Tryptophan

The Healthy Body Pak is 90 for Life

The Healthy Body Pak ™ is the minimum nutritional supplement combination that ensures you get "The Mighty 90" vitamins & minerals. It's also referred to as "The 90 for Life", formulated by Dr. Joel Wallach.

Your body needs 90 essential nutrients

True health and wellness is only possible if it radiates from a solid, fundamentally-sound center. There is a core group of 90 essential nutrients that have the most positive effect in bringing vibrant health to the body’s complex multi-dimensional systems.

Happy & Healthy with Start Pak Nutrition

Did you know that only 8-12% of the typical nutritional supplements available today are actually absorbed by your body? That means that approximately 90% of typical supplements are flushed down the drain.

Youngevity’s supplements are 90-98% absorbable! Why is there such a difference? The secret is our exclusive source of plant-derived minerals that dramatically increase bioavailability (absorbability).

"Every man, woman and child needs 90 essential nutrients just to survive, much less to thrive. To put the odds in your favor to live as long as possible, with the highest possible quality of life, you must get these nutrients every day.”

~ Joel Wallach, BS, DVM, ND

What are the 90 Essential Nutrients?


60 Minerals

Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, Sulfur, Cobalt, Copper, Aluminum, Arsenic, Barium, Beryllium, Boron, Bromine, Carbon, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Selenium, Zinc, Cerium, Cesium, Chromium, Dysprosium, Erbium, Europium, Gadolinium, Gallium, Germanium, Gold, Hafnium, Holmium, Hydrogen, Lanthanum, Lithium, Lutetium, Molybdenum, Neodymium, Nickel, Niobium, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Praseodymium, Rhenium, Rubidium, Samarium, Scandium, Silica, Silver, Strontium, Tantalum, Terbium, Thulium, Tin, Titanium, Vanadium, Ytterbium, Yttrium, Zirconium

2-3 Essential Fatty Acids

Omega 3, Omega 6, Omega 9

16 Vitamins

Vitamin A, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Biotin, Choline, Flavonoids (Bioflavonoids), Folic Acid, Inositol

12 Amino Acids

Valine, Lysine, Threonine, Leucine, Isoleucine, Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Methionine, Histidine, Arginine, Taurine, Tyrosine

Bioavailability

Youngevity's Plant Derived Minerals™ are extracted from humic shale, which is a layer of earth formed from ancient, mineral-laden plants. Humic shale is superior to other commonly-used supplement sources such as bentonite (ground up clay) or dried sea beds (ground up rocks).

As in plants, Plant Derived Minerals™ have a natural negative electrical charge that has two important benefits. First, it may enhance the transport and bioavailability of other nutrients, and second, it may support the body’s natural detoxification of toxins and heavy metals.

Youngevity has formulated dozens of comprehensive health "Paks". From weight loss to blood sugar balance to cardiovascular health to bone and joint health, the Paks are here to take out the guesswork and provide you with turn key nutritional solutions to your health goals.

Healthy Body Start Paks - Original or 2.0 for weight loss, bones and joints, digestion, brain & heart, blood sugar, athletes, anti-aging, on-the-go paks and more.

Healthy Body Start Pak 2.0

BTT 2.0 Citrus Peach Fusion - 480g canister (1) EFA PLUS™- 90 soft gels (1) and NEW Beyond Osteo-fx™ powder - 357g Canister (1).
Healthy Body Start Pak™ 2.0

BTT 2.0 Tablets (Pwd)

Beyond Tangy Tangerine® 2.0 Tablets – 120 tablets (1), Ultimate EFA PLUS™ - 90 soft gels (1) and Beyond Osteo-fx™ powder - 357 g canister (1).
BTT 2.0 Tablets (Pwd)

Anti-Aging Healthy Body Pak 2.0

BTT 2.0 Citrus Peach Fusion -450g canister (1), EFA PLUS™-90 soft gels (1), Beyond Osteo-fx™ powder - 357g Canister (1) and Cell Shield RTQ™-60 capsules.
Anti-Aging Healthy Body Pak™ 2.0

Healthy Body Bone and Joint Pak 2.0

BTT 2.0 Citrus Peach Fusion-480g canister (1), EFA PLUS™- 90 soft gels (1), Beyond Osteo-fx™ powder-357g Canister (1), Gluco-Gel™ 240 capsules (1) and CM Cream™ 2 oz (1).
Healthy Body Bone and Joint Pak™ 2.0

Healthy Body Weight Loss Pak 2.0


BTT 2.0 Citrus Peach Fusion - 480g canister (1), EFA PLUS™- 90 soft gels (1), Beyond Osteo-fx™ powder - 357g Canister (1) and Slender Fx™ REV™ (1).
Healthy Body Weight Loss Pak™ 2.0

Healthy Body Start Pak 2.0 Liquid

BTT 2.0 Citrus Peach Fusion - 480g canister (1), EFA PLUS™- 90 soft gels (1) and Beyond Osteo-Fx™ Liquid - 32 oz (1).
Healthy Body Start Pak™ 2.0 Liquid

BTT 2.0 Tablets (Liq)

Beyond Tangy Tangerine® 2.0 Tablets – 120 Tablets (1), Ultimate EFA PLUS™- 90 soft gels (1) and Beyond Osteo-fx™ - 32 fl. oz. (1).
BTT 2.0 Tablets (Liq)

Healthy Body Athletic Pak 2.0


BTT 2.0 Citrus Peach Fusion - 480g canister (1), EFA PLUS™-90 soft gels (1), Beyond Osteo-fx™ powder-357g Canister (1), Rebound fx™ 30ct Stick Pack (1) and Ultimate Gluco-Gel™ – 120 Capsules (1).
Healthy Body Athletic Pak™ 2.0

Healthy Body Brain and Heart Pak 2.0

BTT 2.0 Citrus Peach Fusion -480g canister (1), EFA PLUS™-90 gels (1), Beyond Osteo-fx™ powder-357g Canister (1), Ultimate EFA™ (1) and Ultimate Selenium™(1).
Healthy Body Brain and Heart Pak™ 2.0

BTT Basic 90 Pak

Beyond Tangy Tangerine® (420g canister) and Ultimate EFA™ - 60 softgels (1).
BTT Basic 90 Pak™

Healthy Body Start Pak - Original

Beyond Tangy Tangerine® - 420g canister (1), EFA PLUS™- 90 soft gels (1) and Beyond Osteo-fx™ - 32 oz (1).
Healthy Body Start Pak™ - Original

Shellfish Free Healthy Body Start Pak

Beyond Tangy Tangerine® - 420g canister (1), ULTIMATE MULTI-EFA™ - 90 soft gels (1) and BEYOND OSTEO-FX™- 32 oz (1).
Shellfish Free Healthy Body Start Pak™

Healthy Body Blood Sugar Pak 2.0


BTT 2.0 Citrus Peach Fusion - 480g canister (1), EFA PLUS™- 90 soft gels (1), Beyond Osteo-fx™ powder - 357g Canister (1) and Slender FX™ Sweet Eze™ (1).
Healthy Body Blood Sugar Pak™ 2.0

Healthy Body Digestion Pak 2.0


BTT 2.0 Citrus Peach Fusion-480g canister (1), EFA PLUS™-90 soft gels (1), Beyond Osteo-fx™ powder-357g Canister (1), Ultimate Enzymes® (1) and Ultimate Flora fx™ (1).
Healthy Body Digestion Pak™ 2.0

On-The-Go Healthy Body Start Pak

30 packets, each includes: BTT 2.0 (4 tablets), Ultimate Mineral Caps™ (1 capsule), Ultimate CAL® (1 capsule) and Ultimate EFA Plus™ (1 soft-gel).
On-The-Go Healthy Body Start Pak™

Posted by postmaster in Youngevity

Serotonin: Sensations of Satisfaction

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

Serotonin: Sensations of SatisfactionWhen I was a kid, I knew a girl who had a true obsession with sidewalk cracks. Just as the popular rhyme says, she believed that stepping on one would result in the fracture of her mother’s back. Despite merciless teasing from the neighborhood boys, she stepped carefully around every crack, slowing us all down and making somewhat of a spectacle of herself.

Today I understand this kind of ritualistic compulsion to be the sign a mental health issue known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) which affects 2.3% of American adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. While trauma, genetics and nutritional deficiencies often contribute to OCD, a condition shared by victims of all mental disorders is a disruption in the production of serotonin, one of the central nervous system’s most important chemical substances. Furthermore, we have learned that much of what passes for normal, day-to-day worry and anxiety may also be associated with deficiencies in this vital mediator of brain chemistry.

According to the Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia, serotonin “conveys the positive sensations of satiety, satisfaction and relaxation.” Physicians and pharmaceutical companies are also aware of the link between serotonin deficiency and mental illness. Since their debut in the late 1980‘s, pharmaceuticals that regulate the presence of serotonin have become a mainstay of modern psychiatric drug therapy. The so-called serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SRIs) enhance the activity of this critical brain chemical and account for almost $6 billon of the estimated $307 billion dollars Americans spent on prescription drugs in 2010. Of course SRIs are not without side effects. Apathy, nausea, vomiting and headaches are commonly experienced by SRI patients.

One of the key factors behind low levels of serotonin that play such an important role in the mental health of so many Americans is the relative deficiency of the amino acid, tryptophan, which is required to produce serotonin. Given the low protein intake of many Americans combined with common digestive impairment afflictions that compromise amino acid absorption, in most people, the amount of tryptophan naturally available for serotonin manufacture is often far too low. Additionally, because tryptophan is required to make niacin, when intake of niacin is not sufficient, tryptophan will be shunted towards the manufacture of niacin at the expense of serotonin production.

Lastly, Fructose Malabsorbtion Syndrome also creates shortages in the tryptophan available for serotonin production. One out of three Americans suffer from this fructose metabolism issue, which causes high blood levels of the ubiquitous sugar. Fructose binds with tryptophan, thus rendering the amino acid unavailable for other chemical reactions.

If you suspect mental health can be improved by increasing serotonin levels, the first thing you want to do is supplement with 5-HTP. 5-HTP is a direct precursor to serotonin and research shows 5HTP may improve mental health. For example, numerous clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of 5-HTP in the treatment of depression. In one study, the effects of 5-HTP were compared with those of fluvoxamine, a Prozac-like drug used in Europe. The 5-HTP patients showed an improved response with fewer and less-severe side effects than the fluvoxamine group. Start off with 50 mg and move up to up to 300 mg daily, taken at bedtime. Supplementing with Niacin (Vitamin B-3) will also help ensure enough tryptophan is available for serotonin manufacture. Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) is also an important cofactor for the production of serotonin. Try 50 to 100 mg dose, twice daily, of each B-3 and B-6. As always, when supplementing with one B-vitamin it’s best to take it with the entire B-complex.

Finally, magnesium is not only required for converting tryptophan into serotonin, but it is also commonly deficient in the standard American diet. According to research published in the Journal of Neural Transmission, magnesium exerts an anti-depressant effect that may “involve an interaction with the serotonergic system”. Taking 1000 mg of magnesium at bedtime has a relaxing effect and also improves serotonin levels.

Whether it’s OCD, anxiety or full-blown depression, mental health issues are typically associated with low levels of the important brain chemical, serotonin. While the medical approach manipulates neurochemistry, drugs always come with the cost of unpleasant side-effects. Because nutritional substances are non-toxic and deficiencies are associated with low levels of serotonin, strategic supplementation is the best path to correct biochemical imbalances without adverse effects.

Posted by Ben Fuchs in Health

55 Pounds of High-fructose Corn Syrup

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

The average American consumes 55 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup each year topping a list of 42 countries according to a paper published in the journal Global Public Health. Second highest consumption according to the report occurs in Hungary (46 pounds) fructose, followed by Slovakia, Canada and Bulgaria. And, according to the article, the countries with the highest consumption suffered significantly increased prevalence for diabetes independent of ordinary sugar intake and diabetes. And, the health disaster monster that the large intake of high fructose corn syrup represents has long tentacles that ultimately affect every system of the body.

Corn SyrupOne example involves fructose’s relationship with the amino acid tryptophan. Fructose can complex with the important mood enhancing amino acid tryptophan. This makes tryptophan unavailable to the brain when that happens BIG trouble can follow! Tryptophan is mega-mega important for mood and wellbeing. It gets turned into melatonin and serotonin which are arguably the two most important chemicals in the brain. You can think of tryptophan as natural Prozac and for many people fructose will be blocking it from access to the brain.

Here’s where it gets really interesting from a biochemical perspective. The brain has an appetite area, that initiates hunger sensations and a satisfaction area that shuts these sensations down. And it uses tryptophan to determine which center will be activated. All day long it is scanning the blood for this important amino acid. When tryptophan levels rise, activity in the satisfaction center is turned on and hunger ceases. Low tryptophan levels on the hand stimulate brain activity in the appetite or hunger center. If fructose is complexing with tryptophan, preventing it from getting into the brain it will take ingestion of a lot of tryptophan for the brain to to activate satisfaction centers vs. the “go get us a Coke or an ingestion apple or some other kind of sugar” center.

If you find yourself unable to stop eating AND you’re ingesting lots of high fructose corn syrup, or table sugar, which is 50 percent fructose, you may want to try switching sweeteners. Especially if you are dealing with diarrhea, loose stools, gas cramping or bloating after ingesting processed foods, fruits or fruit juices. Stevia and xylitol are probably the best choices you can make, and I like to use coconut water which a bit expensive, but can provides electrolytes and vitamins not available in other sweeteners. And it probably wouldn’t hurt to add a little daily supplemental tryptophan to your supplement program. You can use 200mg of 5HTP daily or 500-1000 mg of tryptophan. Take it at bedtime, though, it may make you drowsy.

Article cited:
Goran, M., Ulijaszek, S. and Ventura, E. (2012). High fructose corn syrup and diabetes prevalence: A global perspective. Global Public Health. Published online Nov. 27, 2012.

Posted by Ben Fuchs in Nutrition

Secrets of Fat Loss & Super Health

Secrets of Fat Loss & Super HealthInfowars Nightly News co-host Aaron Dykes talks with pharmacist and radio talk show host Ben Fuchs about the Secrets of fat Loss and Super Health.

Highlights

* How to incorporate the 8 Chapters of Good Nutrition into your life.

PROTEINS
* The need for protein is huge. It’s one of the single best foods.
* 1/2 gram to gram of protein per pound of body weight.
* The only way to get this is to supplement. The best is whey.
* Potein has Lactoferrin (Natural antibiotics) and Immunoglobulins.
* Desire for sugar can mean lack of protein.
* Protein is a dieters best friend.
Your brain scans the blood for nutrients to determine if you are hungry.
Looks for specific proteins. Tryptophan and glutamine. Amino acids.
If those nutrients are present, brain says “no need to eat”.

FATS
* Good fats keep you away from bad fats.
* EFAs are good fats.
* EFAs convert to Master Hormones.
* EFAs makes Skin soft.
* Ease menstral cramps.
* EFAs are oxygen magnets.

VEGETABLES
* Most of your calories should come from veggies.
* Cabbage is great for digestive system.
* Hunter gatherer cultures had stronger bones than agrarian.
* Gather knowledge for your own health.

Part 1/3Part 2/3Part 3/3

 

Posted by Ben Fuchs in Video

Fructose is Natural, but …

By Ben Fuchs | Pharmacist Ben

I’ve been thinking a lot about fructose lately. And it seems like so are a lot of other people. Every week I get between 10 and 20 letters asking for clarifications about this not-so-sweet subject. Fructose, known colloquially as fruit sugar seems like such an innocuous substance. After al, it come from fruit. And we all know how wonderful fruit is, right? And besides, it’s natural!

Fructose is NaturalWell, at the risk of bursting nutritional and mythological bubbles, it seems that, much like everything else, even natural fruit sugar has a dark side. The problem is that humanity’s exponentially evolving skills at manipulating technology has gotten so sophisticated that we can now extract sugars from plants with such proficiency that we are all getting far more fructose than the body, and specifically the liver can handle. The average American is ingesting around 60 pounds of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and 140 pounds of sucrose every year. When you do the math (HFCS is usually around 55% fructose and sucrose, ordinary table sugar, is around 50% fructose) we’re looking over two pounds of fructose a week, per person, per year. And that doesn’t include the amount people are getting from fruit and honey and other sources. That’s a lot of fructose for a body has evolved and is equipped to handle the sweet stuff in only the smallest of quantities.

So, what’s the problem with fructose? Well, because of the human body is not supposed to be dealing with alot of fructose (for millennia it was a rare find), the metabolic systems that metabolize (process and store) it are easily overloaded. This is especially problematic for the digestive system in general and specifically for the liver. The alarming incidences of fatty liver disease (which is so prevalent that it is now considered a normal part of aging) and pervasive intestinal illnesses are at least partially related to the skyrocketing fructose ingestion statistics.

There is some interesting chemical choreography that is associated with fructose metabolism. One of the most relevant biochemical ballets when it comes to human health or the lack thereof, involves the way fructose can combine with the amino acid tryptophan. The resulting interaction can keep tryptophan from getting to the brain and when this happens BIG trouble can follow!

Tryptophan is incredibly important. It’s a must-have for the repair, recovery and the building of tissue. And, it’s mega, mega important for mood and well being and for getting a good night’s sleep. It gets turned into melatonin and serotonin which are arguably the two most important chemicals in the brain and fundamental to mental health. You can think of tryptophan as natural Prozac and from many people fructose will be blocking it’s access to the brain.

And there’s a fascinating fructose/tryptophan connection to eating behavior. Appetite and satisfaction (the feeling of fullness) a regulated by the brain. We eat or don’t eat in response to signals from the brain and one of the most important determining factors in what type type of signals will be sent is the presence or absence of certain chemicals. One of these is tryptophan. The brain in constantly scanning the blood looking for tryptophan and if it can’t find any, it sends it’s owner out on a highly focused, one-pointed hunt for food. If fructose is complexing with this vital amino acid, dietary tryptophan can become unavailable to the brain and there won’t be enough to activate the satisfaction centers vs. the “let’s go get a Coke or an apple or some kind of sugar” centers. An insatiable appetite for sugar or other foods is the ultimate result.

Another indication of fructose/tryptophan complexing issues is digestive symptoms like gas and bloating and loose stools, although it can show up in other ways. Especially when they occur after eating and drinking fruits, fruit juices and HFCS containing foods. This is especially a problem with big hits of liquid or powdered fructose which are quickly absorbed. Little kids are major victims because of of the vast variety of fructose-containing processed foods that target children. And mothers, please do not do the “apple-juice-in-the-pacifier-tipped- bottle” thing where your baby sucks the sweet toxin out at his leisure. When your baby cries for his apple juice he’s going through withdrawal symptoms that’s are just as severe as those associated with opium. The same with adults. There is a well-researched link between the sweet taste and so-called “opioid” receptors in the brain. These receptors are called “opioid” because they respond to opium. In other words, sugar and opium (think heroin) both “turn on” the same chemical systems in the brain. Which means, sugar is essentially brain heroin and when a baby (or adult) goes without it he screams because he’s withdrawing! That’s one of the main reasons it’s so hard to get off of sugar. It’s a withdrawal stress on, what is for most people, an already stressed out body system. In a way, ingestion of fructose and the associated problems are better than adding another stress in the form of withdrawal.

Taking 500-1000mg of tryptophan or 100-200mg of 5HTP once a day is a great way to stabilize mood and suppress the appetite. It may also be helpful for sugar cravings. 1/2 to 1 teaspoonful of glutamine powder taken once or twice a day may also be helpful. Glutamine powder is tasteless and dissolves easily in a glass of water. Like tryptophan, high brain blood concentrations of glutamine signal satiety. Both of these supplements can be supportive if you’re trying to lose weight. There’s alot more you can do if you’re trying to extricate yourself from the fructose morass. We’ll be addressing those strategies in a later post.

Posted by Ben Fuchs in Nutrition