Carotenoid Antioxidants: Nature’s Protector

May 20, 2004

Carotenoid Antioxidants: Nature’s Protector

The Great Salt Lake in Utah is turning pink.

A recent article in BBC World News reports that the lake’s color, although strange, has everything to do with science and survival. With water levels of this inland lake at a 30-year low, the salt load has reached a saturation point of 30 percent. This is 10 times saltier than seawater. In this very hostile and almost surreal environment, scientists are amazed to find that instead of death, the lake is in fact teeming with life.

The color of the lake and the fact that life continues to thrive in this adverse environment are closely related. Both are caused by carotenoid pigments (which are pink in this case) that the lake's microbes are producing to protect living organisms. Quite simply, carotenoid antioxidants at The Great Salt Lake are shielding the DNA of living organisms from salt and sun damage by providing a sort of built-in sunscreen.

This natural ability of carotenoids to protect living cells from free-radical damage (such as the sun, cigarette smoke, pollution, and other toxins) also occurs in humans all the time. As a metabolic defense against the dangers of free radicals, our bodies have the natural capacity to generate antioxidants. Certain foods in our diets—mainly fruits and vegetables—also contain antioxidants that can help defend against scavenging free radical molecules.

However, new research shows that our own natural production of antioxidants and the average diet may not provide sufficient antioxidant protection against a growing onslaught of free-radical invaders. For example, a recent study in the Journal of Nutrition found that taking a nutritional supplement containing beta-carotene, plus other carotenoids such as lutein and lycopene, may help protect the skin against harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun (Journal of Nutrition, 2003;133:98–101). But our skin is not the only part of the body that is protected by antioxidants. Green tea, for example, delivers antioxidant protection at the cellular level.

What’s Your Skin Carotenoid Score?
Developed by doctors and physicists at a top U.S. research university, the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner is the world's first measuring tool for carotenoid antioxidant levels using Raman technology. Pharmanex® is the exclusive owner of this patented BioPhotonic Scanner technology. The scanning technology is available for use by the general public through the Pharmanex® network of independent distributors who specialize in health education and distribution of nutritional supplements.

LifePak®
LifePak® provides a full arsenal of antioxidant nutrients that help prevent free radical damage to DNA that occurs during the natural aging process. DNA is the genetic material inside the cell's nucleus and mitochondria (cell's energy powerhouses). Healthy cell DNA is necessary for normal cell rejuvenation and regeneration, which takes place constantly on a daily basis. LifePak® delivers comprehensive nutritional support to help improve your cell DNA's ability to withstand free radical damage.* In addition, it supplies catechins equivalent to four cups of green tea—making the antioxidant arsenal in LifePak comparable to no other multivitamin/mineral supplement available.

To read the BBC World News article, go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3725973.stm

To learn more about the Pharmanex® BioPhotonic Scanner, and to learn your Skin Carotenoid Score, go to
www.pharmanexscanner.com

To learn more about LifePak®, visit http://www.pharmanex.com/corp/product/lifepak/lifepak.shtml

To learn more about Pharmanex, go to www.pharmanex.com

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Tegreen on Metabolic Syndrome X from APS

Metabolic Syndrome X is the term used to describe a group of heart disease risk factors, including high levels of abdominal fat, bad cholesterol, high blood pressure, and abnormal glucose metabolism. The syndrome, also known as Insulin Resistance Syndrome, is thought to run in families with a history of type 2 diabetes. It is a syndrome that can kill.

Excessive caloric intake is thought to be one of the root causes. Consequently, physicians have prescribed weight loss, exercise and a healthy diet to combat it. A new weapon might eventually be added to the arsenal: consumption of Tegreen, a tea polyphenols product containing in excess of 65 percent tea catechins, derived from the green tea leaf. The results of a new animal model study reveal the benefits of Tegreen in improving lipid and glucose metabolisms, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and balancing the metabolic rate of fat deposit and fat burning.

The authors of a new study, "Tegreen Improves glucose and lipid metabolism in obese rats that have features similar to Metabolic Syndrome X," are Hong Yu, Zhigang Zhu and Weiti Yin, all of the Pharmanex Beijing Pharmacology Center, Beijing, China; and Jia-Shi Zhu of Pharmanex, LLC, Provo, UT. Dr. Jia-Shi Zhu will present their findings at Experimental Biology 2003, a meeting sponsored by the American Physiological Society, being held April 11-15, 2003, at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA.

Methodology
Tegreen powder, containing >97 percent tea polyphenols or >65 percent tea catechins, was used with 44 female Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 190-210 g. A high-dose treatment was developed using Tegreen powder (0.75 g) dissolved in 100 ml of solution for a 7.5 mg/ml suspension. For a low-dose treatment, Tegreen power (0.25 g) was dissolved in solution to make a 2.5 mg/ml suspension.

The subjects were housed with a 12-hour light/dark cycle. After being acclimatized to their surroundings, they were randomly placed in one of four experimental groups. Rats in a normal diet placebo group were fed normal rat forage. The other rats were fed a high-calorie diet, including a high-calorie diet placebo, for a period of 56 days. Two treatment groups were given Tegreen at a dose of 25 or 75 mg/kg. Following fasting of ten hours, orbital blood samples were collected to examine fasting serum glucose, serum triglycerides, plasma insulin, and plasma glucagon. Glucose insulin index and ratio of insulin:Glucagon were calculated. Abdominal adipose tissue was isolated and weighted.

Results
The researchers made the following observations:

* Establishment of Metabolic Syndrome X: Rats fed the high-calorie diet significantly increased their weight of abdominal adipose tissue and ratio of Insulin:Glucagon, indicating increased adipose lipogenesis and deposit, and decreased fat burning. The glucose-insulin index was lowered by 13 percent in rats on the high calorie diet, indicating reduced insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance and excessive visceral adipose accumulation. These metabolic changes suggested that rats on the experimental diet developed Metabolism Syndrome X.

* Decreases in fasting blood glucose: After the eight-week Tegreen treatment, fasting blood glucose was decreased significantly (by 21.5 percent and 15.7 percent, respectively) in rats given Tegreen at a dose of 25 or 75 mg/kg.

* Changes in fasting plasma insulin (Ins): Fasting plasma insulin was decreased by 40.7 percent in rats given Tegreen at a dose of 25 mg/kg, and by 31.2 percent at a dose of 75 mg/kg.

* Increases in glucose-insulin index: the insulin index was increased significantly, 31.4 percent and 24.8 percent, respectively, in rats given Tegreen, suggesting enhanced insulin sensitivity by Tegreen treatment.

* Decreases in fasting serum triglycerides (TG): fasting serum TG was significantly decreased (31 percent and 54.3 percent, respectively) in rats receiving the test product.

* Decreases in the weight of abdominal adipose pad (fat) relative to body weight: Using an abdominal adipose pad index (API), measurements showed significant decreases of 11.9 percent in those consuming 25 mg/kg and 21.6 percent in those consuming 75 mg/kg, indicating decreased visceral depot fat.

* Changes in fasting plasma glucagon (Glca): Fasting plasma glucagon was increased slightly -- 13.1 percent -- at a dose of 25 mg/kg, and by 22.6 percent at 75 mg/kg.

* Decreases in ratio of insulin to glucagons (Ins/Glca): Ins/Glca was significantly decreased (49.9 percent) at a dose of 25 mg/kg, and by 43.1 at a dose of 75 mg/kg, suggesting increases in fat burning and decreases in visceral fat deposit.

Conclusions
This study reveals that oral administration of Tegreen is capable of improving glucose and lipid metabolisms in an obese rat model induced by a high-calorie diet. The close association of disordered lipid metabolism with other metabolic disturbances may be the unique feature of Metabolic Syndrome X. This study clearly shows that Tegreen intervention can significantly decrease visceral fat depot and increase the insulin's sensitivity, presumably touching one of the pathological root causes of this potentially deadly syndrome.

The American Physiological Society (APS) is one of the world's most prestigious organizations for physiological scientists. These researchers specialize in understanding the processes and functions underlying human health and disease. Founded in 1887 the Bethesda, MD-based Society has more than 10,000 members and publishes 3,800 articles in its 14 peer-reviewed journals each year.

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Vitamins C and E linked to lower kidney cancer risk

Increased intake of the antioxidant vitamins C and E could cut the risk of kidney cancer by 28 and 44 per cent, respectively, says a new study from Italy.


More than 80 per cent of all kidney cancers are accounted for by renal cell carcinoma (RCC). According to the charity Cancer Research UK, kidney cancer is the tenth most common form of the disease, with a male:female incidence ratio of 5:3. In the UK alone, around 6,600 new cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed each year, and the disease results in around 3,600 deaths.


"In the present study, based on a large dataset and with extensive information on major sources of vitamins and micronutrients in the Italian population, an inverse relation was observed between vitamin E and vitamin C intake and RCC risk," wrote lead author Cristina Bosetti from Milan's Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche, "Mario Negri".


The multi-centre case-control study, published in the International Journal of Cancer, assessed the dietary intakes of 767 renal cell cancer patients (494 men and 273 women) and 1,534 controls (988 men and 546 women) using a 78-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) from which micronutrient intakes were calculated.


Pharmanex LifePak® contains meaningful amounts of Vitamin E and C in their most bioavailable forms which ensues eficient absorption into the body and eliver its benefits. LifePak is clinically proven to protect the body from oxidation and free radicals. LifePak is formulated to add life to your years!

* Offers superior anti-aging benefits and cell protection by providing the body with important antioxidants and phytonutrients such as alpha-lipoic acid and catechins
* Improves and supports your antioxidant defense network
* Supplies a comprehensive blend of nutrients to support a healthy cardiovascular system
* Provides comprehensive bone nutrition support
* Promotes healthy immune function
* Supports normal blood sugar metabolism
* Corrects nutritional deficiencies

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Antioxidants from Green Tea

These products have been independently evaluated by a team of scientists

Green Tea as an Antioxidant

Virtually everybody reading this page will have heard the term "antioxidant" by now (probably more times than you care to count). As a very broad generalization, the term "antioxidant" refers to the activity possessed by numerous vitamins, minerals and other phytochemicals to serve as protection against the damaging effects of highly reactive molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals have the ability to chemically react with, and damage, many structures in the body. Particularly susceptible to oxidative damage are the cell membranes of virtually all cells and the very source of our genetic material - DNA. Free radical reactions and oxidative damage have been linked to many of the diseases of aging such as heart disease and cancer.

The free radical theory of aging (and disease promotion) holds that through a gradual accumulation of microscopic damage to our cell membranes, DNA, tissue structures and enzyme systems, we begin to lose function and are predisposed to disease. Literally thousands of scientific studies have clearly documented the beneficial effects of dozens of antioxidant nutrients. There is certainly no shortage of nutrients and phytochemicals that possess significant antioxidant activity in the test tube - in fact, it seems as if every nutraceutical on the market possesses some degree of antioxidant activity. It is very well established that an increased dietary intake of antioxidant phytonutrients is linked to a reduced rate of oxidative damage as well as reduced incidence of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Perhaps the best specific data regarding antioxidant activity and the potential for real health benefits exists for green tea extract.

Aside form being the second-most consumed beverage in the world (water is the first), green tea has been used medicinally for centuries in India and China. The active constituents in green tea are a family of polyphenols (catechins) and flavonols which possess potent antioxidant activity. Large polyphenol molecules called tannins form the bulk of the active compounds in green tea, with catechins comprising nearly 90%. Several catechins are present in significant quantities; epicatechin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECG) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG makes up about 10-50% of the total catechin content and appears to be the most powerful of the catechins - with antioxidant activity about 25-100 times more potent than vitamins C and E. A cup of green tea may provide 10-40mg of polyphenols and has antioxidant activity greater than a serving of broccoli, spinach, carrots or strawberries. A number of commercial green tea extracts are standardized to total polyphenol content and/or EGCG content (but many are not).

Several epidemiological studies show an association between consumption of total flavonoids in the diet and the risk for cancer and heart disease. Men with the highest consumption of flavonoids (from fruits and vegetables) have approximately half the risk of heart disease and cancer compared with those with the lowest intake. The primary catechin in green tea, EGCG, appears to inhibit the growth of cancer cells as well as play a role in stimulating apoptosis (programmed cell death), both of which are crucial aspects for cancer prevention. In terms of heart disease protection, the potent antioxidant properties of polyphenols would be expected to reduce free radical damage to cells and prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol - both of which would be expected to inhibit the formation of atherosclerotic plaques.

This review concerns the specific actions of green tea extract as a powerful antioxidant (versus its use as a weight loss agent which has also been reviewed here). In this regard, green tea may be used by consumers looking for a broad-spectrum antioxidant or as specific treatment/prevention for certain cancers. For either of these uses, as a general antioxidant or as an "anti-cancer" agent, SupplementWatch urges you to look for the highest polyphenol content with the lowest caffeine content at the best price. Aside from the clear benefits of green tea as an antioxidant, however, recent studies have suggested a role catechins in promoting weight loss - and another review (using a different set of criteria) evaluates the value of specific green tea extracts as adjuncts to a weight loss regimen.

References
1. Benzie IF, Szeto YT, Strain JJ, Tomlinson B. Consumption of green tea causes rapid increase in plasma antioxidant power in humans. Nutr Cancer. 1999;34(1):83-7.
2. Dulloo AG, Duret C, Rohrer D, Girardier L, Mensi N, Fathi M, Chantre P, Vandermander J. Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Dec;70(6):1040-5.
3. Dulloo AG, Seydoux J, Girardier L, Chantre P, Vandermander J. Green tea and thermogenesis: interactions between catechin-polyphenols, caffeine and sympathetic activity. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000 Feb;24(2):252-8.
4. Gupta S, Ahmad N, Mohan RR, Husain MM, Mukhtar H. Prostate cancer chemoprevention by green tea: in vitro and in vivo inhibition of testosterone-mediated induction of ornithine decarboxylase. Cancer Res. 1999 May 1;59(9):2115-20.
5. Hasegawa R, Chujo T, Sai-Kato K, Umemura T, Tanimura A, Kurokawa Y. Preventive effects of green tea against liver oxidative DNA damage and hepatotoxicity in rats treated with 2-nitropropane. Food Chem Toxicol. 1995 Nov;33(11):961-70.
6. Hirose M, Hoshiya T, Akagi K, Futakuchi M, Ito N. Inhibition of mammary gland carcinogenesis by green tea catechins and other naturally occurring antioxidants in female Sprague-Dawley rats pretreated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[alpha]anthracene. Cancer Lett. 1994 Aug 15;83(1-2):149-56.
7. Kao YH, Hiipakka RA, Liao S. Modulation of endocrine systems and food intake by green tea epigallocatechin gallate. Endocrinology. 2000 Mar;141(3):980-7.
8. Lin JK, Liang YC, Lin-Shiau SY. Cancer chemoprevention by tea polyphenols through mitotic signal transduction blockade. Biochem Pharmacol. 1999 Sep 15;58(6):911-5.
9. Sato D. Inhibition of urinary bladder tumors induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine in rats by green tea. Int J Urol. 1999 Feb;6(2):93-9.
10. Tanaka H, Hirose M, Kawabe M, Sano M, Takesada Y, Hagiwara A, Shirai T. Post-initiation inhibitory effects of green tea catechins on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced mammary gland carcinogenesis in female Sprague-Dawley rats. Cancer Lett. 1997 Jun 3;116(1):47-52.
11. Wang ZY, Huang MT, Ho CT, Chang R, Ma W, Ferraro T, Reuhl KR, Yang CS, Conney AH. Inhibitory effect of green tea on the growth of established skin papillomas in mice. Cancer Res. 1992 Dec 1;52(23):6657-65.
12. Weisburger JH, Rivenson A, Aliaga C, Reinhardt J, Kelloff GJ, Boone CW, Steele VE, Balentine DA, Pittman B, Zang E. Effect of tea extracts, polyphenols, and epigallocatechin gallate on azoxymethane-induced colon cancer. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1998 Jan;217(1):104-8.
13. Xu Y, Ho CT, Amin SG, Han C, Chung FL. Inhibition of tobacco-specific nitrosamine-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice by green tea and its major polyphenol as antioxidants. Cancer Res. 1992 Jul 15;52(14):3875-9.
14. Zhu M, Gong Y, Ge G. Effects of green tea on growth inhibition and immune regulation of Lewis lung cancer in mice. Chung Hua Yu Fang I Hsueh Tsa Chih. 1997 Nov;31(6):325-9.

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