You’ve probably heard about the EU Food Supplements Directive, legislation that was introduced in 2005 to govern the vitamins and minerals that could be used in supplements.
What you may not know is that this Directive has two parts. The first, which is already in force, gives Positive Lists of the vitamins and minerals that are allowed to be used and indicates which forms of those vitamins and minerals can be used. These Positive Lists have just been updated to include many more of the most popular vitamin and mineral forms.
The second part, though, deals with the setting of what are termed Maximum Permitted Levels (MPL). Once set, these MPLs will govern the maximum amount of an ingredient from the Positive List that can be included in a supplement, or be recommended for daily intake.
Currently, the UK enjoys a privileged position as far as supplements are concerned in that optimum strength products are not considered medicines and so are freely available for sale. This is not the position in most of the rest of Europe, where higher strength supplements are more strictly governed and less freely available. Many industry groups fear that – because of this – MPLs will be set very low and the UK consumer will lose their freedom to choose.
Consumers for Health Choice is one such industry group, and they have been working tirelessly with industry, the Food Standards Agency, the Government and the EU Commission to try and protect the freedom of choice for UK consumers. They continue to battle on our behalf, but still need as much support as they can get.
Their website – www.consumersforhealthchoice.com - contains a wealth of information about their fight against the Food Supplements Directive and (more importantly) gives details of how you can become involved.
It is vitally important that the powers-that-be know how strongly UK consumers feel about this issue, so even if you’ve written to your MP or MEP before, you should do so again. Follow the guidelines on the Consumers for Health Choice website for who you can write to, and what you should say.
Thanks for your help.
So here it is the Vantastical Blue Funky Bus!
Over the last few weeks we have been working hard to get this sorted – Hopefully it will be used for shows, exhibitions and general advertising, to spread the Bio Nuts word.
If on your travels, beep us and say hello 
From this:
To this:
and finally to; The Blue Funky Bus:
Please do keep an eye out for us, at shows, exhibitions and on the road. I feel the beginnings of a competition coming on!
The next plan is to get her running efficiently on bio fuel; we’ll keep you informed.
According to a recent study, most people get happier as they grow older!
Scientists believe that this is because older people have learned to avoid situations that make them feel sad or stressed.
So, here’s our quick guide to feeling happier:
- Smile: it makes you feel good and enriches the life of those around you! (And you’ll look more attractive, too).
- Be grateful: generally there is so much to be grateful for. And remember – there is always someone worse off than you!
- Laugh: as much as you can because laughter really is the best medicine!
- Exercise: exercising stimulates the release of endorphins. This changes your body’s chemical balance and makes you feel good.
- Learn new things: this is as enriching as exercise, and slows cognitive decline.
Practice the above and make people wonder what you’ve been up too!
You could also check out our Sleep, Mood & Memory section.
In a detailed review of research dating back some 30 years, doctors are now saying there is compelling evidence that everyone, even healthy people, should take omega-3 fatty acids on a daily basis.
“This isn’t just hype – we now have tremendous and compelling evidence from very large studies, some dating back 20 and 30 years, that demonstrate the protective benefits of omega-3 in multiple aspects of preventative cardiology,” said Dr Carl Lavie, from the Ochsner Medical Centre in New Orleans, who led the review. “We are talking about a very safe and relatively inexpensive therapy.”
The Food Standards Agency advises oily fish are a good source of the ‘good’ fatty acids, as well as fish oil supplements and other food stuffs.
Scientists believe that omega-3 works from inside the membranes of cells and may help to improve the heart’s electrical activity as well as helping to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. The body can’t produce its own essential fatty acids, so they must be obtained from external sources such as food and supplements.
There is also significant evidence that omega-3 can help slow, and in some cases halt, the progress of age-related macular degeneration.
More research needs to be done to determine optimal levels of omega-3, but we would recommend a daily intake of at least 1000mg.
Sources:
BBC News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/health/8088860
Daily Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5966847/Everyone-should-take-Omega-3-say-experts.html
