Posts Tagged ‘health’

Quercetin – May Increase Aerobic Endurance & Protect Health

Fitness, performance, Recovery - Repair | Posted by admin March 16th, 2010

Quercetin is a phytochemical that is part of the coloring found in the skins of apples and red onions. It has been isolated and is sold as a dietary supplement.

Healthy body:

Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant. It is also a natural anti-histamine, and anti-inflammatory. Research has shown quercetin may help to prevent cancer, especially prostate cancer. Quercetin’s antihistamine action may help to relieve allergic symptoms and asthma symptoms. The anti-inflammatory properties may help to reduce pain from disorders such as arthritis. Men who are concerned about prostate problems would also benefit from quercetin. Quercetin may also help reduce symptoms like fatigue, depression and anxiety. Another study has investigated the protection afforded by the flavonoid quercetin against macular degeneration. The macula is the yellowish, central part of the retina about 1.5 mm in diameter that produces central vision and color vision. Macular degeneration is the gradual, progressive destruction of the macula that results in lowered central visual acuity needed for most everyday activities, like reading this article. It leads to permanent blindness

Quercetin may not be a household word —

But a study by researchers at the University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health shows that the powerful antioxidant/anti-inflammatory compound found in fruits and vegetables significantly boosts endurance capacity and maximal oxygen capacity (VO2max) in healthy, active but untrained men and women.
The findings of the study – one of the first in humans to examine the energy-boosting effects of quercetin are reported in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

Dr. Mark Davis, the study’s lead author and a professor of exercise science, said the fatigue-fighting and health properties of quercetin – found in the skins of red apples, red onions, berries and grapes – have implications not only for athletes and soldiers whose energy and performance are tested to the extreme, but also for average adults who battle fatigue and stress daily.

“The natural, biological properties of quercetin that include powerful antioxidant and anti-imflammatory activity, as well as the ability to boost the immune system and increase mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) in muscle and brain is great news for those who often think that they’re too tired to exercise,”

Davis said. “While there’s no magic pill to make people get up and move, or to take the place of regular exercise, quercetin may be important in relieving the fatigue that keeps them sedentary and in providing some of the benefits of exercise,” he said. “We believe that this could be a major breakthrough in nutrition.”

For the study, funded in part by the U.S. Department of Defense, 12 participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatments. Half were given 500 milligrams of quercetin twice a day in Tang for seven days. The other subjects drank Tang with placebos. After the seven days of treatment, during which the subjects were told not to alter their physical activity, the participants rode stationary bicycles to the point of fatigue.

Researchers also tested their additional VO2max, one of the most important measures of fitness. Then the participants received the opposite treatment for another seven days before riding the bicycle to the point of fatigue and VO2max tests. Neither the participants nor the research staff knew who received the quercetin Tang or the placebo Tang, and all subjects took part in the quercetin and placebo treatments.

“The participants were healthy, relatively active, college-age students, but they were not physically trained athletes, and they were not taking part in a regular exercise training program,” he said. The results: After taking quercetin for only seven days, the participants had a 13.2 percent increase in endurance and a 3.9 percent increase in VO2max. “These were statistically significant effects that indicate an important improvement in endurance capacity in a very short time,” Davis said. “Quercetin supplementation was able to mimic some of the effects of exercise training.

Although the study did not examine why the results were so dramatic, Davis said pre-clinical data suggest that quercetin may increase the mitochondria in brain and muscle cells. He likened the mitochondria to the “powerhouse of the cell,” producing most of its energy. Mitochondria in brain and muscle also are believed to be fundamentally important in battling age-related dementia, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular dysfunction.

“One of the most important biological mechanisms for increasing endurance is increasing the mitochondria,” said Davis. “More mitochondria in the brain and muscle would enhance both mental and physical energy, as well as provide a better ability to fight other diseases in which mitochondrial dysfunction are hallmarks.”
Quercetin also appears to have valuable properties to fight inflammation, which has been linked to health problems such as colon cancer and heart disease. Davis’ research group has recently received a National Institutes of Health grant to study quercetin’s effects on colon cancer and others are pending that involve breast cancer. “If the findings of this study and others on the biological mechanisms of quercetin are confirmed in future clinical studies, the implications go beyond improvements in endurance,” he said. “We may find that quercetin may work in conjunction with regular physical activity as an ally in preventing and treating diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases and the degenerative diseases of aging.”

Reference: University of South Carolina’s Arnold School of Public Health

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Pycnogenol Supports Control of the Glycemic Index –

nutrition, Recovery - Repair | Posted by admin February 21st, 2010

Slows Glucose Uptake After Eating :

Research in the Journal of Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice reveals that Pycnogenol which provides many health benefits, is 190 times more effective than prescription medicine acarbose (Precose) in slowing uptake of glucose after eating a meal, thereby preventing after-meal glucose spikes.

The study, conducted at University of Wurzburg, Germany, by Dr. Petra Hogger, found that Pycnogenol worked by inhibiting the intestinal enzyme alpha-glucosidase, which breaks down complex carbohydrates such as starch and table sugar into glucose molecules.

The high levels of procyanidins (flavonoids) in Pycnogenol are particularly good at inhibiting alpha-glucosidase. As a result, meal carbohydrates break down into glucose slowly and enter the bloodstream more steadily, over a longer period of time. This prolongs a feeling of fullness and reduces after-meal glucose spikes.

Pycnogenol is extracted from the bark of maritime pine trees that grow on the coast of southwest France and contain a unique combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids and organic acids. Bioflavonoids, which are also found in fruits, help vitamin C function as an antioxidant. Pycnogenol contains a group of bioflavonoids called proanthocyanidins.

Help Slow Retinopathy:

Proanthocyanidins have been shown to increase the elasticity of capillaries, the small blood vessels found in the retina, thereby improving circulation. In France, Pycnogenol is the number one prescription for retinopathy, the diabetes-caused damage to blood vessels in the retina that can lead to blindness.

More than 250 studies and reviews have been published about Pycnogenol’s salutary effects, and it is available in more than 600 supplements. The recommended daily dosage of Pycnogenol is 30-60 mg.

Reference: Diabetes-Health – April-May 2007

Isotonic OPC 3 with Pycnogenol

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Leptin: How Diabetes & Obesity are Linked?

Fitness, nutrition | Posted by admin January 21st, 2010

Like two peas in a pod, the obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemics have joined forces in an attempt to ravage America’s health … and it’s working, as hundreds of millions of people have been significantly affected by this deadly pair.

But how are these two epidemics intertwined? Popular belief is that if one eats too much sugar, they’ll get fat and develop diabetes; and, if they don’t get diabetes it’s merely because their body is producing enough insulin to keep up with the sugar. However, researchers have discovered evidence that there’s more to the obesity-diabetes connection than this classic way of thinking: The missing link? Leptin.

Leptin is the way that your fat stores speak to your brain to let your brain know how much energy is available and, very importantly, what to do with it. Studies have shown that leptin plays significant if not primary roles in heart disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, reproductive disorders, and perhaps the rate of aging itself. Many chronic diseases are now linked to excess inflammation such as heart disease and diabetes. High leptin levels are very pro-inflammatory, and leptin also helps to mediate the manufacture of other very potent inflammatory chemicals from fat cells that also play a significant role in the progression of heart disease and diabetes.

Leptin: A Key Player in Your Health

Leptin plays a far more important role in your health than, for instance, cholesterol, however few doctors are taught to pay attention to it, or even know much about it. Leptin’s critical importance is largely unknown to the medical community because there are no known drugs that regulate its activities and therefore there is no incentive to spend money to educate doctors about leptin’s crucial role in health and disease. The only known way to reestablish proper leptin (and insulin) signaling is via diet and, as such, these can have a more profound effect on your health than any other
known modality of medical treatment. New studies support prior studies that have shown the brain and liver to be of paramount importance in regulating your blood sugar levels especially in type 2 or insulin resistant diabetes. It had been previously believed that the insulin sensitivity of muscle and fat tissues were the most important factor in determining whether one would become diabetic or not. It should be noted that leptin plays a vital role in regulating your brain’s hypothalamic activity which in turn regulates much of our “autonomic” functions; those functions that you don’t necessarily think about but which determines much of your life (and health) such as:

•Body temperature
•Heart rate
•Hunger
•Stress response
•Fat burning or storage
•Reproductive behavior and
•Newly discovered roles in bone growth and blood sugar levels

These studies also illustrate the complexity of hormonal orchestration. Especially with very important hormones like insulin and leptin with far ranging effects, a particular cell can be resistant to one effect while the other stays intact. For instance, it had been shown previously that cells may become resistant to the effects of insulin on glucose influx (which may be protective in limiting the amount of glucose entering cells and thus intracellular glycation), while that same cell may not become resistant to the effects of insulin on cellular proliferation that tell cells to multiply, as these are mediated by two separate pathways. Thus a person with high insulin levels, being insulin resistant in regards to glucose, would still be at a much higher risk of cancer, and this indeed is what happens; high insulin levels are associated with many common forms of cancer. Also, different organ systems become resistant at different rates. Therefore, just taking or artificially raising (by drugs) insulin, and/or leptin, will not correct the problems in the orchestration of the signals, any more than playing the tuba louder will fix mistakes in the written music. However a strategic diet that emphasizes good fats and avoids blood sugar spikes coupled with targeted supplements to enhance insulin and leptin sensitivity by resensitizing your cell’s ability to hear hormonal messages correctly, will allow your life to be the symphony it was meant to be.

Reference: Dr.Ron Rosedale
Cell Metabolism March 2005; Vol 1, 169-178 (Free Full-Text Article)

University of Michigan Study

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Importance of Magnesium – Prevents Health Risks

nutrition, performance | Posted by admin November 6th, 2009

Most people are aware of the importance of getting enough calcium, which remains a widespread problem. Most people don’t know there are other common micronutrient deficiencies that need to be addressed. Magnesium is one of those important micronutrients that doesn’t seem to get much attention, but plays a huge role in the body promoting health & performance.

Unfortunately the diets of all Americans are likely to be deficient and they don’t even know it. Sources estimate that nearly 70 percent of Americans get inadequate doses of magnesium every day and do not consume the daily recommended amounts of Magnesium. Studies have also shown food alone can’t meet the minimal Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) micronutrient requirements for preventing nutrient-deficiency diseases. For several years experts have suggested that the availability of magnesium in the soil has significantly decreased and it is difficult to get the amount of magnesium needed to function at an optimal level. This, in combination with diets low in whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, has led to a general deficiency in the population.

Magnesium is used for more than 300 bodily functions and assists in energy production, maintains healthy bone density and aids the electrical conduction of the heart. Magnesium belongs in a category of minerals called electrolytes because they conduct electrical signals in the body. It is needed in energy metabolism, glucose utilization, protein synthesis, fatty acid synthesis and breakdown, muscle contraction, all ATPase functions, for almost all hormonal reactions, and in the maintenance of cellular ionic balance. It is found in all of the body’s cells, although it is mostly concentrated in the bones, muscles, and soft tissues. Magnesium also affects calcium’s role in homeostasis through two mechanisms.

Magnesium deficiency results in altered cardiovascular function, including electrocardiographic abnormalities, impaired carbohydrate metabolism, with insulin resistance and decreased insulin secretion, and high blood pressure. Even a mild deficiency causes sensitiveness to noise, nervousness, irritability, mental depression, confusion, twitching, trembling, apprehension, insomnia, muscle weakness and cramps in the toes, feet, legs, or fingers.

In active adults and athletes low magnesium levels can acutely contribute to early fatigue, nausea, muscle cramps & an irregular heartbeat during exercise. Magnesium as well as zinc, chromium and selenium are excreted in the sweat or as part of the process of metabolic acceleration. Heavy sweat loss can interfere with the important functions for which magnesium and other electrolytes are responsible. Also, the rate of magnesium loss is increased in conditions of high humidity and high temperature. An important consideration for athletes is the rate of magnesium loss that occurs during heavy physical activity. Heavy exercise makes you lose magnesium in the urine and scientific evidence suggests this is why long distance runners may suddenly drop dead with heart arrhythmias.

In a very tightly controlled three-month US study carried out last year, the effects of magnesium depletion on exercise performance in 10 women were observed. In the first month, the women received a magnesium-deficient diet (112mgs per day), which was supplemented with 200mgs per day of magnesium to bring the total magnesium content up to the RDA of 310mgs per day. In the second month, the supplement was withdrawn to make the diet magnesium-deficient, but in the third month it was reintroduced to replenish magnesium levels.

At the end of each month, the women were asked to cycle at increasing intensities until they reached 80% of their maximum heart rate, at which time a large number of measurements were taken, including blood tests, ECG and respiratory gas analysis.

The researchers found that, for a given workload, peak oxygen uptake, total and cumulative net oxygen utilization and heart rate all increased significantly during the period of magnesium restriction, with the amount of the increase directly related to the extent of magnesium depletion. In plain English, a magnesium deficiency reduced metabolic efficiency, increasing the oxygen consumption and heart rate required to perform work – exactly what an athlete doesn’t want!

No serious athlete or trainer can afford to overlook the benefits that magnesium brings to athletic performance and the recovery process. Research suggests that even a small shortfall in magnesium can lead to greatly reduced performance and stamina. Many athletic medical specialists believe that magnesium is the single most important mineral to sports nutrition. Not only does it help optimize an athlete’s performance, but it speeds up recovery from fatigue and injuries.

Optimal muscle contraction and relaxation is the foundation of an athlete’s performance. Proper magnesium levels are required for muscles to relax fully following a contraction. Some doctors believe that injuries to hamstring muscles can be partially avoided through intake of magnesium and stated that a shortened hamstring is a result of lack of available magnesium.

The first step is to eat more magnesium rich foods, especially beans, nuts and vegetables. The more active a person is the greater the need to make sure there is a variety of balanced micronutrient-enriched foods into their diet. The challenge is to eat large amounts of magnesium-rich foods on a consistent basis. Often this proves difficult and unrealistic, as an athlete’s requirement of magnesium intake far surpasses that of an average person. Micronutrient supplementation still may be needed to be incorporated into their wellness program as a preventative protocol for preventing these observed deficiencies.

Another important step is to have your levels checked. The residual level of magnesium in the cells is what’s important. The body does all it can to keep the blood levels normal, so if there is a body deficit, it will be found within the cells. Work with a practitioner that will check your RBC-magnesium level (the level of magnesium in red blood cells) or provide an FIA (functional intracellular analysis) for your body’s residual nutrient levels that will benchmark your cell level status to find the amount of supplements needed to achieve normal levels. Recommended intake for endurance athletes is 500 to 800 mg daily.

There is virtually no one that cannot benefit greatly from increasing daily magnesium intake. In terms of health and longevity magnesium is essential. For the professional athlete it means the difference between winning and losing, and in some cases, living and dying.

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