Fatty Acid Oxidation Is Our Body’s Best Source Of Energy… Nerding Out On Atp

SFH is rooted in science and we are going to dig a little deeper into one of our favorite topics, ATP – the energy source of our cells! Sugars like glucose can be oxidized to energy via aerobic respiration. Thus one molecule of glucose produces 30 to 32 molecules of ATP, our body’s primary energy molecule.  Sounds good that one molecule of sugar equals 32 molecules of ATP. However, sugar increases the release of insulin and excessive insulin is associated with major negative health consequences. So while sugar seems like one of many good sources of energy, it really isn’t the best for your body.

Fats are burned to energy by a process called beta-oxidation. Beta-oxidation chops off two carbons from a fat molecule at a time.  Each 2 carbon round of oxidation provides 14 molecules of ATP. Thus for a long chain fat molecule of 22 carbons, like those stored in our fat cells, the amount of energy products is:

Number of carbons ((22) divided by 2) x 14 ATP molecules or 154 molecules of ATP! If math isn’t your jam, this about 5X more ATP per long fat molecule than from glucose without issues with insulin.

So fat is a far superior source of ‘clean’ energy than sugar aka ‘toxic’ energy.

For fat to produce energy it must get shuttled into our mitochondria for fatty acid oxidation and generation of ATP.  L-Carnitine and derivatives of carnitine like N-acetyl-L-carnitine are essential to shuttle fats into mitochondria. Without carnitine, fats cannot move into our mitochondria for energy generation. Carnitine is an absolute requirement for fat transfer into mitochondria.

So why the science lesson on ATP? Understanding how our body uses and generates energy is a key component to understanding our newest and first product to kickstart our Lifestyle line, REVIVE! Revive is designed to generate biochemical energy.  We conducted a clinical trial in 62 volunteers and the results support the view that REVIVE increases energy, decreases fatigue, and improves alertness.

This is also why we add N-acetyl –L- carnitine to our REVIVE Formula. It is step one in ATP generation and fatty acid oxidation.  CoQ10 and D-Ribose are two other molecules that are absolutely required to make ATP, which helps increase your sources of energy. Looking for a non-stimulant energy supplement to keep you hydrated and energized throughout the day? Just add one serving of Revive to your water and you won’t want to stop at just one!