Well, well, well, it’s Saturday and I have news for you, and that news is all about NMN which I wrote about two weeks ago.  Long cut short, there is a raw ingredient issue, and it’s a critical raw ingredient issue, which means that NMN is no longer available for encapsulation.  That’s the top line, but beneath that the fundamental reason for this issue is because of the controversy in the US over classifying NMN as a drug, rather than a food supplement, which would mean that NMN would require a prescription and would thus be controlled by the pharmaceutical industry, rather than being classified as a food supplement.

At this point I want to make it absolutely clear that this has nothing whatsoever to do with the safety of NMN.  Research and clinicals have shown that NMN is completely safe up to a dosage of 500 mg daily, furthermore it is still being sold in the UK and EU.  The potential of NMN is such that an American pharmaceutical company lobbied the FDA to label it as a drug to protect their intellectual property on the grounds that they are running a trial on it, thus the raw ingredient issue. But the natural health industry is lobbying to get this overturned, so all is in abeyance right now. 

Obviously, this situation is out of our control, but I do not regret releasing NMN because it remains an extraordinarily important launch, if only to identify the progression of crucial research for the better good of all.  Except, as it stands, this appears to be for the better good of the pharmaceuticals, which is far from equitable on so many different levels.  I think I had better leave it there, but I leave it with a fervent hope that this ruling gets overturned soonest.

Anyway, and on from that, L-Ergothioneine remains an extraordinarily important nutrient for healthy ageing and I continued, and continue, to take it alongside NMN.  Such is its efficacy, we believed it to be an adjunct to NMN, although I understood that for many it would be a choice between the two.  We continue to research the potential of L-Ergothioneine and I’ll write about those findings in the fullness of time.  But for now, and in full recognition of ground-breaking nutrients, I am dropping the price of Essential Youth L-Ergothioneine from £22 to £19, across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Ergothioneine: The Longevity Nutrient; Essential Youth L-Ergothioneine £19 for 30 Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 19 March)

And as night follows day, having written about Ionicell last weekend, I will follow through with Fulvic Acid Elixir this weekend.  Fulvic Elixir and Ionicell are one of the same, the difference being a choice between taking a capsule or ingesting a liquid.  Some of you, like me, take both, but quite honestly you really don’t need to, it’s just that I have been taking it in its liquid format for a very long time and old habits die hard.  Most especially Fulvic habits.  So, having declared my position, with every bottle of Fulvic Acid Elixir sold, we will automatically include Fulvic Face Cream (30 ml) as a gift, just as we did last weekend with Ionicell.  Go Fulvic.
VH Editorial: The Elixir Of Life; Fulvic Acid Elixir £30 for 480 ml + Fulvic Face Cream (30 ml) Free (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 19 March and only one gift per customer)

I’m sure that most of you will remember that during the pandemic we were sharing many things, and that included the box sets we were all watching, which kept us amused at a time when we needed it the most.  On theme, I don’t know how many of you watch Dragons’ Den, but if do you will have seen a presentation about Matcha tea a couple of weeks ago, where each of the five Dragons offered to invest in PerfectTed and their Matcha drinks and Ceremonial Grade Matcha.  It was quite something, and if I was a Dragon, which I’m clearly not, I would have fought tooth and nail to be an investor.  With Monopoly money perhaps.

There are some things I am able to do and other things I am unable to do, so with that said, I’ll stay with the things I am able to do, so please allow me to introduce to PerfectTed’s Ceremonial Grade Matcha.  Rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, Matcha supports long-lasting energy without the crashes, jitters and anxiety so often associated with other energy drinks, and it will also help speed up metabolism and enhance focus and clarity.  But if we are talking Matcha, it needs to be said that not all Matcha powders are created equally, and PerfectTed’s Matcha is grown in Uji (Japan), which is the region renowned for producing the highest quality Matcha.

I have three more things left to say about Matcha, the first of which is to refer you to Shabir’s article, where he writes about the history of Green tea.  The second thing is to share a recipe for the perfect Matcha, and it goes like this: scoop half to one teaspoon of Matcha powder, combine with 60 ml water, mix until frothy and either top with milk (for latte) or water (for tea) or, if you prefer, you can add it to a smoothie.  And finally, if you haven’t consumed an energy drink before, perhaps make this the one you do consume, and all that is left is for me to offer an introductory price on PerfectTed’s Ceremonial Grade Matcha of £14 from £16. 
VH Editorial: The Benefits Of Drinking Matcha Tea; Matcha Powder (Organic. Ceremonial Grade) by PerfectTed £14 for 30 grams

A new star is born, so with the news that Peter Jones and Steven Bartlett were the two Dragons who invested in PerfectTed, let’s now look at a very common health concern.  Tinnitus is a Latin word meaning ‘ringing’ and the symptoms of Tinnitus are buzzing, ringing and whistling in the ear, with the most common noise heard being a shrill, high-pitched unpleasant tone.  Tinnitus may be hard to detect because the symptoms can come and go and can affect one or both ears, but it is thought that at some point most of us will experience this phenomenon, although in the vast majority of cases it is only temporary.

The underlying causes of Tinnitus vary, but they include ear infections, wax in the ear, fluid retention in the middle and inner ear canal and Meniere’s disease, which is a disease of an unknown cause that affects the membrane of the ear.  There is no cure for Tinnitus, but there are several remedies which may prove helpful in reducing the impact of this concern.  Plantago Tincture has been found to be useful for the treatment of Tinnitus as it has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, so with its frequent use in helping to address many concerns affecting the nose and throat, I am dropping the price of Plantago Tincture from £11.99 to £10 across the weekend.
VH Editorial: What Is Tinnitus; Plantago Tincture by A. Vogel £10 for 50 ml (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 19 March)

I often write about probiotics and although Mega Probiotic is our bestselling probiotic supplement, there are probiotics which are specifically formulated to address certain health concerns.  One of those is Florassist Daily Bowel Regularity, which is a one-day-probiotic for occasional constipation and it also helps to improve digestive health.  Containing the clinically studied Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 strain, Daily Bowel Regularity has been shown to help encourage and maintain bowel regularity as it encourages the production of specific short-chain fatty acids to support normal bowel movement.  That’s all I really need to say, other than it is suitable for vegetarians and the price drops from £21 to £18 whilst stock lasts.
Florassist Daily Bowel Regulatory by Life Extension £18 for 30 Capsules

Let’s talk about collagen and as we do so I will tell you that I have a deep respect for Bare Biology’s products, and always have done.  Their Skinful Pure Marine Collagen Powder is a Pure Type 1 collagen derived from wild, certified sustainable cod.  As most of you know, collagen offers support for our skin, muscles and bones and as this is in powder form, it is easily incorporated into tea, coffee or Matcha (why not) as unlike other collagen supplementation, it won’t be damaged by heat and can withstand temperatures of up to 300°C, which means that you can cook and bake with it, which could be interesting.

Being fast absorbing, this powdered format comes either in its natural form, which has virtually no taste, or in a Strawberry flavour which also includes Vitamin C in the formulation.  There is a price differential between the two, so let’s be neat and reduce both of them.  In so doing the Skinful Pure Marine Collagen Powder drops in price from £35 to £28 and the Skinful Marine Collagen Plus Vitamin C Natural Strawberry Flavour drops in price from £45 to £36.  I will hold this offer until midnight GMT on Friday 24 March, so if either of them go onto pre-order status, which they may well do, we will honour all orders up until that time.  As you would expect.
Skinful Pure Marine Collagen Powder by Bare Biology £28 for 300 grams; Skinful Pure Marine Collagen Plus Vitamin C Natural Strawberry Flavour by Bare Biology £36 for 300 grams

Lack of sleep is a huge issue for so many of us, so I want to talk about this and as I do so, I am more or less staying away from supplementation, but will offer a few solutions which can be used as an adjunct to supplementation.  The first product on my list is Sleep Botanical Tincture by Blooming Blends, which has been formulated with active and potent botanicals, including Ashwagandha, Passionflower, Catnip and Oat Straw.  It will help support the onset of sleep and will also help to still the mind, promoting a sense of comfort.  Free from gluten, sugar and alcohol, Sleep Botanical Tincture drops in price from £25.99 to £23, whilst stock lasts.
Sleep Botanical Tincture by Blooming Blends £23 for 30 ml

Last weekend I wrote about Neom’s Wellbeing Pod Essential Oil Diffuser, together with their three Essential Oil Blends.  Using cold diffusion technology, essential oils are converted into micro fine vapour without using heat or water, releasing into the atmosphere to help stimulate your senses, so at the touch of a button, the diffuser will help you achieve better sleep and a mood boost through the dedicated natural oil blends.  Unsurprisingly, the Perfect Night Sleep Essential Oil Blend was the bestselling oil, so because I will always celebrate greatness, I am retaining this offer for another week because we must always acknowledge those products which help make a positive difference to our health and wellbeing.
Wellbeing Pod Essential Oil Diffuser £49; De-Stress Essential Oil Blend £18 for 10 ml; Happiness Essential Oil Blend £18 for 10 ml; Perfect Night’s Sleep Essential Oil Blend £18 for 10 ml: All by Neom Organics

Neom are on a roll with some pretty amazing products, so let’s roll with them as I write about another sleep solution product.  Perfect Night’s Sleep Pillow Mist is a complex blend of fourteen of the purest essential oils, including Lavender, Chamomile and Patchouli formulated to help you relax as you prepare for sleep.  So, to conclude this section on sleep, and in line with the above, I am offering an introductory price on Perfect Night’s Sleep Pillow Mist of £18 from £22, and once again, we will honour all orders placed if it decides to flip onto pre-order, which it may do.
Perfect Night’s Sleep Pillow Mist by Neom Organics £18 for 30 ml

Before we go any further, I need to update you on some news and that news is that Pukka Herbs are permanently discontinuing their supplement range, and that includes their Castor Oil and Elderberry Syrup, which I know are really popular with some of you.  This does not affect their teas, but it’s over for everything else.  Having supported Pukka since inception, I do find this rather sad, but I understand their decision as the supplement market is challenging to say the least, most especially because of ongoing raw material shortages.  We still hold stock of some of the products which will be discontinued, but once they have gone, they have gone.  Such a shame.
Pukka Herbs

Moving on, we are now in beauty treat territory and I will begin with two of Shabir’s favourite serums, namely Eye Contour Serum and Anti-Aging MultiPeptide Serum.  I absolutely promise you that he formulated both of these products for himself, which is the way to do it I suppose.  I honestly don’t think I can comment because he has formulated so many products for me (and us), notably Fulvic Face Cream, so all I am going to do is to put the two serums together, the combined price of which is £41, as I tell you that I am dropping that price from £41 to £24 in recognition of two quite outstanding serums.  And their formulator.  If I have to.
Eye Contour Serum 30 ml + Anti-Aging Peptide Serum 30 ml by Garden of Wisdom for VH £24 (Limited Offer)

Let’s head into another beauty treat, this time it’s from Green People and it’s their Nordic Roots Truffle Night Cream.  Infused with wild-harvested Northern Truffle from Finnish forests, Nordic Roots Truffle Night Cream also includes reparative ceramides, which supports cell regeneration. With radiance-boosting actives, this cream is fragrance-free, which matters quite a lot to many of us.  I could have a rant about essential oils and sensitive skin, but I’m not going to that right now.  What I am going to do right now is offer an introductory price on Nordic Roots Truffle Night Cream of £25 from £32, as I tell you that this is another one of those limited offers.
Truffle Night Cream by Green People £25 for 50 ml (whilst stock lasts)

Making a return to supplementation and having just written about reparative ceramides in a topical product, for balance I will tell you that ceramides play an important role as a protective barrier to skin, helping to bind together the cells that make up the surface of your skin.  Ceramides are of course another one of those compounds found within our bodies that decrease with age, so you may wish to supplement with ceramides to encourage healthy levels for skin hydration and comfort.  Shabir does the lowdown on ceramides in his article linked below, and I drop the price of Skin Restoring Ceramides from £25 to £22, across the weekend.
VH Editorial: Beauty Supplements To Boost Your Skin; Skin Restoring Ceramides by Life Extension £22 for 30 Liquid Capsules (offer ends at midnight GMT, Sunday 19 March: Caution: Please do not take if you have a wheat allergy)

And that’s it, so into the Saturday only treat we go and rather surprisingly I haven’t written about hair, or hair products this weekend.  So, to address that, with every order placed for £30 and over, excluding p&p, we will automatically include Color Wow’s Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer (50 ml).  All for the love of big, messy hair and messy hair is a thing.  Unless you are Shabir.  Full product details linked below.
Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer by Color Wow

As we come to the end of another Weekend Read, I am leaving you with this song, and as I do so, I have an announcement to make next weekend, which changes everything again.  I like it that way.  I’m rather excited, and I will tell you now that I am not about to announce that Peter Jones or Steven Bartlett wish to invest in VH, which would actually quite amuse me. 
Changes by David Bowie; The VH Playlist

With love

Gill x

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*Free gifts will only be granted if the items purchased are physical products and your total basket value exceeds the required amount noted.  Saturday only treats are subject to change should the specified gift run out prior to your purchase and are only included in orders placed between 7.45am (GMT) and Midnight (GMT) on the Saturday the Weekend Read is sent.  VH Addicts membership is a digital product and therefore will be excluded from the basket value.  Some gifts are blocked from international shipping due to local limitations imposed based on the country destination.  If this is the case, we will replace the gift with one that is able to be shipped to your destination.