Power Pops: We has done some extensive research and the finest ingredients used to make Power Pop. Power Pops are made with Hoodia, Guarana, Citrimax, L-Tyrosine, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin B6. Click on a link below to learn more specifics about each Power Pop ingredient.
Hoodia Gordonii is one of several species of the attractive, succulent Hoodia plants in the Apocynaceae plant family. Hoodia is widely used traditionally by the San people of southern Africa as an appetite suppressant, thirst quencher, cure for severe abdominal cramps, hemorrhoids, tuberculosis, indigestion, hypertension, diabetes, and small infections.
It is native to South Africa and is found mainly in the Kalahari Desert region. The use of Hoodia has long been known by the indigenous populations of Southern Africa. Hoodia Gordonii has been used for generations by the San Tribe of South Africa to stop hunger while they hunted for food during long trips in the desert.
South African Hoodia Gordonii is fast becoming known as the most effective weight loss ingredient available, Hoodia is being recognized by the Western World as The Number One Weight Loss Product. The Gordonii variety of the Hoodia species is the only one that contains the natural appetite suppressant molecule, now identified by scientists as P57!
The stem “core” or “heart” of the Hoodia Gordonii plant species contains the appetite suppressant molecule P57. P57 mimics the effects glucose has on the area of the brain known as the hypothalamus. When you eat, the glucose levels in your brain increase, as the levels rise the hypothalamus sends a signal to the brain telling it to stop eating. This is when you start to feel full Hoodia Gordonii’s active ingredient, P57 as it mimics effect. It makes you feel full without the usual hunger pains that accompany most diets.
If you don’t feel hungry, you don’t eat, thus you consume less and lose weight. Only quality Hoodia Gordonii supplement products are made using only the powdered form of the “heart” of the hoodia plant stem, as this is the part that has been shown to contain the active molecule P57.
A Hoodia Gordonii study conducted in the United Kingdom (UK) that asked a group of morbidly obese people to participate in a “phase 1 unit.” The individuals were placed in a closed-off area where all they were able to do was read, watch television, and eat. Half were given Hoodia Gordonii and half were given a placebo.
Fifteen days later, the group which had been taking the Hoodia Gordonii had reduced their caloric intake by 1000 calories a day – without diet and without exercise.
Are there side effects?
There have been no reported adverse side effects.
The botanical name of Guarana, Paullinia Cupana variety Sorbilis, was originated from C.F. Paullini, who discovered the plant in the 18th century.
Guarana is an herb that has similarities but has nothing to do with caffeine. Its effects are 2.5 to 5.4 times stronger than the caffeine found in coffee, tea, and soft drinks, but are not noticed because of the cool calming, revitalized and relaxed effects that this wonderful herb exhibits.
What makes guaranine unique and opposite from caffeine found in beverages is its slower release. That's because the Guarana seed is fatty (even in powder form) and is not readily water-soluble. Therefore, the body does not quickly absorb it. Since the guaranine is released slowly, the energy boost that is experienced from Guarana is not like that of coffee with its sudden rush and quick drop-off.
Rather, it continues to escalate over hours. Guarana has a long history of use as an energy tonic and for mental acuity enhancement.
Guarana is a berry, the plant is a shrub or small tree in the Sapindaceae family, native to Venezuela and northern Brazil. The seed of the Guarana fruit is a central nervous system stimulant with thermogenic and diuretic properties. Although this plant may grow to be 10 meters in height, when cultivated in the open, it adopts a shrub like habit, growing to be a maximum 2 to 3 meters in height.
It's cultivation dates to the pre-columbian times. The indians, the first inhabitants of the Amazon, domesticated the guarana plant. Botanists actually believe that the current plants, even those found in dense forests, are the remains of indigenous cultivation in the past. Guarana was, amongst others, grown by the Maues and Andira tribes from the 'lower Amazon'.
The guarana plant has divided compound leaves and flowers yellow panicles during the driest months of the year, the fruit ripening about two to three months later. The fruit is pear shaped, three sided, has three-celled capsules with thin partitions and in each a seed like a small horse-chestnut half enclosed in an aril. The seeds form a bunch. When ripe, the fruit is red, with some orange and yellow tones. The fruit then partially opens, showing part of the seeds. The fruit now looks like an eye and this appearance lead to legends told by the indians. At this stage the seeds are harvested, to prevent them from falling on the ground.
Harvesting is done by hand, after that the seeds should be stored in a heap in a shelter for two or three days to allow a slight fermentation. Following this, the shells are removed either by hand or machine and then left to dry in open air or dried artificially. Commercial guarana is produced only from the seeds: all other parts of the fruit are discarded.
Processing Guarana consists of roasting, after the seeds are sieved to be able to roast the seeds more uniformly. Roasting is done preferably in clay ovens for about four to five hours, until the seed reaches about 9% humidity. We have now roasted guarana grain, also known as guarana em rama.
Available forms of Guarana:
Guarana is usually available in four forms:
Guarana em rama, roasted guarana
Simply the roasted seed, as sold by the amazon farmers to cooperative unions, middlemen and industry.
Guarana on a stick:
After roasting, the seed is ground into a powder, mixed with water into a dough, which is subsequently molded onto a stick. These sticks are then dried over a moderate fire until they become hard.
Guarana powder:
After grinding, the powder is sold. This is usually the form it is available in retail outlets, like health shops.
Guarana syrup:
Used for making soft drinks, is also gaining ground. This form is usually limited to larger industries.
Guarana Properties:
Guarana consists of a crystallizable principle, called guaranine, identical with caffeine, which exists in the seeds, united with tannic acid, catechutannic acid starch, and a greenish fixed oil.
Guarana Composition:
Guarana seeds consist of mostly reddish vegetable fiber and resin with a small amount of oil and water. Guarana contains different amounts of caffeine, theobromine, theophylline and other alkaloids, compared to coffee, tea, mate, or cocoa.
Chemicals in Guarana:
Adenine seed:
Ash seed 14,200 ppm:
Caffeine seed 25,000 - 76,000 ppm:
Catechutannic-acid seed:
Choline seed:
D-catechin seed:
Fat seed 30,000 ppm:
Guanine seed:
Guaranine seed:
Hypoxanthine seed:
Mucilage seed:
Protein seed 98,600 ppm:
Resin seed 70,000 ppm:
Saponin seed:
Starch seed 50,000 - 60,000 ppm:
Tannin seed 85,000 - 120,000 ppm:
Theobromine seed 330 ppm:
Theophylline seed 570 ppm:
Timbonine seed:
Xanthine seed:
Uses
Guarana is mainly used as an ingredient in soft drinks and energy drinks. It is also used as a dietary supplement, generally to promote weight loss. In addition, it may be an ingredient in other foods.
Use as a means of weight loss
Guarana has been shown to stimulate the migration of lipids so fat can be burned as energy. In addition to being a fat burner, it can also be considered an appetite suppressant. Guarana aids in a temporary, natural increase in body temperature and metabolic thermogenesis. It does this through nutritional stimulation of the body's receptor pathway. It can induce the breakdown and release of stored body fat thereby allowing stored fats to be turned into energy.
Thermogenesis: The body's production of heat -- a normal part of metabolic processes. Thermogenesis can be enhanced by certain nutritional substances. When stimulated through appropriate dietary supplementation, thermogenesis is also a mechanism that increases metabolic rate. Stored body fat, if released and available for use, can provide the fuel for this increased metabolic rate.
Studies involving guarana show benefits to the function of human-like processing of information, applying knowledge and changing preferences. They have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other similar government agencies. In the United States, guarana holds the GRAS status, which is generally acknowledged as safe by the FDA and must be labeled as not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
The Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics published a study in June 2001 showing an average 11.2 pound weight loss in a group taking a mixture of yerba mate, guarana and damiana, compared to an average 1 pound loss in a placebo group after 45 days.
Beverages
In addition to other chemicals, the guarana plant contains guaranine, theophylline, and theobromine. Water extracts of the guarana plant are central nervous system stimulants due to the content of these alkaloids. Most energy drink manufacturers typically add synthetic caffeine or caffeine derived from coffee decaffeination, though many of these manufacturers advertise "all natural" caffeine from the seeds of guarana.
Guarana soft drinks are very popular in this day and age. Brazil produces several brands of soft drink from guarana extract that contain no added caffeine. Each differs greatly in flavor; some have only a slight guarana fruit taste.
In Brazil, sales of guarana drinks are even greater than that of cola drinks. They are typically fizzy and sweet, with a very fruity aftertaste. Most guarana drinks are produced in Brazil and consumed locally or in nearby countries, such as Paraguay. Major brands include Guarana Antarctica, Guarana Schin from Schincariol and Guarana Brahma from AmBev, Kuat, and Guarana Jesus, a local Brazilian brand named for the druggist that formulated it.
Studies
A study conducted in Brazil of guarana extract, showed a platelet aggregation decrease of up to 37% of control values and a decrease of platelet thromboxane formation from arachidonic acid of up to 78% of control values. This study may be significant to stroke and heart attack risk reduction because when excess thromboxane formation occurs, an arterial blood clot can develop, resulting in a heart attack or ischemic stroke.Also a Brazilian research group has been studying guarana's apparent effect of increasing memory. Its antibacterial properties against E. coli and Salmonella have been documented as well.
In a separate study of guarana's effects on the physical activity of rats showed increased memory retention and physical endurance when compared with a placebo, guarana increased the physical activity of the animals, increased physical endurance under stress, and increased memory with single doses as well as with chronic doses. Interestingly enough, the study revealed that a whole guarana seed extract performed better and more effectively than did a comparable dosage of caffeine or ginseng extract.
Other studies have shown antioxidant, and fat cell reduction properties in guarana.
The tannin that Guarana contains, is useful for mild forms of leucorrhoea, and diarrhea, but its chief use in Europe and America is for headaches, especially ones derived from the nature of suffering from an illness. It is a gentle excitant and serviceable where the brain is irritated or depressed by mental exertion, or where there is fatigue or exhaustion from hot weather.
Guarana has the same chemical composition as caffeine, theine and cocaine, and the same physiological action. Its benefit is for nervous headache or the distress that accompanies menstruation, or exhaustion following dissipation. It is not recommended for chronic headache or in cases where it is not desirable to increase the temperature, or excite the heart or increase arterial tension. Dysuria often follows its administration. It is used by the Indians for bowel complaints, but is not indicated in cases of constipation or high blood pressure.
Although side-effects of guarana are rare, when you consider the use of herbal supplements, always consult with your health care professional. Additionally, consulting with a physician trained in how the uses of natural herbal health supplements may be beneficial, and coordinated treatment among with all health care providers involved with you may be healthful.
Citrimax comes from a rare exotic tropical fruit grown in the remote moist jungles of West and Central Africa and Asia called Garcinia Cambogia. As a relatively recent rediscovery by the western world, Garcinia Cambogia has been harvested and used for centuries by the people of Southern Asia and Africa as an appetite suppressant as an aid to making meals feel more filling.
In western indian traditional medicine, this species was prescribed for delayed menstruation, constipation and intestinal parasites. In the form of boiling, Garcinia Cambogia was also used for rheumatism and bowel problems. Claims have been made that fruit extracts from Garcinia have been effective at stopping a genetic reproduction of the Ebola virus in lab tests.
Garcinia Cambogia contains a biologically active compound which is known to inhibit the synthesis of lipids and fatty acids and lower the formation of LDL and triglycerides. Garcinia Cambogia also contains significant amounts of Vitamin C and has been used as a heart tonic. Research suggests that this natural extract may also inhibit the conversion of excess calories to body fat. Additionally, appetite is also suppressed by promoting synthesis of glycogen. Glycogen is the stored form of glucose, one of the body's primary sources of energy. Increased glycogen production and storage is the body's normal way of signaling the brain's satiety center that enough food has been eaten.
This has made Garcinia a very effective herbal medicine for controlling obesity and cholesterol. It is a well established fat burning agent all over the world and is currently becoming a rage in America, Japan, Europe and many other western nations. It is recommended as a dieting aid supported by exercise and a balanced nutritional diet.
Questions About Garcinia Cambogia.
Who can take Garcinia Cambogia (citrimax)?
Because herbal medicines are relatively mild and gentle on the human body, Garcinia can be taken by practically everyone, regardless of age and gender. Garcinia can be taken for the following reasons:
Helps reduce body’s ability to store fat
Lowers body weight through appetite control
Lowers serum triglycerides
Creates a process in the body called thermogenesis
Helps with catarrhal conditions of the throat, urinary system, and uterus
Is Garcinia addictive?
No, Garcinia does not contain any addictive components and can be taken without fear of addiction for extended periods of time.
Are there any side effects to taking Garcinia?
Garcinia has been found to have no adverse or toxic side effects.
Tyrosine is a naturally occurring, nonessential amino acid present in most proteins; it is a product of phenylalanine metabolism and a biochemical substance of thyroid hormones, catecholamines, and melanin. Only the L-stereoisomer of Tyrosine appears in protein of warm-blooded mammals, including humans, in which is characterized by a covering of hair on the skin and the female has milk producing mammary glands for sustaining life and growth for the young.
L-Tyrosine is recommended by practitioners as helpful for weight loss, clinical depression, Parkinson's Disease , and phenylketonuria. It is not essential to be in the human diet, since it can be produced through a complexity of stages in the body from phenylalanine.
L-tyrosine has not been reported to cause any serious side effects and is considered safe.
Cyanocobalamin is a vitamin commonly known as Vitamin B12*. Vitamin B12 cannot be made by plants or by animals, as the only type of organisms that have the enzymes required for the synthesis of B12 are bacteria and archaea. The total synthesis of B12 was reported in 1973 by Robert Burns Woodward, and remains one of the classic feats of total synthesis.
Vitamin B12 is naturally found in foods including meat (especially liver and shellfish), eggs, and milk products. Fortified breakfast cereals are a particularly valuable source of Vitamin B12 for vegetarians and vegans.
B12 is the most chemically complex of all the vitamins. The structure of B12 is based on a corrin ring, which is similar to the porphyrin ring found in heme, chlorophyll, and cytochrome. The central metal ion is Co (cobalt). Four of the six coordination sites are provided by the corrin ring, and a fifth by a dimethylbenzimidazole group. The sixth coordination site, the center of reactivity, is variable, being a cyano group (-CN), a hydroxyl group (-OH), a methyl group (-CH3) or a 5'-deoxyadenosyl group (here the C5' atom of the deoxyribose forms the covalent bond with Co), respectively, to yield the four B12 forms mentioned above. The covalent C-Co bond is one of only two carbon-metal bonds known in biology. The other is a C-Ni bond in carbon monozide dehydrogenase, a bacterial enzyme.
Vitamin B12 deficiencies are the cause of several forms of anemia. The treatment for this disease was first devised by William Murphy who bled dogs to make them anemic and then fed them various substances to see what (if anything) would make them healthy again. He discovered that ingesting large amounts of liver seemed to cure the disease. George Minot and George Whipple then set about to chemically isolate the curative substance and ultimately were able to isolate Vitamin B12 from the liver.
The usual daily intake in the Western diet is 5–7 µg (Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Daily Value); the daily requirement is 1–2 µg. B12 is mostly absorbed in the terminal ileum. The production of intrinsic factor in the stomach is vital to absorption of this vitamin. Megaloblastic anemia can result from inadequate intake of Vitamin B12 inadequate production of intrinsic factor (pernicious anemia), disorders of the terminal ileum resulting in malabsorption, or by competition for available B12 (such as fish tapeworms or bacteria present in blind loop syndrome).
Hematological deficiency is manifested primarily by anemia and macrocytosis; other cell lines such as white blood cells and platelets are often also low. Bone marrow examination may show megaloblastic hemopoiesis. Serum homocysteine and methylmalonic acid levels are also high in B12 deficiency and can be helpful if the diagnosis is unclear.
Neurological signs of B12 deficiency, which can occur without accompanying hematologic abnormalities, include demyelination and irreversible nerve cell death. Symptoms include numbness or tingling of the extremities and an ataxic gait, a syndrome known as subacute combined degeneration of the cord.
The American Psychiatric Association's American Journal of Psychiatry has published studies showing a relationship between depression levels and deficient B12 blood levels in elderly people in 2000 and 2002.
Traditionally, treatment for B12 deficiency was through intramuscular injections of cyanocobalamin. However, it has recently been appreciated that deficiency can be treated with oral B12 supplements when given in sufficient doses. When given in oral doses ranging from 0.1–2 mg daily, B12 can be absorbed in a pathway that does not require an intact ileum or intrinsic factor. The Schilling test can determine whether symptoms of B12 deficiency are caused by lack of intrinsic factor, though this is being performed less often due to the lack of availability of reagent for the test.
Interestingly, certain insects such as termites have been found to contain B12.
Cyanocobalamin is found in many energy drinks.
Vitamin B12 supplements should be avoided in people sensitive or allergic to cobalamin, cobalt or any other product ingredients
Vitamin B12 Side effects:
Cardiovascular:
Caution should be used in patients undergoing angioplasty since an intravenous loading dose of folic acid, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12 followed by oral administration of folic acid 1.2mg plus Vitamin B6 48mg and Vitamin B12 60mcg taken daily after coronary stenting might actually increase restenosis rates. Due to the potential for harm this combination of vitamins should not be recommended for patients receiving coronary stents.
Dermatological:
Itching, rash, transitory exanthema, and urticaria have been reported. Vitamin B12 (20 micrograms/day) and pyridoxine (80mg/day) has been associated with cases of rosacea fulminans, characterized by intense erythema with nodules, papules, and pustules. Symptoms may persist for up to 4 months after the supplement is stopped, and may require treatment with systemic corticosteroids and topical therapy.
Gastrointestinal:
Diarrhea has been reported.
Hematologic:
Peripheral vascular thrombosis has been reported. Treatment of Vitamin B12 deficiency can unmask polycythemia vera, which is characterized by an increase in blood volume and the number of red blood cells. The correction of megaloblastic anemia with Vitamin B12 can result in fatal hypokalemia and gout in susceptible individuals, and it can obscure folate deficiency in megaloblastic anemia. Caution is warranted.
Leber's disease:
Vitamin B12 is contraindicated in early Leber's disease, which is hereditary optic nerve atrophy. Vitamin B12 can cause severe and swift optic atrophy.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Vitamin B12 is likely safe when used orally in amounts that do not exceed the recommended dietary allowance (RDA). The RDA for Vitamin B12 in pregnant women is 2.6mcg per day and 2.8mcg during lactation periods.
There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of consuming greater amounts of Vitamin B12 during pregnancy.
Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin compound that was discovered in 1930s during nutrition studies on rats. The vitamin was named pyridoxine to indicate its structural homology to pyridine. Later it was shown that Vitamin B6 could exist in two other, slightly different, chemical forms, termed pyridoxal and pyridoxamine.
All three forms of Vitamin B6 are precursors of an activated compound known as pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), which plays a vital role as the cofactor of a large number of essential enzymes in the human body.
Grumpiness and irritability are often symptomatic of a B Vitamin deficiency according to body, and mind. Preliminary studies have found that this vitamin increases dream vividness and the ability to recall dreams.
In women, potential causes for Vitamin B6 deficiency is use of oral contraceptives and other medications containing estro-progestational hormones (such as those prescribed as part of Hormone Replacement Therapy). Other contraceptive medications that may cause Vitamin B6 deficiency include: the patch (Ortho Evra), vaginal ring (Nuvaring), hormonal IUD (Mirena) and shot (Depo Provera). Specifically, habitual use of estro-progestational hormones inhibit absorption of Vitamin B6 (due to a disturbance of tryptophan metabolism), necessitating a larger daily doseage of B6 into the bloodstream.
Signs of a Vitamin B6 deficiency include: depression, anxiety, loss of libido, insomnia, water retention, inability to process glucose (weight loss/gain).
Physicians are now beginning to recommend routine Vitamin B6 administration during hormonal contraception/medication. The use of the tuberculostatic medication isoniazid also causes a Vitamin B6 deficiency, and for this reason, it is recommended to supplement with Vitamin B6 when using these drugs.
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