Xanax (alprazolam) is a drug of the benzodiazepine class originally developed by Upjohn, a Michigan-based pharmaceutical company (now a subsidiary of Pfizer). In the United States, Xanax first received FDA approval for the treatment of panic disorder and hit the market as a prescription medication in 1981. It eventually received subsequent FDA approval for the …
ZzzQuil is an over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aid manufactured by Vicks (a subsidiary of Proctor & Gamble) that initially hit the market in 2012. When administered on an “as-needed” basis, ZzzQuil is thought to alleviate occasional bouts of insomnia and other sleep disturbances with minimal risk of abuse, addiction, and/or dependence – as compared to pharmaceutical …
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is an evergreen tree of the coffee (Rubiaceae) family native to countries such as: Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and Thailand. It is best known for generating leaves that contain upwards of 40 distinct psychoactive compounds. Pharmacological research indicates that the psychoactive constituents of kratom – most prominent being [indole alkaloids] …
Magnesium deficiency was first documented by Hirschfelder and Haury (1934) in a report entitled Clinical Manifestations of High and Low Plasma Magnesium. Since the publishing of this report in the 1930s, our understanding of magnesium deficiencies has advanced significantly. We now know that hypomagnesemia (serum magnesium below 1.7 mg/dL) is not always indicative of an …
Ubiquinol is an electron-rich, highly-bioavailable, fully reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) that occurs naturally within all of our cells. When we’re young, the body is well-equipped to synthesize ubiquinone into ubiquinol (via Q Cycle reactions) which elicits an antioxidant effect to reduce free radicals and enhances cellular energy. However, biological aging interferes with a …
Probiotics are considered living microorganisms that, when ingested in sufficient quantities, are conducive to the health of their host. The term probiotic is derived from the preposition “pro” (meaning “for”) and “biōtikos” (meaning “fit for life”), and is associated with the introduction of beneficial bacteria, contrasting with the term antibiotic (associated with the destruction of …
Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage created utilizing a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, commonly referred to under the acronym “SCOBY.” Although its precise origin remains unknown, some allege that kombucha originated in China and may have been named after a Korean physician named “Kombu” who used his tea (“cha”) for healing purposes. Etiological investigations …