PURE OXILLIGENCE™

Immune cells work hardest when the body is fighting a threat. To do this, they need adequate glutathione levels, among other things.¹⁸

1 · RECOGNITION Immune cells detect microbes and damaged cells, then launch a defensive response.
2 · ACTIVATION Activated lymphocytes divide and produce signaling molecules. This effort increases their need for energy and antioxidant protection.
3 · GLUTATHIONE Normal glutathione levels inside lymphocytes are needed for them to multiply and work efficiently.
4 · RESOLUTION Once the threat is under control, the response has to wind down so that it does not damage the body’s own tissues.

Educational material, not related to any product. There are no authorized health claims for NAC or glutathione relating to immunity. Source: Dröge W., Breitkreutz R., Proc Nutr Soc 2000;59(4):595-600.

Acute inflammation defends and repairs. The problem begins when low-grade inflammation persists for months and years.¹⁹

1 · DEFENSE Inflammation draws immune cells to the site of an infection or injury.
2 · REPAIR The same process triggers healing and tissue rebuilding, for example in muscles after training.
3 · RESOLUTION A healthy inflammatory response has a beginning and an end. The body actively switches it off.
4 · CHRONICITY Low-grade chronic inflammation, known as inflammaging, is described as one of the processes that accompany aging.

Educational material, not related to any product. Quercetin, resveratrol and curcumin are being studied in relation to inflammatory pathways, including NF-κB. PURE OXILLIGENCE™ has not been shown to reduce inflammation. Source: Franceschi C. et al., Nat Rev Endocrinol 2018;14(10):576-590.

Every cell that produces energy also produces reactive oxygen species. When there are too many, they damage membranes, proteins and DNA.^1-3

Mitochondria The main source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and also one of their main targets.
Membrane lipids Unsaturated fatty acids in membranes undergo peroxidation, which disrupts how the cell works.
DNA Oxidized bases, such as 8-OHdG, are a marker of oxidative damage to genetic material.
Proteins Oxidized proteins lose their function and burden the cell’s repair systems.
Glutathione Its levels decline with age, and with them the ability to neutralize excess ROS.

Educational material, not related to any product. Sources: Harman D., J Gerontol 1956; López-Otín C. et al., Cell 2013; Sekhar R.V. et al., Am J Clin Nutr 2011.

Training and stress increase the production of free radicals. In small amounts, they are a signal that triggers adaptation and repair. In excess, they become a burden.^4,5

Too little or too much? The goal is not to eliminate free radicals, but to keep them in the zone where they act as a signal rather than a source of damage.
Signal Moderate ROS levels activate the Nrf2 pathway and the cell’s own defense enzymes.
Excess When ROS outweigh the defenses, lipids, proteins and DNA are damaged.
Megadoses In one study, high doses of vitamins C and E blunted beneficial adaptations to training.

Sources: Ristow M. et al., PNAS 2009;106(21):8665-8670; Ma Q., Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2013;53:401-426.

Oxidative damage and weakening repair systems are described among the mechanisms of biological aging. The body defends itself in two ways: it neutralizes free radicals directly and switches on its own defense enzymes.^2,5,6

1 · NEUTRALIZATION Dietary antioxidants, such as polyphenols and carotenoids, scavenge free radicals.
2 · GLUTATHIONE The cell’s own antioxidant, built from cysteine, glycine and glutamic acid.
3 · NRF2 A stress sensor that switches on the genes for defense enzymes: superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase.
4 · REPAIR Damaged proteins and DNA are repaired or removed when the defenses cannot keep up.

Educational material, not related to any product. Sources: Ma Q. 2013; Sies H. et al. 2017.