You may have heard about green lipped mussel antioxidants. What are they? Where do they come from? And how can they help you?
Let’s take a look.
Antioxidants are naturally occurring compounds that help protect the body from ravaging free radicals. They do this by donating electrons to them and thus neutralizing them.
Free radicals are electronically unstable atoms or groups of atoms that contain at least one unpaired electron, and can easily bond with another atom or molecule to strip their electrons in an effort become stable. This can result in dramatic changes in the body. Free radicals cause damage to cells, inhibit the immune system, and lead to infections and various diseases such as cancer and arthritis.
Many scientists hold free radicals responsible for the aging process.
These free radicals commonly develop when the body is exposed to toxic chemicals — such as those found in cigarette smoke, air pollution, and industrial and household chemicals. The body makes free radical scavengers, such as certain important enzymes, to keep them in check. There are also a number of nutrients that act as antioxidants, such as vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and melatonin.
Certain foods are rich in antioxidants as well. These include sprouted grains, fresh fruit and vegetables. However, it’s difficult to get enough antioxidants from these sources to hold back all the free radicals.
The reason why is pollution.
Unfortunately, our environment has become so polluted, the amount of free radicals in people’s bodies are rapidly increasing. This is particularly the case where people live in large cities.
To overcome this, it’s necessary to take supplements of key nutrients. A high intake of antioxidant nutrients appears to be especially protective against cancer.
Something to keep in mind though, is that antioxidants work in a synergistic way to give protection against free radical damage. Therefore, it’s better to take smaller dosages of several different antioxidants than a large amount of only one.
This is where green lipped mussel extract is helpful.
Green lipped mussels are a natural source of antioxidants, and antioxidant co-factor minerals (zinc, copper, and manganese) that help them work. These antioxidants come from the plankton that the mussels feast on.
Interestingly, plankton has evolved in a way that enables it to protect itself from the intense ultra-violet radiation from the sun’s rays on the water. It does this by producing huge amounts of antioxidants, which the mussels take in when they eat the plankton.
It’s not surprising then, that the mussels are so nutritious!
Green lipped mussel benefits are vast and varied. However, if you’re suffering from an inflammatory joint disease such as arthritis, green lipped mussel extract plays more than one role in fighting it.
Not only can the mussel extract reduce the production of inflammatory compounds in the body, the antioxidants that it contains can also help to fight the free radicals that cause the arthritis.
When studying the joint fluid extracted from inflamed joints, researchers have noted a high concentration of free radicals. These aren’t present in the healthy fluid from normal joints.
They come mainly from oxidative stress, which occurs naturally as cells use oxygen to create energy and life. Sometimes, an oxygen molecule with at least one unpaired electron is formed. It can easily cause changes in cell structures when bonding with other molecules to become stable.
Scientific studies conducted over the last couple of decades years have shown oxidative stress, and the free radicals that it produces, to contribute to well over 70 chronic degenerative diseases. It’s a scary thought!
Curious to know more about green lipped mussels?
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