Sleep Perfect Pro

Sleep Perfect Pro is a vegetarian formula with a biphasic delivery system that releases melatonin quickly and then steadily. Melatonin is naturally produced in the pineal gland in response to changes in light exposure; it helps promote healthy sleep patterns as well as antioxidant and immune activities. Sleep Perfect Pro can support these functions by helping to maintain normal levels of melatonin in the body.*

Melatonin is a neurohormone produced from tryptophan by the pineal gland when it is stimulated by darkness. While melatonin regulates many other hormones; its primary function appears to be regulation of the body’s daily and annual biological rhythms.* Oral supplementation has been shown to have some benefit with regard to time to sleep onset, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency.[1] Noteworthy advantages over pharmaceutical sleep aids are improved performance upon waking and the absence of memory impairment. [2,3] According to studies, daytime melatonin supplementation by travelers crossing time zones and/or shift workers also promotes sleep.*[4] Research has shown that melatonin not only fights free radicals during sleep, but also stimulates the body’s own antioxidant systems. For example, it reduced harmful oxidized cholesterol (LDL) in postmenopausal women.[5] Melatonin’s antioxidant capacity also accounts for its role as a neuroprotectant. By delivering antioxidant benefits and correcting the circadian rhythm, melatonin could support cognitive function.*[6,7] A decrease in plasma melatonin correlates with a decline in immune function in some individuals beginning around the age of sixty. Interestingly, lymphoid cells are an important physiological source of melatonin in humans.The hormone appears to stimulate production of T helper (TH) cells and their release of interleukin-2, gamma interferon and opiod peptides.[8] Considering the decline in melatonin synthesis with age, exogenous supplementation with the hormone has long been of interest in anti-aging protocols.*[9,10] The addition of pyridoxine in this formula supports the biosynthesis of melatonin and may also enhance dream recall.* The biphasic delivery system consists of 1mg of melatonin in the coating solution and the remainder in the tablet core. The melatonin in the coating solution is immediately released upon digestion. The melatonin in the tablet core is released over a 6-hour period. The tablet core contains a tableting agent, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose that works by forming a gel layer when hydrated. This gel layer acts as a diffusion barrier to control the rate of release of the melatonin in the tablet core. As the tablet travels through the intestine, the gel layer slowly erodes to release the melatonin, which then is available for absorption in the intestine.*

Mood Support ES

Mood Support ES™ combines key B vitamins, including 5-MTHF as Quatrefolic® and Albion® di-magnesium malate, with critical amino acids to support overall central nervous system health, calmness, and a positive mood.*

B Vitamins – Due to their involvement in the synthesis of chemicals crucial to brain function, B vitamins are essential to mental and emotional well-being. Because B vitamins are water soluble and not stored by the body, dietary or supplementary sources are critical to maintaining optimal levels. In addition, B vitamins can be destroyed or used at a higher rate with consumption of alcohol, refined sugars, nicotine, and caffeine.

Mood Support ES provides vitamin B6 in its principal coenzyme form, pyridoxal 5’-phosphate (P5P); vitamin B12 in its readily bioavailable form, methylcobalamin; and folate in the form of 50% calcium folinate and 50% Quatrefolic®. Quatrefolic is a form of 5-MTHF (5-methyltetrahydrofolate) that is proven to have greater stability, solubility, and bioavailability than calcium salt forms.* Folate and vitamins B6 and B12 are needed for proper methylation, a vital and fundamental process involved in many biochemical pathways such as the conversion of homocysteine back to methionine or to cysteine. Adequate intakes of these B vitamins plus a healthy metabolic conversion of folate to 5-MTHF support the maintenance of homocysteine levels within the normal range. Moreover, healthy homocysteine levels, as well as healthy serum B-vitamin levels, have a role in nerve health and have been associated with normal psychological function, mood, and cognition.[1-3]

Because 5-MTHF can cross the blood-brain barrier and may be better utilized by those with genetic variations in folate metabolism, 5-MTHF may be particularly well-suited to supporting healthy neurotransmission and promoting healthy homocysteine levels already within the normal range.* Pyridoxine nutritional status selectively modulates central production of both serotonin and GABA.[4]

Other neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine are also synthesized using P5Pdependent enzymes.* Magnesium As a cofactor for over 325 enzymes in the body, magnesium has a multitude of actions, including a calming effect on the nervous system. Laboratory, animal, and epidemiological research suggests a link between magnesium sufficiency and a healthy mood and calm demeanor.[5,6] A suboptimal intake of magnesium could potentially cause intraneuronal magnesium deficits that affect neuronal integrity and function.*

GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter found in 30%-40% of the brain synapses. It helps calm the brain by neutralizing the excitatory effects of glutamate. It is thought that either low GABA levels or decreased GABA function in the brain may have an adverse impact on neurological health. Optimal levels of GABA support normal delta (deep) sleep and have been associated with healthy mood.*[7]

5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) 5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates many normal brain activities, supports healthy production of norepinephrine and dopamine, and assists with supporting healthy mood and behavior. In addition, a review of studies investigating serotonergic neurotransmission suggests that increasing serotonin availability may assist in weight management as it relates to periodic carbohydrate cravings.*[8] In the synthesis of serotonin, tryptophan is converted into 5-HTP by the enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase. Supplementation with 5-HTP bypasses this rate-limiting conversion. Oral 5-HTP is well-absorbed in the intestine without the need for a transporter; other amino acids do not compete with it for absorption. It easily crosses the blood-brain barrier, is not degraded by the enzymes that degrade tryptophan, and it is excreted through the kidneys.*[9,10]

Muscle Calm

Muscle Calm is designed to help relax tight/spastic muscles and ease occasional discomfort from overworked muscles. It features botanical extracts traditionally used to calm nerves and muscles and address occasional sleeplessness plus minerals to support healthy muscular contraction and relaxation.*

For some individuals, even minor joint and muscular discomfort can make bedtime challenging. This specialized neuromuscular formulation features a select combination of botanical extracts traditionally used for calming, relaxation, and occasional sleeplessness complemented by bioavailable minerals that influence muscular contraction and relaxation. The combination of ingredients in Muscle Calm has yielded positive clinical results in similar products.*

Botanicals Valerian Extract Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) root has enjoyed broad historical applications, including for muscle pain and spasms, nervousness, stress, and occasional sleeplessness. Its effects can be attributed to its calming and soothing influence on the nervous system.[1-3] Among the root’s more than 150 possibly synergistic constituents, perhaps the most well understood are the valepotriates and valerenic acid. Valerenic acid binds to gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in the central nervous system, which produces a calming effect.[3,4] GABA is the primary neurotransmitter involved in increasing the production of alpha waves (associated with a relaxed, yet mentally focused state) while decreasing beta waves (related to hyperactivity, nervousness, and fleeting thoughts). Valerian also shows effects on receptors for melatonin, the hormone that regulates the body’s sleep-wake cycle.*[5]

Passion Flower Extract Passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) has a long history of traditional use for its calming and relaxing properties, and early evidence from both animal studies and human trials support these uses.[7-11] The flavonoids in passion flower generate activity at the brain’s receptors for GABA and benzodiazepines, which theoretically contribute to the calming and restful effects.*[5]

Hops Extract Hops are the female seed cones of the hop species Humulus lupulus, a medicinal plant used for a variety of purposes, including calming and relaxation. Although minimal evidence supports hops as a monotherapy, studies combining hops with valerian[6,12] and hops with valerian plus passion flower have shown a modest improvement of sleep measures. In a 14-day randomized controlled trial (n = 91), a combination of hops extract (30 mg), valerian extract (300 mg), and passion flower extract (80 mg) taken at bedtime increased total duration of sleep, decreased nighttime awakenings, and reduced sleep latency.*[13]

Sour Cherry Powder Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus) is known to be rich in anthocyanins and polyphenolic compounds. Data also suggest that sour cherry naturally contains melatonin, which is critical in regulating the sleep-wake cycle.[14] Several preliminary studies have also suggested sour cherry juice or freeze dried concentrate may ease post-exercise muscle soreness.*[15-17]

Minerals Magnesium (TRAACS® magnesium bisglycinate chelate and magnesium taurate) Magnesium is provided as patented Albion® TRAACS® bisglycinate chelate comprised of magnesium bound to amino acids to create a chelate plus magnesium taurate. TRAACS chelates appear to be more readily absorbed through the intestinal mucosa than other mineral forms making an excellent delivery system for magnesium.*[18] As a cofactor for over 300 enzyme pathways, magnesium has a multitude of actions including a calming effect on the nervous system and the regulation of muscle contraction, which have both been demonstrated in animal and human studies.[19,20] Magnesium affects permeability of excitable membranes and thereby acts as a “gatekeeper” to excitatory neurotransmitters.[20] In addition to interacting with the GABA receptor, magnesium plays a role in the inhibition of the excitotoxin N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and thus promotes restfulness.*[21,22]

Potassium (Albion® potassium glycinate complex) Potassium is the most abundant intracellular electrolyte found in the body and is important for many functions, including muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmission.* Calcium (Carbonate) Calcium carbonate is an excipient used in Muscle Calm as a densifier. When present at greater than 2% of the Daily Value, calcium must be declared on a label. Although calcium carbonate is not intended to contribute to the formula’s function, this excipient provides elemental calcium which plays a role in nerve transmission so that muscles and nerves function properly.*

REFERENCES

Sleep Perfect Pro

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Mood Support ES

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Muscle Calm

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