Stabilised

Stabilised is an adjective that means that something that was previously unstable is now stable or at least more stable. Unstable means changeable, not of long duration, while stable means permanent. Active stabilisation measures are usually necessary to achieve the stabilised state. However, natural systems can sometimes also stabilise themselves when biological regulatory mechanisms take effect or the body recovers from an illness or injury on its own.

A simple example of stabilisation is a tower of building blocks that are stacked too high. It wobbles and is likely to fall over the next time it is touched, so it is unstable. However, you can stabilise it by supporting it with pillars on the sides. Then the tower is stabilised by the pillars. It is now unlikely to fall over until it is deliberately destroyed.

In medicine, the word stabilised usually refers to a person’s state of health or a physical function. For example, circulation or digestion may be out of balance and need to be stabilised again. For example, poor circulation can occur if a person has not drunk enough in very hot weather. Then you stabilise the circulation by drinking water.

If the diet or metabolism is out of balance, a diet is usually necessary first to compensate for the consequences. In order to avoid a yo-yo effect or a renewed malnutrition, a slow transition back to a normal diet takes place afterwards. The new weight or nutritional status is stabilised so that the body returns to the healthy desired status in the future, even after a few days of unhealthy food.

In connection with dietary supplements, medicines and similar pharmaceuticals, one often encounters stabilised active ingredients in the indication of the ingredients. For example, stabilised NADH. These are volatile substances that normally decompose again very soon after their formation. They react with other substances such as oxygen from the air and form other less useful substances or are destroyed by contact with sunlight. To prevent these active substances from being lost when the remedy is stored, they must therefore be made more durable. For this purpose, so-called stabilisers are added to them. These are chemical substances that do not react with the substance, but still prevent or slow down its reaction with other substances or its decay. Stabilised NADH is therefore NADH that does not decay and can therefore be stored for a longer period of time. However, even stabilised substances do not retain their effectiveness indefinitely, which is why it is important to observe the recommended use-by date of the remedy.