We all want to age gracefully. What does that mean? Freedom to be active and to care for ourselves. Independent living. Unfortunately, one of the hazards of aging most certainly includes the onset of degenerative disease states. The diseases that more of us get as we age. These diseases can certainly cut into our quality of life, our freedom and definitely our independence.
Science has shown that there are direct relationships between toxins, free-radicals and disease promotion. Preparing for healthy aging must include basic support for the body’s natural detoxification pathways, and plenty of antioxidants to battle any free-radical activity along the way. Especially in this day and age – of stress, pollution and the constant decrease in the quality of our food supply.
The vast majority of detoxification taking place in the body happens in the liver. The other major organ system that is directly involved in detoxification is the digestive system. Supporting the liver and the digestive system to work optimally, is our best defense!
The liver protects the rest of the body by detoxifying anything and everything that comes along that is not good for us. The body will store fat-soluble toxins and excrete water soluble toxins. The liver’s task is to make the toxins we fear the most (fat soluble toxins) neutral and water soluble, so that they may be excreted, safely, without further harming the body.
There are two important “phases” of detoxification in the liver. Both of these phases must have an ample supply of nutritional cofactors in order to run to completion. Depriving these phases of their nutritional needs would be like trying to run a manufacturing assembly line while missing some of the key workers. Optimal function will eventually give way to chaos and destruction.
Sometimes phase I will run to completion, and phase II will not have the nutritional cofactors available to allow it to further process the toxins 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, optimal liver support would include all of necessary nutritional co-factors for phase I and phase II plus the all-important antioxidants that phase I requires.
The good news is that we know what those nutritional co-factors are, and we can take in extra nutritional support that targets these phases.
What are some of the cofactors and anti-oxidants that support these pathways? Nutritional cofactors and antioxidants may include:
Glutathione, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, Reduced Coenzyme Q10, Vitamin C and E and Selenium, Magnesium, Mangenese, B-Complex vitamins, Zinc, Copper, Folic Acid, Inositol, Methionine, Calcium D-Glucarate (which is different than calcium as we commonly use it), Omega 3 EPA and Omega 3 DHA, Glycine, Glutamine and Taurine. Herbs known to support these pathways include: Diindolylmethane (from cruciferous vegetables), Bioflavenoids, Sulforophane Glucosinolates, Quercetin, Green Tea, Milk Thistle, Ginkgo, Trans-Resveratrol and Anthocyans.
Foods famous for supporting liver health include:
Beets, Artichokes and Asparagus.
Everyone knows that digestive health is health… especially if you have ever suffered without your digestive health. There are many important ways to support digestive health and they include the use of nutrients such as:
L-Glutamine, N Acetyl Glucosamine, Phosphatidyl Choline, Gamma Oryzenenol, Quercetin, N Acetyl Cysteine, Ginkgo, Acid-Stable Enzymes, and of course… a good healthy source of pro-biotics.
Did you know that the mounting research on the promise of probiotics now reaches as far as cancer, cholesterol, and detoxification?
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.
Dramatic support may include any of the following physician-quality Nutritional Supplements:
Smart Fish – Omega 3 EPA and DHA in a convenient higher dose gel-cap. Documented to be non-toxic and non-rancid (stable)… a very important distinction in the fish oil industry.
Active Mag – Magnesium Glycinate/Lysinate and di- Magnesium Malate,,, raw materials that carry the Albion Gold Medalian comfirming best absorption and utilization in the body.
Onco Defense – Sulforophane Glucosinolates in the patented and most researched form – for powerful phase II support.
Active Life B – Every “best” form of the B Complex vitamins… they are not all created equally!
Estro Smart – Phase I and Phase II herbal support documented to alter liver function in favor of estrogen health and well being through all phases of life.
Phosphamax – High dose, potent phosphatidyl choline. This is a rare find in the supplement industry. This is a core lipid nutrient for liver and brain health and very powerful protection.
Flora Max – High dose and powerful human strains of probiotics that resist stomach acid as they make their way through the digestive system. Probiotics are documented to support the digestive system’s role in the body’s detoxification process.