Why You Need To Test - Science Report

Concert n [Fr. fr It. Concerto, agreement]: To act together in harmony

Concerted effort. To work in concert. These phrases are very familiar to us and are commonly used in everyday situations. Nowhere, however is the concept of "acting in harmony" better illustrated than in the complex working of metabolic function.

In every living organism, there exists a specific and logical interplay between each of the myriad vital elements that make up the organism's biochemical nature. This delicate interplay must be carefully considered whenever nutritional supplementation becomes part of a daily lifestyle.

Most supplements available today are formulated without taking into account the significant synergistic effect that can be achieved with specific combinations of nutrients or considering the impact that too much of any nutrient can have on metabolic pathways. For instance:

• Vitamin C can regenerate oxidized, or "used-up", vitamin E in the body. This "re-cycling" effect allows for lower intakes of vitamin E due to the potentiating action of vitamin C on the antioxidant benefits of vitamin ^E.1
• When used in combination with the Oligomeric Proanthocyanidin Complexes (OPC's) found in grape skin extract, lesser amounts of other antioxidants are necessary because OPC's have 50 times the antioxidant power of vitamin C or vitamin ^E.2
• Magnesium is required to turn the B-complex vitamin, thiamin, into its active bioavailable form and is also involved in over 300 other enzymatic reactions.^3-4
• Folic acid is reactivated by vitamin B12 and B12 influences melatonin production.⁵
• Lipoic acid has shown a sparing effect on other antioxidants,6-8 again allowing antioxidant effects to be achieved at lower amounts.

You can get TOO MUCH antioxidant protection. Controlled free radical generation is a necessary part of our metabolism. Damping down this system by excessive, unbalanced antioxidant intake can cause as many problems as not getting enough.⁹ This is a major reason to have your individual antioxidant status evaluated through testing in order to customize nutrient intake.

These are only a few of the thousands of interlocking relationships that nutrients can have with each other. Backed by the latest research, all custom vitamins/or formulations - are blended with the best combinations of nutrients shown to work effectively, in concert, to fulfill your specific biochemical needs.

¹Frie B, England L, and Ames BN, Ascorbate is an outstanding antioxidant in human blood plasma. Proc Natl Acad Sci 86, 6377-6381, 1989.
²Murray, Michael, Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, , Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA, 1996, p 324.
³Murray, Michael, Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, , Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA, 1996, p 83.
⁴Linder, MC (ed.) Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism, 2nd edition, Appleton and Lang, Norwalk, CT, 1991, p 194.
⁵Honma K, et al., Effects of vitamin B12 on plasma melatonin rhythm in humans: Increased light sensitivity phase-advances the circadian clock? Experentia 48, 716-720, 1992.
⁶Passwater, R, Lipoic Acid: The Metabolic Antioxidant, Keats Publishing, New Canaan, CT, 1995, p 8.
⁷Murray, Michael, Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, , Prima Publishing, Rocklin, CA, 1996, p 346.
⁸Packer, L. Witt, E.H., and Tritschler, H.J., Alpha-lipoic acid as a biological antioxidant. Free Radical Biol & Med, 19(2), 227-50, 1995.
⁹Challem, J, Are You Overdoing Antioxidants? Natural Health, May/June 1995, pp 56-57. Interview with Denham Harman, MD, Ph.D., who formulated the free radical theory of aging in 1954.

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Step 1: Take Your Customized Vitamin Test Take your Customized Vitamin Test - the simple, in-home lab test that determines your custom blend of Vitamins. Includes a pre-paid FedEx laboratory shipping envelope.

Step 2: Custom Vitamins Your personal blend of Custom Vitamins will AutoShip to you monthly. Can you think of a better gift to give your body than custom health and peace of mind?

Step 3: Retest In Six Months Take the ReTest six months after you start your Custom Vitamins regimen so that we can adjust your formula to account for changes in your metabolism.

Order the Custom Vitamin test here.