Do you know your Micron, Micrometre, μm, and Mesh Size?
We try and explain the small things that mean so much.
What is a micron?
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Apr
Apr
29
Mar
Mar
We at Nutraceuticals like to do things a bit different and provide our customers with the tools to make an intelligent choice.
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Mar
Mar
This small, odd-looking ‘new’ berry is thought to have originated millennia ago in the frozen wilderness of Siberia and carried by birds to the northern Japanese Island of Hokkaido, where it was named ‘haskap’ by the indigenous Ainu people, who claimed it as the “the elixir of life and berry of good eyesight”.1,2
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Jan
Jan
A range of skin-loving ingredients from Nutraceuticals
By Jess Martin – Quality System Analyst
Nutritional supplements benefit our bodies both on the inside and outside. A popular and ever in demand ingredient is collagen due to its links in reducing photoaging and promoting youthful-looking skin. However, there are many ingredients that contribute to and promote the production of collagen that shouldn’t be overlooked.
L-Lysine
L-Lysine is an essential amino acid, and one that is necessary in the production of collagen. Collagen is the protein responsible for the shape and mechanical properties of our skin tissue and Lysine is critical for its synthesis and function. It’s essential in the structure of collagen as it acquires numerous enzymatic modifications (post-translational modifications), particularly those that allow links between collagen chains.
L-Lysine can also inhibit collagenases, which are a group of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), which are the main type of enzymes responsible for collagen degradation.
By being able to reduce collagen breakdown, L-Lysine is an excellent companion in supporting wound healing and slowing down the physical symptoms of ageing skin. On the epidermis level, it can facilitate cell proliferation, reduce inflammation, angiogenesis (vascularisation) and has the potential to have antimicrobial effects.
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Oct
Oct
With the world turning more towards a healthier, vegan-friendly and more sustainable diet, it is important to look towards obtaining protein from alternative sources, other than meat and fish. A popular vegan protein source amongst health-conscious individuals are Pea Protein, Brown rice protein and Quinoa Flour, however, there are many other high-quality protein sources that you may not be aware of yet.
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Aug
Aug
What is Vegan Collagen?
Unfortunately, plants do not grow their own collagen. That said, it is exciting to see advancements in science and in recent news it has been reported that researchers have created some genetically modified collagen, using the bacteria P.pastoris [7].
However, what is commercially available, is our Nutraceuticals Base Blend composed of the many amino acids found in fish/bovine collagen (see Table 1) in combination with a number of vitamins, minerals, and herbals as well as sodium hyaluronate which may promote collagen production or optimize skin health generally
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Jul
Jul
Whether it’s Green Tea, Artichoke Leaf, or White Willow Bark Extract 4:1 (Salix alba) Herbal Extracts are where our heart lies and a big part of our character here at Nutraceuticals. In our latest animation, we ask what are extracts and what is the difference between standardised and unstandardised extracts.
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Jun
Jun
What are digestive enzymes and why do we need them?
Enzymes are also known as biological catalysts – increasing the speed of a chemical reaction but without ever being used up in the process. Enzymes have active sites made up of amino acids which are responsible for binding to their specific substrate. Once bound, the substrate is turned into product and the enzyme is free to catalyse other molecules.
Before we dive deeper into the differences between Marine and Fish collagen, we should take a quick look at what collagen is.
Collagen: What is it?
Collagen is a protein formed of long-chain amino acids and is responsible for the structure, function and mechanical properties of the epidermis, cartilage and tendons.
Picture of collagen triple helix
http://aris.gusc.lv/NutritionBioChem/bio_chemistry/images/Collagen.jpg
Behind water, collagen is the largest component in the human body and the largest structural protein in the extracellular matrix in the human body. Collagen breaks down due to ageing and exposure to UV light. The degradation of collagen can begin from the age of 25, leading to the loss of elasticity in the skin and reduced cell turnover. Current evidence suggests that supplementing with collagen can reduce the symptoms associated with lack of collagen including: fine lines, wrinkles, inflammation and stiff joints.
The 3 most common types of collagen are:
● Type I – Found in the body, artery and corneas – the most abundant collagen in the body
● Type II – Found in cartilage and makes up to 50%
● Type III – Found in the epidermis, artery walls and internal organs
Fish collagen comes under Type I collagen and is a popular choice in the health and beauty industry as it can be absorbed up to 1.5 times more efficiently and its bio-availability is superior than collagen derived from bovine and porcine sources (Khan et al., 2009), meaning a better anti-ageing influence.
Clearly, space travel is no holiday for the human body. Whilst perhaps not a primary line of defence, there are a myriad of nutritional supplements that could help astronauts survive the harsh environmental pressures of space travel.
But perhaps most importantly, a taste of space can help you too:
Our colourful range of herbals, my favourite being the galaxy coloured Haskap Berry Fruit Powder (Lonicera caerulea L.), are packed with antioxidants. On our earlier blog you’ll find that they contain 30 times more cyanidin-3-glucoside (a major antioxidant) than even blackcurrants. We also have a very fine selection of Vitamin B9 Folic Acid supplements in synthetic or natural form – whatever your preference!