Tag Archives: pills

Can Keto Pills Actually Help You to Lose Weight?

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last three years, ‘keto’ is a word you’ll have heard before. While most of us have only a passing familiarity with the term, we generally know that it has something to do with a certain diet trend.

Though some have written it off as just another fad, keto has nonetheless gained a lot of traction among its followers and the public at large, with many having claimed to see great results with regards to meeting their weight loss goals.

As a result, a whole industry has grown around the idea, with keto pills being one of the most popular products on the market. Claiming to aid in weight loss and make it easier to drop a dress size, they promise to activate in the body a mechanism known as ‘ketosis’, which we’ll explain in more detail below.

But do they actually work? According to the experts, the answer may surprise you.

What are keto pills and how do they work?

weight loss, pills, do they work?

Source: Pixabay

Keto pills have generated a lot of discourse in recent years. They’ve made their way into the mainstream, many have doubted their efficacy, but there are also those who swear by them as a weight loss aid.

Keto pills function in a similar way to the keto diet. The keto diet works by sending your body into a state of ketosis. This is a specific type of metabolic process whereby your system burns fat instead of glucose to generate energy, thus getting rid of the fat deposits already at its disposal: your extra weight.

This ketosis is achieved by eating foods that are high in fat and low in carbohydrates, and typically takes around four days to occur. Once the process had been activated, the body sends fat cells to the liver, where they’re converted into ketones and used for energy.   

In keto pills, the concept is the same: to increase the level of ketones in your blood. However, rather than requiring the individual to cut out carbohydrates from their diet, they instead utilise something known as medium-chain triglycerides. Usually found in foods that are high in saturated fat, such as coconuts and palm oil, these work to stimulate the ketones in your blood, produce a state of ketosis, and thus catalyse weight loss.        

Are keto pills safe?

In order to prove their detractors wrong, some keto pill manufacturers have been willing to put their products through rigorous tests. At least five have appeared, for example, on US reality show Shark Tank, with reviews for Shark Tank keto pills advising that they’re a safe aid for weight loss for those interested in using them.    

The only downside to taking keto pills is that they can initially cause headaches as a side effect (although this is not the case for everyone who uses them). However, even those are affected need not worry, as this is nothing more than indicative of the body adapting to ketosis and typically resolved within a few days.

Do keto pills work as well as a keto diet?

Source: Pixabay

While keto pills can almost certainly aid with weight loss, experts do suggest that they’re slightly less effective than the diet they’re based on. That’s because, while they stimulate ketone production, they’re unable to replicate all of the benefits of this diet.

In particular, they do not lower either circulating insulin or glucose levels, with experts suggesting that these two boons are likely of equal benefit to increased ketone levels themselves.  

Are keto pills something you would be willing to try to aid with your weight loss goals? 

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Do Medicines Cost Too Much? By Dr Kathleen Thompson

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The UK Cancer Drug Fund, which funds non-NHS cancer treatments, has removed twenty-five drugs off its list recently, to combat a £100 million (and rising) overspend. This highlights a recurring dilemma of modern healthcare.

Medical science is advancing with cosmic speed. Patients with desperate diseases have new hope. Genetic advances allow personalised medicine for enhanced individual benefit.

However, drug costs are becoming frighteningly high, and, as people live longer, health budgets rise further. To be cynical, it was cheaper when people simply didn’t survive.

In response, many governments have attempted to force medicine prices down. Politically a quick win. But what are the consequences?

Let’s examine the drug development process. 

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First a drug target is chosen – often a protein molecule (receptor) on the surface of some of our cells.

Thousands of chemicals are then screened. If they bind to this receptor, they could influence how that cell works, and hence affect disease activity.

Chemicals which do bind are further narrowed down to those with additional potential drug properties—those likely to be well-absorbed, lack toxicity, and remain in the body long enough to work.

A lead candidate is chosen, and then modified further, optimising its chances of success.

Next, as required by government regulations, it is tested in animals and in the test-tube, for potential safety, effectiveness, and suitable dose.

Finally, clinical trials can begin. Often in healthy volunteers first, then small numbers of patients and finally in many patients. Thousands of people are usually tested before a drug can be marketed, and the size and duration of clinical trials has increased, as regulatory requirements have increased1.

Consequently, the typical cost of a new drug development is US$350 million according to a recent study by Forbes2.

But it’s worse than that—the development path is littered with booby-traps and precipices. Fledgling drugs frequently fail, and the Tufts Centre study found that, even those medicines which make it as far as clinical trials, have only  approximately a 12% chance of eventually reaching the market3.

Thus, including the costs of failed developments, the actual cost for each successful drug is nearer US$2.6 billion3, and for many smaller companies, if the roulette wheel isn’t kind, the cost is failure and liquidation.

Pharmaceutical companies are not angels, nor are they demons. To survive, they must make enough profit from their marketed drugs to fund their development pipeline, in addition to returning some profit to shareholders. Long drug-development times, mean they may only have a few years of patent-protection left to achieve this. If governments force prices down, companies sometimes react by reducing development risk – choosing drugs more likely to succeed in preference to innovative but riskier developments for difficult diseases.

A typical drug development takes around ten years – so we won’t see this effect immediately, and when we do, it will be too late – it could take another ten years to correct.

So there’s the problem – health bills cannot continue rising exponentially, but forcing drug prices down has serious consequences too. What to do?

Further Information and References:

1. http://www.phrma.org/sites/default/files/pdf/rd_brochure_022307.pdf

2. http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2013/08/11/how-the-staggering-cost-of-inventing-new-drugs-is-shaping-the-future-of-medicine/

3. http://csdd.tufts.edu/files/uploads/Tufts_CSDD_briefing_on_RD_cost_study_-_Nov_18,_2014..pdf

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice

 

 

Potter’s Herbal Elixir of Echinacea Plus & Kwai Heart + Immune Supplements | Health Review

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miranda kerrAs winter comes in colds are inevitable. Echinacea is well known to ward of colds and boost the immune system, but does it really work?

The first thing I have to say about Potter’s Herbals Elixir of Echinacea is how nice it tastes, rare for something that is good for you. I am more used to taking pills but taking the elixir is no problem. I take it three times a day and I don’t get a cold, and feel that I have been given a health boost. In fact when I get more busy and forgot to take it for a while I ended up getting a cold. I start taking the Echinacea again and I immediately feel better. I think it works and I am impressed. It even makes my skin clearer.

I also start taking Kwai Heart+Immune with vitamins A, C and E; 30 tablets RRP £6.12; 100 tablets £16.33; Available from Boots. When I first take it I worry that I will smell of garlic but a friend says I don’t. After I start taking the supplement I feel much more energetic and healthier. The Pills are also easy to swallow.  My skin tone also improves when I am taking the pills. With the Kwai Heart+Immune and Potter’s Herbals Elixir of Echinacea I am all set for winter.

Commenting on Kwai Heart+Immune, independent dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton says: “It is now well accepted that vitamins A and C and garlic have a vital role in supporting a normal immune function, while vitamin E is a potent antioxidant, helping to protect cells from oxidative stress which leads to cell damage. Human research on garlic shows that it is antimicrobial and can reduce levels of harmful bacteria and viruses which cause disease.”

The immune system as you know is crucial to help prevent colds/flu/virues and potentillay fatal illnesses. New research by the Henry Potter Advisory Committee also reveals that nearly half of 2,000 respondents in survey (46.4%) believe that they appear physically less attractive when their immune system is lower, with nearly one quarter (23.9%) stating that you could tell how good someone’s immune system is from their skin tone.

 

New stats also revealed that:

  • Worryingly almost three quarter’s (73.9%) of those researched (out of 2,000 respondents) did not know that our immune system is capable of distinguishing foreign bacteria, fungi or viruses, thereby preventing cellular damage.
  • Nearly one third (30.9%), incorrectly believe that vitamin C will ward off a cold, with more women believing this than men (35.3% vs 26%).
  • When it comes to symptoms of a poorly functioning immune system, the most commonly cited symptom was tiredness (61.2%). Over one third of people (38%) commented that they thought their immune system was lowered when they felt physically weak, or when they caught a cold (37.9%) or a virus (37.1%).

Potter’s Herbals Elixir of Echinacea Plus – contains a unique formula of the highest quality Echinacea angustifolia, wild indigo and fumitory. RRP £10.16, available in Boots nationwide. Potter’s Herbal remedies also include cold and flu relief products, as well as sleep aids, and stress releif aids. The whole range are licensed herbal medicines – celebrating 200 years this year.

World class immunologist and medical herbalist Dr Serene Foster says “It is encouraging to see effective herbals available over the counter. The cold and Flu season costs the nation a lot in terms of lost days at school, work, and while on holiday. Now we can all benefit from good mixtures which address all aspects of colds. When Potters Herbal Elixir of Echinacea Plus is taken at the first sign of a cold, it will support and balance your immune system to reduce the symptoms and shorten the time you suffer a cold and make you feel better faster.”

 

Pay Less For Your Prescriptions.

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Check if you qualify for free prescriptions

People in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland all have free prescriptions. People who live in England are not so lucky. However, if you are on some benefits, are pregnant or have had a baby in the last 12 months then you will be entitled to free prescriptions. Check with your pharmacist.

Use An Alternative

Check that the medicine you have the prescription for is not available over the counter. It could be cheaper to buy it without the prescription. A lot of commonly prescribed medicine is available over the counter.

Prepay.

You can get something called a prescriptions prepayment certificate. It covers all of your NHS prescriptions for a certain period.

For example, if you need four prescriptions in a three month period, you would be better off buying a three-month certificate which costs £29.10. You can get these from the NHS Prescription Pricing Authority website nhsbsa.nhs.uk/1127.aspx or call 0845 850 0030

Ask Your Doctor To Buy in Bulk

You can ask your doctor for a single prescription to cover a certain amount of time. It is not well known but this means that a 1-3 month prescription would only cost £7.65. Instead of buying four different prescriptions over that time, which would cost £30.60. Talk to your doctor about prescription charges and how you can save money.

Other ways to save on medical bills it to take out temporary medical insurance. Your health is the most important thing in life so invest in it as much as you can.

One Pill Makes You Larger – Raving Puppets

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So. Festival Season is upon us – at least, in those rare glimpses of summer between the monsoons.

And yet again, Glastonbury provided some superb spectacles, and I don’t mean Bono’s rain-spattered shades. No, I’m talking about all those sideshow acts and crowd-brought additions that give any show that bit of extra atmosphere.

My personal favourite was from Glastonbury 2005. While The Kaiser Chiefs rattled through their set, a giant, inflatable, long-necked dinosaur loomed over the crowd, watching the Leeds outfit with a beatific smile.

And carrying the theme through, Garbage’s Shirley Manson later borrowed an inflatable doll from the front row and used it as a prop during ‘Why Do You Love Me?’

Now, a Rugby-based company are taking that crowd involvement one step further.

Raving Puppets raison d’etre is to provide fun and interactive entertainment on the dance floor itself.

Says Edward Allan: “People are constantly complaining to me that there isn’t enough in the way of stuff to do or see in raves and this is something Raindance have always appreciated and approached by hiring performers such as dancers and stilt-walkers – turning their event into a proper mini-festival.

“We’re different to every other entertainment because we’re not on the stage or on the sidelines, we are actually on the dance floor with the clients – something no other entertainers can do.

“We’re also a lot more interactive with the crowds, chasing people, dancing with people and playing tricks, like stealing hats and coming up behind people who are in groups – so everyone else sees them except the victim.

“Think mischievous spirits,” he adds.

The puppets are operated ‘muppet-style’ by a black-clad performer who wears the puppets on his or her shoulders, ensuring the focus is on the puppet.

Raving Puppets have appeared all over the UK, including Glastonbury, Reading and Raindance among others.

So, next time you’re approached by a 10 foot tall puppet who decides you’re the perfect dance partner, it’s probably not time to stop drinking or blaming the dodgy tablet a shadowy figure gave you earlier.

It might just be a Raving Puppet.

www.ravingpuppets.com