The Antioxidant Network
for Detoxification
Antioxidants are part of basic functioning of the body from energy production in all cells to detoxification and immunity.
Different antioxidants work together by recycling each other and addressing different weak links in a system.
They also lessen side effects of detoxification.
The reasons to take antioxidants as a group are:
- Synergy of the total is greater than the sum of the parts.
- There are specific functions to different antioxidants.
- To mitigate negative symptoms of detoxification and die-off when killing infections.
One of the top research scientists on antioxidant is Lester K. Packard, published in many scientific papers and a popular book. He explains that there are 5 core antioxidants and several kinds of supporting antioxidants.
The 5 antioxidants that work together as network are vitamins C and E, CoQ10, glutathione, and alpha lipoic acid.
Specific functions of anti-oxidants are:
- C and Glutathione are water soluble.
- E and CoQ10 are fat soluble—go into fat tissues to protect and detoxify.
- Alpha Lipoic Acid is both, so it can go everywhere into all kinds of tissues, and into the brain.
- Selenium works with E and on its own as a powerful detoxifier of metals like mercury and lead.
- Bioflavanoids work with C.
- Carotenoids are varied and common in the diet to play important roles.
CoQ10
The general role of energizing the body is most directly illustrated by CoQ10 and its utilizable form of Ubiquinol that is part of the mitochondria’s production of energy in every cell. The name ubiquinol comes from the word “ubiquitous” or found everywhere. Its role is general, not just for the heart. The heart stops, in part, when the body runs out of energy and crucial nutrients, like magnesium, potassium, and ubiquinol, so it is not just the heart that is the problem.
Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is a very general purpose foundational nutrient. It is actually key to the immune system, like macrophages, in fighting toxins and pathogens / germs. Once it donates an electron its free radical form leads to a chain reaction through macrophages to create a useful free radical, nitric oxide, that can target germs or chemicals for destruction. Ascorbic acid is found to work as well as vitamin C, a rare exception to the rule that natural is better than synthetic. However, whole foods like fruits contain many other nutrients like favonoids that are antioxidants with their own benefits that also help recycle C and boost its power. It's best to combine sources.
Glutathione is considered the body’s master antioxidant and is found it all cells and especially the liver.
E working with selenium especially is very helpful to metals detoxification.
Alpha lipoic acid, ALA, is perhaps he strongest antioxidant. It is thought to be able to directly detoxify metals like mercury and because it is both water and fat soluble can cross the blood brain barrier. However, it's greater role may be in the recycling of glutathione, C and CoQ10. ALA also regulates Nfr2, which has caught people’s attention lately.
Synergies of the Network
Packer says that C is like the hub of the network because it can recycle both water and fat soluble antioxidants like E. It also helps recycle glutathione.
If C is the hub of a wheel, the other antioxidants are like spokes of the wheel, and the tire is alpha lipoic acid that makes the whole thing go around fast. ALA is the biggest recycler and in practice known to be the most aggressive antioxidant for detoxification—which also means it can create the most problems when used improperly and out of the context of its role in the whole system.
In my own experimentation it seems that ALA multiplies the effect of other detoxifiers and can create a lot of energy when you don’t over-do it and figure out all the other nutrients you have to increase to keep up with a faster energy expenditure and metabolic activity in every cell. It is for rejuvenation and energizing. But when you are toxic, you have to use other antioxidants to even tolerate ALA in the first place, so ALA is the last thing to implement to complete the system.
Gaps in the Network Create Detox Symptoms?
Recycling is adding back the missing electron after the antioxidant performs its function of donating an electron, which turned it into an oxidizer or free radical itself. This free radical could then do damage when it is not recycled or directed toward another purpose, which the body is actually designed to do when it has all the nutrient cofactors.
Free radicals are not all bad because they are also part of healthy chemical reactions when properly targeted. Nevertheless, you can imagine that when the recycling process is incomplete those free radicals may create side-effects like feeling worse when we detoxify. One antioxidant may release mercury in one part of the body but if it is not fully neutralized it may travel into a more vulnerable location like the brain. I'm suggesting that maybe other members of the network can step in to help handle these detox effects.
Tolerating ALA
The detox protocol of ALA Andrew Cutler Chelation includes in his basic 4 supplements C and E. NAC supplments don't always work as a glutathione precursors. The problems with quality of supplements and foods is not generally addressed. This may be one of the reasons some people don't manage to tolerating even going gradually in small doses. Cutler also emphasizes the role of ALA as a direct chelator, rather than as glutathione recycler, as does Dr. Christopher Shade.
The problem of tolerating detox is said to be redistribution of toxicity that is stirred up but not fully bound and excreted. Yet detox effects occur from the allegedly tightest binder, Boyd Haley’s OSR. This occurs because there is sitll damage to the tissues being detoxified that need more than ripping out mercury, for example, according to a Facebook group for OSR and similar products. Antioxidants work in a broader spectrum as nutrients, especially when in foods.
In my experiments with a range of antioxidants enabled me to tolerate much higher doses with taking few breaks between rounds. The Cutler protocol rules of following rounds of 3 days on 4 days off may be a necessity within the constraints of antioxidant and other nutritional deficiencies. By all means follow those rules when you don’t know how to do what I describe here. Take breaks when you feel worse. I learned how to keep going at very high doses because it made me feel better. Now I take the whole network to keep up with escalating toxic exposures and rejuvenation in the race against aging. It got easier as I become more detoxified..
The antioxidant network is a complementary alternative to binders and chelators like clay, charcoal, zeolite, pectin, dmsa. There is nothing wrong with binders but binders don’t work with the body’s processes in a multifaceted way. They do not energize cells and may even remove minerals.
Chemistry Breaks Down to Physics
Health is about electrons. Electrons are "for" everything. Antioxidants are electron donors. The sun is the biggest electron generator through Einstein’s photo electric effect that charges the water in your body like a battery. Sun is not just “for” vitamin D. Dr. Jack Kruse stated that health is about the net negative charge of the cell, that is, the amount of electrons. The fundamental process is “redox” which is the exchange of electrons throughout many cellular processes from antioxidant to oxidizing form, involving light as well. More electrons is better. Oxidizing therapies should be used cautiously if at all, most people don’t know that and don’t know when and how to use oxidizing therapies. This is the big picture, not “take this for that.”
Redox before detox.
And redox to detox. .
One must utilize nutrients in the right form, order, quantities, and with a process of fine-tuning.
There is a hierarchy or order of implementation to enable one to build up to: right diet, deficiencies, basic antioxidants, then finally ALA at the top.
The weakest links in nutrition hold you back.
In another post/ page I will compare the major detox approaches of Cutler, Shade, and Kruse.
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See how I support you fully:
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I work over video: Facebook, Zoom, Google, from Michigan, USA Hess.PaulC@gmail.com
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choose “See First” to get all notifications. blog posts
Primal Rejuvenation
Systematic
enough to make a difference
Simple
enough to implement
Sensitive
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