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Dear Mr. Morgenthaler,
Sun City, AZ
Praise for Durham, NC
Oxnard, CA The Chemistry This is what happens to your body as a result of stress. Once upon a time, stress was episodic. For instance, if a tiger approached you, your body released stress hormones to help you fight or flee. By the time the encounter was over, the entire stress response had been fully utilized and the body returned to normal.
Pupils dilate to sharpen vision. Heart rate and blood pressure increase to accelerate the delivery of oxygen to the muscles and critical organs. Increase in rate of metabolism, and rate and depth of respiration. Blood flow is diverted from non-critical areas such as the gastrointestinal tract to the critical areas such as the heart, skeletal muscles and liver. Liver releases glucose and fatty acids into the bloodstream. Glucose is for immediate energy; fat is needed when the Fight-or-Flight response lasts longer than expected. Bronchial tubes dilate to maximize the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Blood pressure rises. Depending on how many stressful situations you encounter, it may stay elevated, damaging the sensitive tubules of your kidneys. Ultimately, kidney function is compromised, which raises your blood pressure even more, which contributes to further kidney damage, which raises blood pressure. • The adrenals are the major steroid factories of the body producing or contributing to the production numerous vital hormones essential to your body's health and energy production. When they are stressed, they become exhausted. Once the adrenal buffer is gone, you become a prime candidate for asthma, allergies, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other autoimmune disorders. Cortisol: The Stress Hormone As we age, most of our hormone levels decline. But it's interesting that cortisol actually increases as we get older. Cortisol is essential to maintaining homeostasis during acute forms of stress, such as fear, physical trauma, and extreme physical exertion. But when cortisol is present for long periods of time and in excess quantities, it becomes extremely toxic and can do extensive damage to the immune system. It can also diminish muscle mass, and lead to the shrinkage of our other vital organs and thinning of the skin. Our brain cells, or neurons, are extremely sensitive to the effects of cortisol, which, in excess, can cause brain cells to die. In fact, come scientists theorize that this may be a contributing factor in Alzheimer's disease.2 Usually, when a young person exhibits a rapid increase in cortisol levels, they dip to normal levels within a few hours. When older people experience a rapid increase during stress, cortisol levels do not return to normal for days. But when cortisol levels remain high over an extended period of time, young people also suffer from its toxic effects. Researchers with the Laboratory of Human Stress Research at McGill University recently reported on a study that examined the effects of cortisol on memory in both young and old subjects over a period of three to six years. The McGill team found that long-term stress creates high levels of cortisol that may impair learning ability in young people, while weakening memory among the elderly. Older subjects who had high cortisol levels were also found to have a smaller hippocampus (the area of the brain where memory is processed) compared to older subjects who did not experience prolonged stress.3
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The Hidden Truth About StressWhy it can kill you … and how Magnolia Extract can alleviate its effects almost immediately!Feeling stressed lately?
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You may even be one of the 50 million caregivers in this country, 80 percent of which say they have high levels of stress. According to the National Alzheimer's Association, nearly half of this 80 percent also suffer from depression. It's no wonder that many of these caregivers ignore their own needs and end up with a life-threatening illness themselves. |
The problem is that instead of dealing with periodic episodes of stress, many of us are dealing with stress on a daily basis. And when stress becomes chronic, it is much more than an inconvenience. Every day, one million Americans are absent from work because of stress-related disorders.
| Most experts agree that stress is a major factor in disorders and diseases such as anxiety, insomnia, depression, ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, headache, hypoglycemia, asthma, herpes, hypertension and heart disease. It's no wonder, then, that new research suggests that chronic stress speeds up the aging process of cells.
Lead researcher Elissa Epel, a University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) psychiatrist, and her colleagues studied 39 women ages 20 to 50 who suffered chronic stress because they had been caring for a chronically ill child. The researchers studied telomeres—caps at the ends of chromosomes that naturally get shorter and shrivel as cells age and continue to divide. The scientists concluded that chronic stress appears to speed up this process.1 |
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Where does stress come from?
Arguing with family, friends or co-workers, not getting enough sleep, worrying, working too hard or even playing too hard can all create stress. Weekend warriors, who try to make up for a week of inactivity by spending too many hours doing strenuous physical sports, raise their stress to unhealthy levels. Any activity that is practiced without moderation can lead to a stress response. Even a positive experience like a new job, marriage or moving into a new house can be a stress-provoking event—because stress is defined as a reaction to any stimulus that upsets our normal functioning.Although it's impossible to live a stress-free life—simply because stress is a fact of life—we have good news for you! Now it’s easier than ever to neutralize stress before it takes its toll with Magnolia Extract—an ancient Chinese herb.
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Magnolia extract is the only natural and safe remedy in the world that relieves stress, anxiety and depression
There are lots of great herbs that have been proven to reduce stress, among other things. But nothing compares to Magnolia extract when it comes to lowering stress response, anxiety and depression—almost immediately! And the best thing is that Magnolia extract comes in a perfect form from nature … and doesn't produce any side effects.
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How does it work?Magnolia extract is rich in the phytochemicals honokiol and magnolol, which have numerous health benefits. One of the most impressive benefits is their ability to alleviate stress while producing a calming effect. Dozens of animal studies have shown that they act as a non-addictive, non-sedating anxiolytic (anti-anxiety and anti-stress) agent at low doses.4,5 That means a small dose of Magnolia extract can help calm your nerves and alleviate anxiety, without making you sleepy. The beauty about these two phytochemicals is that honokiol exerts an anti-anxiety effect, and magnolol exerts an antidepressant effect.6 |
Honokiol relieves stress without side effects
Honokiol has a long history of use in traditional Chinese formulas that relieve anxiety without leaving you feeling like you've been drugged. In a recent study to determine whether honokiol depresses the central nervous system in the same way as diazepam (commonly known as Valium), two groups of mice were treated with honokiol and diazepam before running through a maze. The honokiol group was more relaxed, and finished without any change in motor activity or muscle tone. On the other hand, the diazepam group exhibited several side effects, including sleepiness, disrupted learning and memory, muscle relaxation, and withdrawal symptoms. The results suggest that honokiol is less likely than diazepam to induce physical dependence, central nervous system depression, and amnesia when given at doses that produce an anti-anxiety effect.7A similar test found that honokiol significantly prolonged the time the animals spent in a maze, suggesting an anti-anxiety effect. Normally, when rodents are placed in a maze, they like to hide rather than explore because they get anxious. These rodents appeared to be more relaxed, and expressed curiosity about their environment. When the animals were given honokiol in various doses over a period of seven days, the effects remained the same: there was no change in motor activity or in the animals' performance. The animals receiving the diazepam (Valium), however, became dependent on the same dose, which hindered their performance.8
Although no studies have specifically been done to show that Magnolia extract reduces cortisol levels, it stands to reason that since so much impressive research has shown that it relieves stress, anxiety and depression, that Magnolia must also reduce cortisol—a by-product of stress.
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We at Smart Publications think that more research is needed on the benefits of Magnolia and, in particular, we think research should be done to look at how Magnolia affects cortisol levels.
So far, what we do know is that when compared to pharmaceutical drugs such as Valium (diazepam), honokiol appears to be just as effective in its anti-anxiety activity, but without the strong sedative effect. This makes it an amazingly safe and effective remedy to help relieve the damaging effects of stress, without the tranquilizing side effects of drugs.
Brain health benefits
Other studies have shown that magnolol and honokiol help support normal brain function and protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease by:
- modulating the activity of various neurotransmitters and related enzymes in the brain
- increasing choline acetyltransferase activity
- inhibiting acetylcholinesterase
- increasing acetylcholine release9
Magnolia extract also promoted and enhanced the survival and growth of injured brain cells.10,11
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Powerful antioxidant protection
Honokiol and magnolol are both strong antioxidants, and it appears they can help protect cardiovascular health. Taiwanese researchers found that Magnolia extract is 1,000 times more potent than alpha tocopherol (Vitamin E) in inhibiting lipid peroxidation, a major contributor to atherosclerosis and heart disease.12A number of studies have shown that Magnolia extract protected mitochondria (a cell's powerhouse) from free radical damage in the liver of laboratory animals,13,14 heart,15 and brain cells.16 It was also found to be a strong candidate in the treatment of sepsis, a severe illness caused by overwhelming infection of the bloodstream by toxin-producing bacteria.17 This is especially significant because sepsis is a problem in hospitals where drug resistant organisms are prevalent.
Shows promise as an anti-cancer agent
Researchers have been interested in compounds called angiogenesis inhibitors, which inhibit the growth of cancer tumors. Over the last several years, hundreds of clinical trials have been assessing their effectiveness against various kinds of cancer. Several studies have tested Magnolia Extract on human cancer cells and found that it is an angiogensis inhibitor that:
- Could potentially be an effective drug for leukemia 18,19,20
- Inhibited proliferation of human lung squamous carcinoma 21,22 and other tumors23
- Decreased cancer cells in human colon and liver tumors 24-27
A team of scientists at Emory University School of Medicine discovered that Magnolia extract inhibited the abnormal growth of blood vessel endothelial cells in the laboratory and cut tumor growth in half in experiments in mice. Since tumors rely on a blood supply in order to grow, this substance could be an important addition to the arsenal of anti-cancer weapons.
According to the research, which was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry online on June 19, 2003, and summarized in an article on Science Blog28, tumors can't continue to grow past a certain size without the oxygen and nutrients that blood vessels provide. The most dangerous tumors put out signals that tell the body to grow new blood vessels toward them. Angiogenesis inhibitors stop those signals from being received.
The investigators found that honokiol reduced the abnormal growth of endothelial cells by driving them into apoptosis—a self-destruction program activated by cells when their growth signals are disrupted. In the study, honokiol reduced tumor growth by 50% in mice that were inoculated with tumor-promoting cells, over a control group of mice.
Jack Arbiser, MD, PhD, one of the researchers, and an Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Emory School of Medicine, and faculty member in the Winship Cancer Institute, said, "Honokiol shows promise as a drug because in mice it appears not to be excreted or broken down by the liver too quickly." He added, "Honokiol is easier to synthesize than other cancer drugs, and we've been looking into the best ways to synthesize honokiol and its derivatives in large quantities." His team is currently collaborating with organic chemists at Emory and at the University of Georgia, and looking at pharmacological properties of molecules related to honokiol.
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In addition to all these benefits, studies have shown that Magnolia extract:
- Enhances steroid production by the adrenal cortex 29 which would make it a good supplement for counteracting adrenal fatigue
- Inhibits bacteria30 and pathogenic fungi31
- Reduces inflammation and pain32
- Protects against seizures33
- Acts as an antidote for pesticide poisoning34
- Plays a significant role in alleviating and controlling asthma35-38
How safe is Magnolia?
No significant toxicity or adverse effects have been reported to date when it is taken as directed. Amazingly small doses (30 mg) of magnolol and honokiol are effective for anxiety and depression. Large doses exceeding 100 mg may cause a sedative effect and can interact with alcohol, increasing its effects, therefore, driving or operating dangerous equipment should be avoided when taking larger doses of Magnolia extract.Why take Magnolia Extract?
If you, or someone you care about, tend to suffer from stress, anxiety, or depression, Magnolia extract may be just the thing you need to "take the edge off" and improve your quality of life … without the risk of side effects. If you're looking for a potent, natural and safe antidepressant, antioxidant, or anticancer agent, consider adding Magnolia extract to your health regimen. Plant a tree, stop and smell the flowers … and gain a new appreciation for the Magnolia tree.How much should you take?
For immediate relief, Health Freedom Nutrition offers Magnolia Extract in 100 mg capsules. Up to 300 mg can be used occasionally for extra relaxation. For daily use, however, take 1-3 30 mg capsules.Experience the difference!
While most typical Magnolia extracts contain only 2% active ingredients, Health Freedom Nutrition's Magnolia Extract contains 90% active ingredients, composed of almost equal amounts of honokiol and magnolol–so you'll feel the effects almost immediately!
See this other Article of Interest From
Smart Publications Health & Wellness Update
Pheromones Enhance Mood, Self-Esteem, and Social Confidence ... Instantly
References
- Epel, E. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nov. 29-Dec. 4, 2004.
- Leverenz1, J., Wilkinson, C., Wamble1, M., Corbin, S., Grabber, JE., Raskind, M., Peskind, E. Effect of Chronic High-Dose Exogenous Cortisol on Hippocampal Neuronal Number in Aged Nonhuman Primates. The Journal of Neuroscience, March 15, 1999, 19(6):2356-2361.
- Lupien SJ, Fiocco A, Wan N, Maheu F, Lord C, Schramek T, Tu MT. Stress hormones and human memory function across the lifespan. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005 Apr;30(3):225-42.
Abstract
- Kuribara H, Kishi E, Hattori N, Okada M, Maruyama Y. The anxiolytic effect of two oriental herbal drugs in Japan attributed to honokiol from magnolia bark. J Pharm Pharmacol 2000 Nov;52(11):1425-9.
Abstract
- Maruyama Y, Kuribara H, Morita M, Yuzurihara M, Weintraub ST. Identification of magnolol and honokiol as anxiolytic agents in extracts of saiboku-to, an oriental herbal medicine. J Nat Prod 1998 Jan;61(1):135-8.
Abstract
- Nakazawa T, Yasuda T, Ohsawa K. Metabolites of orally administered Magnolia officinalis extract in rats and man and its antidepressant-like effects in mice. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2003 Nov; 55(11): 1583-91.
Abstract
- Kuribara H, Stavinoha WB, Maruyama Y. Honokiol, a putative anxiolytic agent extracted from magnolia bark, has no diazepam-like side effects in mice. J Pharm Pharmacol 1999 Jan;51(1):97-103.
Abstract
- Kuribara H, Stavinoha WB, Maruyama Y. Behavioural pharmacological characteristics of honokiol, an anxiolytic agent present in extracts of Magnolia bark, evaluated by an elevated plus-maze test in mice. J Pharm Pharmacol 1998 Jul;50(7):819-26.
Abstract
- Hou YC, Chao PD, Chen SY. Honokiol and magnolol increased hippocampal acetylcholine release in freely-moving rats. Am J Chin Med 2000;28(3-4):379-84.
Abstract
- Liu B, Hattori N, Zhang NY, Wu B, Yang L, Kitagawa K, Xiong ZM, Irie T, Inagaki C. Anxiolytic agent, dihydrohonokiol-B, recovers amyloid beta protein-induced neurotoxicity in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. Neurosci Lett. 2005 Aug 12-19;384(1-2):44-7.
Abstract
- Fukuyama Y, Nakade K, Minoshima Y, Yokoyama R, Zhai H, Mitsumoto Y. Neurotrophic activity of honokiol on the cultures of fetal rat cortical neurons. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2002 Apr 22;12(8):1163-6.
Abstract
- Lo YC, Teng CM, Chen CF, Chen CC, Hong CY. Magnolol and honokiol isolated from Magnolia officinalis protect rat heart mitochondria against lipid peroxidation. Biochem Pharmacol 1994 Feb 9;47(3):549-53.
Abstract
- Chiu JH, Ho CT, Wei YH, Lui WY, Hong CY. In vitro and in vivo protective effect of honokiol on rat liver from peroxidative injury. Life Sci 1997;61(19):1961-71.
Abstract
- Chiu JH, Wang JC, Lui WY, Wu CW, Hong CY. Effect of magnolol on in vitro mitochondrial lipid peroxidation and isolated cold-preserved warm-reperfused rat livers. J Surg Res 1999 Mar;82(1):11-6.
Abstract
- Shen YC, Sung YJ, Chen CF. Magnolol inhibits Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18)-dependent neutrophil adhesion: relationship with its antioxidant effect. Eur J Pharmacol 1998 Feb 5;343(1):79-86.
Abstract
- Lee MM, Hseih MT, Kuo JS, Yeh FT, Huang HM. Magnolol protects cortical neuronal cells from chemical hypoxia in rats. Neuroreport 1998 Oct 26;9(15):3451-6.
Abstract
- Kong CW, Tsai K, Chin JH, Chan WL, Hong CY. Magnolol attenuates peroxidative damage and improves survival of rats with sepsis. Shock 2000 Jan;13(1):24-8.
Abstract
- Zhong WB, Wang CY, Ho KJ, Lu FJ, Chang TC, Lee WS. Magnolol induces apoptosis in human leukemia cells via cytochrome c release and caspase activation. Anticancer Drugs 2003 Mar;14(3):211-7.
Abstract
- Battle TE, Arbiser J, Frank DA. The natural product honokiol induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells. Blood. 2005 Jul 15;106(2):690-7. Epub 2005 Mar 31.
Abstract
- Fong WF, Tse AK, Poon KH, Wang C. Magnolol and honokiol enhance HL-60 human leukemia cell differentiation induced by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and retinoic acid. Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2005 Feb;37(2):427-41
Abstract
- Yang SE, Hsieh MT, Tsai TH, Hsu SL. Effector mechanism of magnolol-induced apoptosis in human lung squamous carcinoma CH27 cells. Br J Pharmacol 2003 Jan;138(1):193-201.
Abstract
- Yang SE, Hsieh MT, Tsai TH, Hsu SL. Down-modulation of Bcl-XL, release of cytochrome c and sequential activation of caspases during honokiol-induced apoptosis in human squamous lung cancer CH27 cells. Biochem Pharmacol 2002 May 1;63(9):1641-51.
Abstract
- Ikeda K, Nagase H. Magnolol has the ability to induce apoptosis in tumor cells. Biol Pharm Bull 2002 Dec;25(12):1546-9.
Abstract
- Lin SY, Liu JD, Chang HC, Yeh SD, Lin CH, Lee WS. Magnolol suppresses proliferation of cultured human colon and liver cancer cells by inhibiting DNA synthesis and activating apoptosis. J Cell Biochem 2002;84(3):532-44.
Abstract
- Lin SY, Chang YT, Liu JD, Yu CH, Ho YS, Lee YH, Lee WS. Molecular mechanisms of apoptosis induced by magnolol in colon and liver cancer cells. Mol Carcinog 2001 Oct;32(2):73-83.
Abstract
- Chen F, Wang T, Wu YF, Gu Y, Xu XL, Zheng S, Hu X. Honokiol: a potent chemotherapy candidate for human colorectal carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol. 2004 Dec 1;10(23):3459-63.
Abstract
- Wang T, Chen F, Chen Z, Wu YF, Xu XL, Zheng S, Hu X. Honokiol induces apoptosis through p53-independent pathway in human colorectal cell line RKO. World J Gastroenterol. 2004 Aug 1;10(15):2205-8.
Abstract
- Science Blog. "Emory scientists find anti-tumor compounds in magnolia cones." http://www.scienceblog.com/community/modules.php?name=
News&file=article&sid=1833. July 15, 2003.
- Wang SM, et al., Magnolol stimulates steroidogenesis in rat adrenal cells, British Journal of Pharmacology 2000; 131(6): 1172-1178.
Abstract
- Zhu YP, Chinese Materia Medica: Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Applications, 1998 Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam.
- Bang KH, et al., Antifungal activity of magnolol and honokiol, Archives Pharmaceutical Research 2000; 23(1): 46-49.
Abstract
- Wang JP, et al., Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of magnolol, Archives Pharmacology 1992; 346(6): 707-712.
- Chiou LC, Ling JY, and Chang CC, Chinese herb constituent beta-eudesmol alleviated the electroshock seizures in mice and electrographic seizures in rat hippocampal slices, Neuroscience Letters 1997; 231(30; 171-174.
Abstract
- Chiou LC, Ling JY, and Chang CC, beta-Eudesmol as an antidote for intoxication from organophophorus anticholinesterase agents, European Journal of Pharmacology 1995; 292(2): 151-156.
Abstract
- Homma M, Oka K, Kobayashi H, Niitsuma T, Yamamoto S, Itoh H, Takahashi N. Impact of free magnolol excretions in asthmatic patients who responded well to saiboku-to, a Chinese herbal medicine. J Pharm Pharmacol 1993 Sep;45(9):844-6.
Abstract
- Wu SN, Chen CC, Li HF, Lo YK, Chen SA, Chiang HT. Stimulation of the BK(Ca) channel in cultured smooth muscle cells of human trachea by magnolol. Thorax 2002 Jan;57(1):67-74.
Abstract
- Niitsuma T, Morita S, Hayashi T, Homma M, Oka K. Effects of absorbed components of saiboku-to on the release of leukotrienes from polymorphonuclear leukocytes of patients with bronchial asthma. Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol 2001 Mar;23(2):99-104.
Abstract
- Homma M, Minami M, Taniguchi C, Oka K, Morita S, Niitsuma T, Hayashi T. Inhibitory effects of lignans and flavonoids in saiboku-to, a herbal medicine for bronchial asthma, on the release of leukotrienes from human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Planta Med 2000 Feb; 66(1):88-91.
Abstract
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