Glutamine for Nutrition and Health.

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Dr. Gary Pack

Sodium nitrite (NaNO2) is a food additive used as a meat preservative and coloring agent. It is commonly used in preserved meats and fish. NaNO2 is toxic to the human body at high doses. Nitrite benefits the body as a nitric oxide (NO) donor and has some positive effects on our bodies at low doses. […]

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Conditions: Carcinogenesis, Liver disease

Supplements: Arginine, Glutamine, Glutathione, Hydrogen peroxide

Foods: Processed food

Miscellaneous: Arginase, Lipoxygenase, Malondialdehyde (MDA), Nitric oxide (NO), Sodium nitrite

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors in Functional Food.

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Dr. Gary Pack

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) can raise blood pressure through the renin-angiotensin system, which alters kidney function. The enzyme is zinc dependent. ACE can hydrolyze and inactivate a nine amino acid blood vessel dilator, bradykinin. Loss of the blood vessel dilation from bradykinin causes some high blood pressure. ACE inhibition can successfully treat hypertension and heart […]

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Conditions: Heart failure, Hypercholesterolemia, Hypertension

Supplements: Antioxidants, Arginine, Bifidobacterium sp., Bioactive peptides, Chymotrypsin, Lactobacillus species, Lactoferrin, Protease enzymes, Trypsin, Zinc

Foods: Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), Canola oil, Cheese, Eggs, Fermented foods, Fish, Functional food, Maize, Meat, Milk, Sorghum, Soybeans, Sunflower oil, Wheat

Miscellaneous: Acetylcholinesterase (ACE) inhibitior, Antithrombotic, Beta-lactaglobulin, Bioactive peptides, Immunomodulatory, Lactalbumin, Nitric oxide (NO)

Treatment of Raynaud’s Phenomenon.

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Dr. Gary Pack

Raynaud’s phenomenon (RP) results from severe spasms of the blood vessels of the fingers and toes when they are exposed to cold. There is an initial white phase caused by the lack of local blood flow. Next, the fingers look bluish and, then, red because of rapid flow back into the fingers. There is pain […]

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Conditions: Gangrene, Necrosis, Raynaud's Phenomenon, Scleroderma, Smokers, Stress, Systemic sclerosis

Supplements: Antioxidants, Arginine, Quercetin

Miscellaneous: Caffeine, Calcium channel blockers, Lifestyle, Nitric oxide (NO), Phosphodiesterase-5, Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, Serotonin, Vasodilators, Viagra

Rhubarb Inhibits Arginase Activity.

Posted on October 31, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

The inner lining of such tissues as blood vessels and airways is called the endothelium. The endothelium regulates blood vessel relaxation and airway volume by control of smooth muscle tone. This tone is regulated by nitric oxide (NO,) which is produced from arginine by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzyme. Arginase enzyme inhibits NOS by […]

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Conditions: Aging, Arginine deficiency, Arteriosclerosis (atherosclerosis), Erectile dysfunction, Sickle cell disease, Vascular disease

Supplements: Arginine, Resveratrol, Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum), Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4)

Miscellaneous: Arginase, Lipoxygenase inhibitor, Nitric oxide (NO), Nitric oxide synthetase

L-Arginine Reduces Mercury Accumulation.

Posted on September 11, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

Organic mercury (Hg2+) is the cause of environmental damage and disease. Exposure to Hg2+ can be due to dental amalgams, seafood, chlor-alkali plants, gold extraction, mercury extraction and mining or mercury thermometers. Hg2+ can seriously impair the immunity. The thymus gland is a target of Hg2+. The thymus is important for T lymphocyte development. The […]

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Conditions: Environmental pollution, Heavy metal toxicity, Immunosuppression, Mercury poisoning

Supplements: Alpha lipoic acid, Amino acids, Arginine, Copper, Cysteine, Glutathione, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), Selenium, Zinc

Foods: Seafood

Miscellaneous: Chelation, Metallothioneins, Nitric oxide (NO), Nitric oxide synthetase, Thymus gland

Arginase: a Key Enzyme in Allergic Asthma.

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

Allergic asthma causes obstruction of bronchi and airway hyperresponiveness (AHR.) Eventually, there are inflammation and remodeling of the airways. The enzyme, arginase, may play a part in this. Reduced availability of arginine may be involved, resulting in problems with bronchoconstriction from reduced levels of nitric oxide (NO.) Arginine deficiency results in increased levels of peroxynitrite, […]

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Conditions: Asthma, Bronchoconstriction, Inflammation

Supplements: Arginine, Citrulline, Ornithine, Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum)

Miscellaneous: Arginase, Nitric oxide (NO), Nitric oxide synthetase, Peroxynitrite, Polyamines, Prolines, Putrescine, Spermidine, Spermine, Urea

L-Arginine in Airway Inflammation in Asthma.

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

Arginine is a conditionally essential amino acid. Sufficient arginine may not be available in asthma due to an imbalance between the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and the arginase enzymes. A deficiency of arginine may cause the airway the hyperresponsiveness (AHR) seen in asthma. The arginase enzyme is increased in asthma. Nitric oxide (NO) is produced […]

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Conditions: Airway hyperresponsiveness, Allergic airway inflammation, Asthma, Inflammation

Supplements: Arginine

Miscellaneous: Arginase, Arginase inhibitors, Nitric oxide synthetase, Peroxynitrite

Bromelain as an Anticancer Agent.

Posted on May 2, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

Much of the medicinal value of pineapple (Ananas comosu) is due to bromelain. It is a mixture of protease enzymes, primarily, which are anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, fibrinolytic (breaks up clots) and anticancer. This article is a review of the known anticancer information about bromelain. Bromelain is a traditional anticancer medicine of Southeast Asia. It is a […]

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Conditions: Breast cancer, Colorectal cancer, Melanoma, Ovarian cancer, Skin cancer

Supplements: Arginine, Bromelain, Protease enzymes

Foods: Pineapple

Miscellaneous: Anti-inflammatory, Anticancer

Arginine and Angiogenesis in Colon Cancer.

Posted on February 6, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

Arginine (Arg) is a nonessential amino acid which has many physiologic functions, especially in regard to nitric oxide (NO) and immunity. An enzyme, nitric oxide synthase (NOS), converts arginine to NO. There is evidence that NO plays a role in the anti-cancer activity of the immune system. On the other hand, NO has been implicated […]

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Conditions: Angiogenesis, Colorectal cancer

Supplements: Arginine

Miscellaneous: Natural killer (NK) cells, Nitric oxide (NO), Nitric oxide synthetase

Prebiotics and Synbiotics in Clinical Medicine.

Posted on August 14, 2009 by Dr. Gary Pack

Pharmaceutical medicine hasn’t solved problems with acute and chronic disease in spite of antibiotics. Little effort has been made to increase patient resistance to disease. Today’s global epidemic of chronic diseases includes arteriosclerosis/coronary heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Yet, there has been a shift away from a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and tubers rich […]

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Conditions: Arteriosclerosis (atherosclerosis), Cancer, Coronary heart disease, Diabetes, Inflammatory disease