In the final installment of our three-part webinar series on Natura Fundamentals for maintaining health and promoting longevity, we address Glucose and Insulin Signaling, Lipid Metabolism, Gene Stability, and Cell Behavior and how to bring these physiological areas into balance using a range of botanical and nutritional combination formulas that act synergistically to harmonize these central networks.

Highlights:

  • Cholesterol is used to build cell membranes, make reproductive hormones, has important roles to play in immune health and tissue repair, and it facilitates the digestive process.
  • Because the cells of muscles, adipose tissue, and the liver all require the presence of insulin in order to take up glucose, reduced glucose and insulin sensitivity leads to impaired energy utilization and storage in the human body.
  • Healthy cellular detoxification systems break down potential toxins, reducing damage to DNA and preventing cell abnormalities, leading to more healthy cells.

Tertiary Fundamental Targets:

  • Normalize lipid metabolism
    • Optimize cholesterol manufacture, metabolism, and utilization
  • Sensitize glucose and insulin signaling
    • Get glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells efficiently
    • Prevent AGEs (advanced glycosylation end-products)
  • Stabilize cellular behavior and protect genetic integrity
    • Enhance cellular detoxification networks
    • Up-regulate tumor suppressor genes – P53, p21, p27, PTEN
    • Suppress proto-oncogenes – RAS, RAF, HER2

Lipid Metabolism and Cholesterol

Lipid metabolism involves the use of fatty acids as sources of energy or as building blocks for the synthesis of new lipid molecules. Cholesterol is a lipid that is critical for the proper functioning of the body. It is used to build cell membranes and to make reproductive hormones, has important roles to play in immune health and tissue repair, and facilitates the digestive process. In cardiovascular disease (CVD), high levels of low-density lipids and triglycerides, along with low levels of high-density lipids are considered risk factors for the development of coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, and myocardial infarction. Lipid imbalances, although risk factors, are part of a bigger constellation of physiological alterations that directly contribute to the incidence of CVD. These include prolonged inflammation, lipid peroxidation due to ongoing oxidative stress, elevated blood glucose and insulin levels, and chronic hypertension.

Because an estimated 80% of the cholesterol in the human body is manufactured in the liver, correcting lipid imbalances often requires more than dietary intervention alone. Lifestyle approaches including moderate exercise, intermittent fasting, and stress reduction are all essential components of a lipid regulating strategy, along with the use of specific botanical and nutritional agents that can effectively alter lipid dynamics. Using a combination of key cholesterol regulating agents, we can effectively optimize cholesterol manufacture, metabolism, and utilization throughout the body.

Glucose and Insulin Signaling

Glucose and insulin affect physiological function by altering metabolic pathways and directing the utilization of key nutrients necessary for maintaining proper blood sugar and insulin levels in the blood. Insulin resistance is characterized by a reduction in the sensitivity between insulin and glucose, resulting in decreased responsiveness of tissue to the insulin-driven clearance of glucose from the bloodstream. Because the cells of muscles, adipose tissue, and the liver all require the presence of insulin in order to take up glucose, reduced glucose and insulin sensitivity leads to impaired energy utilization and storage in the human body.

Beta islet cells in the pancreas secrete insulin in response to elevations in blood glucose. In the case of insulin resistance, the normal amount of insulin required to facilitate proper uptake of glucose by insulin-sensitive cells is insufficient. Therefore, blood glucose levels stay elevated, and the beta islet cells secrete still more insulin, leading to elevated insulin and blood sugar levels. Over time, pancreatic beta cell deficiency can occur, resulting in impaired glucose tolerance and hyperglycemia.

In addition to reducing circulating insulin and glucose levels, a combination of specific botanical extracts can decrease the production of AGEs (advanced glycation end products) and other damaging byproducts of excess glucose and insulin, while simultaneously offering protection from damage. AGEs are known to play a role as potent free radicals and proinflammatory mediators that induce severe cellular damage. Elevated blood glucose and insulin increase the amount of AGEs in the body causing damage that is measurable with the hemogloblin A1c test. The formation and accumulation of AGEs has been implicated in the progression of age-related diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and neurological diseases.

Cell Behavior and Genetic Integrity

Chronic exposure to low-grade damage from endocrine disruptors, such as plastics, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls that are present in our modern world has increased the mutational burden that our patients face every day. Tumor suppressor genes prevent the replication of damaged DNA in normal cells and promote apoptosis of cells with abnormal DNA. However, these mechanisms can easily become overwhelmed, leading to the spontaneous emergence of aberrant cells and the formation of tumors.

To protect healthy cells from the deleterious effects of continuous, low-grade genetic damage, specific botanical and nutritional agents exhibit profound effects on the excretory and metabolic pathways that transform these toxins into simpler, non-toxic compounds that are readily excreted from the body. Healthy cellular detoxification systems break down potential toxins, reducing damage to DNA and preventing cell abnormalities, leading to more healthy cells. This group of botanical and nutritional multi-taskers also exhibits regulatory effects on tumor suppressor gene function and down-regulates proto-oncogenes that drive the growth of aberrant cells.

Related Webinars:

Natura Fundamentals Part I: Principles, Approach, Application

Natura Fundamentals Part II : Addressing Hormones, Mood, Inflammation and the Immune System

Note: This webinar is intended for healthcare practitioners.