Guggul (gum guggul) is the common name for the mukul myrrh tree. Upon injury, the tree exudes a yellowish gum resin known as gum guggul, guggulu or gugulipid. This resin has been used for a long time in India as a traditional remedy in Ayurveda. The freshly collected gum resin is brown, pale yellow or dull green in color; aged resin is dark brown in color. Gugulipid, which is extracted from guggul, contains guggulsterones, which may have medical effects for humans.

Guggul Benefits

According to experiments C. mukul are as influential at reducing inflammation and relieving pain as ibuprofen, and as efficacious at fighting infection as tetracycline in treating acne. Another researches has shown that myrrhanol-A, a triterpene isolated from guggul gum, is a strong anti-inflammatory, and significantly decreases pain and stiffness in individuals with osteoarthritis. The guggulsterones may be able to decrease cholesterol, while myrrhanol A has anti-inflammatory properties. Guggulipid has been found to inhibit platelet aggregation and improve fibrinolysis.

Triglycerides and Cholesterol

Commiphora mukul can reduce triglycerides by 22-30% and can reduce blood cholesterol by 14-27%. Also, experimental studies indicate that guggul extract could develop cardiac function and lower the risk of heart attack. Gugulipid was granted approval in India for sales as a lipid-lowering medicine in 1986.

Guggulsterones are responsible for guggul lipid-reducing activity. In lab experiments, a chemical in guggul named guggulsterone affects the production of cholesterol by the liver. At the “Central Drug Research Institute” in India lab animals were fed a high cholesterol diet to give them hypercholesterolemia. By simply adding guggul resin to their diets they reduced the blood fats while keeping them on the high cholesterol feed. 12-week a clinical study showed that 1500 mg of guggulipid had average decrease in serum cholesterol of approximately 22%, while triglycerides were reduced nearly 25% in participants who took it regularly. Another study involving 233 people with elevated triglycerides or cholesterol levels or both demonstrated that guggulipid worked better than the cholesterol-lowering medicine Clofibrate.

Heart Disease

Various researches have found that guggul decreases platelet stickiness so over clotting does not occur in the blood, which causes strokes and heart attacks. This is also auxiliary in fibrinolytic activity. In a clinical study, guggul in combination with Inula racemosa was studied in 200 participant with ischemic heart disease and found to improve electrocardiogram readings and reduce episodes of dyspnea and chest pain.

Arthritis

Guggul acts as anti-inflammatory factor that has the property to decrease joint pain, swelling, morning stiffness and other related symptoms. Small-scale clinical study, supplementation with 500 mg of a concentrated extract (3.5% guggulsterones) of guggul 3 times per day for 1 month resulted in a noteworthy development in symptoms in participants with osteoarthritis of the knee. C. mukul has  been reported to be a strong anti-inflammatory agent and has been compared to pharmaceutical agents, such as ibuprofen. The findings of an preliminary study  reported in the July 1977 edition of the journal Arzneimittelforschung showed that guggul may even be as effectual as the anti-inflammatory drugs ibuprofen and phenylbutazone. Potential activity on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein have lately been observed in a clinical study.

Acne

Antibiotic tetracycline is a general therapy for moderate to severe acne. A small controlled study compared oral guggul (dose equivalent to 25 mg guggulsterones or 500 mg of guggul 2 times per day) against tetracycline for the therapy of acne, reported equal results. According to the experiment findings, tetracycline reduced acne lesions for 65 % percent and gugulipid 68 %. Was made that participants with an oily complexion react better to gugulipid. (Journal of Dermatology October 1994)

Dosage

The typical daily dose is between 75 and 150 mg. The guggul supplementation should be standardized to contain 2.5% guggulsterones. For acne, tablet containing 25 mg of guggulsterone has been taken  twice daily for 6 weeks. For triglyceride and cholesterol  25 mg of guggulsterone 3 to 4 times per day has been used. In a research evaluating the anti-inflammatory activity of guggul, 500 mg of gum guggul was used three times daily.

Side Effects

Guggul can generate adverse effects like , nausea, diarrhea, anorexia, headache, abdominal pain and skin irritation in some people. Commiphora Mukul is considered an emmenagogue and a uterine stimulant, and should not be used during gravidity.

Serrapeptase, also known as serratiopeptidase, is an enzyme isolated from a non-pathogenic bacteria called enterobacter Serratia E15. This enzyme is naturally processed commercially through fermentation. In other words, serratiopeptase is produced by purification from culture of Serratia E-15 bacteria. This immunologically active enzyme is entirely bound to the alpha 2 macroglobulin in biological fluids. Various researches reveal strong anti-inflammatory properties of this naturally occurring enzyme.

Serratiopeptidase Benefits

Particularly in Asia and Europe, it is clinically used for anti-inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, atherosclerosis, fibrocystic breast disease and carpal tunnel syndrome. Researches in Japan and Germany has shown serratiopeptidase can dissolve ovarian and breast cysts, case symptoms of arthritis, speed the healing of torn ligaments and sports injuries and aid post operative healing. Serratiopeptidase just dissolves non-living tissue, leaving living tissue alone. Blood clots, cysts and arterial plaque are all slowly dissolved.

Clinical Trials

The German doctor, Dr. Hans Nieper, used serratiopeptidase on patients who were candidates for chelation therapy and surgery to remove the plaque from arteries. Especially, advises the use of this enzyme to treat blocked carotid arteries when classic surgery is too risky. The formation of plaque involves deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, calcium, cellular waste products,  and fibrin  on the inner lining of the arteries. In his researches, Dr. Nieper proved that serratiopeptidase was capability of dissolving and digesting the substances that cause plaque formation on the arterial walls, such as cholesterol, calcium, cellular wastes, various fats, and fibrin, a clotting agent. Excessive plaque results in partial or complete blockage of blood flow through an artery, resulting in arteriosclerosis  which could cause a heart attack or stroke. Dr. Nieper explained that serratiopeptidase digests non-living tissue, blood clots, cysts, arterial plaque and inflammation in all forms. It protects against strokes and has been found to be more effectual and fast than EDTA chelation therapies in removing arterial plaque.

Serratiopeptidase anti-inflammatory effects are similar to those of the ibuprofen, salicylates and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Unlike these drugs, serratiopeptidase is a naturally occurring enzyme and that does not irritate the digestive system. Besides reducing inflammation, one of serratiopeptidase most important effects is decrease of pain, due to its capability to block the release of pain-inducing amines from inflamed tissues.

In a study 2008; compared serrapeptase and its anti-inflammatory effect with aspirin and two human pancreatic proteolytic enzymes ( chymotrypsin and trypsin). Though all groups were effective at reducing inflammation, serrapeptase  was the most effective.

Serratiopeptidase reduces the viscosity of the mucus, improving the elimination of bronchopulmonary secretions. Early research findings suggests that patients with sinusitis who take serratiopeptidase have important reduced pain, nasal secretions, and nasal obstruction after 3-4 days of therapy. People taking  the serratiopeptidase experienced a significant reduction in severity of pain, amount of secretion, purulence of secretions, difficulty in swallowing,  nasal obstruction, and body temperature after only three or four days. A study in Japan investigated the efficacy of serratiopeptidase on sputum properties and symptoms in individuals with chronic airway diseases. After four weeks of serratiopeptidase therapy, sputum output, viscosity and sputum neutrophil count decreased significantly. Also, the frequency of expectoration and of coughing decreased.

Serratiopeptidase has been approved as a standard solution in many European countries for swelling and inflammation. A study was conducted on the effect of serratiopeptidase on post-operative pain of the ankle and swelling. In the serratiopeptidase group, the swelling decreased by 50 percent on the third post-operative day, while in the control groups no reduction in swelling occurred. Another double-blind study, reported in the “Pharmatherapeutica“, found that serratiopeptidase reduced swelling in patients who underwent surgery to treat empyema.

In a double-blind study, serratiopeptidase was found to decrease breast pain, breast swelling and induration in 85.7 percent of the patients taking the supplement. Experts concluded that serratiopeptidase is a  influential and  safe remedy for the therapy of breast engorgement.

Scientists in India conducted a study to assess the response of serratiopeptidase in people with carpal tunnel syndrome. 20 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome were evaluated clinically after six weeks taking serratiopeptidase. 65 % demonstrated significant clinical development, which was supported by improvement in electrophysiological parameters. While surgery had been considered the first  therapy,  new researches  reveal that the use of serratiopeptidase in conjunction with bromelain and Vitamins B2 and B6 is also useful.

Serratiopeptidase Dosage

The general recommended dose is 10 mg to 30 mg per day. According to Dr. Nieper, just 3 three 5 mg tablets of serratiopeptidase daily for twelve to eighteen months are sufficient to remove fibrous blockages from constricted coronary arteries, as confirmed in many of his patients by ultrasound examination. For pain, start with 10 mg daily and work up to 20 mg if necessary. The enzyme activity is measured in units and are based on the ratio of 10 mg of serratiopeptidase equaling 20,000 units of activity.

Serratiopeptidase is taken on an empty stomach 1 hour before of 2 hours after meals. Serratiopeptidase capsules and tablets  are enteric coated and are taken on an empty stomach to ensure that they are activated in the small intestine, rather than in the stomach. Non-enteric coated capsules or  tablets  are rapidly destroyed by the stomach acid.

Define Acetylcholine Neurotransmitter. Acetylcholine (chemical formula C 7 H 16 N O 2) is an organic, polyatomic cation that acts as a neurotransmitter in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system in many organisms including humans.  Acetylcholine (ACh) carries nerve impulses across a gap between neurons, known as a synapse. When a nerve impulse arrives at the nerve ending, acetylcholine, which is stored there in vesicles, is released and combines with a receptor molecule in the postsynaptic membrane or the end-plate membrane of a muscle fibre. Once released from a nerve terminal, it reacts instantly to a specific receptor, producing a particular response. Acetylcholine plays a critical task in the peripheral nervous system by activating muscle cells.

There are 2 Important Types of Acetylcholine receptor (AChR);

There are 2 basic types of cholinergic receptors, mAChR (muscarinic acetylcholine receptors) and nAChR (nicotinic acetylcholine receptors). Both of these receptors respond to acetylcholine. Nicotinic receptors are located at synapses between 2 neuron and at synapses between neurons and skeletal muscle cells. Upon activation a nicotinic receptor acts as a channel for the movement of ions into and out of the neuron, directly resulting in depolarization of the neuron. Muscarinic receptors, located at the synapses of nerves with smooth or cardiac muscle, trigger a chain of chemical events referred to as signal transduction.

Acetylcholine Food Sources

Acetylcholine is not found in foods; body synthesizes it from a molecule named Acetyl CoA, which combines with choline. Foods that contain choline; Raw egg yolks, beef liver, milk, low-fat cheese, wheat germ, shrimp,  salmon,  soy protein, oat bran, pine nuts. An approximate diet supplies 200 mg-600 mg of choline daily. Choline supplement dosage; Researchers recommend 550 mg per day for men and 425 mg a day for women.

Acetylcholine Function in The Body

Acetylcholine is a substance that transmits nerve impulses in both the peripheral nervous system and central nervous system. In the central nervous system (CNS), acetylcholine acts as part of a neurotransmitter system and plays a role in attention and arousal. In the peripheral nervous system (PNS), this neurotransmitter is a important part of the autonomic nervous system and works to activate muscles. As a neuromodulator, it can exist in the cerebrospinal fluid and regulate a series of neurons directly as opposed to through a single synaptic connection.

ACh is a chemical messenger, a neurotransmitter, released by nerve cells in numerous parts of the peripheral nervous system. As a essential neurotransmitter, acetylcholine helps nerve impulses communicate with one other by moving messages across the synaptic cleft. Acetylcholine is closely associated with cognitive functions, most especially memory. Also, acetylcholine is necessary in both voluntary and involuntary processes in the body such as slowing the heart beat and contraction in the skeletal muscle. ACh is responsible for opening several sodium channels in the cell membrane by binding the skeletal muscles and the acetylcholine receptors. Subsequently the sodium ions are then triggered to penetrate the muscle cells which cause the muscles to contract.

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s, first described by the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer, is a physical disease affecting the brain. Symptoms generally develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily work. During the course of the disease, protein plaques and tangles develop in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells. Short-term memory fails when Alzheimer’s disease first destroys nerve cells in the hippocampus, and language skills and judgment decline when neurons die in the cerebral cortex. Today, 26 million people worldwide have this dementia, and over 15 million Americans will be affected by the year 2050.

The level of acetylcholine decreases as you age. In Alzheimer’s disease, acetylcholine reduces much faster than normal because of the accumulation of 2 abnormal proteins. These proteins kill acetylcholine-transmitting cells. The gradual death of cholinergic brain cells, cells that transmit acetylcholine, results in a progressive and important loss of brain function. ACh lack can display as Alzheimer’s, MS, dementia, speech problems, slow movement, learning disorders, verbal memory problems, memory lapses, attention problems, carelessness, and decreased creativity. A 1998 research in the “Journal of Clinical Psychiatry” found that individuals who do not have sufficient level of acetylcholine have an increased possibility of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Though there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, there are a few medicine on the market which can help to ease some of the symptoms of the disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors are designed to protect the cholinergic system, which is necessary for memory and learning and is progressively destroyed in Alzheimer’s disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors slow the metabolic breakdown of acetylcholine and make more of this chemical available for communication between cells. It helps slow the progression of cognitive impairment and can be useful for some Alzheimer’s patients in the early to middle stages. The first cholinesterase inhibitor drug, tacrine, was approved in 1993, but is rarely prescribed at the present time  due to safety concerns. The 3 most commonly prescribed cholinesterase inhibitors are donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine.

Zeaxanthin and lutein are carotenoids found in maximum concentration in the macular region of the eyes, where they are believed to help filter out damaging blue light and avoid free-radical damage to the delicate structures in the back of the eye. Zeaxanthin belongs to subgroup xanthophylls of bioflavonoid called carotenoids. Zeaxanthin and lutein are the only carotenoids found in both the macula and lens of the human eye, and have dual functions in both tissues to act as strong antioxidants and to filter high-energy blue light.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin Foods

Egg yolk, corn, kale, orange peppers, orange juice, carrots, tangerines, peaches, apricots, papayas, mangos, kiwi, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, collard, turnip greens, parsley, spinach.

Zeaxanthin Benefits

Zeaxanthin and  lutein are potent antioxidants, and lutein is widely known as the basic nutrient for protecting ocular function. Lutein and zeaxanthin may avoid cellular damage in these conditions by quenching singlet oxygen or neutralizing photosensitizers.

Blue light is a component of natural sunlight and when it reaches the retina, it can be deleterious to the photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium, which are essential to vision. Zeaxanthin and lutein appear to absorb excess light energy to avoid harm to plants from too much sunlight, particularly from high energy light rays called blue ligh. By absorbing blue light, the macular pigment protects the underlying photoreceptor cell layer from light harm, probably initiated by the formation of reactive oxygen species during a photosensitized reaction.

The role played by the strong antioxidant zeaxanthin in the eye is to sharpen central vision, decrease the effects of glare and maintain healthful visual acuity. Increased risk of age related macular degeneration may result from low levels of zeaxanthin and lutein in the diet, serum or retina, and excessive exposure to blue light. Research findings indicates a potent correlation between high blood serum levels of zeaxanthin and a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataract formation.

According to experts of the “American Optometric Association“, except reducing the risk of developing eye illness other researches have shown that  zeaxanthin  and lutein increase visual performance in age-related macular degeneration and cataract patients.

According to a study published in the November 2002 issue of “Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science” indicates that supplementing your diet with zeaxanthin helps to avoid and reduce harm to the retinas.

In one study involving 77,466 female nurses from the “Nurses Health Study“, those with the highest quintile for consumption of lutein and zeaxanthin were found to have a 22 percent decrease in the risk of cataract extraction. According to the findings of the study found that consuming high level of zeaxanthin and lutein reduced the need for cataract surgery.

In a study reported in “Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics” in August 2010, the researchers conclude that, zeaxanthin and lutein filter short wavelength light and avoid or decrease the generation of free radicals in the retinal pigment epithelium and choroid.

According to research conducted by experts from the “University of Eastern Finland“; increased amounts of zeaxanthin and lutein may decrease the risk of cataract by approximately  40%. (British Journal of Nutrition)

In a study of 2500 persons (POLA Study), high levels of zeaxanthin in their blood have 93 percent less risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and 75 percent less risk of developing a nuclear cataract. In another study with 5000 participants found high dietary lutein and zeaxanthin intake reduces the risk of developing a cortical cataract by 30%.

Zeaxanthin Dosage

The American Optometric Association recommends 2 mg/day for zeaxanthin and 10 mg/day of lutein. For each 10 percent increase in dietary  zeaxanthin and lutein, serum levels are seen to enhance by percent.