11 Body Systems: What is the Integumentary System and why is it so important?

The 11 body systems are a collection of organ systems made up of parts that are able to work together to serve a common purpose – growth, reproduction and survival. Each part of a system depends on the other parts to perform tasks that can’t be achieved by single parts acting alone and help to improve our chances of survival by maintaining a stable internal body environment. This stable environment is known as homeostasis. Our series, 11 Body Systems goes into depth about each body system and how it relates to the rest of the body.

Why is the Integumentary system important?

The integumentary system provides a physical barrier to the outside world to protect the body from pathogens, physical threats, and to help regulate temperature. It also ‘waterproofs‘ the body, includes receptors for things like heat and pain to alert us to immediate threats, and helps to excrete some bodily wastes.  In humans, like many other animals, the skin is also the organ responsible for producing the essential nutrient vitamin D.

What is it made up of?

The integumentary system includes skin, hair, nails and exocrine glands.

Integumentary supporting ingredients in Nuzest Good Green Vitality

Biotin (Vitamin B7)

Biotin, or vitamin B7, is a water-soluble vitamin that is an important co-factor for
metabolism of fatty acids, glucose, and amino acids. Biotin also plays a role in histone modification, gene regulation, and cell signaling and has demonstrated effects for improving skin and nail health. (1, 2)

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble essential vitamin that serves as both an antioxidant and pro-oxidant. This vitamin plays an instrumental role in the development and maintenance of tissues, bone formation, wound healing, immune function, and a number of metabolic functions. (3) A deficiency can lead to scurvy, anaemia, infections, bleeding gums, muscular degeneration, poor wound healing, and a number of other conditions. (3) In Good Green Vitality vitamin C is provided as a supplemental form (ascorbic acid) and also naturally from rosehip.

Gotu kola

Gotu kola or Asiatic pennywort is a culinary and medicinal herb that grows in wetlands of the Asian continent. The leaves are used extensively in South Asian cooking and it is also used medicinally as a general health tonic and for treating minor wounds, and conditions of the skin such as ulcers, eczema, and psoriasis. (4) The active constituents are a range of saponins and glycosides along with phytosterols and fatty acids.

Beta-glucans

Beta-glucans are a group of polysaccharides (long-chain carbohydrates) found in a wide variety of foods in small amounts, including cereal grains like oats, bacteria, and commonly taken in the diet through edible and medicinal mushrooms. They have been indicated as being of benefit to anti-wrinkle, anti-ageing, and wound healing. (5)

Dietary enzymes

Pineapples and other tropical fruit have long been considered digestive aids in traditional medicine systems. Bromelain especially is thought to aid protein digestion and be anti-inflammatory and it may also enhance wound-healing and provide cardiovascular benefits. (6, 7)

References

1. Ho J-AA LY-H, Wu L-C, Liang S-H, Wong S-L, Liou J-J. Analysis of biotin (vitamin B7) and folic acid (vitamin B9): a focus on immunosensor development with liposomal amplification.  B vitamins and folate: chemistry, analysis, function and effects2012. p. 353-76.
2. Soleymani T LSK, Shapiro J. The infatuation with biotin supplementation: is there truth behind its rising popularity? A comparitive analysis of clinical efficacy versus social popularity. Journal of Drugs in Dermatology. 2017;16(5):496-500.
3. Chambial S DS, Shukla KK, John PJ, Sharma P. Vitamin C in disease prevention and cure: an overview. Indian J Clin Biochem. 2013;28(4):314-28.
4. Gohil KJ, Patel JA, Gajjar AK. Pharmacological Review on Centella asiatica: A Potential Herbal Cure-all. Indian journal of pharmaceutical sciences. 2010;72(5):546-56.
5. Du B, Bian Z, Xu B. Skin health promotion effects of natural beta‚Äêglucan derived from cereals and microorganisms: a review. Phytotherapy Research. 2014;28(2):159-66.
6. Kelly GS, editor Bromelain: a literature review and discussion of its therapeutic applications. Alternative Medicine Review; 1996: Citeseer.
7. Pavan R, Jain S, Shraddha, Kumar A. Properties and Therapeutic Application of Bromelain: A Review. Biotechnology Research International. 2012;2012:6.
8. Tomlinson PB, Joseph C, Angioi M. Effects of vitamin D supplementation on upper and lower body muscle strength levels in healthy individuals. A systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2015;18(5):575-80.
9. Chiang C-m, Ismaeel A, Griffis RB, Weems S. Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation on Muscle Strength in Athletes: A Systematic Review. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2017;31(2):566-74.
10. Rosanoff A, Weaver CM, Rude RK. Suboptimal magnesium status in the United States: are the health consequences underestimated? Nutrition reviews. 2012;70(3):153-64.
11. Pace A. The effects of magnesium supplementation on muscle strength and body composition: a review of the literature: University of Chester.
12. Gunanti IR, Al-Mamun A, Schubert L, Long KZ. The effect of zinc supplementation on body composition and hormone levels related to adiposity among children: a systematic review. Public Health Nutrition. 2016;19(16):2924-39.
13. Yang J, Wu M, Zhang S, Liang G. Study on the antifatigue effects of protein-bond polysaccharide from Lentinus edodes. [Ying yang xue bao] Acta nutrimenta Sinica. 2001;23(4):350-3.