What is L-glutamine?
L-glutamine is an amino acid found in a proportionally high amount in the body compared to other amino acids. Scientists consider L-glutamine to be a conditionally essential amino acid, meaning its intake is not normally required in the diet.
L-glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in blood plasma and a major transporter of nitrogen. It is an important precursor for protein synthesis, and it supports cellular functions of all types. L-glutamine is also a precursor of L-glutamate (an amino acid involved in energy metabolism).
How does L-glutamine support health?
DHEA is an acronym for dehydroepiandrosterone - a hormone that naturally occurs in the body. Levels of DHEA are quite high at birth, drop during childhood, and peak during young adulthood. After young adulthood, DHEA levels continue to drop with increased age. Men can lose up to one-half of their DHEA levels by age 40.
It is believed that DHEA may play a role in glucose metabolism - high blood glucose can inhibit the production of growth hormone (GH), which can lead to inefficiency in many bodily functions.* Proper metabolism of glucose is useful for multiple fitness goals. DHEA, along with other hormones, is useful for supporting multiple areas such as:
Yerba Maté Has Most Antioxidants, Polyphenols
"CHAMPAIGN, Ill.—Yerba maté tea-based beverages contained the largest antioxidant and polyphenol content among tea-based and non-tea-based drink in a recent study published in the Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety (doi 10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00111.x). This contributes to the functionality of the beverage, which has been shown to include anti-inflammatory and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol-lowering properties that help aid in the prevention of diabetes and heart disease. Brands included in the study were Guayakí Yerba Mate, Honest Tea, Monster Energy, Red Bull, and Sobe, among others.
Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana reviewed the U.S. energy drink market with emphasis on its market size, target demographic, active ingredients, potential benefits, safety and regulations. Several mainstream energy drinks, 16 non-tea-based and 15 tea-based, including yerba maté, were analyzed for their antioxidant content using the ORAC assay, and the total polyphenol concentration was measured in the same energy drinks with the Folin-Ciocalteu method.
They found tea-based energy drinks had much higher antioxidant capacities and polyphenol concentrations than non tea-based energy drinks. Yerba maté drinks contained up to 100-fold higher amounts of antioxidants and polyphenols compared to the mainstream non-tea-based drinks, and Guayakí Yerba Maté had the largest antioxidant and polyphenol content among the tea-based drinks.
Polyphenols contain antioxidant properties and have been found to aid in the prevention of several degenerative diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer."
Clinical Studies of Antioxidant Properties of Yerba Mate.
Yerba mate has significant antioxidant activity. In a study published in 1995 by Biochemicaland Molecular Biology International, researchers concluded that water extracts of yerba mate “were more potent antioxidants than either ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or butylated hydroxytoluene.” A few years later, a group of researchers embarked on a study to again investigate the antioxidant properties of Ilex paraguariensis infusions. Those findings were published in March of 2000 in the journal Biochemical and Biophysica Research Communications. Their results suggest “that ingestion of extracts of Ilex paraguariensis could contribute to increase the antioxidant defense of an organism against free radicals attack.” In a more recent study, published in the November 2001 issue of Fitoterapia, researchers took a look at seven different plant species in South America. They found that yerba mate “contained a higher content of flavonoids and caffeoyl derivatives than any other assayed species.”
This stuff is seriously the only thing that would clear may Athletes foot. I tried everything short of prescription!
Vinegar (and other acidic liquids) have long been proposed as agents to enable weight loss,[2][3] one proposed mechanism is that it prolongs the sensation of satiety after eating.[4] A 2009 study on mice showed that consuming acetic acid (the active component in ACV), upregulates the expression of genes for fatty acid oxidation enzymes in the liver causing a suppression in body fat accumulation.[5]
In a double-blind experiment, obese Japanese were assigned to three different groups based on similar body weights, body mass indexes (BMI), and waist circumference. Each group drank a 500 ml drink containing either 30 ml, 15 ml, or 0 ml of vinegar daily for 12 weeks. Those in the 30 ml and 15 ml groups had lower BMI, visceral fat area, waist circumference, serum triglyceride, and body weight than the control group of 0 ml. The 12-week weight losses were modest: 1.2 kg in the 15 ml group and 1.7 kg in the 30 ml group. These two groups consumed fewer calories than the control group, so the effect may have been due to an impact on appetite. It was concluded that consumption of vinegar might reduce obesity.[6]
Apple cider vinegar tablets can also be taken, although there is much evidence against there being value in taking the tablet version, as ACV pills are not well regulated, and may vary dramatically in terms of vinegar content from brand to brand.[7]
Fish oil continues to grow in scientific credibility as a key component to heart health. According to the American Heart Association, fish oil is effective in reducing the incidence of heart disease and helps to reduce risk factors like high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Clinical studies of heart attack survivors have found that daily omega-3 supplements dramatically reduce the risk of death, subsequent heart attacks and stroke. Omega-3s also lower blood triglycerides, help correct abnormal heartbeats, and can help prevent and treat atherosclerosis by inhibiting the development of plaque and blood clots, which tend to clog arteries. Reduces Inflammation/Pain and Promotes Healthy Joints
Omega-3s have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect and reduce joint tenderness, pain intensity and morning stiffness caused by rheumatoid arthritis. Lab studies also suggest that diets rich in omega-3s (and low in the inflammatory omega-6s) may benefit people with other inflammatory disorders (anything that ends in itis!). In fact, several test tube studies have found that omega-3s decrease actually reduce the activity of enzymes that destroy cartilage. Omega-3s have also been used to successfully treat neck, back and menstrual pain, enabling study patients to reduce their intake of NSAID drugs. Supports Mental Focus & Long-Term Cognitive Function
Did you know that omega-3s, especially DHA, are highly concentrated in the brain? They’re important for optimal cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function, as well as normal growth and development. Studies show that omega-3s may help in maintaining adequate cognitive functioning and possibly in preventing or delaying the onset of dementia. We also now know that it’s very important that pregnant women get enough DHA, which is crucial to the developing fetus. In fact, numerous studies show that omega-3s improve learning, concentration, reading and vocabulary skills in children. Supports Positive Mood & Emotional Well-being
In countries where fish makes up a large part of the diet, national rates of depression are lower. So, it’s not surprising that studies have found that fish oil supplements can alleviate the symptoms of depression, bipolar disorder and psychosis. Several studies have found that people who took omega-3s in addition to prescription antidepressants had a greater improvement in symptoms than those who took antidepressants alone, with patients experiencing a stabilizing effect and fewer mood swings. Research has also shown that, when prisoners were given omega three fatty acids, there was a significant drop in aggressive behavior. Omega-3s also seem to lower the risk of postpartum depression.
Promotes Optimal Fat Metabolism According to the National Institutes of Health, omega-3s trigger “I’m full” signals to the brain and help quash hunger signals. Research has also shown that fish oil improves the efficacy of exercise in reducing weight. Volunteers who were given fish oil diet showed greater weight loss as compared to those who did not consume fish oil diet. Exercise combined with fish oil had a positive effect on the body shape and body composition of the patients.
As a runner, I always considered sports drinks a necessary evil: While I never loved the taste, I held my nose and downed my Gatorade for the sake of proper hydration. But last year, a friend handed me a little box of coconut water, which, she told me, had just as many electrolytes as Gatorade. I took a sip, loved the mild taste, and found myself regularly shelling out as much as $3 for 11 oz. of the stuff. That is, until it disappeared from my local supermarket earlier this summer.
Turns out I'm not the only one with a new coconut water addiction. Although the beverage has been popular for centuries in countries where coconuts grow, it has only recently been marketed in the US. Vita Coco, currently the country's biggest coconut water company, was founded in 2004, and according to spokesperson Arthur Gallego, sales skyrocketed from $4 million in 2007 to $20 million in 2009. The past 6 months have been Vita Coco's busiest yet. "Typically Vita Coco would keep 45 days of inventory, but that has all been blown through," says Gallego. "People used to buy by the unit, now they are buying in bulk by the box."
Not to be confused with coconut milk, which is made from the white flesh of the fruit, coconut water is the clear liquid in the fruit's center. Also unlike coconut milk, the water is very low in calories and fat and high in the electrolyte potassium, which is why it's often marketed as a natural alternative to sports drinks. The website of the coconut water company Zico features a slide show of perspiring runners, rock climbers and mountain bikers and says the company is "on a mission to tell the world that Mother Nature made a better sports drink." Another manufacturer, O.N.E., claims that coconut water is "a natural alternative to Viagra" and prevents kidney stones. Others tout its anti-aging properties, and some companies regularly sponsor sports events and partner with bikram yoga ("hot yoga") studios.
But according to Liz Applegate, director of sports nutrition at UC-Davis, coconut water isn't ideal for prolonged bouts of physical activity. That's because of its particular blend of electrolytes. Unlike sports drinks, which generally contain a lot of sodium and a little potassium, coconut water is the opposite: heavy on potassium, light on sodium. "Even though the belief is that when you exercise you need a lot of potassium, sodium is more important," says Applegate. "When you sweat, you lose a lot more sodium than potassium." (Zico's new Natural Bottle product has a little more sodium, but unlike most coconut waters, it's made from concentrate.) Applegate says she has never seen any convincing scientific evidence to support anti-aging and kidney health claims. Still, she doesn't dismiss coconut water entirely. "If you like the taste, great," she says. "If you're doing a short workout, great."