Immune / Lymphatic
Low grade chronic inflammation (LGCI) is a condition characterized by a persistent presence of inflammatory processes, that eventually manifests as tissue damage (Nasef, Mehta, & Ferguson, 2017). LGCI is also implicated with several diseases to include autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes (Kenney, Wilmore, & Costill, 2012; Nasef et al., 2017). Essentially, mitigating the inflammatory…
B2, also known as riboflavin, is a water-soluble vitamin responsible for multiple roles to include management of xenobiotic substances, metabolism of drugs, redox balance, controlling reactive lipid metabolism, and participation in energy metabolism (Pinto & Zempleni, 2016). As such, optimal B2 levels are essential in maintaining health and homeostasis. Although consumption of B2 through foods…
Ascorbic acid (AA), also known as vitamin C, is widely known as an antioxidant and an immune system-enhancing micronutrient. However, AA has other relevant roles to include halting telomere attrition, cell growth, disorganization of chromatin (“packages” and protects DNA in tight bundles), excessive release of inflammatory factors, in addition to prolonging lifespan (Monacelli, Acquarone, Giannotti,…
The common cold constitutes the majority of visits to family physicians, and is the main cause of absenteeism from school and work (Hemila & Chalker, 2013). Vitamin C (VC), also known as ascorbic acid, is most widely known as an anti-oxidant and was proposed as a means of treating respiratory infections since said vitamin was…
The liver has the capacity to manage toxic exposures via a layered process; phase 1 and phase 2. Such a process begins by the production of important enzymes (i.e., cytochrome p450) made within liver cells that help expedite the reduction/oxidation/hydrolysis reactions (i.e., phase 1) (Grant, 1991; Kim & Lee, 2006). Phase 2 is characterized by…
It is thought that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in many disease states to include arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease (Duthie, 2003; Stockler-Pintos, Mafra, Farage, Boaventura, & Cozzolino, 2010). As such, maintaining optimal levels of anti-oxidants are critical in managing the destructive nature of ROS. Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) is an example…
Antioxidants are substrates, which serve to protect a cell’s DNA, lipid membranes, and proteins from reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Duthie, 2003). As such, optimal levels of antioxidants are paramount in maintaining an organism’s health, performance, and longevity. Furthermore, ensuring that said substrate is adequately recycled for continued use is equal relevance (Gropper, Smith, & Carr,…
The heart is a muscle (cardiac muscle) critical to sustaining life and homeostasis. Such an organ serves as a pump, which propels blood towards the lungs and other tissues via associated vasculature (Reisner & Reisner, 2017). Cardiac muscle is designed to work in almost near perpetuity; other muscles (i.e., skeletal) are not always required to…
CoQ10 is a nutrient whose production tends to become down-regulated by two main sources: genetic mutations involved in its synthesis (a primary deficiency) and statins, which inhibit an enzyme (hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A) involved in the development of CoQ10 (considered a secondary deficiency) (Potgieter, Pretorius, & Pepper, 2013). Secondary deficiency is a common side-affect amongst individuals on…
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease characterized by inflammatory, demyelinating, and autoimmune events affecting more than 2 million people worldwide (Reich, Lucchinetti, & Calabresi, 2018).Brum, Comini-Frota, Vasconcelos, and Dias-Tosta (2014) stated that although the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) has not been clearly uncovered, there does exist environmental and genetic factors thought to manifest the…