Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Energy is so incredibly important to how we function every single day. If we are stressed, our energy stores go down. If we’re not eating right, we’re not going to be about to fuel our bodies. This is why having adequate energy levels are so important.
Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful antioxidant that has been studied in the support of energy production and heart health.
alpha-lipoic-acid
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH.
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When we think of all of the amazing things that the human body does for us on an everyday basis, there is one area that we certainly cannot overlook and that is the role of antioxidants. Today, I want to talk about specifically what is known as the universal antioxidant in the human body – Alpha-Lipoic-Acid.
What is Alpha-Lipoic-Acid?
Alpha-Lipoic-Acid (ALA) is a fat- and water-soluble antioxidant, meaning that it’s going to work throughout the body in every single cell. It plays such a critical role in supporting healthy aging. It’s one of those naturally indogenous-occurring antioxidants that we so frequently overlook. It plays this significant and critical role in the regeneration of other antioxidants in our body, including things such as Vitamin C and Vitamin E.
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We know that the core antioxidants that help to support our health and to fend off harmful free radicals and toxins are so incredibly crucial. We can think about Glutathione, for example. Alpha-Lipoic-Acid can really help in terms of the regeneration of Glutathione, which is important for metabolic detoxification, so just keeping us clean and healthy on a daily basis. Alpha-Lipoic-Acid is really important to this process.
We also know that Alpha-Lipoic-Acid does many other functions in the body, including supporting longevity, helping to maintain lean body mass, supporting healthy blood sugar already within a normal range, supporting nerve and brain health, and supporting memory function. Being that it is this very powerful antioxidant, we know that it is playing a critical role in metabolic detoxification. Those are those different phases that occur each and every single day in order to maintain our body’s ability to rid itself of harmful chemicals, as well as toxins.†
Learn more about how Alpha-Lipoic-Acid works inside the body by tuning into the full podcast episode.
Some research on Alpha-Lipoic-Acid
Alpha-Lipoic-Acid has also been studied for its impact on specific disease states. There was a study that was done out in Oregon at the Oregon Health and Science University looking at the utilization of Alpha-Lipoic-Acid in MS patients, so patients who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This was published in the Journal of Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation. This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial where they took a group of multiple sclerosis patients, and over the course of two years, gave them 1200mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid daily. They wanted to see if this would have any type of an impact, because we know that in multiple sclerosis, we get this breaking down of that protective covering around the nerves. As that happens, you end up getting more and more damage that is occurring, which slows or blocks the electrical signals from firing from the brain, which is why they can end up having problems when it comes to muscles and eye function. If we can try to slow that process down by having a means to fend that off, this can be really, really important. In this study that they did at Oregon Health and Science University, they found a 68% improvement over the placebo group in terms of slowing the rate of whole brain atrophy in patients who had multiple sclerosis, which is absolutely fascinating.†
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In an interesting study they did at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, they found that the benefits of Alpha-Lipoic-Acid actually went beyond that of supporting kidney cells themselves. They actually found it could prevent kidney stones. This was in animal studies, but what they did was they led this clinical trial in patients who had chronic recurrent kidney stones. They published their findings in the Nature Medicine journal. They were able to determine that Alpha-Lipoic-Acid, this antioxidant that naturally occurs in the body, when given in terms of supplementation could limit the kidney from developing those harmful, painful, damaging kidney stones. I think this just shows the power of the human body.†
Tune into the full podcast episode for more details on the benefits of Alpha-Lipoic-Acid.
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When it comes to whey protein, most of the time we think of working out. But it can also be beneficial in terms of enhancing our overall longevity.
Rhodiola rosea, also known as Viking Ginseng, offers support for stress, mental and physical fatigue and energy. It can also support your immune system.
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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Who isn’t stressed right now? Panax ginseng is used for stress and energy and it’s considered to be an adaptogen. An adaptogen is usually a natural substance like an herb, or it can be something made by our bodies. Research supports its use for improving your energy, reducing feelings of stress, and supporting your immune system. Today, we’re going to discuss how the herb Panax ginseng, also known as Korean or Asian ginseng, can safely improve your mental and physical energy.
What is Panax ginseng?
Panax ginseng is an extremely popular herb that has been used for many centuries. The word “Panax” means all-healing in Greek.
A number of recent studies published in medical journals show that this herb reduces fatigue and improves your energy. This usually starts within 15 to 30 minutes of consuming the herb. Interestingly, it helps the very first time you use it. There is no build up. Some things that improve energy have to be taken for a week or two before you start to feel any improvement, but Panax ginseng works out of the starting gate.†
Panax ginseng does not cause jitteriness and does not feel like a stimulant. In fact, you likely will feel calmer and more clear-headed because it has a nice impact on brain function. A recent study of 174 people in China shows that Ginseng improved fatigue dramatically compared to placebo. Additionally, the Mayo Clinic performed a double-blind study on 290 cancer patients. The most common symptoms from cancer are brain fatigue and physical fatigue. Researchers found that the Panax ginseng safely restored the patients’ energy.†
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Panax ginseng has to grow for five years to obtain enough ingredients to offer its benefits. These ingredients include ginsenosides, acidic polysaccharides, and polyacetylenes. They are only found in the Panax ginseng plant. This truly age-old treatment for flagging energy is believed to work by supporting the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis, which helps your body adapt to and cope with stress and fatigue. This axis is made up of three glands: the hypothalamus, which controls your body clock, the pituitary, which controls the release of hormones, and the adrenals, which help you handle stress. These three glands work in harmony through the regulated release of hormones to control your body’s response to stress. They also help regulate your energy, your mood, your immune system, and your digestive tract. Two hundred miligrams to 400mg of Panax ginseng has been shown to produce natural energy, reduce mental and physical fatigue, and improve alertness.†
The Research Behind Panax Ginseng
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston is the number 1 cancer research and treatment center. Their Department of Palliative Care and Rehabilitation did a study with high dose Panax ginseng and cancer patients dealing with fatigue. In this study, 30 patients with cancer-related fatigue received 800mg of Panax ginseng every day for a month. This is considered a high dosage. The patients did not have any adverse events related to the Panax ginseng, even at this high dosage, which is telling you a lot. It also improved their scores for fatigue, as well as their wellbeing, appetite and sleep. This is extremely important because people who are being treated for cancer are very vulnerable, so seeing that a high dose of Panax ginseng improved their state without causing negative impacts actually means a lot.†
Panax ginseng can also help healthy patients with fatigue. The Korean Medical Hospital’s Department of Internal Medicine performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human clinical trial that was published in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. They worked with 52 healthy subjects who were fatigued and gave them either Panax ginseng or placebo daily. The researchers used 2000mg of Panax ginseng a day, which is a high dosage and not necessary for most people. The study showed that there was a significant difference in fatigue after 4 weeks for patients taking the ginseng.†
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For additional studies that prove the efficacy of Panax ginseng for energy and fatigue, make sure to listen to our full podcast episode by clicking PLAY above.
Here’s my personal experience with Panax ginseng. Not very long ago, I had 2 nights in a row with no sleep. Between the 2 nights, I probably had 1 hour. The next day, I had 3 live radio programs and I still had to go to work after that. I felt exhausted. I told people on my radio programs that after I was done with the programs, I was going to take a product called True Energy, where I combine Rhodiola rosea, which is often called viking ginseng, and Panax ginseng with something from the tea plant called L-theanine. After the last show ended at 12:00, I forgot to take it. I went to work and finally took it at about 1:00. I took an envelope of the powder and put it in water. It dissolved pretty easily and tasted rather good. Within 15 minutes, I felt like I had just had 1 bad night of sleep instead of 2. After half an hour, I felt like I had slept really great. In fact, I worked straight through until 6:00 and didn’t even stop for lunch. I never thought I’d be able to last past 2:00 that day. I couldn’t believe it. From time to time, when I’ve worked too hard and I’ve burnt the candle at both ends, I’ll take an envelope of True Energy, which has 200mg of Panax ginseng, and feel energy, wellness and calmness. It’s really a good feeling. If you do feel like you’ve overdone it and you just need a little bit of help, Panax ginseng will help get you on your feet again.
