Supplement Facts

Neil E. Levin, CCN, DANLA
4/14/05

KEY INGREDIENTS:  Enzogenol® from New Zealand Pine Tree bark (Pinus radiata)  Rutin (200 mg) and Grape Seed Extract (50 mg)

MAIN PRODUCT FEATURES: Enzogenol® is a powerful formulation of antioxidant bioflavonoids extracted from the bark of the New Zealand Pine (Pinus radiata) that is comparable to flavonoid formulations of other pine bark products. The flavonoids found in Enzogenol have been shown in clinical and non-clinical studies to support cardiovascular health and to protect cells and tissues from the damaging effects of oxidative stress.  NOW® Enzogenol® also contains Rutin and Grape Seed Extract for their synergistic antioxidant benefits.

ADDITIONAL PRODUCT USE INFORMATION & QUALITY ISSUES:  Enzogenol® is a powerful and highly effective formulation of antioxidants extracted from fresh New Zealand pine bark – one of the most comprehensive complexes of natural antioxidants. A breakthrough in processing technology combines all of these antioxidants in an Enzogenol® capsule in exactly the same ratios as are present in the tree's bark. What's more, the revolutionary pure-water extraction process doesn't use toxic solvents like traditional extraction processes do.

SERVING SIZE & HOW TO TAKE IT: One to four capsules a day as an antioxidant dietary supplement.

SYNERGISTS: Other antioxidants including Vitamin C, VitaBerry Plus+TM, Alpha Lipoic Acid, NAC, etc.

Keli SO, Hertog MG, Feskens EJ, Kromhout D. Dietary flavonoids, antioxidant vitamins, and incidence of stroke: the Zutphen study. Arch Intern Med. 1996 Mar 25;156(6):637-42. PMID: 8629875

Ames, BN, Shigenaga, MK, Hagen, TM (1993). Oxidants, antioxidants, and the degenerative diseases of aging. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 7915-7922

Antioxidants are a class of nutrients that protect the body from damage caused by different factors, most importantly oxidative damage caused by substances called free radicals. Free radicals are known as “reactive oxygen species”, or ROS. They are produced when your body uses oxygen for energy. Just as fire emits smoke as a by-product, ROS are emitted from the conversion of oxygen to energy in the human body, eventually causing oxidative damage to body systems. Free radicals are also created when the body is exposed to pollution, cigarette smoke, car exhaust and other harmful environmental toxins.*

What makes a free radical a free radical? Free radical molecules are missing the electron in their atomic composition. They attack other molecules and attempt to steal their electrons, thus creating another free radical. This oxidation process continues until key biological molecules and even genes become permanently damaged from electron loss, lowering the immune system’s response to disease and adversely affecting other body systems. Scientists now believe this process is also responsible for the body’s decline as we age. This theory, known as “the free radical theory of aging”, was first proposed by Dr. Denham Harman in 1954. Over time, if left unchecked, free radicals cause oxidative damage to a wide range of tissues, organs and body systems, slowly damaging more molecules and decreasing immune response. Theoretically, this is why the elderly are so much more fragile and susceptible to disease, much more so than their younger counterparts.*

There are different types of antioxidants, and most work better when paired with other antioxidants. This is called synergism. Vitamins can be antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E. The tripeptide glutathione, loosely classified as an amino acid, acts as an antioxidant, along with other true amino acids such as methionine. The raw herbs and vegetables we consume contain natural antioxidants called bioflavonoids and carotenoids, which are effective antioxidants on their own, but are more effective when synergistically combined with other antioxidants. Together these nutrients protect your cells from electron robbery at the hands of larcenous free radicals, protecting the body from disease and slowing the inevitable signs of aging.*