Welcome
to our web site. Keeping current about health issues, fitness and life extnesion
as we enter a new century means adding some new terms to your vocabulary. This
decade brings with it an explosion of research and articles about 'Free
Radicals' and 'Free Radical Pathology','Antioxidant Enzymes'
and 'Live Enzyme Foods'. What you will find here at our site is a primer on
this burgeoning area of science and nutrition in order to help you make sense
of what you may read and learn in the months and years ahead.
ARTICLES
REPRINTS
ARTHRITIS
HELP - Fighting Free Radicals by Michael Lemmon DVM
DOCTORS
DIALOGUE - Is SOD the solution to ARTHRITIS, HEART DISEASE and
AGING - by David A Steenblock MS. N.M.D., D.O.
ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES AND YOUR HEALTH AND YOUR PETS HEALTH
While the nutritional balance needed
to maintain healthy cells has remained much the same for thousands of years, man's
foods have changed greatly. Food processing has lessened many vital elements available
in commonly consumed foods. One class of elements eliminated almost entirely through
food processing is enzymes. Vital elements that act as biological catalysts, particularly
antioxidant enzymes, are crucial for the proper functioning of every cell in our
body.
Antioxidant enzyme deficiencies have
been documented in hundreds of published medical research studies. Although
produced in our bodies, deficiencies can occur due to poor nutrition and the
excess stresses of aging, pollution, surgery, radiation, overexertion, and illness.
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ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES PROMOTE THE NATURAL REMOVAL
OF TOXIC WASTES
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Clinical and double blind studies have demonstrated the complete safety and
effectiveness of B&E Health products in providing the nutritional tools
necessary to maintain proper antioxidant enzyme levels. Biotec live enzyme foods
enhance and develop the natural health and beauty inherent in everyone. When
this natural radiance is nurtured and allowed to blossom, the result is a happy
blend of relaxation, vitality and overall well-being. Thanks to advanced food
genetics, you now can have the energy to do effortlessly the things you've always
dreamed of.
Our body cells constantly produce
enzymes to protect us from cell damaging substances called free radicals. Excess
free radicals come from environmental pollutants, radiation, illness, excess
sun, overexertion, poor nutrition, aging and even emotional stress. All of these
factors create a condition in which our body's production of enzymes is less
than our needs. The result of this enzyme deficiency is cellular damage often
seen as inflammation and pain.
This cellular damage can be prevented
if the proper enzyme complexes are present in amounts large enough to overcome
the amount of free radicals. Stresses in today's environment, lifestyles, poor
nutrition and aging itself challenge our body's ability to meet our enzyme needs.
In providing the necessary enzyme complexes, B&E Health products are a major
nutritional breakthrough in preventive health care.
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FREE RADICALS
WHAT ARE FREE RADICALS?
Like all matter, our bodies are
composed entirely of tiny particles called molecules. Each molecule is made
up of atoms, and each atom is made up of a center or nucleus and electrons
which spin in orbits around it.
Ordinarily, the electrons
occur in balanced pairs. This keeps the atom and molecule stable. Sometimes
a molecule loses one of its electrons or gains and extra one. This causes
the molecule to become unbalanced and highly reactive. Such a molecule is
called a 'Free Radical'.
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WHERE DO FREE
RADICALS COME FROM?
Some 'Free Radicals'
occur as normal by-products of a healthy body's metabolic processes. Overproduction
of "Free Radicals' occurs when the body is subjected to 'Stress' in any of
its many forms:
Types of Stress
Chemical Emotional Physical Infectious
Common Stress Sources
Aging Environmental Pollutants Trauma
Disease Pace & Pressure of Modern Life
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HOW DO FREE
RADICALS HURT THE BODY?
Having unpaired electrons is
not an energetically favorable or stable state for a molecule. A 'Free
Radical' will naturally try to return to a state of stability by taking
an electron from some other molecule and restoring its own balance. It
is this little act of thievery that causes the damage. The stolen electron
may be from a molecule in a normal healthy cell. This process of 'Cell
Damage' continues to multiply if not checked. The end result is that the
healthy cells are damaged and the body's proper functioning is impaired.
Unfortunately today, the
increased stresses of modern life combined with age and the nutritional
inadequacies of a contemporary diet result in an excess of free radical
activity in the body and a deficiency in the available supply of antioxidants
to remove them. This negative state is known as 'Free Radical Pathology'.
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HOW DOES THE
BODY DEFEND ITSELF?
Nature equips the body to
produce special enzymes called 'Antioxidants' which catalyze the removal
of the 'Free Radicals' before they can cause cellular damage. Under
normal conditions these naturally occurring 'Antioxidant
Enzymes' can handle the 'Free Radicals' produced by the body's own
metabolic processes.
In addition, nature allows
the body to acquire additional supplies of these antioxidant enzymes
from certain raw foods.
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HOW CAN
I MAXIMIZE MY BODY'S DEFENSES?
The first line of defense
is to eat certain whole, natural, 'Live Foods' which are rich in enzymes
themselves, and which appear to stimulate the body's own production
of antioxidants.
However, it's not always
convenient to eat fresh whole foods, and unless you grow your own, the
nutritional value of those you do eat may be questionable. Modern agricultural
practices have greatly depleted the nutritional value of the foods we
eat, even raw fresh foods.
Today, vegetables are bred for longer shelf life, convenience in shipping
and high yield, not necessarily for high nutrition. Important trace
elements and other co-factors which make the enzymes usable to the body
often are missing. The nutritional content is even further reduced by
the heat of cooking which destroys the live enzymes.
The 'Live Enzyme' foods that
provide the best sources of antioxidant enzymes include; Raw vegetables,
wheat grass, barley grass, sprouts and blue-green algae.
Prescription for Nutritional
Healing states, "Of all raw foods, sprouts are the richest source of
natural food enzymes.
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WHAT
IS THE BEST WAY TO GET LIVE FOODS?
Fortunately, recent years
have brought some very beneficial research and new technological developments
in plant management.
Biotec Foods has developed
and grows enhanced strains of blended sprouts which are enzyme-rich
and which have been shown to increase the endogenous production of antioxidant
enzymes in the human body. These sprout blends are dehydrated at low
temperatures to prevent damage to the live enzymes and then highly concentrated
and compressed into a convenient tablet form.
These 'Live Enzyme' food
supplements from B&E Health are available under several product
names. Each product formula is specially blended with IsoSproutplex™
to provide the required antioxidant enzyme protection based on individuals
personal activity and needs.
Thanks to Modern Technology,
you don't need to have your own organic farm to enjoy the benefits of
eating 'Live Enzyme Foods'. The nutrition you need is as available in
a convenient 'concentrated caplet or tablet from B&E Health.
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STRESS
& IMMUNITY
STRESS AND IMMUNITY
Stress is a relatively new notion
that everybody talks about, yet few understand. The dictionary defines stress
as "pressure, force, strain; a state of physical or mental tension inducing
it, or affecting something.' This definition, while obviously correct, is not
very helpful in understanding the concept of stress. On the other hand, it is
important to comprehend the notion, because all of us are continuously exposed
to stress. Stress occurs in many forms. The four major categories which concern
us are:
Types of Stress
Chemical Stress Emotional Stress
Physical Trauma Infectious
These
all can lead to oxidative stress
Each of these stress forms can originate
from multiple sources. Most of these have appeared as primary threats in our
environment as recently as this century. For example, chemical stress can come
from pesticides, insecticides, polluted air and water, heavy metals such as
mercury or lead, asbestos and worst of all radioactive waste. Even jet travel,
a welcome commonplace today but unheard of a mere half century ago, exposes
passengers to an unhealthy high level of ozone and random cosmic radiation's.
In the light of such widespread physiological insult, it is a true miracle that
any if us manage to stay healthy at all.
One of the primary reasons why stress is so important to understand, is because
it is intricately linked to the functioning of our immune systems. How many
of us have gotten a cold when our defenses were impaired by excessive stress?
This is another angle from which to view to view the recent rash of immune disorders
unleashed in our culture. Could these problems be partly caused by an overwhelmed
immune system? It should be obvious that this is quite possible, and the more
we consider the high levels of stress that most of us are exposed to daily,
the more relevant the idea become. In other words, understanding and compensating
for the stress in our lives will help our immune systems and enhance our ability
to stay well.
This is not to imply that all stress is harmful. Exercise, for example, is a
form of stress on the body which is quite healthy. Yet if we over-exert ourselves
during exercise, we can damage the body and create problems. As we have already
mentioned, many unavoidable stress factors, such as pollution, and others that
cause damage to the body, stem from today's world of technological progress.
In many cases the physical result brought on by several different forms of stress
is the same. The unnecessary, but avoidable results are cellular damage
caused by over-reactive molecules called "Free Radicals."
Due to their over-reactive nature, free radicals can be extremely toxic and
are a direct consequence of the primary stress factors that adversely affect
the immune system and threaten our health. However, this is not to imply that
free radicals are always harmful or dangerous. Minute amounts of free radicals
are essential for many important functions of the immune system and other vital
cellular activities. For example, the immune system will actually generate free
radicals to use in the process of removing a virus or bacteria. Only when high
concentrations of free radicals are present, or when the levels of free radicals
overwhelm the body's ability to remove them, does the threat to our health occur.
Maintaining the balance between free radical activity and antioxidant enzyme supply is one of the important
functions of the body (Fig. 1)
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ANTIOXIDANT
ENZYMES
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THE MAIN ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES
Even though
the production of antioxidant enzymes in the body is a complex process
that is not yet totally understood, there are several processes that we
are aware of and which seem to constitute a large part of the finished
system.
The antioxidant enzyme defense
system consists of hundreds of different substances and mechanisms. This
is why only an adequate combination of whole foods, such as sprouted food
concentrates, will contain all of the known and unknown nutritional factors
that the body requires to enhance its antioxidant enzyme supply.
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SUPEROXIDE
DISMUTASE & CATALASE
We are a species that cannot
live without breathing. As a result of this circumstance, oxygen has turned
into a synonym of life. A fact much less known is that not all oxygen atoms
are life supporting. Some are actually quite destructive for our cells. These
unhealthy oxygen atoms are unbalanced and constitute the most common "Free Radical" known. The "Oxygen Free Radical"
is characterized by having and unpaired electron in its molecular structure.
Called " Superoxide", it is quite capable of causing cell damage.
The first line of defense that the
body has against superoxide free radicals is the enzyme known as "Superoxide
Dismutase" or (SOD), which is considered the most effective antioxidant. The
importance of SOD is so paramount for the protection of our cells, that it represents
a substantial proportion of the proteins manufactured by the body. In brief,
SOD keeps oxygen under control.
In the process of removing superoxide
free radicals, SOD rarely operates alone. It requires the enzyme called " Catalase"
or (CAT) to remove hydrogen peroxide molecules which are by-products of the
reactions created by SOD. Similar to SOD, CAT is abundant in the body. Integrated
in all red blood cells, CAT removes hydrogen peroxide from our tissues, preventing
both cell damage and , more importantly, the formation of other more toxic free
radicals. In nature, and in the body, SOD and CAT always co-exist.
The natural interaction - synergy
- between these two antioxidant enzymes constitute the most effective system
of free radical control in our bodies.
Superoxide free radicals initiate
the breakdown of "Synovial Fluid" ( the lubricating element in the joints of
our bodies) causing friction and , eventually, inflammation. For this reason,
the attention of clinical SOD research has been focused primarily on inflammatory
processes triggered by superoxide free radicals such as arthritis, bursitis
and gout.
Deficiency in SOD/CAT is the most
notorious nutritional factor in most 'inflammatory' processes. Recent applications
of SOD/CAT enhancing foods have also proven to be extremely useful as a (pre-
& post) operative supplement which stimulates recovery and reduces convalescence
periods remarkably.
Considering the powerful link between
free radicals and many of today's health problems, supplements that enhance
SOD/CAT activity in the body offer tremendous potential in the field of preventative
nutrition.
GLUTATHIONE
PEROXIDASE
Glutathione Peroxidase is another of the body's major protectors against free
radicals. This antioxidant enzyme consists of the amino acid Glutathione and
the trace mineral 'Selenium'. These two nutrients team up to combat a specific
class of free radicals called peroxides. the main biological function of selenium
in mammals is a component of the Glutathione Peroxidase enzyme. Many of the
attributes of selenium and Glutathione are actually attributes of Glutathione
Peroxidase.
Cell membranes consist primarily
of lipids (fats). These lipid membranes are very susceptible to damage by free
radicals, especially peroxide radicals. This is why rancid fats (lipid peroxides)
have proven to be highly toxic. Glutathione Peroxidase prevents destruction
of cell membranes by removing several classes of these lipid peroxides.
The main symptoms of excess peroxide
free radicals include heart disease, liver disease, premature aging and skin
disease such as skin cancer, eczema, wrinkling, age spots, dermatitis and psoriasis.
Peroxide free radicals mediate much damage to the body by impairing liver functions.
Consisting of nearly 50% fatty tissue, the liver is very susceptible to lipid
per oxidative damage.
Although used primarily for skin
related problems, many environmentally sensitive and chemically poisoned people
report that Glutathione Peroxidase helps them control their allergies and build
resistance to the effects of pollution. Generally speaking, all of the antioxidant
enzymes are important where pollution is a concern due to their ability to remove
free radicals generated by toxic substances. The list of protective effects
of Glutathione Peroxidase is growing and is in no way limited to any single
symptom such as age spots. The effects of excess per oxidation in our cells
is diverse and dangerous and must be limited to maintain cellular health.
METHIONINE
REDUCTASE
Methionine Reductase is a unique enzyme that has demonstrated an ability to
remove an extremely toxic free radical called the "Hydroxyl Radical". The hydroxyl
radical is commonly formed through reactions involving heavy metals and other
less toxic free radicals, such as mercury reacting with hydrogen peroxide. The
hydroxyl radical has the ability to damage any type of organic tissue and is
considered to be the most dangerous free radical. Hydroxyl radicals are also
the main toxins generated by exposure to excessive radiation. With their ability
to damage any type of tissue, symptoms directly related to hydroxyl radical
induced tissue damage are difficult to identify.
One effective detoxifying application
for Methionine Reductase is in the removal of free radical toxins generated
by the mercury found in dental fillings. Another interesting application of
Methionine Reductase is for the modern day athlete. It seems that hydroxyl radicals
are also formed during exercise. This is especially true if we are exercising
in oxygen starved closed rooms or in a auto exhaust filled polluted environments.
It is amazing to see joggers running along the road during rush hour traffic.
Quite possibly, they are doing more harm than good!
Most avid exercisers are always aware
of the need to obtain extra nutrition to fuel their activities. What many miss,
is the importance of cleaning out the extra metabolic wastes that are a direct
result of this exercise. Hydroxyl radicals can be created when we burn fat molecules
to produce energy as in strenuous exercise or dieting. This is due to the lack
of evacuation of chemicals and toxins stored in the fatty tissue which are released
when these tissues are used for fuel. These toxins, when not properly evacuated,
generate the formation of hydroxyl radicals.
People supplementing their diets
with "Methionine Reductase" have reported greater resistance to the ill effects
of pollution as well as greater endurance, stamina, flexibility and the ability
to recover from extensive exercise. Although it is generally important to exercise,
our modern civilized environments force us to compensate for free radical by-products
if we wish to gain health or longevity form our workout programs.
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ARTHRITIS
HELP
Fighting Free
Radicals
by Michael Lemmon, DVM
What are
free radicals? They sound dangerous - and they are. You may have read about
them recently in connection with the aging process and with degenerative diseases.
How are they formed? What kind of damage do they do? Most importantly, how does
the body protect itself against them?
Arthritis
One of the contributing causes of arthritis is the excess accumulation
of free radicals in the joint capsule - the fluid-filled sac surrounding every
joint in the body.
This fluid,
or "joint oil" is kept healthy with the help of enzymes produced by
the body. The enzymes act like soap - they clean away the free radicals - keeping
the joint properly lubricated and allowing free movement. Otherwise, the free
radicals would slowly eat away the lining of the joint capsule, causing pain
and swelling.
Those with
arthritic animals know the stiff, painful legacy of the disease, as joints get
seemingly "frozen" into position.
What can
be done about this? First, it helps to know where the free radicals come from.
Free radicals
are formed during normal cellular metabolism, when cells take in nutrients,
assimilate and utilize the nutrients, and then excrete the waste products.
Some of
these waste products are free radicals. Wherever you find poor quality foods
being eaten, you will also find an excess of free radicals.
Food Link
Rancid fats and moldy grains are two leading sources of free radical
production in both animals and humans. Where do they come from?
Fat is an
essential ingredient in any diet. Rancidity is caused by oxidation of fats during
processing or storage of foods. Mold often occurs from storage conditions. Often
chemicals which are sprayed or added to foods to help control other problems
increase free radical production in foods. Chemicals and pollutants in our air,
water, and food supply also significantly increase free radical
production in the body.
Free radicals,
if they are not neutralized by antioxidants, will cause damage to the body's
tissue systems.
There is,
however, protection. Many cases of arthritis will respond effectively and quickly
to a selected diet of fresh foods avoiding rancid fats, moldy grains and chemicals
that are present in processed, commercial foods. Since most owners must rely
on the convenience of commercial foods, it becomes doubly important to supplement
their animal's diets with antioxidants.
SOD and Catalase
A highly
effective antioxidant is the enzyme combination of superoxide
dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT).
These two
enzymes are produced in the cells of both animals and humans. We are each born
with an enzyme "bank". Babies have twice as much SOD - catalase
as adults. These SOD - catalase enzymes are the most free radical
destroyers. They also help remove other poisons and toxins.
The body's
ability to to produce SOD - catalase decreases with age. There
is good evidence that over time, the excessive use of the body's enzyme systems
also decreases this enzyme production. Sparing the body's enzyme "bank",
or reserve, by consuming raw foods that are rich in enzymes helps solve this
free radical problem.
Another
solution is to take SOD - catalase enzyme supplements. The
most effective are derived from specially grown wheat sprouts. The wheat sprout
tablet form of SOD - catalase is the most beneficial source
of antioxidant protection because they are whole foods and contain both ' live'
enzymes and all the nutritional co-factors to complete utilization.
These supplements
have proven to be very helpful for arthritis and other geriatric degenerative
in my practice as well as in the practice of other veterinarians throughout
the country. SOD - catalase supplements are harmless and do
not have any negative side-effects.
The amount
given depends on the size of the animal and also on the severity of the condition.
Sometimes amounts of six or more tablets are given daily to more reduce the
buildup of free radicals and other toxins in the body. This reduces the pain
and inflammation of the condition, allowing the veterinarian to prescribe lower
doses as needed. Relief of free radical toxins also promoted vitality and speeds
healing when an animal is injured or undergoes surgery.
Rather than
treating arthritis and other degenerative problems in animals with heavy doses
of steroids and other drugs - which have harmful side effects - we can instead
rely on the use of simple, effective whole food antioxidants that work in harmony
with the body assisting in it's daily routine, helping to alleviate pain, discomfort,
and disease.
About The Author
Michael
Lemmon, DVM is a holistic veterinarian based in Renton, WA. At his Highlands
Veterinary he practices both complimentary (holistic) medicine and conventional
(allopathic) medicine. He has appeared on local TV and radio shows. He serves
on the boards of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, and Resort
of the Mountains, a rustic retreat center specializing in health care, cleansing
and rejuvenation.
Be sure to ask about Biovet Internationals'
Advanced Antioxidant Enzyme supplements for animals.
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DOCTOR'S
DIALOGUE
Reprinted
with the permission of LET'S
LIVE Magazine
Is
SOD The Solution To Arthritis, Heart Disease And Aging?
By
David A. Steenblock, M.S. , N.M.D., D.O.
Sometimes
we need a natural, safe and effective treatment if we are sick. SOD (superoxide
dismutase) is a natural, safe enzyme that has helped treat a variety of health
problems. Arthritis and other auto immune conditions such as lupus, respond
well to this agent. These inflammatory diseases are due in great degree to the
reaction of white blood cells on tissues. White blood cells generate harmful
free radicals such as superoxide anion (an oxygen molecule that has acquired
an extra electron). Free radicals are like sparks and smoke from a bonfire that
isn't getting enough air. Sod "soaks up" these sparks and smoke, turning
them into harmless substances.
SOD has been shown to be a unique, anti-inflammatory
drug by virtue of a combination of the following characteristics: It is
effective; it can be taken with other anti-inflammatory; it's effects are long
lasting; treatment can be adjusted to the location of the disease (this applies
only to the inject able form); it is nontoxic and causes no adverse side effects;
it generally doesn't cause allergic reactions; and it doesn't interact with
other drugs to cause side effects.
In addition to it's effectiveness in the
treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other autoimmune
disorders, SOD appears to be beneficial in treating other age related disorders.
Recent research indicates that when tissue
undergoes a period of lack of oxygen (hypoxia), followed by the reestablishment
of the oxygen supply, free radicals form in the blood vessel wall's inner lining.
These free radicals cause extensive damage to the vessel wall, opening holes
through which water, calcium and other substances penetrate the tissues. This
accumulation of fluid and calcium causes further damage and is what injures
and/or kills the tissues when they temporarily lose their oxygen supply.
Currently, surgeons are considering using
SOD during the postoperative phase of open-heart-surgery, since experimental
work has demonstrated that this enzyme protects the tissues from surgical trauma.
In addition, transplant surgeons are beginning to administer SOD in order to
keep organs alive for long periods of time once they're taken out of the body.
The inner linings of blood vessels manufacture
SOD, which helps prevent the white blood cells known as PMNs (polymorphs) and
monocytes from sticking to the blood vessel wall. When body tissue is without
oxygen for extended periods of time, the amount of SOD present in blood vessel
linings may have so many free radicals generated that the enzymes are not able
to remove them at all. This short supply of SOD causes damage or death of the
tissue from the excessive amounts of free radicals. Some people naturally maintain
higher levels of SOD than others. The level of SOD and other antioxidants in
our blood vessels is controlled, in part, by our genes. How our genetic mechanisms
function in the production these antioxidant enzymes may partly explain why
some of us live long, healthy lives while others die prematurely.
In addition to the health of our blood vessels,
the overall health of our tissues may depend on the amount of antioxidants in
them. In recent studies, high levels of SOD in relation to metabolic rates were
shown to correlate directly to longevity. These results suggest that the SOD-to-superoxide-anion
ratio in our tissues relates to how long we live (the more SOD and fewer free
radicals your tissues produce, the longer you will live).
SOD may play a role in treating Alzheimer's
disease and senile dementia. Recent studies indicate that the areas in the brain
affected by the diseases are the same areas that suffer free-radical damage
from hypoxia-reperfusion injury. The identification and treatment of people
at risk for hypoxia-reperfusion injury is difficult because those who are affected
tell themselves that becoming forgetful is "normal", when in fact
it should never be considered normal. I have used chelation therapy, along with
SOD and other antioxidants, in many cases of early dementia and have seen excellent
results. A paper describing my treatment methods is available by sending a stamped,
self-addressed, large envelope to "Dementia" at the address at the
end of this article.
Alcohol has been shown to produce the superoxide
anion, and alcohol produces the scarring of the liver leading to the condition
known as cirrhosis of the liver. SOD
should be taken by anyone who drinks to help development of scar tissue. The
same holds for those of us with high cholesterol and a family history of heart
disease. We need to do everything we can to prevent the development of atherosclerosis.
In the last year, health food companies have
developed whole-food antioxidant enzyme complexes containing high quantities
of SOD, aling with catalase and glutathione reductase. The new products are
unique in that they are vegetable concentrates in in an enteric coating, which
keeps them from being destroyed by the stomach's acid. In the past, SOD was
available in the form of pills containing very little SOD. The new pills each
contain more than 1.5 million units. Consult your nutritionally oriented physician
to determine the proper dosage for you.
Dr Steenblock, a member of our Medical Advisory Board, is president of
the Anti-Aging Research Institute of America.
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