Why HyVitality

Active Ingredients Per Capsule

• 6.25 mcg Vitamin K2 (MK7)
• 40 mg Magnesium
• 12.5 mg Alpha Lipoic Acid
• 15 mg Coenzyme Q10
• 250 mcg Vitamin B12 (as Methylcolbalamin)
• 237.5 mg Proprietary Blend

• 6.25 mcg Vitamin K2 (MK7)

• About Vitamin K

  Vitamin K plays key roles in blood coagulation, bone metabolism and endothelial (blood vessel) cell function.  Vitamin K2 (MK-7) is a very safe and well-absorbed form of this fat soluble vitamin. Antibiotic use may lead to Vitamin K deficiency by destroying good intestinal bacteria that produce Vitamin K. The synthetic Vitamin K3 (menadione) that is commonly added to pet food may be inferior to the natural forms and, unlike Vitamin K1 and K2, Vitamin K3 may be toxic at high doses. The longer acting MK-7 form of Vitamin K2 used in HyVitality is significantly more expensive than K1 but is more bioavailable and remains bioactive for a more prolonged period in the body.

• 40 mg Magnesium

• About Magnesium

  A healthy Shar-Pei is replete with magnesium.  Unfortunately, too many Shar-Pei are found to suffer from whole body depletion of this element.  Only about one percent of the body’s magnesium is free in the blood serum and low levels found here on a blood test reflect serious deficiency.  Magnesium is one the body’s most important and most abundant minerals and is necessary for healthy life.  Why is hypomagnesemia (low magnesium) common in Shar-Pei?

  I believe this is because of their increased need for the mineral.  Magnesium is a limiting nutrient for hyaluronan synthesis (hyaluronan is the molecule over-expressed in Shar-Pei that creates their characteristic thickened and wrinkled skin).  Magnesium is also necessary to help stabilize hyaluronan in its healthy high molecular state in the pericellular matrix around and between cells where hyaluronan is protective and healing.

  Magnesium is also required in over 300 biochemical pathways in the body and deficiency can contribute to many problems including anxiety, tremors, bruxism, muscle cramps, difficulty swallowing, personality changes, allergies and seizures.  Magnesium bound to ATP creates the body’s biologically active unit of energy and also plays crucial roles in DNA and RNA synthesis and cell signaling processes.

  Magnesium is central to chlorophyll, the molecule that makes leafy plants green and that creates energy from sunlight.  Chlorophyll is structurally similar to hemoglobin in blood (the hemoglobin molecule differs in that it is centered about iron instead of magnesium).  This is why dark green leafy vegetables are important nutritional sources of magnesium.  Processed grains have had the magnesium-rich portions removed and contribute to magnesium deficiency.

  Shar-Pei with advanced kidney disease should seek veterinary advice before considering supplementation with magnesium.  Magnesium is excreted through the kidneys and failing kidneys may be unable to properly excrete the mineral leading to the opposite problem of hypermagnesemia.  Your veterinarian can measure serum magnesium levels with a simple blood test.  HyVitality Senior does not contain added magnesium.

  Too much oral magnesium given all at once may cause loose stools.  We recommend dividing the total daily dosage of HyVitality to provide more steady absorption throughout the day.

• 12.5 mg Alpha Lipoic Acid

• About Alpha Lipoic Acid

  Alpha Lipoic Acid is an essential antioxidant compound that protects against naturally occurring reactive oxidative species (ROS).  Alpha Lipoic Acid has important fu­nctions in the regulation of the body’s normal inflammatory processes.   Alpha Lipoic Acid is an essential cofactor in several important mitochondrial energy reactions and in nucleic acid synthesis. It stimulates glutathione synthesis, the body’s essential cellular antioxidant. It maintains glutathione and Vitamins C and E in their protective antioxidant forms. ROS trigger a pathway activating the inflammasome, contributing to IL-1beta release, fever and inflammation. Antioxidants help protect against the effects of ROS.  Over-dosage may cause hypoglycemia. It should never be given to cats.

• 15 mg Coenzyme Q10

• About Coenzyme Q10

  Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a necessary cofactor in the body’s mitochondrial energy factories.  CoQ10 influences the expression of several hundred genes, including that of the cytokine NF-κB. It may help protect against septic shock and the inflammatory cascade through its role as a powerful antioxidant. Animals that are ill are often low in this cofactor and levels decline with age.

• 250 mcg Vitamin B12 (as Methylcolbalamin)

• About Methylcobalamin

  Methylcobalamin is one of the body’s natural forms of Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency is closely linked to anemia, gastrointestinal and neurological disease.  Vitamin B12 is potently active in the immune system via regulation of nitric oxide synthases: promoting a strong inflammatory response where needed and the means to resolve it. A powerful antioxidant, an intracellular form of cobalamin has been shown to react with superoxide at rates approaching those of the standard-setting superoxide dismutase itself.  Some Shar-Pei have chronic intermittent diarrhea that has been associated with Vitamin B12 deficiency and serum cobalamin testing by your veterinarian will reveal if this is the underlying problem causing these signs in some individuals. Treatment of Shar-Pei Autoinflammatory Disease (SPAID) with the drug colchicine may deplete Vitamin B12 levels and lead to need for additional supplementation.

• 237.5 mg Proprietary Blend

• Boswellia Serrata resin (Indian Frankincense) has been used for its health benefits throughout written history.  Recent scientific studies have identified many bioactive components extracted from Boswellia’s resin that have important health-promoting activity.  These natural substances support normal immune function and barrier response.  It helps preserve the intestinal epithelial barrier from ROS damage.  Hyaluronan is a key component of the extracellular mesh that protects the tight junction proteins between cells, including intestinal epithelial cells where it helps block unwanted intestinal permeability, and is susceptible to damage from ROS and pathogens.

  Curcumin is a natural phytochemical obtained from the dried root and rhizome of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa).  Curcumin has been shown to interfere with multiple cell signaling pathways, including apoptosis (activation of caspases and downregulation of anti-apoptotic gene products), proliferation (HER-2, EGFR, and AP-1), angiogenesis (VEGF), and inflammation (NF-kappaB, TNF, IL-6, IL-1, COX-2, and 5-LOX). Curcumin can activate the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), which has been recognized as a master regulator of the antioxidant response.  It has effects against IL-1beta induced inflammation alone and synergistically when combined with resveratrol. Curcumin and the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA also act synergistically. Curcumin has been shown to down-regulate IL-6 and is a potent inhibitor of STAT 3. STAT3 is a transcription factor through which the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 mediates its effects and is an important promoter of cancer. Curcumin suppresses mast cell activation and stabilizes mast cell granules, reducing histamine’s effects.

  Diosmin is a naturally occurring flavonoid glycoside usually derived from citrus fruits that is structurally similar to luteolin and apigenin.  In Europe, it has been shown to be useful in the treatment of lymphangitis in humans.  The micronized form of diosmin in HyVitality (Diosvein™) is more readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Micronized diosmin has been shown in multiple studies to improve normal lymphatic drainage by promoting lymphatic contractions, by increasing the number of functional lymphatics, and by decreasing the diameter of lymphatic vessels and decreasing intra-lymphatic pressure.  Diosmin inhibits the synthesis and biological activities of different mediators such as arachidonic acid derivatives, prostaglandins E2 and F2 and thromboxane A2. Diosmin’s inhibition of these mediators blocks production of tissue-damaging reactive oxidative species (ROS). It may inhibit amyloidogenic gamma-secretase cleavage of amyloid precursor protein. Diosmin supports normal blood vessel and lymphatic health.

  Resveratrol is an important polyphenol.  Resveratrol has been shown to block the endotoxin-induced acute phase response cascade in rats.  Resveratrol activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). AMPK also directly inhibits HAS2 (the enzyme abnormally over-expressed in Shar-Pei) by phosphorylation of a Thr residue in HAS2, reducing its ability to make hyaluronan in endothelial smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts.   AMPK and SIRT1 levels fall after endotoxin exposure and resveratrol supplementation can help counteract that decline in these important messengers. It may help maintain eye health during oxidative stress from ROS produced in animals with glaucoma.  Neuroprotective resveratrol may be help preserve cognitive function in older dogs. Resveratrol blocks IL-18 and extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN). EMMPRIN is a potent inducer of malignant cell properties that functions, at least in part, through inducing increased hyaluronan synthesis.