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The Health Benefits of Antioxidants

Many Americans are interested in the role of antioxidants in the prevention of disease and the maintenance of good health. Our knowledge about the benefits of antioxidants in preventing or delaying the onset and progression of disease states such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease, or even the natural aging process and immunity, has expanded significantly

A free radical is an unstable compound that attacks normal molecules in a chain reaction through a process called "oxidation" - the same process in which apples turn brown and rust forms on metal. These free radicals can damage critical cell structures including fats, proteins, enzymes and even our DNA. These damaged cell structures not only lose their essential physiological functions but may become harmful to normal human health. Fortunately, these adverse chain reactions can be stopped by a specific group of substances called antioxidants.

Humans have their own natural antioxidant defenses in the form of enzyme systems. However, we rely greatly on external antioxidants such as vitamin E and C, and a host of other compounds that are present in our diet. Antioxidants protect normal human body function from free radical damage by preventing formation of excess free radicals, scavenging free radicals and repairing damaged molecules. Vitamin E is considered the master antioxidant as it is a very efficient neutralizer of the free radical damage, especially to the lipid structure of our cell membranes. Furthermore, antioxidants work as a team - vitamin C helps to regenerate vitamin E, for instance.

Antioxidants have been shown to be beneficial in preventing or delaying the progression of a number of disease states such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and macular degeneration. A study in Linxian, China of 29,584 adults showed that supplementation with alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and selenium reduced stomach cancer by 21% and esophageal cancer by 42%. An observational study of 991,522 participants from 1982 to 1988 showed that regular long-term use of vitamin E reduced the risk of death from bladder cancer by 40%. The evidence for antioxidants is strong enough for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to allow a limited claim of antioxidants in the prevention of cancer.

The Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) trial underlined the benefits of antioxidant intake in people who suffer from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in the elderly. In this interventional trial, patients with intermediate or advanced stage AMD who received antioxidant supplementation (vitamin E, vitamin C, beta-carotene and zinc) had a 28% reduced risk of further progression of this disease.

Another observational study compared the antioxidant vitamin and antioxidant enzyme levels in age groups from 60 to those above 100 years of age (centenarians). The investigators determined that centenarians had the highest antioxidant vitamin levels. They postulate that the high vitamin antioxidant levels may help patients live longer. Antioxidants are also beneficial in immunity and reduced the risk of infections in elderly patients in nursing homes.

A healthy diet rich in vegetables and fruits is the first step toward obtaining a well balanced antioxidant regimen. However, the beneficial doses used in many studies are higher than one can obtain from diet alone. Consumers should choose a supplement that has a wide spectrum of antioxidants in their most natural and bioavailable form. The antioxidant doses should be sufficient to aid in the defense against free radicals (above a multivitamin) but not mega-doses that can cause harm.

Vitamin E Malabsorption- More Common Than You Think

It may be hard to believe that in the midst of an abundance of food and a plethora of supplements, people can develop clinical vitamin E deficiency. A dramatic example is cholestasis, a condition in which excretion of the bile is stopped. Cholestatic children develop very serious and often fatal degenerative neurological diseases due to malabsorption of vitamin E. While serious cholestasis is rare, many other common diseases and physiological conditions cause varying degrees of malabsorption with subclinical deficiency. Unfortunately, vitamin E deficiency may go undetected for decades but the cumulative damage to muscle and nerves can be debilitating and irreversible.

ABSORPTION OF VITAMIN E: OIL AND WATER DO NOT MIX OR DO THEY?

We are water-based organisms - water makes more than half of our weight. The blood, the lifeline that carries the nutrients and nourishes all our tissues is water-based. Vitamin E, however, is fat-soluble. Oil and water do not mix. The body has to overcome this problem and micelles are the body's solution. The fat material is put into these unique tiny spheres with a water-loving (hydrophilic) outer layer and is ferried from the gut across the intestinal wall into the blood stream.
To make micelles two major components are absolutely required.

Bile - a yellow-green liquid produced in the liver and secreted into the gut. The bile helps emulsify the fat in our diet and provides components of the outer layer of the micelles.
Pancreatic juice, a secretion delivered into the upper part of the small intestine (duodenum), where it aids digestion.

In the blood stream vitamin E is transported by lipoproteins, the vehicles that transport lipid materials in our body. These are minute spheres with a water friendly outer layer, which allows them to circulate freely in the blood. They carry vitamin E and other lipids in their lipophilic interior.

WHICH CONDITIONS CAUSE MALABSORPTION?

A large number of diseases and physiological conditions may cause poor absorption of vitamin E.

1. Fat malabsorption due to liver and pancreatic insufficiency. Because the bile and the pancreatic juices are critical for absorption of vitamin E, any condition that compromises the function of the liver and pancreas can cause malabsorption. These include:

Cholestasis, a condition in which excretion of the bile is stopped or reduced. Cholestasis may be caused by inherited genetic defects and diseases and injury of the liver. Liver diseases such hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis and damage or inflammation of the liver from the use of powerful medicines or chemotherapy can affect the production of bile.
Cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease in which the secretion of the pancreatic juice is blocked by thick mucous. Liver function and secretion of the bile may also be affected.
Steattorhea, the loss of fat in the stool, causes serious vitamin E deficiency. Steattorhea is associated with other conditions causing malabsorption such as cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis, and is synonymous with celiac disease.

2. Malabsorption due to inflammation and surgical removal of part of the gut, infection, disturbance of its flora, and diarrhea. These include:

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes diseases that cause inflammation in the intestines such as Crohn's and ulcerative colitis.
Short bowel syndrome is the result of half or more of the small intestine being removed.
HIV is associated with fungal and other infections of the small intestine, which cause poor absorption of the nutrients particularly the fat-soluble ones. Other infectious diseases of gut may cause malabsorption.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can cause diarrhea and malabsorption.
Bariatric surgery to treat obesity is often associated with nutrient deficiency.

3. Defects in the transport of vitamin E in the body have a serious indirect effect on absorption. These, mostly genetic defects, include:

Abetalipoproteinemia is a rare inherited disease which prevents the formation of normal chylomicrons and very-low density lipoproteins (VLDL) which are essential for the transport of vitamin E. Patients with abetaliproteinemia 'absorb' vitamin E but most of the vitamin E never goes past the gut wall because the patients cannot produce these special vehicles which carry vitamin E.
Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency, or familial isolated vitamin E deficiency, is an extremely rare genetic disease with symptoms very similar to those of another very rare disease called Friedreich ataxia. This genetic disease prevents the transfer of absorbed vitamin E from the liver to the blood and the tissues.

4. Aging. Aging is known to contribute to significant vitamin E deficiencies which result form diminished digestion and absorption capabilities and increased needs. It is estimated that over 50% of elderly may have suboptimal vitamin E status. Such deficiencies may be aggravated by chronic disease conditions and medications.

OVERCOMING VITAMIN E MALABSORPTION: THE AQUA-ET ADVANTAGE

Aqua-E supplies the complete vitamin E family of tocopherols plus tocotrienols in a patented water-soluble formulation that overcomes malabsorption. It is particularly rich in the natural unesterified gamma tocopherol and tocotrienols, which are of particular interest to malabsorbers because of the increased oxidative stress. Each teaspoon (5 ml) supplies 100 IU plus 59 mg of gamma tocopherol for a total of 150 mg of total tocopherols, In addition, it supplies 9 mg of tocotrienols.

This proprietary formulation contains lipoprotein like microspheres which function in the same manner as micelles. In addition, after passing the gut wall, these lipoprotein like microspheres help deliver vitamin E to the tissues even in the absence of a healthy lipoprotein transport system.

Aqua-E is odorless and has neutral taste. It mixes easily with most beverages and water. Dosing may be easily adjusted to meet specific needs. It is particularly suitable for people that have difficulty swallowing capsules and for vegetarians.

Yasoo introduces new liquid vitamin E

February 4, 2005 - Yasoo Health, Inc. (www.yasoo.com) has just introduced Aqua-ER, a new water-soluble complete vitamin E formulation that is rich in all eight fractions of the Vitamin E family: the four tocopherols and the four tocotrienols.

"Aqua E was developed to help meet the needs of people who either have difficulty absorbing vitamin E or who are unable to swallow vitamin E capsules," states Andreas Papas, PhD, President, Yasoo Health, Inc. Diseases associated with malabsorption include cholestasis, cystic fibrosis, Crohn's and ulcerative colitis (IBD), alcoholic hepatitis, other liver diseases, and AIDS. It is important to note that malabsorption also occurs in the elderly and with other serious disease conditions and some drug therapies. Aqua E is being evaluated in human clinical studies at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City; TN.

This unique patent pending supplement is specially formulated for enhanced absorption and is manufactured under cGMP (pharmaceutical grade practices). Aqua E is an odourless liquid that has a neutral taste. It mixes easily with most beverages and water. Dosing may be easily adjusted to meet the specific needs of children and of the elderly. It is free of animal products, yeast, wheat, added colours or flavours, sweeteners, and salt. It is suitable for use by vegetarians and children or adults that have difficulty swallowing softgels.