Several years of intense research has led me to a new fat loss agent that is not only highly unique but also extremely powerful. The name of the compound is Octopamine HCl...also known as Norsynephrine HCl.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By: Derek Cornelius
A cursory look at the title and one might come to the conclusion that this article is about fat loss for octopi or possibly even arachnids (spiders for those not well versed in entomology). If we were reading the American Journal for Invertebrate Sciences, the subject of fat loss in these animals might actually be an interesting topic.
However, for the audience at hand it would be dull and quite boring. Now that you are relieved, let me explain what this article is really about. Several years of intense research has led me to a new fat loss agent that is not only highly unique but also extremely powerful. The name of the compound is Octopamine HCl...also known as Norsynephrine HCl.
Interestingly, the name Octopamine is derivatized from the word Octopus. This is not surprising since Octopamine was first found in this highly advanced invertebrate. In this article, we will look in detail at this wondrous new compound, examining its EIGHT LEGS or aspects which instilled in me so much excitement.
Leg 1
The most prominent leg of this interesting compound is that it is a naturally occurring beta3 adrenergic agonist. Significantly, octopamine is the only chemical entity known that is both naturally occurring AND which potently binds and activates the beta3 receptor. Adrenergic receptors come in many different forms and flavors.
There are both alpha and beta receptors. Within these two categories, there are alpha1 and alpha2 receptors and beta1, beta2 and beta3 receptors. Some researchers even believe there to be a beta4 receptor. Most of these receptors are integrally involved in the physiological processes of fat metabolism...both catabolic and anabolic processes.
Ephedra or ephedrine-type alkaloids are indirect adrenergic agonists. Although they don't strongly activate these receptors directly, they increase the release of adrenaline-type alkaloids which strongly activate ALL of these receptors. Both the positive and negative effects of ephedra are due to all of these adrenergic receptors being activated.
Fortunately, the beta3 receptor is responsible for a host of positive benefits without one reported negative side effect. Many researchers believe that beta3 receptors hold the key to truly safe and effective long term fat loss. It is for this reason that pharmaceutical companies have invested millions of dollars into this technology.
Leg 2
Beta3 receptors are extremely abundant in rodents and therefore cause dramatic weight loss in these creatures. However, in humans they are much scarcer. It might be easy to predict then that beta3 adrenergic agonists would be without significant effect in humans. Although beta 3 agonists do not cause a proportional response in humans, respected published research, as well as my own experiments on octopamine HCl, confirm the fact that beta 3 agonists are effective tools for a human's fat loss program.
It affects adipose tissue in two different ways. Firstly, there are beta3 adrenergic receptors in white adipose tissue. These receptors when stimulated directly cause fatty acids to be released from the adipose tissue and burned. Less fatty acids in the adipose tissue equals smaller adipose tissue. Although not as widely understood, there is another type of adipose tissue in the human body called brown fat.
Brown Fat
Unlike white adipose tissue which does not contain blood vessels which carry red blood cells, brown fat has red blood cell-carrying capillaries and thus has a reddish-brown hue to it... and thus the name. Also unlike white adipose tissue which is just a storage organ, brown fat behaves like an active organ and has an integral role in the body's overall metabolic rate.Fortunately, octopamine HCl stimulates the brown fat to become bigger and more active thus increasing the body's overall metabolic rate. In turn, this means more calories burned and more adipose tissue lost.
Leg 3
The third leg of this unusual beast is octopamine HCl's ability to improve insulin sensitivity. This is a huge plus since increased insulin sensitivity not only improves one's fat loss efforts but also induces a myriad of other healthy benefits including preventing and treating diabetes, lowering cholesterol and having more strength and energy.
For those people taking alpha-lipoic acid to increase their insulin sensitivity, octopamine HCl could be a major breakthrough. Imagine obtaining the effects of alpha-lipoic acid while at the same time losing significant weight and feeling better. If a person is already taking alpha-lipoic acid, he might rightly stop taking this supplement while dosing with octopamine HCl... a wonderful money-saving feature of taking this eight legged supplement!
Leg 4
One of my favorite aspects of this compound is its awesome safety profile. At this time, when ephedra based products are taking so much heat for their purported health risks, it is comforting to know that there is a compound for fat loss that is not only highly effective but also is very safe.
Although ephedra has cardiovascular side effects such as increased heart rate and increased blood pressure, octopamine HCl has none of these potentially negative consequences. In fact, studies show that octopamine HCl has the distinct ability to SLIGHTLY lower blood pressure. Furthermore, octopamine has been shown to have the potential to protect and benefit a person's gut function and structure.
Leg 5
Although some people see it is a beneficial side effect, the majority of people do not like ephedra's ability to cause nervousness or jitteriness. Since beta3 receptors are not involved in any process which is linked to these phenomena, octopamine is truly considered a non-stimulant dietary supplement. This is good news for the multitude of people who dislike or cannot take stimulant based products.
Leg 6
One of the most significant features of this eight legged monster is its ability to halt catabolism of proteinaceous tissues. It is very important while losing weight to maximize adipose loss while minimizing the loss of muscle and other lean body tissue. It does little good to lose 20 pounds of weight but to have 18 of these pounds lost from muscle tissue.
This will do nothing but make a person "skinnyfat". Skinnyfat is a term used for a person that has a disproportionate amount of bodyfat to muscle mass. It is a person that looks skinny but still has a high percentage of fat on their body. Octopamine solves this problem by allowing a person to selectively lose adipose tissue while effectively halting the catabolic processes which deplete muscle and organ tissues.
Its anticatabolic effect is so powerful that pharmaceutical companies have invested large sums of money to document the anticatabolic effect of octopamine on growth rate and meat quality of pigs.
Leg 7
One of the things that I like best about Octopamine HCl is its resistance to downregulation. Whether it be ephedra, fenfluramine, amphetamines, etc, nearly all weight loss agents lose their effectiveness over time. Usually, this effect is quite rapid so that several month's of use dramatically decrease the effectiveness of that particular agent.
On the contrary, beta3 receptors have a great resistance to downregulation and thus a person could take a beta3 receptor agonist like octopamine for extended periods of time without losing its wonderful benefits.
Leg 8
The eighth leg of this supplement is not quite like the rest. It is a little shorter and crooked. No, actually, this last point is devoted to certain characteristics of octopamine which are not benefits. However, I feel that it is important for (potential) users to be aware of these things. Firstly, always make sure you purchase a product that is an HCl salt of octopamine.
In my research, I have discovered that the base form of octopamine is neither very stable nor very bioavailable. By forming an HCl salt, these problems are solved, making octopamine a very beneficial and cost-effective product. Secondly, users must be aware that octopamine does nothing for reducing appetite.
Some studies suggest that 60% or more of ephedra's beneficial effects on weight loss occur because of its ability to knock out a person's appetite. Unfortunately, octopamine will do nothing in this area. Octopamine's strengths for weight loss lie squarely with the fact that it increases metabolism, lipolysis and insulin secretion and decreases catabolism of proteinaceous tissues.
Octopamine is showing up in more and more supplements. Don't be afraid of the eight-legged dietary supplement... it's here to help you not hurt you!
