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Medicine for the People
By Harvey Walks With Hawks
Doyle, BSNH
Antioxidants
Antioxidants, air, moisture, and light combined oxidizes
our car. In time the chrome will rust away. This
destruction process is called oxidation. To explain this
way, remove the antioxidant coating from an apple by
peeling away its skin and exposing the insides of the
apple to the air. It will spoil quickly. Pour lemon
juice, which contains antioxidants, on the exposed apple
and it will delay it from spoiling. If you look around,
we as humans have skin, trees have bark, animals have
skin, even thicker than humans, and anything you see on
Mother Earth has a protective area to cover itself. This
is Mother Earth's way of protecting our species, plants,
animals and any other life on this planet.
The Great Spirit (Creator) knew in his infinite wisdom
that we would be destroying ourselves as soon as we
gained the knowledge to do so. We are a planet of
destruction. Knowledge and progress is destroying the
human race and all of its inhabitants. Mother Earth
cries out for mercy but we do not hear her call. We
continually destroy her daily. In destroying her then we
are destroying our selves. We are part of the web of
life as stated by Chief Seattle.
All
living cells must breathe oxygen. A by-product of
cellular respiration is the production of a small number
of toxic oxygen molecules called "free radicals". These
are atoms that are missing an electron. So they go
searching to steal electrons from nearby atoms and in
doing so destroy cells and tissues. Antioxidant stops
the damaging free radical and oxygen molecules. So as
long as antioxidants, the "rust removers" of living
cells, are abundant, oxidation will not destroy tissues
and promote disease. Scientists estimate that the
genetic material (DNA) inside living cells in the human
body is being hit by 10,000 "free radicals" bullets each
day. An antioxidant-rich diet and food supplements are
likely to be needed to protect our genes.
The
human body has an elaborate antioxidant system to
protect itself. The system which you could call a team
can be likened to a football team. If you recall a
defensive team has some big lineman who are the front
line against the opponent, backed up by the linebackers
and then by safety men. The antioxidant team in your
body works the same way.
The
first line of defense is the antioxidants. There are
three glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and
catalase.
The
linebackers or second line of defense are vitamins A, C,
D and E.
The
third line of defense is the carotenoids, the
bioflavonoid, and coenzyme Q10. (needed daily) Each
antioxidant can become oxidized themselves. Fortunately,
other antioxidants come along and donate electrons to
re-activate them. So antioxidants exist in two forms,
their active (reduced) or oxidized form. Antioxidants
whirl through living tissues, reactivating each other.
Vitamins A, C, and E protect each other in a circular
fashion. Vitamin A regenerates vitamin C, vitamin C
regenerate’s vitamin E, and vitamin E regenerates
vitamin A. The antioxidant system has other backup
systems.
For
instance, beta carotene coverts to vitamin A in the
liver, so it is a back up to vitamin A. Bioflavonoid
enhance and prolong the antioxidant action of vitamin C
and coenzyme Q10 works in place of vitamin E when
vitamin E levels are low.
Multivitamins should be
formulated the way nature has arranged the antioxidant
defense force in an "Antioxidant Vine or Tree".
If any
portion of this antioxidant defense force is missing a
health problem may result. Without having a selection of
antioxidants to protect them, living tissues perish.
Just like the football team those lines up without all
its players on the field. If there is a deficiency of
just one antioxidant the opponent will find this
weakness and capitalize on it and use the lack of it to
make you sick. It all about checks and balances. Just
like life if you aren’t in balance then you are out of
balance spiritually, physically, and mentally.
Have
you noticed that I continually use the word
"supplement"?
It is a
very careful choice of words. Never forget that vitamin
pills are a supplement to a healthy diet, not a
replacement for it.
Nutritionists accurately advise the public to rely on
plants foods, the five daily servings of fresh fruits
and vegetables, to supply the variety of nutrients
required for health. You can also get a lot of nutrients
from herbal teas. We know that the best-made pills can
never supply the hundreds of natural antioxidants and
other nutrients found in plant foods or herbal teas. For
example, there are over 200 carotenoid pigments found in
plant foods in miniscule amounts. It would be impossible
to provide them all in vitamins supplements. However,
with so few adults consuming the five servings of plant
foods daily, a well designed multivitamin pill becomes a
reality against premature aging and disease.
Natural
remedies are far better than other remedies that have
all the side effects that you have to contend with. The
recommended daily allowance is obsolete. What weak
vitamins do provide is the recommended daily allowance,
now recognized as outdated by many nutritionists. If you
are a growing child, pregnant or lactating, under
physical or emotional stress, participate in regular
physical exercise, smoke tobacco, consume alcohol, are
exposed to toxic chemicals, have a chronic health
problem like diabetes or high blood pressure, take
certain medications, regularly consume fast foods or
junk foods, or over age 70, then you will need to
consume more than the recommended daily allowance.
Athletes, exercisers, untold millions,
exercise produces more oxidation within body; countered
by antioxidants. Heart Disease patients: 50 + Million.
Vitamin E may be beneficial. Hypertensive patients:
43 million, 500 mg vitamin C daily reduces blood
pressure similar to drugs. Diabetics: 15.7
million 400 units of vitamin E has protective effect.
Hospitalized: 33 million hospitalized have
increased need for antioxidant nutrients.
Pregnant and lactating females: 4 million. US
women give birth annually; off spring must obtain
nutrients from mother. Fertile women require folic acid
before conception to prevent birth defects. Tobacco
Smokers: 66 million: One cigarette takes
11 minutes from your life. One pack of cigarettes takes
3 hours and 40 minutes from your life. Smokers require
25 mg vitamin C for each cigarette smoked. Retirees at
risk for cataracts: 34 million. 10 year
users of 250 mg vitamin C have 45-83% reduction in risk.
Everyone should be on a good multivitamin so that they
can have a healthy body. Preferably a liquid vitamin
because the body can assimilate it better than pill or
capsule form. When taking vitamins or herbs always read
the instructions on the label for instructions.
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