Anti-oxidation:

Oxidation is a two-edged sword. You must oxidize your food to get energy out of it. Oxidation is a chemical form of fire. Fire is an essential tool and a poor master. If you think of your body as a house, a mansion with many rooms, each room would be a cell. The goal is to keep the fire in the furnaces and fireplaces and not burn down the walls (cell membranes) of the house.

Anti-oxidant Status Test

Test your anti-oxidant status with a simple 5 minute home urine test. Oxidation strongly affects lipids (fats) in the cell membranes of the body. Did you ever watch how well fat burns when it drips onto a fire? This is true inside your body as well, and is the fundamental cause of aging and degenerative diseases. No matter where this might be happening in your body, the breakdown products will be excreted in the urine, so urine is the best and most sensitive way to test this important preventive health status. In fact, this urine test is about 50 times more sensitive than available blood tests.

Antioxidant-Supplements:

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid is a master antioxidant. It recycles other antioxidants by reducing (a chemistry term meaning restoring an electron) them from their oxidized (electron depleted) state to become functional again. Detoxifies mercury (Hg) because it carries organic sulfur, to which mercury binds.

CoQ10

One of the most effective ways to increase blood levels of coenzyme Q10 is with Q-GEL®. Take one 30 mg gelcap daily to get the equivalent therapeutic benefits of about 110 mg/day of other forms. This means cost savings, since besides being gold in color, CoQ10 is also a very valuable substance, certainly worth its weight in gold for its health benefits when the cardiovascular system is in Phase 1. Another favorite format is a high dose (100 mg) CoQ10 with synergists like the heart herb Hawthorn.

DMG (see also Vitamins: B15)

Sublingual DMG tablets are patented for immune enhancement, while acting both as an antioxidant and oxygenator. They also help relieve muscle cramps. DMG has two methyl groups to donate compared to three for TMG.

Germanium (see also Minerals: Germanium)

Germanium is both oxygenating and anti-oxidant.

Glutathione

This is an organic sulfur-bearing tri-peptide (a chain of 3 amino acids). Tissue glutathion levels are one of the most important indicators of cellular anti-oxidant status. The most effective way to increase these levels is to combine NAC (see below) and Vitamin C (e.g. Ester-C Complex) supplementation.

Malic Acid

Malic acid, especially in combination with magnesium, is helpful in fibromyalgia.

MSM (see also Minerals: Sulfur)

Decreases pain, allergy, toxicity. Repairs and reduces scar tissue and scar disturbance fields.

N-Acetyl Cysteine (see also Minerals: Sulfur)

NAC raises tissue levels of glutathione, the most important antioxidant in the body, and is especially effective when taken with its synergist, Vitamin C. NAC also effectively loosens mucus.

Functional restoration of the immune system in advanced cancer patients: Blood samples from 120 patients with advanced cancer were compared to 60 healthy controls. Live immune cells were cultured with three antioxidants: alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), and a prescription drug, amifostine (AMI). All three antioxidants significantly enhanced the immune cells. Cancer patients' sluggish white blood cells were most activated by NAC (150%), while ALA and AMI were about equally effective. The level of free radicals was significantly higher than normal in cancer patients, while antioxidants were "significantly lower in cancer patients than controls." Pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, which cause pain and discomfort in cancer, were all significantly high in cancer patients. Another sign of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP) was also high. The beneficial cytokine, IL-2, was low. "Patients with advanced cancer thus exhibit both a high-grade OS [oxidative stress] and a chronic inflammatory condition."

Mantovani G, Maccio A, Madeddu C, Mura L, Gramignano G, Lusso MR, Massa E, Mocci M, Serpe R. Antioxidant agents are effective in inducing lymphocyte progression through cell cycle in advanced cancer patients: assessment of the most important laboratory indexes of cachexia and oxidative stress. J Mol Med. 2003 Aug 19.

SOD (see also enzymes)

Superoxide dismutase is one of the body's front line antioxidant enzyme defences. When taken in super high potency, a significant amount can actually get into the bloodstream intact. Most SOD supplements have minimal amounts of this enzyme, often simply supplying a food source of SOD. One supplement, however provides a super-concentrated extract of SOD from sprouts.

Taurine

Taurine is a sulfur-bearing amino acid beneficial for the retina and the heart. Our favorite form is as Magnesium Taurate.

TMG (Vitamin: B14 or Betaine)

Also known as Vitamin B14, betaine, Trimethylglycine, or TMG, is one of the most effective methyl group donors. As such, it is important for many protective and restorative actions, including reduction of homocysteine levels that contribute more to atherosclerosis than does cholesterol. TMG is recommended as a 99% pure crystalline powder made from beets. Take 1 to 3 scoops of 500 mg each per day of this deliciously sweet-tasting product. Do not confuse betaine with betaine hydrochloride, which is used to supplement stomach digestive secretions. Some manufacturers have labeled betaine hydrochloride as TMG.

Coral Calcium

Sango Coral from Okinawa, when processed at low temperature, retains life-giving electrons, which it can impart to water, along with its 72+ trace minerals. This neutralizes the tendency in most tap, bottled and purified waters to act as an oxidizing agent in the body. This is associated with the high longevity in Okinawa, where people typically live 10 to 15 years longer than in the rest of Japan, which holds the worlds record for the highest longevity of any nation.

Alkaline Microwater

By a process of ionization through electrolysis, alkaline microwater can become a powerful antioxidant with a highly negative electrical potential (ORP). This is described in detail in Sang Wang's book, Reverse Aging.

Formulas

Oxi-Tone

Oxi-Tone is an excellent nutritional anti-oxidant combination in a green food base.

Maxogenol

Maxogenol is a delicious high potency nutraceutical blend of phytosource antioxidants, including pine and grape in a sublingual tablet.

Botanical Antioxidants

Also known as vitamin P, bioflavonoids include citrin, rutin and hesperidin. Their main function is to increase capillary strength. Bioflavonoids are necessary for the proper function and absorption of Vitamin C, making them antiscorbutic. Together they help in keeping the connective tissue healthy. Antioxidant activity is also a function of bioflavonoids.

Some of the most important bioflavonoid sources are:

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtilis) Bilberry anthocyanosides helps improve night vision and prevent degenerative eye diseases.

Crucifers

Cruciferous, or cabbage family, vegetables are preventive against cancer. In certain individuals with thyroid imbalances, auto-immune tendencies, fungal dysbiosis and mercury toxicity, they may need to be avoided for a period of time.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)

Ginkgo biloba is also a potent source of Quercetin as well as unique ginko compounds.

Green Tea (Camelia)

Green tea catechins are being used to prevent and treat cancer in Japan.

Hesperidin (Citrus)

Hesperidin helps to stabilize mast cell membranes, reducing histamine release and allergy symptoms.

Isoflavones (Glycine max)

Isoflavones are from soy.

Carotenoids

Lutein, Lycopene & other Carotenes (see also: Vitamins: carotenoids)

There are many carotenoids besides beta carotene. Among the most important are lutein, for prevention of cataract and macular degeneration, and lycopene, for cancer prevention.

Proanthocyanidins & Anthocyanidins

Pycnogenols from pine bark or grapes

Pycnogenols are part of a group of bioflavonoids called proanthcyanidins which have been shown to be fifty times more antioxidant than vitamin E and twenty times more than vitamin C. The isolation of the bioflavonoid, trademarked Pycnogenol, was discovered in France in the bark of a French maritime pine, Pinus maritima.

Pycnogenol has been shown to facilitate the active transport of Vitamin C carrying to the necessary sites of greatest need. It has been shown to counteract the effects of oxidation in the tissues known as free radical damage.

Pycnogenol has been proven through various studies (including double blind studies) to be effective in many situations including:

• repair of damaged capillaries
• prevention of varicose veins
• high blood pressure
• inhibition of histamine release in the allergy response
• improvement of sluggish memory
• free radical scavenging
• collagen (skin protein) binding
• reduction of swelling
• support for diabetic retinopathy
• improvement of joint flexibility
• improvement of skin smoothness and elasticity
• cessation of restless leg syndrome

Quercetin from red onion (Allium cepa)

Quercetin is one of the most powerful and most studied of the bioflavonoids. It has demonstrated benefits including anti-allergy and anti-cancer.

Resveratrol (Vitis)

Resveratrol from grapes is beneficial for the circulatory system.

Rutin from buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)

Rutin helps to strengthen capillaries and other blood vessel walls.

Wheat Sprout (Triticum)

Wheat sprouts provide antioxidant enzymes, especially Superoxide Dysmutase (SOD) and Catalase.