MegaCare

Beta Carotene: Where Does Orange Come From?

MegaCareAdmin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:16:45 +0000

It’s easy to remember what nutrient carrots have a lot of, right? Carrot: carotene! It’s no coincidence, because both words are derived from the Latin word carota, which means, of course, carrot. Carotenes are a family of unsaturated hydrocarbons, which all have 40 carbon atoms and differ in the number of hydrogen atoms are attached [...]

Astaxanthin: Supernutrient For Your Eyes–And More!

Aquila — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 06:14:56 +0000

Haematococcus pluvialis, the algae that forms astaxanthin

You may have heard this strange long word before, as it’s a nutrient that’s been getting noticed more and more in health news for its remarkable properties. Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, a class of pigment compounds which provide many of the colors we see in plants and [...]

Our Ingredients: Zinc – The Metal in Your Eye

Aquila — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:18:10 +0000

You may know of zinc as a main ingredient in your cold lozenge, or as a transitional metal on the periodic table (atomic number 30), or as the stuff that makes up most of a penny. You would be right about any of those. Of course, zinc is also a necessary nutrient our bodies use [...]

I Don’t Have Time To Cook; How Can I Eat Healthfully?

MegaCareAdmin — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 05:47:24 +0000

First of all, the good news is: you DO have time to cook! It may not be the way you’re familiar with, the way you expect, or the way your mother did it, but you can cook healthy, delicious meals for you and your family on a regular basis. The key is to remember [...]

Our Ingredients: Zeaxanthin

MegaCareAdmin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:31:55 +0000

A crocus flower, source of saffron.

“Zeaxan-what?”

Zeaxanthin (pronounced “zee-uh-zan’-thin”) is one of many carotenoids, a large family of compounds which are responsible for the wide variety of colors in plants. The most familiar of these is probably beta-carotene: a vibrant orange. Zeaxanthin is a deep yellow, and shows up in bell peppers (and [...]

How Can I Take Supplements If I Can’t Swallow Pills?

MegaCareAdmin — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:26:29 +0000

It's hard to swallow pills.

I hate swallowing pills! How can I learn to take them?

First of all, don’t panic. Difficulty in swallowing pills is a very common issue with people of all ages, and the good news is that there are many different ways of learning to take pills, so at least [...]

Causes of Night Blindness

megacare — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:53:58 +0000

Causes of Night Blindness (Nyctalopia)

The name may seem extreme: Night Blindness. Blindness! But it’s not usually so bad. Poor vision in low light, the inability to read road signs at night, decreased eyesight at dusk… that’s common night blindness.

Night blindness isn’t a disease in itself, rather, it’s usually a symptom of another [...]

Can I Cancel Junk Food With Healthy Food?

MegaCareAdmin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 09:35:21 +0000

Mostly no.

It depends on what your health goals are: do you want to stay in “survival” mode (a.k.a. the Standard American Diet), eating just enough nutrients to keep yourself from major deficiency diseases like rickets and scurvy but feeling somewhat sick most of the time and running the risk of developing common ‘civilized’ deficiency [...]

Our Ingredients: Bilberry

Aquila — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:14:32 +0000

Is Bilberry Different From Blueberry?

Yes it is, though you may not know it to look at it. It looks and tastes very similar to American blueberries, though it is from a different family: Vaccinium myrtillus, to be exact. You can distinguish the two bushes by the fact that bilberries grow single or paired berries, [...]

Our Ingredients: Lutein, The Eye Protector

Aquila — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:07:06 +0000

Lutein? What On Earth Is That?

Lutein is a special carotenoid, which is a class of compounds found in plants. Carotenoids are an important part of the photosynthesis process in moderating light energy, and give the plant its color. Lutein is known for its yellow to orange-red color, depending on its concentration. In fact, much [...]