It is increasingly evident that oxidation is a prime factor in the degenerative diseases of aging. The level of antioxidant enzymes appears to determine the life span of mammals, and dietary anti-oxidants increase the length of life. Glutathione, a key intra-cellular anti-oxidant, appears in more than 10,000 scientific publications, and is essential in the prevention of cancer in humans. Important anti-oxidants include vitamins C and E, selenium, beta-carotene, flavonoids, sulfur-containing amino acids and co-enzyme Q10. Anti-oxidants are best taken in combination, since single anti-oxidants, such as vitamin E may become pro-oxidant in the body, without the adequate presence of vitamin C to convert it to its reduced form. Compound anti-oxidant products range from a simple ensemble of a few vitamins and minerals to complex formulas that include anti-oxidant herbs such as ginkgo and milk thistle.

More on Anti-Oxidents

Free Radicals: Dr. Denham Harman is considered the founder of the free-radical theory of aging, first articulated in 1954. This theory states that oxygen-based compounds, created in our own body, are the primary cause of aging. Free-radicals are molecules that have single electrons in orbits, unlike stable biological molecules, in which the electrons always orbit in pairs. These free radicals, desperately seek another electron, attracting it wherever it can, from proteins, lipids, cellular membranes, DNA and so on. Curiously, oxygen free- radicals are a necessary product of the reactions creating energy from food fuel in the body, just like smoke arising from burning wood. There is good evidence now that oxygen free radicals contribute to the development of cancer, heart disease, arthritis, cataracts, skin wrinkling and recently, Alzheimer's Disease. In fact, it has been calculated that the genetic material in each cell is struck 10,000 times each day by free radicals. The repair process from free radical damage is only 99.9 percent perfect, and in time, the damage is cumulative. This includes damage to DNA which ultimately can result in cancer.

Anti-oxidant protection: There is increasing evidence that the use of anti-oxidants can prevent oxidative damage in the body. Multiple studies demonstrate an increase in life-span of experimental animals fed anti-oxidants, at times 22% longer, along with improvement in physical and cognitive measures. It is also well established that reduced serum levels of anti-oxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium may correlate with an increased incidence of cancer, vascular disease and other conditions of aging. In general, it is thought that anti-oxidant supplementation can slow the aging process by 15 to 20 percent.

Types of anti-oxidants: There are numerous anti-oxidants. Some of the better known include beta-carotene, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, glutathione, co-enzyme Q10, and Ginkgo Biloba. Some anti-oxidants exist in the water phase of the body such as vitamin C and B6, whereas others are lipid soluble, such as beta carotene, vitamin E and co-enzyme Q10, protecting cell membranes and lipid molecules containing cholesterol An essential anti-oxidant in the body is superoxide dismutase(SOD), which converts the oxygen radical called superoxide to hydrogen peroxide. SOD is not absorbed orally, but levels in the body can be increased by supplementing with the nutrients required for its production, copper, manganese and zinc.

Plant anti-oxidants: Plants are an important source of anti-oxidants including a chemical class called flavonoids. Flavonoids are plant pigments which are responsible for the colors of many fruits and flowers. There are different classes of flavonoids including the proanthocyanidins(PCO's) found in the extract of grape seed and the bark of the maritine (Landes) pine, quercetin, the citrus flavonoids, and green tea polyphenols. Quercetin is actually the molecular backbone for the citrus bioflavonoids rutin, quercitrin and hesperidin. Flavonoids, or bioflavonoids as they are sometimes called, have strong anti-oxidant potential, the PCO's, for example, being 50 times as potent as vitamin C or vitamin E.

Supplementation with anti-oxidants: Anti-oxidants become oxidized in the body as they perform their protective function. Other substances are required to restore their anti-oxidant status, such as the need for vitamin C to reduce vitamin E back to its' anti-oxidant form. This leads to concern regarding the possible pro-oxidant potential of supplementation with large amounts of a single anti-oxidant. Studies, in fact, demonstrate that supplementation with beta-carotene or vitamin E alone may lead to an increase in several types of cancer. This is not unexpected considering the well established data that anti-oxidants work together, such as vitamin C and vitamin E noted above. The conclusion then is that anti-oxidants are best taken together as supplementation, rather then individually.

Types of Antioxidants

1. SELENIUM PLUS Selenium is a synergistic nutritional partner of Vitamin E, reducing the amount of Vitamin E necessary for membrane stability and integrity.

One capsule contains: Selenium(Aspartate) - 200mcg, Ascorbic acid - 100mg, Vitamin E(d-alpha tocopherol) - 150IU.

2. ANTI-OXIDANT This product from Thorne includes nutrients that assist in systemic and hepatic detoxification including glutamic acid, N-acetylcysteine and glycine, the three amino acids comprising the tri-peptide glutathione. This is the primary endogenous anti-oxidant and Phase II hepatic detoxifier. DMG(dimethylglycine) is an effective methyl donor and assists in hepatic detoxification.

Three capsules contain DMG-150mg, Reduced glutathione - 50mg, L-cysteine(from 81mg N-acetyl-cysteine) - 60mg, L-glutamic acid -45mg, glycine - 23mg, Riboflavin-5-phosphate - 50mg, Thiamine HCL - 100mg, Calcium pantothenate(B5) - 65mg, niacinamide - 180mg, pure ascorbic acid - 200mg, Zinc(picolinate) - 45mg, pyridoxal-5-phosphate - 50mg, selenium(picolinate) - 225mg

3. CLINICAL NUTRIENTS ANTIOXIDANT A super-antioxidant complex with extract of green tea and procyanidolic oligomers from grape seeds. Also contains antioxidant curcumin and N-acetylcysteine. Also contains antioxidant nutrients from garlic, ginger, and Klamath blue-green algae.

Three capsules contain beta-carotene - 10,000IU, Vitamin E (d-alpha) - 200IU, Vitamin C - 500mg, zinc picolinate 15mg, manganese gluconate - 15mg, riboflavin (Vit B2) - 6mg, selenium (L-selenomethionine) - 200mcg, N-acetylcysteine - 100mg, cabbage extract-100mg, garlic extract (deodorized) - 100mg, ginger root extract - 100mg, green tea extract -100mg, Klamath blue-green algae -100mg, curcuma root extract - 50mg, grape seed PCO extract -10mg.

4. ANTI-OXIDANT COMPLEX A Tyler formula with plant enzymes, standardized ginkgo and silymarin extracts along with wildcrafted herbs and nutritional synergists.

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