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Free
Radicals
No doubt
you’ve been hearing a lot of things lately about free radical
damage and
what it does to your body. I’d like to cover the basics of
this damage and to make
some common sense approaches to reduce free radicals in your
body.
What
are Free Radicals?
Free radicals cause your body to oxidize or
“rust” from the inside. Just as you cannot
live very long without breathing oxygen, every cell in your body
needs to breathe and
have a good supply of oxygen and nutrients. If you stop your
cells from breathing, they die,
as well. But, the very thing we need for life is also causing us
to age. When oxygen
attaches itself to iron, for example (like an unprotected piece
of iron left out in the weather)
the iron rusts. A very similar process is occurring in your body
every second as free oxygen
molecules are attaching themselves to your blood cells that are
largely made up of iron.
If this process goes on uncontrolled, we hasten the aging and
disease process.
The bad news is that free radicals don't stop with blood cells. They will also attack other
unprotected cells and even disturb DNA activity, stagnate and become sites for
cancer and other chronic conditions too numerous to mention. As we age, our body's ability
to sweep up these free radicals diminishes. In some, it does so at a faster rate because our
body's natural control mechanisms, anti-oxidants and pH get out of balance. You've seen how
quickly cosmetic producers have added anti-oxidants to their cosmetics over the past few
years to protect skin from aging. So, the good news is that keeping your anti-oxidant levels
up can actually slow and even reverse the effects of aging internally, as well as externally.
What are anti-Oxidants?
O.K. So what's an anti-oxidant? It, or more properly "they", is anything that prevents oxidation
or rusting. Powerful anti-oxidants are Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, etc., and my all time
favorite...OPC's (oligomeric proanthocyanadins).
OPC's, more commonly know as pycnogenol, are 20 times stronger than Vitamin C and 50
times more so than Vitamin E as free radical scavengers. They are so powerful, that they
are used in some countries as a cancer treatment. OPC's also perform other functions including
super oxygenation of the cells and perform double duty in the entire enigma of aging.
OPC’s are found naturally in deeply colored fruits and vegetables such as, blueberries, cranberries,
beets, raspberries, blackberries, etc. The problem is that you would have to eat large quantities of
these fruits and vegetables because some of the OPC’s value gets lost in the digestive process.
Some of the miracles of OPC's are:
*Acts as a superior antioxidant, protecting cells in the body against free radical destruction of cells.
*Lowers LDL cholesterol levels and reduces chemical alteration of LDL's, thus reducing the risk of
cardiovascular disease.
*Reduces platelet aggregation, thus reducing the risk of atherosclerosis.
*Increases the strength and elasticity of blood vessels, protecting against rupture, leakage and
degeneration.
*Enhances the ability of collagen to repair itself, thereby protecting against age-related and
degenerative processes.
*Inhibits swelling (edema) and inflammation.
*Relieves functional problems of varicose veins.
*Reduces discomfort associated with PMS and menopause.
*Reduces tendency toward diabetic retinopathy.
*Improves skin health by reducing damage, increasing nutrient supply and improving elasticity.
*Reduces the effects of allergies.
*Improves joint flexibility.
And this is only a partial list. Generally speaking, taking 1 mg per pound of body weight is a good
starting point, but we suggest you begin by "bulking up" with double doses for about a week then
dropping back to the "normal" dosage. In over 50 years of research, dosages as high as 50,000
mg per day showed no side effects whatsoever so there is little chance of overdosing.
The good news is, there is a natural OPC supplement available now that is in an isotonic delivery
system which allows the OPC’s to be 95% bio-available into your body and is absorbed within 5
minutes. For more info, give me a call. You can also attend a Natural Health Seminar to get more
information.
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