Wellness Medical Care

Melatonin is quite possibly the most amazing new substance avail­able to the general public. An explosion of research on this mole­cule in the past decade has shown it to have a multitude of effects in animals and humans, even in plants and one-celled organisms.

It may be one of the oldest molecules that exist in living creatures, having been found in every plant and animal searched to date. And whether it is found in a one-celled algae or a human being, the melatonin molecule seems to have the exact same structure, a phe­nomenon rarely seen in nature.

In humans, melatonin is produced in a tiny structure deep in the middle of the brain called the pineal gland, which releases the hormone into the blood primarily at night (some five to ten times as much of it is released during the night as during the day).

Light turns out to be the critical factor; when daylight strikes our eyes, it conveys a message to the brain which blocks the production and release of melatonin. On the other hand, it takes sufficient amounts of exposure to light in the daytime to “prime” the pineal gland to produce melatonin at night. (more…)

Depression may seem like an ugly curse from the reins of which you just can seem to untangle yourself. But, fortunately, even the worst of depression cases can be treated or cured. If adequate support is accessible then do not let go of it; grab hold of this opportunity, this ought to make you feel better.

Depression can be cured in a million ways. The most common ones include exercising, talking, supplements, medication and even, embracing changes in your lifestyle.

Some tend to react faster to approaches such as supplements and exercising while others need medication and lifestyle changes to recover from this terrible phase.

One size does not fit all in this situation, it is rather required that you understand what you need to get out of this darkness. (more…)

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is a synthetic, acetylated version of the nat­urally occurring nitrogenous substance L-carnitine. This is a sub­stance that enhances oxidative phosphorylation (ATP production in the mitochondria) by supplying the mitochondria with certain fatty acids it needs.

Taking oral L-carnitine does not greatly increase the supply of carnitine to the brain cells (although it does to nonbrain cells) since it does not readily cross the blood-brain barrier; but by sticking an acetyl group on the L-carnitine molecule and forming ALC, we can cross this barrier and thus supply the brain with extra L-carnitine.

Animal studies have shown ALC prevents age-related lipid per­oxidation of brain cells and age-associated reduction in nerve growth factor, a critical substance for maintaining normal function­ing in the mammalian brain. Other studies show that ALC shields the brain from age-induced damage, including protecting NMDA receptors in the hippocampus against damage by free radicals.

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