Kelp
Magnesium, Potassium
Nitrogen
Amino Acids:
Glycine, Alanine, Arginine, Proline, Glutamic, Aspartic
Sulfur
Sulfated Polysaccharides:
Fucoidan, Porphyran
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Sulfated Sugars
Fucoidan, Porphyran
Laminarin & Agarose, Often modified (sulfated, oxidized) to enhance therapeutic effects.
Complex Sulfated Carbohydrate
Composition: Primarily made of Fucose and Sucrose sugar units, with sulfate groups and varying linkages.
Fucoidan and Porphyran are both sulfated polysaccharides (SPs), complex sugar chains rich in sulfate groups, extracted from seaweeds.
These natural polymers are valued for their diverse health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant, anticoagulant, and immune-modulating effects, stemming from their unique sugar backbone (fucose in fucoidan, galactose/glucose in porphyran).
Fucoidan and porphyran are both sulfated polysaccharides derived from marine algae that exhibit significant antiviral properties through various mechanisms, primarily by inhibiting viruses from attaching to host cells and boosting the host's immune system.
Mechanism of Action: Fucoidan's antiviral activity is mainly attributed to its ability to block the initial attachment and entry of viruses into host cells. Its high negative charge density interacts with the positively charged glycoproteins on the viral envelope, disrupting the virus-cell interaction. It can also interfere with later stages of replication and boost the host's immune response by stimulating natural killer (NK) cells and macrophages.
Effective Against:
Research (mostly in vitro and animal models) has shown fucoidan to be effective against a broad spectrum of viruses, including:
Herpes simplex virus (HSV-1 and HSV-2)
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1)
Influenza A and B viruses
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
Dengue virus (DENV-2)
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Influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA), a surface protein, initiates infection by binding to sialic acid (sialoglycans), like N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac), on host cell glycoproteins and glycolipids (glycocalyx), which are sugar chains on cell surfaces; this specific molecular interaction, involving different sialic acid types and linkages.
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Sugar Acids
Negatively Charged
Acidic Nature: Sialic acids have a carboxyl group (hence "acid") that's usually ionized, giving them a negative charge, critical for function.
Immune Recognition: Helps the immune system distinguish "self" from "non-self".
Cell Adhesion & Signaling: Regulates cell-cell attachment and communication.
Pathogen Binding: Viruses (like influenza) and bacteria use sialic acids as docking sites to infect cells.
Disease Link: Altered sialic acid expression is seen in cancer (hiding cancer cells) and inflammatory diseases.
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Glyphosate and Celiac Disease Connection (Hypothesis)
The theory that glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide) contributes to celiac disease and gluten intolerance, with potential to disrupt the gut microbiome and interfere with nutrient absorption.
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, is hypothesized to be a significant factor in the rise of Celiac Disease (CD) and gluten intolerance because it disrupts beneficial gut bacteria crucial for digestion, potentially triggering or worsening autoimmune responses to gluten.
Research suggests glyphosate inhibits a plant/bacterial pathway (shikimate) that "good" gut microbes use, leading to gut dysbiosis (imbalance) and increased inflammation, mimicking CD symptoms and potentially explaining nutrient deficiencies seen in patients.
Disruption of the Microbiome (Dysbiosis): Glyphosate acts as an antibiotic, affecting gut bacteria differently. Some studies suggest it may reduce beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus (which can help break down gluten) while opportunistic pathogens are more resistant, leading to an unhealthy imbalance (dysbiosis).
Shikimate Pathway Inhibition: Glyphosate kills plants by inhibiting the shikimate pathway, a metabolic process unique to plants and bacteria, not humans. This was historically used to claim it was safe for mammals, but it ignores the critical role of gut bacteria in human health.
Enzyme Interference: Glyphosate is suggested to inhibit cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, which are vital for detoxification, vitamin D3 synthesis, and other bodily processes.
Mineral Chelation: Glyphosate can chelate (bind to) essential minerals like iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium.
Intestinal Permeability: The proposed damage to the gut lining ("leaky gut") caused by dysbiosis could allow incompletely digested gluten peptides to enter the bloodstream, triggering the immune response.
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Hexane, sodium hydroxide, and bleaching are all components of the industrial refining process for most commercial seed oils, which can also make the oils more susceptible to lipid oxidation (rancidity) due to high heat and chemical exposure.
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Gluconic Acid
Gluconate
Glucuronide
Glucuronidation
Glucuronidases
Glycosaminoglycan
N-acetylneuraminic
N-acetylglucosamine
Glucuronic acid (GCA) is a vital sugar acid from glucose, crucial for detoxifying drugs/toxins and forming connective tissues (like hyaluronic acid), aiding their water-solubilization.
Glucuronides are compounds formed in the body (primarily liver, kidneys) when glucuronic acid attaches to substances like drugs, toxins, hormones, or bilirubin, making them water-soluble for easier elimination via urine or bile. This detoxification process, called glucuronidation.
Glucuronic acid is a precursor of ascorbic acid (vitamin C, formerly called L-hexuronic acid).
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Phenolic Glycosides
Phenolic compound is a bitter or potent plant chemical; adding glucose (like sugar) makes it easier for the plant to store or move, or makes it less harsh for us to consume, and it can be 'unlocked' later.
Structure of Phenolic Glycosides
Glycoside: A compound formed when a sugar molecule (glycone) is attached to a non-sugar moiety (aglycone) via a glycosidic bond.
Aglycone: The non-sugar part of the molecule. In phenolic glycosides, the aglycone is a phenolic compound, such as a flavonoid, coumarin, or phenolic acid.
Hydrolysis is the chemical or enzymatic process of breaking the glycosidic bond by adding water, which splits the molecule back into its components: the sugar and the aglycone.
Activation: Many plants store chemicals as inactive glycosides for defense; hydrolysis "activates" these molecules into potent aglycones.
Digestion: In the human body, gut microbiota and digestive enzymes perform hydrolysis to convert unabsorbed phenolic glycosides into bioavailable phenolic acid metabolites.
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Gluconate
Glucose Oxidase
Gluconic Acid C6H12O7
Gluconolactone
Buffer
Chelate
Antioxidant
Gluconate, derived from glucose, acts as an excellent buffering agent and antioxidant by chelating metal ions, preventing harmful oxidation, stabilizing formulations, and reducing inflammation, with uses ranging from food preservation and concrete admixtures to medicine, often appearing as sodium gluconate or in salts like magnesium gluconate, offering protection against oxidative stress and improving product stability.
pH Stabilization: As a weak acid/conjugate base system (gluconic acid/gluconate), it helps maintain stable pH levels in solutions.
Gluconate as an Antioxidant
Free Radical Scavenging: Gluconate and its salts can directly scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), reducing oxidative damage.
Protective Effects: This antioxidant action helps prevent lipid peroxidation, maintains cell membrane integrity (e.g., in red blood cells), and protects against organ damage