Dear Friends, www.majesticearth-minerals.com

As advances in technology have given us new tools, for example electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), to observe and measure physiological processes, Free Radical Theory has moved to center stage as the preferred modality in understanding disease genesis. Now it is widely believed that both heart disease and cancer, two of the nations biggest killers, as well as Alzheimer's, arthritis, premature aging and even various auto-immune disorders all begin and follow from free radical attack.

What are free radicals and how do we control them? A free radical is a molecular fragment with an unpaired electron in its outer orbital ring, causing it to be highly oxidative, unstable and to react instantaneously with other substances in its vicinity. Free radicals are a normal and even potentially beneficial byproduct of human metabolism. Millions are produced every time we breathe and every time a cell converts nutrients and oxygen into energy. As long as the body's own, built in, scavenging systems and endogenous antioxidants are in place there is no threat and the free radicals are easily neutralized. It's when free radical population is out of balance, exceeding the capacity of our own, natural, control mechanisms, that we get into trouble.

When free radicals in living tissues exceed safe levels, the result is cell destruction, malignant mutation, tumor growth, damage to enzymes and inflammation, all of which manifest clinically as age-related, chronic degenerative diseases. Each uncontrolled free radical has the potential to multiply by a million fold in a chain reaction, much like a nuclear explosion. Our biggest enemy, and one sure way to overwhelm our natural shield against free radical propagation, is consuming polyunsaturated fats. Any fat, potentially, can degrade into a trans fatty acid. All it takes is exposure to oxygen, heat and light. The more unsaturated the oil in fatty acids the more readily peroxidation will occur. The rate of peroxidation is proportional to the square of the number of unsaturated bonds in each fatty acid molecule. Thus, coconut oil, a fairly stable oil, is far preferable as a cooking medium than, say, margarine or corn oil, or really any vegetable oil. Fried food is obviously something to avoid altogether as are the typically cheap oils and fats disguised by seasoning in salad dressing. Salad dressing, crackers, chips, all processed and fast food is absolutely loaded with polyunsaturated fats and trans fatty acids.

Radiation is another source of free radical threat. When we are exposed to high energy ionizing radiation (ultraviolet light, x-rays, gamma rays, nuclear radiation and cosmic radiation) photons essentially knock electrons out of orbiting pairs creating a fresh population of free radicals. Set loose these free radicals can react with cholesterol, present in every cell, and lipids producing oxidized cholesterol (toxic and contributes to atherosclerosis) and lipid peroxides.

Tobacco smoke contains polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons which are potent free radical precursors. Such substances can easily overwhelm the body's own antioxidant control systems and speed the onset of cancer, atherosclerosis and other age-associated degenerative diseases. The heavy metal cadmium, ten times more toxic than lead, acts as a catalyst of free radical reactions and displaces zinc in metallo-activated enzymes.

Besides avoiding tobacco smoke, radiation, pollution, fast food and processed food, what can we do to defend against free radical threat? First of all we can feed our body what it needs to make its own free radical scavengers, supplying the raw materials through smart diet choices and supplementation. The primary antioxidant control mechanisms include endogenous enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase as well as nutritional antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, beta-carotene, coenzyme Q-10 and the trace element selenium, cysteine, methionine, tyrosine, cholesterol and some corticosteroids. Interestingly, SOD levels are the highest in humans compared to all other mammals. Parrots, elephants and other long-lived animals also have high levels. Copper, zinc and manganese are all essential for SOD activity; selenium is essential for glutathione peroxidase; and iron is required for catalase and some forms of peroxidase. Tens of thousands of enzymes depend heavily on the presence of a full spectrum of trace minerals and vitamins to operate. Without antioxidant enzymes we would die quickly. An extreme example of accelerated aging is the disease, "progeria," caused by hereditary absence of free radical protective enzymes. Within ten to fifteen years after birth a victim will experience every aspect of the aging process: wrinkled, dried and sagging skin, baldness, bent and frail body, arthritis and advanced cardiovascular disease.

One big mistake people make is getting all jazzed up about, for example, the antioxidative power of vitamin E and then supplementing with just that nutrient. Antioxidants are deactivated themselves once they deactivate a free radical and have to be "re-charged" by a neighbor / brother antioxidant. For example, vitamin E neutralizes a free radical and, itself, is oxidized in the process becoming (neutral) tocopherol quinone. Then it is reactivated by vitamin C which converts it to antioxidant vitamin E (tocopherol) which is in turn oxidized to dehydroascorbate (de-activated vitamin C) which is activated by yet another antioxidant, glutathione peroxidase (which must contain selenium). The Glutathione peroxidase gets back into the act after it is exposed to reduced glutathione, a B-2 dependent enzyme�and on and on. Because any chain or cascade interdependent events (above) is only as strong as its weakest link, it is vitally important that we keep our systems awash in all the essential nutrients and anti-oxidant nutrients we can get our hands on.

In terms of Dr. Wallach's products our best choice is to lay down a comprehensive baseline foundation of essential nutrients by, for example, going on the Venus Pack (all 90 nutrients), first at saturation and then, after 90 days at maintenance. Next, our strongest ally is the new product Vitale. Vitale is Youngevity's first, liquid, whole food product containing a vast harvest of important fruit and vegetable concentrates rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients. What is really special and mind-boggling about the new Vitale is that it has the highest ORAC value, a measurement of antioxidant potential, of any product ever tested! That's right Vitale has an ORAC value of 60,809 per liter! The nearest competitor, Tahitian Noni, comes in at 18, 950, dwarfed by a factor of more than three! Vitale contains concentrates of blueberry, raspberry, pomegranate, cranberry, cherry, boysenberry, bilberry, grape seed as well as spinach, alfalfa, broccoli and green tea, to name a few components. It tastes delicious, comes in a beautiful, actual, glass wine bottle and besides pleasuring the taste buds, stocks the body with awesome antioxidant firepower.

On last week's company conference call Dr. Paula Bickle, one of my favorite people, introduced the new Vitale product. She went into great detail concerning the individual ingredients and what each offers in terms of antioxidant power and nutritional support and health benefit. I made a recording of the call. Anyone wishing to own and listen to a copy of the tape can have one sent for the cost of the blank tape and postage. Just send a check made out to "Stu Hunt" for $1.50 to cover my cost and I'll send you a tape (Please include your mailing address!). My address is:

Stu Hunt 3690 Masters Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Until next time,

Best of heath and success to you,

Stu Hunt
Don Ellis

Cut open an apple and leave it on the table. What happens? In a few hours it turns brown. In a day or so it's rotten. This "rotting" process is called "oxidation." When we breathe oxygen, also when we convert food to energy, our cells, too, are subject to oxidative damage. Living cells have the ability to protect themselves against oxidative damage by neutralizing the free radicals (molecular fragments) that cause it. Special antioxidant enzymes are employed as well as dietary antioxidants. Going back to the apple, what happens if you squeeze on some lemon juice? It stops the oxidation, cold. That's due to the vitamin C in the lemon. Vitamin C is a natural antioxidant. Just as with the apple, though, if we don't take in enough vitamin C or enough of the nutritional components our body requires to produce the special antioxidant enzymes, we put ourselves at risk.

Our greatest protection against free radical damage comes from