Resveratrol May Reverse Arterial Aging

“Atherosclerosis is reversible” is not a phrase we expected to hear from mainstream medical researchers until very recently—since these are the precise opening words of a remarkable editorial about resveratrol that appeared in a recent issue of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. Just as astonishingly, the editorial was written by a renowned immunologist, Linda K. Curtiss, PhD, of the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. The fact that an immunologist is writing about cardiovascular disease in a trend-setting medical journal speaks volumes about how far we have come in our understanding of chronic diseases and their relationships with inflammation, which is an immune system phenomenon. What truly sets Dr. Curtiss’s article apart, though, is her description of a dramatic new phenomenon mediated by the grape polyphenol resveratrol.

Curtiss’s excitement comes from work done by Cleveland Clinic cell biologist Young-Mi Park, MD, who was exploring the role of oxidant stress and inflammation on the pathogenesis, or disease-causing mechanisms, of atherosclerosis. Knowing that fat-laden inflammatory cells called foam-cell macrophages trigger inflammation when they become trapped beneath the lining of blood vessels, Park’s team sought to understand why the cells become trapped, and how they could be freed from their “endothelial bondage,” thereby reversing the inflammatory process.

The most natural approach to take, Park’s group decided, was simply to test known antioxidants’ ability to prevent the foam cells from migrating into the endothelial lining in the first place, and their ability to release any cells that were already present. Specifically, they studied how oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) promotes foam-cell formation and impairs migration. To do this they blocked LDL oxidation with several potent antioxidants. They found that oxidized LDL actually triggered production of a sort of cellular “glue” in the form of filaments of actin, one of the proteins also found in muscle tissue. The actin filaments were entangling the foam cells, preventing their natural migration out of the endothelial lining, leading to progressive inflammatory changes.

Park’s group chose resveratrol as one of the two antioxidants to test—another testimony to the respect that mainstream researchers are according this remarkable molecule (the other was N-acetylcysteine, also an antioxidant available in supplement form). Resveratrol treatment of the foam cells inhibited production of reactive oxygen species by greater than 90%, an important first step in breaking the cycle. Even more impressively, resveratrol supplements partially restored the foam cells’ ability to move out of the entangling actin filaments, and migrate away from the endothelial lining!

This brings us back to Dr. Curtiss’s astounding initial observation that atherosclerosis is a reversible condition—through the use of powerful antioxidants such as resveratrol, we can now understand how oxidized LDL contributes to invasion of endothelium by inflammatory cells, and how prevention or reversal of LDL oxidation promotes mobilization of inflammatory cells and their emigration away from vessel linings.

As Dr. Park concluded, “[these studies] also provide additional mechanistic support for the atheroprotective effect of antioxidants.” Resveratrol is already well-known as a cardiovascular protective supplement—the work of Park and others is now showing us that resveratrol must also be considered a valuable cardiovascular therapeutic supplement, one that can literally “turn back the clock” on chronic vascular diseases of aging!

Enhanced Irvingia: A Multi-Pronged Approach to Achieving Healthy Body Weight

It’s not your fault! Public health agencies blame gluttonous behavior and lack of physical activity as the sole reasons for today’s obesity epidemic. Ignored are a plethora of age-related metabolic changes that predispose us to weight gain, even when we try to cut back on caloric intake.

The good news is that that you don’t have to do it alone. Scientists have identified natural compounds that function via multiple mechanisms to combat the underlying factors involved in excess accumulation of body fat.

New Green Tea Phytosome

The effects of green tea polyphenols in inhibiting the breakdown and absorption of dietary fats have been demonstrated in several studies. More recent research confirms the metabolic-enhancing properties of a proprietary green tea phytosome that is absorbed into the bloodstream better than conventional green tea products.

A human clinical trial documents 30 pounds of weight loss and a 10% reduction in waist circumference in 90 days when 300 mg/day of this new green tea phytosome is taken in conjunction with lifestyle modification.1 The placebo group that followed the same lifestyle modification program lost only 9.9 pounds and only 5% of their waist size. This new green tea phytosome provides two important components of a comprehensive weight-loss program.

Inhibiting the Alpha-Amylase Enzyme

Aging reduces our ability to utilize the carbohydrates (and fats) that constitute what most would consider part of a healthy diet. The result is that as we grow older, our bloodstreams become chronically overloaded with glucose and triglycerides that not only make it difficult to shed fat pounds, but also create vascular problems. A proven method to maintain healthy blood glucose is to neutralize the alpha-amylase enzyme in the intestines.

A natural bean extract (Phaseolus vulgaris) inhibits alpha-amylase. In a human trial in which all overweight participants were placed on a 2,000-2,200-calorie, carbohydrate-rich diet, those taking Phaseolus vulgaris lost 6.5 pounds and 1.2 inches in waist size in only 30 days compared with 0.8 pounds and 0.2 inches in the placebo group.2

Inhibiting the Alpha-Glucosidase Enzyme

Maintaining healthy blood glucose (and triglyceride) usually requires more than just inhibiting the alpha-amylase enzyme. Another intestinal enzyme that enables carbohydrate absorption is alpha-glucosidase. A patented seaweed extract (InSea2™) has demonstrated potent inhibiting effects against alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase. When given to laboratory animals, this seaweed extract reduced after-meal (postprandial) disorders by up to 90% compared with non-supplemented animals. Equally impressive were insulin reductions as much as 40% in the animals supplemented with InSea2™.

Chronically elevated insulin levels, as observed in overweight and obese individuals, can preclude fat loss. Excess glucose converts to triglycerides, which is the primary form that fat is stored in the body. By consuming compounds that inhibit the glucosidase and amylase enzymes before meals, the rate of carbohydrate absorption can be significantly slowed, resulting in reduced conversion of glucose to stored body fat.

Remember, young healthy individuals rapidly convert ingested fats-sugars into energy. Age-related changes reduce our metabolic capacity to efficiently utilize dietary sugars-fats, ergo the importance of impeding their absorption to help maintain a healthy body weight in maturing individuals.

Restoring Leptin Sensitivity

Fat cells (adipocytes) secrete a hormone called leptin that tells our brain we have eaten enough. Leptin can also facilitate the breakdown of stored triglycerides in our adipocytes via the process of lipolysis. Heavy individuals have startlingly high blood levels of leptin, indicating that their cells have become resistant to the leptin that is supposed to prevent them from putting on so many fat pounds.

An extract from a West African food called Irvingia gabonensis has been shown to restore leptin sensitivity by suppressing inflammatory factors. In a recently published study, Irvingia demonstrated a marked reduction in leptin blood levels, a reduction in appetite, followed by significant loss of body weight and inches off the waistline.3 In addition to restoring leptin sensitivity, Irvingia has demonstrated the following fat-reducing mechanisms:

• Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is the enzyme that converts blood glucose to triglycerides in fat cells. Irvingia has the unique effect of inhibiting glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase,4 thus reducing the amount of blood glucose that converts to stored body fat.
• Irvingia has alpha-amylase-inhibiting properties5 (like InSea2™ and Phaseolus vulgaris), thus slowing the rate of carbohydrate absorption from the intestines.
• Adiponectin is a hormone involved in helping to maintain insulin sensitivity on the membranes of energy-producing cells. Heavy individuals have low adiponectin blood levels, which contribute to the phenomenon of insulin resistance. Irvingia has been shown to significantly increase adiponectin blood levels.4

The New Enhanced Irvingia with Calorie Control Complex

In reviewing the remarkable effects demonstrated by these natural compounds, one might think that any one of them might be a solution to one’s weight problem. The reality is that aging individuals often have many obesity factors that can sabotage the best weight-loss programs.

The new Enhanced Irvingia formula provides a combination of nutrients that combat age-related fat accumulation via the following seven distinct mechanisms:

1. Enhancing resting energy expenditure at the cellular level.
2. Impeding dietary fat absorption from the intestines.
3. Inhibiting alpha-amylase to slow intestinal carbohydrate absorption.
4. Inhibiting alpha-glucosidase to further slow intestinal carbohydrate absorption.
5. Enhancing leptin sensitivity to reduce hunger and stimulate adipocyte lipolysis.
6. Elevating adiponectin blood levels to help restore insulin sensitivity.
7. Suppressing glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase to reduce the amount of blood glucose that is converted to stored fat (triglyceride) in the cells.

Two capsules of Enhanced Irvingia with Calorie Control Complex provide:

• Green Tea Phytosome (decaffeinated) extract 150 mg
• Phaseolus vulgaris white kidney bean extract 445 mg
• InSea2™ seaweed extract 125 mg
• Irvingia gabonensis extract 150 mg

Directions are to take two capsules before the two heaviest meals of the day. A bottle of 120 capsules of Enhanced Irvingia with Calorie Control Complex retails for $78. If a member buys four bottles, the cost is only $54 per bottle. To order Enhanced Irvingia with Calorie Control Complex, call 1-800-544-4440 or go to our Enhanced Irvingia supplement page.

Summary of Human Studies With Enhanced Irvingia Ingredients
Ingredient	Study	Treatment vs. Placebo
Green Tea Phytosome Extract1	100 overweight subjects placed on a hypocaloric diet (men: 1,850 calories; women: 1,350 calories) randomized to receive 300 mg/day of green tea phytosome extract or placebo for 90 days	Weight loss: 30.1 pounds vs. 9.9 poundsWaist size reduction: 10% vs. 5% (14% vs. 7% in men)
Phaseolus vulgaris2	60 overweight subjects placed on a 2,000-2,200 calorie, carbohydrate-rich diet and randomized to either 445 mg/day of white kidney bean extract or placebo for 30 days	Weight loss: 6.5 pounds vs. 0.8 poundsWaist size reduction: 1.2 inches vs. 0.2 inches
Integra-Lean™ Irvingia gabonensis Extract3	102 overweight subjects randomized to either 150 mg of Irvingia twice daily or placebo for 10 weeks	Weight loss: 28 pounds vs. 1.5 poundsWaist size reduction: 6.4 inches vs. 2.1 inches

References

1. Integr Nutr. 2008;11(2):1-14.

2. Int J Med Sci. 2007;4:45-52.

3. Lipids Health Dis. 2009 Mar 2;8:7.

4. Lipids Health Dis. 2008 Nov 13;7:44.

5. Ann Nutr Metab. 1993;37(1):14-23.

Note: Supplements should be taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise program. Results may vary.

Caution: This product is designed to target several critical factors involved in age-related weight gain. Those who ingest more calories than what their body has the metabolic capacity to utilize will not see results. This is because some people are ingesting so many excess calories that no matter how much their metabolic rate is increased, or how much improvement occurs in their post-meal blood sugar and serum triglyceride levels, or by how much youthful insulin sensitivity and other body fat-regulating systems are restored, they are overwhelming the metabolic capacity to utilize these calories. This will result in excess calories being stored in adipocytes. One cannot consume limitless calories and expect to shed fat pounds by taking drugs, nutrients, and/or hormones that demonstrate weight-loss effects in clinical studies.

To order Enhanced Irvingia with Calorie Control Complex, call 1-800-544-4440 or visit www.lifeextension.com

Irvingia: Why Are So Many Americans Overweight?

A debate has raged for decades about the best way to lose weight. After you read this, you will understand why even aggressive “diets” have failed to achieve significant fat loss.

Scientists have identified specific biological mechanisms that cause aging people to gain weight … no matter how little they eat. The problem has been that there was no way to circumvent the underlying factors that cause excess body fat … until now! As you are about to learn, gaining control over your body’s command signals is critical to maintaining a healthy weight.

Fat Accumulator #1 – Leptin Resistance

Leptin is a hormone that tells our brain that we have consumed enough calories and can stop eating. Leptin also induces a process whereby fat stored in cells is broken down. As we age, our cells (including the appetite control center in our brains) become “leptin resistant.” This means that leptin is unable to effectively regulate body weight.

Fat Accumulator #2 – Extra Large Fat Cells

Adult-onset weight gain is characterized by the enlargement of existing adipocytes (fat cells) that store too much fat. The size of fat cells is controlled by gene transcription factors. Fat cell size is closely related with adiponectin expression — with reduced adiponectin expression in larger fat cells. In addition, gene transcription factors help regulate adiponectin, and this crucial hormone is critical for supporting insulin sensitivity.

Fat Accumulator #3 – Excess Activity of a Fat Converting Enzyme

An enzyme called glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase is critical for synthesizing (making) fatty acids in our bodies. Suppressing this enzyme helps reduce the amount of glucose (sugar) in our bloodstream from being converted into fatty acids.

4 WAYS TO ACHIEVE HEALTHY WEIGHT

Weight loss utilizing diet modification, supplements, hormones or drugs usually functions via a single mechanism. Adipocytes (fat cells), on the other hand, possess numerous means to ensure their survival. An extract from a West African plant called Irvingia has been shown to help maintain healthy body weight in four ways:*

1. Reversing Leptin Resistance:

Fat cells produce C-reactive protein, a pro-inflammatory compound that leads to “leptin resistance.” Overweight people given Irvingia have lower levels of CRP, and therefore less CRP is able to block the activity of leptin. Leptin is important in weight management because it promotes the breakdown of fat in adipocytes and tells the brain to turn off chronic hunger messages.

2. Increasing Adiponectin:

Large fat cells secrete less adiponectin, and adiponectin is a crucial hormone that helps support insulin sensitivity as well as cardiovascular health. Overweight people given Irvingia show markedly increased adiponectin levels.

3. Inhibiting the Fat Converting Enzyme:

An enzyme called glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase facilitates the conversion of glucose into triglycerides that increase adipocyte size. Irvingia inhibits glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, thus reducing the amount of glucose (sugar) that is converted to fat in the body.

4. Reducing Carbohydrate Absorption:

In order for carbohydrates to be fully absorbed, they must be broken down in the digestive tract by the amylase enzyme. Irvingia inhibits amylase, and thus reduces the amount of ingested starches that will be absorbed as sugar.

28 pounds lost in ten weeks

Several studies demonstrate the weight loss properties of Irvingia.1 In the largest placebo-controlled human study, those taking Irvingia lost 28 pounds over a 10-week period compared to less than 3 pounds in the placebo group.2,3

References:

1. Lipids Health Dis. 2005 May 25;4:12.
2. Nutrition J. 2008 (Submitted)
3. 5th International Conference on Functional

   Foods for Chronic Diseases: Obesity & Related

   Diseases. Presented 2008 Oct 17.

How to use Irvingia

Based on impressive human data, a dose of 150 mg of Integra-Lean™ Irvingia taken twice a day is all that was needed to achieve unprecedented clinical results. A bottle containing 60 150-mg capsules of patented Integra-Lean™ Irvingia extract retails for $56.00. If a member purchases four bottles (a 16-week supply) during the Super Sale, the price is reduced to only $32.40 per bottle.

There is also a combination of Integra-Lean™ Irvingia and Fucoxanthin-Pomegranate Seed Oil available called SlimSignals™. Each softgel provides 150 mg of Irvingia plus Fucoxanthin-Pomegranate Seed Oil. Fucoxanthin functions to increase non-stimulating thermogenesis (fat burning) in adipocytes, while pomegranate seed oil reduces blood supply to adipocytes. The combination of Integra-Lean™ Irvingia plus Fucoxanthin-Pomegranate Seed Oil may provide superior benefits, but there are no studies where both were used together. A 60-softgels bottle of SlimSignals™ retails for $72.00.

To order Integra-Lean™ Irvingia at low prices, call 1-800-544-4440 or visit http://www.lef.org/Irvingia

Note: Supplements should be taken in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise program. Results may vary.

Caution: This product is designed to target several critical factors involved in age-related weight gain. Those who ingest more calories than what their body has the metabolic capacity to utilize will not see results. This is because some people are ingesting so many excess calories that no matter how much their metabolic rate is increased, or how much improvement occurs in their post-meal blood sugar and serum triglyceride levels, or by how much youthful insulin sensitivity and other body fat-regulating systems are restored, they are overwhelming the metabolic capacity to utilize these calories. This will result in excess calories being stored in adipocytes. One cannot consume limitless calories and expect to shed fat pounds by taking drugs, nutrients, and/or hormones that demonstrate weight-loss effects in clinical studies.