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You hear it almost every day. Be it government health agencies or private organizations, the unanimous directive is for Americans to eat more fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Despite constant media publicity, the majority of Americans do not ingest enough fruits and vegetables each day. In fact, a Johns Hopkins study found from 1999–2002, only 28% and 32% of American adults met the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake respectively.1 Yet, scientists are increasingly telling Americans that they must consume these kinds of plants in order to avoid a myriad of age-related problems.
Life Extension Mix™ contains 94 unique vegetable, fruit, herbal extracts, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. This state-of-the-art multi-nutrient formula has been updated numerous times since its launch in 1983. The Life Extension Mix™ formula is fortified with botanical extracts that help maintain healthy cells via physiological processes. Consumption of these types of plants is being recommended based on research emanating from the world’s most prestigious medical centers. The latest Life Extension Mix™ formula now contains an additional anti-aging ingredient called pterostilbene, double the vitamin D, and less preformed vitamin A.
The anti-aging benefits of Pterostilbene
The formulation that already provides a broad spectrum of plant extracts now also contains trans-pterostilbene. This compound, found naturally in blueberries and grapes, has been shown to have beneficial anti-aging effects on gene expression and to promote healthy cognitive function. According to Dr. Agnes Rimando, a leading expert in the biology of stilbenes (resveratrol, pterostilbene and other related compounds), “Stilbenes have diverse pharmacological activities which include enhanced insulin sensitivity, and increased lifespan.”2
Pyridoxal 5’-Phosphate
When sugars react with your body’s proteins, the result is the formation of non-functioning cross-linked structures, called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs).3 While glycation is a normal consequence of aging, it is far from desirable.4-7 In fact, similar glycation or “browning”reactions (called the Maillard reaction) occur in cooking meat when proteins combine with the sugars present. This same “cooking” process happens at a slower rate to your living body’s proteins!
The blurring of our eye lens with aging is a result of a lifetime of glycation reactions.8-10 Glycation is also associated with arterial blood flow problems and long-term kidney issues.11-13 The pathological effect of glycation can also be seen outwardly in the form of cross-linked proteins in senescent skin.14,15
Pyridoxal 5’-phosphate is the metabolically active B6 that has been shown to protect against protein and lipid glycation reactions.16-19 The latest version of Life Extension Mix™ provides 100 mg of expensive pyridoxal 5’-phosphate in each daily dose.
Standardized cocoa polyphenols
The public does not attribute the cocoa bean with the same health benefits as broccoli or berries, but that will soon change. An abundance of new research shows that the unique polyphenols in cocoa provide broad-spectrum benefits to the arterial system.
Based on studies showing that cocoa polyphenols are extremely effective in neutralizing free radical activity and have been shown to contain more antioxidant polyphenols than any other food, a standardized cocoa polyphenol extract is included in the Life Extension Mix™ formula.
Along with over two dozen other fruit and vegetable extracts, Life Extension Mix™ provides high-potency vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that form a cornerstone of a comprehensive health maintenance program.
Standardized pomegranate extract
The pomegranate extract contained in Life Extension Mix™ is standardized to provide the biologically active punicalagins that are so unique to this fruit. Pomegranate punicalagins are 100% water-soluble and have shown a remarkable 95% absorption rate.20 When tested against popular antioxidant food extracts, pomegranate demonstrated one of the most potent free radical-suppressing effects. This means that pomegranate punicalagins not only absorb much better than other natural antioxidants, but they also have a superior antioxidant capacity.
Like cocoa polyphenols, peer-reviewed published human studies show that pomegranate helps maintain healthy cardiovascular function by enhancing the endothelial nitric oxide synthase bioactivity, and inhibiting the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.21-24 Pomegranate also has the unique property of helping to maintain healthy DNA structure in the prostate cells.25-27 The daily dose of Life Extension Mix™ provides the equivalent of consuming up to 2.6 ounces of pomegranate juice — but without the sugar calories.
Standardized blueberry extracts
Blueberry anthocyanins are potent natural antioxidants that have demonstrated properties that extend well beyond suppressing free radicals.
For instance, blueberries have been shown to not only improve memory but to also undo some of the age-related changes seen in aging neurons. One study showed that the ability of blueberries to suppress free radical damage in the brain was analogous to long-term calorie restriction.28,29 These findings hint that blueberries might be able to reverse certain aspects of brain aging!
Blueberry’s other active constituent (pterostilbene) promotes healthy lipid and glucose levels for those already within normal range.30,31 Even more exciting is that these blueberry constituents (pterostilbene and anthocyanins) may help protect DNA structure.32
Life Extension Mix™ provides the standardized blueberry extracts that provide the most active constituents found in this health-promoting fruit.
Standardized green tea extract
Life Extension introduced green tea extract as a supplement in 1993 based on epidemiological studies showing that people who consumed green tea had lower incidences of common age-related problems.33 Over the past 14 years, an enormous volume of positive studies has been published about the health benefits of green tea.
Scientists have looked at the active “polyphenol” constituents of green tea and have found that they possess remarkable biological activities that include inhibiting LDL oxidation and neuronal peroxidation, while maintaining healthy DNA structure.34-40
Life Extension Mix™ contains 325 mg of a decaffeinated green tea extract that is standardized to provide 98% of the active polyphenols that scientists attribute to green tea’s multiple health benefits.
The amount of polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), in Life Extension Mix™ is equivalent to drinking about three to four cups of green tea per day.
Standardized vegetable extracts
Luteolin is a flavonoid found in parsley, artichoke, basil, celery, and other foods. When measured against 27 other flavonoids, luteolin provided one of the highest levels of DNA protection.41
One favorable mechanism of luteolin is its ability to inhibit oxidative damage to cellular DNA. Another unique benefit is luteolin’s ability to suppress excess levels of dangerous inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 and interleukin 1b.42,43
Life Extension Mix™ contains a standardized dose of 8 mg of luteolin, a dose that emulates the benefits seen in published scientific studies.
Broccoli is touted as one of the most important vegetables to maintain healthy DNA gene structure. Broccoli contains several active constituents, with sulforaphane being the most significant because of its unique detoxification and DNA-protecting effects. Life Extension Mix™ provides a concentrated broccoli mixture that provides standardized extracts of sulforaphane and glucosinolates, two compounds attributed to broccoli’s multiple protective benefits. Broccoli is also a natural source of gene-protecting chlorophyll.44-51
D-glucarate is a botanical extract found in grapefruit, apples, oranges, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. D-glucarate effectively supports a detoxification process that helps to remove DNA toxins from the body. The daily dose of Life Extension Mix™ provides 200 mg of D-glucarate.52-54
Lutein, an extract found in corn and in leafy greens such as kale and spinach, has been shown to help maintain critical pigments in the eye macula.55 The carotenoid alpha carotene has demonstrated antioxidant activity greater than beta-carotene, whereas lycopene from tomatoes has shown potent effects in helping to maintain DNA structure and protecting against LDL oxidation.56-58 Life Extension Mix™ contains 60 times more lutein and 10 times more lycopene than popular one-per-day multivitamins. Most multivitamin supplements provide no vegetable extracts whatsoever.
Standardized fruit extracts
In addition to standardized pomegranate and blueberry extracts, Life Extension Mix™ is also fortified with fruit extracts such as bilberry, grape seed, grape skin, and citrus bioflavonoids to provide healthy circulation throughout the body and maintain healthy DNA.
Scientists have long touted the multiple benefits of fruits such as blueberry, blackberry, cranberry, plums, elderberry, persimmon, and cherry. Life Extension Mix™ provides a customized blend of these and other fruits that studies indicate provides multiple favorable effects in the body.
Olive oil consumption is one of the important factors behind the health benefits of the “Mediterranean Diet.”59,60 Researchers have discovered that there are up to 300 times more polyphenol compounds in olive water compared to olive oil.61 Olive polyphenols have been the subject of numerous in vitro, in vivo, and human studies pointing toward their benefits in many different areas, including protecting against LDL oxidation, suppressing free radicals, and stabilizing cell membranes.60-63 Life Extension Mix™ contains a potent olive extract standardized to provide the best-documented polyphenol, hydroxytyrosol.64 The amount of hydroxytyrosol in the daily dose of Life Extension Mix™ is equivalent to drinking more than one ounce of virgin olive oil a day.65,66
Sesame lignans enhance the effects of vitamin E
Sesame and its lignans have a broad range of applications in human health. This includes increasing human tissue levels of gamma-vitamin E by facilitating carrier proteins in the liver to deliver nutrients to cells throughout the body.64,67
Sesame lignans increase the beneficial effects of fish oils and help maintain already-normal cholesterol/LDL levels in humans.68-70 Life Extension Mix™ provides 10 mg of a sesame lignan extract to supply the direct benefits of the lignans, and augment the effects of vitamin E and other nutrients in the body such as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA).
Maintaining healthy blood glucose levels
Chromium, along with magnesium and biotin, are nutrients required to maintain healthy blood sugar for those already within normal range. Life Extension Mix™ provides 500 mcg of chromium, a better-absorbable form of magnesium, and a super high-potency biotin. A review of studies showing benefits of chromium supplementation reveals that doses exceeding 200 mcg a day are required for optimal effects.71-75
Even more high-potency vitamin D3
Doctors used to be concerned that too much vitaminD could be toxic. Over the past few years, however, an increasing body of evidence indicates that it takes much higher doses of vitamin D (perhaps over 10,000 IU/day) to inflict toxicity on a healthy person.
The concern expressed by researchers today is that fear of vitamin D toxicity is keeping many people from supplementing with enough vitamin D, which is critical for maintaining bone density and maintaining healthy cell division.76-80
As a matter of fact, a recent review in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested recommended intakes for vitamin D are inadequate and need to be increased to at least 800 IU of vitamin D3 per day.81 Currently, most experts in the field believe that intakes of between 1,000 and 4,000 IU for adults will lead to a more healthy level of serum 25(OH)D, at approximately 32–70 ng/mL.82,83
Life Extension recommends that healthy adults supplement each day with at least 1,000 IU of vitamin D. Elderly adults may benefit from higher doses such as 2,000 IU daily, and even up to 5,000 IU daily.
In response to this latest research showing that even those who take standard vitamin D supplements are not obtaining adequate amounts, Life Extension Mix™ now provides 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 per daily dose.
The most complete multi-nutrient formula
Life Extension Mix™ saves time and money by combining the most popular nutrient supplements into one product, eliminating the need to take separate B-complex, vitamins C and E, mineral supplements, and much more that would be required to achieve the same effects.
Life Extension Mix™ supplies the most powerful antioxidants, including water- and fat-soluble vitamin C, vitamin E, and plant extracts that help protect against cellular DNA damage. Other ingredients in Life Extension Mix™ enhance beneficial DNA methylation patterns, help maintain glycemic control, and help prevent the oxidation of LDL that contributes to the buildup of deposits in the endothelial lining.
Life Extension Mix™ is the cornerstone of a comprehensive supplement program because it provides so many well-studied nutrients. If you are on a budget, the Life Extension Mix™ provides the best “cost-per-milligram” value.
The Life Extension Foundation Buyers Club mandates that the ingredients in the Life Extension Mix™ come only from premium-quality suppliers. These premium companies charge more for their vitamins and trace elements, but the purity of these substances greatly exceeds that of the lower cost generic versions that are so prevalent in the vitamin industry. |