PROTEIN DEFICIENT? CHANCES ARE YOU ARE!
Did you know that 9 out of 10 people lack the proper amount of protein in their systems in order for their bodies to function properly? Contrary to popular belief, a sufficient intake of protein in the diet does not ensure that the body is getting what it needs. The trouble stems from the body's inability to properly digest dietary protein and manufacture systemic proteins which keep our bodies intact.
WHY IS PROTEIN IMPORTANT?
Protein is throughout our body, providing structure, function, and organization. It is in our skin, nails and hair. It is in our blood, lymph, and plasma. It enables our muscles to contract. It provides integrity to the walls of our intestines. It fights infection in our body and repairs any tissue damage that occurs. It is in our bone and brain cells. It makes the enzymes that digest our food, repair damaged DNA, and regulate all chemical reactions in our body. It forms lung cells. It carries oxygen to cells. It removes toxins from the liver. It makes 95 percent of all hormones in the body as well as carrying hormones, vitamins, fatty acids and minerals to the cells. The list goes on and on. The point is that when we talk about protein we are not talking about a part of the system, we are talking about the system itself. When we assimilate protein into the system daily, we are keeping the entire system intact.
Because protein is not stable, it is constantly being used up and exchanged for new protein in a process called "protein turnover." About one pound of protein a day is used up in this process, and so it needs to be replenished from the diet on a daily basis. Here are some examples of turnover times for different body proteins:
enzymes- 7-10 min. - insulin- 30 min. - liver protein- 10 days - muscle protein- 60days. In 1 year all the protein in our body has turned over.
HOW ARE PROTEINS MADE?
When dietary protein is consumed in a healthy system it is broken down by stomach acid and pancreatic enzymes into amino acids, (the molecules from which protein is made) absorbed through the small intestine, and made available to the body for systemic protein production. Literally thousands of different kinds of proteins are being manufactured constantly in our body from 20 different amino acids. The body can make 10 of these, and 10 are considered "essential", meaning they must be acquired from the diet.
HOW DO AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENTS HELP KEEP YOU HEALTHY?
When a balanced blend of essential amino acids such as SuperNutrient Corporation's Platinum Plus formula enter the body and move through the stomach, immediate production of systemic protein begins. Pancreatic cells churn out digestive enzymes which properly break down foods into more amino acids. Amino acids are then carried all over the body to produce the thousands of proteins necessary to sustain the structure and function of our body.
In a well functioning system the body will not over produce any of the 10 non-essential amino acids. The amino acid production process has a built in mechanism to keep this from occurring. The 10 essential amino acids in Platinum Plus Amino Acids are combined in a balanced blend to encourage optimal amino acid activity in the system. SuperNutrient's clinical studies have consistently found that a well balanced diet supplemented with essential amino acids along with a high quality multiple vitamin blend and the proper blend of essential fatty acids found in Flax/Borage oil, will maintain a healthy system and revitalize a diseased one.
ARE ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS ALL WE NEED?
Essential amino acids must be present and is the key to good health, but it is not everything. In order for a person to obtain optimal health other key nutrients much be present also! Essential fatty acids( EFA) and proper vitamin and minerals are integral to a healthy system.
WHAT ARE EFAs ?
Essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated and super unsaturated acids, which our bodies need but cannot make and so must acquire in the diet. They are considered macronutrients because they are required in significant quantities daily. The two kinds of EFAs are linoleic acid (Omega6) and alpha linoleic acid (Omega3.) Some common sources of Omega 6s are safflower, sunflower, flax, borage and sesame oils. Some common sources of omega 3s are flax and fish oils. These are all readily available in stores, the problem is that most are refined, deodorized, rancid or toxic, rendering them useless to the body.
WHAT DO EFAs DO IN THE BODY?
They make prostaglandins series 1(PGE1) 2(PGE2) and 3 (PGE3.) These hormone-like chemicals have a high turnover rate and play a large part in managing the daily housekeeping of cells. PGE series 1, 2, and 3 are all needed by the body in the proper balance. PGE1 keeps the blood mobile, helps remove excess sodium and fluid from the body, relaxes blood vessels, decreases inflammatory symptoms, regulates calcium functions, and supports the immune and nervous systems. PGE2 constricts blood vessels, promotes inflammation, fluid retention, and sticky, immobile blood. PGEs1 and 3 keep PGE2 production under tight control. Problems occur when over consumption of cholesterol and trans-fats encourage the production of PGE2, leading to a systemic imbalance of the worst kind. When EFAs are digested in the healthy person, they will enter the cell by means of protein transporters, where they will convert to GLA (from Omega6) and EPA (from Omega3) the important precursors to PGEs 1 and 3. EFAs also are involved in, systemic metabolism, cellular energy production, manufacture of hemoglobin, removal of lactic acid from the system, and proper brain development in infants and children.
HOW TO COMBINE YOUR OILS
Omega3 and Omega6 oils must be taken in the proper proportion, 2:1, in order for them to be fully effective. A person who cannot digest their food will also be unable to utilize their EFAs. Sometimes, even if digestion has been improved, other factors will prevent the conversion of EFAs to GLA and EPA, (such as diabetes, viral and bacterial infections, and poor diet). When this happens the symptoms of EFA deficiency occur and systemic balance is upset, eventually leading to disease. For this reason the Omega6 oils should always be supplemented with a source of GLA, such as borage oil, to make sure PGE1 production occurs. The conversion of omega 3 EFAs to EPA is easily taken care of by the regular consumption of cold- water fish (once a week is sufficient) or seaweed, both sources of EPA. The consumption of fish oil capsules is unnecessary and risky because the extremely unstable nature of fish oil promotes rancidity, and the prevalence of toxins such as polychlorinated biphenyls in many fish oils simply creates extra problems for the immune system.
WHAT'S A GOOD QUALITY EFA BLEND?
Through extensive testing Dr. Vickery found that many EFA oils on the market range from ineffective to toxic for most people. This could be due to the oil's storage, processing, or the genetic state of the source material. Encapsulated oils seem to be the most stable without the need to refrigerate. Flax/Borage Oil that provides an optimal ratio of 2:1 Omega 3 to Omega 6 oils, with 23% GLA for conversion purposes and vitamin E for optimal absorption seems to work the best. They are also less likely to turn rancid since they are derived from vegetable source rather then fish. Dr. Vickery's testing of thousands of people show that Flax/Borage blends consistently works well for people experiencing a variety of EFA deficiency symptoms, including various arthritis symptoms, gastrointestinal disorders, hormone imbalances, Crohn's disease and autoimmune dysfunctions.
DON'T FORGET THE PROTEIN!
In order for EFA conversion to PGs to occur you must have protein available in the body to carry EFAs into the cells. If you are protein deficient you 1: will not digest the oils, and 2: will not get them into the proper location for PG manufacture. Therefore, proper supplementation with essential amino acids is crucial for EFA utilization. Zinc, magnesium, B vitamins and vitamin C are also necessary for proper conversion. Therefore good vitamin and mineral supplements should be taken as well.
MINERAL BALANCE!
When choosing a mineral supplement, it is important to consider its form. Minerals are not bio available unless they are ionic, water-soluble and angstrom sized. 99.5% of the minerals available are micron sized (which is about ten thousand times too big to enter the cell.) If a mineral doesn't dissolve completely in water it is micron sized and obviously not water-soluble. An ionized mineral is an unbound mineral such as free calcium, (calcium that is not bound to anything.) Ionized minerals easily disassociate in a watery environment and become either positively or negatively charged. When this happens the protein transporters will easily pick up the minerals and pull them through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. The intestinal wall will let ionic minerals that are micron sized through but once they reach the cells, they will not be able to enter because of their size. They will just roll around the system storing themselves in tissues and along the inside of the blood vessels causing problems such as metal toxicity and plaque. Angstrom sized ionic minerals will be absorbed in the upper stomach (bypassing the intestines) and go directly to the cells where they will be absorbed according to need.
The main thing is that without protein transport mineral absorption doesn't happen. If you are not creating the systemic protein you need to transport minerals into the cells, no matter how good your mineral supplement is, your body can't use it. Properly blended essential amino acids lets you make the protein you need to use your minerals!
THE LIVER and ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS? PLUS
The liver is the largest organ in your body and one of the most important. Two of the liver's most vital functions are removing toxins from the blood (and preparing them to safely exit the body), and manufacturing important blood proteins such as albumin.
The blood detoxification process is a two-phase operation in which the blood is filtered and toxins are broken down and prepared for removal from the body. This operation is known as the Phase I and Phase II detoxification pathways. In the space of a single minute a healthy liver filters and detoxifies 99% of waste material from two quarts of blood. Because the enzyme pathways of a sick or damaged liver will be unable to effectively break down and clear the body of this amount, toxins and poisonous material will end up in the blood or stored in body tissues.
The blood enters the liver and passes through a special filtration system located between the hepatocytes known as the sinusoids. The sinusoids remove waste products and toxins from the blood. Special cells located in these sinusoids (Kupffer cells) break down the toxins in a process known as Phase I detoxification. This process involves cytochrome P450 enzymes, which break down the toxins into smaller particles. This process of chemical oxidation creates large amounts of free radicals, which must be neutralized by adequate intake of ascorbic acid. In fact, safe and effective Phase I detoxification involves adequate amounts of both Vitamin C and all the B vitamins.
Once the blood has been filtered and passes through Phase I it is then ready for the Phase II detoxification pathway. During this phase the reduced toxins are bound to glutathione, glycine and sulfur, making them harmless, water soluble, and ready to pass out of the body in the form of bile or urine. The necessary support nutrients for this pathway are the sulfur-containing amino acids, vitamin E, and vitamin A.
If the body has an insufficient amount of amino acids available for the creation of Phase I enzymes, the toxins will not be sufficiently broken down for Phase II and complete detoxification will not occur. If there are not enough amino acids for the creation of glutathione or if there is not enough sulfur in the body, Phase II will not be effective in neutralizing the toxins. When Phase I and II detoxification do not work effectively, toxins build up in the body, overworking the immune system. The body begins to present symptoms such as rashes, sinusitis, aching joints, dry skin, arthritis, constipation, fatigue, etc.
Another important function of the liver is the manufacture of various different blood proteins, such as albumin. Adequate amounts of albumin in the blood ensure that the body will retain a proper blood/tissue fluid balance. Albumin soaks up excess fluid from the surrounding tissues and keeps them in the blood. If there are not enough amino acids available for the liver to manufacture a sufficient amount of albumin, the body tissues will start to retain fluid and signs of edema will occur.
Albumin is also a major component of the transport system. The transport system is comprised of systemic proteins that carry nutrients into the cell. The albumin-containing proteins carry tryptophan, fatty acids, bilirubin, calcium, hormones, and many other substances. It doesn't matter how many vitamins or minerals you take, without these transport proteins, nutrients cannot enter the cells. If the liver doesn't have enough amino acids available to make a good supply of albumin, we will be transport protein deficient.
Molybdenum is one of the nutrients required for the manufacture of several of the Phase 1 detoxification enzymes such as aldehyde dehydrogenase and aldehyde oxidase. These two enzymes neutralize acetaldehyde, a metabolic byproduct of yeast, fungi, and alcohol. Candida patients are often overloaded with this neurotoxin, which accumulates in the blood liver, organs, tissues and intestines, putting their immune system under large amounts of stress. Molybdenum is also involved in the manufacture of certain Phase 1 enzymes that oxidize the sulfites in preservatives, and neutralize the toxins involved in protein metabolism. Molydenum is also involved in flushing the excess copper from the system as well as preventing dental cavities when adequate amounts are stored in the tooth enamel. When the liver has enough molybdenum, detoxification becomes more complete and the immune system can do a better job at fighting off other infections.
Both of these processes (detoxification and blood protein manufacture) require adequate amounts of amino acids. In times of stress on the system such as illness, the amino acid requirements are even higher. If the digestive process is not producing the needed amounts of amino acids for the liver, these processes will be incomplete resulting in toxin overload in the tissues, malnutrition, edema, and slow wound healing. The liver and the immune system are the two largest manufacturing sites of systemic proteins in the body. If there are not adequate supplies of essential amino acids from dietary sources to build these systemic proteins, the body will begin to break down.
Platinum Plus Essential Amino Acids contains all the essential amino acids and extra molybdenum you need to help the liver manufacture Phase I detoxification enzymes and Phase II glutathione. It also has 800 mg. (per 4 capsule serving) of sulfur to help in Phase II detoxification. When you take Platinum Plus you will also ensure that the liver is getting the amino acids it needs to manufacture adequate blood proteins.