Carotenoids are phytonutrients that protect plants from damage caused by UV radiation and other environmental factors. In humans, they have been shown to inhibit the proliferation of various types of damaging cells such as those affecting the lungs, stomach, cervix, breast, bladder, and mouth. They also have been proven to protect against atherosclerosis, cataracts, macular degeneration and other major degenerative disorders. The key carotenoids are: beta carotene, alpha carotene, lycopene, and zeaxanthin.
Probably the best known of the carotenoids, beta carotene is converted by the body into vitamin A as needed to strengthen the immune system and promote healthy cell growth. In addition, beta carotene is a potent antioxidant, offering particular benefits to the immune system and the lungs. (Note: synthetic beta carotene, made from acetylene gas is to be avoided. As a side note, synthetic beta carotene was used in the studies that produced negative results when beta carotene was tested.)
But also, it is important to understand that beta carotene is not the most important of the carotenoids. It's just the only one that is a recommended daily requirement. Once again, the FDA and the USDA are several decades behind the times.
For example, recent studies have shown that alpha carotene is one of the most powerful carotenoids and has a strong inhibitory effect on the proliferation of various types of damaging cells such as those affecting the lungs, stomach, cervix, breast, bladder and mouth. It works by allowing normal cells to send growth-regulating signals to premalignant cells.
Bottom line. You want a carotenoid complex, not pure synthetic beta carotene.
Biotin is a water soluble vitamin which can be depleted by stress. It is essential in the conversion of carbohydrates to energy and plays a major role in fat and protein metabolism for building healthy tissue. Biotin works synergistically with insulin to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics especially at higher doses of 10-20 mg. When taking high doses of alpha lipoic acid, it is important to also take biotin because alpha lipoic acid can compete with biotin and interfere with its activity in the body.
Food sources provide selenium in either an inorganic form (selenite or selenate) or in an organic form where it displaces sulfur in methionine or cysteine. The organic forms are far more absorbable and display no toxicity.
Selenium is a component of glutathione peroxidases which are primarily responsible for reducing peroxide free radicals that include lipid peroxide formation in cell membranes. Reduction of peroxides breaks the auto-oxidative chain reaction that damages cell membranes. Selenium is synergistic with glutathione and catalase in helping to protect the integrity of cell membranes. It helps protect the liver.
One of the keys to a healthy immune system is maintaining high levels of glutathione in the body. Unfortunately, supplementing with glutathione doesn't really help. Fortunately, there are alternatives. Supplementation with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) has been proven to substantially raise the body's glutathione levels. In addition, NAC supplementation is mandatory for all smokers and big-city dwellers as it protects against toxic aldehydes that enter the body through cigarette smoke and pollution.
An essential sulfur amino acid, methionine is a powerful antioxidant and liver detoxifier -- where it assists in the normal detoxification processes. As an natural antioxidant, it provides powerful protection in the colon. Finally, methionine is involved in the synthesis of choline, adrenaline, lecithin, and B12, and it works as a powerful SAMe precursor.
Quercetin is one of the class of natural antioxidants known as bioflavonoids. A prime role of quercetin is to protect the integrity of cell walls from free radical damage. In addition, quercetin inhibits the release of histamines into the bloodstream, thereby helping to control food and pollen allergies.
Known as the brain antioxidant, Ginkgo Biloba has been shown to increase brain function, which makes it useful in helping to improve concentration and memory. This makes it a specific for Alzheimer's, where it has the added benefit of helping to significantly reduce depression. In addition, Ginkgo Biloba oxygenates the blood, increases circulation, and strengthens blood vessels. Ginkgo Biloba's anti-inflammatory, lung-relaxant properties have proven helpful with asthma, where it eases coughing and reduces tissue inflammation.
When Ultimate Antioxidant™ first started using resveratrol in 2004, almost no one in the alternative health community had heard of it. Users of this remarkable formula back then got a head start of several years on the rest of world. Originally, Jon Barron specified 30 mg at 20%. In the new formulation, it's now 150 mg at 50%. That represents a 1250% increase in this possibly life-extending ingredient!!
Green tea antioxidants are of the same family as grape seed and pine bark extracts. They are polyphenols, chief of which are the flavonoids called proanthocyanidins. In green tea, the main proanthocyanidins are the catechins, and the most powerful of the catechins is Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG), found in the highest concentration in green tea.
Green tea as a health supplement works to help stop tumors from developing the blood vessels they need to survive. It has been shown to inhibit metastasis. And it is the first known natural telomerase inhibitor.
And the benefits of green tea don't stop there. It has also been shown to be helpful in regulating blood sugar, reducing triglycerides, and in reversing the ravages of heart disorders. (Incidentally, the Japanese, who drink large amounts of green tea, have some of the lowest rates of cardiovascular disorders in the world.)
Finally, green tea has great benefits for the brain as well, serving as a helpful MAO inhibitor, protecting against brain-cell death from glucose oxidase, over-production of nitric oxide, and lowering the amount of free iron reaching the brain (a bad thing). The net result is that there are strong indications that green tea extract may play a major role in protecting against both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
The anthocyanosides found in bilberry are known for their ability to help nourish and repair the tiny capillaries within the eye. In addition, the bilberry bioflavonoids are beneficial to the connective tissue that lines blood vessels and binds ligaments throughout the body. Traditionally, bilberry's leaves and berries have been used to help with scurvy, urinary tract issues or challenges, kidney problems, and diarrhea. British pilots during World War II would eat bilberry jam before night raids in order to improve their vision.
Curcumin is one of the most powerful and most studied antioxidants in existence. Research has focused on its potential as an anti-inflammatory and anti-malignancy agent. This formula was recently upgraded from a standard, 95% curcumin extract to a patented version that balances out the three main chemical compounds - Curcumin, Demethoxycurcumin and Bisdemethoxycurcumin - collectively known as Curcuminoids. The benefits are profound.
Derived from rice bran or palm oil, tocotrienols are a unique vitamin E fraction that is 40 times more powerful than standard vitamin E. Tocotrienols are rich in the gamma tocotrienol fraction of vitamin E. Specifically, tocotrienols can:
Native Americans have used Chaparral leaf for centuries. Exactly how it works is open to debate, but some of its main actions are:
So how could such a beneficial herb be on everyone's blacklist?
According to the FDA, Chaparral: sold has been linked to serious liver damage. FDA has recorded two deaths and 10 cases of hepatitis or other liver abnormalities in users.
The reality, though, is that the evidence for chaparral liver toxicity is anecdotal. It is not the result of any double blind studies or of any clinical trials. For example, one of the cases the FDA likes to single out can be found in the Journal of the American Medical Association (273 (6):489). The details of the case concern a 60-year-old woman who developed jaundice and liver failure while taking one to two capsules of chaparral each day with a pinch of garlic in a tea made from nettle and chickweed. The authors of the JAMA article concluded it was the chaparral that caused the liver problems. What is fascinating is that the patient in question was also consuming atenolol, aspirin, was on a nitro patch, and occasional acetaminophen, as well as diltiazem hydrochloride - all drugs with profound hepatoxic potential. Amazingly, none of these other substances was even considered as a possible cause of the liver problems by the authors...or the FDA. What a surprise!
Nevertheless (and despite the fact that extensive studies on chaparral in the 1970s and 1980s were unable to find any hepatotoxic properties), in December of 1992, FDA Commissioner David Kessler announced, "The public should not purchase or consume chaparral."
After these allegations of liver toxicity by the FDA, manufacturers voluntarily restricted sales of chaparral for several years until the reports were investigated. Following a lengthy review, a panel of medical experts concluded "no clinical data was found... to indicate chaparral is inherently a hepatic toxin." In late 1994, this report was submitted to the FDA. The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) now recommends the following Companies that offer products for sale for internal use that contain chaparral (Larrea tridentata) [should] provide labeling that contains the following informational language:
Rare reports of serious liver disease have been associated with ingestion of chaparral. Seek advice from a health care practitioner before use and, in so doing, inform them if you have had, or may have had, liver disease, frequently use alcoholic beverages, or are using any medications. Discontinue use and see a doctor if vomiting, fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, or jaundice (e.g., dark urine, pale stools, yellow discoloration of the eyes) should occur.
So is this remarkable herb now sold freely in the marketplace and used to benefit ailing people all over the world? Hardly!
Search for "chaparral toxicity" on the web and you will see numerous articles still announcing the dangers of the herb (all citing the same cases from the early 90's.) Or try and buy chaparral in Canada or much of Europe. Right! The problem is that once an herb is labeled dangerous (even if disproved at a later date), the stigma remains - and is brought up over and over and over again...acquiring truth through repetition, if not fact.
Fortunately, despite the bad press, chaparral, or larrea, is at least available (for the time being) in the United States.
Similar to green tea, the active ingredients in grape seed extract are the oligomeric proanthocyanidins (but in a different combination and ratio). The importance of the proanthocyanidins in grape seed extract is that they are water soluble and highly bio-available.
Above all else, grape seed extract is known as a defender of the circulatory system. It improves peripheral circulation, revives declining capillary activity by up to 140%, and increases vascular response by some 82%. It repairs varicose veins and aids in the prevention of bruising.
In addition, grape seed extract is synergistic with vitamin C, vastly increasing vitamin C activity and strengthening collagen activity -- including in the connective tissue of the arterial wall and the skin.
Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) clearly possess remarkable antioxidant properties. Their effects on reducing free radical damage and oxidative stress suggest that they may be particularly helpful in reducing the risk of cardiovascular issues and a number of the chronic issues associated with aging. Although the majority of the studies conducted on OPCs have been done in cell culture (test tube) and animals, the results are extremely promising.
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) works along with glutathione to neutralize reactive oxygen molecules in the body. SOD specifically targets the superoxide radical, which, as we discussed earlier, attacks cell mitochondria. When mitochondria are destroyed, the cell loses its ability to convert food to energy. It dies. SOD also works in the cytoplasm of the cell to help keep the hydroxyl radical from attacking enzymes, proteins, and the unsaturated fats in cell membranes.
Sometimes called the "Mother" antioxidant, alpha lipoic acid (ALA) plays a major role in helping recycle vitamins E and C so that they can be used over and over again by your body. In its own right, alpha lipoic acid is one of the main boosters of glutathione levels in body cells, and is one of the key co-factors involved in generating energy in the cells mitochondria. In the "new" Ultimate Antioxidant™, Jon switched to all natural R. Lipoic Acid (RLA), which is over twice as potent as ALA. Thus, 50 mg of RLA is notably more potent than 100 mg of ALA, as previously used.
Lutein’s antioxidant effect is significantly enhanced by the presence of zeaxanthin, and bilberry. When combined with vitamin C, these three natural antioxidants have been shown to significantly decrease the risk of cataracts.
Lutein and another carotenoid called zeaxanthin are the most dominant pigments in the macular region of the retina. The antioxidant properties of lutein and zeaxanthin help maintain the integrity of the blood vessels that supply the macular region of the retina. Lutein and zeaxanthin provide protection from photo-oxidation, the result of light striking the fatty acids in the retina. It seems that lutein is particularly active against the blue part of the spectrum, which can be the most damaging to our eyes.
One study using lutein supplements resulted in a 15% increase in macular pigment levels after 72 days. In another study, people who consumed the equivalent of 6 mg of lutein per day were 40% less likely to experience macular problems. Another study using sets of identical twins demonstrated that macular lutein concentrations were related to dietary lutein. After consumption, lutein is found in significant quantities in blood serum, suggesting high bioavailability.
Derived primarily from tomatoes (cooked, not raw).
Bioperine, a black pepper extract, serves the same purpose as cayenne serves in liquid tinctures. It drives the other ingredients into the blood and significantly improves their efficacy. In human studies, for example, the bioavailability of curcumin was increased twentyfold when used with bioperine. Bioperine improves the absorption of many vitamins and biochemicals in the intestine, promotes their retention in cells, and helps them not be metabolized in the liver. Effectively, it increases the efficacy of virtually all of the ingredients in this dietary supplement.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are both part of a group of carotenoids known as xanthophylls, which are extremely beneficial to the eyes.
Of the 40 to 50 carotenoids typically consumed in the human diet, lutein and zeaxanthin, are deposited at an up to 5 fold higher content in the macular region of the retina as compared to the peripheral retina. Zeaxanthin is preferentially accumulated in the foveal region, whereas lutein is abundant in the perifoveal region. These pigments are collectively referred to as the macular pigment.
Although the role of the macular pigment remains uncertain, several functions have been hypothesized and these include limitation of the damaging photo-oxidative effects of blue light through its absorption, reduction of the effects of light scatter and chromatic aberration on visual performance, and protection against the adverse effects of photochemical reactions because of the antioxidant properties of the carotenoids.
Glutathione perioxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase are the primary three enzymes produced in the body as an antioxidant defense. Catalase is specific for protection against tumors. A little catalase can go a long way: one catalase enzyme molecule can catalyze the breakdown of five million molecules of peroxide radicals into water and oxygen in just one minute.