By James Barber M.D.
- Vitamin E - Vitamin E's greatest benefit comes in its ability to help us fight off
heart attacks. By preventing the LDL (bad) cholesterol in our blood from oxidizing,
it stops it from infiltrating artery walls where it can build-up, clog, and narrow
our arteries. This clogging accumulates throughout our lives and leads to half a
million deaths in America alone as we get older. By fighting the accumulation now
we can prevent the consequences later. Additional effects of this fat soluble vitamin
include relieving arthritis pain, postponing cataracts, and retarding overall brain
aging. Dosages - Anti-aging dosages are 400 to 1,200IU daily. Try to find
a supplement that contains all form of vitamin E, not just alpha tocopherol. Important
- Vitamin E is a natural blood thinner. If you are taking any blood thinning
medication you should consult your physician. Also, avoid supplementation for two
days before and after surgery.
- Glutathione - Glutathione is often referred to as the "master anti-oxidant". It
is the bodies main defense system against free radicals, and it protects every cell,
tissue, and organ in the body. Dr. Mara Julius of the University of Michigan states,
"If you deplete glutathione, the cell disintegrates and loses its immune activity.
If you add glutathione to that ailing cell, it regenerates and becomes immuno-efficient."
Glutathione is also useful for its ability to recycle vitamins C and E within the
body. Dosage - Glutathione levels are boosted naturally by the inclusion
of the other anti-oxidants. Refer to supplementation packaging for details.
In addition to the networking anti-oxidants, there are others that can give us added
protection from free radicals.
Pyruvate - Not only is Pyruvate a tremendous scavenger of free radicals,
it is also the only substance known to actually inhibit their production. As more
research continues to be done, this could be the most exciting topic in the anti-aging
and anti-oxidant forum. Pyruvate has also been shown to bring on an amazing amount
of other benefits including the enhancement of weight loss, an increase in exercise
capacity, relief for diabetics, and the inhibition of cell death among others.
Dosage - The effective dosage is between 3 and 5 grams daily.
Grape Seed Extract - Extract taken from the seeds of ordinary grapes has
been shown to contain oligoproanthocyanidin (OPC). OPC has an extraordinarily unique
ability to disarm many free-radicals simultaneously. The other anti-oxidants we
have talked about are only able to fight free-radicals one at a time. Grape Seed
extract is also undergoing studies which suggest that it reinforces collagen and
elastin. These substances, found in blood vessels, skin, and other supportive tissues
can help to look better while improving our overall health.
Dosage - 100 mg daily is common for supplementation.
Green Tea - Used for centuries in Eastern medicine, one of green tea's many
beneficial uses is as an anti-oxidant.
Dosage - Firstly, it is important to note that green tea does contain large
amounts of caffeine. If you have any reason to believe that caffeine may conflict
with any medical condition you are experiencing, you should consult your doctor
before use. Secondly, green tea is available in standardized formulas, which provide
a more reliable dose. With that said, green tea dosages vary depending on the desired
effect and around 300 mg daily is good for anti-oxidant purposes.