Niacinamide Dosage and Effects

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Niacinamide is a form of niacin, also known as vitamin B3. When vitamin B3, combines with amino acids of another molecule, the chemical reaction produces niacinamide, also called as nicotinamide. Whole B vitamins help the body to convert food into fuel, which is used to produce energy. Also, B vitamins are needed for healthy hair, skin, liver and eyes. Because niacin is very important for cellular processes throughout body, insufficiency leads to widespread symptoms involving skin, mucous membranes, nervous system and gastrointestinal system. B complex vitamins are water-soluble, and excess vitamins are excreted in the urine.

Effects

Niacinamide is necessary for hundreds of enzymatic reactions. Your body needs niacinamide to form healthy cells and assist in metabolizing protein and fats. Niacinamide is considered to have positive effects on a large array of other medical problems, including the cataracts, heart disease, second heart attack, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis.

Niacinamide Dosage

The USDA recommended daily allowance of niacinamide or niacin is 13-18 mg/day for a normal, healthy adult. Men 19 years and older; 16 mg (RDA), Women 19 years and older; 14 mg (RDA), Pregnant women; 18 mg (RDA), Breastfeeding women; 17 mg (RDA). For vitamin B3 deficiency, niacinamide or niacin 50-100 mg per day is used. For pellagra in children, niacinamide or niacin 100-300 mg daily is given in divided doses. For pellagra in adults, niacinamide or niacin 300-500 mg daily is given in divided doses.

Niacinamide Food Sources

Food sources of niacin include animal proteins, beef liver, green vegetables, brewer’s yeast, mushrooms, roasted peanuts, tuna, haddock, swordfish, salmon, whole wheat and enriched flours.

Side Effects

Some serious side effects of Niacinamide are stomach upset, nausea, dizziness,, muscle weakness, vision changes, darker-colored urine, bloody or black stools, tingling or numbness of the skin, appetite loss, a decrease in insulin sensitivity, irregular heartbeat, yellowing of the eyes or of the skin, and liver toxicity. When taken with blood pressure drugs, niacinamide can cause risky low blood pressure. Checking with your physician before using niacinamide if you suffer from liver problem, diabetes, ulcers, gout, glaucoma or low blood pressure or are taking statins or fibrates.

Organic Germanium Facts and Benefits

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Germanium is a trace element discovered by Clemens Alexander Winkler in 1886. The inorganic mineral is basically used in the electronics sector as a semiconductor of electricity. Since 1948, inorganic forms of industrial-grade germanium have been used commercially in the semiconductor electronics industry. The organic form of germanium occurs in certain plants. Experts, estimate daily intake for humans is between 0.1 and 4 mg. Like several minerals, germanium exists in different forms.

What is Germanium Ge-132?

Ge-132 is a compound that contains germanium, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Germanium sesquioxide contains a germanium carbon bond and is hence correctly classified as an organic form. Germanium dioxide lacks a germanium carbon bond and is consequently classified as inorganic. At the present time, the term Ge-132 is used interchangeably with the name organic germanium to indicate the compound bis-carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide.

Dr. Asai of began investigating the biological properties of germanium after reading reports from Russia that said the mineral had enormous medicinal value. Dr. Kazuhiko Asai original research with organic germanium extracted from plant sources convinced him that it could result in important effects. But, it soon became apparent that extracting the amounts necessary to treat diseases was too costly. Nevertheless, Dr. Asai succeeded in developing a formula for producing an organic germanium, Ge-132, that was chemically identical to the form he had extracted from plants. The chemical name for this organic-germanium compound is bis-carboxyethyl germanium sesquioxide. In 1969, Dr. Asai founded the Asai “Germanium Research Institute”. (The research and clinical study by Dr. Kazuhiko Asai is summarized in his book Miracle Cure; “Organic Germanium”)

What is Organic Germanium Used For?

Germanium sesquioxide helps maintain the body’s natural production of gamma interferon and natural killer cells. Its medicinal attributes immune-enhancement, free radical scavenging, oxygen enrichment, analgesia and heavy metal detoxification. Organic germanium anti-viral and immunological effects, including the induction of interferon, macrophages, T-suppressor cells and augmentation of natural killer (NK) cell activity, suggest its possible efficacy in treating and/or preventing AIDS. According to Dr. Kazuhiko Asai, organic germanium has favorable effects on people with cancer of the lung, bladder, breast cancer, leukemia,  diabetes, hypertension, asthma, heart weakness, softening of the brain, myoma of the uterus, cirrhosis of liver.

Organic Germanium Facts and Benefits

Ge -132  stimulates the synthesis of gamma interferon in the body. Moreover allowing better supply of human cells with oxygen, according to a study reported in the journal “Journal of Interferon Research”, organic germanium  restores the normal function of T cells, B-lymphocytes and NK (Natural Killers) cell activities and numbers of antibody-forming cells.”The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine” reported that germanium was found to be a stunning immunostimulant capable of raising immune functions and maintaining them within optimum ranges.

“Organic germanium restores the normal function of T cells, B lymphocytes, antibody-dependent cell toxicity, natural killer cell activity (NK), and numbers of antibody-forming cells. Studies indicate that this compound has unique physiological activities without any major toxic effects.” (The Journal of Interferon Research 4 -1984)

“Organic germanium-treated test animals showed an inhibitory effect against certain tumors in such a way that suggests that the effect is the result of macrophage activity.”(Gan To Kagaku Ryoho 12 November 1985: 2122-8 )

“As an example for further explanation, white rats were exposed to radiation until red and white blood cells were reduced by 50%. They were then injected with an organic germanium solution. Two weeks later, the number of red and white cells was completely recovered. Moreover, although the bone marrow, which makes blood, was destroyed by radiation, it also recovered its function.” (Japanese Radiation Medical Association Vol. 18 No. 11).

“Test animals were inoculated with carcinoma of leukemia cells, and then treated orally with organic germanium. The study demonstrated that the effect of the organic germanium works through the body’s defense mechanisms rather than attacking the cancer itself.” (Anticancer Research 5, Sept-Oct 1985:479-83)

Organic germanium facilitates the movement of oxygen across cellular membranes to deliver oxygen into the cells. Dr. Otto Warburg, Nobel prize-winning scientist, discovered that cancer cells do not metabolize oxygen properly. Malignant cells can not optimally use oxygen so they develop only in conditions without oxygen. Ge -132 s unique chemical structure may strongly attract and absorb  electrons.  In this manner, it may facilitate of oxygen as and “electron sink” necessary for energy-yielding electron transfer processes. In cells which cannot utilize oxygen, it is predictable that Organic Germanium’s presence as and “oxygen-catalyst” could have  harmful, effects on malignant cells and may, hence, demonstrate medicinal value.

Food Sources Organic Germanium

Trametes cinnabarina (800-2000 ppm), Garlic (754 ppm), Codonopsis Tangshen (257 ppm), Ginseng (from Shinano district, Japan-320 ppm), Trapajaponica Flerov (239 ppm), Symphytum Peregimum (152 ppm), Lithosemi Radix (88 ppm), Bandai moss (255 ppm), Aloe (77 ppm), Chlorella (76 ppm).

Organic Germanium Dosage

Dr. Kazuhiko Asai experimented with Ge-132, in doses ranging from 100-300 milligrams. Under medical control patients with a broad range of symptoms have been treated with organic germanium at doses from 500 to 1000 milligrams. It is recommended that patients who want to take organic germanium at higher medicinal doses do so under the control of a doctor. Good quality organic germanium products have a purity of 99.7 percent or greater. Wrong manufacturing procedures can result in impure organic germanium. Contamination of germanium sesquioxide with risky levels of inorganic germanium occurs just as a result of carelessness or a malicious behavior. A research conducted by the Food and Drug Administration found at least 31 cases of kidney failure linked to germanium products.

Benfotiamine Benefits and Diabetes

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Benfotiamine (S-benzoylthiamine monophosphate) is a compound that is an analog vitamin B1 (thiamine). Because it is lipid-soluble, the body metabolizes benfotiamine more quickly than vitamin B1. Upon dephosphorylation of benfotiamine in the intestinal  tract, a lipophilic molecule is produced which readily diffuses across cell membranes and is absorbed much better than water soluble thiamine salts. This attribute allows for more absorption in the intestines and in target tissues as compared with thiamine itself. Higher plasma thiamine levels are achieved with oral benfotiamine intake, and blood and tissue concentrations are maintained long time. Oral benfotiamine dosages in these experiments ranged from 40-250 mg daily.

1954, Fujiwara discovered a group of lipid-soluble thiamine derivatives, subsequently called allithiamines because they occur naturally in Allium family vegetable: roasted crushed garlic, onions, leeks. Benfotiamine has been existing in Japan since 1961 and is sold under the trade name “Biotamin“. Has been marketed in Germany since 1978 as under the trade name “Milgamma Mono“. Used for decades in Europe as a prescription drug, benfotiamine reduces the progression of diabetic nerve, retinal, and kidney, damage, and relieves the painful symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. Various clinical trials have demonstrated a reversal in diabetic neuropathy, with improved nerve function and alleviation of pain.

Benfotiamine Benefits

Benfotiamine activates transketolase efficiency, therefore facilitating conversion of harmful glucose metabolites and affecting Advanced Glycation End product (AGE) formation. Advanced glycation end products are caused by hyperglycemia, a trouble that diabetics often have. Different researchs have shown that benfotiamine inhibits 3 important pathways that lead to the formation of toxic substances such as advanced glycation end products. In a clinical trial with 6 patients, benfotiamine lowered Advanced Glycation End Product (AGE) by 40 percent.

Lab experiments and controlled trials have confirmed that benfotiamine alleviates and may even reverse diabetic neuropathy, kidney disease, endothelial dysfunction, peripheral vascular disease, and diabetic retinopathy.

Benfotiamine is remarkably active at inhibiting the formation of AGE (Advanced Glycation End products). It increases threefold the concentration of the endogenous enzyme transketolase which breaks down AGE and converts them into inoffensive compounds. AGE’s main targets are the nerves, eyes, blood vessels and kidneys, and since diabetics produce AGE in excess. In a study, benfotiamine effectively increased transketolase activity in cell cultures by an dramatically 300 percent, compared to a mere 20 percent for thiamine.

In an in vitro study of human endothelial progenitor cells, scientists demonstrated that benfotiamine can help correct hyperglycemic impairment of EPC differentiation into mature, healthy endothelial cells. In 2006, experts at the ‘American Diabetes Association‘ found benfotiamine to be useful in preventing blood vessel degeneration in people with type 2 diabetes.

A double-blind study in Germany found that diabetes patients with polyneuropathy who supplemented with 100 mg of benfotiamine four times daily for 3 weeks demonstrated statistically remarkable development in nerve function scores. A study reported in Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology and Diabetes in November 2008 examined the feature of benfotiamine on individuals with diabetic-neuropathy. 2 groups received the benfotiamine, first group taking 300 mg per day, while the other group took 600 mg. Found those individuals in the 600 mg group  the most development in they neuropathy. 13 patients with type 2 diabetes were given a three-day trial of benfotiamine and challenged with a hyperglycemic diet. The researchers concluded that benfotiamine had important prevented both macrovascular and microvascular endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress in these subjects challenged with a meal rich in advanced glycation end products ages.

Foods Contain Benfotiamine

Benfotiamine is found naturally in onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, and other members of the allium family of vegetables.

Dosage

Benfotiamine is well tolerated at doses up to 600 mg daily or higher. Based on clinical trials to date, daily doses of benfotiamine range from 300-450 milligrams  daily in divided doses. Animal-based studies in which high doses of up to 100 milligrams benfotiamine/kg bw for six months were administered, reported no negative effects.

Taurine Benefits and Effects

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Taurine (chemical formula 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is a sulphur-containing amino acid which the body can produce from the amino acids cysteine and methionine . Generally a person’s body produces all the taurine it needs, and therefore this substance is classified as a non-essential amino acid. Taurine is named after the Latin ”Taurus” which means bull or ox, as it was first isolated from ox bile in 1827 by German scientists Leopold Gmelin and Friedrich Tiedemann. This amino acid is found in high amounts in the human brain, retina, central nervous system, skeletal muscles, heart and platelets. Deficiencies in vitamin A, vitamin B6, zinc, and the amino acids cysteine and methionine can cause your body to not be able to make enough taurine.

Taurine Benefits

Taurine is necessary for the healthy physiological functions of the heart, brain and the retina in the eye. Has been used clinically in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases, cystic fibrosis, seizure disorders, ocular disorders, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and alcoholism.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

Taurine comprises over 50 % of the total free amino acid pool of the heart. It has a positive inotropic action on cardiac tissue, and has been proved in some trials to lower blood pressure. Congestive heart failure, a condition in which the heart has trouble pumping blood, which leads to fluid accumulating in the legs and lungs. Taking taurine seems to improve heart function and symptoms in people with moderate heart failure (New York Heart Association functional class II) to severe heart failure (New York Heart Association functional class IV).Some patients with serious heart failure rapidly improve from New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV to II after 4 to 8 weeks of therapy. In a 1984 animal-based study, taurine protected against heart failure, reducing mortality by 80 % in the taurine-treated group with no diminishment of cardiac function. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled trial , 58 patient with congestive heart failure took either placebo or 2 g of taurine 3 times daily for four weeks. During taurine therapy, the study participants showed important improvement in breathlessness, heart palpitations, fluid buildup, and heart x-ray, as well as standard scales of heart failure severity. Taurine  in preventing  arrhythmia is well documented  and it is thought it may act by modulating potassium flux in and out of cardiac muscle cells. In Japan, this amino acid is used to treat ischemic heart disease, which can lead to strokes, and heart arrhythmia in patients with congestive heart failure.

Retinal Degeneration

High concentrations of taurine are found in the eyes and in especially, the retina. Deficiencies of amino acid taurine are known to cause retinal lesions and visual deterioration, which can be reversed with dietary taurine. According to taurine in Health and Disease, taurine has antioxidant effects in preventing macular degeneration and other eye illness.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is one of the most common liver diseases which causes degenerative effects on the liver. Taurine might help treat acute viral hepatitis, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In double-blind, placebo-controlled trial 63 people with hepatitis were given either 12 g of taurine daily or placebo. According to blood tests, the taurine group experienced important improvements in liver function as compared to the placebo group.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a common metabolic disease that, is usually associated with heart, kidney, eye and nerve complications. Human and animal-based studies indicate that taurine supplementation is helpful in reduce some of the complications of insulin-dependant diabetes. Plasma and platelet taurine levels have been found to be depressed in insulin-dependent diabetic patients, but, these levels were raised to normal with oral taurine.

Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, then acts on muscles and the liver to clear glucose from the blood. In the diabetic, there may be or an insufficient production of insulin, the production of an incomplete hormone, or a decrease in the number and affinity of insulin receptors. This amino acid improves insulin sensitivity due to its lipid lowering effect. Taurine helps manage blood sugar and insulin levels and may improve the function of beta cells, the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Taurine was shown to be beneficial in preserving stem cells that lead to promotion of pancreatic hormone production in a cold-storage method referred to as “cryopreservation”. Researchersin Pune, India, at the Stem Cells and Diabetes Section used taurine as part of the preservation of mononuclear cells that activate the genes that code for the pancreatic function.

Alcoholism

Both taurine and  a synthetic taurine analog (acamprosate) have been shown to be clinically beneficial in treating  people with alcohol dependence. Twenty-two people undergoing treatment for alcohol withdrawal were given 1 gram of taurine three times per day orally for 7days. When compared to retrospective controls, important fewer of the taurine-treated patients had psychotic episodes.

Cystic Fibrosis

Clinical trials using 30 mg/kg taurine daily for 4 months resulted in a significant decrease in fecal fatty acids. Cystic fibrosis is generally characterized by nutrient malabsorption in the ileum, impaired bile acid conjugation, and steatorrhea. Patients with cystic fibrosis are less able to absorb fat due to their pancreas issues, and this results in a fatty diarrhea called  steatorrhea. During  study reported in the June 1985 edition of Pediatric Research, 22 children with cystic fibrosis taking 30 mg of taurine per kg of body weight per day were able to decrease their steatorrhea by an average of 17.6%.

Epileptic Seizures

A seizure is characterized by anomalous uncontrolled electrical signals sent by nerve cells in the brain. Taurine acts like the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which reduces activity in the brain. In a 2008 study reported in the “Journal of Neuroscience,” found that taurine is  a powerful activator of gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors in the thalamus, which are the areas that the neurotransmitter binds to. Taurine has been administered intravenously or orally at a wide range of doses  for varying periods of time to patients with severe, intractable epilepsy. In some studies, a significant reduction in seizure frequency was observed, whereas no  positive effect was seen in others. In one study a daily oral dose of 0.05-0.3 g/kg and 750 mg in other study both demonstrated remarkable efficacy in cases of intractable epilepsy, decreasing seizures by more than 30% in 11 of 34 patients. According to report, taurine was effective against partial epilepsy but had small effect on generalized epilepsy.

Natural Taurine Sources

Food sources of taurine include, shellfish, fish, meat, dairy products, poultry and eggs; as well as dietary supplement form.

Taurine Dosage

Taurine is generally administered orally, with the adult dosage being 500 mg to 3g daily in divided doses. In studies of taurine for treating congestive heart failure, doses of 2 g to 6 g daily were used. These doses were split up into 2 or 3 smaller doses per day. For treating hepatitis, a dosage of 4 g three times daily for 6 weeks has been used in a clinical study.

L-Theanine Dosage For Anxiety

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L-Theanine (delta-glutamylethylamide) is an amino acid found in green tea. Was first isolated in the 1940s. This amino acid, is able to cross the blood-brain barrier and is considered to be psychoactive. Possesses neuroprotective, mood-enhancing, and relaxation properties. Theanine appears to have a role in the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter Gamma Amino Butyric Acid.

Klonopin, Valium, and Ativan are  commonly prescribed anti-anxiety medicaments. But, long term use of this class of drugs named benzodiazepines, can lead to physical and psychological dependence, and like all drugs, they have the risk to damage the liver with extended use. Clinical findings show that l-theanine may help reduce stress and promote relaxation.

L-Theanine for Anxiety and Depression

Research on human volunteers has demonstrated that theanine creates a sense of relaxation approximately 30 minutes after ingestion by two different mechanisms. 1-Theanine directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, creating a state of deep relaxation and mental alertness similar to what is achieved through meditation.2- Theanine is involved in the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). Gamma-aminobutyric acid is an important neurotransmitter that is abundant and widely distributed throughout the central nervous system. Low  levels or decreased GABA function in the brain is associated with different neurological and psychiatric problems, but most primarily depression, anxiety, insomnia and epilepsy. According to a 2006 info in the “Journal of Herbal Pharmacotherapy“, L-theanine not only increases GABA levels in the brain, it also increases serotonin and dopamine levels. Theanine may alleviate anxiety by inhibiting the barrage of brain excitation associated with anxiety states, according to a study reported in the January 2007 Biological Psychology journal.

The human brain generates various types of weak electric pulses that are classified as alpha, beta, delta and theta waves. Each of these waves are associated with particular physiological activity e.g. theta waves are associated with drowsiness while alpha waves are associated with relaxation. Clinical studies have shown that L-theanine powerfully activates alpha waves and induces relaxation in test subjects. A study reported in Trends in Food Science and Tech found electroencephalographic evidence on how l-theanine affects the brain. L-Theanine increases the alpha brain frequency which means relaxes the mind without causing drowsiness. A study reported in 2008 in “Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition” found that 50 mg of l-theanine significantly increases alpha brain wave activity within 40 to 90 min of ingestion.

L-Theanine Dosage for Anxiety

L-theanine supplements are taken in doses ranging from 200 mg to 800 mg per day. In a monograph reported by Alternative Medicine Reviews in 2010, the recommends taking 200 mg twice or three times daily to treat anxiety. (The approximate 1 cup of green tea is estimated to contain 20 mg of L-theanine). Though there are no reported side effects, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that people do not take more than 1,200 mg daily. Suntheanine®, a pure form of L-Theanine, is a patented supplement and a registered trademark of Taiyo International.