(Protection from the inside out)
By Harry Chrissakis, Herbalist, Natural medicine
Antioxidants and free radicals are two common terms in medical as well as lay parlance. They are related in that we need antioxidants to quell the potentially destructive force of free radicals. Free radicals are produced as a natural byproduct of cellular respiration as well as any anabolic (building) or catabolic (breaking down) processes in our body. This means we make a lot of them and must have the right antioxidant systems in place to meet demand. Free radicals are highly unstable molecules missing an electron in their outer ring. In order to stabilize themselves, free radicals will steal electrons from any tissue they contact and in doing so damage that tissue through the process of oxidation. In the bloodstream, free radicals can damage the blood cells, the veins and arteries as well as any organ they interact with. If they penetrate the nucleus of the cell, free radicals can damage DNA, initiating cell mutations and cancer. Free radicals are a major component in the development and progression of diseases and premature aging. All that being said, a certain amount of free radical production is necessary for proper cell function as the process of oxidation/reduction acts as a switch within the cell to turn some things on and others off. Free radical production is also an attack mechanism that certain immune cells use to kill unwanted visitors.
Fortunately we have built in protection from free radicals. Our cells have their own antioxidant systems. The primary function of antioxidants is to neutralize free radicals.
Free radicals induce oxidative damage. Antioxidants stop this by giving an electron to the unstable free radical, thereby stabilizing it, preventing and stopping damage.
Our cells manufacture a number of antioxidants. Glutathione, Superoxide Dismutase, and Catalase are three different antioxidants produced by our cells. Due to the high volume of free radicals produced within the cell (especially within the cell Mitochondria), without these antioxidants our cells would be destroyed from the inside out.
Two ways we acquire antioxidants is through diet (i.e. Vit. C in oranges) and supplements (CoQ10, O.P.C ect.). A third way is to get the cells to manufacture more of their own. That is where I am going next.
Glutathione is our primary cellular antioxidant, whose job it is to protect structures within the cytoplasm (watery portion of the cell) and inside the nucleus (where the DNA is), it is also hugely important in Liver’s detoxification of many potentially harmful substances.
Glutathione consists of three amino acids; Glycine, Glutamic acid and Cysteine. Under normal conditions, our body can make these amino acids. Under conditions of prolonged stress ( i.e. chronic disease ) our bodies get depleted of Cysteine, which limits the ability of the cell to make Glutathione, which in turn leaves the cell vulnerable to oxidative stress and free radical damage. Reduced levels of cellular Glutathione is a common trait in cancer patients and many other chronic disorders as well. Trying to raise cellular Glutathione levels with foods containing it or by means of Glutathione supplement (inclusive of the reduced or liposomal forms) will not work that well on the cellular level. The Glutathione structure is too large to be absorbed into the cell. Right now there is some evidence that the use of supplemental Glutathione may be contraindicated in cancer patients. Another better and safer way we can raise cellular Glutathione levels is by getting more Cystine into our diet. If Cysteine is deficient in the cell, Cysteine then becomes the rate limiting factor in the production of cellular Glutathione. If we can get more Cysteine into the deficient cells, the cells can then manufacture more Glutathione and our body will produce Glutathione at its own rate and in the right quantity. Cysteine is supplied in a highly absorbable form in Whey powder. A major problem with most whey is its method of production. Almost all whey products are a byproduct of cheese manufacturing. This means that the milk used to make the cheese (whey comes from milk) was pasteurized (heated to 168 degrees) for enough time to damage a number of necessary but fragile fractions of the Whey. At this level of prolonged heat many of the useful things in the whey have been damaged. When it comes to Whey powder you need to do product research. When Whey is produced correctly the result is truly an amazing superfood. In high quality whey production, pasteurization time is much shorter and the resulting product is triple filtered. The result is much less quantity of product, making it more expensive. High quality Whey powder serves multiple important functions in health and healing. High quality Whey powder is an important part of many of my protocols, especially with chronic disorders. Another way of raising Cysteine levels is through the use of the supplement NAC.
Part of the process of cellular respiration, which occurs in the Mitochondria of the cell, is electron transfer. A small margin of error exists in the transfer process, allowing 2-5 percent of the electrons to escape. These renegade electrons bind with oxygen to form superoxide free radicals. Superoxide free radicals are extremely reactive and dangerous to the health of the cell. The majority of free radicals produced in the cell occur in the inner membrane of the mitochondria where ATP is made and used to produce energy for the cell. Our cells manufacture a specific antioxidant to deal with superoxide free radicals. That antioxidant is Superoxide Dismutase (S.O.D.). SOD reduces the superoxide free radical and turns it into hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen. At this point the antioxidant Glutathione Peroxidase enters and reduces the Hydrogen Peroxide to water and gaseous oxygen. Raising cellular levels of S.O.D can be accomplished with the help of Adaptogenic herbs and Phenolic compounds. An Adaptogenic herb that is specific to raising S.O.D. is Polygonum Multiflorum (He Show Wu) ,which has a long history of use in Chinese herbal medicine. In my practice I use a number of Adaptogenic herbs and Phenolic compounds in a wide variety of settings, from keeping people healthy to the collaborative treatment of life threatening diseases. Because Hydrogen Peroxide is such a dangerous and common byproduct, our cells will manufacture the antioxidant Catalase to handle it. Catalase will render hydrogen peroxide harmless by converting it to water and gaseous oxygen. If tested, chronically ill people will show low levels of all three of these crucially important antioxidants discussed above. Adaptogenic herbs/Phenolic compounds will also assist in the cellular production of both Glutathione and Catalase as well as S.O.D. Adaptogenic herbs are best used long term.
Raising cellular antioxidant levels with the consistent use of high quality Whey, Adaptogenic herbs and Phenolic compounds is a neat strategy based on good science. It is a key part of a program to maintain and/or to regain one’s healthas well as to treat chronic and/or life threatening disorders.
Harry Chrissakis
Herbalist/Natural medicine
HerbalistandHerbs.com
530-933-8244
Consultations available by phone or Zoom.