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Nutrigenomics
Nutrigenomics (n):
is the study of the effects of food and food/plant components on gene expression.
Nutrigenomic products support the body’s natural cellular function by targeting the main biochemical effects of aging, issues like oxidative stress, natural mitochondrial deterioration and more. By awakening your body’s ability to rejuvenate itself on a massive scale — whether by up-regulating your genes’ ability to produce their own antioxidants, your cells‘ ability to produce mitochondria, or your guts’ ability to regulate bacteria — we’re helping you stay on top of the aging process while delivering the mental clarity and overall well-being you need every day to get the absolute most out of life.
Scientists and the medical community used to think that our genes were "set". And as a result, we were destined to have the same medical problems that plagued our parents, grandparents or other family members. Because those "problems" were set in our genes.
But, today, we now know that we can alter the expression of 96% of our genome through providing the proper information to our bodies. This information in the form of food and food/plant components tells our bodies at the cellular level what to do and how to function.
Biohacking
•“crack the code” on your DNA
•enables the body to get back into balance and perform at optimal levels
•improve health and lifespan
The Brain
Biohacking Your Brain Health
Dr. David Perlmutter, MD is a well-known educator in the area of brain health. He has been called the leading integrative medicine neurologist in North America today. He has written books such as "Grain Brain", "Brain Maker", and "Grain Brain - The Whole Life Plan".
He talks about the decline of brain health stemming from:
1. inflammation -> 2. free radicals -> 3. brain cell death.
He states, based on research that was published in Therapeutic Advances in Chronic Disease, that the level of inflammation in the body is correlated to both the rate of degeneration of the brain, as well as the degree of cognitive impairment during aging.
There are many reasons to decrease inflammation in the body, and brain health is just one of them.
One important way to control inflammation in the body is to reduce sugar intake. High blood sugar is a common contributor in our modern day diets to inflammation. It’s not the only cause of inflammation, but it is a MAJOR one that is under our control.
Secondly, another potent and easy way to decrease inflammation is NRF2 activation. NRF2 increases the expression of anti-inflammatory genes and decreases expression of pro-inflammatory genes.
Overall result -> decreased inflammation.
Not only does NRF2 activation directly address inflammation, but it powerfully activates the production of anti-oxidants, (including the master anti-oxidant, glutathione), which can get to work on quenching an over-abundance of free radicals.
If Dr. Perlmutter is right that:
Inflammation -> Free Radicals -> Brain Cell Death
And NRF2 activation decreases BOTH Inflammation AND free radicals…
Nrf2
The Nrf2 protein was first discovered in 1992. The research on this vitally important protein has grown exponentially over the past decade. In 2015 Washington State University published a literature review of the Nrf2 research and they concluded that;
-"we may be on the verge of a new literature on the health effects of Nrf2 which may well become the most extraordinary therapeutic and most extraordinary preventative breakthrough in the history of medicine."
Acta Physiologica Sinica, February 25, 2015, 67(1): 1–18 DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2015.0001 http://www.actaps.com.cn
Review 1
Nrf2, a master regulator of detoxification and also antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and other cytoprotective mechanisms, is raised by health promoting factors
Martin L Pall1,*, Stephen Levine2
1Washington State University, Portland, Oregon 97232-3312, USA; 2Allergy Research Group, Alameda, California 94502, USA
Mitochondria
Energy
Mitochondria are described as the "power house" of the cell and produce 90-95% of your bodies cellular energy. Literature states that mitochondria reside in every cell of our bodies, and that each cell has thousands and in some cases possibly even tens of thousands of mitochondria. some of the highest concentrations of cellular mitochondria exist in our livers, brain, hearts, eyes and muscles.
Dr. Pearlmutter suggests that if you could extract all of your mitochondria and place it on a scale...it would make up 10% of your body weight.
Mitochondria are unfortunately fairly fragile and prone to dysfunction and disease. Approximately 1 in 2,500 adults, teens and children are affected, making mitochondrial disease more common than childhood cancers. Mitochondrial dysfunction is proven to be at the root of many common diseases and conditions that affect young and old, from Autism, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS, Huntington's Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, epilepsy, chronic fatigue, diabetes, fibromyalgia and even some cancers.
So now that we have a little understanding of the severity and multitude of problems associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, it becomes obvious that we must maintain good mitochondrial health.
So how do we keep our mitochondria healthy? There's good news!!! Our bodies were designed with the necessary tools! The NRF1 protein helps our bodies restore dysfunctional mitochondria and also build bigger and stronger mitochondria. And through Nutrigenomics it is possible to activate this protein at a much higher level than ever thought possible.
NRF1
Then NRF1 Protein is present in all of our bodies. But as we age or with certain mitochondrial diseases and dysfunctions, this protein is not working optimally. We can biohacking our bodies and put this protein back to work!
Sirtuins and NAD
Recently, scientists have been sharing the immense importance of proteins called sirtuins. Studies are showing sirtuin activity comes with a cascade of health benefits. Including supporting a healthy vascular system, maintaining cholesterol levels already in the healthy range, supporting the body’s healthy inflammatory response, supporting joint health, heightening mental focus, improving mood, motivation, energy, and much more. However, sirtuin activity declines as we age (≈60%).
Cell signaling pathways are essential for your survival and your health—both short- and long-term. When you are young, these cell signaling pathways work well, respond quickly, and allow you to robustly adapt to whatever your environment throws at you. However, as we age, these cell signaling pathways begin to stop working as efficiently and ultimately the adaptive response slows.
NAD is an essential molecule for many biochemical reactions in your body, most notably metabolism of the food we eat. NAD coexists in your cells in two forms: 1) a molecule called NAD+ and 2) a molecule called NADH. It turns out, it is the ratio of these two forms of NAD (the so- called NAD+/NADH ratio) that is important for controlling a number of other cell signaling pathways. As the ratio of NAD+/NADH changes, NAD+ becomes a signaling molecule itself and is sensed by other proteins. Under normal conditions, the cell very tightly regulates the NAD+/NADH ratio. However, changes in your metabolism like long- or short-term fasting can change this ratio.
This means there is proportionately more NAD+ floating around the cell than NADH. This is biologically important because an increase in NAD+ has been shown to activate several key enzymes, and specifically a class of proteins called sirtuins.
Sirtuins have been implicated in a wide range of normal cellular processes including healthy aging, the body’s inflammatory response, and the cellular cleanup and renewal process known as autophagy, to name a few. The absolute requirement of sirtuin activity for NAD links them directly to the metabolism of the cell. In fact, sirtuins have been shown to support longevity when caloric intake is drastically reduced. This is known as caloric restriction.
How can you increase your Sirtuin activity?
Researchers have discovered that sirtuin activity can be increased through drastic caloric restriction (reducing calories by 40-60%). A typical caloric restric- tion diet can increase sirtuin activity by 94%. (Obviously this drastic approach runs the risk of nutrient deficiency and is not recommended without medical supervision.) Typical NAD supplements have been shown to increase Sirtuin activity by between 2-4%.
So, with the knowledge that sirtuin activation requires the molecule NAD, Protandim® NAD SynergizerTM was specifically formulated to target NAD, and has been shown to increase sirtuin activity by 100% in 24 hours, supporting increased health, focus, energy, mental clarity, and mood.*
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Additional Information
Think of your gut like a garden. Probiotics add seeds to the garden by introducing healthy bacteria to your gut. Prebiotic's are the water, sunlight, and fertilizer helping those seeds stay healthy and grow. It’s a one-two punch of health to your gut for a better metabolism and a digestive system that runs like a well-oiled machine.
Benefits
- Helps you feel less hungry
- Supports a balanced gut microbiome
- Promotes a healthy gut environment to feed your probiotics
- Supports a healthy digestive system
- Promotes a healthy relationship balance of bacteria by allowing healthy bacteria to thrive
- Helps maintain balanced blood sugar levels already within a healthy range
- Promotes bowel regularity
Learn More
Prebiotic works together with Probiotic to provide a one-two punch of gut health, supporting a healthy metabolism and a digestive system that runs like a well-oiled machine.
Probiotics
Additional Information
The powerful health benefits of probiotics include improving gut health, increasing nutrient intake, boosting the immune system, weight loss, improving mood, treating diarrhea, and preventing serious illnesses like cancer and Crohn’s disease. They help to maintain the vital balance of good and bad bacteria in our digestive tract while alleviating muscle pain and fatigue.
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live bacteria that, when consumed through foods or supplements, are beneficial to our digestive system. They are also called good, healthy or friendly bacteria. Our digestive or gastrointestinal tract usually has trillions of gut bacteria and yeast, collectively known as ‘gut flora’. For the gastrointestinal system to function properly, the gut flora must be in balance. This helps counteract the negative effects of certain dietary choices, illnesses or medications.
When a person contracts a bacterial infection, antibiotics are often turned to as the immediate solution, but antibiotics kill bacteria arbitrarily, wiping out both good and bad bacteria in the intestinal tract. By eliminating the beneficial bacteria, the body is vulnerable to various digestive issues. Rapid replacement of these beneficial bacteria is very important, and introducing probiotics to a health regimen is an increasingly popular method to do just that.
Health Benefits
Gut Health
Probiotics contain important strains of bacteria like lactobacilli and bifidobacteria which maintain and strengthen the gastrointestinal tract and helps overall health.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is not the result of a known organic factor, and is characterized by abdominal pain, unpredictable bowel movements, and bloating. A number of different causes have been cited, including environmental, physical, and mental stress, Adding probiotics to a health regiem, or diet is shown to decrease the severity and frequency of IBS. Particularly, the strain called Bifidobacterium Infantis appears to be the most successful in trials to this point.
Antibiotic-associated Diarrhea
Diarrhea is on the other extreme of digestive issues, and studies show that probiotics can also help regulate the intestinal processes to decrease diarrhea. This uncomfortable affliction can be labeled as antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), acute infectious diarrhea, or Clostridium difficile disease (CDD), a condition also related to the use of antibiotics. Antibiotics can be very damaging to your intestinal processes, frequently resulting in AAD or CDD. By replenishing the good bacteria eliminated by the antibiotics with probiotics in your diet, it is possible to decrease or eliminate chronic or individual episodes of diarrhea.
Constipation
Another common reason for the use of probiotics is as a treatment for constipation. Probiotics can balance the enzyme activity and help to speed up the process of digestion and excretion, thereby eliminating the uncomfortable condition of constipation that afflicts many people in varying levels of severity.
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is one of the main causes of acute diarrhea. It is the inflammation of the mucous membrane of the intestine. Research studies suggest that probiotics may help in decreasing gastrointestinal symptoms in children suffering from atopic dermatitis. Probiotics such as Bifidobacteria and Streptococcus thermophilus help in preventing diarrhea in infants (rotaviral diarrhea) and traveler’s diarrhea.
Heart Health
Probiotics contain bacteria that are effective in lowering total and LDL (bad) cholesterol. Probiotic bacteria absorb fiber from the intestines and as a result, they generate propionic acid. This particular acid has the ability to reduce the production of cholesterol by the liver.
Mental Health Conditions
Research shows that they play a major role in improving mood because there is a strong connection between the gut and the brain. People who were suffering from sadness were given probiotics and they showed signs of improvement and a reduction in negative thoughts. Studies are being undertaken to test if probiotics can help alleviate depression.
Immune System
By consuming probiotics and actively working to maintain the balance of good and bad bacteria within your gastrointestinal system, you can actually improve the strength and efficiency of your immune system. Probiotic bacteria can inhibit the reproduction and survival of harmful pathogens in the gut, and they can also regulate the number of antibodies present in the intestines. This, in turn, leads to a stronger immune system that is better suited and prepared to fight off disease and illness. Autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s Disease, and ulcerative colitis are more common when the levels of good and bad bacteria are imbalanced, so probiotics can help regulate intestinal homeostasis, and even save your life.
Weight Loss
Studies show that probiotics may help in weight loss and tackle belly fat and that obese people have 70% or less gut flora than people who are at a healthy weight. Further research also showed that eating yogurt, which is a natural source of probiotic bacteria, prevented age-associated weight gain. Certain gut bacteria may also change insulin sensitivity in people, helping maintain stable sugar levels and burning fat which the body would have otherwise stored.
Yeast Infections
The consistent use of probiotics has also been effective in the treatment of yeast infections in women. Studies have also reflected that these types of probiotics can help to treat urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis, as well as the more common yeast vaginitis. Previous modes of treatment did not approach the problem with an oral or intestinal solution, but various Lactobacilli strains of probiotics can be ingested orally and the beneficial effects will treat symptoms in the reproductive system.
Skin Health
Gut health is linked to skin health. When the gut flora is in balance, the body is able to absorb nutrients and eliminate toxins. This helps prevent chronic inflammation, which causes acne and other skin problems.
Nutrient Intake
Probiotics can positively impact bio-availability, which means that the body is more capable of extracting beneficial nutrients from the food we eat so none of it goes to waste. Higher levels of these nutrients can positively affect the body in countless ways, including increased bone health and blood oxygenation, and improved memory.
Chronic Fatigue
Adding probiotics to your diet can also help reduce chronic fatigue. Recent studies have shown a link between intestinal bacteria imbalance, the immune system, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Although CFS is not fully understood, the symptoms can be reduced or eliminated by the use of probiotics.
Lactose Intolerance
This inability of the body to process lactose (due to a lack of the enzyme lactase) can cause serious digestive problems, but some studies have shown probiotics to lessen the effects of lactose intolerance when lactose is ingested. This is due to a strain of probiotics called Acidophilus, as well as other similar types of bacteria, which produce similar effects as lactase and are able to break down and promote the digestion of lactose. Using probiotics does not eliminate the condition of lactose intolerance in individuals, but it can alleviate certain irritating and painful symptoms.
Fever
Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus acidophilus may help in treating the symptoms of cold, cough, and fever.
Cancer
Probiotics may also be beneficial in preventing cancer. Research studies suggest that probiotics may help in slowing the growth of certain cancerous tumors.
Types of Probiotics
There are a number of different probiotic types or “strains” that are specifically chosen for their unique properties, depending on what gastrointestinal symptom the user would like to alleviate or eliminate. The most commonly used types are:
- Lactobacilli
- Bifidobacteria
- Bacilli
- Various types of yeast like Saccharomyces boulardii
Types of Probiotics
There are a number of different probiotic types or “strains” that are specifically chosen for their unique properties, depending on what gastrointestinal symptom the user would like to alleviate or eliminate. The most commonly used types are:
- Lactobacilli
- Bifidobacteria
- Bacilli
- Various types of yeast like Saccharomyces boulardii