Are you using a broad spectrum antioxidant supplement to protect yourself from free radicals? There are more than 1,110 different families of free radicals so it doesn’t make sense to rely on just a couple of antioxidants to fight aging and sickness. To get as many types of antioxidants into your body as possible, nutritionists recommend eating a wide variety of foods which are rich in antioxidants. The same applies to antioxidant supplements. Some potent ingredients to include in your antioxidant arsenal are:

Coenzyme Q10
This facilitates the work of enzymes and it is important for cell growth and energy production in each cell in the body. Coenzyme Q10 is found in every cell, with the highest concentration being in the heart and the liver. It is a potent antioxidant which helps the immune system work better, and has shown promising results in the treatment of cancer and parkinson’s disease. People with chronic diseases have been found to have low levels of coenzyme Q10. Coenzyme Q10 levels also decrease with age.

Selenium
An antioxidant and anti-carcinogen which attacks destructive cells in the body and boosts the immune system. Selenium works together with Vitamin E to gather free radicals which can cause cell mutation, some cancers, and the effects of aging. This trace mineral is important to healthy muscles, nerves and blood vessels, which is why it is used to treat cardiac-vascular disease, sexual dysfunction, infertility, menopausal problems and skin disorders.

Vitamin E
“Vitamin E” is the collective name for a group of fat-soluble compounds with distinctive antioxidant activities. Antioxidants protect cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, which are molecules that contain an unshared electron. Unshared electrons are highly energetic and react rapidly with oxygen to form reactive oxygen species (ROS). Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that stops the production of ROS formed when fat undergoes oxidation. Plant oils such as soya, corn and olive oil are the richest sources of Vitamin E. Other good sources include nuts and seeds, and wheatgerm.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A is also known as retinol. It promotes good vision; helps form and maintain healthy skin and mucus linings, teeth and skeletal and soft tissue, and strengthens immunity to infections. Vitamin A helps cells differentiate, an essential part of cell reproduction. Cells that are not fully differentiated are more likely to undergo pre-cancerous changes. Good sources of vitamin A include liver, dairy products, eggs, and oily fish (such as mackerel).

Vitamin C
Known also as ascorbic acid, Vitamin C has long been known to be a powerful antioxidant. It is necessary to form collagen that, amongst other functions, helps keep the skin firm. Vitamin C also slows down the visible signs of aging.

Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that is required by every cell in the human body. It facilitates wound healing, which may help diabetics. Zinc reduces the length and severity of colds, canker sores, sore throats, and skin injuries, including acne. It can also help eye problems. It is also believed to be effective in fighting auto-immune diseases, and inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and fibromyalgia.

Potassium
Potassium is involved in nerve function, muscle control, blood pressure, maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in body cells, and releasing energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates during metabolism. This mineral plays a key role in cardiac, skeletal, and smooth muscle contraction, making it an important nutrient for normal heart, kidney, digestive, and muscular function. Potassium is found in many foods, especially meat, milk, fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains, citrus fruit, molasses, and fish.

Turmeric Root Extract
Turmeric is a spice whose active ingredient is curcumin. It is an antioxidant which can reduce inflammation and the pain associated with arthritis, colitis and other inflammatory diseases. Curcumin prevents the spread of harmful amyloid plaques found in the brain of Alzheimer’s sufferers. These plaques have a key role in symptoms such as memory loss and mental impairment. Studies indicate that turmeric slows the growth and spread of existing cancerous tumors. Communities which consume turmeric regularly have been observed to have low incidences of certain kinds of cancer.

Green Tea Extract
The active ingredients in green tea extract are polyphenols in the form of flavinoids like catechins and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Polyphenols, flavinoids, catechins and EGCG are powerful antioxidants that appear to interfere with and reduce the spread of certain types of cancer cells. The antioxidant activity of EGCG in green tea extract is said to be up to 100 times more powerful than that of vitamin C or E.

Rosemary Leaf Extract
This is derived from the natural anti-oxidants present in rosemary, an anti-bacterial anti-oxidant that works synergistically with Vitamin E. Therapeutic compounds found in rosemary include tannins, flavonoids, caffeic acid derivatives such as rosmarinic acid, diterpenes such as carnosol or carnosic acid, and essential oil. Rosmarinic acid has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and may relieve pain. The diterpenes are thought to be potent antioxidants and carnosol has been shown to help prevent tumors in mice.

White Pine Bark Extract
Pine bark extract, commercially known as Pycnogenol, has an antioxidant potency comparable to Vitamins E and C, and lipoic acid. It plays a part in extending the lifetime of vitamin C in the body, prolonging its beneficial effects as an antioxidant. Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, found that pycnogenol also suppresses the production of NO (nitric oxide). Excess NO has been linked to inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer’s disease.

Quercetin
Quercetin is a phytochemical which gives the skin of apples and red onions their colour. It is a powerful antioxidant which research indicates may help to prevent cancer, especially prostate cancer, and inhibit agents such as LDL (bad cholesterol) from causing oxidative damage to the body. Quercetin is considered a phytoestrogen. a plant substance with similar functions as that of estrogen. Some phytoestrogens are believed also to have antiestrogenic effects that might reduce the risks of certain cancers. Quercetin was found to have this antiestrogenic activity by inhibiting breast cancer cells in a test tube. Quercetin is also a natural anti-histamine, and anti-inflammatory.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)
In numerous studies, alpha lipoic acid has shown both antioxidant and detoxification properties. Besides protecting cells from oxidative damage, ALA has demonstrated chelating properties, binding with heavy metals to remove them from the bloodstream. ALA also prevents glycosylation, which occurs from the abnormal attachment of a sugar to a protein, a potentially cancer-causing process.

N-Acetyl Cysteine
NAC helps the body synthesise glutathione, an important antioxidant. The antioxidant activity of n-acetyl cysteine helps protect the liver from the adverse effects of certain toxic chemicals, and it has even been used to treat liver failure. NAC also protects lung tissue. Double-blind research has found that NAC supplements improved symptoms and prevented recurrences in people with chronic bronchitis. In addition, supplementation with NAC has been shown to reduce the proliferation of certain cells lining the colon and may reduce the risk of colon cancer in people with recurrent polyps in the colon.

Don’t know where to find an antioxidant supplement which contains all these potent antioxidants? Cascading Revenol packs in a punch with these antioxidants and much more besides. The word ‘cascading’ refers to this formulation’s unique ability to support antioxidant-recycling capabilities. Get Cascading Revenol here at wholesale price, and give your body the protection it needs against free radicals.

Posted: July 15th, 2009 under Antioxidants, Health Supplements.
Comments: 6

Michael Jackson’s memorial service earlier this week brought back fond memories of my father. He was similar to MJ in many ways. My dad was a generous man, with a matching appetite for life. In his younger days, he danced, although his footwork may not have been as fancy as MJ. He enjoyed his food, loved entertaining and was always ready to buy a meal for anyone who needed one. He loved to drive and explore new places. When he had the opportunity, he rode horses, an unusual activity for people in our society then. Although he was a businessman, he had an artistic streak too. Like Michael Jackson, he enjoyed making his own music, playing a certain stringed instrument (I think it was called the er-hu) while he closed his eyes in reverie, sawing away happily at the strings.

Pa was a self-made man who sacrificed much and worked hard to build up a business. When I was a teenager, he provided me with the money I needed to tour Europe. Then when I was a university undergraduate, he gave my mom, sister and I an all-expenses paid trip to Europe and Britain. He denied himself the luxury of vacation and travelling, as his priority was always to ensure that his family was well taken care of.

Sadly, Pa’s health deteriorated considerably from around his fifties. He had diabetes and had to give up many of his favourite dishes. The next three decades saw his health worsening. A stroke rendered half of his body almost paralysed. He developed all kinds of heart problems and was hospitalised many times. Most of the final year of his life was spent in hospital, hooked up to machines and tubes. He couldn’t walk, eat or drink on his own, or even move his bowels normally. His liver struggled with the toxic overload of the drugs. His kidneys failed and, soon, other major organs followed.

My dad had great faith in doctors. He would always take whatever they prescribed to him, no questions asked. He absolutely refused to try health supplements and wouldn’t even eat brown rice. He believed the doctors knew best, even though some of the drugs prescribed to him were unnecessary and even dangerous. My family dismissed one of his most ‘trusted’ doctors not long before he died, when we discovered that the drugs he had put him on were damaging his brain, making him delusional and incoherent. Unfortunately, it was too late.

Many drugs have side-effects. If taken for too long, drugs can be toxic to the organs and harm the rest of the body as well. Some drugs, like the powerful pre-surgery sleep-inducing drug Diprivan which Michael Jackson apparently used, are so potent that they can cause death if used incorrectly.

If only my dad had been willing to wean himself off a lifetime dependency on drugs and extreme medical treatments and, instead, let nutritional health supplements detoxify, nourish, fortify and heal his body, I believe he would have enjoyed better health and quality of life. Why did he have to be so stubborn!

Posted: July 11th, 2009 under Healing Foods, Health Supplements.
Comments: none

Falling ill is no fun. Seeing the signs of aging in your body is a party pooper too. Good nutritional habits, regular exercise, a peaceful spirit and avoiding toxins and pollutants are crucial if you want to stay in good shape for as long as possible. These days, an apple a day alone won’t be sufficient to keep the doctor away. Which nutrients will help you to keep in top form? As a guide, here are some found in my favorite multivitamin and trace mineral supplement:

Magnesium
Magnesium is the mineral of rejuvenation and prevents the calcification of our organs and tissues that is characteristic of the old-age related degeneration of our body. Studies have shown that regions with soil more rich in magnesium have less cancer incidence than regions with low magnesium.

Magnesium Chloride
Magnesium and chloride keep us young and healthy. Chloride is required to produce a large quantity of gastric acid each day and is also needed to stimulate starch-digesting enzymes.

Vitamin B6
An essential vitamin, B6 is effective against more than 100 health conditions, from disorders as serious as heart disease to less lethal aggravations such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and sensitivity to MSG. It even helps prevent the formation of kidney stones.

Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 has a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It works with folic acid in the synthesis of DNA and red blood cells and is vitally important in maintaining the health of the insulation sheath surrounding nerve cells. A deficiency often manifests in the development of neurological dysfunction that is almost indistinguishable from senile dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Low levels of vitamin B12 has also been associated with asthma, depression, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, tinnitus, diabetic neuropathy and low sperm counts.

Copper Gluconate
Copper is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods, including vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains, fruits, shellfish, avocado, and beef. One of the most important blood antioxidants, copper is also involved in the development of immune cells and immune system function. Copper gluconate keeps cell membranes healthy and helps red blood cells produce haemoglobin.

Iron
Iron is an essential trace mineral as it is required for the formation of haemoglobin, which is present in red blood cells. Iron-deficiency can lead to anaemia,

Magnesium Citrate
This has a detoxifying effect as it is used to clean out the intestines and encourage bowel movements.

L-Ascorbic Acid
Ascorbic acid, found naturally in citrus fruits and many vegetables, is the water soluble form of vitamin C. It is considered a potent antioxidant, with the ability to protect cells. Ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient in human diets, and necessary to maintain connective tissue and bone. It plays a primary role in collagen formation, essential for the growth and repair of tissue cells, blood vessels, bones, teeth and gums.

Calcium Lactate
Calcium is necessary for many normal functions of the body, especially bone formation and maintenance. Calcium lactate can be found in some foods and medicines and is used to prevent and to treat calcium deficiencies, as well as prevent tooth decay.

Manganese
This is an essential trace mineral regarded as both a brain and a nerve food. Many herbal supplements for mental and physical fatigue, digestion problems, and nervous conditions contain ginger and catnip, good sources of manganese. Manganese is considered essential for the formation of healthy red blood cells, proper pituitary gland function, and the maintenance of good eyesight. It strengthens cell walls, protecting us from viruses and other infections. It also strengthen bones, collagen and connective tissue such as ligaments, so it can help with joint lubrication.

Inulin
Inulins are a group of naturally occurring polysaccharides (several simple sugars linked together) produced by many types of plants, such as garlic, onions, Jerusalem artichokes and leeks. Inulin increases calcium absorption and possibly magnesium absorption. It is also a prebiotic, promoting the growth of healthy bacteria in the body’s intestinal system.

Zinc Citrate (Zinc plus Citrate)
Zinc citrate is a combination of zinc and citrate which is derived from citric acid. Zinc is an essential mineral that is required by every cell in the human body. It facilitates wound healing, which may help diabetics. Zinc citrate supports fertility and children’s growth. It reduces the length and severity of colds, canker sores, sore throats, and skin injuries, including acne. It can also help eye problems. It is also believed to be effective in fighting auto-immune diseases, and inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and fibromyalgia.

Folic Acid
Folic acid, or Vitamin B9, is essential for cell growth and reproduction. It helps to produce healthy red blood cells and prevent anaemia. Pregnant women are advised to take it because it can prevent major birth defects of her baby’s brain or spine. Other benefits of folic acid include the inhibition of colon cancer and the prevention of heart disease.

Sodium Selenite (Selenium)
Sodium selenite is the most common water-soluble form of the trace mineral selenium, an antioxidant which attacks destructive cells in the body and boosts the immune system. It works together with Vitamin E to gather free radicals which can cause cell mutation, some cancers, and the effects of aging. This mineral is important to healthy muscles, nerves and blood vessels, which is why it is used to treat cardiac-vascular disease, sexual dysfunction, infertility, menopausal problems and skin disorders.

Potassium Chloride
Potassium chloride is the main positive ion inside the body’s cells. Potassium is needed for normal bodily functions, including those affecting the heart, nerve conduction, muscle contraction and normal kidney functions. It helps prevent and remedy dehydration caused by excessive physical activity, illness or intoxication.

Thiamine Mononitrate
Also known as vitamin B1, thiamine plays an important role in helping the body convert carbohydrates and fat into energy. It is essential for normal growth and development and helps to support proper functioning of the heart and the nervous and digestive systems. Once absorbed, the vitamin is concentrated in muscle tissue. Systemic thiamine deficiency can lead to myriad problems including neurodegeneration, wasting, and death.

Riboflavin
Known also as vitamin B2, riboflavin stimulates the metabolism and assists in the digestion and absorption of fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Riboflavin deficiency can result in cracked lips, ulcers in the mouth, an inflamed tongue, and sore throat. Eyes may get bloodshot, and low iron levels or anaemia may result. Riboflavin deficiency is most common in people with eating disorders, those with diseases of the bowel, HIV cases, and in women taking birth control pills.

Nicotinamide
This is also known as Vitamin B3. It has demonstrated anti-inflammatory actions which may be of benefit in patients with inflammatory skin conditions, like acne. Nicotinamide also has anti-anxiety properties, and shows promise in restoring cognition in Alzheimer’s patients as well.

Ferrous Sulfate
This provides the iron needed by the body to produce red blood cells. It is used to treat or prevent iron-deficiency anaemia, a condition that occurs when the body has too few red blood cells because of pregnancy, poor diet, excess bleeding, or other medical problems.

Potassium Iodide
This is a salt of stable iodine, an important chemical needed by the body to make thyroid hormones. Potassium Iodide is stable iodine in a medicine form.

Citric Acid
Citric acid, found naturally in citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, bonds easily to minerals and metals, a process called chelation. Taking minerals with citric acid is beneficial, as the body will more easily digest chelated minerals.

Fulvic Acids
Fulvic acids consist of naturally occuring phytochemicals, biochemicals, supercharged antioxidants, free-radical scavengers, super oxide dismutases, nutrients, enzymes, hormones, amino acids, antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals. As the most powerful, natural electrolyte known, fulvic acid restores electrical balance to damaged cells and neutralizes toxins. Fulvic acids greatly enhance the bioavailability of important trace minerals and nutrients, transporting substantial amounts to living cells.

Supplementary multi-vitamin and trace mineral nutrients which help detoxify, nourish and fortify the body are especially important for convalescents, people dealing with sickness or injury, pregnant women, the elderly, those who have trouble eating, vegetarians, the physically active and those who are nutritionally deficient. You can get my favorite trace minerals and multivitamin supplement, Maximol Solutions by Neways, from here.

Posted: July 7th, 2009 under Antioxidants, Diet, Health Basics 101, Health Supplements, Immune System Health.
Comments: 8