Tag: Nutrition

Is Niacin REALLY a Vitamin – Book Excerpt of the Week

Is Niacin REALLY a Vitamin – Book Excerpt of the Week

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Last week we said NIACIN was the Captain America of the Energy Drink Ingredient Avengers – one of the BEST energy drink ingredients – because it participates in numerous reactions to form ATP (the chemical form of energy) in the human body. But is niacin really a vitamin?

Vitamins are essential to life and, by definition, something we need to get from the diet because we can’t make on our own. Did you know the human body can MAKE niacin? As this book excerpt explains, tryptophan and protein are the key ingredients for this magic.

Niacin is still considered a vitamin because we can make some but we can’t make enough to survive and thrive.

The amount of niacin our bodies can make in a day from the amino acid tryptophan is not the full amount we’d need in a day, but it helps. Moreover, our bodies cannot make tryptophan: it is an ESSENTIAL amino acid, meaning we have to get from the diet.

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

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Thiamin and Carbohydrate Metabolism – Book Excerpt of the Week

Thiamin and Carbohydrate Metabolism – Book Excerpt of the Week

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Last week we talked about how some energy drinks have B-vitamins, but not all B-vitamins are relevant to the way the body generates energy. If the B-vitamins were the Avengers, then Thiamin would definitely be one of the strongest members. Thiamin is a crucial part of how the body turns glucose into energy.

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Glucose is the most basic unit of a carbohydrate and the preferred fuel for the body. As a glucose molecule is broken down to release energy it must become a molecule/metabolite named pyruvate. Thiamin (as its coenzyme form, thiamin pyrophosphate or TPP) keeps that enzyme humming like a well-oiled machine. So without sufficient thiamin, carbohydrate metabolism screeches to a halt. Thiamin as TPP participates in the metabolism of fat, protein, and nucleic acids, but it’s carbohydrate metabolism that’s first to go haywire with a thiamin deficiency.

Stay tuned as we look at other B-vitamins in our page-by-page tour through my book on the science of energy drinks and their ingredients.

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Taurine and the Heart – Book Excerpt of the Week 

Taurine and the Heart – Book Excerpt of the Week 

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The Book Excerpt of the Week deals with TAURINE. This is a very common energy drink ingredients, but have you ever wondered what it does?

In my book, I review the What It Is/What It Does/How Much Do I Need for the most common energy drink ingredients. Taurine has multiple functions (see last week’s excerpt). One of the things it does is control ion balances (ions like sodium, potassium, calcium).

Taurine can help with bloating because taurine helps the body restore the ideal balance of sodium and potassium, reducing water retention. Taurine also helps restore the balance of calcium ions inside heart muscle cells. Calcium imbalances can lead to cell death and heart muscle damage.
Does this mean an energy drink is good for the heart? No. An energy drink contains many ingredients, so the functions of all those ingredients has to be considered.

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” at http://amzn.to/2bjHRbk