GREEN TEA

 GREEN TEA 

Green tea is a type of tea which was originated in China. It is made from Camellia sinensis leaves and buds. Green tea contams phytochemicals, such as polyphenols and caffeine. Polyphenols found in green tea include epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechingallate, epicatechins and flavanols Green tea is about 30 percent polyphenols by weight, including large amounts of a catechin called EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) which is one of the most powerful compounds in green tea Catechins are natural antioxidants that help prevent cell damage by fighting free radicals. Green tea is often called one of the healthiest beverage in the world.

Green tea is known to have many possible (not yet proven) health benefits such as:

• Cancer prevention (due to presence of antioxidants)
• Lowering of LDL (Low Density Lipoprotien) or bad cholesteml
• Reduced risk of stroke
• Increase in metabolism and fat burning process.
• The bioactive compounds in green tea may reduce the risk of most common neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease
• Catechinspresent in green tea may improve your dental health by inhibiting the growth of bacteria such as Streptococcus mutans which is responsible for plaque formation and viruses like the mfluenza virus responsible for flu infections.
• Green tea helps in relaxation. A natural chemical called theanine found in green tea can provide a calming effect.
• Some researches have shown that green tea can help in reducing the blood sugar level slightly which can lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes

Side Effects

Green tea is considered generally safe but can cause side effects due to the presence of caffeine. These side effects can be mild to severe and include headache, nervousness, sleep problems, vomiting, diarrhoea. uritability, irregular heartbeat, tremor, heart burn, dizziness, ringing in the ears, convulsions, confusion, and interfering with the absorption of iron from food. In rare cases, green tea extracts have been reported to cause liver and kidney problems

Dosage:

It is recommended to drink three to five cups of green tea per day to reap the most health benefits

L-CARNITINE 

L-carnitine is an amino acid that is produced in the body. It was first derived from meat extracts in 1905. therefore the name carnitine is derived from Latin "carmus" or Besh Carnitime is found in nearly all organisms and animal tissue. Carnitine exists in two somers: D-carnitine and L-carnitine, which are both biologically active. At room temperature, pure carnitine is a white powder, and a water-soluble zwiturion with low toxicity, Carnitine only exists in animals as the L-enantiomer as D-carnitine is toxic and inhibits the activity of L-carnitine. It is most accumulated in cardiac and skeletal muscles as it accounts for 0.1% of its dry matter.Carnitine acts as a transporter of lang-chain fany acids into the mitochondria to be oxidized and produce energy

Transportation fatty acids inta mitochondria

When a long chain fatty acid enters a cell, it is converted in the cytosol to its CoA derivative by long chain fiery acyl CoA synthetase, un enzyme of the outer mitochondrial membrane. The acyl group is transferred from CoA to carnitine by carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT-1), an enzyme of the outer mitochondrial membrane. This reaction forms an acylcarnitine and regenerates free CoA. The acylcarnitine is transported into mitochondrial matrix in exchange for free carnitine by camitine acylcarnitine translocase. An enzyme of the inner mitochondrial membrane called camitine palmitoyltransferasell catalyses the reaction of the acyl group from carnitine to CoA in the mitochondrial matrix, thus regenerating free carnitine

Carnitine Shuttle

B-oxidation occurs in mitochondrial matrix, thus, the fatty acid must be transported across the inner mitochondrial membrane that is impermeable to CoA. Therefore, a specialized carrier that is carnitine transports the long chain acyl group from the cytosol into mitochondrial matrix. This process is called "carnitine shuttle'

Sources of carnitine

Carnitine can be obtained from the diet and is primarily found in meat products such as red meat. Carnitine can also be synthesized from the amino acids lysine and methionine by an enzymatic pathway found in the liver and kidney

Dosage of L-carnitine

• Acetyl-L-Carnitine: 600-2,500 mg per day
• L-Carnitine L-Tartrate: 1,000-4,000 mg per day
• Propionyl-L-Carnitine: 1,000-4,000 mg per day.
• L-carnitine could also play an important role in recovery from strenuous exercise, with suggested doses of 2-4g daily so optimise results

Possible side effects

Acetyl-L-carnitine is possibly safe for most adults and children, It can cause some side effects including stomach upset, nausea, vomiting, dry mouth, headache, and restlessness. It can also cause a "fishy" odour of the urine, breath, and sweat

Avoid using Acetyl-L-carnitine if pregnant or breastfeeding, diagnosed with hipolar disorder, neuropathy caused by chemotherapy, hypothyroidism and seizures