NUTRITION
The human body communicates, interacts, and coordinates with itself and the external environment through a dense network of electrochemical conduits, colloquially known as the nerves or nervous system (NS) (Kenney, Wilmore, & Costill, 2012). Virtually all tissues, organs, motor, and sensory systems are fully integrated with the NS; like a conductor in an orchestra, the…
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…
Humans have survived in unique and diverse environments, to include equally unique and diverse foods and dietary habits. However, it is also true that particular nutritional proclivities have the potential to induce unfavorable physiological consequences that inhibit optimal health and longevity. In the following sections, I would like to explore vegan/vegetarian diets, strengths, limitations, and…
Niacin, colloquially known as B3, was discovered via signs and symptoms of its deficiency; a condition known as pellagra. Pellagra was a prominent condition in the United States prior to the discovery of B3(Gropper, Smith, & Carr, 2018). As a means of appreciating niacin and its relationship to pellagra, the following will explore the same,…
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…