Tetradecylthioacetic Acid (TTA)
A sulfur-substituted fatty acid analog with hypolipidemic, hypotensive, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. TTA is an activator of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, and increases mitochondrial beta-oxidation (the process of oxidizing fatty acids for energy). Not coincidentally, TTA is used as an ingredient in various weight loss supplements, although its efficacy in humans has not been...
Trans-Ferulic Acid
See Ferulic Acid.
Slippery Elm Bark
The inner bark of the tree, Ulnus umbra. The bark was used by Native Americans and early European settlers to the US as a laxative, antiseptic, analgesic and emollient. It’s high in mucilage, a sticky, gelatinous substance containing polysaccharides and glycoproteins that coat and sooth irritated tissues. This property of Slippery Elm accounts for its medicinal uses as a treatment for sore throats, colitis and wounds. It...
Senna Extract
An herbal laxative used in a range of “detox” and “cleansing” products, as well as over-the-counter commercial preparations (such as Ex-Lax). There are several related species of plants used, but Cassia angustifolia and Cassia acutifolia are the most common. The active ingredients are known as sennosides, which induce laxation via “stimulation of propulsive activity” in the...
Tagatose
An isomer of fructose marketed as a low-calorie sweetener under the trade name Naturlose. Tagatose is a monosaccharide that’s approx. 92% sweet as table sugar (sucrose), but is poorly digested and absorbed. Despite its potential, tagatose is still not widely used in the US, although that may change in the future – especially since it may have therapeutic applications for diabetes and digestive...
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