– Rhodiola rosea is an adaptogenic herb that helps support the body’s management of stress

– Rhodiola may aid cognitive function, work capacity, and perceptions of exertion

– Rhodiola can be taken in the morning to help cortisol release

What Is Rhodiola Rosea?

Rhodiola rosea is a perennial flowering plant—an herb—that grows in cold, mountainous areas of Europe and Asia. It is considered an adaptogen—a plant that contains compounds that help support the body’s management of stress. In eastern and northern Europe, rhodiola has been used as a traditional medicine for centuries.

To understand how rhodiola works, you need to know about cortisol, a stress hormone produced by the adrenal glands. Cortisol levels are naturally higher in the morning. According to Craig Koniver, M.D., founder of Koniver Wellness, a performance medicine clinic in Charleston, SC, this is a holdover from caveman times, when humans woke up with the sunrise and immediately set out for food and shelter. “That required our highest concentration, arousal, and alertness,” says Koniver, “and that’s what cortisol release gives you.” So, while cortisol is associated with stress, it’s not necessarily bad. At the right time of day, that stress is appropriate, and it helps you focus and be productive.

As the day goes on and the sun goes down, cortisol levels are supposed to drop so that you can relax and recover, but for many people these days, this doesn’t happen to the extent that it should. Interacting with electronics, such as the TV and cell phone, cause us to produce more cortisol, and that keeps us in a stressed state throughout the day and into the night. All day long-stress is unhealthy, and can really tax your adrenal glands.

“Adaptogens support the output of cortisol,” says Koniver. “They nurture the adrenals so they don’t have to work as hard.” Coupled with better nighttime habits (such as turning the TV off, leaving your phone outside your bedroom, etc.), adaptogens like rhodiola can ease the demand on your adrenal system, and help you get more out of the natural cortisol spike you experience in the morning.

“Rhodiola, in particular, is a good choice when people are feeling worn out,” says Koniver. “If you wake up and you don’t feel refreshed, rhodiola can be helpful,” promoting the alertness and cognition effect that cortisol offers. 

Benefits of Rhodiola

Rhodiola is thought to be beneficial for managing overall stress and aiding athletic performance.

A study in Phytotherapy Research had 101 subjects take rhodiola for four weeks, and assessed their stress levels through a battery of tests. All the tests showed that rhodiola assisted with stress to a clinically relevant degree—and some subjects saw results after only three days. No serious adverse effects were reported. However, the study was not blinded. That means the subjects knew they were taking rhodiola, and that could have affected the findings.

Another trial in Phytomedicine looked at rhodiola’s effect on young, healthy doctors working night shifts. Subjects were given tests to determine the effect working late nights had on their energy and cognitive function, including short-term memory, ability to concentrate, and speed of audio-visual perception. This time, the trial was done double-blinded, meaning that neither the doctor subjects nor the researchers knew who was getting rhodiola versus a placebo. The result: rhodiola helped with mental weariness and aided performance on work-related tasks by 20%.

A similar study, also published in Phytomedicine, examined 161 military cadets on night duty. They were given rhodiola to see if it helped them battle tiredness. Though the subjects were given two different doses, both were found to be effective in supporting the cadets’ cognitive processing.

A third Phytomedicine study had students take rhodiola during a stressful exam period. They reported less mental stress, better sleep patterns, and greater motivation to study.

As for athletic performance, rhodiola seems to hold promise for those engaging in long-duration exercise. A study in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism showed that rhodiola aided work capacity in subjects performing endurance training. It actually helped them extend their time to exhaustion by 24 seconds.

Moreover, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research reported a trial in which subjects performed a simulated cycling race and, when given rhodiola, completed it significantly faster than the placebo group.

While rhodiola may aid performance by helping to manage stress on the heart, it also seems to alter the exerciser’s perceived level of exertion. In other words, you may be pushing yourself hard, but it doesn’t feel so hard to you, and so you can push even harder, keeping your pace up for longer. Such were the findings of this Journal of Sports Medicine study.

Is Rhodiola a Stimulant?

Technically, rhodiola is a stimulant, because it helps fight off tired feelings. Rhodiola is thought to work by stimulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin, which help regulate cognitive processes, arousal, and perception. According to Mental Health America, it may also promote the effects of other stimulants, such as caffeine.

However, that said, rhodiola is an unusual stimulant in that it does not seem to increase the heart rate and blood pressure, or decrease appetite, as most stimulants do. “Instead of increasing activity of the central nervous system like [well-known] stimulants do, it helps the body better adapt its response to stress-inducing events,” says Shannon Ehrhardt, RD, CSSD, a Sports Dietitian with EXOS.

Nevertheless, Koniver recommends taking rhodiola in the morning, to support cortisol levels. “If you take it in the evening,” he says, “you could potentially elevate cortisol when it should be on its way down.”

Who Should Take Rhodiola?

Rhodiola appears to be safe and at least mildly effective in normal, healthy populations. It may be beneficial to endurance athletes, those who exercise, and virtually anyone who wants help managing stress that impairs function.

“I think it’s smart for people to rotate adaptogens, or take time off from them,” says Koniver, “because you can adapt to them with consistent use. I often tell patients to take their herbal supplements during the week, and then take weekends off from them. You’ll get more out of them that way, long-term.”

Side effects of rhodiola use, if any, seem to be mild, and, according to the National Institutes of Health, include dizziness and dry mouth. A review in Phytomedicine concluded that a lack of “adverse effects in the course of clinical trials make [rhodiola] potentially attractive for use” in helping with lethargy and supporting cognition and mood.

The post Benefits of Rhodiola Rosea: Is It Right For Me? appeared first on Onnit Academy.

In fact, the total number of foreign microbial cells in the human body is roughly equivalent to the number of human cells. The human body is like any other ecosystem – the survival of one species is dependent upon the functions of many others.

The variety foreign microbial cells throughout our bodies serve to maintain healthy daily processes and a growing body of evidence suggests that they play a major role in our moods and cognitive processes.

Diverse species of bacteria, fungi and yeast reside on every square centimeter of skin exposed to the outside world. Every crevice and fold of our skin are tiny habitats that foster the life of bacteria like staph and streptococcus, surviving symbiotically by producing antimicrobial substances that ward off more pathogenic invaders.

Internally, the bacteria that occupy the lower parts of our gastrointestinal tracts aid in digestion. These bacteria live in us and work for us every day recycling waste and protecting delicate tissue that could easy be overtaken by microbes with more malicious intent.

These microbes also work on our behalf beyond local symbiosis, elicitingwidespread influences on human health and behavior. The development of immunity, metabolism and body type, and even cognitive development and functioning have all been linked to relative health of bacteria in the GI tract.

Elegant animal studies have highlighted these relationships, which has since spurred a wave of funding by groups like the National Institute of Health (NIH), giving millions of dollars to the studying the “mind-gut-brain” axis.

Despite the growing research initiative, illuminating a causal link that microbiota are responsible for other realms of human health has been challenging, as many of the relationships between gut health and overall well being are not immediately evident.

The Mind-Gut Connection

The relationship between the mind and the gut may not seem obvious until we take a moment to examine our most common cognitive states in relation to the functioning of our digestive system.

Anxiety and nervousness are both feelings that can manifest throughout the body and often localize to the belly. This connection is facilitated by a large interconnected body of nervous tissue, known as the enteric nervous system.

The enteric nervous system is responsible for initiating the rhythmic peristaltic movement of the gut, as well as relaying important signals to and from the brain.

The basic sensations of hunger, pain and satiety are examples of signals that require efficient bidirectional communication between the enteric nervous system and the brain.

These signals are strong enough to drive behavior necessary for survival and subsequently influence mood and affect.

The mind-gut connection becomes more complex when the role of microbes is considered. The initial colonization of the gut during infancy is likely to have the most profound influence on developmental processes.

As an example, a study that compared mice born by cesarean section to those delivered vaginally showed distinctly different mircobiomes that correlated with differences in behavior (1).

Mice born by cesarean section with sterile microbiota were significantly more anxious and showed more depressive symptoms during development compared to the vaginally delivered mice with microbiota passed on from their mother.

Other studies have shown similar results by wiping out gut bacteria and studying the resulting behavior. This research found that both gut infections and the antibiotic treatment used to resolve those infections can induce cognitive impairments (2).

Eliminating our natural gut microbiota reduces circulating lipid metabolites and neuronal signaling molecules known to be instrumental in dynamic cognitive processes, including memory formation (3).

The mechanisms by which gut flora influence mood and shape personality remain largely undescribed. The chemical byproducts of certain bacterial species are hypothesized to be large contributors.

For example, two species of gut bacteria are known to produces the anxiolytic neurotransmitter, GABA, which may influence the brain through the vagus nerve (4).

The knowledge base of the adult gut microbiome is growing exponentially. In 1978, the diarrhea producing illness, pseudomembranous colitis, was shown to be caused by the colonization of the virulent bacteria C. difficile in the gut following eradication of normal gut flora by antibiotics.

This highlighted the importance of normal gut bacteria and initiated an effort to improve the natural protective lining through fecal transplantation (5). In this procedure, individuals who have suffered from recurrent

Pseudomembranous colitis may elect to utilize the living contents in waste from screened, healthy humans. Though now widely implemented with successful results reported in many studies, the regulation of the therapy continues to be a challenge for the FDA and the use is confined to recurrent pseudomembranous colitis.

Probiotics & Gut Health

Fortunately there are easier, less invasive ways to improve one’s microbiota. Probiotics are forms of bacteria and yeast that confer benefits to the digestive tract. Many food products, such as yogurt and kombucha, contain living cultures that take up residence in the GI tract.

Encapsulated probiotic supplements are also teeming with similar health benefits that can directly influence individuals microbiomes. Probiotics are effective in preventing the inoculation of harmful bacteria, reducing the need for antibiotics and averting associated cognitive dysfunctions.

Administration of probiotics has also been shown to directly influence psychological processes in human studies. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, volunteers who took probiotics for 30 days significantly alleviated factors of psychological distress, exhibiting decreased symptoms of anxiety, depression and anger (6).

The relationship between a sound mind and a healthy gut is becoming clearer each day. The reliance upon healthy microbiota and the influence on widespread functional processes, such as mood and personality, demonstrate the complexity of the dynamic ecosystem of the human body.

As genomic sequencing accelerates and research on the mind-brain-gut axis grows, we will yield to an age of personalized health information useful in determining microbiota insufficiencies with specific remedies.

Until that time arrives, a diet rich with living cultures and probiotics are ideal to foster the life of the inner gut and keep the mind in harmony.

References

1. Clarke G, O’mahony SM, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. Priming for health: gut microbiota acquired in early life regulates physiology, brain and behaviour. Acta Paediatr. 2014;103(8):812-9

2. Gareau MG, Wine E, Rodrigues DM, et al. Bacterial infection causes stress-induced memory dysfunction in mice. Gut. 2011;60(3):307-17.

3. Fröhlich EE, Farzi A, Mayerhofer R, et al. Cognitive Impairment by Antibiotic-Induced Gut Dysbiosis: Analysis of Gut Microbiota-Brain Communication. Brain Behav Immun. 2016;

4. Bravo JA, Forsythe P, Chew MV, et al. Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerve. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2011;108(38):16050-5.

5. Allegretti JR, Korzenik JR, Hamilton MJ. Fecal microbiota transplantation via colonoscopy for recurrent C. difficile Infection. J Vis Exp. 2014;(94)

6. Messaoudi M, Lalonde R, Violle N, et al. Assessment of psychotropic-like properties of a probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Bifidobacterium longum R0175) in rats and human subjects. Br J Nutr. 2011;105(5):755-64.

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When you act illogically, people say you’re on “crazy pills.” When you act foolishly, they ask, “Did you take stupid pills this morning?” But when you’re really on your game, express yourself eloquently, or have a creative stroke of genius, nobody ever accuses you of being on “smart pills.” That’s because, of course, smart pills don’t exist.

Sort of.

Nothing is going to make you into a genius overnight, but what if there really was something you could take that could fire up your brainpower, enhance your ability to store and recall information, and put you into a flow state so that you could do your best work without distraction?

The nootropic Alpha BRAIN is that something, and clinical research shows it.

The Study

In 2016, the results and methodologies from Alpha BRAIN’s clinical trial were accepted and published by the Journal of Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental. The study was randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, and conducted by the Boston Center for Memory. It assigned 63 participants to take either one serving of Alpha BRAIN or a placebo for 45 days. Subjects were evaluated before and after the supplementation period using validated neuropsychological assessments.

The Subjects

“The target demographic we were looking to enroll was exactly who [the product] was being marketed to,” says Todd Solomon, Ph.D., the trial’s director. Specifically, healthy 18 to 35-year-old males and females with above average educations and IQ scores. “More than 50% had a bachelor’s degree or some college,” says Solomon.

The Methods

The subjects were split into two groups. One was given two capsules of Alpha BRAIN (the same recommended dosage Onnit prescribes to customers) while the control received a placebo. Both groups were then put through a battery of different neurocognitive tests. The evaluations looked at different aspects of cognition, from verbal memory to visual memory, short- and long-term memory, executive functioning, processing speed, and attentional tasks.

“We tried to isolate different areas of cognition,” says Solomon. “The verbal memory tests had to do with being able to remember a list of words after a short and then long delay.” The visual memory tests had the subjects look at shapes and then try to recreate them from memory later on. To test their attention, the men and women were given maze puzzles to solve and arithmetic problems. “These are all well-known, well-validated neuropsychological tasks,” Solomon says.

The Results

There were no noticeable differences in cognitive performance between the two groups at the beginning of the study. After 45 days, both groups showed improvement, but gains in the Alpha BRAIN group were statistically more significant than the placebo.

Specifically, those who took Alpha BRAIN improved their ability to recall a list of words recited to them 20 minutes earlier, thereby boosting their delayed verbal recall. The Alpha BRAIN group also significantly outperformed the placebo group in a test that asks participants to draw a line connecting alternating numbers and letters in sequence as quickly as possible. Faster completion times reflect better executive function, or a set of higher cognitive processes that rely upon attention, memory, inhibition,  and mental flexibility. “The subjects were able to control or parse the information they were getting from the tests better than their counterparts,” says Solomon. “They were less impulsive.”

Onnit CEO Aubrey Marcus commented, “To see our Alpha BRAIN trial published in a major journal is a significant milestone. To know that the results and methodologies of the study were validated through the rigorous peer-review process supports a scientific opinion that we are offering the absolute best nootropic supplement utilizing earth-grown nutrients in existence. Onnit will continue its mission to provide primary, peer-reviewed research on all of its flagship formulas.”

No significant side effects were reported in either study group, and study compliance was high, indicating overall good tolerability with daily Alpha BRAIN use. Furthermore, there were no differences in sleep quality between the two groups.

An abstract of the study with the full study link can be viewed HERE.

What an Alpha Brain Looks Like

In addition to the neuropsychological assessment, a compelling biomarker was added to the study protocol. A subset of the subjects were recruited to participate in electroencephalographic (EEG) brain recording—a measure of brain activity.

The recordings were done at three different times: baseline, one hour after the subjects’ first dose, and after the full 45-day study period. This way, the brain activity from a single dose could be compared to prolonged supplementation.

Remarkably, those taking Alpha BRAIN exhibited statistically faster processing speed and greater response detection amplitudes after both a single dose and at 45 days compared to their placebo counterparts. This data was presented separately and recently published as an abstract in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, available HERE.

Solomon commented, “Having the manuscript of the study accepted in a peer-reviewed journal further validates not only the result of the study, but the scientific rigor that was utilized.”

Onnit’s contribution to the scientific literature sets a precedent for the nutritional supplement industry.

The data has attracted the attention of various researchers with new scopes of study, such as the US Army and the Alzheimer’s Association. Onnit will continue to fund research that is valuable to both consumers of Onnit products and the larger scientific community.

Who Can Benefit From Alpha BRAIN?

Most people consume coffee to heighten their focus and alertness, but many can’t handle the side effects. Because Alpha BRAIN is not a stimulant, the jitters and anxiety that often accompany caffeine use don’t apply. If you’ve been looking for something to replace coffee in your morning routine, or at least help you cut back on it, Alpha BRAIN could be your substitute.

And you won’t need nearly as much of it to get the desired effects. While you may require two or more cups of coffee to feel like yourself, the brain scans showed that Alpha BRAIN took effect with a single dose. It’s not habit-forming either.

Since Alpha BRAIN was specifically shown to help subjects recall words, it’s a no brainer that you should take it before studying for any test that has a language component (say, the SAT’s?), and then again before taking the exam. The same goes if you’re giving a speech or a presentation. If you usually find yourself getting tongue-tied (especially in front of large groups of judgmental eyes), Alpha BRAIN can help you find the right words without a lot of pauses and “ums” in between.

If you’re a writer, musician, or other creative type, you know how frustrating it is to get in “the zone” and then have your concentration shattered by some interruption—be it cars outside your window or even your own wandering mind. Alpha BRAIN promotes flow states, so you can buckle your mind down and keep the creative juices flowing until your project is complete.

The post Alpha Brain Clinical Study Results Published in Scientific Journal appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Even in 1919, scientists understood that the food we ingest dramatically affects our physiology.

The Western diet has become increasingly acidic throughout the years, especially with the advent of agriculture.

Grains have become a staple, and fast meals that are high in protein and dairy and low in fruits and vegetables are now characteristic of the typical Western diet.

The changing composition of the modern diet is slowly influencing the composition of the human body, starting with pH.

What is pH and its Physiological Significance?

Potential Hydrogen or pH, as it’s more commonly known, is a number between 1 and 14 that indicates the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, with seven being neutral. Hydrogen ions in excess cause a solution to become acidic, lowering pH, and removal of hydrogen from a solution, leads to an alkaline state. This means, the lower the number, the more acidic the solution, and the converse is true for a pH greater than seven.

The human body has different pH levels dependent upon the region. For example, the optimal blood pH is approximately 7.35-7.451, whereas the pH of the stomach is around 1, and the pH of the entire intestinal tract ranges from 6.3 to 7.52. pH differs based upon the function of a particular region.

Enzymes are pH-sensitive proteins that perform various duties, like breaking down macronutrients (sugars, fats, and proteins) into micronutrients (minerals, vitamins and amino acids). If the pH deviates from the enzyme-specific range, food cannot be broken down completely or efficiently, and metabolic mayhem will ensue.

Keeping the pH consistent in the body is a team-effort between the pancreas, lungs, and kidneys. Together, these organ systems are continuously filtering minerals in and out of the blood in order to buffer the pH. The pancreas releases the body’s most plentiful buffer, bicarbonate, to help neutralize acids in the intestines.

The bicarbonate binds a hydrogen ion, forming a new compound, which is eventually broken down into water and carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 is released into the blood where it travels to the lungs and is quickly expelled through exhalation. (3,5).

It is the job of the kidneys to filter out the rest of the acidic compounds all while recycling and generating bicarbonate. For example, sulfate, phosphate, and chloride are acidic components of food that must be removed from the body through urine in an intricate filtering process that utilizes sodium. (4,5).

The kidney also uses a second filtering process specific to protein digestion. The natural breakdown of protein requires removal of a nitrogen group that, when freed from the rest of the protein structure, results in ammonia. The ammonia then goes through a series of reactions enabling urinary excretion as ammonium; (3,1) this process is referred to as the urea cycle.

What Happens When the Body Becomes too Acidic?

Maintaining an optimal pH is a regulatory system heavily influenced by diet. In healthy individuals, dietary acid content will determine the amount of acid that must be removed via the filtering processes described above. (4).

When a diet contains substantially more acidic foods than alkaline, such as in the typical Western diet, a condition called acidosis may occur. The state of acidosis is determined by comparing daily dietary acid intake to net excretion of acid – meaning, if the acid intake is higher than the output, the result is acidosis. (4).

Not having sufficient dietary alkaline intake prevents the kidneys from doing their job: recycling and regenerating bicarbonate fast enough to buffer the acidic load. When the kidneys can’t work sufficiently, the reserves of buffering agents get used up, and there is nothing left to stop the progression into acidosis. (4,5). Acidosis can be acute or chronic.

The acute form, also known as metabolic acidosis, is a very serious disease state that requires handling by a physician. It occurs when the pH drops below 7.35 (lower limit of blood pH), indicating the following potential causes: (6).

● Lactic acidosis: usually the result of too little oxygen, liver disease, or vitamin B1 deficiency.
● Ketoacidosis:
        1. Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs in insulin-absent individuals. Insulin is not available to remove sugar from the blood to store energy so fats are
broken down as an energy alternative. This process creates a byproduct called ketone bodies that decrease the blood pH.
        2. Starvation ketoacidosis can develop after a period of ketosis. Ketosis occurs when consuming a high fat, very low carbohydrate, moderate
protein diet. Just like in diabetic ketoacidosis, ketone bodies that lower blood pH are produced.
● Renal failure: a person is usually already suffering from chronic kidney disease.
● Intoxication: ingestion of ethylene glycol, methanol, salicylate, and a few other chemical compounds can lead to acidosis.

Chronic acidosis can be considered as diet-induced acidosis. (7,8). Acidic foods tend to be high in protein (nitrogen and/or sulfur), phosphate, and chloride. (4,5). As mentioned above, these compounds require a buffer of bicarbonate and alkaline minerals, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Because the kidneys decrease in function with age, this form of acidosis is potentiated with the natural aging process. (7).

Acidification can wreak havoc in the body, affecting the bones, kidneys, and hormones. There is a strong correlation between the typical western diet and bone mineral density (BMD). When there is not enough bicarbonate to keep up with buffering needs, bone is broken down to release calcium and potassium. Acidic hydrogen ions insert themselves directly into the bone to replace the lost minerals.

This has been demonstrated with even slight drops in pH9 and has been halted with bicarbonate administration, indicating acid accumulation and bicarbonate depletion are responsible for changes in BMD. (1). This is also evidenced by increased urinary calcium loss. (9,10). Prolonged acid exposure, even at slight levels and especially with increasing age, could lead to osteoporosis. (1,9).

Increased calcium excretion is also common to kidney stone formation. Citrate binds to calcium in urine, creating a soluble compound that prevents kidney stones from forming. In cases of chronic acidosis, the volume of citrate entering the urine decreases, resulting in a greater chance for kidney stones to develop. (10).

Increasing citrate consumption through citrus fruit, their juices, tomatoes, and melons (11) can help increase the amount of citrate present in the urine. (10). Hormonal changes also result as consequence of chronic acidosis. Similar to cases of mild hypothyroidism – decreased thyroid hormone and increased thyroid stimulating hormone may occur with chronic acidosis. (10).

Increased protein consumption requires cortisol (stress hormone) to initiate removal of nitrogen from a protein. This means a diet high in protein results in an increase in cortisol production. (12). Chronically high levels of cortisol is known to decrease insulin sensitivity, resulting in an increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

Which Foods are Acidic? Alkaline?

Protein, especially from animal sources, contains amino acids (protein building blocks) that include sulfur. While sulfur is important in the body, especially for detoxification, it also contributes to the formation of sulfate, which is a harmful, acidic compound. (4,7).

A study looking at the mineral content and acidic influence on urine of various foods revealed that meat, dairy, and grains were the worst offenders for acidic constituents.

They were also most likely to increase the urinary acid load. Most notable for sulfate and chloride content were meats, with processed forms being the worst offenders, and dairy products, of which cheese ranked amongst the highest.

Cereal grains contained considerable amounts of chloride (breads) and phosphate (rice and pastas). Dairy, cereal grains, and sweets (like cake and milk-chocolate) were high in both phosphate and chloride. (7, 13). One study investigating dietary influence on the urinary pH of men found that those with an alkaline pH consumed approximately 11g fewer cereal grains per day than the group with a urine pH in the acidic range. (14).

Fruits and vegetables had the opposite effect, being most likely to increase urinary pH due to their density in alkalizing minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and in some cases, citrate. (11,13). Fruits and vegetables do contain a large amount of phosphate, but it’s less of a concern from plant sources because the bioavailability is poor compared to dairy and grain sources – very little is absorbed. (15).

Avoiding Chronic Acidosis while Consuming Animal Products & Grains

The key to an omnivorous diet is balance. Animal products provide essential amino acids and vitamins, like B12, that are very hard to obtain on a vegetarian diet and nearly impossible to obtain through a vegan diet without supplementation.

Trying to replace vegetarian protein for animal protein will not help skirt the issue of protein acidification as vegetable proteins have proven to be acidic like their animal counterparts. (1) Protein is also very satiating, making it a qualified candidate for appetite control, potentially giving rise to increased lean muscle mass and increased insulin sensitivity. (12).

Potassium seems to be the most important alkalizing mineral to obtain. Abnormally low levels of potassium are associated with increased protein breakdown and higher levels of ammonium excretion, (16) promoting a state of chronic acidosis.

Analysis of fruit and vegetable mineral content indicates that potassium heavily outweighs calcium, sodium, and magnesium, (13) qualifying fruits and vegetables to be the best addition to an acidic diet. The fiber content of plant foods is an added bonus with its ability to help regulate blood sugar and combat the insulin resistance potentially brought on by an acidic diet.

One final component to this balance is water. Mineral water is a great source of alkalizing minerals and those rich in calcium have been shown to possess similar or better absorption than dairy sources. (17). Besides containing alkalizing minerals, water is necessary to combat the dehydration that comes along with increased acidic load.

Because the majority of acid is lost through urine, increased acidic compounds require a greater amount of water for excretion. The ingestion of lemon water, small amounts of sodium bicarbonate, and apple cider vinegar are also excellent ways to naturally increase alkalinity.

The Importance of Alkalinity in Your Diet Conclusion

Balancing acid in a diet with high alkaline foods should be a priority. Complete nutrition should always consist of whole foods in a proportional manner. Animal protein contains essential amino acids, healthy saturated fats, and vitamins that cannot be obtained from any other food source.

However, protein, dairy, and grains should be a smaller portion of the diet than fruits and vegetables, especially in the case of chronic acidosis. A variety of vegetables and fruits should be consumed with every meal to balance the acidity of the Western diet.

References

1. New, SA. The role of the skeleton in acid-base homeostasis. Proc Nutr Soc. 2002;61:151-64.
2. Evans DF, Pye G, Bramley R, Clark AG, Dyson TJ, Hardcastle JD. Measurement of gastrointestinal pH profiles in normal ambulant human subjects. Gut. 1988;29:1035-41.
3. Atherton, JC. Acid-base balance: maintenance of plasma pH. Anaes & Intens Care Med. 2009;10(11):557-61.
4. Hurley JK. Acid-base balance: normal regulation and clinical application. Curr Probl Pediatr. 1979;9:1-43.
5. Koeppen BM. The kidney and acid-base regulation. Adv Physiol Educ. 2009;33:275-81.
6. Lim, S. Metabolic acidosis. Acta Med Indones. 2007 Jul-Sep;39(3):145-50.
7. Adeva MM, Souto G. Diet-induced metabolic acidosis. Clin Nutr. 2011;30:416-21.
8. Vormann J, Goedecke T. Acid-base homeostasis: latent acidosis as a cause of chronic disease. Swiss J Integr Med. 2006 Sept;18:255-66.
9. Krieger NS, Frick KK, Bushinsky DA. Mechanism of acid-induced bone resorption. Miner Metab. Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2004 Jul;13(4):423-36.
10. Wiederkehr M, Krapf R. Metabolic and endocrine effects of metabolic acidosis in humans. Swiss Med Wkly. 2001;131:127-32.
11. Heilberg IP, Goldfarb DS. Optimum nutrition for kidney stone disease. Adv Chron Kidn Disea. 2013 Mar;20(2):165-74.
12. McCarty MF. Acid-base balance may influence risk for insulin resistance syndrome by modulating cortisol output. Med Hypoth. 2005;64:380-4.
13. Remer T, Manz F. Potential renal acid load of foods and its influence on urine pH. JADA. 1995 Jul;95(7):791-7
14. Welch AA, Mulligan A, Bingham SA, Khaw K. Urin pH is an indicator of dietary acid-base load, fruit and vegetables and meat intakes: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Norfolk population study. BJN. 2008;99:1335-43.
15. Massey L. Dietary animal and plant protein and human bond health: a whole foods approach. ASNS. 2003 Mar 1;133(3):862S-65S.
16. Atherton JC. Role of the kidney in acid-base balance. Anaes & Intens Care Med. 2006;7(7):234-36.
17. Wynn E, Kreig MA, Aeschlimann JM, Burckhardt P. Alkaline mineral water lowers bone resorption even in calcium sufficiency: alkaline mineral water and bone metabolism. Bone. 2009;44:120-4.

The post The Importance of Alkalinity in Your Diet appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Alpha GPC or Alpha-glycerophosphocholine (aGPC), as the name implies, is a choline-containing phospholipid isolated from soy. A wealth of research on this compound supports a role for enhancing cognitive function, increasing strength and stimulating the release of growth hormone.

Alpha GPC contains a lipid tail that permits the uptake and incorporation into neuronal cell membranes. The membrane-bound choline molecule supplies the necessary and rate limiting compound for acetylcholine neurotransmitter synthesis.

Though found both within the central and peripheral nervous system, cholinergic neurotransmission is the cornerstone for memory formation that takes place in a specialized brain region known as the hippocampus.

The Benefits Of Regular Alpha GPC Intake

Studies in animal models and humans taking place since the 1990’s have shown administration of aGPC improves memory performance [1]. One of the early human studies on aGPC attempted to replicate trials performed previously in animals.

The study gave subjects ten days of aGPC or placebo before inducing temporary amnesia with a potent drug called scopolamine [2]. AGPC supplementation reduced the scopolamine-induced memory impairments as measured by subjects performed on memory and attention tasks.

Since this study, aGPC has become a focus of research age-related memory decline as well as other causes of memory dysfunction [3]. An interesting study that added aGPC to commonly prescribed memory drug most similar in effect to huperzine A (an Alpha BRAIN® ingredient) showed the additional benefit wasn’t with the drug alone [4].

Recent studies on aGPC have shown a potential benefit to athletic performance. A Japanese study investigated the effects of a single dose of aGCP on hormone release in healthy young males. Surprisingly a single dose of aGCP resulted in a substantial change in growth hormone release within one hour.

At 60 minutes, growth hormone levels acute increased by 290% from the baseline hormone level and returned to baseline by the second hour [5]. Also observed, was the growth hormone’s actions of increasing fatty acid oxidation, as indicated by rises in free fatty acids and ketone bodies. The authors proposed that the increase in circulating choline may briefly block the negative feedback mechanism governing GH release.

Short supplementation periods of 6 days have been shown to improve strength in college-aged athletes directly. A study conducted at the University of Louisianna used a crossover design that measured the force generated in deadlift and bench press style movements.

The study found a significant increase of 3% improvement in lower body strength with aGPC supplementation [6]. The study cited the previous research of cholinergic transmission at neural-muscular as a potential mechanism, however, did not have direct evidence for the mechanism leading to improved strength.

The cumulative evidence from animal model and human studies support the role of aGPC as a well tolerated cognitive enhancing compound with ergogenic properties [7]. The soy lecithin isolate contains a phospholipid that permits incorporation into neuronal cell membranes and utilization as a cholinergic neurotransmitter precursor.

Associated with the increase in circulating choline levels was a transient elevation in growth hormone. Even a short period of supplementation with aGPC proved to be beneficial to muscle strength

Recommended Usage & Natural Sources Of Alpha GPC

Alpha GPC is approximately 40% choline by weight, and as such 1,000 mg alpha-GPC confers about 400 mg of dietary choline. A standard dosage of alpha-GPC is 300-600 mg, according to the most common label doses.

This dose is following the study using alpha-GPC to enhance power output (600 mg) and the two studies noting an increase in growth hormone secretion and is likely a good dose to take for athletes.

For the usage of alpha-GPC in attenuating symptoms of cognitive decline, almost all studies use a dosage of 1,200 mg daily, divided into three doses of 400 mg. It is unsure how lower doses would benefit cognition, but the dose which is consistently associated with benefit .appears to be 1,200 mg.

Rat studies suggest that the effects of Alpha-GPC oral ingestion peak at 300-600 mg/kg, which is an estimated human dose of 48-96 mg/kg (and for a 150lb human, 3,272-6,545 mg daily).

For nootropic stack use, we recommend a dose of 300-600 mg to start out and then to increase from there if you decide you would benefit from more.

When taken at recommended dosages Alpha GPC is well tolerated. For most adults the range of acceptable dosage is relatively broad; a cumulative daily dosage of 300-1200 mg, when taken in one or two doses, is safe and efficient.

As is the case with all supplements, it is wise to start with the lowest possible effective dose and build gradually as needed.

Side Effects of Alpha GPC

Although, Alpha GPC is both safe and well tolerated in healthy adults,  side effects have been reported.

Users have occasionally experienced headaches, fatigue, nervousness, nausea, diarrhea and gastrointestinal distress; also, this supplement can result in dizziness and low blood pressure in some individuals.

If you know, you are prone to hypotension you should consult a medical professional before taking Alpha GPC.

Adverse side effects may occur more commonly among users taking high dosages.

Little research has been done on Alpha GPC’s effects on pregnant women, so those who are pregnant or nursing are advised to refrain from use.

Conclusion & Summary on GPC

Alpha GPC is a safe, well-tolerated, and highly effective source of choline. It has been the subject of decades of research and is recognized worldwide as a powerful memory enhancer, prescribed by physicians throughout Europe for a variety of memory disorders.

In addition to being a potent nootropic in its right, Alpha GPC is also a perfect addition to many other supplements, particularly those like the racetams which depend on a sufficiency of choline in order to achieve optimal results.

It also stimulates the production of HGH, which can improve strength, and shorten recovery time following exertion, and encourage the building of lean muscle mass, making it an invaluable supplement for athletes or anyone with an active lifestyle.

For anyone who is interested in improving their memory, physical strength and vitality, or achieving the best results possible with nootropic supplements, Alpha GPC is an excellent choice.

References

1. Klein J, Gonzalez R, Köppen A, Löffelholz K. Free choline and choline metabolites in rat brain and body fluids: sensitive determination and implications for choline supply to the brain. Neurochem Int. 1993;22(3):293-300.

2. Canal N, Franceschi M, Alberoni M, Castiglioni C, De moliner P, Longoni A. Effect of L-alpha-glyceryl-phosphorylcholine on amnesia caused by scopolamine. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol. 1991;29(3):103-7.

3. Parnetti L, Amenta F, Gallai V. Choline alphoscerate in cognitive decline and in acute cerebrovascular disease: an analysis of published clinical data. Mech Ageing Dev. 2001;122(16):2041-55.

4. Amenta F, Carotenuto A, Fasanaro AM, Rea R, Traini E. The ASCOMALVA trial: association between the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil and the cholinergic precursor choline alphoscerate in Alzheimer’s disease with cerebrovascular injury: interim results. J Neurol Sci. 2012;322(1-2):96-101.

5. Kawamura T, Okubo T, Sato K, et al. Glycerophosphocholine enhances growth hormone secretion and fat oxidation in young adults. Nutrition. 2012;28(11-12):1122-6.

6. Kawamura T, Okubo T, Sato K, et al. Glycerophosphocholine enhances growth hormone secretion and fat oxidation in young adults. Nutrition. 2012;28(11-12):1122-6.

7. Traini E, Bramanti V, Amenta F. Choline alphoscerate (alpha-glyceryl-phosphoryl-choline) an old choline- containing phospholipid with a still interesting profile as cognition enhancing agent. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2013;10(10):1070-9.

The post Alpha GPC Benefits, Uses, and Side Effects appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Although Hippocrates hypothesized that all diseases begin in the gut over 2,000 years ago, research is recently beginning to truly understand the massive impact that gut health has on overall health, wellbeing and disease control.

The truth is, the gut and its functions are extremely complex. The human body is composed of equal if not more bacteria than cells. We are basically bacteria-bipeds wandering this planet. Only about 10% of our cells are truly human, while the majority is microbial.

We are in an age when transplanting fecal matter (poop) from one person into another is a “thing.” An extremely effective “thing” curing over 90% of patients with Clostridium difficile. But nonetheless, that’s how damaged human’s microbial systems have become.

Better questions we can now answer: How did this happen? And how do we fix it?

The human body is one ecosystem with trillions of micro-organism inhabitants. This is called the human microbiome. We could not live without this massive colony of bacteria. They are in our eyes, skin, digestive and respiratory system.

The largest colony of microbes reside in our digestive system. There’s an entire world going on in there, with certain species performing different functions. Without gut flora, humans would not be able to survive.

Gut flora can be categorized into three groups:

● Beneficial (essential) flora: These are the most important and most abundant microbes (bacteria) found in a healthy individual. Key beneficial players: Bifidobacteria, Lactobacteria, Propionobacteria, E. Coli (physiological strains only), Peptostreptoccocci and Enterococci.

● Opportunistic flora: These microbes have various functions in different combinations. In a healthy body, opportunistic flora is tightly controlled and regulated by the beneficial bacteria. However, in a compromised immune system, these guys can stray and cause health problems. Key opportunistic players: Bacteroids, Peptococci, Staphylococci, Streptococci, Bacilli, Clostridia, Yeasts, Enterobacteria, Fuzobacteria, Eubacteria, Catenobacteria, etc.

● Transitional flora: These microbes are consumed on a daily basis through the environmental toxins and processed food. As long the gut is protected by beneficial bacteria, these microbes will pass through our digestive system without harm. But if it’s damaged, transitional flora can lead to disease. Key transitional players: toxins, chemicals, parasites, bacteria in undigested food and drink.

Immune System & Gut Health

Approximately 80% of our immune system is located in the gut. Basically if your beneficial microbes are M.I.A., there’s a good chance you’re getting sick, my friend. The Mucosal Barrier of the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract is built to allow very small fully digested particles through.

However, when the GI tract becomes stressed, the tight junctions between the cells lining of our GI tract or enterocytes become loose. This allows the unchecked entry of bigger particles into the bloodstream. Your body then sees these larger particles as foreign and activates the immune system just like it would for any pathogen.

The problem is that your immune system has a great memory (via memory B cells). They don’t care what exactly that large particle is. To your immune system, it’s just an intruder that needs to be pulverized. Thus, if you have intestinal permeability depending on what larger particles get through, your immune system can start attacking literally any items that you commonly eat like tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers, even a lean piece of grass-fed steak.

The problem doesn’t end there because if a large particle gets through that looks similar to thyroid, ovarian, adrenal, or mucosal tissue, you may have just set the stage for an auto-immune disease – your own immune system now sees yourself as foreign. This is called molecular mimicry and this chain of events is not something to take lightly.

Energy Metabolism

Without a well-balanced gut flora, digestion and absorption cannot be optimal. This bacteria has the ability to break down protein, carbohydrates, fat and fiber. “By-products of bacterial activity in the gut are very important in transporting minerals, vitamins, water, gases and many other nutrients through the gut wall into the bloodstream.”

Take Away: Even if you followed a ‘perfect’ diet consuming all the “superfoods” in the world, you cannot combat a damaged gut flora. It’s essential to heal the gut first. Then you will be able to able to efficiently digest and absorb healthy foods and supplements. Fiber and lactose (milk sugar) are two substances that require good bacteria for digestion.

Most people don’t produce lactase–the enzyme that breaks down lactose–after infancy. But why then can some people handle dairy while others cannot? This is because these individuals have a lot of lactose-digesting bacteria; one of the most notable ones being E. Coli. Yes, this is same bacteria that also can make us sick.

However, if your gut is populated by physiological strains of E. Coli, you are better equipped to fight off the pathogenic (bad) species of E. Coli.

What Compromises the Microbiome?

The integrity of the gut flora has its roots far before your parents conceived you. Did dad follow a strict Ramen-noodle diet in college? Was mom hanging out with Ben & Jerry on the reg while you were in her tummy? Not to put the blame on our folks’ diet, but it is one contributing factor to a baby’s microbiome among many other factors, including:

Birth & Infancy

● C-section babies
● Bottle-fed babies

Antibiotics

● Penicillins
● Tetracyclines
● Aminoglycosides
● Antifungal antibiotics
● Antibiotics wipe out all bacteria–the bad and the good. So, although necessary at times, a dose of these drugs will inherently leave you immune-compromised.

Other Drugs

● Pain killers
● Steroids
● Contraceptives
● Sleeping pills
● Heartburn medication

Processed Foods

● Sugar & processed carbohydrates
● Grain fiber
● Food sensitivities – common allergens and food sensitivities wreak havoc on your digestive system eventually leading to GI tract shutdown, a blunted brush border, dysbiosis, and poor gut health.

Disease

● Infectious disease
● Viral infections
● Chronic illness
● Alcoholism
● Dysbiosis – or inappropriate ratio of good vs. bad bacteria residing in the gut. This is the topic of entire books and articles, but in the simplest terms: you are the wolf that you feed. Healthy bacteria thrive on colorful fruits and vegetables, bad bacteria thrive on sugar, artificial  sweeteners, and unhealthy fats. Also, if you have transit time issues, it is very likely that you have some kind of dysbiosis and brain to gut axis issue.

Stress

● Short-term stress (recovers fairly easy)
● Prolonged stress (permanent damage)

Other Factors

● Old age
● Over physical exertion
● Surgery
● Pollution
● Toxic substance exposure/ingestion
● Extreme climates
● Environmental Toxins – items like BPA, BT Toxin (found in GMO corn), and Glyphosate (AKA Round-Up).
● Intestinal parasites, microbial infestations, or fungal overgrowth – this is much more common than you might think. 80-90% of our population is believed to have some kind of unwanted GI intruder.

Take away: Think twice before taking antibiotics and popping any over-the-counter or prescribed medication. Please, do not take this fundamentally. Just don’t go running to the doctor the second you have the sniffles. Sure, a Z-Pack will probably make you feel better in the short term, but you’re wiping out all of the good bacteria along with the bad. Plus, overuse of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance. So when you really need those meds to work, they may not.

Avoid processed food. It sounds simple, but it’s not with over 80% of the American food supply being altered or processed in some way.

Control “extreme” behaviors. This can be any obsessive act or habit from partying too much to over-exercising to everything in between. Too much of a bad OR good thing causes stress to the body and damages the gut flora.

Practice TLC in the most natural environment possible. You probably won’t witness the lasting effects of recycling that glass bottle but your body will. By removing yourself from life’s stressors aka your 8×8 work cubicle and entering a local park surrounded by lots of green, you will inherently avoid many of those damaging factors.

How to Establish a Healthy Gut?

The information on how to help fix gut health could fill an entire book, let alone an article. While we obviously can’t go into that kind of detail here, we can give you some simple fixes that will get you started on the right track.

Restore Stomach Acid Production

The first step in restoring stomach acid production is addressing any factors that are inhibiting it. This means getting tested for H. pylori if you suspect it, taking steps to manage chronic stress and avoiding acid-suppressing drugs.

The next step is to take hydrochloric acid (HCL). Taking HCL can often help kick start the body’s own acid production. HCL helps limit digestive problems as well as the potentially serious consequences of low stomach acid (such as decreased nutrient absorption, bacterial overgrowth, and increased susceptibility to infection.

Be aware that HCL should always be taken with pepsin — or, better yet, acid-stable protease — because it is likely that if the stomach is not producing enough HCL, it is also not producing enough protein digesting enzymes.

Replace Digestive Enzymes

As mentioned above, the single most important step in increasing digestive enzyme production is by restoring stomach acid production.

This will give the chyme entering the small intestine the proper pH level (acidity), which is what stimulates the pancreas to produce enzymes. Managing chronic stress and ensuring adequate micronutrient (co- enzyme) intake are also important.

Diet

This one is a little harder to give a quick overview of, because there are so many potential causes, and some of those causes require a fairly complex approach. What we can do is give you a few general tips that are helpful in most circumstances, regardless of the cause.

The first step would be to cut out gluten. Gluten leads to increased intestinal permeability if you have a gluten allergy/sensitivity or not (via activation of the zonulin pathway). Gluten is not your friend.

Also, just two alcholic beverages will cause damage to the intestinal lining and in turn intestinal permeability. A night of bottle service and pizza is a fantastic way to ramp yourself for an incredible inflammatory response and maybe even good ol’ autoimmune disease.

None of this sounds sexy or fun. Sorry, but we don’t make the rules and we’ve found a fair number of people who are weight loss resistant in our practice.

These people try everything but can’t lose body fat and constantly crave sugar. This is because whenever your immune system is running wild, you will be in a perpetual state of sugar burning and have zero shot at burning stored fat no matter how little you eat or how much you exercise.

Fixing the GI tract and securing up the junctions between our enterocytes is the first step on the road to putting out the inflammatory fire and having a real opportunity to incinerate visceral fat or the bulge around the middle.

The next step would be trying some tweaks to your existing Paleo or “real food” diet. (You are on a Paleo or “real food” diet, aren’t you? If not, that is the first step. Here are three diet fixes we’ve found to be helpful, and they’re listed in the order we suggest you try them:

● Add Fermented Food. Raw, fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir or beet kvass are rich in enzymes and should be consumed regularly if tolerated.
● Try an Elimination diet. Cut out all gluten, dairy, and sugar for a minimum of two weeks (6 weeks is ideal). Begin to add one food back into your diet. A piece of sprouted, whole-grain bread is a good start. Now you begin the waiting game.
● GAPS diet. The GAPS diet is a comprehensive, anti-inflammatory, gut-healing diet. It’s especially helpful with SIBO, dysbiosis, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Along with these diet tips, we suggest you start adding these probiotic strains and supplements to you daily protocol. Supplemental nutrients can be helpful for immediate relief. These include:

● Ox bile. While not technically an enzyme, ox bile is one of the most effective supplements for improving fat absorption.
● Acid stable protease. Improves protein digestion; acid-stable protease is able to survive the low pH of gastric juices to further aid in protein assimilation.
● Pancreatin. A mixture of enzymes produced by the pancreas, including lipase (fat digesting), protease (protein digesting) and amylase (carbohydrate digesting).
● Bromelain. An enzyme found in pineapple that helps with protein digestion, and may have systemic anti-inflammatory effects.
● Ginger. A time-tested digestive remedy. As with HCL, in most cases you will only need to take these nutrients temporarily, until you are able to address the underlying issues. But they can be incredibly helpful in the meantime.

Probiotic Bacteria

More and more research has shown the effectiveness of daily probiotic supplementation on energy metabolism, immune system strength and disease control. Probiotics are strains of beneficial bacteria. Of course, there are thousands of strains of probiotics, so it’s virtually impossible to get every single strain through one probiotic supplement, but there are some heavy hitters that are widely available and crucial to take on a daily basis.

● Lactobacillus acidophilus
● Lactobacillus plantarum
● Lactobacillus rhamnosus
● Bifidobacterium infantis
● Bifidobacterium lactis

Probiotic Yeast

● Saccharomyces Boulardii

Prebiotic

● Organic Jerusalem Artichoke (root)
● Organic Dandelion (leaf)

Digestive Enzymes

● Amylase
● Protease
● Lipase
● Cellulase
● Alpha Galactosidase
● Maltase
● Lactase
● Glucoamylase
● Pectinase
● Xylanase
● Beta Glucanase
● Invertase
● Hemicellulase
● Serratiopeptidase
● Pepsin

Bitter Herbs

Another way to stimulate acid production in the stomach is by taking bitter herbs. “Bitters” have been used in traditional cultures for thousands of years to stimulate and improve digestion. More recently, studies have confirmed the ability of bitters to increase the flow of digestive juices, including HCL, bile, pepsin, gastrin and pancreatic enzymes. The following is a list of bitter herbs commonly used in Western and Chinese herbology:

● Dandelion
● Fennel
● Gentian root
● Ginger
● Beet root
● Goldenseal root
● Milk thistle
● Peppermint
● Wormwood
● Yellow dock

Hydrochloric Acid

● Betaine Hydrochloride

References

1. Mutzel, Mike. Belly Fat Effect: The Real Secret about How Your Diet, Intestinal Health, and Gut Bacteria Help You Burn Fat. Print
2. Arrieta, M. C. “Alterations in Intestinal Permeability.” Gut 55.10 (2006): 1512-520.
3. Kharrazian, Datis. Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? When My Lab Tests Are Normal: A Revolutionary Breakthrough in Understanding Hashimoto’s Disease and Hypothyroidism. Garden City, NY: Morgan James, 2010. Print.
4. Davis, Reed. “Functional Diagnostic Nutrition – Lecture Series 4.” FDN Certification. 8 Aug. 2015.

Introducing the Total GUT HEALTH™

with Probiotics

The post How to Optimize Your Gut Health appeared first on Onnit Academy.

At its core, a cleanse is less about removing toxins and more about stacking multiple proven beneficial practices all at the same time. These practices are just a good idea to do on their own, but in the space of a cleanse, you can often see radical changes. Below are five practices and the potential benefits of cleansing for people on a typical western diet.

1) Reduction of Sugar Intake

The Standard American Diet (SAD) is just depressing as the acronym implies. It’s full of processed food, sugar, all too many carbs and is generally nutritionally deficient. Sugar presents one of the biggest issues. The average American eats approximately 22 teaspoons of sugar each day – which is one of the worst things you can do to your body and why most cleanses will have you remove sugar almost entirely from your diet.

A recent study conducted at the University of California San Francisco divided 43 obese kids into two different groups. The control (placebo) group was told to leave their high sugar diet unchanged, whereas the test group substituted the simple carbohydrates like sugar and fructose at an equal ratio to other carbohydrates coming from fruit and grains.

The group of kids who refrained from ingesting sugar improved virtually every metabolic marker across the board in only 9 days. Diastolic blood pressure decreased by 5mm, triglycerides by 33 points, LDL-cholesterol (known as the “bad” cholesterol) by 10 points, and liver function tests improved. Fasting blood glucose went down by five points, and insulin levels were cut by one-third.

In addition to the metabolic benefits, reduction of acute hyperglycemia (sugar spikes from ingestion of high sugar foods) has demonstrated clinical benefit to the immune system. In a meta analysis of studies on PubMed from 1966-2004 the researchers concluded that “Acute, short-term hyperglycemia affects all major components of innate immunity and impairs the ability of the host to combat infection.” In other words, if you want to optimize your immune function, Krispy Kreme is not the way to go.

2) Short Term Calorie Reduction

At the forefront of every cleanse is calorie restriction. Fasting has been part of the human experiment since time immemorial. Some of the greats say it provided clarity, others did to defend their beliefs, but the science all points to how beneficial it can be.

The Harvard School of Public Health set out to test the benefits of 5 days of calorie reduction in a clinical study. They took 19 participants and asked them to reduce their caloric intake to roughly 1200 calories for 5 days, before returning to normal eating habits.

Another 19 participants in the control group continued eating normally during this stretch. After three cycles the test group improved physical condition, reduced blood glucose, trimmed abdominal fat, cut levels of a protein associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and elevated levels of certain stem cells.

Commenting on the study, molecular biologist Christopher Hine of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston commented, “This single dietary change can counteract all these variables of aging, and I think that’s very impressive.”

3. Reduction of Food Related Inflammation

A typical western diet includes all manner of foods that are known to cause inflammation. Grains, trans fats, sugar all of these pro-inflammatory foods are off the menu during a cleanse, instead being replaced by anti-inflammatory foods like greens, apple cider vinegar, and fruit.

The benefit of reduction of the cells called pro-inflammatory cytokines can be felt across the board, including sleep, sex drive, and energy.

4. Eating More Vegetables and Fruits

This is something we all know, but here are the stats: Nearly 23 percent of Americans report consuming vegetables and fruits less than one time daily, with a median vegetable intake of just 1.6 times per day overall.

One recent study showed that those who ate five to seven servings of vegetables and fruits per day had a 36 percent lower risk of dying from any cause. Three to five servings was associated with a 29 percent lower risk. One to three servings was associated with a 14 percent lower risk.

Any good cleanse primes your body with a ton of fruits and vegetables, providing the short term benefits of all the nutrients, and ideally training you to incorporate more greens into your daily life.

5. Targeted Strategies During Cleansing Promote Potentially Beneficial Practices

The better cleanses will include the addition of targeted foods or supplements, designed to further encourage the benefits you’re reaping from the clenase. Some of these common strategies are listed below. Though, these suggestions can be used outside of the cleanse as well to help keep you healthy.

Probiotic Intake

Ingesting probiotics has demonstrated an overwhelming ability to improve multiple markers of human health. Some of these include brain function, immune function, and reduction of inflammation.

Apple Cider Vinegar

One study showed 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before bedtime can reduce fasting blood sugars by 4%. Another study in obese individuals showed that daily vinegar consumption led to reduced belly fat, waist circumference, and lower blood triglycerides.

Increasing Trace Minerals

Whether from the Himalayan salt, which is known to contain over 60 trace minerals and elements, powdered greens, or other fruits and veggies, ingestion of minerals has an indisputable health advantage. One study conducted on a trace mineral compound called Shilajit demonstrated a 20% increase in testosterone vs. placebo.

Lemon Water

Lemons are a natural source of vitamin C and have compounds that assist in digestion.

Binding Agents

Activated charcoal has the ability to bind to toxins based on its unusual surface area. Five grams of activated charcoal has the surface area of a football field. This is one of the reasons that activated charcoal is used in conventional emergency medicine for certain types of poisoning.

Candida albicans, found in the gut, can hold mercury in its cellular wall, and release two main types of toxins upon expiration including gliotoxin and acetaldehyde. While more specific research is needed on the benefit of activated charcoal or other binding agents on these toxins, should you be reducing your candida count by limiting the amount of sugar, or herbal anti-fungals like Grapeseed Extract, activated charcoal is a good common sense measure.

Is cleansing for everyone? Probably not. Is cleansing a panacea? Absolutely not. Is there any actual ‘detoxification’ going on? Most likely. Even if detoxification in the body remains constant, simply by limiting the amount of toxins you are putting in, you are naturally lowering the level of toxic carry in your body.

If you are able to successfully eliminate some candida during the cleanse, then the detoxification can increase exponentially. The conclusion is that most of us consuming a western diet with plenty of sugar, calories, and pro-inflammatory foods can reap benefits from a good cleansing protocol.

The post 5 Proven Benefits of Any Good Cleanse appeared first on Onnit Academy.

But when you’re assaulted by all these different choices, what are you supposed to choose?

The answer, unfortunately, is not cut and dry unless you’re like 40% of the US population and have difficulty swallowing pills. Then the choice is easy – get powdered versions of your favorite supplements and drink them down! (Or break open the capsules and tip them in your drink).

But it is entirely possible, if not easy to pick something that works best for you. I’ll help you with a bit of a checklist.

Capsules

Most people prefer capsules thanks to their convenience.

Transportable

Capsules are easier to drag around to the gym with you, to your work, or wherever you need it. Since everything you need is contained with a small protective shell, you can just toss it in a pill organizer or small, dark, air-tight container and take it with you. You can’t do that with powder. You’ll either have to find a big enough container or you’ll have to take the whole tub with you. If you’ve got a couple of powdered supplements, have fun explaining why your desk looks like a GNC to everyone that walks by it. But you can pack a bunch of supplements in a small, airtight container and take it with you wherever you need to go.

Capsules Play Nice Together

Most powders come with some sort of taste (or else why would you take them?). But mixing Melon and Natural Spice might not elicit the taste you’re looking for. But a handful of supplements is different. There’s no need to worry about what sort of demonic taste you’ll create when you mix them all together because supplements are virtually tasteless. Just drink ’em down with some water, have some food if the directions say so, and move on your merry way.

Delayed Release

We’re not all like Veruca Salt. There are times when it’s worth the wait. Like if you’re taking a pre-workout and you’ve got a delicate stomach. Having a capsule is like ingesting a friendly time bomb. Once the capsule dissolves, the contents are released and are absorbed. It’s just a matter of time.

Powders

As I mentioned earlier, there was a study done by Harris Interactive. They found that 40% of Americans had difficulty swallowing capsules. It’s pretty understandable when you know the mechanism behind it.

We need food to function. Food is fuel and all that. We, however, do not need rocks. Or tiny things that do not look like food (or so our brain tells us). Many people have a hard time with capsules simply because their brain disagrees with the purpose of capsules. Your brain is fine with it being spat out or staying in your mouth, but it has absolutely closed the gate to the stomach. If you’re one of those people, then powders need to be your weapon of choice. If not, then consider these other reasons.

Concentration

Capsules need to be small so people don’t choke on them. That’s 100% reasonable. But it’s also why whey protein doesn’t come in a capsule. You just can’t cram that much into a tiny capsule. Does that mean they’re ineffective? Not necessarily. You don’t need giant scoops of supplements for them to work. Most supplements and vitamins can have an effective dose encapsulated in the given space. But there are certain products (like protein supplements) that require too large of a serving to fit in a capsule.

Quicker Absorption

Veruca Salt would want powders. Well, she’d probably want ready-to-drink supplements, but if she had to choose between capsules and powders, the choice is obvious.

Vitamin capsules just aren’t built for instant results. They’re designed to work their way through your system before they start getting absorbed. Powdered supplements, however, don’t have a barrier. The only barrier is your mouth. So just add water, drink it down, and your body begins absorbing it right away – which leads to quicker benefits.

Taste

There’s a lot to be said for taste.

It’s not always a good thing – taste. For instance, krill oil. There’s absolutely no way you can make me take liquid krill oil. But a capsule? By all means, hand it over.

Capsules are tasteless by nature, but you can have all sorts of fun with powders. Chocolate, chai, peach…whatever you want. If something is delicious, you’re more likely to drink it. If you’re more likely to drink it, you’re more likely to remember to take it. And if you manage to create a habit, you’re more liable to start seeing results thanks to your consistency. It can be difficult to remember to take a capsule because you’re not really looking forward to it. A frothy Matcha Chai sure beats a green tea capsule.

In the end, there’s not really a wrong choice as long as you choose your supplement based on what you need.

The post Are Capsules or Powders Better to Supplement With? appeared first on Onnit Academy.