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Acetaldehyde
Acetaldehyde is a toxic substance produced in the
body from alcohol and is one of the impurities found in cheap wine and
'moonshine' spirits. Its effects are often felt as a 'hangover'.
Acetaldehyde is also found in cigarette smoke, and is produced by the
yeast Candida albicans, which may account for much of the malaise
experienced by those with a heavy overgrowth of this yeast in their
intestines, since the acetaldehyde will be absorbed from their
intestines into the bloodstream, to be circulated throughout the body.
Alcohols and aldehydes are formed as intermediary metabolites
during the body's normal processes of detoxification. If the liver's
detoxification pathways are impaired, aldehydes can, instead of being
converted to the next intermediate product, build up to harmful levels
and cause much damage since they are often more toxic than the original
substances from which they are derived.
Acetaldehyde is said to destroy vitamins B1, B6 and C.
Supplements of these nutrients, together with the amino acid cysteine,
may help the liver to detoxify acetaldehyde.
Acetyl CoA (also see Energy production)
Acetyl CoA is an intermediate product in the
production of energy. It can be formed from pyruvate (which in turn is
formed from glucose or glycerol), or from fats or some of the amino acids. It enters the Krebs cycle where its energy is released by oxidation.
Acetylcholine
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter - a chemical
involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. It is made from a
combination of acetyl with the nutrient choline, and is required for
many functions, particularly memory and intestinal peristalsis.
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme which breaks down
acetylcholine in junctions between nerve cells, is thought to maintain
levels of acetylcholine within safe bounds. Organophosphate pesticides
are known to inhibit this enzyme.
In Parkinson's disease, acetylcholine-containing nerve cells
appear to be improperly controlled. Drugs which inhibit the action of
acetylcholine can ease the symptoms of parkinsonism.
Neurochemical examinations of the brains of individuals dying
with Alzheimer's disease show a significant reduction in acetylcholine
and the enzymes associated with both its synthesis and destruction, in
the parts of the brain most severely damaged by the disease.
Adapted from the Nutritional Health Bible by Linda Lazarides Download the whole database |
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