26/08/2020
Metabolic Health
Metabolism could be defined as the sum of all the chemical reactions that take place within each cell of a living organism and that provide energy for vital living processes. It relates to every chemical process of every single cell in your body. Proper cell function produces proper endocrine function. The endocrine system regulates the hormones released by internal glands of an organism directly into the circulatory system, regulating distant target organs. In humans, the major endocrine glands are the thyroid gland and the adrenal glands. In vertebrates, the hypothalamus is the neural control center for all endocrine systems. Hormones control the function of entire organs, affecting such diverse processes as growth and development, reproduction, and sexual characteristics.
Hormones also influence the way the body uses and stores energy and control the volume of fluid and the levels of salts and sugar (glucose) in the blood. The endocrine system has three basic functions, regulate metabolic functions of the body, regulate rate of chemical reactions in various cells, and to influence the ability of substances to transport themselves through cell membranes. The energy required by the endocrine system to manage these processes come from the mitochondria in form of ATP. Proper cellular and endocrine functions will support health at a systemic level.
What is homeostasis? Some dictionaries defined it as a state of equilibrium that is maintained by different self-regulating processes. The cells and organs in our body use homeostasis to regulate different functions in our body. For example, the kidneys maintain homeostasis in the body by regulating the amount of salt and water excreted. Each cell of our body uses homeostasis to regenerate (keep it young) and to assist in the conversion of food into energy (metabolism).
What means to be metabolic healthy? If your homeostasis (as those regulated by the endocrine system) and metabolism processes are working well, you could be considered a healthy person. People want to live a healthy life free of diseases and full of energy to enjoy the day to day life. We can correlate the fact of a good metabolic health with a person that have ideal levels of blood sugar, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference without using medications. These factors directly relate to a person’s risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. The AACR has mentioned that individuals who are overweight or obese are at increased risk for several types of cancer such as colorectal, endometrial, gallbladder, and kidney cancers.
The process of converting food into energy is a metabolic function. The mitochondria are small structures that produce energy in almost all your cells in form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the chemical fuel needed for most metabolic processes. They make it by combining oxygen with the fuel molecules (sugars and fats) that come from your food. During this process carbon dioxide, water and some free radicals are also produced. The excessive production of free radicals could cause damaged in our homeostatic and metabolic systems. Eating more healthy fats and reducing glucose ingestion will control the production of these free radicals.
One way to measure energy requirements and consumption is through the term calories. The small calorie or gram calorie is the amount of heat energy needed to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius (or one kelvin). You will require certain number of calories to maintain your energy requirements. How much you will need depends on many factors such as the level of activity and type of nutrients ingested. Unused calories will be stored in your body as fat. The best calories for mitochondria will camo from good food.
So, what we need to do to become metabolic healthy? The short answer is to keep a healthy mitochondrion. Healthy mitochondria will ensure that our homeostatic and metabolic processes are working as God designed it. A healthy mitochondrion is kept through proper nutrition (nutrients & food) and a balanced lifestyle.
Healthy mitochondria will require adequate levels of the substrates and coenzymes necessary for energy production:
• B vitamins – the different B vitamins all play a key role in mitochondrial function and energy production, and a deficiency in any may contribute to dysfunction.
• Carnitine (L-carnitine or acetyl-L-carnitine) – this nutrient is crucial for beta-oxidation, or the breakdown of fatty acids into energy. Carnitine aids in the transport of acyl Co-A, the end product of fat breakdown that enters the beta-oxidation process to become acetyl-CoA, which is used in the Krebs cycle to create ATP energy, across mitochondrial membranes. Beta-oxidation is a key component of energy homeostasis, as fatty acids are an important energy source for anyone, not just those who consume a lot of fat. A mouse study found that supplementing with L-carnitine led to upregulation of beta-oxidation and prevented the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Another mouse study found that taking acetyl-L-carnitine reduced the negative impact of arsenic, including improving mitochondrial function and reducing oxidative stress.
• CoQ10 – a lipophilic molecule that sits in the membrane and acts as an electron carrier in the complexes that are part of oxidative phosphorylation. It also acts as an antioxidant and has a few other functions. CoQ10 is one of the more studied supplements for mitochondrial support. In one cell study, human corneal epithelial cells that had been damaged by UVB radiation had a better rate of survival as well as retaining mitochondrial function when treated with CoQ10. The treated cells also experienced no decline in the production of ATP.
• Creatine – creatine acts as a buffer from ATP and helps to shuffle the high-energy phosphates from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm.
Another key category of mitochondrial nutrients is antioxidants. As discussed, these helps maintain a balance between the ROS production and antioxidant capacity to prevent and reduce oxidative stress and associated dysfunction and disease. Some of the key antioxidants researched in combination with mitochondrial health include:
• ALA (alpha-lipoic acid) – a combination of ALA, creatine, and CoQ10 has been found to benefit energy production.
• Carotenoids (lycopene)
• Glutathione – key intercellular antioxidant
• Melatonin – this hormone is a potent antioxidant
• NAC (n-acetyl cysteine) – precursor for glutathione synthesis
• Polyphenols – Quercetin, resveratrol, hydroxytyrosol (found in olives and olive oil) –modulate mitochondrial biogenesis supporting ATP synthesis
• Proanthocyanidins – additional antioxidant phytochemicals
• Selenium – in the right balance, selenium protects against oxidative stress. However, excessive selenium may cause a problem.
• Vitamin C – another key antioxidant to protect against oxidative stress.
• Vitamin E – in a mouse study, vitamin E supplementation, especially alongside CoQ10 supplementation, led to a decrease in age-associated functional impairments as well as a reduction in the carbonyl content in the mitochondria of the brain, liver, and skeletal muscle in those supplemented with either CoQ10 or the combination of the two.
• Zinc – zinc plays a role alongside calcium in mitochondrial redox regulation in addition to being an important antioxidant. However, like selenium, excessive zinc may contribute to oxidative stress.
There are also some key lifestyle factors important for the overall health of the mitochondria. Some of the main ones to consider are:
• Exercise
• Intermittent fasting and caloric restriction
• Ketogenic diet – the ketogenic diet has been shown to decrease the number of ROS and other free radicals created by the mitochondria.
• Lower stress levels
• Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins
There are some studies pointing to some herbs and substances that may also help with mitochondrial health:
• Curcumin (turmeric) – prevents mitochondrial dysfunction in the brain
• Taurine – regulates mitochondrial protein synthesis, which then enhances the capacity of the electron transport chain and protects against oxidative stress
• Yerba Mate – stimulates biogenesis of mitochondria
• Green Tea – mitochondrial biogenesis
We all know now how we could live a better and longer life free of diseases and full of energy. God designed it this way but is the human that has change what we eat and how we live.
Unicity provides all the necessary nutrients for a healthy mitochondrion. Some of these products are:
Matcha (green tea)
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Unimate
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