| Free radicals are unstable molecules that can form in the body in
response to stress, poor diet, infection, illness and many other factors.
The presence of too many free radicals in the body creates a condition
known as "oxidative stress." When this happens, an onslaught
of oxidation reactions may begin to damage healthy tissue, often leading
to premature aging and degenerative disease.
Chronic blood sugar imbalances, or dysglycemia,
may both fuel and be fueled by oxidative stress. This can create
a vicious, self-perpetuating cycle of metabolic imbalances. In response
to faulty insulin and glucose metabolism, high levels of glucose
in the blood or tissues may cause proteins to mutate, a process
known as glycation, or glycosylation. This creates highly toxic
by-products, called advanced glycosylation endproducts (AGEs).1
Structurally deformed proteins, AGEs are believed
to mediate a vast range of degenerative conditions in the human
body, from dementia and nerve damage to kidney dysfunction and skin
wrinkling. Their potential to damage or destroy such a wide range
of functions is not surprising when you consider that they generate
50 times more free radicals than non-glycated proteins.2
In excess, free radicals can also deform the normal
structure of fat molecules. When this happens, fats become oxidized,
creating a more reactive, destructive form of cholesterol that accelerates
the build-up of plaque in the arteries. Such a process can accelerate
the hardening and narrowing of blood vessels, a key pathological
development in the most common type of heart disease, atherosclerosis.
To guard against these potentially devastating degenerative
complications, it's important that both oxidative stress and glucose
control be carefully kept in check and monitored regularly in patients
with, or at risk of, type-2 diabetes.
The Oxidative
Stress Analysis includes measurements of reduced glutathione,
superoxide dismutase, gluthathione peroxidase, lipid peroxides,
and hydroxyl radical markers as important indicators of antioxidant
defense and oxidative stress in the body. Call
to set up a nutritional consultation so that tests can be performed
and a comprehensive strategy of lifestyle, dietary modification
and nutrient supplementation can be implemented to aid you in reversing
this disorder.
For an appointment, contact our office at: 800-956-7083 or 818 707-3126.
Dr. Rispoli, Ph.D., L.Ac. has had a clinical practice for over 20
years. Her programs work because she is so thorough in testing and
providing a nutritional approach. Remember that the body can heal
itself if given the proper nutrients.
All lab tests can be done through the mail in the privacy of your
own home, except blood tests, we send you to a lab to have your
blood drawn for these. After you pay for the test we mail you the
kit, the results take two weeks, the test results will be mailed
to us and we will call you to go over the results, its that easy!
All tests include the consultation for the report of findings.
References:
1 Munch G, Schinzel R, Loske C, Wong A, Durany N,
Li JJ, Vlassara H, Smith MA, Perry G, Reiderer P. Alzheimer's disease
- synergistic effects of glucose deficit, oxidative stress and advanced
glycation endproducts. J Neur Trans 1998;105:439-461.
2 Makita Z, Vlassara H, Rayfield E, Cartwright K,
Friedman E, Rodby R, Cerami A, Bucala R. Hemoglobin-AGE: A circulating
marker of advanced glycosylation. Science 1992;258:651-0653.
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