Vitamin C are you getting enough?
Part 2
Does Vitamin C effect your lipid profile........
Lipid Profiles, Blood Pressure, and Body Mass Index
Most people have learned to pay attention to the amount and kinds of
fats and cholesterol in their blood (lipid profiles), their blood
pressure, and their body mass indexVitamin C are you getting enough? (BMI), the most meaningful measure
of how weight and health are related. This group
of parameters not only influences endothelial function but is
instrumental in laying down atherosclerotic plaque, helping set the
stage for atherosclerosis.
Data from just the past few years reveal that vitamin C plays an important role in helping to prevent such a scenario.
In 2000, British researchers reported a six-month, double-blind study
of vitamin C 500 mg/day versus placebo in 40 men and women, aged 60-80
years. The study was a “crossover” design in which subjects took the
assigned pills for three months, stopped them for one week, and then
reversed their assignments for another three months; this is a
particularly strong study design because it helps to eliminate
individual differences. The results were impressive—daytime systolic
blood pressure dropped by an average of 2 mm Hg, with the greatest drop
seen in subjects who had the highest initial pressures. Women in the
study also had a modest increase in their beneficial high-density
lipoprotein (HDL) levels. The authors concluded that these effects might
“contribute to the reported association between higher vitamin C intake
and lower risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.”
Researchers in South Carolina conducted a 2002 study of 31 patients with
a mean age of 62 years, who were randomly assigned to take 500, 1,000,
or 2,000 mg of vitamin C daily for eight months. This research group
actually found a drop in both systolic (4.5 mm Hg) and diastolic (2.8 mm
Hg) blood pressure over the course of supplementation, although there
was no change in blood lipid levels. Interestingly, this study found no
differences between the groups taking the various doses, though the
number of subjects was small and a larger study might have demonstrated
important dose-related differences.
Body mass index (BMI) and
waist circumference correlate well with risk for cardiovascular diseases
and diabetes. A landmark 2007 study from nutritionists at the
University of Arizona explored the relationships between vitamin C
levels, body mass index, and waist circumference. In 118 sedentary,
non-smoking adults, 54% of whom were classified as obese and 24%
overweight by BMI standards, lower vitamin C levels were significantly
correlated with higher BMI, percentage of body fat, and waist
circumference. Women with higher vitamin C levels also had higher levels
of the fat-suppressing hormone, adiponectin. This remarkable study
demonstrated a vital relationship between vitamin C levels and
obesity-related risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Vascular Stiffness and Coagulation
The development of atherosclerosis involves dysfunction of the vascular
endothelium. As plaque accumulates and as vessel walls thicken, blood
vessels become increasingly stiff, making them less able to participate
in blood pressure control and to deliver appropriate amounts of blood
flow. Endothelial dysfunction increases the tendency for arterial
blockage due to a blood clot, or thrombosis. Like several other
“atherogenic” changes, these effects are related to the impact of
free-radical damage. Vitamin C’s antioxidant characteristics are showing
great power in reducing or even reversing some of these ominous
vascular changes.
Medical researchers explored the impact of
vitamin C supplements on both arterial stiffness and platelet
aggregation (an important early step in clot formation). They provided
vitamin C in a single 2,000 mg oral dose, or placebo, to healthy male
volunteers. Just six hours after supplementation, measures of arterial
stiffness decreased by 10% in the supplemented group, and platelet
aggregation (as stimulated chemically) by 35%, with no changes at all
seen in the placebo group. As the authors point out, this impressive
impact of vitamin C even in healthy subjects may imply an even greater
effect in patients with atherosclerosis or cardiovascular risk factors,
and that “vitamin C supplementation might prove an effective therapy in
cardiovascular disease.”
Many other studies have further
advanced our understanding of how vitamin C might reduce atherosclerosis
risk factors. Finnish researchers studied 440 adults aged 45-69 years
with elevated total serum cholesterol. Subjects took daily doses of
just 500 mg slow-release vitamin C and 272 IU vitamin E and were
followed for six years for evidence of progression of atherosclerotic
changes in blood vessels. The chief study outcome was the intima-media
thickness, or IMT (an indicator of stroke risk) of the carotid arteries,
which supply blood to the brain. Supplementation with vitamins C and E
significantly decreased the rate of IMT increase over the six-year
period by 26%. Importantly, this effect was even larger in people with
low baseline vitamin C levels and those with pre-existing plaques in
their coronary arteries. In other words, supplementation seemed to
provide the greatest benefit to those with the greatest need. This study
shows that supplementation with vitamin C slows down the progression of
stroke-inducing atherosclerosis.
Part 3 tomorrow.
Coenzyme Q10 and the Benefits this Enzyme has to offer us.
Ubiquinone is another name for Coenzyme Q10 and is also known as COQ10
but don't let the names confuse you they are all one in the same.
A Brief History:
Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that was discovered by Dr. Frederick
Crane at the University of Wisconsin in 1957. CoQ10's main function is
to destroy free radicals in the body to help in the maintenance and
growth of cellular tissues and organ function. Dr. Peter Mitchell of the
University of Edinburgh was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in
1978 for discovering CoQ10's ability to produce energy at the cellular
level. By the 1980s, the number of clinical trials being completed grew
in size and number, due in part to the large quantities of CoQ10
available from pharmaceutical companies in Japan.
What does it do for you:
CoQ10 helps the body in producing adenosine triphosphate ATP, the
body's main source of energy, and aids the body in driving numerous
biological processes. Some of these processes include the production of
protein necessary for muscle tissue growth, repair and contraction,
fueling all of the body's daily movements along with eating, digestion
and waste removal.
CoQ10 also helps the body increase the
efficiency of its metabolic reactions. Mitochondria, known as the
powerhouse of the cell, contain the most abundant source of CoQ10 in the
body and release this powerful antioxidant to destroy free radicals.
This helps ensure that all of the body's natural biochemical processes
that comprise metabolism function optimally to effectively break down
foodstuffs. Metabolism provides the body with enough energy for exercise
as well as breathing, circulation and absorption of nutrients.
Research Shows more proof of it's effects:
MayoClinic.com
reports that some preliminary research has been done that indicates
CoQ10 might cause small decreases in blood pressure. In patients who
have Alzheimer's disease, preliminary research indicates that CoQ10
might be effective in slowing down the progression of dementia. Other
areas currently being researched in terms of CoQ10's benefits include
angina, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome and coronary heart disease.
Taking COQ10:
For adults over the age of 19, supplementing with 30 to 200 mg daily of
CoQ10 is sufficient. The recommendation is to take it in the evening
before going to sleep. CoQ10 is fat soluble and should be taken with a
meal containing fat, to help in digestion and absorption. I highly
recommend that you take your COQ10 with a dose of MCT Oil or even better
a tablespoon of Coconut Oil.
I am in high hopes of offering
us all some well needed answers to helping our loved ones with Alzheimer
and Dementia. Coconut Oil along with COQ10 is part of the answer. I am
doing more research and getting to the bottom of what a very select few
doctors already know. Once I get all the information compiled I will
share it with you all. The dosage of COQ10 and Oils will vary depending
on the stage of the disease as well. More to come on this once I've
received all the information I've requested.
Warning:
Taking Statin drugs will most likely disable your natural production of
COQ10 by as much as 60%. So if you are taking a Statin drug you
desperately need to supplement with COQ10.
The Importance of L-Glutamine to the Brain and the Body!
Glutamine/glutamic
acid, along with glucose, is one of the principle fuels for the brain
cells. It stimulates mental alertness, improves intelligence, normalizes
physical equilibrium, detoxifies ammonia from the brain, improves and
soothes erratic behavior in elderly patients, improves the ability to
learn, aids in retaining and recall in memory, helps with behavioral
problems and autism in children, stops sugar and alcohol cravings, may
improve IQ in mentally- deficient children, enhances peptic ulcer
healing, and may be used to treat schizophrenia and senility.
Glutamine
is the most abundant free amino acid found in the muscles of the body.
Because it can readily pass the blood-brain barrier, it is known as
brain fuel. In the brain, glutamine is converted into glutamic
acid—which is essential for cerebral function—and vice versa. It also
increases the amount of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is needed
to sustain proper brain function and mental activity. It assists in
maintaining the proper acid/alkaline balance in the body and is the
basis of the building blocks for the synthesis of RNA and DNA. It
promotes mental ability and the maintenance of a healthy digestive
tract. When an amino acid is broken down, nitrogen is released. The body
needs nitrogen, but free nitrogen can form ammonia, which is especially
toxic to brain tissues. The liver can convert nitrogen into urea, which
is excreted in the urine, or nitrogen may attach itself to glutamic
acid. This process forms glutamine. Glutamine is unique among the amino
acids in that each molecule contains not one nitrogen atom but two.
Thus, its creation helps to clear ammonia from the tissues, especially
brain tissue, and it can transfer nitrogen from one place to another.
Glutamine
is found in large amounts in the muscles and is readily available when
needed for the synthesis of skeletal muscle proteins. Because this amino
acid helps to build and maintain muscle, supplemental glutamine is
useful for dieters and bodybuilders. More important, it helps to prevent
the kind of muscle-wasting that can accompany prolonged bed rest or
diseases such as cancer and AIDS. This is because stress and injury
(including surgical trauma) cause the muscles to release glutamine into
the bloodstream. In fact, during times of stress, as much as one third
of the glutamine present in the muscles may be released. As a result,
stress and/ or illness can lead to the loss of skeletal muscle. If
enough glutamine is available, however, this can be prevented.
Supplemental
L-glutamine can be helpful in the treatment of arthritis, autoimmune
diseases, fibrosis, intestinal disorders, peptic ulcers, connective
tissue diseases such as polymyositis and scleroderma, and tissue damage
due to radiation treatment for cancer. L- glutamine can enhance mental
functioning and has been used to treat a range of problems, including
developmental disabilities, epilepsy, fatique, impotence, depression,
schizophrenia, and senility. It preserves glutathione in the liver and
protects that organ from the effects of acetaminophen overdose. It
enhances antioxidant protection. L-glutamine decreases sugar cravings
and the desire for alcohol and is useful for recovering alcoholics. Many
plant and animal substances contain glutamine, but it is easily
destroyed by cooking. If eaten raw, spinach and parsley are good
sources. Supplemental glutamine must be kept absolutely dry or the
powder will degrade into ammonia and pyroglutamic acid. Glutamine should
not be taken by persons with cirrhosis of the liver, kidney problems,
Reye’s syndrome, or any type of disorder that can result in an
accumulation of ammonia in the blood. For such individuals, taking
supplemental glutamine may only cause further damage to the body. Be
aware that although the names sound similar, glutamine, glutamic acid
(also sometimes called glutamate), glutathione, gluten, and monosodium
glutamate are all different substances.
If Your Metabolic Engine Has Stalled, It Could Be Inflammation
If your metabolism is stalled—or stuck in reverse—it would be helpful
to look at what might be keeping your body in a state of low-level
inflammation. It’s well established that weight gain is often a sign of chronic low-level inflammation, and frequently this is related to the foods you are eating.
Food sensitivities can lead you down the road toward insulin and leptin
resistance and can seriously hamper your metabolism.2 When you have a
food sensitivity or allergy, your body feels “attacked” by a food rather
than nourished by it.
Inflammatory molecules are then produced
and circulated to protect you from your body’s perceived threat,
causing you to decrease insulin and leptin sensitivity. Your body is
under stress so it uses its resources differently. This is typically
accompanied by a gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in the microorganisms in
your digestive tract.
In addition to food allergies and
sensitivities, inflammation can be caused by a number of different
factors, including poor sleep, environmental toxins, stress, and other
factors. Even overexercising may stall your metabolism by triggering
inflammation, pain, water retention, etc.
The foods most likely
to be pro-inflammatory are junk foods and highly processed foods,
grains, foods high in sugar (especially fructose), and GMOs. For help
with dietary strategies, please refer to my Optimized Nutrition Plan.
However, many people have food sensitivities to what would normally be
considered healthy foods, such as gluten, nuts, and dairy products.
It’s important to not rule out the possibility that you may be having
an unhealthy reaction to a “healthy” food. These food sensitivities can
be very subtle, so they can sometimes be challenging to identify,
requiring some trial and error.
Foods that can help reduce Inflammation.
Whey protein increases calorie burn and fat utilization, helps the body maintain muscle, and triggers the brain to feel full.
Protein in general has a tendency to rev up your metabolic engine due
to its thermogenic effects—meaning, it makes your body produce more heat
and in turn, burn more calories—but whey is particularly effective for
this.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition found that fat oxidation and thermogenic effects are greater
with whey than with soy or casein.3
Consuming a high-quality,
rapidly absorbed, and easily assimilated whey protein concentrate, not
isolate within about 30 minutes of resistance training may maximally
stimulate muscle building in young healthy individuals, but this is
equally important, if not more so, for the elderly.
People tend
to lose muscle mass as they age. The leaner you are, the better your
metabolism will be, regardless of your age. There is only about a
two-hour window after exercise for optimal muscle repair and growth, and
supplying your muscles with the right food at this time is
essential—and whey is among the best.
Strength Training Is the Engine That Drives Fat Loss
Most adults need more muscle building activities, and strength training
(aka resistance training or weight training) is an excellent way to
achieve this. Working your muscles is the key to firing up your
metabolism—muscle contraction is the booster rocket of fat loss. Unlike
traditional cardio, strength training causes you to continue burning
more calories for up to 72 hours after the exercise is over through a
phenomenon called after-burn.
Not only does strength training
give your metabolism a boost, and increase your brain power but it’s
also an excellent way to reduce aches and pains, while at the same time
preventing osteoporosis and age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia). Light
walking is not enough to preserve optimal muscle tone, bone health, and
posture, so if you’re not engaging in strength training, chances are
you’ll become increasingly less functional with age.
Super-slow
weight training is a form of high-intensity exercise that has superior
metabolism-boosting benefits, especially for older individuals. What
does this involve? Basically, you just go much slower!
By
slowing down your movement, you’re actually turning it into a high
intensity exercise. The super-slow movement allows your muscles, at the
microscopic level, to access the maximum number of cross-bridges between
the protein filaments that produce movement in the muscle. Another
benefit of the super-slow technique is that it shortens your sessions to
12 to 15 minutes, just two to four of times per week.
Friendly Bacteria Can Help You Lose Weight
As mentioned earlier, health problems such as obesity, insulin
resistance, and heart disease are all rooted in inflammation, which must
be properly addressed if you wish to reach optimal health. Research
suggests there’s a connection between certain types of bacteria and body
fat. Bacterial imbalance in your gut can produce an exaggerated
inflammatory response, and toxic molecules (superantigens) produced by
pathogenic bacteria such as staph may play a role in the development of
type 2 diabetes due to their effects on your fat cells.
So, if
your metabolism has you feeling sloth-like, it may be that your gut
bacteria and fat cells are interacting to produce the “perfect storm” of
inflammation. A recent study published in British Journal of Nutrition
found that a certain strain of bacteria—Lactobacillus rhamnosus—seems to
help women lose weight and keep it off.4 This makes sense, given what
we know about lean individuals having different gut flora from obese
individuals.
Research also tells us there’s a positive-feedback
loop between the foods you crave and the types of organisms in your gut
that depend on those nutrients for their survival. Eating processed and
pasteurized foods worsens dysbiosis. Sugar, refined carbohydrates, and
junk foods promote the growth of disease-causing yeasts and fungi, and
cause certain bacteria to release endotoxins that drive inflammation,
resulting in metabolic changes that lead to overproduction of insulin,
increased appetite, excess fat storage, and obesity.
A
gut-healthy diet is one that eliminates sugars and processed foods and
is rich in whole, unprocessed, unsweetened foods, along with
traditionally fermented or cultured foods.
The top 4 Oils that should be included in your diet.
1. Coconut Oil: Organic virgin coconut oil is one of the best choices
of good fat you can add to your diet. Coconut oil contains 90% saturated
fat and is made up of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) which are easily
digestible and can drastically improve your health. MCFA’s are not
stored as fat because they are immediately converted to energy once
in the body. This oil is also very good to cook with because it remains
stable even under high temperatures. Coconut oil contains lauric acid
(a known immune stimulant), is rich in fiber, and contains essential
vitamins and minerals. Organic raw unrefined extra virgin coconut oil is
the best to use and should be solid at room temperature.
Benefits of consuming coconut oil include: Weight loss, immune system
support, cardiovascular health, increased energy, thyroid support,
healthy skin, hair and nails, improved cell regeneration, disables
fungus, bacteria and viruses, improves insulin secretions and protection
against free radicals.
2. Hempseed Oil: Hemp Seed oil is
derived from the seeds of the plant cannabis sativa. It provides all
the essential fatty acids (EFA’s) and essential amino acids, structured
in an easily digestible form to maintain human life. The oil is composed
of 80% essential fatty acids, the highest in the plant kingdom. It
contains the Omega 3,6 and 9 fatty acids. No other plant oil has a
perfect 3:1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 EFA’s. Hemp seed oil is also
great for vegetarians because it provides them with healthy fatty acids
without having to consume fish oil. Hempseed oil is also rich in vitamin
E and is the only plant which provides a source of Vitamin D.
Benefits of consuming Hemp Seed oil include: Cardiovascular support,
natural sunblock agent, helps high blood pressure, reduces PMS, lowers
high cholesterol, reduces inflammation, calms arthritis, soothes eczema,
assists the brain and nervous system, produces healthy cell membranes,
healthy skin, nails and hair, and can be used as skin moisturizer
without clogging pores.
3. Flaxseed Oil: Flaxseed
oil is extracted from the seeds of the flax plant. This oil contains 55%
of Omega 3 fatty acid by weight. Omega-3 refers to three types of fatty
acids, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Once consumed, the human body converts ALA
to EPA and DHA. This oil is also high in fiber and potassium. Flaxseed
oil requires special packaging because it is easily destroyed by oxygen,
heat and light. It is best to purchase organic flaxseed oil and keep it
refrigerated to preserve freshness.
Benefits of consuming
Flaxeed oil include: Helps crohns disease, colitis, soothes intestinal
walls, natural laxative, reduces high cholesterol, promotes healthy
hair, nails and skin, reduces symptoms of menopause and helps burn body
fat.
4. Olive Oil: Olive oil has been used as a medicine and
health aid since it was first cultivated around 5000BC. It is a
monounstaurated fat and contains vital vitamins, nutrients and
antioxidants. Olive oil has a large amount of vitamins A, D, and K, as
well as vitamin E, which are key sources needed to prevent free radical
damage. When purchasing make sure the olive oil is organic, cold pressed
and extra virgin.
Benefits of consuming olive oil include:
Promotes healthy digestion, protects against heart disease, eases
symptoms of gastritis and ulcers, lowers gallstone formation and reduces
high cholesterol.
The Benefits of L-Glutamine
Glutamine/glutamic acid, along with glucose, is one of the principle fuels for the brain cells. It stimulates mental alertness, improves intelligence, normalizes physical equilibrium, detoxifies ammonia from the brain, improves and soothes erratic behavior in elderly patients, improves the ability to learn, aids in retaining and recall in memory, helps with behavioral problems and autism in children, stops sugar and alcohol cravings, may improve IQ in mentally- deficient children, enhances peptic ulcer healing, and may be used to treat schizophrenia and senility.
Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid found in the muscles of the body. Because it can readily pass the blood-brain barrier, it is known as brain fuel. In the brain, glutamine is converted into glutamic acid—which is essential for cerebral function—and vice versa. It also increases the amount of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is needed to sustain proper brain function and mental activity. It assists in maintaining the proper acid/alkaline balance in the body and is the basis of the building blocks for the synthesis of RNA and DNA. It promotes mental ability and the maintenance of a healthy digestive tract. When an amino acid is broken down, nitrogen is released. The body needs nitrogen, but free nitrogen can form ammonia, which is especially toxic to brain tissues. The liver can convert nitrogen into urea, which is excreted in the urine, or nitrogen may attach itself to glutamic acid. This process forms glutamine. Glutamine is unique among the amino acids in that each molecule contains not one nitrogen atom but two. Thus, its creation helps to clear ammonia from the tissues, especially brain tissue, and it can transfer nitrogen from one place to another.
Glutamine is found in large amounts in the muscles and is readily available when needed for the synthesis of skeletal muscle proteins. Because this amino acid helps to build and maintain muscle, supplemental glutamine is useful for dieters and bodybuilders. More important, it helps to prevent the kind of muscle-wasting that can accompany prolonged bed rest or diseases such as cancer and AIDS. This is because stress and injury (including surgical trauma) cause the muscles to release glutamine into the bloodstream. In fact, during times of stress, as much as one third of the glutamine present in the muscles may be released. As a result, stress and/ or illness can lead to the loss of skeletal muscle. If enough glutamine is available, however, this can be prevented.
Supplemental L-glutamine can be helpful in the treatment of arthritis, autoimmune diseases, fibrosis, intestinal disorders, peptic ulcers, connective tissue diseases such as polymyositis and scleroderma, and tissue damage due to radiation treatment for cancer. L- glutamine can enhance mental functioning and has been used to treat a range of problems, including developmental disabilities, epilepsy, fatique, impotence, depression, schizophrenia, and senility. It preserves glutathione in the liver and protects that organ from the effects of acetaminophen overdose. It enhances antioxidant protection. L-glutamine decreases sugar cravings and the desire for alcohol and is useful for recovering alcoholics. Many plant and animal substances contain glutamine, but it is easily destroyed by cooking. If eaten raw, spinach and parsley are good sources. Supplemental glutamine must be kept absolutely dry or the powder will degrade into ammonia and pyroglutamic acid. Glutamine should not be taken by persons with cirrhosis of the liver, kidney problems, Reye’s syndrome, or any type of disorder that can result in an accumulation of ammonia in the blood. For such individuals, taking supplemental glutamine may only cause further damage to the body. Be aware that although the names sound similar, glutamine, glutamic acid (also sometimes called glutamate), glutathione, gluten, and monosodium glutamate are all different substances.
