Tag: Folic acid

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!

The Difference Between Folate and Folic Acid – Book Excerpt of the Week

The Difference Between Folate and Folic Acid – Book Excerpt of the Week

greeneyedguide

Have you ever wondered about the difference between folic acid and folate? In this Book Excerpt of the Week, we enter the Folate/Folic Acid chapter of the Energy Drink Guide: Part III – How Do They Work. Before we talk about what folate does, we have to talk about what it is, and where it comes from.

Folic Acid book excerpt

Folic Acid is a term reserved for the SYNTHETIC form of folate whereas Folate or Folacin are general names for a group of nutritionally identical compounds.

If the amino acid Glutamic Acid is a bling necklace, Folic Acid always has one, whereas the natural kind, folate, almost always has three.

Folic acid is synthetic but still prevents spina bifida like natural folate. In fact, because folic acid has less bling (fewer glutamic acids hanging off it) it is easier to digest than natural folate.

Folic Acid and folate are indistinguishable once they’re absorbed and get to the liver.

🌱🌳🌿☘🍀FOLATE gets its name from FOLIUM, the Latin word for LEAF. And wouldn’t you know it, dark green leafy veggies are the best sources of folate. Other sources include asparagus, dried beans, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals (obviously) and oranges.

❓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!

GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge Day 10/10 – 10 Tips for Label Reading

GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge Day 10/10 – 10 Tips for Label Reading

greeneyedguide

For the 10th and final day of the GreenEyedGuide Caffeine Challenge we review the 10 things on a label to check before consuming a caffeinated beverage or other health/functional beverage.

Thank you for playing along with the Caffeine Challenge! You can always share your favorite caffeinated beverages with me on Instagram/ Facebook/Twitter and tag @GreenEyedGuide.

Through this challenge, you’ll learn how to use the 5 Levels of Fatigue to reap the benefits of caffeine while avoiding addiction, dependence, tolerance, and toxicity.

Energy Drinks and Hepatitis – What You Should Know

Energy Drinks and Hepatitis – What You Should Know

greeneyedguide

You’ve probably seen this story on CNN and other outlets. There are some additional details I want to add based on the 10 years I put into researching energy drinks and their ingredients. In the CNN article, I do understand why it’s mentioned this man had excessive folate and vitamin B12 levels, and yet the blame for the liver problems went not to B12 nor folate, but exclusively to niacin. Excessive folate masks B12 deficiency; excessive B12 doesn’t have documented symptoms, and excessive niacin HAS in fact caused liver damage. Liver damage may occur at 1.5 GRAMS (1500 mg). However, the man in this story reportedly only consumed 5 cans with 40 mg niacin each, or 200 mg niacin total. That doesn’t seem like enough to hit toxicity levels. Another thing to consider is how Niacin Flush occurs at 30 mg; if someone was consuming an excess of niacin, usually they’d feel it.

♦

I’m always aggravated when “energy drinks” are treated all the same. Have you see the “energy drinks in disguise” I’ve been talking about here on this blog? Do you even realize how different the New Age of energy drinks more closely resembles “functional beverages” than the energy drink stereotype. But I get it — some stereotypes are just too persistent.

these-are-energy-drinks-too

In that case, what aggravates me most of all in this particular story is how the caffeine content is curiously missing from the details collected or any of the blame assigned/implicated in this piece. It’s aggrivating to me when a news story casually implies energy drinks have caused a medical condition, and yet the details of that energy drink are missing. What OTHER ingredients were in there? Any EGCG? How much caffeine? How much sugar?

♦

This is important because there are some really critical details missing from the news stories, and yet they’re not wrong. It’s TRUE that TOO MUCH Niacin can hurt your liver. But HOW MUCH is TOO MUCH? (1.5 GRAMS) That’s what is missing from these news stories. That’s what I want to share with all of you. There’s no need for panic, but there IS a need to be more informed.

Reference used for the vitamin information – Are You A Monster Or a Rock Star: A Guide to Energy Drinks http://amzn.to/2bjHRbk

CNN article – http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/02/health/energy-drinks-hepatitis/index.html

Related content: Niacin Sample Chapter from 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”

—————————————–

Visit the Energy Drink Guide Facebook page (Woo-hoo!!! 100 Likes!)
Follow the GreenEyedGuide on Twitter
Follow GreenEyedGuide-the-NPC-Figure-Athlete on Instagram and Tumblr

Get your copy of “Are You a Monster or a Rock Star: A Guide to Energy Drinks — How They Work, Why They Work, How to Use Them Safely”

ENERGY DRINK OF THE MONTH YEAR IN REVIEW (YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2…year 3 coming soon…)

Need help quitting caffeine? Check out this helpful guide by Caffeine Informer:
 read Awake

Explore the CAFFEINE INFORMER database