Dietary supplements

Question

This piglix contains articles or sub-piglix about Dietary supplements

Answer 1

Ginseng

Ginseng

Subgenus Panax

Subgenus Trifolius

Ginseng (/ˈdʒɪnsɛŋ/) is any one of the 11 species of slow-growing perennial plants with fleshy roots, belonging to the genus Panax of the family Araliaceae.

Ginseng is found in North America and in eastern Asia (mostly northeast China, Korea, Bhutan, eastern Siberia), typically in cooler climates. Panax vietnamensis, discovered in Vietnam, is the southernmost ginseng known. This article focuses on the species of the series Panax, called Panax ginseng and P. quinquefolius. Ginseng is characterized by the presence of ginsenosides and gintonin.

Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) is in the same family, but not genus, as true ginseng. The active compounds in Siberian ginseng are eleutherosides, not ginsenosides. Instead of a fleshy root, Siberian ginseng has a woody root.

Over centuries, ginseng has been used in Chinese traditional medicine. There is no clear evidence from modern research that it has any health benefits.

The English word ginseng derives from the Chinese term rénshēn. Rén means "Person" and shēn means "plant root"; this refers to the root's characteristic forked shape, which resembles the legs of a person. The English pronunciation derives from a southern Chinese reading, similar to Cantonese yun sum (Jyutping) and the Hokkien pronunciation "jîn-sim".

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Answer 2

Glisodin

Glisodin is the registered trademark of a nutritional supplement based on two constituents:

As oxygen metabolizes in the body, potentially harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS) are created. The human body implements an antioxidant defense system to protect against ROS. In the event that these defenses are overpowered by the ROS, cell damage results (which is a major cause of aging in the body).

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) helps to slow the creation of ROS, ultimately playing a key role in the defense against cell damage. However, due to a very fragile molecular structure, it is particularly prone to damage from stomach acids and digestive enzymes when taken orally. Gliadin, which is well known as a carrier protein for controlled drug release, helps to protect SOD.

A wide range of clinical research has been undertaken to study glisodin's antioxidant capacities. This has extended into a wide range of applications, including protection from ultraviolet radiation, athletic performance, cardiovascular health, ischemia and reperfusion injury.

A group of researchers in France and Germany led by Dr. Claus Muth concluded that glisodin is helpful in protecting against DNA damage caused by hyperbaric oxidation. A 2005 study at Rutgers University also concluded that glisodin is helpful in enhancing athletic performance while minimizing fatigue.

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Answer 3

Glucosamine

Glucosamine

Glucosamine (C₆H₁₃NO₅) is an amino sugar and a prominent precursor in the biochemical synthesis of glycosylated proteins and lipids. Glucosamine is part of the structure of the polysaccharides chitosan and chitin, which compose the exoskeletons of crustaceans and other arthropods, as well as the cell walls of fungi and many higher organisms. Glucosamine is one of the most abundant monosaccharides. It is produced commercially by the hydrolysis of crustacean exoskeletons or, less commonly, by fermentation of a grain such as corn or wheat.

The effectiveness of glucosamine has not been scientifically established for any condition, and the supplement has been shown to cause harm in high doses. Despite this, in the US it is one of the most common non-vitamin, non-mineral, dietary supplements used by adults.

Oral glucosamine is a dietary supplement and is not a pharmaceutical drug. It is illegal in the US to market any dietary supplement as a treatment for any disease or condition. Glucosamine is marketed to support the structure and function of joints, and the marketing is targeted to people suffering from osteoarthritis. Commonly sold forms of glucosamine are glucosamine sulfate, glucosamine hydrochloride, and N-acetylglucosamine. Of the three commonly available forms of glucosamine, only glucosamine sulfate is given a "likely effective" rating for treating osteoarthritis. Glucosamine is often sold in combination with other supplements such as chondroitin sulfate and methylsulfonylmethane.

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Answer 4

Glutamine

Glutamine

Glutamine (abbreviated as Gln or Q; encoded by the codons CAA and CAG) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. It contains an α-amino group (which is in the protonated −NH₃⁺ form under biological conditions), an α-carboxylic acid group (which is in the deprotonated −COO^− form under biological conditions), and a side chain amide which replaces the side chain hydroxyl of glutamic acid with an amine functional group, classifying it as a charge neutral, polar (at physiological pH) amino acid. It is non-essential and conditionally essential in humans, meaning the body can usually synthesize sufficient amounts of it, but in some instances of stress, the body's demand for glutamine increases and glutamine must be obtained from the diet.

In human blood, glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid.

Glutamine plays a role in a variety of biochemical functions:

On the level of tissue, glutamine plays a role in maintaining the normal integrity of the intestinal mucosa.

Glutamine is synthesized by the enzyme glutamine synthetase from glutamate and ammonia. The most relevant glutamine-producing tissue is the muscle mass, accounting for about 90% of all glutamine synthesized. Glutamine is also released, in small amounts, by the lung and the brain. Although the liver is capable of relevant glutamine synthesis, its role in glutamine metabolism is more regulatory than producing, since the liver takes up large amounts of glutamine derived from the gut.

The most eager consumers of glutamine are the cells of intestines, the kidney cells for the acid-base balance, activated immune cells, and many cancer cells.

In states where tissue is being built or repaired, like growth of infants, or healing from traumtic wounds or severe illness, glutamine becomes conditionally essential.

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Answer 5

Goji

Goji, goji berry or wolfberry (pinyin: gǒuqǐ) is the fruit of either the Lycium barbarum or Lycium chinense, two closely related species of boxthorn in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The family also includes the potato, tomato, eggplant, belladonna, chili pepper, and tobacco. The two species are native to Asia.

Wolfberry species are deciduous woody perennial plants, growing 1–3 m high. L. chinense is grown in the south of China and tends to be somewhat shorter, while L. barbarum is grown in the north, primarily in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and tends to be somewhat taller.

Wolfberry leaves form on the shoot either in an alternating arrangement or in bundles of up to three, each having either a lanceolate (shaped like a spearhead longer than it is wide) or ovate (egg-like) shape. Leaf dimensions are 7.0 cm long by 3.5 cm broad with blunted or rounded tips.

The flowers grow in groups of one to three in the leaf axils. The calyx (eventually ruptured by the growing berry) consists of bell-shaped or tubular sepals forming short, triangular lobes. The corollae are lavender or light purple, 9–14 mm wide with five or six lobes shorter than the tube. The stamens are structured with longer than the anthers. The anthers are longitudinally dehiscent.

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Answer 6

Grape seed extract

Grape seed extract is an industrial derivative of whole grape seeds.

The extract contains proanthocyanidins. In alternative medicine, grape seed extract is sold in dietary supplement form and claimed to have numerous health benefits which are not supported by sufficient medical evidence.

GSE is being investigated for its potential antibacterial properties.

A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials concluded that "grape seed extract appears to significantly lower systolic blood pressure and heart rate, with no effect on lipid or C-reactive protein levels."

The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health reported that oral administration of grape seed extract was well tolerated in people over 8 weeks, although there are no studies yet indicating its effectiveness in treating diseases.

Side effects may include itchy scalp; dizziness, headache, high blood pressure or nausea.

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Answer 7

Good manufacturing practice

Good manufacturing practices (GMP) are the practices required in order to conform to the guidelines recommended by agencies that control authorization and licensing for manufacture and sale of food, drug products, and active pharmaceutical products. These guidelines provide minimum requirements that a pharmaceutical or a food product manufacturer must meet to assure that the products are of high quality and do not pose any risk to the consumer or public.

Good manufacturing practices, along with good agricultural practices, good laboratory practices and good clinical practices, are overseen by regulatory agencies in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, and other countries.

Good manufacturing practice guidelines provide guidance for manufacturing, testing, and quality assurance in order to ensure that a food or drug product is safe for human consumption. Many countries have legislated that food and pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers follow GMP procedures and create their own GMP guidelines that correspond with their legislation.

All guidelines follow a few basic principles:

Practices are recommended with the goal of safeguarding the health of consumers and patients as well as producing good quality food, medicine, medical devices, or active pharmaceutical products. In the United States, a food or drug may be deemed "adulterated" if it has passed all of the specifications tests, but is found to be manufactured in a facility or condition which violates or does not comply with current good manufacturing guideline. Therefore, complying with GMP is mandatory in all pharmaceutical manufacturing, and most food processing.

GMP guidelines are not prescriptive instructions on how to manufacture products. They are a series of general principles that must be observed during manufacturing. When a company is setting up its quality program and manufacturing process, there may be many ways it can fulfil GMP requirements. It is the company's responsibility to determine the most effective and efficient quality process.

The quality is built into the product and GMP is the most essential part of ensuring this product quality.

GMPs are enforced in the United States by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), under Title 21 CFR. The regulations use the phrase "current good manufacturing practices" (cGMP) to describe these guidelines. Courts may theoretically hold that a product is adulterated even if there is no specific regulatory requirement that was violated as long as the process was not performed according to industry standards. Since June 2010, a different set of cGMP requirements have applied to all manufacturers of dietary supplements.

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Answer 8

Grapefruit seed extract

Grapefruit seed extract (GSE), also known as citrus seed extract, is a liquid extract derived from the seeds, pulp, and white membranes of grapefruit. Self-made natural GSE processed in the laboratory without synthetic agents is prepared by grinding the grapefruit seed and juiceless pulp, then mixing with glycerin. Commercially available GSE sold to consumers are made from the seed, pulp, glycerin (and in some cases synthetic preservatives) all blended together. Grapefruit seed extract is sold as a food supplement and used in cosmetics because it is a claimed natural antimicrobial.

An early proponent was Dr. Jacob Harich (1919–1996). A long time promoter of GSE was Aubrey Hampton, the founder of Aubrey Organics. Some marketers of GSE affirm this extract to be a safe, natural, and effective preservative. This extract has been stated by some practitioners of alternative medicine to possess antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. It has been recommended by some nutritionists for the treatment of candidiasis, earache, throat infections, and diarrhea. GSE is promoted at health food shops and on the internet.

There are conflicting scientific demonstrations of the efficacy of GSE. Suspicions about the true nature of the active compounds in GSEs arose when synthetic additives were found in commercial products. Suspected counterfeit grapefruit seed extracts were adulterated with synthetic preservatives. When preservatives were not present in some of the extracts, laboratory tests found the natural extracts had no natural antimicrobial attributes of their own. Some manufacturers of GSE have stated that their extract has compounds nearly identical to benzethonium chloride, but a 2001 study supervised by chemist G. Takeoka has documented that commercial GSE preparations contain the synthetic compound benzethonium chloride that could not have been made from GSE.

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Answer 9

Green coffee extract

Green coffee extract

Green coffee extract is an extract of unroasted, green coffee beans. Green coffee extract has been used as a weight-loss supplement and as an ingredient in other weight-loss products. Its efficacy and mechanism of action have been the subject of controversy.

There is tentative evidence of benefit; however, the quality of the evidence is poor. In 2014, one of the primary trials showing benefit was retracted and the company that sponsored the study, Applied Food Sciences, was fined by the Federal Trade Commission for making baseless weight-loss claims using the flawed study.

Green coffee extract is sold under various proprietary brand names including Svetol, and is included in weight-loss products such as CoffeeSlender.

A 2011 review found tentative evidence that green coffee extract promotes weight loss; however, the quality of the evidence was poor. This review looked at three published randomized controlled trials of green coffee extract, totaling 142 participants, and found a small effect. The review stated that more rigorous trials with longer duration were needed to assess the efficacy and safety of green coffee as a weight loss supplement. Participants in the studies were instructed to restrict their diet and increase their exercise in addition to taking the supplement. One of the trials was retracted in 2014 because the accuracy of the data was unclear. The three clinical trials reported no adverse effects; however the review noted that two participants in an unrelated non-trial study report dropped out due to adverse events including headache and urinary tract infection.

A larger 2017 review assessed the effects of chlorogenic acids, the main phenolic compounds in green coffee extract. It included studies of chlorogenic acids both as a constituent of coffee and directly as a purified extract, and suggested several beneficial effects, in particular improved glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. The review noted that potential adverse effects of both short and long-term consumption had not yet been investigated thoroughly, and that the number of studies performed on humans has thus far been limited.

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Answer 10

GU Energy Labs

GU Energy Labs

GU Energy Labs is a company based in Berkeley, California, that produces performance sports nutrition products, most notably energy gels. Usually consumed during endurance events, the gels are designed to be quickly and easily digested. Other products include energy chews, drink mixes (called "brews"), brew tablets, and a Roctane Ultra Endurance line that includes an energy drink mix and gel. The company was founded in 1994 by Bill Vaughan, who began creating an energy gel product in 1990. GU is considered the first major distributor of energy gels. The company has grown over time, and in 2011 its corporate headquarters and 50 employees relocated to a larger space in Berkeley's 4th Street shopping district. It is now run by Bill's son, Brian Vaughan, who serves as president.

Sports energy gels emerged in the United Kingdom in 1986 as a "convenient, prewrapped, portable" way to deliver carbohydrates during endurance events. Gels have a gooey texture and are sometimes referred to as "goo" generically. Bill Vaughan, a biophysicist at University of California, Berkeley, began working on an energy gel product in 1990. He established GU Energy Labs in Berkeley, California, in 1994. GU Energy Labs is regarded as the first major distributor of energy gels, supplying products at the Ironman World Championship in 1996. GU is now run by Bill's son, Brian Vaughan, who serves as president.

In June 2011, GU moved its corporate operations and 50 employees from a 13,000-square-foot (1,200 m²) space to one with twice as much floor space. The larger, 26,000-square-foot (2,400 m²) space, located in Berkeley's 4th Street shopping district, affords the company an increased production capacity, with room for additional growth. GU's 2011 relocation was the first time in five years that all of its employees operated from a single location; previously, the company's operations, shipping, and marketing were executed from multiple buildings throughout Berkeley. GU outsourced its shipping operations to a third party provider, "for improved service and response times".

GU Energy Labs produces a variety of performance sports nutrition products, intended to increase the endurance of athletes. Its products include GU Energy Gel, GU Chomps (energy chews), drink mixes (branded as "Brews"), and a line of Roctane Ultra Endurance products. Their energy gel contains carbohydrates (maltodextrin and fructose), an amino acid blend, electrolytes (sodium and potassium) and, in some flavors, caffeine. Gel packets provide 100 calories and come in a variety of flavors, including blackberry, chocolate, mandarin orange, peppermint stick, raspberry, salted caramel, strawberry banana, triple berry, and vanilla. The energy chews, created in 2009 and based on the gel formula, are made from similar ingredients but also include antioxidants and come in a chewable form.

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