Health News

The Top Natural Nutrients for Cellular Protection

Oxidative stress is a harmful process similar to “rusting” that results when there are more free radical molecules than antioxidant molecules in the body. Because free radicals have an odd electron count, they can initiate long-chain chemical reactions in the body. While these reactions can either be harmful or beneficial, they more often produce adverse effects, including a greater risk of disease. Research is taking a greater interest in cellular protection and the nutrients that help keep cells healthy as we learn more about the causes of disease.

Why is Cellular Protection Against Oxidative Damage Important?

The threats to human health posed by an overabundance of free radicals are well known. Fortunately, compounds called antioxidants inhibit oxidation by lending an electron to a free radical without causing another odd electron count. This means an equal number of antioxidants can help negate the harmful effects that free radicals may have on the body.

If there aren’t an equal or larger number of antioxidants than free radicals in the body, the free radicals are left to wreak havoc, causing cellular damage throughout the body. They do this by randomly attacking DNA and fatty tissue, although lipids and proteins are also at risk of damage.

As a result, the cells that are made up of these compounds are compromised and, as a greater number of cells are damaged, certain diseases are able to develop. A few medical conditions that can result from this type of cellular damage include:

atherosclerosis
cancer
diabetes
heart disease
hypertension, or high blood pressure
Parkinson’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease

Which Nutrients Protect Against Cellular Damage?

While eating a plant-based diet can help you consume the nutrients your body needs to produce more antioxidants, you may still not have enough to combat the free radicals in your body. Taking a supplement engineered to boost cellular protection can establish a better ratio of antioxidants and free radicals.

Resverchron, a natural, broad-spectrum all-in-one anti-aging regimen, provides powerful ingredients in its morning Green Cellular Protect capsule, so you can ensure your body has the nutrients it needs to build a stronger defense against cellular damage. The benefits of some of this supplement’s primary ingredients are discussed below.

Green Tea Catechins

When you steep green tea in hot water, the polyphenols, or catechins, in the leaves are extracted and infused into the water. Once consumed, these catechins provide a number of health benefits throughout the body. They have been found to be beneficial for helping to maintain healthy weight, maintaining healthy blood glucose levels, encouraging cellular health and protecting against heart disease and many other common conditions.

Catechins can benefit these areas of health because they have antioxidant properties that help counteract the activities of the free radicals. In this way, green tea catechins help protect cells from damage throughout the body.

Glutathione

While glutathione is another powerful and naturally occurring antioxidant that can help maintain good health, its levels in the body can be negatively impacted by poor diet, stress and environmental hazards. Research has also found that the level of glutathione in our bodies decreases as we age.

When we take a supplement that contains a sufficient quantity of this compound, it offers cellular protection by helping to counteract the oxidative stress that free radicals cause. As a result, conditions such as psoriasis, liver disease, insulin resistance, autoimmune disease, Parkinson’s disease and many other conditions may be positively impacted.

Pyrroloquinoline Quinone

The compound, commonly referred to as PQQ, is a naturally occurring compound that produces benefits similar to those of a vitamin, although it’s benefits are just now receiving recognition. It plays a part in promoting healthy cellular growth and development, helping to ensure that cells remain healthy and active for longer. It also possesses strong antioxidant properties and is more powerful than many known antioxidants, aiding in the fight to combat the effects that free radicals have on our cells.

Which Vegetables Provide the Best Protection?

Resverchron’s morning Green Cellular Protect capsule also contains a vegetable extract blend that provides the benefits of a range of vegetables in one capsule. The benefits of some of these vegetables are listed below.

Broccoli

The most beneficial compounds in broccoli are carotenoids and sulforaphane, each of which are helpful in protecting cellular health. They do this by helping to flush harmful carcinogens out of the body. Additionally, broccoli extract is helpful in preventing the cell damage that can contribute to heart disease, cognitive decline and digestive problems.

Brussels Sprouts

The antioxidants contained in Brussels sprouts help promote healthy cell growth, while also encouraging cardiovascular health and healthy cholesterol levels within normal ranges. Compounds found in Brussels sprouts are also helpful in flushing harmful toxins out of the body.

Carrots

The beta-carotene in carrots does more for us than just help with eyesight. Additionally, certain compounds in carrots can help improve oral health, promote liver health, boost overall immunity and protect the skin.

Leeks

Hailing from the same family as onions and garlic, leeks provide powerful antioxidants that help protect heart health, promote cellular health and help maintain healthy LDL cholesterol levels within normal ranges. They also improve gut health, promote a healthy pregnancy and encourage healthy weight maintenance by boosting metabolism.

Kale

This superfood contains a hefty supply of vitamin C, but that’s just the beginning of the benefits it provides. Kale contains compounds that possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant qualities, helping to protect cellular health, support heart health and promote healthy vision. It also promotes healthy cell growth and aids in detoxification.

Garlic

This superfood is widely known for its antioxidant properties and is helpful in promoting cellular health. Additionally, it’s effective in protecting the skin against acne, psoriasis and other blemishes. It can also promote healthier hair growth.

More beneficial extracts found in the vegetable extract blend offered by Resverchron include barley, spinach, radish, beet, tomato, onion, cabbage, parsley, cauliflower, celery and yellow pepper. Each one of these extracts possess powerful healing properties that can help fight against the free radicals that contribute to cell damage.

High Cholesterol and Erectile Dysfunction: What’s the Connection?

Feb 21 by Ewcopywriting

Erectile dysfunction is a frustrating and often embarrassing condition that involves the inability to achieve and maintain an erection. Although it’s natural to have difficulty obtaining an erection from time to time, this condition infers a more long-term problem. While erectile dysfunction is more common in older men, adult males of any age can develop this condition. New research has found a link between high cholesterol and erectile dysfunction, reinforcing the importance of maintaining good cardiovascular health for men.

What Causes Erectile Dysfunction?

Research over the past several decades has helped us to understand the erectile dysfunction more thoroughly and we now know that it can be caused by either psychological or physical problems. Even though this condition, commonly called E.D., is treatable, many men are reluctant to seek treatment out of embarrassment. Understanding more about the condition can help reduce the stigma that surrounds it.

There are a few specific risk factors for erectile dysfunction that have been identified through research. Learning about them can help you limit your risk of developing the condition and may help you control, or reduce, E.D. episodes. For example, we know that psychological problems can cause the condition to develop temporarily, so seeking treatment for mental afflictions can help. These psychological causes of E.D. include:

depression
strong feelings of anxiety
guilt
fear of intimate relations

There’s a much longer list of physiological causes and risk factors for developing E.D., so maintaining good overall health is essential to lowering your risks. Some of the known physiological risk factors include:

cardiovascular disease
hypertension
high LDL cholesterol
diabetes
obesity
Parkinson’s disease
multiple sclerosis
substance abuse

Additionally, conditions that directly affect the male reproductive system will also raise the risk of developing erectile dysfunction. This can include a low testosterone count, prostate disease or Peyronie disease. Erectile dysfunction can also commonly result from injuries to the spine or pelvic region.

As previously mentioned, erectile dysfunction is marked by an inability to obtain or maintain an erection. Even if an erection is achieved, the individual may not be able to maintain it long enough to complete intercourse, or to ejaculate during masturbation. These incidences are only considered symptoms of E.D. when they occur frequently over a long period of time. Additionally, the individual may lose interest in sex and may feel too embarrassed or ashamed to engage in any type of sexual activity.

How Are High Cholesterol and Erectile Dysfunction Connected?

Further research has confirmed that high cholesterol is a contributing factor in causing E.D. to develop in some men. Previously, the link between high cholesterol and erectile dysfunction was assumed, because high cholesterol raises the risks of developing other conditions that are known to lead to erectile dysfunction. For instance, people with high cholesterol often develop diabetes or heart disease, which, in turn, can cause E.D. to develop as one symptom. The latest research suggests, however, that there may be a more direct link.

HDL cholesterol is good for the body, because it aids in the production of tissue and sex hormones. However, LDL cholesterol is a harmful substance that builds up in the body’s arteries and creates blockages that can inhibit the flow of blood. Since the penis becomes erect by becoming engorged with blood, an inhibited blood flow can interrupt, or prevent, the process of developing an erection. The condition in which cholesterol build-up in the arteries inhibits blood flow is a serious condition known as atherosclerosis and E.D. is only one symptom of the condition.

For men with high cholesterol, getting treatment may help resolve their E.D. experiences naturally. The most common treatment for high cholesterol are medications known as statins. These drugs inhibit the production of the protein that the liver uses to produce cholesterol. As the protein, known as HMG-CoA reductase, is blocked, the body responds by removing more cholesterol from the blood supply. When used in conjunction with dietary and lifestyle changes, statins can be very effective in lowering cholesterol levels. As a result, other conditions in the body may also be alleviated, including instances of erectile dysfunction.

Natural Ways to Maintain Better Heart Health

February is American Heart Month, so this is the perfect time to begin taking steps to improve your cardiovascular health. In doing so, you can also improve your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of developing E.D. Here are a few lifestyle tips to help you get started.

Adopt a Healthier Diet

Changing the foods you eat is essential to controlling your cholesterol levels. You can start by eating heart healthy foods, such as foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, mackerel and flaxseeds)and soluble fiber (kidney beans, oatmeal and apples). You should also eliminate saturated fats (full-fat dairy foods and red meat) and trans fats (store-bought pastries and cookies, or anything containing vegetable oil) from your diet.

Take a Dietary Supplement

There are high-quality dietary supplements available, such as Cardiochron, which are engineered to promote optimal heart health. Cardiochron provides the folic acid and B vitamins that are essential to overall cardiovascular health, along with other nutrients to help you maintain a healthy heart and normal cholesterol levels.

Get More Exercise

Your heart is a muscle and, like any other muscle, regular exercise is essential for keeping it strong and healthy. As a minimum, you should be getting 30 minutes of medium to high-intensity exercise every day, but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix things up. Go swimming, take a bike ride and hit the gym on alternating days. The variety will help you exercise different muscle groups, while giving your heart the strenuous workout it needs.

Unleash the Powerful Health Benefits of Superfruits

Feb 19 by Ewcopywriting

In simple terms, a superfruit is a food that contains a condensed serving of vitamins and powerful phyto-nutrients that are beneficial to human health. These foods benefit the immune system in a variety of ways and it has been found that they can even benefit the health of bone marrow. Research is only beginning to uncover some of the significant health benefits of superfruits, which may be why more people are adding these foods to their diets.

What Are Superfruits?

The power of superfruits to boost immunity may help stave off illness and help the body recover faster from injuries by providing the body with antioxidant-rich compounds that are called polyphenols. Polyphenols (flavonoids are just one example) are compounds that are found in many natural plant-based foods, but exist in richer concentrations in superfruits.

These compounds have been found to help the body fight off inflammation, while also acting as antioxidant agents. Research into the functions these compounds serve found that they can increase longevity by 30 percent or more when there’s a consistent high level of polyphenols in the body. To achieve this benefit, researchers recommend a daily intake of polyphenols that’s greater than 500 mg.

What Are the Health Benefits of Superfruits?

In addition to increasing longevity, there are many more benefits of superfruits that you can enjoy by adding these foods to your diet. Here is a short list of some of the health benefits that the polyphenols in these fruits deliver.

Regulate Blood Sugar Levels

While it’s common to experience a spike in your blood sugar levels after eating a meal, adding superfruits to your diet can combat that sudden increase. The polyphenols do this by keeping the body from breaking starch down and transforming it into simple sugars. The polyphenols in superfruits may also help regulate insulin production, so more sugars will be pushed to the cells for use as energy.

Improve Heart Health

The antioxidants that polyphenols contain help to decrease inflammation in the cardiovascular system. Since inflammation is a significant factor in causing heart disease, eating more superfruits may help you maintain a healthier heart. Additionally, researchers have found that polyphenols are effective in regulating healthier blood pressure levels and keeping LDL (bad cholesterol) levels lower. These compounds may also be effective in increasing the body’s HDL (good cholesterol) levels.

Protect Cellular Health

Since the antioxidants in polyphenols are effective in reducing inflammation, they may help protect against unhealthy cell growth. Additional research suggests that a high level of polyphenols in the blood may help prevent cancer cells from developing. Even after cancer cells have developed, test-tube research has suggested that polyphenols may help prohibit unhealthy cell growth.

Boost Digestion

If you have digestive problems, eating superfruits may help resolve those problems. This is because polyphenols also promote healthier gut bacteria, which is essential to proper digestion. A higher level of polyphenols has been linked to more diverse growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome, so peptic ulcers, inflammatory bowel disease and similar conditions may be alleviated.

Improve Cognitive Functioning

In a recent study, older adults who had experienced memory loss and difficulties in concentrating on complex tasks were given polyphenol-rich grape juice. By the end of the study, those seniors drinking the grape juice experienced improved memory and better mental focus. There’s also evidence that polyphenols can support oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain in seniors.

What Are Some of the Most Powerful Superfruits?

If you’re unsure about adding superfruits to your meal plan for each day, taking a supplement can help you boost the polyphenols in your blood supply. Resverchron is a high-quality daily supplement that incorporates the nutrients and beneficial compounds found in a broad range of superfruits. Adding this supplement to your daily routine can help you get that healthy boost even on days when you may not eat as healthily as you plan.

Here is a short list of some of the most powerful superfruits:

Plums: These fruits are known to help stave off metabolic disorders and cardiovascular-related health problems.

Cherries: While there are a few different types of cherries, they have all been shown effective in reducing the risks of degenerative diseases in seniors.

Blackberries: Regularly eating these berries can help reduce the risks of degenerative disorders that affect the brain.

Strawberries: The strawberry is one of the most powerful superfruits available, because of all it can do for human health. The polyphenols in this fruit reduce the risks of developing unhealthy cell growth, heart disease, inflammation and metabolic syndrome.

Apples: The polyphenols in this fruit have been credited for extending longevity by as much as 12 percent.

Peaches: This superfruit is effective in reducing the risks of metabolic syndrome, which is common in those suffering from obesity. Peaches may also help reduce risks to your cardiovascular health.

Nectarines: Eating more nectarines will help boost your immune system due to the high content of polyphenols that they deliver.

In general, eating more plant-based fruits will expose you to a greater supply of vitamins, nutrients and other beneficial compounds. Eating more natural foods will help you live a healthier life for longer, but adding some of these superfruits to your daily routine may give you an even bigger health boost.

As research continues, we may find that polyphenols provide even more health benefits, but changing your diet now can help reduce your risks of developing many of the common health hazards mentioned here.

How Your Diet Affects Sleep and Mental Health

Feb 13 by Ewcopywriting

The National Sleep Foundation estimates that roughly 40 percent of Americans experience some difficulty sleeping each year. In addition to affecting physical conditions, such as heart health and diabetes, a lack of sufficient sleep is also known to affect mental health, instigating depression and anxiety. In new studies, a focus on nutrition has suggested that diet affects sleep and mental health in some important ways.

New Research Finds That Diet Affects Sleep

In a recent study, conducted at New York’s Columbia University, it was found that refined carbohydrates contributed toward insomnia in women aged 50 and over. Insomnia was especially common when the refined carbohydrates had high sugar content.

The 53,069 subjects participating in the study were all women, aged 50 through 79 and had all experienced some degree of insomnia. The researchers examined how they experienced insomnia and compared the episodes to the quality of their diets.

In short, they found that the women were more likely to have difficulty getting quality sleep when they ate more refined carbs. In particular, white rice, white bread and added sugars interfered with their sleep cycles. Those who drank more soda on a daily basis also suffered from insomnia more frequently.

The researchers believe the mechanism behind this relationship between refined carbs and sleeplessness has to do with a spike in blood sugar levels. As the carbs that are consumed increase the level of sugar in the blood, insulin is released to move that sugar into the cells for consumption. As a result of the sudden drop in blood sugar levels, hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released. These hormones interfere with the sleep cycle, preventing the individual from falling asleep, or staying asleep.

Nutrition and Mental Health

In another recent study, researchers looked at how dietary choices affect mental health. We already know that the quality of our diet affects mood by determining the health of the bacteria in our guts, the hormones our bodies release and the neurotransmitters in our brains. In this recent study, researchers hoped to pinpoint more specific ways in which diet affects mental health and the risk of mental illnesses.

The study, which was conducted at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg, found that a diet poor in nutrients was linked to a worsening of mood disorders. Specifically, depression and anxiety grew more severe in individuals who weren’t getting a sufficient supply of vitamins and nutrients through their dietary choices.

The study also revealed that a Mediterranean diet appeared to be the best for ensuring mental health is protected. One important way this type of diet benefits people is by protecting against vitamin B-12 deficiency. Vitamin B-12 deficiency can cause a number of adverse effects, such as fatigue, problems with memory recall and lethargy. Prolonged B-12 deficiencies can also contribute to the development of psychosis and manic episodes. Vitamin B-12 is commonly found in beef, sardines, tuna and trout.

Your level of vitamin D is also an important concern, especially for older adults. If you’re not getting enough sunlight each day, it’s likely that you have a deficiency, since the sun is the primary source of vitamin D. Increasing your exposure to the sun, or taking vitamin D supplements, can help you improve cognitive functioning by enhancing memory, attention and concentration. It can also reduce the depressive episodes an individual is likely to experience.

While both studies indicate that nutrition does play an important role in how well we sleep and in our mental health, more research is needed. Future studies can help confirm links between refined carbs and insomnia, while other research can help verify whether a plant-heavy diet will provide the brain with the nutrients it needs to operate more efficiently. In the meantime, reducing your intake of refined carbs while making more nutritious food choices can only help you.

Tips for Cutting Back on Carbs and Increasing Nutrient Intake

Ditch the Soft Drinks

You should avoid sugary drinks as much as possible, because these are the worst culprits for added sugar and refined carbs. There are 38 grams of carbs in a 12-ounce can of soda, while sweetened iced tea contains up to 36 grams. Switching to unsweetened beverages is easier when you add some lemon or lime to the mixture.

Choose Bread Wisely

White bread is another major source of carbs, so you should try to eliminate it completely from your home. Instead, choose rye or whole grain breads as a healthier option. Even when you do switch to whole grains, be aware that they still contain a fair amount of carbs, so eat these products sparingly.

Take a Daily Supplement

In addition to eliminating poor dietary choices, you will also want to ensure your body is getting a full range of vitamins and nutrients. Supplements like Vitachron offer a broad selection of vitamins and minerals in a single dose, helping you to balance out the nutrients you get from your healthier diet. This can help you meet your nutritional requirements every day, even when you splurge on the weekend.

Choose By Color

When you go shopping, try to pick up fruits and vegetables according to their colors and get as many different colors as possible. This will help you maximize the number of vitamins and nutrients you’re naturally consuming. It will also help you enjoy variety without resorting to unhealthy foods.

Study Finds Anti-Aging Supplements Work Best in Specific Formula

Feb 13 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Are you one of the millions searching for a natural Fountain of Youth? Americans and the Western culture have turned staying young into a national pastime, partaking in surgeries and a variety of extreme procedures to keep their youth and vitality well into old age. While there are many research-supported anti-aging supplements that purportedly help extend youth and help stave off aging from the cellular level, science shows that many of these herbal and vitamin ingredients can have a better effect and better health benefits when taken together in a formula.

What Causes Aging?

In order to understand anti-aging supplements, it is important to understand what causes the aging process to occur. While there are many pathways and biological processes that can break down over decades of life, the mitochondrial pathway and oxidative stress pathway are key components when it comes to the effects of ravages of time.

Mitochondria regulate a multitude of metabolic and signaling pathways in the body and play an important role in programmed cell death. In short, the body’s mitochondria serve as the powerhouses of the cell, producing the energy that our cells need to function. Over time, mitochondria are damaged by oxidative stress, which is destructive to mitochondrial DNA and other structures. Oxidative stress pathways age our body’s cells in a variety of other ways, as well.

It’s no doubt, we need oxygen in order to survive. This element however, is extremely destructive to delicate cell structures, in fact, oxygen is more reactive than other elements in the human body and often converts into free radicals and other reactive oxygen species, all of which are incredibly damaging to the body’s cells.

To reduce the damaging effects from these forms of oxygen antioxidants can help reduce these oxygen species before they can impair cells permanently. As a result of their synergistic functionality, both oxidative stress and mitochondrial pathways share certain steps working together to either speed up or to slow down the aging process.

As the body’s cells begin to accumulate damage, they are less able to repair themselves, leading to the visibly noticeable aging of tissue. These damaged cells also have a harder time making energy as efficiently, which causes the gradual slowing associated with the aging process. As tissues become increasingly damaged, more severe symptoms arise and diseases such as heart disease and dementia occur due to the cells’ inability to function or repair themselves adequately.

Getting the Most Out of Anti-Aging Supplements

The process of aging isn’t prejudiced, that’s why it’s never too early to start an anti-aging regimen. While creams and serums were once the only go-to on the market for anti-aging, new advancements in research have paved the way for a new line of anti-aging management in the form of supplements.

To date, millions of people take anti-aging supplements such as coenzyme Q10 and resveratrol every day, but what if there was a way to make these compounds even more effective when it comes to anti-aging? Thanks to new research and anti-aging breakthroughs in treatment options, there is in fact a way to get the most out of these herbs and vitamins, ensuring that they have the very best effects, and it all comes down to formulation and timing.

First, and most importantly, anti-aging supplements should be taken together in a single supplement. This is because the ingredients can act synergistically, working on similar and related pathways all at once, including mitochondrial pathways and those that repair oxidative stress. When combined, the supplements and supplement ingredients work together and enhance each other’s function, having far greater effect than they would have if taken separately.

Is it Ever Too Early to Start?

Most people do not begin to worry about aging until they are beginning to approach their 30s, and some wait even longer and try to reverse the effects of time rather than preventing them from occurring. According to research in the field of anti-aging treatments and preventative measures, earlier appears to be better when it comes to starting an anti-aging supplement regimen.

In a study comparing starting periods of anti-aging supplements, researchers gave coenzyme Q10 to both middle-aged and elderly rats and then measured their grip strength, a major sign of aging in rats. Results found that the middle-aged ones who took the supplement had more overall improvement, suggesting that anti-aging supplements have more effect on people who aren’t as far along in the aging process.

Keeping Youth and Health Naturally

So, how can people help delay or protect against some of the effects of aging? Experts recommend attacking the root causes of aging by taking antioxidants and supplements that hone in on promoting healthy cellular inflammatory processes and healthy cell growth while protecting against oxidative stress. Since these supplements are more effective when taken together in a formula, look for an anti-aging supplement that contains:

Resveratrol: This antioxidant found in red wine helps to neutralize reactive oxygen species in the oxidative stress pathway.

Vitamin C: This vitamin is an important component in building healthy tissue and maintaining strong collagen to prevent wrinkles and fine lines.
Omega-3 fatty acids: These nutrients reduce oxidative stress and protect our DNA from reactive oxygen species.
BIOPQQ: This nutrient supports brain health and helps maintain high mitochondrial function in nerve cells, which are especially prone to damaging as we age.
MSM: This biological sulfur compound is the main active ingredient of soothing sulfur baths. In its organically bioactive form, MSM also supports healthy cartilage renewal.

Similarly, finding a supplement that reduces aging by specifically focusing on the mitochondrial and oxidative stress pathways, can help focus solely on cellular support and proper function of these pathways. Formulas specifically focused on mitochondrial function and protection against oxidative damage should include:

Coenzyme Q10: Often called CoQ10 for short, this coenzyme is important in preventing aging in both the mitochondrial and oxidative stress pathways.
NADH: A substance that’s an important part of the mitochondrial pathways that produce energy to keep cells running at their highest level.
L-carnitine: This nutrient offers natural detoxification for cells that also aids in mitochondrial energy production.

Combining these types of anti-aging and oxidative stress-fighting supplements together can be more effective, as they work on the same cellular pathways. Working to help maintain good cell repair, detoxification of reactive oxygen and maintenance of mitochondrial pathways, these supplements and ingredients can have lifelong effects, helping you maintain youthful health and energy levels for years to come.

Biological Clocks, the Master of Our Health

Feb 11 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Chances are, you’ve heard of the term “biological clock,” while this is often times associated with women’s fertility and childbearing abilities, the truth is, almost all of the body’s biological processes are coordinated and timed by these internal biological clocks. The human body is comprised of a variety of biological clocks and rhythms. While these rhythms were once a mystery to scientists and doctors, there is now a growing body of research that can explain how almost all of our biological processes, from sleep to digestion to blood pressure control and brain function, are all linked to internal clocks and rhythms.

This new understanding of the body’s rhythms and internal clocks is known as the science of chronobiology, or the study of internal clocks and timing, and this research is paving the way for new advances in health and medicine.

The Clocks and Rhythms of Life

There are many different types of internal clocks that govern our bodies. Three of which are circadian, ultradian and infradian rhythms.

Circadian rhythms, which are the most well recognized, correlate with the 24-hour light/dark cycle of the earth’s rotation. These types of rhythms control various processes that occur once per 24-hour period, such as the human sleep-wake cycle.

Ultradian rhythms, which govern shorter cycles such as hunger, heart rate, digestion and other processes that occur multiple times in a 24-hour day.

In contrast, infradian rhythms are cycles occur in cycles that last longer than the popular 24-hour circadian rhythms, with a complete cycle taking 28-hours or more. A good example of infradian rhythms are the hormonal cycles of adult human females, or the various cell processes and hormone levels that adjust according to the season.

These various body clocks work together to prepare our bodies for the demands of different times of the day, month, and year.

The Circadian Rhythm: The Master Clock

The circadian rhythm is the best understood of body’s internal clocks as it is present in nearly every known living organism. This 24-hour clock governs a diverse range of processes such as sleep, DNA repair, and cell regeneration.

While primitive cells are damaged by the sun and heat during the day, they are able to use the nighttime hours for necessary DNA repair and other healing processes. Although the human circadian rhythm is far more complex than the concept of daytime damage and evening repair, this formula is the most comprehensive explanation of how our body uses the night time hours as a time for cell repair, regeneration, and a chance to chemically prepare for important events. This evening reset ensures that all biological processes occur at the right time and in the right order.

How the Body’s Clocks Are Set

All clock-like and rhythmic processes are timed carefully by our brain, specifically, by the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus receives timing cues called zeitgebers, or external or environmental cues, and uses them to keep clocks in sync with each other and with the demands of our environment.

For the circadian rhythm, our retinas receive the zeitgeber of light from the environment around us and passes the light signal to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus then signals the pineal gland to suppress melatonin production (a hormone that makes us sleepy) while telling other areas of the brain to increase production of hormones associated with wakefulness.

In contract, when our retinas sense lower, or a lack of external light, the hypothalamus assumes nightfall is coming. This is especially true if the lowered light is combined with other cues indicating night as well, such as a lower temperature. The hypothalamus then gives the pineal gland the green light to make melatonin, and the body prepares itself for sleep mode.

Internal Clocks and Your Health

The body’s internal clocks are not just important for our sleep patterns, but essential for whole body health as well. For example, if our internal clocks do not signal for DNA repair to occur, and this process is skipped or not taking place properly, the body’s cells will begin to lose their ability to function, which can then result in gene mutations, illness and can even lead to cancer.

Depending on the ability for our body to maintain proper internal clock cycles, these biological rhythms can either work to our benefit and ultimate well-being, or work against us. One branch of the science of chronobiology is chronopharmacology (also known as chronotherapy), which researches therapeutic approaches based on the basic principles of chronobiology and the understanding of the body’s rhythms and internal clocks.

Chronotherapy works effectively through combining the optimal ingredients and medication formulas, the right dosage amounts, and an understanding of the select organs or relationships involved, in order to deliver the substances at the most effective time of day to yield the best results with less side effects.

This type of research has led to many insights into treating diverse diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Other research has taken this approach to ensure that chemotherapy is now timed to hit cancerous cells at the most vulnerable time in their cell cycle, which reduces the risk to healthy cells.

From a scientific perspective, the body’s internal clocks are fascinating, but they are even more fascinating from a medical standpoint. Understanding the complicated processes the body undergoes, and the various timing associated with them, is leading to a better understanding of the interaction between health and disease, and allowing researchers to develop new and more effective treatment options. Because our body’s biological clocks are essential to our health, focusing on maintaining and treating biological rhythms and rhythm disorders is a new and promising field of health care and preventative health.