ANTIOXIDANT BASICS

by Doc Franklin

Most people have an awareness they need antioxidants. Yet, most people do not understand what antioxidants are and just how critical they are to good health.

Your body is in a constant state of war. Free radicals damage to your cells can even damage DNA causing a myriad of diseases like cancer, but are also cause wrinkles and premature aging. Antioxidants are the soldiers you give your body the ability to fight free radical damage, also known as biological rusting. Good antioxidant health is critical to staying healthy, disease free, and living longer.

FREE RADICALS & ANTIOXIDANTS: In 1954 Denham Harman discover free radicals as an explanation for aging. Free radicals are produced by your body's normal metabolism and energy production. They are a natural reaction to toxins like cigarette smoke, sunlight, chemicals, stress, exercise, and even drugs. Anywhere you have inflammation you have free radicals. And while they are a natural reaction, when they get out of control they cause a myriad of major health issues. Antioxidant counteract free radicals and the damage they can do.

A free radical molecule is missing one or more electrons, and this missing electrons(s) is responsible for oxidation, sometimes called biological rust. The damaged molecule attacks other molecules trying to compensate for the missing parts. These reaction are called oxidation, causing too much oxygen in your tissue. Free radical steal electrons from proteins and this can damage your DNA. Left unchecked this creates a snowballing effect. When the cell membrane fails it becomes brittle and leaks, ultimately causing the cells to fall apart and die. Wrinkles are nothing less than cell walls failing apart.

Free radicals damage cells and damaged cells can severely affect your DNA, disrupting the healthy duplication of DNA. Free radical damage has been linked to over 60 different diseases including cancer, cataracts, parkinson's, alzheimer's, atherosclerosis, psorasis, and the list goes on.

WHAT ARE ANTIOXIDANTS: Antioxidants defend healthy cells, give you energy, and keep you well. They are nature's way of providing your cells with a defense against reactive oxygen species (ROS). When you are exposed to toxins, environmental hazards, stress, even exercise - antioxidants protect your body. If you have enough antioxidants at work, they counteract oxidative stress that leads to tissue and organ damage. We primarily get antioxidants through foods high in antioxidant values or supplements.

BENEFITS OF ANTIOXIDANTS: Protecting your DNA and actually repairing damaged molecules is one of the jobs antioxidants perform. Here are some other benefits:

Blocking metal radical production – Some antioxidants provide a chelating benefit - they stop toxic metals like mercury from creating free radical damage - and in many instances actually eliminate them from the body in your urine.
Stimulating gene expression and endogenous antioxidant production – Some antioxidants can stimulate your body's genes and increase your natural defenses.
Providing a "shield effect" – Antioxidants, such as flavonoids, can act as a virtual shield by attaching to your DNA to protect it from free radicals attacks.
Promoting cancer cells to "commit suicide" – Some antioxidants help cancer cells to self-destruct (apoptosis) therefore halting cancer growth.

antioxidant production

ANTIOXIDANT VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE: Too many people think taking Vitamin C or eating blueberries gives them all the antioxidants they need. Our research tells a different story. A meta-analysis of thousands of university studies clearly indicates a variety of antioxidants are required for the healthiest life. These antioxidants come from two primary sources: food and supplement. We strongly suggest a diet high in antioxidant. Foods like dark berries, carrots, and broccoli promote antioxidants.

WATER & LIPID SOLUBLE ANTIOXIDANTS: We need antioxidants that are water-soluble and lipid soluble. Water soluble antioxidants are resveratrol, vitamin C, polyphenols (dark berries), and glutathione (and a glutathione supplement is not a good source of glutathione - you must take other things to help your body naturally produce glutathione which is critical for immune system health.) Examples of lipid-soluble antioxidants are vitamins A and E, carotenoids, and lipoic acid.

ENZYMATIC & NON-ENZYMATIC ANTIOXIDANTS: Another way to categorize antioxidants is they are either enzymatic or non-enzymatic.

Enzymatic Antioxidant break down and remove free radicals. They help you flush the oxidative by-products by converting them into hydrogen-peroxide, then into water. These type of antioxidants are not found in supplements but are produced by healthy bodies. The main enzymatic antioxidants are SOD (superoxide dismutase), CAT (Catlase), and Glutathione (GSHpx)

Non-Enzymatic Antioxidants disrupt the free radical chain reactions. These include carotenoids, Vitamin C, polyphenols from plants, and (GSH) glutathione. These antioxidants are found in food and supplements. One of the primary role they play in your overall health is they help protect your body's natural enzymatic antioxidants. So it is true, we become what we eat. If we eat and supplement well, as Hippocrates said we "heal thou self."

ANTIOXIDANTS BY MOLECULE SIZE: Smaller-molecule antioxidants work as scavengers, mopping up reactive oxygen species by neutralizing them. Some of the main ones include glutathione, lipoid acid, carotenoids, and CoQ10. Larger-molecule antioxidants are mostly enzymatic and stop free radicals from attacking essential proteins. Nature has a very sophisticated defense system. When we take good care of ourselves we help our antioxidant defense system to be optimize and protect us from disease. Some diseases cannot be avoid but lifestyle diseases can - and antioxidants are critical.

WHAT ANTIOXIDANTS SHOULD I TAKE

First antioxidants come from food. Good foods include carrots, broccoli, beets, spinach, oranges, pomegranates and dark berries - you get the drift I hope. Of course there are others, but most people get antioxidant support from a variety of fruits and vegetables.

THE GODFATHER OF ANTIOXIDANTS: Glutathione is your body's most powerful antioxidant. It is found in every cell in your body. It also acts to organize other antioxidants and maximize their effectiveness. When you eat the right amount of vegetable and fruits, and take a good array of antioxidants (Natural Biology) your body produces a healthy level of glutathione.

Some antioxidants To Consider

Resveratrol - perhaps the greatest discovery in supplement history. Resveratrol activates metabolic pathways including the longevity gene SIRT1. It improves cell survival, blood sugar metabolism, and insulin regulation. According to studies, Resveratrol helps cardiovascular health, powers up the immune system, and increases mitochondria energy (the key to more energy everyday).
Alpha Lipoic Acid is called the universal antioxidant. Alpha-lipoic acid is believed to prevent cellular damage in the body. It also has the ability to restore vitamin C and vitamin E levels in the body. The antioxidant has also been linked to improving the function of neurons. The antioxidant can protect cells and repair cellular damage that has been caused by free radicals in the body.
CoQ10 is the natural antioxidant that protects the cardio vascular system. If you take a statin drug you should consider supplementing with a CoQ10 supplement.
Dark Berry Antioxidants contain high levels of diverse phytonutrients known as polyphenols.Polyphenolsare a large family of natural phytonutrients widely distributed in plant foods. They are characterized by the presence of more than one phenol unit per molecule. Flavonoids(or "bioflavonoids") make up an important subcategory of polyphenols that exhibit potent antioxidant activity. Many health promoting effects are attributed to flavonoids.Anthocyanins, with their incredible antioxidant and health-promoting potential, are one of the most widely-studied flavonoid categories. Anthocyanins are the water-soluble pigments responsible for the dark red-purple color found in fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The darker the berry, the more anthocyanins that are present.
Astaxanthin is one of the many cancer-protective carotenoids found naturally in orange and red fruits and vegetables as well as dark leafy greens, wild salmon, trout, red sea bream, shrimp, and krill oil (Natural Biology's Arctic Ocean Krill Oil).
Vitamin C - your body cannot produce it, you must get it from foods like oranges or supplements
Vitamin D- primarily from sunlight and supplements. Ironically for some reasons a lot of Americans who even live in climates like Florida have a deficiency.
Vitamin E - surprisingly a lot of Americans have a shortage.
Glutathione is your body's most powerful antioxidant. It is found in every cell in your body. It also acts to organize other antioxidants and maximize their effectiveness. When you eat the right amount of vegetable and fruits, and take a good array of antioxidants (Natural Biology) your body produces a healthy level of glutathione.
Green Tea Extract is the most researched of all the antioxidants, perhaps because we've known about its health benefits longer. Green tea provides polyphenols, specifically catechins, and their effects on the body, have led researchers to support a variety of healthy benefits including: cardiovascular health, cognitive function, weight loss, stress reduction, and even cholesterol levels.

7 BASICS

7 BASICS is an Orthomolecular formula that is also one of the most advanced arrays of antioxidants on the market today. If you take 7 BASICS chances are you'll never need another antioxidant.