High Quality of Life

Top-Shelf Reputations

Continued from Yesterday

Famous, long-standing antioxidants—vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, beta-carotene, blueberries, cranberries, alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), to mention a handful—continue to be in high demand. Even though they have been well-studied, researchers continue to find new ways to increase their efficacy.

For example, both ALA and CoQ10 are supported by high-quality research demonstrating consistent health benefits, especially regarding heart health, diabetes/blood sugar management, gum/oral health and overall anti-aging. One way scientists are improving the function of these ingredients is by developing enhanced delivery systems, such as Pharmachem Laboratories’ patented pre-chelation technology, which boosts the digestion and absorption of CoQ10, selenium and other nutrients.

Polyphenols—antioxidants found in tea and dark chocolate, among other dietary sources—have also long been known to benefit overall health. Now they are being studied for possible effects on vascular health (including blood pressure) and on the body’s ability to use insulin. “Laboratory studies suggest that EGCG, a polyphenol found in green tea, may protect against cardiovascular disease and have a beneficial effect on insulin activity and glucose control,” said Soft Gel’s Mr. Holtby.

Blueberries have always been a consumer favorite—not just for their antioxidants but also because they are an easy-to-formulate, flavorful ingredient for a variety of products.

Tom Payne, industry specialist for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, cited animal studies by the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center (HNRC) that demonstrate the health benefits of blueberries, especially regarding motor skills and brain function.

“Blueberry-fed mice performed better than their control group counterparts in motor behavioral learning and memory,” said Mr. Payne. “Researchers also found a marked decrease in oxidative stress in two regions of the brain and better retention of signal-transmitting neurons compared with the control mice. The compound that appears responsible for this neuron protection—anthocyanin—gives blueberries their color and may be the key to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.”

In other developments, research continues to demonstrate the health benefits of glutathione, which is found in every cell of the body and is another major player in the antioxidant market. “According to researchers at Emory University, levels of glutathione vary during a 24-hour period, spiking about six hours after each meal and hitting their lowest point in the morning hours,” said Karen Todd, director of marketing for Kyowa Hakko New York, NY. “Because glutathione levels can only be increased through food intake or dietary supplementation, unless people get up during the night and eat their glutathione levels will be lowest in the morning.”

Antioxidants can also work together synergistically to create enhanced health benefits. Some of these antioxidants may not have relevant biological activity individually, or work through the same biochemical mechanisms; yet together they can create an interlinked defense system that protects against disease associated with oxidative stress.

Most antioxidants lose their protective power once they have quenched a single free radical. “Five antioxidants—alpha lipoic acid, the complete vitamin E complex (tocopherols and tocotrienols), vitamin C (in both fat-soluble and water-soluble forms), glutathione and CoQ10—are unique in their synergistic ability to ‘recycle’ one another into their active antioxidant forms,” explained Mr. Holtby. “Selenium (an essential cofactor of the enzyme thioredoxin reductase) and flavonoids are also proven antioxidants in the body’s defense system against oxidation.”

Continued Tomorrow

http://www.nutraceuticalsworld.com/contents/view/31627

http://www.depsyl.com

http://back2basicnutrition.com/

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com