Protection from Oxidative Stress

Clinical research has found that Enzogenol can significantly reduce oxidative damage to proteins and DNA in the body and may thereby help to prevent diseases that are linked to DNA damage and other downstream consequences of high oxidative stress.
(click here for a three part review on "Managing oxidative stress in disease")

Oxidative stress is a term for the damage to biomolecules, tissues, organs and the whole body through oxidative processes from reactive molecules called free radicals and other reactive oxygen species. Our body counteracts these oxidative processes through the use of antioxidants.

The effects of taking Enzogenol on reducing oxidative stress were studied in two clinical trials:

Study 1.Pilot evaluation of the clinical, biochemical haematological and haemodynamic effects of flavonoid dietary supplementation in healthy people

This study was carried out by Dr. Brett Shand and Prof. Russell Scott of the Lipid & Diabetes Research Group, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand. In this trial, 24 healthy subjects, age 55-75, received a daily dose of 480 mg of Enzogenol and 240 mg vitamin C over 12 weeks. This first formal clinical trial confirmed the safety of Enzogenol. No treatment related adverse events were noticed in this study, and no adverse effects on routine laboratory indices of glycaemic control, renal and liver function, plasma lipid profile and haematology were noticed. The data indicated that the supplementation was associated with beneficial effects on a range of clinical parameters shown below. (For the full details of this study see the scientific publication by Senthilmohan et al., 2003, Nutrition Research Vol.23 p1199)

Reduction in blood plasma protein oxidation

Reductions in markers of oxidation, like protein oxidation and DNA strand breaks, give the best long term measure for the efficacy of antioxidants in vivo. The results from this clinical study confirmed the effective antioxidant action of Enzogenol in the human body with participants showing significant reductions in protein oxidation and DNA damage in their blood.

Reduction in DNA damage

These results demonstrate that by taking Enzogenol harmful effects of oxidative processes that contribute to aging of our body and that are involved in many types of diseases can be reduced effectively.

Study 2. Double-blind, controlled study on the vascular, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anthropometric effects of Enzogenol in chronic smokers

This study was carried out by Joanna Young, Dr. Brett Shand and Prof. Russell Scott of the Lipid & Diabetes Research Group, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand. In this trial 44 smokers, aged 40-67, were assigned to a treatment and a control group. For 12 weeks 22 subjects in the treatment group received 480 mg Enzogenol and 60 mg vitamin C daily, and the 22 control subjects received 60 mg vitamin C only per day. In this second clinical trial Enzogenol was again very well tolerated with no adverse reactions and normal laboratory measures of all biochemical and haematological parameters. The data indicated that Enzogenol was associated with beneficial effects on a range of clinical parameters shown below. (For the full details of this study see the scientific publication by Young et al., 2006, Free Radical Research Vol.40 p85.)

Reduced Plasma Protein Oxidation

The measurements of blood plasma protein oxidation in the study showed that supplementation with Vitamin C alone did not reduce the levels oxidised proteins present in the blood. In contrast, Enzogenol + Vitamin C led to a significant reduction of over 30% after 12 weeks of supplementation. Since this study of the effects of Enzogenol in smokers was controlled with a group that took Vitamin C but no Enzogenol, it can be concluded that Enzogenol has the effects of significantly reducing oxidative stress in the body that can not be achieved with Vitamin C alone.