Understanding free radicals and antioxidants. Describes what free radicals are and how a diet rich in antioxidants can combat them
Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is an important member of the water soluble B complex of vitamins and has of course been well known as an essential nutrient for many years, hence its popularity as a fortifying agent in commercially produced breakfast cereals and breads etc. But in the current craze for tracking down new anti-oxidant “superfoods” it’s easy to overlook the more familiar, but nonetheless vital, nutrients such as the B complex vitamins.
Riboflavin, for example, is essential for the body’s production of certain enzymes, known as flavocoenzymes, which are needed for the production of energy through the metabolism of the proteins, fats and carbohydrates consumed in the diet. Flavocoenzymes are important in the breaking down and the using or neutralising of chemicals, including drugs and toxins within the body, and it has also been noted that they are a precursor of the specialised proteins needed for the proper functioning of the brain cell mitochondria.
Impaired oxygen metabolism within these mitochondria has been identified as a possible cause of migraine headaches, Although tested on only a small sample of patients, supplementation with high levels (400 mg) of riboflavin has been duly found to have significant effects in reducing the frequency of migraine attacks when continued over a three month period. Despite the limited scope of the research so far, orthodox medicine regards riboflavin as worthy of further investigation for use in conjunction with conventional drug therapies.
Riboflavin is also important as an anti-oxidant in enabling the proper functioning of glutathione, the crucial anti-oxidant enzyme. Glutathione is needed to neutralise the hydrogen peroxide which is released as a by-product of normal metabolic reactions within the body. Left unchecked hydrogen peroxide can interact with other free radicals to produce hydroxyl, the most damaging of all. Glutathione is particularly important in protecting the delicate fatty structures, eg the membranes, of every cell in the body.
Although anti-oxidants are required to protect every cell in the body, particular attention has been focussed on their role in the lens of the eye, where light induced oxidative damage has been found to be a risk factor for the development of cataracts, one of the most significant causes of vision loss in the elderly.
Measuring by reference to glutathione activity, research has suggested that individuals in the highest quintile of riboflavin levels may have only around half the risk of developing cataracts as those in the lowest quintile.
In addition to facilitating the action of the fat soluble glutathione, riboflavin is also essential for the body’s manufacture of another enzyme, xanthine oxidase, which is needed for the formation of uric acid, one of the most powerful water soluble anti-oxidants.
In common with all the vitamins of the B complex, a deficiency in riboflavin is likely to be associated with, and to cause, a deficiency in each of the others. Deficiency in riboflavin, however, has also been particularly associated with problems in the absorption of iron, and consequent anaemia and lowered immune system function.
Author: Francis Adam
Publication: Health, general community
Tags: antioxidant, antioxidants, free radicals, Glutathione, supplements, toxins
For_Immediate_Release:
Press-Release.com July 1, 2009 –
Combined with it’s July 15 2009 launch onto the huge Philippines market ,this is an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs
.
We are very excited to announce that Max International has acquired the technology and assets behind CellGevity, a company founded in part by Dr. Herbert Nagasawa after 40 years of scientific research on Glutathione and the benefits it provides the human body. Max International has acquired all of the assets of CellGevity including:
* Patents
* Proprietary Research
* Breakthrough Formulations
* Executive Team
* Research Scientists
What does this mean for Max International?
Max International has long been the leader in glutathione research and this acquisition only further ensures that Max International will remain at the forefront as the undisputed leader in all aspects of the glutathione industry. The science, formulations and patents associated with CellGevity in conjunction with Max International will provide the public with unprecedented glutathione research and products for years to come.
Tags: CellGevity, Glutathione, MaxGXL
Swine Flu (H1N1) certainly seems to be on the rise and getting closer to home. I don’t know about you, but I find that very scary. I am doing everything I can to protect myself and my family.
The best protection is a strong immune system. Glutathione is the body’s natural antioxidant and therefore immune system booster. MaxGXL gives the body all the components needed to produce glutathione. For those of you who are not familiar with glutathione, glutathione can not be taken as is…the body has to produce it internally so that it may be absorbed into the cells.
Glutathione is the major protector of the lungs, as well as many other organs, but we are here to see how you can protect yourself and your family.
Below is the article that made me realize just how close this Flu is getting. – Jaci
U.S., 8 New York City Schools Closed as H1N1 Swine Flu Spreads Across Nation
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News
May 18, 2009 — H1N1 swine flu appears to be spreading in Japan, pushing the world to the brink of an official flu pandemic.
Japan’s cases of H1N1 spiked today with 104 new lab-confirmed cases, raising that nation’s swine-flu case count from 25 to 129. Ten schools in the Kobe City area reported 78 of the new cases.
If the new cases do indeed represent “community-level sustained transmission” of the virus in Asia, it would be the second region of the world to have wide spread of H1N1 swine flu. That would meet the official WHO criteria for moving from the current level 5 pandemic alert to the ultimate level 6 alert.
Aside from the emotional shock, the formal pandemic declaration won’t mean a lot to the U.S., Anne Schuchat, MD, the CDC’s interim deputy director for science, said at a news conference.
“We have seen sustained spread of this virus in the U.S. and are acting aggressively, so a change from level 5 to level 6 will have less effect on us than on other regions that have done less to deal with virus,” she said.
Declaration of a pandemic does not mean that the virus has become more deadly, only that it is spreading more widely around the globe.
While H1N1 swine flu does appear more dangerous than seasonal flu bugs — especially for older children, teens, and young adults — the vast majority of cases have been relatively mild.
“From the virus strains we have tested we see no indication of a change to more virulent strain. But viruses do change and we will continue looking at this,” Schuchat said.
Even so, the U.S. has recorded its sixth swine flu fatality, a 55-year-old assistant principal at a school in the New York City borough of Queens. The city has closed eight schools in Queens and Brooklyn; news reports suggest that 40 other New York schools have high absentee rates.
Despite the worrisome news from New York, Schuchat said the swine flu is now spreading most quickly in the Pacific Northwest and in the Southwest. Case counts — 5,123 as of today — are “the tip of the iceberg.”
“The way this virus is spreading in the U.S., we are not out of the woods and disease is continuing,” Schuchat said.
More than 200 Americans have been hospitalized. Most of those hospitalized have been young people between that ages of 5 and 24, and very few have been over 65. The reason for this is not clear.
That’s the same disease pattern seen worldwide. In a speech today to the World Health Organization’s annual meeting of health ministers, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, MD, said that while the WHO has not yet declared a pandemic, H1N1 swine flu is expected to spread rapidly to new countries.
“The virus has given us a grace period, but we do not know how long this grace period will last. No one can say whether this is the calm before the storm,” Chan said.
Tags: Add new tag, Glutathione, immune system, MaxGXL, swine flu
What makes MaxGXL different than virtually every nutritional supplement and health juice on
the market?
MaxGXL has over a decade of research, human clinical testing and use behind it. The results
with MaxGXL can be measured. In clinical research, human blood samples show that MaxGXL
works every time. MaxGXL has a composition U.S. Patent and has international patents
pending. There is absolutely no question that MaxGXL works!
What does MaxGXL do? It is a Glutathione accelerator or precursor. In other words, it gives
your body and every cell within your body the exact nutrients necessary to produce higher levels
of intercellular Glutathione.
Glutathione is the most prevalent and strongest antioxidant in your body. It is produced by every
cell in your body. It is essential for the production of ATP, which is the “fuel” that every cell
runs on. Glutathione is also essential in the body for detoxification. In the
kidneys and liver, the prevalent presence of Glutathione is essential to enable the body to
rid itself of toxins. By reducing oxidative stress in the cells, Glutathione is instrumental in
significantly reducing inflammation within the body.
How critical is Glutathione to each cell in your body? If the Glutathione levels in a cell are
depleted by more than 60% within any cell, it will die. Without Glutathione, the cell has no
protection from oxidative stress caused by normal oxygen burning processes (life). The cell has
nothing to generate ATP to maintain normal cell functions. The cell and body could not rid itself
of toxins without Glutathione. Inflammation throughout the body would be prevalent, without
the presence of Glutathione.
Glutathione was discovered in 1898. Since that time, there have been tens of thousands of
articles written about the function and importance of Glutathione.
Could you get the necessary nutrients to produce intercellular Glutathione through proper dietary
habits. The answer is yes. But, how many people have perfect dietary habits? Even very
meticulous dietary habits may not contain the exact ingredients necessary to promote higher
Glutathione production.
Scientific research substantiates that intercellular Glutathione production in the body decreases
after the age of 20 years. This is a normal part of the aging process. For every decade after age
20, your body’s production of Glutathione decreases by 10 to 12 percent. This reduction in
Glutathione exposes your cells, organs, and body to more oxidative stress. In turn, you are more
subject to exposure to cellular mutations and diseases of the aging.
What about all those “exotic” juice drinks and supplements on the market? The manufactures
claim these $40 a bottle juices have extraordinary powers and very high antioxidant levels. Yet,
a Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008 newspaper investigative report from the Deseret Morning News dispels
the suggestions of these claims.
In fact they say:
“An independent lab test performed for The Associated Press shows XanGo’s antioxidant
strength is no better than other readily available fruit juices, yet it costs nearly $40 a bottle.
XanGo insists mangosteen contains other beneficial chemicals.”
“My big concern with XanGo is that the business has gone a long way without showing
any benefit in human trials,” said Wayne Askew, director of the Division of Nutrition of the
University of Utah’s College of Health.
For the lab test, The Associated Press shipped a 750-milliliter bottle of XanGo to Oregon State
University’s Linus Pauling Institute at Corvallis. The institute measured its antioxidant strength
against store-bought juices that sell for a few dollars a bottle. On a scale of molecular
weight, XanGo’s antioxidants measured 14,884 “micromoles” per liter – slightly higher than
cranberry juice, but lower than black cherry and less than half the power of blueberry juice.
Apple juice finished last in this test. “In terms of its antioxidant capacity, XanGo is in the middle
of the pack,” said Balz Frei, the institute’s director and chairman.
Frei and other scientists emphasize that antioxidants haven’t been shown to actually work inside
the human body. Antioxidants are known to work in test tubes, but stomach acids could
neutralize them before they can get to work destroying any cell-damaging free-oxygen
radicals. Have you ever wondered why all the “Juice” Companies and other nutritional
supplement companies never conducted human clinical studies on their product? Maybe the
results and benefits they suggest come from their product are not measurable. Some companies
refer to abstract studies by other scientists and state because their product has a certain
ingredient in it, then it relates to those other studies.
How do they or their formulators know what quantity of that ingredient is necessary for
the necessary benefits. More often than not, they load up the product with vast quantities of the
“magic” ingredient, along with every other perceived beneficial nutritional herb or ingredient.
Are there potential side effects from excessive amounts of these ingredients?
If these “concoctions” are that beneficial for your health, why don’t these companies do “human
clinical testing” on their products? It would seem that “measurable” results and documented
studies would help increase their sales. I think that you and I know why these companies do not
complete these tests. They would rather rely on anecdotal evidence, rather than scientific proof.
The “Juice Wars” have reached such a fevered pitch that new companies are combining mixtures
of the Acai berry, Mangosteen, Noni, and Goji berry. The logic is if one is good, then having
them all has to be better.
Once again, no scientific evidence to support the anecdotal evidence.
One Juice Company that uses the Goji berry recently announced their “Clinical trials, double
blind, placebo study results”. Sounds great doesn’t it? But, when you look at the clinical
reported results, you find ALL of the evaluation areas were based on “subjective” decisions by
the study participants. None of the results are based on scientifically measurable results of
before and after. Also, what they fail to tell you is the study group for the clinical trail was made
up of “company employees”. How objective do you think their employees were in this “clinical
trail”? The science is equivalent to voodoo medicine. No clinical or credible scientist would
accept the results of this study.
I am not saying that these Juices or nutritional supplements are bad for you. I am just saying the
science is NOT there to document the benefits that are being anecdotally claimed.
MaxGXL is scientifically documented and the results are clinically measurable. MaxGXL does
significantly increase your intercellular Glutathione.
We make absolutely no claims about MaxGXL, other than it will raise your intercellular
Glutathione levels.
Increasing cellular Glutathione is scientifically proven to reduce oxidative stress, raise
intercellular energy levels, fight intercellular inflammation, strengthen your immune system, and
detoxify your body.
If my body needed more vitamin C, E, CoQ10, or other antioxidants, it would be producing it.
Intercellular Glutathione is what the body produces to protect and cleans itself. I have to assume
the body knows best what it needs to function properly and produces it.
Yes, I am but a laymen. I am not a scientist or physician. But, I am intelligent enough to believe
in measurable scientific evidence. At 60 years of age, I know that my cells are producing 40% to
50% less intercellular Glutathione. That only serves to expose me to more oxidative stress and
provides less ATP to fuel and energize my cells. In my case, I
choose to take the scientifically proven MaxGXL to raise my intercellular Glutathione levels. I
know and believe that my long term quality of life will be significantly enhanced by using
MaxGXL.
Is MaxGXL all that I need? No, I have to eat properly, exercise, drink plenty of water (hydrate),
and get proper amounts of sleep. But since the process of natural aging is reducing my
intercellular Glutathione production, it just make sense to supplement with MaxGXL. I will do
that for the rest of my life and am just thankful that Dr. Keller invented this product and that the
Founders of Max International made it available to mankind.
Here is what Dr. John C. Nelson, immediate past President of the American Medical Association
(AMA) said about MaxGXL:
“This product, in my opinion, represents the single most important breakthrough in health
that I will witness in my life time. I believe it will revolutionize, change, and transform the
practice of medicine world-wide and make Dr Robert Keller more famous than Jonas Salk
who created the polio vaccine.”
Author Unknown
Tags: antioxidant, detoxification, Glutathione, inflammation, juices, MaxGXL, supplements
I know this article is long, but it can help save your life or the life of someone you love. I feel that this information should be brought to your attention and the attention of everyone you know and love.
John Hopkins Update – Good article
AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY (’TRY’, BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY.
Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins :
1… Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person’s lifetime.
3 When the person’s immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs..
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg’s aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment.. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body’s normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells…..
1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.
Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer.. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don’t freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Cast le Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Pa per isn’t bad but you don’t know what is in the paper. It’s just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.
This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life.
Tags: Alternative Medicine, cancer, chemotherapy., health, immune system
Research Article
D. Allan Butterfield *, Chava B. Pocernich, Jennifer Drake
Department of Chemistry, Center of Membrane Sciences, and Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive loss of memory and cognition. Our laboratory and many others have shown that the AD brain is under extensive oxidative stress. Numerous therapeutic approaches to AD therapy have been hypothesized. Among these are exogenous antioxidants. We suggest that the body’s own endogenous antioxidant systems should be mobilized against the oxidative stress inherent in AD brain. One of the most versatile antioxidants in the brain is glutathione. Glutathione is capable of protecting the cell against reactive oxygen species, redox metal ions, and reactive lipid peroxidation products and other electrophiles associated with AD. There are many ways to increase glutathione levels, and one or more of these ways to increase glutathione in the brain may be a promising therapeutic strategy for AD.
Tags: Add new tag, Alzheimer's Disease, Glutathione, lipid peroxidation products, oxidative stress
Healthdiscoveries.net
Experts: GSH, Alzheimers Disease and Prevention
Dr. Jimmy Gutman MD, FACEP. is a glutathione expert.
He is former Chief Resident in Emergency Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta, and Undergraduate Director and Residency Training Director of Emergency Medicine at McGill University in Montreal.
He says that “Glutathione is not yet a household word, but it soon will be, now that we know how important this substance is.”
How and where does he say GSH relates to Alzheimers Disease and prevention?
If heavy metals are involved in the progression of Alzheimers, GSH can play a critical role in their elimination and detoxification.
Certain studies have demonstrated that when aluminum is ‘pulled’ out of the cells using chelators, the symptoms of Alzheimers disease can be reduced or delayed. One of our primary defenses against these toxins is an adequate GSH enzyme system.
And as researchers further define how free radicals contribute to brain cell destruction, the role of GSH as the primary intracellular antioxidant will come to the forefront.
Much research has been focused on the role of antioxidants in alleviating Alzheimers symptoms and its progression, especially vitamin E because of its availability and low price. But the interaction of these antioxidants is complex, and many are dependent on adequate GSH or glutathione levels for their proper functioning.
A large number of post-mortem studies have compared normal with diseased brain tissue. They reveal significant changes in GSH and GSH peroxidase levels as well as elevated levels of the powerful oxidant lipid peroxide, against which GSH is a primary defense. Adams and his research team found GSH levels diminished in the area of the brain involved in short-term memory (hippocampus). Jenner and his co-workers found a similar decrease in the areas of the brain involved in higher intellectual functioning (the cerebral cortex.
Although Alzheimers disease is certainly a multifactorial problem, certain aspects must be emphasized. It is unclear whether oxidative damage is the cause or just an effect of Alzheimer’s.
However, there is no doubt that diminished oxidative stress can retard or diminish disease progression. In addition, the part apparently played by toxins such as heavy metal needs to be addressed.
In either case, elevated GSH levels can be a critical strategy against both Alzheimers disease and its prevention.
Tags: Add new tag, Alzheimer's Disease, antioxidants, Glutathione, symptoms, toxins
Medicinenet.com
What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease?
The onset of Alzheimer’s disease is usually gradual, and it is slowly progressive. Memory problems that family members initially dismiss as “a normal part of aging” are in retrospect noted by the family to be the first stages of Alzheimer’s disease. When memory and other problems with thinking start to consistently affect the usual level of functioning; families begin to suspect that something more than “normal aging” is going on.
Problems of memory, particularly for recent events (short-term memory) are common early in the course of Alzheimer’s disease. For example, the individual may, on repeated occasions, forget to turn off an iron or fail to recall which of the morning’s medicines were taken. Mild personality changes, such as less spontaneity, apathy, and a tendency to withdraw from social interactions, may occur early in the illness.
As the disease progresses, problems in abstract thinking and in other intellectual functions develop. The person may begin to have trouble with figures when working on bills, with understanding what is being read, or with organizing the day’s work. Further disturbances in behavior and appearance may also be seen at this point, such as agitation, irritability, quarrelsomeness, and a diminishing ability to dress appropriately.
Later in the course of the disorder, affected individuals may become confused or disoriented about what month or year it is, be unable to describe accurately where they live, or be unable to name a place being visited. Eventually, patients may wander, be unable to engage in conversation, erratic in mood, uncooperative, and lose bladder and bowel control. In late stages of the disease, persons may become totally incapable of caring for themselves.
What are causes of Alzheimer’s disease?
The cause(s) of Alzheimer’s disease is (are) not known. The “amyloid cascade hypothesis” is the most widely discussed and researched hypothesis about the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. The strongest data supporting the amyloid cascade hypothesis comes from the study of early-onset inherited (genetic) Alzheimer’s disease. Mutations associated with Alzheimer’s disease have been found in about half of the patients with early-onset disease. In all of these patients, the mutation leads to excess production in the brain of a specific form of a small protein fragment called ABeta (Aβ). Many scientists believe that in the majority of sporadic (for example, non-inherited) cases of Alzheimer’s disease (these make up the vast majority of all cases of Alzheimer’s disease) there is too little removal of this Aβ protein rather than too much production. In any case, much of the research in finding ways to prevent or slow down Alzheimer’s disease has focused on ways to decrease the amount of Aβ in the brain.
In the posts to follow I will bring articles from the lastest research being done on the prevention and slowing down of the disease.
Tags: Add new tag, aging, alzheimer's, behavior, memory, symptoms
Medicinenet.com
What is Alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a slowly progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment of memory and eventually by disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception. Many scientists believe that Alzheimer’s disease results from an increase in the production or accumulation of a specific protein (beta-amyloid protein) in the brain that leads to nerve cell death.
The likelihood of having Alzheimer’s disease increases substantially after the age of 70 and may affect around 50% of persons over the age of 85. Nonetheless, Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging and is not something that inevitably happens in later life. For example, many people live to over 100 years of age and never develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Who develops Alzheimer’s disease?
The main risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is increased age. As a population ages, the frequency of Alzheimer’s disease continues to increase. Ten percent of people over 65 years of age and 50% of those over 85 years of age have Alzheimer’s disease. Unless new treatments are developed to decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States is expected to be 14 million by the year 2050.
There are also genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. Most patients develop Alzheimer’s disease after age 70. However, 2%-5% of patients develop the disease in the fourth or fifth decade of life (40s or 50s). At least half of these early onset patients have inherited gene mutations associated with their Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, the children of a patient with early onset Alzheimer’s disease who has one of these gene mutations has a 50% risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Tags: Add new tag, aging, alzheimer's, genetics, mutations, risk factors
Glutathione
What is Glutathione
Glutathione is a small molecule made up of three amino acids, which exists in almost every cell of the body. However, glutathione, must be generated within the cell from its precursors before it can work effectively in the body.
The presence of glutathione is required to maintain the normal function of the immune system. It is known to play a critical role in the multiplication of lymphocytes (the cells that mediate specific immunity) which occurs in the development of an effective immune response.
Furthermore, the cells of the immune system produce many oxiradicals as a result of their normal functioning, resulting in a need for higher concentrations of antioxidants than most cells. Glutathione plays a crucial role in fulfilling this requirement.
How to Make Glutathione Naturally Within the Body
There are several ways a body can manufacture glutathione. It is true it takes 3 amino acids for the body to manufacture glutathione but our bodies can take food, turn the foods into the substance to manufacture the 3 needed amino acids needed to manufacture glutathione. This is also the natural method for a body to create glutathione.
As an example, asparagus and watermelon will make glutathione.
With all of the breaking news regarding glutathione as an antioxidant as well as part of the reason for the development of autism, many supplements are suddenly jumping on the glutathione bandwagon.
Glutathione is not new to this Web Site. We have been recommending glutathione for the past 10 years to assist individuals to taper off psychotropic medications.
One thing that has been overlooked by many still is the role of glutathione within the liver as well as the role of glutathione transporting a toxin to the liver. There is considerable more to glutathione than having it in the cells.
Tags: Add new tag, amino acids, antioxidants, Glutathione, immune system
