Grape Seeds are a Main Source of OPC Antioxidants

Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins (OPC’s) are considered Super Antioxidants because they are unique phytochemicals known as flavonoids that have powerful antioxidant capabilities. OPC is highly water soluble so your body is able to absorb it quickly.

Clinical trials were performed to compare the effectiveness of OPC Antioxidants versus vitamin C and vitamin E with astonishing results. OPC Antioxidants may be as much as 50 times more potent than vitamin E and 20 times more potent than vitamin C in terms of bioavailable antioxidants. In fact, OPC Antioxidants work with the antioxidant glutathione to restore and recycle oxidized vitamin C which actually increases vitamin C’s effectiveness.

OPC Antioxidants are naturally occurring substances that are found throughout nature and are present in a variety of food and botanical sources. The two main sources of commercial OPC Antioxidants are grape seed extract (Vitis vinifera) made from wine grapes and pine bark extract, known as Pycnogenol, made from from the French maritime Pine Tree.

Pycnogenol was the first source of OPC Antioxidants discovered and the process used to extract it was originally patented in the 1950′s. Pycnogenol is not a generic name for OPC Antioxidant, it is simply a trademarked name for pine bark extract.

Benefits of OPC Antioxidants

Because of the unique properties of OPC Antioxidants, including their ability to cross your blood-brain barrier and their high water solubility, OPC Antioxidants have been shown to produce some remarkable benefits when taken regularly. Here are just a few examples:

• OPC Antioxidants can help protect your brain and spinal nerves against free radical damage.
• OPC Antioxidants can help protect your liver from damage caused by toxic doses of acetaminophen.
• OPC Antioxidants can help to strengthen and repair connective tissue, including that of the cardiovascular system.
• OPC Antioxidants can help support your own natural immune system.
• OPC Antioxidants have proven effective in slowing certain characteristics of the aging process.
• OPC Antioxidants help to moderate your body’s allergic and inflammatory responses by reducing histamine production.

Currently, there are numerous studies in various stages of completion, testing the effectiveness of OPC Antioxidants in the treatment of some devastating diseases and ailments including: Asthma, Fybromyalgia, AIDS, Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, Diabetes, and Macular Degeneration.

OPC Antioxidants have proven to be very effective and beneficial antioxidant that could be the anchor of your supplementation program.

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OPC Antioxidant for Asthma was originally posted on: Asthma Treatment and Management Information - Azmacare.com

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Assorted Fruits and Vegetables can Help in Your Fight Against Asthma

Study after study over the last 25 years has proven over and over again that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is beneficial to lung health.

An Australian study performed in 2003, involving approximately 1600 people aged 20 to 44 found that those who consumed the largest quantity of apples and pears enjoyed the lowest rates of asthma (AJCN 2003; 78:414).

In a study at the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, scientists looking at the diets of more than 2,500 people found that eating five or more apples or three or more tomatoes a week increased lung function. Eating apples and tomatoes also reduce the risk of wheezing.

“The likelihood is that any effect is due to the concerted action of all the nutrients in apples and tomatoes, especially the antioxidants that are particularly rich in the peel of apples and contribute to the coloring of tomatoes,” says researcher Sarah Lewis, Ph.D. “Antioxidants may work by protecting the airways against the insult of tobacco smoke and other atmospheric pollutants,” she adds.

Dr. Carol Trenga, Ph.D., a research scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle, recommends that everyone eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. She also notes, “It is reasonable to suggest modest supplementation with for example, vitamin C (250 — 500 mg twice/day) and vitamin E (up to 400 IU per day), in at risk populations as a complementary therapy after considering the specific needs of the individual… these levels are very safe and have other health benefits (such as vitamin E and heart disease) in addition to potentially improving lung health.”

“There is extensive evidence from studies over the last 10 to 15 years that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is beneficial to lung health,” observes Dr. Trenga. “The most compelling evidence is linked to fruits high in vitamin C, which are associated with improved lung function in the general population of adults and children.”

On a global scale, the outlook for asthma is worrisome. Few serious measures are being taken to reduce global pollution and global warming and the national diet frequently neglects long friendly vegetables and fruits. But within that uncertain scenario, you can boost your chances of enjoying a healthy pair of lungs by eating more apples, pears and tomatoes.

Nature’s Asthma Relievers – Fruits and Vegetables was originally posted on: Asthma Treatment and Management Information - Azmacare.com

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Foods With A High Vitamin C Content Can Help Asthma Sufferers

People who suffer asthma have been found to have less vitamin C in their lungs (Inhal Tox 2003; 15:101).

According to Chris D. Metis, ND, and Jason Barker, ND, taking antioxidants “…most notably vitamin C, can modulate the impact of air pollutants to reduce their effects…including that of ozone on children with moderate-to-severe asthma” (Alt & Comp Ther 6/03).

Vitamin C Versus Air Pollution was originally posted on: Asthma Treatment and Management Information - Azmacare.com

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