I wanted to personally inform you of an amazing new product and opportunity that I feel is truly ground breaking.  I believe that this product is revolutionary in the treatment of free radicals/oxidative stress.  Oxidative stress is the cause of over 200 of the major diseases that we face today.  I also believe the business opportunity that LifeSource is embarking on by teaming up with Lifevantage (Protandim) is very unique.  It’s an opportunity that has the ability to change lives, both in health and financially.  I would not risk the reputation of my company if Protandim was not backed with rock solid scientific research that is indisputable. 

Why, you ask are we teaming up with a product that does not carry our own label? 

It’s really an easy answer, it works.  I’m Bruce Brightman and I founded LifeSource Nutrition over 16 years ago.  Never before have I been willing to team up with another company but I’m amazed by the independent scientific research on this product.  I am constantly searching to find ways for people to live longer & healthier lives.  While looking for ways to kill free radicals for LifeSource customers I stumbled across Protandim, and then proceeded to study the products origins and just what it did for the human body.   What I found was nothing short of astounding.  I just wish my Father Al Brightman was still alive so I could give it to him as I feel this would have helped him live longer. 

I am a Christian man whose purpose is to help people live healthier and longer lives. So, I would be remiss by not offering Protandim to you, our LifeSource customers!  I have taken my own Free radical (TBAR) tests and am amazed at the results. This product has done what it says it does, unquestionably for me.  Please keep reading:  whether you just take the product or become a distributor is up to you, but at the very the least read the following material and choose for yourself.
 
 Why Protandim?

A few things you should know about this Protandim: 

Protandim has been clinically shown to slow down the aging process.

What Does Protandim Do?

Diseases Caused By Free Radicals/Oxidative Stress:

Would you like to age slower, look younger, feel healthier and have more stamina as you age? LifeVantage is the company that produces Protandim.  They are a public company (stock symbol: LFVN) so any information they put out must be backed by truthful, scientific research.  Protandim is patented, they were just granted their 3rd patent.  No one can copy this blend or even combine the 5 ingredients together.  It is a compositional patent. 

They have over 20 scientific studies being done now at leading institutions worldwide involving a variety of health conditions.  A study just released this week stated that scars on the heart found in heart attack victims are being significantly reduced, more than by any prescription!

Free Radicals: Longevity's Most Formidable Foe!

Protandim has been studied by numerous universities in their own funded trials because scientists who know about the true science of Free Radicals & Oxidative Stress are so excited about the potential of Protandim. If the Universities are paying for these themselves then the results are truly unique.  The universities include:

• They have over 20 scientific studies being done now at leading institutions worldwide involving a variety of health conditions.  A study just released this week stated that scars on the heart found in heart attack victims are being significantly reduced, more than by any prescription!
• Protandim® has 3 patents.  Protandim® also has a compositional patent, so no one can copy this blend or even put these 5 ingredients together in any formula.  Which means there will be no competition ever?
  Unlike conventional antioxidants, Protandim works by boosting your body’s production of an entire network of antioxidant Enzymes, including Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Catalase. These endogenous antioxidant enzymes are infinitely more effective in reducing free radicals and the resulting cell damage than conventional antioxidants.”
  Protandim is not an antioxidant at all, but rather an antioxidant therapy. Protandim presents a unique and extremely powerful way of neutralizing free radicals, which are a known cause of the aging process.”
  Scientists at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center demonstrated an average of 40% reduction in oxidative stress in the study of men and women taking one Protandim caplet daily for 30 days. The reduction in oxidative stress was maintained for 120 days. Additionally, a 30% increase in SOD and a 54% increase in Catalase were also observed at 120 days.The study demonstrated an 18 fold increase in the effect of the five ingredients combined than in the simple addition of the individual ingredients, as measured by an important representative member of the antioxidant network. Protandim’s groundbreaking formula is a result of the pioneering and antioxidant field leading research of Dr. Joe McCord. In 1969 Dr. McCord co-discovered SOD and changed the course of antioxidant and free radical research for the next 4 decades. The all natural formula has been granted two U.S. Patents.Protandim is patented. Patent no. 7,241,461 is for ‘composition for alleviating inflammation and oxidative stress in a mammal.’ Patent no. 7,384,655 is for the ‘preparation of compositions to alleviate inflammation and oxidative stress in a mammal.
• On November 18, 2008, the result of a new peer-reviewed study (Free Radical Biology & Medicine) clearly demonstrates that Protandim produces a 300 percent increase in glutathione, which is a key antioxidant & anti-aging factor.

If you do decide to become a distributor, everyone here at LifeSource will talk to anyone you want us to.  If you have a tough time talking to people about this type of stuff, don’t worry, let us help you!  This will help you get started out the right way so we can help you set your business up for success.  Don’t forget to share this with Doctor’s, Chiropractor’s, and anyone really, & you can help make people healthy and possibly live longer. 

If you do decide to become a distributor, you now own a business of your own.  There are numerous tax deductions that your accountant can share with you about just what you can write off such as:  cell phone bills, meals with clients, gas to drive to clients, a portion of your car payment if you use your car for business and many others.  And with it only costing a one time fee of $50 to join, how can you start a business for that low of an investment.  And you can cancel at any time!  LifeSource will see to that!  What better time to own your own business than now, taxes going up, health care concerns, current state of our economy, now is the time to look into residual income for life opportunities.  This is a solid choice. 

The Prosperity Plan

LifeSourceis offering this opportunity to all of our customers.  If you’ve been burned by a multi-level marketing company before, we totally understand, there is no funny business with this company unlike other MLM companies!  The product is indisputable, it flat out works.  It is a network marketing structure like no other. This is worth giving a second look, we guarantee it!

Now is the time, a true ground floor opportunity!

You have heard of people who achieved amazing financial success by getting in on a ground floor opportunity, this is your time! A very tiny up-front investment for a lifetime of residual income!
The only time to make an amazing financial windfall in any network marketing company is at the ground level. This Network Marketing opportunity began in May 2009. It’s currently only in the United States, within two years it will be worldwide. Have you ever said “Wow, if I had only invested in that company early on”, or “That guy was just in the right place at the right time.” Well, you are at the right place and now is the right time. Whether you choose just to purchase Protandim from LifeSource or to jump in and become part of this outstanding distributor team, I hope that you pray about it and ask God to give you wisdom and guidance. My goal at LifeSource has always been to be diligent to God and to help people live longer and healthier lives. Thank you for your continued support of LifeSource Nutrition. I believe trust must be earned, and I hope we can continue to earn yours in the future. God bless you and your loved ones always.

Lifevantage/Protandim has only been in Network Marketing since May of 2009, so as you can see, this product is set to grow worldwide in 2 years, let’s be part of it together.  We can help you grow your business with you.  Call us today!

Thus Far…

I congratulate all of you who have taken the time to read the immense scientific research on Protandim written above – a product that I believe has the potential to revolutionize the supplement world. 

Whether you choose to buy it from LifeSource Nutrition or to become a part of this outstanding distributor team, I hope that you pray about it and ask God to give you wisdom and guidance.  My goal at LifeSource has always been to help people live a longer, healthier life and to be diligent to God.  I have always believed God is guiding me on my path in life and He is lighting the way of my future ("Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  Psalm 119:105"). 

May God bless you and your loved ones always!

In Christ,
Bruce Brightman, Founder
LifeSource Nutrition

If you would like to speak with me directly, please call me at (800) 567-8122 toll free.

Please continue to read more specifics on the scientific explanation of Oxidative Stress and how Protandim can radically change how we age.

The unique blend of phytonutrients in LifeVantage's Protandim signal your body’s genes to produce special antioxidant enzymes, SOD (superoxide dismutase) CAT (catalase) that work together as the body’s first line of defense against free radicals.*

These enzymes are “catalytic”, which means that SOD and CAT are not used up when they neutralize free radicals.

A single daily caplet of Protandim creates a cascade of your body’s natural catalytic antioxidants that are able to destroy millions of free radicals per second, on a continuous basis - 24/7.

Protandim is a patented dietary supplement that increases the body's natural antioxidant defenses. Protandim is not an antioxidant per se, but provides antioxidant therapy by inducing the genes that encode a family of protective enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT).  Protandim's mechanism of action is to prevent free radical damage by increasing endogenous catalytic pathways, whereas traditional antioxidant supplements provide only stoichiometric scavenging of free radicals or other oxidants. 

The age related increase in oxidative stress markers was completely eliminated. So while no one claims Protandim is a cure for aging, it has been shown to greatly reduce or eliminate certain biochemical processes associated with aging.

The scientific evidence showing Protandim works is based on clinical study results using a TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) measurement, which reflects the damage to cell membranes from oxidative stress. This damage is caused by free radicals that are produced by our own metabolic processes, and naturally increases as we age.

WHAT IS A FREE RADICAL & WHAT DOES IT DO?

Science Driven!

Scientists agree that aging and many deadly diseases are the result of cellular deterioration due to rogue molecules called free-radicals .

Free-radical damage is known as Oxidative Stress or Oxidative Damage. Protandim fights the free radicals that cause aging!

PROTANDIM is the only supplement clinically proven to reduce oxidative stress by an average 40%, slowing down the cell aging process to the level of a 20 year-old.* Protandim is not a conventional antioxidant supplement. Each Protandim caplet contains a unique combination of phytonutrients that signal the body’s genes to produce its own antioxidant enzymes, which provides thousands of times more antioxidant power than any food or conventional antioxidant supplement.

Your Body’s Ability to Battle Aging Decreases As You Age

The aging process is nature’s way of limiting the population of every species. It’s good for the species, but not so good for the individual. When you’re young, your body fights free-radicals effectively by producing its own antioxidants. But as you grow older, your body produces less antioxidants to fight the battles of aging and disease.

Antioxidant Rich Foods & Supplements Can’t Keep Up With Free-Radicals.
Protandim provides you with thousands of times more antioxidant power than any food or conventional supplement.* In fact, you would need to consume the antioxidants found in 375 oranges or 87 glasses of red wine or about 120 vitamin C tablets (500mg) a day to neutralize the amount of free radicals your body produces every single day.

Here’s why.

Not all antioxidants are equal. Conventional antioxidant supplements (such as vitamins A, C and E) are known as “consumable” antioxidants because they are used up as they neutralize free radicals on a one-to-one basis. The unique blend of phytonutrients in Protandim signal your body’s genes to produce special antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) that work together as the body’s first line of defense against free radicals.* These enzymes are “catalytic” , which means that SOD and CAT are not used up when they neutralize free radicals.

A single daily caplet of Protandim creates a cascade of your body’s natural catalytic antioxidants that are able to destroy millions of free radicals per second, on a continuous basis – 24/7.

All Natural Ingredients

The natural ingredients in Protandim were specifically chosen based upon their ability to cause the body to produce and up-regulate its natural network of antioxidant enzymes, including SOD and CAT. Protandim has been formulated using high quality, potent herbal extracts processed under proprietary technologies. It therefore provides powerful antioxidant protection against oxidative stress.
The following is a list of Protandim ingredients:
Proprietary Blend 675 mg:

Additional ingredients:  Calcium, Croscarmellose sodium, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, modified cellulose, silica, stearic acid.

Protandim is 100% Vegetarian

Protandim has been shown in a published, peer reviewed human study to eliminate the age-related increase in cell aging factors!

Dr. Joe McCord, a world renowned scientist, validated the precise combination of natural phytonutrients in the patented Protandim formula and proved that Protandim consistently and significantly boosted the body’s own production of two crucial protective antioxidant enzymes, SOD (superoxide dismutase) and CAT (catalase).* The implications were profound because these two antioxidant enzymes play a major role in neutralizing the cell-damaging free radicals associated with aging and a variety of health conditions.

Protandim is not an antioxidant supplement. It helps your body produce its own antioxidants with thousands of times more antioxidant power than any food or conventional supplement.* And the proof is conclusive.

Aging factors can be measured accurately by the amount of TBARS (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances) found in the blood. In clinical trials with men and women, young and old, the blood samples consistently demonstrated that after 30 days, taking one caplet a day, test subjects realized a 40 percent average decrease in TBARS – the progressive aging rate of a 20 year old!  After 120 days to that of a new born child.

When maintained for 120 days, Protandim significantly increased activity of SOD and CAT antioxidant enzymes by 54 percent, substantially increasing the body’s antioxidant defenses.*  This is equivalent to that of a new born child.

Protandim is profoundly different in the consumer marketplace for this reason. It has peer-reviewed, documented science behind it. Dr. Joe McCord, Protandim's co-inventor, possesses 4 Nobel prize nominations, is featured in Dr. Sanjay Gupta's best seller Chasing Life and is regarded as the preeminent scientist in field of anti oxidant research. This is LifeVantage and this is our product.

From a business perspective, we are in the enviable position of taking a new product to market from the ground floor. If ever an economy and product line created a perfect storm for network marketing people to work in, it is this.Call LifeSource today and get more info on the product, become a distributor or speak to Bruce Brightman directly.  800-567-8122

Protandim Evidence Mounts:

Doctors finally receive clinical proof on a antitoxin supplement that slows down the progressive rate of aging. This new supplement " Protandim" reduces Oxidative Stress by an average of 40 %. Oxidative Stress has been linked to over 200 diseases, such as Cancer, Diabetes, Alzheimer's . Blood Tests have shown that people at any age bring their cellular health to that of a 20 year old after just 30 days of use.

This begins a news release that was issued not long ago leading into yet another story on the growing clinical data supporting the effectiveness of Protandim.

There are presently studies being conducted in over 20 major universities on the impact of Protandim with Oxidative Stress, one of today's hottest medical topics. Dr. Joe McCord is the scientist at the head of much of the data being compiled.

Protandim works differently than other antioxidant supplements. It actually signals the cells in our bodies to produce more of its own antioxidant enzymes, which provide thousands of times more antioxidant power than any food or conventional supplement.

An investigation into Protandim with boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is particularly exciting, according to Dr. McCord. Parents of a number of boys with DMD tried Protandim with their sons and reported significant improvements in strength and endurance as well as cognitive function. DMD is one of over 100 human diseases associated with oxidative stress. DMD, by the way, is a genetic disease and impacts only males.

I share this with you because there is a growing body of evidence about Protandim and the incredible impact that it is having on so many aspects of our health issues. The earning potential for Protandim sales is quite significant given the data now being published. More studies are underway and when they are released, we will share that data with you.

Oxidative Stress:

Oxidative stress, simply put, is the damage made to a cell through the oxidative process.

Oxidation, in itself, is a very normal process - it happens all the time to our bodies and many things that surround us.

However, when there are disturbances in the natural oxidation process, such as the attraction of a free radical to another molecule in your body, the results are often toxic effects.

Imagine an iron pipe lying on the ground. As it weathers years of rain, environmental exposure, sun, and other factors, it begins to rust.

The rust is caused by oxidation. Free oxygen radicals are created during the metabolism of normal oxygen cells, or oxidation. These free radicals are missing a simple electron and are in search of another molecule that they can combine with to become "whole." In their quest, they fire charges that damage other cells and structures around them. This, in turn, causes the rust.
In effect, your body is "rusting" as it goes through its lifetime, the free oxygen radicals wildly running through your system, searching for a mate.

As you can see, the more free radicals your body contains, the more damage that's likely to be done. The best way to see this damage is through our normal aging process.
 
* Cancer results as the chain damages cell membranes and DNA.

Oxidative Stress and Aging

While modern medicine has found ways for humans to live longer, our quality of life - especially during the last 30 years - has gone down.
Much of this can be attributed to oxidative stress and the toxins that we're encountering more and more throughout our lives.
A simple way to visually experience the effects of oxidative stress on aging is to visit a nursing home. Compare the skin of a five-year-old to that of a resident, and notice the breakdown, wrinkles, and color as compared to the smooth, supple skin of a child.
Throughout our lives, our skin encounters free radicals in many different forms, and their effect is clearly obvious on our skin.
But oxidative stress isn't only apparent on the outside. It's the cause of many or most diseases our society is concerned with today.

Oxidative Stress and Disease

To date, science has discovered that oxidative stress may very well be the cause of over 70 well-known, widely-spread diseases.
Depending on what form of toxin or stress your body is exposed to on an ongoing basis, you could find yourself suffering, even at an early age, from diseases that could be prevented if only you'd have minimized the harmful free radicals in your system.


A Look at Free Radicals

Obviously, even back in the early days of man, free radicals existed and caused oxidative stress.
They're inherent to life and a normal byproduct of regular oxygen molecule metabolism. However, our bodies were only made to withstand so much exposure to free radicals (even though our body does an amazing job at neutralizing them in a normal, low-toxin setting).
The increased and prolonged exposure to these wild and reckless free radicals cause a faster build-up of "rust" or disease in our bodies.
So what are some of the most common reasons our bodies' oxygen molecules oxidize themselves into an increased amount of free radicals? Some of them you're probably well aware of, and some of them may come as a surprise.

THE REAL STORY ON FREE RADICALS.

Very few individuals, if any, reach their potential maximum life span; they die instead prematurely of a wide variety of diseases--the vast majority being "free radical" diseases.

--Denham Harmon, M.D., Ph.D., who in 1954 first proposed the Free Radical Theory of aging

Honey, take a look at this. You might find it interesting."

Great moments in human history often begin inauspiciously. Such was the case in December 1945, when the wife of Denham Harmon handed him the latest issue of the Ladies' Home Journal.  It was opened to an article titled "Tomorrow You May Be Younger," written by William L. Laurence, science editor of the New York Times.  This article, heralding the work of a Russian gerontologist on an "anti-reticular cytotoxic serum," sparked Dr. Harmon's interest in finding an answer to the riddle of aging--a subject that scientists of the time knew absolutely nothing about.   Even to this day most MD’s know very little about Free Radicals/Oxidative Stress.

For the next nine years, Dr. Harmon, a brilliant young organic chemist with a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, ruminated about the aging process.

Because aging is such a universal phenomenon, he reasoned that it might have a single basic cause. But what could it be?  The answer eluded him.

Though still obsessed with the question, he had to place it on the back burner while he completed medical school and an internship at Stanford University.  Then one morning in November 1954, during a period in which he was simultaneously completing his residency in internal medicine and doing research at Berkeley's Donner Laboratory, Dr. Harmon's quest ended.  That day, while reading in his office, he had an "aha" experience that would revolutionize medical science: "(It) suddenly occurred to me that free radical reactions, however initiated, could be responsible for the progressive deterioration of biological systems." of course, sometimes even the best ideas are slow to be accepted. This one didn't exactly inspire words of praise--not at first, anyway. After thinking it over for a month, Dr. Harmon strolled the Berkeley campus, knocking on doors and presenting his newly formulated Free Radical Theory to his colleagues. To say that it was a hard sell would be an understatement. He might have had more success had he been hawking vacuum cleaners.

The scientists whom Dr. Harmon approached were singularly unimpressed. In fact, all but two flatly rejected his idea. One after another, they slammed the door in the face of the young upstart, who dared challenge the status quo with the preposterous notion that all degenerative disease--and the aging process itself--could be explained by the presence of free radicals.

Undaunted, Dr. Harmon pursued his theory. In subsequent years, he demonstrated how the effects of free radicals are reversed by nutrients known as antioxidants, how antioxidants extend the life spans of laboratory animals, and how antioxidants offer protection against heart disease, cancer, senile brain disease, and all other degenerative conditions associated with aging. Dr. Harmon proved that age-related immune deficiency is caused by free radicals and can be reversed by antioxidants.

In terms of scientific significance, Dr. Harmon's Free Radical Theory ranks with Galileo's invention of the telescope, Newton's discovery of gravity, and Einstein's theory of relativity. No breakthrough has had more profound implications for human health and longevity.

Now in his mid-eighties and still professionally active, Dr. Harmon deserves the Nobel Prize for his revolutionary work.

Free Radicals: Longevity's Most Formidable Foe

Dr. Harmon's Free Radical Theory has emerged as the best understood and most widely accepted explanation of the aging process. Having stood the test of time and countless research validations, it has become not just a damage theory but the damage theory. (You'll recall from chapter 1 that according to damage theories, cumulative cellular damage determines a person's age of death.) In fact, among doctors specializing in anti-aging medicine, Free Radical Theory has transcended mere theory status and is considered a biological fact of life.

Just what are these free radicals, anyway? Understanding where they come from, and why and how they do so much damage, requires a brief lesson in biochemistry.

Molecules are made up of atoms glued together by chemical bonds. Each bond consists of a pair of electrons. When a bond is broken, what's left are two molecular fragments, each of which contains one of the now unpaired electrons. These molecular fragments are highly charged and highly unstable, because they contain only one electron rather than two. These highly charged, highly unstable, highly reactive particles are what we know as free radicals.

Unfortunately for us humans, the biochemical saga of free radicals doesn't end there. Remember, each free radical contains one unpaired electron. And unpaired electrons, like unpaired humans, hate to be alone. They want a partner, and they're not above breaking up another bond to get what they want. Scientists call this process oxidation, and free radicals are masters at it. They're not particularly discriminating about where they get their new partners, either. They'll oxidize just about anything that gets in their way--punching holes in cell membranes, destroying key enzymes, and fracturing DNA.

What's more, free radicals are remarkably prolific. One free radical, unchecked, can cause new ones to form. These free radicals, in turn, give rise to many more. How does this happen?

Because it has so much energy, a free radical zips about until it bangs into a nearby molecule with a stable bond.  The collision splits the stable molecule, releasing one of its two electrons.  The free radical nabs the electron as a partner for its own unpaired electron, and the two form a stable bond. All this happens, quite literally, within nanoseconds.

The good news is that the free radical has stabilized itself. The bad news is that in doing so, it may have caused the formation of two more free radicals by breaking a stable bond, leaving the two atoms of the formerly stable molecule to share one unpaired electron.  So begins a chain reaction that produces thousands of molecular fragments with unpaired electrons.  And every one of these fragments is careening about, looking to swipe an electron from an unsuspecting stable molecule.

To get a clearer understanding of how free radicals multiply, imagine a football stadium filled to the brim with mousetraps, each mousetrap loaded with a Ping-Pong ball.  If you drop one Ping-Pong ball into the stadium, it springs one mousetrap, causing it to fling its ball into the air.  Then you have two loose Ping-Pong balls, which spring two more mousetraps. Within a matter of seconds, all of the mousetraps are sprung, and all of the balls are loose.

Now if all those mousetraps were stable molecules, and all those Ping-Pong balls were free radicals, you would have just witnessed a free radical free-for-all.

Cellular Sabotage

In their reckless quest for electrons, free radicals do a lot of structural damage to healthy cells. Injured cells can't function properly and may even die.

Most vulnerable to free radical attack is the cell membrane, which surrounds each cell and guards its jellylike interior. The cell membrane is a sophisticated, highly selective barrier whose all-important job is to guard access to the cell. It decides what gets in, what stays in, and what is expelled (forcibly, if need be). If cells were nightclubs, then cell membranes would be bouncers.

Inside each cell are many subcellular structures called organelles. Each organelle is wrapped in its own protective outer membrane and performs a highly specialized function. Mitochondria, for example, transform oxygen and food into energy, which the cell uses to carry out its tasks. Lysosomes scarf up and digest cellular garbage, which is then either recycled or jettisoned. The cell's nucleus is also an organelle. It houses DNA, the cell's genetic blueprint.

When a cell membrane or an organelle membrane is damaged by free radicals, it loses its protective properties. This puts the health of the entire cell at risk.

The cell membrane is a pushover for free radical attack because it is composed primarily of easily oxidized fatty acids. Like tiny but powerful bullets, highly charged free radical particles rip into the cell membrane, literally puncturing holes in it. A damaged cell membrane loses its selectivity. When this happens, transportation of nutrients, oxygen, and water into the cell and removal of waste products from the cell become compromised. 
In much the same way, free radical damage to an organelle's membrane sabotages the organelle's function. When mitochondria are injured, for instance, these submicroscopic power plants can't produce the energy necessary to drive the cell's machinery. If damage to the mitochondrial membrane is extensive, the cell dies.

Free radicals can even bang their way through the protective membrane surrounding the nucleus, gaining access to the DNA molecules housed inside. If free radicals happen to break the DNA molecules in order to snatch electrons, the cell dies, or loses its ability to replicate, or replicates abnormally--a process known as mutation. Mutation can give rise to the collections of abnormal cells that we know as cancer.

But cancer isn't the only health problem for which free radicals are responsible. Cumulative free radical damage contributes to all sorts of organ- and tissue-specific diseases, including allergies, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, atherosclerosis (hardening and clogging of the arteries), cancer, cataracts, infections, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease. In fact, researchers now agree that most common ailments, including virtually all chronic degenerative diseases, are either caused directly by or are closely associated with free radical damage.

The Usual Suspects

The free radicals that occur naturally within your body should be no cause for concern. It's the excess free radicals, the ones that your body is not prepared to handle, that cause life-shortening damage. This extra load results from two key factors: an overabundance of toxins and a shortage of antioxidants (more on these later).

A complete list of all the external sources of free radicals would likely run on for pages. So here are a few of the more pernicious offenders.

The standard American diet. The standard American diet is a free radical fiasco just waiting to happen. It's liberally laced with high-fat, processed, preserved, pesticide-laden, chemically treated foods. It's chock-full of known free radical formers such as meat, butter, margarine, sugar, white flour, and alcohol. It emphasizes frying, browning, and other cooking methods that exponentially drive up the free radical count. Most significant of all, it's dangerously deficient in antioxidant-rich, free radicalfighting fruits and vegetables.

A high-fat diet. Consuming more than 10 percent of your calories from fat dramatically increases your body's free radical load. The reason: When bombarded by free radicals, fat molecules split apart easily. The weak bonds that hold together polyunsaturated fat molecules are especially sensitive to and readily broken by heat, light, or oxygen. The more fat you ingest, the more free radicals your body generates. This is why heart disease and cancer, two conditions associated with cumulative free radical damage, are most common in people who consume high-fat diets.

Trans-fats. Also known as funny-fats or ugly fats (because of what they do to the body), trans-fats are seething cauldrons of free radical activity. They're created by cooking at high heat and by hydrogenation (the process used to harden liquid vegetable oils). Most people get their trans-fats from the margarine they spread on their morning toast, the shortening in most baked goods, and the hydrogenated oil in processed and convenience foods (such as crackers, chips, and nuts). The average American ingests 100 pounds of trans-fats annually, a tremendous free radical load.

Chemicals. Some of the nastiest and most pervasive free radicals come from the vast and expanding array of toxic chemicals being released into the environment. Chlorination of water supplies spawns often dangerous levels of chloroform and trihalomethanes, both powerful free radical formers. The air is also saturated with free radical formers: oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, ozone (which is beneficial to humans only if it stays in the upper atmosphere), chlorine, aromatic hydrocarbons (such as benzene and toluene), formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, lead, asbestos, and tobacco smoke. The combustion of tobacco alone creates thousands of different free radicalgenerating chemicals. Even if you don't smoke, you may have a hard time escaping from secondhand smoke.

Pesticides. Pesticides are notorious free radical formers. They're also very soluble in fat. This means they're found in much larger quantities in foods of animal origin, which are naturally high in fat, than in foods of plant origin. Why? Well, an animal eats pesticide-sprayed feed every day over the course of its lifetime. The pesticide residues become concentrated in the animal's fatty tissues, the result of a vain attempt by the animal's body to remove the toxic substances. Then when you eat food from that animal--be it steak, chicken, milk, cheese, or butter--your body likewise tries to rid itself of the toxins by storing them in fatty tissues. Hidden away, the pesticide molecules eventually initiate free radical chain reactions. This phenomenon helps explain the epidemic of heart disease and cancer among meat-eaters.

Radiation. Ionizing radiation--including medical and dental x-rays, radon gas, and ultraviolet radiation from the sun--fractures stable molecules. In doing so, it creates free radicals. Cells are extremely sensitive to radiation, with the cell membranes and the chromosomes in the nuclei at highest risk for damage. And radiation doesn't have to be strong to do harm: Exposure so weak that it destroys only one molecule in 100 million can nevertheless trigger free radical chain reactions capable of killing an entire cell. And if radiation scores a direct hit on a cell's nucleus, the cell's DNA--the blueprint for cell replication--becomes damaged.

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