Internal Cleansing. Combining L-Tyrosine with other amino acids. Statin drugs and self interest...

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    Question: From Troy. (Subject: Internal Cleansing.)q1

    I was wondering if you have heard of this company or its product? I am interested to hear any feedback positive or negative toward this product and "Cleansing System" http://www.cleanse.us.

    Answer: From Nicolien.

    I had a look at the cleansing programme you referred to and I don't think it is a good idea. The advice to drink pure water and have Celtic Sea Salt is good for you, so far so good.

    The Vital Nutrition Plus looks OK to use by itself for a few days, but much longer. I would not like to advise anyone to do without adequate sources of protein (such a meat, fish, poultry, legumes, tofu, etc).

    The advice to drink 4-6 pints of fruit juice daily is absolutely detrimental. Fruit juice is rich in sugars (and no fiber) and in that quantity bad for your general health and intestinal health and may contribute to what the programme is trying to solve, the rotting of "stuff" in the bowel. It is OK to drink (diluted) vegetable juice.

    The advice to have Probiotic supplements while cleansing the bowel is a waste of money. While cleansing you could have some probiotic yoghurt daily but leave the supplements till after to reinstate the "friendly" bowelflora, as during the cleansing these will be flushed out or killed anyway.

    The Intestinal Cleanse #1 is a very harsh product, with 3 strongly cathartic herbs in it (Senna, Cascara and Rhubarb), that should only be used for very short periods of time if you have a constipation problem, as they may damage the villi in the bowel with long-term use.

    I would much rather advise you, if you want to do a good cleanse to refer to The Liver Cleansing Diet By Dr Sandra Cabot and do this diet for a few weeks, but with a little more protein containing foods added in. This diet for a few weeks will give your liver a 'rest' and help your overall health. Or, go see a good qualified natural practitioner who will help you do a detox or a colon cleanse.

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    Question: From Lisa. (Subject: Combining L-Tyrosine with other amino acids.)q2

    I am concerned with avoiding Alzheimer's disease, which my grandmother and now my mother have both suffered. I am currently taking another neurological product, which I will replace with Xtend-Life's Neurological Formula. My current product suggests taking on an empty stomach because they claim that the L-tyrosine will not be able to cross the blood-brain barrier if there are other competing amino acids in the bloodstream.

    Answer: From Prof. Dr. A. Munem Daoud.

    Because the Neurological Formula uses enteric coating that by passes the stomach there is no need for it to be taken on an empty stomach plus the Tyrosine in the Neurological Formula is water soluble and not fat soluble.

    Because of this L-tyrosine will be able to cross the blood-brain barrier in this formula.

    The normal metabolism of dopamine is as follows:

    Tyrosine is an amino acid precursor of dopamine. Tyrosine is transported across the blood brain barrier by stereo selective endothelial transporters. Tyrosine is taken up by dopaminergic neurons where it is hydroxylated by tyrosine hydroxylase in the first and rate-limiting step of dopamine synthesis. Tyrosine hydroxylation leads to dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) - levodopa or l-dopa since it is synthesised from the physiological l-tyrosine.) DOPA is decarboxylated to dopamine.

    Tyrosine is one of the non-essential amino acids (can be manufactured by the body) and has powerful physiological effects when both administered alone and provided in high concentrations.

    What does it do?

    Tyrosine is an amino acid and nutrient precursor for approximately 90% of the brain's 3 stimulatory catecholamines (dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine). For a dietary neurotransmitter precursor to be important:

    Blood concentrations must vary with dietary intake. It must cross the blood brain barrier. Its transport systems must be able to accommodate more precursor than what is regularly available. The levels of the precursor are what limit neurotransmitter formation.

    Since tyrosine meets these qualifications, it's evident that a large increase in dietary tyrosine will lead to increases in both brain and peripheral catecholamine concentrations. Human studies confirm that large doses of tyrosine (33mg/kg - 3x per day) can increase blood and urinary catecholamines by up to 25%.

    By increasing brain neurotransmitter concentrations, tyrosine can help increase attention and combat performance decrements during sustained efforts, especially when sleep deprived. In addition to this mild stimulant effect, tyrosine may act as an "anti-stress supplement", suppressing rises in cortisol and the norepinephrine depletion associated with the stress response. Finally, tyrosine supplementation may reduce reaction time.

    The blood-brain barrier

    A curtain of blood known as the blood-brain barrier surrounds the brain. Neurotransmitters are fat-soluble and do not cross the blood-brain barrier. When given to a patient orally or by IV they will do nothing to increase neurotransmitters at the site of the problem in the brain. Neurotransmitters are produced on-site in the neurons of the brain from their amino acid precursors which can readily cross the blood-brain barrier. Sufficient amino acids plus vitamin and mineral cofactors must be present to produce sufficient neurotransmitters.

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    Question: From Carol. (Subject: Statin drugs and self interest…)q3

    I did a search on opposing views of taking statins and found your web site which interested me. One thing does not sit well though- If you object to many studies being funded by pharmaceutical companies with self serving interests, how do you find your situation any different? You are benefiting also in your opposing view point by selling products ? I really do not know which path I should take as I have always believed in a holistic approach to the body but I have always used traditional doctors.

    Answer: From Warren Matthews.

    The difference between the studies on the statin drugs arranged by the pharmaceutical companies and the studies that we use is that the statin studies are prepared with one objective in mind and that is to achieve a specific result which can be used commercially. As with all drugs the only studies that are published are those that confirm their desired objective. In other words, if 8 studies are carried out and only one has the desired result then this is the only one that is published...the other 7 negative studies are 'buried'.

    The studies that we rely on are those carried out by independent researchers on the ingredients themselves and are not related to any specific product. You are correct when you say that we are benefiting from taking an opposing point of view but quite frankly I wish that we did not have to do this. We developed our cholesterol lowering product to give our customers the ability to avoid the known dangers of the statin drugs.

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