Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am a lousy editor.
This is not medical advice, I am writing this for educational purposes. If you are ill please seek the aid of a qualified and experienced functional medicine practitioner.
CoQ10 (coenzyme Q10)
CoQ10 is used by the heart as a source of energy. When you are chronically ill or as you age levels decline. This can damage the heart. CoQ10 is also a very potent anti-inflammatory so reduces inflammation in the heart. You can increase levels by eating organ meats, oily fish, chicken and cruciferous vegetables. Ubiquinol is the most active form and probably the most beneficial for those who are chronically ill.
CoQ10 also improves immune system function. CoQ10 also improves the function of other antioxidants such as vitamin E, D, C and selenium.
CoQ10 reduces the symptoms of chronic fatigue and Alzheimers. CoQ10 has been found to help protect the brain from neurological damage preventing many types of mental diseases.
CoQ10 improves mitochondrial function. This can result in the cells and mitochondrial having an improved ability to remove toxins. This can make a person feel sick at first until all the toxins have been removed from their mitochondria and cells.
CoQ10 helps reduce blood pressure in those who have hypertension. It can also help improve heart tissue regeneration and heart function.
Increasing CoQ10 levels in the kidneys prevents high levels of hydrogen sulfide from being produced. High levels of H2S can cause issues with sulfation and cause a person to feel sleepy. This can also cause high ammonia levels in the body. CoQ10 also improves sulfation by reducing oxidized sulfides. In doing so it improves function of the citric acid cycle and mitochondrial respiration. CoQ10 salvages sulfide: quinone reductase. SQR enhances energy conservation and synthesis of ATP. SQR also protects the body from hypoxia. CoQ10 increases oxidatative phosphorylation. Which means it increases the mitochondrias ability to burn fat for energy thus reducing the amount of fat the body stores.
CoQ10 antioxidant properties are not direct. They are through it’s ability to enhance and salvage antioxidants and the antioxidant system. Also by enhancing oxidative phophorylation it prevents excess production of reactive oxygen species.
CoQ10 helps prevent inflammation in the lungs.
CoQ10 helps prevent obesity and fat build up in the liver.
CoQ10 improves muscle function and reduces muscle fatigue.
CoQ10 improve health of all organs including the brain and eyes.
Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am a lousy editor.
This is not medical advice I am writing this for educational purposes. If you are ill please seek the aid of a qualified and experienced functional medicine practitioner.
Betaine (trimethylglycine) (TMG)
If you have health issues preventing the production of stomach acid you can become bloated. Your food will sit in your digestive tract and ferment instead of digesting. This also causes and overgrowth of bad microbes. Betaine (TMG) prevents that from occurring. Betaine helps to improve nutrient absorption. It is best to get plant based betaine. To reap the benefits of betaine we have to make sure we are not deficienct in vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. If the body is not producing enough betaine it most likely is not producing enough pepsin. So a supplement with betaine should also contain pepsin. If the meal you are eating lacks protein then it would be best not to take betaine. Betaine should be taken with meals that contain protein. Betaine and betaine hcl are not the same thing. TMG HCL is hydrochloric acid made from betaine.
Some may have problems taking choline which I will not get into in this article. Betaine is a choline derivative and often times those who react to choline can take betaine and the body will use it as a source of choline. Choline deficiency can cause liver failure. Another way choline helps the liver, it is a methyl donor. Those who react to methyl donors my be able to take TMG without reacting as severely.
TMG also prevents low BH4 levels. BH4 is need for proper hormone levels and for maintaining adrenal health. By reducing homocysteine by consuming TMG this prevents BH4 from being depleted. TMG also aids in recycling BH2 back to BH4. BH4 deficiency also causes cardiovascular disease and excess blood clotting. BH4 is critical for the regulation of Nitric oxide levels in the body. Natural ACE inhibitors also increases BH4 levels.
Betaine helps to prevent high homocysteine levels which can cause high histamines because TMG support the conversion of homocysteine to methionine. High homocysteine levels causes blood vessel damage, cardiovascular disease and hardening of the arteries. Methionine is used by the body to remove free radicals and toxins so TMG can help to reduce toxins in the body. Methionine is also a potent antioxidant so it helps to prevent damage from oxidative stress. TMG also improves cardiovascular health by preventing excess blood clotting.
Betaine has potent anti-inflammatory properties.
Betaine , sorbitol and taurine help maintain water balance in cells, this also helps to stabilize the proteins in cells.
Betaine increases PEMT enzymes which can help to prevent fatty liver disease. It also helps improve sulfation which can improve hormones and digestion.
Betaine inhibits many of the inflammatory cytokines caused by endotoxins so it can help reduce the effects of endotoxins. It also inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome which is high in interstitial cystitis and inflammatory bowel diseases. TMG increases heme oxygenase. Betaine also activates digestive enzymes which helps to increase the beneficial microbes in the gut while reducing the inflammatory microbes.
Betaine helps to increase AMPK and oxidative phosphorylation which increases fat burning which prevents hypoglycemia and obesity. This will also help to prevent fatty liver disease. When OXPHOS is inhibited glycogen can build up in the liver and a person can develop fatty liver disease, insulin resistance and hypoglycemia. TMG helps to prevent that from occurring. It helps to prevent type 1 and 2 diabetes.
Betaine prevents endoplasmic reticulum stress, this would prevent mitochondria damage and DNA damage.
Betaine helps to prevent high ammonia levels which improve brain function, muscle function and function of many organs and is cardioprotective. Betaine also reduces muscle pain and fatigue.
When a person is chronically ill , have sepsis or inflammatory disease they experience what is called psuedohypoxia, this causes tissue ischemia. Betaine has been shown to prevent this from occuring by reducing hypoxia inducible factor. Betaine would prevent oxygen deprivation of organs.
Betaine has been shown to increase tolerance to stress and prevent stress induced schizophrenia. Those with schizophrenia have been found to have low levels of TMG in their bodies. Betaine has effects on the opoiod and GABA receptors having a relaxant type effect. TMG improves brain function in those with Alzheimer disease.
Betaine helps to prevent candida overgrowth and other fungal infection. Betaine also improves tight junction barrier function which improves nutrient absorption and prevents food particles from entering the blood stream where they do not belong. Food particles entering the blood stream which occurs in leaky gut causes one to become allergic or sensitive to certain foods.
If a person has CBS issues they will develop high sulfite levels and many sulfation pathways will become inhibited and homocysteine levels will become high. Folate, B6, B12 and betaine help to prevent this. If a person does not address this they will develop a sensitivity to high sulfur foods and meat. If not addressed the gut inflammation it causes will make them sensitive to other foods.
Though studies show it may be safe to take during pregnancy it is a protease enzyme which can cause the placenta to degrade so I am skeptical of those studies because most protease enzymes are not safe to take during pregnancy because of their effects on the placenta. TMG does normalize fetal growth in mothers who have diabetes but if taken during pregnancy I would make certain you was under the guidance and care of a functional medicine practitioner.
If betaine is taken with steroids, hormones , or over the counter pain killers it can cause severe stomach irritation. If a person is taking phosphotidylcholine they should take it with the betaine because it could cause an overgrowth of certain microbes and taking it with betaine would help to prevent this form occurring.
Written by Lee Stevenson , sorry I am a lousy editor.
This is not medical advice , I am writing this for educational purposes. If you are ill please seek the aid of a qualified and experienced functional medicine practitioner.
Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium)
It boost testosterone at very high doses. In low doses it improves bone health. It can increase estrogen in women. It is high in berberine so will have the same anti-inflammatory , antioxidant and antimicrobial effects as others plants that contain berberine. It increases male sexual stamina and increases male fertility. It seems to normalize a womens hormones if they are estrogen dominant. It improves blood flow by increasing nitric oxide. It may help to stimulate repair of damaged heart tissue.
Horny goat weed can actually help nerves to grow back after being damaged. It may protect the brain from damage and help to prevent alzheimer. Because horny goat weed stimulates the growth of neurological tissue it can also stimulate healing in the brain.
It can reinvigorate hair follicles and help with baldness by increasing insulin like growth factor 1 which is usually low in autoimmune disease and inflammatory diseases.
Honey goat weed helps to heal the adrenals and help restore immune system balance. This results in reduced pain.
In high doses horny goat weed can irritate the stomach.
Horny goat weed correct issues in many metabolic pathways including those involved in burning fat.
This is not medical advice I am writing this for educational purposes.
If you are ill please seek the aid of a qualified and experienced functional medicine practitioner.
Rhodiola Rosea
There are a variety of Rhodiola spp but Rhodiola Rosea is the species used for healing. Rhodiola has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Rhodiola been shown to reverse some effects of aging. It enhances physical, and mental performance and decreases the effects of emotional, chemical, and physical stress on the body. It activates Nrf2 the master regulator of the antioxidant system. It has been found to reverse fibrosis in the lungs so would help with COPD.
Rholdiola activates mTOR to stimulate tissue repair in the body but in cancer cells it inhibits mTOR which would inhibit cancer growth.
It activates PARP-1 which stimulates DNA repair. Those who have a herpes virus usually have inhibited PARP-1 so this should help reduce the symptoms the herpes viruses cause.
Rhodiola increases TH1 but down regulates inflammatory cytokines. It also increases Sirt1 expression known to increase life span.
Rhodiola increases MAO enzymes. MAO inactivates neurotransmitters preventing levels from getting too high. This would increase progesterone and prevent aggressive like behavior. MAO deficiency causes muscle twitching, those with MAO deficiency often times have nightmares and cognitive impairment. Those with MAO deficiency also have difficulty with impulse control and will act on impulse. MAO deficiency also causes skin flushing, diarrhea and headaches. Rhodiola can help prevent MAO deficiency. Those with MAO deficiency tend to crave junk food. Those with MAO deficiency will have high tyramine levels so should avoid high tyramine foods. If a person is deficient in MAO they will react to the tyramine in aged or fermented foods. Ischemia can cause decreased MAO levels.
Rhodiola improves the function of dopamine receptors which would prevent depression. It prevents physical and mental fatigue. Rhodiola improves the felling of well being, improves attention , improves the ability to be subjective, improves cognition, and improves the ability pay attention. Rhodiola helps balance serrotonin and dopamine without causing fatigue. Rhodiola increases Beta endorphins which reduces pain and gives the feeling of well being.
Rhodiola prevents the buildup of lactic acid in the body which would increase muscle endurance and prevent muscle damage. Rhodiola also improves the ability of the body to use oxygen. It also improves adrenal health.
Rhodiola increases tolerance to pain.
Side effects of rhodiola seem to be mild but can cause dry mouth.
Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am a lousy editor.
This is not medical advice, I have written this for educational purposes. If you are ill please seek the aid of a qualified and experienced functional medicine practitioner.
Angelica (Angelica Sylvestris)
Angelica Sylvestris is the most research. Most are chemically very similar. The newer highbrid forms of angelica I have not seen studies on so most of the studies I post will be on the old world strains of angelica. It most likely would help with corona infection because it prevents leukopenia which is what causes most death in covid illness.
Angelica has a variety of health benefits from protecting bone marrow to helping to heal the gut. Angelica helps to prevent upset stomaches and nausea. It helps reduce the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease. Angelica is high in coumarins so it does prevent blood clotting. There is not a lot of research surrounding it but it is related to celery and has a mild celery taste. Celery can balance hormones so I suspect Angelica can. If you look at the phytonutrients many of the nutrients it contains are known to help balance hormones. I am partly inclined to believe this because Angelica does decrease the risk of breast cancer.
Nocturia is a conditon where someone has to wake up to frequently urinate. Angelica helps to reduce the symptoms of nocturia.
Angelica root has potent antibacterial properties. It inhibits IL-6 which is what causes most of the damage during Covid infection.
From personal experience many have used it to relax and prevent muscle spasms. Angelica has been shown to reduce anxiety. It has potent anti-inflammatory effects.
Angelica has been found to inhibit the formation of oxalates in the body. It does this by reducing oxidative stress, reducing inflammation and increasing citrate levels. Citrate prevents the formation of oxalate crystals. It also reduces expression of KIM-1 which prevents renal tube damage. It is high in vanillic acid which prevents liver fibrosis or fatty liver disease. Vanillic acid also helps to prevent obesity.
The leaves and stems of angelica contains phytosterols that are known to reduce and prevent arthritis.
Angelica activates Sirt1 which is an antiaging gene. It also prevents the negative effects of endotoxins on the body. Angelica also improves bone marrow health.
Angelica increases T regulatory cells which help restore immune balance in autoimmune diseases. Angelica also inhibits mTor which promotes longevity and prevents muscle atrophy. Many of the nutrients found in Angelica are known to prevent memory impairment. Angelic improves brain function and promotes healing of neurological tissue.
Side effects , it could cause uterine contractions which could cause miscarriage. Consuming excess amounts of angelic can cause photosensitivity.
Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am a lousy editor.
This is not medical advice, I have written this for educational purposes. If you are ill please seek the aid of a qualified and experienced functional medicine practitioner.
You have to be careful buying astaxanthin there is synthetic astaxanthin and it can cause many health problems. Get it from food sources like eating salmon or krill oil or only use supplements that contain astaxanthin acquired from natural sources. Astaxanthin has a pretty good safety record. Astaxanthin is better absorbed when taken with an oil.
Astaxanthin is one of the most powerful antioxidants. Because of it’s potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties at can reverse some of the effects of aging and has been found to improve eyesight. It has more potent anti-inflammatory properties then steroids. Astaxanthin prevents the negative effects of blue light from cell phone and computer screens.
Astaxanthin reduces wrinkling and improves the health of the skin. It prevents the harmful effects of UV light to the skin.
Astaxanthin reduces cognitive decline, improves BDNF which increases brain plasticity which means it will improve cognition, brain function, and the ability to retain memories. It improves brain blood flow and prevent damage from oxygen deprivation in the brain.
Astaxanthin improves blood flow. Prevent cardiovascular disease, protects the heart from damage and improves blood pressure.
Astaxanthin improves mitochondrial function which would improve the health of the whole body. This would also improve the ability of mitochondria to break down fat to use for energy and improve the mitochondrias ability to produce ATP.
Astaxanthin improves muscle endurance and recovery during exercise. This may be because astaxanthin helps improve insulin and glucose balance.
Astaxanthin has been found to prevent and even reverse many types of cancer. Astaxanthin can also prevent the negative effects physical trauma has on the body.
Astaxanthin can prevent fibrosis in the body which can cause fatty liver and dementia type diseases like Alzheimer. It also prevents liver damage by improving bile duct function. It prevents fatty liver disease from improving the bodies ability to break down and burn fat for energy.
Infection and toxins can cause excess inflammation which can cause loss of smell and hearing. Astaxanthin help prevent loss of hearing and smell from excess oxidative stress and inflammation.
During infections, vaccine injury, toxins like glyphosate in our foods and environment can cause excess inflammation and oxidative stress. This causes tissue ischemia, astaxanthin prevents the damage when that occurs. Those prevention is the best medicine we cannot control everything in our environment. It also help to prevent neurological disease. Astaxanthin actually improves the function of stem cells.
Astaxanthin turns on many of the antiaging genes which are inhibited by Covid and herpes.
Endotoxins and inflammation can cause tryptophan metabolism to shunt and produce toxic metabolites that cause dementia and depression. Astaxanthin prevents this from occurring. It also increases the microbes in the gut that could cause bad tryptophan metabolites to be formed and increases the microbes that reduces inflammation. Astaxanthin helps restore gut immune homeostasis.
There is a reason flamingos are pink if you do not want your skin or eyes to be pink do not consume excessive amounts of astaxanthin. It is what causes flamingos to be pink. Excess astaxanthin consumption can cause low blood pressure. It can also cause excess hair growth. Excess astaxanthin consumption can cause low calcium levels. Astaxantin increases progesterone in cows so may have this effect in humans though I have found no research to support that idea.
I can tell you from personal experience of people who have taken it. It dramatically decreases joint pain. If taken in high dose it caused headaches. Those who took high doses also experienced acid reflux. I do not recommend high dose astaxanthin. Many complain it messed with their hormones. Many other said it got rid of their acne so I suspect it increase their progesterone levels. It does seem to restore hormone balance and until the body gets used to the new hormone levels a person may feel bad.
Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am a lousy editor.
This is not medical advice I am writing this for educational purposes. If you are ill please seek the aid of a qualified and experienced functional medicine practitioner.
Posphatidylcholine (CDP-choline)
Phospholipids (PC) are involved in how our genes are expressed. It is not genetics that determines how genes are expressed but epigenetics. Phosphatidylcholine is needed for the formation of those phospholipids. Pollution, toxins, many medication, aging, stress, bad diets, consuming non organic foods can all and chronic illness cause phosphatidyl choline deficiency. A deficiency in phosphotidylcholine causes sphingomyelin to build up and LDL levels to increase which causes liver, kidney , neurological and brain damage. PC is needed to transport waste out of cells and nutrients into cells. So it is needed for cellular health. Phosphotidylcholine is not the same as choline. Though phosphatidylcholine can increase choline and acetycholine levels. The body uses choline to produce many other things.
Posphatidylcholine improves brain function and prevents neurological damage. It improves memory and helps prevent dementia. Phosphatidylcholine may increase life span. Phosphatidylcholine helps prevent diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and many metabolic disorders. Cholesterol is needed by almost every cell in the body and is needed for proper function of the brain. If phosphatidylcholine is low then many processes in the body becomes inhibited and brain damage and reduces function of the brain occurs. PEMT overexpression combined with phosphatidylcholine deficiency can cause obesity. CDP-choline deficiency can cause muscular dystrophy, fatty liver disease, neurological and brain damage, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, reduces fertility, and causes miscarriages.
CDP-choline is needed for liver regeneration. CDP-choline deficiency makes the lungs prone to infection and injury.
Low levels of CDP-choline causes ulcerative colitis and inhibits nutrient absorption. Low CDP-choline levels can cause muscle fatigue and muscle loss. Because vaccines and glyphosate found in high levels in our foods can damage the metabolic pathways involved in the production of CDP-choline I would not doubt those getting infected by Covid and other contagious illnesses that damage the lungs are deficient in CDP-choline and have most likely been vaccine injured or injured from eating processed foods and GMOs. One thing that has me convinced of this is the fact that CDP-choline is also needed for good gut health and those prone to lung infection and injury usually have inflamed guts.
Foods high in CDP-choline are meat, sun flower seeds, eggs, fish, and oysters. If you supplement with it, liposomal CDP-choline would be the best to use. CDP-choline and alpha GPC seem to be the best options for supplementing phosphatidylcholine.
CDP-choline protect from cardiovascular disease and artherosclerosis. Low CDP-choline levels can cause high homocysteine levels which can damage organs, damage the brain and cause high histamine levels. CDP-choline prevents high homocysteine levels.
I believe CDP-choline would protect from herpes infections and Covid because they inhibit beta oxidation and CDP-choline prevents that from happening. Systemic inflammation inhibits beta oxidation. Vaccine manufacturers claim they need vaccines to stimulate inflammation in order for them to work. Most processed foods especially GMOs cause systemic inflammation. Drugs especially fluoroquinolones inhibit beta oxidation. Those prone to herpes virus infection and Corona have been found to have systemic inflammation.
Because proper PEMT function is important for the proper metabolism of phospholipids if you have PEMT issues I would recommend supporting sulfation and research the benefits of betaine. If you have sulfation issues or PEMT issues you may react to CDP-choline. Those should be addressed before taking it. Some side effects if a person takes too much is nausea, excess sweating, and diarrhea. It would be best if someone took it with food.
Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am a lousy editor.
This is not medical advice I am using this for educational purposes. If you are ill please seek the aid of an experienced and qualified functional medicine practitioner.
Ashwangha
Ashwangha is sometimes called Withania which is good to be aware of. Ashwangha is good when the adrenals are stuff in fight or flight mode but if you continue to take it after the adrenals have calmed down you will reduce your cortisol levels too low. This results in reduced stamina because the body needs adrenal hormones to respond to increases psychological or physical stress. This can also result in excess blood clotting. It is best to pulse ashwangha if your adrenals are upregulated so you do not crash your cortisol levels. Ashwangha also upregulates thyroid function and can cause hyperthyroidism if taken for too long. I often times speak of balancing things ashwangha is one of those things that a person really needs to be diligent with when using. It is great when the adrenals are excessively upregulated but once things have calmed down if you continue taking it you may develop autoimmunity which results in skin rashes, joint pain, and many other health problems because cortisol is needed to tame the immune system and keep inflammation in check. Ashwangha can cause cortisol to become depleted. Cortisol is also needed by the body when increased blood pressure is needed. If cortisol is low blood pressure will become too low so use ashwangha cautiously. Now if used properly and in moderation ashwangha can increase stamina and tolerance to stress. Ashwangha does contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps with hypothyroidism so should be avoided by those with hyperthyroidism. It helps prevent insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. If used properly ashwangha can increase muscle mass and strength. It can improve sexual function and increase lubrication in a woman. It can increase male fertility. Ashwangha is in the nightshade family. It is related to things like the tomatilla and ground cherry. But it is not the fruit that is being used in supplements it is the root which means things are much much more concentrated. So in my opinion ashwangha consumption is almost like taking a medication. So be very very careful when taking it. Ashwangha does improve physical endurance and stamina if used correctly and in moderation. If used correctly Ashwangha can improve quality of sleep and mental alertness. Ashwangha increases testosterone in men and decreases testosterone in women. If used correctly it can help correct adrenal fatigue induce from excess stress or chronic illness causing the HPA axis to be upregulated excessively. Ashwangha is such a potent herb and can change hormone levels , so in my opinion it should only be used under the guidance of someone experienced in it’s use and who is aware of the hormone changes such as changes in cortisol levels and testosterone levels. Ashwangha can help a person lose weight if used correctly because excess stress can cause weight gain and ashwangha improves stress tolerance. Because of ashwanghas effects on hormones it can be effective against breast cancer if used correctly. Another danger of using ashwangha excessively is that it can cause low blood glucose levels.
Written by Lee Stevenson, sorry I am a lousy editor.
I am writing this for educational purposes it should not be taken as medical advice. If you are ill please seek the aid of a functional medicine practitioner.
Rhodiola (Rhodiola Rosea)
It is an adaptogen so it helps normalize adrenal hormones. It prevents the negative effects of stress on the body. It increases serotonin by inhibiting MAO so if a person consumes tryptophan while taking it they could develop serotonin syndrome. It has been shown to promote longevity. It decreases fatigue and helps prevent muscle damage. It increases endurance. It increases antioxidant enzymes in the body. It has been found to reduce pain induced by stress. It has been found to improve the quality of sleep. Those who are TH1 dominant should not take it because it increases TH1 levels. Rhodiola activates the genes that are inhibited by herpes viruses and Sars-Covid. Rhodiola also reduces the inflammatory cytokines induced by herpes viruses and Sars-Covid. Rhodiola has been found to inhibited RNA virus entry into cells. Rhodiola has potent antibacterial properties.
Written by Lee Stevenson. Sorry I am a lousy editor.
I am writing this for educational purposes, this should not be taken as medical advice. If you are ill please seek the aid of an experienced and knowledgeable functional medicine practitioner.
Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
Eleuthero is also know as Siberian Gensing. It is an adaptogen meaning it helps to improve adrenal function and normalize hormones. It helps to prevent diabetes and obesity. It increases IgG and IgM levels. It has been shown to clear mold toxins and endotoxins from the body. It improves blood flow to the brain which improves mental function. Eleuthero is a stimulant so would be best to take it in the morning. Eleuthero has been found to be very effective against RNA viruses especially the flu. It increases athletic endurance. It has been shown to reverse some of the effects of Parkinson’s disease. It prevents nerve damage and has been shown to stimulate nerve repair. It reduces the effects of stress and speed up the recovery time from stress. Eleuthero has been found to dramatically improve lymphatic function. Eleuthero improves mental health and social functioning. Eleuthero reduces the occurrence of outbreaks from herpes viruses. Eleuthero combined with vitamin D3 and calcium has been shown to reduce osteoporosis. When combines with L-carnitine eleuthero increases Beta oxidation which prevents obesity and diabetes. Beta oxidation is inhibited by RNA viruses especially Sars-Covid and herpes viruses. Eleuthero improves skin health. Most plants in the gensing family have very similar phytochemicals Panax gensing has very similar effects as Siberian Gensing.
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