Dr. Koz’s Corner

July 19 2021

Beyond Bone Broth – Food Choice and Philosophies – Part 2

In Part One we examined the intriguing and trending dietary practices currently part of our culture which is becoming a more demarcated separation between animal-based food/nutrition sources, those of non-animal base sources in striving for a healthy diet.

Beyond dietary preference, the issue we all face is the challenge of healthy bones, most typically as we age and more common an issue in females.

Underlying Facts and realities regardless of dietary preferences are as follows:

1. Metabolic sensitivity of bone cells are positively responsive to exercise. This is crucial, especially resistance and weight-bearing.

2. Osteoporosis has underlying inflammation as one of the components of its etiology and destructive nature.

3. Nutrient and dietary factors beyond vitamin/mineral supplementation can have positive effects both in protection, prevention, and rehabilitation. These include a number of botanicals and mineral compounds that encourage Osteoblastic activity ( laying down of bone) and have a downregulation effect of osteoclastic activity ( bone remodeling). Very important to realize osteoblastic and osteoclastic balance crucial for a healthy skeletal structure.

4. There are “non-endocrine”, diet-related factors to bone health ( excess phosphoric acid, throws off calcium balance and mineralization, that can develop from too much protein, especially red meat, excessive drinking of phosphoric acid soft drinks).

5. Underlying medical, endocrine conditions, medications, excess drugs, tobacco, alcohol, nutrient inadequacy, and deficiencies.

An extremely crucial component of structural bone tissue is collagen.

Collagen forms the net framework in which within this net, osteocytes reside to do their “thing”– bone mineralization as well as the crucial, constant, and dynamic bone remodeling.

There are different kinds, important forms, and properties of specific structural collagens that are numbered one through five, but the most significant for the bone matrix is Collagen One which we will discuss in more detail.

Another stunning and growing understanding is the role of osteocytes ( osteoblasts, the bone builders, and osteoclasts, the bone remodellers) are not only fundamental in the role of bone health and constant tissue turnover, but also in their fascinating endocrine-like role in the global metabolism of the body!

Specifically, osteoblasts, the bone growers, are the only body cells that produce and secrete a protein compound called OSTEOCALCIN which is closely tied in with the metabolism of glucose, fertility, cognition, other endocrine glands, as well as what we understand for its most publicized function– bone mineralization!

Also in PART THREE, beyond Bone Broth, we will discuss the collagen challenge with those nutraceuticals that will help to facilitate the formation and protection of healthy bone and collagen that’s ideal for us vegans and non-vegans.

June 21 2021

Beyond Bone Broth – Food Choice and Philosophies – Part 1

The motivation, and acceptance of dietary supplements, have well-established, marketable objectives of optimizing our nutrition, overall health, enhancing function and performance of body, specific organs, and now more refined and sophisticated scientifically, various key metabolic, epigenetic, and physiological mechanisms.

In our media-dominant society, an ever-growing impact influencing formulation, strategic use of existing and new ingredients is to recognize and be more sensitive to the conspicuous and growing power and the intersection of underlying dietary philosophies, current health objectives, and preferred food choice practices.

Bone health can exemplify this point very nicely –we cannot divorce ourselves from the forces of dietary philosophies that have a huge interest and consequence for adults in designing products and marketing guidance.

Very apparent, the growing Vegan Evolution, as well as the broader established practices of vegetarianism in our modern culture cannot be underestimated and more appropriately should be called a resurging philosophical food choice and food attitude “revolution”.

It’s rapidly changing the food industry even with the mega-giants such as Coke, Pepsi, fast foods, and it’s celebrity-studded.

Additionally, based on food choices that strictly oppose all animals used as foods or the use of animal food products such as eggs and milk, in strengthening its position and logic, strict Veganism could have significant implications and compelling arguments in the better use of natural resources and its effects on climate by potentially reducing the emission of greenhouse gases.

Most interestingly using “bone-health” as our pivot-point topic, growing exponentially in parallel and contrasting to the rise of veganism is the new marketing and acceptance of various animal products as key, novel ingredients that are also changing the food and cosmetic industry.

Trending and opposing diet philosophies and food plans to veganism such as Paleo, AIP, Gundry, etc liberally prescribe various animal products, meats, and even full-fat grass-fed milk and cheese or butter for optimal healing over a number of their “non-acceptable” list of certain fruits or vegetables that would be perfectly acceptable and encouraged by vegans or vegetarians, such as beans, lentils, wheat, certain nightshade vegetables like potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, citrus, etc.

Aggressive marketing of ingredient byproducts from beef, chicken, or fish, such as tissue-restoration- anti-aging collagens as well as the surge of bone-healthy “bone broths” from these very same animals that would be repugnant to veganism, are rapidly expanding and indirectly influencing dietary supplement strategies as well.

Part Two of “Beyond Bone Broth” will delve into the mechanisms of action of bone health and bone loss and help identify those ingredients that can be protective for vegans and non-vegans as part of a nutritional strategy that could work in conjunction with established pharmacological therapeutics as a “complimentary approach” or if early enough with other essential lifestyle considerations successfully implemented, perhaps obviating the need for pharmaceuticals altogether.

June 2 2021

Body Fat Part 2

From monosaturated dietary fatty acid, oleic acid, the body can synthesize fatty acids ethanolamides such as PEA (Palmitoylethanolamide) and OEA(oleoylethanolamide).

These fatty acid amides have demonstrated, mostly in animal research for OEA and broadly in human research for PEA, being effective as dietary supplement additions in battling obesity and its untoward sequelae.

OEA exposure has been shown to stimulate fatty acid uptake, lipolysis, and β-oxidation, and also promote food intake control, as well as for its positive and protective actions on the pancreatic beta cells, decreasing inflammation and body weight.

Palmitoylethanolamide, PEA, is produced in the body naturally to combat pain and inflammation. Many animals and plants also produce PEA. It also supports our endocannabinoid system helps support our anti-hunger hormone leptin and has significant immune-enhancing properties.

Considering that obesity is an endocrinopathy, PEA’s influence on a number of the metabolic pathways of WAT makes this natural ingredient to be available in higher amounts as a supplement than what the body can create or what the diet can offer.

OEA has ideal compatibility and physiological synergy with its cannabinoid enhancing cousin “PEA” as well as its ease in designing expanded applications with its similar physical properties that make them both excellent for great application versatility from encapsulation to use in functional foods and beverages.

The right kind of fats and fatty acids are essential nutritional components for healthy brain aging–actually at any age. The human brain is nearly 60 percent fat. We’ve learned in recent years that fatty acids are among the most crucial molecules that determine your brain’s integrity and ability to perform.

High carbohydrate diets that sacrifice fats are ironically the antithesis for brain health.

This is an additional reason to include OEA and PEA as part of a smart overall lipid strategy for brain and neurological health.

RECOMMENDED REFERENCES

Ottaviani E, Malagoli D, Franceschi C. The evolution of the adipose tissue: a neglected enigma. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2011;174:1–4. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Bernlohr DA, Jenkins AE, Bennaars AA. Adipose tissue and lipid metabolism. In: Vence JE, Vence D, editors. Biochemistry of lipids, lipoproteins and membranes. 4th ed. Elsevier Science: Amsterdam; 2002. pp. 263–89. [Google Scholar]

Ahima RS, Flier JS. Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2000;11:327–32. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Bès‐Houtmann S, Roche R, Hoareau L et al. Presence of functional TLR2 and TLR4 on human adipocytes. Histochem Cell Biol 2007; 127: 131– 137.

Hoareau L, Ravanan P, Gonthier MP et al. Effect of PEA on LPS inflammatory action in human adipocytes. Cytokine 2006; 34: 291– 296.

Coenen KR, Gruen ML, Chait A, Hasty AH. Diet‐induced increases in adiposity, but not plasma

Xu H, Barnes GT, Yang Q et al. Chronic inflammation in fat plays a crucial role in the development of obesity‐related insulin resistance. J Clin Invest 2003; 112: 1821– 1830.

Weisberg SP, McCann D, Desai M et al. Obesity is associated with macrophage accumulation in adipose tissue. J Clin Invest 2003; 112: 1796– 1808.

Gonthier MP, Hoareau L, Festy F et al. Identification of endocannabinoids and related compounds in human fat cells. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2007; 15: 837– 845.

April 12 2021

Body Fat Part 1

“Adipose tissue (WAT-white adipose tissue) is no longer considered to be an inert tissue that stores fat. This tissue is capable of expanding to accommodate increased lipids through hypertrophy of existing adipocytes and by initiating the differentiation of pre-adipocytes. Adipose tissue metabolism exerts an impact on whole-body metabolism.

As an endocrine organ, adipose tissue is responsible for the synthesis and secretion of several hormones and closely tied into immune system activity through inflammatory process mediators”.

These are active in a range of processes, such as control of nutritional intake (leptin, angiotensin), control of sensitivity to insulin and inflammatory process mediators (tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), resistin, visfatin, adiponectin, among others) and pathways (plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) and acylation stimulating protein (ASP) for example).”. (Marisa Coelho,^1,2 Teresa Oliveira,² and Ruben Fernandes

Arch Med Sci. 2013 Apr 20; 9(2): 191–200. Published online 2013 Feb 10. doi: 10.5114/aoms.2013.33181

WAT has normalizing balancing effects on endocrine system homeostasis and metabolism in general, but if in a dysfunctional hypertrophic phase termed as obesity, it can then be considered an endocrinopathy.

When in this state of tissue excess and imbalance of its own endogenously created hormones, there appears generated an under-recognized low-grade inflammation resulting in chronic activation of the immune system which secondarily can lead to insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, and even diabetes.

Now, more than ever as the population ages, we are recognizing the epidemiological connection between diabetes, obesity, and even dementia.

And bringing this to address the current COVID pandemic, obesity, and diabetes considered as major risk factors for increased risk of morbidity and mortality from this deadly virus.

The key intersection of these three diseases in common is insulin resistance which is described to occur in peripheral tissues in diabetes and obesity and has recently also been to develop in Alzheimer’s disease.

December 2 2020

Sarcopenia Part 2

Dear Friends:

Sarcopenia, as discussed in Part One, means a decline in muscle mass, strength, and physical performance that tend to most typically be associated with aging, but also can happen with disturbances in metabolism, disease, and conditions of malnutrition that centers around mitochondrial dysfunction.

As mentioned in Part One, along with exercise, which is mandatory both for better prevention and rehabilitation, nutritional and even supplements as interventions are crucially important in helping contribute to preventing its development as well as its reversal, especially for less complicated age-related sarcopenia.

However, in more complex syndromes, not necessarily age-related, the management and treatment for underlying disease and a health condition, such as diabetes or even interestingly obesity in rare cases, is crucial.

Therefore, part of the nutritional armamentarium in managing sarcopenia, absolutely nothing can substitute for a good foundational diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables, plenty of hydration since muscle about 90% water, good protein as I will discuss in a moment, and key nutrients such as Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, Zinc, B-Complex, Vitamin E,.

Also could well include the role of several or more super-nutrients that are proving to offer additional efficacy as “epigenetic” facilitators in protecting the mitochondrial genes in our muscle DNA.

Keep in mind, the list of epigenetic facilitators continues to grow with more surprises as we learn and research more natural substances, so what is provided in this article is just a start.

This is important because, as with osteoporosis and osteopenia, as well as sarcopenia, there can be an inflammatory component that is part of the disease syndrome, and mitochondrial dysfunction has a monumental role in the etiology of lean-tissue deterioration because of the down-regulation of key mitochondrial genes in our DNA that can be controlled and largely influenced by its “epigene” ( Epigenetics).

That means. a particular substance, in this case, a “positive-enhancing” nutrient, nutraceutical, or a specifically designed pharmaceutical sits on top of the gene and is a “switch” that will turn off or on that gene let’s say for the better, but there are a number of other means, from toxins, disturbed metabolism, harmful drugs or drug interactions, alcohol, bad dietary decisions, even from lack of exercise, etc, that can provide an “adverse” epigene that can get control and switch on the gene to create a more negative manifestation of that specific gene expression.

Several very specific powerful epigene dietary supplement facilitators are noted below: There are many not mentioned and many still in discovery, but this is a start.

1.Astaxanthin with zinc supplementation noted in the research study:

Effect of long-term dietary astaxanthin intake on sarcopenia

Abstract Conclusions: The AX formulation improved muscle strength and CSA in healthy elderly in addition to the elevation in endurance and walking distance found with exercise training alone. Thus, the AX formulation in combination with a functional training program uniquely improved muscle strength, endurance, and mobility in the elderly.

October 2008

Tairyoku Kagaku. Japanese journal of physical fitness and sports medicine 57(5):541-552

2. PQQ Inhibiting muscle atrophy and help protect against neuromuscular denervation in muscle wasting syndromes ( and upregulated mitochondrial function)

PLoS One. 2015; 10(12): e0143600.

Published online 2015 Dec 8. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143600

3. NAD+ Precursors and Possible NMN in Epi-genetic facilitation in preventing muscle wasting:

Nestle-EpiGen joint sarcopenia study: Mitochondria dysfunction in muscles a key cause of sarcopenia

11-Mar-2020 By Tingmin Koe

A joint study found that mitochondria bioenergetics dysfunction is key in the development of sarcopenia and that the condition could be managed by improving mitochondria function and repair.

4. Quercetin protects against obesity-induced skeletal muscle inflammation and atrophy

PM: 2014;2014:834294.

Ngoc Hoan Le¹, Chu-Sook Kim¹, Taesun Park², Jung Han Yoon Park³, Mi-Kyung Sung⁴, Dong Gun Lee⁵, Sun-Myung Hong¹, Suck-Young Choe¹, Tsuyoshi Goto⁶, Teruo Kawada 6 , Rina Yu 1

5. Selenium:

Another potential nutrient that may positively affect sarcopenia outcomes is selenium. In our review, we included 4 studies that showed a positive association of selenium and muscle mass, physical performance, and sarcopenia. Association of low plasma selenium concentrations with poor muscle strength in older community-dwelling adults:

Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug; 86(2): 347–352.

doi: 10.1093/ajcn/86.2.347

Circling back to protein and exercise, protein intake and physical activity are the main anabolic stimuli for muscle protein synthesis thus significant for sarcopenia and general health.

As optimal dietary protein intake, 1.0 – 1.2 g/kg (body weight)/day with an optimal repartition over each daily meal or 25 – 30 g of high-quality protein per meal were recommended to prevent sarcopenia, which was supported by many studies.

Protein supplementation, protein foods, containing key amino acid in protein, leucine, with vitamin D3 and zinc has been amply investigated to improve muscle quality in sarcopenic people in the must context of a good foundation diet.

In summary, to outline a possible overall additional supplement program inclusive of one or more of the following may prove beneficial to consider with or under professional advisement:

1. Protein sources beyond an essential good and balanced diet: Whey, Pea, Various balanced plant and microbiological proteins such as algae, mushroom, etc, Collagen, HMB, Advanced deodorized agglomerated fish protein

2. Extra Nutrients: Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, Natural tocopherols, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium as magnesium glycinate, trace minerals. B-complex, Vitamin C, and E,

3. Super antioxidants and mitochondrial facilitators: Astaxanthin, PQQ, NAD precursors, Quercetin, selenium ( especially effective as found in a natural grown cruciferous vegetable complex).

Thank you, Dr. Koz

October 15 2020

Sarcopenia – Part 1

Hello Friends, this is the first of two parts on an under-discussed subject call Sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia is an unhealthy condition long-assumed associated and erroneously considered to be an inevitable part of the aging process.

The loss of muscle mass and strength affects balance, gait, and overall ability to perform tasks as well as enjoying daily living. If no positive or corrective measures are taken it can transition into an actual disease that can then affect the health and strength of our bones, overall health, and psychological state.

Researchers are looking for ways in which we can better understand and slow the aging process, specifically in relation to controlling the loss of muscle mass and strength which can also be caused by a more complex series of metabolic, genetic, and immune factors.

For instance, it can manifest in people who are obese, diabetic, serious disease, various drug interactions, as well as adverse volitional or psychological changes in lifestyle activity, nutrition personal care at any age such as anorexia.

Let’s look at some of the ways to help avoid or mitigate this state in its more straight forward, less complex conditions–that is finding ourselves changing as we age, getting more passive and sedentary. First, the very simple and obvious things we can do, for that ironically packs the most punch in our protection and rapid reversal.

1. Exercise! Not only walking and biking which is fantastic, but working upper body that enhances stability and strength. From weights, yoga, pilates, home exercise devices, gardening, etc. Best yet, join a group of your peers doing exercise, hiking, and social activities. This is an absolute must- in daily doing something! Besides, you will feel and look so much better.

2. Eat right! High-quality protein and adequate calories. Best to lower the red meat. Anti-inflammation food choices. That means lots of antioxidant-rich fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, reduced sugar, and alcohol intake. Choose smart oils and fats–especially extra virgin olive oil, moderation of pure butter, coconut oil in food preparations, fish oil, krill oil, Vitamin E, and Vitamin D supplements in particular. Significantly underlying sarcopenia, osteoporosis, or osteopenia, is often chronic, subclinical inflammation. The right foods are your overall best weapons against most inflammatory conditions.

3. Drink water lots of it! As we age, we are more susceptible to silent, chronic, dehydration. It will sneak up on you–it will take on many symptoms that disguises itself as chronic fatigue, difficultly breathing, weakness, even heart symptoms–my experience of not drinking enough had all these events to my dismay even though I am a health nut! Muscle is over 90% water and replenishment of its most important component as well as cleansing our system is of paramount importance. No need to get fancy or expensive versions, just make sure clean, fresh, and filtered best.

4. Cut the smoking! Every wasting disease, especially osteoporosis and sarcopenia associated with excess smoking. From NIH, the following:

“Among male subjects, a positive correlation between current smoking and sarcopenia in obese subjects was identified after adjusting for the confounders. These results suggest that smoking significantly increases the risk of sarcopenia even in non-obese men. Mar 20, 2019″.

Smoking would likely be even more of a risk factor with most women who tend to start with less lean body tissue, bone, and muscle mass and undergo more dramatic hormonal changes in aging.

In my next installment, I will discuss some interesting dietary supplements and findings that may offer additional benefits.

October 15 2020

Nutrigenomics

Dear Friends:

Nutrigenomics refers to studying the effects of nutrients on the expression of an individual’s genetic makeup.

Currently, this definition is broadened to encompass nutritional factors that protect the gene pool from damage as well.

Ultimately, nutrigenomics is concerned with the impact of dietary components on the genome ( the complete set of genes in an organism), the proteome (the sum total of all proteins created within the cell and very relevant to health and the aging process), and the metabolome (the sum of all metabolites produced through metabolism).

As in pharmacogenomics crucial in drug research, where a drug will have diverse impacts on different segments of a population, science recognizes that a population can also be diverse in its response to nutrient interventions–some will respond positively, some may be unresponsive, while others potentially even adversely affected.

This may be why a certain diet or a set of supplements, worked wonders for your friend, but you didn’t lose any weight or improve some aspect of your health. Or why one twin develops Type II diabetes, but the other twin, who made different lifestyle and nutritional choices, doesn’t.

To understand this concept a little better, here are a few definitions to have in place:

Genome means the genetic material that you’re born with–your DNA. This cannot be changed.
Epigenome means the network of chemical compounds that interacts and attaches to a single gene ( thus the prefix “epi”–called SNP). Think of this as a “light switch”, basically “turns on” or “turns off” what the gene will do or not do with its intrinsic DNA and ultimately, how that will be expressed in your health. That specific gene or set of genes, that could possibly be activated or better controlled, that may make you more susceptible to Alzheimer’s, cancer, or heart disease or not, is largely and potentially in one’s hands greater than we realize. That fact we can affect the behavior of the epigenome through diet and other healthy practices is part of the teamwork we have with our DNA–this is of monumental significance in taking greater control of our health and life!
Nutrigenomics being explained again in a slightly different manner below is a field that combines the study of nutrition and gene expression. Note the following:

Mark Hyman describes nutrigenomics from his book: [Ultra-metabolism: the simple plan for automatic weight loss. New York: Atria Books; 2006. p. 24.]

The new science of nutrigenomics teaches us what specific foods tell your genes. What you eat directly determines the genetic messages your body receives. These messages, in turn, control all the molecules that constitute your metabolism: the molecules that tell your body to burn calories or store them. If you can learn the language of your genes and control the messages and instructions they give your body and your metabolism, you can radically alter how food interacts with your body, lose weight, and optimize your health.

Nutrigenomics can help you understand yourself better. Pay close attention to what type of diet, exercise, or supplements work best for you.

This, in turn, will give you the best results, better control, and management, when working towards better health for a better quality of life for you and your family.

It can also potentially translate into greater efficiency and effectiveness when addressing expanded economic national dimensions, even to be part of a preventative and cost-saving strategy in our thinking regarding the ever demanding and challenged national healthcare costs.

October 15 2020

Endocannabinoids – Part 1

Friends:

The many forms of relatively newly discovered endocannabinoids are vital lipid-based molecular compounds that provide multiple key physiological and neurological regulatory functions throughout our body.

These remarkable and crucial molecules create an essential intercellular communication system, called ECS (Endocannabinoid System) responsible for activating key receptor sites in the gut, muscles, brain and nervous system, that regulate and balance many physiological processes, including appetite, memory, mood, pain thresholds, fertility, immune functions, metabolism and inflammation.

Though there are a number of variant structural analogs of the major endogenous endocannabinoids, there are two primary endocannabinoid receptors in our body tissues that have been identified: CB1, first cloned in 1990; and CB2, cloned in 1993.

CB1 receptors are found predominantly in the brain and nervous system, as well as in peripheral organs and tissues, is the main molecular target of the endogenous endocannabinoid anandamide ( synthesized by our body from the essential dietary sourced fatty acid arachidonic acid—abundant in egg yolk, butter, fish, various algae, meats, not usually present in significant amounts in higher plants ), as well as its mimetic phytocannabinoid ( plant derived counterpart), THC.

The other main endocannabinoid is 2-arachidonoglycerol (2-AG), which is active at both cannabinoid receptors, along with its own mimetic spectrum of various plant-based derived cannabinoids simply and collectively called “full spectrum” CBD.

ECS (Endocannabinoid System) is essential for our homeostasis–the stability and health of our internal physiological environment. For example, if we are subjected to internal organ instability, or a trauma, such as pain from an injury, or a fever, that throws off our body’s homeostasis, our internal ECS kicks in to help our systems return to its ideal operation.

Today, experts believe that maintaining homeostasis is the primary role of the ECS–in a sense, like an orchestral conductor of a big symphony, it holds together and fine tunes all the physiological moving parts that needs to move together in a synergistic and coordinated manner.

October 15 2020

Endocannabinoids – Part 2

Friends:

The ECS (Endocannabinoid System) is essential for life, though ironically, our understanding and the explosion of world-wide active research, is relatively new when compared with our study of other physiological systems.

As we age, deal with stress , have the desire for a more active life , the seeking of greater bodily and mental comfort, finding ways to better defy aging and heal faster, fight killer and chronic diseases, the role of the ECS, and having a lifestyle strategy for its support, is a major personal cornerstone for more optimal health and disease prevention.

Before explaining CBD, that can supply plant counterparts to our endogenous cannabinoids, there are the very simple fundamentals that actually have the most profound impact building the platform of overall health and optimize the functional capabilities of our ECS.

What can this possibly be?

Well, so simple, its ordinary and familiar–it comes down to good quality, adequate sleep, plenty of stress-reducing exercise, especially resistance training, a natural based diet profusely rich with fruits, vegetables, herbs , spices, smart fats and lipids, keeping yourself inspired and happy–seems like this fits most health strategies and for good reason!.

What is CBD (Cannabidiol Hemp Oil)?

Within the swiftly growing cannabis oil industry is a new category of products seeing its own equally rapid rise in popularity: cannabidiol hemp oil, or CBD hemp oil.

CBD hemp oil is made from high-CBD, low-THC hemp, unlike medical marijuana products, which are usually made from plants with high concentrations of psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

What is in cannabidiol?

“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid discovered in 1940. It is one of some 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants and accounts for up to 40% of the plant’s extract. ”

Because hemp naturally contains only trace amounts of THC, which is actually considered essential for its optimal effect and activity, these hemp oil products in normal or even large dosages for most people are non-psychoactive, while still offering significant health benefits that are found to include the potential in effectively treating refractory epilepsy and antineoplastic activity.

How is it metabolized?

THC and CBD are metabolized in the liver by a number of cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, including CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4. They may be stored for as long as four weeks in the fatty tissues from which they are slowly released at sub-therapeutic levels back into the blood stream and metabolized via the renal and biliary systems. The main primary metabolite of CBD is 7-hydroxy-cannabidiol.

What are the forms of CBD and ways of administration?

CBD-based products come in many forms. Some can be mixed into different foods or drinks or taken with a pipette or dropper.

Others are available in capsules or as a thick paste to be massaged or applied for transdermal delivery on to the skin. Some products are available as sprays to be administered under the tongue.

There are natural full spectrum forms of CBD and now synthetic which may be more vulnerable to regulatory issues than full spectrum. Also, full spectrum has hundreds of different forms of CBD analogs found naturally in hemp in which scientists are just beginning to understand its various roles in influencing health engendering gene expression.

Recommended dosages can vary greatly between individuals, depend on factors such as body weight, as well as the concentration and quality of the specific CBD product.

Interestingly, what foods help support ECS?

Some foods can actually boost anandamide levels, and some foods can slow down the degradation of cannabinoids by the FAAH enzyme that degrades it. Here is an interesting list of just a few:

Pure Dark Chocolate affects the anandamide levels in two ways: First, it increases and sensitizes the number of available endocannabinoid receptors that can be triggered by anandamide and, second, it diminishes levels of FAAH enzyme that destroys it. Perhaps that is why chocolate cravings become more pronounced with some women during their monthly menstrual cycles!

Black Truffles Different from chocolate, which influences the ECS in more subtle and indirect ways, black truffles actually contain small amounts the anandamide compound, and when eaten, they directly increase the levels of this endocannabinoid in the body.

Kaempferol This antioxidant phenolic compound is found in many fruits and vegetables, such as apples, grapes, onions, potatoes, tomatoes ,broccoli, coffee and beer from the hops. Besides being a powerful antioxidant and reducing oxidative stress, kaempferol also inhibits the synthetization of FAAH enzyme, thus prolonging the duration and effect of anandamide.

Omega 3 and Essential Fatty Acids Consuming these polyunsaturated fatty acids found as sources in fish oil, krill oil, hemp , flax seeds and for the essential fatty acid arachidonic from egg yolk, meats, various forms of algae, fish, butter, etc., has been shown to enhance the vigilance, synthesis, and steadiness of the ECS as well as being the substrates in the creation of cannabinoid compounds by our body.

What are some of the ingredients available from GCI Nutrients for product formulations addressing the ECS in helping to support its health and vitality?

Key ones, but there are many more:

PEA (N-palmitylethanolamide)
Omega-3 Fish Oils
Hops
Broccoli Sprout Powder (and cruciferous vegetables in general)
Red Raspberry Powder
Black Pepper
Green and Black Tea
Rhodiola
Kava Kava
Tumeric
Cinnamon
MCT Oil
Algal actives

As a general summary recommendation, supplementation should be secondary to a broad and healthy consumption and food sources of natural oils, lipids, fatty acids, spices, herbs, and for optimal health, a central focus and emphasis on primarily a plant-based diet.

October 15 2020

Introducing the Microbiome and its Capabilities – Part 1

Dear Friends:

Here’s something to think about.

If we consider our physical human body that’s contained within our human form, is the sum of our cells, remarkably, we all would have to claim in being slightly less than half-human! Why?

For the 30 trillion cells or so that make our bodies with our DNA, there are even more metabolically active, health-crucial bacterial cells in our GI tract called the “microbiome” with their own DNA–not ours, but still profoundly interacting with ours as the host.

Humans have co-evolved with the trillions of microbes that we need in a complex adaptive ecosystem relationship that is finely balanced and tuned to help define and even change or influence host physiology and health status.

The gut-biome has been referred to as the “forgotten organ”.

However, like your fingerprints, each of us have our own unique profile and composition that consists of various vacillating ratios of potentially a couple of thousand different species and subspecies of gut bacteria.

More and more research indicate that this relationship is immensely impactful on our immune system and metabolism, not only helping to influence our body composition and vitality, but even affecting our brain chemistry, skin health, protection against toxins, and mental health.

Amazingly, as an example, first observed in rat studies, some relatively recent research demonstrates that if certain characteristic strains of gut bacteria from a “skinny” subject, is transplanted as the microbiome donor into an obese subject’s GI tract, the accepting subject with the implanted microbiome can actually change and convert its cellular metabolism and ultimately body composition.

Also, vice versa.

How does this happen?

It’s being intensely researched in trying not only to better understand this remarkable phenomenon but also a way in finding new strains of probiotics that offer unique health and metabolic contributions to the host that can be important in diabetes and other forms of chronic degenerative diseases.

The transference of characteristics seems to be coming from the messenger RNA from various species strains within the microbiome to the host that can influence the kinds of gene expression of intracellular proteins that largely impact a cell’s biochemistry and metabolism.

Human twin data provide additional evidence to support the hypothesis that the classes of microbiome species impact host energetics.

Using 16S rRNA data from both monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs, Turnbaugh and colleagues (2009), found greater than 300 microbial genes associated with obesity-related manifestation to the relative abundance and shift in the bacterial classifications of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. This shift appears to be associated with obesity in mice that can influence carbohydrate and other metabolic pathway activity and is being studied now in humans.

Our earliest bacterial flora ratios happen most optimally through the event of vaginal birthing as the initial source of inoculation and further supported through nursing.

From then on, it’s largely in our hands to enhance, maintain, ignore or abuse our incredible microbiome balance based on our diet, level of stress, medications, drugs, physical activity, ingestion of toxins, and lifestyle decisions.

A core and varied plant-based diet rich in botanical actives, fiber, fruits, vegetables, grains, essential fats, and lipids, is very vital to a healthy microbiome and also helps to keep the role of the gut endocannabinoid system healthy, which is of crucial importance to the health and vitality of one’s immune system.

Coupling these above dietary recommendations with a smart supplement program, including probiotics and prebiotics, can make for an excellent baseline strategy to better optimize your microbiome throughout your life.