In a previous blog article titled High-Dose Antioxidant Supplements: Friend or Foe, it was said that activating the Nrf2 pathway, your body’s internal defence system, is a much more effective way of protecting your body from harmful free radicals than taking antioxidant supplements. That’s because when Nrf2 is activated, it tells your body to start making hundreds of different protective molecules, like antioxidant enzymes. These molecules not only have the ability to fight off large numbers of free radicals, they can also repair damaged cells and build up defences that work to protect your cells from any future stress caused by free radical exposure.
One way to trigger Nrf2 is to make sure you provide your body with properly balanced phytonutrients. But what are phytonutrients and where are they found?
PHYTONUTRIENTS: WHAT ARE THEY AND WHY DO I NEED THEM?
Phytonutrients are chemicals produced by plants. Phytonutrients help plants in a variety of ways, such as repelling insect invaders and protecting the plant from radiation from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Researchers estimate that over 40,000 of these plant compounds exist.
People who eat plants rich in phytonutrients (you can tell which ones have the most phytonutrients by their deep color) experience benefits from these powerful antioxidants. Cultures where diets are primarily plant-based tend to produce long-lived people with reduced rates of the myriad of health conditions that are common in populations that consume the standard American diet. Phytonutrients perform many functions throughout the body including – facilitating intercellular communication, repairing DNA damage, and activating the Nrf2 pathway.
It’s hard to document the exact effect these plant compounds have on human health as each phytonutrient affects multiple areas of the body. Also, phytonutrients work together to provide benefits in ways scientists may not yet completely understand. So, isolating one phytonutrient and supplementing with it alone may not provide the benefits that a combination of phytonutrients can provide.
TYPES OF PHYTONUTRIENTS
Scientists classify phytonutrients by chemical structure, then break these classes into dozens of other groups containing hundreds of phytonutrients. Some of the more important ones are:
• Curcuminoids
• Bacosides
• Withanolides
• Catechins
• Flavonoids
Each of these phytonutrients acts in a special way, alone and together with other phytonutrients, to provide benefits to the body. And here’s where Protandim Nrf2 Synergizer comes in.
PROTANDIM NRF2 SYNERGIZER: A SUPPLEMENT PACKED WITH A SPECIAL COMBINATION OF PHYTONUTRIENTS
Protandim Nrf2 Synergizer contains these ingredients:
- Turmeric: Contains curcumin, a biologically active polyphenolic compound which modulates many molecular functions, helps with bodily detoxification processes, and has high antioxidant activity including documented Nrf2 activation.
- Bacopa: Contains high levels of bacosides with saponins, which have been related to improved memory function, healthy liver function, and high antioxidant activity.
- Ashwagandha: Contains withanolides, an adaptogen that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine to normalize body processes, promote homeostasis, and decrease cellular stress.
- Green tea: Contains catechins such as epigallocatechan gallate (“EGCG”). This potent antioxidant has been used for thousands of years for its health and wellness benefits such as supporting healthy GI function and repairing damaged DNA.
- Milk thistle: Contains a unique flavonoid complex called silymarin, a potent antioxidant that may be 10 times more potent in antioxidant activity than vitamin E. It also has been shown to provide cleansing and rejuvenation to the liver.
This chart shows the results of a study that measured these five ingredients, both individually and combined (Protandim Nrf2 Synergizer), and their ability to activate the Nrf2 pathway.
How is this possible? Can the same ingredients really act differently together than they do individually?
That’s the power of phytonutrients and their interaction—when combined in a carefully constructed formula with optimal types of ingredients in the correct ratios, they work more effectively. The potent combination of ingredients in Protandim Nrf2 Synergizer works hard to activate the body’s Nrf2 pathways, up-regulating a multitude of genes, maintaining cellular homeostasis, and combating oxidative stress.
If you don’t eat a lot of fruits and veggies, a supplement like Protandim Nrf2 Synergizer can help. But eating a variety of nutrient-rich foods is always a good idea. A healthy diet in combination with the supplement is an even better idea! You need as many antioxidants as you can get to fight off free radicals and keep you in good health.
Are you ready to take action?
Click below to learn more about Nrf2!
