VitaBlog The Vitacost Blog: Views and News on Vitamins, Supplements and Herbs

Sambucol May be Helpful in Fighting That Flu

Don’t recognize the name? While its clinical name is Sambucus nigra, sambucol is pimarily known as elderberry. No matter what you call it, sambucol/elderberry has been shown to help alleviate the symptoms of the flu faster.

Sambucol/elderberry formulas contain flavonoids, including quercetin, which is a natural antihistamine. These flavonoids include anthocyanins—they give sambucol/elderberry plants their deep pigments—that may possess antioxidant effects.

Back to stopping the flu faster: A double-blind trial (including a placebo group) studied the effects of sambucol/elderberry on influenza1. Sambucol/elderberry was shown to be effective against 10 different strains of the influenza virus, and it reduced the duration of flu symptoms by three to four days. Plus, those in the sambucol/elderberry group showed a higher antibody level to influenza virus in than those in the placebo group.

In addition to standard capsule form, sambucol/elderberry formulas are also available in pleasant-tasting syrups and teas…which can be quite soothing during the flu.

1. Barak V, Halperin T, Kalickman I.. The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines. Eur Cytokine Netw. 2001 Apr-Jun;12(2):290-6.

Vitamin C: More Than Just Great Immune Protection

Many, many people take a Vitamin C supplement as part of their daily routine. While it’s definitely a source of immune-boosting properties, Vitamin C supports numerous other conditions.

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble substance found in citrus fruits and green vegetables. It helps support healthy immune functions, and is an important antioxidant that promotes overall health. Vitamin C’s reported benefits are numerous, and they include:

• Promoting cardiovascular health
• Supporting healthy skin and blood vessel maintenance
• Helping wounds and scrapes heal faster
• Reducing certain allergic reactions

The National Institutes of Health also report that Vitamin C aids in the absorption of iron and maintaining connective tissues.

Vitamin C may also offer protection against cataracts. The journal Ophthalmic Epidemiology published research regarding their study1 of age-related cataracts just this past April. The findings showed that higher plasma levels of Vitamin C reduced the prevalence of nuclear and posterior subcapsular cataracts.

1. Ferrigno L, Aldigeri R, Rosmini F, Sperduto RD, Maraini G; The Italian-American Cataract Study Group. Associations between plasma levels of vitamins and cataract in the Italian-American Clinical Trial of Nutritional Supplements and Age-Related Cataract (CTNS): CTNS Report #2. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2005 Apr;12(2):71-80.

Give Your Athletic Potential a Boost With Glutamine

Glutamine is an amino acid, and the most the most abundant one in the body; it’s involved in more metabolic processes than any other amino acid. Glutamine likely gets its name because it’s converted to glucose when more glucose is required by the body for energy. Glutamine may also help stimulate production of growth hormone, which may support lean body composition and increased energy levels.

How important is glutamine for those who work out intensely? Very. According to Sports Medicine1, intense exercising lowers blood levels of glutamine—and these levels can remain low with consistent overtraining. Immunity can also be affected with high-level workouts, and glutamine may help stimulate immunity, too.

A 1998 study2 illustrated the effects of glutamine supplementation on athletes who endured an intense, prolonged workout. The results were impressive: Athletes were given five grams of glutamine right after the workout, then again two hours later. Approximately 81% had no subsequent infections, compared with 49% in the placebo group.

1. Rowbottom DG, Keast D, Morton AR. The emerging role of glutamine as an indicator of exercise stress and overtraining. Sports Med 1996;21:80–97 [review].
2. Castell LM, Newsholme EA. Glutamine and the effects of exhaustive exercise upon the immune response. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 1998;76:524–32 [review].

Taking L-Carnitine May Help You Fight The Effects of Aging

One of the most effective nutrients to maintain youthful cellular energy metabolism is the amino acid L-carnitine, which functions via several mechanisms to protect cells from the effects of aging. L-carnitine assists in the transport of fat through the cell membrane and into the mitochondria within the cell, where these fats are oxidized to produce the cellular energy ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

Many people take the acetyl version of L-carnitine…also known as ALC, this form is absorbed into the bloodstream more efficiently and passes more easily through cell membranes.

The anti-aging effects of L-carnitine were studied just earlier this year. A major study1 involved feeding aging rats L-carnitine to see if it could help jumpstart mitochondrial enzymes—which tend to decline as we age. The researchers found that supplementing with L-carnitine improves the activities of mitochondrial enzymes and increases the electron flow through the electron transport chain, thereby improving energy.

1. Kumaran S, Subathra M, Balu M, Panneerselvam C. Exp Aging Res. 2005 Jan-Mar;31(1):55-67.

Try Green Tea Extract For Weight Loss & Powerful Antioxidant Support

Green tea has been used for hundreds of years as both a delicious and medicinal beverage, and it has been part of many weight-management regimens in this country. Not only does it give your metabolism a boost, your immunity and cholesterol levels may also get healthy support.

Green tea contains compounds known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). ECGC is clearly a powerful antioxidant. There were two laboratory studies just published in the journals Clinical Cancer Research and Frontiers of Bio-Science in April and May 2005. In one study, it was found that green tea EGCGs appeared to have a synergistic effect on inhibiting the growth of cancer cells by inducing premature death of the cells—known as apoptosis.

And, green tea extract has an astounding effect on weight loss: A study1 tested the effects of green tea extract given to moderately-obese patients. After 3 months, body weight was decreased by 4.6%; waist circumference decreased by 4.48%.

1. Chantre P, Lairon D. Recent findings of green tea extract AR25 (Exolise) and its activity for the treatment of obesity. Phytomedicine 2002;9:3–8.

Feeling Blue? 5-HTP May Give Your Mood And Metabolism a Boost

5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid derived from the African plant Griffonia simplicifolia. It works to help regulate your body’s production of the brain chemical serotonin. This is an important chemical, because low serotonin levels can contribute to:

• Depression
• Obesity
• Carbohydrate/Sugar Cravings
• Sleep Disorders (such as Apnea, Narcolepsy, Insomnia)
• Headaches
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Fibromyalgia

5-HTP may help curb the appetite, and can be a safe tool in the struggle with obesity. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported in November 1992 that 20 obese patients given 5-HTP experienced a reduction in carbohydrate intake and felt fuller.

Very important: You need to be sure the 5-HTP supplement you choose is “Peak X” free. “Peak X” was discovered by a group of researchers at the Mayo Clinic to be a contaminant appearing in some 5-HTP supplements. It was linked to eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS), a debilitating illness causing an elevated white blood cell count and severe muscle pain.