Nutrients
Vitamin A (retinol)
Vitamin A (retinol) is an essential nutrient required in the formation of rhodopsin, or visual purple, a chemical that is needed for night vision. Retinol also assists in normal growth and tissue healing, and helps to protect the basement membrane of the skin and mucus membranes.
Please login or register to see the full articleVitamin B complex
The vitamin B complex refers to a group of chemically related vitamins including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, cobalamin, biotin, choline, folic acid, inositol, and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA). Taken as a collective, these vitamins have a diverse number of functions in the body, primarily as coenzymes in a multitude of biochemical reactions.
Please login or register to see the full articleVitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, ascorbate) is a non-cumulative water-soluble vitamin that is required in a variety of metabolic processes, and functions primarily in the maintenance and repair of collagen. Vitamin C is also an important coenzyme, assisting in the metabolism of tyrosine into the catecholamine neurotransmitters (e.g. dopamine), the metabolism of tryptophan in the indolamines neurotransmitters (e.g. serotonin), in the conversion of folic acid into tetrahydrofolic acid (THFA), and in thyroid function and cholesterol metabolism.
Please login or register to see the full articleVitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that occurs in two forms: ergocalciferol (activated ergosterol, vitamin D2), found in irradiated yeast, and is used to fortify milk; and cholecalciferol (activated 7-dehydrocholesterol, vitamin D3), formed in human skin by exposure to sunlight (ultraviolet radiation) and found chiefly in fish liver oils and egg yolks.
Please login or register to see the full articleVitamin E (tocopherol)
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble vitamin that naturally occurs in nature, with at least seven different forms: alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon and zeta. Currently, the d-alpha tocopherol is considered to be the most potent form, in contrast to the synthetic dl-alpha tocopherol commonly found in lower quality supplements.
Please login or register to see the full articleEssential Fatty Acids
Of the various fatty acids found in the body, only linolenic acid (omega-3) and linoleic acid (omega-6) cannot be synthesized, and are thus “essential” and must be obtained in the diet. These fatty acids are an important constituent of the plasma membrane of the cell, and have a variety of regulatory functions in the body, most notably as the source of eicosanoids, a class of locally acting hormone-like compounds that includews prostaglandins (PG), prostacyclins (PGI), leukotrienes (LT) and thromboxanes (TX).
Please login or register to see the full articleMinerals and Trace Minerals
Minerals form the inorganic basis of the human body, the basic structure on a molecular level of all the different tissues including the bones, muscles, skin and hair. If we were to reduce the body to ash, we would have on average about five pounds of minerals, most of which would be calcium and phosphorus, as well as a little iron, sodium, potassium and other elements including magnesium.
Please login or register to see the full articlePhytochemicals
Perhaps one of the more important contributions herbal medicine and nutrition has made to the field of medical science in recent years is the study of the numerous phytochemicals (‘plant’ chemicals) that have a beneficial effect upon the human body. All foods contain chemicals, and some of these, such as the proteins, carbohydrates, fiber and fats, are classed as the major chemicals, essential in significantly large volumes for normal physiological function.
Please login or register to see the full articleAlpha Lipoic Acid
Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is a disulfide compound that is a cofactor in energy-producing reactions in the body, and functions as an antioxidant. ALA and its metabolite dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) scavenge a wide range of reactive oxygen species, including hydroxyl radicals, the nitric oxide radical, peroxynitrite, hydrogen peroxide and hypochlorite.
Please login or register to see the full articleMethylsulfonylmethane (MSM)
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) is an organic sulfur-containing, water-soluble metabolite of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). It originates from plankton, which release dimethyl sulfonium salts. These salts are transformed in the ocean into the volatile dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which rises into the upper atmosphere and when exposed to high-energy ultraviolet light and ozone, is converted to DMSO and DMSO2 (MSM).
Please login or register to see the full articleN-acetyl cysteine (NAC)
N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is the N-acetyl derivative of the protein amino acid L-cysteine, and is a precursor of the potent antioxidant glutathione. Glutathione however cannot cross the cell membrane, but NAC can, where it is converted to cysteine and then glutathione. As a result, NAC has an indirectly potent antioxidant activity, and is used to regenerate hepatic stores of glutathione that scavenge free radicals.
Please login or register to see the full articleUbiquinone (coenzyme Q10)
Ubiquinone is a vitamin-like lipid-soluble antioxidant that functions as an electron carrier in the mitochondria in animal cells, ensuring the production of energy, or ATP. The biosynthesis of ubiquinone from the amino acid tyrosine is a multistage process requiring vitamins B and C and several trace elements.
Please login or register to see the full articleL-glutamine
L-glutamine is a non-essential amino acid that is the most abundant amino acid in the body, synthesized from arginine, ornithine and proline and stored in skeletal muscle. It participates in a number of different reactions, maintaining the acid-base balance of the body, transporting nitrogen and carbon used in a number of metabolic activities protein synthesis, energy production and the activities of the immune system.
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