Brian Tanzer

Articles

For decades, European doctors have prescribed diabetic patients benfotiamine to treat neuropathies and to help prevent complications such as blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, and limb amputation.

Ingredient Spotlight: Benfotiamine

	S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e) is a naturally occurring compound found in every cell in the human body. SAM-e is synthesized from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the amino acid methionine.

Ingredient Spotlight: S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM-e)

CLA, or conjugated linoleic acid, is a mixture of 28 isomers-compounds with the same molecular formulas but different structural formulas. CLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid most commonly found in dairy and in beef from ruminant animals able to synthesize it from the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid. Average intake of CLA by humans is estimated at around 130 to 440 mg/day.(1) The largest percentage of CLA in the diet (about 90%) is composed of the cis-9-trans-11 isomer (c9,t11).(2)

Ingredient Spotlight: Conjugated Linoleic Acid

	Chemically known as D-ribose, ribose is a 5-carbon sugar (pentose) that is found in every cell in the body. Due to its chemical structure, it is not used by the body as a typical sugar, such as glucose (6-carbons)-meaning it is not metabolized via glycolysis, the biochemical pathway in which sugar is converted into energy. Ribose serves as the carbohydrate backbone of ribonucleic acid/RNA (as ribose) and of deoxyribonucleic acid/DNA (as deoxyribose), both of which are involved in cell growth and function.

Ingredient Spotlight: Ribose

	Resveratrol (3,5,4’-trihydroxystilbene) is a polyphenol synthesized by several plants in response to adverse conditions (e.g., environmental stress or pathogenic attacks). It is classified as a phytoalexin, a class of plant-derived antibiotics that serves as part of a plant’s defensive arsenal.(1)	Resveratrol is found in numerous plant species such as mulberries, peanuts, and grape skin, and in less commonly known plants such as Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum).(2)

Ingredient Spotlight: Resveratrol

Selenium is an essential trace mineral required by the body in very small amounts. The Daily Value for adults is 70 mcg/day.

Dietary Supplements: Selenium Update

Modern research on vitamin E tocotrienols.

Dietary Supplements and Food: Tocotrienols

	Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. Bones and teeth comprise approximately 99% of total body calcium. The other 1% is distributed within cells and in the extracellular fluid. Although it may seem insignificant, this 1% must be carefully maintained in order for the body to carry out complex biochemical and physiological processes, including nerve conduction, muscle contraction, enzyme regulation, blood clotting, and control of blood pressure.
	
	Calcium Sources: Absorption and Bioavailability
