Hi, all.
Let me say up front that I realize that "ASEA" is a multilevel marketed product. I don't sell it, and I'm not promoting it. I'm also not encouraging people to try it at this point. I'm just trying to learn about it. I've heard about it from a couple of PWMEs now, and the reports were positive, but I still don't know what to think about it.
According to the information supplied by the company producing it, it contains what are celled "redox signalling molecules," apparently in a salt water base. It is taken orally. A "white paper" by Gary L. Samuelson, Ph.D., is available on the internet, and it describes some in-vitro testing of this product.
The thing that intrigues me about this paper is that it claims that this product raises the transcription factor NRF-2 without raising NF kappa-B. NRF-2 is known to increase the expression of genes associated with the antioxidant and detox systems in the cells. Among others, it raises the gene expression of glutamate cysteine ligase, which is the rate-limiting enzyme for the synthesis of glutathione. Since I believe, based on evidence from lab testing, that glutathione depletion is a major factor in the pathophysiology of ME/CFS, I find this very interesting.
Another claim that is made on the website is that testing by a lab in North Carolina has shown that this product raises the mobilization of fatty acids, so that the muscle cells preferentially burn fat rather than glycogen, and that this gives athletes who take ASEA much more endurance. According to the GD-MCB model that I have proposed, in ME/CFS the cells are not able to burn fat at a normal rate because glutathione depletion puts a partial block early in the Krebs cycle. But if this product does indeed raise glutathione, it is at least plausible that fat-burning could be increased if fatty acids were mobilized to a higher degree. So I would say that their story so far seems consistent from a biochemical point of view, but without knowing exactly what these "redox signalling molecules" are, there is a limit to how much I can check this out. And of course, they are keeping the formula proprietary.
Again, I can't recommend this product at this point because I'm not yet sure what to think of it, but if anyone has tried it, I would be very interested to know what effects you observed.
Best regards,
Rich
Let me say up front that I realize that "ASEA" is a multilevel marketed product. I don't sell it, and I'm not promoting it. I'm also not encouraging people to try it at this point. I'm just trying to learn about it. I've heard about it from a couple of PWMEs now, and the reports were positive, but I still don't know what to think about it.
According to the information supplied by the company producing it, it contains what are celled "redox signalling molecules," apparently in a salt water base. It is taken orally. A "white paper" by Gary L. Samuelson, Ph.D., is available on the internet, and it describes some in-vitro testing of this product.
The thing that intrigues me about this paper is that it claims that this product raises the transcription factor NRF-2 without raising NF kappa-B. NRF-2 is known to increase the expression of genes associated with the antioxidant and detox systems in the cells. Among others, it raises the gene expression of glutamate cysteine ligase, which is the rate-limiting enzyme for the synthesis of glutathione. Since I believe, based on evidence from lab testing, that glutathione depletion is a major factor in the pathophysiology of ME/CFS, I find this very interesting.
Another claim that is made on the website is that testing by a lab in North Carolina has shown that this product raises the mobilization of fatty acids, so that the muscle cells preferentially burn fat rather than glycogen, and that this gives athletes who take ASEA much more endurance. According to the GD-MCB model that I have proposed, in ME/CFS the cells are not able to burn fat at a normal rate because glutathione depletion puts a partial block early in the Krebs cycle. But if this product does indeed raise glutathione, it is at least plausible that fat-burning could be increased if fatty acids were mobilized to a higher degree. So I would say that their story so far seems consistent from a biochemical point of view, but without knowing exactly what these "redox signalling molecules" are, there is a limit to how much I can check this out. And of course, they are keeping the formula proprietary.
Again, I can't recommend this product at this point because I'm not yet sure what to think of it, but if anyone has tried it, I would be very interested to know what effects you observed.
Best regards,
Rich