Phytonutrients and Allergies

Using Aloe and Sea Vegetables to Support Respiratory Health

People suffering from severe asthma will attest that it is a very debilitating and frightening health problem. East tasks, such as walking up the stairs or participating in an outdoor picnic, can result in hours of labored breathing. And severe attacks literally can be life-threatening events.

Asthma is a chronic condition that affects 20 million Americans, and more and more people suffer from it each year. Studings show that the number of asthma cases in America has increased by 74 percent between the years of 1980 and 1994. In addition, 90 percent of asthma deaths occur in the elderly, the majority of whom are women. Today, thanks to some fortunate advances in medicine, most asthma deaths are preventable. One of the major culprits behind asthma seems to be genetic susceptibility to disease, often passed down from generation to generation.

However, there are some identifiable triggers of asthma attacks. Attacks my be brought on by an allergic response, bacterial and viral infections, hormones, stress, exercise, and other triggers

When a person has an asthma attack, the airways in the lungs (bronchioles) abnormally constrict when stimulated by irritants like allergens, infections, and exercise, making it difficult to expel air from the lungs. Research has linked the presence of allergies with asthma and vice-versa, though not all asthmatics have allergies, and not all allergic people have asthma. The main symptoms of asthma are wheezing, breathlessness, inability to exhale properly, a phlegm or mucus-producing cough, and loss of energy. Inflammation of the lungs is present, even in the mildest cases of asthma, and can lead to other problems such as respiratory infections. One interesting not is that 30 to 40 percent of women experience a fluctuation in their asthma symptoms during their menstrual cycles.

3 Reasons to Drink a Phytonutrient Supplement

Contains anti-inflammatory plant sterols, which may help reduce symptoms of respiratory distress.

It provides the body with essential glyconutrients that help enhance immune function.

Fucoidan and cues, compounds commonly found in aloe and sea vegetables, appear to help relieve asthmatic symptoms and allergic response.

How Aloe and Sea Vegetables Can Help

Aloe vera contains many nutrients, including glyconutrients, vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. It also contains beneficial enzymes, anti-inflammatory plant sterols (not to be confused with steroids), polysaccharides (know for immune system support), and gibberellin, a growth factor known for its health promoting properties. Sea vegetables contain healthy concentrations of five essential eighth glycountrients. When paired with aloe in a healthy liquid supplement, sea vegetables offer the full spectrum of these vital proponents of cell communication, helping to improve the body's ability to deal with inflammation.

There may be no better source of these essential glyconutrients (and a wide array of balanced vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients) than the combination of aloe and sea vegetables in a liquid form. These essential glyconutrients help keep our hormones in balance, help our blood clot normally, support cell structure and function, and most importunely create and sustain a complex cellular communication system.

Fucoidan and fucose, two of the important nutrients found in sea vegetables, are well known for their restorative and pain-relieving properties, as well as for giving you more energy. Xylose and fucoidan, both found in the aloe vera and sea vegetable liquid supplement, are known to help decrease the symptoms of asthma. A recent study on the contact (allergic) dermatitis in these animals found that fucose inhibited allergic response. Researches from kumamoto University in Japan discovered that N-acetylneuraminic acid blocks the release of histamine, which is the culprit behind allergies and most cases of asthma attacks. Another study performed in Japan discovered that N-acetylneuraminic acid contributed to the relief of the bronchial spasms in asthmatic patients. A study performed in the United States found that fuoidan (found in sea vegetables) caused a 96.8 percent reduction in exaggerated neutrophil activity.

Neutrophils are one of the body's vehicles for inflammation, which play a part in many disorders, including allergies and asthma. We believe that the full complement of essential glyconutrients, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients available in the liquid form of aloe vera and fresh sea vegetables allows the body to reach a state of balance in which it can help prevent and heal the inflammation behind allergies and asthma.