Klean Antioxidant

The free radical or mitochondrial theory of aging has received increasing recognition during the last 20 years. The theory states the mitochondria are the major source of toxic oxidants, which are capable of reacting with and destroying cell constituents and which accumulate with age or high intensity aerobic exercise. The consequence of this destructive activity is an inefficient cell and a body we recognize as aged (wrinkled skin, low energy level). The gradual loss of energy with age is paralleled by a decrease in number of mitochondria per cell, as well as the health and energy-producing efficiency of those remaining mitochondria. Research has shown that an important factor in aging is the decay of the mitochondria, the organelles within the cell that convert amino acids, fatty acids and sugars into energy. Research performed by scientists and others has demonstrated that as we age, the efficiency of the mitochondria diminishes, as does their quantity per cell. The effect is a body operating at one-half to one-fourth the energy it had at youth.

Research has shown that strenuous aerobic exercise can be associated with oxidative stress and suboptimal tissue structure and function in the body. Exercise above the threshold levels of one hundred and fifty fitness points per week or working at 80% of predicted maximum heart rate for at least 5 hours per week may greatly increase the body’s production of excess free radicals, which can result in unwanted changes to the body’s tissues and cause cells to becomes more susceptible to aging. Antioxidants are essential to longevity support due to their ability to neutralize free radicals as a result of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is also thought to contribute to the aging process due to damage to cells, lipids, and DNA. Maqui berries, grown in the pristine mountains of Chile are considered a “super” fruit. They have about two times the antioxidant capacity of acai berry due to the abundance of polyphenol and anthocyanin content. Astanxanthin, the most powerful carotenoid antioxidant sourced from algae, is increasingly popular due to its’ numerous health benefits studied such as cardiovascular, immune, and inflammatory support. Astaxanthin is one of the few antioxidants that can cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore protect the brain from oxidative stress†. Vitamin C is another important and essential antioxidant to the body. Pureway-C® is the only form of vitamin C to contain lipidmetabolites for enhanced bioavailability, proven safe and effective. †

Klean Antioxidant is tested and certified by the NSF Certified for Sport® Program, which was created to meet the growing demands of athletes, coaches and healthcare professionals to certify that sports supplements are safe and completely free from banned substances. Every product that carries the NSF® mark has undergone stringent laboratory testing to confirm content, purity and compliance.

REFERENCES Jenkins, RR and Goldfarb, A. Introduction: oxidant stress, aging, and exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1993 Feb;2(2) :210- 2 Shigenaga MK, Hagen TM, and Ames BN (1994) Oxidative Damage and Mitochondrial Decay in Aging. Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. USA 91:10771-8. Hagen TM, Ingersoll RT, Wehr CM, Lykkesfeldt J, Vinarsky V, Bartholomew JC, Song MH, and Ames BN (1998) Acetyl-LCarnitine Fed to Old Rats Partially Restores Mitochondrial Function and Ambulatory Activity. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95:9562-6. Jian-Ping Yuan, Juan Peng, Kai Yin, Jiang-Hai Wang. Potential health-promoting effects of astaxanthin: A high-value carotenoid mostly from microalgae. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research. Jan 2011, Vol. 55, No. 1: 150-165 Aires D, Rockwell G, Wang T, Frontera J, Wick J, Wang W, Tonkovic-Capin M, Lu J, E L, Zhu H, Swerdlow RH. Potentiation of dietary restriction-induced lifespan extension by polyphenols. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012 Jan 11. Weeks BS, Perez PP. Absorption rates and free radical scavenging values of vitamin C-lipid metabolites in human lymphoblastic cells. Med Sci Monit. 2007 Oct;13(10):BR205-10.