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Energy drives all biological,
physiological, and chemical reactions in the body. The Law of
Conservation of Energy, the first Law of Thermodynamics,
states that the total quantity of energy in the universe
remains constant. Energy is not created nor destroyed; it is
transferred from one system to another in many forms. This is
the basis of Albert Einstein’s equation E = mc2. In
the human body adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) is the short-term
energy storage unit that is produced within the microscopic
mitochondria within every cell in the body. ATP is the
cellular currency for all biochemical reactions. It is
estimated that humans use half their body weight each day in
ATP production. ATP is produced via the Krebs cycle within
each cell’s mitochondria. The Krebs cycle is also known as the
citric acid cycle or the tri-carboxylic acid cycle (TCA Cycle)
in physiology textbooks. The Krebs cycle is the “energy cycle”
for the body.
In the simplest form, the
energy cycle shows the intricate balance of food
(carbohydrates, fats, proteins) with the proper quantity and
quality of vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and enzymes
resulting in energy production. This energy is used at the
cellular level to build the structural and functional
components of life (bones, hair, blood, hormones, etc.) which
translates into the body's overall health.
The Krebs Cycle is a series of
complex chemical reactions that occur within the cells of the
body to create a form of energy in the body.1 It
utilizes various minerals and enzymes to complete this cycle
and, as in all chemical reactions, is limited by quantity and
availability of reactants, minerals, and enzymes.
According to Arthur Guyton in
the Textbook of Medical Physiology, the basic characteristics
of a cell are as follows:
“All cells deliver the
end-products of their chemical reactions into surrounding
fluids. The general mechanisms for changing nutrients into
energy are basically the same in all cells. Oxygen combines
with carbohydrates, fat or protein to release energy for cell
function.”2
Thus, the important components
necessary to begin the energy cycle are:
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Proteins – the most
abundant substance next to water in most cells.
-
Fats/Lipids – needed to
make different membranes for all cells.
-
Carbohydrates – they play a
minor role in structural function of the cell, but a major
role in nutrition of the cell.
-
Vitamins – Vitamins have
been described as “missing keys.” Like a key “they fit into
tiny chemical locks" that free the body’s regulatory
networks, each vitamin is a complex organic molecule that
fills in specific missing links throughout the body’s
chemistry.”3 (see Vitamins)
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Minerals –
NATURALLY-occurring inorganic elements that have a
characteristic crystalline structure, chemical composition
and physical properties. Minerals are the catalyst for many
of the body's cellular processes and keep them running
efficiently. (see Minerals)
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Probiotics – There is a
delicate balance that exists in the normal healthy
individual where the ‘good’ bacteria suppress the
potentially ‘bad’ bacteria. This results in a symbiotic
association between the flora and the host. This exchange
has evolved to work under natural conditions to the benefit
of the host but modern lifestyles have compromised the
association and, in some circumstances, has left the host
vulnerable. These bacteria strains function as our body’s
second immune system. (see Good Bacteria)
The quality, as well as the
quantity, of these foods is an important factor in getting on
to the road of optimal health. We have carefully formulated a
delicate balance of each of these components in The
Greatest Vitamins in the World to ensure that your body is
receiving the proper nutrients in the amount it needs.
1. Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary, Edition 16. F.A.
Davis Company: Philadelphia,1989, p. 982-3.
2. Guyton, Arthur C.; Physiology of the Human Body.
Hardcover; Saunders College Publishing; January 1984, p. 2.
3. Beasley, Joseph D., M.D. and Jefy Swift, M.A. The Kellogg
Report: The Impact of Nutrition, Environment and Lifestyle on
the Health of Americans. New York: The Institute of Health
Policy and Practice, 1989, p. 70.
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