Your brain is highly vulnerable to free radical damage. Even though it only represents two percent of your total body mass, it turns out about 20% of your oxygen intake is metabolized in your brain. Oxy or free radicals – electron challenged oxygen molecules are created by by many different processes , but one source is a natural and unavoidable by-product of metabolizing oxygen . Since 20% of your oxygen supply is used by your brain, it stands to reason that your brain will be subjected to a high number of free radicals.
From your first minute to your last and for each microsecond in between , there are battles being fought in each part in you. There are easily millions of these conflicts happening at the same time and they have oxyradicals on one hand and antioxidants opposing them . They have an effect on how long you live , your vulnerability to many different diseases and also the quality of your vitality as a senior citizen .
In your mind is a major concentration of molecules known as Lipids. Lipids include sterols, waxes, fats and a seletion of fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K. Lipids store energy, they are signaling molecules and thy’re structural components of your cell membranes. Lipid peroxidation is the name for free radical damage to Lipids and a reason for the importance of antioxidant supplements .
The best defense against Lipid peroxidation in your brain is provided by antioxidants and in particular a small subset called Network Antioxidants or the Antioxidant Network , made up of Vitamins E, C CoEnzymeQ10, Glutathione and Lipolic acid . Network Antioxidants help each other to clean up free radicals from you brain and they are uniquely capable of repairing the others in the group . Of the Network Antioxidants, the most powerful is Glutathione laso known as The Master Antioxidant. It is naturally produced by your body and are present in each and every cell.
Unfortunately , your brain maintains lower levels of Glutathione than other parts of your body and as you grow older , the average supply is lowered even more since the ability to produce Glutathione falls by about ten percent for each decade after our twenties . But the brain absolutely requires Glutathione to be healthy. Look at the part that Antioxidants play in connection with Alzheimer’s Disease – also known as senile dementia.
There is a strong correlation between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease . In an August 2009 study conducted on rats , two equal groups were purposely given aluminum toxins, but group was also given oxyradicals scavengers. One group recorded a dramatic growth in lipid peroxidation and a condition known as oxidative stress – which is the result of rampant free radical damage. Reduced glutathione and other network antioxidants were also noted . For the group that was given the toxins and the free radical scavengers, none of these changes were measured .
Because of the brain’s vulnerability to the formation of free radicals a plentiful store of antioxidants ( in particular Network Antioxidants and most importantly , the master antioxidant Glutathione) is key to sustaining a healthy and functioning brain. While oral glutathione supplements are not considered to be effective, you can take a glutathione precursor like Dr Keller’s Original Glutathione Formula