Psycho-Babble Alternative | about alternative treatments | Framed
This thread | Show all | Post follow-up | Start new thread | List of forums | Search | FAQ

Re: First time I was prescribed a vitamin by a doc » cardinaldirection

Posted by Larry Hoover on May 30, 2006, at 12:47:11

In reply to Re: First time I was prescribed a vitamin by a doc, posted by cardinaldirection on May 28, 2006, at 2:19:19

> read recently that alpha lipoic acid (among a few other things, perhaps in combination) acts as an attracting force for free radicals in the body, helping dispose of them through the processing and subsequent excretion of the ala. free radicals being the 'toxins' that speed up the degeneration of our bodies, this would lead to a longer lifespan, possibly quite longer... hypothetically speaking, given that this information is too new to tell yet. this is how i learned about ala... am very curious to hear other perspectives on its uses in the treatment of various neurotransmitter 'deficiancies'.

Hmmm, it's clear you're not a chemist. Free radicals are not toxins. They are the product of our bodies' sometimes exceedingly dangerous harnessing of the reactivity of molecular oxygen.

A free radical is any atom or molecule with a lone electron somewhere in its outer shell. We usually apply the concept to molecules. Atomic free radicals are so unstable they'll react with virtually anything at all. Molecules have a more extended existence.

Molecular oxygen is about the most corrosive substance known. It can turn pure iron to dust. It can cause uncontrollable chain reactions (fire). If the atmospheric concentration was greater than about 22%, water would not be able to consume enough heat to extinguish an oxygen fire. Luckily, our atmosphere is at about 17% oxygen.

In its atmospheric state, it exists as an oscillating di-radical. It has two radical electrons, then none. Then two. Then none again. If it is adjacent to something that can have an electron stolen from it when it goes to a radical state, you have a chemical reaction. Heat is released. And, whatever was oxidized is changed by it. A radical can create another radical (the "missing electron" is moved to another molecule). Or, two free radicals can combine, and they quench each other. Two radicals added together makes no radical at all. They each contribute one electron, everything pairs up, and all is happy.

Vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol, is a free radical. So, if it bumps into a free radical, it will quench it. Alphalipoic acid can put the radical back into vitamin E.

Oxygen-based metabolism produces free radicals all over the place. Peroxides, superoxide, nitric oxide, hydroxyl radical..... Antioxidants are nothing but sacraficial lambs. They "die", so that radicals don't get a chance to get at e.g. our DNA, RNA, proteins, cell membranes, etc.

Sulphur-bearing molecules, as sulfhydryls in particular, are especially good antioxidants. Glutathione and alpha-lipoic acid are prime examples. The -SH group is more reactive than the alcohol -OH group that is on a lot of important molecules in our bodies. Sacrificing sulphur protects the other molecules.

Cysteine and methionine are sulphur-bearing amino acids. They are very vulnerable to oxidants, if your antioxidant stores are low. No methionine means no SAMe (S-adenosyl methionine), for example. No cysteine means no taurine.

You'd be dead, if you didn't have free radicals being formed in your body. Even after you're dead, free radicals are being formed by the microbes that consume the pile of nutrients you left behind. It is controlling or limiting the scope of effect of the free radicals that is behind this realm of supplementation. Stress uses up your antioxidants. Food processing strips them out of foods, while simultaneously increasing the demand for them.

Lar

 

Thread

 

Post a new follow-up

Your message only Include above post


Notify the administrators

They will then review this post with the posting guidelines in mind.

To contact them about something other than this post, please use this form instead.

 

Start a new thread

 
Google
dr-bob.org www
Search options and examples
[amazon] for
in

This thread | Show all | Post follow-up | Start new thread | FAQ
Psycho-Babble Alternative | Framed

poster:Larry Hoover thread:639003
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20060428/msgs/650467.html