Stress Helper® is a synergistic combination of nutrients designed to support stress tolerance. These nutrients help nerve cells tolerate stress more efficiently and help the body make more energy, thus promoting a more positive mood and less fatigue.*

Stress can be defined as some type of extra demand or pressure, similar to a rubber band stretching. Nutrients in Stress Helper® provide energy producing cofactors to sustain function and help cope with the demands of the stress.* They also help the body settle back into a more normal baseline of energy production once the stress is over, helping to avert wear and tear.* It is well known that individuals who feel stressed are prone to excess food consumption, thus managing stress well is important for consistency on a weight management program.*

The nutrients in Stress Helper® include: Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC), Pantethine, and Carnosine.

Energy Production

Pantethine makes the key molecule, Co-Enzyme A (CoA), that in turn produces Acetyl CoA, the starting point for energy production in a cell.* Stress, which requires increased energy to meet demands, uses up CoA at a faster rate.* Under pressures of any type (emotional duress, physical exertion, lack of sleep, illness, injury, pain, etc.) there is an increased demand for energy (and thus CoA).* The longer the stress continues, the more CoA is used.* CoA is the "Achilles heal" of the stress response.* Once the levels run low then a person has more difficulty sustaining energy to meet demands.* Click Here for more information on pantethine and how it works.*

ALC also enhances energy production.* In order for a cell to use energy it must combine oxygen and calories in the cellular combustion engines (mitochondria). Inside cell engines the use of oxygen is governed by the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase. ALC promotes normal function of this enzyme, thus helping to support the proper utilization of oxygen during the energy production process.* Under stress (including the stress of exercise) the body must produce extra energy to meet the demands, which requires the increased ability to utilize oxygen to make energy. The proper use of oxygen in metabolism is one important aspect of energy production that cannot be ignored. The failure to utilize oxygen properly to make energy will shift cells into making lactic acid, resulting in muscle fatigue and muscle aches. ALC also helps fat enter cells to be burned for fuel, a process known as beta oxidation.*

Thus, pantethine and ALC have a synergistic relationship wherein pantethine helps get the cellular engines going and ALC helps keep them going.*

Stress Tolerance

A variety of factors influence stress tolerance. As already discussed, the ability to make energy is fundamental. Additionally, nerves must be able to sustain healthy function and the adrenal glands must release hormones that prevent the stress system from overheating (adrenal hormones are like oil for a car engine).*

CoA is required to synthesize adrenal hormones, thus pantethine is one nutrient that may help.* New science is providing insight into another function of pantethine, which is increasing the amount of a compound called cysteamine, part of the CoA molecule. It has been found that cysteamine supports the production of something called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).* Low levels of BDNF are associated with poor mood and stress-induced nerve wear and tear.*

ALC also helps protect the brain from the demands of stress.* In part it does this by offering antioxidant protection to brain cells and improved energy production by brain cells.* Recent findings show that ALC helps increase the natural production of both serotonin and dopamine, important neurotransmitters for healthy brain function.* ALC also helps to clear excess irritation from the nerves (the accumulation of substance P).*

Carnosine is highly concentrated in the brain. The reserve of carnosine in the brain acts as a buffer that protects the brain from stress.* Carnosine helps reduce brain friction and promotes a better feeling of nerve relaxation, helping a person to feel less irritated or agitated by stress.*

Kidney function is a weak spot for many individuals when it comes to dealing with stress. Under stress the kidneys work to increase blood pressure so that nutrients can be circulated faster to areas of the body that need them. Once the stress is over then kidneys help return blood pressure to a more normal level, as nutrient demands through out the body are no longer at a heightened need. Carnosine has been shown to help the kidneys respond properly to the demands of stress, which also supports healthy leptin function in the circulation.* Carnosine also helps maintain the proper the proper subconscious brain level of histamine, which helps keep appetite on an even keel.*

Extra Acetyl-L-Carnitine

Some individuals may desire to use ALC in a higher amount, as many studies have been done with doses ranging from 1,000 mg to 2,000 mg per day. Thus, we provide 500 mg capsules of ALC. ALC is a combination of the amino acid L-Carnitine with an acetyl group attached, thereby making ALC fat soluble so that it can cross the blood brain barrier (something plain L-Carnitine does not do).* ALC is a premier brain support nutrient.* ALC is found in high concentrations in the brain, nerves, heart, muscles, liver and sperm cells. We use the finest quality ALC produced in Italy.

ALC helps make acetylcholine, the primary neurotransmitter needed for memory function.* Animal studies show that ALC helps improve memory task performance, while at the same time improving the energetic function of brain cells.* Other studies show improvement in acquiring and retaining information.*

An important nutrient required for nerve transmission is called myo-inositol.* ALC supplementation has been shown to promote normal levels of myo-inositol in nerves, thus facilitating normal nerve transmission.* ALC also functions as a nerve antioxidant.*

Nerve cells are different than other cells of the human body in that they do not split and divide to facilitate repair or regeneration. Nerve cells either try to repair themselves when stressed or make new nerve fibers. ALC not only helps protect nerves from stress, it has also been shown to promote the natural process of new nerve fiber growth.*

Beta-amyloid is a term for protein fragments that the brain produces normally. In a healthy brain, they are broken down and cleared. ALC is an important nutrient that facilitates this natural "house cleaning" process of beta-amyloid fragments.*

Extra Carnosine

We provide the option of 500 mg carnosine capsules for individuals who would like to take advantage of the benefits of this specific nutrient.

Carnosine is a dipeptide made up of the amino acids beta-alanine and l-histidine. It occurs naturally in the brain, heart, muscles, and skin in high concentrations. Carnosine has a general rejuvenating effect on proteins and enzymes.* It is highly protective to the nervous system, brain cells, and eyes.*

At a cellular level, common wear and tear to proteins is caused by multiple factors. These include free radical damage, fragments of damaged proteins linking to other fragments of damaged proteins, and sugar hardening protein structures (forming advanced glycation end products, or AGEs). Carnosine is a key nutrient that helps the body do its normal house cleaning and recovery functions.*

For example, as skin ages the inner skin layer called the dermis undergoes a normal loss of structural integrity. Fibroblasts, the carpenter cells that build connective tissue, are reduced in number. Collagen fibers may become damaged and the matrix that connects cells together experiences wear and tear. Progression of this process is apparent in wrinkles, dryness, inconsistent skin texture and coloring, and sagging skin.

While Carnosine does not turn back the clock, it does help to maintain normal function.* It supports the healthy function of fibroblasts, is a potent skin antioxidant, and assists the body to maintain normal protein structures.*

Carnosine supports the formation of new connective tissue and it is one more nutrient that contributes to healthier joints and muscles.* It also helps to improve the ability of muscles to perform exercise.*