| Calcium Citrate: Calcium plays important roles in bone
formation, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, and blood clotting. If calcium levels in
the blood drop below normal, calcium will be taken from bone and put into the blood in
order to maintain blood calcium levels. Therefore, it is important to consume enough
calcium to maintain adequate blood and bone calcium levels. Calcium is best absorbed in an
acidic environment, hence calcium citrate is the best absorbed supplemental form of
calcium. It does not require extra stomach acid for absorption, hence we may take it
anytime in a day, even on an empty stomach.
Phosphatidylserine:
Phosphatidylserine, or PS for short, is a
member of a class of chemical compounds known as phospholipids. PS is an essential
component in all our cells; specifically, it is a major component of the cell membrane.
The cell membrane is a kind of "skin" that surrounds living cells. Besides
keeping cells intact, this membrane performs vital functions such as moving nutrients into
cells and pumping waste products out of them. PS plays an important role in many of these
functions.
In theory, PS works by strengthening cell
membranes thus protecting them and their contents from damage, particularly from the
stress hormone cortisol. Good evidence suggests that PS can help declining mental function
and depression in the elderly. PS has also been considered as a "brain booster"
for people of all ages, said to sharpen memory and increase thinking ability.
Several lines of evidence have converged to
solidify the concept that stress makes us fat (because of cortisol), thins our bones
(because of cortisol), shrinks our brains (because of cortisol), suppresses our immune
system (because of cortisol), saps our energy levels (because of cortisol), and kills our
sex drive (because of cortisol) ... and best supplement with documented
cortisol-controlling effects is Phosphatidylserine.
Among its list of functions,
phosphatidylserine stimulates the release of dopamine (a mood regulator that also control
physical sensations, and movement), increases the production of acetylcholine (necessary
for learning and memory), enhances brain glucose metabolism (the fuel used for brain
activity), reduces cortisol levels (a stress hormone), and boosts the activity of nerve
growth factor (NGF), which oversees the health of cholinergic neurons
Citrus Aurantium
Synephrine is the main "active"
compound found in the fruit of a plant called Citrus aurantium. The fruit is also known as
zhi shi (in traditional Chinese medicine), and as green orange, sour orange and bitter
orange in other parts of the world. Synephrine is chemically very similar to the ephedrine
and pseudo-ephedrine found in many OTC cold/allergy medications and in a number of weight
loss and energy supplements which contain Ma Huang.
Because synephrine is a stimulant, similar
to caffeine and ephedrine, it is thought to have similar effects in terms of providing an
energy boost, suppressing appetite and increasing metabolic rate and caloric expenditure.
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), zhi shi is used to help stimulate the Qi (energy
force). Although synephrine and several other compounds found in zhi shi are structurally
similar to ephedrine and are known to act as stimulants (via adrenergic activity), zhi shi
does not appear to have the same negative central nervous effects of ma huang (ephedra).
Through its stimulation of specific adrenergic receptors (beta-3, but not beta-1, beta-2
or alpha-1), zhi shi is theorized to stimulate fat metabolism without the negative
cardiovascular side effects experienced by some people with Ma Huang (which stimulates all
beta-adrenergic receptors).
The known effects of synephrine are:
- Increases metabolic rate
- Increases caloric expenditure
- Fat burner
- Promotes weight loss
- Increases energy levels
Green Tea extract
Green tea has long been used by the Chinese
as medicine to treat headaches, body ache, poor digestion, and improve well-being and life
expectancy. Green tea extract is bioflavonoid rich, and one of its main uses is fighting
free radicals in your body. Green tea extract contains high level of polyphenols (a
bioflavonoid), and it's also a rich source of EGCG (an antioxidant), that's over 200 times
more potent than vitamin E in fighting free radicals and pro-oxidants.
The EGCG in green tea extract protects
against digestive and respiratory infections, blocks the actions of carcinogens which
promotes cancer, is anti-bacterial, and also helps lower cholesterol levels.
Green tea extract is also a common
ingredient in many fat burners - it helps with thermogenesis and helps the metabolism of
fat. It works without increasing the heart rate which is most often associated with most
fat burners. With green tea, dieters get the weight loss without the jitters and side
effects. Green tea extract itself is used as a weight loss supplement among its many other
beneficial uses. Green tea extract also helps reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer,
and has been recently show to help prevent liver failure.
Alpha Lipoic Acid
Alpha Lipoic Acid is an antioxidant, and is
widely used in prevention of various diseases. Its main function is to increase production
of glutathione, which helps dissolve toxic substances in the liver.
There is a long list of benefits of Alpha
Lipoic Acid, some have even gone as far to call it the "ideal antioxidant".
Below are some benefits of taking alpha lipoic acid.
- Alpha lipoic acid helps make vitamin C and E
work better
- ALA is a powerful antioxidant that fights
free radicals
- It's easily absorbed either from food eaten
or from supplements
- Alpha lipoic acid helps increase glutathione
which helps with detoxification
- It helps protect the lens and retina of your
eyes from degeneration, and also helps alleviate glaucoma
- Alpha lipoic acid is used to treat and detox
the live
Acetyl L-Carnitine
L carnitine is derived from the lysine and
methionine amino acids. It is mainly synthesized in the liver and the kidneys, and must be
transported for use to other tissues in the body. It is found in highest concentration in
tissues that use fatty acids as the main dietary fuel, such as the skeletal and cardiac
muscles.
One of the key uses of Acetyl L-Carnitine
supplement is for fatty acid oxidation - helping users burn unwanted body fat. Fatty acids
are one the key energy sources the body uses, and oxidation is the process by which
they're broken down to create energy. The fatty acids cannot penetrate the inner
mitochondia membrane (where they are burned for energy), and the key role for L-Carnitine
is to trasport fatty acids accross the mitochondra membrane to allow for oxidation of the
fats.
L-carnitine is a very popular supplement
that promotes growth and development. It is also used for fat-burning, increasing energy,
and improving resistance to muscle fatigue. L-carnitine has also been shown to help build
muscle. is also great in dieting, as it reduces feelings of hunger and weakness.
L-Phenylalanine
L-phenylalanine is an essential amino acid
which can be converted to L-tyrosine by a complex biochemical process which takes place in
the liver. an essential amino acid which, once in the body, can also convert to another
amino acid, tyrosine, which participates in synthesizing two key neurotransmitters that
promote alertness, dopamine and norepinephrine. Through interaction with the central
nervous system, it can elevate mood, decrease pain, aid memory and learning, and suppress
the appetite.
Phenylalanine reduces cravings for alcohol
and has been used to relieve inflammation, low mood, PMS, migraine and other chronic pain.
The DL form is a combination of the basic protein building block and that which acts as a
painkiller.
Vanadyl Sulfate
Vanadyl sulfate, one of the most popular
bodybuilding supplements, is derived from trace mineral vanadium. Athletes have long used
vanadyl sulfate to increase their performance. It is believed to play a role in helping to
regulate the body's healthy blood sugar levels, similar to insulin. Studies show that
vanadyl sulfate mainly helps the muscle cells uptake glucose (instead of fat cells
(adipocytes) uptaking glucose). Basically, by mimicking the actions of insulin, vanadyl
sulfate forces more proteins, amino acids, and carbohydrates directly into muscles.
Chromium Polynicotinate
Chromium picolinate is a patented version
of the trace mineral chromium. Studies show that this dietary supplement may provide
benefits including weight loss, lowered serum cholesterol and glucose, burned fat, and
build muscle. Picolinic acid is produced in the human body, apparently for the purpose of
improving the cellular uptake of trace metal ions. Scientists have demonstrated that
several minerals in the picolinate form are many times better assimilated than other forms
of the same mineral.
Chromium polynicotinate is an equally
effective assimilated form of chromium which some researchers suggest may have more
benefits for certain conditions than does the picolinate form. A recent study on
antidepressant pharmacotherapy for dysthymic disorder (depression) in 5 patients showed
that chromium polynicotinate supplementation led to remission of dysthymic symptoms and
concluded that "preliminary observations suggest that chromium may potentate
antidepressant pharmacotherapy for dysthymic disorder." Another study on chromium
polynicotinate in rats prevented the sucrose-induced elevation of systolic blood pressure
and decreased measures of lipid peroxidation.
Both forms of chromium reduce high serum
glucose levels which can contribute to aging via a destructive process known as
glycosylation, also called nonenzymatic glycation, in which glucose molecules bind to
proteins and interfere with their function. People with diabetes have a highly increased
rate of protein glycosylation and this plays a major part in their increased risk of
atherosclerosis and many other diseases. For many with diabetes, chromium enhances the
ability of insulin to lower serum glucose levels. |
