Midwest Upper Cervical—Sooley Chiropractic Health Center

07/03/2026

07/03/2026

01/12/2026

1. Glucose → Fructose → Pyruvate
This is glycolysis — the breakdown of glucose into pyruvate for quick energy.
Example: Eat bread, glucose enters your cells, and is converted to pyruvate to start producing ATP.

2. Pyruvate → Acetyl-CoA → TCA Cycle
When oxygen’s available, pyruvate becomes Acetyl-CoA and runs through the TCA (Krebs) cycle for sustained energy.
Example: A post-lunch walk taps into this aerobic pathway.

3. TCA products → NADH → Electron Transport Chain → ATP
The TCA cycle generates NADH, which powers the electron transport chain to make ATP — your cellular energy currency.
Example: Your brain uses that ATP to keep you sharp while studying.

4. Glucose-6-Phosphate → Pentose Phosphate Pathway → NADPH + Ribose
This detour from glucose creates NADPH (for antioxidant defense) and ribose (for DNA/RNA synthesis).
Example: Immune cells use NADPH to neutralize pathogens.

5. Pyruvate → Lactate
In low-oxygen conditions, pyruvate shifts to lactate.

6. Pyruvate → Oxaloacetate → Glucose)
During fasting, pyruvate is turned into oxaloacetate, then glucose, to maintain blood sugar.
Example: After 10+ hours without food, your liver makes glucose for your brain.

7. Acetyl-CoA → Fatty Acids → Triglycerides
Excess energy is stored as fat.
Example: Too many sweets? Your body parks the surplus as belly fat.

8. Fatty Acids → Beta-Oxidation → Acetyl-CoA → TCA
When carbs run low, fat becomes your fuel.
Example: After 14 hours of intermittent fasting, fat breakdown kicks in.

9. Amino Acids → Pyruvate or Acetyl-CoA or TCA)
Amino acids can feed into different energy pathways, depending on type.
Example: In prolonged starvation, muscle protein is converted into energy intermediates.

12/14/2025

Depression isn’t always “just chemical” or purely psychological. Nutrient status matters. Low vitamin D, B12, folate, B6, and magnesium can influence energy production, inflammation, and neurotransmitter balance in the brain. These factors do not always cause depression on their own, but they can quietly undermine mood and resilience.