Calming Magnesium (Magnesium Bisglycinate)
Magnesium is an essential mineral for the proper functioning of the body. The name magnesium originates from the Greek city of Magnesia, where this element was first discovered in 1755. It is the 8th most abundant element on Earth, constituting about 2% of the Earth's crust. It has a naturally sour taste, which is also present in mineral waters. We find it in every cell of a green plant, and (magnesium ions are present) also in every cell of the human body. Our body needs magnesium for more than 300 biochemical processes, such as energy production and nucleic acid synthesis, maintaining the correct heart rhythm, and blood pressure. It's hard to find a process in the body that magnesium does not affect.
B3 - example that food is medicine
Niacin was long considered a mere part of the diet until it was discovered that its deficiency causes skin, digestive, and mental problems known as pellagra. Doctor Goldberger proved that the cause of this disease is not an infection but a one-sided diet without vitamin B3. He conducted an experiment on himself and his colleagues, who consumed exclusively poor diets and began to show symptoms of pellagra. However, when they added nutrients rich in niacin to their diet, the symptoms disappeared. In 1937, niacin was isolated from the liver, confirming its importance and nutritional value.
Do we need the 'sunshine' vitamin D3 only in winter?
When you feel the sun's rays on your skin, know that your body is creating one of the most important vitamins - D3, which was discovered thanks to centuries of research. The discovery of vitamin D3 became one of the most significant medical achievements of the 20th century, saving millions of lives: It was the year 1650 and in the streets of London, doctors noticed that more and more children were suffering from a strange disease called rickets (their bones were weak and brittle, legs deformed, growth slowed). It wasn't until 1919 that Dr. Huldschinsky exposed children with rickets to ultraviolet light and their bones began to heal! Three years later, biochemist McCollum discovered a substance that prevented rickets and called it vitamin D. Gradually, the existence of the most important form of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) was discovered.
The First of Vitamins - B1
Maybe it's burnout ... that's the current description of the state when we feel different. When the coffee we loved no longer works and in the afternoon we are overwhelmed by unbearable fatigue, when in the evening we have no strength for anything, neither for sports nor for friends. And certainly not for another day at work. A nutritionist would describe this state with further findings of our diet with the words - „ You have a lack of thiamine (B1), which is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system and the conversion of food into energy. Your diet is full of processed carbohydrates, but almost without B1. And when the body doesn't have enough thiamine, you can feel fatigue, forgetfulness, irritability, and even anxiety. And caffeine? It depletes thiamine in the body even more!“ We certainly wouldn't think that this state could be caused by a “triviality”. After all, many of us don't register thiamine, I admit it was also my case. This first of the discovered vitamins in 1912 was named by the Polish biochemist Funk with the term vita (necessary for life), amine (substances that contain nitrogen). Since then, it has gained more names, like aneurin, and for 25 years we have called it thiamine. It is essential, meaning it cannot be synthesized and must come from the diet. It sounds almost frightening that without it we wouldn't survive longer than a few days, at most weeks. This is because the body cannot store it for long and it is necessary to ensure its intake regularly, as it is irreplaceable for the proper functioning of the organism. On the contrary, its abundance helps improve concentration and memory.
Cordyceps - Zombie in Reality
Cordyceps sinensis - this is our zombie predator. In China, it is called "in winter insects, in summer herbs." Imagine a fungus that during reproduction in summer shoots its spores (seeds), which attach to the insect's body. It gradually grows throughout and parasitizes it, devours it from the inside out, with the insect still alive, even altering its outer appearance but still foraging until it retreats underground where it dies and mummifies. The fungus can survive in it for a longer period. The fungus literally controls the host's body, growing out of its body in summer, forming slender "sticks" 5-20 cm high. This inspired the video game series Last of Us where the Cordyceps fungus turns humankind into zombies. In real life, this video game unfolds in the actual life of insects. The victims are larvae of butterflies, large ants, spiders...
Maca - Peruvian Ginseng
For ages, people have been trying to find miraculous herbs and mushrooms that would enhance health, cure deadly diseases, and boost male potency. Each culture has its proven aphrodisiacs. Here, oysters or chocolate are especially well-known. Recently, especially with the development of tourism, we gradually also learn about other invigorating means that people use often on the opposite side of the planet. One of the oldest substances for potency support is Maca Peruvian Watercress.
