Guided Metabolic Detoxification Program Supports Phase II Detoxification Enzymes and Antioxidant Balance in Healthy Participants.

Adequate antioxidant supply is essential for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and reducing oxidative stress during detoxification. The emerging evidence suggests that certain classes of phytonutrients can help support the detoxification process by stimulating the liver to produce detoxification enzymes or acting as antioxidants that neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals. This study was designed to examine the effects of a guided 28-day metabolic detoxification program in healthy adults. The participants were randomly assigned to consume a whole food, multi-ingredient supplement (n = 14, education and intervention) or control (n = 18, education and healthy meal) daily for the duration of the trial. The whole food supplement contained 37 g/serving of a proprietary, multicomponent nutritional blend in the form of a rehydratable shake. Program readiness was ensured at baseline using a validated self-perceived wellness score and a blood metabolic panel, indicating stable emotional and physical well-being in both groups. No significant changes or adverse effects were found on physical or emotional health, cellular glutathione (GSH) and the GSH:GSSG ratio, porphyrin, and hepatic detoxification biomarkers in urine. The intervention was positively associated with a 23% increase in superoxide dismutase (p = 0.06) and a 13% increase in glutathione S-transferase (p = 0.003) activities in the blood. This resulted in a 40% increase in the total cellular antioxidant capacity (p = 0.001) and a 13% decrease in reactive oxygen species (p = 0.002) in isolated PBMCs from participants in the detoxification group. Our findings indicate that consuming a whole food nutritional intervention as a part of the guided detoxification program supported phase II detoxification, in part, by promoting enhanced free radical scavenging and maintaining redox homeostasis under the body's natural glutathione recycling capacity.

Alleviation of Pain, PAIN Interference, and Oxidative Stress by a Novel Combination of Hemp Oil, Calamari Oil, and Broccoli: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Chronic pain is a critical health issue in the US that is routinely managed pharmacologically with diminishing results. The widespread misuse and abuse of prescription opioid pain medications have caused both healthcare providers and patients to seek alternative therapeutic options. Several dietary ingredients have been traditionally used for pain relief and are known to have potential analgesic properties. This double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial aimed to test whether a novel combination of full spectrum hemp oil (phytocannabinoids), calamari oil (omega-3 fatty acids), and broccoli (glucosinolates) could reduce chronic pain and attenuate damage from oxidative stress in adults seeking chiropractic care. Participants (average age = 54.8 ± 13.6 years old) were randomly assigned to consume a whole-food, multi-ingredient supplement (n = 12, intervention and standard chiropractic care) or placebo (n = 13, mineral oil and standard chiropractic care) daily for 12 weeks. The subjects' self-reported perceived pain, pain interference, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) status in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were quantified at baseline, mid-checkpoint, and postintervention. The intervention was positively associated with a 52% decrease in pain intensity and several parameters of pain interference, including quality of sleep. Decreases in the markers of oxidative stress were also observed in the participants from the intervention group (29.4% decrease in PMBC ROS). Our findings indicated that supplementation with a novel combination of hemp oil, calamari oil, and broccoli has the potential to manage chronic pain when combined with standard chiropractic care, as suggested by its effects on pain intensity and oxidative stress.

Endocannabinoid System and Its Regulation by Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Full Spectrum Hemp Oils.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) consists of endogenous cannabinoids, their receptors, and metabolic enzymes that play a critical homeostatic role in modulating polyunsaturated omega fatty acid (PUFA) signaling to maintain a balanced inflammatory and redox state. Whole food-based diets and dietary interventions linked to PUFAs of animal (fish, calamari, krill) or plant (hemp, flax, walnut, algae) origin, as well as full-spectrum hemp oils, are increasingly used to support the ECS tone, promote healthy metabolism, improve risk factors associated with cardiovascular disorders, encourage brain health and emotional well-being, and ameliorate inflammation. While hemp cannabinoids of THC and CBD groups show distinct but complementary actions through a variety of cannabinoid (CB1 and CB2), adenosine (A2A), and vanilloid (TRPV1) receptors, they also modulate PUFA metabolism within a wide variety of specialized lipid mediators that promote or resolve inflammation and oxidative stress. Clinical evidence reviewed in this study links PUFAs and cannabinoids to changes in ECS tone, immune function, metabolic and oxidative stress adaptation, and overall maintenance of a well-balanced systemic function of the body. Understanding how the body coordinates signals from the exogenous and endogenous ECS modulators is critical for discerning the underlying molecular mechanisms of the ECS tone in healthy and disease states. Nutritional and lifestyle interventions represent promising approaches to address chronic metabolic and inflammatory disorders that may overlap in the population at risk. Further investigation and validation of dietary interventions that modulate the ECS are required in order to devise clinically successful second-generation management strategies.