Anti-oxidant Protandim could treat alcohol related liver disease : LifeVantage

Protandim stimulates the body’s production of its own powerful antioxidant enzymes

Protandim, a dietary supplement containing five powerful anti-oxidants, is currently being tested in humans to clinically prove its efficacy in certain liver and lung diseases.

Protandim, a patented dietary supplement composed of five highly synergistic “indirect antioxidants”, is currently the subject of two human clinical trials at the University of Colorado, Denver, LifeVantage Corporation announced.

Protandim is a clinically proven supplement that provides substantial benefits for healthy aging.

Patented indirect antioxidant therapy Protandim works in a very different way than conventional foods such as red wine, oranges, blueberries or other popular antioxidant supplements.

Unlike those types of products that have proven to be largely ineffective in reducing oxidative stress caused by free radicals, Protandim is an indirect antioxidant therapy, which stimulates the body’s production of its own powerful antioxidant enzymes.

Protandim works at the cellular level, triggering cells to naturally increase production of protective antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione synthase.

A peer-reviewed human clinical study showed that after Protandim was taken for 30 consecutive days, important biochemical markers of aging were decreased by an average of 40%.

The study also reported that these markers of aging were reduced in the subjects taking Protandim to the level of a typical 20 year old.

Protandim is currently the subject of approximately 20 scientific studies at universities and research facilities,LifeVantage Corporation said in the release.

Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, Protandim is considered a “dietary supplement” and, as with all dietary supplements, Protandim is not intended for the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or cure of any disease. For more information about Protandim, visit www.LifeVantage.com.

The studies, entitled The Effect of the Dietary Supplement Protandim on Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH): A Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study and Double Blinded Placebo Controlled Trial of Protandim for Individuals With a History of Alcohol Abuse respectively, began enrolling patients earlier this year and are currently on-going.

NASH is a common, often “silent” liver disease, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It resembles alcoholic liver disease, but occurs in people who drink little or no alcohol. The major feature in NASH is fat in the liver, along with inflammation and damage.

Most people with NASH feel well and are not aware that they have a liver problem. Nevertheless, NASH can be severe and can lead to cirrhosis, in which the liver is permanently damaged and scarred and no longer able to work properly.

Protandim could lead to an improvement in NASH when compared to placebo, could lead to decreases in serum markers of oxidative stress and liver chemistry tests, and lastly, could lead to decreased levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) when compared to placebo.

In NASH, TNF-a is hypothesized to be responsible for apoptotic cell death and inflammation, which characterize the disease. Dysregulation of TNF-a production has been implicated in a variety of human diseases.

In the second trial, Protandim is investigated for individuals with a history of alcohol abuse.

This independent clinical study aims to determine the safety and efficacy of Protandim on alveolar-capillary barrier function in individuals with a history of chronic alcohol abuse. Patient enrollment in this study has begun and is currently open.

Alcohol abuse has been associated with the development of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a disorder characterized by abnormal alveolar-capillary permeability. According to study investigators, ARDS affects approximately 150,000 patients per year in the United States, with a mortality rate of 40-50% even in previously healthy individuals.

Antioxidant deficiency, and, in particular, glutathione (GSH) deficiency, is a cause of abnormal alveolar-capillary barrier function in individuals with a history of chronic alcohol abuse.

Oral therapy with Protandim, which induces the antioxidant enzymes, including those that synthesize, utilize, and recycle GSH, could help to correct this abnormality, researchers believe.

LifeVantage Corporation is a publicly traded, science-based, nutraceutical company based in San Diego, CA.