Cataract Awareness Month

June is Cataract Awareness Month.  Did you know that cataracts are the leading cause of vision loss among adults 55 and older?  In fact, more than half the people over age 65 have some degree of cataract development.  A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye, the part of the eye that focuses light and produces clear images.  Inside of the eye, the lens is contained in a sealed bag or capsule. As old cells die they become trapped within the capsule. Over time, more cells die and accumulate causing the lens to cloud, making images look blurred or fuzzy.  (Eye America.org)

Cataracts are caused by the breakdown of proteins within the clear lens of the eye that cause it to become cloudy and difficult to see through, effecting vision. Some of this protein breakdown is associated with oxidative stress.  It is believed that the majority of oxidative stress is generated in the eye via photochemical reactions caused by exposure to sunlight although oxidative stress can be caused by neuronal dysfunction in certain conditions.

Antioxidants fight free radicals and reactive oxygen species by neutralizing them and thus causing them to lose the ability to cause oxidative stress. Antioxidants can be found in many different foods. Some examples are blueberries, raspberries and olive oil. The regular intake of these foods can be beneficial to your health and can combat oxidative stress. However, science is finding that more concentrated doses of antioxidants can be even more beneficial in combating eye disease than diet alone. The use of antioxidant supplementation may protect the eye from oxidative-stress induced damage and disease.

Hydroxytyrosol, a powerful antioxidant derived from olive byproducts, has a chemoprotective effect on retinal cells, the type of cell that is damaged by the progression of macular degeneration and possibly other eye diseases.

Pinnaclife’s Supplement Olivamine Essential, is a blend of Antioxidants, and if used in association with a healthy lifestyle can help to reduce the effects eye disease.  Our supplements are available at most Hy-Vee locations.  Start your journey towards good health today!

Pinnaclife Celebrates 100+ Hy-Vee Stores and Kevin’s Birthday!

Today the Pinnaclife team had a special celebration in honor of surpassing over 100 Hy-Vee Retail Store locations!  A huge Thank You to our sales team pictured below:

Nancy Blake, Brooke Miller, Dene’ Rasch, Kevin McCarthy.

Visit our Pinnaclife Events page to see when our sales team will be at a Hy-Vee store near you! Click here to see if Pinnaclife supplements are available at your local Hy-Vee store!

The birthday boy, Kevin McCarthy enjoying his birthday cake!

Big Chocolate Cake, yumm!

Enjoying the celebration!!

Ted Pacha Joins Pinnaclife as President of its Healthcare Distribution Division

Coralville, IA. May 24, 2012 – McCord Research, the parent company of Pinnaclife, announced today that Ted Pacha has been named president of its healthcare distribution division.  “We are very pleased to have Mr. Pacha join our growing company.  He has years of healthcare distribution experience. His executive management skills will help our domestic and global operations,” said Darlene McCord, Ph.D., the company’s CEO.

Mr. Pacha is well known in Iowa City and around the United States for building one of the nations largest and most successful healthcare distribution companies.  Hawkeye Medical grew from an idea to a company doing more than $75 million a year and employing better than 100 employees in Iowa City. His leadership as a business owner and a philanthropist has set the standard for all Iowa companies.

As owner of Hawkeye Medical, Mr. Pacha decided that the best way to grow his company in a world of industry giants was to work cooperatively with other distributors and to become part of a buying group. He not only participated in that group, that became National Distribution Company (NDC), he went on to serve for years as its Chairman of the Board.  Today, NDC is that largest independent healthcare distribution company in the United States with sales exceeding 7-billion dollars.

Mr. Pacha will now build the business opportunity between Pinnaclife and NDC.  The relationship is starting off with the launch of a line of pet care products that will be sold exclusively through veterinarians.  The new line will be sold under the Pinnaclife brand and is endorsed by the two leading veterinary dermatologists. “The opportunities are endless when you bring together the largest healthcare distribution company with the creators of the nation’s number one medical topical skin and wound care product line,” said Pacha.

Pinnaclife expects the relationship with NDC to grow quickly and become its most important domestic partnership.  With Mr. Pacha’s guidance, Pinnaclife and NDC have already discovered additional opportunities for growth in supplements, oral care, topical medical products and animal health.

Pinnaclife is committed to good science that serves as the foundation for safe and effective topical and nutritional products.

Mr. Ted Pacha is the newly appointed President of Pinnaclife’s Healthcare Distribution Division.

Blue-Green Algae “Pond Scum” May Pose Danger if it Comes in Contact With Skin or Ingested

CORALVILLE, Iowa, May 21, 2012 — McCord Research, the parent company of Pinnaclife, warns parents that they should be careful when selecting a swimming location for their children during summer months.  Most farmers are aware of the serious health threats to livestock and heed the blue-green algae warnings issued by state universities and departments of agriculture.

Health alerts are issued by states when they believe that the level of toxins, associated with blue-green algae are potentially unsafe for full-body recreational activities, such as swimming.  Public lakes and beaches are monitored and often closed to swimmers and boaters.

The “scum” actually is not an algae, but photosynthetic bacteria called cyanobacteria, according to the North Dakota State University Extension Service. On hot summer days, the bacteria “blooms” and can spread quickly. Studies of green blue algae have found that most strains found in brackish lakes and ponds are toxic to humans.(1) Cynobacteria toxin exposure has been known to cause swimmer’s ear, irritation and blistering of the skin and throat, pneumonia, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, liver damage and death. (2)

If you or your children are around area ponds, even if you do not enter the water, Pinnaclife recommends that you apply their specialized Olivamine-containing Skin Repair Cream sold in Hy-Vee stores.  It contains N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) that is a known antidote for cyanobacteria poisoning.(3) Topical NAC protection is vital as the skin is more vulnerable to bacterial attack in the water. While stomach acids do provide some protection internally, without topical NAC protection the skin is defenseless against cyanobacteria toxins.(4) The Skin Repair Cream may offer some protection but caution must be taken.  Also, during the summer months taking Pinnaclife Olivamine supplements, containing N-acetyl-L-cysteine, may give the immune system a boost.  Having a healthy immune system during the summer months when the family is out enjoying water activities is important.  Pinnaclife Olivamine supplements are available at most Hy-Vee stores and at www.pinnaclife.com.

In livestock and pets, blue-green algae toxins can affect the nervous system, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  Symptoms include muscle tremors, decreased movement and difficulty breathing and convulsions and death.  If any of these symptoms occur after contact with blue-green algae, contact the Poison Hotline (800-222-1222) right away or contact your local veterinarian.  Topical symptoms include dermatitis and immediate medical help should be sought.

Not only is there a risk of coming into contact with blue green algae in local ponds and lakes, it is also sold by some companies as a health supplement or it is found in topical products.(5) In a University of California Berkeley Wellness Alert it especially warns of the risks associated with using blue-green algae products that have algae harvested from the Upper Klamath Lake (AFA) region in southern Oregon.  According to the Berkeley Wellness Alert, “blue-green algae is not a medicine or a good source of nutrients.(6)  Blue-green algae, especially AFA harvested from natural lakes, are easily contaminated with toxins such as microcystins and heavy metals.  Health Canada, the equivalent of the US FDA, found that some supplements had high levels of microcystin and warned consumers – especially those thinking of giving AFA to their children.”

Pinnaclife is committed to good science that serves as the foundation for safe and effective topical and nutritional products.

For Further Information:
Darlene McCord, Ph.D.
CEO, CSO, McCord Research
319-358-5536

Blue Green Antiodote

Blue Green WHO

McCord Research Moves Its Olivamine® Research Funding to Melbourne Australia

McCord Research has awarded Tom Karagiannis, Ph.D. and his research team at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, in Melbourne Australia, a $150,000 research grant to study the effects of its patent pending Olivamine.  “The grant is for one year but it is anticipated that the grant will be renewed annually,” according to Darlene McCord, Ph.D., CEO of McCord Research.

The research will investigate Olivamine ingredients using next-generation gene sequencing technology to study its effects on gene expression (mRNA-Seq), and the effects on the epigenome.  The objective of the research is to determine the effectiveness of Olivamine against inflammation, and a variety of diseases including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and MS along with the ingredient’s antioxidant properties.

A lab will be named for McCord Research and a research team has been established to work exclusively on the Olivamine project. Dr. Karagiannis’s lab has been researching the benefits of hydroxytyrosol, a key ingredient in Olivamine, for several years.  “This is an excellent opportunity for us to expand our work in a key field of interest,” said Dr. Karagiannis.

Baker IDI was created in 2008 after the merger of the Baker Heart Research Institute and the International Diabetes Institute (IDI). Baker IDI combines the strength of Baker’s research into cardiovascular disease and diabetic complications with diabetes research, education and patient care.

McCord Research is a research and development company that commercializes topical and nutritional products.  Their Olivamine brand, distributed by Medline Industries, is the number one selling topical medical skin care line in North America. The company’s supplements are sold under the Pinnaclife brand.  McCord Research owns Pinnaclife.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tom Karagiannis, Ph.D  Epigenomic Medicine Lab

 

The Epigenomic Medicine Lab Team at Baker IDI