Supplement Update

First, please accept my apologies for the long delay in getting out this newsletter.  The good news is that in neglecting the newsletter, I have finally completed the draft for my Master’s thesis, entitled “Do Exercise-induced Elevations of Plasma Non-esterified Fatty Acids Attenuate the Decrease in Fat Oxidation that Normally Occurs Following Carbohydrate Ingestion?”  In case you’re wondering, the answer is no.  (When you eat carbohydrates, the resulting rise in insulin causes your body to immediately quit breaking down fat for energy.  Even if you’ve just exercised.)  But on to other topics…

What Supplements Are We Taking?

The main key to optimum nutrition is to eat a diet high in organic fruits and vegetables, fish, and lean meat.  The most detrimental foods that should be avoided or minimized are processed carbohydrates (breads, pastas, etc), sugar, salt, and processed or high-fat meat (bologna, and other so-called meats). But nutritional supplements also have a dramatic potential to prevent disease and slow the aging process.

We have recently updated our supplement program, and I thought I should let you know in case you are using our program as a guide.  We purchase our supplements in bulk in powder form from the Life Extension Foundation, and Beyond-a-Century, and then mix the powders ourselves.  The powder is consumed by mixing with water or juice, shaken up and shot like a tequila-shooter.  This saves a tremendous amount of time and money compared to taking a handful of pills three times a day. We call the mixture HPL Mix.

The New HPL Mix

The recently instituted changes in our supplementation program were in response to new research and newly available ingredients.  The main effect of the changes should be enhanced cancer protection, improved mitochondrial functioning (and an associated reduction in cellular aging), and improved cognitive benefits.  The primary changes are listed below:

Doubled acetyl-l-carnitine

Between ages 20 and 60 the capacity of the mitochondria, the energy producing structures in your cells, declines by about 50%. In the process of producing energy, high levels of free radicals are generated, which do most of the damage.  The result is a decline in energy (including brain and heart energy), and an increase in fat stores.

Usual antioxidants, such as vitamin C and vitamin E, do not protect the mitochondria because they cannot get into the cells in which the mitochondria reside.  Acetyl-l-carnitine is not only a mitochondrial antioxidant, but it is also required by the body to transport fatty acids into the mitochondria for oxidation. The body produces its own acetyl-l-carnitine, but this production declines rapidly with age.

We have doubled the amount of Acetyl-l-carnitine to 1000 mg/day.

Doubled lipoic acid

Lipoic acid, as one of the few antioxidants that is able to enter the mitochondria, has proven very effective in preventing oxidative damage to the mitochondria, and to reduce aging in animal studies.  We have doubled the amount in HPL Mix to 400 mg/day.

Doubled ginkgo biloba

The amount of ginkgo biloba has been doubled from 60 mg/day to 120 mg/day.  In addition, a higher quality extract is now being used.  Previously we were using an extract which contained 24% gingko flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones – the new extract contains 28% gingko flavone glycosides, and 8% terpene lactones.  Ginkgo biloba has been shown in numerous studies improve attention span, memory, reaction time, perception, and learning ability.  Studies in rats have also shown it to actually activate genes involved in learning and speech.

Standardized milk thistle extract

Previously we included 150 mg of an 80% extract.  This has been increased to 200 mg/day of an extract standardized for 85% silymarin.  Silymarin has proven to be one of the most potent liver-protecting substances known.  Its main routes of protection appear to be the prevention of free-radical damage, stabilization of plasma membranes, and stimulation of new liver cell production.  It has also been shown to inhibit lipid peroxidation and to prevent glutathione depletion induced by alcohol and other liver toxins.

Standardized green tea extract

HPL Mix previously contained 350 mg of a 50% polyphenol green tea extract, with trace amounts of caffeine.  The mix now provides 325 mg/day of a decaffeinated green tea extract that is standardized to contain 93% (302 mg) polyphenols.  The amount of polyphenols (including EGCG) is equivalent to drinking approximately 3-6 cups of green tea per day.  Green tea contains five major polyphenol compounds, including epigallocatechin-gallate (ECGC), one of nature’s most powerful polyphenol antioxidants.  Numerous studies suggest that green tea helps protect against heart attacks and a range of cancers, including lung, prostate and breast cancer.  It has even been shown to slow aging in animal experiments.

Added quercetin

We have added 130 mg/day of quercetin.  This plant pigment is an antioxidant found in highest levels in apples and onions.  People who eat diets with high intakes of foods containing quercetin tend to have lower rates of heart disease and lung cancer, and preliminary research at the Mayo Clinic indicates that it may help prevent prostate cancer.

Increased luteolin

Luteolin is a flavonoid found in parsley, artichoke, basil, celery and other foods.  When measured against 27 other flavonoids, luteolin had the second most beneficial effect on cell colonies.  Luteolin can inhibit oxidative damage to cellular DNA, and also help moderate inflammation.  The previous version of HPL Mix provided between 1.5-4 mg luteolin per daily dose, the new version contains 8 mg/day.

More fruit extracts

HPL Mix is fortified with fruit extracts such as bilberry, grape seed, grape skin and citrus bioflavonoids to provide healthy circulation throughout the body and protect against DNA alterations.

Ellagic acid is a detoxifying agent found in raspberries, strawberries, and other fruit.  Ellagic acid has demonstrated DNA-protecting properties, including the ability to neutralize toxins.  Studies have also shown that ellagic acid may protect against chromosome damage and reduce the effects of chemically induced hepatic structural degeneration.  Studies show that people who consume diets high in fruits maintain healthier cell colonies.  HPL Mix now contains a raspberry and pomegranate fruit extract that delivers 50 mg ellagic acid/day.

Olive oil consumption is likely one of the important factors behind the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. Researchers have recently discovered that there are up to 300 times more polyphenol compounds in olive water compared to olive oil.  Olive polyphenols have been the subject of numerous in vitro, in vivo and human studies pointing toward their benefits in many different areas, including protecting against LDL oxidation, suppressing free radicals, and stabilizing cell membranes.  HPL Mix contains 12.5 mg/day of olive juice extract standardized to contain 7 percent hydroxytyrosol, which is an amount equivalent to drinking over one ounce of virgin olive oil per day.

Sesame lignans

Sesame and its lignans have a broad range of applications in human health.  This includes increasing human tissue levels of vitamin E by facilitating carrier proteins in the liver to deliver nutrients to cells throughout the body.  Sesame lignans increase the benefits of fish oils, decrease LDL oxidation, inhibit lipid peroxidation, maintain healthy cholesterol/LDL levels in humans, and provide many other benefits.*  HPL Mix contains 10 mg/day of a sesame lignan extract.

More chromium

Chromium, along with magnesium and biotin, are nutrients required to maintain optimal blood sugar levels.  HPL Mix now contains 500 mcg/day of chromium, compared to 200 micrograms in the previous version.  A review of studies that show the benefits of chromium supplementation reveals that doses exceeding 200 micrograms per day are required for optimal effects.

More vitamin D

Doctors used to be concerned that too much vitamin D could be toxic.  Over the past few years, however, an increasing body of evidence indicates that it takes much higher doses of vitamin D (perhaps over 10,000 IU per day) to create toxicity in a healthy person.  Vitamin D is found in virtually no foods, though milk and some cereals are fortified with it.  Optimum production of vitamin D in the body comes from getting adequate sun, something that very few people, especially those who work inside, get.  We’ve increased the amount of vitamin D in HPL Mix from 300 IU to 800 IU/day.

A complete list of all the ingredients can be found on our HPL Mix page.  Remember that nutrients work in concert with each other, and individual nutrients should not be taken by themselves.  Let me know if you have any questions.

Go Long,

Wiley

High Performance Living
2261 Shawnee Ct
Fort Collins, CO 80525
970-224-0116

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