for helping to alleviate much of her family’s stress and says her business has eased financial concerns while providing flexibility—qualities that can insulate a family from the changing tides of the economy. Most people who run a business from home work only part time, so there’s freedom to plan business activities around the busy schedule of a young family.
“When I began my business,” says Legg, “it was on a very part-time basis. Since I started, I’ve increased the amount of time I spend working with it. Using the Internet and communicating my business online makes my work much more efficient and flexible at the same time, making it possible for me to work on my business pretty much whenever I have downtime from my other responsibilities. Plus, it was easy and inexpensive to get started, and there’s no need to make space in our home for any inventory since the company ships directly to my customers.”
Home businesses have drawn considerable interest from people who may be having a difficult time finding employment and from those looking for an income opportunity that also resonates with their personal beliefs—characteristics that most jobs likely do not offer.
“Because I recommend products that help people to be healthier, that help our environment to be cleaner, and for homes to be safer, I feel good about what I do. And because I also offer the chance for other people to do what I’m doing—to achieve independence in a way they may not have thought possible—there’s an incredible feeling of satisfaction in knowing that I can help make a real difference for people looking for extra income right now.”
According to the 2009 Economic Impact Market Segmentation Study, 60% of adults are now interested in operating a home business in response to the economic downturn.
“To me, there’s a great sense of security knowing that my business is backed by a company that has a proven track record and more than 50 years of experience giving people the means to thrive, even during the most difficult economic times,” says Legg. “Shaklee has grown during each of the prior recessions since it was founded in 1956.”
For more information about Shaklee, please visit www.shaklee.net/babyboomerhealth.
# # #
About Shaklee Corporation
Founded more than 50 years ago, Shaklee has been a leading provider of premium-quality natural nutrition products, personal care products, and environmentally friendly home care products. In 2000, Shaklee became the first company in the world to be Climate Neutral™ certified to totally offset its CO2 emissions, resulting in a net-zero impact on the environment. Through Social Marketing™, Shaklee offers an economic opportunity to anyone regardless of background or experience, and has paid more than $4 billion in commissions to its independent distributors worldwide. With a robust product portfolio, including over 50 patents and patents pending, Shaklee has more than 750,000 Members and Distributors around the globe and operates in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, and China.
For information about Shaklee, visit http://www.shaklee.com/.
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