Antioxidants are our body’s major protection against the damage brought about by free radicals which contribute to many chronic inflammatory and degenerative ailments. Oxy radicals are the underlying cause of premature aging. Among all the antioxidants, a team of five are recognized as Network Antioxidants. This team of both water and fat soluble antioxidants work together to assist your cells and perform together to assist each other.
When an antioxidant donates an electron to fix a free radical, it actually becomes one, but a benign free radical without the potential to continue the chain reaction. Unfortunately, when they are oxidized, they’re also not able to function effectively. But, what is unique about the network antioxidants is that can help to rejuvenate each other and carry on the cycle of searching out and repairing free radicals.
Even though they perform together, the network antioxidants fulfill different tasks. The fat soluble ones, namely Vitamin E and CoQ-10 protect the fatty cell membrane layer and the cell mitochondria, while the water soluble antioxidants, Glutathione and Vitamin C protect the center of the cell. ALA – Alpha Lipoic Acid is unique in that it is both fat and water soluble.
Vitamin C is the link which bridges the fat soluble and water soluble antioxidants in the network and is primarily responsible for rejuvenating Vitamin E when it becomes oxidized.
Vitamin E is closely connected with heart disease prevention, being the only antioxidant that can reach fatty parts of the cell that are not accessible to the rest of the network. It’s really not a single compound but is instead a family of fat soluble alcohols.
CoEnzymeQ-10 or CoQ-10 is present in all your cells, where it is concentrated in the mitochondria, the part of your cell that produces energy. Mitochondria are susceptible to free radical injury which has been evidenced as a loss of energy as we age. Additionally, CoQ-10 works in the regeneration of Vitamins E, C and Glutathione
Glutathione, properly known as the Body’s Master antioxidant is continuously circulating through your cells, repairing your immune cells and cleaning cellular waste from your body. It supports the rejuvenation of all of the other network antioxidants. Raising your glutathione levels helps protect you from several inflammatory conditions, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, asthma and others. Dr Keller’s Original Glutathione Formula will increase your glutathione levels by 300% in 4 months.
Alpha Lipoic Acid is unique among the Network Antioxidants in that it is both fat and water soluable and can assist both the fatty membrane and water based interior of your cells. It is also uniquely capable of repairing itself and also can regenerate the other network antioxidants including glutathione. It helps to avert muscle damage during tough workouts.
Like glutathione and CoEnzyme Q-10, ALA is manufactured by your body, but the production capacity reduces substantially as we age.