Tongkat Ali for Athletic Performance

Posted on November 22, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Eurycoma longifolia is a medicinal herbal plant that is commonly called tongkat ali. It grows in tropical regions of Southern Asia. Some evidence suggests that tongkat ali is an adaptogenic herb  and in this regard it may have certain applications for athletes. In traditional medicine, tongkat ali is used as an aphrodisiac which suggests iit may affect the hormonal system. Benefits for athletes may result from elevations of testosterone, and long term supplementation of tongkat ali (over 1 month) may cause elevations in testosterone in older men. This is supported by evidence from studies that have shown improvements in body composition with supplements of tongkat ali, when in combination with resistance training. Tongkat ali may also accelerate strength gains with weight training, and this may be as a direct result of increased testosterone levels. Some of the active principles in toingkat ali are bitter chemicals called quassinoids and these can make consumption of tongkat ali difficult as a drink. Therefore the preferred method of consumption is tablets or capsules. 

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Talbott, S. M. 2019. Human performance and sports applications of Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia). In Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-396454-0.00053-9: 729-734

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Glycine: Effects During Sleep

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Glycine is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and inhibits motor neurones. This effect is demonstrated by the blockage of glycine receptors in postsynaptic receptors by strychnine, which causes significant tetany and convulsions from extensive muscle contractions. The role of glycine in causing muscle relaxation in the postsynaptic motor neurones of the spinal cord can be demonstrated by the role of glycine during sleep. Glycine may play a significant role in causing atonia during sleep, and this is particularly evident during REM sleep where muscle relaxation occurs. This relaxation is a characteristic of REM sleep and may be required by the brain to allow the process of dreaming without “acting out” any movements present in the dreams. The findings of studies that glycine was important in the atonia seen during REM sleep may explain the benefits to sleep quality seen with glycine supplementation. Those with poor quality sleep may therefore benefit from taking glycine as an adjunct to other strategies to induce a deeper and more high quality sleep. 

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Soja, P. J. 2008. Glycine-Mediated Postsynaptic Inhibition is Responsible for REM Sleep Atonia: Commentary on Brooks PL and Peever JH. Glycinergic and GABAA-mediated inhibition of somatic motoneurons does not mediate rapid eye movement sleep motor atonia. Journal of Neuroscience. 28: 3535–3545

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Plants with Insulin Mimetic Properties

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Robert Barrington

A number of plants have insulin mimetic effects. For example, Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum) contains a chemical called 4-hydroxyleucine that may lower blood glucose by stimulating the release of insulin from the β-cells of the pancreas. Aloe vera contains a bitter principle that may also cause stimulation of the β-cells of the pancreas. Isolated compounds from Aloe vera  including pseudoprototinosaponin AIII and prototinosaponins AIII  may cause a hypoglycaemic effect by modifying hepatic gluconeogenesis or glycogenolysis. Berberine, a plant compound found in a number of plants including goldenseal, goldenthread and barberry may exacerbate the effects of insulin in the presence of glucose. The spice cinnamon (Cinnamon zeylaniucm) has been shown to result in enhanced insulin release, which may relate to its high chromium content. Caffeine, present in tea and coffee, can also stimulate glucose dependent insulin release from the pancreas. Further to this, tea (Camellia sinensis) contains polyphenols including Epigallocatechin gallate that increases the activity of insulin, perhaps through its ability to reduce insulin sensitivity. Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre) has also been shown to possess hypoglycaemic effects because it can stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas. The fig tree (Ficus bengalensis) has also been shown to raise levels of serum insulin and at the same time have a pronounced hypoglycaemic effect. Nigella sativa oil and Momordica charantia fruit juice can also decrease blood glucose and stimulate insulin release. These insulin mimetic effects may explain the weight loss effects seen in many of these herbs, spices and plant compounds. 

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Patel, D. K., Prasad, S. K., Kumar, R. and Hemalatha, S. 2012. An overview on antidiabetic medicinal plants having insulin mimetic property. Asian Pacific journal of tropical biomedicine. 2(4): 320-330

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4-Hydroxyisoleucine In Fenugreek

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum) seeds contain the amino acid 4-Hydroxyisoleucine. This amino acid is present in high concentrations in the seeds and may be the reason that the seeds are able to provide benefits to physical performance. The reason for this is the 4-hydroxyisoleucine demonstrates insulinotropic effects in the presence of moderate hyperglycaemia because it is able to directly stimulate the β-cells of the pancreas. Fenugreek seeds may therefore have beneficial effects post exercise where they may be able to increase the uptake of glycogen into skeletal muscle tissues, a process that requires insulin. The hypoglycaemic effects of fenugreek have been investigated for this reason. For example, in one study, cyclists trained for 90 minutes to deplete glycogen stores in their legs and were then administered glucose with 4-hydroxyisoleucine or glucose alone during the recovery period. In the glucose plus 4-hydroxyisoleucine group the rate of glycogen uptake was 63 % greater compared to glucose alone, suggesting the 4-hydroxyisoleucine may have significant ergogenic properties. One other consideration of the insulinotropic effects of fenugreek seeds may be that amino acid uptake to muscles is also increased, as uptake of certain amino acids to skeletal muscle is increased in the presence of insulin.  

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Ruby, B. C., Gaskill, S. E., Slivka, D. and Harger, S. G. 2005. The addition of fenugreek extract (Trigonella foenum-graecum) to glucose feeding increases muscle glycogen resynthesis after exercise. Amino acids. 28(1): 71

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Protective Effects of L-Carnitine on Fertility

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Robert Barrington

L-carnitine is a molecule synthesised in humans and required for energy production. L-carnitine is used by the cells to transport fatty acids across the mitochondrial membrane in order to allow oxidation and energy release. Around 25 % of the L-carnitine used for metabolic regulation is synthesised endogenously, with around 75 % being derived from the diet. Endogenous synthesis of L-carnitine occurs through a pathway starting with methionine and lysine. The high concentrations of these substrates in testes, heart, striated muscle and the brain give a clue as to the importance of L-carnitine in these tissues. All of these tissues are known to have high energy requirements. In males with infertility, L-carnitine supplementation is able to significantly improve sperm count and concentration. In addition, L-carnitine has been evidenced to raise levels of testosterone in infertile males. Supplements of L-carnitine may therefore provide significant improvements in fertility in infertile men, and this may relate to the ability of supplemental L-carnitine to increase pools of L-carnitine in tissues

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Hadi, A. M., Abbass, Y. I. and Yadgar, M. A. 2020. The impact of L-carnitine supplement on semen variables and the levels of sexual hormones (serum LH, FSH, testosterone, and inhibin) in males with infertility. Medico-Legal Update. 20: 772-776

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Phytochemicals in Cashew Nuts

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Anacardium occidentale (cashew) in an evergreen tree that grows in parts of South America, India and Africa. The tree produces a nut that is dried and sold commercially as a snack and food ingredient. Cashew nuts are used in cuisine for their distinctive taste and nutritional content. A number of studies have investigated the nutritional content of cashew nuts as they are an important crop and the third most produced nut in the world. From these studies it is observed that the total fat content of cashew nuts is around 50 % of the total weight of the nut. Of the fatty acids in the fat content of the nut, unsaturated fatty acids constitute around 80 %, whereas saturated fat constitutes around 20 %. In 100 grams of the nuts, there is around 21 % protein and 20 % carbohydrate. Therefore cashew nuts have a high fat content like most nuts, but they also have an unusually high carbohydrate content. One of the major phytochemical components of the nuts is β-Sitosterol, a major plant sterol. The most abundant amino acid in cashew nuts is glutamic acid, but the nuts are poor sources of tryptophan. As with all nuts, the unsaturated fatty acids in the nut are protected by high concentrations of vitamin E in the form of tocopherols. The most abundant mineral in cashew nuts is potassium. 

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Rico, R., Bulló, M. and Salas‐Salvadó, J. 2016. Nutritional composition of raw fresh cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) kernels from different origin. Food Science and Nutrition. 4(2): 329-338

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Nattokinase and Blood Pressure

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Nattokinase is an enzyme derived from natto, a form of fermented soybeans. Evidence suggests that nattokinase has a number of health benefits. One of these health benefits might be to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Nattokianse may be able to protect from cardiovascular disease because it can lower blood pressure. For example, in one study, researchers investigated the effects of nattokinase in subjects with hypertension. Subjects were administered nattokinase at a dose of 2000 FU per day for 8 weeks. The results of the study showed that the subjects experienced significant reduction of -5.55 mmHg for systolic blood pressure and -2.84 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure. Therefore one of the mechanisms by which nattokinase might reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease is through modulation of blood pressure. However, it is not clear how nattokinase is able to reduce blood pressure. One suggestion is that nattokinase may act to inhibit the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE). 

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Kim, J. Y., Gum, S. N., Paik, J. K., Lim, H. H., Kim, K. C., Ogasawara, K., Inoue, K., Park, S., Jang, Y. and Lee, J. H. 2008. Effects of nattokinase on blood pressure: a randomized, controlled trial. Hypertension Research. 31(8): 1583-1588

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Nattokinase for Cardiovascular Disease

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Natto is a fermented food product that is made from soybeans. Natto has been produced and consumed in Asian countries for thousands of years, and anecdotal evidence suggests that natto may be one reason for the low rates of cardiovascular disease in Japanese populations. Evidence suggests that the cardioprotective effects of natto relate to the presence of an enzyme within the food called nattokinase. Nattokinase is an alkaline protease that may have fibrinolytic activity. This activity may reduce the risk of blood clots in those that consume natto and may prevent unwanted coagulation and limit platelet aggregation. Natto is also an anti-hypertensive, may protect from atherosclerosis and may lower blood lipids. In relation to neuronal cardiovascular disease, natto is also neuroprotective. Because nattokinase is present in food, and because that food has a safety record dating back thousands of years, it appears to be not only an effective cardioprotective agent, but is also safe to consume as part of a balanced diet. 

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Chen, H., McGowan, E. M., Ren, N., Lal, S., Nassif, N., Shad-Kaneez, F., Qu, X. and Lin, Y. 2018. Nattokinase: a promising alternative in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Biomarker Insights. 13: 1177271918785130

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Jasmine Tea Polysaccharides

Posted on November 12, 2024 by Robert Barrington

Jasmine tea often refers to a scented form of tea (Camellia sinensis) with flowers from the jasmine plant (Jasminum sambac). However, jasmine can be consumed in isolation or taken with other foods, for example being added to salad greens. Jasmine is grown in Asia and Europe and is a plant known for its medicinal effects. These effects stem from the phytochemicals contained within the plant. Evidence suggests that jasmine contains a number of phytochemical classes including polyphenols such as flavonoids as well as an essential oil containing volatile compounds. In addition, jasmine contains water soluble polysaccharides that are likely present in teas made from the flowers. These polysaccharides have been shown to have free radical scavenging activity, suggesting that they might be antioxidants in humans and animal tissue. Jasmine polysaccharide 1 is comprised of glucose, galactose, rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, and galacturonic acid, whereas jasmine polysaccharide 2 is comprised of galactose, rhamnose, xylose, arabinose, and galacturonic acid. Evidence suggests that jasmine polysaccharides may have hypoglycaemic effects and in this regard may protect islet cells of the pancreas from damage through their free radical scavenging, and may also promote insulin secretion and reduce insulin resistance. 

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Tang, Y., Sheng, J., He, X., Sun, J., Wei, Z., Liu, G., Li, C, Lin, B. and Li, L. 2021. Novel Antioxidant and Hypoglycemic Water-Soluble Polysaccharides from Jasmine Tea. Foods. 10(10)

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The Physiological Effects of Boron

Posted on November 11, 2024 by Robert Barrington

The physiological effects of boron can be evidenced in studies that have investigated the effects of boron deficiencies in humans and animals. For example, in rats, chickens and humans, boron deficiencies have been observed and the symptoms recorded. The main effects of inadequate boron in the diet include abnormal growth and poor bone development. This latter effect is supported by evidence that shows that boron deficiency also causes an increase in calcium excretion. The bone problems associated with boron deficiency are exacerbated by deficiencies of other essential substances required for bone formation including vitamin D. In addition, a low magnesium diet can also exacerbate boron deficiency symptoms, suggesting an interaction between the two minerals. The primary sources of boron for humans are fruits and vegetables. Most fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds are rich in boron and a plant based diet can provide adequate boron, assuming that the boron is present in the plants because they have been grown in mineral rich soils. Some boron is also obtained from drinking water. 

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Devirian, T. A. and Volpe, S. L. 2003. The physiological effects of dietary boron.Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 43(2):219-231

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