Antioxidants are our body’s most important defense against the damage triggered by free radicals which contribute to many chronic inflammatory and degenerative ailments. Free radicals are the underlying cause of premature aging. Of all the antioxidants, a family of five are acknowledged as Network Antioxidants. This team of both fat and water soluble antioxidants work together to assist your cells and function together to support each other.

When an antioxidant contributes an electron to clean a free radical, it actually becomes one, but a benign free radical without the ability to carry on the chain reaction.  Unfortunately, when they become oxidized, they’re also not able to operate effectively.  But, what is special about the network antioxidants is that are able to help to regenerate each other and carry on the routine of searching out and repairing free radicals.

Even though they function together, the network antioxidants fulfill distinct jobs.  The fat soluble ones, namely Vitamin E and CoQ-10 protect the fatty cell membrane and the cell mitochondria, while the water soluble antioxidants, Glutathione and Vitamin C protect the nucleus of the cell. ALA – Alpha Lipoic Acid is unique in that it is both fat and water soluble.

Vitamin C is the link which connects the fat soluble and water soluble antioxidants in the network and is largely responsible for rejuvenating Vitamin E when it becomes oxidized.

Vitamin E is closely connected with heart attack prevention, because it’s the only antioxidant that can reach fatty portions of the cell that are not accessible to the rest of the network.  It’s basically not a single compound but is instead a family of fat soluble alcohols.

CoQ-10 or CoEnzyme Q-10 is found in all your cells, where it is concentrated in the mitochondria,  the part of your cell that generates energy. Mitochondria are susceptible to free radical injury which has been evidenced as a loss of energy as we age. Additionally, CoQ-10 works in the regeneration of Vitamins E, C and Glutathione

Glutathione, very well regarded as the Body’s Master antioxidant is continuously circulating through your cells, repairing your immune cells and cleaning cellular waste from your body. It supports the rejuvenation of all of the remaining network antioxidants. Increasing your glutathione levels helps protect you from several inflammatory conditions, autoimmune diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, asthma and others.

Alpha Lipoic Acid is unique amongst the Network Antioxidants in that it is both fat and water soluable and can support both the fatty membrane and water based interior of your cells.  It is also uniquely capable of repairing itself and also can regenerate the other network antioxidants including glutathione. It helps to avoid muscle damage during strenuous workouts.

Like glutathione and CoEnzyme Q-10, ALA is made by your body, but the production capacity falls off significantly as we age.