The Top 10 Weight Loss Supplements

May 22, 2009 by admin • 14 Comments

The Perricone Anti-Inflammatory Weight Loss Diet nutrients work in a special way to enhance loss of body fat, preserve muscle mass and regulate levels of blood sugar and insulin. They will also promote beautiful, healthy, youthful-looking skin.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)
Alpha lipoic acid, often referred to as ‘the universal antioxidant,” is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory found naturally inside of the energy producing portion of the cell known as the mitochondria. Alpha lipoic acid enhances our ability to metabolize food into energy. ALA is a unique antioxidant because it is both fat and water soluble. This means it can go to all parts of the cell, including the lipid (fat) portions such as the cell plasma membrane, as well as the interior of the cell (known as the cytoplasm) where water soluble chemicals reside.

DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol)
DMAE is a naturally occurring nutritional substance with powerful anti-inflammatory properties; it is found in fish including wild Alaskan salmon, anchovies and sardines. DMAE is important in the production of neurotransmitters, which are essential in the communication from one nerve to another and between nerves and muscles. Taking DMAE as a supplement will not only improve your cognitive function by improving memory and problem-solving ability, it will help increase skin firmness and muscle tone—important for anyone on a weight loss or antiaging program.

Glutamine
Glutamine is the body’s most abundant amino acid. It plays an important role in keeping the muscles functioning properly and helps reduce muscle deterioration. Glutamine literally drives muscle-building nitrogen into the muscle cell where it is synthesized for growth. It is also converted into glucose when the body needs more energy. When the body is in a highly inflammatory state, it breaks down our muscle tissue to get the extra glutamine needed, resulting in muscle mass loss.

Carnitine
Carnitine and its derivative, acetyl L-carnitine, are two of the most important nutrients for weight loss. Carnitine is critical for energy formation and an active metabolism. Carnitine transports the fatty acids from our blood into the cell for this energy production. Thus, for carnitine to have optimum effect, we must have adequate essential fatty acids, such as omega 3’s, present in the diet.

Acetyl L-carnitine
Acetyl L-carnitine acts as an antioxidant, a natural anti-inflammatory that enhances the affects of the other antioxidant systems within the body. These anti-inflammatory properties protect the cell plasma membrane (the cell’s first line of defense) and prevent the conversion of arachidonic acid into pro-inflammatory chemicals. Although exercise will naturally increase our levels of acetyl L-carnitine, if we are obese, over thirty or have other health problems, it will not raise them to therapeutic levels, therefore supplementation is necessary.

Coenzyme Q – 10
Coenzyme Q-10, also called ubiquinone, is a powerful antioxidant/anti-inflammatory with many benefits for treating and preventing obesity. It acts similarly to acetyl L-carnitine in that it assists in energy production within the mitochondria. CoQ10 enhances the metabolism, giving us greater energy and endurance, a greater ability to lose body fat, preventing the energy decline seen in aging cells. CoQ10 also maximizes the burning of foods for fuel, helping to normalize fats in our blood.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)
Conjugated linoleic acid is a fatty acid found in many of the foods we eat. At one time, beef and lamb were exceptional sources; however when their diet was changed from grass to grain, levels of CLA dramatically decreased in the meat and dairy products. CLA has powerful antioxidant/anti-inflammatory activity. It decreases body fat, especially in the area of the abdomen and helps block the absorption of fat and sugar into fat cells (adipocytes). It also helps the insulin receptors remain intact, thus increasing insulin sensitivity.

Chromium
Because Chromium is an essential nutrient for normal sugar and fat metabolism, it is critical in our effort to control and reduce excess body fat. Chromium supplementation effectively lowers blood sugar and insulin levels and can also increase levels of the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol. This lowers total cholesterol and triglycerides, thus playing a key role in regulating appetite, reducing sugar cravings, and lowering body fat.

Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA)
Gamma linolenic acid is an important omega-6 essential fatty acid. The average American diet causes a deficiency of GLA because of the large amounts of trans fatty acids, sugar, red meats and dairy products. The body rapidly converts GLA into dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid, the precursor of prostaglandin E1, a powerful anti-inflammatory hormone-like compound that helps to regulate inflammation, blood pressure, and many other bodily processes.

Maitake Mushroom Extract
Studies show that maitake mushroom extract enhances insulin sensitivity for controlling blood sugar levels and may serve as a safe and reliable weight loss supplement—even without additional behavior modifications, such as decreased caloric intake and increased exercise. It is established as a powerful tool in preventing a dangerous quartet of metabolic imbalances that increase our risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes called Metabolic Syndrome. Metabolic Syndrome consists of high blood pressure, elevated levels of insulin, excess weight (especially around the abdomen), and dyslipidemialow, or low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, and high levels of triglycerides. Read more about Maitake Mushroom benefits.

Doctor’s Orders – Eat Healthy And Delicious Food

January 14, 2009 by Dr. Perricone • Comment

In my quest to find workable health and beauty solutions for my patients and my readers, I have discovered that the greatest gift I can give is permission to eat healthy and delicious food.

This might seem strange – using a word such as permission, but we are in the grip of an obesity and disease epidemic, affecting not just adults, but children as well. We need common sense information to reverse this alarming trend and the best place to start is by learning about the many nutrients that can help us to burn body fat while preserving all-important muscle mass.

Interestingly, the same antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory foods and nutrients that keep us healthy and youthful, with supple, clear and radiant skin, significantly contribute to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.

I first discovered this through my experience with patients on the anti inflammatory diet for anti-aging purposes. I quickly discovered that the patients that had excess of body fat rapidly lost it. And best of all, they looked absolutely radiant; not a trace of that haggard look we see with most dieters.

I previously discussed the powers of l-glutamine and its ability to stop food cravings, the downfall of many of us. Stay tuned for Top Ten favorite weight loss, health and beauty supplements.

Targeted Foods And Supplements For Healthy Slimming

January 8, 2009 by Dr. Perricone • 4 Comments

The New Year is a perfect time to embark on a healthier lifestyle – particularly if we have put on extra weight during the holidays. We may also find that our skin is winter-parched due to the cold weather, low seasonal humidity and drying effects of overheated environments.

Cutting-edge nutrition for weight control

The dawn of a new year is a wonderful time to make changes and adjustments to our lives that will benefit us both short and long term. Weight loss is a perennial issue for many of us and it becomes even more so as we age. Understanding a few basic principles can enable us to take off extra weight without starving or being forced to eat foods that we neither like nor enjoy.

I always caution my patients and readers to avoid drastic lifestyle changes that will be impossible to maintain. A few simple modifications will do the trick along with the introduction of targeted supplements such as the long-chain “marine” omega-3 essential fatty acids found only in fatty fish such as salmon, sablefish, tuna, anchovies and sardines, and in fish oil supplements. Also, don’t forget about the benefits of vitamin c ester and pycnogenol!

Glutamine for healthy weight loss and a healthy gut

Another key weight control ally is the amino acid glutamine, which also plays an important role in preserving precious muscle mass.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Glutamine is the body’s most abundant amino acid and is primarily stored within muscle tissue. While the majority of the glutamine we need is synthesized in our muscle cells, we can also obtain a significant amount of glutamine from several dietary sources, including poultry, fish, dairy products, and legumes.

However, under certain stressful conditions, glutamine is used up very quickly and our body cannot make as much as it needs. For example, prolonged and intense cardiovascular workouts, such as running and aerobics, can cause the body to burn muscle for energy, exhausting our glutamine supply.

Glutamine plays an important role in keeping the muscles functioning properly and in helping to reduce muscle deterioration. When we are overweight and in an inflammatory state, we need even more glutamine, so the body breaks down the muscle tissue to get the extra glutamine it needs, and we lose muscle mass. Therefore, by ensuring adequate glutamine intake, we can lose weight while retaining muscle mass. This is because Glutamine is anti-catabolic, which means that it is critical in the prevention of muscle breakdown: a negative process promoted by chronic illness, mental or psychic stress, overwork or over-exertion, poor nutrition, and dieting.

Glutamine plays a number of vitally important roles in many other functions as well. It is essential to the support of our immune system and immune response, where it is utilized by white blood cells.

Glutamine is also very supportive of our digestive system. The health of the gut is vital because it is the point of fuel and nutrient entry. Glutamine nourishes the cells that line the stomach, intestines, and digestive track, which actually use glutamine as a fuel.

Studies have shown that supplemental glutamine may protect against aspirin-induced gastric lesions and enhance healing of painful peptic ulcers. In fact, an old folk remedy for ulcers is fresh cabbage juice – which is high in glutamine. Glutamine may also be helpful in healing the stomach problems arising from colitis and Crohn’s disease.

In summary, glutamine can be used whenever there are any stomach problems, as simple as over-indulging in alcohol (alcoholic-induced gastritis) to ulcers, viral-induced diarrhea, or even severe problems such as inflammatory bowel disease.

Glutamine to cut food cravings

Glutamine will help reduce cravings for high glycemic carbohydrates, thereby making your weight loss program much easier. We all know how the best intentions can be tossed out the window when the cookie monster strikes.

Taking just ½ teaspoon of glutamine three times per day will help eliminate these cravings. Glutamine can also help prevent both depression and fatigue and can also help us synthesize neurotransmitters in the brain which naturally relax us while elevating our mood. In the brain it is converted to glutamic acid and increases the concentration of GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid).

Both glutamic acid and GABA can be considered “brain fuel,” as they are essential for normal mental function. Studies have also shown that glutamine supplementation helps prevent the damaging effects of alcohol on the brain and may also reduce alcohol (as well as the aforementioned food) cravings.

Glutamine tips

I recommend that you take one-half teaspoon of glutamine, dissolved in water, three times a day. Here are some tips for getting the most out of supplemental glutamine:

Once mixed in water, glutamine deteriorates rapidly, so take it immediately upon mixing in the water.
Mix it fresh for each serving. Do NOT store glutamine in solution, as it may become inactive or even toxic.

Check with your primary care physician before beginning any supplementation program – this is mandatory if you being treated for any disease or kidney, liver or other health problem, are pregnant, or nursing.

Glutamine may cause constipation in some individuals; to protect from this increase your water and soluble fiber intake. This can be accomplished by adding one gram of pectin to a glass of water drunk throughout the day.

As always I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Wishing you a safe, peaceful, healthy and joyful 2009.

Nicholas Perricone, MD