REST, OXIDATIVE STRESS AND INFLAMMATION

These three concepts – rest, oxidative stress and inflammation – are closely linked through the hormone: melatonin. 

It has been scientifically proven, that the production of melatonin decreases over the years, being 40% lower after the age of 55. This lack of melatonin produces harmful effects in the body, such as the alteration of circadian rhythms, or oxidative stress, as well as slow and irreversible damage to the cellular mitochondria, as their protective capacity is reduced.

Rest, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation form one of the key cornerstones of Antiaging Preventive Medicine and, therefore, of our programs. 

Our biological clock regulates our circadian rhythms. Extrapineal melatonin controls most of our immune and antioxidant systems, as well as the mitochondrial function. 

This cornerstone of Rest, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation is prescribed in a Neolife program , in the following cases: 

When sleep disorders are derived from an imbalance in the circadian rhythm. Sleep and rest are not the same; you can rest without sleeping and sleep without resting. Our goal is to improve the quality and quantity of sleep, in order to body restoration.

When oxidative stress and inflammation are generated in our body, due to aging. Chronic administration of melatonin prevents the appearance of inflammation markers, that is, it keeps the body in a state of inflammatory rest, which, together with oxidative rest, prevents damage during aging.

WHAT IS OXIDATIVE STRESS?

Oxidative and inflammatory stresses are key determinants of age-related diseases: cancer, neurodegenerative, pulmonary and kidney diseases, chronic fatigue, diabetes, atherosclerosis, etc. 

Oxidative stress is the process of cellular deterioration, that depends on the production of free radicals. Free radicals are generally atoms or small molecules with high reactive capacity, which damage molecules in their environment, and may lead to cell death and tissue dysfunction. This is why it is so important to neutralize them, as soon as they are formed, in order to prevent this collateral damage. 

WHAT IS INFLAMMATION?

In addition to free radicals, aging also involves a chronic inflammatory process: inflammation is the immune system’s response to a pathogen. Daily life, our habits, and the passage of time, cause our body to oxidize and enter into a continuous inflammatory state, provoking a process of deterioration and cell death, produced by free radicals. 

Additionally, science has recently gone a step further , in relation to the systemic dimension of the depressive disorder, including the role ofoxidative stressin this pathology. This has been possible thanks to the conclusions of a study conducted at the University of Granada, where it is suggested that oxidative stress has an influence on depression, and that antidepressant activity may be mediated through the improvement of oxidative stress/antioxidant function. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF MELATONIN AND UBIQUINOL (CoQ10) IN SLEEP DISORDERS, OXIDATIVE STRESS, AND INFLAMMATION

Melatonin is an indole hormone derived from tryptophan, an essential amino acid, and is involved in multiple physiological processes.  

Over the years, it has been scientifically proven, that both pineal melatonin and extrapineal melatonin, which is produced in the other organs and tissues of our body, decreases with age, and this decrease is directly related to the changes that occur as we grow older.  

On the other hand, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a lipophilic molecule, found in the membranes of all our cells, especially in the mitochondrial membrane. It is found not only in human molecules, but also in yeast and other animals. 

EXTRAPINEAL MELATONIN

Our body works like a clock, and presents a cyclical repetition (circadian rhythms), synchronized by melatonin, a hormone synthesized by the pineal gland. 

From the age of 55, we already produce 40% less melatonin. The manifestations of a deficit of pineal melatonin are mainly the following: 

  • Disruption of circadian rhythms, such as sleep/wakefulness and activity/rest 
  • Affects cognitive abilities, which may lead to seasonal depression 

PINEAL MELATONIN

Our body works like a clock and presents a cyclical repetition (circadian rhythms), synchronized by melatonin, a hormone synthesized by the pineal gland. 

The manifestations of a deficit of pineal melatonin are mainly the following: 

  • Disruption of circadian rhythms, such as sleep/wakefulness and activity/rest 
  • Affects cognitive abilities, which may lead to seasonal depression 

UBIQUINOL: COENZYME Q10

Its main functions are to maintain cellular oxidative balance. A deficit in these levels may favor the appearance of homeostatic imbalances, which in the future could lead to the appearance of a disease, such as insulin resistance. 

CoQ10 supplementation improves: 

  • Insulin resistance (3), as well as basal glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels (4) 
  • Cardiac function in case of disease (5) 
  • Muscle work in the case of athletes. Additionally, it reduces the need for recovery. (6) 

WHY TURN TO NEOLIFE TO REVERSE SLEEP DISORDERS, OXIDATIVE STRESS, AND INFLAMMATORY RESPONSE?

EXPERTS IN REST AND SLEEP

For almost ten years, the team at Neolife has treated hundreds of patients with sleep disorders of chronobiotic origin, where the use of melatonin, to restore their physiological levels, has proven tremendously useful. 

EXPERTS IN OXIDATIVE STRESS AND INFLAMMATION

And the same experience that we have in sleep disorders, we also have in the field of Oxidative Stress and Inflammation, because these are interdependent. In this case, supplementing melatonin, at the right moment and in exact doses and supplemented with CoQ10 make all the difference.

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CUSTOMIZATION AND INDIVIDUALIZED DOSES

Thekey to improving sleep lies , to a great extent , in taking the exact dose of melatonin at the right moment of the day. In order to individualize the doses, we first carry out a study of the melatonin curve in saliva, and the levels of oxidative stress, and coenzyme Q10 in the mitochondria.

SAFETY OF BIOIDENTICAL HORMONES

We always use pharmacy compounded bioidentical hormones for melatonin supplementation. 

HIGH QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS: CoQ10

In order to provide our customers with the best coenzyme Q10 on the market, Neolife has developed our own supplement within our Neoactives product line: NeoQ10 Ubiquinol (as Ubiquinol, it is ten times more potent than Ubiquinone).

CONTINUOUS MEDICAL FOLLOW-UP

Our medical team identifies, in each situation, which supplements are the most efficient, and in which doses, carrying out a continuous and objective monitoring of the evolution of each patient’s health.

NEOLIFE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM

The assessment of the melatonin and CoQ10 supplementation is carried out jointly by Neolife’s medical team, and our partner in this area, the International Melatonin Institute, one of the world’s leading centers.

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BENEFITS OF THE REST, OXIDATIVE STRESS, AND INFLAMMATION CORNERSTONE IN OUR BLOG

EXTRAPINEAL MELATONIN

Extrapineural melatonin is produced in most of our organs and tissues. Its production differs from pineal production in three main aspects:

  • It is not produced following a circadian rhythm
  • It is produced in much greater quantities than that of pineal origin
  • It has cellular protection functions, derived from its important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects

Extrapineural melatonin also decreases with age, which facilitates:

  • The appearance of signs of oxidative and nitrosative stress that will become more acute the greater the deficit of this hormone. Melatonin counteracts many of the manifestations that appear during aging, such as increased production of free radicals, nitric oxide and inflammatory molecules such as cytokines. Mainly, the effect of melatonin occurs at the level of the mitochondria, the cellular organelle responsible for the production of energy for the cell, and whose dysfunction with age is the cause of cell death and associated pathologies. The mitochondrion thus becomes the main intracellular target of melatonin, which explains its important effects described here.
  • In addition to free radicals, aging also involves a chronic inflammatory process. The administration of melatonin totally prevents the appearance of these inflammatory markers, that is, it keeps the organism in a state of inflammatory balance which, together with the oxidative balance, prevents damage during aging. These concepts are important, since melatonin, unlike other antioxidants, does not have prooxidant effects and does not completely deplete the body of free radicals, since these are signaling molecules for proper cellular function.

PINEAL MELATONIN

For the organism to be healthy, its functions must vary rhythmically and in relation to each other. Our body works like a clock and has a cyclical repetition (circadian rhythms), genetically encoded and synchronized by a system that constitutes our biological clock.

In response to the biological clock, the pineal gland synthesizes melatonin in a circadian fashion, with a nocturnal peak or acrophase around 2-3 a.m. thatsynchronizes the rest of the body’s circadian rhythms to maintain homeostasisof all physiological functions and serves the organism to identify the time of day (and year) and thus synchronize the rest of the endocrine and non-endocrine circadian rhythms.

After the age of 55, we already produce 40% less melatonin and as its nocturnal peak decreases, there comes a time when the body is no longer able to detect it. The manifestations of the lack of pineal melatonin are fundamentally:

  • Alteration of circadian rhythms, such as sleep/wakefulness and activity/rest. We can therefore speak of an aging of the circadian system due to melatonin deficiency, affecting our biological clock in an increasingly important way.
  • Moreover, as melatonin synchronizes the rhythms of brain neurotransmitters, its decrease directly affects cognitive abilities, which can lead, for example, toseasonal depression.

This is where the use of melatonin to restore its physiological levels has enormous utility in preventing the circadian dysfunctions of aging.

UBIQUINOL. COENZYME Q10

Its main functions are to maintain the cellular oxidative balance and to transport electrons for the correct functioning of numerous intra- and extracellular reactions. In this way, a proper balance is achieved in our internal environment. To maintain an adequate balance between intracellular and extracellular oxidation, it is necessary to have adequate CoQ10 levels.

In fact, it has already been demonstrated that a deficit in these levels can favor the appearance of homeostatic imbalances that in the future could lead to the appearance of a disease. As an example:

  • A deficit of this molecule favors the appearance of insulin resistance at the adipocyte, muscle and liver levels. Those patients who were supplemented with CoQ10 to adequate levels had improved insulin resistance (3). Moreover, it has been shown how supplementation with this molecule is able to improve basal glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels (4).
  • It has been scientifically demonstrated how those patients supplemented with CoQ10 show an improvement in their cardiac function and in the clinical course of the disease. Conversely, low levels correlated with clinical worsening (5).
  • And it is not only at the level of pathologies that CoQ10 is necessary. In a recent study with athletes (6), supplementation allowed an optimization of muscle work in these athletes and decreased their need for recovery by improving their level of cellular oxidation more rapidly.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FOLLOWING THIS REST TREATMENT AT NEOLIFE?

There is a large body of scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of melatonin as a sleep/wake rhythm regulator, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenger.

PREVENTION OF DISEASES RELATED TO THE AGING PROCESS:

  • Helps in neurodegenerative processes during aging (pathologies such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s).
  • Prevents cancer: it has important oncostatic actions, since it induces cell death of tumor cells, stimulating apoptosis.
  • It is useful against diabetes and reduces insulin resistance.

CELLULAR BENEFITS:

  • Endogenous antioxidant – much more effective than other classical antioxidants such as N-acetylcysteine, vitamin C or vitamin E.
  • Potent systemic anti-inflammatory.
  • Counteracts the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation.

PHYSICAL BENEFITS:

  • Regulator of sleep and circadian rhythms: reduction of sleep latency, reduction in the number and duration of alertness periods during the night and improvement of subjective sleep quality.
  • Increases ATP production by muscle mitochondria, improving muscle performance and preventing muscle damage due to oxidative stress during physical effort.

MENTAL BENEFITS:

  • Provides antidepressant properties.
  • Jet Lag Disorders.

SKIN BENEFITS:

  • Increased skin defense capacity
  • Protection of the skin against damage caused by environmental pollution or ionizing radiation.such as UV. Protects keratinocytes, melanocytes and Langerhans cells from UV-induced damage. It also protects the fibroblasts of the dermis by increasing the synthesis of collagen and elastin, as well as the production of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans.
  • Melatonin exerts these protective effects on the skin because it has a higher antioxidant capacity than other antioxidants., as vitamin C or vitamin E and lacks their pro-oxidant effects. It is a molecule that produces an antioxidant cascade by scavenging free radicals and generating metabolites that, in turn, are also antioxidants.
  • Melatonin has important anti-apoptotic and oncostatic properties and may prevent skin neoplasms induced by excessive UV radiation. Prevents damage generated by radiotherapy in the oral mucosa, avoiding the appearance of mucositis.

EXTRAPINEAL MELATONIN

Extrapineural melatonin is produced in most of our organs and tissues. Its production differs from pineal production in three main aspects:

  • It is not produced following a circadian rhythm
  • It is produced in much greater quantities than that of pineal origin
  • It has cellular protection functions, derived from its important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects

Extrapineural melatonin also decreases with age, which facilitates:

  • The appearance of signs of oxidative and nitrosative stress that will become more acute the greater the deficit of this hormone. Melatonin counteracts many of the manifestations that appear during aging, such as increased production of free radicals, nitric oxide and inflammatory molecules such as cytokines. Mainly, the effect of melatonin occurs at the level of the mitochondria, the cellular organelle responsible for the production of energy for the cell, and whose dysfunction with age is the cause of cell death and associated pathologies. The mitochondrion thus becomes the main intracellular target of melatonin, which explains its important effects described here.
  • In addition to free radicals, aging also involves a chronic inflammatory process. The administration of melatonin totally prevents the appearance of these inflammatory markers, that is, it keeps the organism in a state of inflammatory balance which, together with the oxidative balance, prevents damage during aging. These concepts are important, since melatonin, unlike other antioxidants, does not have prooxidant effects and does not completely deplete the body of free radicals, since these are signaling molecules for proper cellular function.

PINEAL MELATONIN

For the organism to be healthy, its functions must vary rhythmically and in relation to each other. Our body works like a clock and has a cyclical repetition (circadian rhythms), genetically encoded and synchronized by a system that constitutes our biological clock.

In response to the biological clock, the pineal gland synthesizes melatonin in a circadian fashion, with a nocturnal peak or acrophase around 2-3 a.m. thatsynchronizes the rest of the body’s circadian rhythms to maintain homeostasisof all physiological functions and serves the organism to identify the time of day (and year) and thus synchronize the rest of the endocrine and non-endocrine circadian rhythms.

After the age of 55, we already produce 40% less melatonin and as its nocturnal peak decreases, there comes a time when the body is no longer able to detect it. The manifestations of the lack of pineal melatonin are fundamentally:

  • Alteration of circadian rhythms, such as sleep/wakefulness and activity/rest. We can therefore speak of an aging of the circadian system due to melatonin deficiency, affecting our biological clock in an increasingly important way.
  • Moreover, as melatonin synchronizes the rhythms of brain neurotransmitters, its decrease directly affects cognitive abilities, which can lead, for example, toseasonal depression.

This is where the use of melatonin to restore its physiological levels has enormous utility in preventing the circadian dysfunctions of aging.

UBIQUINOL. COENZYME Q10

Its main functions are to maintain the cellular oxidative balance and to transport electrons for the correct functioning of numerous intra- and extracellular reactions. In this way, a proper balance is achieved in our internal environment. To maintain an adequate balance between intracellular and extracellular oxidation, it is necessary to have adequate CoQ10 levels.

In fact, it has already been demonstrated that a deficit in these levels can favor the appearance of homeostatic imbalances that in the future could lead to the appearance of a disease. As an example:

  • A deficit of this molecule favors the appearance of insulin resistance at the adipocyte, muscle and liver levels. Those patients who were supplemented with CoQ10 to adequate levels had improved insulin resistance (3). Moreover, it has been shown how supplementation with this molecule is able to improve basal glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels (4).
  • It has been scientifically demonstrated how those patients supplemented with CoQ10 show an improvement in their cardiac function and in the clinical course of the disease. Conversely, low levels correlated with clinical worsening (5).
  • And it is not only at the level of pathologies that CoQ10 is necessary. In a recent study with athletes (6), supplementation allowed an optimization of muscle work in these athletes and decreased their need for recovery by improving their level of cellular oxidation more rapidly.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FOLLOWING THIS REST TREATMENT AT NEOLIFE?

There is a large body of scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of melatonin as a sleep/wake rhythm regulator, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenger.

PREVENTION OF DISEASES RELATED TO THE AGING PROCESS:

  • Helps in neurodegenerative processes during aging (pathologies such as Parkinson’s, epilepsy and Alzheimer’s).
  • Prevents cancer: it has important oncostatic actions, since it induces cell death of tumor cells, stimulating apoptosis.
  • It is useful against diabetes and reduces insulin resistance.

CELLULAR BENEFITS:

  • Endogenous antioxidant – much more effective than other classical antioxidants such as N-acetylcysteine, vitamin C or vitamin E.
  • Potent systemic anti-inflammatory.
  • Counteracts the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation.

PHYSICAL BENEFITS:

  • Regulator of sleep and circadian rhythms: reduction of sleep latency, reduction in the number and duration of alertness periods during the night and improvement of subjective sleep quality.
  • Increases ATP production by muscle mitochondria, improving muscle performance and preventing muscle damage due to oxidative stress during physical effort.

MENTAL BENEFITS:

  • Provides antidepressant properties.
  • Jet Lag Disorders.

SKIN BENEFITS:

  • Increased skin defense capacity
  • Protection of the skin against damage caused by environmental pollution or ionizing radiation.such as UV. Protects keratinocytes, melanocytes and Langerhans cells from UV-induced damage. It also protects the fibroblasts of the dermis by increasing the synthesis of collagen and elastin, as well as the production of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans.
  • Melatonin exerts these protective effects on the skin because it has a higher antioxidant capacity than other antioxidants., as vitamin C or vitamin E and lacks their pro-oxidant effects. It is a molecule that produces an antioxidant cascade by scavenging free radicals and generating metabolites that, in turn, are also antioxidants.
  • Melatonin has important anti-apoptotic and oncostatic properties and may prevent skin neoplasms induced by excessive UV radiation. Prevents damage generated by radiotherapy in the oral mucosa, avoiding the appearance of mucositis.