You have chosen to receive this newsletter directly from Performance Labs.
To change your subscription information - Please See Bottom of Page

PLI E-Newsletter Volume 5,
April '04

Relax With Green Tea

Stress Case - by Andy Reifert

PLI Insider - New RelaxMax Formula

Relax With Green Tea

The benefits of green tea to help promote relaxation and sleep were recently studied by researchers in Japan.

The study used the pure, enzymatically produced ingredient L-Theanine, called Suntheanine®.

Find out more about this study and the results in this months top article!

To The Article

Stress Case - by Andy Reifert

April is Stress Awareness Month. Apparently, my landlord didn't get the memo when she decided to drop a load of stress on my family.

You see, with the skyrocketing housing prices in Southern California right now, our landlord decided to sell the rental home we are currently living in. And with a 30-day notice, we suddenly had to scramble to find a place for my family to live.

Talk about stress. To make matters even more interesting, rental costs have also decided to aim for the sky. Needless to say, I was sick to my stomach. Not even a great bike ride was helping.

Still, as all things do, everything has worked out. We have found a place to live and the cost is very close to what we were paying. The stress has subsided - until the next drama episode!

I guess you can say this month I am aware stress can hit at any time and is really unavoidable. The best thing we can do is cope and know we will get through whatever strikes us.

Sure, you have heard all the age old stress relievers - exercise, meditation and TLC from a loved one, but truth is, when you are going through whatever is putting you at wit's end, it's hard to remember those calming options.

The real solution is to deal with stress as best as you can, dealing with the issue one step at a time.

As a wise man once said, " How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

Sincerely,
Andy

Andy is PLI's Internet Team Leader.
When he's not pushing the pedals on his bike,
he's hangin' with his wife and two girls.

RelaxMax Has A New Formula

Performance Labs’ newly reformulated RelaxMax stress relief formula is coming soon to Albertsons and other fine drugstores across the United States.

This safe and effective formula provides relief from daily stress and sleepless nights through a unique combination of herbs and micronutrients including the patented, natural ingredient, Suntheanine®, the purest form of L-Theanine, an amino acid found almost exclusively in green tea. Clinical studies have demonstrated Suntheanine’s ability to influence brain neurotransmitters, promoting a state of refreshed relaxation. Researchers from the National Institute of Mental Health in Japan have found that taking Suntheanine before bed produces a significant improvement in sleep quality.*

RelaxMax also contains a potent blend of calming herbs and essential micronutrients to promote healthy neurotransmitter function in response to environmental and emotional stress.*

Expect to see new RelaxMax on store shelves later this spring at Albertsons and other fine retailers across the USA.

Sherry, The Next "Healthy" Drink?

Sherry may have the same health benefits as red wine, report researchers in Spain, who tested the polyphenol-rich drink on cholesterol levels. The early studies on red wine have also triggered research into beer and spirits to see if other alcohols can rival wine's protection against heart disease.

Scientists at the University of Seville in Spain report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture that sherry, like red wine, contains antioxidants called polyphenols, which reduce the occurrence of heart disease. They work by preventing the oxidation of Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL), associated with the disease, report the researchers.

As well as beating LDL levels, the scientists say that drinking sherry can also increase the body’s production of High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, associated with longevity and a decreased incidence of coronary artery disease.

"Sherry is widely consumed, especially in Spain and the UK, and we have shown that its moderate intake decreased total cholesterol and increased HDL-cholesterol," said lead researcher Juan Guerrero.

For the study rats were given daily quantities of sherry, the equivalent of a 150ml serving in an adult weighing 70kg. Control rats were given the same amount of either water or ethanol in water.

Intake of sherry every day at 16:00 over two months did not affect the weight of the rats or have any other significant impact on other metabolic processes - but it did result in the decrease in serum total (bad) cholesterol and an increase in HDL (good) cholesterol, report the researchers.

Four of the most commonly produced sherries in Andalucia, Spain, bearing the generic names Oloroso, Manzanilla, Fino and Amontillado, were tested. All four types had the same effect.

“As a general rule, moderate consumption of red wine exerts beneficial effects for health. In our research, the beneficial effects of red wine can be extended to sherry wines,” concluded Guerrero.

Some researchers have however questioned whether it is the alcohol content that protects the heart rather than antioxidants. Positive effects on heart health in beer, which contains lower levels of polyphenols, have also been reported.

Moderate drinking has also been associated with reduced risk of dementiaoduction, cell respiration, and growth.
Courtesy of NutraIngredients ©2004