ANTIOXIDANTS

versus
:
OXIDANTS
BALANCE IS KEY

By Michelle LeSueur, CNC, CNS

Every day our bodies are exposed to all kinds of free radicals.
No matter how careful you are or how good you eat, you cant
avoid exposure to free radicals. Processed foods, tremendous
amounts of stress, sleep deprivation or just the environmental
exposure alone gives us plenty of free radical damage.
The question is, how much antioxidants do we need and
what is the best source?

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Free radicals

are a natural by-product of daily

body functions, but free radical damage from pollution,
pesticides and other toxins like radiation may be more than
the body can handle. The body may become overwhelmed,
and the free radicals begin attacking healthy cells that set up
a perfect environment for aging and disease processes. Free
radicals are highly reactive molecules, or single atoms with
unpaired electrons, looking for a partner. So they steal an
electron from the first thing they come
into contact with, perhaps a cell wall
or a strand of DNA. When free radical
damage becomes too much, a cell can
no longer perform like it once did. Too
many free radicals have been known
to cause all kinds of problems such as
cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers
disease, Parkinsons disease and
cancer, not to mention its major factor
in accelerates aging. According to
Britton Chance, professor emeritus
of biophysics, physical chemistry and
radiologic physics at the University
of Pennsylvania, a renowned expert
on free-radical production, some free
radicals are necessary.
The body is all about balance.
Too much of anything is bad. We hear all the time about
how important antioxidants are, but did you know that it is
important for us to have oxidants also? Oxidants play a role
in our health. In fact, they are required for good health. If you
exercise, then this information is even more important for you.
Lets look at the role of both of oxidants and antioxidants.

also a target for the damaging effects of the very oxidants

that it produces. This is a major cause in the advancement of
cellular aging, called apoptosis.
Science has shown that each cell has a fixed number of
cell divisions that it is capable of before it destroys itself. Not
only does oxidation damage our cells but it also causes our
DNA to mutate. When mutation happens, it causes our cells
and other things in our bodies to malfunction.

Antioxidants Role

Oxidants Role

THE
BENEFITS
OF Antioxidants

Antioxidants play a major role in the prevention of cellular

damage. Antioxidants, as well as other nutrients are needed
by the body to protect against cell damage. They also
may reduce the risks of certain forms of cancer and other
diseases.
A major source of oxidant production has been found in
the mitochondria (cell power plants). The mitochondria are

WHAT
EXACTLY
DO THOSE
OXIDANTS
DO?

Antioxidants Help To ...

Fight against free radicals and
protect against cellular damage
Protect the heart from coronary
artery disease
Strengthen immune function
Delay the aging process
Protect from some cancers
Protect against macular degeneration
Protect against Alzheimers disease

Here is a visual to help you understand what happens in

oxidation. If you were to cut an apple, leave it on the table
and return in a few hours, you would find that it was brown.
Yet, if you were to dip an apple that had been cut into lemon
juice (which contains vitamin C, an antioxidant), the apple
slice will stay nice and fresh.

Three studies showed the benefits of some oxidants, the

keyword being some. In one study, researchers found
that exercise increased an oxidant known as the reactive
oxygen species (ROS), so believing it was an oxidant,
scientists thought a person who exercised would need
more antioxidants to combat this oxidant. A study done at
the cardiorespiratory exercise laboratory at Kansas State

1. Help fight cancer. They cause the self destruction of weakened cells
and pre-cancerous tissue.
2. They are very important to heart health. For blood cells to function
properly, they need oxidants. These oxidants help the blood vessels to
expand. This is why people are given nitroglycerin for angina.
3. They are important for sexual gratification. The reason that erectile
dysfunction drugs work, is when we are sexually aroused, oxidants
expand certain blood vessels to allow for things to work properly.

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University (Manhattan) showed that these oxidants act as

vasodilators that increase delivery of oxygen to muscles. By
using antioxidants, this process is disrupted. The studies also
showed that high levels of antioxidants actually interfere with
the natural regulatory systems that help muscles to function
properly.
Another study that was done in Australia showed that
oxidants help hold back Type 2 diabetes in mice. Certain
oxidants help prevent insulin resistance by helping the body
to respond better to insulin signals. Two groups of mice were
fed the same high fat diet and the one group that was given
antioxidants developed diabetes much quicker.
Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, in a third
study, found that high use of antioxidants may increase the
chance of cancer.

Balance is the key

Add These to Your Arsenal.

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SEPTEMBER 2010

Because of all the toxins in our environment, most people

tend to have more oxidants. The amount of antioxidants
needed has not been determined, but people who smoke,
are exposed to environmental pollutants, live at higher
elevations and have high stress levels (it seems everyone is
experiencing high stress in their lives today) definitely need
antioxidant supplementation. Antioxidant supplements also
help in fighting the effects of aging and cancer.
There are many different types of antioxidants so, which
is the best? Coenzyme-Q10 (Co-Q10) would be the very
best place to start. It is present in every living cell. This is
where we get our energy and without it, our bodies would
not be able to function properly. Unfortunately, as we age
our levels of Co-Q10 drop and it is even more important to
replace. People with poor eating habits, are often sick, and
have high levels of stress in their lives tend to produce less
also. Because the heart makes huge energy demands, this
may be the first place insufficient levels of Co-Q10 might
show up. In a recent study, Co-Q10 may protect or retard the
development of fatty liver related to obesity. It may also help
with following:
Help you produce more energy for your cells
Boost your heart health
Act as an antioxidant to protect you from free radicals
Help you reduce the signs of normal aging
Help you maintain blood pressure levels
within the normal range
Provide a boost to your immune system
Support your nervous system
Help sustain optimal cholesterol levels
Antioxidants are important in achieving
a healthy body, but moderation is the
key and making sure you are using the
right ones can make a difference in your
overall health. MS&F
Max Vit-Acell Anti-Oxidant not only
gives you antioxidant protection, but
also necessary vitamins and minerals to
support the body. Every time you sweat,
you lose precious minerals and many
people today are mineral deficient. This
product has 60 trace minerals to help
support and rebuild the body.