Your personal bodyguards

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Your personal bodyguards

Free radicals are highly reactive, unstable molecules that have lost one electron and are aggressively looking for a replacement. Free radicals are formed in the body, and its production is increased when we are exposed to such things as tobacco smoke, alcohol, insecticides, radiation and even to sunlight. Other causes are a high-fat diet, eating fried foods, or strenuous exercise. It is the free radical production from these sources that we need to be most concerned about.

In the cells of our tissues and organs, metabolic processes constantly occur, including oxygen metabolism. As oxygen and other compounds are broken down to be utilised by the body, molecules become unbalanced, creating free radicals. A war is being waged by every cell of your body. It is called oxidative stress (refers to a condition where antioxidants in the body cannot cope up with the free radicals generated) and is believed to be implicated in more than 60 degenerative diseases.

Antioxidant system Our antioxidant system includes both antioxidants made in the body (endogenous) and antioxidants that we obtain from our diet or supplements (exogenous). Although many antioxidants can be obtained from food sources, it is difficult to get enough of them to neutralise all the free radicals that are generated. Hence, we need to get more antioxidant protection from the diet. Some common examples of these exogenous antioxidants are vitamins A, C and E. It is widely accepted that antioxidants made in the body are far more potent in preventing free radical damage than antioxidants from food sources. The five important endogenous antioxidants are superoxide dismutase (sod), glutathione peroxidase, alpha lipoic acid (ala), catalase and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) Among the antioxidants our bodies produce, SOD plays the primary role. SOD transforms the most reactive, and therefore, the most dangerous, free radicals into hydrogen peroxide, a less harmful oxygen-based free radical. Catalase, another important antioxidant enzyme made by the body, together with glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), then converts the hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. When superoxide anions are not adequately controlled, cellular damage occurs that can lead to many diseases. Taking SOD supplements can restore and maximise the body’s defence against superoxide anions, which can help delay and in some cases, prevent the disease process. According to Carl Germano, a nutritionist and author of new book called SOD/ Gliadin: The Ultimate Defense Against Disease and Ageing, the current oral forms of SOD are not very effective. The reason is that SOD is an enzyme and enzymes are proteins. Like all enzymes, SOD is only active under specific conditions in the body, and this explains why it has been so difficult to produce an oral SOD supplement. Exposing SOD to the acidic environment of the stomach destroys its function. Even if a small amount of SOD manages to pass intact from the stomach into the intestines, it will be broken down by the digestive enzymes. Therefore, even the current enteric-coated SOD supplements which are protected from the acid in the stomach will be rendered ineffective by the digestive enzymes in the intestines. It has taken 40 years of research to make an SOD that is readily absorbed. Studies have found that taking this patented orally effective SOD supplement not only raised blood levels of SOD by 89% in mice but also increased blood levels of catalase almost three times the levels seen in control group. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) Dr Lester Packer, professor of the University of California, Berkeley, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, is among the world’s leading antioxidant researchers, and has described alpha lipoic acid as very close to an ideal antioxidant because it is both water- and fat-soluble. ALA is able to regenerate vitamins E and C, CoQ10, glutathione and even its own self. It raises blood levels of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant. It’s so effective at protecting against toxicity that it is being used in liver poisoning and in hepatitis C. Glutathione This is found in high concentrations in liver cells. It is the cell’s primary antioxidant against free radicals produced by toxic chemicals and viruses. Glutathione also plays an essential role in the liver’s detoxification process (Phase II system). It plays a role in the synthesis and repair of DNA, in boosting the immune system and in the slowing the natural ageing process. The main problem with glutathione sold as a supplement is that only very small amounts can be absorbed into the blood stream because of its large molecule size. Hence, the best way to boost glutathione levels is to take ALA supplement daily. Endogenous antioxidants decline with age The body’s production of endogenous antioxidants decline as we grow older. The decrease in endogenous antioxidants is considered to be a significant contributor to ageing and to the onset of chronic age-related diseases. There is good evidence that boosting cellular levels of endogenous antioxidants with supplements could help control and prevent age-related diseases – including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and ageing.

This article is courtesy of Pahang Pharmacy. For more information, e-mail starhealth@.... The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2006/5/28/health/14340759 & sec=health