Powerful Antioxidant Could Be Helpful in Lyme Treatment

Here's an article from Dr. Mercola's site. As we know, Lyme and Lyme treatments cause a lot of oxidative stress and produce free radicals that need to be removed from the body. The more free-radical scavengers we have in our bodies, the better able we are to clean up the mess, right? So, this article caught my attention today. 

-Bob

• Sunscreen in a pill? 
• Prevention of wrinkles, dry skin, age spots and freckles?
• Reversing the visible signs of aging?

If you think checking "all of the above" seems too good to be true, you're not alone.

But there just happens to be a natural compound that clinical studies are suggesting does ALL of the above—without a hefty price tag or side effects. This is a little miracle your plastic surgeon won't want you to hear about.

It's a relatively unknown carotenoid called astaxanthin, which is now believed to be the most potent antioxidant nature has to offer.

Scientists long ago discovered that a class of naturally occurring pigments called carotenoids held powerful antioxidant properties that are crucial for your health. Carotenoids are the compounds that give foods their vibrant colors—from green grasses to red beets, to the spectacular yellows and oranges of your bell peppers.

There are more than 700 naturally occurring carotenoids, but most people are familiar with only a few. Right now, you probably have about ten different carotenoids circulating through your bloodstream.

As a source of antioxidants and vitamin A, carotenoids are critical to the photosynthetic process and protect a plant or organism from damage by light and oxygen. By consuming plants or organisms that contain these pigments, you gain a similar protective benefit.

Astaxanthin has recently jumped to the front of the line in terms of its status as a "supernutrient," becoming the focus of a large and growing number of peer-reviewed scientific studies.

One of the benefits of astaxanthin that has piqued the interest of researchers is its ability to help protect your skin from the sun, reducing the signs of aging.

However, ataxanthin's benefits to your health are more than skin deep—in fact, so many benefits that I've had to write several articles just to cover the jaw-dropping activities of this amazing nutrient.

Read full article: 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/25/sunscreen-and-wrinkle-prevention-in-a-pill.aspx

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