Control of Oxidation
Because we live on planet earth we oxidize. Much like a piece of rusting metal the process of oxidation slowly damages our DNA and cellular functions. Oxidation is arguably the driving force behind the degenerative diseases of aging including heart disease, cancer and dementia, as well as being implicit in autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. Even depression, autism and schizophrenia are known to have links to oxidation. Essentially we age due to oxidation.
Mostly, the body generates oxidation in the process of producing energy. Cellular respiration is the process by which we convert nutrients into water and carbon dioxide, in the presence of oxygen, releasing energy. This energy production occurs deep in our cells in the mitochondria, the “generators” of cellular energy. Along the way, packets of energy called “electrons” are passed along a complex chain of chemical steps, eventually producing an energy storehouse known at adenosine-triphosphate (ATP). As these electrons are passed along, some chemicals give up electrons, which is oxidation, and some accept electrons, which is reduction. This constant reduction-oxidation (redox) process is“cellular respiration”. The energy stored as ATP is later used to power the bodily functions.
Problems begin when some of these electrons escape the normal chain of events and react with ambient oxygen, creating toxic oxygen free radicals. Oxygen is truly the “fire of life” and loves to accept electrons. These oxygen radicals are very unstable and aggressively react with other molecules in the cell. Like sparks flying out of a fire, the free radicals damage whatever is in the immediate area. Sometimes this is the cell wall, or critical enzymes and proteins in the cell, or even the cellular DNA.
There are also free radicals that come from outside our body, such as hydrocarbons, pesticides, smog, cigarette smoke and metals like lead and mercury.
Anti-oxidants donate an electron to neutralize and “snuff out” free radicals. The anti-oxidant sacrifices itself as it then becomes oxidized and it must be replenished. We have a tremendous built in system of anti-oxidants and get many more through our diet. Our “built-in” anti-oxidant systems fade with normal aging and our diets are not providing the amounts of anti-oxidants necessary to prevent oxidative damage. Once the process of oxidation begins to overwhelm our ability to stop it, the damage begins, and along with it the process of degenerative diseases and aging. Anti-oxidants like glutathione, super-oxide dismutase (SOD) and n-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) are made within our bodies, while others must be obtained through diet, such as vitamins A, C, E as well as the many bioflavonoids from fruit and vegetable sources. Minerals like selenium, manganese, copper and zinc are not anti-oxidants but are a vital part of the systems.
It is critical to appreciate that anti-oxidants work in different parts of the body. For example, CoEnzyme Q works deep in the mitochondria helping with the electron transfers. Vitamin E and pomegranate are two that love fats and work well in fat-areas like cell membranes and cholesterol plaque. Vitamin C and glutathione love water and work in the fluid portions of the cell. Alpha-lipoic acid works in water and fat areas.
Anti-oxidants also work in different ways. CoQ is an anti-oxidant, but it also regenerates Vitamin E. Alpha-lipoic acid regenerates Vitamin C which then regenerates Vitamin E. Vitamin C and E along with selenium help Vitamin A to function properly.
All this interaction between anti-oxidants underscores a very important concept in supplementation – they work together! Getting a broad spectrum of nutrients, like that found in nature, is an essential part of supplementation.
Control of Inflammation
Inflammation plays a necessary role in our health but is also the real culprit behind most diseases of aging, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia. If you struggle with weight gain, fatigue, insomnia or mood swings then inflammation is likely playing a role. Take a closer look at how inflammation can be good or bad and how to control it.
Acute inflammation is part of our normal defense mechanism that helps kill invading pathogens and keep us healthy. The classic signs of rubor (red), calor (warm), tumor (swollen) and dolor (pain) are familiar to anyone that has ever sprained an ankle or had a skin infection. Again, this is part of how the body fights infection or cleans up and repairs damaged body parts. Acute inflammation is a good thing.
Chronic inflammation, however, is not good. It’s a sneaky process, silently damaging our arteries, nerves and organs. It will also suppress the immune system and promote the growth of cancers. Blood markers, such as high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hsCRP) are good for measuring chronic inflammation. High levels of CRP are associated with more heart disease and high CRP levels are found in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes and cancers. The single most effective way to lower inflammation in the body is to lose excess weight.
Dietary fats and inflammation
The types of fat we eat will increase or decrease inflammation. There are two fatty-acids that humans can’t make thus they are “essential” and we must get them through our diet. These essential fatty acids are called omega-6 and omega-3. Omega-6 oils increase inflammation, while Omega-3 oils decrease inflammation. The balance of these two oils is critical and how they control inflammation very interesting…
Omega-6 oils (Linoleic Acid), are found in red meat, egg yolk and shellfish. They break down to a chemical called Arachodonic Acid (AA), which then breaks down by three different pathways to produce inflammation promoting chemicals. You may recognize the names of these chemicals as prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes.
Medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and Celebrex work by stopping the breakdown of AA to these inflammation causing chemicals. However, with these medications you also risk side effects of gastric ulcers, kidney strain, high blood pressure and even increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Several have been removed from the market due to tens of thousands of deaths.
Fortunately, many natural supplements are also very effective at stopping these inflammatory chemicals from being made without the common side effects. Just a few examples include curcumin which is the active ingredient from the herbal turmeric plant, a form of vitamin E called gamma-tocopherol, an extract called boswellia which comes from the same African trees from which frankincense is derived, and pycnogel from French maritime pine bark.
Omega-3 oils are found in foods such as fish, flax, pumpkin seeds and canola oils. Alpha-Lineoleic Acid, (ALA) is the main omega-3 and it breaks down to the “good oils” known as EPA (eicosapentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexanoic acid) which then break down to ANTI-inflammatory chemicals. Fish and krill are much more efficient at providing the EPA and DHA directly so I recommend these in supplement form and focus on including the plant sources of ALA in my diet. Omega-3 oils will actually down-regulated the omega-6 pathway which is yet one more way they will combat inflammation. So, here’s the rub. We are supposed to get something close to a 2:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 oils in our diet and thus a balance of inflammatory versus anti-inflammatory chemicals in the body. But in America we get about a 20:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. Cut back on omega-6 and increase omega-3 in your diet.
Supplement with a good quality fish oil or flaxseed capsule. Flax is great, but about 1/3 as potent of a source than fish oil for EPA/DHA oils. Flaxseed meal is delicious added into cereals, oatmeal, etc. You should get 1000mg/day of the active EPA/DHA for prevention, 2000mg/day if you have heart disease. We use doses in this range to lower triglycerides, lower CRP, and increase the size of LDL cholesterol particles (a good thing). My favorite suppliers are Douglas Labs, Life Extension or Nordic Naturals.
Sugar and high glycemic foods will activate the omega-6 pathway leading to more inflammation. So will insulin, and if you are diabetic or overweight you make more insulin. Get your carbohydrate calories from fresh fruit and vegetables that are chocked full of anti-inflammatory compounds. If we combine excess omega-6 oils with 20-50 times the refined sugar our ancestors ate, plenty of high-glycemic foods, then add a dash of insulin we really have a recipe for inflammation and disease!
Grass fed animals, harvested while on fresh green grass, have a much higher omega-3 fat content. Same for milk from grass fed dairy and eggs from free-range poultry. Wild game, such as venison or buffalo has much higher omega-3 levels. Consider that our ancestors ate lean meat, wild game, and lots more fish. They also had little to no sugar and no processed foods laden with omega-6 oils.
Balancing glutathione and methylation
Glutathione is our most potent cellular anti-oxidant and is made primarily from an amino acid called cysteine, which we get through foods such as meat, eggs, garlic, onions, broccoli and red peppers.
Methylation is another supremely important process in the body that has a profound influence on hundreds of systems including oxidation control. Methylation helps us regulate proper gene expression, suppress viruses, and remove heavy metals. Methylation is even known to regulate DNA damage that is caused by environmental stressors.
It is here that glutathione and methylation intersect and things gets really interesting. The body has a choice to either produce more glutathione or to support methylation reactions. Too little glutathione and we can’t fight free radicals and oxidative damage. Too little methylation and many viruses and genes will not be properly regulated. A chemical called homocysteine lies at the heart of this intersection.
Homocysteine is made from the essential amino-acid methionine, after methionine donates a methyl group to support other reactions in the body. Homocysteine can then either donate its cysteine toward creating a glutathione molecule, or it can be recycled back to methionine in order to support methylation. B vitamins play a role in making certain the body can satisfy both pathways.
Essential B vitamins
Once you have the raw material to make glutathione or to methylate, you need cofactors vitamin B12 and folate to complete the processes. Vitamin B12, specifically the active methyl-cobalamin form, donates a methyl to recycle homocysteine back to methionine. In turn, methyl-folate is the only substance that can then donate a methyl to recycle cobalamin back to the all-important methyl-cobalamin.
Recent research has found that many people have a genetic variant that does not allow them to recycle homocysteine, but, by giving these people high levels of B12 about 80% of them can over-ride this defect. About 20% of people with this defect need to utilize another pathway to recycle homocysteine and for these people we use tri-methyl-glycine as a methyl donor. High levels of homocysteine are associated with increases in vascular disease.
Many people don’t get enough B12 in their diet. The only dietary sources are from meat, eggs and dairy and the rest of vitamin B12 is made by the bacteria that reside in our gut. Vegetarians need to insure adequate B12 intake. Taking probiotics to replenish the good bacteria in the gut may help with B12 production.
It gets even more complicated by the fact that many people do not activate the b12 and folate in their systems. The B12 in our diet or in most vitamins is cyano-cobalamin and is not active. It has to be converted in the liver to methyl-cobalamin and adenosyl-cobalamin. Measuring a B-vitamin by-product in the urine called methyl-malonic-acid (MMA) can determine if you are making enough active B12.
In our clinic we administer intra-venous infusions of glutathione and activated methyl-cobalamin and observe significant improvements in people with memory loss, dementia, auto-immune diseases and chronic fatigue. Also, the newer forms of active methylated B-complexes are available in better supplements.
Author Scott Rollins, MD, is Board Certified with the American Board of Family Practice and the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. He specializes in bioidentical hormone replacement for men and women, thyroid and adrenal disorders, fibromyalgia and other complex medical conditions. He is founder and medical director of the Integrative Medicine Center of Western Colorado (www.imcwc.com) and Bellezza Laser Aesthetics (www.bellezzalaser.com). Call (970) 245-6911 for an appointment or more information.
