THE CRUCIAL AND NECESSARY NUTRIENTS FOR ENERGY PRODUCTION: GLYCOLYSIS, THE KREB'S CYCLE & THE ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN

March 07, 2019 / Ashley Romanchuk

Cellular respiration is defined as the mechanisms the body goes through to create energy. Humans and animals are a step away from plants in that we don’t directly take the sun’s energy and convert it to energy, we instead must first eat the plants (and for some, the animals who have eaten the plants) and then the solar energy can secondarily be changed into the energy we require for our bodily functions. It is a process of three metabolic stages called: Glycolysis, The Kreb’s Cycle and The Electron Transport Chain which ultimately produce energy known in biochemical terms as a molecule called “ATP” (adenosine triphosphate).

Now, unless you have gone through medical school, there is probably no reason that you would know about this however it is a big, big deal. Of course for us who have had to go through medical school, we have had to learn this inside and out, memorized and tested and trialed and tested because THIS is how your body produces energy, and it’s the fuel of life, that which we all run on. It is very, very complicated and also very fascinating.

Now along with the elixir of life that gets all chemical reactions in the body going (WATER…do you drink enough water each day??), there are certain vitamins and minerals that are crucial to your diet that if you are not having enough you will feel a lack of energy. It is sad that we do live in a world where so many people everyday are living their life with a lack of proper energy and where to start is always a good question.

Basics. Go to the basics. You need 8-10 hours of regular sleep per night. That means going to sleep at the same hour and waking up at the same hour. Super basic.

The next basic. You need enough water intake to run the biochemical reactions that are occurring in your body all the time, a rule of thumb for good health is 2-3 litres a day. How much water are you drinking?

Eating good healthy food is the next process and of course, this is where people come and find good advice from a Naturopathic Doctor as education around food for the general population is typically poor. Making sure you are not eating food you are allergic to is a big deal, again your local Naturopathic Doctor is proficient at helping investigate these things.

The Krebs cycle requires certain B vitamins to go through to completion, that means to properly make the energy your body can make. In fact, certain B vitamins are known a the RATE LIMITING STEP in the cycle of energy production. This means, if you don’t have that B vitamin in your body, the cycle will not continue which means your cells are not producing energy (a molecule which is termed “ATP” in biochemistry and in medicine)

Energy production in the body is a hugely complicated concept to understand. The following is a list of necessary nutrients and Vitamins for The Cycle of Energy Production in the body, The Krebs Cycle and The Electron Transport Chain:

Firstly, a proper balance of healthy carbohydrate, protein and fats must be in the diet. Along with proper intake of water.

Next, The B vitamins are Crucial!!!

Thiamine (Vitamin B1)

Niacin (Vitamin B3)

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)

Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)

Biotin (Vitamin B7)

Folate (Vitamin B9)

[Methyl]Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)

Certain Minerals are also critical to the production of Energy in the body, specifically:

Magnesium

Iron

Potassium

Last but definitely not least, these two can be found in high grade nutraceutical supplements and are also critical to the energy needs of the body:

CoQ10

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

Please refer to the articles “B Vitamins” “Magnesium” “CoQ10-Coenzyme Q10-Ubiquinone” “Alpha Lipoic Acid” and “Amino Acids-Essential and Nonessential” for more information and how to attain these through your food (or, if necessary, in a high grade neutraceutical supplement).

See article: What is a High Grade Neutraceutical Supplement.

NOVEMBER 2, 2018

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