Fat gets a bad rap. It may be the most misunderstood macronutrient. The word “fat” is unfortunately associated with an unhealthy diet and excess weight. But your body needs dietary fat to function.
You’ll read more about it below, but here’s just a few of the important roles fat plays in your body:
They’re necessary for absorbing vitamins and minerals from your diet.
Fats are packed with energy.
You need them for building and maintaining healthy cells.
They’re essential for nerve function.
Learning how this macronutrient works in your body may change your tune about dietary fat. Let’s bust three of the biggest myths about this important macronutrient and discover a little bit about fat’s function, make up, and impact on weight.
Myth #1 – Fat is Bad for Your Health
On the contrary. Fats are crucial for your health.
Another word for fats is lipid. And they’re the foundation for cell membranes. Without these important coatings, your cells couldn’t function. Fats are also responsible for creating the sheaths that surround nerves. Think of it as insulation for the wires that carry impulses from your brain to all areas of your body. Lipids also make up an important part of your skin barrier.
Like you read above, fat is incredibly calorie dense. It can deliver more than twice the energy per gram than carbohydrates or proteins. Some forms of dietary fats are stored as energy in easy-to-access packages. This energy production is vital for strong and powerful muscles.
Not only is fat necessary for cellular and muscular health, your nutrition depends on it. Fat is required to get the most out of vitamins A, D, E, and K. That’s why they’re called fat-soluble. In order for the body to absorb these essential vitamins, fat molecules help them move through the blood stream. These fatty transports allow essential nutrients to reach the brain and central nervous system where fat-soluble vitamins do most of their work.
Other vitamins and minerals your body needs are water-soluble. This means that after they are consumed (either in whole foods or through supplements) vitamins and minerals dissolve in water and are carried throughout the body in the blood stream. This is true for vitamins B and C.
Myth #2 – All Fats are Created Equal
Dietary fat isn’t just fat. It’s more nuanced than that. They fall into one of three categories—unsaturated, saturated, or trans. The categories are determined by the chemical structure of the fat—specifically the arrangement of hydrogens in the fat molecules.
Fats are made of long chains of carbon and hydrogen called hydrocarbons. The location of each hydrogen atom along the hydrocarbon chain influences how the fat molecule behaves. For reference, hydrogen atoms that reside on the same side of a carbon-carbon bond are called cis-hydrogens. When hydrogens lie on opposite sides of a double bond, they are referred to as trans-hydrogens—that will become important below.
Unsaturated Fats
These dietary fats are often referred to as “healthy fats.” They’re derived mostly from plants and include: olive, sunflower, and canola oil. The fats in avocado, almonds, walnuts, and fish are also unsaturated. There are two kinds of unsaturated fats, mono- and polyunsaturated.
Monounsaturated fats have one carbon-carbon double bond in their chemical structure. Polyunsaturated fats have several of these double bonds. The double bonds of unsaturated fats make it difficult for fat molecules to adhere to one another. This results in mono- and polyunsaturated fats being liquid at room temperature.
Unsaturated fats are called healthy and are beneficial for the work they do in your body. Both mono- and polyunsaturated fats help maintain healthy cholesterol levels already in the normal range. They do this by increasing the amount of “good” HDL cholesterol. Unsaturated fats also help your body maintain healthy blood sugar—provided it’s in the normal range already—by supporting the function of insulin, an important hormone.
Monounsaturated fats help your body cling to vitamin E, an essential nutrient many people are lacking. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and can help protect your body from free-radical damage.
Fish oil is a polyunsaturated fat that also supports your health. You’re probably familiar with the two most prominent fats in fish oil. They’re high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that help maintain and support cell structure. Your body can’t make omega-3 or omega-6 on its own, so your diet needs to supply them. Some are even considered essential.
Saturated Fats
Saturated fat is literally saturated with hydrogen atoms. All of the carbon atoms in a hydrocarbon chain are bonded to a hydrogen atom. This means that there are no carbon-carbon double bonds in the fat molecule.
Saturated fats are long and straight, with no kinks or bumps in the chain. This structure makes the hydrocarbon chain very sticky and allows it to combine easily with other chains. That’s why saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Because they adhere to one another easily, they can stack and build upon each other. This creates dense, solid fat.
Watch your intake of saturated fats. They can be harmful when consumed in excess. Saturated fats reduce the “good” (HDL) cholesterol in your blood and can increase the amount of “bad” (LDL) cholesterol.
They also influence the effectiveness of hormones in your body. Growing evidence suggests the hormone insulin is negatively affected by large amounts of saturated fat. By inhibiting the function of this hormone, blood sugar levels could become hard to manage.
But removing saturated fat from your diet entirely could create some issues. Saturated fats are found in combination with healthier unsaturated fats in dairy products and lean meat. When saturated fats are eliminated from the diet, there is also a tendency to replace them with high-sugar foods. These foods do the same kind of damage to your blood cholesterol levels.
Limiting your intake of saturated fats is a better way to manage your overall dietary fat. If you’re reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet, replace it with healthy unsaturated fats.
Trans Fats
Here’s a fat that deserves the bad reputation. Trans fats are the worst for your body and are found everywhere. Prepackaged snack foods, baked goods—like donuts, cake, and cookies—margarine, and many fast foods contain trans fats. Some natural foods, like beef, also contain a small amount of naturally occurring trans fats. These fats get their name from the chemical bonds made between the carbon chains in each fat molecule.
The name itself gives it away. Trans fats have a lot of trans-hydrogens in their chemical structure. This means the hydrogens found on carbon chains are located on opposite sides of the molecule. They don’t always come by this structure naturally.
Most trans fats are created through a process called hydrogenation. During hydrogenation, healthy vegetable oils are heated in the presence of hydrogen. This forces hydrogen to attach to carbon chains in the trans-position. After this chemical treatment, once-healthy vegetables oils look, behave, and taste like saturated fats. This is done because hydrogenation also prolongs the shelf life of packaged foods, since trans fats don’t spoil easily.
What does all this chemistry mean for your body? A lot of potentially negative effects. Trans fats are linked to increased levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol. These fats also impact your cardiovascular system, making it work less efficiently. Trans fats are also believed to reduce your body’s ability to process sugar correctly.
Unfortunately, trans fats are incredibly easy to use and found in a lot of the favorite foods in a modern diet. Their prevalence in prepackaged food and convenience in cooking make trans fats hard to avoid.
To steer clear of these bad fats, fill your diet with healthy fats from vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. Replace trans fats in baking by opting for an unsaturated fat alternative. And ignore the temptation to snack on donuts and other prepackaged foods.
Myth #3 – Foods High in Fat Lead to Weight Gain
If you’re worried about weight gain and getting in shape, dietary fats might be mistakenly eliminated from your diet. It is true that dietary fat consumption should be kept in balance. But the healthy fats in your diet do not contribute to weight gain more than carbohydrates or proteins.
No single macronutrient influences weight more than another—some just provide more energy per gram. Eating more calories than your body needs during the day will lead to weight gain, whether the excess calories come from fats, carbohydrates, or proteins.
It’s important to understand how your body utilizes dietary fat to know why it needs to be included in a healthy diet. Per gram, fats offer the body nine calories of usable energy—compared to carbohydrates and proteins, which provide four calories per gram each. Since fats boast more than twice the calorie content of proteins and carbohydrates, they should be consumed moderately. But not eliminated entirely. Healthy fats can also help you feel full for longer.
Eating the correct amount of beneficial fat is possible—and different—for everybody. But let’s review what this consumption looks like for the typical, healthy adult.
Current recommendations advise that 20-30 percent of daily calories come from fats. The best fats for your body are unsaturated fats (including mono- and polyunsaturated). Try to make unsaturated fats 90 percent of the fats you eat in a day. It is recommended that saturated fats be limited to less than 10 percent of daily fat consumption. Avoid trans fats whenever possible.
Spotting the Sources of Dietary Fat
Identifying saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats can be difficult. When nutrition facts aren’t available, this can seem impossible. Here are a few tricks for spotting the different kinds of dietary fats.
Unsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats are typically found in oils, especially those from plant sources. Vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, seeds, and fish are great sources of unsaturated fat. These foods are also excellent stores of omega-3 fatty acids, which promote heart health and vascular function.
Saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Think of butter, lard, and shortening. Red meat is high in saturated fat when compared to leaner meats like fish and poultry. Whole-fat dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt also contain saturated fats.
Trans fats are hard to spot because they are mostly man-made. They can also be easily confused with natural saturated fats. Trans fats appear on food labels as “partially hydrogenated.” They add structure, texture, and flavor to packaged and processed foods. Fried foods and baked goods are often prepared with ingredients high in trans fats. Fast food, donuts, and other prepackaged snack food are the main culprits of trans fats in your diet.
Don’t cringe when you think of the fat in your diet. Instead, prioritize healthy fats and eat them in balance with carbs and protein. Dietary fat is essential for your health and should be valued as a resource. To promote your own well-being, include the recommended amount of beneficial fat in your diet.
https://askthescientists.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/AdobeStock_110338191-e1522852575549.jpeg15062400Sydney SprouseSydney Sprouse2018-04-02 10:13:312022-07-05 10:08:15Understanding the Facts About Dietary Fat
All three of the macronutrients —that includes fat and protein—can be used for energy. However, carbohydrates are the body’s go-to energy source. They fuel you throughout daily activities, and during short to moderate lengths of exercise. They are the preferred fuel source for movement, biosynthesis of proteins, brain function, and more. There are about four calories (16.8 joules/gram) per gram of digestible carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are found in a wide range of foods. Anybody who’s tried a low-carb diet knows that. But carbs aren’t evil. In addition to providing energy, some of the healthiest sources of carbohydrates are also rich in other nutrients for the body. They can include large amounts of fiber (a beneficial type of complex carbohydrate), vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
You just have to watch the kind of carbs you eat. Not all choices are equally beneficial. Many processed foods contain large amounts of carbohydrates with very few other nutrients. Those don’t provide a lot of nutritional bang for your caloric buck.
Types of Carbohydrates—It’s Not Just Sugar
Carbohydrates are chemicals made of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. They are normally classified by their polymer (the scientific name for a large molecule) length.
Simple sugars are short, containing one to two units. Oligosaccharides have a long, complex name, but are the middle of the carbohydrate road with three to ten units. Polysaccharides are where things get complex. They have more than ten units.
Simple Sugars You’ve Heard All About
Glucose (also known as dextrose) and fructose are two simple sugars that you may recognize. They are called monosaccharides, because they contain only one sugar polymer. (Mono meaning one.) Other monosaccharides include galactose, xylose, mannose, and more. Monosaccharides can be found by themselves in foods, or as the building blocks for larger carbohydrates.
Disaccharides are formed from two monosaccharides. (Di meaning two.) Sucrose and lactose are two common sugars that are considered disaccharides. Sucrose is made of one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule. Lactose, a sugar found in milk, is made of glucose and galactose molecules.
Sugars vary in the amount of sweetness humans can taste. Fructose is about 1.5 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar), while lactose (sugar in milk) is 1/8 as sweet as sucrose. Sucralose, an artificially modified disaccharide, is 600 times sweeter than sucrose.
Oligosaccharides
Oligosaccharides are medium-length carbohydrates (3-9 units). They provide you with energy and fiber. Maltodextrin is a commonly eaten oligosaccharide. It is comprised of three to 17 glucose units. The linking of monosaccharides means maltodextrin is rapidly broken down and absorbed by the body.
Oligosaccharides are used inside the body to bind with proteins and fats. The structures they form, play an important role in healthy immune response, cell membranes, cell signaling, skin, and more.
Polysaccharides Store Lots of Energy
Polysaccharides are energy powerhouses. They’re built of long chains of monosaccharides of varying lengths. They can be as short as 10 units, or as large as 10,000+ units.
Starch is a type of polysaccharide that plants use for energy storage. Potatoes, rice, wheat, and other grains are high starch foods. Like simple sugars and maltodextrin, starch can be quickly digested and used for energy for your body.
While plants use starch for energy storage, humans use the molecule called glycogen. This polysaccharide is created by your body from the sugars that you eat. Glycogen is found in large amounts in the liver to provide energy for your entire body.
Fiber Is a Complex, And Beneficial Carbohydrate
Different types of fiber are also classified by their length. And like other sugars, their lengths make them oligosaccharides or polysaccharides. What makes fiber different from other carbohydrates, is that it can’t be fully broken down by your bodies. This offers a number of potential health benefits.
Fiber can play a role in maintaining a healthy weight. Because fiber is not completely broken down, this limits the energy your body can acquire from this type of carbohydrate. Fiber can also play a role in weight maintenance by helping you feel full longer.
Insoluble fiber is made of molecules like cellulose and chitin. You can find it in grains, fruit, and vegetables. Insoluble fiber, as the name suggests, is not absorbed by the body. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t help out. It passes through the digestive tract, where it plays a role in digestive health by feeding your gut bacteria.
Foods highest in carbohydrates include bread, pasta, rice, cereal, fruit, some vegetables, and also candy and sweets. When choosing which of these to include in your diet, it’s important to consider which other nutrients are also in the food. While the primarily role of carbohydrates is to provide energy, your food choices can have a much larger impact on nutritional status and health.
Fruits and vegetables are filled with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. For example, a medium banana (118 g) provides about 27 grams of carbohydrates, three grams of those carbohydrates are fiber. It has over 400 mg of potassium, 400 mg of vitamin B6, and also some manganese, folate, vitamin c, and other nutrients. Compare that with candy. The same amount of carbohydrates in candy or pastries will not have the same nutrients as the fruits and vegetables.
Fruit and vegetables versus candy is an obvious choice. Choosing between grain products can be more difficult. While many grains are fortified (added vitamins and minerals), whole-grain products can still offer significant benefits. Whole grains have more fiber. They can include higher amounts of B vitamins, and minerals like selenium, potassium, and magnesium.
Pick Your Energy Sources Wisely
You need to eat carbohydrates to fuel your daily life. When choosing these foods, you should ask yourself two questions. How much energy do you need, and which foods offer the most micronutrients?
Sports, a workout, or other physical activity provide a good reason to eat energy-dense carbohydrates, like juice, energy drinks, or foods full of simple carbohydrates. They’re easy to break down, and generate quickly accessible energy.
More sedentary activity can be fueled with vegetables and whole grains. They provide a moderate amount of energy, while filling you up longer because of their fiber and bulk.
Carbs aren’t all about energy. Your body needs micronutrients, too. One way to get them is to eat a varied diet, focusing primarily on fruits and vegetables. The stomach has a limited amount of space for food, and you get to choose whether those foods will be nutrient rich or not.
https://askthescientists.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/AdobeStock_177625257-e1523030481838.jpeg14282400Austin WinegarAustin Winegar2018-04-02 10:04:132022-07-05 10:08:29Understanding Carbohydrates, Sugar, and Fiber
You need vitamins like your life depends on it. Because it does. Vitamins—not the pills or gummies, but the actual molecules—are essential for human life. Your body needs vitamins to maintain your health. And there’s so many, you need a vitamins guide, too.
You’ve come to the right place. You’ll find the basics about these essential micronutrients. Learn what vitamins are. Look back at how science discovered them. And understand how they work in your body.
Then you’ll find a list of all the essential vitamins. Use the links in the table of contents to jump to different vitamins and explore all the vital substances that keep your body going.
A Crash-Course in Vitamin Basics
The simplest definition for a vitamin is “a substance that helps your body work properly.” They’re vital for your health. That’s where the “vita” in vitamin actually came from.
But that’s probably too basic. Minerals are essential for life. They help your body work properly, too. So, what sets a vitamin apart?
Vitamins are organic substances that act as coenzymes (non-protein parts of enzymes) and are important components of cellular chemical reactions. But they don’t provide energy the way carbohydrates do. And they aren’t building blocks like amino acids or fats.
Vitamins are all about getting a reaction. Remember, your cells are basically bags of chemical reactions. All the reactions require materials and machinery. Your cellular structures provide the machinery. Vitamins constitute an important part of the materials. They help enzymes spark a reaction—that’s what a coenzyme does.
Without vitamins, vital (there’s that word again) reactions don’t happen efficiently. Or they don’t happen at all. This throws off your metabolic processes—the same ones vitamins help regulate—which isn’t good for the maintenance of health. (And that’s putting it lightly.)
Since they’re so important, you’d think humans would have a long history of understanding vitamins. Nope. For thousands of years, people had no idea what vitamins were.
Sailors figured out a little citrus would stave off scurvy. But they didn’t know why. Eventually, researchers figured out that the absence of some substances had dire consequences for health. These substances were eventually isolated and identified. The mechanics of their cellular impact were mapped out.
When a new vitamin was discovered, it was assigned a letter. (The letters started at “A,” skipped a few—“F” to “J”—and eventually ended at “K.”) And today there are daily values to help you avoid deficiency, and information about optimal levels for health.
Now, science has shined a light on these essential substances, and showed how each play a different role in the body. Now you have the information you need to plot a course for your best health through diet and supplementation. Explore the essential vitamins and see why and how you they’re an essential part of your diet.
The Two Main Categories of Vitamins
Vitamins are split into two major groups—water soluble and fat soluble. The difference is in the absorption and storage.
Water soluble vitamins (C and the B vitamins) are easily taken into the body with a little help from water. Those substances are not stored long-term, and are tightly regulated by the kidneys.
Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) require fat for absorption into your body. Once they’re inside, these four vitamins are used or stored for later in—you guessed it—fat. They’re also packed away in the liver.
Knowing whether a vitamin is water or fat soluble is valuable information. The way a specific vitamin is absorbed and stored helps you understand how to optimize your intake. That might mean taking a different approach to meal planning or timing your supplementation to maximize their absorption.
VITAMIN A
What is it? Fat soluble forms of retinol, retinal, and retinoic acid.
What does it do for you? Antioxidant protection against free-radicals, support for cellular differentiation—cells growing into specialized roles in your body—eye health, skin health, reproduction, and the health of tissues throughout your body.
Where can I find it? Vitamin A’s retinol forms are found in eggs, shrimp, and dairy products.
Vitamin A isn’t a single molecule, but a complex collection of health-promoting molecules. Let’s start with the easy part: the variety of health benefits that have been linked to vitamin A.
The A doesn’t stand for antioxidant, but maybe it should. The molecules under this category act as powerful protection against free radicals. That’s only one reason vitamin A is important for your total-body cellular health.
Dietary vitamin A is converted into forms that aid in cell growth, differentiation, and communication. Cellular growth and communication are pretty self-explanatory, but you may not be familiar with differentiation. This important process helps cells in your body specialize to take on the many unique tasks your body performs.
Vitamin A also has been shown to support healthy tissues, skin, immune function, and reproduction. But one of the most important things this vitamin does is protect your vision. Vitamin A is a building block of an important light-absorbing protein (rhodopsin) in your eyes’ retina receptors.
Your diet provides two types of vitamin A: preformed and provitamin A. The best way to keep them straight is that preformed vitamin A’s must be converted into active forms like retinol. Carotenoids (plant pigments) fall into the category of provitamin A nutrients. Beta-carotene is the most common example. It’s basically two vitamin A molecules stuck together. So, it’s easily and efficiently converted to retinol. No matter the type of preformed vitamin A they all provide your body with retinol after conversion in your intestines.
Whatever form your vitamin A takes initially, it’s an essential fat-soluble vitamin critical for eye health, healthy organs and tissues, immune function, your skin, and a healthy pregnancy.
VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN)
What is it? Water-soluble B vitamin that acts as a coenzyme essential for turning your diet into cellular energy.
What does it do for me? It helps metabolize components of your diet, making it available as energy for your body. It also supports cell division, and systems throughout your body—including skin and brain.
Where can I find it? Eating brown rice, pork, and squash can provide thiamin.
Without vitamin B1, eating would be little more than chewing and tasting. Thiamin—another name for B1—helps convert what you eat into energy your body can use.
This role in energy metabolism comes from its ability to act as a coenzyme. Different configurations of thiamin and phosphate are made in the intestine to facilitate vitamin B1’s role in metabolism. Thiamin diphosphate (two phosphate molecules connected to free thiamin molecules) is the most important form.
The forms of thiamin help other enzymes start chemical reactions that break down carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. The process turns starches, sugars, amino acids, and fats into usable energy for the cells of your body.
Thiamin isn’t just involved in energy metabolism. It’s impact on cellular sugar production makes it essential for the synthesis of DNA and RNA. Vitamin B1 also helps build fatty acids and supports healthy cellular function.
This important vitamin is stored in the liver, but not for long. So, you need to constantly replenish your stockpile through a healthy diet or smart supplementation. Those with a limited diet or pregnant women are at risk for B1 deficiency. Don’t be afraid of eating too much, even very high oral doses of vitamin B1 haven’t been found to cause adverse effects. Only a role in minor GI distress has been reported.
VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN)
What is it? Water-soluble B vitamin involved in complex chemical reactions for energy production and other metabolic processes.
What does it do for me? Vitamin B2 acts as a part of coenzymes aiding in reactions that turn what you eat into energy your body can use.
Where can I find it? Dairy products, spinach, almonds, and broccoli are good sources of vitamin B2.
Vitamin B2 (also known as Riboflavin) is all about energy. And it does its job as a coenzyme that catalyzes redox—short for reduction/oxidation—reactions. They move electrons between different molecules during a chemical reaction.
All redox reactions require a molecule with extra electrons. You may be familiar with the redox reactions that happen between antioxidants and free radicals. The same mechanics of electron transfer are at work here, for a different purpose—energy.
Riboflavin is part of two energy-catalyzing coenzymes: flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and flavin mononucleotide (FMN). Memorizing the names aren’t as important as knowing the coenzymes’ ability to donate an electron in reactions help your body produce energy from your diet.
As your body breaks down food, it breaks the chemical bonds. One result of breaking these bonds is the release of electrons. One of riboflavin’s jobs is to capture these electrons and help squeeze every last bit of energy out of it so your body can put it to work.
Vitamin B2 doesn’t just aid in the metabolism of glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids. Riboflavin also helps your body metabolize drugs and steroids, and helps convert tryptophan to niacin.
Riboflavin deficiency shows up alongside deficiencies in other B vitamins, particularly niacin and pyridoxine. Athletes, alcoholics, and pregnant women are at higher risk for deficiency. But riboflavin is widely available in the diet, with no oral toxicity reported.
VITAMIN B3 (NIACIN)
What is it? A water-soluble B vitamin involved in energy production from dietary intake.
What does it do for me? Supports the transformation of food into useful energy. Niacin also supports a healthy nervous system, brain, digestive system, and skin.
Where can I find it? Many foods contain niacin, but chicken, leafy green vegetables, corn, wheat, and fish are good sources.
Niacin, like many of its B-vitamin brethren, is essential for energy production. So, it helps turn the food in your gut into the energy your cells and body need to function.
Vitamin B3 completes these important functions because it’s part of two coenzymes—nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP). Don’t get hung up on the long, complicated names. Focus on their functions.
NAD and NADP are very similar in function to the coenzymes in which riboflavin is involved. They spark the transfer of electrons in redox reactions, especially during the molecular breakdown of macronutrients. Do you see another common theme here? Electron transfers provide a lot of the energy your body uses. And B vitamins—including niacin—play important roles in these processes.
If you don’t get enough niacin and niacinamide (a niacin derivative) you’re in danger of developing pellagra. But niacin is widely distributed in plant and animal foods, and vitamin B3 intake is essentially non-toxic below 50 mg a day.
VITAMIN B5 (PANTOTHENIC ACID)
What is it? Water-soluble B vitamin essential for energy production from your diet.
What does it do for me? It is part of a coenzyme (coenzyme A) that’s essential for sustaining life. It plays a role in synthesizing fats, hormones, and components of your blood.
Where can I find it? Organ meats, milk, avocados, seeds, and broccoli contain this important vitamin.
You aren’t alone in needing pantothenic acid—also known as vitamin B5. It’s essential for all mammals. This water-soluble nutrient is synthesized by plants and bacteria. It’s the primary precursor to one of the most important coenzymes in your body—coenzyme A.
You’ll find the vast majority (95 percent) of your coenzyme A in cellular mitochondria (the cell’s power plant). Vitamin B5, as part of coenzyme A, is required to produce energy from dietary carbohydrates, fat, and protein. This role in energy metabolism is fairly complex—involving several chemical cycles. But it’s very similar to the way other B vitamins participate in energy production. If you’d like to dig deeper, take a look at how the Krebs cycle works.
Coenzyme A also needs to be present for reactions that include synthesis of cholesterol, hormones, vitamin A, vitamin D, and melatonin (the sleep hormone). Vitamin B5 is also involved, through coenzyme A, in your liver’s breakdown of toxins.
Pantothenic acid is pretty easy to find in nature, so deficiency is incredibly uncommon. And you don’t have to worry about oral toxicity. None has been reported in humans.
VITAMIN B6
What is it? A water-soluble B vitamin that aids over 100 enzymes in your body.
What does it do for me? Plays a role in sleep (through different neurotransmitters), immune function, and cardiovascular health. Helps metabolize amino acids.
Where can I find it? Beans, bananas, potatoes, meat, and nuts.
Versatility is the keyword for vitamin B6. It’s involved in at least 100 reactions in your body, and it takes many forms. All of them help make coenzymes that assist in the metabolism of proteins and amino acids. These coenzymes help transfer amino acids, break them apart, strip them of carbon-containing groups of atoms, and more.
All cells require these functions, so vitamin B6 has a wide-ranging impact on your body. Here’s some of the important systems and processes in which this vitamin plays a role:
Transformation of glycogen (a large sugar molecule stored in the body) into glucose (a sugar that can be used for energy)
Immune function—by supporting immune-cell production
Modulating hormones
Fat metabolism
Synthesis of neurotransmitters that affect your nervous system
Regulating blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, which is important for the maintenance of cardiovascular health
Vitamin B6 needs riboflavin, niacin, and zinc for activation. So, you need a balance of B vitamins and zinc to go with the food and supplementary sources of vitamin B6. But chronically exceeding 100 mg per day has been associated with adverse effects, including neurological toxicity.
VITAMIN B7 (BIOTIN)
What is it? A water-soluble B vitamin that contains sulfur and supports energy production.
What does it do for me? Regulates gene expression, supports your hair and bones, facilitates cell signaling, and helps in a process that makes glucose out of non-carbohydrate materials.
Where can I find it? In many foods, but especially fish, whole grains, yeast, liver, and avocado.
Biotin (or vitamin B7) is part of a transformational magic trick of sorts.
Glucose is a simple sugar your body uses as energy. It usually comes from carbohydrates. But biotin is part of enzyme reactions that make this important energy source out of fats and proteins.
Vitamin B7 also aids in the regulation of which genes are expressed. That’s because it affects important proteins called transcription factors (proteins that help read the DNA code for the cell). Biotin’s entanglement with DNA doesn’t end there. It also modifies special proteins in the cell nucleus that help organize DNA. This packaging process also impacts gene regulation.
Biotin works on a more visible scale, too. The vitamin supports healthy bones and hair.
Deficiencies are rare. That’s because vitamin B7 can be synthesized by intestinal bacteria—although we don’t know how much you can actually absorb. Biotin is also found throughout a healthy diet, and has no reports of toxic reactions. High doses can interfere with certain lab tests. Make sure to tell your doctor if you are taking high doses of biotin before you have lab tests.
VITAMIN B9 (FOLATE)
What is it? A water-soluble B vitamin that is crucial to building DNA and RNA.
What does it do for me? It regulates cellular metabolism and cell division. Coupled with its role in DNA and RNA, it supports healthy tissue growth and the regeneration of red blood and immune cells. It’s essential for fetal development, so it’s critical for pregnant women and those who may become pregnant to get enough folate.
Where can I find it? Look for folate in legumes, enriched grains, asparagus, broccoli, and spinach.
Folate’s importance during pregnancy makes sense when you consider its function in the body. Vitamin B9 is essential for building DNA and genetic material. It also plays an important role in cell division. Both of those processes are critical for the rapidly growing tissues of a fetus.
Vitamin B9’s roles in DNA and cell division are also important throughout the human life cycle. So is folate’s connection to coenzymes that regulate cellular metabolism. Your red blood and immune cells need folate, too.
If you don’t have enough vitamin B9, you may be putting your cardiovascular health at risk. Folate helps convert the amino acid homocysteine to methionine. High levels of homocysteine in the blood have been shown to adversely affect your cardiovascular system.
Folate requirements increase during pregnancy. The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) go from 400 mcg for a normal adult to 600 mcg for pregnant women. Deficiencies during pregnancy are associated with low birth weight and increased rate of neural tube defects. To avoid these issues, all women of childbearing age should supplement with 600 mcg of folate per day.
VITAMIN B12 (COBALAMIN)
What is it? A water-soluble B vitamin that acts as a coenzyme in the metabolism of folate and more.
What does it do for me? It’s been found to support cardiovascular and neurological health, protect nerve cells, and plays a role in the synthesis of DNA and red blood cells.
Where can I find it? Animal products contain B12 because it can only be made by bacteria in their gastrointestinal tracts. Seafood, beef, fish, and eggs are foods that contain vitamin B12.
It’s a good thing you don’t have to diagram the chemistry of vitamin B12 to get all the benefits. B12 is the most chemically complex vitamin and the only one to contain cobalt—a metal that’s scarce in your body.
Complexity doesn’t get in the way of vitamin B12’s ability to help maintain your health in many ways. It aids in:
the metabolism of folate
the synthesis of DNA and red blood cells
maintaining normal mood
maintaining healthy homocysteine levels, which protects your heart and brain
Absorbing vitamin B12 isn’t simple, either. A two-stage process enables you to take in B12. Microorganisms make the B12 you get in your diet, which means they’re attached to proteins. First, your body breaks the B12 from the protein with which it came into the body. Then, it combines the vitamin with a different protein made in the stomach. But the two steps are worth it to make sure it gets absorbed.
Vegetarians and vegans are susceptible to vitamin B12 deficiency because they don’t eat meat products—the main source of this B vitamin. They will likely need to turn to supplementation. There have been no observable adverse at any level of recorded use.
VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID)
What is it? A water-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant, a coenzyme, and catalyzes many processes in the body.
What does it do for me? Protects you against free-radical damage, supports healthy collagen production, which impacts your skin and connective tissues throughout the body. Vitamin C also has ties to immune function and cardiovascular health.
Where can I find it? You probably already know about the vitamin C in citrus fruits. But you also acquire it from spinach, bell peppers, kiwi, Brussels sprouts, berries, tomatoes, and broccoli.
Vitamin C may be one of the most well understood topics in human nutrition. And that’s a good thing.
The essential vitamin works in the body as an antioxidant. It readily gives up electrons, neutralizing compounds that cause oxidative damage. So, it helps protect cells throughout your body and supports optimal health.
The skin is one of the main benefactors of vitamin C. It helps stimulate skin-cell proliferation and supports collagen production in the skin. Collagen is a necessary connective tissue protein in skin and throughout the body. It’s involved in wound healing and helps reduces the appearance of wrinkles.
There is also ample evidence to support the role of vitamin C in immune health. Vitamin C helps encourage the production of germ-fighting cells, like leukocytes (a type of white blood cell). Strong white blood cells help protect your body against potential invaders and maintain health. Leukocytes also accumulate vitamin C to protect themselves from the oxidants they use to destroy pathogens. The essential vitamin and antioxidant saves leukocytes from self-inflicted oxidation.
Supplementing with vitamin C is a good way to fill in the gaps that can exist in the average diet. Vitamin C is generally non-toxic, but very high dosages (several grams or more) may cause or contribute to gastrointestinal distress.
VITAMIN D (CALCIFEROL)
What is it? Often called the sunshine vitamin. It’s a fat-soluble vitamin that can also be created when skin is exposed to the sun. And while commonly referred to as a vitamin, it acts more like a hormone in your body.
What does it do for me? Vitamin D supports bone health because of its role in calcium absorption and utilization. It also supports healthy immune function, mood, and cardiovascular health—through the maintenance of healthy blood pressure already in the normal range.
Where can I find it? The sun helps you make vitamin D, but many people are still deficient. So, turn to fatty fish or fortified grains and dairy products.
There are two major forms of vitamin D. Ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol are known as vitamins D2 and D3, respectively. Vitamin D2 is often man-made and used to fortify foods. Your body manufactures Vitamin D3 with the help of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation. Just 15-30 minutes of sun exposure is enough to produce ample amounts of vitamin D. But how does that process work?
UVB rays from the sun react with a preform of vitamin D called 7-dehydrocholesterol that exists in your skin’s epidermis. When these rays hit 7-dehydrocholesterol, it changes the molecular structure to become a pre-activated form of vitamin D called 25-hydroxyvitamin D. Once the conversion is complete, 25-hydroxyvitamin D enters the blood stream. The liver and kidneys then get involved to ensure the circulating vitamin D is further activated into its fully usable form.
One of vitamin D’s main uses in your body is bone growth and bone-health maintenance. That’s based on vitamin D’s ability to help regulate the amount of calcium in your blood serum. This delicate calcium balance is controlled by the parathyroid glands. When low calcium serum levels are detected, the glands secrete a hormone that increases the amount of active vitamin D in the bloodstream.
The increase of vitamin D leads to changes that normalize the serum levels of calcium. Here’s how it happens:
Increases the absorption of dietary calcium by the intestines.
Promotes resorption of calcium filtered by the kidneys.
Recruits calcium from the bone when dietary calcium levels are insufficient.
Vitamin D also has been shown to support healthy immune function, mood, and the maintenance of healthy blood pressure already in the normal range.
It’s true your body can make vitamin D with the sun’s help. But a lack of vitamin D—and all out deficiency—are common, especially the further you live from the equator. This has a lot to do with the angle of the sun—the lower the sun is in the sky, the more UVB the atmosphere filters out. That’s why vitamin D supplementation is an effective, and safe way to get the vitamin D you need.
VITAMIN E (TOCOPHEROLS and TOCOTRIENOLS)
What is it? Any of the eight fat-soluble molecules that show antioxidant abilities.
What does it do for me? Functions as a potent antioxidant. Vitamin E provides protection from oxidative damage and helps maintain cell membranes. It’s also involved in cell communication.
Where can I find it? Plant oils, nuts, green vegetables, blackberries, and broccoli are some of the foods that contain vitamin E.
Most vitamins are helpers—acting as coenzymes that aid in chemical reactions. Vitamin E likes to work independently. And you can’t argue with the results this potent antioxidant achieves.
Free radicals are created whenever your body converts food to energy. And that’s on top of what you get from your environment. These can cause damage if they aren’t dealt with.
Antioxidants like vitamin E protect your cells by neutralizing these potential sources of oxidative damage. Since it’s fat soluble, vitamin E is especially effective in preventing fat oxidation wherever it occurs—the gut, blood stream, tissues, and cell membranes.
Vitamin E also plays a role in immune function. It helps promote the junction of different immune cells and works in immune cell signaling—both support your immunity. The essential vitamin even supports cardiovascular health by maintaining healthy blood vessels.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults ranges from 15-19 mg/day. But average dietary intake of vitamin E among adults is less than 10 mg per day. Reported therapeutic benefits of vitamin E intake generally require supplementation of 200-800 mg per day.
That may seem like a lot, but vitamin E is relatively non-toxic when taken orally. In rare cases involving people deficient in vitamin K or participating in coumadin therapy, levels higher than 1,000 mg per day may potentially increase bleeding time.
VITAMIN K (PHYLLOQUINONE, MENADIONE)
What is it? A fat-soluble vitamin that can bind calcium and impact blood coagulation processes.
What does it do for me? It aids in protein activation, supports blood clotting, and bone health.
Where can I find it? Vitamin K is found in green leafy vegetables, broccoli, blueberries, olive oil, eggs, and grapes.
The K comes from koagulation, which is the German word for coagulation. That gives you a big clue about the primary role vitamin K plays in your body. This fat-soluble vitamin is key to supporting the process that helps your blood clot normally. It’s involved in the synthesis of at least five proteins that regulate coagulation activity.
Vitamin K also helps create places for calcium to bind on proteins throughout your body. This is the connection between vitamin K and bone health. And it’s important in bone remodeling (the replacement of old bone tissue with new material), which is essential for the maintenance of bone health.
There are three forms of vitamin K. The first (K1) is found in green plants and supplements. K2 is produced by bacteria—some of which live in your intestines. The final form (K3) is man-made and used in animal feed. The natural form—vitamin K1—has no known toxicity is associated with high doses. Since vitamin K is essential for your body’s clotting process, getting too much vitamin K from your diet can interfere with medications that may be necessary to keep your blood thin. It’s a good idea to consult your doctor before supplementing with vitamin K if you are taking blood-thinning medications.
Time to Meet Vitamin’s Nutritional Companion—Minerals
https://askthescientists.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/AdobeStock_67184349.jpeg10003000staffstaff2018-03-28 09:59:032022-07-05 10:09:18From A to K: Your Complete Vitamin Guide
You can’t simply make the minerals you need. And you’re not alone. Living things all over the planet deal with the same existential issue. Fortunately, the Earth is a one-stop shop for all the essential minerals your body needs to run smoothly.
Minerals aren’t like vitamins. Plants, bacteria, and other microorganisms can’t simply synthesize calcium or magnesium. Vitamins are bigger molecules made of a few molecular parts. Minerals are atoms or ions—elements right off the periodic table.
Lucky for you, plants can extract minerals from the soil. That’s why you don’t have to go around eating dirt or sucking on rocks to fill up on zinc and iron. Save the bowl of fresh soil for another night and enjoy a hearty salad instead. But have a glass of water (you can get minerals this way), too. Don’t make the plants do all the work.
You need minerals for cellular metabolism and to build bodily structures (from bones to blood to amino acids that impact DNA). And now you can learn about all the minerals you need. Use the table of contents to discover what makes each of these minerals essential for your health.
Amount Matters: Macrominerals and Trace Minerals
You literally need essential minerals to live. But you need some more than others. The amount you need in your diet is the basis for how minerals are described.
Those requiring large amounts (up to several grams a day) are called macrominerals. You’ll find the most recognizable minerals in this category—calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. If you want to go further, you could split macrominerals into bulk minerals and electrolytes (those minerals often found in your body fluids).
The other category could be called microminerals or trace minerals. As the names suggest, you only need small amounts of these essential minerals to support your health. Even though you need a small quantity (a few micro- to milli-grams a day) of trace minerals, they’re no less important. This category has some familiar names (zinc and copper) and some lesser-known minerals (selenium and molybdenum). One quick note: You’ll see this category referred to as trace minerals in the article. Mostly to avoid confusion with macrominerals and macronutrients.
CALCIUM
What is it? The most plentiful essential mineral in your body.
What does it do for you? Calcium is crucial for bone health, cell signaling, muscle contraction and relaxation, nerve function, and it helps support blood clotting and cardiovascular health.
Where can I find it? Dairy products are the most obvious dietary sources of calcium. But it’s also found in large quantities in tofu, beans, oranges, broccoli, cabbage, and kale.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body. Most of it—99 percent—is stored in bones and teeth. The stored calcium is part of the bone matrix and gives bones color and structure. So, it’s essential for maintaining bone density and strength.
Your body tightly controls the amount of free calcium in the bloodstream. If your levels dip below normal, the parathyroid gland springs into action. This gland (located in your neck, near your voice box) activates vitamin D, which pulls calcium from kidney filtrate and bone.
This process quickly restores healthy calcium levels, but can impact your bone health. You don’t want the calcium from your bones constantly used without being replaced. So, it’s important to acquire enough dietary calcium to keep bones strong and your blood calcium levels normal.
Calcium is responsible for more than bone health, though. The remaining one percent of the essential mineral serves many important functions—starting with cardiovascular health. This link comes from calcium’s role in the maintenance of healthy blood pressure already in the normal range.
Cell signaling is one of the little-known roles of calcium in the body. The essential mineral is required to relay a variety of messages:
from the brain to nerve endings
mediating the expansion and contraction of blood vessels
controlling muscle contractions
triggering the breakdown of stored glucose molecules called glycogen, which fuels muscle contraction
CHLORIDE
What is it? A trace mineral and electrolyte that keep body fluids in balance.
What does it do for me? Chloride helps you maintain a balance of body fluids. It’s also needed to make the hydrochloric acid that helps break food down in your stomach.
Where can I find it? Table salt, tomatoes, olives, celery, and lettuce.
Chloride is mostly talked about in conjunction with sodium. That makes sense because they’re the two components of table salt. And together, they support the proper balance of fluids in your body.
But chloride has a role all its own.
It’s a main component of stomach acid. The hydrochloric acid in your stomach is an important part of the digestive juices that help further break down the food you eat. That way it can be absorbed in your small intestine and the nutrients can be used throughout your body.
Since it’s part of salt, most people get enough chloride.
CHROMIUM
What is it? Trace mineral that impacts insulin activity and macronutrient metabolism.
What does it do for me? Enhances your cells’ interface with insulin, helping your body maintain healthy blood glucose already in the normal range.
Where can I find it? Broccoli, whole wheat, garlic, basil, turkey, seeds, legumes, red wine, and dark chocolate.
Insulin regulates your body’s levels of blood glucose. Chromium helps insulin be as effective as possible doing this important job.
The trace mineral binds to amino acids and other compounds to create the Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF). It allows insulin to bind to receptors on the surface of cells, enhancing the uptake of glucose from the blood. That’s how chromium helps maintain healthy blood sugar already in the normal range.
It’s not just glucose, though. Chromium also takes part in metabolizing proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. So, it helps turn the macronutrients of your diet into useful cellular energy.
Chromium isn’t hard to find in the diet, but it is poorly absorbed. Bonding chromium to various amino acids (or their derivatives) appears to increase its bioavailability. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) also promotes the absorption of the essential mineral.
COPPER
What is it? An essential trace mineral that helps build bodily structures and more.
What does it do for me? Copper helps with red-blood-cell production, supports healthy connective tissues, brain and nervous system, energy, cellular respiration, and cardiovascular health. It also impacts your immune system, bone health, and indirectly acts as an antioxidant.
Where can I find it? Oysters, shellfish, nuts, lentils, mushroom, whole grains, and organ meats are good sources of copper.
Copper is most well known as a popular building material found in plumbing and wiring. And it also helps build important structures of your body.
It combines with iron to assist in the production of red blood cells. Copper plays an important role in making your connective tissues as strong as possible. It helps link two of the most prevalent structural proteins—collagen and elastin.
Because copper can accept and donate electrons, it also indirectly functions as an antioxidant. It has an essential role in the superoxide dismutase (SOD) class of enzymes. They’re some of your body’s most important antioxidant enzymes.
That’s just the beginning of how copper is used in your body. It also:
aids in respiration and the release of energy
has a link to cardiovascular health by supporting healthy blood vessels
helps maintain brain and nervous system health through different copper-dependent enzymes
Copper is usually easy for your body to absorb, so bioavailability is typically between 55 and 75 percent. And it’s relatively nontoxic to humans. A Food and Agriculture Organization-World Health Organization Expert Committee specified intakes of 0.5mg per kg body weight as safe, or about 25mg per day for a typical adult.
IODINE
What is it? A trace mineral that helps produce thyroid hormones.
What does it do for me? Iodine supports healthy metabolism and can play a role in maintaining a healthy body weight—through its connection to thyroid hormones. It’s also important for fetal and infant development.
Where can I find it? Iodized salt, seafood, milk, and beans. Iodine content in fruits and vegetables vary depending on the soil where they’re grown.
Iodine is more than an addition to your table salt. You need this essential trace mineral to make thyroid hormones that impact your metabolism and can play a role in body weight.
Pregnant women and infants especially need iodine. The mineral helps promote proper fetal and infant development—especially bones and the brain.
If you don’t have enough iodine in your diet, your thyroid will try to trap as much of it as possible. This can cause problems.
Iodine is pretty easily tolerated by your body. In adults, intakes of 2,000 mcg have generated reports of intolerance, but humans can generally tolerate levels up to 1,100 mcg per day.
IRON
What is it? A trace mineral that makes up important proteins in blood and muscles.
What does it do for me? Iron is a component of the protein that allows your red blood cells to carry oxygen to your body. It’s also part of the protein that helps muscles absorb oxygen. It even has links to energy production and DNA formation.
Where can I find it? Meat, seafood, poultry, beans, raisins, and nuts.
Your blood’s ability to carry oxygen is built on iron.
It’s a major part of hemoglobin. This protein in red blood cells allows them to grab oxygen from the lungs and usher it to the rest of the body. Iron doesn’t just help the blood carry oxygen, though. It’s a component of myoglobin—a protein in muscles—which is essential for the absorption of oxygen by your muscles.
Helping supply oxygen to your body apparently isn’t enough for iron. It also supports energy production and assists in the building of DNA.
Dietary iron is found in two forms—heme and nonheme. Most of your nonheme iron comes from plants. Meat is a source of both types of dietary iron.
MAGNESIUM
What is it? A macromineral that plays a role in over 300 enzyme systems in your body.
What does it do for me? You need magnesium to support bone health, energy production, healthy blood glucose levels already in the normal range, and maintain calcium levels.
Where can I find it? Magnesium is an essential component of chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants. You should turn to green leafy vegetables, whole grains, nuts, meats, and milk. Water can be a source of magnesium, but it’s highly variable. Harder water contains magnesium salts, which can help your body meet its daily requirement.
Magnesium is a multitasking essential mineral, necessary for more than 300 enzymes. Your body needs this macromineral to produce energy, maintain calcium levels, and help maintain normal, healthy insulin function. At any time, you contain approximately 25 grams of magnesium.
One of magnesium’s main roles is in energy production. The cellular process that turns your diet into useful energy requires several magnesium-dependent reactions. The biggest one is the protein that makes adenosine triphosphate, or ATP (the usable form of cellular energy) in the mitochondria. This energy molecule (ATP) exists largely as Mg-ATP, a magnesium complex.
But if you’re looking for it, sixty percent of your magnesium is stored in your bones. So, it’s no surprise the essential mineral helps maintain bone density. Healthy amounts of magnesium also promote normal calcium serum levels and reinforce the positive effects of vitamin D. Magnesium can enhance the action of parathyroid hormone, which is responsible for regulating calcium and vitamin D levels in the blood. These two nutrients (calcium and vitamin D) help sustain bone strength.
Several studies have also indicated a possible link between magnesium supplementation and maintaining healthy insulin function. These findings suggest healthy magnesium levels may help you support healthy blood glucose levels already in the normal range.
Magnesium is a macromineral. You need a lot of it. That makes it difficult for magnesium to become toxic, especially when obtained through food sources, unless you have impaired kidney function. Some people have experienced indigestion and gastrointestinal disturbances after taking magnesium salts. These salts are used therapeutically as laxatives, and some people may experience cramping and diarrhea in high doses.
MANGANESE
What is it? A trace mineral important for metabolism and cell function.
What does it do for me? Manganese is part of enzymes that aid in metabolism. It also helps protect mitochondria (cellular power plants) from free radical damage stemming from energy production.
Where can I find it? Pineapple, nuts, whole grains, beans, spinach, and tea.
The creation of cellular energy is a necessary, but risky business. One of the most important protectors of mitochondria—the place in cells where energy is produced—is partly comprised of manganese (not to be confused with magnesium).
How does this trace mineral play such a big antioxidant role? It starts with the creation of manganese superoxide dismutase. This enzyme starts the conversion of harmful oxidative energy byproducts to harmless water.
It also helps metabolize components of your diet, supports normal bone development, and plays a role in collagen formulation.
Manganese deficiencies are relatively rare, because it’s abundant in nature and only required in trace amounts. Isolated cases of manganese toxicosis have occurred from dietary exposure. Dangerous levels are typically only seen in individuals exposed to high levels of manganese dust in the air (like those found in certain work environments).
MOLYBDENUM
What is it? A trace mineral that’s a component of four important enzymes.
What does it do for me? Molybdenum aids in the metabolism of drugs and foreign compounds. This means it supports healthy detoxification processes. It also contributes to the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur throughout your body.
Where can I find it? The richest food sources are milk and milk products, dried legumes, organ meats, cereals, and baked goods.
Molybdenum is a relatively recent addition to the list of essential minerals. It wasn’t until 1953 that this agent in oxidation-reduction reactions was found to be necessary for health.
Working through enzymes, molybdenum helps transport electrons in a variety of reactions. Four different enzymes require molybdenum to metabolize amino acids with sulfur, and make uric acid (a normally healthy process). Molybdenum-containing enzymes also support the detoxification processes of drugs and foreign compounds.
Molybdenum is readily absorbed from your diet. The estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intake for adults is 45-50 mcg. The upper limit has been established at 2000 mcg/day for adults.
PHOSPHOROUS
What is it? The second most abundant mineral in your body (second to calcium).
What does it do for me? Phosphorus supports bone health, energy production, cellular health, protein synthesis, and cell signaling. B vitamins and phosphorus team up to impact kidney, muscle, nerve, and heart health.
Where can I find it? Dairy products, nuts, beans, cereal grains, salmon, and halibut are good places to turn for phosphorus.
You’re about 1 percent phosphorus. It makes up 1/100 of your body weight. These big numbers make this macromineral second to calcium in prevalence. And like calcium, phosphorous is mostly found in bones and teeth. So, it supports bone health.
But it’s also inside every one of your body’s cells. That’s because it accounts for part of the P in the molecule ATP (adenosine triphosphate). You literally can’t make your body’s main means of energy without phosphorus.
The importance of phosphorus also extends to cell signaling, protein synthesis, and building cell membranes and genetic material. This essential mineral also teams up with B vitamins to support healthy kidney, muscle, heart, and nerve function.
Balancing your intake of phosphorous and calcium is crucial. Too much phosphorous can impair calcium absorption and negatively affect bone health. But the two are found in a lot of the same food sources.
POTASSIUM
What is it? A macromineral and electrolyte that impacts several areas of health.
What does it do for me? Potassium is important to build muscle and proteins. As a conductor of electricity, it plays a role in the electric activity of the heart.
Where can I find it? Look for potassium in bananas, spinach, meats, fish, lima beans, tomatoes, and squash.
Potassium is electric. That’s why this essential mineral is also considered an electrolyte. And this electrical ability is important for your heart. Your heart beat is regulated by electrical impulses and potassium plays a role in maintaining a normal heart beat.
Your body also needs potassium to build proteins and muscles. It’s required for growth throughout your body and helps regulate the use of carbohydrates.
Potassium is abundant in the average diet. But some individuals taking certain medications may require additional potassium.
SELENIUM
What is it? A trace element that contributes to important antioxidant molecules.
What does it do for me? Selenium is a building block of glutathione, which is a powerful antioxidant made in your body. It also plays a role in DNA building, thyroid function, and reproduction.
Where can I find it? Grains, seeds, seafood, liver, and other meats are high in selenium.
Selenium helps shield your cells from free-radical damage. The trace mineral helps keep glutathione—the powerful and abundant antioxidant molecule—in the reduced state. Glutathione molecules are great at donating electrons and neutralizing a variety of free radicals. It also plays a major role in detoxification.
Your body also needs proteins that contain selenium to produce DNA. It also has links to thyroid function and reproduction.
In adults, no adverse effects have been observed for selenium intakes under 400 mcg per day. But consumption of very large amounts can lead to negative effects on hair, nails, skin, and teeth.
SODIUM
What is it? A macromineral electrolyte that supports a balance of fluids in your body.
What does it do for me? Sodium supports healthy muscle and nerve function. But it’s main role is helping your body balance the amount of fluids.
Where can I find it? Salt and processed foods are your best bet for sodium. But seek out natural sources, like dairy products, meats, shellfish, and vegetables.
Sodium is usually part of a conversation about excessive amounts and health risks. But it’s an essential mineral controlled by your kidneys and partially responsible for keeping your body’s fluids in balance. This includes blood plasma and the fluid between your cells.
You’ve probably experienced this balancing act firsthand. If you have too much salt (which contains sodium), you retain water and get thirsty. That’s your body trying to keep a good ratio of sodium to water.
Sodium is also necessary to maintain healthy muscle and nerve function.
Most people in the U.S. get more sodium than they need, even though it’s not found naturally in high concentrations in many foods. That’s because salt is used in cooking and food processing. Turn to fresh vegetables and fruits to help you avoid excessive sodium in your diet (which can contribute to high blood pressure).
ZINC
What is it? A trace mineral that acts as a cofactor in over 300 enzymes.
What does it do for me? Zinc supports immune function, aids in DNA formation and repair, and provides structure for proteins that affect gene expression. It’s also important for the healthy function of eyes, kidneys, muscles, skin, and bones.
Where can I find it? Meat, liver, eggs, and seafood are considered good food sources of zinc.
Zinc is a cofactor for more than 300 enzymes needed for cell function in kidneys, muscles, skin, and bones. But zinc’s biggest impact happens deep inside your cells.
The trace mineral is heavily involved in the creation of genetic material, including DNA. It also serves as a necessary structural component of DNA-binding proteins that affect gene expression. Many proteins that bind to DNA contain zinc.
Zinc supports healthy eyes, as well. It’s part of an enzyme that’s important in the conversion of retinol to retinal (two forms of vitamin A). Zinc also appears to provide an additive effect to other antioxidants involved in supporting visual acuity.
When you’re a part of more than 300 enzymes, you create quite a list of health impact. Zinc also:
affects the activity of enzymes attached to plasma membranes
helps protect cells from oxidative damage
frees the vitamin folate to move across cell membranes
aids in the manufacture of heme (a component of blood)
participates in essential fatty acid metabolism
helps release vitamin A from its storage place in the liver
Even though zinc is a trace mineral—and the last on this list—it’s impact can’t be overstated. High intakes of zinc for an extended period of time can negatively affect copper absorption. Generally, zinc intake is considered completely safe at levels below 40mg a day for adults.
Time to Meet Mineral’s Nutritional Companion—Vitamins
Vitamins and minerals are both essential for your health. In fact, they often work hand-in-hand. Check out the vitamins guide to get the other half of the essential micronutrient picture.
https://askthescientists.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/AdobeStock_109251089-e1522250825723.jpeg13022400staffstaff2018-03-28 09:45:412023-07-06 15:09:38Your Guide to Essential Minerals
Start the Journey to a New You with USANA® 5-Day RESET™
Change isn’t easy. But don’t stress! Sometimes a small success is all it takes to jumpstart a big transformation. That’s the idea behind the USANA® 5-Day RESET™ kit. In only five days, you’ll be on your way to a healthier you.*
By eating balanced, low-glycemic foods, you can overcome your cravings and begin losing weight** without feeling hungry. RESET will help you get in the habit of eating healthier, exercising, and making smarter lifestyle choices.*
The 5-Day RESET kit comes in two varieties, so you can choose the Nutrimeal with the protein source that’s right for you. One contains a mixture of the French Vanilla (soy protein) and Dutch Chocolate (soy and whey protein). Or you can choose a non-soy, plant-based option that contains only packets of the mildly flavored Nutrimeal Free.
The 5-Day RESET is a calorie-conscious program based on eating balanced, low-glycemic meals and whole-food snacks.
General guidelines:
Women should strive to consume approximately 1,200 calories per day
Men should strive to consume approximately 1,500 calories per day
Every day, you will simply replace three meals with a Nutrimeal shake, take your supplements, and eat whole-food snacks.
You may eat more snacks than are listed here. And you can mix fruit, vegetables, or unsweetened milk (dairy or plant-based) in your Nutrimeal shakes for a little variety. Just make sure to keep your calories near the recommended amount, or you may not experience the results you want. Also try to limit your fruit to three servings a day. Fruit juice is discouraged.
You will also want to turn off the TV and do some kind of low-impact exercise like walking for 20 to 30 minutes every day.
Sleeping for 7-9 hours is also recommended. This will help keep you from looking for more snacks to help bump up your energy if you’re sleep deprived. And if you are sleep deprived, you can consume black coffee or tea while on the 5-Day RESET.
Incorporate an eating cutoff time two hours prior to bed
Snack Suggestions
Your snacking options are endless. But the goal is to eat whole foods. And you’ll feel fuller, longer if you aim to mix a little protein and fat with your carbohydrates.
2 hard-boiled eggs, sprinkled with salt and pepper to taste, along with a sliced medium bell pepper or 1 ½ cup of sugar snap peas
1 cup plain Greek yogurt with ½ apple or ½ banana (optional: add a dash of cinnamon for an extra kick of flavor)
20 whole, raw almonds with ½ cup of mixed berries or 1 cup snap peas
2 cups raw veggies (broccoli, celery, cauliflower, cucumbers, snap peas, mushrooms, etc.) with 5 Tbsp. hummus of choice
3–4 cups mixed green salad (lettuce, kale, spinach, cucumbers, bell peppers, etc.) with ½ cup cooked legumes (chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, etc.) and 75–100 calories of salad dressing OR replace legumes with boiled egg and 2 oz. lean meat of choice
1 small baked sweet potato, 1 cup cooked broccoli with 3 Tbsp. parmesan cheese or 1 Tbsp. butter or plant-sterol butter substitute
1 medium fruit (orange, apple, or pear) with 1 oz. cheese of choice
2, 1-oz. deli slices of natural, low-preservative turkey, each rolled with 1-oz. slice of cheese
3 oz. water-packed tuna or salmon mixed with 1 Tbsp. light mayonnaise or plant-based mayo substitute on 1 crispbread cracker
½ cup ripe avocado chopped with 8 grape tomatoes (add green onion and a squeeze of fresh lime juice for flavor)
1 cup cooked quinoa with 2 slices of avocado
1 cup fruit with ½ cup of cottage cheese
½ cup unsweetened natural applesauce with ¼ cup sliced almonds
2 celery sticks with 1 Tbsp. nut butter and 1 Tbsp. raisins
2 medium carrots with ¼ cup guacamole
½ cup roasted chickpeas with 1/2 bell pepper
1/3 cup roasted soy nuts or chickpeas
3 cups kale or arugula with ½ Tbsp. olive oil and pepper
20 pistachios with 1 oz. cheese of your choice
3 cups plain popped popcorn
1 cup broccoli with 1 tsp. dressing
Unlimited raw celery, cucumber, lettuce or other leafy greens
The 5-Day RESET is just the beginning of a lifetime of healthier habits. After you complete the five days, keep drinking water and improving your fitness. You can also use USANA shakes and supplements to help meet your health or weight-management goals. Choose the approach that’s right for you:
To Lose Weight
Replace two meals a day with a Nutrimeal™ Shake
Eat one meal and additional snacks made with healthy, whole foods and plenty of fruit and veggies
Take your supplements
To Maintain Health and Weight
Replace one meal a day with a Nutrimeal™ Shake
Eat two meals and additional snacks made with healthy, whole foods and plenty of fruit and veggies
The 5-Day RESET is designed to help individuals modify unhealthy lifestyle habits. It will not instantly reverse the effects of long-term unhealthy dietary choices and inactivity. However, if followed correctly, the RESET program can help you take control over your lifestyle. It helps you change poor dietary habits, reduce carbohydrate cravings, improve exercise habits, and gain motivation from some initial weight loss.
There are no rules about how often you can RESET. Do it as often as once a month, if it feels right to you and you don’t notice any negative impacts on your energy levels. You may also choose to RESET after vacations, holidays, or any time your eating has gone off track.
How much fiber is in the 5-Day RESET?
The USANA products included in the RESET program provide approximately 24 grams of dietary fiber per day. (This does not include potential fiber intake from additional fruits and vegetables.) If this number seems high, remember that fiber is a crucial part of a healthy diet, and a high intake of dietary fiber has many health-related benefits (including a decreased risk of certain diseases). In addition, dietary fiber promotes satiety, which is especially important while dieting.
The current recommendation for fiber intake ranges from 21-38 grams of dietary fiber per day for adults, depending on age and gender.
Are there any known side-effects from following the 5-Day RESET?
While restricting your meals for five days may be challenging, most people are able to complete the RESET program without physical difficulties. However, for some this program will represent a significant lifestyle change that may result in some minor side-effects, including headaches, fatigue, lightheadedness, and/or gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort. It is highly recommended that you consult your physician before beginning RESET if you have specific medical conditions, or if you are taking medications or have special dietary needs or issues.
Headaches and fatigue are common in many weight loss and exercise programs during the first two or three days. This is typically due to adjustments in calories, carbohydrates, blood glucose levels, caffeine intake, or simply the nature of making sudden drastic lifestyle changes. If you experience headaches, fatigue, light-headedness, or extreme hunger, please eat an additional serving of fruit or vegetables.
GI distress may be related to an increased intake of fiber and/or soy, or due to a drastic change in dietary patterns.
The 5-Day RESET provides a good amount of dietary fiber every day. For some, this may represent a drastic increase in their overall dietary fiber intake. Since fiber requires an adequate intake of water and other fluids to efficiently move through the gastrointestinal system, it will be helpful to increase fluids while on the 5-Day RESET. Also, any undesired effects of soy may be resolved by using an over-the-counter product (such as Beano) that is designed to help with the digestion of beans and legumes.
If any side-effects do not disappear within 24 hours, the program should be discontinued and a physician or health-care specialist should be consulted before continuing the program.
How much weight can I expect to lose while on the 5-Day RESET?
Actual weight loss during the 5-day RESET program will vary by individual. Many factors affect weight loss, including initial weight, body type, activity level, water retention, lean muscle mass, and level of adherence to the program. In addition, medical conditions, medications, and hormonal cycles can also impact the total amount of weight lost.**
The RESET program is designed to help individuals focus on changing unhealthy eating habits and improving overall lifestyle. These long-term changes are the best way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.**
Is the caloric level of the 5-Day RESET appropriate for everyone, regardless of weight or activity level?
The caloric level of the 5-Day RESET may not be sufficient for those who are very active or those who exercise rigorously. Adding fruit or milk to the shakes will safely increase the caloric level.
An additional snack or small meal may also be used, if necessary, to maintain normal energy levels.
RESET is not appropriate for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Why do you recommend drinking 8-10 glasses of water each day while following the 5-Day RESET?
The 5-day RESET provides approximately 24 grams of dietary fiber each day. Fiber requires an adequate intake of water and other fluids to move the fiber through the gastrointestinal system efficiently. Failure to drink enough water may lead to gastrointestinal discomfort.
Finding a diet is a pain. Do you go low carb, keto, or low fat? Learn about the science behind major diets. See how they work, and find out which diet could help you lose weight.
Find out if you’re a healthy breakfast master. Take the healthy breakfast quiz and share it to see how your breakfast knowledge stacks up to your friends and family.
**Individual results may vary. The 5-Day RESET program lowers your daily caloric intake and recommends moderate exercise for best results.
It is suggested that you take these products to your health care professional and secure their advice if you intend to change your diet, begin an exercise program, are pregnant or lactating, have allergies, are taking medications, or are under the care of a health care professional.
Children under the age of 18 should not participate in the 5-Day RESET program, except on the advice of their health care professional and/or dietician.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Rebalance, Replenish, and Brighten Your Skin with Celavive Perfecting Toner
Celavive® Perfecting Toner
Rebalance, replenish, and brighten your skin with Celavive Perfecting Toner.
Hydrate, create radiance, and promote healthy looking skin with Celavive® Perfecting Toner. A key step after cleansing, using toner balances skin’s pH and prepares skin to take in moisturizer and skin treatments.
Perfecting Toner is a crucial part of your Celavive regimen. This unique formula enhances the action of your other products. You will also see a number of benefits in your skin’s appearance:
Reduced visibility of pores
Smoother-looking skin
Bright, even skin-tone
Refreshed, hydrated complexion
Celavive Perfecting Toner contains many potent ingredients, including the Celavive Cell Signaling Complex and the Olivol™ Botanical Blend. It’s made without drying astringents, like alcohol or witch hazel. So, this soothing emulsion will help rebalance dry, oily, combination, or sensitive skin.
Celavive Perfecting Toner contains deep sea mineral water along with meltwater from the Northern Alps. That makes it the perfect way to complete the cleansing process. Any traces of makeup or dirt are gently wiped away. Skin is conditioned. Impurities and blemish-causing compounds are also blocked from entry to pores.
Cleansing can remove natural oils from your skin. Cells are more exposed to irritants and less able to absorb your skincare’s active ingredients. Celavive Perfecting Toner helps restore the skin’s proper moisture and pH balance.
When skin is properly cleansed and balanced, the cells are better able to absorb moisturizing and treatment products. Proper cleansing also helps to reduce the look of pores and leaves skin smooth.
Skin’s Moisture is Replenished with Celavive Perfecting Toner
In a private study, people using Celavive Perfecting Toner noticed a 180-percent increase in skin’s moisture level within the first 30 minutes of use. Skin’s moisture levels remained raised over the next three hours and beyond.
Celavive Perfecting Toner provides deep moisture to the skin. It is packed with some of the best skin hydrators:
Glycerin
Hyaluronic acid
Collagen
Acetyl hydroxyproline
Acetyl glucosamine
These skin conditioners, and more, help replenish and retain moisture in the skin. When flakiness is reduced in dry skin, your complexion appears renewed.
The Olivol Botanical Blend has been shown to deliver intense hydration for up to 24 hours. The blend of plant-based extracts refreshed skin and replenished moisture lost from skin through heat and dry air.
Olivol® olive-fruit extract hydrates by acting like your skin’s natural oil. This similarity allows the blend to moisturize delicate, dry skin without causing irritation. Apple-, lentil-, and watermelon-fruit extracts support skin-barrier function. This hydrating action aids the look of smooth, younger-looking skin.
Also found in Perfecting Toner, the Celavive Cell Signaling Complex helps renew skin’s moisture with USANA InCelligence Technology®. This unique blend of botanicals and bioactive peptides supports the signals between cells that influence renewal of natural lipids in the top layer of your skin.
Your epidermis—skin’s outermost layer—acts as a barrier. It is made of tightly packed skin cells that retain moisture while also protecting from outside pollutants. The Celavive Cell Signaling Complex helps fortify the skin barrier and nourish your skin’s natural lipids.
One of the key nutrients in the Cell Signaling Complex is southernwood extract (Artemisia abrotanum). This flowering plant is in the sunflower family. It is rich in carbohydrates containing a small number of simple sugars. By promoting hydration, these sugars help smooth and plump the skin to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Applying glucosyl ceramide also benefits skin moisture. Ceramides are the major lipid found in the skin barrier.
Reduce the appearance of uneven skin tone with the potent ingredients in Celavive Perfecting Toner. With continued use, you will see less blotchiness for refined, even-looking skin.
Protecting skin from oxidative damage is also crucial for preserving even skin tone. Antioxidants in the Cell Signaling Complex help remove and destroy free-radicals. And vitamin C—in the form of ascorbic acid—is a natural antioxidant that brightens and protects healthy-looking skin.
Many flower extracts also offer antioxidant protection and other benefits. A blend of seven botanical extracts in Perfecting Toner helps renew the complexion’s radiance and maintain a youthful appearance:
Alpinia speciosa leaf extract: The antioxidants are derived from polyphenols in the flower’s chemical structure.
Paeonia albiflora and suffruticosa root extract: Helps protect and brighten the skin’s appearance. In vitro research indicates peony root can reduce the appearance of redness and dark spots.
Oneothera biennis seed extract: Evening primrose seed extract helps defend skin against oxidation for a youthful complexion.
Geranium robertanium extract: Provides antioxidant action. Historically, geranium robertanium extract was used in traditional medicine because it can help reduce the appearance of skin redness and age spots.
Lilium candidum bulb extract: Several saponins, sugars, and amino acids have been isolated from the white Madonna. This extract provides skin with superior hydration.
Origanum majorana L. extract: A natural preservative, these marjoram-flower extracts are used in essential-oil blends. It adds a pleasant scent to cosmetics.
Another potent brightening extract, sakura cherry blossom extract (Prunus lannesiana) delivers caffeoyl glucose and quercetin glucose to the skin for an improved complexion. Both act as antioxidants. The extract soothes and may help reduce the look of mild skin redness.
Cell research has also shown that sakura cherry blossom may help preserve youthful-looking skin and maintain firmness. How? The blossom extract defends against advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGEs are destructive molecules caused by a chemical reaction in the skin. They can cause the look of thinning skin, discoloration, and appearance of wrinkling.
After cleansing apply 3–4 drops of Perfecting Toner to a cotton ball. Sweep gently over face and neck; do not rinse. Follow with Celavive treatment and moisturizer.
Caution: Store in a cool, dry place. Avoid contact with eyes. Discontinue use if irritation occurs. Keep out of reach of children.
Reveal Your Eyes’ Beauty and Brightness with Celavive® Hydrating Eye Essence
Celavive® Hydrating Eye Essence
Lessen the look of dark circles and puffiness with Celavive® Hydrating Eye Essence.
You still have a youthful twinkle in your eyes. Frame them with bright, younger-looking skin that exudes vivacious vitality. Visibly reduce the appearance of dark circles, puffiness, and fine lines with Celavive® Hydrating Eye Essence.
Aging dries out and wrinkles this sensitive skin. A unique blend of powerful peptides and botanical extracts helps revitalize youthful-looking eyes. Treat your most delicate skin to this lightweight, ultra-hydrating formula.
Applied before your day or night moisturizer, Hydrating Eye Essence is an essential part of your Celavive skincare regimen. And you’ll start seeing these visible benefits with continued use:
Lessened appearance of dark circles and puffiness
A brighter look for your eyes
Delicate skin around the eye appears lifted and tighter
Counteract the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles using this combination of two bioactive peptides and botanical extracts. Your response to these ingredients will be specific to you. The formula targets key skin receptors to help your body bring out the look of your unique youthfulness.
Your eyes tell a story. So, project your brightness and youthful vibrancy to the world with Celavive Hydrating Eye Essence. This unique formula contains bioactive peptides, botanical extracts, and plant oils to illuminate three elements of visibly younger-looking skin—brightened, smoothed, and moisturized.
Key ingredients work together to reverse the visible effects of aging. Utilizing Celavive Hydrating Eye Essence on a regular basis can visibly reduce the signs of dark circles, crow’s feet, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Create a Bright Future for Your Eyes
Lessen the appearance of dark circles around your eyes. Using Celavive Hydrating Eye Essence helps you brighten your appearance and highlight that youthful sparkle in your eyes.
But how do dark circles develop in the first place? You might experience these circles for any number of reasons:
family history
irregular skin pigmentation
the pooling of blood in the area (especially after you sleep)
shadows from puffiness
time in the sun
Aging is one of the main culprits. As you get older, your skin thins and you lose fat and collagen—a structural protein. The skin around your eyes is already very thin, so it’s easy for blood to show through. Losing these structural components as you age makes the blood vessels more visible.
Combat many of these factors to brighten your skin with Celavive Hydrating Eye Essence’s powerful combination of ingredients.
Enhance Your Eyes with Revitalizing Nutrients
You can help revitalize the skin around your eyes with two stimulating extracts—Ginkgo biloba leaf extract and Albizia julibrissin (Persian silk tree) bark extract. Ginkgo isn’t just for your brain. It contains quercetin—a phytonutrient that exhibits antioxidant activity and helps minimize the appearance of redness. The bark of the Persian silk tree reduces the visibility of crow’s feet and dark circles.
Another ingredient that can help you look well-rested is glucosyl hesperidin. This antioxidant from citrus fruit helps revitalize your eye area to erase the appearance of fatigue.
You can enhance the look of brightness and beauty with Hydrating Eye Essence’s Horus K complex. It helps refresh the delicate skin around your eyes to improve the appearance of bags and dark circles. This is a blend of Rosa canina fruit oil, avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, and sunflower seed oil that’s rich in naturally derived vitamin K.
The bioactive peptides of the Hydrating Eye Essence also help even skin tone, brighten complexion, and reduce the appearance of dark spots. You’ll find Hexapeptides 9 and 33, along with Oligopeptide-6 in Hydrating Eye Essence. Don’t be intimidated by the names. A peptide is nothing more than short chains of amino acids—the building blocks of proteins. These peptides penetrate the skin to deliver wide-ranging benefits for healthy looking skin.
Celavive Hydrating Eye Essence Helps Smooth Your Skin’s Appearance
Smoothing out the impact of aging and your lifestyle is key to younger-looking skin. Nature and science combine in this hydrating essence to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes.
Let’s start with the science. The Celavive Cell Signaling Complex contains Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Hexapeptide-48 HCI, southernwood extract, and coffee-seed extract. Made with USANA InCelligence Technology®, this unique blend penetrates the skin to target key skin receptors. These ingredients help activate six major elements that can help produce a healthy skin matrix, including collagen, for younger-looking skin.
Collagen is the main structural protein in your skin’s connective tissues. But you make less collagen as you age. So, maintaining collagen is important for keeping your skin looking firm.
Hydrating Eye Essence delivers even more powerful action with added Hexapeptides 9 and 33, as well as Oligopeptide-6. This trio of potent peptides also hydrates and protects collagen in different ways to leave skin looking visibly lifted. These powerful ingredients reduce the visual intensity of facial wrinkles and also help keep skin looking smooth and refined.
The peptides get some help from many of the essence’s plant extracts, which support the look of youthful skin in different ways:
Persian silk tree bark extract (Albizia julibrissin) smooths the look of the skin to remove the appearance of wrinkles.
Pea (Pisum sativum) extract helps skin look tighter and firmer around the eyes.
Ginkgo biloba leaf extract plays several roles in maintaining skin beauty. That includes helping to mask the visibility of imperfections and wrinkles to preserve smooth skin.
Healthy Hydration for Youthful, Radiant Eyes
It’s no coincidence that the product is called Celavive Hydrating Eye Essence. Age and lifestyle factors can dry out skin. But you’ll soak up the hydration you need to look younger and healthier because of these influential ingredients.
The Horus K Complex in the Celavive Hydrating Eye Essence contains a variety of plant oils that provide impressive amounts of moisture. That’s because the oils mimic your sebum—natural skin oil. This allows the complex to naturally moisturize without irritating the delicate skin around your eyes. And the fatty acids in these oils help promote a silky appearance.
The peptides in the Celavive Cell Signaling Complex also help with hydration. It helps stimulate lipid production for a more moisturized complexion. Additionally, these messengers target receptors in your skin that help promote healthy levels of hyaluronic acid for a visible plumping effect. If you’ve never heard of hyaluronic acid, it’s an important component of your skin. It has the ability to retain water, which makes it essential for skin hydration.
Directions: After applying Celavive Perfecting Toner and Vitalizing Serum, use applicator to massage product around the eye area and gently pat the product into your skin with ring finger.
Caution: Store in a cool, dry place. Avoid contact with eyes. Discontinue use if irritation occurs.
Hydrate and Protect with Celavive® Protective Day Cream and Lotion
Celavive Protective Day Cream and Lotion
Hydrate and protect your delicate facial skin with nourishing moisturizers and a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen.
You want to put your best face forward every day. But, dry or dehydrated skin can look dull and lifeless. Fortunately, the right moisturizer can help reveal your complexion’s natural vitality. Celavive® Protective Day Cream or Protective Day Lotion will replenish hydration and protect your delicate facial skin from signs of premature aging caused by the sun.
Both products are designed with the right balance of active ingredients for your skin’s unique needs:
Dry, sensitive: Celavive® Protective Day Cream—a rich moisturizer that deeply replenishes parched skin.
Oily, combination: Celavive® Protective Day Lotion—a lightweight liquid that moisturizes without adding excess oil or grease.
Daily sun protection is essential to keeping your skin looking healthy. Celavive daytime moisturizers help protect skin from the visible aging effects of the sun’s rays with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen. Nourishing moisturizers, potent botanicals, plus the exclusive Olivol® Botanical Blend also help deliver benefits to your complexion:
Appearance of healthy, hydrated skin
Reduced visible fine lines and wrinkles
Look of a smooth, even skin tone
Use every morning to complete your regimen of Celavive products and prime skin for daily sun exposure.
Your face goes through a lot every day. It’s exposed to weather and climate extremes, pollutants, or other lifestyle factors that can cause it to become dry or dehydrated. Age, too, can impact skin’s moisture levels. Declining moisture can cause your skin to look even older than you really are. And one of the biggest contributors to skin dryness and the appearance of premature aging is time spent in the sun.
So, what can you do to alleviate dry or dehydrated skin and fight the signs of aging?
While they act similarly, dehydrated skin and dry skin are different. Dry skin lacks oil and tends to flake (it often is dehydrated, too). Dehydrated skin lacks water and can feel tight, but can also be oily. Yes, oily skin can become dehydrated! In fact, dehydrated skin can cause overproduction of oil as cells work to restore a proper balance.
Most people’s skin needs more water, but not all skin needs more oil. This is why it’s important to choose a moisturizer created for your skin type.
Applying the right facial moisturizer daily can help keep skin looking youthful and vibrant. These formulas replenish dry or dehydrated skin with ingredients that attract and lock in moisture. Proper hydration helps ensure your skin’s moisture barrier function normally, so your skin doesn’t show signs of wrinkles prematurely. You can also support skin hydration from the inside by drinking plenty of water and eating omega-3 or linoleic fatty acids in your diet.
Diligently using sunscreen and smart sun protection are also crucial for supporting long-term skin health. Damage from sun exposure poses a series of serious problems for the skin. Sunburn can cause wrinkles, dark spots, and can increase the risk of skin cancer. Dermatologists recommend that you protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays in three key ways:
Limiting sun exposure, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Wearing protective hats and clothing
Applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every day, even if it’s cloudy or you aren’t planning on spending time outdoors
Celavive® Protective Day Cream and Lotion Replenish Moisture for a Healthy, Firmer Appearance
Rehydrate and soften the look of your skin for an instant boost of luminosity and reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with your Celavive daytime moisturizer. Each formula is made with the emollients best suited for your skin type. Both also deliver powerful active ingredients to replenish moisture, including shea butter (Butyrospermum parkii), nourishing plant extracts, and the exclusive Celavive Olivol Botanical Blend.
Shea butter is a rich moisturizer. Extracted from nuts of the African shea tree, shea butter has been used for years as an emollient in moisturizers and lotions. It contains large amounts of long-chain fatty acids, which absorb quickly to help restore moisture and support healthy collagen—a key structural protein that keeps your skin looking firm.
Supporting lipids in the top layer of your skin also helps skin look firmer. A unique soybean (Glycine soja) extract in the Celavive moisturizers acts like a natural lipid found in your skin’s moisture barrier known as ceramide-3. The outermost layer of the skin is comprised of high levels of ceramides—as much as 50 percent of total lipid composition. By helping your skin retain water in the lipid barrier, this extract delivers nourishing hydration.
The Olivol Botanical Blend sets Celavive apart from other moisturizers. It gives your skin a full 24-hour boost of skin-plumping hydration. Your skin’s natural moisture is enhanced with science-backed botanicals: Olivol olive (Olea europaea) fruit extract, plus watermelon-rind (Citrullus lanatus), apple (Pyrus malus), and lentil (Lens esculenta) fruit extracts. This soothing blend helps skin capture and keep water to reinforce your skin-barrier’s protective moisture.
To help fight flakiness and deliver even more hydration to dry, sensitive skin, Protective Day Cream contains oil- and fatty-acid based moisturizers. This includes caprylic/capric triglyceride, which is derived from coconut oil and glycerin. Salicornia herbacea comes from a plant that grows in the salt marshes along the coastline of South Korea. It delivers an added boost of moisture to enhance natural hyaluronic acid.
Defend Against Visible Signs of Aging with Broad-Spectrum SPF 30 (PA++) Sunscreen
There is perhaps nothing more important for maintaining skin’s health and youthful appearance than protecting it from the sun’s damaging rays. This is why the American Academy of Dermatology recommends you apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher every day before you go outside.
There are two types of ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun that can harm your skin: UVA and UVB. UVA rays can age the skin, causing wrinkles and age spots. UVB rays can burn your skin. Both are potentially harmful. So, you want a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin from both.
A broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 should block most rays effectively on most days. Sun protection factor (SPF) is based on how long it takes to sunburn skin that’s been treated with sunscreen compared to no sunscreen. It does not measure the effects of UVA.
Celavive daytime moisturizers use four UV filters for effective and safe broad-spectrum sun protection. UV filters have been shown to work more effectively when formulated together. This is because they can filter a broader spectrum of light when used together and provide more complete coverage on the skin.
The four UV filters in the Celavive Daytime Protective Lotion and Cream that help prevent sunburn are as follows:
Avobenzone—protects primarily against UVA rays but offers some protection against UVB as well
Octocrylene—a moisturizing sunscreen that absorbs UVB light and also helps stabilize Avobenzone, which can degrade in light over time
Homosalate—absorbs UVB rays
Octinoxate—an effective UVB absorber
Your Celavive daytime moisturizer provides even more protection against the effects of the sun’s rays with rejuvenating sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) hairy root culture extract. Basil extract helps keep the skin looking healthy with coverage and protection from the sun. In addition to antioxidant activity, this extract also offers benefits for conditioning and soothing the skin after sun exposure to keep visual imperfections and blemishes at bay.
Please note that on the days you spend outdoors, a higher SPF doesn’t mean you can spend more time in the sun without reapplying. No matter what SPF you use, reapply every two hours. For even more defense against visible aging, apply the topical antioxidants in Celavive Vitalizing Serum under your sunscreen.
Reveal Beautifully Smooth, Luminous Skin
When your skin is hydrated, it looks dewy and luminous. To further revitalize your skin, Celavive Daytime Protective Cream and Lotion include unique botanical extracts to give the skin a tightened, toned appearance.
A complex of Korean (Panax ginseng), American (Panax quinquefolium), and Siberian (Acanthopanax senticosus) ginseng extracts provides antioxidant and firming action for a youthful look. Asian women have used ginseng as part of their beauty routine for hundreds of years. The extracts contain many revitalizing bioactive compounds, including ginsenosides, polysaccharides, phytosterols, peptides, fatty acids, and more. The compounds in ginseng can promote the appearance of a bright, even skin tone.
To refine the look of pores, Eijitsu rose (Rosa multiflora) extract helps condition and tighten the skin. A source of flavonoids, this flower is native to Asia. It helps balance oil to help minimize the appearance of pores for a radiant skin tone and smooth texture.
Protective Day Lotion Shake well and apply a pearl-sized amount to face and neck.
Protective Day Cream Apply 2-3 pumps of product to face and neck.
Apply generously and evenly 15 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply at least every 2 hours. Use a water-resistant sunscreen if swimming or sweating.
Ideal For
Protective Day Cream is recommended for those with dry, sensitive skin.
Protective Day Lotion is recommended for those with oily, combination skin.
Warnings
For external use only. Do not use on damaged or broken skin. When using this product keep out of eyes. Rinse with water to remove. Stop use and ask a doctor if rash occurs.
Keep out of reach of children. If product is swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.
Sun Protection Measures
Spending time in the sun increases your risk of skin cancer and early skin aging. To decrease this risk, regularly use a sunscreen with a Broad Spectrum SPF value of 15 or higher and other sun protection measures including:
limit time in the sun, especially from 10 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, hats, and sunglasses
Frequently Asked Questions About Celavive Protective Day Cream and Day Lotion
Why isn’t the SPF 30 rating indicated on my Protective Day Cream or Lotion box? (in some markets)
Many markets share the same formulas for our Celavive Protective Day Cream and Protective Day Lotion.* However, regulations for cosmetic products vary in every country, which impacts the claims allowable on product packaging.
Currently (as of April 2018), there is no SPF (sun protection factor) rating on Celavive day moisturizers in Canada or Korea. And Australia/New Zealand receives a product labeled as SPF 15.
In the case of Canada and Korea, sunscreens are regulated as pharmaceutical drugs. In Australia/New Zealand, moisturizers containing sunscreen with an SPF greater than 15 are regulated as therapeutic goods. As such, the requirements and regulations to make the same SPF 30 claim would have increased the product cost as well as delayed the availability of the product significantly in those markets. Therefore, the SPF claim was removed or altered as determined necessary for best availability.
*In general, formulas for Celavive Daytime Protective Cream and Lotion are shared as follows:
United States, Canada, Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Mexico, Colombia share a formula.
Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand share a formula.
Kim EJ, et al. IFCC. Skin moisturizing efficacy of salicornia herbacea L. extract by enhanced skin barrier [Internet] [accessed 11 January 2018] Available at http://tst.pg2.at/abstracts/a0087.html?zoom_highlight=
https://askthescientists.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Celavive-Day-featured.jpg6301200staffstaff2017-08-17 10:59:132020-03-23 11:55:19Celavive Protective Day Cream and Protective Day Lotion
Discover True Beauty Sleep with Celavive® Replenishing Night Cream and Gel
Celavive® Replenishing Night Cream and Gel
Discover true beauty sleep with replenishing formulas that feature exclusive Celavive skincare technologies.
Maximize your beauty sleep with Celavive® Replenishing Night Cream and Celavive® Replenishing Night Gel. Wake up to skin that’s restored its moisture, creating the radiant, youthful look you want.
Whether you have sensitive, combination, dry, or oily skin, it needs to be nourished with intense moisture throughout the night. You’ll get that when you apply Replenishing Night Cream or Gel after the other products in your Celavive skincare regimen.
Your skin will shine in the morning with these visible benefits:
Replenished hydration while you sleep
Reduced visible signs of aging
Minimized appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
The look of radiance and youth
Celavive skincare caters to your individual needs with two products for different skin types. If you have dry or sensitive skin, Replenishing Night Cream is for you. Replenishing Night Gel is for those with combination or oily skin. And with Celavive, getting what you need doesn’t mean compromising the quality of ingredients.
Restore your skin’s hydration, radiance, youthful look, and smooth-looking texture while you sleep. Replenishing Night Cream and Gel are your overnight solution. You’ll visibly reduce the signs of aging by minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles for a fresh-faced start to the day.
Real Beauty Sleep is Possible with Celavive Replenishing Night Cream and Gel
If you’ve had a long day, think about what your skin’s been through. Your largest organ does many jobs—protection and regulation for a start. And it’s supposed to look good doing them.
So treat your hard-working skin to a night of luxurious moisture with Celavive Replenishing Night Cream or Celavive Replenishing Night Gel. Your skin naturally rejuvenates itself overnight. And, the advanced active ingredients in both products work to renew your complexion while you sleep. That way your skin stays strong and looks youthful and radiant when you wake up.
It all starts with the Celavive Cell Signaling Complex. USANA InCelligence Technology® is utilized in the cream and gel to support communication between your cells for healthy-looking skin. The complex includes ingredients like: southernwood extract, coffee seed extract, hexapeptide-48 HCl, and palmitoyl tripeptide-38. These compounds work to improve the appearance of the skin by supporting the genes responsible for your body’s natural beauty-preserving functions.
Hexapeptide-48 HCl and southernwood extract are the two ingredients highlighted in the Celavive Replenishing Night Cream and Gel.
Hexapeptide-48 HCl supports the skin’s barrier function to create a smooth-looking skin surface overnight. Maintaining a healthy skin barrier is crucial to the strength and longevity of beautiful-looking skin. A strong and thick skin barrier amplifies moisture retention for a visibly soft and youthful complexion.
Southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum) extract can support your skin’s lipids and protect collagen and elastin from breaking down to help maintain a youthful appearance. This compound is rich in oligosaccharides (complex sugars) that work to make the skin appear smooth and luminous.
The Olivol Botanical Blend adds deep hydration and helps balance your skin’s natural moisturizing factors. The fruit extracts in the botanical blend have been clinically shown to provide 24 hours of rich hydration after just one application. That means the Celavive Replenishing Night Cream and Gel you put on before bedtime is still working hard when you wake up.
Experience Intense Overnight Hydration
Celavive Replenishing Night Cream and Gel are both formulated to provide intense hydration overnight. So while you’re asleep, the moisturizing active ingredients in Replenishing Night Cream and Gel are helping create the skin of your dreams. That means exceptional hydration that smooths the look of skin for a youthful appearance.
Macadamia nut (ternifolia seed) oil is just one of the natural botanicals found in the Celavive product line. This nut oil is highly effective at moisturizing dry skin without causing irritation.
It contains up to 21 percent palmitoleic acid concentrations. Palmitoleic acid is an omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acid found in high concentrations in macadamia nut oil. This acid is a major fatty acid component in the human epidermis. So it’s found naturally in the skin and you can replenish it with the cream or gel.
A pair of active ingredients also help turn up the hydration for your skin:
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5: Chains of amino acids, including palmitoyl tripeptide-5, help ferry moisture and nutrients from the point of application deeper into your skin.
Glucosyl Ceramide: Your skin has many kinds of ceramides. These lipids (fats) make up as much as 50 percent of the total lipid content of your outermost layer of the skin (stratum corneum). Topically applying ceramides helps replenish your outermost skin layer when dead and dry skin sloughs off, this reinforces moist and younger-looking skin.
Sleep Away the Appearance of Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Dry skin is tight, rough, and can look wrinkled. Moisture changes all of that. That’s why all the moisturizing ingredients listed above could also fall under this section, as well. They help support a plump, smooth, younger-looking appearance for your skin.
But Celavive Replenishing Night Cream and Celavive Replenishing Night Gel don’t stop there. Four more powerful active ingredients smooth the look of skin to fight the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Let’s start with soybean (Glycine soja) seed extract. It helps to lift, firm, and tighten the appearance of your skin. Soybean extract can also increase the appearance of skin smoothness. It also helps reduce the appearance of wrinkle depth by supporting collagen—one of the most important proteins in your skin. The extract also contains many amino acids to help smooth your skin’s appearance.
You’ve already read about the two other ingredients that support tighter, smoother-looking skin—southernwood extract and palmitoyl tripeptide-5. The extract is rich in complex sugars that help you see youthful-looking skin in the mirror. And palmitoyl tripeptide-5 isn’t just about moisture. It also helps protect against collagen breakdown to help make the skin’s surface look lifted and more refined.
Two Approaches to Youthful-Looking Skin
Whether the cream or gel is right for your skin, you’ll get a powerful formula that supports the appearance of visibly younger-looking skin. All of the active ingredients you’ve read about so far are a part of both formulas.
But there are special signature active ingredients in each product that makes them stand out.
The Celavive Replenishing Night Gel’s special ingredient is gardenia extract. This botanical supports a radiant look when your skin is facing oxidative stress and free-radicals. This helps mitigate some of the visible signs of aging, like the appearance of fine lines, uneven skin tone, and wrinkles. This extract also gives Replenishing Night Gel a soft-blue hue, making it easily distinguishable from other components of your daily skincare regimen.
Gardenia extract is a source of ferulic acid—an antioxidant. This acid is plant-based and supports proteins in your skin matrix as well as moisture retention. Gardenia also provides benefits of two other topical antioxidants—vitamins C and E.
In the Celavive Replenishing Night Cream, it’s pearl powder. This ingredient sounds luxurious—and it can be for your skin. Pearl powder’s roots go back more than 2,000 years. It has long been used in Traditional Chinese culture to support healthy-looking skin.
Pearl powder has been regarded as an antioxidant for skin cells. It also works in the skin matrix to support a firmer appearance. The rejuvenating action of pearl powder helps maintain a vibrant, youthful appearance.
Jojoba provides extra plant power to the night cream’s pearl powder. Jojoba is a shrub you’ll find in North America’s southwest. It’s also called wild hazel or coffeeberry. The seeds of this shrub produce esters packed with long-chain alcohols and fatty acids. It helps in several ways:
promoting the appearance of youthful-looking skin
aiding in the absorption of topical ingredients
extending moisturizing
Wake Up to Radiant, Youthful-Looking Skin
The last thing you do before bed can make all the difference for your skin. So before you sleep, refresh your skin with Celavive Replenishing Night Cream or Celavive Replenishing Night Gel. Overnight, the products’ advanced combinations of powerful active ingredients will provide intense hydration for the dawning of a new day of visibly younger-looking skin.
Cheng, Wai. “The relationship between peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) and cell proliferation.” American Journal of Clinical Dermatology. 9.1 (2008): 15-31. Springer Link. Web. 19 June 2017.
https://askthescientists.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Celavive-Night_featured.jpg6301200staffstaff2017-08-17 10:57:272020-03-23 11:55:52Celavive Replenishing Night Cream and Gel
Signal Healthy Skin-Cell Activity for a Youthful Appearance with the Celavive® Cell Signaling Complex
Celavive® Cell Signaling Complex
USANA InCelligence Technology® signals healthy skin-cell activity for a youthful appearance with botanicals and bioactive peptides.
The look of healthy, glowing skin begins with your cells. Your skin cells keep your complexion looking healthy and vibrant by communicating with each other to activate natural responses through a process known as cell signaling.
These responses can include maintaining the appearance of youthful firmness by making collagen, elastin, or hyaluronic acid in the skin matrix. Another response might be keeping skin hydrated by producing lipids to support the skin barrier.
With age, however, the cell signaling network can weaken, and skin can start to look less vibrant. Lifestyle stresses can also add to the decline. As a result, your skin can appear prematurely older as the processes that help your skin protect and renew itself become weaker.
As part of your natural aging process, your body’s production of the elements essential for youthful-looking skin slows down. Over time, your skin structure changes and begins to show visible signs of photo-aging, fines lines and wrinkles, sagging, discoloration, and uneven texture.
Nourish Cellular Processes That Fight Visible Aging with the Celavive® Cell Signaling Complex
Restore hydration to skin cells and support cellular conversations that promote a vibrant complexion with USANA InCelligence Technology® in the Celavive Cell Signaling Complex. This blend is a unique mix of two bioactive peptides and two botanical extracts. These potent ingredients were chosen for their ability to work in highly targeted ways to rejuvenate a youthful appearance.
When used together in the complex, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Hexapeptide-48 HCI, southernwood extract, and coffee-seed extract bind to key cell receptors to support and send signals that can help counteract visible signs of chronological aging and lifestyle stress.
Peptides are short sequences of two to 50 amino acids linked by peptide bonds that perform different functions for beautiful skin. The peptides in the Cell Signaling Complex are designed to act like natural peptides to support signals for a vibrant complexion. Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 was derived from a natural peptide. Hexapeptide-48 HCl is sourced from plant-based amino acids.
Southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum) extract is a species of flowering plant from the sunflower family. The coffee seed (Coffea arabica) extract in the Cell Signaling Complex provides antioxidant polyphenols, including chlorogenic acid.
Healthy-Looking Skin Begins with a Strong Barrier
Facial skin is made up of many layers of cells. Part of the epidermis, the stratum corneum is the top layer of your skin. Often described as “bricks and mortar,” it is made of dense skin cells held together by a lipid-rich extracellular matrix.
This skin barrier, when healthy, serves two key functions:
Helps repel outside stressors to protect cells
Helps keep water in to retain skin moisture
As we age, keeping a healthy skin barrier is more difficult, as production of lipids and proteins needed to keep it strong begins to decline. Also, outside factors can stress the skin. Harsh products, over-exfoliation, pollution, climate, lack of sleep, and even mental stress can impair barrier function.
Products that contain the Celavive Cell Signaling Complex support a hydrated, strong skin barrier for the look of healthy, glowing skin.
Soothe and Smooth Stressed Skin by Keeping It Balanced
Stressed skin can show visible signs of early aging, such as dryness or wrinkles, as natural cellular processes are disrupted. Promote a healthy-looking, hydrated complexion with the Celavive Cell Signaling Complex. The complex helps to retain balance, even in stressed skin, by increasing moisture and supporting important cellular communications and responses for a rejuvenated appearance.
The Cell Signaling Complex supports balanced, moisturized skin for a radiant complexion by targeting DOR. These receptors are a key communication hub in your skin cells. DOR helps regulate processes that are vital for maintaining a healthy appearance. It acts on structural proteins needed for barrier function, lipid synthesis, and skin integrity. When stressed, expression of DOR is decreased and maintaining a youthful appearance becomes more difficult.
When healthy skin responses are enhanced, skin appears smooth and shows fewer lines and wrinkles. The complexion is also soothed because skin feels more hydrated.
Visibly Plump and Hydrate with Healthy Lipids
Lipids, including free fatty acids, cholesterol, and ceramides, are made in the epidermis. They are the part of the glue that hold skin cells together. Lipids help keep skin supple and visibly lifted. They also support signaling between skin cells, making them critical to a healthy, properly hydrated skin barrier.
Over time, natural production of lipids declines. Free radicals can also damage lipids, making them less useful to the skin. As a result, skin can lose elasticity and appear slack.
Celavive skincare products deliver visible improvements in the skin’s youthful appearance by supporting healthy lipids in two ways:
By applying lipids with moisturizing ingredients like glucosyl ceramide
By supporting production of your natural lipids with the Celavive Cell Signaling Complex for a tighter look
The Cell Signaling Complex binds with PPAR, a receptor that serves many functions, including supporting your skin’s lipids for healthy-looking skin. By moisturizing natural lipids in the epidermis, skin looks and feels hydrated and resilient. Maintained facial volume also helps skin appear plumper and lifted.
Rejuvenate the Appearance of Firmness by Replenishing Your Skin Matrix
In addition to lipids, the skin cells are held together by enzymes, structural proteins, and peptides that keep skin looking firm. A natural decline in these skin components can reduce strength and elasticity, causing visible wrinkles.
The Celavive Cell Signaling Complex fights visible signs of aging by optimizing the activation of major building blocks of the skin matrix and dermal-epidermal junction:
Three types of collagen to support the skin’s structure and provide a look of firmness
Elastin to support skin’s flexibility for a soft, smooth appearance
Fibronectin to help bind skin cells to the extracellular matrix and support cell communications needed to maintain a vibrant complexion
Hyaluronic acid retains water, provides nutrients, and removes wastes for a hydrated glow
Laminin 5 to support tissue growth and skin’s integrity to keep it looking youthfully lifted
The Celavive Cell Signaling Complex replenishes structural proteins and natural moisturizers to smooth the look of fine lines and wrinkles that can make you look older. A visible lifting effect also helps promote youthful-looking firmness, reducing the appearance of crow’s feet and forehead lines.
Learn more about the dermal-epidermal junction
The epidermal-dermal junction (DEJ) is made up of four layers: the basal cell plasma membrane, the lamina lucida, the basal lamina, and the sub-basal lamina. At this junction, the epidermis (top layer of skin) gathers nutrients and expels waste, keeping skin looking healthy. When skin ages, the dermal-epidermal junction flattens and works less efficiently, which leads to uneven texture and the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Adding moisture and delivering key nutrients to the DEJ can help rejuvenate skin’s youthful look.
Preserve Even Skin Tone and Texture by Protecting from Effects of Premature Aging
Exposure to environmental factors, especially time spent in the sun, can cause damaging free radicals that have been linked to the premature look of aging, dryness, and uneven pigmentation.
As part of a comprehensive anti-aging approach the Celavive Cell Signaling Complex provides antioxidant activity to help protect against free radicals and promote skin’s brightness. Daily use of Celavive products with the Cell Signaling Complex is a good way to help preserve your skin’s radiance.
Learn More About the Products That Contain the Celavive Cell Signaling Complex
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Alpinia speciosa leaf extract: The antioxidants are derived from polyphenols in the flower’s chemical structure.
Paeonia albiflora and suffruticosa root extract: Helps protect and brighten the skin’s appearance. In vitro research indicates peony root can reduce the appearance of redness and dark spots.
Oneothera biennis seed extract: Evening primrose seed extract helps defend skin against oxidation for a youthful complexion.
Geranium robertanium extract: Provides antioxidant action. Historically, geranium robertanium extract was used in traditional medicine because it can help reduce the appearance of skin redness and age spots.
Lilium candidum bulb extract: Several saponins, sugars, and amino acids have been isolated from the white Madonna. This extract provides skin with superior hydration.
Origanum majorana L. extract: A natural preservative, these marjoram-flower extracts are used in essential-oil blends. It adds a pleasant scent to cosmetics.
Another potent brightening extract, sakura cherry blossom extract (Prunus lannesiana) delivers caffeoyl glucose and quercetin glucose to the skin for an improved complexion. Both act as antioxidants. The extract soothes and may help reduce the look of mild skin redness.
