What is COX?
COX is an abbreviation for the natural enzyme cyclooxygenase. There are two forms of this enzyme in the body, COX-1 and COX-2: –COX-1 is produced throughout the body and helps manage day-to-day cellular and metabolic activities, including maintaining the health of stomach lining, regulating blood flow to the kidneys and balancing platelet function. –COX-2 is important to initiating the pain response and is only present in the body on a limited basis; however dietary factors such as stress and injury can increase COX-2 production. How Does COX Work? Cell membranes of all types contain a fatty acid called arachadonic acid. As old cells die off and new cells replace them, arachadonic acid is released into the blood stream. Both the COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes react when they come into contact with the acid and form compounds called prostaglandins. These are molecules that produce a variety of hormone like actions in the body. The prostaglandins produced by the COX-1 enzyme are important to
