Glutathione's three major roles in the body are summarized by the letters A.I.D - Antioxidant, Immune Booster and Detoxifier - three critical processes driven by glutathione.
The Master Antioxidant
Over the years, researchers have explored the value of antioxidants in good health, as well as the treatment and prevention of diseases involving oxidative attack by free radical. This has produced a whole new branch of medicine - Free Radical Biology. Free radicals have been implicated in all sorts of illness, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes and aging itself.
Well-known and widely used antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium neutralize free radicals. They occur naturally in nature, but not naturally in your cells - they must be introduced as part of a balanced diets. Given the critical role of antioxidants in good health, it is not surprising that the body itself manufactures its own natural antioxidants. The most important of these is glutathione. Because all other antioxidants depend upon the presence of glutathione to function properly, scientists call it "the master antioxidant."
Food for the Immune System
The immune system's function is to identify and attack germs and other invaders, including cancer cells. A body with plenty of glutathione fights off these threats more easily by denying most of them a foothold and by confronting the few that get through with an enhanced immune system. Elevated glutathione levels enable the body to produce more white blood cells - the most important front line defense of the immune system.
Glutathione plays a central role in the funtions of these immune cells. Dr. Gustavo Bounous, a leading glutathione expert says, "The limiting factor in the proper activity of our lymphocytes (white blood cells) is the availability of glutathione". In other words, healthy growth and activity of immune cells depend upon glutathione's availability. Put simply, glutathione is 'food' for the immune system.
Natural Detoxification
Whether we know it or not, we are continually inhaling and ingesting natural and synthetic toxins. They are unavoidable in these modern times, both in our polluted cities And our engineered food supplies. When the body has its health and the nourishment it needs it works tirelessly to eliminate toxins and protest itself, but increasing levels of environmental pollution are depleting its stores of glutathione more and more rapidly. Our main organ of detoxification is the liver - the body's most concentrated source of glutathione. Studies show that low glutathione levels lead to poor liver function, causing more and more toxins to circulate through the body and resulting in damage to individual cells and organs. Doctors routinely use glutathione-promoting drugs to detoxify victims of certain types of drug overdose.
Glutathione in Health and Disease
It is believed that glutathione has a potential role to play in the treatment and prevention of hundreds of diseases. It may in the future be considered as important to health as a well-rounded diet, exercise and good lifestyle. Clinical tests show that raised glutathione levels may address some of the major health issues of our time - heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high cholesterol, asthma, cigarette smoking, hepatitis, AIDS and more. Glutathione provides the body with tools to fight off these threats naturally.
Healthy people also benefit from elevated glutathione levels through an enhanced ability to fight off toxins, infectious disease, pre-cancerous cells and the aging process itself. Diminished glutathione levels are a consequence of aging and are particularly evident in such ailments as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Glutathione is also important to physically active people. Many world-class athletes are discovering that well-maintained glutathione levels give them the edge over their competitors, bringing greater strength and endurance, decreased recovery time from injury, less muscle pain and fatigue, as well as muscle-promoting activity.
Putting It All Together
- Medical science is still ascertaining all the critical roles played by glutathione in disease resistance and general health. Clinical evidence links to low glutathione levels to the most common illnesses of our time as well as newly emerging diseases.
- As an essential A.I.D to health, glutathione works as the master Antioxdant in our body, optimizes the Immune system and Detoxifies a long list of pollutants and carcinogens. However, the body's glutathione levels are not raised by eating glutathione, since it is poorly absorbed through the digestive system. It must be manufactured within the cells of the body. Therefore, the best way to raise glutathione levels is by providing the building blocks used by the cells to make it themselves.
- Pharmaceutical medicine has created drugs that do this very effectively, and they have their uses in critical situations. But they also have side effects and repeated use is clearly inadvisable. Recently, scientists have studied natural ways to raise glutathione levels by safe, reliable dietary means.
(Information here are extracted from the book Glutathione Its Role in Cancer & Anticancer Therapy by Dr. Jimmy Gutman)
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi.
Clinical study shown the level of Glutathione raises to 180% in human body after 30 days drinking Himalayan Gochi.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study of the general effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum (Goji) Juice, GoChi.
FreeLife International, LLC, Phoenix, AZ 85040, USA. hamagase@freelife.com
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial is the first study reported from outside China that has examined the general effects of the orally consumed goji berry, Lycium barbarum, as a standardized juice (GoChi; FreeLife International LLC, Phoenix, AZ) to healthy adults for 14 days.METHODS: Based upon the medicinal properties of Lycium barbarum in traditional Asian medicine, we examined by questionnaire subjective ratings (0-5) of general feelings of well-being, neurologic/psychologic traits, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular complaints as well as any adverse effects. Also, measures of body weight, body-mass index, blood pressure, pulse rate, and visual acuity were assessed before and after consuming 120 mL of GoChi/day or placebo control solution. Data were statistically analyzed for changes between day 1 and day 15.
RESULTS: Significant differences between day 1 and day 15 were found in the GoChi group (N = 16) in increased ratings for energy level, athletic performance, quality of sleep, ease of awakening, ability to focus on activities, mental acuity, calmness, and feelings of health, contentment, and happiness. GoChi also significantly reduced fatigue and stress, and improved regularity of gastrointestinal function. In contrast, the placebo group (N = 18) showed only two significant changes (heartburn and happiness). No significant changes in musculoskeletal or cardiovascular complaints were observed in either group. All parametric data (body weight, etc.) were not significantly different between groups or between day 1 and day 15 for either group.
CONCLUSIONS: These results clearly indicate that daily consumption of GoChi for 14 days increases subjective feelings of general well-being, and improves neurologic/psychologic performance and gastrointestinal functions. The data strongly suggest that further research is indicated to confirm and extend knowledge of the potential effects of Lycium barbarum upon human health.
PMID: 18447631 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
(For more info: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed)
For more inquiry, email: haomin796@yahoo.co.uk
Immunomodulatory effects of a standardized Lycium barbarum fruit juice in Chinese older healthy human subjects.
FreeLife International LLC, Phoenix, Arizona 85040, USA. hamagase@freelife.com
Abstract
Lycium barbarum has been traditionally used in combination with several herbs for medicinal properties, but systematic modern clinical evaluation as a single herb has not been reported. To examine the systematic effects of L. barbarum on immune function, general well-being, and safety, we tested the effects of a standardized L. barbarum fruit juice (GoChi, FreeLife International, Phoenix, AZ, USA) at 120 mL/day, equivalent to at least 150 g of fresh fruit, the amount traditionally used, or placebo for 30 days in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study in 60 older healthy adults (55-72 years old). The GoChi group showed a statistically significant increase in the number of lymphocytes and levels of interleukin-2 and immunoglobulin G compared to pre-intervention and the placebo group, whereas the number of CD4, CD8, and natural killer cells or levels of interleukin-4 and immunoglobulin A were not significantly altered. The placebo group showed no significant changes in any immune measures. Whereas the GoChi group showed a significant increase in general feelings of well-being, such as fatigue and sleep, and showed a tendency for increased short-term memory and focus between pre- and post-intervention, the placebo group showed no significant positive changes in these measures. No adverse reactions, abnormal symptoms, or changes in body weight, blood pressure, pulse, visual acuity, urine, stool, or blood biochemistry were seen in either group. In conclusion, daily consumption of GoChi significantly increased several immunological responses and subjective feelings of general well-being without any adverse reactions.
PMID: 19857084 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
(For more info: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed)
For inquiry on Himalayan Gochi: http://hong97.freelife.com
Lycium barbarum (goji) juice improves in vivo antioxidant biomarkers in serum of healthy adults.
FreeLife International, LLC, Phoenix, AZ 85040, USA.
Abstract
Although Lycium barbarum (goji) and active compounds, Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP), have a high in vitro antioxidant score as determined by simple chemical reaction methods, their in vivo antioxidant effects in humans have not been extensively examined. After our earlier report that an LBP-standardized Lycium barbarum preparation (GoChi) helps prevent oxidant stress-related conditions in humans, our present study examined the hypothesis that the antioxidant effects of GoChi result from its ability to enhance endogenous antioxidant factors. We investigated the effects of GoChi in a 30-day randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study. The study population included 50 Chinese healthy adults aged 55 to 72 years. In vivo antioxidant markers, consisting of serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and lipid peroxidation (indicated by decreased levels of malondialdehyde, MDA) were examined preintervention and postintervention with GoChi or placebo (120 mL/d). In the GoChi group, antioxidant markers significantly increased by 8.4% for SOD and 9.9% for GSH-Px between the preintervention and postintervention measurements, whereas MDA were significantly decreased by 8.7%. In addition, the SOD, GSH-Px, and MDA levels in the GoChi group were significantly different from those in the placebo group at the post-intervention time point, with increases of 8.1% and 9.0% and a decrease of 6.0%, respectively. No significant differences were detected between the pre-intervention and post-intervention time points in the placebo group. These results indicate that GoChi increased antioxidant efficacies in humans by stimulating endogenous factors and suggest that continued use beyond 30 days might help prevent or reduce free radical-related conditions.PMID: 19185773 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
(For more info: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed)
For inquiry on Himalayan Gochi: http://hong97.freelife.com
Use of anti-aging herbal medicine, Lycium barbarum, against aging-associated diseases. What do we know so far?
Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Anatomy, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China. rccchang@hkucc.hku.hk
Abstract
Lycium barbarum (Gouqizi, Fructus Lycii, Wolfberry) is well known for nourishing the liver, and in turn, improving the eyesight. However, many people have forgotten its anti-aging properties. Valuable components of L. barbarum are not limited to its colored components containing zeaxanthin and carotene, but include the polysaccharides and small molecules such as betaine, cerebroside, beta-sitosterol, p-coumaric, and various vitamins. Despite the fact that L. barbarum has been used for centuries, its beneficial effects to our bodies have not been comprehensively studied with modern technology to unravel its therapeutic effects at the biochemical level. Recently, our laboratory has demonstrated its neuroprotective effects to counter neuronal loss in neurodegenerative diseases. Polysaccharides extracted from L. barbarum can protect neurons against beta-amyloid peptide toxicity in neuronal cell cultures, and retinal ganglion cells in an experimental model of glaucoma. We have even isolated the active component of polysaccharide which can attenuate stress kinases and pro-apoptotic signaling pathways. We have accumulated scientific evidence for its anti-aging effects that should be highlighted for modern preventive medicine. This review is to provide background information and a new direction of study for the anti-aging properties of L. barbarum. We hope that new findings for L. barbarum will pave a new avenue for the use of Chinese medicine in modern evidence-based medicine.PMID: 17710531 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
(For more info: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles)
For inquiry of Himalayan Gochi: http://hong97.freelife.com
Protective effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide 4 on kidneys in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Heilongjiang August First Land Reclamation University, Daqing High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, 163319, P. R. China.
Abstract
Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) has been shown to have hypoglycemic and antioxidative properties, although its mode of action is yet unknown. Because oxidative stress is implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy, we evaluated the protective effect of LBP-4, the major active component of Lycium barbarum, on the defensive antioxidative mechanism in kidneys in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model. Moreover, we investigated the effects of LBP-4 on the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) in isolated mesangial cells. The role of protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent and -independent pathways in LBP-4-reduced ERK1/2 was studied by bisindolylmaleimide (BIM) IV, an inhibitor of PKC. Diabetic rats treated with LBP-4 (10 mg/kg) for 8 weeks showed increased activity of antioxidant enzymes and increased scavenging of oxygen radicals, while the activity of PKC in the renal cortex was maintained at a physiological level. The decreased activation of ERK1/2 in mesangial cells, through the involvement of PKC, could explain the protective mechanism in kidneys of diabetic rats treated with LBP-4.PMID: 19794522 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
The importance of glutathione in human disease.
Department of Pharmacology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, 7701 Burholme Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA. dm_townsend@fccc.edu
Abstract
Reduced glutathione (GSH) is the most prevalent non-protein thiol in animal cells. Its de novo and salvage synthesis serves to maintain a reduced cellular environment and the tripeptide is a co-factor for many cytoplasmic enzymes and may also act as an important post-translational modification in a number of cellular proteins. The cysteine thiol acts as a nucleophile in reactions with both exogenous and endogenous electrophilic species. As a consequence, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are frequently targeted by GSH in both spontaneous and catalytic reactions. Since ROS have defined roles in cell signaling events as well as in human disease pathologies, an imbalance in expression of GSH and associated enzymes has been implicated in a variety of circumstances. Cause and effect links between GSH metabolism and diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cystic fibrosis (CF), HIV, and aging have been shown. Polymorphic expression of enzymes involved in GSH homeostasis influences susceptibility and progression of these conditions. This review provides an overview of the biological importance of GSH at the level of the cell and organism.
PMID: 12818476 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
(For more info: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed)
For inquiry: http://hong97.freelife.com
Goji (Lycium barbarum and L. chinense): Phytochemistry, pharmacology and safety in the perspective of traditional uses and recent popularity.
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Biology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. olivier.potterat@unibas.ch
Abstract
Since the beginning of this century, Goji berries and juice are being sold as health food products in western countries and praised in advertisements and in the media for well-being and as an anti-aging remedy. The popularity of Goji products has rapidly grown over the last years thanks to efficient marketing strategies. Goji is a relatively new name given to Lycium barbarum and L. chinense, two close species with a long tradition of use as medicinal and food plants in East Asia, in particular in China. While only L. barbarum is officinal, the fruit (fructus Lycii) and the root bark (cortex Lycii radicis) of both species are used in the folk medicine. We review here the constituents, pharmacology, safety, and uses of L. barbarum and L. chinese with consideration to the different parts of the plant. Investigations of the fruit have focused on proteoglycans, known as " Lycium barbarum polysaccharides", which showed antioxidative properties and some interesting pharmacological activities in the context of age related diseases such as atherosclerosis and diabetes. As to the root bark, several compounds have demonstrated a hepatoprotective action as well as inhibitory effects on the rennin/angiotensin system which may support the traditional use for the treatment of hypertension. While there are no signs of toxicity of this plant, two cases of possible interaction with warfarin point to a potential risk of drug interaction. In view of the available pharmacological data and the long tradition of use in the traditional Chinese medicine, L. barbarum and L. chinese certainly deserve further investigation. However, clinical evidences and rigorous procedures for quality control are indispensable before any recommendation of use can be made for Goji products.
Copyright Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart . New York.
PMID: 19844860 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
( For more info: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles)
Effect of the Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on age-related oxidative stress in aged mice.
School of Food Science and Technology of the XingJiang Agriculture University, Urumqili City, XinJiang 830000, PR China. xj.goodli@yahoo.com.cn
Abstract
Oxidative damage of biomolecules increases with age and is postulated to be a major causal factor of various physiological function disorders. Consequently, the concept of anti-age by antioxidants has been developed. Lycium barbarum fruits have been used as a traditional Chinese herbal medicine and the data obtained in in vitro models have clearly established the antioxidant potency of the polysaccharides isolated from the fruits. In the present study, the age-dependent changes in the antioxidant enzyme activity, immune function and lipid peroxidation product were investigated and effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides on age-induced oxidative stress in different organs of aged mice was checked. Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (200, 350 and 500 mg/kg b.w. in physiological saline) were orally administrated to aged mice over a period of 30 days. Aged mice receiving vitamin C served as positive control. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, lipid peroxides in serum and tested organs, and immune function were measured. Result showed that increased endogenous lipid peroxidation, and decreased antioxidant activities, as assessed by superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), and immune function were observed in aged mice and restored to normal levels in the polysaccharides-treated groups. Antioxidant activities of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides can be comparable with normal antioxidant, vitamin C. Moreover, addition of vitamin C to the polysaccharides further increased the in vivo antioxidant activity of the latter. It is concluded that the Lycium barbarum polysaccharides can be used in compensating the decline in TAOC, immune function and the activities of antioxidant enzymes and thereby reduces the risks of lipid peroxidation accelerated by age-induced free radical.PMID: 17224253 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
(For more info: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed)
For further inquiry on Himalayan Gochi: http://hong97.freelife.com
There is good reason for the locals to honor the gojiberry. After thousands of years of use, those who use the berry are still awed by its unmatched healing n protective powers. They celebrate as a continuing acknowledgement of just how much their very lives depend upon it. No medicinal plant in all of Asian medicine can approach goji for its incredible diversity of legendary benefits!
Now science is finally confirming what the Ancients knew long before our modern drugs came onto the scene. Many of the traditional health-giving properties of the goji berry are being confirmed in modern scientific studies and this had led to the discovery of even more far-reaching benefits.
From a historical perspective, goji, based on descriptions of goji in ancient medical texts, was declared to be a superior herb as early as the first century A.D., when it was extolled in the Divine Farmer's Handbook of Natural Medicine (Shen Nong Ben Cao), perhaps the most important text in the history of Chinese medicine.
Interestingly, Tao Hong Jing (456-536 A.D.), a Taoist master, wrote a treatise called Commentary on the Divine Farmer's Handbook of Natural Medicine. Tao Hong Jing tells us that "Lycium tonifies jing (vital energy) and qi (breath) and strengthens the yin tao (capacity for physical exercise) within a human." Those early endorsements were so powerful that even to this day, people not only in China but all throughout Asia use the fruit of the Lycium goji plant as a potent anti-aging herb. Many who eat the berry or drink its juice every day will tell you of its history and legend. There is an incredible Chinese longevity story in which Lycium plays a starring role, and it's cited as one of the primary reasons for the pre-eminence of goji in Chinese medicine, which continues to the present day.
This remarkable berry that the Chinese call goji (spelled gouqi, or sometimes seen as gouqizi), and which is also known by its Latin name of Lycium. For the scientists trying to unlock the secrets of the goji berry, it quickly became apparent that there was probably no one "best" growing region. Therefore, they decided to do what scientists do. They determined that they would pull the goji berry apart in the laboratory. They dissected it to find out what makes it tick.
The goji researchers began with some simple vitamin, mineral and nutrient analysis, expecting to find results similar to other fruits. They were totally unprepared for what they found. This tiny fruit revealed itself to be quite possibly the most nutritionally dense food on earth!
GOJI Facts:
* Contains 19 amino acids - the building blocks of protein - including all 8 that are essential for life.
* Contains 21 trace minerals, including germanium, an anti-cancer trace mineral rarely found in foods.
* Contains more protein than whole wheat (13 percent)
* Contains a complete spectrum of antioxidant carotenoids, including beta-carotene ( a better source than even carrots) and zeaxanthin (protects the eyes). Goji berries are the richest source of carotenoids of all known foods.
* Contains Vitamin C at higher levels than even those found in oranges
* Contains B-complex vitamins, necessary for converting food into energy
* Contains Vitamin E (very rarely found in fruits, only in grains and seeds)
* Contains Beta-Sitosterol, an anti-inflammatory agent. Beta-Sitosterol also lowers cholesterol and has been used to treat sexual impotence and prostate enlargement
* Contains essential fatty acids, which are required for the body's production of hormones and for the smooth functioning of the brain and nervous system
* Contains Cyperone, a sesquiterpene that benefits the heart and blood pressure, alleviates menstrual discomfort, and has been used in the treatment of cervical cancer
* Contains Solavetivone, a powerful anti-fungal and anti-bacterial compound
* Contains Physalin, a natural compound that is active against all major types of leukemia. It has been shown to increase splenic natural killer cell activity in normal and tumor-bearing mice, with broad-spectrum anti-cancer effect. It has also been used as a treatment for hepatitis B
* Contains Betaine, which is used by the liver to produce choline, a compound that calms nervousness, enhances memory, promotes muscle growth, and protects against fatty liver disease. Betaine also provides methyl groups in the body's energy reactions and can help reduce levels of homocysteine, a prime risk factor in heart disease. It also protects DNA!
Even with its extensive and diverse nutrient profile revealed, the goji still seemed to be holding on to some secrets. There appeared to be many therapeutic effects that simply could not be explained.
This was not a big surprise. With medicinal herbs, activity is hardly ever due to just one single chemical constituent, as is often the case with "conventional" drugs. Rather, it is usually a mixture of constituents that are responsible for the therapeutic or protective effect of botanical medicines. Many of these herbal components are unique to a single plant species. They are not found anywhere else in nature, and have not yet been chemically identified. There are countless thousands of these herbal constituents called phytochemicals (from the Greek word for plant).
From information gleaned from the spectral signatures, scientists were able to determine the chemical nature of the unnamed active compounds in the goji berry. They did not know their exact structure, but they knew that they would be looking for bioactive polysaccharides, and that made them very excited. Until recent years, scientists had lumped all polysaccharides together with other carbohydrates such as starches and sugars. They had considered them to be of value only as a source of energy. But that had all changed when it was discovered that certain types of polysaccharides could cause profound and beneficial changes in the human body.
What Are Bioactive Polysaccharides?
Bioactive polysaccharides, also called proteoglycans, area family of complex carbohydrates that are bound to proteins. They are produced by some plants as an extremely effective defense mechanism against attack by viruses, bacteria, fungi, soil-borne parasites, cell mutations, toxic pollutants and environmental free radicals. Fortunately for humans, many of these protective effects are conferred upon us when we eat plants that are rich in polysaccharides. There are many types of bioactive polysaccharides, and they all seem to differ in their properties, health benefits and degrees of activity. Here are some of the areas currently under study:
Top 10 Benefits of Polysaccharides -
1) Inhibit tumor growth
2) Prevent cancer
3) Neutralize the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation
4) Help normalize blood pressure
5) Help balance blood sugar
6) Combat autoimmune disease
7) Act as an anti-inflammatory
8) Balance immune function
9) Lower cholesterol and blood lipids
10) Increase calcium absorption
Although many plants produce small amounts of bioactive polysaccharides, it seems that those with the highest levels of these protective compounds are those that are themselves most sorely in need of protection. These polysaccharide-producing species include those that must attempt to survive under great stresses such as extremes of temperature, high altitude or wildly unpredictable precipitation. No plant on earth grows under more stressful conditions than does the goji. It was not surprising, therefore, when scientists found the little red berry to be a treasure trove of highly bioactive polysaccharides. The polysaccharides they found were different and more active than anything they had ever seen before.
4 primary bioactive polysaccharides were discovered in Lycium Barbarum (gojiberry). The scientists simply named them LBP1, LBP2, LBP3 and LBP4. LBP polysaccharides proved to be glycoconjugares, meaning that they are exceptional sources of the essential cell sugars - rhamnose, xylose, glucose, mannose, arabinose and galactose - that are necessary for proper immune function and intercellular communication. In fact, goji may be the richest source of glyconutrients yet found! Research strongly suggests that goji's unique polysaccharides work in the body by serving as directors and carriers of the instructions that cells use to communicate with each other. In this way, it can be said that goji's LBP polysaccharides are "master molecules" by virtue of their ability to command and control many of the body's most important biochemical defense systems!
Effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on the improvement of antioxidant ability and DNA damage in NIDDM rats.
Department of Nutrition & Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, P. R. China.
Abstract
The effects of polysaccharide extracted from Lycium barbarum (LBP) on blood glucose, oxidative stress and DNA damage in rats with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) were studied. The results show that LBP treatment (10 mg/kg.d) for 4 weeks led to decreased levels of blood glucose, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) in serum of fasting rats; and to increased serum level of superoxidedismutase (SOD). Furthermore, LBP could reduce cellular DNA damage in peripheral lymphocytes of NIDDM rats. The DNA damage was determined by using the single cell gel (comet) assay with alkaline electrophoresis and was quantified by measuring tail length and tail moment. These results suggest that LBP can control blood glucose and modulate the metabolism of glucose, leading to significant improvement of oxidative stress markers (SOD, MDA) in rats with NIDDM. And that, LBP decreases DNA damage possibly via a decrease in oxidative stress levels. In conclusion, LBP as a dietary supplement may prevent the development of complications or even tendency to carcinogenesis in NIDDM rats.PMID: 16679745 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Free Article
(For more info: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed)
For further inquiry, email: haomin796@yahoo.co.uk
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