Over the past few years articles touting the benefits of vitamins C and E have been touted in countless magazine and newspaper articles. Yet, even with all this press, most people don’t have a good understanding of the concept of oxidation and anti-oxidation.

When excessive oxidation occurs for prolonged periods, it can take a toll on the system. Changes occur in cells which include damage to fatty acids, inactivation of enzymes, deterioration of cell membranes, breakdown of proteins, and damage to the DNA. For instance, if oxidants damage DNA, the eventual consequence could be a higher likelihood of cancer. If the damage occurs in arteries that supply blood to the heart, it could lead to hardening of the arteries and a heart attack. All these changes lead to disease and premature aging. Over the past few years, scientific evidence has slowly accumulated indicating that taking antioxidant supplements could potentially reduce the risk of certain illnesses and maintain brain health. There is, as of now, no proof that ingesting them prolongs life span in humans, but enough evidence has accumulated on their benefits that one should not casually dismiss their potential in improving quality of life and slowing the progression of certain chronic degenerative disorders.

But with the thousands available in our foodstuffs and the dozens or hundreds available as supplements, which ones should you take, and in what dosages? This chapter will provide you with practical guidelines.

Measuring levels
There are several kinds of tests are used to measure a food's antioxidant power. The most popular test is Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. ORAC measures an antioxidant's ability to protect against the most common free radical in human plasma, the peroxyl radical. ORAC is a helpful starting point to guide consumers to foods that are rich in antioxidants as part of a diet that contains many different healthy foods, especially since new antioxidants are being discovered all the time. But how a food behaves in a test tube is one thing; how it behaves in our bodies is another.

Benefits
As a rule, you are not likely to notice any immediate cognitive or physical benefits from taking antioxidant pills. Therefore, do not expect any dramatic changes in mood, energy, alertness, and memory. These nutrients can be compared to health insurance. You pay your monthly fee but don’t often get the benefits until years later when you need a hospital bill paid. They serve to protect your brain cells, proteins, and DNA from the gradual damage that occurs with the aging process. However other nutrients that have such benefits, such as CoQ10 and lipoic acid, are mind energizers — they have immediate cognitive effects. Taking high doses of certain pills, particularly synthetic vitamin E, may be counterproductive.
   It’s quite likely that, over the long run, antioxidants could slow the progression of heart disease, cancer, age related cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and perhaps other conditions, though there is no definite proof yet.

Brain cells can get oxidized
The cell membrane of neurons is made mostly of phospholipids, which contain fatty acids. Nerve fibers that travel from the brain to the spinal cord, and from the spinal cord to the rest of the body, are also insulated with a white-colored fatty substance called myelin. With time, these fats can become oxidized, interfering with proper nerve activity. The process of fats becoming oxidized is called lipid peroxidation. The oxidation of fats contributes to brain aging and can accelerate degenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. You may recall from chapter 7 that the brain contains a great deal of polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as DHA and arachidonic acid, which are particularly susceptible to oxidation. As we age, many of these fatty acids in the brain become damaged due to oxidation and they lose some of their double bonds, thus becoming more saturated. Neurons in the brain become less efficient the more the fatty acids become saturated. Antioxidants can thus play a protective role in keeping the fatty acids in the brain healthy. After all, about 60 percent of the brain is made of fat.

Longevity and life extension
I review their benefits for life extension. I have been supplementing my diet with daily does of vitamins A, C, and E for almost forty years now. I started doing this during the 1960s after reading that there was a study that showed that laboratory rats given a diet rich in anti-oxidants tended, on average, to live about longer than the control animals.
   There is no proof at this time that taking antioxidant vitamins in pill form will help you live longer, nor is there good evidence that they will shorten lifespan. In order for us to know how these nutraceuticals and phytochemicals influence longevity, several well controlled studies have to be done on individual substances in varying dosages for at least a 20 to 30 year period while keeping dietary intake similar in all the study participants. This is not practical and not likely to be done soon. For the time being if you do plan to take antioxidant supplements, take products that have a wide range of nutrients in low amounts as opposed to just 2 or 3 in high dosages. We are not convinced that taking megadoses of a single form of synthetic vitamin E or single carotenoid is a good option.

Memory
Although many antioxidant pills do not immediately influence cognition and memory, they very well could have a positive effect in the long run. Researchers at the University of Bern, in Switzerland, evaluated a total of three hundred male and one hundred thirty female volunteers, aged sixty-five to ninety-four, over twenty-two years. In 1971, they measured blood levels of three antioxidants: vitamin E, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. They also performed extensive memory testing. They found that higher levels of vitamin C and beta-carotene were associated with better performance in memory testing.
   The researchers only tested blood levels of three antioxidants. It is quite likely that a number of others play a role in helping us preserve memory and mental capacities in our later years. For instance, an eight-month study in rats showed administration of extracts from strawberries and spinach, either alone or with vitamin E, was able to slow damage to brain cells due to the aging process (Joseph 1998).

Enhancing the body's own production
Which herbs / herbal formulas would you know of that increase the body's own indigenous production of free radical scavengers / antioxidants, such as CoQ10, SOD, glutathione, GABA and ALA? When we have a regular intake of the above factors, does the body eventually start producing less of these internally?Are we creating a pattern of dependency? At what levels could such a pattern develop?
    There are countless herbs and nutrients and food substances that influence such production. There is little likelihood of tolerance or dependency, but taking more is not necessarily better. The body likes to have a balance. Acetylcysteine increases glutatione levels, so does selenium.

OPC-3
This is a supplement with powerful antioxidants. OPC-3 has been shown to help maintain healthy circulation by strengthening capillaries, arteries and veins. Also supports healthy blood-vessel dilation and circulation. Could this be a natural approach to someone with Raynaud's syndrome. I myself have taken OPC-3 product for over nine months, having suffered greatly for the past five or six years with carpel tunnel to the point of fearing I would have to give up my sports; fishing in Alaska, snowmobiling and my love for horses due to the pain, numbness etc. Not the case, I have been pain free and continue to enjoy my sports and caring for ten horses on a daily basis. I sleep better and do not have the numbness in my hands and lower arms that I experienced nightly as well as talking on the phone and driving long distances.
   OPC refers to oligomeric proanthocyanidins, bioflavonoid complexes that help fight free radicals within the body. OPC-3 has these antioxidants: grape seed extract, red wine extract, Pycnogenol, bilberry extract, and bioflavonoids. All of these antioxidants could be very helpful in maintaining health.

Purple Defence formula
I received an email from Dr. Mercola regarding Purple Defense. He says muscadine grapes, most commonly purple or bronze in color, are native to the southeastern United States. The natural whole-food ingredient in Purple Defense may be the most powerful antioxidant ever discovered. Bio-Active Muscadine Compounds include ellagic acid, quercetin, resveratrol, anthocyanidins, cyanidin, OPCs (oligomeric procyanidins), tartaric acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, peonidin, cinnamic acid, delphinidin, epicatechin, petunidin, gallic acid, geraniol, vitamin C, myricetin, kaempferol, coumaric acid, and malvidin. Dr. Mercola claims it is the best antioxidant on the market.
   Purple Defense is a good product, but there are countless other antioxidant products on the market that are also beneficial, including resveratrol, mangosteen, goji berry, pomegranate, berry compounds, other grape extracts. Take a look at the cost and the price and determine whether you are getting a good value for your money.

Eurycoma longifolia
Does the herb tongkat ali have antioxidant uses?
    It may, but we are not sure. This herb should not be used more than 3 times a week.