Protandim and Oxidative Stress

Our bodies already contain the information on how to effectively combat oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. That information is stored in our genes. The secret lies in being able to instruct cells regarding the implementation of that information. Protandim does just that.

Your body receives a constant supply of oxygen as you breathe and your cells use that oxygen in various chemical reactions along with the vitamins and minerals, and the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates consumed in the foods you eat, to produce energy and keep you healthy. As a consequence of this metabolic activity, highly reactive molecules are produced known as free radicals. Free radicals can be thought of as similar in many ways to the exhaust from your automobile; that is, the energy released from the combustion of gasoline and oxygen is desirable, but the resultant exhaust is toxic and harmful.

A free radical is a molecule missing an electron and it will strip an electron from another molecule to become "whole". This damages that molecule which in turn becomes a free radical beginning a chain reaction. Once the process is started it escalates throughout a lifetime and is thought to be one of the primary determinates of aging. Damage enough molecules and you damage the cell, damage enough cells and you damage the tissue or organ system. Damage to tissue in excess of the body's ability to repair that damage is called disease. All antioxidants neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons ending the "electron-stealing" reaction. The antioxidants themselves don't become free radicals when they donate an electron because they are stable in either form.

All aerobic organisms (those that require oxygen for life), including mankind, produce this harmful "exhaust" as a result of normal cellular metabolism as described above and have evolved to handle and dispose of it. But, if the antioxidants needed for this process are unavailable, or if free-radical exposure becomes excessive, damage occurs. In our modern society there is both less availability of antioxidants due to the diminishing quality of our food sources, and more exposure to free-radicals due to increasing pollutants in our environment. Many of the foods past generations relied upon to supply naturally occurring antioxidants have been processed and now contain preservatives, and have been canned, frozen, or micro-waved negating much of their antioxidant properties. Worse, much of what we consume has been exposed to herbicides and pesticides which far from reducing oxidative stress actually contributes to it. These same herbicides and pesticides contaminate our ground water as well. Environmental pollutants found in our air and water such as emissions from automobiles and industries, radiation, asbestos, and many others all contribute to the production of free radicals. Smoking, alcohol, and pharmaceuticals also contribute to the production of free radicals. Thus, this society is exposed to more free radicals than any before in the history of man.

Oxidative damage and chronic inflammation has been implicated in the cause of many diseases such as cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, heart failure, myocardial infarction, Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, fragile X syndrome, Sickle Cell Disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and others. It has, as well, an impact on the body's aging process. It is no small matter.

What Can You Do?
Diet is, of course, an important consideration.

• Berries — Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and cranberries are among the top sources of antioxidants.
• Beans — Small red beans and kidney, pinto and black beans are all choices rich in antioxidants.
• Fruits — Many apple varieties (with peel) are high in antioxidants, as are avocados, cherries, green and red pears, fresh or dried plums, pineapple, kiwi and others.
• Vegetables — Those with the highest antioxidant content include artichokes, spinach, red cabbage, red and white potatoes (with peel), sweet potatoes and broccoli. Although the effect of cooking on antioxidant levels varies by cooking method and vegetable, one study showed that cooking generally increased levels among select vegetables.
• Beverages — Green tea may come to mind as a good source of antioxidants, but other beverages have high levels, too, including coffee, red wine and many fruit juices such as pomegranate.
• Nuts — Walnuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds are some of the top nuts for antioxidant content.
• Herbs — These may be unexpected suppliers of antioxidants, but ground cloves, cinnamon and ginger, dried oregano leaf and turmeric powder are all good sources.
• Grains — In general, oat-based products are higher in antioxidants than are those derived from other grain sources.
• And for dessert — A piece of dark chocolate ranks as high or higher than most fruits and vegetables in terms of antioxidant content.

How Does Protandim Help?
Vitamins C and E are thought to protect the body against the destructive effects of free-radicals too. The trouble is that one such antioxidant molecule from whatever source can neutralize only a few free-radical molecules before it is depleted. In our modern society, a good diet alone is simply no longer enough. The most effective way to fight free radicals and reverse the spread of oxidative stress and the chronic inflammation they cause is to trigger the body to produce its own free-radical fighting enzymes. That information is stored in our genes. Protandim is specially formulated to induce cells to produce more of these genetically encoded catalytic defense enzymes which have been named Superoxide Dismutases (SOD). Every enzyme molecule produced by this approach can eliminate up to 1 million free radicals before being depleted. When the protein messenger (Nrf2) is activated, it enters the nucleus of the cell and turns on hundreds of the body’s survival genes that code for these enzymes. These genes enable cells to survive in the face of several different kinds of stress, especially oxidative stress. Nrf2 also affects hundreds of other genes, pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic genes, by turning them down.

Thus, Protandim is a master regulator of the aging process and an Nrf2 synergizer which activates survival genes, including antioxidant genes, that keep us safe from free radicals and oxidants and their harmful effects. It also turns down genes that perpetuate inflammation, and genes that encourage slow, progressive fibrosis to take place. Together these actions provide a remarkable promise of protection from many kinds of age-related health conditions.

Protandim was developed by Joe McCord, Ph.D.
Dr. McCord holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Rhodes College (graduated 1966) and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Duke University (graduated 1970), where he also conducted postdoctoral research. Dr. McCord has held biochemistry faculty positions at Duke University Medical Center and University of South Alabama. He currently serves as a professor in the department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Genetics at the University of Colorado Denver. He has received several awards and honors for his research and discoveries in the field of free radical biochemistry, is a past recipient of the Elliott Cresson Medal, the Discovery Award from the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine (SFRBM), and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oxygen Society. He has been a member of the board of directors of the LifeVantage Corporation (makers of the dietary supplement Protandim) since 2006.

More Information
The battle between those with a vested interest in the status quo and those who advocate non-pharmacological solutions to the health ailments of man will continue to rage. What is certain, however, is that LifeVantage Corporation has recently been granted a fourth patent for its flagship product Protandim® from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. It is further certain that the U.S. government-funded National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), whose mission is to develop new information technologies to aid in the understanding of fundamental molecular and genetic processes that control health and disease has published twelve (12) research articles on PubMed, a service of the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, and that many more studies are currently being conducted by several major universities. In addition, a Primetime Live Investigative Report by ABC News which aired in 2005 found scientific merit to the claims.

ABC News http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_mGXV6KAx0