Tag: boring basic biotin

Vitamin B12 as the Ultimate Wingman – Book Excerpt of the Week

Vitamin B12 as the Ultimate Wingman – Book Excerpt of the Week

greeneyedguide

Vitamin B12 is the Ultimate Wingman! In this week’s book excerpt, we’ll discuss how B12 helps both folate and boring-basic-biotin, and why this makes B12 a good energy drink ingredient.

B12 as Folate’s Wingman

Remember when we talked about what folate does? Cells that rely on folate for growth and maturation also depend on B12 because it recycles folate, restoring it for the next round of DNA synthesis. Without B12, folate gets used up and stuck with a single carbon group. That’s like trying to take a cup of coffee from someone when you’re already holding a cup of water in each hand. To make sure sells get enough DNA to mature and divide, B12 and folate have to work as a team.

But that’s not the only vitamin B12 assists:

B12 as a side-kick to Boring Basic Biotin

One molecule of fat has three fatty acids, like a three-pronged fork. Each fatty acid is a chain of carbons. Each chain gets oxidized (broken down) two carbons at a time. This becomes a problem when there’s only thee left, so a special reaction takes place for the last three in the chain.

For the science nerds: That reaction is the transformation of a 3-carbon molecule (methylmalonyl CoA) to a 4-carbon molecule (succinyl CoA). CoA is short for coenzyme A.

Vitamin B12 helps Boring Basic Biotin handle these odd numbered units so they can get metabolized into energy through the Krebs cycle.

Why B12 makes a good energy drink ingredient

The Krebs cycle is a giant wheel of reactions that leads to massive amount of energy per turn. Since B12 helps fats get “into shape” (as in, from odd-to-even numbered) to enter the Krebs cycle, B12 is facilitating the production of energy. It may not be as boring as biotin or as amazing as niacin (my favorite B-vitamin), but B12 gets the award for the best team player.

.

To learn more about B12 and the other B-vitamins, stay tuned for next week’s book excerpt as we continue our page-by-page exploration through the Energy Drink Guide (now on Audible!!!).

Let’s connect!

Folate and the Exploding Pen – Book Excerpt of the Week

Folate and the Exploding Pen – Book Excerpt of the Week

greeneyedguide

For the Book Excerpt of the Week we talk about what FOLATE DOES. Folate’s job is to move a single Carbon atom from point A to point B. It SOUNDS boring like how Boring Basic Biotin moves a Carbon Dioxide molecule from A to B. However the stakes are MUCH HIGHER with Folate.

Regardless of whether it came into your body as folate (the natural form from food) or folic acid (the synthetic kind from fortified food) this vitamin becomes the coenzyme tetrahydrofolate, THF.

THF is a key player in DNA synthesis, amino acid metabolism, and the formation and maturation of red and white blood cells.

<<THF = BFD>>

The cells along your GI tract are so constantly used they go through a lot of wear and tear. They need constant supplies of DNA so they can keep growing and multiplying fast enough to keep us healthy. Without THF, the cells can’t divide and conquer. Instead, they grow larger and larger until they explode and die!

Folate is added to energy drinks, but it doesn’t “give you energy”, its job is so much more important than that!

LEARN MORE about the science behind energy drink ingredients on my Insta page (@greeneyedguide) and at Facebook.com/GreenEyedGuide. You can get your copy of my book “Are You a Monster or a Rock Star: A Guide to Energy Drinks – How They Work, Why They Work, How to Use Them Safely” on Amazon and Audible and wherever books are sold!!!

http://www.audible.com/offers/30free?asin=B074R1GR94

❓Does your favorite energy drink have folate❓

STAY TUNED every Monday/Tuesday for more book excerpts and the science behind energy drink ingredients as we continue our page-by-page exploration through the Energy Drink Guide.

Let’s connect!

Boring Basic Biotin knows only one move: Book Excerpt of the Week

Boring Basic Biotin knows only one move: Book Excerpt of the Week

greeneyedguide

Biotin is really boring. Biotin only knows how to do one thing. Biotin helps our bodies derive energy from fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. New research suggests more than 2,000 human genes depend on biotin for expression. However, all of these processes and mechanisms described above involve delivering carbon dioxide from one place to another.

Biotin is like a dancer who only knows one move or a guitar player who only knows one chord

This is not to say biotin is not important, of course it is. For example, a fatty acid chain that is 3 carbons long is really hard to metabolize. It’s more difficult than three people trying to walk side-by-side down a narrow sidewalk. If you have four people, you can double-up and walk in two rows of two.

After biotin slaps on another carbon dioxide molecule to make the chain an even number of carbons long, it’s a lot easier for our bodies to continue that metabolism reaction.

I would love to tell you more about the specific enzyme that has this even-numbers-only fetish, but all my biochem books are in a box. Did you know GreenEyedGuide is moving from So Cal to Wisconsin? You can read about it on my other blog, West Coast Meets Midwest.

Biotin is important, but I will always think it is boring.

To learn more about the reactions where biotin gets to be the hero, get your copy of MY BOOK: “Are You a Monster or a Rock Star: A Guide to Energy Drinks — How They Work, Why They Work, How to Use Them Safely”

STAY TUNED every Monday for more book excerpts and the science behind energy drink ingredients as we continue our page-by-page exploration through the Energy Drink Guide.

Let’s connect!

What if I told you about gluco-neo-genesis and biotin- Book Excerpt of the Week

greeneyedguide

Gluco–neo–genesis literally means the creation of new glucose. This process is kind of a big deal because glucose is the primary source of fuel for our bodies and there are times we have to make that fuel ourselves (as opposed to ingesting it). That process of gluconeogenesis relies on enzymes, which are like tiny machines in our bodies that do the work to keep us functioning. Those enzymes/machines rely on the vitamin BIOTIN the way a remote control relies on batteries.

In general, BIOTIN-dependent enzymes are involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins BUT BIOTIN is REALLY BASIC and BORING in the role it plays. We’ll get to that next week…

🤓💚📚🔬☕Get your copy of my book “Are You a Monster or a Rock Star: A Guide to Energy Drinks- How They Work, Why They Work, How to Use Them Safely” on Amazon http://amzn.to/2bjHRbk
(⁉️⚡paperback, hardcover, e-book available, AUDIOBOOK COMING SOOOOOON⚡⁉️)

STAY TUNED every Monday (and sometimes Tuesday) for more book excerpts and the science behind energy drink ingredients as we continue our page-by-page exploration through the Energy Drink Guide.

Let’s connect!