Supplements

The Godfather of Antioxidants

Glutathione heals, detoxifies and retards the aging process

By Richard Labaki

The body has phenomenal powers to heal itself. But to accomplish this feat, it requires specific tools that mainly come in the form of natural and nutritional compounds.

Over the years, I have witnessed firsthand how science-backed supplements help in reversing chronic conditions that most in the medical establishment deem incurable (or at least unmanageable without pharmaceutical drugs.)

There will always be skeptics dismissing the efficacy of any natural approach to overcoming illnesses. Nevertheless, there is beauty in conducting a medical exam before the individual is put on a holistic protocol and then re-conducting that same test several months later to assess progress. Test results simply do not lie.

One compound I have been recommending repeatedly and for many years is N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC).

NAC is actually used intravenously by medical doctors to counteract acetaminophen poisoning (Tylenol and Paracetamol are acetaminophen drugs, by the way).1

I use NAC in my practice for various purposes – mainly because it is a precursor to our body’s most potent antioxidant and detoxifier: Glutathione.2

Glutathione is a unique compound made by our body from sulfur-rich foods – dietary proteins, such as whey, beef, fish, and poultry. Veggies rich in sulfur include onions, garlic, and cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, and others.

Moreover, certain supplements like selenium and alpha lipoic acid help your body produce more glutathione. But when it comes to actually taking this compound in its pure form, most formulas fail to increase glutathione in the body in meaningful ways. We will talk about that in a minute.

But first, let me focus on why glutathione is so paramount for well-being.

When it comes to actually taking this compound in its pure form, most formulas fail to increase glutathione in the body in meaningful ways.

Slayer of many evils

Think of “Free Radicals” as villainous molecules. They increase in the body due to multiple factors, such as pollution, alcohol and cigarette consumption, medications, radiation, processed foods, and others. Also, free radicals are byproducts of internal physiological mechanisms – especially when one is stressed out or suffers from insomnia.

Too many free radicals in the body could simply mean accelerated aging, weakened immunity, and a fast track toward various ailments.3 Consequently, no healing process and no anti-aging intervention could properly unfold unless free radicals are kept in check.

And this is where glutathione shines!

You could say that this compound is the worst nightmare for free radicals and their subset reactive oxygen species (ROS). Nothing neutralizes these baddies like glutathione. And this is probably why multiple studies have shown that the higher your glutathione levels the healthier you are.4,5

Multiple studies have shown that the higher your glutathione levels the healthier you are.

In over 139,000 published peer-reviewed studies, glutathione has been shown to be a stellar promoter of health.

Now surely you have been hearing a lot about other antioxidants like Vitamin C and E and their impact on overall well-being. But glutathione is different and more impressive.

Glutathione works from inside your cells – protecting your DNA from external attacks.6,7 Moreover, it has the unique ability to recycle used antioxidants and transform them back into unused antioxidants. This has major positive repercussions in terms of bolstering your defenses.  

Our health is constantly bombarded by free radicals from all sides, especially when our lifestyle and eating habits are not ideal. Moreover, the production of glutathione declines with age. So imagine the scenario: increased attacks on our body coupled with decreased defenses against these assaults.

Another intriguing aspect regarding glutathione is its ability to lighten the skin and reduce the size of facial dark spots. It seems that glutathione has anti-melanogenic properties.8

Production of glutathione declines with age. So imagine the scenario: increased attacks on our body coupled with decreased defenses against these assaults.

Form is everything

Certain brands produce a reduced form of glutathione, which is better absorbed. Some offer liposomal formulas, which do increase glutathione absorption in the body. But my preferred choice has always been the acetylated type, which can actually cross over to our brain.

But one issue I contend with is that using glutathione supplementation in a continuous fashion could create some sort of a dependency – whereby the body becomes more reliant on glutathione supplementation while its own natural production continues to decline.

Enter EDG3 – a breakthrough formula that provides the building blocks that your body uses to naturally manufacture glutathione. The building blocks of glutathione are glutamine, glycine, and cysteine (the latter is the amino acid that constitutes NAC.) But what is even more exciting is that EDG3 contains cystine and not cysteine.

You see, cysteine cannot be absorbed easily because of its unstable nature. It simply gets destroyed in your digestive tract before actually reaching your cells.

However, EDG3 utilizes a patented delivery system that ensures the transport of cysteine through the digestive system before being absorbed into the cell entirely. It is a breakthrough discovery by researcher and physician, Dr. Albert Crum – a Harvard alumnus.

After decades of research, Dr. Crum discovered a unique delivery system using cystine – a more stable and bioavailable form of cysteine. This in turn guarantees the highest absorption and maximum potency. EDG3 is also combined with a highly absorbable form of selenium, which is needed for maximum effectiveness.

EDG3 is far superior to NAC in terms of optimizing glutathione levels. And this is why I am currently recommending this formula to almost everyone – whether to help in the healing process, slow down aging or just optimize overall health. It is an understatement to say that boosting glutathione levels in the body should form the backbone of any health-inducing and disease-reversing protocol.


How to procure EDG3

EDG3 could be delivered to various destinations around the world. You may click on any of the links below (email or WhatsApp chat) for a personalized buying experience.


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References:

1.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24708414/

2.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33380301/

3.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18952194/

4.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14988435/

5.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31484368/

6.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31682420/

7.      https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32894672/

8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33834608/

Confessions of an Incurable Health Addict

By Richard Labaki

 

“I would not be recommending to you this nutritional supplement had I not personally used it and thoroughly researched its therapeutic benefits,” is a phrase I often repeat to clients who are hesitant about taking vitamins, minerals or herbal extracts.  Though more and more people are becoming aware of the efficacy and relative safety of many nutritional supplements, some remain uncomfortable about popping pills on daily basis.  And I am always allaying their concerns by explaining that the right nutritional supplements (made by reputable companies) are worth ingesting and are not to be equated with pharmaceutical drugs. 

Health by GotCredit, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License   by  GotCredit 

Moreover, seeing how some orthodox medicine doctors are becoming curious about nutritional supplements is intriguing.  But I am not holding my breath that soon they would substitute pharmaceutical drugs with nutritional supplements in helping their patients with health conditions like arthritis, high blood sugar, hypertension and others.  Truth of the matter is many medical doctors – some of whom are good friends of mine – view supplements with suspicion or simple disregard.  Their argument is always the same: Supplements are not scientifically proven to be effective in terms of inducing health and preventing diseases. And they could be potentially dangerous.  Nothing puts a big smile on my face more than hearing this deeply flawed argument, which I easily debunk through a twofold response.

It is funny how we humans have a tendency to reach conclusions about serious issues without even bothering to acquire the necessary facts.  This for me would be labelled as mental laziness.  Thousands of studies regarding various herbs, nutrients, vitamins and minerals have been conducted by renowned scientists, institutes and universities across the world.  For example, the health benefits of vitamin C have been documented in over 18,000 studies!  And as for the “potentially dangerous” part, I say that supplements are very safe – at the very least far safer than pharmaceutical drugs!  I mean, read the pamphlet of any medication and check out the numerous side effects that it could cause.  

In contrast, I challenge anyone to prove to me that someone died or went to hospital due to a complication caused by vitamin C  or Omega 3 supplementation.  That is not to say that the administration of supplements should not be organized and that any supplement brand will do.  Yes, there are lousy brands out there that do not employ proper manufacturing practices and do not test their raw material for contamination.  And yes, some people might not react well to a specific herb or nutrient – especially if used wrongly or randomly.  But at the end of the day, the side effects are usually light and go away the moment one stops using the supplement.  The complications caused by pharmaceutical drugs, on the other hand, are usually far more severe (many of which are often irreversible.) 

Take for example acetaminophen, which is marketed under various names.  Sold as over-the-counter medication (meaning no doctor’s prescription is needed) as a pain reliever, acetaminophen is known to cause serious liver problems.  Sometimes, and if taken in high dosages, the damage is so severe that death may occur or a liver transplantation becomes necessary!  And guess what doctors at the emergency room administer when someone is admitted due to acetaminophen poisoning?  They use N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine or NAC.  This is a natural compound sold as a nutritional supplement to boost liver function and help the body in the detoxification process.  Ironic, don’t you think! 

And this brings me to another equally important point.  Most medical doctors frown upon nutritional supplements and herbal extracts.  Yet, most of them fail to realize that there are more than 110 prescription drugs based purely on plant and herbal extracts!  Below is a small sample:

·         Sisal: Steroids and cortisone were first isolated from this plant

·         Meadow Saffron: The source of colchicine, which is used to treat gout and cancer

·         Foxglove: The source of heart disease medications

·         Woolly Foxglove: Used in treating cerebral malaria

·         Melilot: Anti-coagulant drugs used to control thrombosis are developed from this plant

·         Opium Poppy: Produces narcotic painkillers, including common codeine

·         Thorn Apple: Used for asthma and Parkinson’s disease

·         Belladonna: Used to dilate pupils in sight-saving eye surgery

·         Feverfew: Used in the treatment of migraine

·         Ginger: Relieves the symptoms of nausea, especially morning sickness

·         Evening Primrose Oil: Used to alleviate PMS and eczema

·         Meadowsweet: The aspirin compound “acetyl-salicylic acid” was isolated from this plant in 1827.

So as you can see, modern medicine owes a lot to Mother Nature.  Our health owes a lot to the various plants, vegetables, fruits, roots, seeds and nuts that the Earth provides.  And by adopting the natural approach to health (eating the right food and taking the right herbs), one could work on healing the body in a more holistic fashion – instead of simply trying to mask the symptoms.  It is my humble belief that all the cures for our modern day diseases could be found in healthy food and herbal remedies.  And ongoing scientific research is making this conviction more solid every day.  I sometimes ponder the notion that only five percent of the plant species have actually been examined for pharmacological activity – imagine that!  And so I will continue recommending nutritional supplements that are backed by extensive research and manufactured by reputable companies.  Actually, I have a confession to make.  I personally use anywhere from six to eight different supplements every day for better energy, mood, focus and overall well-being.  I am addicted to being healthy and some addictions are just worth keeping! 

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Women in the Mood

By Richard Labaki

Women often complain about men being utterly consumed by sex to the point of losing their mind.  And while there is truth to this matter, women tend to forget or overlook the fact that they are also sexual creatures (actually highly advanced sexual beings compared to men!)  After all, they are the ones blessed with an organ that serves no other purpose but pure sexual pleasure (the clitoris).  This tiny but mighty organ has around 8,000 sensory nerve endings interacting with over 15,000 other nerve endings in the pelvis - as opposed to the 4,000 found in the penis (as claimed by certain scientists.)  So if we put things into perspective, women are obviously designed to experience heightened sexual pleasures at a level we men could never feel or even comprehend!  Unfortunately, social and religious norms have been playing a suppressing role when it comes to female sexual expression and urges.  This could partly explain why most women are uncomfortable with their sexuality – consequently, resenting men for being more expressive and open in this regard.  I am not a sociologist or psychologist to present an academic view on the topic.  But I simply wish to share my perspective on the physiological elements pertaining to female sexuality in light of the recent release of the “Pink Viagra” – Flibanserin (Addyi) – for women.    

Deseo by *jocam*, on Flickr
Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic License   by  *jocam* 

Those who know me too well are aware of my hatred of pharmaceutical drugs in general (of course there are exceptions, especially when it comes to the emergency room where certain meds could mean the difference between life and death.)  So by default, a drug designed for female sexuality could only instigate my ridicule and sarcasm.  Such drugs, even if they do work for some people and under certain circumstances, could only come with a mélange of side effects, especially if used for a prolonged period.  Simply put, all of our physiological functions could be balanced through our lifestyle habits, food intake and supplement use.  But if things are in disarray like when we come under severe stress, these functions – including libido – will be adversely affected.  Too much of the stress hormone cortisol could spell disaster for both men and women in terms of overall health and sexual desire/performance.  So in effect, you don’t boost libido/sexual performance by taking some drug manufactured by Big Pharma.  You work on reducing your stress levels in a proactive manner, and this in turn will reflect positively on your sex drive and performance.  Activities like yoga, meditation, tai chi, massage and others have all been shown to be effective in counteracting the ill effects of stress.  And there are of course adaptogenic herbs that help tremendously in this regard.

Another important aspect regarding the female libido is testosterone levels.  If you have been minutely awake during biology class at school then you should know that this is the male hormone.  Well, in reality women have testosterone too but not in high levels compared to men.  However, this hormone is very critical when it comes to female health and sexual satisfaction.  In other words, if a woman suffers from low levels of this hormone then she will surely suffer sexually.  But how to remedy this problem?  Luckily, certain nutrients and herbal extracts have been shown to regulate female hormones and boosting testosterone levels naturally.  Good testosterone levels in women have been linked to improved energy, mood and motivation, in addition to increased bone strength and body-fat burn. 

Reclaiming the feminine mojo

As mentioned earlier, there are safe and natural ways to boost testosterone production in the female body – thanks to various herbs, vitamins and minerals.  Here are some of my favorite ones given their effectiveness and relative safety.

Chasteberry (Vitex): This herb is probably one of the best hormonal balancer for women – with an impressive record.  Vitex has been shown to regulate estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. 

Tribulus Terrestris: I love this one.  I have used it for athletic purposes, since it naturally improves testosterone production.  However, it has also been shown to increase testosterone in women in a gentle way – leading to improved sex drive.

Tongkat Ali:  This herb from Southeast Asia (used mainly in Malaysia) increases libido and stimulates the production of testosterone.

Horny Goat Weed: This one increases testosterone and improves blood circulation (blood flowing into the right places also leads to improved sexual desire/performance.)

Zinc: An important mineral for overall health, zinc has been shown to increase testosterone levels.

All the aforementioned herbs and nutrients have been proven by science to be effective in increasing testosterone levels naturally.  Nevertheless, you always need to consult with a therapist/professional before using them (some individuals might have certain health conditions that prohibit them from using these supplements.)

Women are entitled to enjoy an active and gratifying sexual life as much as men do.  And this should not be reliant upon a so-called “miracle pill” or “wonder drug”!  Stress, hormonal imbalance and other health conditions that negatively affect libido/sexual performance could be and should be solved through natural and sustainable means. 

If you found this article interesting, please "share" and "like". And feel free to leave your comments/questions below - would love to hear your opinion and answer your questions.