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Posts tagged ‘Radical (chemistry)’

Antioxidants: Your Defense Against Premature Aging

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ORAC what? Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity is a test developed by USDA researchers at Tufts University in Boston to measure the antioxidant levels of foods and supplements. Why is this important? First, let’s explore what antioxidants are. These, in a nutshell, are substances that destroy free radicals. What are free radicals? Free radicals are unstable molecules that have a free electron. What free radicals do is that they steal electrons from other molecules such as our cells to make themselves stable. In the process, they damage our cells and their components. One of the most vulnerable parts of our cells is the mitochondria, the energy powerhouse of our cells. No wonder, once there’s mitochondrial damage (which is another cause of aging), one of the earliest symptoms a person could experience is fatigue or weakness. Antioxidants should ideally be coming from our food. Other sources include nutritional supplements such as vitamins, minerals and therapeutic-grade essential oils. Rich food sources of these antioxidants include prunes, wolfberries, acai berries, blueberries, pomegranates, apricots, kale, etc. Among the essential oils, clove scores the highest at 1,078,000, followed by myrhh at 379,000 and citronella at 312,000.

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Triple Treat For Your Cell Battery

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A lot of people notice that the number on their scale increases as they age, even while adhering to a sensible diet and exercise regimen. This leads to so much frustration that people sometimes resort to drastic and often, unhealthy treatment measures.

What causes this “what may seem to be an unavoidable” change in metabolism? One of the reasons is the mitochondrial damage caused by free radicals. How do we restore mitochondrial function and optimal metabolism then?

By naturally supporting energy production, cellular health can be renewed and vitality achieved.

Several supplements work in concert to impact energy at the cellular level, providing wide-reaching health benefits (again, taking the right kind of supplements makes a difference).

Resveratrol, a compound found in high quantity in the skin of grapes, in red wine and in plants, like giant knotweed, is a powerful anti-aging antioxidant. Resveratrol recently gained attention because of it’s ability to enhance longevity and support healthy mitochondrial function.

One of the most effective ways to slow the pace of aging is a low calorie diet. It releases a longevity enzyme to help the body adapt- but few people can follow such a restrictive diet. Studies show that resveratrol duplicates the effects of calorie restriction and activates this enzyme without dieting! It also counters the effects of free radicals, shields your system from oxidative cell damage, speeds up cellular repair and supports a healthy heart.

Ubiquinol, the most active form of CoQ10, is the bioactive and reduced form of ubiquinone. Because ubiqiunol is very unstable outside the body and it readily converts to CoQ10, there has been no alternative to CoQ10 supplementation- until now. After more than 10 years of research, the first true ubiquinol product, UBQH, was developed using a patented stabilization process. This means that ubiquinol can go to work faster than CoQ10 alternatives! Ubiquinol works inside of the mitochondria, the “energy powerhouse” of the cell, to improve energy output.

D-ribose, a unique, simple sugar, is a necessary component for the production of cellular energy. It is present in all living cells and essential for life. Because ribose does not exist as a free standing compound in foods, it must be produced in the body from other dietary nutrients. D-ribose is clinically proven to restore cellular energy needed to promote healthy tissue function, increase exercise tolerance and improve quality of life.

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on November 29, 2010

Move It or Lose It

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Exercise is one of the best anti-aging tools that people can incorporate in their lives. Some of the many benefits of exercise include raising our endorphin levels that ultimately helps prevent or relieve pain, whether it’s emotional or physical. Exercise also raises HGH (human growth hormone) secretion up to 400% which means improved body composition (more muscle mass and less body fat).
Up to a certain point, exercise could yield a myriad of benefits. There is such a thing as too much exercise, however. Overdo it, and it would cause oxidative stress and suboptimal tissue structure and function in the body. According to research done at the Cooper Aerobics Center, exercise above the threshold levels of one hundred and fifty fitness points per week or working at 80% of predicted maximum heart rate for at least five hours per week may greatly increase the production of excess free radicals. The body’s need for oxygen during exercise is thought to produce free radicals, which can result in unwanted changes to the body’s tissues and cause cells to become more susceptible to aging. That’s why it’s so important to be on a good dietary and nutritional supplement regimen when embarking on an exercise program.
Moderation is key to achieving optimal health. That means living in balance or what we call yin yang in Chinese medicine.

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on November 29, 2010

I Hate Radicals!

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Free radicals, that is! Free radicals are highly unstable atoms or molecules that have unpaired electrons. In order to maintain stability, they steal electrons from other molecules such as our cells thereby causing cell damage. A good analogy would be a codependent/clingy person. He or she always has to be with someone to thrive or even survive. That ain’t fun! Anyhow, excessive free radical formation leads to premature aging and nobody wants that. To fight against free radicals, we need to take antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that basically donates electrons to free radicals which then neutralize them and prevent them from damaging other cells. Antioxidants come in the form of vitamins (Vitamins A, C and E), minerals (zinc, selenium), amino acids (glutathione), herbs (ginkgo), essential oils (clove essential oil) and other nutrients (resveratrol). Antioxidants typically turn into free radicals once they donate their electrons. That’s why it’s always a good idea to take a good mix of antioxidants rather than just taking an isolated one. Among the antioxidants by the way, glutathione is the only one that doesn’t turn into a free radical. Neat, huh?

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