Dear Reader,
In case you haven’t heard – There are a diverse group of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that protect your cells from the fire of living.
What do I mean by “fire of living?” I’m talking about the burn of metabolism. Your body uses oxygen to convert fuel into usable energy through a process of “oxidation.”
Problem is – oxidation produces free radicals. These are high-energy, unstable molecules that can bind to healthy cells, potentially altering their DNA, damaging their delicate machinery, even killing them.
Antioxidants neutralize them free radicals. Your body makes use of both internally produced and external antioxidants to protect itself from free radical damage. But there’s a fly in the soup – Your body’s antioxidant factory slows down as you age. This speeds cell death and facilitates aging.
But listen to this: I had an 88-year old patient who drank, smoked, and ate whatever he liked, but had never spent a day in the hospital his entire life. So I tested his blood and cells… he had the highest levels of antioxidants I’d ever seen. He was enjoying the fire of living without getting burned.
You can use supplements to mimic his antioxidant levels. Here are the most important seven antioxidant powerhouses I recommend to my patients.
1. ANTIOXIDANT: Vitamin C
BENEFIT: preserves skin, hair, nail structure, immune booster, nervous system health
FOOD SOURCE: Oranges, strawberries, broccoli, bell pepper
DAILY AMOUNT: 500 mg twice daily; 2,000 to 5,000 for add’l anti-aging power
2. ANTIOXIDANT: Carotenoids
BENEFIT: protect eyesight, prevents macular degeneration, lung and breast cancer
FOOD SOURCE: Meat, milk, eggs, liver, carrots, spinach
DAILY AMOUNT: 2,500 IUs
3. ANTIOXIDANT: Tocopherols and tocotrienols
BENEFIT: prevents arthritis, heart disease, breast, prostate, colon cancer
FOOD SOURCE: meat, fish, nuts, avocados, oils
DAILY AMOUNT: 400 mg of mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols daily
4. ANTIOXIDANT: CoQ10
BENEFIT: powers heart health, prevents arteriosclerosis, lowers blood pressure, balances cholesterol levels
FOOD SOURCE: organ meats from grass-fed animals
DAILY AMOUNT: 100 mg
5. ANTIOXIDANT: Alpha lipoic acid (ALA)
BENEFIT: prevents atherosclerosis, lung disease, neurological disorders, extends life of other antioxidants
FOOD SOURCE: red meat from grass-fed cattle
DAILY AMOUNT: 100 mg
6. ANTIOXIDANT: Lutein
BENEFIT: protects eyesight, cancer and cardiovascular disease
FOOD SOURCE: red grapes, egg yolks, squash, peas, oranges
DAILY AMOUNT: 20 mg
7. ANTIOXIDANT: Lycopene
BENEFIT: protects heart health by neutralizing cholesterol oxidation, prostate and pancreatic cancer, prevents macular degeneration
FOOD SOURCE: tomatoes, guava, peppers, watermelon, pink grapefruit
DAILY AMOUNT: 20 mg
In addition to these supplements, my Wellness Research team and I have been putting together an antioxidant formula with especially powerful antioxidants that you won’t find anywhere else, including resveratrol, super oxide dismutase (SOD), and green tea extract.
These clinically proven free radical scavengers extend life by protecting you from the “slow burn.” But they’re hard to get through diet alone. We’ll let you know when we have it ready for you.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD