OPTIMIZE YOUR HEALTH
Protecting Your Vision

PhytoDefense: Colors to Enhance Immunity Against Cancer
by Jannet Huang, MD, FRCPC, FACE, ABHM

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational purposes only. Supplements (herbal and vitamins) should be complementary to a healthy lifestyle as well as appropriate medical evaluation and treatment. Those who are interested in beginning a nutritional supplement should first consult their personal physician.

Every day your body deals with all kinds of threats to your good health. Not only are you constantly exposed to germs, your cells are continually under assault from increased oxidative stress that can lead to premature aging and chronic, life-threatening diseases like cancer and heart disease. A healthy immune system is required to detect and repair or eliminate cells that have been damaged. Nature’s colorful fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants and phytonutrients to boost immunity and help prevent cancer.

Carotenoids (yellow, red and orange)

• Boost your immune defenses.

• Deliver powerful antioxidant protection against UV light and toxins like cigarette smoke that are linked directly to risk for cancer, heart disease, cataracts and macular degeneration of the eye.

• Promote longevity. Research shows that people who consume the most carotenoids live longer.

Flavanoids (blue, green and purple)

While Carotenoid Complex delivers lipid-soluble antioxidants from an optimal serving of fruits and vegetables,Flavonoid Complex provides the water-soluble antioxidantdiversity which can help put you at a lower risk ofdeveloping cardiovascular disease, support the body’s anticanceractivity, enhance anti-inflammatory action and improveimmune response!

Cruciferous Vegetables

Strong evidence correlates lower cancer rates with increased consumption of cruciferous vegetables, named for their cross-shaped flower petals. Members of this pungent family include bok choy, kale, broccoli, mustard greens, Brussels sprouts etc. The first study reporting the health-protecting abilities of cruciferous vegetables was published in 1978. Since then, the healthful properties of cruciferous vegetables have been so well documented that the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and the National Research Council all recommend consuming at least one serving of cruciferous vegetables per day. Most people only get about 1 serving a week!

Research has shown that the special protection afforded by cruciferous phytonutrients can lessen our risk of developing what scientists call “hormonally mediated” cancers (breast, prostate, endometrium), as well as other cancers (lung, colon and other digestive tract cancers). How cruciferous vegetables and other plants can help prevent cancer is not yet fully understood, but it is likely that they:

• boost production of enzymes that detoxify cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) and flush them out of the body.

• shunting estrogen metabolism towards increasing estrogen metabolites associated with lower risk of breast cancer.

• defend cells from infiltration of high risk estrogen metabolites by blocking its entry sites on the cell membrane.

• inhibit the formation of carcinogens by preventing activation of their precursors (toxins and mutagens).

Optimal antioxidant protection can only come from consuming a broad spectrum of phytonutrient groups from a wide range of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. To ensure this broad-spectrum protection, GNLD scientists formulated the phytonutrient protection of six optimal servings of fruits and vegetables into one daily supplement pack: PhytoDefense!

Financial disclosure: The Center for Optimal Health, Inc is an independent distributor of GNLD products.

—September 2007

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