Nutritional health is achieved through the therapeutic use of whole foods, safe culinary preparation, and understanding the metabolic impacts of specific dietary frameworks and ingredients.
The B vitamins are a diverse group of nutrients that are commonly found together in foods. They are all water soluble, which means dietary excesses are usually easily eliminated in your urine. Most of the B vitamins are not stored well in your body, so you need to get them from your diet on a regular basis.
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White blood cells, or leukocytes, represent a major protective barrier between you and invading microorganisms and other potentially harmful agents. Five kinds of white blood cells exist in your body, each with a distinct function.
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The human heart is a complex electrical organ with its own switch-like pacemaker and “wiring.” Your heart rate is influenced by a variety of factors, including impulses from your nervous system and alterations in the levels of electrolytes, such as potassium and magnesium, in your heart’s cells.
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Nearly 90 percent of Americans consume caffeine, with the principal source being coffee. Chronic coffee consumption has been linked to a substantially lower risk for type 2 diabetes, particularly if you drink five or more cups daily.
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Iodine, or iodide, is a trace mineral found in ocean water, in ocean-dwelling plants and animals, and in soils adjacent to oceans. Iodine’s principal role in human metabolism is in the production of thyroid hormones.
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Simple sugars, such as those found in cookies, candies, cakes and soft drinks, have been implicated in the growing incidence of obesity and diabetes in the United States.
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A complex array of interacting factors regulates your appetite. The “appetite centers” in your brain consolidate and analyze neurological, hormonal, mechanical and psychological signals, and there your conscious awareness of hunger is born.
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Whether you are asleep, awake, exercising or reclining on your couch, your cells require a constant source of energy to carry on their metabolic tasks.
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Iodine is a trace mineral that is essential for normal metabolic function. Many natural and unprocessed foods are low in iodine, but your body only needs a small amount each day. In his book, “Staying Healthy with Nutrition,” Dr. Elson Haas states there is no significant danger of iodine toxicity from a natural diet.
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Constant exposure to environmental toxins, pollutants and radiation may damage your tissues within your body. Even normal metabolic activities generate substances called reactive oxygen species, or ROS, which have the potential to cause further injury to your cells.
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Amino acids are nitrogen-containing molecules that serve as the building blocks for proteins. Every protein possesses a unique sequence of amino acids that determines its structure and function. Your body contains hundreds of thousands of different proteins, each of which performs a specific task.
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Bovine pituitary extract, or BPE, is a filtered, water-based extract of fresh pituitary glands from cattle. As a source of growth factors and hormones, BPE is used in tissue culture research to support various cell lines, such as skin, breast, lung and prostate.
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Table sugar, or sucrose, is a dietary sweetener derived from a variety of plant sources, including sugarcane and sugar beets. Nutritionists classify sucrose as a simple sugar, because your body easily and quickly digests and assimilates it.
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L-arginine and L-lysine are amino acids that coexist in many protein-rich foods, such as tuna, watercress, nuts and soy. Your body uses amino acids to manufacture structural proteins, hormones, enzymes, antibodies and other important molecules.
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Xanax, or alprazolam, is a member of the benzodiazepine family, which includes diazepam, chlordiazepoxide and midazolam. Benzodiazepines are used as sedatives, muscle relaxants, anti-anxiety agents and anti-convulsants. Some are used to enhance the effects of anesthesia.
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Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland at the base of your brain. Its production and release is enhanced when you are in darkness and suppressed when you are exposed to bright light.
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Loxoprofen sodium is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, marketed under various trade names in Brazil, Japan, Argentina and Mexico. It is not approved for use in the United States. Loxoprofen is in the same chemical family as ibuprofen, naproxen and ketoprofen.
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Riboflavin, or vitamin B-2, is a member of the B complex family. Riboflavin is a water-soluble, vibrantly yellow vitamin, which accounts for the fluorescent yellow-green urine of people who take vitamin B complex supplements.
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5-hydroxytryptophan, or 5-HTP, is one of several byproducts arising from the metabolism of the amino acid L-tryptophan. L-tryptophan is an essential amino acid, meaning your body cannot synthesize it and it must be obtained from your food.
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Methotrexate is a strong medication used to treat a wide array of conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and various cancers, such as leukemia, lymphoma and bone cancer. It is also employed in the treatment of ectopic pregnancy, a condition in which the pregnancy is growing outside the womb.
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