Guard Your Health With Powerful Detoxification

By VRP Staff

In today’s world, even the simplest day-to-day routines have the potential to expose you to a burden of toxins—from your morning shower, to your workday commute, and during your evening jog.

For starters, there’s the polluted air you breathe. Epidemiological research has revealed a strong link between increased hospitalizations and premature deaths in areas marked by ambient air pollution—with its destructive effects on heart health being of greatest concern.^1-5 In fact, studies show that routine exposure to polluted air can pave the way to endothelial dysfunction (damage to the cells lining blood vessels), arterial plaque, blood clots and elevated levels of homocysteine (an amino acid linked to heart disease)—all occurring within a matter of hours.^6-9

Vehicle exhaust remains one of the most dangerous forms of pollution. Exposure to these traffic-related toxins can generate free radicals, trigger inflammation and accelerate the shortening of your telomeres—the end-sections of your chromosomes, which act as your internal biological clock as you age—thereby increasing risks of both heart disease and cancer.^10-13

Finally, there’s the threat of an overworked liver. Excessive alcohol consumption alone is enough to cause significant damage to this blood-filtering, metabolically dynamic organ.¹⁴ But throw a few other pollutants into the mix (such as solvents, pesticides, drugs, peroxides, heavy metals or phthalates, commonly hidden in produce, drinking water and hygiene products), and you have a recipe for the accumulation of toxins, which can lead to serious health consequences.

These toxins can impair your liver’s metabolic “machinery” and disrupt its intricate cellular communications, making the liver more vulnerable than ever to serious and potentially lasting damage—while increasing your risk for developing a number of cancers, including bladder cancer to prostate cancer, in the process.^15-16

Obviously, avoiding exposure to environmental pollution is an impossible task—especially since so many of these deadly toxins lurk where you least expect them. And that’s precisely why protecting your body against this daily assault is so critical.

The first step is to stock up on safe, toxin-neutralizing nutrients. AL-Neutralizer™, for example, is a formula designed to counteract the effects of acetaldehyde—one of the most common environmental pollutants. Acetaldehyde is present in alcohol, perfumes and plastic bottles, to name a few sources of exposure, and it is produced by the liver as it metabolizes ethyl alcohol.

This supplement delivers ample amounts of N-acetyl cysteine and lipoic acid to promote the production of detoxifying glutathione—while curbing the damaging effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), alcohol and air pollution.^17-22 Simultaneously, vitamin B1, vitamin C and cysteine have been shown to counteract harmful levels of acetaldehyde and block its production in your digestive tract.^23-24

In addition, a quality fiber supplement (such as EZ-Fiber™ from VRP) is essential in order to keep your bowels moving and to expel daily toxins from your body. At the same time, a combination of botanicals (including milk thistle, artichoke, lipoic acid, and Scutellaria baicalensis) can help to support your liver’s daily detoxification. Research shows that bioactive compounds in these ingredients can guard against oxidative liver damage, chelate harmful metals, regenerate your body’s glutathione supply and inhibit the liver-destroying effects of common toxic substances like acetaminophen and aflatoxin.^25-29 Look for all four of these natural ingredients as part of the daily liver-support formula HepatoGen™, available now from Vitamin Research Products.

References:

1. Lee IM, Tsai SS, Ho CK, Chiu HF, Yang CY. Air pollution and hospital admissions for congestive heart failure in a tropical city: Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Inhal Toxicol. 2007;19(10):899-904.

2. Santos UP, Terra-Filho M, Lin CA, Pereira LA, Vieira TC, Saldiva PH, et al. Cardiac arrhythmia emergency room visits and environmental air pollution in São Paulo, Brazil. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2008;62(3):267-272.

3. Pope CA III, Burnett RT, Thurston GD, Thun MJ, Calle EE, Krewski D, et al. Cardiovascular mortality and long-term exposure to particulate air pollution: epidemiological evidence of general pathophysiological pathways of disease. Circulation. 2004;109(1):71-77.

4. von Klot S, Gryparis A, Tonne C, Yanosky J, Coull BA, Goldberg RJ, et al. Elemental carbon exposure at residence and survival after acute myocardial infarction. Epidemiology. 2009;20(4):547-554.

5. Brook RD, Rajagopalan S, Pope CA 3rd, Brook JR, Bhatnagar A, Diez-Roux AV, Holguin F, Hong Y, Luepker RV, Mittleman MA, Peters A, Siscovick D, Smith SC Jr, Whitsel L, Kaufman JD. Particulate matter air pollution and cardiovascular disease: An update to the scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2010 Jun 1;121(21):2331-78.

6. Gurgueira SA, Lawrence J, Coull B, Murthy GG, Gonzalez-Flecha B. Rapid increases in the steady-state concentration of reactive oxygen species in the lungs and heart after particulate air pollution inhalation. Environ Health Perspect. 2002. 110:749-755.

7. Ren C, Park SK, Vokonas PS, Sparrow D, Wilker E, Baccarelli A, Suh HH, Tucker KL, Wright RO, Schwartz J. Air pollution and homocysteine: more evidence that oxidative stress-related genes modify effects of particulate air pollution. Epidemiology. 2010 Mar;21(2):198-206.

8. Peters A, Frohlich M, Doring A, Immervoll T, Wichmann HE, Hutchinson WL, et al. Particulate air pollution is associated with an acute phase response in men: results from the MONICA-Augsburg Study. Eur Heart J. 2001;22(14):1198-1204.

9. Ruckerl R, Ibald-Mulli A, Koenig W, Schneider A, Woelke G, Cyrys J, et al. Air pollution and markers of inflammation and coagulation in patients with coronary heart disease. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2006;173(4):432-441.

10. Hoxha M, Dioni L, Bonzini M, Pesatori AC, Fustinoni S, Cavallo D, Carugno M, Albetti B, Marinelli B, Schwartz J, Bertazzi PA, Baccarelli A. Association between leukocyte telomere shortening and exposure to traffic pollution: a cross-sectional study on traffic officers and indoor office workers. Environ Health. 2009 Sep 21;8:41.

11. Chuang KJ, Chan CC, Su TC, Lee CT, Tang CS. The effect of urban air pollution on inflammation, oxidative stress, coagulation, and autonomic dysfunction in young adults. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2007 Aug 15;176(4):370-6.

12. von Zglinicki T. Oxidative stress shortens telomeres. Trends Biochem Sci. 2002 Jul;27(7):339-44.

13. Valdes AM, Andrew T, Gardner JP, Kimura M, Oelsner E, Cherkas LF, Aviv A, Spector TD. Obesity, cigarette smoking, and telomere length in women. Lancet. 2005 Aug 20-26;366(9486):662-4.

14. Zakhari S. Overview: How is alcohol metabolized by the body? Alcohol Research & Health. 2006;29(4):245-254.

15. Vinken M, Doktorova T, Decrock E, Leybaert L, Vanhaecke T, Rogiers V. Gap junctional intercellular communication as a target for liver toxicity and carcinogenicity. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol. 2009 Jul-Aug;44(4):201-22.

16. Taylor JF, Robinson A, Johnson N, Marroquin-Cardona A, Brattin B, Taylor R, Phillips TD. In vitro evaluation of ferrihydrite as an enterosorbent for arsenic from contaminated drinking water. Environ Sci Technol. 2009 Jul 15;43(14):5501-6.

17. Kempkes M, Golka K, Reich S, Reckwitz T, Bolt HM. Glutathione S-transferase GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes as potential risk factors for urothelial cancer of the bladder. Archives of toxicology. 1996;71(1-2):123-6.

18. Clarkson TW, Vyas JB, Ballatori N. Mechanisms of mercury disposition in the body. Am J Ind Med. 2007;50(10):757-64.

19. Ballatori N, Krance SM, Notenboom S, Shi S, Tieu K, Hammond CL. Glutathione dysregulation and the etiology and progression of human diseases. Biological chemistry. 2009.

20. Zhu Y, Kalen AL, Li L, Lehmler HJ, Robertson LW, Goswami PC, Spitz DR, Aykin-Burns N. Polychlorinated-biphenyl-induced oxidative stress and cytotoxicity can be mitigated by antioxidants after exposure. Free Radic Biol Med. 2009 Dec 15;47(12):1762-71.

21. Varma PS, Aruna K, Rukkumani R, Menon VP. Alcohol and thermally oxidized pufa induced oxidative stress: role of N-acetyl cysteine. Ital J Biochem. 2004 Mar;53(1):10-5.

22. Wang T, Chiang ET, Moreno-Vinasco L, Lang GD, Pendyala S, Samet JM, Geyh AS, Breysse PN, Chillrud SN, Natarajan V, Garcia JG. Particulate matter disrupts human lung endothelial barrier integrity via ROS- and p38 MAPK-dependent pathways. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2010 Apr;42(4):442-9.

23. Sprince H, Parker CM, Smith GG, Gonzales LJ. Protective Action of Ascorbic Acid and Sulfur Compounds against Acetaldehyde Toxicity: Implications in Alcoholism and Smoking. Agents and Action. May 1975;5(2):164-73.

24. Salaspuro V. Interaction of alcohol and smoking in the pathogenesis of upper digestive tract cancers-possible chemoprevention with cysteine. Univ. Helsinki, Institute of Clinical Medicine. Doctoral dissertation. April 2006.

25. Kiruthiga PV, Shafreen RB, Pandian SK, Devi KP. Silymarin protection against major reactive oxygen species released by environmental toxins: exogenous H2O2 exposure in erythrocytes. Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol. 2007 Jun;100(6):414-9.

26. Gebhardt R. Antioxidative and protective properties of extracts from leaves of the artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) against hydroperoxide-induced oxidative stress in cultured rat hepatocytes. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 1997 Jun;144(2):279-86.

27. Malinska D, Winiarska K. Lipoic acid: characteristics and therapeutic application. Postepy Hig Dosw. 2005;59:535-43.

28. Jang SI, Kim HJ, Hwang KM, Jekal SJ, Pae HO, Choi BM, Yun YG, Kwon TO, Chung HT, Kim YC. Hepatoprotective effect of baicalin, a major flavone from Scutellaria radix, on acetaminophen-induced liver injury in mice. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol. 2003 Nov;25(4):585-94.

29. de Boer JG, Quiney B, Walter PB, Thomas C, Hodgson K, Murch SJ, Saxena PK. Protection against aflatoxin-B1-induced liver mutagenesis by Scutellaria baicalensis. Mutat Res. 2005 Oct 15;578(1-2):15-22.