Anti-Aging Antioxidant, Detoxification and Avoiding Degenerative Disease
One of the hazards of aging most certainly includes the onset of degenerative disease states. The diseases that more people get as they age. Science has elucidated direct relationships between toxins, free-radicals and disease promotion. Preparing for healthy aging must include supporting the body's natural detoxification pathways, and supplying plenty of antioxidants to battle any free-radical activity present with aging.
The vast majority of detoxification taking place in the body happens in the liver. The other organ system that is directly involved in detoxification is the digestive system. Therefore, supplements taken to support healthy and abundant detoxification will support liver and digestive health.
The body will store fat-soluble toxins. The liver's task is to make toxins neutral and water soluble, so that they may be excreted, safely, without further harming the body. The liver protects all of the other organ systems in the body by doing so. There are two phases of detoxification in the liver. Both of these phases must have an ample supply of cofactors in order to run to completion. Sometimes, for example, only phase I will run to completion, and phase II will not have the cofactors available to allow it to further process the toxin at hand. This works against us because often phase I of detoxification will make a toxin MORE toxic temporarily, before it relies upon phase II to completely neutralize it and make it water soluble for elimination. Further, the operation of the phase I pathway always produces excess free-radicals, therefore, antioxidant support must accompany phase I and phase two support.
What are some of the cofactors and anti-oxidants that support these pathways? Vitamin and Mineral cofactors and antioxidants include: Reduced Glutathione in combination with anthocyans, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, Coenzyme Q10, Vitamin C and E and Selenium, Magnesium, Mangenese, B-Complex, Zinc, and Copper, Folic Acid, and Calcium D-Glucarate (which is different than calcium as we commonly use it). Amino acids known to support these pathways include: Glycine, Glutamine and Taurine. Herbs known to support these pathways include: Diindolylmethane (from cruciferous vegetables), Bioflavenoids, Quercetin, Green Tea, Milk Thistle, Ginkgo and Anthocyans.
There are many scientific studies that show how these substances impact the degenerative disease state. Perhaps the most dramatic are those that demonstrate the ability of these substances to reduce incidence and severity of cancerous changes in the body. For example: 23 patients with "high risk" breast cancer were treated with antioxidants, essential fatty acids and 90 mg of CoQ10 daily. Six of these patients showed tumor regression. Two of these six patients increased their dose of CoQ10 to 390 mg per day and 300 mg per day. Both of these patients experienced complete remission of the tumors and that remission was confirmed with mammography studies. In another study, 1312 patients with a history of skin cancer took 200 mcg of selenium per day. They demonstrated a 50% drop in cancer mortality and a 41% drop in incidence. Over all in the study, the patients in this study decreased their cancer risk, compared to placebo as follows: Lung cancer 46% decreased risk; Prostate 63% decreased risk; Colorectal 58% decreased risk and total carcinomas with a 45% decreased risk overall. Finally in a Phase II IRB-approved, multi-center trial involving 30 patients in therapeutic stasis, where they were unable to make any more progress by the conventional treatments currently available, the patients were given 1600mg of Recancostatâ (Reduced Glutathione and Anthocyans in combination) daily as a sole treatment. Preliminary results show increased survival rates, an improvement in quality of life for 26 out of the 30 patients, and 17% of the patients regained weight.
Supporting healthy detoxification and battling free-radicals in the body with antioxidants is a preventative and anti-aging strategy that any of us can take at any time in our lives. Research indicates that quality nutritional supplementation may prevent and treat chronic degenerative disease states.
I am a licensed naturopathic physician practicing as a wellness consultant in Cherry Creek. Previously the managing editor of the Journal of Naturopathic Medicine, I speak locally, and internationally. I also write locally and nationally for physicians and lay people on the topic of natural health. I am a member of the Colorado Associations of Naturopathic Physicians, and am currently on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Naturopathic Physicians.