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<--Back Supplements Medicinal Mushrooms A new category of nutritional supplements is neither vitamin, mineral nor herbal. These are medicinal mushrooms, which fall into the category of mycological products. Although considered part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Japanese herbology, medicinal mushrooms are not herbs but fungi, a biological kingdom unto themselves. There are about 100,000 different types of fungi, including the penicillin mold. Also in this group are 38,000 species of mushrooms, about 500 of which are thought to possess medicinal properties. Most of the immune activation provided by medicinal mushrooms is attributed to a complex carbohydrate that enhances white blood cells that destroy harmful microorganisms and tumor cells. More mainstream practitioners are using medicinal mushrooms to treat a variety of clinical conditions including heart disease, cancer, depressed immunity, hypertension and elevated triglyceride levels. In fact, the all-time, best-selling cancer drug sold in Europe and Japan is a mushroom derivative called PSK. Among the better-known mushrooms used throughout Asia for millennia are reishi, shiitake and maitake.
Growth Hormone Enhancers One current theory on aging involves the gradual decline of growth hormone secretion. Human growth hormone (hGH) is responsible for growth spurts in teenagers; it also restores lost muscle mass and redistributes fat cells in the elderly. After age 30, circulating growth hormone levels decline. Consequently, body composition shifts from muscle to fat. Increasing numbers of anti-aging enthusiasts are receiving daily injections for reasons not approved by FDA. One study showed that 21 men aged 61-80 years old who injected 50 mg hGH three times a week for six months raised their lean mass 8 percent, decreased fat 14 percent, increased spleen and liver sizes by 18 percent, and increased bone density by 1.6 percent. At $12,000 to $20,000 a year, however, the treatment is out of reach for most people. Human growth hormone is also growing in popularity as a performance-enhancing drug in professional sports. One double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 35 growth hormone-deficient adults found favorable changes in body composition after six months. The researchers concluded that training in addition to supplementing with growth hormone may be necessary to significantly increase physical performance in people with hGH deficiencies. Unlike steroids, there is no test for hGH use.
The Basics Creatine has gained much popularity in recent years as an energy-enhancing supplement for athletes. Unlike anabolic steroids, the only documented side effect of taking creatine is weight gain. Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid (protein building block) found in the skeletal muscles of your body. When you do high-intensity, short-duration exercise, such as lifting weights or sprinting, a special chemical reaction takes place to provide a burst of energy to your muscles. Creatine is fundamental to this reaction. Your body does not store very much creatine in your muscles for normal, everyday functions. If you desire to increase your muscle strength, improve your endurance, and delay fatigue for high-intensity, short-duration sports, then creatine supplements may help you achieve your goals. It is not for everyone, however. For example, it will not help you increase your performance for endurance (aerobic) sports such as running or biking. The market is flooded with numerous forms of creatine supplements. For maximum benefit, take a formula that supplies creatine monohydrate in combination with glucose (carbohydrate). Uses Creatine can produce the following effects.
Creatine monohydrate is available in a variety of forms. The most common form is a powder you mix with juice or water. Manufacturers claim the new liquid preparations of creatine monohydrate are absorbed into the bloodstream faster and are more convenient to take than the powdered form. It is also more expensive than the powdered form. Creatine monohydrate is also available in tablets, capsules, energy bars, fruit-flavored chews, drink mixes, and other preparations. Taking creatine monohydrate in combination with glucose (a simple carbohydrate) has been shown to work better than taking creatine alone, so you will find many creatine-glucose combination products on the market. Consult your health care provider to determine which product is best for you. Sources - new and old 3-6g/kg creatine (and reportedly up to 10g/kg in herring) are found in muscle meat; smaller amounts in heart muscle and dietary insignificant amounts in offal. Creatine is not found in milk, or in most non-vertebrate sources of meat or in vegetables. Degradation of creatine to creatinine is usually less than 5% in beef, chicken and rabbit purchased in the supermarket. Boiling or stewing meat results in a 30% loss of creatine to creatinine within one hour, with all of the creatine now contained in the stock. Conversion of creatine to creatinine in lightly fried steak maybe <7%. 90% of creatine is retained in air dried meats (biltong and beef jerkies) where its content may reach 13g/kg or more. Dietary intake has been estimated between 0g for a vegetarian to 1-2g (average mixed diet and 75kg bwt), with higher amounts in the traditional Inuit diet. Low dietary intakes are likely also in those consuming poor quality and heavily processed/cooked meat. Dietary intake by prehistoric man may have averaged closer to 3-6g/day, based on the consumption of 1 to l.5kg/day of meat, and may represent the dietary level taken for the longest period in human evolution. Creatine is readily absorbed by man and canines but not by equines or some ruminants, when supplied with food or as a solution or in solid form. Fortification of the diet with meat extract containing high levels of creatine, prepared by sweating diced beef in a sealed vessel (so- called "beef juice"), was used by weight lifters in the 1930's and post-war era. Claimed benefits to performance, however, were attributed to the high protein content of the extract. High meat ingestion (up to lkg of steak) has been used by rowers and body builders to provide up to 5g supplementary creatine (equivalent to 5.7g Cr.H2O). Your body manufactures about half the creatine you need for normal daily functions. The other half comes from your diet. The best dietary sources of creatine are red meat and fish. These foods provide about 1 g of creatine per half pound of raw meat. However, to gain energy-producing benefits, you can't get enough creatine from your diet alone, but need to take creatine monohydrate supplements. How to Take It In order to get maximum benefits from taking creatine supplements, it is necessary to "load" your muscles first to build up the creatine stores. A person who weighs 180 lbs. should take 5 g of creatine monohydrate four times a day (20 g total per day) for a week. Your muscles will then be "loaded" with creatine and you should begin to see some of the beneficial effects. Usually, a maintenance dose of 2 to 5 g per day is enough to replace whatever creatine you have used and keep your levels at the "loaded" point. If you weigh significantly more or less than 180 lbs, adjust the dosage up or down accordingly. Precautions There have been no dangerous side effects shown from taking creatine monohydrate supplements to increase athletic performance. The only side effect documented in clinical studies is weight gain. This is due to an increase in water both inside and outside the muscle cells as well as an increase of lean-muscle tissue. It is not uncommon to gain 6 to 10 lbs. during the first two weeks of taking creatine supplements. There are reports of other side effects from taking creatine supplements, such as muscle cramping, muscle strains and pulls, gastrointestinal problems, kidney malfunction, and liver damage. Some studies have already disproved these claims, and more research is being conducted. At this time, creatine supplementation is considered safe. Anecdotal reports of gastrointestinal disturbances and muscle cramping are not borne out by study. However, muscle cramping, frequently reported by soccer players, seems likely and may result from the increase possible in total playing effort causing early muscle glycogen depletion. Reported weight gains of 1-3kg are most likely the result of increased water retention and may be likened to the effect of carbohydrate loading. Interactions Avoid foods and beverages that contain caffeine, because it will cancel out the positive effects of taking supplemental creatine. Remember that caffeine is found not only in coffee, tea, and soft drinks, but also in chocolate and some over-the-counter cold remedies or pain relievers. Check the label to be sure. Excerpt from Integrative Medicine Access Copyright 1999 Integrative Medicine Communications References Roger C. Harris Exercise Physiology Research Group (E.P.R.G.) University College Chichester, Chichester, West Sussex, P019 4PE, UK Integrative Medicine AccessCopyright 1999 Integrative Medicine Communications Ribose Another carbohydrate quickly gaining popularity is D-ribose. Ribose is the sugar backbone of RNA and DNA. Found in all living cells, ribose is the starting point for the energy "currency" called adenosine triphosphate (ATP. Although recognized as an important nutrient since the 1970s, it is only recently that improved and more economical manufacturing procedures have made ribose supplements available. Recent research shows that giving ribose to people suffering from inadequate blood flow to the heart, or myocardial ischemia, greatly increases energy in the heart muscle. In one placebo-controlled study of 20 men with documented severe coronary artery disease, the heart's tolerance to ischemia improved after three days treatment with 60 g ribose daily. Since the body produces ribose from glucose slowly, supplementing can benefit not only heart patients, but also athletes who exercise intensely. Under normal conditions, it takes several days to replace energy lost to ischemia or heavy exercise. In heart patients, low blood flow and ATP deficiency can cause chest pain after light activity such as walking. It is estimated, however, that ribose supplementation could quickly restore energy to muscle cells. A rat study found intravenous administration of ribose fully restored ATP levels in 12 hours vs. 72 hours without supplementation.18 In athletes, a day off between exercising to exhaustion three or four times per week may not provide enough time for recovery. To keep cellular ATP levels at their highest, 3-5 g of ribose are recommended daily before and/or after exercise. It is conceivable that ribose will become as popular as creatine since the supplements appear to be complementary. Ribose is part of the metabolic pathway leading to ATP production in the presence of oxygen. It is part of adenosine, the "A" in ATP. During exercise, cells generally use creatine phosphate as a source of a phosphate ("P") molecule for reforming ATP. It is theorized that ribose and creatine together may produce a benefit that exceeds that of creatine alone. |