AuntieAging
on Anti-oxidants

Dear Auntie Aging,
I have been hearing a lot about “free-radicals” and “anti-oxidants” lately. What are they and what do they do? I thought free radicals was something that happened in the 1960s! Will I rust if I don’t take anti-oxidants? Help!
-Rusti in Indianapolis

Dear Rusti, Yes, but you will not rust in the way that you might think. Instead of appearing on the exterior, your body rusts by decaying at the cellular level. Unlike your car, you can’t actually see the rust on the surface, but you can tell it is there by the signs: premature aging (e.g., wrinkles), gradual loss of eyesight, sickness, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, among others.

The explanation is pretty simple: Like any vehicle, your body needs fuel to operate. Instead of gasoline, your body uses oxygen. It splits oxygen molecules to create energy for its cells. Instead of carbon monoxide as a waste product, splitting oxygen molecules creates “free radicals,” which are nothing more than rogue oxygen molecules that have been damaged in the generation of this energy. These “free radicals” are cellular thugs that cruise around the body, attacking the DNA in cells and destroying cell membranes at will. Their attack sets off a chain reaction of constant cell damage, which ultimately results in causing, hastening or encouraging a host of chronic diseases. This phenomenon is euphemistically known as “Oxidative Stress” on your body.

What’s a girl to do? You need some vitamin Sheriffs to round up these rogues and eliminate them from your body. That is where the “anti-oxidants” Vitamin C and E come into play. They handcuff these rogue cells, and escort them out of your body. “C” and “E” are the most effective anti-oxidant Sheriffs in the vitamin family. They work well together as a team because your body’s cells have two main parts: a fatty outer membrane and a watery interior. Vitamin E is “fat soluble,” that is, it can dissolve in the fatty outer layer and eliminate free radicals in the cellular membrane. Vitamin C is water soluble and can penetrate the cell walls and bind to free radicals inside of the cell at the very point where they are most likely to do the most damage.

What dosage is necessary to give these Sheriffs their full potential? Unlike Vitamin A, it is virtually impossible to overdose on Vitamins C or E. That is important to know, because dosages substantially in excess the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance are needed in order to have the greatest anti-oxidant effect. The RDA for Vitamin C is only 60 mg., but the dose necessary for optimum anti-oxidation is at least 1200 mg. per day taken throughout the day. You need to spread the intake of Vitamin C evenly throughout the day because you excrete it through urine. The RDA for Vitamin E is only 12-15 IU per day, but in order to achieve maximum anti-oxidation, you should take at least 400IU daily. Since Vitamin E is fat soluble, you only need to take it once per day: it stays in your system longer than Vitamin C.

Some experts believe that regularly taking anti-oxidants can biologically make you up to three years younger. There are other, powerful non-vitamin anti-oxidants, like grape seed extract, that can also help. For more information about anti-oxidants and where they are available, visit my web-site www.auntieaging.com.

Auntie Aging is a creation of Greta Blackburn, founder of Fitcamp (www.fitcamp.com), Malibu-headquartered fitness camp for adults. Blackburn is also an actress and a dancer in Los Angeles.

Send your questions on beauty and longevity to Aunti Aging at the NoHo News.