GENERAL HEALTH

Introduction Although the properties of Rhodiola root have always been known by the local population of the Arctic and mountainous areas where it grows, its rise to fame as an anti-stress plant is relatively recent. Let’s learn a little more about the so-called “golden root” or “Arctic root” and its health benefits, which derive mainly from its ability to improve performance in situations of tiredness, fatigue and stress. What is Rhodiola? Its botanical name is Rhodiola rosea because, if cut or broken, it emits a rose-like scent. It is between 20 and 30 centimeters tall and its leaves are bluish-green. It blooms in summer, with the male flowers being yellow or orange and the female flowers being dark maroon tones. This plant does not have an easy and comfortable life, as it lives in cold climates and thrives in remote places that are difficult to access, such as in the rocky crevices of mountains, on steep cliffs or in the icy tundra. His favourite locations are around the Arctic, such as Greenland, Iceland or the Scandinavian countries. It is also found in the north of the United Kingdom and in high mountain ranges such as the Himalayas, the Rocky Mountains, the Carpathians, the Apennines, the Andes or the Pyrenees. As you can see, Rhodiola inhabits places where living must be very stressful… But it adapts. This ability to adapt is transmitted through its active ingredients, making it what is known as an adaptogenic plant. What is an adaptogenic plant? Adaptogenic plants are those that improve the body’s ability to adapt to prolonged environmental stressors. They relieve fatigue and asthenia in the face of a heavy daily workload and reduce the stress caused by the speed of modern life. Although these plants were already known in traditional Chinese medicine as “superior tonics”, the first to coin the term “adaptogen” was the Russian Nicolav Nazarev, a pharmacologist who worked for the former Soviet Union with the mission of finding substances to increase physical and mental resistance to the stress suffered by combatants in World War II and, later, that of Soviet astronauts and athletes during the tense years of the Cold War. This scientist investigated the adaptogenic properties of a plant called Schisandra chinensis, and opened up a new classification of metabolic regulators that would later include Eleutherococcus, Ginseng and our star plant today: Rhodiola. Much more than an anti-stress plant: Rhodiola’s ability to improve physical and intellectual ability was already known to the Eskimo peoples of North America, who consumed Rhodiola rhizomes for food. Apparently, the Vikings also took it to increase their strength and endurance in hard battles, and later in Norway Rhodiola was used to combat alopecia, pneumonia and also as a diuretic. In other areas where Rhodiola grows, it has traditionally been used to fight depression, reduce tiredness, and treat male impotence and infertility in women. These are all reasons for stress, and stress, in turn, leads to depression, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction. Rhodiola can help you get out of this loop of anxieties. How does Rhodiola work? As we have seen, the benefits of Rhodiola have been known for centuries. It is now known that its adaptogenic effects are mainly due to the active ingredients of the rhizome and root of Rhodiola and are attributed to the effect of these substances on neuronal neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, as well as on certain endorphins. Because of this, Rhodiola rosea improves physical and intellectual performance and strengthens the ability to manage anxiety in stressful situations. The antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of Rhodiola and its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and cell-protective power have also been demonstrated. Considering its properties to adapt to seasons of stress and overwork, it is easy to understand why Rhodiola is becoming a very interesting therapeutic alternative in a society in which anxiety, depression and apathy are so entrenched. Benefit of Taking Rhodiola Many people’s day-to-day lives consist of a long working day after which they come home exhausted and without the time or strength to pay attention to their partner, their family or themselves. This exhausting dynamic causes great vital dissatisfaction and permanent tiredness, so that on many occasions leisure moments, if any, are not dedicated to something productive that generates joy and fulfillment, but to evasive behaviors that only worsen the situation of internal unrest. Taking Rhodiola gives us more strength to cope with daily stress, improve our resistance to fatigue and not fall into apathy. It can help us to modify little by little, and doing our part, what in our life generates anxiety and lack of energy, because we will have a more balanced state of mind to face the changes we want to make. As the problems caused by stress and anxiety are so widespread, Rhodiola is indicated in many situations related to or derived from this state of constant nervousness. Let’s look at some examples: Improve performance at work: If you’re in a busy season, Rhodiola helps you lower feelings of stress, concentrate more, and combat mental fatigue. This is also true for students under high doses of pressure during exams. Studies of students who were in good health found that after four weeks of taking Rhodiola, they scored better than those in the placebo group. Of course, they had also studied! Soothe the symptoms of depression: it has been proven that Rhodiola has a positive influence on this disabling pathology according to studies that show that, after 6 weeks of taking Rhodiola, symptoms of mild or moderate depression such as insomnia and emotional instability improve. There have also been studies comparing the benefits of Rhodiola compared to antidepressants such as sertraline, concluding that the effects of the plant are milder, but effective and with fewer adverse effects than pharmacological treatment. Increase libido: A fast-paced lifestyle and no time to relax can lead to a lack of sexual appetite that leads to internal conflicts and conflicts with the partner. Before this situation sets in for good due to stress,

The Role of Magnesium and Vitamin D3 in Stress and Immunity In these times, more than ever, we need a strong body and a resilient mind, capable of dealing with the demands of the environment and the constant changes we face. In addition to the contributions of nutrition to health and well-being, more and more is known about the relationship between our mental state and the integrity of the defense system: the immune system. Next, you will be able to understand in greater detail the main functions of this wonderful system, as well as the nervous system, and you will learn about two micronutrients that are essential for the proper functioning of both. Read! The Immune System Your body has several mechanisms to defend itself against threats from the environment. The first of these is part of the so-called “Innate Immunity”, the one you are born with and is made up of the physical barriers of protection, that is, the skin – including its secretions and hairs – and the mucous membranes of your digestive and respiratory system. The second line of defense, also innate, is made up of numerous mobile cells that are formed in the bone marrow, but then inhabit different tissues to fight microorganisms and toxins that have managed to cross the first barrier of protection, thus preventing them from spreading through the blood. Thirdly, there is “acquired immunity”, that constituted by an army of much more specialized cells that are recruited throughout life, as contact is made with a certain agent of harm. It is slower, but much more powerful than innate immunity, and is able to remember its functions in the future, which is why if you get chickenpox in childhood, it will never happen again! The Nervous System The nervous system is a network of extremely sensitive and complex “electrical wires” called “nerves” that connect the various parts of the body. Behind the function of each tissue, there is always the influence of the nervous system. The brain, a large organ located inside the skull, integrates the information of what we perceive of the environment through the senses, and what we perceive internally, and accordingly, it issues orders for the body to respond as necessary. Thus, it allows the movement of muscles, the secretion of hormones and the maintenance of basic vital parameters. Adaptation to stress involves both the nervous system and the hormonal system. The first acts quickly, releasing adrenaline and noradrenaline, and the second, a little slower, releasing the famous cortisol. Both, in turn, directly influence the capacity of the immune system. Every time our body suffers physical or psychological stress, these mechanisms will be activated that will try to take the body to a new state that allows us to adapt and find a balance. However, when stress is maintained for a long time, these mechanisms become dysregulated and depleted, causing various problems such as depression, anxiety, frequent infections, skin problems, gastrointestinal problems, among others. The Importance of Magnesium Magnesium for Stress Management Magnesium is an essential mineral, which means we must obtain it through our diet. It plays an important role throughout the body, participating in more than 300 chemical reactions to maintain internal balance. In the nervous system, magnesium is crucial for communication between neurons and its deficiency has been associated with depression, anxiety, memory loss and also an altered response of the neurohormonal system that regulates stress that you read about above. Magnesium supplementation has been shown to be beneficial for improving sleep quality, muscle health, regulating digestion – everything that is altered when you are stressed, have you noticed? – and also improves mood and decreases anxiety symptoms, among other benefits. Magnesium to boost the immune system Magnesium is involved in protecting and repairing DNA, which is damaged when there is a lot of inflammation in your body. It also helps macrophages (defense cells) eliminate harmful agents, the mobility of defense cells, and participates in the formation and action of antibodies. How much magnesium do we need? Nutrition guidelines recommend a daily intake of 400 to 420 mg of magnesium per day for men, and 310 to 320 mg for women. However, while magnesium is found in multiple food sources, given the high frequency of deficiency, daily supplementation with at least 100 mg per day is recommended. Food Sources of Magnesium Animal sources: salmon, chicken, raw egg, yogurt and milk. Plant-based sources: grains such as oat bran and brown rice, nuts such as Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, and peanuts. Some fruits such as avocado and banana, and other foods such as chickpeas, Swiss chard, and cocoa. Serving ideas: You can make yourself a delicious banana smoothie with cocoa and natural peanut butter for breakfast, and a colorful chard, avocado and mushroom salad with chickpeas and brown rice for your lunch or dinner. Vitamin D: From the Sun to Your Cells Vitamin D and Stress In states of stress, cortisol can decrease the assimilation of ingested vitamin D in food, as well as the “ripening” of immature vitamin D formed in the skin. On the other hand, a vitamin D deficiency has been associated in people with anxiety, depression, attention deficit, and other states of physical stress such as muscle-tendon injuries, cardiovascular disease, among others. Vitamin D to boost the immune system Vitamin D behaves as an important immune regulator. It strengthens antimicrobial activity and helps different cells of the immune system such as monocytes, macrophages and lymphocytes to multiply, move and defend better. It decreases your body’s tendency to self-attack, also known as autoimmunity. On the other hand, vitamin D contributes to maintaining the integrity of physical barriers such as the skin, digestive tract and respiratory tract. Difference Between Vitamin D and Vitamin D3 Vitamin D is made in the body by the contact of ultraviolet B rays with the skin. Then, this “pro” vitamin D must be processed in the liver and kidney to be active, and it is the latter, the so-called Vitamin

Biologically, human beings are prepared to adapt to any alteration of the external environment in order to survive: if we detect a danger or a threat to our survival, a physiological response is triggered in our body that is as powerful as it is instantaneous that stimulates the defense mechanisms that mobilize our energy and make it easier for us to escape. attacking, defending, or protecting our own. Therefore, we can say that these fluctuations in external factors generate physiological responses that are appropriate and positive for the human being: it is what we could call biological stress, and it is completely oriented to survival. However, when a situation of pressure, demand or threat is prolonged over time and becomes a permanent and chronic factor in a person’s life, it triggers what we understand in our society and in a generic way as stress: a mood disorder that causes a negative psychological experience. where a multitude of processes are actively involved in our body. Stress is a very important risk factor for the development of diseases and emotional disorders such as depression, anxiety and many others: unfortunately, these problems are very common in modern society and constitute a great burden on all national health systems. Thus, any improvement in terms of the factors that predispose to the development of stress will constitute the best prevention of possible future diseases and disorders, with the increase that this entails in people’s quality of life. Despite being such a common problem in our world, it is not so easy to detect high levels of stress, especially on the part of the person who suffers from it. This is due to the wide range of symptoms and signs with which stress presents itself in each person: neck or back pain that can lead to contractures, stomach discomfort or digestive problems, hair loss, increased frequency of colds or infections, insomnia and problems falling asleep, tiredness, skin problems such as dermatitis or hives, headaches and even weight changes. One of these factors that directly affects good psychological and cognitive functioning, and therefore a lower predisposition to the development of stress, is diet. Like a wide variety of hormones and neurotransmitters, nutrients directly affect the physical and mental state of human beings, so an adequate supply of them reduces the risk of this type of emotional disorders and, consequently, is associated with an improvement in the quality of life of both healthy and affected people. Particularly important for this purpose are vitamins: the nutrients responsible for the proper functioning and regulation of physiological processes. The body is unable to manufacture most of them, so we must ingest them with our diet. Specifically, and with regard to cognitive and mental activity, the vitamins directly involved in the regulation and proper functioning of biological processes are those belonging to group B: it is scientifically proven that this group is directly involved in the proper functioning of the nervous and brain levels. Supplementation with B vitamins has traditionally been used to improve energy levels, reduce fatigue and, ultimately, feel better to face our demanding day-to-day lives. However, in recent years its use has also been extended towards improving the mental health of patients in general. In fact, there are studies that show that supplementation with high doses of vitamins such as B6, B9 (folic acid) and B12, under certain circumstances, results in a benefit in mood and brain health. As if that were not enough, the absence of these vitamins in the diet has been linked to an increased risk and incidence of depression, a disease that hits our society with virulence. The presence of vitamins B6, folic acid and B12 in foods such as lean meats, fish, green leafy vegetables, legumes and nuts make the Mediterranean diet an ideal option for maintaining good mental health and preventing diseases of all kinds. Therefore, supplementation with these vitamins can contribute both to the prevention and care of the mental health of healthy people, as well as to the treatment together with specific drugs of people in situations of stress, depression or anxiety. The impact of these vitamins on mental health and mood and the numerous research studies on this action are explained by the characterization of B vitamins as cofactors (substances that favor the development of certain processes) of the manufacture and regulation of the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin in our body: two substances directly involved in the regulation of mood and mood, as well as depression and anxiety. In fact, serotonin and dopamine are common targets of drugs used in treatments for depression and other similar mental disorders. Thus, at the brain and mood level, the role of supplementation with vitamins B6, B9 (folic acid) and B12 resides, among other functions, in the care of the state of brain health and the mental health of the human being, thus preventing the development of both mental disorders and diseases of any other type that appear. in many cases, as a result of poor mental health. In addition, in patients affected by stress, anxiety or depression, supplementation with B vitamins is a good aid for antidepressant treatments. By Angel Fernandez Doctor of Pharmacy. Optician, medical translator and science and sports writer. I am very lucky to be able to work with what I am really passionate about thanks to my multidisciplinary training and experience. I believe in communication as the main tool of knowledge. References Whiteford, H.A.; Ferrari, A.J.; Degenhardt, L.; Feigin, V.; You, T. The Global Burden of Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders: An Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. PLoS ONE 2015, 10, e0116820. Jacka, F.N.; Pasco, J.A.; Mykletun, A.; Williams, L.J.; Hodge, A.M.; O’Reilly, S.L.; Nicholson, G.C.; Kotowicz, M.A.; Berk, M. Association of Western and Traditional Diets With Depression and Anxiety in Women. AM. J. Psychiatry 2010, 167, 305-311. Kennedy, D.O. B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dosage, and Efficacy – A Review. Nutrients 2016, 8, 68. Kennedy, D.O.; Haskell, C.F. Vitamins and cognition.

Introduction Are you interested in adopting a healthier lifestyle and have you started buying supplements? Do you think you need help to give energy to the body or for a specific function? Imagine the following scenario: you are walking through a park and you run into an old friend. You start a conversation and you mention that you need to buy vitamins for concentration. She recommends “natural” ones made by an acquaintance of hers at home. A few days later, following his recommendation, you acquire a bottle of “memory vitamins” and start taking them. After 2 months you have not felt any effects beyond abdominal discomfort associated with the intake of the famous vitamins. What happened? As consumers, we expect medicines and supplements to be effective and safe. Many times we are faced with countless options offered on the market and we end up choosing the one with the most colors or the one with the cheapest price. We don’t read labels, or we don’t know how to recognize their compounds. We even assume that the packaging contains all the necessary information to make the decision to buy the product or not. We trust too much. However, if we seek to give our body the best care, we must be responsible and choose what we are going to consume with the best possible quality. In this article, you’ll find all the things you need to know about your supplement before deciding. Read! The quality of the supplements The supplement industry is growing more and more. The consumption of vitamins, minerals and products derived from medicinal plants has become a common practice both among those who wish to supplement their diet, as well as those who require specific support to treat certain conditions or diseases. The problem is that, unlike the pharmaceutical industry, the supplement industry is not regulated with the same requirements. Unstudied and non-certified products can go on sale without major restrictions and be available to anyone. Hence the importance of learning to look at which elements determine the quality of the product we are looking for, and whether or not it is certified by a regulatory entity that guarantees certain production standards. As an additional detail, the requirements to acquire a certification can change in different parts of the globe, so not all of them are synonymous with purity, safety and effectiveness. The origin of the materials When we talk about raw materials, we must ensure that their origin is declared on the product’s packaging and that it complies with adequate production, transport and storage standards. This becomes important when it comes to getting a high-quality product, since not all countries have the same requirements or meet the same requirements when producing certain compounds. When a company is willing to reduce its production costs at the cost of compromising the integrity of its products or the working conditions of its staff, it will not comply with certifications or quality controls. One way to ensure that your supplement complies with a standardized and regulated process is through Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification. This implies that the origin of its raw materials must meet the same standards, resulting in a high-quality final product. GMP Certification Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is applied to the production of medicines, food and cosmetics, among other items. This includes formulation development, stability studies, preparation processes, quality testing, and everything else needed before the product goes on sale They offer a guarantee in quality and ensure that the products are generated in a controlled and regular manner. These regulations attempt to prevent risks of contamination and uncertain mixtures of components, which can result in harmful consequences for the consumer. The regulation of good manufacturing practices is based on European regulations. These are royal decrees and standards of the international harmonization conference, which includes the steps to follow for the correct manufacture of medical products with all the necessary details. Requirements of GMP standards Trained staff. Each person must be qualified to perform process controls. Their functions must be defined and recorded in a procedure. In addition, personnel must be in constant training according to the needs that arise in the manufacturing processes. Those who perform quality control should dedicate themselves exclusively to it. In addition, hygiene protocols are required, the use of appropriate clothing and the handling of products and the consumption of food and cigarettes in the facilities are prohibited. Qualified and calibrated installations and equipment. All procedures must be validated and documented. Facilities should be located in appropriate environments to minimize the risks of contamination. They must follow strict hygiene measures, as well as temperature and ventilation conditions. Premises must be designed to prevent the entry of animals, insects or dust. Conservation of raw materials and proper use of containers and packaging. Production, storage and distribution. Compliance with documented protocols in the handling of raw materials and products. Processes carried out by competent personnel. Packaging with appropriate labelling and processes that avoid errors in the contents. Permanent labels during the manufacture, storage and distribution of products. Cross-contamination prevention measures. Inspection of the condition of containers and packaging in the reception and delivery of materials or products, and their corresponding registration. Documentation. Detailed record of all existing processes. Each record must be in clear and specific language. Documentation of any changes to an established process, with research to document such change. Documents that allow full traceability of the products are also required. Quality Controls. Applied in all decisions during the manufacturing process of a product. It is essential that control is independent of production. Self Inspections. External materials or services required in the production process must also comply with GMP standards, so as not to affect the quality or safety of the products. ISO 22000 Standards The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ), seeks to protect the consumer and ensure food safety. Within this framework, the ISO 22000 standard is the one that determines all the requirements that must be met in the handling