Posts Tagged ‘free radicals’

GSH supports health in many ways. Monitoring GSH levels in the cells is important to do before trouble comes calling in the form of illness. GSH is part cell guard dog and part cell mender. 

Glutathione and Radiation

Glutathione (GSH) is already in your body, but becomes depleted from physical stress, illness, aging, and the oxidative process. GSH is ammunition and top gun when it comes to anti-oxidative properties. Glutathione can trap a range of free radicals before they create havoc within the cells. It even offers protection against radiation. Inadequate intracellular GSH increases the risk of cancer from radiation.

A published report in the journal Radiology offer this: “radiation from a single whole-body scan is equal to 100 mammograms and is similar to the amount received by survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan who were about 1 mile from the explosions.” according to radiation biologist, David J. Brenner of Columbia University.

Iron transports oxygen from your lungs to the cells in your body. Iron is not only good but necessary for the human body to function. When iron becomes too much of a good thing it is downright dangerous.

High Iron Dangers

There are studies that show that blood donors exhibit lower rates of many diseases and experience better health. What this means is that by giving some blood you remove some of the circulation iron.

Iron is an important component of hemoglobin in red blood cells, and is required to transport oxygen, DNA synthesis and other processes. It also has a destructive side. In its free form, unbound from hemoglobin or other binding proteins, it accelerates oxidation or “rusting” of body tissue. Also iron-induced oxidation worsens the course of most diseases. Controlling iron is a way to prevent and treat some conditions. These would include heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s.

When this excess iron interacts with oxygen in the body, it produces the free radicals which damage cells and eventually lead to organ failure (like cirrhosis of the liver), heart attack, cancer and pancreatic damage.

Iron Load Increases With Age

Around the age of 18, excess iron begins to accumulate at 1 milligram per day;

Excess iron in the blood stream is called unbound iron, or free iron. The free iron can build up for years and be the instigator of health problems as people age.

This build up has been implicated in premature aging, cancer, osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes, liver damage, and heart disease.

When inflammation occurs in the body, free iron accumulates there and causes oxidation which then accelerates the inflammation.

Today’s Iron Source

The foods with the greatest amount of iron in the American diet today include fortified cereals, bread, cakes, cookies, doughnuts, and pasta. The more natural sources are beef, liver, beans, lentils, and poultry. Foods that have small amounts of iron are legumes, and dried fruit.

People are getting more than the recommended dietary level of iron from supplements and enriched foods. The consumption of red meet a rich source of iron has been dropping, while the consumption of processed foods has been rising.

There is some data that indicates that iron from natural sources doesn’t result in iron overload. Traditionally many people were carnivores and didn’t suffer from iron overload.

Inhaled tobacco smoke contains significant amounts of iron. Unbalanced estrogen (hormone replacement therapies) promote iron and copper uptake.

People who develop iron overload often take iron supplements. Iron also leaches from cast iron cookware and stainless steel pots. Cast iron and stainless steel are not foods: they contain an iron that is not from food and may cause imbalances.

ANTI-AGING INGREDIENTS ON THE DINNER PLATE

We now we have some proof the anti-aging ingredients are on your dinner plate.  Researchers at McMaster University have developed a cocktail of ingredients that forestalls major aspects of aging.

FINDINGS

The findings are published in the current issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine.

The study found that a complex dietary supplement powerfully offsets this key symptom of ageing in old mice by increasing the activity of the cellular furnaces that supply energy – or mitochondria – and by reducing emissions from these furnaces – or free radicals – that are thought to be the basic cause of ageing itself.

Using bagel bits soaked in the supplement to ensure consistent and accurate dosing, the formula maintained youthful levels of locomotor activity into old age whereas old mice that were not given the supplement showed a 50 per cent loss in daily movement, a similar dramatic loss in the activity of the cellular furnaces that make our energy, and declines in brain signaling chemicals relevant to locomotion. This builds on the team’s findings that the supplement extends longevity, prevents cognitive declines, and protects mice from radiation.

Ingredients consists of items that were purchased in local stores selling vitamin and health supplements for people, including vitamins B1, C, D, E, acetylsalicylic acid, beta carotene, folic acid, garlic, ginger root, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, green tea extract, magnesium, melatonin, potassium, cod liver oil, and flax seed oil. Multiple ingredients were combined based on their ability to offset five mechanisms involved in ageing.

SCIENCE VS. NATURE

This study showed  both the remarkable extension of physical function in old mice, and extended longevity. With this comes hopes of developing more effective supplements.

Nature has already done that for us all we have to do is part take. What you put on your plate is more powerful than any supplements you buy.