The term proteolytic is a catch-all term referring to enzymes that digest protein. Supplemental forms can incorporate any of a wide variety of enzymes, including trypsin, chymotrypsin, pancreatin, bromelain, papain, and a range of fungal proteases. In the body, proteolytic digestive enzymes are produced in the pancreas, but supplemental forms of enzymes may come from […]

Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are fats that contain 6, 8, 10, or 12 carbons. The number of carbons distinguishes them from long-chain (14 or more carbons) or short-chain (two or four carbons) fats. The length of the carbon chain affects the overall function in the body. MCTs are absorbed rapidly and burned for immediate energy, whereas […]

Coronary Bypass Hospitals rarely employ vitamin C supplementation, despite the possible significant advantages of doing so and despite the frequently low-vitamin C status of hospitalized patients. To illustrate the apparent need for vitamin C supplementation in the hospital, let’s look at a study analyzing the vitamin C status of patients undergoing coronary artery bypass. In […]

Cancer Treatment Perhaps the most controversial use of vitamin C supplementation is the treatment of cancer. Mainstream medicine has difficulty accepting the possibility that vitamin C, as well as other nutrients, may offer therapeutic benefits to cancer patients. The first rule of scientific thinking is to have an open mind, yet most mainstream medical people […]

Many claims have been made about the role of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in enhancing the immune system, especially with regard to the prevention and treatment of the common cold. Twenty years have passed since Linus Pauling wrote Vitamin C and the Common Cold.3S Pauling based his opinion on several studies that showed vitamin C […]

Because insulin facilitates the transport of vitamin C into cells, most diabetics suffer from deficient intracellular vitamin C. Therefore, without high dosage vitamin C supplementation, a relative vitamin C deficiency exists in many diabetics despite an “adequate” dietary amount of vitamin C. The diabetic simply needs more vitamin C. High dosage vitamin C supplementation is […]

Glycosylation Inhibition The binding of glucose to proteins, a process referred to as glycosylation, leads to changes in the structure and function of many body proteins. In diabetes, excessive glycosylation also occurs with albumin (a blood protein) and the proteins of the red blood cell, lens, and myelin sheath. This glycosylation causes abnormal structures and […]

Amino acids are the basic building blocks of protein and can be obtained in an almost endless variety of supplemental forms, including capsules, tablets, bars, and powders. Some available products provide a food like mixture of all 20 nutritionally important amino acids, while other products focus on the specific characteristics of isolated amino acids. The […]

Olive Leaf Extract Olive leaf extract is an herbal supplement that has been shown to be effective against virtually all the viruses and bacteria on which it has been tested. Laboratory studies suggest that olive leaf extract interferes with viral infection becoming established and/or spreading, either by rendering viruses incapable of infecting cells or by […]

As darkness falls at the end of each day, melatonin production rises. In the morning, when daylight hits the retina, neural impulses cause production of the hormone to slow. Clearly, light and darkness are the primary factors that set the rhythms of melatonin production. However, they are not the only factors involved. In fact, it […]