Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Nutritional Supplements - Live a Long, Healthy Life and Reduce the Risk of Chronic Diseases

A healthy diet, regular exercise, and the daily use of a broad spectrum, pharmaceutical-grade nutritional supplement program, that includes vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and the essential fatty acids appear to be our best bet for reducing the risk of heart disease, and death from heart disease, as well as nearly every other chronic degenerative disease (cancer, diabetes, lung diseases, Alzheimer's disease ...just to name a few). Antioxidants have even been shown to slow the aging process, and promote longevity. Today, people are living longer than ever, but they are usually living longer with chronic illnesses, not necessarily living longer, HEALTHIER lives.

Too often we KNOW what we "should do," but often don't. We get lulled into a false sense of "health security" simply because we don't "feel" anything wrong. However, the majority of people who die of heart disease don't feel any symptoms whatsoever...they simply have a heart attack one day and die! Even more startling, more than half of the people who die of atherosclerotic (plaque)-related heart attacks have totally NORMAL cholesterol levels! If that is the case, then there MUST be more going on than cholesterol that is causing coronary artery disease and deaths from heart attacks.

Our lifestyles choices have almost everything to do with our chances of dying of a heart attack, type 2 diabetes, and to some degree many cancers, as well as many other chronic diseases. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to choose among what will support us in becoming healthier and what will not. For example, stress and sleep can be considered two opposing forces affecting our health. A lack of sleep and an increase in stress will increase the risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and accelerate aging.

Nutritional Supplements - Live a Long, Healthy Life and Reduce the Risk of Chronic Diseases

Most people know to eat right, exercise, get plenty of sleep, reduce stress, reduce exposure to toxic substances, but most people still do not realize the incredible benefits that may be obtained through daily implementation of a full spectrum, pharmacuetical-grade vitamin, mineral, antioxidant, and omega-3 fatty acid nutritional supplement program.

The True Cause of Heart Disease and Stroke

Atherosclerosis is a disease characterized primarily by inflammation of the arterial lining caused by oxidative damage from homocysteine, a toxic amino acid complex found in everyone. Homocsyteine, in combination with other free radicals and toxins that we're all continually exposed to (stress, pollution, unhealthy food choices, cigarette smoke, etc.), oxidizes arteries, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides, which in turn releases C Reactive Protein (CRP) from the liver-a marker of an inflammation. Inflammation (which results from oxidation) is the beginning stage of plaque build-up and ultimately, cardiovascular disease. Plaque, combined with the thickening of arterial smooth muscles, arterial spasms, and clotting, puts a person at a high risk of suffering heart attack or stroke.

Oxidation of metal resuls in rust. We're not made of metal so we do not rust, but we do undergo oxidation. Cut an apple in half, and watch it turn brown when it is exposed to air ....it is being oxidized, or damaged. Bananas when purchased green at the grocery store and put on your kitchen counter, will eventually ripen to yellow. Oxidation causes them to turn brown, and then black. Rubber bands left in the driveway in the hot summer sun, exposed to UV light, become brittle after a few weeks as the elastic molecules are oxidized (damaged). People who do not protect their skin from the sun and exccessively tan, cause oxidative damage to collagen and elastic molecules, and end up wrinkled more than others who protect their skin.

Oxidation occurs every single second throughout our entire body, organs, and cells. Free radicals, from various sources, including breathing and metabolism, let alone from toxic chemicals, stress, trans fat, and cigarette smoking, strip away electrons from cell membranes, hormone receptors (including insulin receptors), lipids (including cholesterol), enzymes, and DNA ...which may initiate cancer.

Antioxidants, which are both produced by your cells and ingested in the form of vitamins and other supplements, "donate" electrons to neutralize free radicals, and therefore protect our cells and cellular structures from damage. Our cells are protected by antioxidants, and they repair themselves. Healthy cells function at their optimum. Healthy cells not only function normally, healthy cells are, by definition, not cancerous.

This does NOT mean that a person who takes nutritional supplements will never develop heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, wrinkle, or die. However, this much is true ...just like we know, people who smoke 2 to 4 packs of cigarettes per day (excessive oxidation) have an increased risk of nearly all chronic diseases compared to those who don't smoke, and likewise, those who do not take a full-spectrum, quality nutritional supplement program have a much better chance of living a longer and healthier life compared to those who do not adequately supplement.

Regarding the number one cause of death, heart disease: Of the two major types of cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, the more important parameter is the level of HDL cholesterol. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, is responsible for clearing out the LDL cholesterol that sticks to arterial walls. Exercise, vitamins, minerals, and other antioxidants, particularly the bioflavonoid and olive polyphenol antioxidants, increase HDL cholesterol levels and protect the LDL cholesterol from oxidative damage, and therefore may do more to reduce your risk of heart disease than medications.

LDL cholesterol is not inherently bad. It is necessary for life. It is important for many cellular functions, hormone production, cellular repair, brain function, etc. LDL cholesterol only becomes "bad" when it is damaged, or oxidized by free radicals. Only the damaged, or oxidized form of LDL cholesterol sticks to the arterial walls to initiate the formation of plaque. So, rather than focusing on lowering the level of LDL cholesterol, it make more sense to focus on lowering the OXIDATION of LDL cholesterol!

Let us look at the case of cigarette smoking for a simple example demonstrating that we really need to reduce oxidized LDL cholesterol to prevent atherosclerosis, as opposed to indiscriminately lowering LDL cholesterol with statin drugs. Everyone knows that cigarette smoking increases the risk of many chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Smokers with normal levels of LDL cholesterol are at an even greater risk of developing heart disease than a non-smoker who has elevated levels of LDL cholesterol. Of course the reason why a smoker with normal levels of LDL cholesterol is at greater risk of disease is because his LDL gets excessively oxidized.

Cigarettes and antioxidants are opposites. Everything that cigarette smoking would do to harm you, and HOW it harms you, is exactly the opposite of everything antioxidants do to protect you and HOW they protect your cells. If cigarettes increase the risk of heart disease, antioxidants help reduce the risk of heart disease. If cigarettes increase the risk of cancer, antioxidants help reduce the risk of cancer. If cigarettes increase the risk of wrinkling of the skin and aging of the body, guess what does the opposite? Yes, antioxdidants!

Certainly, it is true that if you have two people, and neither of whom are taking nutritional supplements, the one with the highest cholesterol level would "lose;" that is have the greater risk of heart disease, heart attack, and death. The reason for this, he would have more LDL cholesterol getting oxidized and sticking to the arterial walls than the person with lower amounts of LDL cholesterol, even though the person with lower levels of LDL cholesterol is still developing heart disease (just at a slower rate than the person with a higher level). However, studies suggest it may be possible to have a person with a higher LDL cholesterol level than another person, but because he takes a full range of pharmaceutical-grade nutritional supplements he may be at lower risk of heart disease than the person with normal LDL cholesterol levels who does not take supplements.

Vitamins, Minerals, Antioxidants and Essential Fatty Acids: The Real Way to Maintain CardioVascular Health

The answer to lowering the life threatening risk of arteriosclerosis, heart disease and stroke is to reduce the oxidative damage to the LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and the arterial lining so that inflammation and resultant plaque does not form. Oxidation and inflammation are effectively neutralized with the use of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids; and the medical studies show that less oxidative damage and chronic inflammation in the body translates into less incidence of nearly all chronic diseases. It is almost that simple. However, we must do more than take nutritional supplements to protect ourselves from heart disease; we must eat right, exercise, get adequate sleep, and reduce chronic stress as much as possible. And, it is my opinion that the answer to the prevention of heart disease does NOT lie in statin drugs.

Not long ago, widespread interest was ignited by studies that reported associations between antioxidants and reduction in death from heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Interest continued to increase as even larger studies were published by researchers from Harvard Medical School, who saw a link between higher vitamin E blood levels and lower numbers of cardiovascular deaths. As time goes on, the more we are learning about the tremendous benefits of various antioxidants, as well as minerals, in reducing the risk of developing most chronic degenerative diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin. It helps protect LDL cholesterol, as well as all cell membranes in all organ tissues from oxidative damage. Vitamin E rides along with the triglycerides and cholesterol protecting them from oxidative damage. Recent studies show that the natural form of vitamin E is able to reduce the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis beyond its antioxidant effect. (The full range of the natural form of vitamin E includes: d alpha tocopherol, gamma tocopherol, delta tocopherol, and the tocotrienols.)

Knowing all the benefits of vitamin E, can you imagine my shock in 2005 when I read in one of my medical journals a three page report regarding the results from the Nurses Health Study that vitamin E was "shown NOT to reduce the risk of heart disease?" This was a powerful and statistically significant study, and the main report was actually about how aspirin reduced the risk of stroke in healthy women by 24%. I read that and thought to myself, "okay, I can buy that. I see how aspirin, which thins the blood can reduce the risk of stroke, ...and 24% is statistically significant."

I also know that aspirin kills over 21,000 people in the United States alone due to gastrointestinal bleeds. The shock came when I saw on the third page of the report, a small headline regarding this study's corollary findings. The headline read, "Vitamin E Shown Not to Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Heart Disease." I couldn't believe it. I wondered how this could be, after 30+ years of studies showing the benefits of vitamin E in maintaining a healthy heart.

Since I knew better, I needed to read further. Sure enough, from the Nurses Health Study about the prevention of heart disease and vitamin E, the report stated ...and I'll quote, "vitamin E showed neither any harm or benefit in all the clinical parameters examined." My first thought was, good, I'm glad there was no harm ...but, how could it be that there was NO benefit? This sounded very definitive. "NO BENEFIT IN ALL THE CLINICAL PARAMETERS EXAMINED!"

Then, I read the very next sentence, "The one exception, vitamin E was shown to confer a 24% decreased risk of cardiovascular death." As if I was not stunned enough already, after reading this I was really confused. "Wait a minute? ....the previous sentence said that vitamin E showed no benefit in all the clinical parameters in reducing the risk of heart disease ....the one exception being a 24%, decreased risk of cardiovascular death!" Decreasing the risk of cardiovascular death is quite a benefit, wouldn't you think?

Look at it this way, aspirin reduced the risk of stroke by 24% and it got all the praise, despite it being responsible for killing 21,000 people every year in the U.S. Vitamin E showed no harm whatsoever, and it reduced the risk of cardiovascular death by 24%, and somehow this was of no benefit?

I figured out what was going on. Vitamin E did not show any benefit in all the clinical parameters examined, ...you see, I discovered that death was NOT one of the clinical parameters of the study. They just happened to notice that there was a 24% decreased risk of death. The parameters of the study were things like blood pressure, heart rate, arrhythmias, cholesterol levels and ratios, etc. Vitamin E did not change these parameters ...all it did was prevent DEATH! Since it did not show any benefits according to the parameters of the study the authors concluded it didn't do anything ...except prevent against death.

The researchers stated that they were unable to explain the reduced risk of death from heart disease. I can explain it ...it's simple: vitamin E protects cholesterol from oxidation. Cholesterol that is not oxidized does not stick to the arterial walls, and if it doesn't stick to the walls, there is less atherosclerosis, and less atherosclerosis means less heart attacks, and less heart attacks, translates into a reduced risk of death. Can you imagine what the researchers would witness if they had followed the percentage of oxidized cholesterol levels? If they would have tested for lipid peroxidation, that is oxidized cholesterol and triglycerides, they would have seen a profound reduction in this "parameter."

This Nurses Health Study involving vitamin E was the largest and longest study ever conducted regarding vitamin E among women. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2005, this study involving over 40,000 women found that vitamin E reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease in women under the age of 65 by 24%, ...and even more impressive, in women over the age of 65, vitamin E was shown to reduce the risk of DEATH by an astounding 49%!

A study published in the 1996 report from the National Institutes of Health (Division on Aging), showed impressive results among a study population of 11,178 people using multiple antioxidant vitamins who were followed for ten years. The group of elderly people that supplemented with vitamins E and C above the amounts found in a common multi-vitamin had one-half the number of deaths from heart disease of those who did not supplement. That is a 50% reduction in the number one cause of death!

Furthermore, the supplemented group demonstrated fewer overall deaths from NEARLY ANY CAUSE, INCLUDING CANCER, which was decreased by nearly 60%. Not one study involving drugs comes close to showing such benefits (and without the risks of drugs). Even more impressive, these benefits were found with the use of only a few antioxidants. Can you imagine the benefits possible from using a full range of quality supplements?

Antioxidants provide protection from many diseases. B-complex vitamins, folic acid and B6, are associated with a reduced risk of heart attack. Researchers also believe that vitamin C provides protection to arterial walls and reduces plaque formation by neutralizing free radicals before they can damage elastic tissues and affect cholesterol profiles. The epidemic deficiency of vitamin D is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, and supplementation with at least 1000 IU of vitamin D revereses this deficiency and provides numerous and amazing health benefits. Others have studied the usefulness of a combination of antioxidants, particularly vitamins E, beta-carotene, and vitamin C in the prevention of heart disease and found them to be beneficial. In addition, bioflavonoid antioxidants are associated with a reduction in many diseases, including cardiovascular disease. Add to this benefits of co-enzyme Q10 and olive phenol antioxidants-and one can truly benefit beyond taking any medications for prevention.

Beta carotene, grape seed extract and olive extract penetrate deeper inside the LDL cholesterol and arterial walls, adding more protection from oxidation. Quercetin and alpha lipoic acid work through nitrous oxide pathways to reduce high blood pressure and prevent spasms of coronary arteries, both being major risk factors for heart disease, heart attacks, and death.

Studies have shown how the B-complex vitamins, particularly folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 help reduce homocysteine levels by facilitating the conversion of homocysteine into the safe amino acid, cysteine. This leaves less homocysteine to oxidize and nick the arterial walls and LDL cholesterol. To further reduce homocysteine levels, one can take the amino acid betaine, also known as tri-methyl-glycine (TMG), as it "back-converts" homocysteine into the safe amino acid, methionine.

Vitamin C intake is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease. One study found that the risk of death from cardiovascular disease was 42% lower in men and 25% lower in women who consumed more than 300 mg/day. Recent results from the Nurses' Health Study, based on the follow-up of more than 85,000 women over a sixteen-year period, also suggest that higher vitamin C intakes may be cardioprotective. Vitamin C and grape seed extract in combination are very powerful in preventing oxidation in all areas; the cholesterol, the endothelium, and deeper in the arterial walls. Furthermore, the two antioxidants replenish vitamin E and other antioxidants to synergistically protect cholesterol and the arterial walls.

The bioflavonoid class of antioxidants such as grape seed extract, resveratrol, and quercetin, has been associated with reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke by as much as 50% and possibly as high as 70%. Grape seed extract and resveratrol are two potent antioxidants that neutralize free radical oxidation of cholesterol, the arterial lining, the arterial wall, the liver, the brain, the kidneys, and the skin. Both work synergistically with other antioxidants.

Studies have demonstrated the ability of bioflavonoid antioxidants such as quercetin, to reduce high blood pressure, a well-known risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Doctors commonly turn to antihypertensive medications to lower blood pressure as the first line of treatment for hypertension rather than through safer means. Diet, exercise, weight loss, and the use of vitamins and minerals have all been shown to reduce high blood pressure. If people truly knew how powerful grape seed extract, resveratrol, alpha lipoic acid, and quercetin are in reducing LDL oxidation, increasing HDL levels, strengthening arteries and capillaries, and reducing high blood pressure every person would be taking these nutrients.

Green tea extract helps to both reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and to lower LDL cholesterol. Both actions are necessary, not just the lowering of LDL cholesterol, as with prescription drugs. Green tea extract also reduces the oxidation of the endothelium (the thin layer of cells that line the heart, blood vessels, etc.) Green tea extract increases HDL cholesterol and it helps prevent cancer.

Olive extract has been shown to be even more effective in protecting LDL cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer than most other antioxidants, but it's more effective if used in combination with a myriad of antioxidants already mentioned.

Soy isoflavones have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. A meta-analysis of eight randomized, controlled clinical trials published in the September 1, 2004, issue of the Journal of Nutrition found that soy isoflavones were successful in lowering serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Again, lowering LDL cholesterol is secondary to the primary protective means of protecting LDL from being oxidized; but the action of soy includes cholesterol lowering, plus inhibiting LDL oxidation, protecting against development of atherosclerosis, and reducing risk of thrombosis. The active constituents in soy responsible for these benefits are the isoflavones: genistein, daidzein, and glycitein. Soy along with Co-Q10 has been shown to reduce risk of breast cancer.

Alpha-lipoic acid protects against oxidative damage to LDL cholesterol and reduces the inflammatory cellular response within arterial walls that produces more oxidative damage and plaque formation. Alpha-lipoic acid along with magnesium is able to prevent and help reduce high blood pressure in diabetics. This happens by raising the levels of glutathione to protect bio-mechanisms that regulate arterial tone. Furthermore, alpha-lipoic acid prevents reperfusion injuries after ischemic injuries, i.e., damage done to tissue when the blood flows back into damaged vessels and leaks into the heart muscle after heart attacks.

The combination of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), vitamin E, grape seed extract, resveratrol, olive extract, green tea extract, quercetin, and Co-Q10 synergistically work together in the prevention of oxidation of LDL cholesterol and the arteries much better than any working alone. All these antioxidants also help reduce the risk of cancer by inducing apoptosis, the "self destruction" of cancer cells.

Olive oil and olive extract bestow incredible health benefits. There are particular powerful phenol antioxidants within the fruit of olives that are associated with a significant decreased risk of heart attack and cancer. The Mediterranean diet, in which olive oil is the primary source of fat, has been shown to provide the longest lifespan and lowest incidence of heart disease and cancers. Many studies have shown olive oil reduces death from heart disease by reducing atherosclerosis, plaque formation, lowering LDL cholesterol, preventing oxidation of LDL cholesterol, raising HDL cholesterol, and preventing abnormal and potentially lethal clot formation.

Researchers found that countries in which people consumed the highest amount of olive oil had the lowest incidence of heart disease and cancers. People of Greece were found to have the highest consumption of olive oil, particularly those on the island of Crete. On Crete, people traditionally consume 2 to 3 oz. of olive oil per day.

On the island of Crete heart disease and cancers have been rare; 37 times (not 37 percent, but 37 times) lower incidence than that found in the United States! In essence, we can think of heart disease and cancers as rare on Crete as scurvy and rickets are in the United States.

Anyone could consume 2 to 3 oz. of extra virgin olive oil every day to obtain these same benefits, but that would add about 500 to 750 calories to one's diet and cost an additional 0 U.S. per month. Then, there's the problem that not all olive oil brands are consistent in their concentrations of antioxidants. The best way to get olive phenol antioxidants is to take a standardized, pharmaceutical-grade olive extract.

Are All Vitamins the Same?

In the last decade, the dietary supplements industry has grown tremendously. The fact that nutritional supplements do not receive the same regulation as prescription or over-the-counter drugs raises questions in the minds of many consumers. That's why NSF became involved in developing the nation's first truly independent testing standard and product certification program strictly for dietary supplements. Consumer Labs is another independent source evaluating the quality of nutritional supplements.

Due to the independent testing and guaranteed pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practices I am confident of the amount and quality of ingredients I am taking. Within my multi-antioxidant, which already has a full spectrum of other antioxidants, I get 30 mg of olive extract. The 30 mg of olive extract is equivalent to consuming 2 to 3 oz. of extra virgin olive oil per day. That would mean, although I live in the U.S., I get the same benefits as those on the island of Crete who have 37 times lower risk of heart disease and cancers than in the U.S.

Fish oil supplements: essential fatty acids, especially the type that contain concetrated levels of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) along with EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), reduce oxidation of LDL cholesterol and inflammation of arteries, and thereby protect the heart. Most commercially available fish oil supplements consist primarily of EPA, yet scientific evidence shows it is the DHA component that is more effective in preventing heart disease. Worse is the concern for mercury - which is more of a problem with eating fish. The best advice I can give is to find a pure fish oil supplement with concentrated DHA levels.

Once again, let us compare the effectiveness of statin drugs with something as simple as fish oil or flaxseed oil supplements. Statin drugs lower LDL, but that has not translated into significantly fewer heart attacks and death, because lowering LDL cholesterol is not the key to preventing disease.

However, the omega-3 essential fatty acids, the components in fish and flaxseed oils that make them so beneficial, actually do decrease death and disease. Fish oil and flaxseed oil reduce ventricular dysrrhythmias, platelet aggregation, and triglycerides. These oils serve to decrease the number of immune cells that adhere to arterial walls, and thus reduce plaque formation. They also increase nitric oxide production, which lowers blood pressure. And, they reduce oxidation of LDL cholesterol!

Omega-3 fatty acids, as found in nuts, oily fish, and flax seed help protect LDL from oxidation, and therefore act like "antioxidant" fats. These fats do not cause damage, do not solidify, and do not stick to the walls of the arteries. They get incorporated into LDL cholesterol and protect it from being oxidized. Thus fish and flaxseed oil reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. There is no comparison between the "benefits" of statin drugs and the actual benefits seen with omega-3 fatty acids.

In a study consisting of 11,323 people who had suffered a heart attack within the previous three months, fish oil supplements (850 mg of EPA=DHA) were shown to reduce the risk of sudden death and repeat heart attacks by 45%, and provide a 20% decrease in total mortality, versus placebo. Statin drugs don't come close to producing those results. Additional studies confirm these powerful and significant results.

A report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2005 looked at 97 double-blind controlled studies comparing the efficacy of cholesterol lowering statin drugs to fish oil. They found that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs reduced the risk of death from heart disease by only 13%, and interesting enough it was NOT due to the effect of lowering cholesterol. The benefits, although small, were derived from the fact that statin drugs have a slight to modest antioxidant effect.

Even more interesting, the salmon oil was shown to reduce the risk of death from heart disease by 23%, nearly double the benefit of statin drugs. Salmon oil is an omega-3 fatty acid that gets incorporated into cholesterol and triglycerides and prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Since LDL cholesterol is protected from excessive oxidation there is less plaque build up and less risk of heart disease.

Magnesium relaxes smooth muscles in the arterial walls, thus opening up arteries. It also helps incorporate calcium into the bones when intake of calcium and magnesium are properly balanced, as in a good supplement. Magnesium helps maintain the rhythm of the heart.

Magnesium helps to reduce the risk of arrhythmias and other electrical dysfunctions following a heart attack.

Damage that leads to abnormal heartbeats is worsened by magnesium deficiencies. In addition to magnesium supplementation, researchers are finding promise in the higher rates of survival after heart attacks when high-dose antioxidants are commenced shortly after an attack. Apparently, antioxidants help prevent the mechanisms that lead to vasospasm (the spasm and closing off of small arteries) and blood clot formation. Magnesium can even help reduce the incident and severity of migraine headaches, especially in combination with the other vitamins and minerals, particularly the grape seed extract and turmeric extract.

Fiber is essential in the diet in order to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. Fiber helps to control the rate at which sugar enters the bloodstream. Diets high in both soluble and insoluble fiber help reduce blood lipid levels, cholesterol, and insulin resistance. Most people barely consume five grams of fiber per day. However, our target should average around 30 grams of fiber per day. High fiber and less simple and starchy foods are what constitutes a healthy "low-glycemic" diet. (For more information on a low glycemic diet, or weight loss program, please see the Weight Management section.)

The thought of taking numerous pills every day can be quite daunting for many people. Therefore, when I practiced medicine, and even now, my recommendations are for people to take a full spectrum, pharmaceutical brand vitamin and mineral supplement that contains all the essentials that one needs in as few tablets as possible. Of course, there will be other supplements you will want to add to the essential vitamin and mineral foundation, such as omega-3 fatty acids, grape seed extract, and co-enzyme Q10. However, if your essential vitamin and mineral program is broad sectrum and fully balanced, then you will be getting most of the supplements discussed in this article.

To reduce the risk of chronic diseases it is critical to eat right, exercise, reduce stress, obtain adequate sleep, and supplement your diet with the correct nutritional supplements. Most supplements do not contain the quantity or purity of ingredients listed on the bottle. Many supplements do not dissolve as they should, nor are readily abosrbable, ...and if they are, they may not be in the most bio-available condition for the cells to utilize. You need to trust the company that is producing the supplements that you expect to help you maintain good health for a lifetime. You need to trust the potency, purity, and bio-availability. You should discuss all medical conditions with your physician, however, you may need guidance in regard to finding a quality nutritional supplement brand.

Get healthy and stay healthy with the principles discussed in this article. Applying these principles will greatly increase your chances of living a long AND healthy life.

Nutritional Supplements - Live a Long, Healthy Life and Reduce the Risk of Chronic Diseases
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Saturday, January 26, 2013

Understanding of Risk Analysis in Software Engineering

Importance of risk analysis in software projects can be judged from the fact that, no Software Development Life Cycle is viewed as complete unless it has passed through active consideration to areas having several types of risks associated with them.

The vulnerable areas covered under the process of risk analysis are

1) Assessment of Risk

Understanding of Risk Analysis in Software Engineering

2) Characterization of Risk

3) Communication of the Risk

4) Risk Management

5) Defining the Risk Related Policies

Following terms related to Risk Analysis need to be understood clearly

Let us try to understand as to what is Risk Analysis?
It is a technique employed to identify and assess various factors, which may jeopardize the success of a project or achieving a goal. These factors can pose some sort of threat to the project. Thus risk analysis covers the process of scientific assessment of such threats vulnerable to the attainment of the organizational goals.

Risk analysis technique is helpful in defining preventive measures to reduce the probability occurrence of such threatening factors. It includes identification of various countermeasures to successfully deal with such constraints with an objective to avoid devastating effects on the organization's competitiveness in the trade.

One of the risk analysis technique gaining popularity in IT sector is known as FRAP - (Facilitated Risk Analysis Process)

What is Risk Assessment?
Risk assessment involves finding out the quantity and quality of risk associated with a situation of known threat. It covers thorough evaluation of existing security & environment related aspects with a view to assess the probability of harmful effects of the threats to the organization. Risk assessment is the first and foremost step in a risk management process.

What is Business Impact Analysis or BIA?
Business impact analysis refers to the process of finding out the functions critical to the operations of the organization. The outcome of business impact analysis effort is having differentiation between critical and non-critical functions in the organization. A function is viewed as critical when its implications are unacceptable to the organization, or when it is dictated by the law or demanded by the customer or having constraint of internal operations or having unacceptable financial implications.

What is Risk Management?
Risk management is a structured methodology of handling uncertainty associated with a threat. Risk management includes development of strategies to handle the risk either by

- Transfer of the risk to some other party

- Taking actions so as to completely avoid the risk

- Taking measures aimed at reducing the damaging effects of the inevitable risk

- Taking decision to accept some or all of the consequences of a particular risk.

Few of the Risks associated with software product are described as under:

1) Risks related to the Size of the Product:
The size of the software product also can pose threat when it gets subjected to unexpectedly high deviation compared to the expectations. As a best practice, the expectations from the product are compared with similar situations encountered in the past & learning from the past happenings.

Some of the risks associated with the size of the software product can be:

- Judgement on the size of the product can be a threat

- Judgement on the number of users using the product can be a threat

- Judgement on the size of the associated database can be a threat

- Uncontrolled changes in the product requirements can be a threat to the product size

2) Risks having Impact on the Business:
There are certain types of threats or risks, which can have effect on the performance of the business. Such risks are like:

- Quality of the software product having an impact on revenue of the company.

- Product delivery dates having impact on the company business, including costs of delayed delivery.

- Inconsistent customer needs having impact on the company business.

- Drastic change in number of users expected to use the product having impact on the company business.

- Inadequacy of help / documentation as expected by the customer.

3) Risks related to Customers:
Every customer has a different personality, so are their needs. We can categorize customers in the following way according to their behavior & reaction to the product delivered to them.

- Type of customers who happily accept a product as it is when delivered

- Type of customers who are of complaining nature & usually tend to grumble on the quality of the product delivered to them. Such customers pose a reasonable amount of threat to the project manager handling the project

- Type of customers who happen to have past association with the product developing company

- Type of customers who have good technical knowledge of the product

- Type of customers who have fairly good understanding of the usage of the product

- Type of customers who have a good understanding of process of software engineering

- Type of customers who are ready to participate in the process of reviews during the SDLC

- Type of customers who are not much aware of the product & start using it as & when it comes

- Type of customers who are technically clear about their requirements / expectations from the product & are able to define the scope of the project clearly

4) Risks related to Software Engineering Process:
Clear cut definition of the entire process of software engineering is of paramount importance for the success of the product. A badly planned process will result into a software product posing great threats to itself as well as to the organization.

Following guidelines / checklist can be helpful in identifying the software engineering related threats & planning their counter measures.

- Ensure the availability of a documented process planned for the development of the software product.

- Ensure that all the participants of the product development team (whether in-house or third party peoples) is religiously following the documented process

- Ensure the availability of a mechanism for monitoring the activities & performance of third party developers & testers, if any.

- Ensure the active participation of someone who can regularly monitor the technical reviews conducted by the development teams as well as the testing teams.

- Ensure the proper documentation of outcome of the technical reviews detailing the resources deployed to unearth what type of software bugs.

- Ensure the availability of a configuration management mechanism for ensuring adequate consistency in design, development and testing of the product in line with the basic requirements already defined.

- Ensure the availability of a mechanism to handle the changes in product requirements raised by the customer from time to time. Such system should be able to analyze the impact of such changes on the software product

5) Risks related to the Technology of Development:
Many times technological factors also pose great threat to the success of the software product. Following guidelines / checklist can be helpful in identifying the technology related threats & planning their counter measures.

- An absolutely new technology being used for building the software application can be a threat to the organization.

- Unless proper interface is developed between the software & hardware of some new configurations, there can be a cause of threat.

- Unless function, performance and interface of the database system has been proven across the application area in question, there can be a cause of threat.

- Requirement of some absolutely new or highly specialized interface as expected by the product can also pose a threat

- Demand of some specialized requirements of particular type of design and testing tools and techniques can be a cause of concern or risk.

- Too much of structured requirements imposed by the customer can a lot of pressure on the performance of the product

- Inadequacy of productivity-related metrics and quality related metrics available to the product development teams can pose risk of emergence of poor quality product

6) Risks associated with development & Testing Tools:
Different types of development and testing tools can also be a cause of concern many a times during the SDLC.

- Use of some typical methods for analysis can be a cause of concern.

- Use of some typical methodologies for documentation can be a cause of concern.

- Use of some typical methods to design the test cases can be a cause of concern.

- Use of typical tools for managing the project activities can be a cause of concern.

- Use of particular tools for configuration management during the SDLC can be a cause of concern

- Use of particular tools for prototyping purposes can be a cause of concern

- Use of particular tools for providing support to the software testing process can be a cause of concern

- Use of particular tools for managing the documentation can be a cause of concern

7) Risks related to the developmental Environment:
Environment provided for development of the product also plays a key role in the success of the product. Some of the factors or situations described below can pose certain amount of risk.

- Availability of an adequate tool for the management of the software product & its development processes.

- Availability of an adequate tool for performing design and analysis activities.

- Adequacy of performance of tools deployed for design and analysis of the product being created

- Availability of a suitable code generators or compiler compatible with the product being created

- Availability of a suitable testing tools compatible with the product being created.

- Availability of a suitable configuration management tools compatible with the product being created.

- Compatibility of the databases with the environment under which they are deployed.

- Compatibility or proper integration of all software tools with each other

- Adequacy of skills / training to all concerned team members as regards application of the tools.

8) Risks related to the quality of development personnel:
A product coming out of the hands of personnel of lower skill levels shall be certainly a cause of risk to the organization. Following checklist shall be helpful in bridging the gaps in this area.

- Deployment of personnel having best possible skills appropriate to the project

- When in a team, proper combination of various personnel with different temperament & skill levels is important.

- Availability of the nominated personnel during the complete duration of the project is of key importance. The project will get seriously affected If the persons leave in between, due to any reason.

Understanding of Risk Analysis in Software Engineering
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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Human Resource Management and Responsibilities

The PHR and SPHR exams will thoroughly test your knowledge of the full Human Resources body of knowledge. The complexity of laws, regulations, employee training and leadership programs and employee management relations can catch some candidates off guard. You will come into the exam with the experience that you have gathering during your time in HR but there is a lot more related to the world of HR that you must be prepared for. To test you readiness for the exam and see what you need to focus your study efforts on more, consider taking an assessment exam online.

The HR responsibilities cover several areas of focus. Generally, HRM responsibilities fall into nine broad categories:

Organizational tasks - Design and structure groups and departments. Plan programs and processes. Identify job functions, skills and competencies. Review organizational functions and recommend improvements. Manage reorganization and change.

Human Resource Management and Responsibilities

Resources for the organization - Determine staffing needs. Recruit, hire, develop, review and reward staffers. Advertise positions, screen and interview applicants, test, check references, facilitate offers and present contracts. Manage orientation, retention and termination, whether by resignation, retirement or dismissal.

Performance management - Set performance standards and improvement objectives, assess performance and provide feedback. Monitor, measure, evaluate and document performance against expectations. Identify performance problems, propose solutions, facilitate feedback, and coordinate and document disciplinary action.

Employee development - Provide career development, training and coaching. Facilitate management succession (i.e. knowledge and skills training, experiential learning, on the job training, internal and external training, guided reading, computer-based or e-learning, video instruction, courses, role playing and other options). Monitor the learning process and its results, and evaluate teaching approaches.

Reward management - Establish fair pay systems and other financial rewards, such as profit sharing or pay based on incentives, performance, contributions, teamwork or competency. Develop and facilitate non-financial motivational programs. Implement bonuses, gain-sharing, flexible benefits, pensions and living allowances.

Employee relations - Work with the union, employee-supervisor mediation, negotiations, legal issues, feedback and grievances. Build relationships with employees through various policies, procedures and outreach (Intranet, newsletters and so on).

Health and safety - Provide a safe working environment. Comply with standards. This may mean dealing with hygiene, first aid, ergonomics, accident prevention, risk assessment, audits, safety training, removal of hazards and policies assuring health and safety, such as risk reduction and risk minimization programs.

Employee welfare - Help with individual services such as employee assistance, leaves of absence for long-term illnesses, family issues, issues of aging and the elderly, employment problems, death in the employee's family and counseling. Offer group activities, clubs, retiree events and wellness or support programs.

Administration - Manage HR policies, procedures, functions and systems. Develop, implement and direct the processes needed to capture, track, evaluate and report data, maintain records and comply with legal requirements.

Human Resource Management and Responsibilities
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Monday, January 21, 2013

An Over-view of Credit Risk Management in the Banking Sector

Over the years, banks have been involved in a process of upgrading their risk management capabilities. In doing so, the most important part of upgrading has been the development of the methodologies, with introduction of more rigorous control practices, in measuring and managing risk. However, the by far the biggest risk faced by the banks today, remains to be the credit risk, a risk evolved through the dealings of the banks with their customers or counterparties. To site few examples, between the late 1980's and early 1990's, banks in Australia have had aggregate loan losses of billion. In 1992, the banking sector experienced the first ever negative return on equity, which this has never happened before. There have been many other banks in the industrial countries, where losses reached unprecedented levels.

The analysis of credit risk was limited to reviews of individual loans, which the banks kept in their books to maturity. The banks have stride hard to manage credit risk until early 1990s. The credit risk management today, involves both, loan reviews and portfolio analysis. With the advent of new technologies for buying and selling risks, the banks have taken a course away from the traditional book-and-hold lending practice. This has been done in favour of a wider and active strategy that requires the banks to analyse the risk in the best mix of assets in the existing credit environment, market conditions, and business opportunities. The banks have now found an opportunity to manage portfolio concentrations, maturities, and loan sizes, eliminating handling of the problem assets before they start making losses.

With the increased availability of financial instruments and activities, such as, loan syndications, loan trading, credit derivatives, and creating securities, backed by pools of assets (securitisation), the banks, importantly, can be more active in management of risk. As an example, activities on trading in credit derivatives (example - credit default swap) has grown exceptionally over the last ten years, and presently stands at trillion, in notional terns. As it stands now, the notional value of the credit default swap (a swap designed to transfer the credit exposure of fixed income products between parties) on many established corporate, exceeds the value of trading in the primary debt securities, received from the same corporate. Loan syndications grew from 0 billion to more than .5 trillion between 1990 and 2005, and the same period saw a growth of loan trading, which grew from less than billion to more than 0 billion. For the banks, securities pooled and reconstituted from loans or other credit exposures (asset-backed securitisation), provided the means to reduce credit risk in their portfolios. This could be made possible by the sale of loans in the capital market. This became especially viable in case of loans on homes and commercial real estate.

An Over-view of Credit Risk Management in the Banking Sector

The banks are now more equipped in handling credit risk, in the allocation of its on-going credit allocation activities. Some of the banks use a more comprehensive credit risk management system, by critically analysing the credits, considering both, the probability of default and the expected loss in the possibility of a default. More sophisticated banks use the criteria given in Basel II accord in determining credit risk. In here the banks take credit decisions by increased expert judgment, using quantitative, model-based techniques. Banks, which used to sanction credits to individuals relying mainly on the personal judgment of the loan sanctioning officers, now use a more advanced method of srutinisation, applying the statistical model to data, such as credit scores of that individual. The lending activity of a bank has its credit risk invariably embedded, as one finds in the market risk. It all such cases, banks need to monitor risks by managing it efficiently, absorbing the risk involved.

Pricings of relevant risks are needed when-ever a bank moves in a lending contract with a corporate borrower. New analytical tools now enable banking organizations to quantify lending risks more precisely. Through these tools, banks can estimate the measure of risk that it is taking on the fund, in order to earn its risk-adjusted return on capital. This allows the bank to price the risk before originating the loan. Banks often use internal debt rating, or third party systems, that uses market data to evaluate the measure of risk involved, when lending to corporate issuing stocks.

The financial Pundits of the banking sector have discussed diverse range of subjects and issues, and have arrived on four main themes for a better credit risk management.

The first theme is concerned with a rapid evolution of techniques to manage credit risk. This evolution of techniques have been greatly supported by the technological advancement made, with low cost computing being made available, making analyzing, measuring, and controlling credit risk in a far better way. This has allowed introducing a more rigorous credit risk management system. However, despite the thoughts of the utilization of the techniques evolved, implementation of these practices still has a long way to go for the bulk of the banks. However, it is expected that the pace at which the changes are required to be introduced, will soon accelerate. With competition growing in the provision of financial services, there is a need for the banking and financial institutions to identify new and profitable business opportunities, and as such, it is inevitable that the policies on credit management have to change.

The second theme considered that, the ability to measure, control, and manage credit risk, is likely to be the criteria as to how the banking sector grows in the future. Widespread cross-subsidization has introduced significant negative impact on the net interest margin of all the banks, with a profitable business supporting the cause of otherwise non-profitable activities. The matter of cross-subsidization has been an intentional business decision by the management of the institutions. However, this has introduced problems in cash flow, with the inability to accurately measure risk and return. With the banks getting on to improve on their ability to measure risk and return on the activities, it is inevitable that the characteristic of the internal subsidies will become clearer.

The third theme considered the interaction between the management and the improved credit risk measurement. The theme also looked into the possibility of using alternative risk measurement techniques within the regulatory environment. There were certain issues that emerged.

1. The role of the supervision of a bank or a financial institution, in a more competitive and a much more advanced financial environment.

2. At what extent are the banks' risk supervisory efforts and their relevant policies, keeping pace with the initiatives and developments taking place in the market.

3. The urgent need to align the supervisory methodologies conceived, with the newly emerging risk measurement practices. In this issue, a general sense of optimism exists, where the alignment between the banking sector and the regulatory authority, regarding the approached towards the risk management practices, would happen over time. However, there is an obstacle in meeting the objective. The banks need to demonstrate with confidence, that they have in place well defined, and well tested rigorous risk management models, which are completely integrated into their operational system.

The fourth and the last theme that evolved, was the need to have a firm commitment from the banking sector, relating to the management of risks in all its forms, and the need to have a strong orientation of the credit management policy embedded within the culture of banking. Without such a firm commitment coming from the higher levels in the banking sector, the alignment between the regulatory authorities and the banking institution, relating to strong credit management principles, is hard to achieve. It needs to be mentioned here that, today, unless banking institutions do not take a firm committed step towards a viable credit management system, and integrate the policies within their operational culture, it will be difficult for the sector to meet any broader objective, which importantly includes improved shareholder returns.

In the matter to be better aligned, there is a necessity of accurate measure of the credit risk involved in any transaction that the bank makes, and such a measure is bound to alter the risk-taking behavior, both, at the individual and at the institutional levels within the bank. So long we have been talking about the state-of-the-art technology and its use in rigorous credit risk modeling. With this, it should be borne in mind that, improved measurement techniques are not automatically evolved without the application of proper judgment and experience; where-ever credit or other forms of risks are involved.

prabirsenuk@yahoo.co.uk

An Over-view of Credit Risk Management in the Banking Sector
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Over twenty two years experience in Oracle. Significant development & Management skills viz.,technical writing, project planning and execution, project management, Oracle sql, pl/sql, data flow design, database design, datawarehousing, Oracle applications viz., manufacturing, scm, crm, financials, hrms,workflow, Oracle discoverer, forms, reports, etc., having expertise in Business Analysis. Presently a Sr. Program Manager with a Large IT organization in London, looking after 10 Oracle applications project in Europe, and managing offshore development partners.

Education:

1. Fellow - Institute of Electronics & Communication Engineers.
2. MSc. Eng (Computer Science), University of London.
3. BSc. Eng (Electronics), University of London.

Hobby: Writing

prabirsenuk@yahoo.co.uk

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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Span of Management

Also known as span of control, is a very important concept of organizing function of management. It refers to the number of subordinates that can be handled effectively by a superior in an organization. It signifies how the relations are planned between superior and subordinates in an organization.

Span of management is generally categorized under two heads- Narrow span and Wide span. Narrow Span of management means a single manager or supervisor oversees few subordinates. This gives rise to a tall organizational structure. While, a wide span of management means a single manager or supervisor oversees a large number of subordinates. This gives rise to a flat organizational structure.There is an inverse relation between the span of management and the number of hierarchical levels in an organization, i.e., narrow the span of management , greater the number of levels in an organization.

Narrow span of management is more costly compared to wide span of management as there are larger number of superiors/ managers and thus there is greater communication issues too between various management levels. The less geographically scattered the subordinates are, the better it is to have a wide span of management as it would be feasible for managers to be in touch with the subordinates and to explain them how to efficiently perform the tasks. In case of narrow span of management, there are comparatively more growth opportunities for a subordinate as the number of levels is more.

Span of Management

The more efficient and organized the managers are in performing their tasks, the better it is to have wide span of management for such organization. The less capable, motivated and confident the employees are, the better it is to have a narrow span of management so that the managers can spend time with them and supervise them well. The more standardized is the nature of tasks ,i.e., if same task can be performed using same inputs, the better it is to have a wide span of management as more number of subordinates can be supervised by a single superior. There is more flexibility, quick decision making, effective communication between top level and low level management,and improved customer interaction in case of wide span of management. Technological advancement such as mobile phones, mails, etc. makes it feasible for superiors to widen their span of management as there is more effective communication.

An optimal/ideal span of control according to the modern authors is fifteen to twenty subordinates per manager, while according to the traditional authors the ideal number is six subordinates per manager. But actually, an ideal span of control depends upon the nature of an organization, skills and capabilities of manager, the employees skills and abilities, the nature of job, the degree of interaction required between superior and subordinates.

Span of Management
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Author is the writer of www.managementstudyguide.com/organizing_function.htm which explains in detail about the organizing function of management and its important concepts.

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