A whole new generation of antioxidants has become more widely available in the past few months. Many of these new products contain additional constituents which provide extra health benefits in addition to their antioxidant properties.

First, the definitions:

Antioxidant: An antioxidant is an enzyme or other organic molecule that can counteract the damaging effects of oxygen in tissues. Although the term technically applies to molecules reacting with oxygen, it is often applied to molecules that protect from any free radical (molecule with unpaired electron). Nutrients such as beta-carotene (a vitamin A precursor), vitamin C, vitamin E, and selenium have been found to act as antioxidants. They act by scavenging free radicals, molecules with one or more unpaired electrons, which rapidly react with other molecules, starting chain reactions in a process called oxidation.

Free Radical: An atom or group of atoms that has at least one unpaired electron and is therefore unstable and highly reactive is called a free radical. In animal tissues, free radicals can damage cells and are believed to acceler-ate the progression of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and age-related diseases. Where do they come from? Everywhere. Free radicals are a normal product of metabolism; the body produces its own antioxidants (e.g., the enzyme superoxide dismutase) to keep them in balance. However, stress, aging, and environmental sources such as polluted air and cigarette smoke, alcohol, air pollution, sunlight, pesticides, drugs, a high-fat diet, even fried foods, can all add to the number of free radicals in the body, creating an imbalance. The highly reactive free radicals can damage healthy DNA and have been linked to changes that accompany aging (such as age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in older people) and with disease processes that lead to cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Exotic Fruits, The New Antioxidants

Pomegranate: Pomegranates are a great source of natural antioxidants. The pomegranate is proven to have higher antioxidant levels than green tea, red wine, cranberries, or blueberries. Human clinical trials demonstrate that the antioxidant compounds found in pomegranates can help maintain healthy blood vessels and healthy LDL cholesterol levels, and support normal blood pressure levels.

PomGuard from Jarrow Formulas is a unique blend of fermented Israel pomegranate juice, seed meal, and aqueous extracts of peel and leaf. Fermentation improves the bioavailability by zymolysis of the flavonoid glycosides. This patented blend was developed by the renowned pioneer pomegranate researcher Dr. Ephraim Lansky, and is supported by scientific research. PomGuard supports healthy cell replication and function, supports cardiovascular function, supports healthy brain function, promotes healthy blood pressure and reduces oxidative damage by free radicals.

LycoPom from New Chapter blends Lycopene from tomatoes and whole-fruit pomegranate extract. The lycopene acts as a powerful antioxidant that: protects cell membranes and arteries from environmental insult and oxidative stress as well as enhancing and protecting white blood cells, and nourishing and protecting the thymus gland. The antioxidant activity of pomegranate juice is higher than that of red wine or green tea. The pomegranate extract used in LycoPom was found to have five times greater antioxidant activity than vitamin E.

Mangosteen: Mangosteen is a fruit native to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia, treasured for thousands of years as the “Queen of Fruits” for its taste and health-promoting properties. Mangosteen fruit has a thick hull which is chock full of specialized antioxidants called xanthones, which effectively neutralize free radicals.

Doctor’s Best introduces Best Mangosteen 10% Extract, which provides the potent antioxidant benefits of xanthone flavonoids, which may help neutralize cell damage by free radicals, allowing for the mainte-nance of optimal cell function. The flavonoids also help to support a healthy immune system. Research has shown that the flavonoid components of mangosteen have the ability to enhance important aspects of immune function and protect against damage by several free radical species, making the extract an exciting health-promoting addition to the daily diet.

Pure Fruit Technologies bottles a liquid juice from mangosteen fruit called Mango•Xan. Made from the whole fruit of the mangosteen, and artfully blended with a symphony of other healthful juices, Mango•xan delivers a wealth of xanthone antioxidants to protect your whole body. Xanthones extracted from the bitter rind of the mangosteen are part of the fruit juice blend. The result? An ultra-concentrated source of antioxidant xanthones.

Coffee Berry: The coffee bean is not the whole coffee fruit, no more than a peach pit is the peach. Like many fruits, the coffee fruit (berry) is designed to nourish and protect its seed. Coffee berry provides the extraordinary antioxidant defense of more than five servings of antioxidant-rich fruits.

Coffee berry is also abundant in polyphenols that help preserve natural antioxidants in the body, protect cell membranes and human plasma against damaging oxidation, neutralize toxic free radicals, help maintain healthy blood glucose levels. Coffee berry contains five of eight rare and essential sugars called monosaccharides. Research indicates these glyconutrients are essential for the various complex biological systems to interact and function properly to prevent free-radical damage and to initiate cellular repair. Polysaccharides, such as mannans and arabinogalactans, make up almost half the dry weight of coffee berry. Conventional roasting destroys these nutrients, so they're not found in traditional brewed coffee. New Chapter's CoffeeBerry Whole Coffee Fruit Concentrate contains less than 1% caffeine, which means that a daily serving contains no more caffeine than one-tenth of a cup of tea.

Goji Berry: Goji Berry is an ancient fruit found growing in the wild in the Himalayan regions of Asia. For centuries, traditional herbalist have recognized the various health benefits of Goji berry in addition to its status as a highly nutritious food. Goji berry is a rich source of vitamin C and also contains many other health-promoting vitamins and minerals. Goji berries have long been revered as a universal tonic for their longevity-enhancing effects. Goji berry may support the health of the eyes, the skin, and the cardiovascular system. The latest scientific compounds with immune-enhancing properties.

Doctor’s Best recently introduced Goji Berry Extract. Goji berries are used in traditional Chinese herbalism to support eye health and are also known to contain a high level of zeaxanthin dipalmitate. Zeaxanthin is a carotenoid that is widely distributed in fruits and vegetables and, along with lutein, is present in significant amounts in the macula of the human eye. Studies suggest that the presence of zeaxanthin is highly desirable for healthy visual function. Analysis revealed that the esterified zeaxanthin from Goji berry caused a higher increase in plasma levels than the non-esterified form, indicating higher bioavailability. Goji berry was also studied on various measures of antioxidant activity.

Researchers subjected three Chinese herbs, one of which was Goji berry, to various assays of reactive oxygen scavenging potential. The researchers concluded that among these herbs, Goji could be considered the best antioxidant to promote healthy aging. Along with its antioxidant activity, Goji berry extract has the ability to maintain healthy immune function.

Acai: Acai is an exotic palm fruit from the Amazonian rain forest. The story of acai dates back hundreds of years to its use by the peoples of the Orinoco basin area of Brazil. The fruit was treasured as a source of sustenance for the people. Scientific research has confirmed the high nutritional value of acai fruit and uncovered its potent antioxidant benefits.

Analyses have shown that acai is one of the richest sources of anthocyanins in the world, substances known to be powerful free radical scavengers. Doctor’s Best introduces Best Acai which features OptiAcai, a potent, freeze-dried form of acai fruit. Ripe acai fruits that grow wild in the Amazon are harvested at their peak. The skin and pulp are separated from their seeds and dried in a unique freeze-drying process that preserves the wholesome goodness of the entire fruit, including the important anthocyanins. This ensures that OptiAcai retains powerful, beneficial antioxidant properties, which serve to promote cellular health.

Dark Cherry: Cherries may offer nature’s most powerful combination of cell rejuvenating antioxidants and rare plant compounds, plus the highest ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) content per serving of any known fruit concentrate. Researchers at the Human Aging Institute found that when 5,000 ORAC units a day are consumed through food, the risk of disease and premature aging are substantially reduced.

Pure Planet Technology has captured the health-promoting benefits of tart cherries in the most nutritionally potent fruit juice available. Each delicious serving contains a whopping 5,286 ORAC units. Pure Planet produces a Tart Cherry Concentrate with the following benefits: melatonin to help balance circadian rhythms that support improved sleep, anthocyanins and bioflavonoids that promote healthy joint func-tion, isoqueritrin and queritrin, antioxidants studies have shown these work to eliminate by-products of oxidative stress and thereby slow the aging process, ellagic acid, (clinically tested by the Hollings Cancer Institute and Medical Research Centers) cell-rejuvenating antioxidants and rare plant compounds, Highest ORAC content per serving of any known fruit.

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