Regular chlamydia tests urged for young people (Reuters)

Reuters - Young sexually active people should get themselves tested annually for the infection chlamydia and again every time they change partner, the Health Protection Agency said on Tuesday.

Dietary supplements refer to any health products that mannitol reviews dosages supplement our diet. They include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, digestive enzymes, Probiotics, herbal supplements, glandular extracts and dietary fibers etc.

The consumption of dietary supplements has been rising every year. Whereas many people believe that dietary supplements can improve their health or prevent certain diseases, some consumer groups or medical professionals have warned that dietary supplements can be dangerous. So, the question is: are dietary supplements really dangerous? Unfortunately, the question does not have a simple answer.

Dietary supplements, by its broad definition, include thousands of different products. In 2004, Consumer Reports listed 12 potentially dangerous dietary supplements. Many of them are herbal products. Some of these herbs have been used by herbalists for hundreds of years and are considered as safe. However, when the active substances in these herbs are extracted in pure or concentrated form and consumed over prolonged period, they can be dangerous to some people.

Many dietary supplements such as vitamins and minerals are safe and can supplement what is missing in our diet. However, even the benign supplement can become dangerous in overdose. In local news, a woman was reported to give her two teenage daughters mega dose of vitamin A for prolonged period, thinking that the supplement is good for the eyes. Both suffered from acute liver failure and one required a liver transplant to save her life. Vitamin A is not dangerous but mega dose of vitamin A is hepatotoxic. In this case, ignorance itself is dangerous!

The quality of dietary supplement is also an important factor. The presence of contaminations, such as heavy metal, drugs, and toxic substances can make a benign supplement dangerous. One example is the presence of microcystin toxin in blue green algae dietary supplements. Microcystins are natural toxins from certain strains of blue green algae that can cause liver damage and liver tumors. According to the research conducted by Health Canada, only one strain of blue green algae, Spirulina, is free from microcystins as Spirulina is harvested from controlled ponds. Most of the non-Spirulina blue green algae supplements are contaminated by microcystins, especially those harvested from natural lakes. Daily consumption of these dietary supplements would exceed the acceptable level of microcystin intake established by Health Canada and WHO.

Good manufacturing practice (GMP) is another key factor to safeguard the quality and safety of dietary supplements. Dietary supplement manufacturers in compliance of GMP standards have to test the identity of raw materials, implement a quality control unit, provide expiration date for the finished products, maintain good records of batch production and written procedures, and hire personnel who are trained to understand and follow GMP. This practice can reduce the chance of having batch to batch variation in strength, composition, purity and quality of finished products.

To sum up, although most dietary supplements are safe when consumed according to the label, consumers are advised to educate themselves before taking these supplements. What are the functions of these supplements? How long should I be taking them? Are they manufactured by reputable companies in compliance of good manufacturing practices? Never consume more than the recommended dose unless supervised by health care professionals. If you are pregnant, breast feeding, or suffering from pre-existing health conditions, you should also take extra precaution and consult with your doctors or nutritionists.

Kwan H Lo is the owner of http://vitaminstores.4reviews.net, an online store providing information on high quality dietary supplements such as New Chapter Vitamins and Garden of Life products.

G-8 discusses system to follow-up on aid pledges (AP)

AP - An aid group founded pure l-tyrosine benefits dosages U2 frontman Bono calculates that the Group of Eight top industrialized nations has delivered only $3 billion of the additional $25 billion promised for Africa for everything from AIDS drugs to training peacekeepers.

If you're interested in plants high in omega-3 fatty acids, there's a chance you may be a vegetarian. Or, maybe you're not and just want to incorporate a larger variety of healthy food sources into your diet.

In the chance that you are a vegetarian, you may read some things in this article that will compel you to add a non-vegetarian source to your diet. Some vegetarians, after knowing the facts, do exactly this....for the benefit of their own health.

But, first, let's list and then discuss some plants high in omega-3 fatty acids.

First, seaweed is a great source. Now, in Asian cultures, seafood is consumed a lot. Especially as seaweed soup. It's also very inexpensive. However, in the Western world, it's not too available in typical supermarkets, nor would most of the people be interested in eating it unfortunately.

Dark leafy greens are also good sources of omega-3. One example would be spinach. We've all heard forever how healthy spinach is, and it's the truth. It's a potent source of other vitamins and minerals as well and should be included in your diet. It's easy to do by throwing some spinach leaves in your salad.

Other good non-animal sources include: flaxseed, and nuts like walnuts.

Flaxseed oil, in particular, is a popular choice for many people and especially vegetarians looking for plants high in omega-3 fatty acids to include in their diets.

Now, what's the problem in getting all of the omega-3 fatty acids you need from plant sources? The problem is that in many of these best sources, such as flaxseed, the omega-3 appears as a form known as ALA (which is short for alpha-linolenic-acid).

In the best usable sources of omega-3 such as fatty fish (and purified fish oil supplements), it occurs as DHA and EPA. DHA and EPA are the forms used by the body. The human brain is very dependent on DHA, for example, for normal and optimal functioning. In fact, 60% of the weight of the human brain is made out of fats, and half of that is DHA.

ALA, on the other hand, needs to be converted by the body into DHA and EPA. This conversion does not always happen efficiently as noted by many scientists and health experts. People with health conditions, and the elderly, for example....or men in general, seem to have a problem with the body converting ALA into useable DHA and EPA.

This has led many natural health experts to argue that people should not rely solely on plants high in omega-3 fatty acids, but should at least include a purified omega 3 fish oil supplement in their diet.

Now, this is going to be a personal choice. If you are not a vegetarian, then including the use of a high quality fish oil supplement daily is a no-brainer: it's inexpensive and one of the best health decisions you'll probably ever make.

If you are a vegetarian, you may want to continue with your philosophy. It's a personal choice. But I personally have friends who are otherwise vegetarians who did start to include the use of a fish oil supplement after reading up on how important omega-3's are to human health and how relying solely on plant sources may not be best for obtaining them.

One last thing....the evidence isn't conclusive yet, but there are some studies that show men who have high concentrations of ALA in their body may be linked to higher risk of prostate cancer! Scary. Especially since prostate cancer is one of the biggest killers of men in the US.

Your guess is as good as mine why this may be the case, but there may be some mechanism at work here we simply don't understand yet.

For most healthy adults, consuming about 2-4 grams of omega-3 fatty acids on a daily basis is optimal. Of course, if you have a health condition or are on a prescription drug, talk to your doctor first.

Dan Ho is chief editor of http://www.omega-3-fish-oil-guide.com - Visit us now to learn more about the omega-3 fish oil supplement we personally use daily and why we chose this product after extensive research.