Page 1 - Quench-AntiOxidant

Quench-FX: A Synergistic Blend of Antioxidants

by Dr Gordon Chang, PhD

Free radicals are very active chemical groups and research studies have shown they may in fact cause or worsen all diseases. There
are many different types of free radicals and they occur in every organ in the body. Free radicals are also believed to be responsible
for producing the visible and invisible signs of aging.

What Exactly IS A Free Radical?

Free radicals are very chemically reactive, unstable molecules and they are created whenever a previously stable molecule gains an
electron. They are constantly being produced in the environment and also in the human body.

For example, whenever ultraviolet radiation enters the eye, the UV rays can react with a normally stable molecule to form a free
radical molecule. Whenever one free radical molecule meets another stable molecule it reacts with it to form two free radical
molecules. These two free radical molecules then meet another two stable molecules, react with them and form four free radical
molecules. In turn, these four free radical molecules can then react with another four stable molecules to form eight free radical
molecules and so on. It is therefore easy to imagine a scenario where there is an infinite number of free radical molecules formed
because of one free radical molecule.

Anti-oxidants to the Rescue

If the spread of free radicals is not quickly stopped they can destroy the body’s tissues. Fortunately, there are several types of
molecules called anti-oxidants which will react with free radicals and absorb the spare electron, thus stopping the propagation
and formation of new free radical molecules. The body is able to produce several different types of these anti-oxidants (e.g. -
glutathione) but anti-oxidants are also absorbed from the food that we eat. The types of anti-oxidant molecules absorbed from
our diet are very important because not every anti-oxidant is capable of reacting with every free radical to stop the formation of
new free radicals. In other words, some types of anti-oxidants are specific to certain types of free radicals. Additionally, the location
where the body stores these absorbed anti-oxidants is key. (For example, if the absorbed anti-oxidant is stored in the liver this anti-
oxidant will be not be available for stopping free radical spread occurring in the lung.)

Anti-oxidant molecules may be stored at very strategic locations in the body. The number of anti-oxidant molecules stored and
the location of the stored anti-oxidants is dependent on the type of anti-oxidant. It thus becomes important to consume as wide
a variety of anti-oxidant molecules as possible. For example, the anti-oxidant lutein and anti-oxidants derived from Bilberry are
known to inhibit cataract formation and macula degeneration because these anti-oxidants are preferentially stored in the tissues of
the eyes. Likewise the anti-oxidant lycopene is preferentially stored in the prostate, testes, the adrenal glands and also in the liver. It
is therefore not surprising to note that lycopene has been shown to decrease the incidence of prostate cancer.

In summary, the combination of a healthy diet and lifestyle, exercise and nutritional supplements which include anti-oxidants is
a good choice to prevent disease and slow down the aging process. However, taking just one type of anti-oxidant cannot protect
from the large variety of free radical molecules commonly encountered by the body. Research has shown that your best choice for

anti-oxidant supplementation is a product that contains several different anti-oxidants to build a defence network and to help you
achieve the desired anti-aging results.