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During the
April 2004 Young Living Anaheim Convention, important
research was presented by Marc Schreuder and Sue Chao on the
antioxidant, health supporting, and immune-boosting power of
the Ningxia wolfberry and Ningxia Red.
Wolfberries and other fruits like blueberries and
raspberries - found in NingXia Red™ - are important sources
of flavonoids, carotenoids, polyphenols, cerebrosides, and
pyrroles-plant compounds that assist and protect the body in
numerous ways. Studies are showing that partaking of these
compounds as they occur in nature-in whole foods-provides
more benefit than chemically synthesized substitutes. Also,
as free radical damage becomes increasingly implicated in
the processes of aging, the necessity for antioxidant
protection is of vital importance. Research has documented
the ability of the wolfberry to protect eye, pancreas, and
liver function, as well as maintain DNA integrity. As the
food with the highest antioxidant power (as measured by
ORAC), wolfberries help maximize immunity, neuronal, and
cognitive functioning as we age. Perhaps the most vital
benefit of the wolfberry is its ability to strengthen and
support the immune system.
The
Dangers of Free Radical Attacks
Aging
is a fact of life that no one can alter. But accelerated
aging is a problem that can be avoided. Free-radical attacks
wreak havoc in the body, causing cellular breakdown. UCLA
researcher Dr. Bruce N. Ames has stated that the average
cell in the human body is exposed to 100,000 free-radical
insults every day (1). While every
cell in the body is vulnerable to free-radical attacks, the
more damage done to DNA, the more accelerated the aging
process.
Free radicals are atoms with an odd or unpaired electron.
Normal metabolism generates free radicals, but free radicals
are also a result of environmental factors like cigarette
smoke, herbicides, pollution, and radiation. The unstable
free radical goes on a search-and-destroy mission seeking an
electron to make a stable pair. As the free radical captures
an electron, it creates a new free radical missing an
electron, thus creating a cascading effect that can result
in cellular damage, particularly when DNA cells are
attacked.
Literally, free radicals create damage similar to rust.
However, the body has a natural defense in substances called
antioxidants, which prevent the free radical cascading
effect called "the oxidation process."
 The
Adelman study (2) showed that free
radicals are generated in every living species, but the
longer the species lives, the lower the level of free
radicals being generated. The chart below shows that a cow
that lives 30 years generates one-sixth the amount of free
radicals as does a mouse that lives only 3.5 years. There
seems to be a connection between longevity and the amount of
free radicals in the body.
One of the most damaging acts of free radicals is turning
the lipids (fats) in your body rancid. Is the damage caused
by free radicals visible? Indeed it is. There is a brown
waste material, called lipofuscin, which is composed of
free-radical damaged proteins and fat. Lipofuscin
accumulates in the body over time and is called the aging
pigment because it is first seen as "age spots" on the skin.
In the brain, lipofuscin interferes with communication
between synapses, causing "senior moments" and worse,
senility. It also collects in the heart muscle, liver, and
other organs, and in the retinal nerves of the eyes.
The following chart shows the amount of lipofuscin found in
intracellular fluids.
 By
the time you reach ages 30-40, 35 percent of your
intracellular fluids is lipofuscin. Ages 90-100 have 78
percent lipofuscin. After considering this increasing
buildup of noxious waste, the need for antioxidant
protection becomes very apparent. Unfortunately, the body's
natural antioxidants, superoxide dismutase and glutathione,
decline with age.
In addition, the digestive organs have the heaviest exposure
to carcinogens because of the chemical reactions involved in
the digestive process. After ingesting food, a patchwork of
enzymes and hydrochloric acid are released, creating a
chemical soup that includes free radical creation. To
prevent cellular mutations, the right types of antioxidants
need to be taken to neutralize the effects of free radicals.
Most often we hear about four specific free radicals:
hydroperoxyl, superoxide, singlet oxide, and hydrogen
peroxide. But there are many more types as chain reactions
of free radicals create even more free radicals in the body.
When free radicals attack thymine, one of the four bases of
a nucleotide found in DNA, thymadine glycol is formed. The
thymadine glycol (oxidized thymine) structure has been
changed to a type of cluster, much like a knot. When the DNA
is to be replicated, repair mechanisms are initiated,
clipping out the damaged portion and replacing it with new
DNA. The more repairs that have to be made, the more likely
cellular mutation may occur.
The
following chart explains the dangers of these mutations.
 A
number of studies show that wolfberry is protective against
DNA breakage and mutations. The 2001 study done at Peking
University at Beijing discussed mitrochondrial DNA deletion.
Wolfberry actually reduced the deletion of segments of DNA
that could lead to mutation.(3)
Free Radical Scavengers:
Antioxidants to the Rescue Fortifying the body against
free-radical attack is the most important step toward
longevity. Foods can stop these mutations. An important
study was done at the World Cancer Research Fund in London,
England in which 206 large population studies were reviewed
and found to confirm that people who consumed the most
fruits and vegetables had the least incidents of cancer(4),
which is the ultimate cellular mutation.
The following charts list the vitamin, mineral, and
antioxidant content of wolfberries, which shows the
nutritional power of this red berry.
The Antioxidant Power of Flavonoids
There
is yet another important component of the wolfberry:
flavonoids. Discovered in the 1930s by Albert Szent-Gyorgyi,
Ph.D., flavonoids were originally to be called vitamin P,
but there were simply too many to be classified as a single
vitamin (researchers have discovered at least 4,000 of
them). Flavonoids are water-soluble plant pigments and
create a rainbow of color in red grapes, blueberries,
oranges, and wolfberries. Flavonoids are also powerful
antioxidants.
In a rush to duplicate the effects of antioxidants,
pharmaceutical companies have isolated phytochemicals and
synthetically duplicated them. But two studies have shown
that the most power is in the whole food. The first study,
from the Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences in the
Netherlands5, found that glycation (binding flavonoids to
sugars) increases bioavailability. "Bioavailability refers
to the degree to which a nutrient becomes available to the
target tissue after it has been administered."(6)
A study conducted at Cornell University stated that "the
additive and synergistic effects of phytochemicals in fruit
and vegetables are responsible for their potent antioxidant
. . . activities." The study also noted that the benefit of
fruits and vegetables is "attributed to the complex mixture
of phytochemicals present in whole foods."(7)
So the best way to take flavonoids is in the foods they come
in naturally. The study shown below was done at the Ningxia
Medical College in Yinchuan and shows the effect of the
flavonoids in the Ningxia wolfberry on active oxygen
radicals and heat output. When the body suffers from a
fever, respiration increases and more free radicals are
created. Heat stresses cells, and this study showed how the
wolfberry slowed down damage even in this extreme example of
oxidation.
The study above was done at the Ningxia
Medical College in Yinchuan, China. This study can be found
at:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov PMID 10682619
Supporting Healthy Cell Formation
The
waxy substance cholesterol is a vital material found in the
fats (lipids) in the bloodstream and in all cells.
Cholesterol is necessary to form cell membranes, certain
hormones, and is used in many other functions. Since fats do
not dissolve in the blood, cholesterol is carried by
lipoproteins, two of which are termed low-density
lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). When
LDL is oxidized by free-radical attack, it forms a clogging
substance called foam cells. The antioxidants in wolfberry
inhibit this oxidation as is seen by this study from the
prestigious Chinese Academy of Science:
Protecting and Supporting the Pancreas and Liver
The
pancreas and liver produce the pancreatic juice and bile
necessary for the digestion process. The pancreas secretes
two vital hormones, insulin and glucagons, that regulate
blood sugar in the body, as well as enzymes needed to digest
foods and break down starches.
The liver makes and breaks down many hormones and
hormone-precursors, including cholesterol, testosterone, and
estrogen. Perhaps its most important function is serving as
the body's filter. The liver filters and processes all food,
nutrients, alcohol, drugs, and other materials that enter
the bloodstream. When the liver is not functioning properly,
dangerous toxins build up in the body.
The vital importance of these two organs makes liver and
pancreas supportive and protective elements indispensable.
Research is finding the wolfberry fits both these roles.
The cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin and glucagons
into the blood are called "islets of Langerhans" or islet
cells. Each of the islets contain up to two million
insulin-secreting cells. These cells are vital for normal
blood sugar levels. Because the pancreatic islet cells are
subjected to dangerous oxidative damage from free radicals,
Chinese scientists studied the effects of wolfberry (Lycium
barbarum) polysaccharide on islet-cell damage in rats. They
found "definite protective effects."(8)
Another benefit of the wolfberry is found in its
hepatoprotective (liver protective) cerebrosides. The name
"cerebrosides" was first used in 1874 when this lipid
compound containing glucose was isolated in brain tissue.
Cerebrosides are found in all nervous tissue and in plant
membranes as well. Researchers were surprised to find that
two cerebrosides are what make wolfberries protective of the
liver. In studies using a variety of wolfberry very close to
Lycium barbarum, Lycium chinense, a newly discovered
cerebroside from wolfberry, LCC, was found to have
"prominent hepatoprotective activity."(9,10)
Scientists have found that the components in wolfberry
protect the liver. A 2002 study isolated three new pyrrole
derivatives that showed "hepatoprotective effects."(11)
(A pyrrole is a five-membered aromatic ring, containing four
carbon atoms and one nitrogen. Many natural coloring
materials are derived from pyrrole.)
The discovery of these new compounds is exciting news.
Instead of trying to isolate cerebrosides or pyrroles in the
laboratory, Young Living continues to use the whole food so
that the synergistic benefits are available.
Wolfberry: An Amazing Carotenoid Profile
The
red, orange, or yellow oil-soluble pigments known as
carotenoids are found in many fruits and vegetables. There
are more than 600 carotenoids that have been identified,
with beta-carotene well-known to the public. Most
researchers have focused on alpha and beta-carotene, lutein,
lycopene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. Only recently have
researchers been able to separate zeaxanthin from lutein,
recognizing its worth.
Researchers are documenting other carotenoids that are more
effective in protecting cellular DNA than beta-carotene.
Simply told, beta-carotene can only contribute one electron
to buffer against free-radical damage. The problem is that
once that electron is used up, the beta-carotene molecule is
then likely to become a free radical itself. What happens in
the case of the other carotenoids? They don't just give up
an electron, they give up a whole hydrogen atom which gives
far more protection.
Lycopene and lutein have enjoyed much scientific attention,
but the real hero of the carotenoid family may be
zeaxanthin. In the chart below, the carotenoid profile of
wolfberry is documented by Alpha Laboratories.
The carotenoid profile of the wolfberry is the reverse of
most carotenoid profiles. Usually there is a 10 to 1 ratio
of beta-carotene to zeaxanthin. Often the zeaxanthin level
is almost an afterthought, because it's so low. In the
wolfberry, the amount of zeaxanthin is astounding: 278 mcg
of zeaxanthin compared to 23 mcg of beta-carotene (each
amount is per gram).
 Zeaxanthin
may seem like a new carotenoid, but there are some 40
clinical studies showing it is a powerful ocular (eye)
protectant. A Swedish study showed that the antioxidants
lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, or alpha-tocopherol (vitamin
E) reduced the amount of lipofuscin (the waste material
created by free-radical attacks) in retinal pigment.(12)
A Harvard study documented evidence that zeaxanthin
protected photoreceptor cells in the eye.(13)
Also,
researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
suggested that lutein and zeaxanthin are so important to eye
health "that they fit the criteria for conditionally
essential nutrients."(14) Yet another
study showed that supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin
plays a functional role in protection against light-induced
retinal damage and age-related macular degeneration.(15)
Not only does zeaxanthin support and protect vital cells in
the eye, but animal studies using the chinense variety of
wolfberry also revealed "zeaxanthin protects the liver from
damage."16 Again, consider the amount of this marvelous
compound that is found in wolfberries. Surely mother nature
made up for the unassuming size of this berry by packing it
full of this important carotenoid.
Polyphenolic Compounds
The
berries in NingXia Red™ are rich in polyphenolic compounds
(a class of phytochemicals known for their antioxidant
activity) which "maximize neuronal and cognitive functioning
into old age," according to a study conducted at Tufts
University.(16)
One of these compounds is ellagic acid, found in
blueberries, raspberries, and pomegranates. A 2001 study
noted that "Oxidative stress due to oxygen and various
radical species is associated with the induction of DNA
single- and double-strand breaks." This study analyzed
several antioxidants for their ability to protect DNA
against such injury. "The data showed a marked reduction of
H2O2- and Bleomycin-induced DNA damage by ellagic acid."(17)
A study in the Journal of Nutrition emphasized that DNA
protection from ellagic acid and other polyphenols like
quercetin was a result of "synergistic biochemical
interactions."(18) Smokers are exposed
to potent carcinogens every day. A study at Loma Linda
University tested polyphenols like ellagic acid against
nicotine-derived nitrosamine (NNK) and found that
"polyphenolic compounds may inhibit the activation of NNK."(19)
Once again, the pharmaceutical approach to isolate single
compounds and synthetically reproduce them misses the power
of synergy found in whole foods and juices.
When Young Living's laboratories had the Ningxia wolfberry
tested for ellagic acid content, the result was 256 mg per
kilo of this marvelous polyphenolic. The wolfberry is an
important source of ellagic acid, which may be the most
potent DNA protectant known.
Creating a More Powerful Immune System
A
distressing effect of aging is that the body's immune system
develops disregulation. Aging can cause immune cells to have
difficulty recognizing the difference between the body's
cells and foreign cells, creating pro-inflammatory cytokines
(which are immune messengers that direct the body's immune
response). This can lead to auto-immune problems.
Wolfberries have been proven to provide immunity assistance.
In a 2002 study done at a hospital in Beijing, the wolfberry
and two other traditional Chinese medicines were found to be
effective in animal studies inhibiting three kinds of
inflammation. The researchers found that wolfberry
polysaccharides were found to stimulate interleukin-2 and
gamma interferon, which are anti-inflammatory rather than
pro-inflammatory. (20)
This study was confirmed by further research on wolfberry
polysaccharides done at Huazhong University in China where
scientists stated: "Administration of LBP3 (Lycium barbarum
polysaccharide-protein complex) increased the expression of
interleukin-2 [and] may induce immune responses."(21)
Young Living scientist Sue Chao (with Marc Schreuder, D.
Gary Young, Karen Nakaoka, Lynn Moyes, and Craig Oberg)
followed up on this study by testing wolfberry juice and the
other juices (raspberry, blueberry, apricot, and
pomegranate) used in NingXia Red™ for their modulating
effect on immunity in a study recently published by the
peer-reviewed Journal of the American Nutraceutical
Association. This animal study concluded that "wolfberry
juice and its mixtures were shown to have immunomodulatory
effects in mice by increasing splenic (spleen) macrophages
and splenic weight."(22) There are a
number of studies that correlate increased spleen weight and
improved immunological function.(23,24)
The Ningxia wolfberry offers an abundance of health
benefits.
Notes:
1. Saul RL, Ames
BN, "Background levels of DNA damage in the population,"
Basic Life Sci. 1986;38:529-35.
2. Adelman R, et al., "Oxidative damage to DNA: Relation to
species metabolic rate and life span," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
1988 Apr;85(8):2706-8.
3. Wang XM, Fu H, Liu GX, "Effect of wuzi yanzong pill and
its dissembled prescription on mitochondrial DNA deletion,
respiratory chain complexes and ATP synthesis in aged rats,"
Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2001 Jun;21(6):437-40.
4. Steinmetz K, Potter JD, "Vegetables, fruits, and cancer
prevention: a review," J Am Diet Assoc. 1996
Oct;96(10):1027-39.
5. Hollman, PC, Katan MB, "Dietary flavonoids: intake,
health effects and bioavailability," Food Chem Toxicol. 1999
Sep-Oct;37(9-10):937-42.
6. Jane Higdon, R.N., Ph.D., Linus Pauling research
associate, http://lip.oregonstate.edu/ss01/bioavailability.html
7. Liu RH, "Health benefits of fruit and vegetables are from
additive and synergistic combinations of phytochemicals," Am
J Clin Nutr. 2003 Sep;78(3 Suppl):517S-520S. See also: Liu
RH, "Protective role of phytochemicals in whole foods:
implications for chronic disease prevention," Applied
Biotechnology, Food Science and Policy, 2003:1(1)39-46.
8. Xu M, Zhang H, Wang Y, "[The protective effects of Lycium
barbarum polysaccharides on alloxan-induced isolated islet
cells damage in rats]" Zhong Yao Cai, 2002 Sep;25(9):649-51.
9. Kim SY, et al., "New Antihepatotoxic Cerebroside from
Lycium chinense Fruits," J Nat Prod. 1997, 60, 274.
10. Kim SY, et al., "LCC, a cerebroside from Lycium chinense,
protects primary cultured rat hepatocytes exposed to
galactosamine," Phytother. Res. 14, 448-451 (2000).
11. Chin YW, et al., "Hepatoprotective pyrrole of Lycium
chinense fruits," Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2003 Jan
6;13(1):79-81.
12. Sundelin SP, Nilsson SE, "Lipofuscin-formation in
retinal pigment epithelial cells is reduced by
antioxidants," Free Radic Biol Med. 2001 Jul
15;31(2):217-25.
13. Thomson LR, et al., "Elevated retinal zeaxanthin and
prevention of light-induced photoreceptor cell death in
quail," Invest Opthalmol Vis Sci. 2002 Nov;43(11):3538-49.
14. Semba RD, Dagnelie G, "Are lutein and zeaxanthin
conditionally essential nutrients for eye health?" Med
Hypotheses. 2003 Oct;61(4):465-72.
15. Landrum JT, Bone RA, "Lutein, zeaxanthin, and the
macular pigment," Arch Biochem Biophys. 2001 Jan
1;385(1):28-40.
16. Galli RL, et al., "Fruit polyphenolics and brain aging:
nutritional interventions targeting age-related neuronal and
behavioral deficits," Ann NY Acad Sci. 2002 Apr;959:128-32.
17. Festa F, et al., "Strong antioxidant activity of ellagic
acid in mammalian cells in vitro revealed by the comet
assay," Anticancer Res. 2001 Nov-Dec;21(6A):3903-8.
18. Mertens-Talcott SU, Talcott ST, Percival SS, "Low
concentrations of quercetin and ellagic acid synergistically
influence proliferation, cytotoxicity and apoptosis in
MOLT-4 human leukemia cells," J Nutr. 2003
Aug;133(8):2669-74.
19. Teel RW, Castonguay A, "Antimutagenic effects of
polyphenolic compounds," Cancer Lett. 1992 Sep
30;66(2):107-13.
20. Wei R, et al., "Study on Antiinflammatory Effect of a
Compound TCM [Traditional Chinese Medicine] Agent Containing
An Extractive in Animal Models," China Journal of Chinese
Materia Medica, Vol. 27, No. 3, March, 2002.
21. Gan L, et al., "A polysaccharide-protein complex from
Lycium barbarum upregulates cytokine expression in human
peripheral blood mononuclear cells," Eur J Pharmacol. 2003
Jun 27;471(3):217-22.
22. Chao, S, et al., "Pre-Clinical Study: Antioxidant Levels
and Immunomodulatory Effects of Wolfberry Juice and Other
Juice Mixtures in Mice," The Journal of the American
Nutraceutical Association, Vol. 7, No. 1, Winter 2004, pages
32-38.
23. Keil DE, et al., "Immunological function in mice exposed
to JP-8 jet fuel in utero," Toxicol Sci. 2003
Dec;76(2):347-56.
24. Peden-Adams MM, et al., "Pyridostigmine bromine (PYR)
alters immune function in B6C3F1 mice," Immunopharmacol
Immunotoxicol. 2004 Feb;26(1):1-15.
Copyright 2004 Young Living Essential Oils™
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