Energy
Energy drives all biological,
physiological, and chemical reactions in the body. The Law of
Conservation of Energy, the first Law of Thermodynamics,
states that the total quantity of energy in the universe
remains constant. Energy is not created nor destroyed; it is
transferred from one system to another in many forms. This is
the basis of Albert Einstein’s equation E = mc2. In the human
body adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) is the short-term energy
storage unit that is produced within the microscopic
mitochondria within every cell in the body. ATP is the
cellular currency for all biochemical reactions. It is
estimated that humans use half their body weight each day in
ATP production. ATP is produced via the krebs cycle within
each cell’s mitochondria. The krebs cycle is also known as the
citric acid cycle or the tri-carboxylic acid cycle (TCA Cycle)
in physiology textbooks. The krebs cycle is the “energy cycle”
for the body.
In the simplest form, the energy cycle
shows the intricate balance of food (carbohydrates, fats,
proteins) with the proper quantity and quality of vitamins,
minerals, probiotics, and enzymes resulting in energy
production. This energy is used at the cellular level to build
the structural and functional components of life (bones, hair,
blood, hormones, etc.) which translates into the body's
overall health.
The Krebs Cycle is a series of complex
chemical reactions that occur within the cells of the body to
create a form of energy in the body.1 It utilizes various minerals and enzymes to
complete this cycle and, as in all chemical reactions, is
limited by quantity and availability of reactants, minerals,
and enzymes.
According to Arthur Guyton in the
Textbook of Medical Physiology, the basic characteristics of a
cell are as follows:
“All cells deliver the end-products of
their chemical reactions into surrounding fluids. The general
mechanisms for changing nutrients into energy are basically
the same in all cells. Oxygen combines with carbohydrates, fat
or protein to release energy for cell function.”2
Thus, the important components necessary
to begin the energy cycle are:
Proteins – the most abundant substance
next to water in most cells.
Fats/Lipids – needed to make different
membranes for all cells.
Carbohydrates – they play a minor role in
structural function of the cell, but a major role in nutrition
of the cell.
Vitamins – Vitamins have been described
as “missing keys.” Like a key “they fit into tiny chemical
locks" that free the body’s regulatory networks, each vitamin
is a complex organic molecule that fills in specific missing
links throughout the body’s chemistry.”3 (see Vitamins)
Minerals – NATURALLY-occurring inorganic
elements that have a characteristic crystalline structure,
chemical composition and physical properties. Minerals are the
catalyst for many of the body's cellular processes and keep
them running efficiently. (see Minerals)
Probiotics – There is a delicate balance
that exists in the normal healthy individual where the ‘good’
bacteria suppress the potentially ‘bad’ bacteria. This results
in a symbiotic association between the flora and the host.
This exchange has evolved to work under natural conditions to
the benefit of the host but modern lifestyles have compromised
the association and, in some circumstances, has left the host
vulnerable. These bacteria strains function as our body’s
second immune system. (see Good Bacteria)
The quality, as well as the quantity, of
these foods is an important factor in getting on to the road
of optimal health. We have carefully formulated a delicate
balance of each of these components in The Greatest Vitamins
in the World to ensure that your body is receiving the proper
nutrients in the amount it needs.
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1. Taber's Cyclopedic Medical
Dictionary, Edition 16. F.A. Davis Company:
Philadelphia,1989, p. 982-3.
2. Guyton, Arthur C.;
Physiology of the Human Body. Hardcover; Saunders
College Publishing; January 1984, p. 2.
3. Beasley,
Joseph D., M.D. and Jefy Swift, M.A. The Kellogg Report:
The Impact of Nutrition, Environment and Lifestyle on
the Health of Americans. New York: The Institute of
Health Policy and Practice, 1989, p. 70. |
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