Perfor-Max
Perfor-Max
By Bob Lefavi, PhD, CSCS, CHES
Chairman, Changes Science Advisory Board
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Changes Perfor-Max is a high-quality antioxidant formula with six sources of OPC' s - 40% more OPC' s than the original formula!
Why is that important? Remember, oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC' s) are effective at reducing damage from free radicals -- highly charged substances that destroy cell membranes, may cause premature aging and possibly even disease.
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OPC' s are available in many foods and may be many times more potent than vitamin C when it comes to fighting free radicals. Unfortunately, the amount of antioxidants we get in foods may not be optimal to reduce the destructive processes resulting from free radical damage. That' s why the business of antioxidant supplementation, where concentrated amounts of OPC' s are ingested daily, has become so popular.
The three main antioxidants in Perfor-Max are grape seed extract, pine bark extract and curcumin extract. Grape seed extract has been shown to inhibit and possibly even destroy human cancer cells while increasing the growth and viability of normal healthy cells (a University of Nebraska study). What has really been interesting is the protection from damage we see with grape seed extract. Researchers at the University of Birmingham, England, have theorized that this extract protects against cardiac damage in the atherosclerosis process. More recently, grape seed extract has been shown to protect against liver damage during acetaminophen overdose.
Another potent OPC source is pine bark. Dr. Ronald Watson of the Arizona Prevention Center has found that pine bark extract improves some markers of immune function in AIDS-infected animals. And Dr. Anthony Martin of LaSalle University in Ontario, Canada, is convinced from his research that pine bark extract can help in chronic fatigue syndrome. He explains that free radical damage is the common thread in not only chronic fatigue syndrome, but also melanoma, stomach cancer, breast cancer and prostate problems. Additionally, the research of Dr. Steven Tenenbaum of the Attention Deficit Center in St. Louis, MO, suggests that Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may improve with pine bark extract supplementation.
Likewise, curcumin has been shown to protect against cataract formation in mammals. Moreover, researchers at the National Cancer Institute have had very exciting results using curcumin to curb the activity of chemicals associated with HIV infection.
We' re rounding out our Perfor-Max with 50 mg of an herbal Botanical Antioxidant Support Blend. This includes extracts from green tea leaf, hawthorn berry, and rosemary leaf. All three also have substantial amounts of OPC' s. Perfor-Max comes in a quick dissolve caplet, making the way in which you take in this product all that much easier.
References
Murray, F. Grape seed extract for a healthy heart. Let' s Live 65(7):61-62, 1997.
Tyler, V. Grape expectations: Compound in grapes may fight cancer. Prevention 49(6):80-84, 1997.
Dolby, V. French pine bark: Could it be the French paradox - part deux? Better Nutrition 59(6):14, 1997.
Mazumder, A., et al. Curcumin analogs with altered potencies against HIV-1 integrase as probes for biochemical mechanisms of drug action. AIDS Weekly Plus Nov. 3, 1997, page 41.
Nutritional questions regarding Changes products can be submitted to [email protected].