The gut and brain are constantly communicating and influencing each other. This interaction is called the gut-brain axis. It means that what goes on in the gut can affect how the brain performs, influencing how we think, feel and behave. In this article, we explore the gut-brain connection and how the brain and the gut, our second brain, influence each other.

In 1958, Jack Preiss and Philip Handler published a scientific paper describing how NAD⁺ was made from niacin in three steps.(1) This pathway was later named the Preiss-Handler pathway after the co-discoverers. It describes the enzyme steps needed to convert niacin into the NAD⁺ molecule.

In this article, we’re going to learn about mitohormesis, the activity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as signaling molecules, and how and why ROS can be both beneficial and harmful. We will also discuss what leads to excessive ROS production and accumulation, how this associates with aging, and where antioxidants fit into the equation. Lastly, we’ll discuss nutritional strategies that can support the antioxidant defenses cells and mitochondria use to protect themselves against excessive ROS.

Similar to many other cellular processes, the creation of new mitochondria (a process called mitochondrial biogenesis), and the interacting pathways that influence it, suffers with aging. This is the bad news. The good news is that there are things we can do to better support maintaining a fitter mitochondrial network.

The gut microbiota influences many aspects of human physiology, from metabolism, to the cardiovascular system or the nervous system, for example. In this article, we focus on the interaction between the gut microbiota and our immune system.

Even with our staggering growth in technology and science, there’s a good chance we won’t make it to the year 2100. Change isn’t happening fast enough. The fate of humanity can no longer be left to politics or policy. Growth needs to start on a personal scale. We need, at a fundamental level, to become better humans.

Join us as we explore interval workouts for longevity, how aromatherapy impacts food cravings, the link between mitochondrial fitness and mental health, and why your brain is begging for a little downtime in this edition of Neurohacking Advancements. 

In this article, we’re going to introduce an indirect way of supporting NAD⁺. Rather than making more, this article will be teaching you about using less. Using less requires downregulating a protein called cluster of differentiation 38 (CD38 for short). When CD38 is not as active, less NAD⁺ is used by it. The result is higher NAD⁺ levels and greater NAD⁺ availability for important healthy aging uses.

In honor of Stress Awareness month we bring you twelve simple, yet effective, ways to get our bodies, minds, and souls back on track, especially when we are under high stress.

Supercharge your cells for better aging each morning with this nutrient-packed smoothie. This berry smoothie recipe is packed with antioxidants, protein, collagen, and Eternus to deliver focus, energy, and mitochondrial support. It's the perfect concoction to jumpstart your day!

The NAD⁺ form of the molecule is required for certain cellular signaling reactions that change the way cells behave. Unlike redox, where the molecule is conserved, the NAD⁺ molecule is broken apart or “consumed” when used for signaling. It’s these NAD⁺ consumption uses that have been a main reason for the resurgence of scientific interest in strategies to boost NAD⁺.

We all age. But, we don’t all age at the same rate. From a bottom-up point of view, we are a complex colony of tens of trillions of individual cells. We care about what healthier cells allows the body to do better. Qualia Life is our solution to cell support for better aging. 

Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Southern Ginseng) is an herb attributed with having ginseng status. Until fairly recently Gynostemma pentaphyllum was used primarily in mountainous regions of southern China and northern Vietnam. It’s been described as the "immortality herb,” because people within Guizhou Province, where herbal teas made from the plant are consumed regularly, are said to have a history of unusual longevity. 

I was recently interviewed for the PureJoy podcast.  We talked about all the things they cover on that podcast; health, wellbeing, our products, and human optimization.  It was all things I'm very interested in both professionally and personally.  Towards the end of the recording Elaina Love, the host, asked me a great question, (paraphrasing)  "What are you working on perfecting about yourself now?

I paused for a moment to think about my answer and what areas of my life I'm working on and perfecting and it hit me.

Not being so damn perfect

There’s an old quote by Mark Twain that goes

I Am an Old Man and Have Known a Great Many Troubles, But Most of Them Never Happened

This quote is probably misattributed to Twain as there is much speculation about who actually said it first ranging from Thomas Jefferson to English author Martin Farquhar Tupper, Seneca, Winston Churchill, James A. Garfield, and more.

The source of the quote doesn’t matter.  Its truth resonates as it was probably thought, written and spoken by many men throughout history in slightly different forms.

The point of the quote is we do not live in reality.  We live our lives in the stories we tell.

You have less than a hundred days until the end of the year.  Or maybe less, depending on when you are reading this.

Of course it’s all arbitrary.  The end of the year or the beginning of the next is just a day like any other.  But as the time passes and we see and set dates for our goals and dreams, we are reminded of the work we want to do and the world we wish to create for ourselves.

What are your goals for the next 100 days?

ElevATP® is a proprietary, clinically researched combination of a water extract of “ancient peat” (fossilized plants) and apple extract. The ancient peat contains 70 elements and is especially rich in carbon, magnesium, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. ElevATP® is a clinically tested product with human studies for sports performance, body composition, and elevating ATP.

Strawberries are a good source of polyphenols. The seeds are an even better source. We made sure to source an extract standardized for at least 2% polyphenols. Studies of this extract suggest it might support healthy skin, weight, metabolism, and other functions needed for healthy aging.* Strawberry polyphenols would also be expected to support antioxidant defenses and overall cellular health.* But the main reason we included the strawberry seed extract is because it is a source of a specific flavonoid called tiliroside.

Citrus × sinensis is the group of oranges that includes the commonly eaten navel orange and the blood orange. The peels and fruit are a rich source of citrus bioflavonoids. But our interest went beyond just including a generic citrus bioflavonoid mixture. What we were really interested in is a specific polymethoxylated flavone called nobiletin. Nobiletin has been identified as clock-enhancing small molecule, so is a key nutrient to support body clock functions.

Rutin is a type of polyphenol called a flavonoid glycoside. It’s composed of quercetin and the disaccharide rutinose. It’s also called rutoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and sophorin. While it’s found in a wide variety of plants, including citrus, foods with the highest concentrations of rutin include capers, black olives, buckwheat, and asparagus. The most common use of rutin has been for supporting healthy veins. But it does much more.

Apigenin belongs to the flavone class of polyphenol compounds. It is one of the more common flavones in the diet, found in many fruits and vegetables, including celery and parsley. It’s also found in high amounts in the flowers used to make chamomile tea.

β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate (HMB) is a metabolite of l-leucine (an essential amino acid). As we get older, muscle size, strength, and performance decline. This can occur even if we continue to exercise. HMB has been used as an ergogenic substance (i.e., something that supports improved sports performance) for more than 20 years, with most of the research focused on supporting muscle performance and helping muscles age better. 

Rosemary is a member of the mint family. Its common name derives from Latin and translates as “dew of the sea,” because it thrives close to the coast in dryer areas throughout the Mediterranean. It was used as a spice and folk medicine by Egyptians, Greeks, and Latin cultures. While rosemary contains a range of health-supporting polyphenols, including carnosol, carnosic acid, and rosmarinic acid, our main interest was in a triterpene in rosemary called ursolic acid, which supports muscle performance.

Kaempferia parviflora is found in the upper northeastern regions of Thailand. It is commonly called black ginger, because of the intense purple-black color and similar shape of the roots to ginger. The traditional use has been as a health tonic and energy enhancer leading to it sometimes being called “Thai ginseng.” The novel active constituents are polymethoxyflavonoids polyphenols. 

Theobroma cacao can be translated as chocolate, food of the gods. This tree is native to the tropical regions of the Americas. The beans are the source of the cocoa used to make chocolate. But this extract is more than simply a pleasure for our tastebuds. Over the past decade chocolate has had a blossoming reputation as being heart healthy. As it turns out, it might also be good for our mitochondrial structure and function.