Natural, Whole Food Vitamins Outperform Synthetics!

Antioxidants are really important in today’s day and age.  Most of us get a lot fewer antioxidants from our diets than say 30 years ago.  Some studies show we get 50% or more fewer antioxidants.  At the same time, our need for antioxidants has increased because of the huge increase in chemicals we are exposed to that our bodies need to detoxify.  This uses up antioxidants.  So it is really important for most of us today to supplement with antioxidants. The Quantum and Premier Research Labs brands are top quality, 100% whole food vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that the body can use to support optimal health. They are guaranteed free of toxic ingredients like sugar, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, stearic acid and magnesium stearate, as well as common allergens like milk, corn, soy, and wheat. They are "beyond organic", in that the ingredients are not only grown organically, but all incoming batches of ingredients are tested to ensure that they are free from pesticides, herbicides and radiation by-products. If you can only buy 1 antioxidant, we recommend DHLA with Resveratrol.  DHLA is a more powerful form of alpha lipoic acid, already one of the most powerful antioxidants known, and can recycle or reuse many other antioxidants you already have in your body from the food you consume.  B Complex vitamins and  green tea extract are also poten antioxidants.  Last, but not least Vitamin C complex is also very powerful, with camu-camu as its main source of vitamin C complex. A new product we are recommending that contains some very powerful antioxidants is MOXXOR.  Moxxor is a very powerful omega-3 supplement, containing greenlip mussel oil, fish oil and antioxidants.  The antioxidants are in the form of sauvignon blanc grape seed extract, grown in the pristine environment of New Zealand.  This particular form of grape seed extract has been shown to have a very high ORAC value, higher than even Goji or Acai.  Most people take Moxxor for its anti-inflammatory effects that come from the omega 3s, but the antioxidants not only preserve those omega 3 fatty acids so they do not become rancid, but also add the much needed antioxidants to your diet.

Antioxidants and Cancer Prevention

The information below is an excerpt from the Antioxidants and Cancer Prevention fact sheet published by the National Cancer Institute.

1. What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells from the damage caused  by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radical damage may lead  to cancer. Antioxidants interact with and stabilize free radicals and may  prevent some of the damage free radicals might otherwise cause. Examples of  antioxidants include beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamins C, E, and A, and other  substances.

2. Can antioxidants prevent cancer?

 Considerable laboratory evidence from chemical, cell culture, and animal  studies indicates that antioxidants may slow or possibly prevent the development  of cancer. However, information from recent clinical trials is less clear.  In recent years, large-scale, randomized clinical trials reached inconsistent  conclusions.

3. What was shown in previously published large-scale  clinical trials?

 Five large-scale clinical trials published in the 1990s reached differing  conclusions about the effect of antioxidants on cancer. The studies examined  the effect of beta-carotene and other antioxidants on cancer in different  patient groups. However, beta-carotene appeared to have different effects  depending upon the patient population. The conclusions of each study are summarized  below.

• The first large randomized trial on antioxidants and cancer risk was the  Chinese Cancer Prevention Study, published in 1993. This trial investigated  the effect of a combination of beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium on  cancer in healthy Chinese men and women at high risk for gastric cancer.  The study showed a combination of beta-carotene, vitamin E, and selenium  significantly reduced incidence of both gastric cancer and cancer overall.
   
• A 1994 cancer prevention study entitled the Alpha-Tocopherol (vitamin  E)/ Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (ATBC) demonstrated that lung  cancer rates of Finnish male smokers increased significantly with beta-carotene  and were not affected by vitamin E.
   
• Another 1994 study, the Beta-Carotene and Retinol (vitamin A) Efficacy  Trial (CARET), also demonstrated a possible increase in lung cancer associated  with antioxidants.
   
• The 1996 Physicians’ Health Study I (PHS) found no change in cancer  rates associated with beta-carotene and aspirin taken by U.S. male physicians.
   
• The 1999 Women's Health Study (WHS) tested effects of vitamin E and beta-carotene  in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease among women age 45  years or older. Among apparently healthy women, there was no benefit or  harm from beta-carotene supplementation. Investigation of the effect of  vitamin E is ongoing.

 

4. Are antioxidants under investigation in current large-scale clinical trials?

 Three large-scale clinical trials continue to investigate the effect of  antioxidants on cancer. The objective of each of these studies is described  below. More information about clinical trials can be obtained using http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov,  or the CRISP database at http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/  on the Internet.

• The Women’s Health Study (WHS) is currently evaluating the effect  of vitamin E in the primary prevention of cancer among U.S. female health  professionals age 45 and older. The WHS is expected to conclude in August  2004.

 

• The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) is taking  place in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada. SELECT is trying to  find out if taking selenium and/or vitamin E supplements can prevent prostate  cancer in men age 50 or older. The SELECT trial is expected to stop recruiting  patients in May 2006.
   
• The Physicians' Health Study II (PHS II) is a follow up to the earlier clinical trial by the same name. The study is investigating the effects of vitamin E, C, and multivitamins on prostate cancer and total cancer incidence. The PHS II is expected to conclude in August 2007.
   
5. Will the National Cancer Institute (NCI)  continue to investigate the effect of beta-carotene on cancer?

Given the unexpected results of ATBC and CARET, and the finding of no effect  of beta-carotene in the PHS and WHS, NCI will follow the people who participated  in these studies and will examine the long-term health effects of beta-carotene  supplements. Post-trial follow-up has already been funded by NCI for CARET,  ATBC, the Chinese Cancer Prevention Study, and the two smaller trials of skin  cancer and colon polyps. Post-trial follow-up results have been published  for ATBC, and as of July 2004 are in press for CARET and are in progress for  the Chinese Cancer Prevention Study.

6. How might antioxidants prevent cancer?

Antioxidants neutralize free radicals as the natural by-product of normal  cell processes. Free radicals are molecules with incomplete electron shells  which make them more chemically reactive than those with complete electron  shells. Exposure to various environmental factors, including tobacco smoke  and radiation, can also lead to free radical formation. In humans, the most  common form of free radicals is oxygen. When an oxygen molecule (O2) becomes  electrically charged or ‘radicalized’ it tries to steal electrons  from other molecules, causing damage to the DNA and other molecules. Over  time, such damage may become irreversible and lead to disease including cancer.  Antioxidants are often described as ‘mopping up’ free radicals,  meaning they neutralize the electrical charge and prevent the free radical  from taking electrons from other molecules.

7. Which foods are rich in antioxidants?

 Antioxidants are abundant in fruits and vegetables, as well as in other  foods including nuts, grains, and some meats, poultry, and fish. The list  below describes food sources of common antioxidants.

• Beta-carotene is found in many foods that are orange in color, including  sweet potatoes, carrots, cantaloupe, squash, apricots, pumpkin, and mangos.  Some green, leafy vegetables, including collard greens, spinach, and kale,  are also rich in beta-carotene.
   
• Lutein, best known for its association with healthy eyes, is abundant  in green, leafy vegetables such as collard greens, spinach, and kale.
   
• Lycopene is a potent antioxidant found in tomatoes, watermelon, guava,  papaya, apricots, pink grapefruit, blood oranges, and other foods. Estimates  suggest 85 percent of American dietary intake of lycopene comes from tomatoes  and tomato products.
   
• Selenium is a mineral, not an antioxidant nutrient. However, it is a component  of antioxidant enzymes. Plant foods like rice and wheat are the major dietary  sources of selenium in most countries. The amount of selenium in soil, which  varies by region, determines the amount of selenium in the foods grown in  that soil. Animals that eat grains or plants grown in selenium-rich soil  have higher levels of selenium in their muscle. In the United States, meats  and bread are common sources of dietary selenium. Brazil nuts also contain  large quantities of selenium.
   
• Vitamin A is found in three main forms: retinol (Vitamin A1), 3,4-didehydroretinol  (Vitamin A2), and 3-hydroxy-retinol (Vitamin A3). Foods rich in vitamin  A include liver, sweet potatoes, carrots, milk, egg yolks, and mozzarella  cheese.
   
• Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid, and can be found in high abundance  in many fruits and vegetables and is also found in cereals, beef, poultry,  and fish.
   
• Vitamin E, also known as alpha-tocopherol, is found in almonds, in many  oils including wheat germ, safflower, corn, and soybean oils, and is also  found in mangos, nuts, broccoli, and other foods.

Selected References

1. Blot WJ, Li JY, Taylor PR, et al. Nutrition intervention  trials in Linxian, China: supplementation with specific vitamin/mineral combinations,  cancer incidence, and disease-specific mortality in the general population.  J Natl Cancer Inst 1993;85:1483
2. The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention  Study Group. The effects of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of  lung cancer and other cancers in male smokers. N Engl J Med 1994;330:1029–35.
    
3. Omenn GS, Goodman G, Thomquist M, et al. The beta-carotene  and retinol efficacy trial (CARET) for chemoprevention of lung cancer in high  risk populations: smokers and asbestos-exposed workers. Cancer Res 1994;54(7  Suppl):2038s.
    
4. Hennekens CH, Buring JE, Manson JE, Stampfer M, Rosner  B, Cook NR, et al. Lack of effect of long-term supplementation with beta carotene  on the incidence of malignant neoplasms and cardiovascular disease. N Engl  J Med 1996;334:1145
    
5. Lee IM, Cook NR, Manson JE. Beta-carotene supplementation  and incidence of cancer and cardiovascular disease: Women’s Health Study.  J Natl Cancer Inst 1999;91:21026
    

 

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