Check Your Antioxidant Levels

When a fender oxidizes, the visible symptom is rust. When your body oxidizes, the visible symptoms are ageing and disease. Free radicals, generated by exposure to pollutants and normal metabolic processes, are the unstable atoms that cause oxidation. If you’re over 30, you’ve probably begun to feel it.

Antioxidants are the body’s defense against free radicals, neutralizing them before they damage healthy cells. (Take care of your fender – keep it clean and polished and out of the elements – and it is likely to remain shiny and new for a long time.) Having an adequate supply of antioxidants is important, as free radicals are implicated in numerous degenerative diseases associated with ageing, such as: cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, immune dysfunction, cataracts, and macular degeneration, according to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) in Washington, D.C.

The National Institute of Health makes it very clear: Free radicals can unquestionably cause oxidative damage to DNA.

As your primary defense against perhaps the greatest enemy of your future, it does make sense to find out if you have a hearty supply of antioxidants to keep the rust at bay. This is prevention at it’s finest.

Our primary sources of antioxidants are fruits and vegetables. Again, to quote the IFIC: Many antioxidants are often identified in food by their distinctive colors—the deep red of cherries and of tomatoes; the orange of carrots; the yellow of corn, mangos, and saffron; and the blue-purple of blueberries, blackberries, and grapes. The most well-known components of food with antioxidant activities are vitamins A, C, and E; β-carotene; the mineral selenium; and more recently, the compound lycopene.

If you are concerned or simply curious about how well fortified you are, then you may want to try the Pharmanex Biophotonic Laser Scan, the world’s first immediate, non-invasive method of measuring antioxidant activity. Just place your hand on the scanner and the laser will test your skin for carotenoids, antioxidant pigments found in colorful fruits and vegetables. The tally is then translated into a skin carotenoid score that lets you know whether you need build your defenses or maintain your current status. According to Pharmanex, more than five million scans worldwide have been performed.

The scanner isn't the only antioxidant gauge out there. You can also order an antioxidant testing kit over the Internet. For about $60, you'll get a small plastic test tube and a prepaid envelope — the standard equipment for sending urine by mail. Lab technicians will check your urine for signs of oxidative damage and send you a report.

The problem is that mail order urine tests provide incomplete information, according to Garry Handelman of the University of Massachusetts. "I won't say that they're completely worthless, but they're about as close as they can get," he says.

Given that the sophisticated antioxidant blood tests (if you can get your doctor to order one as a purely preventative measure) are very pricey, the biophotonic scanner seems the best option, with it’s immediacy, convenience and very low cost (many scanner operators offer the test for free). But is it reliable?

Pharmanex doesn’t pull any punches here. The Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner has been acknowledged by experts in many scientific arenas for its accuracy and efficacy in determining nutritional status. Pharmanex scientists have presented the science behind this technology at numerous scientific meetings worldwide, including the New York Academy of Sciences in 2003, the Oxygen Club of California in Santa Barbara, California and Cadiz, Spain in 2003 and 2004, and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology meetings in San Diego and Washington, D.C. in 2003 and 2004.

In addition to 130 on-staff scientists at Pharmanex facilities in Utah, Shanghai and Beijing, and advisory relationships with 150 leading academic and research institutions around the world—including Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, Columbia, Purdue, Peking University Health Science Center, Shanghai Medical University, and Peking University—the Pharmanex Scientific Advisory Board features a collaboration of more than 20 highly distinguished scientific advisors from top research and academic institutions across the globe.

Bottom line. “It may sound farfetched, but a laser scan of your palm really can detect antioxidants,” says Ronald Prior, a nutritionist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Little Rock, Arkansas. The antioxidant carotenoids that add color to many fruits and vegetables will also add color to your skin, and the laser can measure those very subtle hues. (Or not so subtle: Eat a pound of carrots every day for a week and your skin will turn orange.)

“The carotenoids in your skin reflect the carotenoids in your diet,” Prior says. "If that number is low, your consumption of fruits and vegetables is not what it should be," he concludes.

To learn your skin carotenoid score for free, make an appointment with scanner operator Cherie Jo by calling 951-500-9416 or go online to pharmanex.com to find a scanner in your area.


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Check Your Antioxidant Levels When a fender oxidizes, the visible symptom is rust. When your body oxidizes, the visible symptoms are ageing and disease. Free radicals, generated by exposure to pollutants and normal metabolic processes, are the unstable atoms that cause oxidation. If you’re over 30, you’ve probably begun to feel it. Antioxidants are the body’s defense against free radicals, neutralizing them before they damage healthy cells. (Take care of your fender – keep it clean and polished and out of the elements – and it is likely to remain shiny and new for a long time.) Having an adequate supply of antioxidants is important, as free radicals are implicated in numerous degenerative diseases associated with ageing, such as: cancer, cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, immune dysfunction, cataracts, and macular degeneration, according to the *International Food Information Council (IFIC)* in Washington, D.C. The National Institute of Health makes it very clear: Free radicals can unquestionably cause oxidative damage to DNA. As your primary defense against perhaps the greatest enemy of your future, it does make sense to find out if you have a hearty supply of antioxidants to keep the rust at bay. This is prevention at it’s finest. Our primary sources of antioxidants are fruits and vegetables. Again, to quote the IFIC: Many antioxidants are often identified in food by their distinctive colors—the deep red of cherries and of tomatoes; the orange of carrots; the yellow of corn, mangos, and saffron; and the blue-purple of blueberries, blackberries, and grapes. The most well-known components of food with antioxidant activities are vitamins A, C, and E; β-carotene; the mineral selenium; and more recently, the compound lycopene. If you are concerned or simply curious about how well fortified you are, then you may want to try the Pharmanex Biophotonic Laser Scan, the world’s first immediate, non-invasive method of measuring antioxidant activity. Just place your hand on the scanner and the laser will test your skin for carotenoids, antioxidant pigments found in colorful fruits and vegetables. The tally is then translated into a skin carotenoid score that lets you know whether you need build your defenses or maintain your current status. According to Pharmanex, more than five million scans worldwide have been performed. The scanner isn't the only antioxidant gauge out there. You can also order an antioxidant testing kit over the Internet. For about $60, you'll get a small plastic test tube and a prepaid envelope — the standard equipment for sending urine by mail. Lab technicians will check your urine for signs of oxidative damage and send you a report. The problem is that mail order urine tests provide incomplete information, according to Garry Handelman of the University of Massachusetts. "I won't say that they're completely worthless, but they're about as close as they can get," he says. Given that the sophisticated antioxidant blood tests (if you can get your doctor to order one as a purely preventative measure) are very pricey, the biophotonic scanner seems the best option, with it’s immediacy, convenience and very low cost (many scanner operators offer the test for free). But is it reliable? Pharmanex doesn’t pull any punches here. The Pharmanex BioPhotonic Scanner has been acknowledged by experts in many scientific arenas for its accuracy and efficacy in determining nutritional status. Pharmanex scientists have presented the science behind this technology at numerous scientific meetings worldwide, including the New York Academy of Sciences in 2003, the Oxygen Club of California in Santa Barbara, California and Cadiz, Spain in 2003 and 2004, and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology meetings in San Diego and Washington, D.C. in 2003 and 2004. In addition to 130 on-staff scientists at Pharmanex facilities in Utah, Shanghai and Beijing, and advisory relationships with 150 leading academic and research institutions around the world—including Harvard, Stanford, UCLA, Columbia, Purdue, Peking University Health Science Center, Shanghai Medical University, and Peking University—the Pharmanex Scientific Advisory Board features a collaboration of more than 20 highly distinguished scientific advisors from top research and academic institutions across the globe. Bottom line. “It may sound farfetched, but a laser scan of your palm really can detect antioxidants,” says Ronald Prior, a nutritionist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Little Rock, Arkansas. The antioxidant carotenoids that add color to many fruits and vegetables will also add color to your skin, and the laser can measure those very subtle hues. (Or not so subtle: Eat a pound of carrots every day for a week and your skin will turn orange.) “The carotenoids in your skin reflect the carotenoids in your diet,” Prior says. "If that number is low, your consumption of fruits and vegetables is not what it should be," he concludes. To learn your skin carotenoid score for free, make an appointment with scanner operator Cherie Jo by calling 951-500-9416 or go online to pharmanex.com to find a scanner in your area.